Mary Daniels Brown

Mary Daniels Brown learned at an early age how to read people, and she’s been doing that ever since. Combining advanced education in both literature and psychology, she reads and reviews novels that explore identity, the search for meaning and purpose in life, and the varieties of human experience. She’s been blogging about books at Notes in the Margin for more than 25 years. Mary believes that her focus on Life Stories in Literature has made her both a more astute reader and a happier, more human person.

Harlan Coben in St. Louis: Part I

If you ever get a chance to see Harlan Coben in person, go for it. He was in St. Louis last weekend for Boucheron 2011.  As part of the book tour promoting his new book, Shelter, the introductory volume for his YA series featuring Mickey Bolitar, Coben spoke at St. Louis County Library. He began […]

Harlan Coben in St. Louis: Part I Read More »

Bouchercon 2011: Murder Under the Arch

This Publisher’s Weekly article summing up Boucheron 2011, held in St. Louis, includes the list of winners of the mystery genre’s various awards and prizes: As is the tradition at Bouchercon, a conference steeped in awards ceremonies, Thursday’s festivities included the presentation of both the Macavity and Barry Awards. Voted on by the members of

Bouchercon 2011: Murder Under the Arch Read More »

Monday Miscellany

Ikea is changing its long-lived Billy bookshelf. Is print dead? Ikea will make changes to its low-cost, high-volume Billy bookshelf this fall. And to some, that means books are dying. Ten Crime Books You Have to Read Before You Die This title is way misleading, since there are two lists of 10 plus numerous alternates.

Monday Miscellany Read More »

Your Loebs! – Harvard University Press Blog

Your Loebs! – Harvard University Press Blog. I started life as a classics major, so seeing these photos celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Loeb Classical Library, published by Harvard University Press, warmed my heart. These little green-covered (Greek) and red-covered (Latin) gems present the original text on the left page, with a translation on

Your Loebs! – Harvard University Press Blog Read More »

Monday Miscellany

Sick Of Young Adult Lit? 3 Books For The Whiz Kid In this issue of NPR’s “three books” series, Adam Mansbach reflects on which books he read in childhood have stuck with him: The ones I continue to love now, a quarter-century after first mauling their spines, tend to confront complex social issues bravely, convey

Monday Miscellany Read More »

Monday Miscellany

The 10 Most Powerful Women Authors Forbes contributor Avril David has put together a list of “10 women [who] can tell (and sell) a good story”: Although there are many more women throughout history who have proven to be powerful authors, this list is limited to those who are living, with a focus on personal

Monday Miscellany Read More »

‘Hunger Games’: First Clip of Jennifer Lawrence in Action Debuts During MTV VMAs (Video) – Hollywood Reporter

‘Hunger Games’: First Clip of Jennifer Lawrence in Action Debuts During MTV VMAs (Video) – Hollywood Reporter. The film version of Suzanne Collins’s popular book trilogy is due out in March.

‘Hunger Games’: First Clip of Jennifer Lawrence in Action Debuts During MTV VMAs (Video) – Hollywood Reporter Read More »

Monday Miscellany

Weirdest Writer Deaths “Here are some of the most bizarre ways that writers have had their story end.” Rate This Article: What’s Wrong with the Culture of Critique The Internet-begotten abundance of absolutely everything has given rise to a parallel universe of stars, rankings, most-recommended lists, and other valuations designed to help us sort the

Monday Miscellany Read More »

Still Nickel and Dimed a Decade Later : The New Yorker

The Book Bench: Still Nickel and Dimed a Decade Later : The New Yorker Picador is marking the tenth anniversary of Barbara Ehrenreich’s modern classic “Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America,” in which she chronicled her attempts to make a life on minimum wage in three states, with a special anniversary edition.

Still Nickel and Dimed a Decade Later : The New Yorker Read More »

Scroll to Top