what I thought about "in a sunburned country," also, "fodor's australia"

I love Bill Bryson!  Anytime I discover a new writer I enjoy it's like my birthday, and to find out that there are more books by the same writer is like Christmas.  I had never even heard of Bill Bryson until my sister who has moved to Australia for a year recommended this book to me, and I was charmed from the first page.  He is funny and erudite and helped me to understand Australia much better.  I think his writing actually made me more excited to visit than I already was.  I'm reading  Bryson's "Mother Tongue" now, and one of these first days I'm going to read "A Walk in the Woods," because I hear it's a good one as well.  Yay, new books!

Fodor's Australia gave me some good ideas for what to do in Sydney, but in retrospect I think I would have like the Dorling Kindersley one better.  Bygones.  It's not like I ran out of things to do or had a miserable time or anything like that.

shut up, "the bone lady"

Nope.  I am not going to waste another minute of my time on this book.  What a bore.  Mary Manhein is probably a very nice person and fun to know, but a writer she ain't.  She keeps referring to her ability to be a storyteller, and I wonder if maybe that means something different where she's from.  I got this book hoping it would be like Bones, but it's not.  I hope Kathy Reichs is better.  What if she's not?  I've always believed that books are better than the tv/movies based on them, but what if my theory is disproven?  The universe will tear, is all. 

what I thought about "the horse whisperer"

I haven't seen the movie of this--is it good?  The book was very engaging, and I slurped it right up like that coconut/banana/white chocolate boba drink I love so much.  You can tell that Nicholas Evans is a screenwriter.  I was glad that Tom Booker's father was not nearly the piece of human garbage that Buck Brannaman's father was.  I disapproved of the cheating, obviously, but at the same time I totally wanted them to do it because I am vulgar and Tom Booker sounds like a dreamboat.  I could see why Annie would dig him--not why he would dig her, though.  I had no idea what was so great about her that she could attract not just one, but two great guys.  She is the proto-Bella, I guess.  Ugh, now I'm remembering how angry that Twilight book made me.  

Anyhoodle, it was a fun book.  I wish horse ownership were more practical.  

what I thought about "mr. fox"

This book has revolutionized my concept of writing and storytelling.  It was very freeing.  Mr. Fox has this interesting format where the protagonists keep appearing in different stories within a larger story, and it bends the rules, and I found it charming.  It was so different from anything else I've read in a long while that it helped reboot me.  I was told a while ago that people don't like essay collections or books of short stories (this is obviously a lie--I love short stories and essay collections--why did I listen to him?), and I made a lot of changes to a book I'm writing because of this, and promptly found myself in a creative tar pit.  I haven't been able to figure out how to extricate myself from it, but Mr. Fox has been very helpful and given me some ideas that may or may not turn out to be good, but at least it will get me somewhere.

what I thought about "tim gunn's fashion bible"

I enjoy Tim Gunn.  He seems to be a very sensible man, and he says some very smart things in this book.  Why is it that women are simultaneously made to feel bad about their appearance, and bad for caring about their appearance?  THAT'S SEXIST!  Anyway, I like his position that presenting yourself well is not frivolous.  I'm less of a stickler than he is, obviously, because I frequently leave the house in less than tip-top condition.  But still, I like looking nice.  And he is so practical and balanced, and doesn't like wearing a trend for trend's sake.  This book was helpful to me, and I have been trying to figure out if I am a Greek or an Egyptian dresser.  I think I tend toward Greek most of the time.  I have an entirely new perspective on knits!  I would like Tim Gunn to come shopping with me. 

what I thought about "the prisoner of heaven" and "the shadow of the wind"

Okay, I got done with "The Prisoner of Heaven" and loved it immensely.  It is magical.  The Cemetery of Forgotten Books is a place I want to visit.  Also, I have always thought of Spain as a boring Italy, and the soft S makes me crazy, but this book changed my mind. 

Then I read "The Shadow of the Wind," and I liked it as well, but not quite as much--though not because the writing wasn't as good.  "The Shadow of the Wind" was more depressing and seemed more gratuitously sexy, and there is a truly horrible reveal near the end of the book (which in retrospect I should have seen coming) that just made me miserable and want to choke the life out of one character in particular.  I still recommend the book, but it might make you sad.  Carlos Ruis Zafon is a gifted, creative writer, and I'm going to read everything by him that I can find. 

I'm reading "the prisoner of heaven," and you should too

I'm remembering to tell you in time, before I have the book all read.  I am really enjoying this book and I want you to go check it out so we can talk about it.  Also if you've read any of the other books in the series I want to know, but don't tell me what happens in them.  I haven't read the others, and was irked when I found out there were previous books, but in the introduction it says the books can stand alone and be read in any order.  So it better work or I am going to personally write to Mr. Ruis Zafon and give him a piece of my mind. 

Read it!  It's fun.