Reading about Tingle Alley’s most recent trip to the local bookstore, I couldn’t help but be jealous. Why you ask? Well, as much as I love my job working at a bookstore, it takes the fun out of browsing. I can’t remember the last time I browsed in a bookstore! If I go down to the floor of my own store, I get asked questions by pesky customers or booksellers. But I feel like a traitor going to other stores. My only solace sometimes is to go into the Used department which is luckily in the basement. I shouldn’t complain I realize. I get free books and can borrow books from the store. But one of the joys I used to take part in years ago was spending long hours on hot summer afternoons perusing books in the store. Okay, everyone feel sorry for me. Boohoo.

Publishers Weekly has an article on kids’ books written by the political pundits. And of course The O’Reilly Factor for Kids was mentioned. Apparently, Bill feels that American adults “have failed their children abysmally”. The content was determined by kids themselves. “We made a one-time request on the air, asking kids to send us an e-mail about what is really bothering them.”

Adam Begley gives Cloud Atlas a thorough review a the NY Observer. Thanks to CAAF for the link.
I love this book. I can’t wait to reread it as soon as I get my copy back. It is one of the best books that I have read in a long time. People will say it is difficult or that David Mitchell uses too much verbal trickery. Some will claim that Mitchell too badly wants to tell an interesting story in a different and interesting way and he relies too heavily on hijinks and textual play (for an interesting discussion on this see here). I say this is nonsense. Mitchell has written 6 short stories that connect. If you have the ability to start reading a short story, put it down ,and go back to it sometime later, then Cloud Atlas shouldn’t pose too much of a problem. Yes, he creates two different dialects, but they are not hard to follow. Perhaps this book is not for everyone. But don’t let people saying it is a ‘difficult’ book discourage you. It is rich in many genres of literature and also has several good plots and characters. So everyone run out and read it.

The LNR Books Diary has a great post about Plum Syke’s horrid book Bergdorf Blondes that everyone should read. They say it is so bad that everyone should read it. Please don’t. Or at least don’t buy the book. If everyone buys it, Plum Sykes will get another book deal and no one wants that.

LNR also points out the Amazon UK reviews, which are priceless. Here is a sample:

“The nearest I came to laughing was when I accidentally dropped it in the bath; the nearest I came to caring was when I fished it out and realised I wouldn’t be able to get my money back. I feel like Plum Sykes mugged me for a tenner. I’ll never buy a book written by someone named after a fruit again.”

“I think the author maybe thinks she’s Oscar Wilde or something, only without the witty clever interesting bits. One huge problem is that there’s no description of what it’s like- maybe the writer is terrified fo losing friends so describes everyone as lovely in the most one dimensional way. This is pisspoor writing in a nice jacket.”

“This is hands-down the worst book that I have ever had the misfortune of reading. It is absolutely agonizing. I kept reading expecting, no, hoping that it would improve, but I found it to be completely inane. It is devoid of well, everything you might ever look for in a book. I would rather read my refrigerator manual than have to read this book again.”

I decided to check the regular ol’ Amazon to see if there were great bad reviews, but you know what? Most of the reviews are good ones. Grrr. This makes me wonder if the US has bad taste? Or if only people with bad taste review at Amazon? Yes, I am making broad sweeping generalizations. So sue me (please don’t).
On a side note, in the inventory record at my store a helpful bookseller has added ‘apocalypse now!’ to the comments field. Snicker.

As you might have noticed, I have not been posting much at all lately. I think I am losing brain cells. I ‘ve been feeling incredibly dumb as of late. I can’t even finish the Sunday crossword! I have been reading tons; I finished The Time of Our Singing, Drown, and The Virgin Suicides most recently. I just don’t know what to say about them. I assume most people have read The Virgin Suicides or at least it seems that way to me. The Time of Our Singing would be a hard book to review as there is so much packed into it. I enjoyed it very much though. Anyway, the point I am trying to make, however incoherent, is that I wonder if this is temporary? Does anyone remember the Simpsons where Lisa thinks she has the “Simpson’ gene that will cause her to lose her intelligence? That is pretty much how I am feeling now. Every time I sit down to write something, the words just won’t come. Maybe it is just summer. I will keep trying though. Hopefully one day soon you will find some well-written post on here.

The funniest thing I have read all day (well, its not even noon here, but I will post whatever I read that makes me laugh harder if that happens later today).

Carrie is having a great discussion over at Tingle Alley about books you love to re-read and the Rake is having the opposite discussion on books you hated. Personally, I haven’t re-read much lately except for the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman. I want to re-read certain books, but there are so many books I haven’t read yet. As for books I hated, I can name at least one: The Wild Duck by Ibsen. I had to read it for high school English. I remember wanting to toss the book out of the car window. I did not like The Names by Don DeLillo, but I didn’t hate it either. Anyway, everyone go weigh in at each place.

There is a great discussion going on over at Ed’s on David Mitchell and experimental literature. I would contribute, but am feeling slow today. I thought I had posted about Cloud Atlas after I read it, but searching through my archives I find nothing but promises. And the Rake has my copy. Oh well.

Carrie over at Tingle Alley has posted two great letters to Sam Tanenhaus, editor of the NYT Book Review, and Leon Wieseltier, literary editor of the New Republic. Mr. Wieseltier reviewed Nicholson Baker’s latest novel Checkpoint which arrives in stores on Tuesday. If you have not heard of this book, it is causing quite a stir, as Baker’s main characters is plotting the assassination of GW Bush.
Tanenhaus, new to the Book Review, maintains that they still review fiction and cites this review as an example. I don’t know about you, but this review certainly does not qualify as a true fiction review. The author obviously has politics on his mind. Nowhere does he mention Baker’s credentials or other books nor does he even say whether it is well-written or not. Read Tanenhaus’ response to TEV’s letter complaining about the review.

Update: Beatrice has posted an actual review of Checkpoint, one worth reading.

Everyone predicted Bill Clinton’s memoir as the summer’s hottest book. It sold predictably—fast out of the gate, but slower around the bends. Meanwhile, the 9/11 Commission Report is one of the fastest selling books at my store ever (I do not know this for sure without checking records, but I am reasonalby sure). I suppose I just find it interesting that more people want to read what I imagine is a dry government document than the sexy memoirs of an ex-president. Just goes to show you what the book people know. That is, not much.