Archive for the 'Books' Category

Vampire books and the women who love them

Tuesday, July 8th, 2008

I feel compelled to weigh in on the Stephenie Meyer phenomenon, with apologies in advance to those who love the series. I got introduced to it by Amanda, who knew that I was looking for things to pass the time until Nathan’s born. I’ve consumed all of Twilight and New Moon and about half of [...]

Amusing myself with anachronisms

Friday, April 25th, 2008

As I’m working on my article (which, no, I will not be able to finish today, sigh), I sometimes mistype the Cmd+I to begin italicization on titles, such that I end up just hitting “i.” This leads to titles like iDictionary and iJourney, which are theoretically plausible neologisms in our modern world of iPods and [...]

Marking it up

Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007

I was, as usual, doing reading for class over the weekend, and, as is not unusual, I was out in public doing so. I often go to places like Panera or Starbucks to read, but every time I do so, I feel a little self-conscious about my reading methods.
See, until graduate school, I never wrote [...]

Revisitation

Monday, September 17th, 2007

I can’t tell you how excited I am to have stumbled on the Canongate Myth Series. I was looking for information on Margaret Atwood, because I love her, and one of the most recent books she’s written was a book in this series.
Basically the idea is that various authors revisit myths and retell them. Think [...]

“It is John Uskglass’s magic that we do.”

Tuesday, July 25th, 2006

I’ve fallen in love with Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. I realize that I’m at least a year or more behind the curve, but there you have it. I had it on my shelf for probably 18 months, and I was daunted that whole time by its size. Having flights and bus rides [...]

Stealth mode

Thursday, February 24th, 2005

Erin conveniently provided me with a ready-made Skeletor deflector: purse-sized books. She’s recently loaned me a couple, and one of them accompanied me to Chipotle at lunch today — stowed away inside my purse — with nary a comment from any staff. Thanks, Erin!

Skeletor update

Tuesday, February 1st, 2005

Skeletor’s been absent from Chipotle the last several times I’ve been in there, and I ventured back today without Dan. Not only was he back, but he’s grown a goatee. Maybe he’s seen me too often with Dan and thinks that’s what it’ll take …
He also picked up my book (Lost by Gregory Maguire) and [...]

Coming out of the dark

Wednesday, December 22nd, 2004

It’s time for me to come out of the closet: I am a secret English major. I have harbored a passion for Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, and H. G. Wells quietly for too long. I have lusted in my heart for Dickensian prose.
You probably know that I was not a real English major in [...]

“That’s a really big … book, you have there…”

Tuesday, November 23rd, 2004

Who knew that 18th-century British literature could be used as a pick-up line?
So, I’ve been carrying around Tom Jones for the last several weeks, making my way slowly through Fielding’s tortured prose. On several occasions, I’ve taken it with me to Chipotle, where I have lunch maybe once a week. And apparently the Fielding is [...]

The Loch Ness Monster is my favorite monster.

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2004

Now that Lord of the Rings has swept the Oscars, it’s well and truly over. Until they make The Hobbit, but that’s another story. I feel now the same sadness that I feel at the conclusion of the books every time I read LOTR. There’s something enveloping about walking in the Tolkien’s world that I [...]