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This Book is Not for Everyone March 26, 2010

Posted by bookgoddess in Book Clubs, Books, Fiction, Literature, Mysteries, Public libraries, readers, Reading, West Palm Beach Public Library.
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It’s a great joy when you recommend a book to someone, and they just adore it.  Recently I recommended the wonderful British mystery writer, Peter Robinson, to a long time patron.  When she stopped by yesterday, she thanked me and was looking forward to reading more of his books.

However, it can be deflating when you love a book and the person you recommend it to does not share your enthusiasm.  I have had book clubs disappointed with two of my all time favorites, Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather and Excellent Women by Barbara Pym.  My friend Peggie was lukewarm about another favorite, Raney by Clyde Edgerton, though she truly loved my recommendation of The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz.  And my supervisor, a former children’s librarian and outstanding human being, inexplicably does not like Winnie-the-Pooh.

It happens with me, too.  I finally gave up on the immensely popular and critically acclaimed Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, mostly because I found parts of it too brutal for my taste.  And both the aforementioned Peggie and another friend, Joanne, highly recommended The Gold Coast by Nelson DeMille.  I just bogged down and stopped listening to the audiobook.  I’m not really sure why.

Please keep on recommending books, because when it goes right, you make a truly fabulous connection.  Just remember that we may not love the same books.  But in the library, the good part is that the price is right and we have no problem when you bring the item in for a return or exchange!

Happy Reading,

The Book Goddess

How to Enhance Your Reading Experience, Part I October 21, 2008

Posted by bookgoddess in Authors, Books, Fiction, Literature, readers, Reading.
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Let’s say you’re at home.  You decide to get yourself a nice beverage to enjoy while reading.  Don’t just pick the first thing you run into in your fridge!  No – first you might want to read “The Book Examiner’s ultimate guide to pairing alcohol and literature: read, drink, and be merry.” 

This sounds like fun – the right beverage with the right book!  The Book Examiner has put together a delightful list of beverages and the books that might complement them.  

A word (or several) of warning:  since they are all alcoholic, you might have a good reason for avoiding them altogether.  Also, if you read in the morning, or on your lunch hour, or if you’ll need to drive, I’d certainly recommend coffee or a soft drink.  In fact, the Book Goddess advises you not to do anything illegal, immoral, or likely to produce a hangover. 

Even without the warning, I really think Barbara Pym would go better with hot tea (think of all those church gatherings!), though sherry is not out of the question.  And sweet iced tea would be the beverage of choice for much of Southern literature.  But there are a lot of wonderful suggestions on the Book Examiner’s list, including Old Peculier, which I thought was an invention of Martha Grimes until I found it in a store in Fayetteville, North Carolina.  The red wine suggestions seem especially apt – “Classics, high-brow travel writing, brainy literary-type tomes, history, historical novels, food writing, and anything with a reference to Provence in the title….” 

Does this sound lovely?  The world can be a worrisome place; I think it’s a good thing to seek out small pleasures. 

Happy Reading!

The Book Goddess
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