Last month, I found the topic of guys reading (or rather, not reading) coming up in both my online world and in real life.  Ted Balcom, a blogging colleague of mine over at Booklist’s Book Group Buzz, was discussing the lack of male participants in book discussion groups.  Earlier that week, a group of librarians and readers who attended an author interview I was moderating began a lively discussion during the Q&A portion, wondering why men don’t attend as many literary events as women do, what can librarians and teachers do to promote reading to males, etc.

Which led me to take a look around, and yep, almost all of the book blogs I follow and enjoy are written by women.  That’s not to say that Karen and I haven’t tried to profile boy blogs as well (we have, they just are not out there in the same numbers!). So this week, I’m bringing you a decidedly male book blog.

This week’s Web Crush is the aptly named Men Reading Books.  Their simple tag line is, “Book summaries and opinions written by guys about books that other guys might consider reading.”.   Short but interesting annotations of a wide variety of books, geared towards men.  Need I say more?

Men, are you out there reading?  What are you reading?  Where do you get your suggestions?  Tell us!  If you write a book blog for guys, we may even Crush on ya!  (we’re easy like that.)

Oh!  And for those of you who thought this site was going to be something different, um, you’re looking for this site.

A big thank you to Guy L. Gonzalez and the kind folks at Library Journal – we now have our archived posts from our run over there at LJ.  So now you can go back and read every thrilling word we’ve ever written.

You know you want to.

From her home in Northern California, Dr. Amy Rogers is both fan and author of science and medical thrillers. On Science Thriller Boook Reviews she reviews books in this genre (plus a few other titles you might like) and rates them to help you decide what to read on your next vacation. What distinguishes her reviews is her focus on the medical/science aspects of the book. She uses little biohazard symbols to rate how important to the plot/well-handled the science is. As someone who never knew where fact met fantasy in Michael Crichton’s books, this kind of rating is invaluable. A great resource for readers who love it when a high-powered microscope or elegantly crafted algorithm help crack the case.

Missed the fab Booklist Book Group Buzzing webinar I moderated last week? No worries, you can hear it here.

For my recent program for the Adult Reading Round Table, “Top 5“, I revisited some of the categories and updated the “up and comers”. For Women’s Fiction, I added Kristina Riggle, who happens to have a new book out last month, and I’d like to showcase her first book here.

In Real Life and Liars,  Riggle tells the story of free-spirited Mirabelle, a 60-something woman who decides to not follow through with treatment when she’s diagnosed with breast cancer.  Needless to say, her biggest hurdle with that plan is how her dysfunctional family is going to take the news, consisting of her grown children who have returned to their hometown for Mirabelle and her husband’s 35th wedding anniversary.  Full of family secrets, funny moments, and realistic characters, this is a gem for readers looking for a new voice in Women’s Fiction.  It would also make a good choice for book discussion groups.

Really America? Has Suze Orman taught us nothing? If you get another credit card you will be paying off interest with money that should be going into your retirement account (which you must NEVER touch.) Honestly, Congress. There’s plenty of recent nonfiction about the debt crisis in America. Why not sprinkle a couple of novels into your next “Neither a Borrower Nor a Lender Be” display?

All We Ever Wanted Was Everything by Janelle Brown
Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
Folly Beach: a Lowcountry Tale by Dorothea Benton Frank
Model Home by Eric Puchner
The Financial Lives of the Poets by Jess Walter
Welcome to My Planet: Where English is Sometimes Spoken by Shannon Olson

You like us, you really like us… now “like” us, on Facebook!  We’d be ever so grateful…

http://www.facebook.com/ShelfRenewal

Thanks to Publishers Weekly for making the bold announcement, “The Worst Book Ever is How to Avoid Huge Ships.” I had no idea. What is awesome about this news is 1) I can stop asking myself, “Is this the worst book ever?” when I’m reading something I don’t enjoy. 2) It gave me a reason to stop being so prickly about user-generated content. (Seriously, these reviews are fantastic. In a Samy Lipsyte kind of way, not a Michiko Kakutani kind of way.) I’m not against user-generated content by any means. I’m just weary of my colleagues who claim we don’t need publishers and should be hosting and cataloging and circulating every idea that one of our users uploads. As the inspiring HTAHS teaches us, it’s a big pool–move about sensibly and there’s room for everyone.

Geography’s a funny thing. In the Midwest, July means that  the corn’s as high as an elephant’s eye. In California it means that it’s time to bust out your Sith cape and roll down to San Diego for Comic-Con.  Neither one without its merits. But for your patrons who can’t get enough caped crusaders or CGI spectaculars, pull out these Geek Chic titles to reassure them that they’re in very good company.

Geek Dad: Awesomely Geeky Projects and Activities for Dads and Kids to Share by Ken Denmead  

Kick Me: Adventures in Adolescence by Paul Feig

Zombie Spaceship Wasteland: A Book by Patton Oswalt

Nerd Do Well: A Small Boy’s Journey to Becoming a Big Kid by Simon Pegg

The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth: Popularity, Quirk Theory, and Why Outsiders Thrive After High School by Alexandra Robbins

Just a Geek: Unflinchingly Honest Tales of the Search for Life, Love, and Fulfillment Beyond the Starship Enterprise by Wil Wheaton

This short story collection may be collecting dust on your library’s shelves, because it’s not genre short stories, it’s not a bestselling author, and it’s not even from a large publisher.  But oh, the stories.  Klage weaves the everyday with the slightly bizarre, giving her stories a hint of magic that doesn’t scream “magical realism” or “fantasy”.  (Bordering on, yes.  But not screaming.)  Think modern fairytales.

The opening tale, “Basement Magic”, is the story of a lonely little girl and the friendship she discovers with the family’s maid (and some electrifying revenge on her wicked stepmother).  And the final story, In the House of the Seven Librarians”, is a riff on Sleeping Beauty, with immortal librarians acting as the fairy godmothers.

Hand this one to someone looking for something different than their usual reading fare.  This is the kind of book that cries out for handselling.

(and a big shout out to Neil Hollands for mentioning this title on Book Group Buzz - I don’t think I would have ever come across it otherwise.  Ah, that’s what I love about book blogs!  Finding a gem.  Hopefully ShelfRenewal is doing that for some of you as well!)