Give Me Something I Can Hold On To

I contemplated titling this post "What's Old is New Again." Despite our penchant for the next best thing and forward momentum in all facets of life, Americans (I can't speak for the rest of the world) are known to occasionally turn back time (Cher is usually involved). We see it most commonly with fashion when someone decides that bell bottoms, leg warmers, high waisted pants, shoulder pads, Bermuda shorts and pantsuits should be reintroduced to society. What's less common is taking a step back when it comes to technology and how we spend our time. This year I'm struck by the return of coloring, Polaroids, and old-fashioned printed books.

Though I've never considered myself a trendsetter, apparently I was on to something when in 1989, while in middle school college, I purchased a coloring book and crayons. You might assume this was because I had no social life and needed something to do, and that's true, but it was also a reflection of my need to disconnect (though I'm not sure what I was plugged into except my hot rollers) and allow my my mind to get the rest it needed. Coloring is also known to improve focus, relieve stress, and improve fine motor skills. When combined with wine, it also becomes an social activity. I can't say I've been invited to any coloring parties lately, but I suppose those Painting with a Twist places are the more upscale equivalent to getting together at the dining room table with your preschooler's crayons and colored pencils.

I acquired my first post-1989 coloring book just a few weeks when I found one at Five Below. The kids even treated me to a box of crayons to go with it. Having finished my first picture with crayons, I recommend using colored pencils instead. Just a bit of free coloring advice from me to you. Coloring is an excellent pre-bedtime activity. The blue light emitted from tech devices is said to affect sleep, whereas the blue pencil, crayon or marker has no known side effects. And if all of this doesn't convince you to pick up a coloring book, consider this: inexpensive artwork!

Now, on to pictures of a different sort. The 1977 Polaroid. When I think of the Polaroid, I think of my Aunt Faify who brought hers to every family gathering. The quality of those photos was never great, but there was something special about the instant results. Of course, with today's technology we're accustomed to immediacy, but what our smartphones are lacking is something to hold on to. Think of the billions of photos floating around in cyberspace, resting in the cloud and eating up valuable space on our devices. With the Polaroid, we can generate actual prints that we'll later stuff in shoe boxes, which eat up valuable space in closets and attics.

And finally, books. It appears that books--the kind made of paper that require you to physically turn the pages--are making a comeback. In the past year, news headlines have included:

"The Plot Twist: E-Book Sales Slip, and Print Is Far From Dead" --NY Times
"Paper is back: Why 'real' books are on the rebound" --GeekWire
"E-book sales plummet as print stages comeback" --Fortune

Of course there are a variety of theories as to why this is happening, but at Christmastime, I can say with relative certainty that few people are gifting e-books for the holidays. They're just too hard to wrap. It could also be related to that blue light e-reader issue, and our need for healthier sleep habits. I know I'm all for anything that helps me sleep. I love sleep the way other people love parties. But I digress.

When it comes to "kickin' it old school," I have a prediction for 2016. I would wager a bet that friends will start hanging out again. In the flesh. There's just something to be said for reading the expression on someone's face instead of responding to the emoticon. And real hugs are much nicer than virtual pokes (does anyone do that anymore?). And making actual memories that last a lifetime is so much sweeter than snappy exchanges that disappear in a moment.

Here's hoping your holidays are filled with something you can hold on to!

A Back Burner for the Book

It’s been a while since I've had that whole “What am I doing with my life? Will my time on this earth have meant anything at all?” meltdown. I found myself in that miserable mental state a great deal during the last year or two in my previous job. I felt unsatisfied and unfulfilled and spent a lot of time wondering what I was supposed to do with whatever gifts I’d been given. Of course, being me, I also spent a good amount of time whining and feeling sorry for myself, which was considerably easier than actually putting on my big girl panties and dealing with it.

Miraculously, despite breaking every rule of job searching, two years ago I found myself in a new position at Villanova University and I haven’t had that empty feeling since. Until now.  It’s not the job, which I truly love, it’s more about the rest of my life, which somehow feels increasingly hollow.

Rob wants to know why I go to bed so damn early? It's so I can avoid the void. A woman can only watch so many episodes of The Gilmore Girls in one sitting before she realizes she’s pathetic. You know it’s time to make a change when you beg your daughter to put down her homework so you can watch television together.

I have some sense of what has caused this rather sudden mental and emotional nosedive: 

1. The season. I tend to retreat into my head as the days grow shorter and darker. Sometimes I’m afraid I’ll drown given how much swimming is going on in my brain.
2. My three-year sentence commitment as a church elder has come to an end, and I resigned from my committee work at the same time. What I failed to realize is that, while I bitched about it ad nauseam, serving actually gave me a sense of purpose.
3. I lost my 10-hour a week consulting job. It wasn't much, but it was just enough to keep me busy in the evenings.
4. My kids need me less and less, which I always thought would be heavenly, but now I’m discovering is actually kinda sad. The only things they want from me are dinner and rides to friends’ houses, neither which I’m particularly excited to offer.

I have determined that the main cause of my current funk, however, is book related. Nothing I've read, but rather the book I haven’t written. I've been down this road before, but at this very moment I know three friends/acquaintances who are enjoying publishing success. One has published his second children’s book and recently had a signing at a local store. A second is looking forward to the release of her first book in December. And a third is publishing her third book!

It goes without saying that my childishly competitive nature demands that I figuratively put pen to paper and write my own damn book. Not because I have a book burning inside of me, but rather because I hate when others succeed at something I always hoped I would do. Well, let me be the first to tell you that this is not the best approach to becoming a writer. Envy does not lead to success. Truth is, years ago I wrote the first paragraph of my novel. Trouble is, that’s all I've got. I have no idea where to go with it or how it would end. And I don’t want to write a mediocre book. I want to write a critically acclaimed book. 

I know what you're thinking: "Here comes the whining and excuses. All the reasons why Kim doesn't have the energy or the self-discipline to make it happen." But you're wrong! In fact, I have a solution for what ails me. Ready? 

Instead of writing a book, I'm going to become an actress!

Stay tuned...

Entertainment Review 2013: Books

I'm a big fan of Goodreads.com for maintaining my ever-growing list of must-read books, which currently stands at 252. What's interesting about this fairly substantial list is that, when it's time to choose a new title, I often have no interest in any of them. Or, if there's something I really want to read, it's unavailable to borrow from the library in e-book format.

Ah, the e-book. Having spent more than a decade in book publishing I thought I'd be forever devoted to holding a physical book in my hands, feeling the cover, turning the pages. Alas, I've strayed. Big time. Mostly it's about the convenience. If I can download a book to my iPad, I don't have to head out to the library to pick it up or worry about returning it on time. And when I'm eating lunch --alone, again-- I can pull out my iPhone and read and I feel a little less pathetic. I can't imagine how book publishing in its paper form is going to survive. There's just no reason to make that purchase. The exception is the book that changes your life, or the one you decide your family and friends must read. And frankly, those books are exceedingly rare.

But enough with my depressing prediction for book printers. Let's review the titles that resonated with me in 2013, none of which was actually published this year. I'm slightly embarrassed to say that I only read 14 books this year, though I at least started 19. I'll confess to those I gave up on after I share this list of my top 10:

1. Peace Like a River. My only five-star read in 2013. I loved every bit of this 2001 book. I don't know if would be categorized as Christian fiction, but even if it is, don't let that scare you. If you can appreciate the element of faith in a story, and believe in miracles, you'll like this one.
2. Tell the Wolves I'm Home. Goodreads doesn't allow you to give 1/2 stars, but this one would have earned 4.5 stars. (I'm stingy with my fives.) Tell the Wolves I'm Home was published as young adult fiction, which I didn't know at the time, but it grabbed me from the beginning and didn't let go. It dealt with AIDS and homosexuality, loss, and a young girl's love for the one person in her family who meant the most to her. 
3. 11/22/63. I'm not a Stephen King fan, but my husband read this book about the day Kennedy was shot, and he highly recommended it. (Unlike him, I don't automatically rule out any book that my spouse suggests.) I really liked the time-travel approach to this story, and found myself returning to it in my head during the recent 50th anniversary of the assassination. 
4. The Lakeshore Limited. I found the premise of this one really thought-provoking. If someone you had fallen out of love with, but were still intimately involved with, died during a tragic set of circumstances (i.e. 9/11), how would you react to that loss? Here's a description used on Goodreads: "A powerful love story; a mesmerizing tale of entanglements, connections, and inconsolable losses; a marvelous reflection on the meaning of grace and the uses of sorrow, in life and in art." Definitely worth a read.
5. Cutting for Stone. A popular book club selection, Cutting for Stone is described as "Sweeping, emotionally riveting—an enthralling family saga of Africa and America, doctors and patients, exile and home." Highly recommended if you like literary fiction. 
6. Running Barefoot. I think I got this one as a free BookBub offer. It's the story of an awkward 13-year-old musical prodigy, and her friendship with the new kid, Samuel, an 18-year-old Navajo boy. It can be considered young adult and/or romance, so it's not a deep or difficult read, but it was lovely and sweet.
7. Art of Racing in the Rain. I try to avoid animal-related books; they almost always make me cry. This one was no exception. The dog's voice was compelling, but the human story was rather run-of-the-mill.
8. Where'd You Go, Bernadette. Published in August 2012, this was one of the newest books I read and one that had a good deal of buzz and popularity with book clubs. In my Goodreads review, I described it as, "A fun and easy read that made me feel slightly more sane." Worth a read, but not a "must-read." 
9. The Age of Miracles. Another popular book club selection, The story line in The Age of Miracles is quite unique and offers an interesting premise: The planet's rotation has slowed and all of human life is being irrevocably changed with each passing minute. To be honest, however, I can't remember how it ends, which makes me wonder how good it could have been.
10. Grace, Eventually. It's not really fair to compare non-fiction to fiction, but Anne Lamott's book deserved to make the list. If you're not familiar with her, you should be. If the idea of reading a Christian book freaks you out, don't let it scare you away from reading any of Lamott's books. She herself has taken the long and winding road to faith and shares an honest, often irreverent look at its role in her life. 

Now it's time to fess up. I gave up on Jane Austen's Persuasion. I'm bowing my head in shame. While I could appreciate the humor and intelligence, I found it painfully slow, and the style of writing required me to pay serious attention to what I was reading. No skimming if I wanted to understand what was going on. I guess that's just too much to ask considering I do all of my reading in the few minutes before I fall asleep at night.

I also gave up on Private Life, The Witch of Portabello (a book club selection that was a little too out there on the astral plane for me) and Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan whose other books I've greatly enjoyed (particularly On Chesil Beach). In my Goodreads review of Sweet Tooth, I note that it would have helped tremendously to better know the state of the world in that time period (early 1970s), and being British would have come in handy, too. The story is intimately tied to time and place making it a tough read.

So that's my Year in Books. As always, I look forward to hearing about your favorites from 2013!

Between the Covers

Well, it's a new year. Technically. However, I refuse to accept 2012 until everyone is healthy and happy around here. Abby's been sick since 12/31/11 so we're just going to pretend the new year hasn't begun because I am determined to start off on the right foot.

Since it's not yet 2012 I can still fit in my final entertainment review for 2011. You've read my thoughts on fall's new television programs* and Hollywood's slim pickins'. Now it's time for the Year in Books. Please note that these titles were not necessarily published in 2011, I just happened to read them in this calendar year.

It was a pretty good book year for me. At the beginning of 2011, Goodreads, the book lover website, asked its members to challenge themselves to read a specific number of books for the year. I aimed for 25 and amazingly hit 24! And if Abby doesn't feel better soon, there's a good chance I'll get #25 in, too. I'm reading Hoot aloud to her.

Without further ado, here is my top 10 list of books read in 2011:

1. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. How is it I never read this beautiful book before? Francie Nolan may be one of the most inspiring female characters ever. I was consistently moved by her ability to acknowledge reality but find the beauty and hope in everything around her and everything that was to come. Loved it!
2. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. A heartrenching reminder of those left behind on 9/11/01 and those who have survived history's other tragedies. The movie opens soon.
3. Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby. Not a crowd favorite, but something about this book really appealed to me. I think it was the ironic and sarcastic nature of some of the characters. I could relate. I liked it so much I dedicated an entire post to it!
4. The Help by Kathryn Stockett. You've undoubtedly heard enough about this terrific book. I think what I appreciated most was the glimpse into this incredibly ugly period in very recent American history. I still can't believe how cruely human beings are capable of treating each other.
5. The Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. This novel about Japanese Americans during World War II also served as a painful history lesson. Ditto what I said above about my disbelief that humans can be so cruel.
6. Jesus, My Father, the CIA and Me by Ian Morgan Cron. Though considered to be a "Christian book," without hesitation I would recommend it to the heathens among us anyone. The author's honesty, humor, and grace made this book one of the most special I have read in a long time.
7. The Likeness by Tana French. I became a big Tana French fan with her first book, In the Woods. Psychological thrillers are not usually my thing, but I really enjoy her. Or I did until her book Faithful Place disappointed me.
8. The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. A brilliant and captivating story with fully developed and engaging characters. Just plain old fun reading. Can't wait for the movie!
9. House Rules by Jodi Picoult. I'll be honest. I thought I was too good for Jodi Picoult. I thought she was a little too "light" for an advanced reader book snob like me. But lo and behold, I enjoyed House Rules. A compelling and obviously well-researched story involving a boy with autism.
10. American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld. A good, easy read supposedly based on the life of Laura Bush. The only thing that bothered me was that I kept wondering which parts were really based on her life experiences and which were total fiction.

There were a few recently popular books that I just didn't enjoy as much as the rest of reading America. These included:

• The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai
• Maine by Courtney Sullivan
• The Priviliges by Jonathan Dee
• Labor Day by Joyce Maynard

For a complete look at my 2011 (and earlier) reads, join me on Goodreads. It's a great site for keeping in touch with fellow book lovers, reading their reviews, and establishing your own book lists. My "to-read" list is at 152. I set my goal for 2012 at 30, so I'll barely be putting a dent into that ever-growing list of mine.

Can't wait to hear what you've read in the past year, and what you thought of those you've read on my list!

*Missing from my new fall programming television list was "The New Girl" with Zooey D. I didn't plan on watching it because Zooey annoys me. Didn't like her in "500 Days of Summer," didn't figure I'd like her on television either. Turns out, "The New Girl" is probably my favorite television show. Very funny. Check it out!

Read 'Em and Weep?

I work in publishing. I know how difficult it is to get published. I know it's even more difficult to actually sell significant copies of your book if you do get published. With more than 250,000 new titles being released every year (in the U.S. alone), standing out from the crowd is no easy task. That's partly why I have made no real attempt to write my own. That, and my friend Emily never set a time for me to work on it. (You'll recall I require external motivation.)

Right now I find myself in the interesting--and new--position of being asked to review someone's book. Not someone who is publishing with us (Judson Press). Not a friend. Not even a no-name author self-publishing his literary masterpiece. I have been sent an advance reader copy of a Christian fiction book from FaithWords, the Christian imprint of Hachette Book Group USA, a major U.S. publisher. The author is a blogger whose posts I really enjoy. This will be his second book. His first, also Christian fiction, did very well. 

Frankly, I was a little surprised to receive a review copy of his upcoming book. I did offer to participate in his blog tour, but figured with a blog titled "Freakin' Angels" and my let-it-all hang-out content, a Christian writer might stay away from a not-always-appropriate Christian like me. But they're gutsy at those big NYC publishing houses, so I received the book with a letter asking me for a review.

I have now spent a couple weeks reading this book and I'm about one-third of the way into it. And I don't love it. But I don't hate it either. Frankly, I don't care about it, and the opposite of love isn't hate but indifference. When your writing doesn't move readers in some way, they're not going to discuss it with others and word of mouth is the very best way to sell books.

I am frustrated and disappointed in this, my first book review experience. Here's an author whose blog posts never fail to inspire me and engage me emotionally and spiritually. But his book has left me cold. I don't particularly care for the characters. The writing is pretty average. The setting in no way appeals to me. It appears that his blog writing skills don't translate into equally compelling fiction.


Right now I'm sure some kind, considerate, and less critical soul is saying, "Maybe it's just not your style." "Maybe you're not the target audience." "Do you even like Christian fiction as a genre?" "Perhaps you'll like this book by the end so you shouldn't judge it so harshly now." Those are all legitimate points.

So here's my dilemma. Assuming I don't care for the book if/when I finish it. Do I:

• Write an honest and objective review, highlighting the good, noting the weaknesses, acknowledging my biases?
• Write a positive review only focusing on what was good about the book and who it will appeal to?
• Not write a review at all?

No pressure, but I'm eagerly awaiting your advice...

Note: I purposely have not shared the name of the author or the title of the book. I want to first decide if I'm willing to be public about my feelings for it.

Getting Naked and Cheating

Last night I finished reading my first e-book, and I have a confession to make. I really liked reading on my iPad. I didn't want to, honestly. It seems sacrilegious, given my career in publishing and the fact that I practically worship at the alter of my bookcase. There's something about a book--holding it, turning the pages, looking at the pictures, seeing it waiting for me on a a shelf--that makes me all aflutter. But it's undeniable that the e-book thing has its advantages.

Bonus points: Tell me what you see
in this book cover image.

The e-book with which I cheated on all my printed books was Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby. I loved this book. As much as a I read it's still relatively rare that I will wake up thinking about a book I just finished. Today I woke up at 5:00 a.m. (damn cat), and found myself thinking about the joy that was Juliet, Naked. Okay, that didn't come out right, but you know what I mean.

If you've ever seen the movies High Fidelity or About a Boy, you know something of Nick Hornby's style. I'd describe it as a superior combination of bright, witty, ironic, and altogether human. Laugh-out-loud funny at times, while painfully real. He creates amazingly engaging and flawed characters.

In Juliet, Naked we meet Duncan and Annie, two fairly colorless individuals who have been living together without passion or, perhaps even love, for 15 years. Home is the lifeless seaside English town of Gooleness. Perhaps so named because it rhymes with, but is the opposite of, "coolness." For their entire relationship, Annie has played second fiddle to Duncan's adoration and obsession with Tucker Crowe, a reclusive only-moderately-successful rocker described as a combination of Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Leonard Cohen. More than 20 years ago, Tucker abruptly disappeared from the music scene, leaving a small cult following behind. The discovery of an unreleased album (Juliet, Naked) which Annie boldly (and negatively) reviews on the Tucker Crowe fan website, starts in motion a chain reaction which brings these three together with life-changing and thought-provoking results.

If you want to be entertained in a smart, thoughtful way, this is the book for your summer reading. Pick up Juliet, Naked. (And stop thinking about picking up Juliet, naked. Do you even know a Juliet? Who's named Juliet these days?)

The Year in Review: Books!

It's time for Part 2 of my Entertainment Year-in-Review. Before I start my review of Best Books, however, I should note that this weekend Rob and I took in one of the "still to see" films from my Best & Worst Movies of 2010 list. We saw The Fighter, the boxing movie starring Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale. I'm pleased to report that it's deserving of all the critical acclaim coming its way, primarily due to a stunning performance by Bale and Melissa Leo who plays mom and agent to the boxing brothers. It definitely deserves a place in my top 10 movies of the year.

Now, on to books, my not-so-guilty pleasure. Because I rarely rush out to read the newest releases, please note that most of these, while read in 2010, were published before this year:

1. The Great Santini by Pat Conroy (1976) - This was a neighborhood book club read. I believe I recommended it, and was one of the few who actually enjoyed it. I gave it five stars on Goodreads, because I don't know the last time I read a book that moved me like this one. Pat Conroy does an amazing job of developing the most complex characters I've ever had the joy of meeting. The Great Santini should be on every book club's reading list because the opportunity for discussion is endless. 
2. The Stieg Larsson series (2010) This is a love it or hate it series. I know a few women who couldn't get through The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and I must admit it nearly stalled about half way into it. Thankfully I stuck with it and fell for Lisbeth Salander, one of the most unique literary characters we've met in a long time. The series actually improved with each of the subsequent books, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest, which was actually my favorite.
3. On Beauty by Zadie Smith (2006) - Zadie Smith is an amazingly gifted author who I can't wait to read more of. Issues of race, class, education, relationships, religion, language, art, and beauty emanated effortlessly from its pages. Not a book to read quickly but one to savor sentence by sentence.  
   
4. Little Bee by Chris Cleave (2009) -  One of the most moving books I've read in a while. Little Bee is a superbly drawn character with a compelling and irresistible voice. 
5. In the Woods by Tana French (2008) - I was never a mystery reader, but this year I found a couple in this "thriller/mystery" genre that I really enjoyed (including the Larsson series). In the Woods was one of them. This police procedural/ psychological thriller was completely absorbing with lots of character development and a really engaging narrator.   
6. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (2009) - This letter-based fictional book is every bit as charming and delightful as everyone says. A fun, quick read from which I fully expect a movie will be made.
7. One Day by David Nicholls (2010) - This one was critically praised in a number of magazines and journals I read so I recommended it for my neighborhood book club. I don't know that any of us would list it as a favorite, but it was definitely a unique read with each chapter covering the same day in subsequent years in the lives of two intertwined characters. I enjoyed the book's creative storytelling and language, and found it to be honest and frequently heartbreaking.
8. The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann (2009) - One of the few non-fiction books I read this year, The Lost City of Z is about the disappearance of British explorer Percy Fawcett in the Amazon jungle and the author's attempts to discover what happened to him. It's a fascinating story that reads like fiction with death, deceit, intrigue, action, and plenty of adventure.
9. The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible As Literally As Possible by A. J. Jacobs (2007) - Entertaining and educational! I learned a good deal about the Bible, particularly the Old Testament and Jewish custom, and had several good laughs at the same time.
10. I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman (2010) - Another book club selection, I'm currently about a quarter of the way through this thriller that Stephen King included in his top ten of 2010. Not being a Stephen King fan that endorsement did nothing for me, however I get the sense that Lippman's book is going to pick up speed and become one of those that's hard to put down.

I read two books this year that left me cold including The Monster of Florence (2008) and Pillars of the Earth. The Monster of Florence is the true story of the hunt for a serial killer in Florence, Italy from the perspective of two journalists. It was ultimately unsatisfying because the book ended with no closure in the case. As for Pillars of the Earth, I realize I am in the minority in not loving, or at least liking this book. I know many of my friends think it among the best books ever written, but having suffered through all gazillion pages of this Ken Follett novel, I just didn't see the appeal.

Finally, loyal Freakin' Angel readers and Facebook friends know that 2010 was the year that Abby and I took on all seven books in the Harry Potter series, reading them aloud nightly. It was truly one of the highlights of my year, both for the time Abby and I spent together, and for the sheer delight that is the J. K. Rowling's masterpiece.

Time to share! What have you read this year that I need to add to my list?

Coming Wednesday, Part 3 of the Entertainment Year-in-Review, covering television, music, and social media... Stay tuned!

A Gift You Can Open Again and Again

I love books. There is only one other thing that I love like I love books, and that is movie theater popcorn. As notoriously cheap frugal as I am, books and movie theater popcorn are two things that I will spend money on even though it is much more financially sensible to take books out of the library and sneak microwave popcorn into the theater.

I love books so much my father recently built gorgeous wooden cases for my living room to hold all my treasures (imagine my disappointment when an interior designer told me I shouldn't fill them top to bottom with every title I own. Apparently that's not aesthetically pleasing.)

I have stacks of books I own but haven't read, and I have a list of books I want to read that I don't yet have (it's up to 112 titles). And that's in addition to my dream of reading the Modern Library's 100 Best Novels.

My favorite genres of books are historical fiction, literary novels, and the classics. There are a few authors whose entire collections I have read, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, D. H. Lawrence, and Tom Robbins. And then there's the Harry Potter series.

I am currently reading the Harry Potter books out loud to my daughter Abby. We're on the third volume, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. At age nine, Abby is a perfectly capable reader, but she's particularly enjoying having Rowling's books read to her because I "do the voices." Reading the Harry Potter series has been a magnificent reminder of what is so incredibly wonderful about books. It's also reminded me of what we lose when we allow television, movies, video games, facebook, and even blogs to take their place. The magical thing about books is the pictures they create in our minds and the places they take us.

When Ian read that sentence over my shoulder as I typed (I hate when he does that, by the way), he remarked that "that's what teachers and librarians tell kids so they'll want to read." But it's completely and wonderfully true! Sure, there's something to be said for reading for knowledge, but for me, reading will always be about the escape, about the places I go, and the characters I meet.

Even before we had the Harry Potter movies, we had millions of children, teens, and adults with vivid images in their minds of Harry, Hagrid, Dumbledore, Sirius Black, Crookshanks, Moaning Myrtle, He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named and dozens of other unforgettable characters. In our mind's eye, we saw Quidditch matches, the Whomping Willow, and the Great Hall filled with food, and owls delivering dreaded howlers. We imagined the stories' fantastical creatures and fearsome beasts. We felt the terror, anger, disappointment, anguish, and joy of our favorite students and we "saw" them grow up before our eyes. We are indebted to J. K. Rowling for renewing or introducing the joy of reading to millions around the world.

As the marketing director of Judson Press, a small, non-profit Christian publisher, I am blessed to see firsthand the journey a book takes from a mere kernel of an idea to its final, printed form. I am blessed to work with our authors to literally "spread the word" about their contribution to the vast library of titles that has existed since the invention of the Gutenberg Press.

I would like to propose a National Authors Day in which we celebrate the gifts that we receive from millions of writers around the world. Without them, I would never have:

• Visited Hogwarts, Hogmeade, or Privet Drive
• Been kept awake at night wondering of the whereabouts of the devil in the White City
• Met Kavalier and Clay
• Felt the anguish of lost love on Chesil Beach
• Traveled to Afghanistan with Amir
• Considered what cats in hats have to do with Christian living
• Lived life as a baseball-loving, fatherless Jewish boy in Brooklyn in the 1940s
• Searched for Dracula with Helen Rossi
• Imagined my life as a widow during the Civil War or as a single mother in Nazi Germany
• Survived a shipwreck in the Pacific ocean with a wounded zebra, a spotted hyena, a seasick orangutan, and a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker 

These authors and hundreds of others have touched my heart, my soul, and mind, and for that I am forever grateful. Which writers have left their mark on you?

(And extra credit if you can provide the title of each of the books referenced above!)

"The smallest bookstore still contains more ideas of worth than have been presented in the entire history of television."  ~Andrew Ross