I haven't had time to read a good book lately. The last one I read was a few weeks ago, The Secret Life of Bees, which I found to be excellent. I have always had a passing interest in bees (well, from a safe distance anyway!) and this one satisfied that curiousity. I really enjoyed reading the lore and practices that have been handed down from one beekeeper to another. It was such a good backdrop for the story, which revolved around a young girl and her search for happiness after a tragic accident. It was believable, and compelling- the kind of book you wish you hadn't read so you could read it again for the first time.
Next, I feel like a good Amy Tan book. I know she has one that came out a year or so ago that I haven't read. She's such a wonderful author. She has a way of making you care about something that maybe you wouldn't think to care about on your own. She also has a cartoon that PBS produces called "Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat". I think this cartoon is almost 100% responsible for the cat persona that Wrenn has adopted. (She calls herself "Meow meow" and pretends to be a cat for hours on end.) Anyway, it's a good adaption of the quality I'm trying to describe in Tan. She draws her audience out of their familiarity, and into a different world.
So, you can see, I'm jonesin' for a good book. It's one of those guilty pleasures-- when there are so many other things I need to be doing, I always feel a little bad indulging in a book. But, I have to remind myself that it's just a part of maintaining a healthy balance. Can't be all work and no play, right!?
However, I've probably "played" enough on the blog today. Time to go to the library and get some books get started on my to-do list.