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Thursday, January 5, 2012

Oh, 2012, You Cheeky Monkey! (bonus feature: Buying Gift Books For Yourself)



Well played, New Year, well played.

Just a few short days ago, I listed my few, fairly simple resolutions (lifted from a well-timed tweet).  To review, I resolved to:

1. Read more.

2.  Write more.

3.  Worry less.

Now, I have this theory about resolutions, a theory of the be-careful-what-you-wish-for-variety.  I mean, if you resolved to be patient, then you will undoubtedly have the most patience-trying events rock your year. It is just the way it goes.

So, the New Year, (or Universe, or whoever is in charge of ill-formed resolutions) had this fun little spin for mine.  More time to read?  You got it!  More writing time?  It is all yours!  Worry less? Well, I'll see what I can do about that.


How do I get these wonderful things?  By catching a hideous illness (of the bronchial-ailing variety).  I can't do any of the cool things I wanted to do over break.  I can't even go outside for long (strange anti-biotic sun reaction)!!  And the weather is GORGEOUS.  But I am trapped inside.   Alas.

So, notebooks, books and keyboards, here I come!

Again, I commend your cleverness, 2012.

In other news, I highly recommend getting a book gift for yourself, just to start out the new year.  I mean, why not?  I bough one YA, one MG and one PB back in December as a promise to myself that I WOULD have more time for reading (pre-illness, naturally).

I bought:

Loved this creepy YA.  Really a fun book for teens, and for me.  I've got to say, I am a sucker for a London ghost story with a fun narrator.  Just what I needed to forget about coughing.




Gorgeous and moving and just WOW.  A perfect story.  I wouldn't have changed a thing. And  I loved those moments when I was muttering to myself, "HAZEL!  Don't do that!!"



Sweet and inspiring.  There is something just so wonderful about a picture book that makes you realize what an unusual and special medium the picture book really is.

So, if your New Year's Resolutions are having their way with you already, go out and buy a gift book for yourself (or two, or three.)

You won't be sorry.

Off to snuggle with more books.

hrh


8 comments:

Stephanie Thornton said...

Yeah, the Universe is sneaky like that. You can really only shrug your shoulders and move on, right?

And really, the only good things about being sick are being able to stay in bed all day and read. Enjoy that and ignore all the rest!

Feel better soon!

Shannon O'Donnell said...

I hope you feel better soon, but that you get lots of reading done until then. And thanks for the book recs--those are all on my wish list. :-)

Myrna Foster said...

You've been sick for a while, Shelley. I hope it goes away soon.

I've been meaning to pick up The Name of the Star, and I've never heard of Me . . . Jane. So, thanks for the recommendations. I'm with you on Breadcrumbs - loved it!

Margo Berendsen said...

Sneaky, indeed! Do hope you are feeling better and I love those book covers you shared. Thanks for sharing them BIG too, beautiful covers (and books) deserve nice big spots.

Corey Schwartz said...

Ah, that sneaky universe!

Amy Jarecki said...

I like your idea of gifting books for yourself at Christmas...how did you know I did that?

Nice to meet you :-)

Amy

Anonymous said...

Hope you are feeling better. I'm not buying any more books for myself until I read some of the ones I already have. One of my unwritten goals is to get these book stacks whittled down, so my book a week goal will come in handy this year. : )

Sarah said...

Oh, no! I hope you feel better soon. I just finished sending off grad school applications, and haven't had time to think about resolutions. Perhaps I'll avoid making them? Because I was also planning on reading more . . .