Bookmarks

(****1/2) Bookmarks (A Reader's Guide to the Best in Books) is the newest magazine for bibliophiles in the market. Since its preview/debut issue in Summer 2002, Bookmarks has released 10 issues featuring a mixed bag of classics and contemporary authors like Steinbeck, Dickens, Garcia Marquez, Virginia Woolf, Waugh, Austen, Morrison, Naipaul, Potok, Faulkner, Potok, Vonnegut, and Philip Roth.

The bi-monthly publication has book reviews and selections for readers of all ages. The "Book by Book" section will features a detailed coverage on works of a specific author, suggestions on introductory books to the author, a specific genre of literature, or a particular time period. The currents issue (May/June 2004) features Leo Tolstoy and Literary Voices of the Pre-Civil Rights Era, with a look at classic works by Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison, and James Baldwin.

More than half the pages of the magazine focus on navigating the ever-expanding sea of reading: new books, now-in-paperback books, and reader-favorite recommendations. This is by far the most useful and timesaving resource for me to search for my next reading selection. The "Selections" allows me to preview staff favorites from among the most highly rated books in an issue (usually 4 stars and above).

The "New Book Guide" features book reviews separated into genres like spot, literary fiction, crime, sci-fi, general non-fiction, biography, history, science, and arts. It is therefore structured to find easily the information about a particular book most appealing and relevant to me. Each book featured in this section has a critical summary. The books covered fall into three basic categories: highly rated books that received many reviews, highly rated books that received less comprehensive coverage, and lower rated books that were widely reviewed and well-publicized. That way general popularity of the books, as well as the collective but disparaging critics may be accommodated. Highly rated books maybe balanced with the less publicized or lower-rated books. After all, it is frustrating to apply ratings to any works of literary arts in the absence of myriad choices. To accommodate such need, supplemental reading is provided.

Bookmarks strives to accommodate palates readers of all ages and genres. In any given issue readers will find, in addition to the new releases and talk-of-the-town books that perch on bestseller list, works of classics. I find the inclusion on works of classics and their authors very appealing to me. Bookmarks has simply topped my favorite periodical list for the year and become my reading companion.

2004 (28) © MY

You know that expression "so many books, so little time"? After reading a few issues of "Bookmarks" you will be exposed to so many wonderful books and authors that you will be chanting this as a mantra. It is obvious from the first page of this bimonthly magazine that the editors love books as much as their readers do. It provides balanced coverage of books by bringing together reviews from many other publications, giving you the opportunity to see comments from glowing to scathing so that you can decide for yourself whether a book is worth reading. There are many innovative regular features: "What One Book" takes a topic such as yoga or jazz and asks the experts to suggest books about it; "If..." poses a hypothetical situation and then provides reading suggestions; "Have you read?" provides recommendations by readers. Every issue highlights a veteran author and provides an overview on their writing career and a bibliography. If you only want to subscribe to one magazine for bibliophiles, this should be it!

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I enjoy reading about books almost as much as I enjoy actually reading the books themselves. The hunt is everything. I totally savor the acts of studying and evaluating and planning for my next read. This magazine enhances the experience. It talks about new books, classic books, categories of books, book ratings, editorial book reviews all at great length. There are, what seems like, zillions of reviews that give you enough information to know whether or not you should take a closer look.

This is the best book review source that I have found. This month they are talking about the books of Fitzgerald. Can't wait to dive in!!

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I used to get "book" magazine-I was terribly disappointed when they stopped publishing. I also started to get the riverside review, but then that went out. I haven't been having good lucky lately with the book review magazines. Since every book review magazine I've subscribed to have subsequently gone out of business, I picked up bookmarks at the local library, instead of subscribing to it. Seriously, it's the best book review magazine I've seen in a long time. They offer caplet reviews of new books, as long as the reviews written by major publications. The other great feature is their dedication to older, classic authors and their works. For example, the May issue features Tolstoy, with many pages dedicated to background of him and his works. They offer works to start with and then follow-up reading. They also break down the reviews by themes, and the reviews use a star system. I'd recommend this subscription to anyone who's interested in learning about new books, but not willing to buy (or borrow) unless they know they're good. Hopefully, I haven't jinxed this magazine, too, and that they'll be around for a long time!

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I have been getting this magazine for two years now and always find at least one book that I simply "must" have. I only wish it came out every month instead of every two as sometimes when I go into a "independent" bookstore such as Boulder BookStore or Tattered Cover, I can find newer books that haven't been reviewed in the magazine. I would also like more reviews for young readers not necessarily babies/etc, but for teens. This magazine is tons better than the one Barnes and Nobles wants you to subscribe to with their membership.

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