I actually really hate the term TGI Friday. I hate it almost as much as LOL or LMAO. Nonetheless, TGI Friday! This has been a long week – not in a bad way, just in a long way. The boys’ school had a Scholastic Book Fair this week which I was helping with, which was quite fun as volunteer opportunities go – the other volunteers were wonderful and I liked getting to know them, and it was great helping kids find books that they enjoy. The downside? I am somewhat of a Scholastic book addict. Those catalogues are temptation enough, but being surrounded by those books? It was a recipe for disaster, or, if not actually disaster, than for spending more than was necessary. I am an avid reader, and so I like to buy books for the kids – especially if they show interest in those with an educational component. (“You had me at educational.”)
Unfortunately, the first book that Mark chose when his class came through was one of those horrible Scooby Doo Early Reader mysteries. Damn you, Scooby Doo and your eerie tales which have perfectly reasonable explanations! Damn you and your stupid jokes that make the children want me to read you again and again (as when Shaggy says to a lion, “Quit LION around”. Oh, ha ha HA.) Damn you!
Speaking of rereading books, I am currently rereading The Mists of Avalon. If you haven’t read this book, you should, it’s excellent, even if you are not particularly interested in the Arthurian Legend. Hoo boy, just writing “Arthurian Legend” makes me want to paint a big L on my own forehead. Anyway, it is a great book, one that I read obsessively in my long-vanished youth. Reading it makes me want to become a priestess of Avalon. I would totally smite the guy who created the Scooby Doo Early Reader mysteries.
I NEED HELP! I am supposed to be making a Christmas wish list of books to send to my mother-in-law. I’m supposed to be doing this right this minute. Instead I’m blogging about my Scooby Doo loathing and my fantasy of becoming a medieval priestess. (Note: I would not want to be one of the queen’s ladies-in-waiting. I believe my lack of manual dexterity would count against me. All those women seem to do is spin and weave things.) Please, please, please send me book recommendations! What are you reading, what would you recommend? Help!
I saw the Mists of Avalon miniseries but never read the book. I’ll have to try it.
Books for you or the kids? For the kids I would highly recommend the Magic Tree House Series. Not nearly so annoying as some others (my girls were into the Fairy Books, I’m not sure if that is better or worse than the Scooby Doo). For you, are you into science fiction? If so you should check out the Mars Series by Kim Stanley Robinson. If not, there is a new book by John Irving? Haven’t heard any reviews though.
The Time Traveler’s wife is always a favorite, also No Great Mischief, Water for Elephants and The Guernsay Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society