the one I regret.

I grew up with Elizabeth & Jessica Wakefield, the creepy blonde twins from Sweet Valley.  And just finished Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later.  I feel old.

Jessica is still as mean spirited and shallow as before and Elizabeth seriously needs to get a clue and then a backbone (in that order).  Jessica steals Todd Wilkins (Elizabeth's fiancee) and Elizabeth's LIKE "oh whatever, they're in love."  This book is JUST terrible and not only because LIKE is used every other sentence.  The characters were truly awful back then and they ALL come back.

If you want to read a poorly written, poorly edited soap opera, go for it!  I regret reading this but I really couldn't help myself.  And yes, I'm going to read the Sisterhood 10 years later book too.

the one by Pema.

i don't think i'm the enlightened type.  although I'd really like to fashion myself a Buddhist yogi.  i really can't sustain it though.

i just finished Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears.  if you're reading the kindle edition and it's dragging, know that it finishes at 75%.  what a surprise!

the book mostly taught me about pausing.  "pausing becomes something that nurtures you; you begin to prefer it to being all caught up."  i used to be VERY bad at pausing.  i'm learning now . . .

and some practical advice: "the next time you're getting worked up, experiment with looking at the sky."

Chodron likens nasty thoughts to getting a "poison ivy" of the brain.  you just keep scratching and scratching to no avail.  that made sense to me and for awhile when i thought about work or Matt's work or crying babies or money or cloudy skies . . . i thought of poison ivy and how i was just adding aggression to the world.

and then i got bored with all that thought and went back to my worry.

i liked this book.  i wish i liked it more.

and for a change of pace, I'm reading Sweet Valley Confidential next.  Love those Wakefield twins!

the one by the Latina author

i have never read an Isabel Allende book and I felt a little left out as I read The Sum of Our Days (a memoir).

two cool things about Isabel Allende:
1) she starts all her books on January 8th, a most auspicious day
2) since she fled Chile in 1973, she has worked to establish her "tribe" in Marin County

I want a tribe.  And I want to live in Marin County.  Because then I might just "run into" Anne Lamott and Isabel Allende when they hang out at the Book Passage.

This memoir made me want to pick up Daughter of Fortune sooner rather than later.  What an interesting, feisty, mystical woman . . .

i'm still here.

the reading has slowed down a bit as Maren speeds up.  she's crawling and standing and all kinds of good tricks. and I'm spending more time in the garden and less between the pages.

but it's raining outside today and because rain = books in my mind . . . i got a little nutty and actually started a goodreads account for Maren.  i want to keep track of our reading together. 

we'll be starting a Baby Storytime class at Red Balloon this week.  i know i'll have all kinds of books i want to shop for.  and favorite aunts might want to buy.  hint.  hint.  hopefully her account will help us keep track.

anyways, feel free to friend Maren Prestegaard if you want to follow our literary journey!

the one about rebirth.

I know there are many Barbara Kingsolver fans out there.  And I am now hopping on the bandwagon.  She may sit next to Anna Quindlen at my imaginary dinner party.  I loved Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.  Next up, The Bean Trees.

I just finished Prodigal Summer and absolutely delighted in the strong, female characters.  But, I loved all the characters really.  The coyotes even and the snakes too.  So much to glean here.  This was a book to relish. 

I hope I will read it again and again . . .