June 28, 2019 PLEASE MR. POSTMAN

The art of letter writing. I think it's gone by the wayside. Yup. In the age of texting-- email--twitter--instagram--instant messenger --NO ONE WRITES LETTERS ANYMORE. I used to love writing and receiving letters--especially-- from my pen pal.  Ask any member of Generation Z about pen pals--they won't have a clue. Have a friend who recently asked her son to put a stamp on an envelope--he asked where?? Not kidding--kids today have never addressed an envelope--bought a book of stamps--gone to the post office. I understand that email is instantaneous and free but it's different. Opening a letter and reading the written word is much more personal. I still have a collection of letters and cards that I've saved through the years. It's fun to go back and read them every now and then--especially the ones from my grandmother. She used to send me cards, notes and recipes all the time. So glad I kept them--just seeing her handwriting brings me  comfort I could never get from an email. Pretty sure the characters in Anne Youngson's debut novel Meet Me at the Museum feel the same way. 
In this epistolary novel, Tina Hopgood's correspondence begins with a curator named Anders Larsen because of a shared fascination.  The Tollund Man--a 2000 year old body found in the bogs--that is housed in the musuem Anders works at in Denmark. Initially, Tina writes a letter looking for her old professor with questions about the Tollund Man and Anders replies because her professor is dead. The letters continue and become more personal over time.  Through letters, the reader learns that Tina has been married for forty years. She lives with her husband and extended family on an isolated farm in England.  After the death of her childhood friend, Tina begins to take stock in her life and the choices she has made over the years. Anders, whose wife went missing on their anniversary, is grappling with loneliness and welcomes Tina's letters. As their friendship deepens, they share fears, thoughts, dreams and wonder if it's too late to change. Will they write a new story? Find out when you read this 288 pager--or 3 mile--thought provoking book about the choices we make.

June 24, 2019 IF A PICTURE PAINTS A THOUSAND WORDS

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My oldest son was destined to be an artist. It was in his genes. Pretty sure he came out of the womb holding a pencil. HA--He started illustrating books when he was three. NOT KIDDING. By the time he finished grammar school he'd created several comic books series and hundreds of mythical characters and universes.  My house is literally a fire hazard because I've saved every book he's ever written.  He was the kid who couldn't wait for the Young Author's Competition at school BECAUSE HE WAS GOING TO WIN--and he did--EVERY YEAR.  Although he fooled around a lot in high school--he was always serious about his ART. It was--FRUSTRATINGLY ENOUGH-- the only thing that mattered. So when it came time for college it was a NO BRAINER to me. When I told people-- that we were sending him to school to be an ILLUSTRATOR --they looked at me like I had THREE heads. OKAY--I get it. It wasn't practical enough BUT I'd have been wasting my money  sending him to school to be..say.... an......accountant. We are all different for a reason and it's these differences that make the world go round. Can't image what would have happened to Jarrett J. Krosoczka if his grandparents hadn't encouraged his artistic endeavors when he was young. 

Jarrett J. Krosoczka is the author and illustrator of several books including the very famous Lunch Lady series for young people. His new book, Hey Kiddo, although a graphic novel too, is actually a memoir. This book deals with some heavy topics including losing his mother to addiction, being raised by his grandparents in Worcester, Massachusetts, and finally finding his father when he was a teenager. Although Krosoczka couldn't count on his mother, his grandparents were a force in his life. They encouraged him with his art, sent him to summer art programs, and stood proud as he graduated  from RISD in 2000. This book is important because it is written for young people. It is not only about growing up and coming to terms with addiction, but how art saved  and shaped his life. The illustrations, letters, cards and other artwork  are incredible--coming from different points in his life and inserted throughout the novel. They add a whole other dimension to this 320 page--2.5 mile run. Krosoczka said, "Creating the art for this book has been the most profound artistic endeavor I have yet to undertake and it has truly been a lifetime in the making." Enough said. 

June 20, 2019 BOOK OF LOVE

Who plans their vacation around books?  Pubs maybe but books?  I do. Don't laugh. I'm serious. Just got back from Ireland. Wonderful trip. Started in Dublin where I  visited the oldest bookstore in Ireland. If you love books--you too must visit Hodges Figgis  on Dawson Street.  It's four floors of books including a WHOLE area dedicated to the Easter Rising of 1916. It's a REAL bookstore with REAL booksellers who KNOW books. Talk about books. When in Dublin the Book of Kells is also a must. Not only that but take a gander at Trinity College Library. Incredible. There are over 7,000,000 books--sized and placed alphabetically from A to Z--vertically-- at least 3 stories high. I've never seen anything like it.  While in Killarney couldn't help but stop at Dungeon Books.  Great selection of second handbooks and a friendly staff. While in Galway I also found my way to Charlie Byrne's Bookshop. Named Best Book Shop by the Irish Times, this unique store houses over 100,000 books in a maze-like store. It's filled with nooks and crannies where one could get lost for days. Loved it.
 I also loved the book I read on the plane--The Strays by Emily Bitto. Set in Australia in 1930, Lily the narrator of this thoughtful story, is an only child who longs for a different sort of life. After meeting Eva Trentham at school, the two girls become inseparable and Lily becomes a fixture in the Trentham household where non-conformity is the norm. Eva's father is a  avant-garde painter, who  opens his home to other like-minded painters to live-work-collaborate. In doing so, the girls, including Eva's sisters Beatrice and Heloise, are left to raise themselves and navigate an adult world they don't understand. Find out what happens after this "Utopian Society" turns dystopian when you read this 260 page novel. It's a beautifully written story about childhood, friendship and how the decisions we make shape our lives. It's a 3  mile run that packs a powerful punch. Enjoy.

June 9, 2019 SHOWER THE PEOPLE

It's started. Yup. Wedding showers. It's ALL coming around again. The kids are starting to  get married.  The shower was lovely. It was a traditional shower--what's now called the PERSONAL SHOWER. I hear there are all kinds of showers these days--Jack & Jill Showers--Gift Card Showers--Lingerie Showers--Display Showers--to name a few. It's crazy. The Jack & Jill is for the couple who can't stand to be apart. They make it more of a cocktail party with gifts. OKAY. The Gift Card Shower--although easy-- seems TOO impersonal to me. Do the guests sit around and watch the bride-to-be open envelopes??   On to the Lingerie Shower. Why waste the money.  These days--girls seem to walk around wearing lingerie anyways!! They need-- china--pots--pans--towels--champagne glasses. Another type of shower on the horizon is the Display Shower. Here--guests are asked to bring unwrapped gifts which are then displayed in the room so that the bride doesn't have to waste time opening the gifts. Good idea to save paper-- I guess-- but  I'm definitely a fan of the Personal Shower. Women--gifts--alcohol--good food. Only thing better is having it at home--makes it more personal, Right?? Don't think they had showers in 1639 when the main character of Dominic Smith's book The Last Painting of Sara De Vos was painting her masterpiece.
This wonderful novel is set in three different time periods and told through different characters. Sara De Vos, one of the main characters, is the first woman artist admitted into the City Guild of St. Luke in Amsterdam 1631. After the death of her daughter during the plague, De Vos paints a haunting work entitled At The Edge of the Wood that eventually ends up being purchased by the De Groot family.  Jump to the 1950's--Marty De Groot is a wealthy lawyer from Manhattan whose family has owned the painting for over three hundred years. The painting now proudly hangs in his bedroom and is known as Sara De Vos' last surviving work. Ellie Shipley is a struggling art history graduate student who lives in the Brooklyn. Against her better judgment, she agrees to forge the De Vos  painting--a decision that ultimately upends her quiet life in Sydney forty years later. Now a famous art historian and curator, Shipley comes into possession of the original and the forgery while hanging a show. What happened to Sara De Vos after her daughter died and her husband left her? How did the De Groot family come into possession of the painting? How was it stolen from Marty? What happened when Marty and Ellie met? Find out the answer to these and so many other questions when you read this part mystery--part love story--part art lesson that will stick with you forever because the prose is brilliant.

June 4, 2019 BACK ON THE CHAIN GANG

Running again. And feeling good. I can't believe it. Really thought my running days WERE over. It's been a long road--about 18 months. Won't say better than ever--just a new me--with a new attitude. Don't see myself  running many races--or setting any PR's--but that's okay. Just happy to be out there. There's really nothing better than pounding the pavement with a friend or two--especially this time of year. Appreciating nature and the wonder that is Spring--Can't believe how much I missed it-- thankful to be back.   Kudos to Vinyasa and Ashtanga Yoga for helping me  build the strength I desperately needed  in my upper body--especially my core. Core is key. Having a stronger core has enabled me to change my whole running stance. Just used the key principles I learned in yoga and applied them to running. Sounds simple but it's easier said than done. Here's my new running MANTRA-- Stand up straight--tuck the tail bone--hug the stomach to the ribs--run. Repeat.  If you're a runner of a certain age looking for a little inspiration--look no further than Gail Waesche Kislevitz's new book Running Past Fifty: Advice and Inspiration for Senior Runners. 
Gail has been a friend and inspiration for over twenty years. She's been running for about fifty years and is NO stranger to injury. She looks at running as a "gift that needs to be nurtured, respected, and loved." If there's one thing I've learned from my injury--it's this lesson. Gail is also an award-winning journalist and author of six books on running and sports. In this book, with a foreword by Amby Burfoot, Gail interviews many famous senior runners including Jeff Galloway, Ed Whitlock, Bill Rodgers and Kathrine Switzer. Their stories, however different, have many similarities. They are stories of people who share a love of running; a love that continues to shape and change their lives. These are people who plan to run way past fifty-sixty-seventy-eighty-even ninety. This book is important because it's about maintaining a healthy lifestyle through running and learning to balance expectations and set realistic goals.  I really enjoyed the stories about Amy Bahrt, Kathy Bergen and Julia Hawkins--who is turning 102!! She's got some great advice to live by. Enjoy this 265 page book  or a 4.5 mile run that's worth every step.