A STACK OF BOOKS AWAITS ME

One of the things that keeps me deeply bonded to my girlfriends--besides humor, food, meaty conversations and good times--is a love of reading. Though our genres may differ, we enjoy sharing titles, passing on books and discussing stories that have moved us.

This week, my friend Simi sent me some books that she had recently finished, and I now possess a stack of new reads. Unfortunately, I am a poky sort, turning pages at a snail's pace and this makes looking at a stack quite daunting. Unlike Simi, who finishes a book before her eyelids close, I slowly savor each word--quite like the way I savor food: one bite at a time. I wish I could devour a book in one to two days, but I have accepted the fact that I'm obsessed with metaphor, dialogue, brilliant sentence structure and riveting characters. They snag me, then keep me hostage, almost like those spikes in the asphalt that prevent a driver from entering a parking lot the wrong way.

When I opened the box yesterday, I "oohed and aahed," perused the titles, then realized I had a big task ahead of me. Where will I begin? Which book shall I start first? Simi and I both love foreign cultures and we are inevitably drawn to titles with an international mystique--or ones which might hint of adventure. She has traveled extensively, so I can always depend on her selections to be worthy of my time.

She also has quite a collection of her own tales to tell (hint...hint...) and perhaps someday will put pen to paper. I'd love to read one of her page-turners...

In the meantime, she continues to pick up great books at local sales, and when she's finished reading them, I'm often the lucky recipient ready to "fly" to far-away lands or be enlightened on a subject related to parenting. The difficult part for me now, is to choose just one book and get on with my pokiness.

I'd like to pass along the titles--perhaps you've read a few of them already. If not, take a look and see if any pique your interest. You may want to do some arm-chair traveling or step into the world of an autistic child and a mother's struggles trying to cope, in the fiction piece titled, "Daniel Isn't Talking."

Desert Places, by Robyn Davidson, 1996 Penguin Books
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, by Anne Fadiman, 1997, The Noonday Press
Daniel Isn't Talking, by Marti Leimbach, 2006, Nan. A. Talese
Moonlight on the Avenue of Faith, by Gina B. Nahai, 1999, Washington Square Press
Anil's Ghost, by Michael Ondaatje, 2000, Vintage Books
Travelers' Tales: A Woman's World, 1995, 1997, Travelers' Tales

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