I consider myself both a bibliophile and a technophile but up until a few days ago, I had never heard of a vook. And just what the heck is a vook, you ask? Created by Vook.com, it’s a video-book hybrid that integrates video and hyperlinks into a book. You can read/watch on your laptop using a web-based application or on your iPhone using the Vook app.

Last week, Vook released Anne Rice’s 1984 short-story The Master of the Rampling Gate. She’s by far the biggest name author to release a story in this format and I think Vook is hoping to capitalize on the popularity of vampire fiction. For a limited time it’s only .99 (instead of 4.99), so I decided to give it a try. Since I frequently use the Kindle for iPhone app, I decided to buy the Vook iPhone app for The Master of the Ramping Gate (each book comes in a separate app). Here’s are two screenshots of the vook:

As you can see above, it’s very similar to the Kindle app, with a few exceptions. First, there are hyperlinks in the text and when you tap on them, you get more information. Many of the links take you to the Oxford English Dictionary definition of the word, but a few, like “mullioned windows” take you to a Wikipedia entry. I found this feature to be extremely helpful because I had no idea what a mullioned window was this allowed me to see what it looks like. This was actually my favorite feature because it really enhanced the book. However, unlike the Kindle app, it doesn’t remember your place in the book. So when you leave the app and come back, finding the page where you left off was a huge hassle.

There are also 7 short videos (most are under 2 minutes) available to watch and they include interviews with Anne Rice and a short tour of New Orleans. The videos are located at the beginning of each chapter so you can watch the videos as you read along or you can find them under the “Watch” tab to view whenever. I thought the videos might be distracting but I ended up enjoying them because they are short and relevant (Rice explains the characters and what’s happening in the story).

I actually ended up liking the vook a lot more than I thought I would. The Master of the Rampling Gate is very short though, and a regular price of $4.99 might be a bit high. The current selection is limited, but if a few more big name authors sign up I can see this idea taking off (especially with the upcoming release of the Apple iPad).

So what do you think of this idea? Do you think the ebooks and vooks are the future of book publishing? Or do you prefer the feel of paper in your hands?

Related posts:

1. The Future Of Books

The Brightest Star in the Sky
by Marian Keyes
Release Date: January 21, 2010
Publisher: Viking Adult
Pages: 480
Source: Purchased
Buy on Amazon

I always look forward to a new book from Marian Keyes and her latest, The Brightest Star in the Sky, was no different. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the book, which tells the story of the residents of 66 Star Street in Dublin. Uncharacteristically for Keyes, there’s a supernatural twist as the story is narrated by a mysterious being that can see into each apartment. On the ground floor we have Matt and Maeve, a young married couple who are in love but seem to be hiding a big secret. Jemima, a wise old woman with a huge dog, lives on the second floor. Next are Andrei and Jan, two Polish men who rent their small second bedroom to “evil pixie” Lydia. On the top floor is Katie, a 40-year-old woman who works in public relations and is struggling in her relationship with workaholic boyfriend, Conall. As the narrator slowly discovers bits of information about each tenant, the reader pieces together their stories and it becomes obvious that, beneath the surface, everyone’s lives are more complicated than they appear.

In The Brightest Star in the Sky Keyes displays her talent for telling stories that are fun yet go to some pretty dark places. She tackles serious issues in the book, but it’s perfectly balanced by her humor and wit. The Brightest Star in the Sky is a character-driven novel and I think it works because the characters are so vividly drawn and relatable. I was really rooting for each of them and I love when a book can draw me in like that. I admit I was confused at the beginning, trying to figure out who or what the narrator is and why the book starts at Day 61 and counts down to Day 1, but if you just go with it, eventually it will all make sense. The Brightest Star in the Sky is funny and engaging and I recommend it to anyone looking for a story that will make you both laugh and cry.

Quotes from The Brightest Star in the Sky:

A well-balanced child will always get a home, but it’s the poor damaged ones who really need it.

There were lots of things she had wanted once upon a time: to be a size 8; to be fluent in Italian; to hear that Brad had got back with Jennifer. None of those things had come to pass but she’d survived.

It was highly unusual for a man to reach the age of forty-two (as Conall had) without having accidentally got married. Even a commitment-dodger as nimble as George Clooney had a failed marriage lurking somewhere in his past.

“See that one.” He pointed toward a pinprick of intense light. “That’s the planet Venus. It’s not actually a star at all.”
“Would you credit it? It looks just like a star. Only brighter.”
“The brightest star in the sky. They call it the planet of love.”

Related posts:

1. THIS CHARMING MAN Review
2. Upcoming Book Releases January 2010

People spend a lot of money on books. Today I was curious about what the most expensive books currently being auctioned on Ebay are. I’ve filtered out the obvious scams and came up with the top 10 most expensive book auctions. Here they are:

1. 1637 Manuscript Charter of New England Price: $950,000
2. 30,000 Volume Jewish Judaica Library Price: $900,000
3. Arabian Nights – Original Print from 1935 Price: $700,000
4. Michael Jackson Vintage Magazines Price: $240,000
5. 1250 AD Medieval Holy Bible Price: $185,000
6. 1759 Hymnal Bible Price: $185,000
7. Set of 1st Edition Wizard Of Oz Books Price: $150,000
8. Langston Hughes Handwritten Poems Price: $125,000
9. Peter The Rabbit Signed By Beatrix Potter Price: $125,000
10.Koran Signed by 18th Century Royal Price: $70,000

Related posts:

1. Top 10 Films To Books
2. Books and Vitamins

March 2nd is National Read Across America Day (in observance of Dr. Seuss’s birthday). It was started by the National Education Association. This is a great organization that inspires kids to read all across the country. In celebration, I’ve compiled a list of places I love to read. Maybe it will inspire somebody out there to pick up book today and read in their favorite location:

A Park
My bed
Cuddling with my dog
Exercising (audio books)
Under a tree
By a pool
A plane
A bookstore
A cafe

Where is your favorite place to read? Feel free to share your Read Across America stories!

Related posts:

1. Burn That/Buy This: Going Rogue/The Healing of America
2. What to Read Next – Harry Potter Edition
3. What To Read Next – Sookie Stackhouse Edition

House Rules by Jodi Picoult
March 2, 2010 (Order on Amazon)

From the publisher:
They tell me I’m lucky to have a son who’s so verbal, who is blisteringly intelligent, who can take apart the broken microwave and have it working again an hour later. They think there is no greater hell than having a son who is locked in his own world, unaware that there’s a wider one to explore. But try having a son who is locked in his own world, and still wants to make a connection. A son who tries to be like everyone else, but truly doesn’t know how.

Jacob Hunt is a teenage boy with Asperger’s syndrome. He’s hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, and like many kids with AS, Jacob has a special focus on one subject — in his case, forensic analysis. He’s always showing up at crime scenes, thanks to the police scanner he keeps in his room, and telling the cops what they need to do…and he’s usually right. But then his town is rocked by a terrible murder and, for a change, the police come to Jacob with questions. All of the hallmark behaviors of Asperger’s — not looking someone in the eye, stimulatory tics and twitches, flat affect — can look a lot like guilt to law enforcement personnel. Suddenly, Jacob and his family, who only want to fit in, feel the spotlight shining directly on them. For his mother, Emma, it’s a brutal reminder of the intolerance and misunderstanding that always threaten her family. For his brother, Theo, it’s another indication of why nothing is normal because of Jacob. And over this small family the soul-searing question looms: Did Jacob commit murder?

Emotionally powerful from beginning to end, House Rules looks at what it means to be different in our society, how autism affects a family, and how our legal system works well for people who communicate a certain way — and fails those who don’t.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
March 2, 2010 (Order on Amazon)

Read our full review here.

From the publisher:
Indiana, 1818. Moonlight falls through the dense woods that surround a one-room cabin, where a nine-year-old Abraham Lincoln kneels at his suffering mother’s bedside. She’s been stricken with something the old-timers call “Milk Sickness.”

“My baby boy…” she whispers before dying.

Only later will the grieving Abe learn that his mother’s fatal affliction was actually the work of a vampire.

When the truth becomes known to young Lincoln, he writes in his journal, “henceforth my life shall be one of rigorous study and devotion. I shall become a master of mind and body. And this mastery shall have but one purpose…” Gifted with his legendary height, strength, and skill with an ax, Abe sets out on a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House.

While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for saving a Union and freeing millions of slaves, his valiant fight against the forces of the undead has remained in the shadows for hundreds of years. That is, until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln, and became the first living person to lay eyes on it in more than 140 years.

Using the journal as his guide and writing in the grand biographical style of Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough, Seth has reconstructed the true life story of our greatest president for the first time-all while revealing the hidden history behind the Civil War and uncovering the role vampires played in the birth, growth, and near-death of our nation.

Hush by Kate White
March 2, 2010 (Order on Amazon)

From the publisher:
New York Times bestselling author and Cosmopolitan’s editor-in-chief returns with a sizzling, page-turning thriller in which an ordinary woman flees the scene of a murder—and realizes it’s not just the law that’s hunting her.

When Lake Warren learns that her husband, Jack, is suing for full custody of their two kids four months after their separation, she’s pretty certain that things can’t get any worse. The upside is that she’s working with the Advanced Fertility Center as a marketing consultant, alongside the attractive, flirtatious Dr. Keaton. But the morning after their one-night stand, Lake finds Keaton with his throat slashed and discovers that things can indeed become worse—they can become deadly.

So as not to jeopardize her case for custody, Lake is forced to lie to the police. Having just been intimate with a man who has been murdered, and wanting to protect herself from being charged with the crime, she begins her own search for the truth. Meanwhile, the police start looking at her closely, people at the clinic start treating her with hostility, and strange clues begin dropping—quite literally—on her doorstep, and Lake realizes that she is dangerously close to dark secrets, both about Keaton and the clinic. But can Lake stop what she’s started before it’s too late?

Fang: A Maximum Ride Novel by James Patterson
March 15, 2010 (Order on Amazon)

From the publisher:
Being a kid with wings–constantly on the run–has never been easy, and Max and her flock are getting tenser than ever. First, on a trip to Africa, they meet a mysterious billionaire whose intense scrutiny of the flock makes her fear the worst. Then, a cryptic message from a young girl arrives, warning them “The sky will fall.” And as if an impending apocalypse weren’t bad enough, canny birdkid Angel makes a dire prophecy about Max’s soul mate: Fang will be the first to die.

Max’s desperate desire to protect Fang brings the two closer than ever. But can the team weather the storm, or will the turmoil rip them apart for the last time?

Think Twice by Lisa Scottoline
March 16, 2010 (Order on Amazon)

From the publisher:
From the blockbuster New York Times bestselling author of Look Again comes a novel that makes you question the nature of evil: is it born in us or is it bred?
Bennie Rosato looks exactly like her identical twin, Alice Connolly, but the darkness in Alice’s soul makes them two very different women. Or at least that’s what Bennie believes, until she finds herself buried alive at the hands of her twin.
Meanwhile, Alice takes over Bennie’s life, impersonating her at work and even seducing her boyfriend in order to escape the deadly mess she has made of her own life. But Alice underestimates Bennie and the evil she has unleashed in her twin’s psyche, as well as Bennie’s determination to stay alive long enough to exact revenge.
Bennie must face the twisted truth that she is more like her sister Alice than she could have ever imagined, and by the novel’s shocking conclusion, Bennie finds herself engaged in a war she cannot win—with herself.

The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Shadow Souls by L. J. Smith
March 16, 2010 (Order on Amazon)

From the publisher:
On the run . . .

Elena Gilbert’s love, the vampire Stefan Salvatore, has been captured and imprisoned by demonic spirits who are wreaking havoc in Fell’s Church. While her friends Bonnie and Meredith explore the evil that has taken over their town, Elena goes in search of Stefan.

In order to find him, she entrusts her life to Stefan’s brother, Damon Salvatore, the handsome but deadly vampire who wants Elena, body and soul. Along with her childhood friend Matt, they set out for the slums of the Dark Dimension, where Stefan is being held captive. It is rumored to be a world where vampires and demons roam free, but humans must live enslaved to their supernatural masters. . . .

Elena will stop at nothing to free Stefan. Yet with each passing day the tension between Elena and Damon grows, and she is faced with a terrible decision: Which brother does she really want?

Back in Fell’s Church, Bonnie and Meredith have made some dire discoveries. They hastily try to follow Elena and warn her—only to be caught up in Elena’s most dangerous adventure yet.

Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Volume 1 by Stephenie Meyer and Young Kim (Illustrator)
March 16, 2010 (Order on Amazon)

From the publisher:
When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edward is both irresistible and impenetrable. Up until now, he has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret…

Beautifully rendered, this first installment of Twilight: The Graphic Novel is a must-have for any collector’s library.

Bite Me: A Love Story by Christopher Moore
March 23, 2010 (Order on Amazon)

From the publisher:
“Christopher Moore is a very sick man, in the very best sense of that word.”
—Carl Hiassen

The undead rise again in Bite Me, the third book in New York Times bestselling author Christopher Moore’s wonderfully twisted vampire saga. Joining his farcical gems Bloodsucking Fiends and You Suck, Moore’s latest in continuing story of young, urban, nosferatu style love, is no Twilight—but rather a tsunami of the irresistible outrageousness that has earned him the appellation, “Stephen King with a whoopee cushion and a double-espresso imagination” from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and inspired Denver’s Rocky Mountain News to declare him, “the 21st century’s best satirist.”

Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs
March 30, 2010 (Order on Amazon)

From the publisher:
All-new action in the #1 New York Times bestselling urban fantasy series

When mechanic and shapeshifter Mercy Thompson attempts to return a powerful Fae book she’d previously borrowed in an act of desperation, she finds the bookstore locked up and closed down.

It seems the book contains secret knowledge-and the Fae will do just about anything to keep it out of the wrong hands. And if that doesn’t take enough of Mercy’s attention, her friend Samuel is struggling with his wolf side-leaving Mercy to cover for him, lest his own father declare Sam’s life forfeit.

All in all, Mercy has had better days. And if she isn’t careful, she might not have many more to live…

Giada at Home: Family Recipes from Italy and California by Giada De Laurentiis
March 30, 2010 (Order on Amazon)

From the publisher:
Since her debut on Food Network in 2002 with the hit program Everyday Italian, Giada De Laurentiis has been enticing Americans with her updated twists on Italian favorites. Her dedication to ease, healthfulness, and—above all else—flavor have won her a permanent place in the hearts of home cooks. In Giada at Home, she shares a personal look into how she cooks for those dearest to her, with simple recipes inspired by her television show of the same name.

Born in Italy, Giada was raised in Los Angeles by a gregarious Italian family. While her grandmother, aunt, and mother brought her up on generations-old recipes, Giada also became enamored with the bright and clean flavors of California’s abundant seasonal fruits and vegetables. Giada at Home presents recipes from both traditions, all with Giada’s signature style. She shares classic Italian recipes passed down through the years, like cheese-stuffed dates wrapped in salty prosciutto, creamy risotto with the earthy and deep flavors of mushrooms and gorgonzola, and lamb chops basted with honey and balsamic vinegar. New family favorites include grilled asparagus and melon, game hens roasted with citrus and herbs, and a sorbet made with pomegranate and mint, all bursting with fresh, vibrant flavors.

No meal would be complete without the company of family and Giada particularly enjoys bringing her loved ones together over meals. For the first time, she incorporates her go-to brunch recipes—what she cooks when setting up a feast on her back patio for everyone on weekend mornings—from Jade-approved Panini, with gooey mozzarella, luscious raspberries, and a sprinkling of brown sugar, to Todd’s favorite pancetta-studded waffles scented with cinnamon.

No matter which recipe you choose—classic or contemporary—Giada at Home makes gathering the favorite people in your life for fabulous weeknight meals and family celebrations delicious and easy.

Related posts:

1. Upcoming Book Releases January 2010
2. Upcoming Book Releases February 2010
3. Upcoming Book Releases November 2009

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
by Seth Grahame-Smith
Release Date: March 2, 2010
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Pages: 352
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

When I first heard that Seth Grahame-Smith, author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (see our review here), had a new book coming out I wasn’t too interested because the whole horror/classic lit mashup genre never really appealed to me. That changed when I found out that the book’s title was Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. My curiosity piqued, I immersed myself in Grahame-Smith’s prose and found it to be one of the best books I have read in recent history, as it expertly blends biographical, fantasy, horror, and action genres into one amazing read.

The key to the success of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is Grahame-Smith’s telling the story using a biographical style, which is as good as Goodwin’s Team of Rivals or McCullough’s Truman. This gave the book a larger sense of gravitas and allowed Grahame-Smith to use the sixteenth President’s story as a framework that he could weave the vampire storyline in and out of, giving the reader a chance to see how each storyline affects the other. Grahame-Smith also helps the story along by using excerpts from Lincoln’s vampire hunting journals to provide more depth to Lincoln and how his vampire hunts helped shape his life both in and outside of politics. There is also a great twist at the end of the book, which I was surprised by and enjoyed very much. If you still have any doubts about picking up this book, I recommend reading the introduction, where the author explains how he ended up writing the book, which instantly drew me in and made me want to read the whole book in one sitting.


While Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter does deal with a horror topic like vampires, the instances of gore or violence are not over the top like other horror authors’ works. The book is age appropriate for adults; younger readers will have some difficulty following the bibliographical style. Fans of vampire lit should enjoy this book, as well as those looking for historical fiction or alternative history works. There’s also an audiobook version available that is narrated by Scott Holst. You can find Seth Grahame-Smith on Twitter, his user name is @sethgs and there is even an fan page for Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter on Facebook.


Quotes from Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter:

Below are some of my favorite quotes from Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Note: I do not mention the name of the vampire Lincoln talks to in order to avoid spoiling any surprises.

“What follows nearly ruined my life.
What follows, at last, is the truth”
- Seth Grahame-Smith



…Abe didn’t say a word. He made straight for his journal and wrote down a single sentence. One that would radically alter the course of his life, and bring a fledgeling nation to the brink of collapse.
I hereby resolve to kill every vampire in America.

“Judge us not equally, Abraham. We all may deserve hell, but some of us sooner than others”
- Vampire to Abraham Lincoln


Related posts:

1. THE VAMPIRE DIARIES: THE STRUGGLE Book Review
2. THE VAMPIRE DIARIES: THE AWAKENING Book Review
3. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES Book Review

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 #32
by Joss Whedon
Writer: Brad Meltzer
Pencils: Georges Jeanty
Inks: Andy Owens
Colors: Michelle Madsen
Release Date: February 2, 2010
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Pages: 40
Source: Purchased

I haven’t reviewed a graphic novel for Daemon’s Books before, but issue 32 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is just so awesome that I couldn’t resist. It’s the first issue written by Brad Meltzer and the first in the Twilight arc, a four-issue arc in which we will finally learn the identity of the mysterious big bad of Season 8. The big reveal will take place in the next issue, though it’s been nearly impossible to avoid the spoilers so I think most of us already know who it is. For now though it’s still a secret and in this issue, Buffy explores her newfound powers of flight and super speed. Meanwhile, Willow realizes that Giles, Andrew and Faith are missing, and while trying to find them she discovers the source of Buffy’s superpowers.

This issue and all it’s Superman/superhero references (Buffy’s faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive) were a whole lot of geeky fun. The raging battle and slayer deaths of the past few issues have made them kind of dark, so a more lighthearted story was welcome. Unfortunately for Buffy, the fun comes to an abrupt end when she realizes where her new powers are coming from. It’s a twist I didn’t see coming and I’m interested to see where they take the story from here.

I feel like Meltzer really gets Buffy and he did an amazing job of capturing each character’s voice. The banter between Xander and Buffy, for example, was just perfect. Meltzer (in keeping with the superhero theme, I think) includes captions to introduce each character, for example: “Xander. Buffy’s best friend. One eye. Funny. Mostly.” You don’t find out who’s saying the introductions until about halfway through, which was a little confusing, but I’m willing to overlook that because they were so hilarious.

I continue to enjoy Georges Jeanty’s art and I think he captures Buffy and Willow particularly well. Between that and the spot-on dialogue in this issue, I almost felt as if I was watching an episode of the TV show. To me, it just doesn’t get better than that.

Overall, I think Brad Meltzer’s first issue was a huge success and I can’t wait for the next issue. I haven’t been this excited about Buffy for a while and I have high hopes that Joss Whedon is going to wrap up Season 8 in an unforgettable way.

Related posts:

1. KNIT THE SEASON Book Review
2. ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER by Seth Grahame-Smith
3. THE VAMPIRE DIARIES: THE AWAKENING Book Review

Angelina Jolie is going to play Kay Scarpetta in the movie based on Patricia Cornwell’s novels. (LA Times)

Geek Sugar asks if ebooks should cost as much as regular books. I vote no! (Geek Sugar)

In 1940, a couple met and fell in love all thanks to a stolen library book. (South Coast Today)

I just discovered CoverSpy, a blog that posts what books New Yorkers are reading on the subway. (CoverSpy)

Sonya Sones’s One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies will remain in a Wisconsin middle school despite one parent’s attempt to censor it. I haven’t read the book, but that has to be the best title ever. (American Libraries)

An author writes about his experiences self-publishing his own books. (Huffington Post)

Here’s an interview with Marilyn Johnson, author of This Book is Overdue: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All. (On the Media)

The top 5 books on the New York Times Hardcover Fiction Bestseller list:
WORST CASE, by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge
THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett
THE LOST SYMBOL, by Dan Brown
WINTER GARDEN, by Kristin Hannah
FLIRT, by Laurell K. Hamilton

Related posts:

1. Friday News Roundup, February 19, 2010
2. Friday News Roundup, February 5, 2010
3. Friday News Roundup, February 12, 2010

Last Words: A Memoir by George Carlin
and Tony Hendra
Release Date: November 10, 2009
Publisher: Free Press
Pages: 320
Source:Purchased
Buy on Amazon

The darkest part of 2008 in my opinion was the passing of George Carlin. Few comedians from his era could make me laugh like Carlin could, and few knew how to deliver fantastically offensive and socially important bits like he did for decades. Luckily enough, Carlin along with the help of his friend Tony Hendra, was able to complete his autobiography shortly before his passing.

What I love about Last Words, is how Carlin cleverly articulates the details of his birth, childhood and career in such a way that you feel as if you are watching him on stage acting it out. Here is a quote from Carlin on his birth:

“Sliding headfirst down a vagina with no clothes on and landing in the freshly shaven crotch of a screaming woman did not seem to be part of God’s plan for me”

I don’t’ know about you, but that sure got my attention…but then again that’s what Carlin has always been good at. Last Words will teach you all about George Carlin’s dysfunctional upbringing in New York, his time in the military, and his slow rise to fame.

What surprised me the most about Last Words was how dark it got at times. Carlin had a rocky relationship with his mother, and an even worse one with his father – who he blames for his grandfather’s death. The book also has its lighter moments too. Carlin had a lot of fond feelings for his older brother, and I loved learning about how he married his wife after only knowing her for a short time.

One of the things I love the most about autobiographies is how they can appeal to not only people who are fans of the author’s work, but also people who are just plain nosy. If you fall into the second category, I think you’ll like Last Words because Carlin is so honest about all the details of his life. It’s a must read for any George Carlin fan and one of my favorite reads so far of 2010. I’ll miss you George!

Quotes from Last Words:

“There’s one other thing with snow. Even when you’re fifteen…or even for that matter if you’re never going to see sixty again – when it snows you’ve always got to make one snowball. Only one, but you gotta. Just to see if it’s good packing”

“Lying there in the New York Hospital, my first definitive act on this planet was to vomit”

Related posts:

1. Julie & Julia Author Writes a Second Memoir
2. OFFICIAL BOOK CLUB SELECTION: A MEMOIR ACCORDING TO KATHY GRIFFIN by Kathy Griffin
3. THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE Book Review

Have you heard of the concept of the six-word memoir? I heard about it on NPR and the idea is to distill your life story down to only six words. Smith magazine has published several books of collected six-word memoirs, and the latest is called It All Changed in an Instant: More Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous & Obscure (you can buy it on Amazon). Here are some of my favorites (from NPR):

James Frey: So would you believe me anyway?

Becki Lee: Found on Craigslist: table, apartment, fiance.

Kathleen E. Whitlock: I picked passion. Now I’m poor.

Neil Patrick Harris: Barney, Doogie, average names elude me.

Ha! Aren’t these fun? For mine, I went with a literary theme: So many books left to read.

So what’s your six-word memoir? Feel free to leave it in the comments!

Related posts:

1. A LONG WAY GONE, MEMOIRS OF A BOY SOLDIER Review
2. What Book Got You Hooked?