Bookworms Anonymous

Audio Books: the Reader's New Multitaskers!

2012-01-28T15:19:00.000-05:00

I have discovered audio books. I'm a member of Audible.com, and I've increased my book budget considerably, but it's worth it! Now I can read while exercising, mopping the floor or driving to the grocery store (it's thirty miles away). My floors have never been so clean! Exercising has become interesting, and I usually walk farther during a good book, faster if it's suspenseful. I especially enjoy the books about cantankerous old codgers who are really quite personable. When driving and listening, I tend to drive slower to ensure I will hear the end of a chapter or section.

The latest one I listened to with such a character was Major Pettigrew's Last Stand. The Major is full of bluster and sarcastic wit, wondering at his son's modern romantic arrangement and striving to maintain appearances for the neighbors.

Another great story featuring a pedantic older gent is The Widower's Tale, a grand yarn about Percy Darling (doesn't the name alone make you want to meet him?). Percy, too, wonders at his children, trying to reckon their lives and contemporary times with his experiences.

Adding audio books to my daily routines has greatly increased my book consumption and added to my enjoyment of the books. The books are brought to life by the verbal telling, the narrator's use of inflection and of course his or her accent (Both of the above-mentioned books are told by men with English accents; delicious!) and the background music during the introduction. Some audio books feature an interview with the author at the end of the story too, which is always interesting and usually makes me want to read more of their books.

So, mix it up! Walk the dog and enjoy a book at the same time.

It's Here! A Pocketful of Light

2011-08-30T16:30:00.000-04:00

A Pocketful of Light is available on Amazon.com and in local stores. So exciting! The reviews so far have been favorable and I've been working hard handing out review copies to local stores and awaiting their reactions.

Check it out today and see if you're inspired to travel to Italy!

Two More Books on Smashwords!!

2011-05-05T08:00:00.000-04:00

NEWS FLASH:

The Word That You Heard and A Pocketful of Light are both available in various electronic formats at Smashwords!

You can download a free sample before you buy, and you can choose from reading it on screen in html or javascript, or download it for your Kindle or as an ePub, RTF, LRF, PalmDoc or view it as plain text. You can even have it in pdf format. Smashwords offers the most electronic formats so there's one for everyone.

Through June 30, please use the following coupon codes to save an additional 25%:

The Word That You Heard: YN76D
A Pocketful of Light: LD38T
(clicking on a title above takes you straight to the Smashwords page for that book)

These coupon codes reduce the already low price from $5.95 to $4.46 per copy. Outstanding!!

Coupon for Bookworms Anonymous Ebook!

2011-05-03T23:43:00.000-04:00

Announcing a special deal for anyone who notices:

40% off Bookworms Anonymous eBooks! This means the already low eprice has been reduced to just $4.17! That's a deal so good, you wouldn't read about it!

To redeem, simply go to www.smashwords.com, search for Bookworms Anonymous, (or just click here: Bookworms Anonymous), choose your preferred format, buy the book, and enter this coupon code: PU69W

Don't wait too long...it expires June 30, 2011.

Share this information with your friends! Save money and read a great book.

We made....the....LIST!

2011-04-25T19:16:00.000-04:00

One of my obsessive compulsive neurotic tendencies is my book-checking ritual on Amazon. I go to www.amazon.com, type in my name in the search bar and wait for my books to appear. Then I click on each one, checking the sales ranking and hoping there's a new review posted by a dear, thoughtful reader. Usually, there are no new reviews and the sales rankings display numbers so large it's difficult to fathom how many books I'd have to beat to improve my numbers.

Today when I checked, though, I was pleasantly surprised to see a Listmania! list created by J. Whitford of Falls Church, VA, featuring Bookworms Anonymous! I'm not kidding--check it out here: J. Whitford's Listmania List. I tried to contact J. Whitford but couldn't find an email listed on the Amazon profile. I found a comment regarding listmaking--one of my favorite pasttimes. I think J. Whitford and I might have a lot in common.

So, thank you, J. Whitford, and if you happen to read this, please know that I appreciate your public acknowledgment and praise of my book. I'm so glad to know people in book clubs are reading my work and enjoying it!

Thank you, thank you and thank you.

The Invention of Everything Else

2011-04-24T11:20:00.000-04:00

This novelized version of Nikola Tesla's last days provides a painless history lesson and a glimpse of what might have been, had his lab been suitably funded to build everything he imagined. It's disconcerting to contemplate the possibilities of free, wireless electricity for everyone (surely that would have been impossible, right?) and the numerous patents and inventions for which he didn't receive credit. Tesla's fictional encounters with a curious chamber maid at the Hotel New Yorker are interspersed with his reveries, hallucinations and imaginings. I found myself wishing I could meet and converse with Mr. Tesla.

Tesla's personal views on love (a distraction that detracts from thought and innovation), vegetarianism (for it), and capitalism (against it) as well as his obsessive-compulsive tendencies (the number 3 and germs) captured him in a realistic dimension.

The only part I didn't enjoy, and the reason I'm giving this review four rather than five stars, is the storyline about the chamber maid's home life and father, particularly the part about the time machine. This portion of the story weakened the impact of the overall book.

A Pocketful of Light

2011-02-06T16:48:00.000-05:00

My third book, A Pocketful of Light, is at the editors' right now undergoing major surgery. It has been put out of my misery briefly, to be inspected and incised by others. I'm enjoying a light and airy feeling of irresponsibility and aimlessness.

A Pocketful of Light is the story of my trip to Italy with my daughter and includes some great travel and travel-planning tips, suggestions and (of course) a recipe.

Watch for more news on here (and on the 'What I'm Writing' page) as I get closer to publication!

My Favorite Polygamist

2011-01-30T10:16:00.001-05:00

Golden Richards, it appears, lives a charmed life. He maintains three households, four wives, and innumerable children and a contracting/construction business. He's also involved in the hierarchy of his church, where his impressive number of wives boosts his prestige. One would think since he's never alone, he wouldn't be lonely. Upon examining Golden's life the reader discovers the myriad challenges of sustaining multiple families, attending sporting events, dramatic performances and family meetings, all the while wishing desperately for a few minutes alone to think private thoughts and reflect on his lot in life.

I read this one as slowly as possible and was still disappointed when it ended.
Brady Udall surpassed himself this time and created a shelf-worthy masterpiece.

This tale will earn the Bookworms Anonymous Stamp Of Approval, I'm sure, as soon as the remaining Bookworms finish reading it and we hold a proper vote.See www.bookwormsanonymous.com for a list of all books that have earned the Stamp of Approval and books that are contenders.

Wealth, Entitlement, Human Condition

2010-12-11T10:07:00.000-05:00

The back of this book doesn't do the story inside justice. It's difficult, though, to write an accurate synopsis, review or even publicity teaser for this book without giving anything away. This is the type of story that should be discovered by the reader as it unfolds. To elude to the deeper experiences of the protagonist's life would be to cripple the reader and jeopardize her enjoyment.

I apologize for the cryptic review. If you're still waffling about reading this book, consider this: it contains witty prose and dialogue throughout--the author presents a never-flagging, continuous onslaught of salacious phrasing and pithy observations. It also explores family dynamics, the mantel of privilege and celebrity, travel, war, death and bravery. Most of it takes place on Martha's Vinyard and the East Coast.

Enjoy the ride.

Paper vs. Screen

2010-12-07T17:54:00.003-05:00

I love paper. Books, calendars, cards, maps, files, cardstock, vellum, grid paper, plain paper, colored paper. I love its smoothness and openness, its readiness to transform into something different, according to my imagination. Its ability to fold and hold a new shape. Its scent. I have a whole closet dedicated to paper and rubber stamps, waiting for my next creative urge to overtake me and compel me to dig out ribbons, glitter, glue and ink and paper, wonderful paper.

My husband knows I love paper, and he knows I love to read. Books, that is. I'm not much of a news follower (too depressing) and I only subscribe to a select number of magazines (fewer than 3!), which I peruse noncommitally each month. He also knows I love gadgets of the elctronic persuasion, so he bought me a Kindle. I've been salivating over the Kindle for months now--since it first came out--but was reluctant to put my money on something that would actually decrease my contact with paper books. It doesn't smell like a book; it doesn't rest in one hand like a book (no binding); and you can only loan titles for a specific amount of time to friends' Kindles.

However, the Kindle has several redeeming characteristics I am obliged to illuminate:
1. The screen does resemble ink on a page (they aren't exaggerating--it's amazing how real it looks)
2. The Kindle retains your place--no bookmark needed. It will retain your place in all of the books or periodicals you open and begin reading.
3. The classics are free--ever wish you'd read Charles Dickens? Leo Tolstoy? Jane Austen? They're all here, and they're all free. Everything published before 1923 is free.
4. The reader controls the font size. That's right--no more squinting at tiny font or wearing yourself out flipping pages with large print!
5. It keeps your books organized in categories, named by you, so you can easily find them again. Or you can leave them listed willy-nilly on the screen, in the order in which they were purchased, if that is your style.
6. It's easier to read in low light. A light is necessary--it can't be read under the covers or anything--but it's slightly brighter than a real page.
7. The Kindle book store never closes and boasts most titles at the ready for downloading at a moment's notice or a reader's whim.
8. I almost forgot about the free samples--just like a book store, you can browse a selection for free by downloading a free sample of the first few pages of a book before deciding whether or not to purchase the whole thing.

So, if you've been considering a Kindle, take the risk! Don't be afraid. It makes a great traveling companion.

An Irresistible Story

2010-12-06T17:59:00.001-05:00

Remember Home Ec class? In addition to learning how to maintain a home and prepare meals and desserts, students had to care for a simulated baby for a week or two. The baby might be an egg, a doll or even just a journal in which each action could be recorded, but the general principle and restrictions of adult responsibility were thus taught and (hopefully) learned. Imagine having a practice baby: a real live, human bundle of squalling, demanding responsibility counting on college students for basic survival and nurture. This is the premise of The Irresistible Henry House by Lisa Grunwald, based on a real program run in the 50's and 60's at certain Midwest colleges or universities.

Henry House, the main character, is the practice baby who remained to be raised by the house mother and subsequent students, and this is the story of his development and the effects of enjoying the attentions of multiple mothers while forming an attachment to no one.

So far, three Bookworms have read this book and we predict it will earn the Bookworms Anonymous Stamp of Approval. Watch the website for news in the next few months: http://www.bookwormsanonymous.com/

Bookworms Anonymous Meeting

2010-11-22T06:44:00.000-05:00

We enjoyed yet another successful Bookworms Anonymous Meeting the other night--Christine is cooking her way through a cookbook called Vegetarian Traditions and she prepared and served a four-star meal, with Almond-Crusted Tofu appearing as the celebrity.

To read about the meeting itself and our fabulous group of seven readers, check out the website www.bookwormsanonymous.com and go to the page "News and Events". To see which books are touring through the club right now, click on the page "What We're Reading" (I know, you'd have figured that one out, but I didn't want you to miss it!).

Winter is knocking on our door now, so it's time to prepare for hibernation. Luckily I have a grand collection of books to keep me sane, or at least as close as possible, and we have one more Bookworms Anonymous meeting scheduled before Christmas to anticipate and enjoy.

Memorable Memoirs

2010-11-21T10:02:00.000-05:00

I just finished reading two memoirs, each one interesting and completely different from the other. The first one I read was Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs by Heather Lende, which takes place in Haines, Alaska. We just returned from a visit to Haines in August, and I bought this book as a gift for my friend who was taking good care of my dog while we traveled. We frequently buy each other books so we can swap them at the next Bookworms Anonymous meeting, which is how I came to read this one (www.bookwormsanonymous.com). Heather recounts her life-threatening, life-altering, life-affirming accident and her rescue and recovery, as well as other events over the span of about two years, sharing her daily life, funny and sad moments and her spiritual growth. She depicts her small, friendly town well--I felt like I was there again and longed to return, to meet more people and maybe even meet Heather at the Mountain Market for a cup of coffee.

After Heather's spirit-lifting tale I began reading At Least in the City Someone Would Hear Me Scream by Wade Rouse. This hilarious tale takes place in southern Michigan, near the Saugatuck-Douglas area, and it's about Wade's and his partner Gary's quest to live a Thoreau-esque life by leaving behind all of their "urban tchotchke" and living the simple life in a cabin in the woods. Wade's recounting of their adventures in WalMart and gardening and his descriptions of everything from the locals' appearances and attitudes to his own wardrobe had me laughing out loud. Gary channels Lucy Ricardo, seeking guidance on social etiquette and expectations. He intersperses his own tale with passages from Thoreau's Walden, and shares some of his childhood angst and the challenges and prejudice he faced growing up gay. I recommend this to anyone who needs a good belly laugh--it's like a sitcom in print.

The $4.99 mood lifter

2010-10-16T06:41:00.001-04:00

If anyone out there still doesn't own an Easy button from Staples, it's time to drive to your nearest Staples (I drove all the way to Grand Rapids, 5 hours each way, so don't try to say you don't have one close enough) and buy one. Better yet, buy a couple in case your friend/enemy/babysitter/accountant/co-worker/mailman/telephone repairman/step-cousin-in-law needs one too. Whoever invented this button deserves a huge bonus and a large raise for brightening up millions of people's lives with the simple three word phrase "that was easy".

For those of you not in the know, the Easy button is a large red button, attractive and friendly in a technologically keen way, sitting anywhere you might need it, that, when pressed, states in a matter-of-fact masculine voice, "that was easy". The button begs to be pressed, performs every time on time, and does so in a consistently cheerful manner. It's fun, it's functional and it's cheap humor therapy.

We were discussing the merits of the Easy button at work the other day when someone said, "boy, it's not very often you hear that phrase anymore. Everything is becoming more and more difficult." I told him, "you need a button. That's the whole point--stop seeing the difficulty in everything and embrace the easy tasks!" Any large, difficult task can be broken down into small steps--the more difficult the task, the more steps--but each time a small step is completed, it merits a pressing of the Easy button. Hence, the more difficult the task, the more times you get to hear "that was easy" so the easier it is! Everyone needs one of these things. Even if a task is truly difficult, once it's over, it's no longer difficult because it's completed. Time to press the button. Go ahead, it's free (the 4 AA batteries last a llloooonnnggg time). Press it twice. That was easy.

Whose Dictionary Are You Using?

2010-10-15T06:49:00.001-04:00

I attended a seminar yesterday in which the facilitator used the word 'profusively' five times. We were updating our CPR training, and the question was: "if you happen upon a scene were a victim is bleeding profusively, what do you do?" I thought: before or after I correct his grammar? Oh, wait, bleeding is more important than made-up words. Then I thought: Incorrect syntax is preventable, correctable and curable. After performing CPR and saving the profusively bleeding victim's life, I can then offer some grammar lessons. I'm sure the victim would be grateful, or at least willing to listen out of a sense of guilt or courtesy. Next time the victim would bleed profusely and I wouldn't be distracted.

Another of my pet peeve made-up words is supposably. How did this happen? There's no ab! It's an ed. It's actually easier to pronounce it correctly, supposedly, than it is to replace ed with ab. I guess this one isn't technically a made-up word, it's just crippled by BPS, Bastardized Pronunciation Syndrome. It's a common affliction for sesquipedalian words.

Country Mice in the City

2010-10-08T18:39:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow I embark on a journey to the city. Chicago! Named for a wild onion, it's the city of big shoulders and wind and it's my favorite major US city (I've been to NYC, LA, St Louis and Orlando, so those are the comps). My sister, daughter and I will stay just outside the city itself and take the train in every day as if we're commuting. We'll stroll the Mag Mile and State Street, take in a show at the Briar Street Theatre and eat lunch at Ed Debevic's. It's October so we will enjoy a color tour all the way there and back and we can leave our outer layers at home.

We'll stop at a Borders Books. This alone is worth the 8-hour drive, each way, so we can sit on the second floor drinking coffee in the window and watching people scurry by on the pavement below. We'll shop at Macy's. Macy's! And the fabulous Columbus Day Sale! Oh, to live in a place with stores. I'm also bringing three of my books to leave in various strategic locations for someone to pick up and read.

This, the eve of a trip to the city, makes me wonder what it would be like to live in an urban place. It seems glamorous from here, tucked into the woods where the only culture is the free karaoke performance at the bar. I'm sure I'd take in a play at least once a month and rarely eat dinner at the same place, cook less often than I do now (it's become my least favorite chore) and buy fresh flowers from the corner stand regularly. I'd probably dress better--a Life Is Good T-shirt would not be considered dressy casual in a city--and I'd know all of the train schedules, which taxis are the fastest, and the shortest routes on the safest streets. I would be just one more anonymous soul trying to get through the day with no one asking me how I like my new job or if I've seen the new hairstyle of the girl at the gas station.

I'd miss the trees. And my routine: a five-minute, five-mile commute to work on a two-lane road canopied by maple trees much of the way, mine frequently the only vehicle on the entire route. I run out the door most mornings, my boots untied and coat half-on, turn up the radio to hear 5% of the news events occurring in the world, none of which impact our lives here, and which my commute was longer so I could hear the rest of the story. I always see Mrs. Goetz in her window, watching me turn toward work, so she can later report to me what time I arrived every day last week. She's pretty accurate--if any local employers are considering time clocks, they should just hire her. She'd also be a reliable alibi corroborator if one had driven by her house at the time of the murder. She'd remember, down to the minute, what time she spied the vehicle and which direction it was headed.

But I digress. We are traveling to the city, it will be fabulous, then we will travel home and it will be even more fabulous for the brief interlude of urban sophistication.

Authorial Connections

2010-10-03T13:17:00.000-04:00

The internet certainly shrinks the world. I just received an email from author Deborah Clearman, who stumbled upon my Bookworms Anonymous website and wanted me to know she thinks the idea of Bookworms Anonymous is fabulous and she has just published a book, which she wants me to review.

I already ordered her book, Todos Santos, and look forward to reading it--check it out by clicking on the link here--the story sounds intriguing and I can't wait to start!

Reading is such a solitary pursuit, it's easy to forget to acknowledge the writer after enjoying a book. I've been trying to post more book reviews on amazon.com and contact more authors of works I've enjoyed because positive feedback is so energizing and motivating, I'm hoping the authors I contact will immediately return to the computer and start composing another book, bigger and even better than their last. Posting a review is also a way for the reader to connect back to the writer in a personal manner without much effort.

In this age of electronic communication, we should use it to forge new connections and give back a tiny bit to the authors who have affected our lives so profoundly (or even just affected our lives for an afternoon, allowing a brief escape and a good belly laugh).

So read on! Then, take a moment a post a quick review, even if you didn't purchase the book on Amazon.

Crazy Chutney Recipe

2010-09-23T17:50:00.002-04:00

Jean served this absolutely fabulous chutney at our last Bookworms Anonymous meeting and I feel compelled to share it with the world:

Jean's Absolutely Fabulous Chutney

12 cups yellow squash
4 large onions
2 red peppers
2 green peppers
2 tsp salt
6 cups sugar (yes, 6 cups!)
2 1/2 cups white vinegar
1 TBLS mustard seed
3/4 tsp tumeric
1 TBLS celery seed
1 tsp black pepper

Peel (if necessary) and cut all veggies into small bite-sized pieces. Mix all ingredients together. Bring to boil and reduce heat; cook slowly for 20 minutes.

Seal in jars and immediately turn each jar upside down. Serve with everything. Makes 8 pints.

Jean served this alongside her fabulous smothered whitefish fillets, which were basically a bunch of pan-fried fillets layered in a casserole dish, then covered with gently cooked cherry tomato halves, garlic and Kalamata olives, with a few grinds of fresh black pepper. So good you'll fall off your chair.

UP Living

2010-09-20T19:40:00.000-04:00

Some days it's easier to remember why we live here, and today was one of those days. Autumn is just peeking through, painting random leaves and gracing us with bright sunshine and cool, crisp days. The tourists are gone now so there's no traffic, no need to lock anything, and I can leave my purse in the truck without worrying whether it'll still be there when I return. The temperature is perfect for light activities, there's no wind and everything smells of earthy, rotting leaves. I spent the day designing five different electric services, driving from one beautiful hunting camp to the next, from the hardwoods to the rocky beach of Lake Huron.

Then I came home and sat on the porch, reading my book (remember, reading outside is an extreme sport) in the sun with a cup of coffee. Heaven.

Today was the kind of day I want to tuck into my back pocket and retrieve next February when we're buried beneath six feet of snow and the newscasters are advising us to stock up on supplies (every good Yooper is always stocked up on supplies, so this dire announcement usually doesn't inspire any action, just humor).

Superfluous Apostrophes

2010-09-17T18:47:00.000-04:00

My new job entails driving to a lot of remote camps and summer homes on roads with no posted names too narrow to pass another truck unless one backs up to the nearest wide spot or driveway to allow the other one by. I've always had a pet peeve for superfluous apostrophes, but this peeve has blossomed into a full-blown affliction, rapidly approaching syndrome-class. It seems of the obviously-wealthier-than-the-locals summer people, able to afford a second home on the water in the pristine Upper Peninsula and bent on plastering their name on every sign post at ever intersection, at least 95% of them put an apostrophe before the S to pluralize their surnames. For example, the sign might say "Welcome to the Harrison's" or simply "The Mason's". These signs were created with posterity in mind, painted brilliantly or carved, and are very difficult to correct. I'm thinking of carrying an entire palette of paints with me, and a portable router or sander so I can paint over or buff out the glaring apostrophes. My only other option would be to carry a selection of slabs and replace each incorrect sign I find, and see if the owners ever noticed the difference. Or maybe I could make up little laminated notes explaining the apostrophe's purpose and its straightforward rules for use and post them near the offending signs. I suppose I'll go on tolerating the blatant apostrophical abuse and occasionally vent about it here and at Bookworms Anonymous meetings.

Why would you want to advertise your punctuational ineptness to the world? Vexing.

Improve your reality--read a book

2010-09-16T18:21:00.001-04:00

I don't know who this woman is--she appears in a few of my great-grandmother's photos, none with any clue as to her identity, but she always looks the same. Her facial expression inspired me to create a few different bookmarks in the fashion of Maxine, the saucy old cartoon lady of Hallmark fame.

Right now I'm escaping from reality by reading Julie and Julia, by Julie Powell, about the year she cooked every single recipe in Mastering the Art of French Cooking. It's fabulous! I love the way Julie writes, and although we would probably not be friends (she makes no secret about her democratic political leanings, and although I have plenty of democrat friends, it works because we don't mention politics), I am really enjoying this voyeuristic view of her life in New York City and her flashbacks to various childhood scenes. I've read a few memoirs in the past year, and a few books about cooking in the past year, and these two subjects may be my current obsession. I had a long-lived fascination with all things Jewish for a while and read everything I could find about Jewish families and their intricate rituals (Bee Season by Myla Goldberg comes readily to mind, but there were many). Even though I'm not Jewish, will never be Jewish, and don't even know any Jewish people, I was compelled to read novels populated with Jews. Now it's cooking. I don't like to cook and cook only to prolong my life and avoid headaches from low blood sugar, but I'm fascinated for some reason by people who like to cook so much they actually write about it. And, it's interesting when they do it! Way more interesting than when I'm cooking.

So, if you haven't read this one yet, I recommend it for the reading pile. If' you're cooking-obsessed, you may also like The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry which is another cooking-themed memoir by a woman who was lucky enough to lose her job at a point when she was able to move to Paris and attend Le Cordon Bleu for a year. I'm sure now, if there was ever a doubt, I do not want to go to cooking school, but her journey through it will improve reality, at least for a short while.

Historical Event at Bookworms Anonymous

2010-09-12T21:49:00.000-04:00

I just returned home from the monthly Bookworms Anonymous meeting and I'm proud to announce we had a historical event at the meeting: THREE books were granted the Bookworms Anonymous Stamp of Approval, and we voted to further categorize the award-winning books so we can have several lists of similar-style books. So far, the categories are: High Literature, Mainstream Literature, Historical Fiction, Non-Fiction and Fluff.

The books we stamped tonight, and their respective categories, are:
This book was granted the Stamp of Approval for a few reasons:
1. It's by Anna Quindlen, one of the few authors we read that require no book review. When someone has a new Anna Quindlen book to pass around, we simply hold it aloft and say in a singsong voice: "It's the new Anna Quinnnnd-lennnn," and everyone reaches for it.
2. This particular AQ book caused everyone reading it to gasp aloud at a certain juncture. If you've read it, you know exactly what I'm talking about. I can't say anymore about it.
3. We are all mothers and this book is a heart wrenching tale of motherhood and the worst fears realized.
4. It has an attractive cover. Superficial, I know, but nonetheless important when deciding whether or not to buy or read a book (unless, as mentioned above, it's written by Anna Quindlen).
5. Every Last One, by Anna Quindlen (yes, I like her name and feel obliged to keep mentioning it) was granted the Bookworms Stamp of Approval in the Mainstream Literature category.

This book was granted the Bookworms Stamp of Approval mainly for its vocabulary and the well developed, complicated characters who populate the book.

Keep a dictionary handy when reading this tome--even a reader with an unnaturally large vocabulary will need to reference at least two words. The writing is rich and distinguished and the speediest reader will find themselves halting mid-paragraph to reflect on a well worded passage or enjoy a turn of phrase.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Murel Barbery, was granted the Bookworms Stamp of Approval in the High Literature category (this category features highly intellectual themes and/or superior vocabulary).

This is the book that precluded the need for Stamp of Approval categories, and the first book in the Fluff category.

It's a story about a family in the Pacific northwest with three children, all with shades of green for names: Olive, Forest and Jade. The mother is experiencing a midlife crisis and handles it by painting pictures of withered raisins enjoying various human pursuits such as sunbathing and shopping. Forest is living in the wilderness in a primitive shelter and Jade frequently provides food and clothing for him.

It's a light, engaging story perfect for sandwiching between two heavier subjects populated with delightful characters and funny incidents.

Go ahead, start reading...

Ready, Set, Change Career

2010-09-09T19:25:00.001-04:00

All my life I've worked inside. I've been a waitress, a grocery cashier, a credit union teller, accounting clerk, accounting manager, internal auditor, and an electric utility company member service representative. Now I wear work boots (!!) and have a company truck with a tool box to accommodate my sledge hammer and brush axe. I still have a clipboard. It helps me recognize myself when I picture myself in my mind's eye slogging through the brush, jumping ditches and annihilating small trees and branches that have committed the crime of blocking my vision from one stake to another.

I'm a staking technician: the person (no longer the 'guy') who travels to potential job sites, usually alone, sometimes meeting a homeowner or electrician, to design new electric services, service upgrades or power line extensions or rebuilds. Luckily, I do this in Michigan's Upper Peninsula where the most likely potential threats aren't man or machine, but wolf or bear. Or domestic dogs, unchained and salivating, rushing to defend their patch of crabgrass decorated with their own leavings. This is where my brush axe becomes a multitasking defense implement that so far I haven't had to utilize beyond brandishing it in a threatening manner. Dogs are easily impressed with long, swinging sticks with gleaming metal ends.

I'm the first woman to hold this position in my 72-year-old company. I don't feel as if I'm breaking down barriers, just quietly enjoying the challenges of a physically and mentally demanding job. I'm 40, and I've convinced myself it's a good time of life to drastically switch careers and also to do something outside with the hope of maintaining my slowly ebbing physique. My education is not in engineering but in business management, with very little math, which turns out to be a regrettable disadvantage. But I'm having fun. Each assignment is its own project, much like a puzzle or mind-boggling riddle, and merits its own file filled with color-coded documents and drawings (I'm no artist but my sketches are improving--should have taken drafting as well as trigonometry) with a clear end, when I can close the file and stash it away in the 'finished' section of the drawer.

Every day brings a new puzzle requiring a creative solution and I approach it with interest and intensity.

Another Gloomy Day in Paradise

2010-09-06T09:24:00.000-04:00

Yes, it's raining again. The three day holiday weekend, at least in the easternmost tip of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, featured two rain days and a day of wind. A great writing weekend, but not useful for many outdoor activities. It doesn't seem time yet to wish summer a happy retirement, but the immediate forecast is bleak: rain, rain and more rain.

I finished reading Little Bee by Chris Cleave and it is truly wonderful. If anyone out there hasn't read it yet, make it a priority! I can't say what it's about, but one passage in the beginning of the book stuck with me. It's paraphrased here, but the general idea is when you see a scar on someone, it is a sign of beauty because scars don't form on the dying. Scars indicate the storyteller is still alive to tell the story. What a great way to look at scars! Cleave says the same thing about tears. There are many profound lessons within the covers of his book but to impart them would ruin the story for other readers.

The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker is my current read and it's another great one! I put off reading this one for several months because the cover is disturbing--but I discovered reading the first page was enough to consume my interest for an entire rainy morning. Grab a cup of coffee and get comfy in your favorite chair. Prepare to meet some interesting characters!

Now, to turn my attention back to my work in progress...must keep slogging through the first draft of my newest book (straightening back, cracking knuckles, transforming expression to one of concentration and intense focus).

Writing Weather

2010-09-04T14:27:00.000-04:00

It's a grand day for writing. The wind is whipping the trees around (no power outages at our house yet, but there's still hope) and the rain comes and goes so it's impossible to conduct any outdoor activities. The clouds are cruising west to east so fast they look like the time release camera shots on reality TV shows, the sun only winking at us now and then. It's sweatshirt weather, and it's about time! We've had a long, hot summer but it's been so nice for so long, I'm ready for a stormy day.

The muse likes days like this. It's easy to motivate oneself to write, to work on the latest story or novel, when the air is calm and comfortable inside and I can draw energy from the invigorating weather outside the window. And it's a three day weekend! Maybe we'll have three days of crazy weather and I'll finish my entire project and arrive at work Tuesday morning full of energy.

The only other appropriate activity for days like this is reading. I'm currently reading Little Bee by Chris Cleave, and if you haven't read it yet, get yourself a copy today. It's fabulous. I'm only on chapter three but I'm totally sucked in. The back cover reads: We don't want to tell you what happens in this book. It is a truly special story and we don't want to spoil it. Nevertheless, you need to know enough to buy it, so we will just say this: This is the story of two women. Their lives collide one fateful day, and one of them has to make a terrible choice, the kind of choice we hope you never have to face. Two years later, they meet again--the story starts there... Once you have read it, you'll want to tell your friends about it. When you do, please don't tell them what happens. The magic is in how the story unfolds.

Sorry, but I have chosen to honor the author's (and marketer's) wishes and not reveal any further information. Go get this book and read it yourself, but if it's a nice day outside, you'll have to carry it outside with you because you won't want to put it down.