Mystery novels

[blackstone]

I found two novels on my shelf that I've never seen before. I mean, I must have seen them when I put them on the shelf, but I didn't notice them. I have no memory of buying or borrowing them. They both look unread and one has a receipt inside for the rental of Superman Returns and another movie from Blockbuster in Bear, DE in February, 2007. I'

Comments

[diva_dot]

When you said there were Blockbuster receipts from '07 in Bear, I had to wonder if either of those books were mine, but I don't know when you would have stolen them from me. Plus, I've never heard of that first book, and I bought "On Beauty" a couple of months ago on a bargain table at B&N for like five bucks. I have been meaning to start reading it, but I am busy finishing "Snuff" by Chuck Palahniuk. (I think I've also mangled the spelling of his name.)

I will have to move it up on my list--it sounds amazingly awesome.

[blackstone]

I can't figure it out! I know people who lived around there around then but I'm baffled as to how I would have gotten them. I may have just decided I bought them on one of those buy 2 get 2 free tables at Borders and forgotten but the receipt adds some mystery.

On Beauty is really good. You'll adore every imperfect and charming member of the family. I'm not a big fan of contemporary academic-squabbling novels OR contemporary family dramas, but she's doing it right. What's funny is that the academics are in the Humanities and a "spoken-word artist" side character just got thrown into the mix and no one knows quite what to do with him. I'm looking forward to seeing how that shakes out.

[pretzelcoatl]

I'm reading, like, five books at a time right now.

1) Kafka on the Shore, Haruki Murakami
2) Rashomon and Seventeen Other Stores, Ryūnosuke Akutagawa
3) The Tibetan Book of the Dead
4) The Artist's Way, Julia Cameron
5) Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties, Beth Kobliner

[blackstone]

That's an interesting list! I've had several friends speak highly of The Artist's Way.

[anonymously4]

I'm reading a holiday gift book right now, because I'm too lazy to go down the street to the library. "Sex With Kings" which is not my genre of book. Non-fiction history. But it is not so bad. Royal mistresses didn't have it all that great. Hi-stress job. Don't know how they kept their kings because after producing whole tribes of royal bastards they couldn't have looked all that great. I'd like to see some before and after pictures. The book is written well enough to avoid being dry history and it's holding my attention. Not that it has to hold it long because I read before sleeping and well, I'm usually out within 10 pages.

Speaking of mistesses and before and after, I think I'll go look for some shots of Botox Betty. One from about 8 years ago when she had grey hair and a normal face, and put it up to that blonde, stretched tight alien she is now....

[blackstone]

Do it, I'd like to see!

Do either of those books sound familiar to you? I'm thinking maybe someone else was cleaning off a shelf and gave them to me...I have NO IDEA where they came from.

[anonymously4]

Not to me!

OK, I'm off to google images and Botox Betty.