bribery and whatnot

So I'm hoping the rest of y'all are deeply embedded in the craziness that is December, not because I wish you neuroticism but because then you won't have had time to notice my lack of posting. And if you are thinking to yourself, eh? lack of posting? and who got tinsel in the eggnog aGAIN? then it's nearly impossible to overestimate my love for you.

And if you are not thinking to yourself those thoughts, not at all, thankyouverymuch, I took some pics for you (to, er, coax a little forgiveness in my direction?)...



Now we're good, right? In my head you're saying right. You're agreeable like that.

So I've been running into all these "Best of 2007" book lists, and I have to say that I've moved entirely out of annoyed and knee-deep into perturbed. I need warning for these kinds of things, folks, so I can be jotting down titles. I can't even remember what I read last week, I kid you not, let alone the whole jolly year.

But as I'm not one to be discouraged by such trivial complications (and also because I'm not one who likes to be left out of anything, be it Irish cribbage meetings or fundraisers for unicycle hockey leagues), I am going to give you my version of the list.


Oh yes.


My list is called "Best of the Second Week of December." Yeah, mock me later.

BEST OF THE SECOND WEEK OF DECEMBER
by Nicole Owens

(Somebody conjure me up a drumroll)

...And the winning novel of this insanely coveted distinction is REBEL ANGELS by Libba Bray. Although, to be honest, the initial book (A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY) in the series was a tad better. Ah, see now? I do remember something from last week.

The other contestants (well, the fiction ones) are:
A DOOR NEAR HERE by Heather Quarles (reaction: eh? just okay)
RULES by Cynthia Lord (not bad; garnered a Newbery Honor, so other people liked it)
GOSSIP GIRL (another eh? didn't hate it)
**Update, 12/16**
TWISTED by Laurie Halse Anderson (well-written, but I enjoyed the plot/setting of ANGELS more)
THE HOUSE OF SCORPION by Nancy Farmer (again, strong writing, but the plot seemed to ramble and sag at times, especially near the end. did win a crazy number of awards.)

So I admit: the competition wasn't fierce. And while we're confessing things, I also admit that: 1) as I've discussed with The Ununcle, books are my heroin; and 2) I have a thing for YA (and the occasional middle grade novel). I did, however, tote home four novels from the library this morning, and two of them are bonafide grown-up books. It happens occasionally.

If any of the reads between now and Sunday edge out Bray's ANGELS, I will update my award. And next year I will attempt to keep a running list of books and my reactions because y'all deserve a real list. You know you do.

And now, pardon moi, but I HAVE to get moving on those Christmas cards. Hope to pop in again soon, but if not, have another round of eggnog and sing some falalas and, you know. Be merry.

Speaking of pardon moi, you've got to check out this website. Click on the picture to enlarge the business cards--you need to read the text. Very charming folks there at pardonMOI.