Guru of 15 things

A love poem to the dusty, cramped, haphazardly organized, but well-stocked book store. Will have you reminiscing about favorite bookstores from your past, and may inspire a trip to one or two in the present.

I completely fell in love with Anne Fadiman when I read this book. Was it the fact that she grew up so surounded by books that she built forts out of them? Was it the fact that to her happiness is several pounds of dusty second-hand books found in an unexpectly good used book shop? Or, was it her tale of the most-difficult of post-nuptial rites-of-passage, the co-mingling of the book collections? Fadiman loves reading, loves books and loves writing about them -- and after Ex Libris I'll read anything she writes.

Mark Anderson argues that the Earl of Oxford, Edward de Vere, was the real author of the plays attributed to William Shakespeare.

Anderson marshals a large amount of evidence and makes a powerful case regarding the striking parallels between Edward de Vere's life and travels and the events and locations of Shakespeare's surviving plays. He's also very strong on describing the literary scene in London, and de Vere's role as a patron of several writers. However, his weakest section is where he tries to speculate on how and why de Vere might have picked the player Wil Shakespeare to be his front man.

While the whole doesn't convince, the book will delight anyone interested in Shakespeare's time, his plays and the enduring mystery over of their authorship.

A very enjoyable and entertainingly written short bio of Virginia Woolf. The author benefits from having actually known her as a child, and coming from the family of one of Woolf's lovers. He knew many of Woolf's contemporaries and has written a lively introduction to Woolf's life and work.

A great biography of a fascinating life. Leonard Woolf was a British bureaucrat in Sri Lanka before returning to England and marrying Virginia Woolf. He proved to be the practical half of their relationship and enable Virginia to write, while running the Hogarth Press and doing a great deal of work for socialist political causes.

Glendinning makes both the times and the life strangely gripping, given the cerebral circles he moved in.

I loved this novel! It's the story of a European immigrant in NYC who is disenchanted with the paranoia and suspicion of the post-9/11 US. After his wife leaves him, he stumbles into a community of ex-patriot cricketers who play wherever they can on the weekends. This group of marginalized, but hopeful individuals help him to reconnect with the American dream, and his own family.

Another strong WWII mystery. This time focusing on Germans who resisted the Nazi rise. Make sure you read the initial book in this series, Zoo Station, first.

Great book! Atmospheric mystery set in pre-war Berlin. Sheds light on some little-known aspects of life during the Nazi rise to power. Sympathetic characters and historically accurate events make this a great read for both history buffs and mystery fans.

I loved this book, although I completely misunderstood a few things on first reading. Brilliant stories.

Here's a link to my review:
http://wordhoarder.wordpress.com/2009/03/01/review-dangerous-space/

And here's a short blurb I wrote for the booksense list:

This is the best collection of stories I've read in forever. Cutting edge in every sense, Eskridge mines the raw edges of emotion -- love, lust, and fear -- and places her characters in settings just a bit different to our own -- the near future, the recent past, or the slightly fantastic.
If you like Kelly Link, Nicola Griffith or Neil Gaiman you'll love Kelley Eskridge.
http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781933500133

FTC disclosure: I got a review copy from the publisher.

Atwood nails the mindset of the super-bright person who 'knows better' than anyone else. Great choice for book clubs as it can lead to discussions of so many things: genetics, cloning, limits of medical research, environmental damage, low-impact living, etc.

Good book. Probably ruined because it's forced on kids in high school.