Grateful Wed and Great Books!

Oh, how I've begun to look forward to chronicling (that just doesn't look right, but I know it's a word!) my gratefulness. Now that I'm really in a routine of weekly gratefulness, I find myself noticing more and more things around me for which I can and should be grateful. Have any of you other bloggers noticed you begin to say to yourself, "I am SO blogging about that." Well, the same kind of habitual thinking creeps in except you begin to say, "I am SO grateful for that!" It's a good thing, my friends. I challenge you to be grateful with me weekly, and see if you notice a change, as well.

This week I am grateful for:
1. The way my YS comes to snuggle every morning.
2. The new class I'm taking on mediabistro
3. Pumpkins
4. The fact that some 300 darling little people will all come onto my porch to visit on Friday night! And I get to hug every single one of them.
5. Color change in fall, paint brushes at the ready, and hope
6. Soccer and how it helped transform my ED.
7. My good dog, Max, and his daily adoration
8. Great teachers and principals, Fall Festival (that I'm not in charge of this year, praise God), and libraries
9. Healthy parents and children
10. Supportive, helpful, fun friends--wow, am I ever blessed in this capacity!

Okay, now on to the books! Oh, me; oh, my! Have I ever read some goodies this week. First of all BOY PROOF by Cecil Castellucci. I was soo in love with this book when I finished it last week, I wanted to blog it IMMEDIATELY, but I made myself wait until today. It is SO fabulous. A YA novel, with the most endearing protag, yet her character is fresh and new. I haven't read another character like Egg, yet I've known tons of kids like this (I daresay I was one of them, which maybe accounts for how much I loved this book??). Egg is used to being the smartest, most accomplished student at her school. That's her THING--her identity, her persona, her label. Unfortunately, she is very antisocial, feels misunderstood and unappreciated, but she connects and identifies with a sci fi character, Egg, and takes on the name herself. While her world isn't ideal, she's comfortable in her antisocial-ness and top of the class-ness until a new student, Max, comes on the scene and threatens to take her top status away from her PLUS he's social and well-liked. Max is another well-drawn,completely lovable character. I get little shivers even now from my book crush on him. I'm doing a horrible job writing about this book because I loved it so much. I'm too close, as they say. Just trust me, this book is fabulous. Brilliant. Amazing. The only downside is that I didn't write it---ha ha ha. I can't say enough about this stunning ya. A must-read for anyone who's ever known a 'nerd' or been one, like myself. Or anyone who wonders what's behind the piercings.

Next book: UGLIES by Scott Westerfield. This book is a good example of not judging a book by its cover. I've walked past this book a hundred times and said to myself, "Bimbo YA." No offense to the many very successful books of this genre, but it's just not my thing. I couldn't have been more WRONG. Despite the cover which to me looks like another pretty girl gang book, it's a fascinating, exceptionally drawn science fiction. Westerfield's world is so well-drawn that it's the kind of book you want to read slowly and savor, you find yourself going over all the metaphors in the shower and so forth. The protag is lovable and frustrating all at once which keeps the tension taut and the plot exciting--woo whee, it'll get your blood boiling. Anyway, I can't WAIT to read the other books in this series. Can't BELIEVE I've found another great series of ya books. For the kids wandering around with tears in their eyes since the last Harry Potter? Give 'em this one. And best of all, while it's YA, no bad language, no sexual content, just good, solid writing. Egg would LOVE it.

Guys, you can see why I'd make a terrible reviewer. I get so caught up in my love for these books, but it's real. Please know I only share the BEST and the BRIGHTEST books with you. Check them out! And remember to join me for poetry Friday. I know some of you are DYING to participate. Take the plunge THIS WEEK. It's Halloween, after all, what better time to try on a new identity. Come Friday, as poets, to our salon. I'll be the one wearing black.