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Literary Miscellany

From Amazon.com:
Behind-the-book stories and facts about authors, publishing, and everything literary. Literary Miscellany is a breezy tour through the literature of today and yesterday, touching on many great classical literary works, movements, and trends. But don’t fear that it’s only for intellectuals—there’s plenty here for the contemporary pleasure reader as well. Alex Palmer offers something for everyone, including answers to the following questions:



What’s the original bestseller?


What authors introduced insults as a literary art form?


Who burned the first book?


Are writers more likely to be depressed than booksellers?


How does a book become a movie?


When did sex become part of literature?


Most people don’t know that the Bible gets credit for plenty of lines that were written by William Shakespeare or John Milton. In Literary Miscellany, learn how this happened. Also examine the more recent concept of “false memoirs,” with a list of who lied about what. And speaking of villains, was the devil the first bad guy in print? Did his appearance lead to the inevitable self-help book? Or was that Oprah?

This quirky work is filled with entertaining literary trivia for a unique perspective on writers’ lives and inspirations, from the drinks they imbibed to the books they penned. Delightfully illustrated, it will entertain casual readers and literary buffs alike.
 
My view:
I had much higher hopes for this volume. It wasn't bad, it just didn't quite have the substance I was looking for. This is more of a light, literature-trivia-for-dummies kind of read. Not that there's anything wrong with that, as long as you know that up front. This presents itself as a more serious work, and in my opinion, it's not. When Amazon says that it "touches on great works", they're not kidding. There isn't a truly in-depth discussion on anything. I did like the quotes and some of the trivia boxes scattered throughout, but it wasn't enough to make me LOVE this book.

Lost For Words

Blurb from Goodreads:
Sweet-natured Daisy, assistant at a large publishing house, has two wishes in life. One, to discover the 'next big thing' in books and two, for her gorgeous, philandering boyfriend Miles to finally commit. But soon work starts looking up. When the thoughtful and witty Elliot Thornton comes in for a temporary placement, Daisy quickly forms a close friendship with him. But she'd never want to leave Miles for him, would she? Then, one day, while glancing through her rejection pile, she comes across the intriguing first pages of a novel. With spine-tingling excitement she emails the mysterious author straightaway and as chapter by chapter slowly filter through to her, she becomes completely spellbound. But somehow, there's something very familiar about the heroine and her story! An enchanting romance about a girl who knows she's in love -- she just doesn't know who with!

My opinion:

This is another from the pile of brit-chick lit books that I've been rampaging through. The cover alone made me like this one. While I look nothing like the girl in the picture, I've often envisioned myself stretched out in similar fashion on a lovely day, absorbed in a book with a pile waiting to be read at my side.

I loved the premise of the book- editorial assistant in a publishing house finds a gem in the slush pile (my dream job, BTW. Even though I know what it REALLY entails), realizes that it seems to be telling parallelling her life, and finds new love in an unexpected place. The story itself- not so much. It's a little too frothy, and Daisy is amazingly, stupidly, oblivious to things that would make a normal woman stand up and scream "ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!?" Things like her boyfriend's inability to commit to ANYTHING (he can't make dinner, lunch, the theatre 75% of the time and you still think he's your boyfriend?!?), her friends point blank telling her he's a jerk, or the cute guy right under her nose that is CLEARLY interested in her. She does finally figure things out in the end and the reader gets a happy ending, but you want to shake her until her head rattles before you get to it!

Running Wild

From Goodreads:
Elfrida Swann, known to everyone as Freddie, is about to marry Alex. Preparations for the great day - service at Westminster, reception at Claridges - are on schedule; the bridesmaids' bouquets made up; the cake decorated. Then Freddie decides that she cannot go through with it. Unable to face the indignation and fury of Alex, her parents, or anyone else, she flees to a friend's cottage in Dorset. At first sight its state of dilapidation is so extreme that Freddie decides she cannot possibly stay there. But she has reckoned without the attentions of Guy Gilderoy; the culinary delights of the Rector and his wife; a family of neglected children; and the primitive and secret shrines she finds in her garden. In her attempts to make sense of her new life, Freddie discovers much about herself that is surprising as the ghosts of her childhood are laid to rest.


My opinion:
I have gone on a British chick-lit kick of late and this is one of the delightful books I've come across during this phase. I have another book by the same author that I'm looking quite forward to getting to read.

Freddie is a charming but flawed heroine adrift in a world of equally charming predators and new-found friends. As she flees her fiancee, who is later revealed to be an abuser, and the ghosts of her unhappy childhood, Freddie discovers that she is MORE than capable of fending for herself, it's ok to offer and accept help, and that charm isn't everything. There's romance, heartbreak, and mystery throughout the novel. Some of the romances are easy to spot in the making, one might surprise the reader a bit, but everything works out happily (but not tidily) in the end.

Ooops, I theoretically spent too much

As some of you have seen from my first post, I had a LOT of fun with the Chronicle Books webiste. I hated to cull my list, but since I was close to twice the giveaway limit, it had to be done. Here, totally out of order, are the items i had to cut. Hopefully I'll win the lottery and be able to collect the them someday!

41. You Give Love a Bad Name- Timeless Poems of Tainted Love, from the Pop Hits of the '70s and '80s


Quirk Books

Edited by Danny Cassidy

5-1/4 x 7 in; 96 pp ;

Hardcover

Published in September, 2003

ISBN 1931686130

ISBN13 9781931686136

$14.95



42. I Can't Fight This Feeling- Timeless Poems for Lovers, from the Pop Hits of the '70s and '80s

Quirk Books

Foreword by Fred Schneider

5-1/4 x 7 in; 96 pp ;

Hardcover

Published in September, 2002

ISBN 1931686114

ISBN13 9781931686112

$14.95



40. Meet Mr. Product- The Art of the Advertising Character

By Warren Dotz and Masud Husain

5-1/8 x 6-11/16 in; 272 pp ; 500 color images

Paperback

Published in February, 2003

ISBN 0811835898

ISBN13 9780811835893

$16.95



32. More Things Like This

By the Editors of McSweeney

Introduction by Michael Kimmelman

Foreword by Dave Eggers

8-3/4 x 8 in; 224 pp ; 289 full-color and b/w images throughout

Hardcover

Published in September, 2009

ISBN 9780811867160

ISBN10 0811867161

$35.00



29. Madhur Jaffrey's Quick & Easy Indian Cooking

By Madhur Jaffrey

Photographs by Noel Barnhurst

8-3/4 x 8 in; 156 pp ; 32 color photographs

Paperback

Published in June, 2007

ISBN 0811859010

ISBN13 9780811859011

$19.95



28.Plenty-Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London's Ottolenghi

By Yotam Ottolenghi

Photographs by Jonathan Lovekin

8 x 11 in; 288 pp ; 140 color photographs, 15 2-color illustrations

Hardcover

ISBN 9781452101248

ISBN10 1452101248

$35.00



26.Crème Brûlée

By Lou Seibert Pappas

Photographs by Alison Miksch

7 x 8 in; 96 pp ; 24 color photographs

Hardcover

Published in January, 2009

ISBN 9780811866828

ISBN10 0811866823

$14.95



19. Field Guide to Tools- How to Identify and Use Virtually Every Tool at the Hardware Store

Quirk Books

By John Kelsey

4-1/2 x 5-7/8 in; 384 pp ;

Paperback

Published in September, 2004

ISBN 1931686793

ISBN13 9781931686792

$15.95



39. Lost- Lost and Found Pet Posters from Around the World

By Ian Phillips

5 x 6.75 in; 208 pp ; 90 black and white photographs

Hardcover

Published in April, 2002

ISBN 1568983379

ISBN13 9781568983370

$14.95



38. Wanderlust

By Troy M. Litten

4-1/2 x 5-7/8 in; 208 pp ; over 400 color photographs

Paperback

Published in March, 2004

ISBN 0811842444

ISBN13 9780811842440

$14.95



15. I Was Here-A Travel Journal for the Curious Minded

By Kate Pocrass

4-1/2 x 8-1/2 in; 128 pp ; 4-color illustrations throughout, elastic band, pocket

Paperback

ISBN 9780811877701

ISBN10 0811877701

$16.95



8. You Are Here-Personal Geographies and Other Maps of the Imagination

Princeton Architectural Press

Edited by Katharine Harmon

7 x 10 in; 192 pp ; 50 color and 50 B/W

Paperback

Published in October, 2003

ISBN 1568984308

ISBN13 9781568984308

$24.95



25.Savory Baking- Warm and Inspiring Recipes for Crisp, Crumbly, Flaky Pastries

By Mary Cech

Photographs by Noel Barnhurst

8 x 8-3/4 in; 168 pp ; 24 color images/photographs

Paperback

Published in August, 2009

ISBN 9780811859066

ISBN10 0811859061

$24.95



34. The Smart Traveler's Passport- 399 Tips from Seasoned Travelers

Quirk Books

By Erik Torkells and the Readers of Budget Travel Magazine

4-1/2 x 5-7/8 in; 224 pp ;

Paperback

Published in February, 2007

ISBN 1594741778

ISBN13 9781594741777

$14.95



33. Pictorial Webster's- A Visual Dictionary of Curiosities

By John M. Carrera

5-3/4 x 7-1/4 in; 512 pp ; 1,500 b/w images

Hardcover

Published in July, 2009

ISBN 9780811867184

ISBN10 0811867188

$35.00



37. City Walks: London- 50 Adventures on Foot

By Christina Henry de Tessan

4-1/16 x 5-5/8 x 1-1/4 in; box with lid, 50 cards, tri-fold intro card, 50 color maps

ISBN 9780811874106

ISBN10 0811874109

$14.95

Why, yes, I AM Jessie's Girl!

Ok, so I'm not really Jessie's Girl, but wishful thinking never hurt anyone! I LOVE Rick Springfield! Reading his book has just convinced me even further that my adoration is not misplaced. He details his lifelong battle with depression (a topic I'm pretty familiar with myself)and explains his career path with honesty and a wicked sense of humor. In fact, it's his sense of humor that convinces me that he's the kind of person I would be friends with if we spent any length of time together. Crank up your copy of Working Class Dog, settle in for a good read, and ROCK ON!

Hedgehogs!

I was toying with the idea of getting a pet hedgehog. When I spotted this volume on the new book shelf at the library, I thought it was a sign. It was, sort of.



This gives some very helpful and detailed information on both the little critters themselves and how to care for them. I'm glad I read the book BEFORE I bought one- they require a bit more time and attention than I have to spare right now!