AUGUST 2015 BOOK SELECTION & BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

This month I unintentionally immersed myself in historical fiction. Two books, different subject matter, different time periods but alike in style.

The first is The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley. Set both in present day and in early 17^th Century Scotland, the first person narrative shifts between two characters connected by ancestry and a mystical “genetic memory.” The 17^th Century character finds herself in the middle of James Vlll’s quest for the throne of England and Scotland. The present day character is an author writing about the same time period and a descendant of the 17^th century one. Confused yet? Actually this author has been compared to Daphne du Maurier and sorts this confusion rather well. It’s clear that her research is impeccable and very interesting if you are a history nerd. Guilty. My only problem was with the constantly shifting narrative voice. I found myself caring more about the outcome for one character than the other. Still, if you like the Outlander series (which is set a bit later), you’ll like this.

The second is The Dream Lover: a Novel by Elizabeth Berg. Based on the life of Aurore Dupin, aka George Sand, the French novelist and memoirist who lived in the 19^th Century, Berg, like Kearsley has done superb research. Paris in the 1800’s comes alive on the page as does Sand. Her incredibly scandalous, bohemian, in-your-face lifestyle was shocking for the times and fascinating now. She dressed as a man for the comfort and quality of life it brought her during a restrictive and oppressive time for women. You can’t help but cheer her incredible spirit. Again the author chooses to move back and forth in time, this time between the childhood of the girl Aurore and the adult authoress Sand. I found this somewhat confusing, but overall, Berg, a favorite, does not disappoint.

It was a year ago, this month, that I first decided to do Book Selections. I think it fitting to choose my Best of the Year Award. Without question, this goes to Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. Nothing else comes close. 

The First Time

It is the dead of summer in the deep South. Always warm, now the days scorch us with blistering sun and drench us with humidity. Wet underwear is the gift (Ha!) of even an early morning walk.

As the heat lessens somewhat and the shelter of shadows lengthen, the late afternoons become a good time to run errands, dog-walk and water drooping flowers. Yesterday, I stepped outside to grab that last bag of groceries. It was late for shopping, even in this heat. I was stopped by cicada’s song. It was overwhelmingly beautiful. It reverberated around me in a cocoon of sound. Loud. Reverent. A symphony.

Suddenly, I was transported back to my childhood. Playing tag with my brothers just before dark, letting fireflies light on my fingers, the velvet dark a secret place. Golden lit windows were beacons of all that waited inside…dinner, parents, cool sheets. But outside. Outside. Fragrant, sharp smell of cut grass, honeysuckle sweet on the lips, tomatoes bursting with tangy juice running down my chin. All that and more, rushing back to me in that moment.

This morning, though still hot, I felt (sensed, smelled?) the first tingle of fall on an unexpected, errant wind.

They say if you really live in every moment, experience what you observe and feel as if for the first time, every time, it is grace.

Wow. Those cicadas.

magical dragonfly

The Soul should always stand ajar
That if the Heaven inquire
He will not be obliged to wait
                                -Emily Dickinson (1055, 1896)

JULY 2015 BOOK SELECTIONS: STILL LIFE WITH BREAD CRUMBS & DELICIOUS!

Actually I have read or listened to four-plus books this month but that would have been way too long of a title. I don't believe in bashing other authors in print (karma and all that), so I have only included my favorites.

First, on the recommendation of a friend, I read Unwritten by Charles Martin. I felt the beginning of the book did not show the promise of the full text. Initially disappointed, I later particularly enjoyed the descriptions of France. It was an insider’s view and worth a look, if for nothing else, for that alone. Very cinematic.

Next was the novel, Still Life With Bread Crumbs by Anna Quindlen. Quindlen, a Pulitzer Prize winning columnist, never disappoints. Still Life examines the life of a once well-known photographer and her journey, born of necessity, into a totally new way of living. The theme seems to be a recognition that life can continue to surprise, overwhelm, challenge and evolve. I absolutely loved it.

 

I can’t leave this author without mentioning another favorite: A Short Guide to a Happy Life. I am not usually a fan of this type of book but this one is a big exception. It should be required reading. The title says it all.

It was a true pleasure reading Delicious! by Ruth Reichl. If you are a foodie, so much the better. But, that is by no means a disclaimer. Whether you are a “foodie” or not, this book delights.  It engages with its lightness at the beginning but becomes an intriguing mystery as the story progresses. Reichl is the former Editor in Chief of Gourmet Magazine. Although a published author, this is her first work of fiction. Recommend.

The Power of Storytelling

Every time we open a book, a newspaper, a reading device... or turn on television, a computer or phone, we are exposed to stories. Whether it’s news or literature, fiction, non-fiction, sit-com or reality show, Facebook or Instagram or any other configuration, we are constantly processing information. We are bombarded, really.

Somehow, often we receive information even though we don’t consciously read or pursue it. It just filters in. I’m thinking recently about the young boy who helped his brother bomb the Boston Marathon. I “know” without reading or actively pursuing the story, that he has been sentenced to death and that he apologized for his actions…. That he was sorry. How do I know this? I honestly have no idea. I just have the information.

I say this because I realize how vulnerable we are to this information influx. It’s wonderful when you want it…. But when you don’t? Scientists say that the human brain is constantly seeking information… and I have to say I think this is true when observing everyone with their heads constantly buried in their hand-held devices.

What also seems evident to me is the need to set up some parameters for oneself. I really DON’T EVEN WANT TO KNOW who the Kardashians are, or the housewives of NYC, LA, Atlanta, etc. but I do! How do I? I don’t know, and that is disturbing on so many levels. LOL! So how do you set up your own filter?

I came across the idea of Stillness from an interview with Pico Iyer I intentionally watched. I think the idea is to set aside all the accoutrement of our lives, if even for a few minutes a day. Shut it out. Be still. Be. Recognize your separateness. I guess it’s as simple as being responsible for the storytelling you do and for the storytelling you allow in. 

Every grain of sand is separate.

.

JUNE 2015 BOOK SELECTION- the precious one

Okay, it didn’t exactly make my heart sing but I really liked it. I read the precious one (no caps intended) by Marisa de los Santos. I have read this author’s work in the past, and enjoyed it and this new one did not disappoint. 

Ms. de los Santos has a real gift for language and unique storytelling. The characters are well-drawn, well- rounded and singular. There were no two-dimensional stereotypes thrown in to fill gaps in the storyline.

The story focuses on events occurring during a family gathering shown through the eyes of two different characters. The two are estranged sisters and we see their perspective through their thoughts and interactions.

Although the main action is in the present, revelations occur as the characters explore the past. Two sisters with the same father and different mothers experienced growing up as disparate as if they were on separate continents.

Recommend.

The Beauty of What We Don't Know

As I have written here before, I enjoy reading nearly all genres of literature. I have always particularly enjoyed those stories that have a bit of fantasy or mysticism. Not the heavy-handed, supernatural, mind you…Although, that has its place. The real world, if we observe closely, has magic in it everywhere we look. In every culture since the beginning of time, men have cited incidents of the unexplained. Even in our super-sonic, technology-driven, scientific civilization, we come upon things we can’t explain away. There will always be those that claim “coincidence” or “random occurrence,” but I think it belittles the magnificence and mystery of what we don’t know.

Last week I ran across a video a friend posted on Facebook of all things. I usually scroll quickly because of the time-suck factor of FB, but something made me stop and actually watch this five minute film. I’m so glad I did. I’m including the link for you if you are so inclined, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvwHHMEDdT0 , but if you don’t trust links, you can find it on youtube.com under: anna breytenbach animal communicator. It’s the story of an animal sanctuary and a black leopard who had been mistreated and found a home there.

I found the story incredibly moving, not just that the animal found a home, but that it opened up the idea of actual inter-species communication. Even if you don’t believe in it, it is fascinating to watch. I think it spoke to me so profoundly because my first book was written about this very topic. Maybe it’s a skill we once had and have forgotten. What a lovely idea.

                                   Spirit

MAY 2015 BOOK SELECTION - AT THE WATER'S EDGE

My book selection this month is At the Water’s Edge by Sara Gruen. You may recognize this writer from the novel, Water for Elephants which was made into a film. I don’t usually read brand new releases because I have such a backlog to read. However, this time, I ordered it from the public library…. I was about thirtieth in line… and thought I would not get it before Christmas. Lo and behold, it was available right away so I grabbed it. An easy read and an interesting story, I gobbled it down.

About halfway through the novel I made the mistake of reading a few reviews on Amazon. Big mistake. Here I was, enjoying the read and some reviewer dissed it. I found that it began to inform my enjoyment of the novel. In a perfect world, it shouldn’t have, and I don’t usually listen to reviews about movies or anything else. I try to form my own opinion. But it niggled at the back of my mind.

It was an epiphany for me.

So here’s the thing. I’m a writer, and because of that, I know the blood and sweat that goes into creating, shaping, editing, editing, editing, coddling and producing any work of fiction or non-fiction. I’ve been guilty of doing the very thing that I find so annoying… passing judgement on other people’s work… and in print no less. We all make book selections based on our tastes and interests. Who am I to tell you what’s NOT worth reading? So I won’t anymore. I will only print a Book Selection if I truly love a book. So the next time (after this month) I make a selection, it will be because it makes my heart soar.

So back to this, my final selection, until that time. I truly enjoyed At the Water’s Edge. It takes place during WWII in New York and moves to the Scottish Highlands. It was about human relationships, connections, humanity and what could happen when there is a lack of any of the three. There was a magical element to the story which added dimension and depth. Recommend.  

LOOK UP

Listen, I love technology as much as the next person. I even had a minor stint as a “gamer” on Facebook and learned soon how very quickly you can be sucked into those alternate worlds. I think it is a form of decompressing for people, a kind of meditation. But, time–suck doesn’t begin to cover it. Time-thief is more accurate. I finally, finally, finally moved on. No criticism, there are just so many other things I would rather be doing.

Like all of us, I see people of all ages continually bent over their mobile phones, attached to them at all times, walking, talking, eating, almost sleeping (Most certainly at the bedside). They are truly amazing and wonderful devices that give us instant gratification, immediate answers to any question, instant connection via call, email or text anywhere, anytime, to anyone. And if that’s not fast enough, some of us have Siri to tell us everything we need to know and where to go. Hey, and I’m not even talking apps.

The whole world is in our hand. But the trouble is it’s not. It’s not. It’s not. It’s a hand held device. It’s not real life. As much as I admire it, and truthfully love the applications, my phone is not my life.

It’s disturbing. My girlfriends go out to dinner and there is not a single time the phones don’t come out at some point. I’ve tried to instigate the, you look at your phone during dinner, you pay scenario, without success. Look around the next time you are in a restaurant and you will see what I mean.

All I’m saying, and to not belabor the point, what if the internet failed? In this age of super-hackers, it’s entirely possible. So Again, all I’m saying is look up. Even if just occasionally. What we have of life is right now. Look up. Look at the sky. Not a picture of it. Neil degrasse Tyson, an astrophysicist who is the new Carl Sagan, says every single time he goes outside, he looks at the sky. What a superb habit. It’s constantly changing. A wonder. Don’t miss your life. Look up.

APRIL 2015 BOOK SELECTION- SEQUELS

This month was for Book Two sequels of two well-known Young Adult (YA) trilogies. The first read was Insurgent which is the follow-up to blockbuster, made-into a-movie Divergent by Veronica Roth. 

I think it’s difficult to write a follow-up novel, especially if your first one is so well received. I would imagine it’s a lot of pressure for the author. The most enjoyable part of Insurgent was being able to continue to follow characters I was familiar with from the first book. I wanted them to succeed against the Dystopian “big brother.” Truthfully, I found the sequel a bit meandering and vague. This was probably due to what I perceived as strange phrasing and sentence structure. Still, it held my attention to the end. The film sequel was released at the same time with all the digital-other-worldly enhancements that offers. Not an amazing read but I will probably read the third book of the trilogy to find out how the characters end up. That’s saying something.

The second read was Crossed, book two of the trilogy beginning with Matched by Ally Condie. 

Such a well-written book. I enjoyed the first and was equally impressed with Crossed. It is not only well-written, but has quite beautiful language and adventure that does not disappoint. It examines human nature without proselytizing. It is timely in that it examines the philosophy of revolution without being heavy-handed. I couldn’t put this one down. This is YA Dystopian at its best in my opinion. I’m looking forward to Reached, the third book in the series. Not just for young adults. If you only choose one trilogy, this is it.

Seeking

I guess I would call myself a seeker. I am always looking for Answers, for Understanding, for Clarity. I want to know if there is a design and if so, a purpose in that design. I look up into the nighttime sky and think it would be ridiculous to think otherwise. There is definitely something.

I seek by listening to wise people or those considered spiritually enlightened. I seek by reading, reading, reading, not only fiction but reading for the truths that lie somewhere in most every author’s work. I am curious about their truth.

I work at not being judgmental. I work at not being around judgmental or negative people. Those that my mother would call a “vexation to the spirit.” She would advise me to nod at the good in them and move on. That was excellent advice.

I try to remember beauty by surrounding myself with it. This doesn’t mean I stick my head in the sand. It just means I try to sidestep violence if I can. There is enough difficulty around us every day without using it for entertainment. I try to remember beauty by watching that which elevates thought and by reading that which does the same. I remember beauty by being still.

I know all of this sounds rather esoteric. So be it. It has become my philosophy. Let me be the first to say I’m not entirely successful in any of this. Hardly. I guess it will always be a journey.

If I am indeed made of “star stuff,” I want to honor it.

MARCH 2015 BOOK SELECTION: MY TEMPORARY LIFE

I don’t use my Kindle too often. I really like it, but just prefer a book in my hands. When I travel, however, it’s wonderful. I have a whole library at my fingertips without the weight and bulk. So recently, when traveling, I ran across a book I had downloaded some time ago called My Temporary Life by Martin Crosbie. It was probably a free download so my expectation was not high.

I was immediately engrossed in the novel. As I was reading, I did a little research about it and ran across this: https://vimeo.com/48898277

In the video, Martin Crosbie talks about his road to publication. What was most surprising was his inability to find an agent, editor or publisher for this book after submitting around 130 times! I keep hearing this same story, over and over again. It seems agents and publishers, if they cannot categorize you in a specific genre, are reluctant to take a chance. Sure there are exceptions, but this is most often the case. Unless you are very lucky and/or persistent and/or a celebrity, you might as well save your time. It’s very disheartening, to say the least. Instead of giving up, Martin Crosbie finally chose to self-publish and became very successful. Okay, I’m off the soapbox.

I loved this book. It’s true it starts as a coming-of-age story and develops into something else, a mystery, a love story, a thriller. But he didn’t lose me. Instead I was pulled forward and in couldn’t-put-it-down mode. It was clear, well-written and fast-paced with well-defined, rich characters. I liked it so much I bought it in book form as well. Highly recommend.

Kudos, Mr. Crosbie, for not giving up.

Arts in the City

I had the opportunity to travel to New York City this month and in spite of the horrendous weather, I jumped at the chance. Was it cold? Yes. Did the wind attempt to find its icy way through any chink in clothing? Yes. But I was prepared. With a mid-calf coat with a hood, scarf, gloves, hat and several layers underneath, I ventured forth and was not disappointed.

I’ve been going to NYC since I was probably around seven years old. My mother and my sister would stop there when we were on our way to visit relatives in New Hampshire. That’s when I got my first taste of Broadway theatre and the magic of the city. There were many years when I was not able to go so the visits became all the sweeter when I could.

This visit proved to be short but full of delights. In the past, I have made my trips with friends who like museums and the theatre, but were just as content to wander the streets and enjoy the shopping and food. That’s all well and good when the weather is nice, but this frigid time was not conducive to strolling. Fast walking. Very fast walking. In four days, I was able to see two amazing plays and four museums. We probably would have gone to at least one more play but travel home became tenuous due to airline cancellations and prevented our last outing.

The first play was A Delicate Balance with Glenn Close, John Lithgow and Lindsay Duncan. An extraordinary set and a master class in acting. The play by Edward Albee won the Pulitzer when first produced on Broadway. The second was Elephant Man with Bradley Cooper, Alessandro Nivola and Patricia Clarkson. All were splendid. I have never been a particular Bradley Cooper fan but I have to say he was nothing short of brilliant in the role of John Merrick. I have never been so moved by a performance.

The museums we visited were: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Frick, The Museum of Natural History & Hayden Planetarium, and the Museum of Modern Art. I have been to all of these before with the exception of the Natural History. But as you know if you have been, once is never enough. The experience of seeing so many master works in such a short time left me overwhelmed. Van Gogh, Gauguin, Matisse, Monet, Turner, Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec, Wyeth and so many more.  To see even one of these paintings would have been a thrill. Then, seeing the actual skeletons of dinosaurs (a lifelong dream), the butterfly sanctuary (where exotic butterflies literally floated all around you) and a spectacular show about Dark Matter and Dark Energy narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson left me breathless. I guess I’m blithering now. I am still so full of the experience I will need time to process it, if I ever do.

                                           

                                        A Sunday on La Grande Jatte- Georges Seurat

FEBRUARY 2015 BOOK SELECTIONS: MATCHED & WATCH ME

Two books this month and they couldn’t be more different.

My first choice was Matched by Ally Condi. Matched is the first book of a Young Adult Trilogy which continues with Crossed and concludes with Reached. Because I write Middle Grade, Young Adult and Adult fiction, all of these genres interest me. I like keeping up with what is popular and selling to a particular target audience, thus Matched. 

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I love when reality exceeds expectation. The story takes place in a Dystopian society in which individual choice has been removed. Everything, from food and occupation to your mate is selected for you. Even your dreams are not your own. The author created a believable, fully realized world… no easy task. The heroine starts to question her life because of a verse of poetry by Dylan Thomas, “Do not go gentle…,” given to her by her dying grandfather. Well-written and fast paced, it was an interesting and well-crafted read. Kudos to Ally Condi. I’m intrigued.

Recommend.

My next selection was the memoir, Watch Me by Anjelica Huston. I have always admired Ms. Huston’s acting talent and thought her life story would be interesting.  Apparently this is her second memoir, the first being A Story Lately Told: Coming of Age in Ireland, London, and New York which concentrated on her early life. 

Watch Me centers on her life after moving to Los Angeles up to the present. More than anything this memoir is a series of chronological incidents and memories with very little transitional material. It is fascinating to peek into the world of the very rich and glamorous and Huston definitely had/has a roster of famous friends and acquaintances. 

Initially, I enjoyed the gossipy tales but eventually found no real insight into the woman herself. I lost interest over time. The most I can say is it’s a fun read.

The Practice

Let me start by saying, I know this is going to sound like Pollyanna. For those of you too young to understand the reference, Pollyanna was a fictional little girl who saw the good in everything. I don’t care if it sounds that way because it works.

There are a lot of things that I consider a “practice.” Practice to me means, there are things I strive to do, I “practice” doing, because I am not a master and realistically never will be. A few for me are Meditation, Yoga, Writing, Gardening, Learning… I could go on. The one I want to talk about is Gratitude. Okay, stop rolling your eyes.

Growing up, long before I knew about Oprah, Thich Nhat Hanh, or any other proponent of the practice, my mother told me she always tried to “be so grateful.” I can still hear her voice. This was not said in a religious context although I kind of took it that way. My mother was more “spiritual” that religious. If she had a church, it was being outside where she could see trees, the sky, the ocean, nature. When she would say it, I would nod as if I understood while probably internally rolling my eyes.  I have to say now, (as I have learned so, so many times about her) she was definitely on to something.

Only in the last year have I tried this “grateful thing.” Here is the way it works for me: I wake up, sometimes achy, sometimes sad, sometimes worried, sometimes full of anxiety, sometimes not wanting to get up at all, sometimes just blah. This sounds a bit dire, and I don’t mean it that way… it’s not always a negative… I’m using these examples as well, just that, examples. You may wake up feeling splendid. But I’m saying do the practice anyway. When I become aware of what I am feeling, I concentrate and find something I am grateful for. Three things. Always, at least three. It might be, “I’m grateful for the blue sky. I’m grateful that my covers are so warm. I’m grateful I can wiggle my toes.” It could be anything. It could be, “I’m grateful my husband is so kind, I’m grateful for taking a deep breath, I’m grateful for sunshine.”

I have to tell you, this practice is transformative. It just is. It changes everything. I’m not sure if it rewires your brain or what. (That was scientificJ) I just know it works.

 I am grateful for Sadie.

PILGRIMS-JANUARY 2015 BOOK SELECTION

Okay, first things first. I promised a final opinion on A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. My honest opinion is mixed. First of all it took me a lonnnggg time to finish which is not a good sign. That being said, I did actually enjoy most of it. I truly love fantasy and it was a very original story about fairly well market-glutted character types. This is an accomplishment for the author in itself. She is an excellent, literate writer, which I mentioned in a previous post. However, though I consider myself pretty solidly inured to shock, I found some scenes rather gruesome and hard to take. I was very invested in the welfare of minor characters, while not so much in the main characters. There are two more books in this series, Shadow of Night and The Book of Life. I may read them in the future because of the author’s skill but am not in a hurry to do so. If this is your cup of tea, you may well be entranced.

My book selection for January is a collection of short stories by Elizabeth Gilbert called Pilgrims.

Gilbert is most well-known for Eat, Pray, Love. Looking for more to read by her, I found Stern Men and fell in love with it because of the unusual story and quirky characters. It was a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award among other awards.

Pilgrims is wonderful for the same reason plus gives the added gift of enjoying a master writer at work. Each story in the collection features at least one strong female character. These are tough and not-so-tough women dealing with everyday life in interesting, memorable ways. Each story left me wanting more.

http://www.amazon.com/Pilgrims-Elizabeth-Gilbert/dp/0143113372/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1421950599&sr=8-5&keywords=pilgrims

Yes. Yes. Yes.

Soul Time

So it’s hard to believe another year has come to an end. Don’t we always say that though? Still. It’s a time for reflection. It’s the time of year my family comes to the beach. It’s a time of quiet. A time of laughter and joy. A time of tending the soul. Whether you believe in the soul or not, most everyone believes in the beauty of just being. Even if it’s only for a limited amount of time.

This is also the time of year for selecting my word or phrase for the year. Last year I had two: One: Let go of my image of what I thought my life would be at this point. It was not serving me. It held me back with regret. I wanted to let in fresh images. Two: Write. I think I did pretty well with both of these. I’m always a work in progress but I persevere.

I’ve been thinking about this for a while and I have chosen my word/phrases for this year.

One: Write (sensing a theme here?)

Two: Adventure

Wishing All the Happiest of New Years.

                                         My Beautiful Beach…

A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES- DECEMBER 2014 BOOK SELECTION

This month’s selection is A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. I ran across this novel while browsing in Barnes and Noble. I’m never safe there. I think I can say with reasonable certainty that I have never left there, or any bookstore for that matter, empty-handed. Anyway, I saw the third book of the All Souls trilogy was just released and it looked interesting. I found book one of the trilogy and purchased it to read at a later time.

Before I could read it, my daughter “stole” it while visiting (one of her favorite things to do:)) and before I knew it she was reading book two. She’s now on book three. She said I would like it so in the midst of this busy season I started it.

I can only speak about the first half because I have only managed a page or two a day before falling into a deep sleep. I always read just before bed and I’ve kind of been burning the candle at both ends.

So, at first blush, I thought….. hmmm… kind of like Twilight for adults. And it is. Sort of. But as I continue to read I’ve realized it’s much more. It’s an extremely literate and more complex version. The author is obviously very well-educated and well-traveled, which is fun. I feel as if I am traveling and experiencing these places with her. Her main character is also an academic and oh yes, a witch. Her love interest is a vampire. I know, I know… hasn’t it all been said already? Well obviously not, because I am still reading and learning and enjoying the novel. By the way, keep your Google Translate handy. You will need it.

The jury is out. But I’m still reading so that’s a good sign.

Signs

I haven’t meant to be an absent blogger, but events in the last weeks have demanded all of my free time. Ha! Free time! What’s that? I have traveled in and through five states. Included in my travels: a birthday celebration, a road trip, a marathon, extended house guests, rekindled friendships, and a writer’s conference. Oh, and a stint as the Assistant Director on the South Carolina Shakespeare Company’s production of King Lear! Whew! I have to say, although pretty exhausting, I loved every minute of it.

I’ve caught up a bit on my sleep and feel compelled to try to see the big picture here. This is definitely not how I usually operate. Not since my children were little, anyway. I usually try to keep events and opportunities to a dull roar. I like my quiet time. I need it to write. To stay centered. At least I thought so. So what was up that I couldn’t or wouldn’t say no?

Have you ever thought about Signs? I capitalize on purpose. I think life is full of signs. As often as we notice them, just as often we ignore them. I’m trying to assess why so much occurred in such a short time. Were they just random events or were they a sign that I have been wasting too much time? I know I have written more in the last weeks and my creativity is at a peak. What’s up with that? I don’t know, but I’m inclined to go with the flow.

See you next time:)

THE WOODS AT BARLOW BEND-NOVEMBER 2014 BOOK SELECTION

This month’s Book Selection comes from my fellow writer and friend, Jodie Cain Smith. Her novel is called The Woods At Barlow Bend. One of the things that make this book so fascinating is that it is based on true stories told to the author by her grandmother. It is a murder/mystery centered in the deep south. I have just started the novel but am already entranced by the characters, setting (which is almost like another character) and the use of language. It's available in both Kindle and paperback format. Kudos, Jodie! Check it out!

http://www.amazon.com/Woods-at-Barlow-Bend/dp/1625969708/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417121730&sr=1-1&keywords=the+woods+at+barlow+bend

October 2014 Book Selection

Only one book offering this month. I have been traveling, traveling, traveling. More about that on a later blog.

I chose this month’s selection because it was recommended by two authors, Elizabeth Gilbert and Signe Pike, on their Facebook, Author’s Page. It is:

The Vacationers, A Novel, written by Emma Straub. 

It tells the story of a family and their extended family on a vacation in sun-drenched Mallorca trying to escape problems at home. Who wouldn’t love reading about Mallorca? It’s baked island landscape comes alive.

This novel is deceptively simple. The truths about family bonds, secrets, misunderstandings and long-held beliefs are so rich and well-drawn, the author’s writing skill draws you in and holds you captive.

Sidebar: Emma Straub is the daughter of  author Peter Straub 

Recommend.