Readerville.com has long been my online home-away-from-home, but one minor problem with hanging out in such a wonderfully vibrant community has been the presence of all the friggin' writers.

Yes, we ink-stained wretches are not always easy to get along with, but that's not what I mean. The problem with hanging out with a bunch of writers is that you can never catch up with them. They keep writing books, and there's simply no way to read them all. And even if you could read them all, there'd be a decent chance that you wouldn't like them all. So you're left with the question of what to say about everyone's books; if you praise one, someone else is going to wonder why you haven't read HIS book yet, and still another person is going to be sure you must have hated HER book, and so on and so on. It's like being a guest at a party where you brought presents, but not for everyone there. So to be polite, I've adhered to an arbitrary and not-always-consistent position: I don't discuss Readervillagers' books in Readerville.

Of course, the problem with THAT policy is that when I do read a Readervillager's book and like it, I feel as though I'm not doing enough to encourage others to read it, too.

Luckily, I have another option: I have my own website. This is MY party, and I'll plug who I want to.

The Book of Dead Birds by Gayle Brandeis
A wonderfully sad and hopeful book that takes you through many strange landscapes, both interior and exterior, from the coast of Korea to the desert shores of the Salton Sea. Gayle explores the relationship between races, between sexes, and between mothers and daughters, all in beautiful prose.

Wonder When You'll Miss Me by Amanda Davis
Brash, funny, startling, wrenching—there's no single word to describe this story of a teenager, haunted (literally) by the spectre of her anti-social past, who runs away to join the circus. Though Amanda's death adds a melancholy shadow to this, her only novel, the book itself pulses with life. A tragicomic wonder.

The Midwife's Tale by Gretchen Moran Laskas
The story of a young woman from the West Virginia mountains in the early 20th Century. The descendant of midwives, she learns the skills of the family trade even as the sometimes-miraculous events of own her life drive her away from it. Gretchen lovingly details both the characters and the setting. This one will appeal to fans of Cold Mountain, In Open Spaces, and Housekeeping alike.

In Open Spaces by Russell Rowland
Another family saga, but unlike Gretchen's, this one's set on the plains of Montana and told from the men's point of view; ranching, baseball, and sibling rivalry drive the plot, but Russell's breathtaking portrayal of life on the prairie is worth the price of admission alone. This is the only book both of my parents have loved since Pat Conroy wrote The Great Santini, and it's not dissimilar.

Lily's Ghosts by Laura Ruby
Cheerfully macabre, this one is a young-adult book that's part Nancy Drew, part ghost story, with elements of both creepiness and good humor. I could say that Laura has crossed The Sixth Sense with From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, but I think you can figure it out for yourself. And since it's set in Cape May, New Jersey, the birder's Mecca, I have even more reason to enjoy it.

More Like Wrestling by Danyel Smith
Having grown up in Oakland during the eighties, Danyel paints a vivid picture of the time and place, telling the story of two sisters growing up in a tight but unusual family and social environment. There's heartbreak, violence, love, and betrayal, but most of all there's a real sense of home. If you never thought anyone could make Oakland seem appealing, check this one out and see how wrong you were.

Spilling Clarence by Anne Ursu
From its offbeat opening line to its end, this one's a winner. When a pharmaceutical company spills a memory-enhancing chemical into the environment of Clarence, Minnesota, the townspeople find themselves remembering things uncontrollably—many of them things they would prefer to forget. Original, funny, and moving, with richly drawn characters of every age. (Anne also has a way-cool website, www.anneursu.com, which, like mine, is hosted by the kind folks at FictCo.)

The Music Lesson by Katharine Weber
Katharine's gift is the ability to get the maximum impact from the minimum space; in this book about the theft of a tiny Vermeer painting, it's hard not to see the parallels between author and artist. Tightly plotted, closely observed, shocking and beautiful, this novel combines psychological richness and gripping storyline. And someday it'll make a great movie.

The above is not at all a complete list; a book or writer that doesn't appear here may still provide you with a wonderful reading experience. There are, after all, dozens of terrific writers at Readerville whose books I simply haven't had time to read yet. But from time to time, I'm going to bang a fork against a water glass, demand the guests' attention, and offer a few reading suggestions (and an Amazon link or two). And if you should happen to pick up a copy of one of these books (all of which make GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFTS!, you'll be giving presents to some deserving writers; better still, once you've read them, you'll know that you've also given a gift to yourself.

8:14 AM

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