Re: Miss Nosy wants to know everything.

[Guest guest]

Hi Aspaysia:

Happiest of birthdays to you.

My two most recent books (though they've been round a while) were

Fall On Your Knees by Ann Marie Mac and A Fine Balance by

Rohinton Mistry. Both excellent. Neither uplifting. Neither related

to coping with cancer - just good reads.

Not sure if that's the kind of thing you were looking for.

Oh - my walls are an eclectic combination of store bought prints, my

children's art, my friend Helen's art (a few pieces - she doesn't

work commercially) and many, many photographs. I would love to begin

collecting original works, but alas, it never seems to make it in to

the budget. I would also love to take some painting classes, but

alas, it never seems to make it in to the schedule.

One of these days ....

Regards,

Laurie

> The good news: it's my birthday and I'm still here. The bad news:

it's

> my birthday. On a brighter note I am the happy recipient of an

Amazon

> gift certificate (in cash money it would have a picture of Ben

> lin--one dollar for every year--just kidding)

>

> They say you can tell a lot about a person by looking in their

> medicine cabinet. We all know what is in ours: painkillers,

> antiemetics, magic mouthwash, chemo drugs, the usual stuff.

>

> I like to look at a person's bookshelf or lack thereof. It is always

> very revealing. Like art on the walls, it says a lot. I joined the

> Literary Fiction Lovers on this site and posted a similar plea for

> help. It would help me to a handle on this large, unwieldy group if

> you you all would recommend some reading material. And don't go over

> to LFL and tell them I have cc--you know how civilians are.

>

> I don't post here very often because the membership of this lively,

> informative group is overwhelming. It is only 11am and there is

> already a whole page full of posts. I read everything (in lurk mode)

> and learn a lot. It is a graduate level seminar in oncology. And

> those doctors think they are so smart.

>

> So let me know what you are reading or would like to read if you had

> the time. And what is hanging on you walls.

>

> Thanking you in advance,

> Aspaysia

[Guest guest]

Hi Aspaysia,

<Aspaysia wroteI like to look at a person's bookshelf or lack

thereof>>

Ah, Miss Nosy...I know the feeling well!

But let me first start off by saying, " I hope you had a Happy

Birthday " !

Actually, I haven't been reading a lot of " cancer " books lately (did

that a long time ago!), but instead have " reviewed " a bunch of books

my 9 year old daughter has been checking out of the library. After

all, when I look down on the floor of my living room, that's what I

see (so what else am I gonna do but start to read lol!)

There are a couple of them which really got my attention (as being

particularly good - a pleasant, unexpected surprise). One is

called " Skellig " , by Almond

Amazon Review

http://tinyurl.com/24a88

http://archive.ala.org/booklist/v95/youth/fe1/57almond.html

http://www.rambles.net/almond_skellig.html

I thought it was just awesome...the level of depth really went beyond

what might be expected from a " children's " book of this level (but

can be understood on a variety of levels). I found it a

very " spiritual " and moving read (and my daughter loved it!). After

seeing some of the kiddie fare out there (e.g " Goosebumps " and the

like), I was quite happy with the TOTALLY different

orientation/qualiity level found here.

These exerpts from a review (above) perhaps best summarize my own

feelings about the book:

**********************************************************************

[snip]

British writer Almond, in his first book for young people, weaves a

story that is part mystery, part dream, part anxious everyday life...

Who is Skellig? Or, more correctly, what? When discovers the

ragged, dusty man existing on dead flies in the garage, he is

shocked..

In many ways, this novel raises more questions than it answers.

Readers are not given any definitive answers about who Skellig is,

and this may bother younger readers who have the skill to read the

book without the sophistication of knowing how to plumb for its

deeper meanings. Accomplished readers, however, will find this an

amazing work. Some of the writing takes one's breath away, especially

the scenes in which Almond, without flinching, describes the beauty

and the horror that is Skellig

*********************************************************************

Another of Almond's books, " Kit's Wilderness " , is also quite good IMO

Amazon Review

http://tinyurl.com/yuxhg

http://www.januarymagazine.com/kidsbooks/kitswilderness.html

But the level of depth here is probably a little beyond Skellig -

more " teen oriented " I think. My daughter followed the book, but it

seemed a bit harder for her.

I also love the book " Graveyard Girl " by Myers. This book is

set in the late 1800's, and is the story of 3 children caught up in a

Yellow Fever epidemic in Memphis, Tenn. It's an " easier "

read for children than either Skellig or Kit's Wilderness (topics are

more straightforward). The reason I like it is because it shows the

strength, growth and survival of the main characters while being

forced to undergo some very difficult circumstances (should be

familiar to everyone here!).

(Amazon Review - not sure this link will work but you can look it up

yourself!)

http://tinyurl.com/3dneb

So anyways...while these books AREN'T exactly about " cancer " , I think

ALL of them are a worthwhile read (both for children and " nosy "

adults!). They get deeply into the spiritual aspects of life and

death we all must face, on a level I hadn't encountered before in

so called " children's " works.

We shouldn't overlook books and other things which might help those

of our loved ones who are children cope better with all this. Believe

me, they need it as much if not more than any of us do!

Is this the sort of thing " Miss Nosy " might be looking for ;o)

Best Wishes,