Buying Books for the Holidays and more reviews!

So, the word is the publishing corporations aren't doing so hot. It looks like people aren't buying enough books! This is very sad because this means that people who work in publishing are losing their jobs, good authors aren't getting their books published, and sometimes libraries even have to close! *GASP!* So with the holidays approaching I wanted to point out this campaign that's begun. For presents this year, consider giving books away! The link below gives some excellent reasons for giving books as presents, and I know I alwyas love getting books. Big surprise right?

http://www.buybooksfortheholidays.com/

I have knocked 2 more books off my tall-as-I-am pile o'books!

The first was Let It Snow by Maureen Johnson, John Green and Lauren Myracle. This is an excellent book which is really 3 awesome short stories by 3 really funny YA authors. Some of you may know of my obsession with the great Maureen Johnson (if you don't just ask!), and now I think I'll be adding John Green to the list of people to geek out over. So, the premise of the book is a huge blizzard on Christmas Eve, and the entwined stories of 3 teens living through it, and usually falling in love. :) There are stalled trains, a Waffle House, best friends, a girl named Jubilee, arrested parents, Starbucks coffee, teacup pigs, a man dressed in tinfoil, and romance. Sigh. All in all a zany, funny, romp in the snow for those of us who rarely get to see snow...Read it and tell me which of the stories is your favorite!

The second book I actually finished this morning right before work (my dog is still angry I didn't take her for a walk!). It is John Green's (yes I know I just read something by him!) new book Paper Towns:

One month before graduating from his Central Florida high school, Quentin "Q" Jacobsen basks in the predictable boringness of his life until the beautiful and exciting Margo Roth Spiegelman, Q's neighbor and classmate, takes him on a midnight adventure and then mysteriously disappears.

The rest of the book is spent with Q and his friends searching for clues about what happened to Margo. I though this book was really really excellent because it really captures so many things really well, like the last days of school before graduation, real friendships, what's important to people, and how we see the people around us. There are also lots of references to Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass which I own but need to read again. One of my favorite quotes about life is by Whitman so this made me really happy. :)

"This is what you shall do: Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul; and your very flesh shall be a great poem and have the richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent lines of its lips and face and between the lashes of your eyes and in every motion and joint of your body" ~Walt Whitman

Also, you guys may be getting sick of me but here's another video featuring my beloved Neil Gaiman with none other than one of my favorite musician Jonathan Coulton (I have one of his songs playing of the library's myspace page). But here is Neil at a Jonathan Coulton show helping out with the song Creepy Doll. If anyone could arrange for this to happen for my birthday I would really appreciate it! :D


Okay, this post ended up being way longer than originally intended, hope it didn't bore you!!
Laters,
Sti