From One Book Lover

Happy Halloween!   Enjoy this poem as part of All Hallow's Read 2013 . For maximum effect, read it aloud.   All Souls             I A thin moon faints in the sky o’erhead, And dumb in the churchyard lie the dead. Walk we not, Sweet, by garden ways, Where the late rose hangs and the phlox delays, But forth of the gate and down the road, Past the church and the yews, to their dim abode. For it’s turn of the year and All Souls’ night, When the dead can hear and the dead have sight.             II Fear not that sound like wind in the trees: It is only their call that comes on the breeze; Fear not the shudder that seems to pass: It is only the tread of their feet on the grass; Fear not the drip of the bough as you stoop: It is only the touch of their hands that grope — For the year’s on the turn, and it’s All Souls’ night, When the dead can yearn and t...

Yes, it's nearly Halloween - can't you tell from my Library Loot? There is enough scary stuff (or possible scary stuff) to keep me occupied. The problem is, not much has scared me yet. I also picked up a little classic literature. I am hoping that will satisfy. Ghost Story  has a reputation of being one of the scariest books written in the 1970s. I wanted traditional horror. Alas, I didn't enjoy it: the story was slow to build and rather obvious. I stopped reading it after I anticipated every plot point for the first 50 pages. I really wanted to like it. Now I wonder what other books from my childhood I would view in the same way, as slow and predictable. (Yes, I read all of those books I wasn't supposed to, that were way beyond my years. It was the 70s — I think it was the law.) I did, however, like The Vagina Monologues . That classic did not disappoint. I also plan to scan local ghost lore for a little scare. It's always nice to know what...

There are many reasons to like  author Neil Gaiman. All Hallow's Read is one of them. All Hallow's Read is an excellent way to share the love of books and reading. If you love books and stories, then you love sharing those very things. (I know I do.) Neil Gaiman encourages that. In fact, he says — but wait, let me let him tell you himself. Me, I share poetry. Every Halloween, trick-or-treaters receive not only good chocolate candy (the kind I'd eat, and usually do, until I have to give it away), but also a poem. I've shared the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Edna St. Vincent Millay. This year, I've chosen — wait. I can't tell you until Halloween. What poems would you share for Halloween? (Note the plural. You don't have to stop at one.) If you're looking for novels, I'd recommend one by the man himself, The Ocean at the End of the Lane , or the delightfully weird story John Dies at the End . What are you reading for Halloween? Is ...

As the days grow chillier and the sun sets sooner each night, I look back fondly on my summer reading — and, I have to say, it was pretty good.  Below is a list of books I completed, the final book skidding in under the wire as the clock ticked down to autumn. I did not like all of the books. In fact, I probably would not recommend Southern Gods or Poe's Children. (The former was more gory than Gothic, the latter too eclectic and scattered a vision.) I threw a couple of children's books into the mix, and more than my share of hefty tomes. Here they are, the most recent at the top of the list. Illusions Ella Minnow Pea Under New York   The Firebird   Catwings   Catwings Return Wonderful Alexander and the Catwings Jane on her Own: A Catwings Tale Southern Gods Unnatural Creatures Dreamfever Poe's Children The Tarantula in My Purse and 172 Other Wild Pets Salt Sugar Fat The New Yorker Book of Cat Cartoons The Charles Addams Mother Goose I...

Book lovers, I'm going to spend August catching up on my reading before Fall for the Book hits the streets of Metro DC. I read the first chapter or two of Red Moon , but may have to set it aside (it's a little over-written for me). Next up: The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls and Growing Up Dead in Texas . (I'm a sucker for Gothic anything and horror.) Have you read them? What did you think? I already have one of Cheryl Strayed's books under my belt (and strongly recommend tiny beautiful things ), but I'm not sure if I am brave enough to pick up Wild again. It's beautifully written, but a terrifyingly real and vivid read — perfect for a memoir but hard for those who have experienced even a modicum of her life history. I should start Unsafe at Any Speed because I intend to meet my hero Ralph Nader, and who doesn't want to read and meet David Baldacci? And honestly, poetry abounds this year! The schedule is still evolving, so keep an eye out fo...

Cookie Monster, via Sesame Street , tweeted the following poem: This is just to say Me have eaten the cookies that were in the cookie jar and which you were probably saving for snack time Forgive me they were so delicious and om nom nom Me love poetry... and cookies! You may recognize its inspiration: "This is Just to Say" by William Carlos Williams. I have eaten  the plums  that were in the icebox  and which you were probably saving  for  breakfast   Forgive me  they were delicious  so sweet  and so cold Thanks, Cookie Monster!

I am a fan of the electronic reader. I keep my Kindle with me at all times — one never knows when the need to read shall arise. A quiet lunch? A visit to the doctor's office? Unexpected downtime? All those and more translate into extra reading time, and I am glad I have my choice of books. I also keep my magazines on it so I'm never without a New Yorker . (Hey, I've got to be prepared for every contingency.) However, there's a limit to how I will use an e-book. Now, I didn't understand my limitations until recently, more than a year after I started loading my Kindle — and, now, my iPad (thank you, Kindle Reader app!). My limitation is simple, but clear: I will not take my Kindle to bed. Oh, I may work like a demon on my computer until 2 am and I may Pinterest or BuzzFeed on my iPad until way later than I should; I am, after all, only human (despite evidence to the contrary).  Electronics are valuable. However, I always shut off the electronics when I cli...