Don't poo-poo it!

A few weeks back a wonderful moment of synchronicity happened when several books arrived in the store on the same day:

The Moose with Loose Poops (I kid you not!)
Everyone Poops (a kids classic! really!!!)
The Poo Log: A Record Keeper (double entendre?!)
The Potty Caddy
AND
A Loo with a View


So, what could I do but grab several rolls of toilet paper and build a window display out of these books?! Right? The universe was providing me with an opportunity. Wouldn't you have done that?! (Aren't you jealous I thought of it first?)

Well, today, a customer reminded me of this window display and suggested I make a display of books likely to be found on the back of one's toilet.

Which leads me to the question: how many folks read while they are attending to nature's call? And if you are so inclined, what books do you keep there?

True confession: I don't like to read when I'm taking care of business. A spirit of mindfulness is my motto. HOWEVER, a Sudoku or two sometimes help to pass the time.

Your confession? Leave a comment. (You can be anonymous if you like.)

Wait! Don't go!

You ever notice how you don't miss something until it's gone? I'm not talking about love, or an old pair of comfy shoes. I'm talking about finishing up a good book and hating to see it end. And it's only after it's truly gone that I begin to appreciate the book for its true value. It simmers in me. The characters, the plot, the setting. All the bubbles in my like a pot of sauce, getting better with age, then I begin to appreciate how much I loved a book. It's been a good year for books for me. I've found many that I thoroughly enjoyed. They are not all here. Come by and we'll talk about the others. (PS: Don't miss this year's Man/Booker Prize winner The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga!!!)

There are all kinds of lists for the end of the year: books, movies, etc. I'm just not geared that way. I'm not too interested in the best book lists of many folks. They only serve to remind me that I'm not reading enough, and who needs THAT guilt. I sure don't!

But if you want a list, here's my list for 2008:

I adored The Elegance of the Hedgehog by by Muriel Barbery. It's the story of two residents in an upscale Paris apartment building, one a 54 year old concierge, the other a 12 year old girl. Both hide their true light from the world. It's a kind of Hegelian dialectic, a class struggle, a charming novel. Take your pick. Of all the novels I read this year, this is my favorite. (Now, many of you know I adored The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Shaffer and Barrows, and it encouraged me to do lots of research about the Channel Islands, but Hedgehog swept me off my feet.)

In the kids department I've been gushing over Welcome to the Zoo! by Alison Jay. This wordless story book made me squeal with delight. I'm serious, I actually squealed in the store. You are sight gags, various story lines to follow, amusing absurdities. It's fun for all ages and I'm guessing it's one where the parents won't tire too easily (unlike the endless repetition of Goodnight Moon) here you can make up stories every night. Or, let your child do the work. Imagination is nothing if it's not constantly stimulated. And the front inside cover can be used for a maze, while the back inside cover can make for some starting points for investigation. Notice how the polar bears Popsicle keeps getting smaller and smaller. You might squeal too!

In cooking, I'm ALL ABOUT Mark Bittman. It's not secret that I adore him! His New York Times videos crack me up! But this updated volume of How to Cook Everything: 2,000 Simple Recipes for Great Food is a dream! It's not even trying to compete with the Joy of Cooking (one of my food bibles) but it makes a great stab at the old standby! It has everything a new cook would want to learn to establish a cooking repertoire. Techniques, menu planning and ample variations of what he offers. Now, I've heard some anti-Bittman rumbles in the store over the holidays, and I'm hoping with was just a little crankiness because of shopping fatigue, but I'm sure no one would be disappointed to find this in there creche on the Feast of the Three Kings (January 6th!). Oh, just get it for yourself, you know you need ANOTHER cookbook!!! Like I do?!

And if you've spent any time with me in the store then you know of my purient need to read other peoples letters, published letters, that is! That's why I liked the Guernsey Literary --- ! (fill in the blank there) Letters pull me in, like 84 Charing Cross Road did. But reading Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters is just dreamy! The man began writing letters at the age of 8! (People, we're on the verge of losing this art! Quick, get out a pen and paper and write me a letter, send it to the store! No emails! Make it organic! I'll write back! Really, I love the art of writing a letter.) I remember to this day the joy I got when a letter would arrive from my grandmother to me. She started every letter the same: "I hope this letter finds you well." I can tell you it was an absolute thrill to get a letter in the mail from her! Doyle's letters provide the clues to how this man's mind worked. You can see the inner workings, the beginnings of the writer as he became the creator of Sherlock Holmes.

There are lots of books. One person can't begin to tell you what you're missing. And you're missing a lot. But that's the beauty of the bookstore: you browse, you read, you touch, you get inspired. You find surprises and so much more.

Keep reading.