Category Archives: Book Talk

Just finished…

Christopher Morley’s 1918 The Haunted Bookshop.

As always, my thoughts are cross-posted here and on LibraryThing.

This was an enjoyable book. It’s very “classic”, in that American Movie Classics Channel Jimmy Stewart kind of way. Everyone is soooo polite and proper. Everyone blushes and women drop their handkerchiefs.

The whole WWII-era spy plot is a bit flat. True, I was always wondering what was going on, but I almost didn’t care, that’s not what kept me turning the pages. The few spots of book talk made it worthwhile for me. There’s a part where the owner of the Haunted Bookshop (which has no ghosts what-so-ever) meets with all the other crusty educated book-ish types around a roaring fire with their pipes and some toddies.

Continue reading Just finished…

Birminghamsters… unite!

A local good soul has started a Birmingham, Alabama group over on LibraryThing. The potential is great. You should click over and check it out. I’ve already learned some local lore, just by clicking through to the B’ham based books list over on the BhamWiki.

The Wiki has lots of cool stuff. If you’re not careful you’ll loose an hour (or two) just clicking through all the uber-infomative related goodness.

Crystal Balls For The Holidays

Forbes magazine has crunched the numbers and has run a series of articles about how books and book publishing are far from dead. That’s something I’ve felt, in my soul, for a long time. It’s a hard argument to make as more and more goes online, but how can you argue with the pragmatic dry wits of Forbes?

Title trivia and other tid-bits

Four days of BookTV has been great! The best segment I saw was Morse talking about the Dictionary. Fascinating! But I still have three shows to watch on the old dvr (including Isaac Stern!)… so that may change.

Just wanted to let you guys know about the fun Title Quiz the New York Times has posted right now. It was pretty fun and I picked up some neat facts.
Also,  I had The Fellowship  by Roger Friedland and Harold Zellman on my Christmas Wish List. But after reading the NYTBR I’m thinking about dropping it. Just not interested if all the book as to offer is re-hashing the sex drive and decades old gossip of one of our nation’s most talented designers.

Let me know if any of you have read it and disagree with the NYTBR. I’d love to be persuaded to buy and read it! I’ve always enjoyed Frank Lloyd Wright’s work.