The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. Although it's not really the same, as I began it I thought this was kind of like when I read Anne of Green Gables for the first time. The story was so good. I was reading every word - no skimming, as I often do when there are descriptions or long passages not central to the plot. After that thought came to me, it occurred to me that might mean something sad was going to happen, as when Matthew died. When I read Green Gables I had no idea it was coming and it was the first book that made me cry.

Something sad does happen, several times. But even though it's not a happy story, it's a good one. It's a nice, thick book and one where I didn't want it to end.

The main character is Edgar, who is growing up on a farm owned by his parents. They raise a particular breed of dog that Edgar's grandfather began, based on breeding for an ideal dog, not a show dog. Edgar is born with no voice. He can hear but can't speak. The doctors don't know why. When I read that in the summaries and reviews I was afraid I wouldn't like the book. It sounded too odd. But I was wrong.

It was a good thing I didn't read what some wrote, that it was part ghost story. That would've turned me off. But when those scenes happened, they didn't seem out of place. In that way it reminded me of Leif Enger's book, Peace Like a River.

And, really, it's not just a story of a boy and his dogs. Not at all. All the characters are so well drawn. And you really are IN the book. You see his life, the characters, the setting.

I guess I can't really write too much about the story or I'll give a lot away. I liked the book very much.

I Feel Bad About my Neck by Nora Ephron

I heard of this book quite a while back and thought it sounded like it'd be fun to read. Nora Ephron wrote quite a few screenplays I like -- You've Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, My Blue Heaven, When Harry Met Sally, to name a few. I thought of this book again last week when I tried to take a picture of myself.

I'd posted a new profile photo on Facebook and my sister Jan said she'd like to see my new haircut. I thought I'd take a picture on Sunday morning. I sat in the chair and held the camera with my arm extended and took a "selfie", as Cori called it. I couldn't get one that I felt was acceptable! My neck! I've always been self-conscious about my chin anyway, and unfortunately the getting old thing does not help. Cori told me the secret is to take the photo from way up high. Maybe I'll try that. Or Photoshopping may be the answer.

Anyway, I've started reading the book. Each chapter is an essay. The title is from the first essay. Here's a bit I liked, "If I pass a mirror, I avert my eyes. If I must look into it, I begin by squinting, so that if anything really bad is looking back at me, I am already halfway to closing my eyes to ward off the sight."

Actually, I don't avoid mirrors too obsessively. I've grown to accept myself a lot more than I used to. I still hate seeing my big old pot belly but I don't let it get me all crazy.

I'm enjoying the book. It's amusing.

Catcher in the Rye at the Pivot Book Club

Here's what I wrote about our discussion about Catcher in the Rye at the Pivot Book Club:

We had a pretty good discussion about "Catcher in the Rye". Sherri said it wasn't as engaging as she'd thought it would be. It's short and she thought she'd easily finish it quickly and didn't. It didn't keep her going. I had read it before and also didn't finish re-reading it, although I do like the book a lot. Elida did finish the whole thing. We agreed that it is a unique book, and Holden has a very unique "voice". There are funny places and turns of phrases, such as when he said things "killed him" or talked about "old Phoebe" and that kind of thing. Some touching places too, such as the stuff about his brother Allie and sister Phoebe.


After our Jimmy Buffet book we thought we'd read another classic, "Pride & Prejudice" by Jane Austen. So that'll be next our book.


We had a bunch of possibilities of books we were looking at. Some "also rans" were

"I Feel Bad About my Neck" (http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl/9780307264558.html) by Nora Ephron, which is something I want to read because it expresses how I feel -- and also sounds hilarious.

"People are Unappealing" by Sara Barron (http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl/9780307382450.html) was another also-ran that sounded very funny.

"A Reliable Wife" (http://www.readinggroupguides.com/blog/2009/03/librarians-view-robert-goolricks.asp) sounded intriguing.

"Dewey: The Small-town Library Cat who Touched the World" (http://www.deweyreadmorebooks.com/) might be a good, feel-good kind of story.

And "So Brave, Young and Handsome: A Novel" (http://www.powells.com/biblio/9780871139856) was written by Leif Enger and I really liked his first book.