Books Distilled » Thoughts on Literature
Best Holiday Books to Give as Gifts: Christmas 2011
Happy December! Below you’ll find 50 books that will make the perfect gift for everyone on your list. Feel free to add suggestions in the comments! If you order through the link to Powell’s, you’re supporting independent bookstores (and I receive a small percentage of your purchase). Happy shopping, and happy holidays! For the fantasy lover 1. The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern. A magical tale of a circus that appears without warning, enchants viewers with impossible illusions, … Read entire article »
Filed under: Thoughts on Literature
How Do You Get Your Book Fix?
First things first: Last Sunday I invited you to share the best book you’ve read recently. Celeste is the winner of the $5 Powell’s gift card for her recommendation of Shantaram, which she calls “the most exciting adventure story I’ve ever read.” I have to say I’m a little intimidated by the length, but how could I turn down such a glowing description? So, it might take a while, but look for a review coming … Read entire article »
Filed under: Book Selling
Bringing Reading to Life: Setting
Okay, first things first: until tomorrow at 5:00 PM EST, you can tell me about the best book you’ve read recently and get entered to win a $5 giftcard to Powell’s Books. Jump on it! Second thing: unfortunately we had to cancel the first Books Distilled Book Club last night because there were some participant conflicts. We’ll be rescheduling, so if Turn of Mind has been on your to-read list, pick it up and maybe you … Read entire article »
Filed under: Thoughts on Literature
A Letter to Kathleen Norris
Happy Thursday, folks! I though I’d share something a little different with you today. I am a huge fan of Kathleen Norris, who wrote spiritual memoirs Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith, The Cloister Walk, and Acedia & Me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer’s Life. Her work reminds me what it means to try to walk as a Christian, day after day, and what that means in the context of living in the modern … Read entire article »
Filed under: Thoughts on Literature
Books I Can’t Wait to Read: Fall 2011 Edition
These are the books crowding the top of my to-read list. Anticipate with me, friends! There’s a little chill in the air, and it’s time to snuggle up with a cup of tea and the latest read. Karl Marlantes’ new book, What It Is Like to Go to War, releases Tuesday, September 6. He recently shared the books that shaped him on the fantastic Book Lady’s Blog (she also raved about his first book, Matterhorn). Shelf Awareness also review has a stunning review of What It Is Like to Go to War. I can’t wait to read The Astral, by Kate Christensen, which was a summer blockbuster. I’ve pretty much been super jealous of anyone and everyone who’s managed to track down a copy. Check out Kit’s review and get ready to … Read entire article »
Filed under: Contemporary Literature, Thoughts on Literature
Literary Roundup
I’m a little short on folks to guest post, so if you want to share the 5 books you can’t live without, send me an email! (books.distilled at gmail dot com) I’ve been reading a lot of fantastic books for school. For our first two semesters in the MFA program, we read 10 books each semester and write craft essays on each, focusing on a specific craft or technique the author used to achieve effective writing … Read entire article »
Filed under: Thoughts on Literature
Strategies to Glean More from Stories You Love
Aside from putting into practice all those reading strategies you learned in high school (noticing themes; classifying conflicts according to the man vs. nature, man vs. himself paradigms), how can you glean more from all that time you put into reading? Or simply get more out of reading so you’ll actually spend more time doing it? Here are some methods that work for me. 1. Make notes in the margins. I read a lot and cannot … Read entire article »
Filed under: Thoughts on Literature
Why Read?
In the digital age, much of our information comes to us through text. Text messages and Facebook posts from friends, emails from coworkers, a report on new advances in your field, twitter updates, news headlines. If we have all the information we could possibly want to sift through, why read for pleasure? I find that I enter a different state of mind when reading a novel as opposed to reading for information. I detach from the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Thoughts on Literature
How Much Does Truth Matter in Memoir?
You may have read that CBS has uncovered a controversy surrounding Greg Mortenson’s bestselling memoir, Three Cups of Tea. The memoir and its sequel, Stones into Schools, describe Mortenson’s encounter with a Pakistani village that cared for him after he was injured climbing K2, his promise to return and build them a school, and the subsequent founding of the nonprofit organization Central Asia Institute, which raises money to build schools and pay for education, especially for … Read entire article »
Filed under: Thoughts on Literature
About Me
Ever stand in the bookstore or library, gazing around blankly, overwhelmed by choices, jealous of the other purposeful browsers? This blog is for you.
I read. A lot.
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