Surfing Saturday 3.14.09

Welcome to Surfing Saturdays! Each Saturday morning, I'll list any links of interest I came across during the past week of surfing and give an update on my reading progress. Play along with me! Leave your own links, or a link to your own post, in the comments!

So, where have I been this week? Check it out (only the best for you my readers):


Links:

• Feeling a little Twilight withdrawal coming on? The New York Public Library offers a list of books to read while waiting for the next tome to be published. Oh, and speaking of YA lit, check out Random Buzz, by Random House, for ARCs and other info.
• Books from Finland, a literary journal about--I'm assuming--books from Finland, launched online. There's not much content up yet, but it might be worth keeping in mind for all those international reading challenges.
• The 2009 Indie Choice Book Awards finals list is out. I know there's a few on there that I've read and several more I've been wanting to get to.
  
• What rules or guidelines do you follow when writing a book review? John Updike gave 5, and I think it's a good list.
• On a completely unrelated note--I'm loving these March wallpapers, which incorporate a calendar. Now if there were only enough days left to use them all...
  

Currently Reading:

• Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind (I have no idea where the plot is going--there doesn't seem to be one at this point in the book--but the writing is SO good!)
• Tender Graces by Kathryn Magendie
• A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore
• Hearts and Minds by Rosy Thornton
  

I was on Spring Break this week and home from university, so I got a lot more reading in than I normally have time for, although still not as much as I had planned. Still, I published 10 posts in the last 9 days, which is quite an accomplishment for me! I think I prefer the pace of 2-3 posts a week better for the long haul though--I have a limited number of original thoughts to share, and would like to make them last as long as possible.

So where have you been this week? What are your reading? Let me know, leave me a comment!

Surfing Saturday 3.7.09

Welcome to Surfing Saturdays! Each Saturday morning, I'll list any links of interest I came across during the past week of surfing and give an update on my reading progress. Play along with me! Leave your own links, or a link to your own post, in the comments!

So, where have I been this week? Check it out (only the best for you my readers):


Links:

• Are you a free book fan? Check out Suvudu's Free Book Library, where you can download the first book in many of their popular series.
• Anxious to read those Kindle books on your iPhone? Amazon released the application earlier this week, although I for one don't understand how reading on that little screen could be very much fun. This reviewer agrees that a small glowing screen isn't her preferred reading method at the end of the day. (On a side note, I got to play with a Kindle for the first time this week, and not I've got the Kindlelust bad!)
• I saw this in the NYT this week, but here's the online version--in a great irony, google's plan to digitize all the world's libraries has hit a snag, and google must print ads in newspapers around the world (70 languages!) letting authors know that their books will be online unless they raise their hands and opt out of the program.
• Library Thing's early reviewers March list is up. If haven't tried this "get free books" tactic, give it a shot!
• If you haven't seen The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks yet, you should visit. I know I'm not the only one with punctuation pet peeves, but the sarcastic captions are what make me laugh every time a new post shows up in my google reader! See a few of my favorites below:
  

Currently Reading:

• Zig-zagging by Tom Wilson (I've got about 50 pages left, but you'll have to wait till the book tour for a review!)
• Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind (I have no idea where the plot is going--there doesn't seem to be one at this point in the book--but the writing is SO good!)
• Tender Graces by Kathryn Magendie
  
• Girls in Trucks by Kaite Crouch
  
• Gilgamesh translated by Stephen Mitchell (This is on the back burner, but one of these days, I'm going to finish it)

I'm on Spring Break this week! I plan to read and send out more internship applications. (If you or anyone you know is looking for an intern to read the slush pile or fetch coffee, please send me an e-mail!) I will be doing absolutely NO HOMEWORK, once I finish writing the last 10 pages for my Non-fiction writing class, due on Monday. So, I guess that means almost no homework.

So where have you been this week? What are your reading? Let me know, leave me a comment!

Surfing Saturdays 02.28.09

Welcome to Surfing Saturdays! Each Saturday morning, I'll list any links of interest I came across during the past week of surfing and give an update on my reading progress. Play along with me! Leave your own links, or a link to your own post, in the comments!

This week was very exciting at Literary Menagerie, because Cassandra, a good friend of mine, decided to give reviewing a try. She did an excellent job convincing my NOT to read Sundays at Tiffany's and hopefully will become a regular contributor here!

So, where have I been this week? Check it out (only the best for you my readers):


Links:

• See Kindle 2's guts. I'm not sure why, but I find this picture fascinating. Plus, I have Kindle envy. Please leave comments telling me how much you hate yours, like this guy, so I won't break down and buy one.
  
• You weren't the only one Twittering through Obama's speech Tuesday. Read some of the snarky comments made by your very own Congressional representatives! Oh, and don't let the end of the article bruise your ego--then again, if it does, just twitter about it.
• You would think, with the recession and all, stupid stuff like this would just stop selling. I mean $80 for a BOOK BRUSH?! Those books can stay dusty. Call it the classic look.
  
• Who wins in an economic crisis? Ayn Rand, apparently. Book sales over the past few weeks have tripled in comparison to last year. Anyone want to venture a guess as to why?
• Poor Joe the Plummer, no one's even showing up for his book signings anymore.
• If you like free books, and who doesn't, you will be so freakin' jealous. (or, if you live in England, you'll grab your car keys and heading for Bristol)
  

Currently Reading:

• Zig-zagging by Tom Wilson (this is for a book tour at the end of March, but I couldn't resist starting it.)
• Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind (I'm seriously considering putting off finishing this book, so that I don't have to choose between it and Signed, Mata Hari for favorite read of the month)
• Gilgamesh translated by Stephen Mitchell (I know, it's pathetic how long I've been at this one, but reading classic literature for classes puts me in the mood for anything else most nights)

Cassandra is Reading:

• The Italian Lover by Robert Hellenga
  

So where have you been this week? What are your reading? Let me know, leave me a comment!

Surfing Saturdays 2.21.09 -- I'm in Minneapolis!

For the two of you that follow this weekly post, sorry I didn't get a Surfing Saturday up this week! I'm actually in Minneapolis for a journalism conference this weekend. Awards are tomorrow morning! I have a news article in the running, and our school paper, The Index, is up for best in show, so wish me luck!

Anyway, since I have no post this week, I'd like to shout out to Rebecca at Lost in Books, who posts with me every Saturday, so head over and check out her links, and I'll have a Super Surfing Saturday post next week!

Surfing Saturdays 02.14.09

Welcome to Surfing Saturdays! Each Saturday morning, I'll list any links of interest I came across during the past week of surfing and give an update on my reading progress. Play along with me! Leave your own links, or a link to your own post, in the comments!

So, where have I been this week? Check it out (only the best for you my readers):


Links:

• Banned books in Miami -- an appellate court upheld the banning of a book with a positive view of Castro-ruled Cuba. Should the case go to the Supreme Court?
• Not a poet? Not a problem, pay someone to be creative for you!
  
• Everyone has heard by now about Kindle 2, so I won't link you to another announcement post. But if you want to read a smart discussion of where the digital book industry is going and how the amazon/google debate will play out. (Think HD DVD and BluRay.)
• If you like book covers, check out this list of 30 books worth buying for the cover alone from Abebooks.
  

Currently Reading:

• Gilgamesh translated by Stephen Mitchell (Need to get back to this one)
  
• Changing Places by David Lodge (Also enjoying)
  
• Writing True by Sondra Perl and Mimi Schwartz (class text)
• Zig-zagging by Tom Wilson (this is for a book tour at the end of March, but I couldn't resist starting it.)

So where have you been this week? What are your reading? Let me know, leave me a comment!

Surfing Saturdays 02.07.09

Welcome to Surfing Saturdays! Each Saturday morning, I'll list any links of interest I came across during the past week of surfing and give an update on my reading progress. Play along with me! Leave your own links, or a link to your own post, in the comments!

So, where have I been this week? Check it out (only the best for you my readers):


Links:

• Are you a stickler when it comes to grammar? If so, I'd avoid this article about Britain's egregious violation of punctuation rules. And here's a defense of editorial standards to balance out the discussion.
  
• A mash-up version of the bestsellers' list with more info on the books--very handy for lazy people like me.
  
• This one had me rolling on the floor laughing--President Obama with a potty mouth! (It's from his the audio version of his book, and, in his defense, it's an impression of his friend, Ray) And if you're not up for the cursing, but still want a laugh, check out this clean, but still hilarious clip entitled Blam!
  

Currently Reading:

• Signed, Mata Hari by Yannick Murphy (I'm loving this)
  
• Gilgamesh translated by Stephen Mitchell (Need to get back to this one)
  
• Changing Places by David Lodge (Also enjoying)
  
• One Writer's Beginnings by Eudora Welty (class text)
  
• Writing True by Sondra Perl and Mimi Schwartz (class text)

So where have you been this week? What are your reading? Let me know, leave me a comment!

Surfing Saturdays 1.31.09

Welcome to Surfing Saturdays! Each Saturday morning, I'll list any links of interest I came across during the past week of surfing and give an update on my reading progress. Play along with me! Leave your own links, or a link to your own post, in the comments!

So, where have I been this week? Check it out (only the best for you my readers):


Links:

• Need a good belly laugh? Check out this paperback. Published in 2003, the author was SO WRONG that it looks like the book has become a collector's item--when I visited the site, the lowest price for a used copy was over $100. The title? The Bush Boom: How a Misunderestimated President Fixed a Broken Economy by Jerry Bowyer.
• So if that last one didn't do it for you, check out this news article from Japan: The toilet thinktank plans to post poems in public restrooms under the phrase "Give love to the toilet," to reduce the amount of toilet paper people use.
  
• Libraries can be exciting places, full of romance and adventure. Of course, normally the excitement is contained within the covers of a book. This Denver woman must have missed Library Use and Purposes 101.
  
  

Currently Reading:

• Signed, Mata Hari by Yannick Murphy (I'm loving this)
  
• Gilgamesh translated by Stephen Mitchell (Need to get back to this one)
  
• Changing Places by David Lodge (Also enjoying)
  
• One Writer's Beginnings by Eudora Welty (class text)
  
• Writing True by Sondra Perl and Mimi Schwartz (class text)

I haven't had much time for reading this week, or really much at all since I've come back to school. It's been an eventful few weeks at the paper with a we've got a looming budget crisis--oops, just kidding--oops, no we weren't sort of back and forth from the state and the University.

I think I've got too much on my plate, with classes, and the new assistant news editor job, plus trying to keep up with my other jobs at the station and Detours (magazine). They're all part-time get-experience sort of jobs, but the hours really add up. Deadlines for internship applications are also creeping up on me--and I desperately need to get these right. It's my junior year, which means this summer is the last one I have before I graduate and I have to find a real job. Scary.

So where have you been this week? What are your reading? Let me know, leave me a comment!

Surfing Saturdays 1.24.09

Welcome to Surfing Saturdays! Each Saturday morning, I'll list any links of interest I came across during the past week of surfing and give an update on my reading progress. Play along with me! Leave your own links, or a link to your own post, in the comments!

So, where have I been this week? Check it out (only the best for you my readers):


Links:

• If you watched the Inauguration, on Tuesday, you might have noticed that Obama and Roberts didn't get the oath quite right. Here's why it (apparently) matters.
  
• And while we're talking about the inauguration, what did you think of that poem? I'm no expert, so I'll let someone else call it history's worst. I'll simply say... not my cup of tea. Of course, Amazon sales figures indicate that not everyone agrees with me.
  
• Looking for a book? Check out Open Library. I used it this week to finish The Three Musketeers when I couldn't find a copy at the University library. The book was actually scanned in to a neat little application so that it was like looking at a book and turning pages, which I liked. (Look for a review of Dumas' classic this weekend!)
  
• If you haven't yet, enter my giveaways, I'll draw winners next week! And be on the lookout for my next giveaway. I'm really excited about this one!
  

Currently Reading:

• Signed, Mata Hari by Yannick Murphy
• Gilgamesh translated by Stephen Mitchell
  
• Changing Places by David Lodge
• One Writer's Beginnings by Eudora Welty

Quit Reading:

• Shadow of the Silk Road by Colin Thubron

Finished Reading:

• The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
  

So where have you been this week? What are your reading? Let me know, leave me a comment!

Surfing Saturdays 1.17.09

Welcome to Surfing Saturdays! Each Saturday morning, I'll list any links of interest I came across during the past week of surfing and give an update on my reading progress. Play along with me! You can add your own post to Mr. Linky or simply list your finds in the comment section!

So, where have I been this week? Check it out (only the best for you my readers):


Links:

• The Linguists, a film about two professors racing around the globe to record languages that are quickly becoming extinct, was shown at the Sundance Film Festival last year and will be premiering on PBS in late February, according to Language Log.
  
• Check out the longlist for Best Translated Book of 2008. The shortlist will be announced in just over a week, on January 27, and a winner will be selected in February.
  
• If you haven't yet, don't forget to enter my giveaways for the Time Traveler's Wife and Sundays at Tiffany's!
  

Currently Reading:

• The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
• Shadow of the Silk Road by Colin Thubron
• Gilgamesh translated by Stephen Mitchell
• One Writer's Beginnings by Eudora Welty (class text)
  
• Writing True by Sondra Perl and Mimi Schwartz (class text)
  
• The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas (audiobook)
  

This week, I started back at university, and haven't had as much time to read my books as I did when I was languishing about my parent's house over Winter Break, but as soon as I figure out my schedule between school and work and free time, I'll be back to reading blogs and writing reviews!

So where have you been this week? What are your reading?

WHEN POSTING WITH MR LINKY, LINK DIRECTLY TO THE PAGE WHERE YOU LIST YOUR LINKS, NOT YOUR HOMEPAGE! THIS WILL MAKE IT EASIER ON EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO READ THEM!

Addendum: it looks as though Mr Linky is down, so post your links in the comments this week!

Surfing Saturdays 1.10.09

Welcome to Surfing Saturdays! Each Saturday morning, I'll list any links of interest I came across during the past week of surfing and give an update on my reading progress. Play along with me! You can add your own post to Mr. Linky or simply list your finds in the comment section!

So, where have I been this week? Check it out:

• The wonderful people over at The Millions have organized a year's worth of New Yorker fiction into a single post with short summaries and links to the full text. I don't even want to think about how long that took!
• Spiderman comes to Obama's rescue in an upcoming comic book release.
• The American Dialect Society voted for bailout as 2008's Word of the Year. Big surprise there.
  
• If you haven't yet, don't forget to enter my giveaways for The Time Traveler's Wife and Sundays at Tiffany's. Winners will be chosen January 31.
  

I don't have quite as many books as I would like at my disposal right now because I'm preparing to drive back to school on Sunday and had to return the books I had checked out--but no worries, I already have books (including my textbooks, believe it or not) on reserve and waiting for me at the University Library when I get there tomorrow!

Currently Reading:

• Gilgamesh by Stephen Mitchell (my own copy, a Christmas present)
  
• Shadow of the Silk Road by Colin Thubron (I returned the local library's copy, but luckily the university library has a copy waiting for me)
  

Finished Reading:

• American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld -- look for a review today or tomorrow!
  

So where have you been this week? What are your reading? Anyone else on their way back to school or work this weekend?

WHEN USING MR LINKY, BE SURE TO LINK DIRECTLY TO YOUR POST, AND NOT TO YOUR MAIN PAGE!

Surfing Saturdays 1.3.09

I have decided to institute a weekly post for this blog: Surfing Saturdays. (If someone is already doing something like this, please let me know. I don't want anyone mad at me for inadvertently stealing their idea.) I'll simply list any links of interest I came across during the past week of surfing and give an update on my reading progress. Play along with me! Leave your own links, or a link to your own post, in the comments!

So, where have I been this week? Check it out (only the best for you my readers):

Links:

• A new study shows that too much thinking can make you fat.
• Check out this hot new releases calendar for 2009.
• Sexually confused? Plug your URL into the Gender Analyzer and find out whether your blog is written by a man or a woman or check out my stats.
• The plus side of the economic recession: libraries across the country are getting more patrons! On the down side libraries are looking at budget cuts just like everyone else. Read the excellent article from the San Francisco Chronicle or (CAUTION: SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION AHEAD) check out my less impressive article (I've been freelancing during my Winter Break).
• Can't get enough of my reviews? Don't have an indie bookstore to turn to for great recommendations? Check out the Indie Next List, where Indie booksellers offer their advice online, or see my original post about Independent Bookstores: Indies vs Amazon.
  
• If you haven't yet, don't forget to enter my giveaway for The Time Traveler's Wife.
  

Currently Reading:

• Shadow of the Silk Road by Colin Thubron--so far so good, this is my first attempt at travel literature
  
• Gilgamesh translated by Stephen Mitchell--actually, I just finished the introductory material. The actual poem doesn't start until pg 69
  

Quit Reading:

• Dispatches from the Edge by Anderson Cooper -- about 5 pages in I remember I don't really like memoirs. Although I did learn that Anderson's mother is none other than Gloria Vanderbilt! Well worth 5 pages of reading.
  

So where have you been this week? What are your reading?
Let me know, leave me a comment!
.