Something Old...

Something New...Something Borrowed...Something Blue...Ok so I'm not getting married, but I thought it would be fun to introduce some books I have in this manner. Also, for some reason this rhythm has been in my head all week...

Something Old...

 An old book of my mothers I found while cleaning out some boxes...Tales From Grimm by Wanda Gag. It used to sit on her older brother's bookshelf and it now sits on mine.

Something New...

 Secret of Longevity-Hundreds of ways to live to be 100 by Dr. Maoshing Ni...A new book I got as a birthday present! Definitely one I will be applying to my actual life.

Something Borrowed...

 This book actually is mine but I borrowed it from my sister. It's her absolutely favourite book and I've never gotten around to reading it. So when I saw at Golden Braid Books, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, for only $4.00 I had to add it to my collection.

Something Blue...

To my joy, I've been reading a lot lately. Since I've been reading so much it means reading more in bed. So I've dusted off the trusty blue reading light for those late night reads.

Review: The Man Who Loved Books Too Much

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett 

About: Unrepentant book thief John Charles Gilkey has stolen a fortune in rare books from around the country. Yet unlike most thieves who steal for profit, Gilkey steals for love-the love of books. Perhaps equally obsessive is Ken Sanders, the self-appointed "bibliodick" who's driven to catch him. Following this eccentric cat-and-mouse chase with a mixture of suspense, insight and humor, Allison Hoover Bartlett plunges the reader deep into a rich world of fanatical book lust and considers what it is that makes some people stop at nothing to posses the titles they love. (from amazon.com)

Review: This one was designated for August in my small beginning book club. I started it on my way to Chicago and finished it only last week. It was a riveting book. One of my first non-fictions, I have to admit. The idea of the story enticed me, a man who loves books so much he steals them! Ken Sanders, a rare book collector who tries to serve him justice! (this was even more appealing because I literally live 2 blocks away from Ken Sanders Rare Books!). Basically this book was all I wanted from a non-fiction. The story was based from Allison's point of view. She began with interesting facts about this mysterious Gilkey man and her traveling to rare book conventions in New York City and San Francisco. I think I enjoyed more of the shadow Gilkey, one that no one was sure about, who he was. But once Bartlett met Gilkey and started being more involved in his life, I started not to like Gilkey. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the book a lot, but Gilkey's character got less and less interesting to me. Bartlett made him more cocky, arrogant and in my opinion annoying. Over all I enjoyed Bartlett's references to the past. There were little stories of Italian, Spanish, Noble Men, Monks, all types of people in history who love books. Some would do anything to get their hands on books, even murder. It made me appreciate books more than I already do, it made me think of the previous owners, stories and lives of the old books I have. I absolutely loved this book. I bought it and so glad, so I can re read it whenever I would like.

New! Alison Wonderland

Alison Wonderland by Helen Smith

About: After her husband leaves her for another woman, twentysomething Londoner Alison Temple impulsively applies for a job at the very P.I. firm she hired to trap her philandering ex. She hopes it will be the change of scene she so desperately needs to move on with her shattered life. At the all-female Fitzgerald’s Bureau of Investigation, she spends her days tracking lost objects and her nights shadowing unfaithful husbands. But no matter what the case, none of her clients can compare to the fascinating characters in her personal life. There’s her boss, the estimable and tidy Mrs. Fitzgerald; Taron, Alison’s eccentric best friend, who claims her mother is a witch; Jeff, her love-struck, poetry-writing neighbor; and—last but not least—her psychic postman. Her relationships with them all become entangled when she joins Taron for a road trip to the seaside and stumbles into a misadventure of epic proportions! Clever, quirky, and infused with just a hint of magic, this humorous literary novel introduces a memorable heroine struggling with the everyday complexities of modern life. (from amazon.com)

I love a new unique story and this one just drew my attention. Besides the fact that the title is a play on my favourite book, I really would like to read this one.

Review: The Island of Dr. Moreau

The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells

About: The Island of Doctor Moreau is an 1896 science fiction novel written by H. G. Wells. It is told from the point of view of a man named Edward Prendick who is shipwrecked, rescued by a passing boat, and then left at the ship's destination by the crew along with the ship's cargo of exotic animals. The island is home to a scientist named Doctor Moreau, who is conducting bizarre and cruel experiments on the animals he has imported, attempting to create sentient beings out of animals. The novel deals with numerous philosophical themes, including the need to take responsibility for the things we create, the question of what makes a man a man, the cruelty of nature and of man, and the dangers of trying to control nature. (from amazon.com)

Review: So I'm sure you know H.G. Wells and his other more popular books, The War of the Worlds and The Time Machine. Basically I found this book at my local rare bookstore, Ken Sander's, and recognized the author and decided to read it. It sounds simply intriguing to me and the whopping 104 pages made it more desirable. The book was actually very interesting. The story was told from Edward Prendrick's point of view, almost a journal of the account of his time from being rescued to leaving the island. The book was more about character development than anything. Wells really made you know and feel the characters. Montgomery who liked Prendick, for he was the one that saved him, was a drunk, but you sympathized with him. You found out his past and why he drank and came to the island. Montgomery felt for the beasts on the island but at the same time boasted his superiorness around them. Prendick, for instance, I found interesting, didn't care for the beasts at all. From the time he arrived on the island to the time he left you knew his stance on the beasts, and it didn't change. The book really kept my attention the whole time. Near the end it felt slightly cast-awayish, with Prendick trying to leave the island. But other than that I enjoyed it. It was intense but calming, a very interesting point of view and theory. I also liked that it was like a journal but not entirely. It was from Prendick's point of view, but it wasn't laid out in Journal format. I could have easily had this book read in a day, but sadly school and work conflicted and it took be a bit longer. If you are looking for an extremely good, quick read, find this one. I bought mine for only $2.00.