All posts by NewEngland_Muse

I'm a traditionally and self published author. I write in the genre of children and YA at the moment but working my way up to adults. I'm a sports loving, photo taking gal who loves to sing/dance to my own enjoyment. I love to laugh even at myself. I am also owned by 8 birds and 2 hamsters, and yes they know it. :)

Smiles

I have a list of things to blog about and keep that nearby when the time is needed. However I thought I just write about something that makes me really smile.

This is one of my favorite pictures of my baby boy. He is a junior now in college but every time I look at this picture on the wall I just break into a smile. They grow up so fast, and with only having one child it seems they grow up faster.

 

The Books We Read

I stated earlier this year that I run a book club in my area. A list of what we had read since the group started in the Spring of 2009 was created so there would be no duplications. We have had books from a variety of genres, age groups and topics. It has been a great experience for me personally to share the love of reading with others. Looking at the list I’m amazed and proud of the group.

Here is the list.

1-The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter- Carson McCullers

2-Graceling- Kristin Cashore

3-Illustrated Man- Ray Bradbury

4-The Art Of Racing in the Rain- Garth Stein

5-Bloodwork- Michael Connelly

6-The Physick Book Of Deliverance Dane-Katherine Howe

7-The Memory Keeper’s Daughter- Kim Edwards

8-Slam-Nick Hornby

9-Lacemakers of Glenmara- Heather Barbieri

10-The Peculiar Memories of Thomas Penman-Bruce Robinson

11-Bastard out of North Carolina-Dorothy Allison

12-The World According to Garp-John Irving

13-My Melancholy Whore-Gabriel Garcia Marquez

14-Good Omen-Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

15-Dog on It-Spencer Quinn

16-Wicked-Gregory Maguire

17-The Thirteenth Tale-Diane Setterfield

18-Life of Pi-Yann Martel

19-American Gods-Neil Gaiman

20-A Million Little Pieces-James Frey

21-The Reader-Bernard Schlink

22-To Kill A Mockingbird-Harper Lee

23-Memoirs of a Geisha-Arthur Golden

24-The House on Mango Street-Sandra Cisneros

25-The Road-Cormac McCarthy

26-Fried Green Tomatoes-Fannie Flagg

27-Lovely Bones-Alice Sebold

28-Mother Road-Dorothy Garlock

29-The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo-Stieg Larrson

30- Holes-Louis Sachar

31-The Last Lecture-Randy Pausch

32-Grand Delusion-Matt Witten

33- One For The Money- Janet Evanovich

34- Run For Your Life-James Patterson

Books vs eReaders

The Headquarter Library had a book sale recently. They have these roughly 3-4 times a year. We go a good portion of the time for the books are not more then a buck. It gives me a great opportunity to try books I would never even think of picking up to read. I can go wild with any genre I want and know that I did not waste precious money. The beauty of this also is I can place the books on the paperbackswap.com website to exchange the books with others and so share the love. It is a win win and win.

Now eReaders are the latest thing to hit books. They are portable, affordable and compact. You can place numerous books on the tablet compared to the space that a bookshelf takes. But for this avid reader it is just not the same. While I get the pros of a eReader I will have to pass on it for now. If I get one as a gift I would thank the person with a smile and honestly mean it. But a book in my hand is a simple pleasure I am not willing to give up. The smell and feel of a book just gives me a chill from head to toe. Turning the pages literally is something I still enjoy. My house is bursting with books as my husband and I are avid readers and have been since childhood. Yet we still go to used book stores, thrift shops and the sales at the library to find potential books that need a new home. I feel like a hypocrite in the sense as a budding writer I have been looking at placing my stories for ebook consumption. Yet if I had a choice print would be my preference. Snuggling up on my couch, bed or a chair on my porch is how I prefer it. You will always find a book by my bed, couch, purse and in my car. Any opportunity where I have some free time the book comes out. I guess the people who would understand this are avid readers like myself who treasure what a book means. There is so little things in life lately that are free so until all books are virtually gone I won’t give them up.