Thing 13: Library Thing

The first thing I did for this Thing was to read the comparison between "Library Thing" and "Visual Bookshelf" - I have to admit I had somewhat the same experience as the author of that post: I joined "Library Thing" some time ago, added a some of my books, then did not return until jogged to by this assignment. I guess I just didn't find the time to get my collection in there. It IS very interesting to see how many others own the same books you own, their relative popularity, etc. I will try to finish uploading my collection and post a link to it before Dec. 2nd.

My picks for Halloween: one has to be Anne Rice's now classic "Interview with the Vampire". Believe it or not, I bought a paperback copy of this book in 1977 (the year after it was published in hardback) because I thought it looked intriguing. I can remember at 15 being fascinated by the way the book began, with a "vampire" speaking as though he was a regular human being, but it was way over my head at that age and I didn't return to it 'til years later.

I still think it's a good read, and Rice definately took a well-worn subject in a paradigmatically new direction with this publication (comparable in this sense to what J. K. Rowlings did with the magic paradigm - but geared to a much more serious audience). I must confess that have not read any other of Anne Rice's novels, and I'm not widely read in vampire fiction.

My other recommendation is a video: Tim Burton's "Nightmare Before Christmas", which is a hoot and great fun at Halloween or Christmas. It also features an awesome score by Danny Elfman which I strongly recommend as an addition to your audio collection. It is necessary listening at Halloween.