To get the first week of the new year started how about a few links from around the blogosphere? Seems appropriate:
– David Bernstein, at the Volokh Conspiracy, offers a brief review of Phillip Roth’s A Plot Against America:
I recently read the bestselling The Plot Against America on long plane rides during my honeymoon. I’m a huge Philip Roth fan, but while the book is worth reading, it’s one of Roth’s weaker efforts. Usually, when I read a Roth novel, every several pages I feel compelled to interrupt my traveling companion, and read aloud some brilliant prose I’ve just come across. This happened not once with the The Plot Against America.
– A book that has been getting some buzz in the non-lit blogosphere is Hugh Hewitt’s Blog: Understanding the Information Reformation That’s Changing Your World. I hope to post a review myself, but in the meantime check out the Evangelical Outpost’s review:
When you order your copy of Blog from Amazon or buy it at your local bookstore you’ll want to get at least two copies –- one to keep and one to give away. No matter whether you are a connector, a maven, or just a wannabe, after reading Hewitt’s book you’ll become a salesman for blogging.
Of course, you can always check out Hugh’s site for more info [warning: right wing content].
– Interesting “stream of consciousness” post from Mental Multivitamin. Here is a paragraph I can relate to:
Buy your books used, Kurt chided. He introduced to me to many city treasures — like Powell’s. Save your money. But, sadly, many of my “used†companions are the ones I least like to hold. They were cheaper, yes, but some of them also seem cheap. It’s a special person who prefers to cradle someone’s discard. I am not special. I want my marginalia to stand alone, not beside some glib undergrad’s. All right. So I don’t usually write in my books. But if I did? And I want my spines uncreased. The pages unbent. The dust jackets clean and pressed. I want my books to smell new. Inhale. Ahhhh! If only Kurt had offered something useful, like, Buy your milk at the White Hen, or, Suave works as well as Aveda. But, Buy used? That was not helpful.
I found your site through a link at Mental Multi–and happy to be here. I look forward to reading throughout the year.
Have to disagree about the used books, though. They aren’t my bread and butter reading, but I enjoy wondering, “Why did they turn that corner down?” and, “What made them check that section?” I draw the line at massive underlining (my husband’s books, for example) or bad smells — blech. But, a little connection with an unknown person is kind of fun.
Happy New Year,
Diane
I agree that used books can suffice unless smelly, or worse, dusty. But I’ve been able to double my library size by finding good quality used books that I might not otherwise be able to afford.
-Phil