Pretty enjoyable stuff. I really enjoyed his analysis of the "tarot hand" of the vampire, the werewolf, and the thing without a name. Some of the novePretty enjoyable stuff. I really enjoyed his analysis of the "tarot hand" of the vampire, the werewolf, and the thing without a name. Some of the novels (of which there are, thankfully, just 10) he discussed late in the book seem tempting, although many of the movies & TV shows I will probably pass by. King's heart is in the books, which is why this is the last moment in his career he could write something like this (and why his movie-focused 2010 foreword doesn't quite have proper punch): King BECAME the preeminent face of horror in the succeeding era. He sometimes obliquely mentions his influential and now iconic 1970s output (with no small help from De Palma and Kubrick and perhaps even Hooper), but his reputation grew, even if his most iconic works were perhaps already written. There remains an Easter egg or two of influence (one obvious from It and one subtle from Fairy Tale), but mostly you just learn how much King loves and cares about this stuff. I mostly hated horror before I met my wife 8 years ago, but with her help and deep affection for the macabre (as well as her introduction to the works of King), I now see the beauty in the dance, too....more
I don't know if this is a complete 5-star on its merits or I just can't help myself. I loved my five years selling books, and I might do it again one I don't know if this is a complete 5-star on its merits or I just can't help myself. I loved my five years selling books, and I might do it again one day. I've bought books from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Square Books, Impression Books, Parnassus, Choctaw Books, Scholastic book fairs, B. Dalton, Libro.fm, but none has ever captured my heart like Lemuria Books. I worry about it all the time, and I treasure my memories and occasional trips back, although my wife has rightly pointed out we need to limit our book in take to make room for our growing family. Ironically, I borrowed this book from my local library, for which I get to buy books (sometimes) and e-books.
This book is organized by representative case, but does a great job remaining readable while reflecting American society. I would highly recommend it to anybody who likes reading. I would highly recommend reading to anybody who loves being alive....more
Some bookish people don't like James Patterson, but he sure seems to like them. I was told one of his grants paid for the design of Lemuria's website.Some bookish people don't like James Patterson, but he sure seems to like them. I was told one of his grants paid for the design of Lemuria's website. Some of these sections, all written in first person, sound a bit like college admissions essays, but some are trully beautiful, and all are imbued with the love of books, and those people are alright in my book!...more
It's a comic memoir, not a treatise, so it's full of subjective experiences, but I can't imagine the latter being a very good way to approach the subjIt's a comic memoir, not a treatise, so it's full of subjective experiences, but I can't imagine the latter being a very good way to approach the subject. I laughed out loud several times, especially at the footnotes, but it still frequently gave me the feels. Very enjoyable. I think I'll hunt down Reed's first book at some point, as well....more
When I was in junior high, there'd be books in my bathroom like THE BOOK OF LISTS 2, and it looked like somebody had purchased it 20 years before. It When I was in junior high, there'd be books in my bathroom like THE BOOK OF LISTS 2, and it looked like somebody had purchased it 20 years before. It was full of half-truths and probable BS, but it inspired me to research and wonder about the world.
I thought they stopped publishing nonsense like this with the rise of the smartphones and Wikipedia, they'd stop publishing stuff like this. Our library purchased this in a sale from a company that specializes in large print.
This book seems questionably fact-checked and largely lifted from internet searches done over the course of two weeks. I don't think it was even proofread by references to Lord of the Flies author "William Goulding" and the character "Holiday Golightly" from Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Listen, I barely care about any of that. It was super readable and highly entertaining. It might have inspired me to start writing again. If any of these facts, I'll do it myself on my own time. All hail the magical world of bathroom books....more
I read this for my History of the Book course, part of my MLIS program. I enjoyed reading it, and thought it moved along smoothly, although sometimes I read this for my History of the Book course, part of my MLIS program. I enjoyed reading it, and thought it moved along smoothly, although sometimes it would get a bit technical and I just had to let the schematics flow over me. Full of stories and historical perspective, though. I would definitely recommend to any book lover....more
This is a lovely, high readable book that reminds me a little bit of those I've read by John Berendt. There's ostensibly a true crime element to it, bThis is a lovely, high readable book that reminds me a little bit of those I've read by John Berendt. There's ostensibly a true crime element to it, but that's the least essential part of the tale. Orlean lovingly reports on the library as an institution's present, recreates its past, and ruminates on its future, using Los Angeles's library as its specific fulcrum to discuss these ideas. I'd highly recommend it for book and library lovers everywhere. If your primary interest is in the 1986 Los Angeles library fire, or Harry Peak (the arson suspect) himself, only then may the book not meet your expectations....more
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