there will be books

I heard the term aliterate for the first time this week, over at Madwomen in the attic. It really struck me because I think I'm going through a period of it myself. This quote set some kind of recognition off in me: "I look at the books on my coffee table and they're like bricks to me." (from Love Me, Garrison Keillor)

I look at all the books on my desk, bedside table and bookshelves and they overwhelm me. They beg to be read and I pick them up, flick through their pages and desperately want to read them but I don't feel like I can give them the attention they deserve, and the attention that will allow me to fully appreciate the stories and the writing. I have also been writing madly these last few weeks, which surely impacts on my ability (or non-ability) to concentrate on a book. There are too many voices in my head already.

I'm not worried, I know that it won't be long before I'm one with the books again. It's just frustrating.

In my reading group we're reading Caitlin Moran's How to be a Woman out loud, so at least my life isn't totally book-barren. Tonight's group was particularly nice because we also got takeaway from the Moroccan Soup Bar (oh yum, chickpea bake) and I got to bounce a baby on my knee.

Other bookish things:

The Underground New York City Public Library website, which is a "visual library featuring the Reading-Riders of the NYC subways." I have always loved seeing people reading on trains and trams and I nearly always want to talk to them about their books, whether they're enjoying it, if it's the first time they're reading that particular book or if it's a favourite. I especially loved this image, of two young people looking at The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.

I was reminded of this video, which is a little old but still makes me happy:



Not only that, but I can't wait for you all to read Melissa Keil's Life in Outer Space, which is the first novel to be published through the Ampersand Project and is the first book that I've watched (and helped!) go the whole way from reading pile to edits, to pages, to printer. Not only even that, but I love it.

I also absolutely love Anna and Gareth's What we have been reading posts over at Able and Game.

baby baby baby baby oh baby...

in honour of baby bug being born today, here are some of my favourite baby books and favourite books about babies (and also a little carpenters 'superstar' singalong):

each peach pear plum, janet and allan ahlberg

in which all your favourite nursery rhyme characters spy each other in various places and then eat plum pie at the end.

the very hungry caterpillar, eric carle

in which a brand new and very hungry caterpillar gorges himself on lots of different foods, feels sick and then eats one nice green leaf, feels better and then becomes a butterfly.

banana!, ed vere

which contains only two words: banana! and please.

to be read aloud with gusto and preferably actions too.

a bit lost, christ haughton (not technically a baby book, but a kids' book at least)
a little owl tumbles out of his nest 'uh oh!' and asks a rather dim-witted (though very helpful) rabbit to help him find his mummy.

"biscuits are our favourite!"

mahalia, joanne horniman

one of the best. matt is bringing baby mahalia up by himself after mahalia's mum emmy couldn't cope anymore and left.

i've talked about this one before, here.

dear nobody, berlie doherty

a beautiful dual-perspective novel about a young english woman whose life is turned upside down by realising she's pregnant. she writes letters "dear nobody" to her unborn baby. it's also about the baby's father, who doesn't know about the baby and who is trying to build a future for himself.

one night, margaret wild

very moving and fast-paced free verse novel. this book is about families, friendships and responsibility and the consequences of one night.

(these books are all about unexpected babies, even though baby bug was very intentional)