Quote de jour
"The greatest part of a writer's time is spent in reading, in order to write; a man will turn over half a library to make one book."
~Samuel Johnson

When I pick up my two, or three or however many books I've ordered from the library that week, the first thing I do is what you might do with a wrapped Christmas gift. I examine the book from all sides, analyze the jacket design, the kind of paper and font, read the jacket and flap copy, study the author photo and then, read the first paragraph. It's rinse, lather repeat with each book. Unless something grabs me by the throat from page one, I alternate reading between books until one book pulls me in to continue. Some get the scan and skim treatment and some I abandon after five minutes. It's like meeting a blind date for coffee: you know within five minutes if there is any chemistry. And if there isn't, why bother going on to dinner and dessert?

A much smaller magazine selection this week.


Anthropology of an American Girl by Hilary Thayer Hamann anthropologyofanamericangirl.com This hefty novel in size and scope gives first time novelists hope. Originally self-published in 2003, the book went nowhere. Years later, it emerged re-edited and published by a mainstream publisher and became a bestseller. It has a memoirish feel with deep layers you want to snuggle into. Alas, it's too long and my time too brief for me to read every word.


Role Models by John Waters is another memoir by the king of quirkiness and my favorite weirdo. He writes as well as he directs film which is to say, brilliantly.



Cakewalk a memoir by Kate Moses is a huge success. For me it's a scan and skim especially the gratuitous recipes.