Tuesday Books Blog Report: A Summer Surprise, Lists Galore, and Stieg Larsson and Me

Happy first day of summer!

To celebrate, a blogger by the name of resugo has picked out nine books from her shelves that she is going to give away to one of her readers.

I packed them into a box with some bookish bookmarks, postcards, and tattoos. I will mail them to one lucky winner with a U.S. mailing address after the contest ends on June 30, she writes at resugo's bookish paradise. I'm keeping the books secret so that when they arrive on the doorstep of this one lucky winner, they will be surprised.

Is your interest piqued? Check out her blog post for more.

In the spirit of sharing, Mary at mere-et-filles has 10 books that she would recommend to a friend. Topping the list is Pete Hamill's Forever, whose plot she describes thusly: The story of a man who lives forever, but only if he never leaves the island of Manhattan. (Reminds me of this ironically brief-lived TV show from a few years back.)

She also recommends Gone With the Wind, The Book Thief, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- but only after reading the other six! This was my favorite of the series.

Speaking of Harry, the Pottermore announcement is now set for 7 a.m. Eastern on Thursday -- a bit more convenient time than originally, when it was to be at 2 a.m.

At Marian's Roots and Rambles, Marian Pierre-Louis lists, in reverse order, the top five books on her shelf in terms of usage. She is a house historian and genealogical lecturer specializing in southern New England research, so -- drumroll please -- her #1 book is A Guide to Massachusetts Cemeteries, by David Allen Lambert.

Yes, this truly is my mostly frequently reached for book -- the one that is never put away, Pierre-Louis writes. I use it for planning trips as well as locating cemeteries in spur of the moment stops. I write all over the book, noting when I made a visit as well as the quantity, condition and quality of the stones. If only there were something like it for the other New England states...

Wrapping up the lists theme, Allison at Project Open Hearts has finished 40 of the 75 books she resolved to read in 2011.

I mostly read Christian fiction, or Amish Christian fiction or Christian historical fiction, she says of her list. Check it out if you want a starting list of some good books.

Here are some more quick hits from our eclectic trip through the World Wide Web of Books today:

? The New York Times profiles Eva Gabrielsson, who lived with Stieg Larsson for 32 years, who has a memoir out. Its title: 'There Are Things I Want You to Know' About Stieg Larsson and Me.

? Sara at urlybits.com has reposted a funny comic strip from poorlydrawnlines.com on keeping books real.

? 50 Cent has a book deal for a semi-autobiographical anti-bullying youth novel, Playground. This is not a joke. (But it could be a case of the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce.)

? Jen at Red Hot Books has a longish interview with Jocelynn Drake, whose Dark Days series concludes with the release of Burn the Night next week.

? And finally, Holly Hibner at Awful Library Books has posted a special book cover for Complete Book of Roller Skating, by Ann-Victoria Phillips, which looks every bit of its 32 years. Summer -- a good time for reading, and putting on the skates.

Edward B. Colby is the Books editor of the International Business Times. He can be reached at e.colby@ibtimes.com.