Book Reviews, Being a Kid, and Massaging Chairs

Someone e-mailed me yesterday about book reviews. Yes, I am reading a lot this summer, but I've been mostly reading adult books. It has been very disappointing and only reinforces to me that the caliber of books for young people is incredible. More and more adults are reading YA because many of them are better quality. For example, I just finished reading an adult book by an established author. This book ranks high on the best selling list, it was reviewed in USA Today and others as a 'Great Summer Read' (I mention this not because the book reviewer in USA Today is a great source but because clearly a lot of people will see this book). At any rate, it was okay. I was mildly entertained, but here's the thing--there were TONS of mistakes in this book. At least a dozen! Not like typo mistakes, but involved mixing up of names, which was confusing. And then, of course, got my mind going 100 mph--was that other character originally in this scene? Why did the author edit him out? etc. Anyway, I don't like to review books I don't like. It just doesn't seem nice or productive (or interesting to me, honestly), so that's why I haven't reviewed anything in a while. The BEST book I've read in weeks is my friend's Dryad book--a mg manuscript--that is not yet published. It knocked my socks off. One day, you'll get to read it, too.

I'm about to read my own work in progress on my kindle for the first time. I hope it have it whipped in shape in time to begin submitting it in the fall, but we'll see. I'm still shopping a picture book and reworking another picture book.

Conversation with my 6YO son yesterday:
JK: Mom, do you miss being a kid?
Me: Sometimes
JK: What did you like to do?
Me: Ride my bike...
JK (interrupting): You can still ride a bike
Me: You're right.
JK: You need a day off.
Me: Oh, really? What would I do on this day off?
JK: Ride your bike. And I could make you a sandwich for lunch while you relax. Riding a bike makes you tired.

My boys got this great idea at the pool yesterday to turn all the pool chairs into massaging chairs (you know, like at Brookstone?). So before I could stop them, they wriggled under the chairs of two ladies and 'massaged' their backs by kicking and pummeling the underside of the chairs with their hands. One lady screamed and another one calmly said, "I'm turning my chair off now, so I can close my eyes for a minute." Meanwhile, I was yanking the boys out from under the chair. They didn't understand at all why anyone wouldn't want a massaging chair, so I let them turn my chair into a massaging chair. I'm still sore.

Have a GREAT day!