About Books & Literature: Get Thee to a Beach!

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Books & Literature From Megan Romer, your About Books & Literature Editor You may not know this about me, but I am part mermaid. At least 1/16. I grew up on a lake and still don't feel quite at home unless there is a shoreline within a stone's throw of where I'm standing. Naturally, it's much more pleasant when said shoreline is not frozen and slushy, so thankfully, summer is rolling around and splashy-time can begin. 'Best Friends Forever' by Jennifer Weiner Now in paperback: Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner, the reigning queen of beach reads. It might not win high marks from the highbrow literary set, but BFF (yes, I went there) pairs perfectly with SPF 45 and a new set of summer sunglasses. There's room in my beach bag for this one! 'Island Beneath the Sea' by Isabel Allende Can the same beach bag carry both lightweight reads and heavy-hitters? Well, mine is going to, because I'm so looking forward to reading this latest release from literary goddess Isabel Allende, one of my favorite living authors. The Final Figures of 'Lost' I'm half a season behind on everyone's favorite beach-based TV show, Lost, and I've been forced to abandon my Facebook feed all day, because everyone I know watched the show's final episode last night and they're all trying to ruin the ending for me. If you're a Lostaholic and a grammar fiend, though, this list of figures of speech, as demonstrated via Lost dialogue snippets, is a fun, and spoiler-free, diversion for your morning. 'By the Sea' - Christina Rossetti If you can't get to the sea, you can spare a quick moment to imagine it, right? Clocking in at exactly 15 lines, By the Sea is a great -- and quick to read -- classic poem which will inspire enough daydreams to occupy a beachless afternoon. Books & Literature Ads Books Sci Fi Literature Best Children Books Of Literature Non Fiction Books Featured Articles Poems of War and Remembrance for Memorial Day OGN Review: 'Jonah Hex: No Way Back' Toronto Comic Arts Festival 2010 Photo Gallery Graphic Novel Review: 'Rapunzel's Revenge' 'Spiderman' Crawling Toward Broadway Shakespeare: With Me or Against Me?   More from About.com Great Stuff Kids Love From the hottest tunes and best online videos to favorite books and classic toys, here are our top picks for the kids in your life. More > Join About.com's User Panel! Share your opinions and help us make About.com more relevant, informative and enjoyable to use. 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 © 2010 About.com   More Classic Poems of the Sea 'Sea Dreams' - Alfred, Lord Tennyson 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' - Samuel Taylor Coleridge 'Dover Beach' - Matthew Arnold Advertisement

About Books & Literature: Graduates and Other Worthy Individuals

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Books & Literature From Megan Romer, your About Books & Literature Editor Graduation season is upon us. I know that many grads like to receive money with which to start up their future careers, homes, or higher education. I like to give books. They have more meaning, plus, I'm too poor to give any real amount of cash. Graduation Gift Ideas Some of these books have meaning. Some have value. None cost more than $20. Happy graduation! Interview With Mike Berenstain I loved the Berenstain Bears when I was a kid. I was a kid, of course, well before 2005, when Stan Berenstain passed away and his son Mike took up the torch (not that I ever stopped acting like one). See what's happening with the new generation of Berenstain Bears books and the upcoming movie about Brother and Sister and the rest of them. Poems Made of the Interplay Between Light and Shadow Okay, I'm a sucker for public art -- anything from Christo's "Gates" in Central Park to those cows that keep popping up all over -- and this particular piece sounds amazing. Experiential typography. I'm game! Visiting Juliet's House The movie Letters to Juliet opened this past weekend, and it got me thinking about the trip to Italy that I really need to take. Fair Verona is on our list, partly because I'd really like to visit Juliet's house. I thought of it before the movie did, though. Books & Literature Ads Books Literature Best Children Books Chic Lit Books Fiction Novel Books Featured Articles Mark Twain's 'Life on the Mississippi' 'Tinkers' by Paul Harding Longbox Digital Initial Thoughts AX Alternative Manga Vol. 1 "Sylvia" by A.R. Gurney A Fish Story   More from About.com Disney Trip Planner Everything you need to plan the perfect Disney vacation -- from when to go and what to do, to saving money and picking a hotel. More > Join About.com's User Panel! Share your opinions and help us make About.com more relevant, informative and enjoyable to use. 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 © 2010 About.com   Advertisement

About Books & Literature: Recent Releases Worth Reading (and Seeing)

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Books & Literature From Megan Romer, your About Books & Literature Editor I was almost caught up on my reading list. Well, I had it down to a dull roar, at any rate. Then I took a ten-minute break and eleventy zillion and two new books (and a dozen new movies) were released. I just can't get ahead. 'The Barbary Pirates' by William Dietrich "If you have the time to read just one book this year for the sheer pleasure of a grand story, this is the novel for you." Call me crazy, but that sounds like a ringing endorsement. I mean, what's not to love about a pirate story of any kind, but a comedic pirate adventure story? Sign me up! 'Sleepless' by Charlie Huston "Some may get Sleepless. Some won't. The concept might hook you, but I'm not sure the writing style will." Okay, not quite the same level of ringing, but reading this review, I find that I'm vaguely hooked by the plot of the thriller. What if a disease that caused universal insomnia swept through the populace? That sounds terrifying, mostly because sleep is pretty much my favorite activity. 'Twin Spica Vol. 1' by Kou Yaginuma "There's a soft, lyrical quality to the storytelling that's punctuated with some heart-wrenching drama and thought-provoking suspense." This sounds like a great manga for folks who may not be as universally inclined toward the genre... good for all ages (except the very young), with a well-paced plot and simple, striking artwork. 'Iron Man 2' - The Movie "... Favreau was true to the spirit of the Iron Man comic books, even bringing in many themes and stories from the comics, but modernized them with a new spin." If you liked the first Iron Man movie (and I did, in no small part because I have a mega-crush on Robert Downey Jr.), you'll very likely enjoy the second as well. Wow... a sequel measuring up to the original. When was the last time that happened? Books & Literature Ads Books Reading Books Online Best Fiction Books Antique Books Worth Authors Literature Featured Articles Within and Without: 'The Great Gatsby' Pinsky Starts a Conversation About Frost 2010 Children's Summer Reading Lists 13 Ways of Looking at a Metaphor 2010 Tony Awards Nominees Quotes About Dancing   More from About.com Disney Trip Planner Everything you need to plan the perfect Disney vacation -- from when to go and what to do, to saving money and picking a hotel. More > Join About.com's User Panel! Share your opinions and help us make About.com more relevant, informative and enjoyable to use. 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 © 2010 About.com   Share Your Stories! How I Introduced Books to my Baby or Toddler My Theatre is Haunted! How We Raised Money for our Theatre Troupe Advertisement

About Books & Literature: Celebrating Mama-rama!

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Books & Literature From Megan Romer, your About Books & Literature Editor It's Mother's Day this coming weekend, and my Mother has once again insisted that I not get her anything. She doesn't mean it, she just knows full-well that if I try to get her something big, I will have to borrow the money from her to pay for it. I'm not 8, I'm just perpetually broke. Books for Mother's Day Gifts Books are great Mom's Day gifts, because they can actually be pretty personal, and most of them (especially those in paperback) don't cost nearly as much as diamond necklaces or silk scarves. May 2010 Book Releases My own Mother is totally on top of the latest releases in contemporary literature, which can sometimes make her a tricky one to shop for. It's often best to go with the very latest thing to hit the market, no matter what it is. As long as she reads it before the other gals in her book club, she's happy. Troubled Mothers in Fiction ... or, "Which Classic Novels NOT to buy for Mother's Day Gifts." Unless your mother has a wicked sense of humor, in which case, go crazy! Children's Books for Mother's Day I realize that it's highly unlikely that your Mother is a child. If she is, then you sure are an advanced reader for your age, kiddo! If your wife or partner happens to be a mother, though, and you need to help your little one pick out a Mother's Day present, maybe a book that they can enjoy reading together is the ticket to success this Sunday. Books & Literature Ads Books Mother Day Gifts Best Fiction Books New Romance Books Top Classic Books Featured Articles Iron Man 2 Movie Gallery Hetalia to Invade North America Classic Poems for Mother's Day 'Romeo and Juliet' on Twitter! Mother's Day Quotes Globish, Texting, Teabonics, and Mind Reading   More from About.com Disney Trip Planner Everything you need to plan the perfect Disney vacation -- from when to go and what to do, to saving money and picking a hotel. More > Join About.com's User Panel! Share your opinions and help us make About.com more relevant, informative and enjoyable to use. 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 © 2010 About.com   Wanna be a Star? Start Here. How to Read a Play How to Memorize Lines How to Perform a Monologue Advertisement