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Book Lust: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Reason
by Authors:
Nancy Pearl
Paperback
Average Customer Rating:
A bibliophile's treasure map!
An an avid reader who favors no particular genre or author, I'm always on the lookout for good book recommendations. With my eclectic tastes, finding a rare treasure such as "Book Lust" is a treat. Even though the author does not describe the books in enough detail to whet my apetite about a specific book, she gives many interesting "leads" which I would otherwise not have explored.
Ms.Pearl categorization of books interesting in itself. She eschews the dry "European History", "Genetics" mode of classification for the more emotionally resonant "Czech Authors", "Three Hanky Reads" etc. etc.
I would have liked to see more books about science and scientists. I know that fleshing out the citations would make for a bigger (multi- volume?) book, but considering the targeted readership, I presume that would result in few complaints!
A must for true Bibliophiles
The minute this book arrived in the mail, I knew it was going to be a winner. Nancy Pearl seems to have written this book after reading my mind and bookcase. While her views reflect my own to a T, I think that people with reading interests different from mine would also enjoy her book. I loved it so much I bought the calendar. For anyone who has ever wandered the aisles of a bookstore in bliss but with no clue as to which book would be good, this book is for you.
not perfect, but definitely helpful
When I pick up a book like this, I look for two kinds of lists: those in which I have an interest but no knowledge, and those that are my areas of knowledge. I use the latter to gauge my trust in the former, and I have to say I was mildly disappointed with the lists about which I am knowledgable, such as Academic Satires and Historical Fiction, which neglected to mention essential authors and books. That tells me that the other lists, those in which I have no first-hand knowledge, will probably get me started but will be neither authoritative nor complete.
Secondly, I was not enamored of the format, which devotes approximately one page to each topic and is set up as commentary with book titles in bold face type. There are a wide variety of topics, from Australian Fiction to Epistolary Novels and Pawns of History, however there is usually no information about the year of publication. The general commentary is interesting but inconsistent, while the sentence devoted to each recommended work is helpful and informative, as if a friend in a hurry was telling you about the item.
This is a fun book and it will get you started in areas of interest to you; however, for a more comprehensive and authoritative list there is The List of Books (sadly out-of-print and dated, but available used) by Frederic Raphael and Kenneth McLeish and, for a guide to specific authors, which are covered idiosyncratically here, you might try About the Author by Alfred and Emily Glossbrenner.
The book concludes with a good index that lists all of the books and authors mentioned.
This will not be your most valuable guide to other books, but it will be useful.
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