Ensconced in Books

“If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.”

- Oscar Wilde

This may the longest I’ve gone without a post.

One excuse is I was away visiting family and friends. Another is I had an idea for a post and needed to download photos, but I didn’t bring the cord to New York so they were stuck on the camera. Seeing a specific family member tempted me to write maudlin posts, revealing way too much, so a break seemed in order.

I have a backlog of about five post ideas, one from the Dublin-Paris trip and the others from sub jobs I have yet to write about, but I don’t feel like writing those. The present gives so much inspiration; I find it hard to go back. Does that happen to you?

Another excuse is because I’ve been spending the last week doing more reading than usual. And in the last month or two I’ve been reading A LOT. Reading and thinking about how the books are written. Reading in all sorts of genres.

This is my booklist since May:

Nonfiction:

- Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott (Because of every writer seems to recommend it)

- Page after Page by Heather Sellers (Because Jane Friedman: http://blog.writersdigest.com/norules/ recommended it. But I cheated, since I didn't do any of the writing exercises)

Middle Grade:

- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (Because I tried to get my husband to read it, and reminiscing about it make me feel like reading it again.)

- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Because why stop at 1? J.K. Rowling sure uses “was” a lot. And those adverbs…)

- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Because apparently I’m addicted. I’ve read these all before, and there are so many books to read, so what am I doing?)

- girl coming in for a landing: a novel in poems by April Halprin Wayland (Because someone in my new critique group wrote a manuscript in verse, so I had to check a few out to see what they were like.)

Middle Grade – Audio Book:

- Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo (For my daughter to listen to on the way home. I had used it for a reading group in the fifth-grade, and thought it was layered and lovely.)

YA:

- Hush, Hush by Becca Fizpatrick (Because it was recommended widely around the blogosphere.)

- Tantalized by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Because she spoke at the NESCBWI conference and it sounded interesting.)

- Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (Because everyone recommended this one too.)

- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Because my son loved it.)

Now I’m reading:

Memoir:

- Under the Table: Saucy Tales from Culinary School by Katherine Darling (Because books about food are tempting. And I have a gift certificate to take 6 classes at the Cambridge School of Culinary arts that I got for my Big Birthday, which I’m excited to use.)

Nonfiction:

Secret Lives of Great Authors by Robert Schnankenberg (Because it's fun to read about authors whose angst and appetites make mine amateurish in comparison.)

Middle Grade - Audio Book:

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (Because we needed something to listen to on the way to New York because Connecticut and New York radio stations rarely play any current rock or alternative music that’s current. I can only listen to AC/DC, Billy Joel, and Rush so many times. We’ll probably listen to the rest on the way to Maine in a couple of weeks. It’s 7 ½ hours.)

What’s next from my book pile?

Middle Grade:

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Because why not just reread the whole series at this point? Besides, this video makes me less sad about what happens at the end of the book:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZwM3GvaTRM

Thanks, http://suzettesaxton.blogspot.com/2010/06/ultimate-anti-bella.html

YA:

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (2nd in series. Because I hear it ends in a cliffhanger, and book 3 is about to come out.)

I just realized adult fiction seems to be missing from my list. Since I concentrate on YA, reading YA makes sense. And I seem to be a sucker for memoir of the culinary sort. On top of that, I’ll read any nonfiction by Malcolm Gladwell. It’s a pity he can’t write faster.

Aubrie (http://authoraubrie.blogspot.com/) gave me a great award she made herself, but I had to promise to list five books I love. Usually I can’t accept awards because I don’t use my blog to list seven things about myself (or any of the other things one has to write to accept awards). And I don’t pass them on because I’m a terrible blogger + I don’t want to use my blog in that way. But since I decided to write a book post, it’s fitting.

My Favorite Books:

Harry Potter Series (I know, SHOCKING.)

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (Deals with so much in one book.)

Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler (Taught me about love.)

The Lorax by Dr. Seuss (Gave me a passion for the environment beginning in first-grade. If/when I get The Disappearances published I will probably have to dedicate the book to him.)

Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (Love his voice and angst.)

Fantasy and Sci Fi writers, I’m passing this award on to you. Just list your five favorite books and this award is yours.

What genre(s) do you gravitate towards?

What are you reading now?

What book(s) do you recommend?

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, AMERICANS!