5
Jun
2010
Ophelia Joined the Group Maidens Who Don’t Float by Sarah Schmelling
Ophelia Joined the Group Maidens Who Don’t Float: Classic Lit Signs on to Facebook is a rarity. It’s a book that was started from an internet post that is not only good, but surpasses the original.
5
Apr
2010
Watermark by Vanitha Sankaran
This book contained so many elements that speak to me in a book and engage my nerdy interests, I just have to list them out:
9
Nov
2009
Interview with Dr. Irene Pepperberg
It’s tough to say who is more famous–Dr. Irene Pepperberg, or the late Alex the grey parrot.
9
Nov
2009
Alex & Me by Dr. Irene Pepperberg
I’m sure that a lot of people out there in the blogosphere will review this book with an eye towards the story” the relationship between Alex the grey parrot and Dr. Irene Pepperberg; Pepperberg’s struggle for funding and acceptance in the scientific community; the tragic untimely death of Alex. But I’m going to focus on the linguistic implications of the duo’s work, because that’s why I wanted to read this book in the first place.
20
Oct
2009
The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel
It’s tough when you have a understanding of something to not let inconsistancies or violations bug you when you just want to be entertained. For example, whenever we watch movies about, say, the American Revolution, my husband will point out that they are using the wrong guns. And so, because of my basic knowledge of anthropology and evolution I was often irked while reading this book.
16
Aug
2009
The Search for the Perfect Language by Umberto Eco
This book is many-faceted, and I doubt I’ll be able to cover it all in this post. But first let me say, that it’s by Umberto Eco, with whom you really can’t go wrong.
14
Aug
2009
Words to the Wise by Michael J. Sheehan
The subtitle on this book is “A Lighthearted Look at the English Language”. Certainly that’s apt. While most books on language (usage, etymology, etc.) take a serious approach, this is more of a jaunty romp through the wackiness of our words.
12
Aug
2009
The First Word by Christine Kenneally
Over on ye olde Twitter this week we’ve been discussing language–it’s origins, it’s usages, it’s variations, etc–on #litchat. It’s a grand time for the likes of me, and has given me the spirit to post about previously unreviewed language books. Unfortunately, for some at least, the reason why I haven’t reviewed them is because they would only be of interest to the most ardent of armchair linguists.
10
Jun
2009
Iye iz in ur dictionry, countin ur wordz: Web 2.0 Becomes English Language’s Millionth Word
Well, I already knew that English was freakin’ awesome. I’ve been saying it for years. Some people complain about the fucked-uppedness of its rules, but I’ve always countered that it’s just because of the inclusive nature of English. We don’t translate; we adopt.
2
Jun
2009
The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester
This book was originally published in the U.K as “The Surgeon of Crowthorn: A Tale of Murder, Madness, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary”. The U.S. publishers kept the subtitle, but changed the main title to “The Professor and the Madman”, which, I have to say, I kind of like better. Anyways, a rose by any other name, right?
