About Books & Literature: 'The Illumination' by Kevin Brockmeier and More...

If you can't see this email, click here

Books & Literature From Megan Romer, your About Books & Literature Editor Word has come from my family in the North: that stupid groundhog is a big fat liar. Other than a single warm day last week, there is yet no real sign of spring. Gather once again round ye olde hearth, then, and bring something to read. Review: 'The Illumination' by Kevin Brockmeier What if all of mankind's pain suddenly became visible, literally glowing from people's skin? Small cuts glow softly, and people in severe pain become blindingly bright. That's the premise behind The Illumination, a new novel which bridges the gap between sci-fi and literary fiction. See More About:  kevin brockmeier  literary fiction  speculative fiction New in Paperback: 'Lunch in Paris' by Elizabeth Bard I love Paris. And lunch. And I always need a little something light (both in content and in actual weight) for bathtub reading, so I think I'm 3-for-3 here. See More About:  lunch in paris  elizabeth bard  cooking Manga Review: Hyde and Closer Vol. 1-3 This new shonen manga stars Shunpei Closer, a wimpy teen who is the grandson of a powerful sorcerer, and his bodyguard Hyde, a cigar-chomping, talking stuffed bear armed with a magical chainsaw. It's quirky and tween-friendly and surprisingly fun. See More About:  hyde and closer  haro aso  manga reviews Review: 'Ruth and the Green Book' by Calvin Alexander Ramsey This 2010 release is an excellent children's book to add to your Black History Month reading list. Telling the story of young Ruth, who travels with her family from Illinois to Alabama to visit her grandmother, it features a lesser-known bit of African-American history that I wasn't familiar with before: The Negro Motorist Green Book, which was a real travel guide that helped people of color find restaurants, hotels, and other services in the Jim Crow-era South. Teachers and parents, take note of this one! See More About:  american history for kids and teens  african american heritage in children's books  Books & Literature Ads Books Kids Reading Books Mystery Books UK Children Story Books Short Stories Books Featured Articles New Original Monologue: The Critic's Monologue from 'PLAY' Queen to Open New Royal Shakespeare Theatre This is for Your own Good -- And Other Phony Phrases The Rock Singer's Poem Set to Someone Else's Music Ask the X-Perts Groucho Marx Quotes   More from About.com Discover the Disney Dream Disney's newest cruise ship has something for every family member, from the Aqua Duck watercoaster to adults-only lounges. More> Cruise the Celebrity Eclipse The Eclipse features luxurious interiors, a spa, and the "iLounge" where guests can check email and create their own photo books. More>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Books & Literature newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2011 About.com   Black History Month in Literature Zora Neal Hurston - 'Their Eyes Were Watching God' Great Harlem Renaissance Novels James Baldwin Quotes Advertisement

About Books & Literature: Dark Memoirs

If you can't see this email, click here

Books & Literature From Megan Romer, your About Books & Literature Editor Now that we're done with compulsory holiday cheer for at least a few months, we can get into some less jolly, lovey-dovey reading without feeling like Debbie Downers. Review: Andre Dubus III - 'Townies' Andre Dubus III's book The House of Sand and Fog was one of those books I both loved and hated. It's utterly depressing, yet moving, and it has stuck with me in a very intense way ever since I first read it several years ago. Townies is not a novel, it's a memoir, but I anticipate it being plenty striking on its own. See More About:  andre dubus iii  memoir  biography Review: 'Breaking Night' by Liz Murray Breaking Night is also a memoir, but tells a very different story than Dubus's college town upbringing... Liz Murray's childhood was full of inner-city poverty, neglect, and hunger, and she recounts her struggle to survive and, ultimately, break the vicious cycle. According to our reviewer, the book is actually quite uplifting once all is said and done. See More About:  breaking night  liz murray  homelessness Poetry in the News: Poems from Cairo Wherever there's struggle, there's poetry... it's a nearly universal response to life's most intense situations. The peaceful revolution in Egypt is no exception -- learn more about some of the poems that have been inspired by (and inspired) the protests. Kate Chopin - Okay, I've got one final holiday for you, at least until Mardi Gras: today, the day after Valentine's Day, is officially Singles Appreciation Day. Really! In honor of all the singles out there, here's a classic for you: Kate Chopin's short story "The Kiss." See More About:  kate chopin  banned books  women writers Books & Literature Ads Books English Literature Literature Story Teaching Literature Short Story Books Featured Articles 'A Raisin in the Sun' Study Guide Judy Moody Movie Coming in June The Five Canons of Rhetoric Sonnet 3 Study Guide Tupac Shakur Quotes 'Breaking Dawn' Photo Reveals Isle Esme   More from About.com Discover the Disney Dream Disney's newest cruise ship has something for every family member, from the Aqua Duck watercoaster to adults-only lounges. More> Cruise the Celebrity Eclipse The Eclipse features luxurious interiors, a spa, and the "iLounge" where guests can check email and create their own photo books. More>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Books & Literature newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2011 About.com   Vote in Our Readers' Choice Awards! Best Manga Best Cookbook Best Book for Special-Needs Kids Advertisement

About Books & Literature: Valentines and Anti-Valentines

If you can't see this email, click here

Books & Literature From Megan Romer, your About Books & Literature Editor Valentine's Day is fast approaching. Hey! I saw that eyeroll! Don't worry, we've got some alternatives to those who might be a little less excited about the holiday. Great Books About Bad Relationships Are a dozen red roses or a stuffed teddy bear holding a heart not quite your style? For those of you who prefer their Valentine gifts brimming with irony, here are a few ideas. See More About:  relationship books  books about love  ya-ya sisterhood Anti-Valentine's Day Quotations Tell me this W. Somerset Maugham quotation wouldn't make for a droll Valentine inscription: "Love is only a dirty trick played on us to achieve continuation of the species." Just add pink construction paper and a doily and hilarity will ensue. See More About:  anti valentine's day sayings  valentine's day quotes  love quotes Valentine's Day Board Books So you say Valentine's Day is infantile? Got you covered there, too. Abelard and Heloise Abelard and Heloise is considered one of the greatest love stories of all time. The lovers weathered some pretty severe storms, including banishment and castration, and yet their love endured. This is a good reminder for those of us who have recently threatened divorce over one too many towels left on the bathroom floor. Maybe we'll celebrate Valentine's Day after all, Darling. See More About:  abelard and heloise  french writers  french philosophers Books & Literature Ads Valentines Valentines Day Ideas Valentines Love Poem Best Books Classic Books Featured Articles Writing Poems is Good for You 2011 Comics and Anime Conventions Calendar Follow About.com Shakespeare on Twitter Practically Perfect Proofreading Your Pick for Best Actress? DC Universe Online - Disconnected   More from About.com Over the Counter Cold Medications How to choose the right medication for your cold and flu symptoms. More> Should Kids Get Flu Shots? Think your child is too healthy to need a flu shot? Think again. More>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Books & Literature newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2011 About.com   Books About Love 'Alexander and Alestria' - Shan Sa 'The Other Side of Desire' - Daniel Bergner 'Committed' - Elizabeth Gilbert Advertisement

About Books & Literature: A New Sherlock Holmes Book and More!

If you can't see this email, click here

Books & Literature From Megan Romer, your About Books & Literature Editor Sherlock Holmes is one of my literary crushes. A brilliant and brooding violinist... what's not to love? Well, I suppose his bothersome drug habit might be an issue. Good thing he's imaginary, otherwise he'd have undoubtedly already broken my heart. A New Sherlock Holmes Book? Sherlock Holmes has been copied, parodied, lampooned, ripped off, fan-fictioned, and made into movies in the last hundred-odd years, but for the first time, the estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has authorized the release of a new novel starring the famous detective. Anthony Horowitz is the author, and we'll be seeing it this coming September. Why Horowitz? Why now? It's a mystery. The End of the Fantastic Four? Spoiler: Marvel killed off one of the Fantastic Four this past week. Want to know which one? Click the above link. Don't worry, though. If tradition holds, they'll find a way to magically regenerate the character within a year or two. Review: Pittacus Lore - 'I Am Number Four' I've been living in a cave with a bag over my head, it seems, because this is the first I'm hearing of this young adult sci-fi novel that is about to hit the big screen. Want to read the book before seeing the movie? Now's the time! See More About:  young adult books  fantasy and science fiction for kids and teens  Review: Charles Baxter's 'Gryphon' Or maybe you're looking for something less action-packed and a bit more cerebral this week. How about Charles Baxter's sparse new collection of short stories entitled Gryphon? Slow-paced and poetic, these stories are not flashy with twist endings, but rather studies in the listlessness of a cast of middle American characters. See More About:  charles baxter  short fiction  Books & Literature Ads Books Dark Romance Books Literature Kids Story Books Short Stories Books Featured Articles Readers' Favorites: Poetry 2010 Elton John's 'Gnomeo and Juliet' Easy Improv Games Quotes From the Oscars The William F. Buckley Vocabulary Quiz Lives Vol. 1 Manga Review   More from About.com Over the Counter Cold Medications How to choose the right medication for your cold and flu symptoms. More> Should Kids Get Flu Shots? Think your child is too healthy to need a flu shot? Think again. More>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Books & Literature newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2011 About.com   Great Mystery and Suspense Novels 'Beat the Reaper' - Josh Bazell 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo' - Stieg Larsson 'Lush Life' - Richard Price Advertisement