Ten Books

So lately it seems that my roundabout (read: lame) way of coming up with blog post topics is to steal them from Facebook. So here goes another one (impossible for an English teacher to pass this up)...

The charge is to write the ten books that you have found most influential in your life, without thinking too hard--just to jot down whatever comes to mind. Do it in a note and tag your friends (including me!) to invite them to share their lists with you.

1. Curious George Goes to the Hospital by H.A. Rey

2. Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary

3. Kristy's Great Idea by Ann M. Martin

4. Forever by Judy Blume

5. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

6. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

7. Naked by David Sedaris

8. The Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

9. A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth

10. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone* by J.K. Rowling

*Original UK title

Gumnut Cottage

Dreamy

Love Letter

According to my horoscope,

This would be a perfect week to practice writing love letters. It's not yet a favorable time to actually send the love letters you compose, however. You need some work before you'll be ready to produce the finished products. You've got to drain off the chatter that's at the top of your head before you'll be able to penetrate to the more interesting truths that lie at the bottom of your heart. But if you do your homework -- churn out, say, at least three eruptions of rabid amour -- you'll prepare yourself well to craft a thoughtful meditation that will really have a chance to make an impact.

So here goes a practice run:

Dear Words,

I love you truly, madly, deeply, eternally, ecstatically, desperately. When you are not around me, I fall silent. When I look around, I see you everywhere, and if I don't, I feel confused and alone. As individuals you are powerful, but when I see (or better yet, think of) ways to put you together, you become divine, transcendent, glorious. You satisfy all my senses and always have.

Yours truly,
me