Mary Schmidt Marketing Troubleshooter

As regular readers know, I’m totally, hopelessly addicted to reading - pretty much anything and everything (In a pinch, with no other choice, I’ve even been known to read software documentation!)

So, here are some recommendations of oldies but goodies for you to try. No socially-redeeming or biz value whatsoever. Simply great reads.

1. Rebecca, by Daphne Du Maurier. Story is instantly engaging, and the opening and closing pages are some of the best ever written, in my bookoholic opinion.

2. Dinner at Antoine’s, by Frances Parkinson Keyes. If you love intelligent yet entertaining writing and New Orleans, check this out. Your local library is sure to have a copy or you can pick up for bupkas at a used book sale somewhere. I got my copy for 50 cents at the Albuquerque library, complete with the original 1948 dust cover. (Personally I prefer Arnaud’s for dinner, but that’s me. I was there earlier this month and they’ve recovered completely from Katrina.)

3. Endangered Pleasures, In Defense of Naps, Bacon, Martinis, Profanity, and Other Indulgences, by Barbara Holland. Title of this book of essays pretty much says it all. Ms. Holland is one of my favorite authors - with a long list of published essay collections - most of which I own.

4. The Journey’s Echo, Selected Travel Writings, by Freya Stark. First published in 1936, this book of observations and essays is one of my favorites.

To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one the pleasant sensations of the world. You are surrounded by adventure. You have no idea of what is in store for you, but you will, if you are ise and konw the art of travel, let yourself on the stream of the unknown and accept whatever comes in the spirit in which the gods may offer it.

One of my favorite quotes by Dame Stark: “I dislike being the anvil for the hammering out of other’s people’s virtues.” (and to think she never voted in a U.S. election…;-)

5. The Collected Stories of Evelyn Waugh. I keep this one on my bedside table bookshelf for easy dipping.

Keeping Waugh company are Saki, O. Henry, M.F.K. Fisher, P.G. Wodehouse and Ludwig Belemans (Beleman’s La Bonne Table is a classic collection of stories about eating and restaurants. Utterly charming, with illustrations by Belemans.)

Mary Bob says “check it out! Have a great weekend…I’ll be hitting the monthly Albuquerque library book sale…so many books, so little time.

(Want to read something biz related? Check out my guest post at Lip-Sticking, Marketing to Women, Fallacies and Follies.)

Related Posts:
Way Outside The Box (and Office) Weekend Reading
The Friday Reading List

Read More: All my Friday Martini Time posts - in which I talk about pretty much anything but business. It’s Friday, after all.