Books Should be Free

Well, some books should be free. For example, why do folks still have to pay $14.95 for The Great Gatsby when the author is dead? This novel should be available in cheap editions, etc, for all to enjoy. I have no problem with authors getting properly compensated, but a trust reaping the benefits after the author has been dead for decades? I don't think so; but, I digress.

Anyway, in the vein of democratizing reading, booksshouldbefree.com does us a favor by bringing great audio versions of our favorite books to the world for free download. They had me at hello when I spied Anne of Green Gables and Alice in Wonderland on the homepage.

If you need more convincing (and I didn't), the Book Examiner lists audio books as the best way to read 50 or more books per year. Pop an audio book in the ipod before a jaunt around the block, listen to one in the car on the way to the grocery store, or tune in while you're going through the mail. You get the drift. I'm getting started on George Eliot's The Lifted Veil tonight.

Most Valuable Books

A list compiled by Online College lists the most valuable books. Interestingly, The Great Gatsby is not included. I'd always heard Gatsby commanded real money at auction.

Check out the list.

Jackson Taylor's The Blue Orchard

Verna Krone grows up with few opportunities but with enough grit to make her own. Raped by her employer in her teens, Verna is forced to realize early that some men cause woman trouble. The men she meets after her regrettable experience with Mr. Wertz do not disprove her initial thought. She hops from odd job to odd job, trying to make enough money to support herself and her family. A brief encounter with nursing during a flash flood emergency in Harrisburg, PA inspires her to become a nurse. Her first job, however, isn't exactly what she had in mind, but when she notices her old nursing school classmate making a load of money and working out of her home, her interest is perked. When she realizes that Dora has become so successful through her work with an abortion doctor, Verna shies away, but the needs of her family quiet her qualms, and she agrees to work for Dr. Crampton, a prominent African-American doctor who also performs abortions. Verna begins a life of illegal activities, as she helps Dr. Crampton perform the procedures and tends to the women during tPost Optionsheir convalescence. Verna has all the money she could ever want - it's literally overflowing from the chest upstairs - but the new job hasn't solved all of her problems. Dr. Crampton enjoys protection from powerful local politicians, but when they start having trouble in the polls, Verna realizes she may be in for a different kind of fight.

If you can get past the exposition - which reads like a "Verna did this and then Verna did that in rural Pennsylvania" - you'll find the meat of this novel to be compulsively readable. Taylor's depiction of Verna's experiences as an abortion nurse during the mid-20th century is both compelling and riveting. Taylor spent years researching this novel, and it shows. The historical details are seamlessly woven into the fabric of the novel. Taylor successfully takes a nugget of family history and expands it into a wide-focus lens, giving readers an opportunity to see a part of American history that they may know little about. The moral and social issues contemplated in this novel will make it a favorite for book clubs.

The Scarlet Letter Turns 160 Tomorrow

That's quite a birthday.

Written in six months, The Scarlet Letter was published on March 16, 1850 to immediate critical acclaim. Hailed by critics as "near perfect," the novel that would soon become an enduring classic of American literature, sold out of the first edition of 2,500 copies in just two weeks. The novel that Hawthorne called "positively a hell-fired story" has never been out of print.

Where have I been, dear readers?

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Taking care of this sweet little person. Miss Helen turned up on the great stage of fools January 15 and is 2 months in this photo. She loves The Very Hungry Caterpillar and has shown some interest in Make Way for Ducklings. I think we have a future book lover in our midst.

Starting next week, I will begin posting here more regularly, so please check back. Moving forward, motherhood and other family business will limit my time for Red Room, but rest assured I'm keeping this blog a priority and will post as often as I can.