I consider myself lucky if I am able to find 1 book a year that I absolutely love. This year, I have been fortunate enough to find 4 books that I rated an A. The Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns, Water for Elephants and now The Thirteenth Tale.
Monday, December 22, 2008
The Thirteenth Tale
Posted by Lizz at 1:19 AM 0 comments
Labels: 13, A, The Thirteenth Tale, Vida
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Best of 2008
Amazon.com has completed a Best of List for 2008. While there are 100 books on each of the following lists, I have only listed the top 10. Click on the link at the end for the complete list . . .
Editor's Picks
1. The Northern Clemency
2. Hurry Down Sunshine
3. Nixonland
4. The Forever War
5. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
6. The Likeness
7. Serena
8. So Brave, Young and Handsome
9. The Lazarus Project
10. The Ten-Cent Plague
Customer Picks (top 10 book sales)
1. Breaking Dawn
2. The Last Lecture
3. Brisingr
4. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
5. The Tales of Beedle the Bard
6. The Appeal
7. When You are Engulfed in Flames
8. In Defense of Food
9. The Revolution
10. The Host
http://www.amazon.com/Best-2008-Books-Holidays-Seasonal/b/ref=amb_link_6320642_4?ie=UTF8&node=1239030011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=browse&pf_rd_r=1TJND4Y8QK6XHS44RZ02&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=465729671&pf_rd_i=283155
Posted by Lizz at 9:58 AM 0 comments
Labels: amazon, best of 2008
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Are you a Harry Potter Fan?
If you are, then you'll be happy to know that J.K. Rowling has come out with a new book.
Both a wise and delightful addition to the Harry Potter canon, this new translation of The Tales of Beedle the Bard is all that fans could hope for and more--and an essential volume for the libraries of Muggles, wizards, and witches, both young and old.
Posted by Lizz at 3:53 PM 0 comments
Labels: book, Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, rowling
Monday, December 8, 2008
December's Book
For December's Book I thought we would turn to a book about God, being that it's that Holiday time of year. The Shack is a very unique book, in that it's about God but not any particular religion. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, even with the very confusing conversations between God and Mack the main character. This book made me look at so many things in a new light, and it spoke to me, something a lot of religious texts are missing. It's definitely more relatable than scripture, but carries a lot of the same messages.
I would recommend this book for anyone looking to define their relationship with God, or for anyone who likes a story about Love and Triumph.
Posted by Lizz at 5:55 PM 0 comments
Sunday, December 7, 2008
The Process
I've taken the job of selecting books very seriously. I have a rigorous screening process before a book is selected for our Book Club.
1. I find the New York Times Best Seller Lists. I pick a couple of the more popular books.
2. I then go to amazon.com, and see how many reviews the book has received from customers. I try not to pick books that have under a couple hundred reviews.
3. I make sure that the majority of the reviews given for the book are 4 or 5 stars. If the reviews are pretty spread out in terms of 1 to 5 stars, I don't pick it. I need to find a book that will appeal to a large group of people.
4. I make sure that the book isn't sexist, meaning that I want a book that will appeal to both men and women.
5. I check the price of the book and the release date. I try not to pick things that came out too recently, because then they will be harder to get from the library. I also try to pick a book that is available in paperback so that it will be a cheaper price, although this doesn't always happen. Some books haven't been released in paperback yet.
If a book meets all these criteria and I have a strong feeling that it will be a good fit for the Book Club, I try to get it from the library and read it before I suggest it. Sometimes I like to read the book for the first time with my group, so I won't read it in advance on purpose.
After reading it, if I feel that the majority of the members will like it, then I put it on my Monthly Book List.
One of the best parts of this Book Club is the feeling when someone tells you that they absolutely loved the book that you recommended. It's become something that I cherish and it makes all the work worth it. This has actually become the highlight of my job.
You don't have to be a employee of Marriott to participate. You are more than welcome to read along with us. We have a discussion each month, and I am going to post the Discussion Questions, so that any of you can participate.
Happy Reading!!
Posted by Lizz at 7:31 PM 0 comments
Labels: book, books, club, MVCI Book Club