It is only fitting that in my first article as a writer for 'Bout Books I muse about my own literary idol, J.K. Rowling, and the book series that has fueled my love for reading over the years: Harry Potter.
Although I have been a lover of books since before I could read by myself (my mother would read to my siblings and me on a nightly basis), it was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone that made me the reader I am today. In a recent interview with Oprah, Rowling told a story about a twenty-something girl that approached
Harry Potter – Still Magical
by Kaitlin October 29th, 2010 | Authors, Children's, Fiction, Young Adults
703: How I Lost More than a Quarter Ton and Gained a Life, a Memoir by Nancy Makin
by Jane Wangersky October 27th, 2010 | Nonfiction
Why "703"? That's what author Nancy Makin once weighed.
As the subtitle says, this is a memoir -- in other words, it's not a how-to book. Nancy describes not so much how her weight changed, but how her attitude toward food changed.
As she coped with life's ups and downs -- her family's brief membership in a cult, teen pregnancy, marriage and divorce -- food gradually became the most important thing to her. Though Nancy liked people, she felt they looked down on her because of her appearance, and often she was right. Food, she says, became "the non-judgmental friend" she
As the subtitle says, this is a memoir -- in other words, it's not a how-to book. Nancy describes not so much how her weight changed, but how her attitude toward food changed.
As she coped with life's ups and downs -- her family's brief membership in a cult, teen pregnancy, marriage and divorce -- food gradually became the most important thing to her. Though Nancy liked people, she felt they looked down on her because of her appearance, and often she was right. Food, she says, became "the non-judgmental friend" she
This Week’s New Releases (10/24)
by Jaclyn Abergas October 25th, 2010 | Choosing Books, Fiction, New Releases, Reading
Rethinking Kennedy: An Interpretive Biography (Michael O'Brien)
It's been half a century ago since Kennedy was US president and his presence is still felt today. Rethinking Kennedy explores and investigates the tumultuous and controversial tenure of his presidency.
My Dog Is My Hero (Susan Reynolds)
For a lot of people, dogs are their best friends. In My Dog Is My Hero, read the stories of the wondrous animals who have proven that animals are heroes who save us. Read about Widget, a little terrier who barked non-stop to warn her master that a poisonous snake was about to strike her daughter. There's
It's been half a century ago since Kennedy was US president and his presence is still felt today. Rethinking Kennedy explores and investigates the tumultuous and controversial tenure of his presidency.
My Dog Is My Hero (Susan Reynolds)
For a lot of people, dogs are their best friends. In My Dog Is My Hero, read the stories of the wondrous animals who have proven that animals are heroes who save us. Read about Widget, a little terrier who barked non-stop to warn her master that a poisonous snake was about to strike her daughter. There's
Bestsellers: Children’s Literature
by Jaclyn Abergas October 20th, 2010 | Children's, Choosing Books, Fiction, Reading, Young Adults
Heroes Of Olympus: The Lost Hero (Rick Riordan)
If you enjoyed Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, you'll certainly enjoy this latest one from Rick Riordan. The Heroes Of Olympus series, starting with The Lost Hero, focuses on Jason, his girlfriend, Piper, and his best friend, Leo. But Jason doesn't remember the two of them. In fact, he has no recollection of how he got to that point in his life. Then, a freak storm and strange creatures attack their bus on their way to a school trip. The three kids are suddenly whisked off to a place called Camp
If you enjoyed Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, you'll certainly enjoy this latest one from Rick Riordan. The Heroes Of Olympus series, starting with The Lost Hero, focuses on Jason, his girlfriend, Piper, and his best friend, Leo. But Jason doesn't remember the two of them. In fact, he has no recollection of how he got to that point in his life. Then, a freak storm and strange creatures attack their bus on their way to a school trip. The three kids are suddenly whisked off to a place called Camp
The Plot Against America, by Philip Roth
by Jane Wangersky October 18th, 2010 | Fiction
Philip Roth, who has often drawn on his own life for material for his fiction, goes a step further in The Plot Against America -- he writes an alternate history of his family and his country.
In the world of this novel, President Franklin D. Roosevelt is not elected to a third term in 1940. Instead, Charles Lindbergh -- world-famous pilot, father of a murdered son, and anti-Semite -- is elected on a promise to keep the U.S. out of World War II.
Seven-year-old Philip and his family, ordinary Jewish people living in Newark, New Jersey, appear as themselves, and Roth
In the world of this novel, President Franklin D. Roosevelt is not elected to a third term in 1940. Instead, Charles Lindbergh -- world-famous pilot, father of a murdered son, and anti-Semite -- is elected on a promise to keep the U.S. out of World War II.
Seven-year-old Philip and his family, ordinary Jewish people living in Newark, New Jersey, appear as themselves, and Roth
