My Pile o' Books

Well the 30 day challenge was not my best effort. :)
My only excuse is this: I am awash in good reading material!
Good books, good magazines... good dvd (not reading, but equally absorbing)... there is not enough time in the day!

On the floor next to bed right now: (ps. I am going to copy some book descriptions from Amazon. Because I am lazy.)

1. Care of the Soul : A Guide for Cultivating Depth and Sacredness in Everyday Life, by Thomas Moore.

Therapist and religious historian Moore's invigorating guide to a "soulful" life poses a radical challenge to contemporary psychotherapy. ...a path-breaking lifestyle handbook that shows how to add spirituality, depth, and meaning to modern-day life by nurturing the soul.

I am reading this slowly, and trying to soak it all in. So far I am really really loving it.

2. O, The Oprah Magazine (new issue). Alright, I admit it: I love this magazine. Yes, I wish they would find a new cover model on occasion, but the content cannot be beat. GREAT articles.

3. The Accidental Tourist. An "oldie" but a goodie. This is actually my first read of the Anne Tyler novel.

From Library Journal
Scarred by grief after their 12-year-old son's senseless murder (he was shot by a holdup man in a Burger Bonanza), Macon and Sarah Leary are losing their marriage too. Macon is unable to cope when she leaves him, so he settles down ``safe among the people he'd started out with,'' moving back home with two divorced brothers and spinster sister Rose. Author of a series of guidebooks called "Accidental Tourist'' for businessmen who hate to travel, Macon is Tyler's focus here, as she gently chronicles his journey from lonely self-absorption to an "accidental'' new life with brassy Muriel, a dog trainer from the Meow Bow Animal Hospital, who renews and claims his heart. Not a character, including Macon's dog Edward, is untouched by delightful eccentricity in this charming story, full of surprises and wisdom.

4. Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant. I have been devouring this one from the moment I found it. hehe. Man, do I love good food writing. And this one is especially great as it compiles essays from all sorts of great writers.

From Publishers Weekly
A mishmash of foodie writers dispute, humorously or more self-seriously, the pros and cons of cooking and dining alone

5. Cloth Paper Scissors. Another magazine. This one is expensive so I don't allow myself to get it very often and then when I do, I pore over every page like the freaking holy grail.

Cloth Paper Scissors covers many types of fiber arts and collage work, including mixed media, assemblage, altered books, art dolls, visual art journals, rubber stamping, creative embroidery, and book arts. Each issue comes loaded with inspiration and practical how-tos, with a good balance between emerging and professional artists and techniques.

To tell you the truth, there is even more in the stack. Quite a bit more actually, but the fact is that I have to start my day. And get some reading done.