Paperback.

This book contains 12 short essays written by the author over a period of several years. All of the essays deal with her experiences with reading and language. An enjoyable, quick read.

***BOOKRAY***

Thanks for participating in this bookray. I hope that you will enjoy reading this book.

1. Journal when you receive the book.
2. When you are close to finishing the book, PM the next person in line to get their address.
3. Journal when the book leaves and is traveling on to the next reader.
4. Last person in the ray is free to do what they wish with the book. I have provided a sticky note and bookmark if you should decide to wild release it.

Miss-Owl (Australia) - Int. ship
lyraness (US-Ca) - US ship
NomiJo (US-NY) - Int. ship
librarymousie (US-NH) - Int. ship
AnglersRest (England) - UK/Euro (otherwise surface)
StrangeEmily (Greece) - euro pref. (flex)

I have good news for you, dittybopper! Just when we'd both given up this book for lost...

Anyway, we have now successfully measured the amount of time it takes for a book to travel from the US to Australia... by ship. :)

This book has been on my wish-list for a while so I'm happy it's turned up. It looks delightful. I should have it moving on soon.

This lovely little book is now on its way back to the US, to lyraness. Thank you very much for sharing, dittybopper, & I'm sorry I was so long with it - a combination of working long hours of late & simply wanting to treasure Ex Libris a bit longer!

A series of whimsical essays by an unabashed bibliophile. Gave me many moments of recognition & delight. A touch "sesquipedalian" at times, but it sure expanded my vocab!

Sorry to take so long in journalling this, it arrived about three weeks ago, but I was in China for two weeks (it stayed home). Anyway, I read it in one sitting last night in a bout of jetlag-induced insomnia, and enjoyed it immensely. I found all of the essays quite entertaining, but many of my favorites were in the beginning, making the essays later on that I didn't enjoy as much more of a let-down.

I'll be sending this on as soon as I get the necessary information.

This book arrived yesterday and couldn't possibly have picked a better moment. (thank you, lyraness!) There I was stuck in the house with two sick children who need my physical presence at this time, but not much else from me (except of course food, nursing, changing, accompaniment on trips to the bathroom, etc.) Today my son took an extra long nap and my daughter was content to play near me and ask why I was laughing and I was able to gobble this book right up in one sitting, with only minor breaks.

It is my very favorite kind of book - the kind that suggests to me that I have a friend out there, someone who would understand me. I did feel slightly guilty, though, for reading the book all at once, just as I would feel if I ate a whole box of cookies at once. I ought to have read just one essay a day, it would have been better for me to savor each one seperately. I even feel as if I had somewhat overdosed. But I couldn't really have read this book any other way.

I will send the book on now to the next reader on the list, but regretfully. As I go online to buy copies of this book for a number of my friends and relatives I will also have to buy one for my permanent collection.

this book has been sent to librarymousie. I hope you enjoy it!

Arrived yesterday. Thank you so much for including me in this ray--I'm really looking forward to reading this!

I have to echo NomiJo's comments: I loved this book because it reminds me that I am not alone in my sometimes seemingly insane love affair with the printed word. And, like NomiJo, I wish I had taken my time with it instead of reading it in the bathtub last night... That must be why they invented Amazon.com....so I can order a copy for myself to read, whenever, and so that I can buy copies for my family and friends :)

It's hard to pick out favorite essays, but I truly related to the one about marrying libraries (my husband and I have not yet taken that step, but have entered into negotiations) and to the essay on proofreading (which my family members also do compulsively). And then there was the one about.... yes. It was that good.

Am off to PM AnglersRest and hopefully get this traveling in the next couple of days. Thank you so much for sharing this with me!

Arrived today! Looking forward to reading this one.

In part I found this book to be amusing and incrediably accurate about loving the written word. I was deeply amused by the concept that even though the author and her husband had been married for some while, they still hadn't merged their books. When they do merge the books, the author writes"We were really married"

I have the address for StrangeEmily,so this book will be winging its way to Greece in the next few days.

I found it in my Post Office Box today and I'll read it soon. Thank you dittybopper and Anglersrest!

edit Jan07: Excellent! I enjoyed extremely every story, though the setting and some writers she mentions are unknown to me. I' ll try to buy a copy of my own, soon.

Arrived by post from StrangeEmily. What a wonderful surprise! Thank you, and also for the cool bookmark!

Fadiman....the name reminds me of something. Well, here I must recount a sad story.

I grew up in the company of an exceptional book, the The World Treasury of Children's Literature, edited by Clifton Fadiman. As a child, I never tired of it. Reading the poems, the limericks, the fairy tales, the fables, the excerpts from children's classics such as The Jungle Boy, Alice in Wonderland, etc....that was a favorite pasttime for me.

I wish I had this book with me still. Unfortunately in a fit of teenage rage I tore the book to pieces. May the book-gods never forgive me, for the hardcover single-volume version is difficult to find nowadays. And I miss the poems and the stories!

I look forward to reading Anne Fadiman's "confessions."

I just purchased my own permanent copy of Anne Fadiman's essay collection.

The edition available at the bookstore here in Athens has a red cover, unlike the green one of this particular copy. (I prefer the crimson version.)

I'll be sending this out by post, as a RABCK. I hope the next reader enjoys it!