And While We're On the Subject...

Here is another (much smaller) website featuring book reviews.  Actually it's a blog, and anyone can be a contributer.  The site needs more contributers in my opinion, so if you love reading,writing, and sharing your opinions-go for it!

This Year's Reading List

Have you heard of http://www.goodreads.com/?  The site concept is  social networking somewhat similar to Facebook.  Invite your friends, see what they are reading, write reviews on the books you are reading, and give book suggestions to those with similar tastes. If you like to read, but constantly find yourself searching for that great book; that will hold your attention, entertain, and teach you, then Goodreads is a great place to end your search.
       Goodreads also plays host to hundreds of groups that you can join to participate in online discussions,  and give recommendations.  I recently joined the group "50 books a year" which is quite a commitment, but I am excited by the challenge.  So here is my list of 50 for 2010, in somewhat random order.  As I was making this list, I actually found it hard to limit myself to fifty, but then of course, reality set in:).
*please forgive the muddled writing in pretty much all of my posts.  One of these days, I might actually post before 1:30 a.m., and then you will be amazed by my clarity--if nothing else.

1.  A Virtuous Woman By Kaye Gibbons

2.  The Book Thief  By Markus Zusak

3.  The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat  By Oliver Sacks

4.  Happens Every Day By Isabel Gillies

5.  The Believers By Zoe Heller

6.  A Gate At The Stairs By Lorrie Moore

7.  Brooklyn  By Colm Toibin

8.  The Man In The Wooden Hat  By Jane Gardam

9.  The Financial Lives Of The Poets  By  Jess Walter

10.  Time, Sex, and Power  By Leonard Shlain

11.  The Memory Keeper’s Daughter By Kim Edwards

12.  The Lupus Book By Daniel J. Wallace M.D.

13.  Strange Red Cow By Sara Bader

14.  A Grief Observed By C.S. Lewis

15.  The Known World  By Edward P. Jones

16.  Tomorrow Will Be Better By Betty Smith

17 & 18.  This I Believe 1 And 2 by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman 

19.  The Collected Stories of Gabriel Garcia Marquez

20.  Reading Lolita In Tehran by Azar Nafisi

21.  The Reivers by William Faulkner           

22.  The Nick Adams’ Stories By Ernest Hemmingway

23.  Will In The World by Stephen Greenblatt

24.  J M Barrie And The Lost Boys by Andrew Birkin

25.  On Writing By Stephen King

26.  Minders Of Make Believe By Leonard S. Marcus

27.  Caramelo By Sandra Cisneros

28.  Prayer By Spencer W. Kimball

29.  Exuberance By Kaye Redfield Jamison

30.  Touched With Fire By Kaye Redfield Jamison

31.  The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy  By Douglas Adams

32.  My Left Foot by Christie Brown

33.  A Certain Slant Of Light by Laura Whitcomb

34.  Like Normal People by Robert Myers

35.  Coming Of Age by Studs Terkel

36.  The Good Earth By Pearl Buck

37.  Imperial Woman By Pearl Buck

38.  The China I Knew By Peal Buck

39.  Growing Up With Cerebral Palsy  By Mark Smith

40.  Outliers By Malcolm Gladwell

41. The 7 Habbits Of Highly Effective People By Steven R, Covey

42.  Bonds That Make Us Free By Terry Warner

43.  Animal, Vegetable, Miracle  By Barbara Kingsolver

44.  In Defense Of Food By Michael Pollan

45.  Eat To Live By Joel Furman M.D.

46.  Cesar’s Way By Cesar Milan

47.  Women And Money By Suse Orman

48.  The Five Love Languages  By Gary Chapman

49.  The Elegance Of The Hedgehog By Muriel Barburry

50.  The Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins

"Olivia Sue, I Love You"

Today is Olivia's adoption day, I have had her for four years.  We have been through a lot together and she is wonderful dog.  She is a very happy and smart, and she loves helping me.  She runs to me whenever I tell her that I need help, and she takes good care of me.  I call her Olivia Sue, when shisbeing a very good dog, and Olivia Newton John when she is very, very BAD.

      Olivia understands and responds to over 100 words.  Did I mention that she is smart?  This week she learned the command "Pull out the pillow," which means "Get your pillow out from underneath the bed, because I'm not doing it for you."
      Olivia likes to sit on my lap, even though she doesn't really fit.  She also loves to have her ears rubbed, and she makes a funny groaning noise when I hit the right spot.  I love her.

The "What's That On Your Head?" Edition

I am the clown in the walker here

"Big glasses; even bigger smile" this was right after I found out that I would not be returning to the horrid private school I attended for three years.  As soon as I got the news, I began making one of my uniform skirts into a lovely hat.  No, the hangers are not part of said hat.  I was eighteen here, but I think I could have passed for ten or eleven.

Social science  experiment as a Senior in high school

Study entitled Geeks in Crush

Ah, The good old days.   This is a picture I actually really like.  I wore this hat every day for several years, because I was paranoid about the sun fading my color treated hair.  I wore this hat every time I went outside, including the trip to the mailbox, or the "commute" to church.

White Elephant

Here is a really cool story, from one of my favorite bloggers.  I especially like the last two sentences, as they seem to be good advice for any lasting relationship; whether it be family, friendship, dating or marriage.  Read it!

What A Difference A Day Makes

      Dear January,
You are so cool!  No, really, I think you're awesome!  You are like the only month of winter that I like, no other month compares to you.  I have liked you for a long time now (almost 24 whole hours), and my like/love will no longer be repressed.  I know it's kind of retro, but my like/love for you could not be contained in a text message, so I had to pass you this note.
        Only you, January, have the power to stop making people feel that money spent on gifts=love felt.  If I could, I would shower you with really nicely made Dimondique  products from QVC to show my appreciation.  But diamondique is still kind of expensive, and anyway, I know that you aren't into that kind of thing.  You keep things real.  I mean, you are so not fake, and I really like/love that about you.
       January, I have to tell you that I think you are like so freaking amazing for making self improvement seem not only cool, but possible!  I mean, everyone knows that February will never measure up to the standards you set.  28 days in a month compared to 31?  Thats seems a little sketchy to me.  I mean what an under achiever.  Human Rights day compared to Valentine's Day?  Duh!
      January, you elevate humanity, and make me believe that my best self is possible!  I will get a C in English this term!  January, you may be the coldest month of the year, but you know just how to harvest hope within my heart; and for that, I will like/love you every day of this blessed month!  Don't ever change, Man!
xoxo.
Saralou