Bookshelf ABC - N

The Naked Bus Driver: An evening spent perusing a bookstore's shelves makes me happier than a goose on a golden egg. But I have a weakness for buying books based on title alone. Sometimes I get lucky and pick a winner, but the night I brought home this paperback was not a lucky night. The title is the best thing about the book.

I really hate saying that about another author's work, but I also feel responsible for warning naive readers like myself. There are things that a person shouldn't have to find out on her own.

 

Surely there's a book that begins with N that I must read. What is it?

Bookshelf ABC - M

Memoirs of a Longshot retells the wonderful life of Cot Campbell, owner of the 2013 Belmont Stakes winner, Palace Malice. With grace and humor and honesty, Campbell shares the lows of alcoholism and the highs of Thoroughbred racing and the people and places he has known on his journey.

 

I had the good fortune of interviewing the illustrious Cot Campbell last Fall for an article I wrote for Aiken Homes and Lifestyles. He was generous with his time and incredibly entertaining.

Share an mmm-mmmm good M title with me, please, especially if you have a personal story behind it.

Bookshelf ABC - L

The Little Friend by Donna Tartt is mesmerizing. Fans of southern literature will love it. In the book, a young girl and her friend determine to identify the person who killed her older brother when she was just a baby. The humorous logic of children juxtaposed against a family's screen of grief, characters who pose danger and a decaying southern way of life create a spellbinding novel.

The cover of the novel disturbed me, though, and I had to keep it turned face down on my nightstand.

After the April A to Z challenge, I'll make a final list of all the Bookshelf ABC titles I've posted plus the ones suggested by readers. What L title would you like to add?

Bookshelf ABC - K

The Kite Runner seems an obvious choice for K. I didn't read the book, but I saw the movie. It tore out my heart, so I rest assured of the powerful prose in the book.

 

Kick me a K book to add to my collection.

Bookshelf ABC - J

The Joy of Family Traditions is chock full of fabulous ideas for adding fun to family life. The repetition of activities whether yearly, monthly, weekly or daily makes children feel secure. Traditions give life predictability. Unfortunately, we adults sometimes get bored doing the same things over and over. So why not infuse your routine with new ideas?

The Joy of Family Traditions gave me the idea of instituting a winter hibernation day at our house. Since the day our fourth child was born, my house has been a hive of constant activity. As the children have grown older the radius of activity has expanded, making us ever more crazy. After many years of never slowing down, I realized what a gift a day off would be. Now we take one winter Saturday a year to wear our pajamas all day, eat popcorn, watch movies, play board games and cards, and chill out.

 

Okay, your turn. Throw out your best J title to me.

Bookshelf ABC - I

If Mama Don't Laugh, It Ain't Funny will have you giggling until stuff comes out of your nose. The universal antics and anxieties of family life get to the core of why our relatives, the crazy ones and the cool ones, define who we are.

Combine this book with a bouquet of flowers for a heartfelt Mothers' Day gift.

I'd love to know what I titles have resonated with you.

Bookshelf ABC - H

The Hotel New Hampshire confirmed for me that I would be a writer. Though I primarily write non-fiction, I can pinpoint the beginning of inspiration with the cracking open of this book. It wasn't John Irving's mad cast of characters that stirred me so much as it was his prose. I wanted to string together words like he did and suddenly I knew I could.

By the by, my favorite part is when the dog dies, not because the dog dies, but because of what happens next.

A bonus H book to check out: Help Me, Jacques Cousteau

How many H titles can you name?