I had my crankypants on last night for no good reason — oh, I had reasons, primarily too much to do in too little time, the perpetual problem — and so I really struggled with something to post.
But I got a wake-up call at the news that someone I know knows parents whose two sons have Batten Disease. I didn’t fully succeed in getting uncranky, but I sure got a cold dash of perspective.
In lieu of the struggle to write anything relevant, I’ll send you over to Slate for two (funny, I promise) articles regarding a unique parenting perspective. The upshot of the first is that saying yes to your kids is a good thing because they will learn that they can depend on you, and as a result they will leave you alone to do your own thing. The upshot of the second is that staying home is okay — forced fun is no fun.
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I haven’t gotten to the library in ages, which is why I haven’t had anything new for What I Am. I just reread Inkheart from my personal library, and I discovered I liked it far more this time around. I am rereading for the 150th time The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. And I’m currently enjoying the beats of M.I.A.’s Arular, but I don’t have a critic’s perspective on it.
I need some book ideas: send your favorite five my way, and I’ll put them on my library list!
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Cook Forest Countdown: Two Days. So not ready.
Red Pen Mama 
If you haven’t read The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Sutterfield yet, I HIGHLY recommend it. Also, Rebecca by Daphne De Maurier or anything by Willa Cather.
Enjoy! Let me know if you like them!
Have you read Inkspell and Inkdeath? I read Inkspell and just checked Inkdeath out of the library.
I also just finished Wally Lamb’s latest: The Hour I First Believed, and it was wonderful. And long – I love super long books.
Oooh, Gina, I will check out the Inkworld trilogy! This sort of discussion is exactly what Shelfari and GoodReads are for though I can’t find anyone I know on Shelfari and I don’t feel like moving my whole profile to GoodReads…