Reading Along

Normally, I am a pretty voracious reader. Normally, that is. However, the past couple of weeks/months I have kind of slid a bit on one of my favorite pasttimes but I'm going to kick it into gear again and try to get up to speed.

My older daughter got me a new book for Christmas; I got my younger daughter two new books for Christmas and last week, I ordered two copies of a book by a lady I learned about from reading an interview with her on one of my favorite blogs - Over the Hill Boomer Chick's Musings.

I'll start with the book I just purchased last week. The name of it is "Myths of the Fatherless and the author is a Kathy Holmes. Although this book does deal primarily with issues that affect women who, for whatever reason, grow up without a father present at all or perhaps only sporadically, it also has many aspects that are applicable to men who are raised under the same circumstances. Men, frequently have many of the same emotions when raised in these circumstances as do women.

Because all three of my kids grew up not really knowing their Dad very well and I never knew mine at all, I bought two copies - one for my younger daughter and myself (and which will be available for my son to read if he can pull himself away from his Volkswagon magazines long enough to peruse it) and the second copy will go to my older daughter.

This book is especially relevant for my older daughter because she actually has "two" Dads, you could say. She has the one she grew up with for roughly 8 years who is her stepfather - my ex-husband - and she has her biological father who has never seen her. She was five years old when I married her stepfather so he is the only male parent she has ever "known."

However, about three years ago, she found her biological dad. I never hid his name or details about him or our relationship from her - she always knew as much about him, basically, as I did. Having located him a couple years back, she even took the big step to call him and introduced herself to him over the phone too.

Not normally prone to striking up conversations casually, for her to make a move like that - to up and call him - was really a very big and a very scary step for her too. Fortunately, he was very nice to her on the phone and since then, they do talk from time to time on the phone. He lives about 2,000 miles from us so she still has not met him but she says he wants her to come out where he lives, hopefully, this fall, so they can met in person and get a little better acquainted. Her biggest fear about this possible meeting now is how her stepfather might react to this piece of news. She's very worried he will be upset and hurt and even feel she is abandoning him - which she isn't doing - but she does feel the need to meet her biological father and I can readily understand her wishes in that respect. It's always been one of the biggest regrets - if not the biggest - of my life that I was never able to know my dad. I knew his name, his family and such, but because he died when I was less than a month old, I never knew him, what he was like, his interests, his voice.

I've already read the copy I purchased for my household here of Ms. Holmes book and for anyone reading this blog - if you grew up not really knowing or not close to your biological father, I would very much recommend you get a copy of it and read it. It does explain a lot about the inner emotions that apply strongly to anyone who lived in those type of circumstances.

I'm now about 2/3 through the book my daughter gave me now too. It's title -"Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim" and is by David Sedaris. If you've never read anything by Mr. Sedaris, give some of his writing a shot. Definitely shocker type material at times, but also really, really funny stuff to read about his life as an adult interspersed with stories from his childhood and his very dysfunctional (two parent too) family! I'd highly recommend any of his works!

My other daughter finished one of the two books I got her for Christmas now too - both by Jodi Picoult - who has become high on both my daughter's and my list of favorite writers. The book I gave her that she finished last week and plunked down on my desk with instructions to start it as soon as possible is "Second Glance." So, as soon as I complete the Sedaris book, that's what I'll be reading next. The other book - sitting here, waiting patiently in the wings by Ms. Picoult is "The Pact." I figure if both these books are as good as the other ones she has written that we have also both read, they'll both be good, interesting readings for me!

Since my younger daughter's birthday is coming up in about three more weeks, and since I found out too how easily I can order books online from Barnes and Noble and receive them very quickly too, I'm going to be ordering at least one, maybe two more of Ms Picoult's books for her, for her birthday present.

But, I have also decided I will be making yet another book purchase - from another author whose blog appears on my favorites list here - "Reading Rucker."

I'll be making a purchase of Linda Rucker's book "Dark Ridge." I'd like to recommend others consider purchasing Linda's book too not just to support her but also, in doing that, it will be giving support to the W.H.A.T. movement which is being set up to receive 40 percent of the proceeds of any sales of Ms. Rucker's book. The W.H.A.T. organization -organized by Ms. Rucker and author Michael Witherspoon, stands for Writers Helping with Aids Treatment is geared to assist anyone with AIDS and, in my opinion, a very worthwhile organization.

For more information on the W.H.A.T, please check out this website to find out what's being done, what's being planned for the future. And please, pass this information along to everyone you know too. Who knows, the life of someone you know might just depend on it!
http://www.freewebs.com/justsaywhat/

And that's my say for today! Let's all just keep on reading now!