Book Thread
 

Hi Ladies,

I was wondering if you have any good books that you are currently reading or have read.

Right now I am reading a few books at the same time:

Stand Up For Your Life by Cheryl Richardson

He's just not that into you by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo

Last Writes by Laura Levine (fiction)

good thread topic annice...

unfortunately, i haven't had anytime to read books lately! i'd really like to though... i never know what books to get, though. normally i'll read anything by dean koontz, because i like his style... but i'm interested in reading a variety of different books...

i think it would be a good idea if we came up with some sort of phi sig book club or something... like oprah! haha!

do like a new book each month or something. i know they have that thread in the chit-chat area, but i'd be more inclined to do something like this with my sisters that i feel more closer too.

is anyone else interested in doing this, too?

~beth

for sure i would be into it . i love to read books, the next ones i read will hopefully be The Da Vinci Code,and George Lopezs' autobiography. I just finished reading Stiff.

i have no idea what the da vinci code's about... but i've been really interested in it for a couple of weeks now. (yeah, i'm gonna go look it up now)

Well from what i heard its this big ol' mystery and the answers are based on the da vincis paintings, there is a book that some people have told me i should read first, i think its either angels &demons or monsters &dragons...something like that. anwyay i am in the middle of a book called The Day of The Locusts, about old hollywood. and i will soon be reading pride and prejudice. I have never read Grapes of Wrath, i want to but i hate all his other books so i dont know if i will enjoy.The Pearl adn Of Mice and Men were really bad!

Recently, I have read:

The Notebook - Sparks... yes, like the movie... different ending. Book is better and the movie was wonderful.

The Wedding - Sparks... sequil to the Notebook and even better!

My Sister's Keeper - author starts with a P... very interesting and sad book but very cooly written.

Jewish Wisdom... but this is a little different. I find it interesting because I am Jewish, but some really cool and insightful things.

I just bought a new book:

Carolyn 101 by Carolyn Kepcher from The Apprentice

I have not started to read it yet but it seems very interesting from the back cover.

Anyone else bought this book yet.

that sounds pretty good! it's going on my christmas list! haha!!!


here's the review from amazon.com:
Smart, direct, precise. These are adjectives viewers of NBC's hit reality show, The Apprentice might use to describe Donald Trump's left-hand woman, Carolyn Kepcher. Kepcher is a tough judge who can make or break hopeful contestants vying to get hired by Trump. In Carolyn 101, readers find a respected business executive and familial leading lady. Kepcher's personal stories draw an entertaining and inspiring picture of a scrappy, former waitress and restaurant manager, with a no-holds-barred approach to getting hired and succeeding in a mostly male-dominated environment in New Jersey--and, eventually, in The Trump Organization.
In Carolyn 101, Kepcher describes how she successfully synthesized her learned-on-the-job business acumen and motherhood duties to become a respected leader in the Trump empire. Plus, readers will love the snippets Kepcher shows of her famous boss, including his empathy to her personal life and foresight in choosing Kepcher for a management role at the age of 25: "I was twenty-five, a woman, and had never run a golf club in my life. But since Donald Trump trusted that I could handle it, I trusted myself to handle it."

It's clear from Carolyn 101 that Kepcher is a renaissance woman through and through. She balances the demands of the show, her job, and home-life, making her success that much more impressive. Those joining the workforce or already in the trenches will appreciate the firm advice she offers through personal stories and short blurbs dotting the pages, like this gem: "When someone hands you an opportunity, don't be afraid to take it." Case in point: Carolyn Kepcher, EVP and COO, The Trump Organization. --E. Brooke Gilbert

Product Description:


Known to the millions of viewers of the hit reality television show The Apprentice, Carolyn Kepcher attracted enormous media attention for her cool demeanor and her no-holds-barred assessments of the show's candidates in the boardroom each week. In particular, she was not shy about speaking out about her disappointment with the professional conduct of the female candidates, whom she felt too often resorted to using their sex appeal to move ahead and gain the favor of Donald Trump.

But if anyone knows what to do to impress Donald Trump, it's Carolyn, his longtime employee and trusted adviser. In Carolyn 101, she reveals the secrets of her own success and provides readers with guidance for their professional lives. By looking at the types of people most often encountered in the workplace, she illustrates her advice with examples from her career -- largely within The Trump Organization -- showing readers how to:

• ace an interview

• ask for a raise or promotion

• maintain a healthy balance between work and home life

• deal with a difficult boss

• spot and seize potential business opportunities

• dress for success

• be a strong team member or team leader

Inspirational to both recent college graduates entering the workforce for the first time as well as seasoned employees looking to distinguish themselves, Carolyn 101 will show ambitious professionals what they need to do to get ahead and take their careers even further than they had imagined.

The Notebook - Nicolas Sparks
review on amazon
"Somewhere," muses Noah Calhoun, while sitting on his porch in the moonight, "there were people making love." Anyway, head elsewhere for Great Literature, but if you're in the market to get your heartstrings plucked, look no further. The Notebook, a Southern-fried story of love-lost-and-found-again, revolves around a single time-honored romantic dilemma: will beautiful Allison Nelson stay with Mr. Respectability (to whom she happens to be engaged), or will she hook up with Noah, the romantic rascal she left so many years ago? We're not telling, but you have two guesses and the first one doesn't count. Decades later, after Allison develops Alzheimer's, her beau uses "the notebook" to read her the story of the great love she's plumb forgot. The Notebook--film rights already sold, thank you very much--is a little glazed doughnut of a book: sticky- sweet, satisfying, not much nourishment. But who cares? Take an extra vitamin and indulge.

From Publishers Weekly
In 1932, two North Carolina teenagers from opposite sides of the tracks fall in love. Spending one idyllic summer together in the small town of New Bern, Noah Calhoun and Allie Nelson do not meet again for 14 years. Noah has returned from WWII to restore the house of his dreams, having inherited a large sum of money. Allie, programmed by family and the "caste system of the South" to marry an ambitious, prosperous man, has become engaged to powerful attorney Lon Hammond. When she reads a newspaper story about Noah's restoration project, she shows up on his porch step, re-entering his life for two days. Will Allie leave Lon for Noah? The book's slim dimensions and cliche-ridden prose will make comparisons to The Bridges of Madison County inevitable. What renders Sparks's (Wokini: A Lakota Journey of Happiness and Self-Understanding) sentimental story somewhat distinctive are two chapters, which take place in a nursing home in the '90s, that frame the central story. The first sets the stage for the reading of the eponymous notebook, while the later one takes the characters into the land beyond happily ever after, a future rarely examined in books of this nature. Early on, Noah claims that theirs may be either a tragedy or a love story, depending on the perspective. Ultimately, the judgment is up to readers?be they cynics or romantics. For the latter, this will be a weeper. Major ad/promo; first serial to Good Housekeeping; movie rights to New Line Cinema; Warner Audio; Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club main selections.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The Wedding - Nicolas Sparks
review on amazon
From Publishers Weekly
Sparks's 1996 debut novel, The Notebook, was a fast and easy read that sold millions upon millions of copies. Other bestselling love stories followed (Message in a Bottle; A Walk to Remember; The Guardian), but Sparks's fans have from the very beginning eagerly anticipated a sequel to the romantic tale of Allie and Noah Calhoun. The wait is now over. Attorney Wilson Lewis has been married to Noah and Allie's daughter, Jane, for 30 years. Wilson and Jane have raised three children and lived a satisfying and prosperous life in the bucolic town of New Bern, N.C. After forgetting his anniversary, Wilson realizes that the passion and romance have gone out of his marriage and fears his wife no longer loves him. Being a methodical man, he decides to embark on a yearlong program to renew his romantic ties to his wife, seeking out the advice of Noah, who now spends his days in a retirement home feeding a swan he is sure is the reincarnation of his beloved Allie. In the midst of Wilson's machinations, his daughter Anna announces she is getting married. The upcoming wedding provides Wilson with the opportunity to bring his elaborate plan to fruition. Sparks tells his sweet story competently, without sinking too deeply into the mire of sentiment; a gasp-inducing twist comes at the very end. Satisfied female readers will close the covers with a sigh and a wish that a little of the earnest, too-good-to-be-true Wilson might rub off on their own bedmates.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description:
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nicholas Sparks comes the long-awaited follow-up to his classic tale of enduring love, The Notebook. After 30 years, Wilson Lewis, son-in-law to Noah and Allie (of The Notebook fame), is forced to admit that the romance has gone out of his marriage. Despite the shining example of his in-laws' 50-year love affair, Wilson himself is a man unable to express how he truly feels. With the distractions of his daughter's upcoming wedding he is forced to realize how close he is to losing his own wife Jane. But if Wilson is sure of anything, it's this: His love for his wife has only intensified over the years, and he wants nothing more than to make their marriage work. Now, with the memories of his in-laws' inspiring life together as his guide, Wilson pledges to find a way to make his wife fall in love with him...again.


My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult
review from amazon
From Publishers Weekly
The difficult choices a family must make when a child is diagnosed with a serious disease are explored with pathos and understanding in this 11th novel by Picoult (Second Glance, etc.). The author, who has taken on such controversial subjects as euthanasia (Mercy), teen suicide (The Pact) and sterilization laws (Second Glance), turns her gaze on genetic planning, the prospect of creating babies for health purposes and the ethical and moral fallout that results. Kate Fitzgerald has a rare form of leukemia. Her sister, Anna, was conceived to provide a donor match for procedures that become increasingly invasive. At 13, Anna hires a lawyer so that she can sue her parents for the right to make her own decisions about how her body is used when a kidney transplant is planned. Meanwhile, Jesse, the neglected oldest child of the family, is out setting fires, which his firefighter father, Brian, inevitably puts out. Picoult uses multiple viewpoints to reveal each character's intentions and observations, but she doesn't manage her transitions as gracefully as usual; a series of flashbacks are abrupt. Nor is Sara, the children's mother, as well developed and three-dimensional as previous Picoult protagonists. Her devotion to Kate is understandable, but her complete lack of sympathy for Anna's predicament until the trial does not ring true, nor can we buy that Sara would dust off her law degree and represent herself in such a complicated case. Nevertheless, Picoult ably explores a complex subject with bravado and clarity, and comes up with a heart-wrenching, unexpected plot twist at the book's conclusion.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description:

New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult is widely acclaimed for her keen insights into the hearts and minds of real people. Now she tells the emotionally riveting story of a family torn apart by conflicting needs and a passionate love that triumphs over human weakness.

Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate -- a life and a role that she has never challenged...until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister -- and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable, a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves.

My Sister's Keeper examines what it means to be a good parent, a good sister, a good person. Is it morally correct to do whatever it takes to save a child's life, even if that means infringing upon the rights of another? Is it worth trying to discover who you really are, if that quest makes you like yourself less? Should you follow your own heart, or let others lead you? Once again, in My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult tackles a controversial real-life subject with grace, wisdom, and sensitivity


Jewish Wisdom - Joseph Telushkin
review from amazon
From Library Journal
Rabbi Telushkin provides a lively companion volume to his popular Jewish Literacy (Morrow, 1991) in this collection of hundreds of influential quotations taken from the Jewish religious and secular canon dating from the Talmud to Isaac Singer and Amos Oz. Organized by theme-from prayer and the essence of Judaism to wealth, old age, and suffering-and accompanied by Telushkin's clear and insightful comments, the mostly brief quotations give an excellent overview of the ideas and texts "that have shaped Judaism's and the Jewish people's responses to the key issues in their lives and in their history." While Joseph Baron's Treasury of Jewish Quotations (Jason Aaronson, 1985), with its vast collection of 18,000 quotations, remains a better reference resource, this book makes a valuable and informative browsing item for both adults and young adults. Highly recommended.
Marcia Welsh, Guilford Free Lib., Ct.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description:

When, if ever, should lying be permitted?
If you've damaged a person's reputation unfairly, can the damage be undone?
Is a person who sells weapons responsible for how those weapons are used?
if the fetus is not a life, what is it? How, as an adult, can one carry out the command to honor one's parents when they make unreasonable demands?
What are the nine biblical challenges a good person must meet?
What do the great Jewish writings of the last 3,500 years tell us about these and all other vital questions about our lives? Rabbi Joseph Telushkin has devoted his life to the search for answers within the teachings of Judaism. In Jewish Wisdom, Rabbi Telushkin, the author of the highly acclaimed Jewish Literacy, weaves together a tapestry of stories from the Bible and Talmud, and the insights of Jewish commentators and writers from Maimonides, Rashi, and Hillel to Einstein, Isaac Bashevis Singer, and Elie Wiesel. A richer source of crucial life lessons would be hard to imagine.

Accompanying this extraordinary compilation is Teluslikins compelling commentary, which reveals how these texts continue to instruct and challenge Jewsand all people concerned with leading ethical livestoday As he discusses these texts, Rabbi Telushkin addresses issues of fundamental interest to modern readers: how to live with honesty and integrity in an often dishonest world; how to care for the sick and dying; how to teach children to respect both themselves

and others, how to understand and confront such great tragedies as antisemitism. and the Holocaust; what God wants from humankind. Within Jewish Wisdom's ninety chapters the reader will find extended sections illuminating Jewish perspectives on sex, romance, and marriage, what kind of belief in God a Jew can have after the Holocaust, how to use language ethically, the conflicting views of the Bible and Talmud on the death penalty, and much, much more.

Jewish Wisdom adds a new dimension to the many widely read contemporary books that retell the stones and reveal the essence of classic religious and secular literature. Possibly the most far-ranging volume of stories and quotations from Jewish texts, Jewish Wisdom will itself become a classic, a book that not only has the capacity to transform how you view the world, but one that well might change how you choose to live your life.

The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
review on amazon
Amazon.com
With The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown masterfully concocts an intelligent and lucid thriller that marries the gusto of an international murder mystery with a collection of fascinating esoteria culled from 2,000 years of Western history.
A murder in the silent after-hour halls of the Louvre museum reveals a sinister plot to uncover a secret that has been protected by a clandestine society since the days of Christ. The victim is a high-ranking agent of this ancient society who, in the moments before his death, manages to leave gruesome clues at the scene that only his granddaughter, noted cryptographer Sophie Neveu, and Robert Langdon, a famed symbologist, can untangle. The duo become both suspects and detectives searching for not only Neveu's grandfather's murderer but also the stunning secret of the ages he was charged to protect. Mere steps ahead of the authorities and the deadly competition, the mystery leads Neveu and Langdon on a breathless flight through France, England, and history itself. Brown (Angels and Demons) has created a page-turning thriller that also provides an amazing interpretation of Western history. Brown's hero and heroine embark on a lofty and intriguing exploration of some of Western culture's greatest mysteries--from the nature of the Mona Lisa's smile to the secret of the Holy Grail. Though some will quibble with the veracity of Brown's conjectures, therein lies the fun. The Da Vinci Code is an enthralling read that provides rich food for thought. --Jeremy Pugh

Product Description:
While in Paris on business, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon receives an urgent late-night phone call: the elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum. Near the body, police have found a baffling cipher. While working to solve the enigmatic riddle, Langdon is stunned to discover it leads to a trail of clues hidden in the works of Da Vinci -- clues visible for all to see -- yet ingeniously disguised by the painter.

Langdon joins forces with a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, and learns the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion -- an actual secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Da Vinci, among others.

In a breathless race through Paris, London, and beyond, Langdon and Neveu match wits with a faceless powerbroker who seems to anticipate their every move. Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle in time, the Priory's ancient secret -- and an explosive historical truth -- will be lost forever.

THE DA VINCI CODE heralds the arrival of a new breed of lightning-paced, intelligent thriller…utterly unpredictable right up to its stunning conclusion.


[/b]Angels and Demons - Dan Brown[/b]
review from amazon
Amazon.com
It takes guts to write a novel that combines an ancient secret brotherhood, the Swiss Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire, a papal conclave, mysterious ambigrams, a plot against the Vatican, a mad scientist in a wheelchair, particles of antimatter, jets that can travel 15,000 miles per hour, crafty assassins, a beautiful Italian physicist, and a Harvard professor of religious iconology. It takes talent to make that novel anything but ridiculous. Kudos to Dan Brown (Digital Fortress) for achieving the nearly impossible. Angels & Demons is a no-holds-barred, pull-out-all-the-stops, breathless tangle of a thriller--think Katherine Neville's The Eight (but cleverer) or Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum (but more accessible).
Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is shocked to find proof that the legendary secret society, the Illuminati--dedicated since the time of Galileo to promoting the interests of science and condemning the blind faith of Catholicism--is alive, well, and murderously active. Brilliant physicist Leonardo Vetra has been murdered, his eyes plucked out, and the society's ancient symbol branded upon his chest. His final discovery, antimatter, the most powerful and dangerous energy source known to man, has disappeared--only to be hidden somewhere beneath Vatican City on the eve of the election of a new pope. Langdon and Vittoria, Vetra's daughter and colleague, embark on a frantic hunt through the streets, churches, and catacombs of Rome, following a 400-year-old trail to the lair of the Illuminati, to prevent the incineration of civilization.

Brown seems as much juggler as author--there are lots and lots of balls in the air in this novel, yet Brown manages to hurl the reader headlong into an almost surreal suspension of disbelief. While the reader might wish for a little more sardonic humor from Langdon, and a little less bombastic philosophizing on the eternal conflict between religion and science, these are less fatal flaws than niggling annoyances--readers should have no trouble skimming past them and immersing themselves in a heck of a good read. "Brain candy" it may be, but my! It's tasty. --Kelly Flynn

Product Description:
An ancient secret brotherhood.
A devastating new weapon of destruction.
An unthinkable target.
World-renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned to a Swiss research facility to analyze a cryptic symbol seared into the chest of a murdered physicist. What he discovers is unimaginable: a deadly vendetta against the Catholic Church by a centuries-old underground organization -- the Illuminati. Desperate to save the Vatican from a powerful time bomb, Langdon joins forces in Rome with the beautiful and mysterious scientist Vittoria Vetra. Together they embark on a frantic hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and the most secretive vault on earth...the long-forgotten Illuminati lair.


Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers - Mary Roach
review from amazon
From Publishers Weekly
"Uproariously funny" doesn't seem a likely description for a book on cadavers. However, Roach, a Salon and Reader's Digest columnist, has done the nearly impossible and written a book as informative and respectful as it is irreverent and witty. From her opening lines ("The way I see it, being dead is not terribly far off from being on a cruise ship. Most of your time is spent lying on your back"), it is clear that she's taking a unique approach to issues surrounding death. Roach delves into the many productive uses to which cadavers have been put, from medical experimentation to applications in transportation safety research (in a chapter archly called "Dead Man Driving") to work by forensic scientists quantifying rates of decay under a wide array of bizarre circumstances. There are also chapters on cannibalism, including an aside on dumplings allegedly filled with human remains from a Chinese crematorium, methods of disposal (burial, cremation, composting) and "beating-heart" cadavers used in organ transplants. Roach has a fabulous eye and a wonderful voice as she describes such macabre situations as a plastic surgery seminar with doctors practicing face-lifts on decapitated human heads and her trip to China in search of the cannibalistic dumpling makers. Even Roach's digressions and footnotes are captivating, helping to make the book impossible to put down.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description:
An oddly compelling, often hilarious forensic exploration of the strange lives of our bodies postmortem.
For two thousand years, cadavers—some willingly, some unwittingly—have been involved in science's boldest strides and weirdest undertakings. They've tested France's first guillotines, ridden the NASA Space Shuttle, been crucified in a Parisian laboratory to test the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, and helped solve the mystery of TWA Flight 800. For every new surgical procedure, from heart transplants to gender reassignment surgery, cadavers have been there alongside surgeons, making history in their quiet way.

In this fascinating, ennobling account, Mary Roach visits the good deeds of cadavers over the centuries—from the anatomy labs and human-sourced pharmacies of medieval and nineteenth-century Europe to a human decay research facility in Tennessee, to a plastic surgery practice lab, to a Scandinavian funeral directors' conference on human composting. In her droll, inimitable voice, Roach tells the engrossing story of our bodies when we are no longer with them. 13 b/w illustrations.


The Day of the Locusts (Signet Classic) - Nathanael West
review from amazon
Novel by Nathanael West about the savagery lurking beneath the Hollywood dream. Published in 1939, it is one of the most striking examples of the "Hollywood novel" in American fiction. Tod Hackett, a set designer, becomes involved in the lives of several individuals who have been warped by their proximity to the artificial world of Hollywood. Hackett's completion of his painting "The Burning of Los Angeles" coincides with the explosion of the other characters' unfulfilled dreams in a conflagration of riot and murder.

Why You Crying: My Long, Hard Look at Life, Love, and Laughter - George Lopez
review from amazon
Product Description:
In this eagerly awaited autobiography, comedian and prime-time television star George Lopez tells the heartbreaking yet humorous story of his inspirational rise from dead-end kid in the Valley to giving a command performance before the president of the United States.

It is a rare story that touches us so deeply with its humor, sadness, and powerful message that it transcends the walls of race, culture, and class that divide us.

Why You Crying? is just such a story.

Abandoned by his migrant-worker father at the tender age of two months, deserted by a wild, mixed-up mother at the age of ten years, Lopez grew up angry, alone, teased, and tormented in California's San Fernando Valley, raised by grandparents who viewed love as a four-letter word.

Inspired by his idols, Freddie Prinze Sr. and Richard Pryor, Lopez sets out on a tumultuous twenty-year journey into the manic world of stand-up comedy -- trying to learn a skill nobody can teach; scoring one night and bombing the next; fighting anger, alcohol, depression, and doubt all while battling the barriers built to keep Chicanos from breaking through, especially on network TV.

Today, the George Lopez show is a prime-time hit on ABC and his sold-out stand-up performances attract thousands of fans of all ages, each drawn to the sidesplitting riffs mined from a life so sad it had to be funny. Why You Crying? takes an outsider from the San Fernando Valley to Warner Bros. studios to inside the Emmys to plush Pebble Beach and all the way to the halls of Harvard.

Along the way it's pure G. Lo -- raw, real, and, ultimately, uplifting


Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
review from amazon
Elizabeth Bennet is the perfect Austen heroine: intelligent, generous, sensible, incapable of jealousy or any other major sin. That makes her sound like an insufferable goody-goody, but the truth is she's a completely hip character, who if provoked is not above skewering her antagonist with a piece of her exceptionally sharp -- but always polite -- 18th century wit. The point is, you spend the whole book absolutely fixated on the critical question: will Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy hook up?

Product Description:
A perennial favorite in the Norton Critical Editions series, Pride and Prejudice is based on the 1813 first edition text, which has been thoroughly annotated for undergraduate readers.
"Backgrounds and Sources" includes biographical portraits of Austen by members of her family and by acclaimed biographers Claire Tomalin and David Nokes. Seventeen of Austen's letters—eight of them new to the Third Edition—allow readers to glimpse the close-knit society that was Austen's world, both in life and in her writing. Samples of Austen's early writing—from the epistolary Love and FriendshipA Collection of Letters—allow readers to trace her growth as a writer as well as to read her fiction comparatively.

"Criticism" features eighteen assessments of the novel by nineteenth- and twentieth-century commentators, six of them new to the Third Edition. Among them is an interview with Colin Firth on the recent BBC television adaptation of the novel. Also included are pieces by Richard Whately, Margaret Oliphant, Richard Simpson, D. W. Harding, Dorothy Van Ghent, Alistair Duckworth, Stuart Tave, Marilyn Butler, Nina Auerbach, Susan Morgan, Claudia L. Johnson, Susan Fraiman, Deborah Kaplan, Tara Goshal Wallace, Cheryl L. Nixon, David Spring, Edward Ahearn, and Donald Gray.

Also included are a Note on Money, a Chronology of Austen's life and work—new to the Third Edition—and an updated Selected Bibliography.

About the Series: No other series of classic texts equals the caliber of the Norton Critical Editions. Each volume combines the most authoritative text available with the comprehenive pedagogical apparatus necessary to appreciate the work fully. Careful editing, first-rate translation, and thorough explanatory annotations allow each text to meet the highest literary standards while remaining accessible to students. Each edition is printed on acid-free paper and every text in the series remains in print. Norton Critical Editions are the choice for excellence in scholarship for students at more than 2,000 universities worldwide.


The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
review from amazon
When The Grapes of Wrath was published in 1939, America, still recovering from the Great Depression, came face to face with itself in a startling, lyrical way. John Steinbeck gathered the country's recent shames and devastations--the Hoovervilles, the desperate, dirty children, the dissolution of kin, the oppressive labor conditions--in the Joad family. Then he set them down on a westward-running road, local dialect and all, for the world to acknowledge. For this marvel of observation and perception, he won the Pulitzer in 1940.
The prize must have come, at least in part, because alongside the poverty and dispossession, Steinbeck chronicled the Joads' refusal, even inability, to let go of their faltering but unmistakable hold on human dignity. Witnessing their degeneration from Oklahoma farmers to a diminished band of migrant workers is nothing short of crushing. The Joads lose family members to death and cowardice as they go, and are challenged by everything from weather to the authorities to the California locals themselves. As Tom Joad puts it: "They're a-workin' away at our spirits. They're a tryin' to make us cringe an' crawl like a whipped bitch. They tryin' to break us. Why, Jesus Christ, Ma, they comes a time when the on'y way a fella can keep his decency is by takin' a sock at a cop. They're workin' on our decency."

The point, though, is that decency remains intact, if somewhat battle-scarred, and this, as much as the depression and the plight of the "Okies," is a part of American history. When the California of their dreams proves to be less than edenic, Ma tells Tom: "You got to have patience. Why, Tom--us people will go on livin' when all them people is gone. Why, Tom, we're the people that live. They ain't gonna wipe us out. Why, we're the people--we go on." It's almost as if she's talking about the very novel she inhabits, for Steinbeck's characters, more than most literary creations, do go on. They continue, now as much as ever, to illuminate and humanize an era for generations of readers who, thankfully, have no experiential point of reference for understanding the depression. The book's final, haunting image of Rose of Sharon--Rosasharn, as they call her--the eldest Joad daughter, forcing the milk intended for her stillborn baby onto a starving stranger, is a lesson on the grandest scale. "'You got to,'" she says, simply. And so do we all. --Melanie Rehak

Product Description:
MAXnotes offer a fresh look at masterpieces of literature, presented in a lively and interesting fashion. Written by literary experts who currently teach the subject, MAXnotes will enhance your understanding and enjoyment of the work. MAXnotes are designed to stimulate independ ent thought about the literary work by raising various issues and thought-provoking ideas and questions. MAXnotes cover the essentials of what one should know about each work, including an overall summary, character lists, an explanation and discussion of the plot, the work's historical context, illustrations to convey the mood of the work, and a biography of the author. Each chapter is individually summarized and analyzed, and has study questions and answers.

Stand Up for Your Life - Cheryl Richardson
review from amazon
Oprah life makeover maven Cheryl Richardson wants you to start rocking the boat. Stand Up for Your Life urges readers to stop playing it safe by putting their needs and priorities aside. Her premise: by spending less time listening to others and more time strengthening your relationship with yourself, you can learn to govern your own life and influence others.
A personal coach and the bestselling author of Take Time for Your Life, Richardson promises readers "self-honoring strategies to transform your fear and doubt into self-trust and power." Drawing on self-quizzes, examples from her coaching clients, and her own experiences, she explores key issues for developing this inner authority. The book focuses on creating boundaries, developing "courage muscles," resolving conflict phobia, clarifying purpose, honing self-discipline, stating intentions, and graceful truth-telling.

At times, her clarity is compromised by pop-psych speak and references to her earlier books. Richardson is at her best when she is specific--for example, the well-targeted exercises and self-assessments or an insightful list of behaviors that prevent people from leading their own lives. Readers who follow her lead can expect an attitude adjustment and increased ability to leverage self-knowledge into a purposeful life. --Barbara Mackoff

Product Description:
We all want to make a difference in the world. We want to know that our lives matter, that our presence on Earth has meaning and purpose. I can assure you that you have a Divine assignment -- an important mission to fulfill. The first step in discovering and fulfilling this mission is to take a leadership role in your life.
-- from Stand Up for Your Life

In this book I'll take you on a journey that will provide you with new "self- honoring" strategies to transform your fear and self-doubt into power. You'll learn to trust yourself. You'll build new courage muscles that will increase your self-esteem. And you'll develop the confidence to step out into unknown territory so you can realize your greatest potential.

As we go through the program outlined in this book, I'll challenge you to:
• Know who you are
• Define your values
• Stop hiding your power
• Stand up for yourself
• Build your courage muscles
• Pass up good for great
• Center your life around your values
• Contribute to others in a meaningful way
If you're ready to stand up for your life, you've picked up the right book. Let's get started!


He's Just Not That Into You: The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys - Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo
review from amazon
From Publishers Weekly
It’s a classic single-woman scenario: you really like this guy, but he’s giving mixed messages. You make excuses, decide he’s confused, afraid of commitment. Behrendt, a former executive story editor for Sex and the City—and a formerly single (now happily married) guy who knows all the excuses—provides a simple answer: he’s just not that into you. Stop kidding yourself, let go and look for someone else who will be. After all, as Behrendt sensibly puts it, "if a (sane) guy really likes you, there ain’t nothing that’s going to get in his way." If you’re not convinced yet, by all means read this smart, funny and surprisingly upbeat little book, full of q’s and a’s covering every excuse woman has ever made to avoid admitting to herself that a man just wasn’t that smitten with her.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description:
He says:
Oh sure, they say they're busy. They say that they didn't have even a moment in their insanely busy day to pick up the phone. It was just that crazy. All lies. With the advent of cell phones and speed dialing, it is almost impossible not to call you. Sometimes I call people from my pants pocket when I don't even mean to. If I were into you, you would be the bright spot in my horribly busy day. Which would be a day that I would never be too busy to call you.

She says:
There is something great about knowing that my only job is to be as happy as I can be about my life, and feel as good as I can about myself, and to lead as full and eventful a life as I can, so that it doesn't ever feel like I'm just waiting around for some guy to ask me out. And most importantly, it's good for us all to remember that we don't need to scheme and plot, or beg anyone to ask us out. We're fantastic.

For ages women have come together over coffee, cocktails, or late-night phone chats to analyze the puzzling behavior of men.

He's afraid to get hurt again.
Maybe he doesn't want to ruin the friendship.
Maybe he's intimidated by me.
He just got out of a relationship.

Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo are here to say that -- despite good intentions -- you're wasting your time. Men are not complicated, although they'd like you to think they are. And there are no mixed messages.

The truth may be He's just not that into you.

Unfortunately guys are too terrified to ever directly tell a woman, "You're not the one." But their actions absolutely show how they feel.

He's Just Not That Into You -- based on a popular episode of Sex and the City -- educates otherwise smart women on how to tell when a guy just doesn't like them enough, so they can stop wasting time making excuses for a dead-end relationship.

Reexamining familiar scenarios and classic mindsets that keep us in unsatisfying relationships, Behrendt and Tuccillo's wise and wry understanding of the sexes spares women hours of waiting by the phone, obsessing over the details with sympathetic girlfriends, and hoping his mixed messages really mean "I'm in love with you and want to be with you."

He's Just Not That Into You is provocative, hilarious, and, above all, intoxicatingly liberating. It deserves a place on every woman's night table. It knows you're a beautiful, smart, funny woman who deserves better. The next time you feel the need to start "figuring him out," consider the glorious thought that maybe He's just not that into you. And then set yourself loose to go find the one who is.


Last Writes - Laura Levine
review on amazon (customer review)
Jaine Austen, freelance writer extraordinaire, still hasn't found a great guy to settle down with, and somehow, everything she eats goes straight to her hips, but thanks to some help from her best friend Kandi, she's finally landed a paying job as a sitcom writer for the teen show MUFFY 'N ME. Sure, the show isn't going to win any Emmy's, but writing a funny teen sitcom sure beats writing brochures and advertisements for plumbers. Everything looks like it will go well, until murder steps into the picture. Jaine immediately puts herself on the case, and realizes that all the trouble started when Quinn Kirkland, one of the hottest male stars began having an affair with the married head writer, as well as one with the barely-legal actress who plays Quinn's niece on TV. Now, with Quinn dead after eating a poisoned donut, and Jaine's best friend, Kandi, accused of the murder, Jaine realizes that it's going to be harder than she thought to catch the killer, seeing as how many enemies the gorgeous Quinn actually had.
Jaine Austen was hilarious in THIS PEN FOR HIRE, and she's just as hilarious, if not more, in LAST WRITES. Laura Levine is truly a gift to the world of mystery fiction. Jaine is the character who we've all been waiting for to appear in a mystery, and it has finally happened. Her quirky commentary is enjoyable, and her constant complaining about the size of her butt and thighs is hilarious. Her best friend, Kandi, is a cynical protagonist at times, but in a funny way, and will have even the most grumpy person laughing before long. Anyone looking for a cute, fast-paced, feel-good mystery should definitely check out LAST WRITES.

Geez! I really hope you copy and pasted those ;)

oh yeah... i mean i got really bored at work, but not THAT bored! haha!

I know how you feel!!!

so who's all in on with doing this thing???

should we put together a list or something??

Today is my last day of library school.
tomorrow i can call myself a librarian.

unfortunately, I haven't really had time to read much other than articles in the field :p And when I do read I keep it light. right now I'm reading Watership Down by Richard Adams. I've also been reading the Series of Unfortunate Events.

The funny thing is I never took a reader's advisory course so friends are always asking me to suggest something to read and i'm like "i dunno" and then they wonder why I need a master's degree to be a librarian!

A book I read last year that was really interesting was
"Life of Pi" by Yann Martel which won the 2002 Booker prize.

I also read "How to Be a Canadian: Even if You Are Already One" by Will ferguson which is pretty funny, but I think the humour might be lost on all of you :D

I really don't remember what else I've read - I know there's more, it just doesn't stick in my memory....

Are there any others who are fans of the Confessions of a Shopaholic series?? I loved the first three, and I've tried to read the latest but I can't seem to get excited about it.

I really love The Devil Wears Prada, anyone with bosses from hell can relate.

I love the Shopaholic series. I love the ending of the second book. I'm not sure if I want to get the new one with the sister but I'll see.

he's just not that into you
 

ok, my friend vee posted this on myspace... and so i thought i would post it on here, since i posted the review about it earlier. good information for some of us.


HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU IF HE'S NOT ASKING YOU OUT because if he likes you, trust me, he will ask you out.

1. an excuse is a polite rejection. men are not afraid of "ruining the friendship".

2. don't get tricked into asking him out if he likes you, he'll do the asking.

3. if you can find him, then he can find you. if he wants to find you, he will.

4. men don't forget how much they like you. so put down the phone.

5. just because you like to lead doesn't mean he wants to dance. some traditions ar born of nature and last through time for a reason.

6. "hey, let's meet at so-and-so's party/any bar/friend's house" is not a date. even if you live in new york.

7. you are good enough to be asked out.

HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU IF HE'S NOT CALLING YOU. men know how to use the phone.

1. if he's not calling you, it's because you are not on his mind.

2. if he creates expectations for you, and then doesn't follow through on little things, he will do the same for big things. be aware of this and realize that he's okay with disappointing you.

3. don't be with someone who doesn't do what they say they're going to do.

4. if he's choosing no to make a simple effort that would put you at ease and bring harmony to a reccurring fight, then he doesn't respect your feelings and needs.

5. "busy" is another word for "asshole". "asshole" is another word for the guy you're dating.

6. you deserve a FUCKING PHONE CALL.

HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU IF HE'S NOT DATING YOU. "hanging out" is not dating.

1. guys tell you how they feel even if you refuse to listen or believe them. "i don't want to be in a serious relationship" truly means "i don't want to be in a serious relationship with you" or "i'm not sure that you're the one." (sorry)

2. better than nothing is not good enough for you!

3. if you don't know where the relationship is going, it's okay to pull over and ask.

4. there's a guy out there who will want to tell everyone that he's your boyfriend. quit fucking around and go find him.

HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU IF HE'S NOT HAVING SEX WITH YOU. when men like you, they want to touch you, always.

1. people tell you who they are all the time. when a man says he can't be monogamous, you should believe him.

2. companionship is wonderful, but companionship with sex is even better. call a spade a spade or, more fittingly, a friend a friend, and go find yourself a friend that can't keep his hands off you.

3. your lost self-esteem may take longer to find than a new boyfriend, so prioritize accordingly.

4. if you're tempted to spend countless nights just cuddling with someone, buy a puppy.

5. there's someone out there that does want to have sex with you, hot stuff.

HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU IF HE'S HAVING SEX WITH SOMEONE ELSE. there's never going to be a good excuse for cheating.

1. there is no excuse for cheating. let me say it again. there is no excuse for cheating. now you say it. there is no excuse for cheating.

2. your only responsibility in someone else's lapse in judgment is to yourself.

3. cheating is cheating. it doesn't matter whom it was with or how many times it happened.

4. cheating gets easier every time it's done. it's only hard the first time, when one feels the sting of morality and the guilt of betraying someone's trust.

5. cheaters never prosper. (because they suck)

6. a cheater only cheats himself, because he doesn't get to be with YOU.

HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU IF HE ONLY WANTS TO SEE YOU WHEN YOU'RE DRUNK. if he likes you, he'll want to see you when your judgment isn't impaired.

1. it doesn't count unless he says it when he's sober. an "i love you" (or any semblance thereof) while under the influence of anything stronger than grape juice won't hold up in court or in life.

2. drinking and drug use are not a path to one's innermost feelings. otherwise people wouldn't smash empty beer cans against their skulls or stick their fingers in fire to see if they can feel anything.

3. if he only wants to see you, talk to you, have sex with you, etc. when he's inebriated, it ain't love -- it's a sport.

4. bad boys are actually bad.

5. you deserve to be with someone who doesn't have to get loaded to be around you.

HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU IF HE DOESN'T WANT TO MARRY YOU. love cures commitment-phobia.

1. "doesn't want to get married" and "doesn't want to get married to me" are very different things. be sure about which category he falls under.

2. if you have different views about marriage, what else are you not on the same page about? time to take inventory.

3. if you don't feel like you're rushing, why are you waiting?

4. there's a guy out there who wants to marry you.

HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU IF HE'S BREAKING UP WITH YOU. "i don't want to go out with you" means just that.

1. you can't talk your way out of a breakup. it is not up for discussion. a breakup is a definitive action, not a democratic one.

2. breakup sex still means you're broken up.

3. cut him off. let him miss you.

4. he doesn't need to be reminded that you're great.

5. he can take care of his cat.

6. "classy" doesn't "break into his answering machine".

7. there's a guy out there who's going to be really happy that you didn't get back together with your crappy ex-boyfriend.

HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU IF HE'S DISAPPEARED ON YOU. sometimes you have to get closure all by yourself.

1. he might be lying in the hospital with amnesia, but more likely he's just not that into you.

2. no answer is your answer.

3. don't give him the chance to reject you again.

4. let his mother yell at him. you're too busy.

5. there's no mystery -- he's gone and he wasn't good enough for you.

HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU IF HE'S MARRIED (AND OTHER INSANE VARIATIONS OF BEING UNAVAILABLE). if you're not able to love freely, it's not really love.

1. he's married.

2. unless he's all yours, he's still hers.

3. there are cool, loving single men in the world. find one of them to go out with.

4. if a guy is yelling about his ex-wife or crying over his last girlfriend, try to find someone else to take you to the movies.

5. he's married.

6. don't be that girl.

7. you are not easily forgotten. let him find you when he's ready.

HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU IF HE'S A SELFISH JERK, A BULLY, OR A REALLY BIG FREAK. if you really love someone, you want to do things to make that person happy.

1. life is hard enough as it is without choosing someone difficult to share it with.

2. you deserve to be with someone who is nice to you all the time. (you have to be nice to them, too)

3. there's never a reason to shout at someone unless they are in imminent danger.

4. freaks should remain at the circus, not in your apartment.

5. you already have one asshole. you don't need another.

6. make a space in your life for all the glorious things you deserve.

7. have faith. what other choice is there?

I WILL NOT GO OUT WITH A MAN WHO HASN'T ASKED ME OUT FIRST.

I WILL NOT GO OUT WITH A MAN WHO KEEPS ME WAITING BY THE PHONE.

I WILL NOT DATE A MAN WHO ISN'T SURE HE WANTS TO DATE ME.

I WILL NOT DATE A MAN WHO MAKES ME FEEL SEXUALLY UNDESIRABLE.

I WILL NOT DATE A MAN WHO DRINKS OR DOES DRUGS TO AN EXTENT THAT MAKES ME UNCOMFORTABLE.

I WILL NOT BE WITH A MAN WHO'S AFRAID TO TALK ABOUT OUR FUTURE.

I WILL NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, SPEND MY PRECIOUS TIME WITH A MAN WHO HAS ALREADY REJECTED ME.

I WILL NOT DATE A MAN WHO IS MARRIED.

I WILL NOT BE WITH A MAN WHO IS NOT CLEARLY A GOOD, KIND, LOVING PERSON

bn.com
 

ok, i've been in the dark. thanks to my co-worker, i have found the light! haha! ok, i'm a dork.

barnes and nobel has an online university. the courses are free, too! i'm in two classes this month - cooking and organizing. next month i'm taking italian and money management.

thought i should share that with you - incase you were in the dark like me! haha :D

Anyone bought any new books? Has anyone read any of the "Confessions of a Sociopathic Social Climber: The Katya Livingston Chronicles" books? I was thinking of buying one.

The only book I bought is Marketing for Dummies for a refresher of the knowledge I already have on marketing

Me!!!! I'm a fan!!

I LOVE the shopaholic books. All of them. The second one was my least fav. (don't know why, just was; still loved it though). The fourth does take a while to get going, but I really liked it. The ending is great.

I also liked the other book written by the author of the shopahloic series. Sophie Kinsella. The book was called: Can You Keep a Secret?

And I don't what it is, but i'm really into British authors right now. So I'm reading Jemima J by Jane Green. Its good so far.

Oh and if you couldn't tell, I'm a sucker for just chick lit in general. (but not the romance type stuff, you know with the half naked man on the cover. noooo i'll pass on that.)

I read this book at your suggestion and loved it! It really had me smiling.

Another author I'm getting into is Jennifer Crusie, I especially loved Bet Me . It's nice when the lead character isn't perfect.

I just bought Suze Orman's book "Young, Fabulous, and Broke" because that truly describes me at the moment.

So hopefully in the future I will have more money thanks to reading this book.