So lately I have, like the rest of the world it seems, been anticipating the release of Dan Brown’s “Angels and Demons” film. I’ve re-read the book (I have the nice copy with pictures!) and “The Da Vinci Code” in preparation and cannot seem to satisfy my historical-thriller appetite. So along with “The Reincarnationist,” here is another book that filled my need for some serious reading adrenaline.

“The Historian” by Elizabeth Kostova is a LARGE book. I have the hardcover copy and let me tell you, this thing is by no means dainty. At a whopping 642 pages, you’re in for the long haul with this one. But what a fast-paced, exciting and intriguing haul it is!

Kostova takes the classic story of Dracula and weaves it into a story about the hunt for the real man, Vlad the Impaler, who supposedly did discover a way to become immortal. With vivid descriptions of the majestic countries of the Eastern Bloc (if you’re ever been, you will be drooling with jealously) and scary dives into crypts and ancient castles, Kostova is sure to please a history or travel buff purely with her settings. Read More »

I am not a huge reader of chick-lit, but I admit, sometimes I just get the urge and have to indulge! It’s like the 99 times I pass by Mrs. Fields at the mall until that on time I can’t take the fresh cookie smell anymore…. and I get three.

I first noticed “Dedication” at the bookstore where I work. I read the back – it sounded cute and light and had a musical aspect to it, so I thought I would enjoy it.

I visited my library and checked it out? What? I don’t need the other people at work knowing about my vice!

Basically, the story involves a girl, Kate, and her highschool sweetheart, Jake Sharpe. The book chronicles their romance, right from their meeting, flashing back to the eighties while keeping up with the present story. The turning point is when Jake becomes a rock-star while Kate goes off to university. Unfortunately he uses their relationship and Kate’s personal life as obvious inspiration for his songs and sends her life on a downward spiral. They eventually come back together after many years, and this is where the story really gets good.

Don’t worry – I won’t spoil anything. But it is just. so. good. Read More »

I love science. Figuring out how things work, studying anatomy, mixing chemicals; I love it all! So naturally, I dabble in the Science Non-Fiction section at my local bookstore. I know what you’re thinking: books about science are written by hundred- year- old men with big, scraggly beards who use big confusing words and even more confusing concepts. But that’s where you’re wrong!

Sure, you can find those kind of books if that’s your thing (for those who love science a little too much…), but there are also some really interesting ones written in totally understandable English. And guess what? They’re interesting and funny!

Mary Roach introduced me to the world of enjoyable science reading with her book about human cadavers, Stiff. I’m sure some of you shuddered at the word “cadaver,” but if you can handle it, this book is FANTASTIC! That lead me to Roach’s second book Spook, which is about the paranormal and a lot less gory. I loved both, so when I heard Mary Roach had a new book coming out this past summer, I was over the moon! And she didn’t let me down.

Written with her usual smart wit, Mary Roach creates a fun and interesting look at the scientific side of sex with her latest book, Bonk. Read More »

If it’s one thing we’ve learned here at CC, it’s that all people are fascinating (Yes, even your econ professor). Let’s face it – people love to glimpse into the lives of other people. Disagree? Then please explain why you’re currently looking at your friend’s brother’s girlfriend’s cousin’s photos on Facebook. Or reading about the latest Madonna/Jesus dramz in this week’s tabloids. Yeah we thought so.Fact is we connect to others by learning about them. And everyone has something to share (even if it is a story about that time you stayed in the library for 18 hours straight…)

So to give you yet another reason to procrastinate, we started ‘The Five Questions We Ask Everyone’ (and five just for that one person) because we know whether we’re schmoozing with an A- list celeb or your local bartender, you’ll be equally entertained. 

Let’s be honest here: who hasn’t read at least one Jodi Picoult book? Most of us, in fact, grab ‘em and read ‘em as soon as they hit bookstore shelves. Picoult has a knack for writing that most authors dream about. Her combination of research and talent come together seamlessly in books that are impossible to put down: My Sister’s Keeper, The Pact, Salem Falls… and those are only a few of the 15 books she’s written.

Jodi Picoult is smart (Princeton for undergrad and Harvard for her masters!), she’s talented (Um, have you read her books?!) and we got to talk to her! Read on to get inside our favorite author’s head. Read More »

Yesterday one of the most-read articles in the Times was about dating people based on the books they read. The author discussed the many viewpoints on the topic: Is it fair? Does it matter? Why do people do it? Some people thought it was irrelevant to a relationship and others thought it was central.

As I read the article, I couldn’t help but think of the random things I use to get to know and understand potential boyfriends.

I once ended things with a guy because he drove a pick-up truck. I once rejected a first date with someone because he told me he enjoyed watching Fox news. I broke up with someone because he had $10,000 worth of debt. My mom told me my standards were too high, that I was being a snob and that some things really shouldn’t matter in a relationship. I agree with her 100%, but to me these things do matter.

It’s not that I have an aversion to pick-up trucks, or that I am looking for someone who has all the money in the world to spend on me. On the contrary, I once dated someone who drove a giant red pick-up truck (with a tool box in the back!), and I make enough money on my own that I don’t need to depend on others. The truth is that these small things actually tell a much bigger story about the person to whom they belong. Read More »

What is it about chick lit that I find so distasteful and appealing at the same time? On one hand, I hate the superficiality of the themes, which are usually beauty, money, love, and a light dose of moral dilemma. On the other hand, some of them are pretty entertaining — when they’re not insulting, that is.

Some chick lit is pretty good. When I say “pretty good,” I am thinking of books like The Devil Wears Prada and The Nanny Diaries. (See, I’m not the only one who thinks they have potential — Hollywood even made movies out of them!) Confessions of a Shopaholic and The Ivy Chronicles also stand out. Bitter is the New Black is worth mentioning, as well — even though it’s actually nonfiction, it has all of the story and character elements of chick lit.

Unfortunately, there are just as many chick lit novels that I can’t stand. There is a fine line between lighthearted and superficial, but some chick lit coasts right on past into nauseating. For example, I was absolutely appalled by How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls. While most chick lit novels feature a mild moral conflict — “to tell a lie or not to tell a lie, that is the question” — this one was serious enough that it made the main character seem rather mean-hearted and opportunistic. It’s hard to like a book when you fantasize about beating up the narrator. Read More »

According to CNN.com, a woman named Misha Defonseca recently admitted that she fabricated nearly all the content from a “memoir” she wrote of her childhood as a Jew during the Holocaust.

The book, Misha: A Memoire of the Holocaust Years, claims that the author spent four years as a child wandering the European wilderness and being raised by wolves.

Would you believe that? Yeah, I didn’t think so.

The author, who has further admitted that her name is not actually Misha Defonseca but Monique De Wael, said that the book was “not actually reality, but my reality.”

I’m going to refrain from making fun of her because it’s clear that the woman needs professional help, but the point is that there’s no excuse for even disturbed people to make up stories about their lives and then market them as “memoirs.” Read More »

“My name is Tucker Max, and I am an asshole,” or so begins Tucker Max’s website. And he ain’t lying.

Tucker Max is the author of his—fittingly narcissistic—self-titled website, where he has published over 80 very detailed stories about his ridiculous sex soirées. This guy is a true work of art. He published this disclaimer:

“If you are a reasonably intelligent female, it should be obvious that you don’t want to date me. I am shallow, narcissistic, self-absorbed, and insufferably arrogant. I have no desire to commit to anything beyond a cell phone contract. At any given time, I am fucking multiple women, and will not give up that sexual freedom for a partner.”

He writes the most grotesque (but addictively entertaining) stories about banging midgets, trying anal sex and dating (and getting sued by) Miss Vermont. Oh yea, there was also that story about a girl who tattooed “I fucked Tucker Max” on her vajayjay three hours after meeting him. Read More »