Jodi Picoult

Jodi Picoult has become one of my favorite authors. Her books usually focus on ethical issues. Like with My Sister's Keeper , which is also a movie. This book is about having a child for the purpose of being a donor for an ill sibling. And this particular book will make laugh, cry, then laugh again, then cry again. The ending to this particular book throws you for a loop in the sense that when you finish it, you throw the book against the wall and start cussing because you weren't expecting that kind of ending.

The only book of Picoult's I don't like is Songs of the Humpback Whale. That one is hard to follow. Otherwise she is a very talented writer and I look forward to more books from her.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

This book has become one of my favorites. It is an autobiography. Jeannette Walls is an Ivy League graduate and a reporter for a NYC newspaper. She didn't have a conventional upbringing and her adult years her parents chose to be homeless. It really is just an amazing story. Walls has a new book, a fictional story loosely based on her grandmother, called Half-Broke Horses. I'm very anxious to read it!

The Lovely Bones

This book will soon be at a theater near you. It is the story of a young teen who was murdered by her neighbor. She watches her family, friends, and even her murderer from "her" heaven as they cope and try to move forward. The first couple of chapters are intense because Susie retells the details of her death. The story as a whole is an interesting concept. All in all, this book is a good read.

Dear America book series

If you are familiar with American Girl dolls, the Dear America book series is along that line. These historical fiction books have become a favorite of my oldest daughter. Most of the time she will research the events the story is based around. So other than advancing her reading skills, she also gets a history lesson at the same time.

Dear America is in a diary type of format and the main character is usually a young girl between the ages of 9-12. They tell of United States historical events from their point of view. We have read one about the Mayflower, the Revolutionary War, the Sufferage movement, Pearl Harbor, the Titantic, the Alamo, and the story of a once physically healthy girl who becomes handicapped and writes about adjusting to being blind. There are other books in the series that include the Civil War, one about a slave girl, a pioneer girl, etc. You get the idea. I think the only topic I haven't seen covered as of yet is 9/11 but I'm sure in due time there will be a book out about it.

For an adult these book are obviously quick reads but they are very charming and will draw you in.

Where To Get Books

I find my local library to be pitiful. Most times they don't have the books that I am interested in. Texas does have an intra-library loan system. If your library doesn't have a particular book, you can fill out a request form to see if any other libraries in the state have it and you can get it that way. It will be sent to your local library There are restrictions with this, the main one being that titles released within the last 12 months are not eligible for the intra-library loan.

Usually I have friends and relatives that I can swap books with. Most of the time I buy used books online. Amazon.com has inexpensive used books. However, the $5 shipping charge is for each book ordered. With Amazon you will pay more for shipping than you do for the actual book. I have recently discovered the Hastings site, www.gohastings.com They also have a wide selection of used books and they charge a flat shipping rate. So you could order 10 books from them and just the one shipping charge of $5. You can also order from Barnes and Noble but I am not sure of their shipping costs.

Many of the larger cities have a Half-Price Books. My town lacks in anything like that but when we lived in Dallas it was one of my favorite stores.

An Introduction

One would think that the every day life of elementary school projects, college classes, laundry, dishes, dog walking, and so on would be enough to make you tired at the end of the day. But most nights, that is not the case for me. The stress that doesn't get to me during the day creeps into my head at night. Sometimes I surf the web. Sometimes I will clean or organize. Not very often because I don't want to wake my husband and children.

I am a ferocious reader of books. And I am able to read when my insomnia hits because no other distractions get in the way. So I thought I'd share some of the books that I have enjoyed reading. I would also like your suggestions of any books that you like. Granted, there are some generes I just won't touch. I'm not much into sci-fi/fantasy or anything that will set off a political or theological war nor am I into trashy romance.

Welcome to my insomniac life!