 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
April 2009
View this as a webpage |
|
THIS MONTH
 |
|
|
|
How do people end up with the jobs they have? Regardless of the time we're living in, our careers shape our lives. How we support ourselves and pay our bills influences our interests and conversations, and becomes part of our identity. Clearly, things change since childhood, or we'd all be firemen, ballerinas and veterinarians. How many of us follow the career path we wanted in primary school when the teacher asked us what we want to be when we grow up?
In a time when how we make our living is on our minds more than ever, this issue of the Avid Reader is dedicated to books about some of the more unusual career choices out there, and the experiences people have with them.
Read more about odd jobs
|
|
|
|
| 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction |
|
 |
|
|
FEATURED STAFF REVIEW
|
 |
|
The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett
Reviewed by Beth
Oh, I love this book so much. After reading (and adoring) Bel Canto, I wanted to read all the Ann Patchett I could get my hands on, and this is my favourite so far. I read it around the same time as watching the films The Illusionist and The Prestige quite by accident, and found myself steeped in magic. The Magician's Assistant tells the story of Sabine, a Jewish magician's assistant living in Los Angeles, mourning the loss of her magician, who was also her husband (of convenience and affection; he was gay) and her best friend...
Read entire review
|
|
| The staff sound off on Reading Copy, the AbeBooks Blog |
|
|
|
|
ON THE SITE
|
A Tribute to J.G. Ballard (1930-2009)
 J.G. Ballard died at the weekend at the age of 78. The British author was best known for Crash and Empire of the Sun, a story based on his childhood in a Japanese prison camp. We've put together an article remembering the man and all the books he left behind.
Learn more about J.G. Ballard
10 Red-Haired Characters in Fiction
 Throughout the ages, red hair has fallen in and out of favour. Culturally, titian locks have been revered and loathed, envied and feared, praised and ridiculed. Check out our list of 10 favourite red-haired characters from literature among whom you'll find gangs, best friends, a cat and a comic strip or two.
See the list
Signed Bestsellers in March
- The Vagrants
Li Yiyun
- Fool
Christopher Moore
- The Graveyard Book
Neil Gaiman
- Drood
Dan Simmons
- Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned
Wells Tower
See The Whole List on the Homepage
|
|
Arthur Rackham's Magical Illustrations
 Arthur Rackham was an illustrator in the late 19th and early 20th century. His gorgeous, distinctive work can be seen in fairytales, adults books, and more, and is now highly collectable and beloved by adults and children alike.
See Rackham's Illustrations
Short Story Contest Winners
 We challenged our readers to write a story exactly 1,001 words long. Our winner was Robert Bonnett from North Yorkshire with an intriguing story set around a chess game in the harsh Russian winter. Congratulations to Robert who won a limited edition, three-volume box set of the Arabian Nights, from Penguin.
Read the winning story and the runners-up
Most Expensive Books Sold in March
- The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
Robert Heinlein - £6,828
- Early Italian Engraving
Arthur Hind - £5,263
- Album Pintoresco Isla de Cuba
Pierre Toussaint Frédéric Miahle - £4,738
- Pison, das erste Theil
Leonhard Thurneysser - £4,427
- Ulysses
James Joyce - £4,386
See the Whole List in the Rare Book Room
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
