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Best Sellers List

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about books on your top book lists…

This past week, Borders re-released it’s 100 Favorite Books of All Times. Do you vote in these kinds of polls when they arise? Do you look through the list, or seek out books featured?

Unless it is a local poll, I don't normally take part in these types of things, but I do love looking through lists of favorite books. I always check out the New York Times Best Sellers to see what everyone else is reading. Sometimes I'll choose a books from this list, sometimes I don't - I just like being up to date with current books.

One list I do read a lot of books from is the Entertainment Weekly list. I am totally into pop culture, so many times I will read books recommended by EW. Many times I will have already read a book recommended by EW and this is really cool as well.

I also like looking at the book review section of the Lexington Herald Leader - this is a "local" paper printed in a town 35 miles from my hometown. It's interesting to see what books make their list compared to other lists. I really love books by Kentucky authors, so this is a great way to find new authors.

But I don't rely on list to make my books choices - I like to think I'm an independent person and I have eclectic tastes in books. Right now, I'm going through a young adult phase - actually, it's been going on for several years, but I still enjoy it. I like finding new YA books that interest me and then telling friends and school age kids about my finds. I do the same thing for Kentucky authors - I'm always happy to spread the love around.

I believe "lists" are an important part of the book industry - it's a great way to spread the word on great books. I just think most people should go beyond the lists and find other great books that are worthy of reading.

Preparing perennials and biennials for winter: http://ping.fm/IE4Qs

The Howling Moon

The Howling Moon


They say the moon can't howl,

but I swear it isn't so.

I've heard the moon, its painful wails

and it chills me to the bone.

On the night of a very full moon,

when lightness colors the dark,

the animals become restless

and serenade the night with ghostly howls.

But when the animals are all cried out

and settling down to rest,

that's when the moon really comes alive.

It whispers and caresses with promises of joy.

It cajoles and teases with promises of more.

It argues and pleads for your promised love and loyalty.

It finally guarantees your very wildest dream,

promising to always be there,

but running away with sun's first light.

Food Friday - Cushaw Pie: http://ping.fm/YK529

Check out what's happening at the Salato Wildlife Refuge in Frankfort, Kentucky: http://ping.fm/l9BJF

There is still plenty to do in the garden - now is the best time to prepare for fall: http://ping.fm/j4jv2

Check out my newest article on Chrysanthemums - http://ping.fm/2vvwW

Check out this great article on storing fall vegetables and fruit - http://ping.fm/cyr4Q

Jade on the Run

(Photo copyright by Dan Felstead of Wood and Pixels Narratives)

JADE ON THE RUN

Jade had been on the run for several days. After the invasion started in San Francisco, she had fled to the moutains, hoping to hid until the violence had settled. Stumbly through the woods she was exhausted, having only slept in short bursts and never anywhere comfortable. On the fourth day of her escape, she came upon a small wooden cabin in the woods. She observed the cabin for many hours, but there seemed to be on life in or around the cabin. Swallowing her fear, she finally approached the cabin.

As Jade slowly creaked the wooden door open, she felt like she had stepped through a portal in time, back to another century, another day, another era. The one-room log cabin was small, barely big enough to hold the diminutive bed in one corner and a straight back chair in the other, next to the rock fireplace.

The cabin smelled musty from lack of air circulation - there were no windows, only an occasional hole in the wall, supposedly to aim a rifle through. Jade had studied about the early history of American since beginning her mission on Earth. The sunlight from the doorway cast just enough light to see the bed and what few meager possessions were on or around it.

The first thing Jade noted was the worn and faded nine-patch quilt covering the bed, neatly tucked in around the sparse mattress and pillow. At first glance, she assumed the occupant of the cabin must be a woman because the bed was made, but on closer inspection, she noticed the worn hunting boots hanging on a peg from the wall. There was also a pale leather coat draped over a bottom post of the bed; like looked like it was made from a tanned deer hide.

"It could be a woman," she thought, "but my intuition says it's a man."

Hanging from several other pegs around the bed were several different herbs gathered in small bundles along with several small willow branches. She smiled to herself, "He's pretty smart." Jade knew from her own learnings, willow branches will help bring down a fever and calm minor aches and pains. She also noticed camphor leaves to ease inflammed joints, yarrow for cuts and scrapes, and plantain for burns.

"He has some first aid knowledge, I'll give him that."

Two handwoven baskets sat on a raised wooden trunk at the foot of the bed. One basket was full of wool that had already been spun into yarn. She walked over and fingered the course fiber. "Fairly clean, he must know how to clean and card wool." The second basket held a pair of crude knitting needles, carved from ash wood by the looks. The needles had been smoothed down with no rough edges or gouges to snag the wool. There were also a pair of socks, although one was slightly larger than the other.

Jade sat down on the edge of the bed and ran her fingers over the quilt. She marveled at the fine even stitches and knew this kind of work took a steady hand. As she adjusted herself on the bed, she realized the mattress was probably stuffed with prairies grass because she could hear the crinkling even through the ticking and the quilt. She turned to read the small plaque hanging on the wall.

"But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?" Job 28:12

A religious man, understandable in this godforsaken place.

She stood up and walked to the dresser on the far wall. A small basket help a few knick-knacks; a wooden thimble, a couple of hickory nuts, two smooth river rocks and a dull coin, too dull to make out what kind. A shaving razor, strap and a broken metal comb rested in a used metal can. A pair of mittens and a knitted scarf lay atop a mirror fashioned from a scrape of wood and a flattened piece of metal. She picked up the mirror and looked at her warped reflection, finding this one bit of vanity a rare oddity in this meager cabin.

There was a old, faded photo hanging above the dresser. The black and white image showed a vital, handsome young man with his arms around a very pregnant woman. They were both smiling - they looked happy. Tucked into the edge of the wooden frame was a dried daisy, brown with age and missing a few petals.

"Wonder who this is?" she thought. "Could this be the man who lives in this cabin? Maybe that's his wife ... maybe there are two people living here ..." Jade looked around the cabin, but she could only sense the presence of one person living here. "Maybe the woman died," she looked at the picture again, focusing on the woman's pregnant belly. "Maybe she died in childbirth?"

Suddenly, she saw a shadow looming in the doorway of the cabin and as she turned to see what it was, the door to the cabin slammed shut ...

...to be continued ...

Musing Monday - Book Wishlist

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about books on your wish list… Last week we talked about keeping a wish list. Why not pull out that list and show us some of the books you’ve been eyeing off? (Last week's prompt: Do you keep a book wish list, either on paper, Amazon/etc, or via a book database site (Shelfari, GoodReads, LibraryThing)? If yes, do you share this list with others (especially coming up to Christmas)?)

Here is a sampling of my book wish list:

1.) THE MILLENNIUM TRILOGY by Stieg Larsson
I have read THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO and THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE, but I checked them out of the library. This is a compelling story I know I am going to want to read again. I would like to own the hardcovers for my home library.




2.) DIVINE MISDEMEANORS (Book #8 of the Merry Gentry series) by Laurell K. Hamilton
This one is a must have for my collection. I love the Merry Gentry series (and Anita Blake), so this is tops on my Christmas wish list. It is no secret that Hamilton is one of my favorite fictional authors. Her books are such great escapist fun that I catch myself re-reading the other books in both her series before the newest book is released. Needless to say, I own all her books.




3.) UNDER THE DOME by Stephen King
I am a huge Stephen King fan, so this is a must-have! THE STAND is one of my favorite books and this new one is supposed to have elements silimar to this classic. I can't wait to find out what's under the dome.




4.) THE SCARPETTA FACTOR by Patricia Cornwell
Kay Scarpetta is one of my favorite fictional characters. She is a strong woman in a demanding career as a medical examiner and the stories of her life are always thrilling and highly entertaining. This is the 17th book in the Scarpetta series.




5.) AMERICAN ON PURPOSE by Craig Ferguson
I LOVE Craig Ferguson!! He is hands down the funniest person on late night television. This is his second book (the first being the novel, Between the Bridge and the River), but this is a memoir. I can't wait to get my hands on this one and read it from cover to cover. I think Ferguson is a fascinating man and this book will be full of humor and interesting tales from his life.




6.) RETURN TO THE HUNDRED ACRE WOOD by David Benedictus
I love the works of A. A. Milne and I'm not sure if anyone else can ever really capture the innocence and style of Winnie-the-Pooh, but I want to give this book a try. It has been 80 years since the last Pooh book (The House at Pooh Corner) was written and for the first time a new book has been approved by the Trustees of the Pooh Properties.




7.) DEXTER BY DESIGN (Book #4 of the Dexter series) by Jeff Lindsay
This is the deliciously, evil series that sparked the hit Showtime series DEXTER. Like most book series, this one is different from the TV show and delves more in-depth into the dark character of Dexter Morgan.




8.) FIRE by Kristen Cashore
This is a prequel to Cashore's wonderful young adult book, GRACELING. A young girl "graced" with the power of ultimate survival, I was totally mesmerized by the first book and can't wait to read this newest one.




9.) SHADOWLAND (Book #3 of the Immortals series) by Alyson Noel
Not your typical young adult book, although this one deals with immortals, the main characters are definitely immortals. It's not fair to compare this series to the TWILIGHT series, because this series is a great read all by itself and it is worth checking out.




10.) U IS FOR UNDERTOW (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries) by Sue Grafton
I've waited a long time for this installment in the Kinsey Millhone series. Perpetually stuck in the 1980s (like myself), the Millhone mysteries are always a pleasure to escape to. Sadly, we are getting near the end of this series with only 5 more letters of the alphabet to go.

Mother Flossie Comes to Town

From My Muse and Me

Mother Flossie Comes to Town

We gather in the parking lot
to begin the festival parade;
not sure what to do to secure our place in line
we figure we can't go wrong with a wagon full of kids
so we slide in from behind.
Cheerleader moms with cheerleader spawn
Football studs and sons
A lumberjack man in his bright red flannel
Harleys the envy of all
Beauty contestants with pretty faces
Horses too skittish and spooked
The Bulldog mascot is way too scary
with protruding teeth and nappy gray fur,
he hops up on the float to show the way
and lead our rag-tag story.
And there she is, ladies and gents
the Queen of the ball
Mother Flossie in all her glory.
Vivid blue dress with her "granny" shawl
Her multi-colored feathered hat
atop her lovely silver curls
accents her smiling face for all the waving crowd.
My gosh, is that a rocking chair?
I hope she don't fall out
"I'm a home town girl from Gravel Switch!"
"It sure is nice to see ya!"
And don't be fooled and think we're wishy-washy
'cause we're really part of Mother Flossie's posse.

Daydreams

DAYDREAMS

She had given up on life long ago

and quit trying to meet the status quo.
Was it really worth it
all this hustle and bustle of life?
Did it really matter if the dishes weren't washed
or the bed not made?
Would it really matter in 10 years
or 20
or 100?
So she turns to her head
a raging volcano of thoughts,
and gently teases each word
to make a coherent sentence.
The words begin to stack
the sentences are mounting
and before the blink of an eye
she is lost again
in her own little world
of feelings and stance.
No, it doesn't matter,
the mundane will always be around,
but the fleeting glimpse of the elusive muse
calls to the soul and must be followed.

Thoughts of Autumn

Thoughts of Autumn

Dainty spiderwebs glistening with dew
Weathered corn shocks waving in the breeze
Piles of leaves littering the walkways and roads
Fat, orange pumpkins all aglow
Apple trees heavy with fruit
Hay bales dotting the field
Harvest moon hanging high in the sky
Chrysanthemums nodding their multicolored heads
Scarecrows lining the city lamp posts
Yellowing tobacco hanging in the barn
A kaleidoscope of leaves as trees prepare to rest
Frost asters and goldenrod brigthening the fields
The smell of firewood on the air
Ooey, gooey carmel apples
The early hint of twilight