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In her novel, A Gate at the Stairs, Lorrie Moore illustrates that, contrary to accusations that this book is one, there is no such thing as a coming of age story. In her dense, simile-loving style, Moore flings metaphor after witty observation after poignant epiphany after acerbic comment after social criticism after chilling irony after droll smackdown out of the mouths and minds of her characters with a kind of Jackson Pollock precision, creating her story in the same way real people become their own stories: by accumulation. The end result: a portrait of human beings as smorgasbords of different preparations of love spiked with pain. Contrary to our tidy hopes, life is messy, grown people do stupid and insensitive things, college and/or high school aren’t necessarily “the best years of our lives,” even the psychologically self-aware still act out in absurdly self-destructive ways, and no one “gets over” a tragedy, they simply find a new normal... Read more: http://tinyurl.com/yh8bmwm

Colin Wilson is a challenging author: his books are intellectual, circuitous, passionate, and tackle ambiguous subjects. Among Wilson’s more well known works are The Outsider, The Mind Parasites, The Occult: a History, The Unexplained, and The Misfits, which are only nodes on a bibliography including at least 140 books ranging from biographical investigations into Borges, Rasputin, Henry Miller, Jack the Ripper and Aleister Crowley, to philosophical treatises on the evolution of existentialism and theories of consciousness, to science fiction and true crime. Few contemporary authors have Wilson’s range, curiosity, ambition or gall. Few contemporary readers will know that Colin Wilson wrote a book—a long essay really—inspired by a night drinking beer with Lawrence Ferlinghetti... Read more: http://tinyurl.com/y87vooz

A turn-of-the-19th century religio-political farce/comedy of manners, Andre Gide’s Lafcadio’s Adventures (also translated as The Vatican Swindle, The Vatican Cellars) is based on a real-life scandal in 1892 when a group of ambitious con-artists started a rumor that then-pope Leo XIII had been secretly imprisoned by freemasons, while a false pope, sympathetic to the French Republic, had been put in his place. Gullible and wealthy catholic loyal monarchists were then defrauded by the conspirators, who succeeded by urging them to great secrecy in contributing funds to liberate the supposedly imprisoned “real” pope... Read more: http://tinyurl.com/yg3bjtn

In 1986, William S. Burroughs was a lanky, spider-limbed, 72-year-old man who still photographed as the oddly dapper, American Gothic archetype in the circle of beat writers including Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac. He was a controversial figure, a hard-drinking, long-term heroin addict who had shot and killed his wife, reputedly in a game of William Tell gone awry, and later lived openly as a homosexual in a time that was far less socially acceptable. But the secret about Burroughs, known for his violent, dark, hallucinatory, semi-autobiographical works like Naked Lunch and Junky, is that he deeply, madly, magically, unequivocally, loved cats... Read More: http://tinyurl.com/ykgrooa

Wouldn’t it be a dream come true to be young and perfect forever? Obsessed with each other’s flawless faces? Making out at every opportunity in public places and in front of family members? Saving up tons of cash stashes to buy flashy cars and closets full of garment-bagged designer clothing? Living under the immature delusion that everyone is flabbergastedly impressed with you everywhere you go, made speechless (and more importantly frightened) by your beauty, and the beauty of your children, who emerge as intellectually advanced, non-defecating, empathic little replicas of yourself? Oh, and that the rest of the world are fumbling, myopic plebes saved by your self-sacrificing lifestyle? Well join the ranks of the ruling class… and immortal teenage vampires... Read more: http://tinyurl.com/ybyq5vv

Third of four volumes in Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight saga”, Eclipse picks up where New Moon left off, now complicating the relationship between protagonist Bella Swan and her vampire boyfriend Edward Cullen by introducing the greatest source of drama, breast-beating and tearing of hair known to human kind: the love triangle... Read more: http://tinyurl.com/yff37nz

Imagine what it would feel like to experience the unfiltered perceptions and thoughts of another human being without that person’s awareness of your intrusion: this is both the ambition and accomplishment of Clarice Lispector’s first novel, Near to the Wild Heart, (Perto do coração selvagem) written when she was 22 years old and first published in Brazil in 1943... Read more: http://tiny.cc/Ms9Nr

New Moon, the second book in Stephenie Meyer’s supernatural quartet, picks up where Twilight left off, following Bella Swan’s relationship, or lack thereof, with vampire Edward Cullen, whose family has relocated to places unknown in an attempt to protect Bella from further harm and themselves from discovery. Bella, heartbroken from being dumped, eventually concedes to a developing more-than-friendship with childhood friend and budding werewolf, Jacob Black. Nothing about the ensuing storyline of New Moon is a surprise, and anyone with even the bluntest sense of foreshadowing or glaring neon clues left by the author, will know what is going on twenty pages before Bella figures it out... Read more: http://tiny.cc/zx6P9

First in a series of four volumes, Twilight centers on 17-year-old Bella Swan’s romance with Edward Cullen, a young man so attractive he could be a living, breathing Abercrombie and Fitch advertisement. Edward, it turns out, became a vampire in 1918 and lives with an adopted family of vampires who cultivate an alternative bloodsucking lifestyle by refusing to feed on human beings and living amongst them as peers. Meyer’s writing style for Twilight resembles a cross between a teen diarist’s blow-by-blow of the travails and triumphs of high school and family life, and a bodice ripper updated to the 21st century’s habit of hiply self-aware quipping. Twilight’s protagonist and central characters read like stereotypes of people rather than unique individuals... Read more: http//tiny.cc/nvKeh

The rings of the planet Saturn are really one continuous ring made up of innumerable small particles. One well established astronomical theory suggests the rings are debris left over from a moon that was pulled apart when its orbit fell too close to Saturn. Light reflected from the varying substance of the rings is what makes Saturn appear to wax brighter and ebb dim. W.G. Sebald’s book, The Rings of Saturn, does not concern itself directly with the planets or astronomical topics, but with a very personal exploration into how a contemporary person can possibly shoulder an awareness of shared human history, and not be obliterated by it... Read more: http://tiny.cc/dUZir

Shantaram parallels its author’s own true story of escaping a maximum security prison in Australia and living as a drug runner and passport forger in Bombay during the 1980’s. Roberts was eventually captured and forced to serve his 19 year sentence, where it took him “thirteen long and troubled years to write... Read more: http://tiny.cc/Kq5pP

The whole idea of investing in real estate can be a touchy subject in the post-housing-bubble and (hopefully) post-recession climate, but the general cause of that reticence is fear of the unknown. Jackie Bondanza’s Complete Guide to Buying a Second Home or Real Estate in Mexico is a clear, informative, comprehensive resource that details exactly what to expect, what questions to ask, what to look for, and how to go about purchasing real estate in Los Cabos, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, and many other beautiful regions of Mexico. Over the past twenty years, the process of purchasing property in Mexico has been reformed and regulated, so that it is now similar to the process in the United States. Although there have been a couple of high-profile real-estate debacles highlighted in the last decade (Trump Ocean Resort in Baja, and the Baja Beach and Tennis Club in Punta Banda), Bondanza emphasizes that these examples are not the norm but should be considered instructive: know what you are looking for and follow the proper purchase steps—all of which are detailed in this guide. Bondanza breaks this book into four consecutive parts, ordered in the same way the purchase process itself would proceed: part 1 outlines the different types of property available in Mexico, the legal system, and the investment process; part 2 guides the reader in finding a real estate agent, attorney and bank, issues of buying versus building as well as the option of renting out your property; part 3 focuses on the nitty-gritty of the purchase itself, including determining right to sell, contracts, negotiations, appraisals, and financing; and part 4 outlines the practical aspects of living in Mexico, from climate to medical services and transportation. Overall, Bondanza’s guide is well-organized, informative, and thorough, taking many of the questions out of what could otherwise be a nerve-wracking process. And Bondanza makes a timely point: unlike the volatile U.S. housing market, Mexico’s real estate market has been slowly and steadily growing.

With green and eco-friendly living an increasingly more socially responsible choice for home owners and businesses, it is also a great opportunity for outdoor-loving entrepreneurs to begin and/or build a business in landscaping, grounds keeping or plant nurseries. The unfortunate reality of starting and running a business is just that: learning the basics of how to run one successfully. This How-to guide breaks down what is often the most intimidating and difficult aspect of small business ownership—setting up the business correctly from the start so that it runs smoothly in the long run. Whether you choose to buy into a franchise, purchase an existing business, or begin from scratch, every vital aspect of starting a landscaping-related business is outlined step by step, including: tailoring the business to suit your strengths, developing a business plan, becoming a small business, branding, financing, money management, dealing with vendors, purchasing insurance, supplies and equipment, cost estimates, bidding on a project, hiring workers, marketing, government paperwork, web site design, finding customers and finally… collecting payment. This guide is a remarkable resource, offering solid, reality-based strategies for building an efficient, profitable outdoor-services business. Case studies of specific businesses illustrate the pros and cons of one type of business versus another, and also walk the reader through worst-case-scenarios and provide personality tests that encourage the reader to be realistic about their role in the business and the double-edged nature of being one’s own boss. The entire process is broken down into straightforward, do-able parts, so that the most important thing—the love of green things and making beautiful lawns, gardens and landscapes—can be the focus, along with a healthy dose of realistic expectations.

Other than having heard of the ubiquitous online encyclopedia, “Wikipedia”, many people may not know that a wiki- a web site that allows visitors to make changes, contributions, or corrections- is a powerful tool that is radically changing the social, educational and business climate. Brian Chatfield’s Complete Guide to WIKIS is a no-nonsense, clearly written handbook to understanding what the increasing use of wikis means in terms of how information is gathered and recorded, and how to harness and utilize that power for education, business, and personal growth. Chatfield writes intelligently, but avoids the technical jargon that can confuse what are straightforward concepts. Chapters include case studies taken from successful, well-known wikis, (Wikipedia, Baseball Reference Bullpen, Ganfyd, Project Backpack, Sourcewatch, Curriki) providing wiki novices with an introduction to wiki types, history and applications, their proliferation, and concise instruction on how first to edit and then create project-specific wikis. For those already familiar or expert with wikis, this guide expands on hosting, security, automation, tips for tweaking and tailoring wikis, comparing wikis with content management software, as well as predictions about the creative applications of wikis on the horizon. As Chatfield notes in his guide, wikis are not just technical devices, they are also the engines driving our future organization and filtering of information. As living, collaborative documents, wikis are increasingly becoming the new model for our collective knowledge. This guide provides both the specific technical instruction necessary to create and develop wikis, as well as an awareness of how to interpret that information in light of a fair understanding of both the strengths and weaknesses of wiki technology.