I am a couple of days late getting this posted. Our Dec. bookclub was on Tuesday. In Dec we all read a different book and give reports. Since we all liked our books (this years theme was other bookclubs and we all, except 1, selected books from the Today Shows list), I though I would list them here as suggestions.

As mentioned before, my book was You are not a Stranger Here. It is a collection of short stories and I loved it. I read one story a day (a suggestion from a bookclub website) and loved that approach. It kept me from getting the stories mixed up and also kept me from getting overwhelmed with some of the more intense plots.

The Known World, Shadow Baby, and Baudolino were the other books read. I don't want to attempt at descriptions as I would probably mangle them. But, I left the meeting wanting to get each one of them to read, so I feel good suggesting them.

The reason I ask is that I was in Readerville's YA topic talking about Haruf's Plainsong and other patrons thought I meant yours.

Oh, my. Who was present? I'm a r'ville regular, but not in the YA topics.

I've had a bit of confusion, but mine was published first by several years, so I can always get snooty over that one. Truth to tell, though. Haruf's is a very good read. Different universes, though.

A plug for my friend and neighbor, who has written for Salon.com, and for whom my college roommate was a long-term babysitter. I haven't read the book yet, but it gets good advance reviews. The blurb is a little blurbifying, but check out her web site to see if this might interest you:

Faulkner Fox's new book, DISPATCHES FROM A NOT-SO-PERFECT LIFE, will be out at the end of December. In this provocative, brutally honest, and often hilarious memoir of motherhood, Faulkner explores the societal and cultural forces that American mothers have to contend with. From the time of her first pregnancy, Faulkner found herself--and her body--scrutinized by doctors, friends, books, strangers, and, perhaps most of all, herself. In chapters such as "A Pregnant Self," "House, Man, Child," and "Judging Friends," she sheds light on the fear, confusion, and isolation experienced by many new mothers, mapping the terrain of contemporary domesticity, marriage, and motherhood in a voice that is utterly candid and irreverent. At the same time, she chronicles the sheer joy she and other mothers take in their children.

For more book information or to find out where Faulkner will be reading, please visit [link]

I know Faulkner! Coolness!

I started reading Please Don't Kill the Freshman last night, and I'm of 2 minds about it.

One is that, given my background, my growing up in what was -- honestly -- the country, attending a Catholic grade school and then a Catholic all-girls' high school, I ended up very sheltered and naive. And so I'm enthralled with this high-school freshman who is aware of her sexuality, who has close male friends, who is just so much more worldly than I was. (And I realize there were probably plenty of girls like that at my high school, but, as I said, it wasn't my own experience.)

The other reaction I'm having, though, is that Zoe Trope seems awfully over-wrought and pretentious. And I'm trying to remember if that's what high school was like for me. I think it was, and I respect that as part of growing up, but as a 32-year-old, it's kind of irritating to read.

The other reaction I'm having, though, is that Zoe Trope seems awfully over-wrought and pretentious. And I'm trying to remember if that's what high school was like for me. I think it was, and I respect that as part of growing up, but as a 32-year-old, it's kind of irritating to read.

I cannot agree more here. I read it and was so off-put by the whole book that I wanted to just shake her and say, "GROW UP." But then again, she's doing what you do at that age.

Oh, my. Who was present? I'm a r'ville regular, but not in the YA topics.

I can't remember. It was probably six months ago. I meant to mention it at the time, and then promptly forgot. Cause my brain, she is a seive.

Revisiting the kids' books theme from last week, I went out this week to buy books as gifts. For a 10 year old boy, I got the Westing Game, Silent to the Bone, and the first book in the Dark Is Rising series. For an 8 year old girl I got Harriet the Spy, Ballet Shoes, and Ella Enchanted. I hope they like them (I don't know these kids at all, just their ages). I'm really excited about the books!

HA! Deb, they have Plainsong, Eyes in the Fire, Fire Queen AND they have Weaver on order !

Go YOU!

WEIRDNESS: PLainsong is at PArk University, as a children's book. How bizarre.

Is it a children's book, Deb? Hmm?

That might be the same mixup Kat was talking about in Kat "We're Literary 2: To Read Makes Our Speaking English Good" Dec 18, 2003 4:37:10 pm PST, Erin.

Is it a children's book, Deb? Hmm?

I don't think so (as in I've read it and don't think it's for children), but wasn't someone saying that there was another Plainsong that was a children's book?

ETA: seconds behind! Seconds!