I sure do hate to see the holidays fading behind me. It’s one of the few times a year I can really cram in some solid reading time. A couple of days off work, big old couch, cup of coffee, a new book…
Over the past week, I picked up and finished Chabon’s Yiddish Policeman’s Union. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was the perfect winter holiday book. I’m not one for ‘alternate history’ kinda things, but this one was well done. Of course Chabon’s writing was great (as always) but I really enjoyed the peek into the lives of the Jewish/Yiddish/Orthodox people. Lots of interesting tidbits to chew on. It’s fascinating to ‘experience’ older cultures like that. I did throw my two cents into the conversation with a short rambling book review over on LibraryThing too.
Now I’m turning the pages of The Bookaholics Guide to Book Blogs. If you frequent lit blogs, then you’ll know 99% of the folks featured in the book. I had no idea that some of the ‘heavy weights’ in the lit blog world are such a tight knit group. A couple of them are even married. I’ll pass along more when I’m done.
Hope your new year is off to a good start and that your holidays were as enjoyable and book-filled as mine were!
I was lurking around the net, familiarizing myself with children’s books from the 1940’s (per one commenter’s suggestion) and I ran across an news tidbit saying the UK publishers are going to start rating children’s books. Just like the movies, though this seems more aimed at “reading level” than content. Though, surely, there is some of that too.
The age ranking will go: Early (for five years plus), Developing (7 plus) Confident (9 plus) and Fluent.
When gift buying for nephews, I always wonder which book to get. The reading abilities and tastes seem so hard to figure out at that age. Honestly. I have more faith in my local bookseller’s knowledge about what would be a good purchase, but this would seem to be a step in the right direction to help the clueless (such as myself).
While making the rounds today I ran across Buzz Girl’s post about Houghton Mifflin’s Spring 2008 list, which listed a debut novel by Jonathon Miles. The title is Dear American Airlines, and is billed as “an irate demand for a refund tut urns into a “cri de coeur” of a misspent life, talent unused and happiness lost.”
I recognized Miles’ name from his column on cocktails and his work at Men’s Journal. As I did some digging online he seems to be one of the more prolific and cross-subject reporters out there. So you may have seen his work elsewhere. I’m banking that his ability to pen a novel will be just as entertaining and insightful. We will all just have to wait until June to find out!
