Best books you read in 2011?

What books are you glad you cracked open in 2011? What books were most rewarding? Are there some you'll re-read, or recommend to complete strangers, because they so moved, shocked, educated, or entertained you?

Well by all means, don't keep secrets like that. Please share the titles you loved the most this year. Or - just as importantly - tell us which ones aren't worth the time.

I'm partial to Atul Gawande's The Checklist Manifesto, and not just because I think it's accurate to call it a lifesaver. I'm recommending it to just about anyone who will listen (or not run away). Thirteen Reasons Why is still top-of-mind. Not just for the young adult (YA) market, it may also interest parents of YAs.  And I'd be remiss is if i didn't mention 60 Hikes within 60 Miles of Cleveland, now wouldn't I?

OK! It's you're turn. Please, tell us all about those gems you pulled from library shelves, snagged at your neighbor's garage sale, ordered for your Kindle or other e-reader, or just finally (!) uncovered on your nightstand. We're about to turn the page to 2012, after all, and we're going to need something to read...

Dave Barry's Merry Little Tale

At 116 pages (including pictures) The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog is so short it risks being ignored (why bother?) or annoying the reader (is that it?!) but it's Dave Barry, and it's Christmastime after all, so perhaps "good things come in small packages" was the operating principle when I picked up the petite book.

OK, who's kidding who? I picked it up because Dave Barry wrote it. I've only recently stopped chuckling at inappropriate times after reading Naked Came the Manatee, and I finished that years ago.  While Walter didn't offer as many laugh-out-loud moments, I felt pretty good when I closed the book. It was sweet and warm, like spiked eggnog, but unlike that delightful concoction, this one didn't leave me feeling like there wasn't enough.

I read the nostalgic narrative in about 40 minutes, and it was just right. In his easy, conversational tone, Barry bundles memories of Christmas, 1960, into a singular story. The author manages to include a dozen or so funny, sweet anecdotes about teenage angst and family conflicts without distracting from the main plot, about the annual Christmas pageant and the demise of a beloved family pet. I know, that last bit is a downer. But honestly, it doesn't feel like a kick in the stomach coming from Barry. I felt pretty warm and fuzzy when I finished the book, and that's not the spiked eggnog talking.


- - - - - Looking for a light pick for your book club? The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog will put everyone in the holiday spirit.

60 Reasons

Full disclosure: this is a shameless* self-promotion. The full title of this post is
60 Reasons to Give 60 Hikes within 60 Miles of Cleveland as a Gift
(I get points for honesty, right?)

1. Hiking is fun!
2. Hiking is free!
3. And it's good for you! But, most people don't have time, so
4. 60 Hikes within 60 Miles of Cleveland makes it easier to find the hikes that are just right for you, and makes it easier to fit 'em into your schedule.
5. New edition for 2011
6. Printed in the USA
7. At $17.95, about the price of a decent bottle of wine, and
8. Red or white? doesn't matter.
9. Fabulously fit or couch-potato? doesn't matter, because...
10. Most of the hikes are under 3 miles long and many (especially the longer ones) offer options to do only a portion of the trail. (Directions for turn-around points included in each description.)
11. It's gotten some good reviews! (Thanks, Plain Dealer and Akron Moms)
12. Easy-to-use reference guide lists hikes by length, terrain, points of interest, and more. See the list for hikes featuring waterfalls, those that are good for young children, historical hikes, hikes good for solitude, and "busy" hikes, for those who prefer company on the trail
12. 60 Hikes is like 60 mini-vacations. And that's quite a gift!
13. Available online and at lots of local bookstores including .... oh, probably best to just check my Facebook Page for the most up-to-date list. 
14. Just getting outside for a little walk noticeably boosts your brain's cognitive function.
15. Did I mention that hiking is free?
16. You know that person you have to buy a gift for, but you're not sure what ? This will fit. Like your...
17. ...Newspaper or mail delivery person
18. ...Hairdresser
19. ...Dog groomer (I don't think that's redundant. Not for most of you, anyway.)
20. ...Second-cousin-once-or-twice-removed that you got in the family gift exchange. (YOU know the one)
21. It's available as a Sony e-book, and
22. also for the Kindle.
23. Gift recipient is a hiking snob? Thinks only the AT will do? Even so, if you live here, here's where to hike.
24. Everyone needs to find a place to chill sometimes.
25. Makes a great teacher gift!
26. And graduation gift, too!

27. Qualifies for free shipping at Amazon
28. This seems like a pretty long list already. Do you need more reasons?
29. Because I LOVE hearing from people who say "I found a new favorite hike thanks to your book!"
30. Hiking can be romantic. Think of this as 60 blueprints for a great first date.
31. (this one's a visual; see photo) ----------->
32. Gorgeous views like this can be found all over Cleveland. Yes, CLEVELAND.
33. We're over half-way there. Look, it's a great book, and -
34. I'd be happy to sign it for you. Contact me though Facebook or my website. (An autographed copy! Your recipient will be impressed!)
35. Hiking boots are optional for most of these jaunts. A sturdy pair of tennis shoes will serve you well on the majority of these trails.
36. A pair from Appalachian Outfitters or Wild Earth Outfitters will impress your fellow hikers, though. 37. Support your local writer. (Please?)
38. Maybe this cute video will convince you.
39. Are you still reading this? If you quit reading now and just buy the book, you'll save yourself some time. There. Reason enough ;)
40. Makes nice gift for a retiree who might be looking for a new hobby or "direction."
41. Books are really easy to wrap.
42. No matter how long they've lived in Cleveland, I'll bet your recipient could learn something from this book.
43. Not exactly sunny outside? Reading about these great hikes can help make winter go by faster.
44. Talk about the ideal housewarming gift for someone new to the area!
45. It's also a great wedding or engagement gift. (See #27)
46. Book clubs are great. Hiking clubs are better for your heart and legs. Buy this for a few of your friends and you can start a reading-hiking club!
47. Lovely brown/russet cover looks good on any table, or shelf :) but even better
48. 60 Hikes tends to be a gift that gets used. A lot!
49. In fact, I don't know why it didn't land on Huffington Post's lists of great dad holiday gift books??
50. It's full of local history anecdotes that will amuse and amaze friends.
51. Hiking is still free, however --
52. --if your gift recipient likes to spend money, this book provides a great excuse to pick up new boots, a GPS unit, camouflage and rain gear, sunscreen, and fancy trail snacks.
53. Everybody needs a hobby, and hiking is better than gambling (and a few other things).
54. You can include a business card as a bookmark. Not exactly subtle, I'll admit, but it can be done.
55. Seriously? You're still reading? Trust me, the book has way better material. (Buy one!)
56. Shopping for a shutterbug? Good news: the rocks, trees, insects, and animals never complain about having a bad picture posted on Facebook.
57. Fresh air does everyone good.
58. My publisher will feel better about giving me that advance :D
59. Kids have an annual leaf project? This will tell you where to find some different trees, and pick up unusual leaves. Hey, we can all use a little extra credit on a science project here and there.
60. Because if you haven't thought of anything else yet, this really is the best gift idea!


*ok just a little sheepish

So many books! (How many is too many?)

Last week I drafted a post about reading too many books at once. (I was reading seven, at the time.) But I procrastinated, over-thought it, and now ... I'm reading more. DOH!

Bookmarks. Don't judge me.

How many books are too many to have "open" or bookmarked at one time? (Um, you remember bookmarks, right? the ones you can touch, feel, and ... oh never mind. You either do or you you don't, and if you're reading this, I'll assume you do.) 

Here's my RIP* list - share yours?

• Checklist Manifesto (almost done!)
• Your Negro Tour Guide (most likely to quit before I finish; just not as captivating as the title)
• The Photoshop Elements 9 Book for Digital Photographers
• POP!
• Chiropractic First
• The Tower, The Zoo, and the Tortoise
• The Paris Wife
• How to Read Literature Like a Professor
• Who Am I?
• White Water (ok, I finished it - all 32 pages! - but must re-read before reviewing it)
• The Sword Thief/39 Clues series (with my 8yo- this counts, right?)
• The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog (most likely to land on top of the pile - it's Dave Barry!)

*Reading in Progress

YES for libraries

If you're lucky enough to have a library near you, and smart enough to have a library card, you know it's a treasure.

Regardless of what the building looks like on the outside, inside it's pure gold. Books on everything under the sun, music, online references and resources, probably computer classes and possibly even art... all yours to use, for free.

If your library has an issue on the ballot next week, make your way to the polls and vote YES.
Please.

Catching up with Catacombs

I'm not the only one who does this, am I? Sometimes it takes me a lonnnnnnng time to get around to reading my National Geographic mags...but I can't cancel the subscription. This stuff's too good.

I had the house to myself long enough one day this week to enjoy the February (2011, I should point out) issue with the cover feature, Under Paris. The authors - experienced cavers - explore the city's Catacombs and tunnel life, describing Paris as a "city with a subconscious." Some National Geography mag articles never seem dated.

Unfortunately, the February issue was eerily timely, too, with its focus on traumatic brain injuries in sports - especially football. The article was sadly too relevant after 16-year old Ridge Barden died of injuries sustained after a hard hit in high school football game in upstate New York last week.

Sigh.

What kind of reading are you catching up on this week?

The Beaded Moccasins: Thought-provoking, YA or not

Lynda Durrant's The Beaded Moccasins: The Story of Mary Campbell, classified YA (young adult) historical fiction, certainly makes a dandy diversion for young female readers - say, 10 and up - and a lovely choice for parents (ok, Moms) to read aloud to their daughters. But if you like US Colonial history, or wish to think deeply about what family is and what that means, don't look for a preteen excuse to read this book. March right up to the library shelf and grab it.


The story in a nutshell
Taken captive on her 12th birthday, the book follows Mary as she walks from Eastern Pennsylvania to the banks of the Cuyahoga River with the Delaware tribe who planned to make her one of their own. Along the way - for more than a year - Mary struggles with what family is, and what it means to be who she is. The author carefully tells a tale of assimilation and growing up, brilliantly blended into the historical backdrop of colonial expansion. The story is gripping and well-told; the author's excellent research provides an accurate setting and many exquisite details.


Field Trip with the Author!
Lynda Durrant will be on hand to chat with hikers, historians, writers, and just plain ol' fans at Mary Campbell Cave, in Gorge Metropark on Saturday, October 22. We'll meet at 11am at the marker to the cave, and once we're all talked out, I plan to hike the park's namesake trail - it's a beauty. Won't you come, too?  Don't miss your chance to get even more insight into Mary Campbell's experience, a fascinating era in US history, and a little exercise on one of NE Ohio's prettiest trails.

_________________________
Attention book clubs: I've always thought this title would be the perfect selection for mothers and daughters to read together; it's certainly ideal for moms, in general, and it offers a great historical perspective on parenting.