I’m so excited because I just got the Arts & Letters Live schedule. This is a yearly literary festival hosted by the Dallas Museum of Art. I used to volunteer as an usher and in return I got to see the programs for free. That’s how I discovered the wonderful David Sedaris and Carol Shields actually. Unfortunately, tickets to the event aren’t cheap, each author presentation is about $36. Maybe I need to look into that volunteer thing again.
Anyway know what else I got in the mail? My gift subscription to The New York Review of Books. I see a lot of non-fiction books in this journal. Speaking of, I am thinking of proposing a non-fiction challenge as several of you have said you’d be interested in one but I promise not to start anything in the next several months. I’m a bit overwhelmed with challenges myself right now.
Other Christmas gifts received were 1,001 Books You Must Read Before You Die, a Magnetic Poetry Calendar, a subscription renewal to Bound & Lettered and a gift card to Half Price Books. Guess where I’ll be this weekend?
Oh and tomorrow I’ll let you know who won the three library pocket books. So much excitement!
Challenges! challenges! I’m overwhelmed a little also but I would love to take part in a non-fiction challenge.
p.s. I would love to take part in the library pockets also *wink wink* 🙂
A non-fiction reading challenge will be interesting. I’m definitely interested – but as you said so yourself – not in the next month or so, please. Am behind time with existing challenges!
You got some great gifts! I still want them to open a Half Price Books over here! Mind you I probably wouldn’t come home…like ever!
Great idea for a reading challenge.. I have a couple biographies that I just got in the mail. I’ll save them for that.
Lucky you–I was just looking at the library’s most recent copy of the NYRB thinking what interesting looking articles. I can’t find it here locally at any bookstore. Maybe I should look into a subscription myself. Have fun with your gift card!
Yea – glad to hear some more interest in the non-fiction challenge. Like I said, I’m in a bit of challenge overload now so this won’t happen any time soon. Claire – I’m afraid if you got a Half Price books that is where you’d live 🙂 Danielle – I’m not sure what to think of NYRB yet. I guess I need to read several issues before I can say I love it or not. I’ll report back on the book purchases 🙂
Wow 91 books read in one year! That’s awesome girl! Well, my goal for this year would put me at 24 which will be an amazing accomplishment for me! I’m half way through the first one!
Great gifts! I may be at Half Price books this weekend as well!
Excellent blog! Great writing and insightful entries… I will definately come back to visit more!
Oh, how I long for a Half Price Books…
I recommend the Perfect Red. It reads like fiction, but it’s real.
http://booksandotherstuff.blogspot.com/2006/06/book-review-perfect-red-by-amy-b.html
The good part is that, at least for a few years, the Mexicans had the upper hand over los espan~oles.
We take for granted how color sticks to our clothing. This books explores how red was added to clothes and what it said about a person who wore red.
I’m hoping I can get down to Dallas to see Markus Zusak at the literary festival! I just heard about his event from Andi. It’s times like these I wish I lived in a larger city.
Oh, man, a subscription to NYRB — you must have been a very good bookgirl indeed to rate so high with Santa.
(For all of you other mere mortals, NYRB has an extremely good and extremely free e-mail newsletter. You can sign up here: http://www.topica.com/f/v.html?900057011.900006545)
Hi! I just wanted to let you know that I came across your blog a couple weeks ago and it inspired me to start my own reading blog. 😀
Also, I noticed that you like mysteries, which I happen to love. For Christmas, I received Laurie King’s The Beekeeper’s Apprentice. It’s the first book in a series about Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. It’s amazing, and I don’t really enjoys Conan Doyle’s Holmes. Thought I’d suggest it if you’re looking for a new British mystery series! (not quite Victorian-starts out right before WWI)
Shadan – 24 books is a great number. I say it’s how much you enjoy your reading that counts! Carl V. – Alright let’s see who finds the most bargins. ha,ha. JCR – Thank you so much! Max – I swear I almost love Half Price Books more than Borders or B&N. I’d be lost w/o it. Isabel – I’ll check your review on that girl. Les – Oh if you come to Dallas, you, Andi and I need to meet. We could trade books! 🙂 LK – Ooh I didn’t even realize they had a free email newsletter. Thanks for that link. And, we won’t tell Santa about any bad stuff. Eva – Thank you bunches. I will visit your blog!
I need to check out the Arts & Letters Program! You received some great gifts. I will be interested to see what new non-fiction books you come up with to read. How about something regarding a photographer’s life and work? A Photographer’s Life: 1990-2005 by Annie Leibovitz just came out and I saw the exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum in New York and it was brilliant. OK — perhaps the price needs to come down a bit first! =) There are going to be 3 lucky winners out there.
Now I’m thinking, “hmm… do I shelve my enticing non-fiction in case there’s a challenge, or do I keep them in my stack?” My procrastinating, non-fictionaphobic self is telling me to shelve them; my taskmaster managerial self is telling me I need to read them just to prove I can keep a resolution. Decisions, decisions! 😛
A non-fiction challenge? I think I have two books that would fit.
Christine – I can’t wait to hear about your NYC trip. Did you get the Annie L. book? Kisane – hang on to those 🙂
YAY! I was thinking the same thing; having a non-fiction challenge. but like you, I didn’t want to do it anytime soon – I was thinking after the Classics challenge, or even the Chunkster challenge was over. I’d MUCH rather you sponsor it! 😉 And I SO wish I could go to Dallas to see Zusak. We never get anyone cool in NC!
Looks like there will be a non fiction challenge at Thoughts of Joy.