June 26, 2004

Publishers are releasing a boatload of books this summer, but how many will give you jewelry as well?

On July 1, M.J. Rose will release her new suspense novel, "The Halo Effect." To promote the book, she's holding a reader rewards contest. The prize? Two diamond and white gold "Halo Effect" charm bracelets and five butterfly rings (total value: over $2,000).

The three charms on the bracelet all have some significance in the book. What are they? E-mail halo@mjrose.com to find out. Winners will be chosen at random on Oct. 1. Two readers will receive one of the charm bracelets (each has 15 round cut natural diamonds, almost one carat total weight). Five runners up will win a silver butterfly ring. To read an excerpt from Rose's book, click here.

Whenever I borrow a book, I avoid dog-earing the pages; I dutifully use a bookmark instead. Unfortunately, I lose almost every bookmark I slip between a book's pages. I can't tell you how many dollar bills I've lost this way. Last year, I accidentally lost my yearly bus pass.

That being said, I love finding things inside the library books and novels I've purchased at used book stores. Last week, I stumbled upon a page ripped out of a child's coloring book. I've also collected several keys and love letters.

Someday, when I run my own bookstore, I plan to add fun, miscellaneous items to the tomes I sell. That way, when my customers get home, they'll find a surprise with every purchase.

Want to know what America is reading? If you look at The New York Times Best-Seller List, you'll see what the public is buying. But if you check out the Library Journal Bestsellers List, you'll see what books folks are checking out and/or reserving from their local libraries.

June 25, 2004

Who are those gay couples getting married in Massachusetts? According to The Boston Globe, they're at-home moms, bakers, corrections officers, Episcopal priests, flight attendants, judges, radiologists, teachers, triage coordinators, Web developers, youth workers and Krispy Kreme managers.

"People shop for a bathing suit with more care than they do a husband or wife. The rules are the same. Look for something you’ll feel comfortable wearing. Allow for room to grow."
--Erma Bombeck

June 23, 2004

Philip Shenon, a reporter for The New York Times, has spent the past year covering the 9/11 commission. Over the weekend, he examined the controversial new documentary, "Fahrenheit 9/11," and confirmed that director Michael Moore's central assertions of fact are supported by the public record.

I can't wait to see this film.

Share your $.02 about a variety of social and political issues. Vote in the weekly polls, and leave comments to offer your opinions about the posted topic.

June 22, 2004

I love chocolate. No, really. I LOVE chocolate. But even I have my limits. And there's just no way I can fathom eating chocolate-covered pork fat.

"Fifty percent of the women in this country are not having orgasms. If that were true of the male population, it would be declared a national emergency."
--Margo St. James

June 21, 2004

A new Jaded Writings column has been posted. This week, I celebrate the summer solstice.

* Jean-Paul Sartre - 6/21/05
* Ian McEwan - 6/21/48
* Douglas De Bono - 6/21/57
* Erich Maria Remarque - 6/22/1898
* Anne Morrow Lindbergh - 6/22/06
* Octavia E. Butler - 6/22/47
* Ambrose Bierce - 6/24/1842
* George Orwell - 6/25/1903
* Pearl S. Buck - 6/26/1892
* Helen Keller - 6/27/1880
* Alice McDermott - 6/27/53
* Tina L. Miller - 6/27/68
* Jean-Jacques Rousseau - 6/28/1712
* Mark Helprin - 6/28/47

June 20, 2004

I submitted 126 songs to the Apple iTunes music store, and they found 58 in their MP3 catalog. So if you're looking for a decent batch of rock/pop/alternative music, this eclectic collection might be right up your alley.

"I was born with music inside me. Music was one of my parts. Like my ribs, my kidneys, my liver, my heart. Like my blood. It was a force already within me when I arrived on the scene."
--Ray Charles

Past Afterthoughts