Books falling from my shelf

My latest must reads:

“I’m Just Here for MORE Food”- Alton Brown
Most celebrity chefs I can take or leave. Emeril? Too gimmicky; needs glasses, but he does everything from scratch. Rachel Ray? She’s ok, but her endorsements and talk show water down her cooking, however, the girl’s got skills and can make almost any dish look nice. But Alton? He’s logical, methodical, entertaining and tells you why, not just when and where. As soon as I saw this one in the store and realized it was about baking I was sold. The secrets to quality baked goods live here, and it’s a page turner with tested recipes and illustrations. Even if you don’t bake, it’s fascinating to science buffs and anyone who’s interested in what’s in their bread, muffin (or as Brown reveals cupcake masquerading as a muffin) and fruitcake. Yes, fruitcake; homemade fruitcake.

“Strangers on a Train”- Patricia Highsmith
The Fort Worth daughter makes every word count. Every sentence casts a spell. Sure, you’ve seen the Hitchcock flick, but I dare you to put this book down after the first chapter. Unlike Farley Granger’s portrayal, Highsmith’s Guy has a spark of evil in him and Bruno is a better charmer than in the movie. Read it before Hollywood ruins it in 2008.

“REALLY Useful Job Search Tactics”- Rick Gillis
Call him a guru, or crazy, but this guy’s got some revolutionary ideas when it comes to resumes and interviews. Gillis helped pioneer internet job searching with his HoustonEmployment.com in 1995 and he’s gonna give monster and careerbuilder a run for their money with his latest venture http://www.hirebuddy.com/. “REALLY Useful” is just what it advertises, and it’s about guerilla marketing and finding work in the job jungle. You can buy it from amazon.com and check out what Rick and his book are all about at http://www.rickgillis.com/.

What about you; what are you reading?

Between the lines: Bookin’ it to the shelves

I swear I’ll write something someone actually wants to read one of these days, but notice I said these days, not this day.

Take a deep breath, if you happen to be in a used bookstore as I was this afternoon you’ll smell something between a hot press and yesterday’s news. Perfect. There’s nothing like new books, well, even if they’re not factory fresh, they’re novel novels to me. Little gems await your careful excavation of the stacks, so, if you’ve got the time, slow down and take a look. Do it. While Barnes and Noble, Borders, and the big booksellers can order anything you’re looking for, sometimes what you’re not looking for is just what the page turning doctor ordered. And you don’t have to pay full price, you might find a rare or unusual edition, and you don’t have to wait and come back. It’s right there; grab it!

Buying used saves money and is recycling, two things we could all do more of. Yes, I admit I have a bit of a book surplus, but I stopped buying and borrowing for nearly six months now and I take a book down from the shelf, read it, and if I’m not in love, I sell or donate. So I deserved to splurge today. Comedy books and cookbooks were all I bought, and I can never have enough of those, once I finish reading the dry history texts, my writing might get funnier or spicier; stay tuned.