Monday, September 6, 2010

Another Gloomy Day in Paradise

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).

4 comments:

  1. Thanks for the recommendations, Jan! I have heard of Little Bee before but now you've convinced me to try it :o)

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  2. Have you read The Little Giant of Aberdeen County? It's so good the weather has turned nice and I'm still sitting inside reading. It's told from the perspective of a girl, recounting her life since before her own birth, who is abnormally large. The doctor, who she didn't see until she was five, mentioned a possible pituitary gland problem but everyone else thinks she's just monstrous. It's so well written it's difficult to tear my eyes from the page. The poor girl was also blessed with an angelic sister of delicate proportions so she's constantly reminded from all fronts how ugly and ungainly she is.

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  3. No, I haven't but it sounds different. I need to read what I've heard of before I can tackle what I haven't :oD

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  4. Yes, we all need a plan of attack for the TBR list!

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