Love the name. I remember being a child/teen and being so absorbed in stories, so carried away by them. They were crucial to my existence. And, once or twice, I did read by flashlight. Hell, I’m still a sucker for a booklight. Every freaking time. So, there’s a site.  Flashlight Worthy Books.  And it has reading lists.  Over 300 of them.  Awesome?  I think so. Seriously, take a look at some of these. 5 of the Best Children’s Books Grownups Will Love Books for the Serious Jane Austen Fan Call Me Crazy, Call Me True: Madness We Can All Relate To The Things We DoRead More →

I had a yay! moment when I received this. Dear Lori, This is just a friendly email to confirm that your request for the book ‘Helter Skelter : The True Story Of The Manson Murders’ by Vincent Bugliosi, Curt Gentry has been accepted into our system at PaperBackSwap. In the next couple of days you should receive an email stating that the book is on its way! You know, like normal people would when someone says, “I baked you some cookies.”Read More →

I’m almost finished with this book, and I’ll probably update this post when I do, but I just wanted to jot down some observations about the book.  I’m not a reviewer, and there’s a good reason for that.  I’d have a hard time slamming a book even if it really deserved it (not that this one does–I usually take the ‘if you don’t have something good to say’ road) and as strange as it sounds from a writer, I don’t think I have the words.  Despite my attempts to prove otherwise, you really can only say awesome so many times (I do try to limitRead More →

I’m linking today to a beautifully written site. It’s the heartbroke daily and the stories there are the type that stay with you, haunt you, jog your memory and your senses, and make you feel like you’ve just taken a deep, secret peek into someone else’s life.  Whether you’re a reader or a writer, you will find satisfaction and inspiration there.Read More →

Material Girl Monday…on Tuesday?  Hey, get over it.  It’s not like Santa forgot Christmas or something.  ANYWAY, going on the all writers are readers theory (I totally just made that a tag), which I have invoked several times, I believe, I found these adorable custom name stamps while looking for book plates on etsy.  Also, one of them has the sample name “Blythe,” which called to me since my mom harassed gently attempted to persuade me to name one of my daughters that.  Maybe I’ll use it in a book.  But she’ll probably be a totally evil villainess.  Or the catty town slut.  Oh, yeah. Read More →

I give up.  I can’t fight this feeling anymore.  I want a kindle! You can pick out a book and buy it, for a lesser price, in minutes.  You can take it anywhere.  Imagine how easily this baby would fit in your purse.  If I had a kindle, I’d never go anywhere without it.  It’d be like my American Express.  I can’t imagine any reader not being in love with this baby.  And, since writers are readers first… it’s today’s Material Girl pick. Update 6.29.2011: Of course, I did finally get my Kindle.  Read me gushing about how awesome it truly is.Read More →

And, on that premise, the thing I am intensely lusting for is… this. I nearly choked on my coffee when I happened to see it in an email from Overstock this week. Update 06.28.2011: I recently read this book (loved it).  I received it from paperbackswap.com because I had credits and it was on auto-order… anyway, I put off reading it for months.  Want to know why?  Because it’s in paper.  And I really love the convenience of my Kindle.  Of course, when you can’t put it down and end up reading it in a couple of days, convenience isn’t such a big deal.Read More →

Want to hear something amusing?  It occurred to me that my mother might read this, or my aunt, both of whom I love dearly (who will call me on this)…and I nearly censored myself.  Ironic?  I think so.  So sorry Mom and Auntie T., but that’s just what censorship is. Ooookay, and this post starts now. Today’s link is to 25 Banned Books That You Should Read Today. The idea of banning books amazes me.  The only reason I can think of that libraries and schools would ban books is because parents are too lazy to parent their children.  We’re not talking going into theRead More →

I was reading Mirror Mirror by Gregory Maguire (of Wicked fame).  I don’t know what it is about these stories of his, but he manages to take a story that we know so well, it’s part of our psyche, turn it into something completely different, and yet… the same.  The stories suck you in, and it’s not Snow White you’re reading about, it’s Bianca de Nevada, and her father, and the dwarves–Heartless and Mute, Mute, Mute, to name a couple–and the Borgias (real dead people, Lucrezia being cast as the evil stepmother/witch, jealous of “Snow White’s” beauty). Anyway, all I can say is: if GregoryRead More →