When browsing meant bookshelves

Ah, 1975, there was no Internet--okay, so there was an Arpanet for academics and dept. of defense people, but that didn't count for clerically employed students like myself. But the libraries were free....

Getting closer to the current month - February 1-15, 1975 I read:

The Liberated Man, Warren Farrell
I noted that I didn't finish this book--I also hadn't met any liberated men at that point, and I didn't know anyone else who had--this was a hot topic back then--among women.

Two Views of Wonder, Ed Scortia and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro (ed.)

Me and the Orgone, Orson Bean
My recollection was that he actually took part in the physical therapy called rolfing. Hearing his experience did not tempt me to try. There's a lot to say about that wild and crazy guy, Wilhelm Reich, "father of the orgone" but I can only offer an opinion from a distance, and I guess I just did.

Marilyn, Norman Mailer
This was such a beautiful book because of the pictures of the incomparable Monroe. I also confess a weakness for the prose of Norman Mailer. No one said genius had to be mentally healthy. . . as a matter of fact. . .


February 1-15, 2005, on the 11th, I finally completed that vampire book (whew!) and mailed it off to my agent. During the post-manuscript-mailing recuperation period, I my hands on:

The Good, the Bad and the Undead, Kim Harrison
I liked the first book in this series, Dead Witch Walking, and this second one did not disappoint. I'd quibble a little bit about the heroine being a knee-jerk, loose cannon for the sake of plot tension. She did tend to say stuff like, "I'll go up in that haunted attic with the monsters because I damn well want to, and nobody's going to stop me!" But that didn't spoil the fun for me--just mentioning is all. . .