Comments on: Books Acquired: Jan and early February 2011

By: kate

kate — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 17:52:07 +0000

Just so I’m clear, though, it’s not like Big Machine. It’s more like I slowly realized the world was different than I thought it would be. And it was a weird world, like BM. And parts of it reminded me of BM, though there’s no direct connection I can point to. It’s far more weird than twee, which was my concern (twee-ness, that is).

By: girldetective

girldetective — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 02:37:31 +0000

Lemon Cake is on my list, and I hope to get to it for the Tournament of Books, but saying it’s like Big Machine is a huge incentive!

By: kate

kate — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 02:19:33 +0000

HA! From Aimee Bender’s a Year in Reading from the Millions:

http://www.themillions.com/2010/12/a-year-in-reading-aimee-bender.html

“Big Machine, Victor LaValle: A wonderfully interesting and resonant read. Two scenes in this book in particular are still so vivid to me that I could probably tell you about them in detail without glancing at the pages; they are etched on the brain.”

By: kate

kate — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 02:06:09 +0000

Have you read Lemon Cake yet? I just finished it and it was nothing like I thought it would be and so much better than I imagined it would be. Of course, I had to search Girl Detective to see if you had written about it yet. I have almost no idea why, but it reminded me of Big Machine, and yet is so, so different. Anyway, I just finished it and really loved it.

By: Susan

Susan — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 22:20:15 +0000

I bought three books at the bookstore this afternoon and then came home and ordered the book I didn’t find at the store from the Book Depository. (This means I cannot buy any books in March. Zilch. Nada.) I looked at I Think I Love You while I was there, though, and even under the dust jacket it is more pink than I can possibly bear. I will have to download it onto the Kindle where it will be all nice and grey.

(I was a Pete Duel and Ben Murphy fan in those days. But I did watch the Patridge Family every week.)

By: carolyn

carolyn — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 20:03:57 +0000

just chiming in as another Penelope Fitzgerald lover. her books are like finely crafted gems, LOVE THEM!

By: girldetective

girldetective — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 16:14:22 +0000

Laurie, this is hilarious. Do you haunt book blogs exhorting people to read it? I absolutely did and do intend to read your book. I enjoyed meeting you at Micawber’s, which sealed the deal on wanting to read the book. But you’re battling with 1. David Cassidy 2. My new book group 3. My two other book groups 4. Tournament of Books. So it may be a while…

Bender’s other book I read was like that, which is why I look forward to it.

By: girldetective

girldetective — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 16:10:36 +0000

Both stacks were from HPB in SLP. Local booklovers get those acronyms, right? The pink book is from Barnes and Noble, Calhoun Square, conveniently located next to Rustica, home of awesome coffee drinks and bittersweet chocolate cookies. And since HPB SLP is close to that too, it’s getting lots of visits of late. Magers and Quinn is across the street from Dogwood Coffee, so I visit there. The Roseville HPB and B & N are closest to where I live, but not close to an addictive coffee spot.

By: Ritalee

Ritalee — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 14:04:43 +0000

I loved The Blue Flower and PF in general. Where do you like to shop for books in your neck of the woods?

By: laurie hertzel

laurie hertzel — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 12:14:52 +0000

you MUST read my book! i will be crushed if you don’t!

but that aimee bender book is pretty good too. actually, very good. melancholy, but really very good.