“When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes”
~Erasmus

(Photo by me)

There was a time in my life where that quote was startlingly precise in its description of my book-buying habits. I could have been tattooed across my forehead. When I took control of my finances a few years back, the uninhibited indulgence in book-buying began to be curbed and that self-control has grown each year, with less income going out on books and thus fewer new-to-me books coming into the home.

But occasionally one has to splurge, especially when those splurges involve going to a used bookstore–the place where you get more bang for your shopping buck.

The following are the used (and a few new) additions that have come home with me over the last few weeks.

Continue reading Something Old, Something New →

A long, long time ago in a city far, far away (New York City…well, Bronxville to be precise) something truly life-changing happened*. It was 1996 and I was on my second solo trip to New York City to visit my friend Scott, a trip full of adventure. It was the first and sadly only time I kept a really detailed journal of a trip. One of the many things that happened during that trip was that I was introduced to Neil Gaiman’s comic book series, The Sandman. I had not read comics since I was a kid and had no idea that there was a world of comic books for grown ups. Wow.

If you have seen the beautiful French film Amelie** (and if you have not, you really should) then you no doubt recall the scene in which the Audrey Tautou, in the title role, wisks a blind man rapidly down the street, matching her pace with a torrent of words in an attempt to paint a picture for the gentleman of the life taking place around him. As she leaves him outside the train station he gazes heavenward with a look of euphoria, flashes of light and color radiate from his very being. That is how I felt as I read through the Sandman series (the final issue, #75, had just been released). I had a similar experience a year later in another city far away (Tulsa, Oklahoma) when I walked into a Borders bookstore and saw the cover pictured above facing me from the New Releases shelf. More accurately, I had that feeling upon coming home and devouring the novel.

I imagine that we each have a book (or two, or three) that has opened up worlds to us. A book that feels as if it were written solely for you because it reads as if it was drawn directly out of your imagination, your passions, your dreams. Neverwhere was…is…that kind of book for me. One of my frequent childhood fantasies was to fall through a crack into the world below to experience adventures akin to those had by Richard Mayhew, the Lady Door, the Marquis de Carabas and the rest of the menagerie in Neverwhere. I fell for this story and fell hard. I know I read it several times in a row and have read it many more times over the ensuing years. When asked I quickly declare that Dracula by Bram Stoker is my all-time favorite novel, and that Neverwhere is second.

So is it really that spectacular of a novel?

Continue reading The Neverwhere Read Along →

No fooling, it is time to start the Mistborn group read, as promised in the recent announcement for Once Upon a Time VI. I am going to be joined in my hosting duties by three other very gracious bloggers–more about that after the jump.

I am very excited to be delving into another Brandon Sanderson world. My first taste, reading The Way of Kings, has me hungry for more and I am glad that there are others who will be going along on this journey.

Here are the details:

Continue reading Mistborn: The Final Empire Group Read →

“Ladies and Gentlemen, this is what you’ve been waiting for. This is the ‘February surprise’.”

Thus begins Little Red Reviewer‘s earlier announcement of her read along of Scott Lynch’s much lauded novel, The Lies of Locke Lamora. Since its debut, the novel, and the name of Scott Lynch, have burned up the internet with this book making its way to many Best Of lists over the last few years. He has received high praise from many quarters and now is your chance to find out what all the fuss is about and have a great time sharing your thoughts and feelings with a group of fellow readers. Or, as Andrea put it:

“I invite you to join us on our read along of Scott Lynch’s debut novel The Lies of Locke Lamora, the unassuming looking fantasy novel that started cults, inspired restraining order style behavior, and quite possibly changed everyone’s ideas of dark fantasy and antiheroes.”

I can attest that Andrea is a wonderful host, having participated in her The Lord of the Rings read alongs last year as well as her excellent Vintage SF Month in January of this year. Given the enthusiasm she put into both events I have no doubt that this will be a fun one as well. And since I’ve quoted her twice now, let me prove that the third time is the charm and give you the rest of the details you need to know:

“Detail the first: We’ll be getting started with The Lies of Locke Lamora the first week of March and Red Seas Under Red Skies sometime in mid to late April (which should give everyone a chance to get copies), and we’ll read 120 – 160 pages per week, with discussions going up on the weekends. Paperbacks tend to run less than $10, electronic probably a bit less, audio probably a bit more, limited editions from Subterranean Press considerably more so. Any version is fine. Chapter breaks and other timing info to be posted later this month.

Detail the second: These are some of my favorite books, by one of my most favorite authors. You can expect much fan girlishness from me. What I said before about restraining order behavior? uh, yeah, that was me. Here’s hoping all the other bloggers will be much more mature and professional.

Detail the third: These books are rated super R for casual violence, violence towards children, promotion of flexible morals, massive amounts of glamorized criminal activity, occasional drug and alcohol use, a smidgen of bought and paid for sex, and oh gods, the swear words. So many deliciously magnificent naughty words! If you wouldn’t use the word delicious or magnificent to describe creative invective, and if you are at all offended by anything else listed above, this may not be the read al0ng for you. Really. I’m not kidding. Don’t even ask me if this would be appropriate for your fourteen year old kid.”

And if you still need incentive, I think this read along, which begins March 1st, would be a wonderful warm up to the Once Upon a Time Challenge that begins on March 21st (details soon to follow). Get your fantasy buzz going now and you’ll be in the groove come March 21st!

To sign up please visit this link and leave a comment in the thread. You will get an email from Andrea with the rest of the details you need to know.

Come on and join in, you know you want to! 😉

Time flies when you are having fun, and I’ve been having a wonderful time re-reading the Foundation Trilogy with this group of folks, some whom are re-reading it as well and others who are reading it for the first time. It has been great seeing this through the eyes of others and has caused my appreciation of Asimov’s works to grow beyond the high estimation I already had for them.

We are going to bring this Asimov group experience to a close with a group reading of the final novel of the original trilogy, Second Foundation. Second Foundation has one of my favorite Michael Whelan covers ever. I remember being so thrilled to finally get over my hesitation in reading this series so that I could get to this book to discover just who this girl was. I wasn’t disappointed and I hope you will enjoy her as well.

We would love to have you join us. The reading will begin this coming Saturday, February 11th with postings on Sundays beginning on the 19th and will end with the final discussion on Sunday the 26th, ending just on the verge of the close of the 2012 Science Fiction Experience. If you would like to join in, the sign up linky is just after the jump.

Continue reading Second Foundation Group Read →