The Regulator's"'Twas the Week Before Christmas"

'Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the shop
Keith Richards is rockin’, his book sales won’t stop.

Cleopatra’s in pearls and Bill Bryson’s at home,
While Mark Twain dishes dirt in a weighty old tome.

Bestsellers are placed on the bookshelves with care,
In hopes that our customers soon will be there;

Squirrels meet Chipmunks all snug in their beds
while Crafts for Poor People dance in their heads

There’s Griftopia Grinches and Jon Stewart’s Earth
Franzen’s Freedom, – just see what they’re worth!

With Southern Pies and La Cuisine for the belly,
Keys to Good Cooking with a bowlful of jelly.

A pair of Sedarises can be bought by the half,
we’re settling in for a long winter's laugh.

Then out on 9th Street, there arose such a clatter.
We sprang from the store to see what was the matter.

When what to our wondering eyes should appear,
A Sustain-a-Bull bull and eight tiny reindeer!

And we heard the bull roar, as the team rose ascendant
Happy Christmas to all, and Shop Independent!

Send us your "Reunion Story"!!!

We're sponsoring a contest in conjunction with Elizabeth Berg's reading at the Regulator on May 20th. Her new novel, The Last Time I Saw You, centers around a high school reunion; so we're looking for brief (one page or less) high school or college reunion stories. Funny, sad, startling, warmhearted, whatever.

We'll pick the winning story and Elizabeth Berg will read it aloud at the start of her own reading. The winner will also get a bottle of champagne and a $25.00 gift certificate!

Email your story to: mail@regbook.com

Lied about any good books lately?

Nearly half of all men and one-third of women have lied about what they have read to try to impress friends or potential partners, a British survey suggests.

Men were most likely to do this to appear intellectual or romantic.

About four in 10 of the 1,500 people surveyed said they had lied about what they had read to impress friends or potential partners - 46% of men and 33% of women.

Among teenagers, the figure rose to 74%.

74%! The old saying was "never trust anyone over thirty." But when it comes to reading, "never trust anyone under 20" is closer to the mark.

All this lying must mean, in England at least, people still think that reading is important. After all, you don't lie about something you don't care about.

Well, its back to the final volume of "Remembrance of Things Past" for me. Only 20 pages to go before I'm finished. What an amazing novel! (As I'm sure you'll agree..).
Tom

Subtitle this story the Subtitles You Regret.

Using the example of A Bound Man: Why We Are Excited About Obama and Why He Can't Win by Shelby Steele, which was published by the Free Press late last year, the New York Times notes that "many an author has come to incorrect conclusions, but only a few have had the courage to make a prediction in a title that could be directly contradicted."

Steele told the Times, "My feeling is that I stand by every word of the analysis--what is between the covers of the book." He chose the subtitle, he said, when Obama was trailing Hillary Clinton in the polls.

The subtitle will change when the book appears in paperback.

Destroying Books?

If you like reading books, you might also enjoy recycled book art. Check out these cool cutouts by Jennifer Khoshbin.