Top 10 Most Expensive Books on Ebay

People spend a lot of money on books. Today I was curious about what the most expensive books currently being auctioned on Ebay are. I’ve filtered out the obvious scams and came up with the top 10 most expensive book auctions. Here they are:
1. 1637 Manuscript Charter of New England Price: $950,000
2. 30,000 Volume Jewish Judaica Library Price: $900,000
3. Arabian Nights – Original Print from 1935 Price: $700,000
4. Michael Jackson Vintage Magazines Price: $240,000
5. 1250 AD Medieval Holy Bible Price: $185,000
6. 1759 Hymnal Bible Price: $185,000
7. Set of 1st Edition Wizard Of Oz Books Price: $150,000
8. Langston Hughes Handwritten Poems Price: $125,000
9. Peter The Rabbit Signed By Beatrix Potter Price: $125,000
10.Koran Signed by 18th Century Royal Price: $70,000

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Read Across America

March 2nd is National Read Across America Day (in observance of Dr. Seuss’s birthday). It was started by the National Education Association. This is a great organization that inspires kids to read all across the country. In celebration, I’ve compiled a list of places I love to read. Maybe it will inspire somebody out there to pick up book today and read in their favorite location:
A Park
My bed
Cuddling with my dog
Exercising (audio books)
Under a tree
By a pool
A plane
A bookstore
A cafe
Where is your favorite place to read? Feel free to share your Read Across America stories!

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Last Words: A Memoir by George Carlin and Tony Hendra

LAST WORDS: A MEMOIR by George Carlin and Tony Hendra (4 out of 5 Stars) Review

Last Words: A Memoir by George Carlin
and Tony Hendra
Release Date: November 10, 2009
Publisher: Free Press
Pages: 320
Source:Purchased
Buy on Amazon
The darkest part of 2008 in my opinion was the passing of George Carlin. Few comedians from his era could make me laugh like Carlin could, and few knew how to deliver fantastically offensive and socially important bits like he did for decades. Luckily enough, Carlin along with the help of his friend Tony Hendra, was able to complete his autobiography shortly before his passing.
What I love about Last Words, is how Carlin cleverly articulates the details of his birth, childhood and career in such a way that you feel as if you are watching him on stage acting it out. Here is a quote from Carlin on his birth:
“Sliding headfirst down a vagina with [...]

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Retro Reads: CHEATER R.L. Stine

CHEATER by R.L. Stine Book Review (3.5 out of 5 Stars)

Cheater by R.L. Stine
Release Date: April 1, 1993
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 152
Source: Purchased
Buy on Amazon
So Kristen had the brilliant idea of reviewing books we loved when we were younger. In junior high school I was really into the Fear Street series by R.L. Stine. Fear Street books were scary tales that often included a murder/mystery. There were written for a slightly older audience than Stine’s other scary series, Goosebumps.
I recently re-read the book “Cheater” to see if I could rekindle some of the old magic I enjoyed as a teenager. Cheater is the story of what happens to high schooler Cater Phillips when she decides to cheat on an important college entrance exam. First off one of the best things about an R.L. Stine book is the character names. Carter Phillips’ boyfriend, Dan Mason, and best friend Jill Bancroft round [...]

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THE GRAVEYARD BOOK By Neil Gaiman

THE GRAVEYARD BOOK by Niel Gaiman Review (4 out of 5 Stars)

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Release Date: September 30, 2008
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages:320
Buy on Amazon
This week I read the highly acclaimed Newberry award-winning, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Gaiman is known for several popular young adult books, including Coraline, which was adapted into a movie. The Graveyard Book tells the story of a young boy, Nobody Owens. Nobody, or “Bod” as he is affectionately called, is a human boy that lives in a graveyard and is raised by ghosts. Nobody was orphaned as a toddler when the evil “The man Jack” murders his entire family. The ghosts discovered the child and decided to raise and protect him.
Although the murdering of an entire family may sound like a dark way to begin a children’s book, I think Gaiman did a good job of relating this in a way that [...]

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Saturday News Roundup, January 15th 2010

It appears that tennis balls aren’t the only to get served in Andre Agassi’s autobiography, “Open”. He also serves it to his formal rival Peter Sampras. (Canadian Press)
USA Today highlights some of the best-selling books of 2009.
Britain’s Got Talent start Susan Boyle lands a book deal. The bio will be written by Alice Montgomery and has a current release date of February 9th. (Publisher Weekly).
Yahoo! reviews James W. Hall’s new book “Silencer”
The 7th Annual National Best Books Awards is now taking entries. Winners to be announced October 2010 (USA Book News)
New York Times Top 5 Hardcover Fiction
1. THE LOST SYMBOL, by Dan Brown
2. THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett
3. I, ALEX CROSS, by James Patterson
4. SIZZLE, by Julie Garwood
5. FIRED UP, by Jayne Ann Krentz

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Top 10 Films To Books

Who doesn’t like a good Top 10 list? The Houston Chronicle has posted a great list titled “10 Great Films From Great Books”
10 GREAT FILMS FROM GREAT BOOKS
This list could be much longer, but here are 10 movies that successfully made the leap to the big screen.
1. Gone With the Wind
2. The Wizard of Oz
3. The Maltese Falcon
4. Apocalypse Now (from Joseph Conrad’s novella, Heart of Darkness)
5. The Godfather
6. Clueless (from Jane Austen’s Emma)
7. Howard’s End
8. The English Patient
9. The Lord of the Rings
10. No Country for Old Men
I have to say I agree with this list for the most part. Although Clueless is a great movie I thought it was a little out of place on the list (since it was only loosely based on Emma). What about the actual movie “Emma”? What other movies would you have liked to see on the list? I would have loved [...]

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Snog, Marry, Kill: Mr. Darcy, Rhett Butler, or Holden Caulfield?

Okay, so the best ideas are borrowed…which is why I’m borrowing one from our friends over at Daemons TV They’ve started a fun game of “Would You Rather” with their favorite TV shows, and I’d like to try something similar with books. Let’s play a good ole’ fashion game of “Snog, Mary, Kill” with some of our favorite fictitious characters.
So here are your choices:

Mr. Darcy form Pride and Prejudice
Rhett Butler from Gone With The Wind
Holden Caulfield from The Catcher In The Rye
So, out of these 3 guys, who would you snog (trying to keep it PG folks), who would you marry, and who would you kill? Remember, each one has to be used only once, no exceptions. Here are my choices:
Snog: Rhett Butler (has a way with the ladies, but commitment issues)
Marry: Mr. Darcy (rich, faithful,handsome)
Kill: Holden (potty mouth, no ambition, currently lives in a mental institution)
What are [...]

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New Years Resolutions

This is my least favorite time of year. The presents, the cookies, the happy chatter of family gatherings are gone, and what we have instead are hangovers, belly fat, and vows that this year things are going to be better. What a load of crap. But, each year it’s the same. If you don’t believe me, check out the current Amazon bestsellers list Here’s a preview:
#2 – The Conscious Cook: Delicious Meatless Recipes That Will Change the Way You Eat by Tal Ronnen
#4 – The Full Plate Diet: Slim Down, Look Great, Be Healthy! by Stuart A. Seale, Teresa Sherard, Diana Fleming
#5 – The Belly Fat Cure: Discover the New Carb Swap System and Lose 4 to 9 lbs. Every Week by Jorge Cruise
#7 – I Can Make You Thin: The Revolutionary System Used by More Than 3 Million People (Book and CD) by Paul McKenna
#13 – The Mayo [...]

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Magician: Apprentice by Raymond Feist

MAGICIAN: APPRENTICE by Raymond Feist Review (4 out of 5 Stars)

Magician: Apprentice by Raymond Feist
Release Date: November 1982
Publisher:Spectra
Pages: 528
Source: Purchased
Buy on Amazon
Magician: Apprentice by Raymond Feist manages to be many things at once. At times the plot is predictable, but it will also surprise you. The story begins with our hero, Pug, a young orphan kitchen boy from the peaceful and happy town of Crydee. When Pug and his best friend Thomas are chosen for their apprenticeships, their fates seem comfortably predictable. However, when some unknown, and unwelcome visitors from another world start appearing, both of their lives are forever changed.
There are 2 things I really liked about Magician:Apprentice. For starters, the characters are fantastic. Although many of them may remind of you Tolkien characters, they will nevertheless charm their way into your heart. Secondly, Feist cuts out all the fat and gives you only the major plot points. [...]

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