The Green Man by Michael Bedard

This book just goes to show you don’t have to be a great writer to write a great book. Some of the language was not what you would consider correct in terms of modern English teachers but it was still beautiful. Michael Bedard wove a story that was not only touching but funny and suspenseful. O has just been recruited to spend the summer with her aunt, Emily, while her father goes to Italy. Emily is an elderly woman, poet and bookstore owner with a bad heart. O is not thrilled to spend the summer with her aunt but she’s not exactly disappointed. She’s just used to the way things go. O has a secret – she’s writing poetry herself. She fears that she, too, is crazy or will become crazy because that seems to be the fate of poets. Emily may be crazy but she is haunted by ghosts of poets that have taken residence up in her bookstore and by a darkness that appears every leap year that August 8th falls on a Saturday. There are many facets to this story and they seem to work well together. For me, the real story is about writing and those who are captivated by the words. There is a poetry to this book that spoke to me more than any book I have read recently. I laughed, cried and felt inspired.

A look back at 2011

Well I met my goal of 100 books with 101 listed in my journal. I read more than that but didn't count some of the shorter works. I am in love with my Nook and I think it has opened new doors to me, as well as joining the NetGalley family.
I got an email from one of the reading sites I have subscribed to (this one I didn't even know I was a member of). They asked everyone to list their top ten books of 2011. That sounded like fun. I have read some amazing books this year and looking over my journal, I remembered what I loved about them.
So, in order that I read them, here are my top ten picks of the books I have read in 2011.

Locke and Key: Welcome to Lovecraft
20th Century Ghosts
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling
Horns
I Am Number Four
Rivermarked
America I Am: Pass It Down Cookbook
How David Met Sarah
Bearded Women Stories
The Girl Who Owned a City

It was a tough list to make since there were so many great books this year. These 10 still make me want to recommend them. In fact, I submitted Bearded Women Stories as a possible all university freshman read. To me, it's an amazing study of humanity and how we are all struggling with being different.
How David Met Sarah practically haunts me - it's such a great book. There has never been another like it and I can't wait to find more.
I like that the list is all over the place - fiction, nonfiction, adult, juvenile. It just goes to show how eclectic my reading is (there are even 2 graphic novels). There are a multiple of reasons why these 10 are my favorites and I recommend that you read them. They may not make it on a bestseller's list but I think they are worth your time.
Happy Holidays and see you in the new year.

Time to Read

Today has started off with a light steady rain and heavy dark clouds that blocked the sun. It's a perfect day for reading. For me, I like gloomy days and as we move into winter, I read more and more. I love reading but there's something about days that are bleak and dark that encourage me to read more. Often I find that I read a large percentage of my year's goal of 100 books in November and December. In fact, it was a deluge of reading at the end of a year that started the challenge for me.
This year, I am currently at 63 books. This does not take into account any really short books I read since I challenge myself to only include "novels" (whether YA, Juvenile or Adult). I don't know what I will do when I run through the stack of short stories in my Nook. I suppose it will depend on how long they are or if I review them. I don't include children's books but I do include graphic novels (note the word novel in the description). It's not a perfect system but it doesn't have to be.
Anyway, back to the art of reading. On gloomy days, I love to read. For the most perfect situation, I would brew a pot of tea and have some sorts of snacks to go along with the reading. Sometimes cheese and crackers, other times cookies or scones. It has to be something I can eat with my hands and wouldn't mess up my book.
Now that I have a Nook, however, I'm not so keen on the eating and drinking while reading. It's that fatal mix of moisture and technology that worries me. We'll see how it goes this winter. My goal is to get myself to use the Nook more than I use "books" so I can justify the expense of buying it.
I do want to go back to working on the pile of books I own. I have a terrible habit of buying books and then adding them to the growing pile because I get others from the library. I want to read what I have and get rid of those I don't see me reading again. We'll see how that goes.

Reading Sites

I have been thinking about the reading sites I use and whether it would make sense just to transfer everything from this blog to the sites and stop here. I do use Goodreads and LibraryThing. It would make sense to just use those sites for my book reviews and encourage people to join me there. I haven't been reading much lately due to a rather busy schedule. I am about half way through Spellbinder by Helen Stringer and have the sequel waiting patiently for me to finish. I have 5 (count them - 5) ARCs to read and review. I've gotten them all in the past month or so and hate to see them just sit there and wait.
I'll let you know what I decide about the blog.

The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger

This book looks like a children's picture book but it's for adults. The material may be a little mature for most children (my 14 year old read it and told me he didn't get it) but it's suitable for any reader.
The story follows a woman who, while walking one night, discovers a bookmobile that houses everything she has ever read. She spends the rest of her life searching for the bookmobile. She does find it now and again but she becomes obsessed with the place.
I can understand that feeling. I can imagine touching each book I have read, re-discovering books I had forgotten (and perhaps finding those few stories that I remember but for the life of me can't remember their titles).
I don't think I would react the same as the woman in the book but I certainly can understand it.
It's really short - about a 10 minute read for most readers but it's entertaining.