On a recent adventure to the backyard, Winston discovered the small white strawberry plants given to me by a former writing student, Paddy Eger. This is the first year they've really borne fruit and I was excited to taste them.
Notice the use of the past tense, "was." Evidently, white strawberries are on Winston's list of foods-not-to-be-resisted. And, because the plants are just the right height for him to vacuum off the tiny sweet berries, there are none left for Neil and me. None.
His earnest harvesting reminded me of that Gary Paulsen quote: "Read like a wolf eats." And because libraries and newspapers are posting summer reading lists about this time of year, I'm in the reading list frame of mind.
I'd encourage you to read Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book, which I really, really didn't want to like and that I think is fantastic (though not perfect); I devoured Lisa Graff's Umbrella Summer (I so admire it that I gave it an endorsement); Rodman Philbrick's The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg (ignore the awful cover); and a collection of poems for adults, Yellowrocket, by Todd Boss. I plan to finally, finally read Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins), The True Meaning of Smekday (Adam Rex) and the brand new book from first time novelist, Emily Whitman, Radiant Darkness. Oh, and of course I'm dying to read The Small Adventures of Popeye and Elvis, by Barbara O'Connor
So what titles have I missed that I shouldn't? What are you talking to all of your friends about? Please share!
I recommend Down Sand Hill by Steve Watkins and The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate. Let me know what you think. I am the only person in the world who didn;t like The Graveyard Book but I'm finally going to give in and read The Hunger Games.
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of silly dog eats strawberries? Of course we had a cat who loved steamed broccoli.
Karen, What did you not like about the Graveyard Book? I was the same way with The Book Thief -- I truly am the only person in the world who couldn't get into that book. And I gave it three tries!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recommendations!
Radiant Darkness is on my summer list as well, and I've been exctied about it since the conference. I also recently read "What I Saw and How I Lied" by Judy Blundell, which was quite good, and I reviewed it on Damsels if you want to take a look.
ReplyDeleteKaren, don't feel bad--I have a friend who wasn't too fond of "The Graveyard Book" either, though she loves other Neil Gaiman books. At least you're not the only one.