Hemingway's Bell Tolls for Me.

And its about time! My reading comes in these very predictable patters. I pick up one amazing book, love it. And then become so lucky as to find myself on what we might call a "roll." I become a rage reader, reading nearly ever second that I can spare. Cloud Atlas, Devil in the White City, Assassination Vacation, Life of Pi...of course, it can't go on forever. A mediocre book must come along (sometimes even a flat out awful book comes). I always know it's coming, but never when. This last time around I got arrogant with my succession of great books and decided to experiment, to pick up a book I read about in a news letter at the local independent book store. You all already heard me rant about The Memory Keeper's Daughter thus there is no need to go in repetitive detail. The point I am trying to make here is that when I hit that red light it throws me completely out of whack. It takes me the longest time to get into another book. And what a shame. It's like starting from scratch, I pick up five or six books against my own will, read the first twenty pages and find myself completely unamused, just waiting to finally getting hooked. And this my friends, can take weeks. So, if you have been wondering where I ran off to, and how I could forget all about my dear blog, know that my heart has been breaking too.

The good news is, I am finally back in the game. For Whom The Bell Tolls. And I hardly thought this would be the book. In all honesty, I have read The Sun Also Rises on two different occasions and never really got into it. Obviously not Hemingway's fault, he's a writer unto his own and I greatly respect his talents. The Old Man in the Sea was a wonderful read but I was a young woman on a stunning sailboat in the Caribbean, how could I not love it? But alas, I am chipper to report, my fifty-fifty experience with Hemingway has swung into the positive. So no worries, I have returned. And I missed you too.

One more thing: if any of you have read anything lately that I must read, I'm taking suggestions. I don't want to fall back into my slump and I'm counting on you to keep me out of it. To encourage you to help me out, I hear by promise, if I read the book you suggest to me, whenever I mention (insert your recommendation here) in a conversation or on a blog, I will give you full credit of so kindly advising me on that brilliant book, thereby forever accrediting you with cunning and wit unparalleled.

Thanks!