New Books-Worth Buying the Hardcover?

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I love Jane Smiley, especially Moo which I read when I was in veterinary school on an agricultural university campus and I am wondering whether I should buy her newest book, Horse Heaven, in hardcover or wait for the paperback. Anyone have it/read it yet?

I also see that the woman who wrote Animal Husbandry has a new book out (I think her name was Laura Zigman, but I am not sure of the name of her newest book) that I am considering purchasing. Anyone read it yet? (Anyone know the name? )

Thanks, Cathy

-- Cathy (capdvm@sprint.ca), April 17, 2000

Answers

I think the new Laura Zigman book is called "Dating Big Bird." I didn't see the new Jane Smiley when I was at Borders on Saturday afternoon, and that's the sort of book they would have on fairly prominent display.

If you don't want to shell out the bucks for the hardcover, check it out from the library! That's what I do when it's a book that I want to read but I don't want to spend $27 on it.

-- Nanette (nanettee@aol.com), April 17, 2000.


I agree. Check it out from the library. It is a good cheap way to read whatever you want to read, without having to shell out any bucks. Besides, In my opinion Jane Smiley is a little uneven--some books are great while others are so-so.

-- Jodie (jodieg99@yahoo.com), April 26, 2000.

I really hate reading anything in hardcover. I wait for paperback because I like to read in the bathtub.

-- Beth (beth@xeney.com), April 26, 2000.

I can't agree with not buying the book. I am a bit obsessive with books, I buy a helluva lot of them. I just love to own them, and can't stop. I do sometimes just buy the paperback/trade version of them though. I LOVED "Animal Husbandry" and am actually going today to buy "Dating Big Bird". Her style reminds me of another excellent author named Jo Ann Beard who wrote "Boys of my Youth". One of my absolute favorites of all time.

-- Nancey (ndinardi@athm.org), April 26, 2000.

I would have to cop to being a bit obsessive with books myself. I ordered both Dating Big Bird and Horse Heaven last week and just loved cracking them open, smelling them, feeling them, signing my name & the date on the inside front cover... I even like to write in the margins sometimes if something strikes me, and you can't do that with a library book! I love going downstairs to the basement and looking at all *my* books on the bookshelves and knowing that I can reread a passage any time I please. Someday, someone is going to know a lot about me by rereading my books.

-- Cathy (capdvm@sprint.ca), April 26, 2000.


I also like to read in the bathtub (I've just come back from a shopping trip to Lush, and I'm going to lie in a foamy bath tonight with some trashy novel), but I do buy the hardcover versions of books - usually because I love the author and don't want to wait for the paperback version. However, these hardbacks are only ever read at home, because they're too heavy to lug around all day and read on the tube!

-- Jackie (jackie_collins@flextech.co.uk), May 03, 2000.

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