The Best Part of Cabin Fever

A longtime friend of mine has a wonderful blog detailing her life and most importantly her journey through adopting a child from Africa. She is an excellent writer and it is always a great read. A few months ago she wrote about her love of learning and passion for reading. That is something I can definitely relate to. My mother has always been a wonderful example of being a lifelong learner and I think it has had a profoundly positive influence on me and the person I have become.

As the days get darker and shorter I am finding more and more time to get back into my favorite past-time of reading. I dusted off my library card and last weekend blew through The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman. The dust cover said it was a book you couldn't put down and that was you wouldn't be able to put down. They were absolutely right.

Now I have moved on to a couple of recommendations from another blog I enjoy, Dooce. She has put together some wonderful Christmas gift idea lists and since I do not have the pleasure of being a full time blogger I will merely link to her: Holiday for Him, Holiday for Her: Homegoods and Holiday for Her: Accessories and Clothing.

The first book I finished yesterday was Hillbilly Gothic: A Memoir of Madness and Motherhood. This book chronicles Adrienne Martini's struggle with postpartum depression following the birth of her first child. It takes you from conception to loony-bin and back again. Her own mood disorder causes her to take a closer look at her family's history and she pieces together the signs that she is genetically predisposed to this happening. Really tough subject explored with a wit and honesty I couldn't resist.

My book for today is The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan. This book takes a look at the Middle Place - "that sliver of time when parenthood and childhood overlap" and how she fully transitions to "adulthood" after a diagnosis of breast cancer. We will see how it turns out but I am thinking this will be another page turner.

In case you couldn't tell, my favorite books allow me to express my inner voyeur. As someone who has always sort-of winged it through life (with a total type-a plan of course) I am always curious about how other people are making their way through their own life experiment.

What are your favorite books? It is a long winter up here and I will need something to ready before little London arrives!