Lost_My_Place's blog

Hopefully you guys have been following our Every Monday Matters column that runs on the front of Lifestyles on Mondays. It's written by Matthew Emerzian and Kelly Bozza. It's all about making a difference in the world. Here's the link to the one that was published this past Monday: http://www.modbee.com/life/yourhealth/story/510326.html

Mark your calendars for Monday, December 8. Matthew will be here at The Bee at 7pm to talk with folks and sign copies of his book "Every Monday Matters". Managing Editor/Online Dan Day will host the evening.

There will be more information to come. In the meantime, check out the website www.everymondaymatters.com and look for the column on Mondays in Lifestyles.

I just heard about a fun event for book lovers.

In honor of National Friends of Libraries Week, The Friends of the Modesto Library is hosting a novel open house and book exchange on Wednesday, October 22 at 6:30.

Author Cornelia Read will speak about her book The Crazy School. 

Make sure you search your bookshelf for a book and come trade it for a book you haven't read. 

I'm drowning in Chick-Lit and it's a good thing.

I had been on a kick of depressing books but really, who can handle too much of that?  Especially since the economy is in the toilet and we are at war.  I don't know about you but I need something happy to read.

I recently finished Rockabye: From Wild to Child about a rock-n-roll party girl who gets knocked up and ends up marrying the guy.  It is a funny memoir that brought back a lot of pregnancy memories and pregnancy paranoia for me.

The writer is actually a blogger.  So the book kind of reads like a giant blog.  Nevertheless, it is worth the read I think.  Especially if you've had kids.

Then I jumped to Such a Pretty Fat.  The subtitle is much better though: One Narcissist's Quest to Discover If Her Life Makes Her Ass Look Big or Why Pie is Not the Answer.  So you can see where this book is going.  Funny and yet true.  I've laughed out loud several times. 

Life’s too short.  We all know it.  We say it.  But do we mean it?  I mean really, I say it all the time but my actions speak otherwise most of the time.  I get caught up in daily life and lose track just like everyone else.

Randy Pausch wasn’t so lucky.  Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he had only months to live and with the help of Jeffrey Zaslow, he put together some of his thoughts on life, big dreams, and seizing the day.

The Last Lecture came about because he was asked to present a lecture at Carnegie Mellon University as part of an ongoing lecture series.  The lecture became so popular on the web that a book was born. 

You can find links to the video here.

I just finished reading The Shack.  And I’m not sure what to think.  Honestly, I think I need to reread it.

The Shack is really a book about God and spirituality but it is woven in through what starts off as a sad storyline.  The main character, Mack, is grieving for his daughter who was murdered four years earlier.  He has seemingly shut down and the rest of his family isn’t doing much better. 

Without giving too much away, he is invited to a shack for the weekend by God.  I know what you are thinking…what?  Admittedly, the premise is crazy.  But as a friend pointed out, the ending gives the reader an out if it is just too much to handle.

The book proposes different ideas on things like forgiveness, what it means to be “Christian”, and even how God appears to Mack. 

Zero.  Zilch.  Nada.

That pretty much sums up my summer reading so far.  I have a stack of books crying out to be read next to my bed but I’ve been a bad girl.  I’ve ignored them and I can’t take it.  I’ve taken to throwing my running clothes over them so I don’t have to look at them and feel even guiltier.

I haven’t read a book since May.  Eek!  I finished The Other Boleyn Girl (which by the way is MUCH better than the lame movie that came out several months ago).  What should have been a terrific start to my summer reading came to a screeching halt soon after.

Sure I’ve got excuses; extra job responsibilities, swim lessons, softball for me and t-ball for the kiddies, marathon training, Reality TV, and I’ve been watching my Fresno State Bulldogs in the College World Series.  All worthy excuses I suppose but not enough to lessen my guilt.

So here I am, pledging today, June 25, 2008, to pick up a book this week and get past this lull in my reading.

Lately, my family has been taking a walk down memory lane each night.  We’ve been reading Judy Blume’s classic Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing. 

I loved Judy Blume when I was a kid.  Her characters stick in my head much like Beverly Cleary’s do.

Thankfully my girls love Peter, Fudge and even Sheila.  Otherwise, I’d probably be a little bit heartbroken.

Judy Blume is one of those children’s authors that strike a chord with kids.  Why?  Probably because kids get her characters.  I got them.  My sisters were to me as Fudge is to Peter.  A huge pain.  And in case they are reading this post, they are now the best sisters EVER.

I debated when the right time was to read it to them.  You probably could make the case that five and four is probably a bit young but nevertheless I plunged in.  And to my pleasure, they’ve had several laugh-out-loud moments.