Recent Reads

I've decided to update the count on my reading list to reflect the actual numbers for a given year.

80. Surface Treatment Workshop
This is a great reference book for creating backgrounds, and I've often found that starting from a page that is not blank is easier than staring at all that white space.

81. What I Wish For You
Delightful gem of a book. So many nuggets to ponder and marinate on. For example, think about the conversation around your dinner table. Do you talk about people, events or ideas? Move the talk more towards ideas.

82. Scared Squirrel has a Birthday Party
My nephews love this series and on a recent trip to the library, 6 year old Jonah was excited to discover that there are new books that we have yet to read. Not only did the boys read the book themselves, they asked me to read aloud to them. Love that.

83. The Plains of Passage
This 800 page tome is book 4 of the Earth's Children series that I'm reading this summer, and I was delighted yet again to be reading it on my nook and giving my wrists a break. This has to be my least fave book of the series so far. The so-called traveling book, there is much repetition and lots and lots of pages on the flora that could have used some editing. On the plus side, I did learn more about Mammoth sex! I have 2 more books in the series and will get to them after I've had a bit of a breather.

84. The Granta Book of the Irish Short Story
My book club is reading a selection of the stories in this book. I am not a big short story fan. I find that most are simply not good enough to stand on their own, and I am usually disappointed when I settle in for a read and the story suddenly ends. Give me a good, thick book any day. So imagine my surprise when I read the introduction by Anne Enright and changed how I look at a short story. I read the stories at bedtime. One a day. And actually quite enjoyed the experience - though not all the stories I read are ones I would recommend, there are some real gems in this collection. The biggest gift for me is that I learned something new. Love that.