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Noranc
I'm a thirty-something working mom to the cutest little boy on earth, a child bride who just celebrated her 10th wedding anniversary, a TV addict, a bargain huntress, a lover of food, especially ice cream, and a self-professed word nerd. Being an editor with skirt! is something of a dream come true ...
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Read any good books lately?

Tuesday, September, 30, 2008

As a child I was a voracious reader, of everything from the Babysitter’s Club to the Diary of Anne Frank. I would read the back of the Cheerios box at the breakfast table if I had nothing else available. But in my adulthood that appetite waned some, partly because I no longer felt I had time to read and partly because at the rate I chew through books, it became an expensive habit.

Now, however, as I see the avid reader my young son is turning into, I’m finding that urge to put nose to book returning. The problem is, everything I find at the bookstore has the same plot: Old friends reunited through some tragedy. A family torn apart by an affair, or murder, or a child’s loss. A group of four women who read together, or cook together, or belly dance together, etc. etc. Jodi Picoult novels appear to be shoved down my throat at every turn, and while they may be very good, my adolescent inner child wants to rebel against their omnipresence.

I recently purchased Alice Sebold’s Almost Moon which, from the very first line, is startlingly different, so there’s hope. But I’d love to hear book recs from other readers out there. skirt! girls, what am I missing?

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sarahthequeen05
sarahthequeen05
Try Garden Spells by Sarah
Posted Tue, 09/30/2008 - 16:21
Try Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen. She's from Asheville and it takes place in a fictional NC mountain town. It's absolutely wonderful and very different from anything I've read recently. Same author also has a new book out that I haven't read yet called The Sugar Queen that is supposed to be amazing and I think it takes place in Boone, NC. Garden Spells is short enough for you to finish in a weekend, but it is sooooooooooooooo good. Please search it out!
faun
faun
Good question! Yes! Check this out...
Posted Wed, 10/01/2008 - 12:58
Not only did I read a good book recently, but it's a book by a North Carolinian that all of Greensboro will soon be talking about!

The book is...(drum roll please)...The Pleasure Was Mine by Tommy Hays.

The Greensboro Library is sponsoring "One City, One Book," an event so comprehensive that it only happens once every two years.

Think of this as the Oprah book club, only more local.
Okay, back to the book...I like humor and Tommy Hays' main character, Prate, has a great understated wit. Prate is married to Irene and their dialogue is consistently filled with delightful repartee.
The book is also about the changes that happen to family, some of them quite painful and that's what makes the book so poignant - it's real to what a lot of of us face. The members of the Marshbanks family go through a variety of changes, but the most significant is related to aging.

Hays' characters handle difficulties with grace (some sooner than others)and use them as a trajectory for growth.
The book has a lot of heart and soul. and it's a fast read.
And the best part? You can enjoy the free festivities while connecting more deeply with your community. Check out this link for more information:

http://www.greensboro-nc.gov/departments/library/one+book

Or do a search for "One City, One Book" and Greensboro.

Also look for a detailed informational tab in the News & Record on Sunday, October 6th.

Happy reading!
noranc
noranc
thanks to both of you!
Posted Thu, 10/02/2008 - 08:34
I will check out both books, they sound great. Thanks for the feedback! Nora