Sunday Salon ~ June 1st 2008

What a lovely way to spend the first day of June!  Eating, reading and napping.  This morning the hubby and I joined friends for brunch over on the Air Force base.  After filling our bellies with omelets, waffles, bacon and other yummies, we headed home for a day of quiet relaxation.  There wasn’t anything on tv so for about an hour, with country music playing in the background, we read.  The hubby finished David Baldacci’s latest book, “The Whole Truth” and I fell deeper into “My Best Friend’s Girl” by Dorothy Koomson. 

This book is very good so far.  It’s quick, to the point and full of drama.  It’s the good, juicy kind of drama too.  Kamryn is the main character and after writing off her best friend two years earlier, she finds out that Adele is dying of Leukemia and has asked her to adopt her five year old daughter.  Problem is is that this child is a product of a night of cheating against Kamryn by Adele and Kamryn’s fiance.  (LOVE IT!!!!) 

There’s a daring rescue from child abusing grandparents, flashbacks to let us in on the betrayal and character building that doesn’t take forever. 

Depending on how busy this week turns out to be (so far I have at least one thing on the calendar everyday) I hope to be done with this by the end of the week at the latest. 

After reading for a while, it was nap time.  The rainy season has set in here in Okinawa and on a dreary, muggy day there isn’t anything better than reading and napping and reading some more. 

I hope your Sunday is as blissful as mine has been. 

Tagged: A Little Something About Me

Traci over at “Traci’s Book Blog” tagged me with this meme this morning, so here goes:

1. Who’s your all-time favorite author, and why?

I think I would have to say that L. Frank Baum is my all-time favorite author.  “The Wizard of Oz” is my all-time favorite movie and when I was little my folks would read the book to me.  Later my dad bought my sister and me some of the books from the OZ series.  I have a couple of them still but haven’t revisited them in forever.  Maybe I’ll put them on my TBR shelf. 
I love how Baum created a world of friends and places I can visit as easily as opening the book.  Dorothy has been a life long friend of mine and I feel that I know her as well as myself.  The Scarecrow, Tim Man and Cowardly Lion are some of the most loved characters on my shelves and who can forget Toto.  Dorothy’s relationship with her dog is what initially inspired me to beg my parents insesintly for a dog when I was a toddler.  They gave in after three years or so when I was five and we got Maxwell, my first Cocker Spaniel.  The Wicked Witch of the West will forever strike fear in my heart.  To me she is the most powerful and evil villain in American literature. 

2. Who was your favorite first author?  Do you still consider them among your favorites? 

You may think that I’m going to say L. Frank Baum again but actually the most influential author on my adolescent years, starting in the fifth grade, was Francine Pascal’s hit series, “Sweet Valley High”.  I know now that Pascal was the creator and had a team of ghost writers actually writing the books but man, did I love Elizabeth and Jessica and all their friends.  I remember being so addicted to those books that I would ask my mom to leave the light on in the hallway and my bedroom door open so I could hang over the side of my bed and read with the help of the hallway light.  In book #3 (I can’t remember the name of it) Jessica was swimming in the lake with the popular boy in school and he felt her up!  Well, that kick started my boy crazy period (that finally came to a wonderful conclusion on my wedding day).  I loved these books and though I also loved such titles as “A Wrinkle In Time”, “Where The Red Fern Grows” and the Sunfire Romance book series, it is the SVH books that hold a very special place in my heart.  In the end I think I had at least thirty starting with #1. 

3. Who’s the most recent addition to your list of favorite authors, and why?

When I look at my shelves and think about this question, my first answer is Tom Perrotta.  The two books of his that I have read and thoroughly enjoyed were “Little Children” and “The Abstinence Teacher”.  These books engulfed me and took me into the next neighborhood, filled with drama and great characters.  Perrotta writes about everyday America and what lays under the surface but easily surfaces and makes life interesting and challenging.  In “Little Children” he asks us to think about the kiddie play park and what can happen when a parent is away from their spouse and realizes they have more fun and more in common with someone else than with their own wife/husband.  Also, we are witnesses to child predator living among the community and the hatred that is seething from those in it who just want to protect the children.  “The Abstinence Teacher” brings us the huge church in the strip mall with the overbearing congregation and church leaders who think they have the answers and the people who aren’t them who think for themselves and know there is a better way though it may be controversial. 

4. If someone asked you who your favorite authors were right now, which ones would be the first to pop out of your mouth?  Are there any you would add on a moment of reflection?

OK!  Tom Perrotta, Jennifer Weiner, Jeffrey Eugenides, Arthur Golden & Elizabeth Noble.  After thinking about it for a moment I would have to add Jodi Picoult (Change of Heart), Michael Connelly, Margaret George, Caleb Carr, Dan Brown, Tracy Chevalier, Elizabeth Kostova, Koji Suzuki, Richard Preston & Lauren Weisberger. 

Now, I guess I get to tag someone!   

AUDIO INPUT

BIRDLASHES

BOOKS ON THE BRAIN

BEASTMOMMA 

WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE COZ & CARA

SO MANY BOOKS

You’re IT!!