book books

Hello... it's my first post.

While we wait for CC to post about her adventures in the Land of the Morning Calm, I thought I'd talk about... books! We seem to be a family of book lovers, and I think that's a great thing.

One of my favorite blogs on the internet, LifeHacker, recently had a post all about books. There's a lot of useful information in it, I suggest you read it - free books online, how to publish a book from a blog (like this one!), even turning an old book into a secret hiding place for cash. Or candy. Or even cash AND candy! :)

Also, in the Seattle Times, there was a nice article about popular books in Seattle right now. The compiled the list by using public library records. Here's the top 5 fiction and top 5 non-fiction:

1. "Shanghai Girls" by Lisa See. The story of two sisters who flee war-torn Shanghai to make a new life in America. 558 patrons are waiting in line for 79 copies of this book.

2. "Finger Lickin' Fifteen" by Janet Evanovich. The latest installment in the series starring Jersey Girl/bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. 476/69 copies.

3. "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame Smith. Elizabeth Bennett battles zombies. 439 holds/65 copies. (Fans will be happy to know that a follow-up is planned: "Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters.")

4. "The Scarecrow" by Michael Connelly. About-to-be-laid-off newspaperman fights identity thief/serial killer. 409 holds/69 copies.

5. "The Angel's Game" by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. Barcelona writer makes deal with the devil and spends the rest of the book regretting it. 413 holds/68 copies.

On to nonfiction:

1. "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell. What are the ingredients for success? 649 holds/146 copies.

2. "The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite" by David Kessler. The ballooning of the American appetite, and steps to take to rein it in. 516 holds/64 copies.

3. "The Girl Who Played with Fire" by Stieg Larsson. The library lists this as nonfiction, but trust me, it's fiction; at least I hope it is, because it's a very scary Scandinavian thriller, the follow-up to "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." 348 holds/59 copies.

4. "A Homemade Life" by Molly Wizenberg. A food writer/blogger's memoir. 344 holds/64 copies.

5. "I'm Down" by Mishna Wolff. Memoir of growing up white in 1970s Seattle's Central District, with a white dad who longed to be black. 335 holds/64 copies.

Interesting, huh?

One last note: I bought CC a copy of Pride & Prejudice and Zombies for her trip. Heh heh.