Ah, yes, spring has arrived finally. The sun is out, the air is warmer and it's nice to be outside after being cooped up inside for months. So, be sure to come out of your comfort zone and experience life outside again. Bring your books and read them in cafés, parks or even just the patio outside your house. And to accompany that, here is a list of books for your spring reading. The Secret Life Of Syrian Lingerie (Rana Salam and Malu Halasa) According to other websites, "the most outrageous and exuberant lingerie in the world can only be found in...

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Let's look at more top books published and released in 2009. Brooklyn: A Novel (Colm Toibin) Set in the 1950s, Brooklyn is the story of Eilis Lacey, a 15-year-old from Enniscorthy, Ireland, who travels to the US after World War II as an immigrant. Sponsored by Father Flood, a priest who travels from Ireland to America and back to help other immigrants find jobs in New York, Eilis left her older sister and mother behind to start a new life in Brooklyn. She has luck finding a job as an employee at a high-end department store, where she meets Tony, an...

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As I shared with you (and only you) a few months back, my favorite book above all others is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.  If you've only seen the movie, you have no idea what you've missed.  Author Douglas Adams' use of the English language is a joy to behold, and his mastery of sarcasm and irony are unparalleled. And so it is with some trepidation that I embark upon reading the sixth installment in the increasingly inaccurately named Hitchhiker's Trilogy.   In the past, the release of a new Hitchhiker's book is a minor holiday in...

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The 28th of January marks the 50th anniversary of Zora Neale Thurston's death. Originally buried in an unmarked grave, it is easy to argue that Thurston did not reach the fame that she deserved before her death. Had it not been for Alice Walker, one of the many authors who have been influenced by Thurston's work, her grave still would be unmarked today. Thurston was a significant figure in the Harlem Renaissance and produced much work during this time, partly as a result of her study of anthropology at Barnard College. However, the beginning of the Depression marked the end...

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