More Book Lust: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Reason

I must hide this from Susan – who mocked me for reading Book Lust cover-to-cover – that I once again have read the Action Figure Librarian’s book of reading lists cover-to-cover. I didn’t even mean to, I meant to browse and soon I was reading it all highlighter in hand. More than anything it makes me joyous about reading and mournful that I will not have time to read everything that is out there to read. So many books so little time.

In More Book Lust author and librarian, Nancy Pearl continues her fantastic listing of books that she began in Book Lust. By dividing the book into interesting sub-sections with intriguing titles like “Gone Fishin’”, “Tickle Your Funny Bone” and “Gallivanting in the Graveyard” she keeps the lists short and the book easy to pick up and put down.

Although I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the first, she still managed to enlarge my wish list. I liked the manner in which she describes each book, neither giving away too much or too little. Unfortunately many of the books she highly recommends are out of print and very difficult to track down.

If you, like me, are a lover of lists and books then More Book Lust is certainly show more worth a browse. show less

Full review to come, but quick notes:

This second volume is not a repeat of the first - it covers new ballparks. Unusual categories I wouldn't have thought of, like The Family of Clergy, are included. Fiction for Foodies isn't a surprise to me since so many cozies are food themed. Even geography plays its part like with Florida Fiction, Japan, Tibet, Egypt, etc. I was especially delighted to see sections like Fractured Fairy Tales, Maiden Voyages and Ms. Mystery. I've never heard of "Dick Lit" but thanks to this book, I now have a new genre to name.

As always Nancy Pearl shies away from darker fiction from the most part, so you won't find much in the way of horror, thriller or darker mysteries here - but she definitely gives an show more exhaustive list of valuable resources and possibilities to open your mind and explore.

Used more as a reference guide and list more than you'd sit and read it like a novel, it's a worthy book to keep revisiting. show less

I have to admit, my tastes run very different than Pearl's. Anyone who likes Neal Stephenson's recent work, for instance, has a great deal more patience for stiltedness and self-indulgence than I do. But, she's clearly passionate about books and even though I can't trust her evaluations, her descriptions are usually good enough for me to finish this book with a long list of new likelies.

I read Book Lust when it was first published, madly highlighting the author's names and book titles for future reference and internalizing the author's "Rule of Fifty" wherein you allow yourself to chuck a book if it's not grabbing you after 50 pages, perhaps to come back to it later--or not. Reading More Book Lust, however, especially after spending time on LT threads, is a bit like a drunken frat guy leaving a kegger to go bar hopping. It's overkill. I read "More" with less fervor and despite some peculiar categories (Nagging Mothers, Crying Children? Parrots?).

This one was not as good as her first one. In part because it seemed to pick a good share of very obscure items (she frequently recommended books that were likely out of print). Some of the categories seemed to be stretching a little. And in my case, it seemed a bit more slanted to female readers. For instance, the section on Space Opera was pretty slim. Having said that, I still found a few ideas of new things to read, but I had to dig for them. Overall, it is a book for browsing and finding something for a particular mood.

I read the original and this sequel both in one day ... or I should say I was mostly skimming by the time I was on the second volume. Good reference to have when I'm wondering what to read next.

Oh, and I have adopted the Nancy Pearl rule - EXCEPT when it's for book club or a class - take your age and subtract it from 100. That is the number of pages you must read before you give up on a book. (If you're 100 years old you may judge a book by its cover!)