Mind Over Matter

An out of breath customer rushed through the door recently and requested Grisham's latest. As I fondly placed a copy of The Appeal in her hands, she exclaimed, “My pocketbook demands the paperback!”

When a local teen requested Twilight, I walked her to the Teen Book Club shelf where the paperback is displayed. “I already read it,” explained the Stephenie Meyer fan, “but I want the whole series in hardcover.”

I can’t possibly wait until Nicholas Sparks’ latest comes out in paperback, so the hardcover is a must. In fact, there about half a dozen authors I can’t wait a year or more for. Paperbacks are much easier to throw in my purse, pack in my luggage or read in front of a campfire. Hardcover books can be so cumbersome to read in bed; however the print is friendlier to tired eyes.

Hardcover versus paperback. It’s undeniably a conundrum.

What do you think?

Heaven and Dreams

Yesterday I had a regular customer stop in to tell me he absolutely loved the book he purchased last week, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. He was so enthusiastic about this F Scott Fitzgerald satire, which he read on the bus during a school field trip, that he passed it on to a teacher and also promised to let a friend read it next. This very animated teen did a brilliant job of describing the story just enough to draw interest without giving away too much information. Not an easy task with a 64 page short story.

Can you figure out why this picture is included other than the obvious fact that anyone would enjoy looking at a shirtless Brad?

I remember the year I read The Five People You Meet in Heaven and went out the very same day to purchase a copy for my sister. Or the year both my brother and father received Einstein's Dreams for their birthdays.

There are some books which remind me of a certain friend or family member and there are others I am eager to share with everyone I know.

Have you read any books lately that you just could not wait to share?

Happy Days Are Here Again!

Good morning fellow book lovers!

And what a wonderful morning it is. For the first time in months I was able to skip across the beautiful (albeit cracked and sunken) blacktop of our parking lot without gliding across the ice rink or wading through the lake of melted snow. The sun is shining and I expect a robin to land on my shoulder and serenade me at any moment.


Okay, I realize the picture doesn't exactly fit this description - Robins are the first sign of spring in Wisconsin and I don't sing, so that leaves it up to the bird.

Now if I can only discover a book to match my mood. In honor of
St. Patrick’s Day on Monday, our book club choice this month is The Gathering by Anne Enright and although beautifully written, the first half of the book, which I have read so far, is not exactly uplifting. Normally when I need a chuckle I pick up the latest Janet Evanovich, however, I’m looking for something a little more profound for our next book club meeting. Our last five choices provoked deep discussions and were acceptably stimulating for a book club, but cheerful subjects they were not!

What can you suggest for a title which will leave us rolling and yet leave enough to discuss in our next book club meeting?

Time Warp

Last Friday was Leap Day , an event which occurs every four years. You would think having that extra day would allow me to get my blog written on time. Unfortunately, last week another once-every- four-year occurrence took place. I got sick. My loving husband decided to share the dreaded flu with me after I so thoughtfully pointed out what babies men are when sick. Of course I had to get it twice as bad and for twice as long as he did, and yet, I don’t whine half as much. Sure, I curl into a ball and play dead, but at least he doesn’t have to listen to me whine.

Now this weekend Daylight Saving Time begins. I have heard many a foolish individual talk about the lost hour of sleep, which I fail to understand. Okay, so before going to bed on Saturday I need to turn my clock ahead one hour. Sunday is my one and only day off, so does it matter when I decide to get up? Personally, I will be losing an hour of my day, definitely not an hour of my precious sleep time!

First we gain a day then we lose an hour. I feel as though I am living Einstein’s Dreams! Tomorrow will I wake up in yesterday or will I blink and find myself living next year? Why is it that the older I get the faster time flies? Is there a point when it slows down again? What do you think?

Describe Your Life in Six Words

Can you describe your life in six words?

The editors of Smith magazine asked hundreds of writers, both famous and obscure, to boil down their lives to only six words. The result is the new book, Not Quite What I was Planning. Sound easy? Think again! I’ve found it is much easier to come up with six words about someone else than yourself. Take my family for instance. My shy, quiet child with good grades can now be described as If I only had a brain. Then there is my perfectly normal chocolate loving dimpled darling who is now a purple-haired, boy-crazy, moody teen. My accident waiting to happen little boy is now a hockey playing smart a** honor student. As for myself? I suppose I can’t write, so I sell may be accurate, or It’s on my “to read” pile. Most likely, If kids read blog, big trouble!!

How about you? Can you describe your life in six words?

Need a few suggestions? Check out this great
article by Henry Alford.

Pondering Politics

I am not a political person. I consider myself well informed if I have some idea who is running, much less what they stand for. This is actually to my advantage in the retail business. People love to talk politics and I am easily able to nod and smile without offending or being offended. Truthfully, I am more than a little confused by the comments I hear this year. I should vote for this one because of the color of his skin or that one because of her gender. Gosh, I thought my decision should be based on each candidate’s beliefs and their capabilities of leading our country or maybe just the candidate most likely to do the least amount of damage.

I recently came across this commentary by Walter E Williams that caused me to stand up and cheer. This gives a whole new meaning of government. Do we want the government to give us money, jobs and housing when we can’t make it on our own? Sounds good to me! Do we want them to choose our doctors , tell us what we can and can’t eat, what we can and can’t do in our own homes and businesses, how much we should weigh, or what we should name our children? Where do we draw the line?

I know you have very strong opinions, so let me have it!

While you are at it can you tell me why there aren't a dozen new books out about McCain?

Meyer Mania

This week we received more exciting news to make this winter a little more bearable. Not only do we have the opening of The Spiderwick Chronicles to look forward to next week and Brisingr to look forward to in September, now we can anxiously await August as well. Breaking Dawn, the fourth and final novel in Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight saga, will be released at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, August 2nd. The cover art will be revealed in the Eclipse Special Edition, which goes on sale May 31; that edition will also contain the new book’s first chapter.

The movie version of Twilight will be released on December 12 starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson , who you may recognize as Cedric from Harry Potter and the Goblet of fire.

May 6th Meyer’s first adult novel, The Host, will be released. Is this something you are anxious to read while waiting for Breaking Dawn? Will this become an instant bestseller because of Meyer’s popularity with the young adult crowd or will it fail for the same reason? What do you think?