As you all may remember, I looooooove books. I love the way they look. The way they feel. The way they smell. Reading brings me the greatest joy. I am happiest when I am in a library. Any kind of library. Libraries are, I believe, the heart of a home.
Because I have the attention span of a gnat, I currently have three books going (I think). All three were given to me by great and thoughtful friends.
The first is Reading Jackie: Her Autobiography in Books. This is a book written by William Kuhn on the story of how Jackie Kennedy Onassis, a book editor at Doubleday, revealed her inner most self through the often controversial publication of books, including Michael Jackson’s Moonwalk, books on Russian culture, the power of myth, the life of Martha Graham and a book of erotic and alluring women (which included images, ironically, of Marilyn Monroe and Maria Callas).
It’s a great book because it is not a startling exposé, but rather a graceful, perceptive and respectful look (with a teeny bit of behind-the-scenes eavesdropping) at a most unlikely working girl. So many people assume that she was “just” a First Lady or “the wife of ____.” Far from it! Don’t let the clothes fool you (a phrase that I often say about myself!). It’s a great read so far. My mother-in-law, who is now deceased, would have LOVED this book. So, when I read it, I think of her SL (silver lining).
The next book is: Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips. This is a fabulously fun and interestingly engaging book written by actress, photographer and activist, Kris Carr. She was diagnosed with (liver) cancer at age 31. This is one cool woman. How do I know? Well, for starters, she says: WTF? Additionally, she refers to Whole Foods as her “pharmacy”. Love that!
There are 13 contributors to the book (a/k/a “cancer babes” in her “cancer posse”), all of whom share their own experiences with different types of cancer. I especially like this line in describing the book: “These are fundamental, practical, silly, real, fun, crazy, sexy ways to live your life-with cancer. Because it can be done.” It reminds me of when I told my best friend (who went through the exact same FBC experience that I’m going through) about my FBC diagnosis. Her first response was: We. Can. Do. This.
The third book is A Girl Named Zippy: Growing Up Small in Mooreland, Indiana. This is a memoir written by Haven Kimmel that describes her childhood in a teeny-tiny 300-person town in Indiana. Being of Hoosier descent (a culture in and of itself) myself, I can say with certified credentials that she is spot on in her descriptions as well as being laugh-out-loud funny. I especially adore the story about how, after being bald for her first three years and then having hair that was “thick and sprouty and curly,” at the age of eight, she wore a wig (she describes it much better than I do!). Perhaps the fact that an eight year-old can wear a wig is inspirational to me at this moment in my life.
Speaking of libraries, below are some images of libraries that I find particularly inviting:
On these long winter days, I hope that you can find new friends and SL’s in the pages of the books in your library.