Category Archives: Books

Tolkien geek. Yes, I am a Tolkien geek.

Posted on 12/23/2011 by Meryl Yourish

The Hobbit trailer debuted the other day. (Really funny first comment at the link, from someone who has obviously read the books and wanted to see how stupid some commenters can be. Scroll down.) Sigh. Next year? NEXT YEAR?

Posted in Books, Movies | 2 Comments

Why authors are leaving traditional publishing for e-books

Posted on 03/23/2011 by Meryl Yourish

This is why, in a nutshell, authors are going to leave the publishing houses: Joe: We figured out that the 25% royalty on ebooks they offer is actually 14.9% to the writer after everyone gets their cut. 14.9% on a … Continue reading →

Posted in Books | 3 Comments

The BBC Book Challenge

Posted on 12/08/2010 by Meryl Yourish

Because it’s easier to do this here than on Facebook, and because Sarah reminded me that this is out there (it’s been out a while, and I think I must have posted the list in the past), here we go … Continue reading →

Posted in Books | 6 Comments

Eye of Sauron found in space

Posted on 02/29/2008 by Meryl Yourish

The Hubble found where Sauron’s hiding. And I found the picture at NASA to bring to you. The news articles weren’t polite enough to link back, but I am.

Posted in Books, Miscellaneous | 3 Comments

Harper Lee: All the honors

Posted on 10/30/2007 by Meryl Yourish

President Bush is awarding Harper Lee, author of To Kill A Mockingbird, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Bravo, Mr. President, and Brava, Ms. Lee. From the press release: Harper Lee has made an outstanding contribution to America’s literary tradition. At … Continue reading →

Posted in Books | 4 Comments

Rowling outs Dumbledore

Posted on 10/20/2007 by Meryl Yourish

Things that make you go hmmm: Harry Potter fans, the rumors are true: Albus Dumbledore, master wizard and Headmaster of Hogwarts, is gay. J.K. Rowling, author of the mega-selling fantasy series that ended last summer, outed the beloved character Friday … Continue reading →

Posted in Books | 11 Comments

Piling on Walt & Mearsheimer

Posted on 09/12/2007 by Meryl Yourish

Two more anti-W-M book reviews to report. The first, from Bloomberg News, a devastating attack by Charles Taylor who, I think if I were to take a guess judging by his name, is not a member of The Lobby (or … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Israel Derangement Syndrome | 12 Comments

The Israel Lobby, hardcover edition

Posted on 09/09/2007 by Meryl Yourish

Two interesting pieces on the Walt-Mearsheimer anti-Israel screed, for your reading pleasure. The first is in the WSJ: A crop of Israel’s critics — most prominently Jimmy Carter and now Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer, the authors of “The Israel … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Israel Derangement Syndrome | 5 Comments

Walt & Mearsheimer: The hardcover version

Posted on 08/17/2007 by Meryl Yourish

The Israel Lobby is so dangerous to America, the authors of the widely-discredited paper have turned it into a book. And they’re taking it on the road. Only the Israel Lobby is preventing them from speaking, because you simply can’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Anti-Semitism, Books, Israel Derangement Syndrome | 11 Comments

Harry Potter: More reading material

Posted on 07/31/2007 by Meryl Yourish

Sarah has finished book 7, and I said a few days ago that I’d wait until she finished the book before posting about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I guess I should wait for Larry to finish it, though, … Continue reading →

Posted in Books | 5 Comments

J.K. Rowling reads from The Deathly Hallows

Posted on 07/22/2007 by Meryl Yourish

For Harry Potter fans, here’s a video of the author reading the first chapter of The Deathly Hallows. She’s a good reader. Authors used to read their books as a matter of course in the days when authors went on … Continue reading →

Posted in Books | 3 Comments

A five word review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:

Posted on 07/22/2007 by Meryl Yourish

Really brutal, but worth it. Between that and the second season of Battlestar Galactica, Saturday was a no-posting day. Sleep would be nice now.

Posted in Books | 1 Comment

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: The end is online

Posted on 07/17/2007 by Meryl Yourish

Someone posted images of the final chapter of the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows online. I have no desire to read the ending before the novel is published, but be warned. If you don’t want to know, stay away … Continue reading →

Posted in Books | 7 Comments

For Sorena

Posted on 07/13/2007 by Meryl Yourish

Couldn’t resist taking the Harry Potter quiz You scored as Harry Potter. You can be a little reckless and hot-headed at times, but a more brave and courageous friend would be hard to find. Harry Potter 95% Sirius Black 85% … Continue reading →

Posted in Books | 4 Comments

Sgt. Mom’s fundraiser

Posted on 06/27/2007 by Meryl Yourish

Sgt. Mom wrote a book. So far, she hasn’t gotten a publisher, but that’s not stopping her. Now she’s going to try to self-publish, but that’s not inexpensive, either. So go check out Sgt. Mom’s post where she tells you … Continue reading →

Posted in Books | 1 Comment

Salman Rushdie knighted, Iran insulted

Posted on 06/18/2007 by Meryl Yourish

I have to say, this made me smile. Iran on Sunday condemned Britain’s decision to knight Salman Rushdie, the author who was forced into hiding for a decade after the leader of the Iranian revolution ordered his assassination. Iran Foreign … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Iran | 7 Comments

Things I no longer bother writing about

Posted on 05/03/2007 by Meryl Yourish

Well, let’s see. There’s the “Gilad Shalit deal is imminent” stuff. Nope. I don’t bother writing about that, because it’s crap. Israeli reporters know it’s crap, too. Get a load of this lede: A prisoner exchange deal for the release … Continue reading →

Posted in Anti-Semitism, Books, palestinian politics | 2 Comments

Kurt Vonnegut: Poo-tee tweet.

Posted on 04/12/2007 by Meryl Yourish

There’s a post I never published, written after Kurt Vonnegut’s remarks in praise of suicide bombers. I never published it because I never quite finished it, and I never quite finished it because I couldn’t stand that the man I’d … Continue reading →

Posted in Books | 3 Comments

Lemony Snicket’s Judaism

Posted on 02/28/2007 by Meryl Yourish

An interview with Daniel Handler in Moment magazine, in which we discover the Baudelaires are Jewish. Has the series been influenced by Jewish history? I think there is something naturally Jewish about unending misery, yes. I mean, I guess naturally … Continue reading →

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Book reviews worth reading

Posted on 01/31/2007 by Meryl Yourish

Christianity today reviews three books on Israel, including Jimmy Carter’s execrable “analysis.” Carter is not an anti-Jewish ideologue. His views are not irrational, they are just unbalanced—driven by an unquenchable private need for vindication. He cannot let go of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Israel | Comments Off