Underground New York Public Library

Ummm, hello Underground New York Public Library! Photographer Ourit Ben-Haim chronicles New Yorkers deep in good reads on the subway. These are her beautiful pictures. Enjoy her blog at the link and remain eternally grateful for your literacy.

Sigh. Fantasizing over a car-less commute.
P.S. Her blog also reveals the titles of the books making it a great resource for new reads.

Oh No, George! by Chris Haughton, 2012

Oh yes! I love this bright, simple picture book and so do many of the kids I've read it to.

Sweet George is an affable pooch with some bad habits. When Harry, George's owner, heads out, he leaves George with a specific instruction: Be good. And George agrees that he will. But some temptations come along in the shape of cake, cats, and a nice pile of dirt. And George is unable to resist! He makes a mess of things, and Harry is sorely disappointed upon his return. Feeling rather remorseful, George apologizes and then gives it the old college try again on his walk with Harry. Will George be good? Will he resist temptation?

Author-illustrator Chris Haughton conveys that real emotion all kids, all people experience...that push and pull between being good and being naughty! George's ears and eyes tell you exactly how he's feeling. And Haughton's monochromatic red and purple, retro illustrations are bright and simple. They do not distract from the story but enhance it instead.

Throughout the book, George encounters dilemmas...to eat the cake or not? Chase the cat or leave it be? And at each of these intersections, the narrator asks, "What will George do?" All kids will love being the chorus of this repetitive question as well as the exacerbated response. "Oh no, George!"

I highly encourage you find a local copy of Oh No, George! to enjoy with the closest kid. All ages will laugh at George's limited will power, and the story may prompt discussion on doing the right thing, apologizing, and trying again tomorrow. And what's more important than that?

*Check our Haughton's blog for a fascinating description of how this book came to be. (He leads a pretty interesting life, as you'll see.)

Digging Out

Well, it's old news now, but one week, 10 odd inches of snow, 15 degrees below, 3 days of stomach sickness, 5 snow days (yes, 5!), and one Michigan State basketball victory later, and we're finally on the cusp of routine. I miss it. I crave it. I need it.

This week I'm headed to some hot yoga, library-ing it up back at school (haven't seen you, school, since December 20th!), and keeping my bright and cheery disposition shining like a beacon from which all of you SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) victims can gather warmth.

That last statement was made with a high level of self-deprecating snark as I am a true believer in SAD, and though I may not suffer from symptoms as severe as others, I fall victim to this time of year, well, every year. But this year! This year I aim to put up a fight.

Ways MC plans to battle overall malaise these dark January, February, March, and maybe April (dependent on your locale) days:

1. Nail Polish

• So I know dark nails are the thing, the thing for the winter. I've got it. Heard you loud and clear. And you all look fab with your deep purples, crimsons, and blues. I mean that. But I just can't quite commit to chic and trendy fingernails. I am drawn to the azures, the pale pinks, the oranges of summer. I CRAVE them. And with all the colors available to us all the live-long year, why play it safe? My January wardrobe is pretty dark and monotone. I am giving permission to my nails to be where the party's at. This winter I embrace the bright, bold, and happy nail. Do you like this, this, or THIS? What the heck? You'll probably pick it off in a week anyway so try something fun.

2. Exercise, specifically hot yoga

• Ugh. We all know it, but who wants to admit that IN GENERAL regular exercise makes you feel overall better (because I kind of dispute that I immediately feel better...I immediately feel a release of the potential guilt I would have if I hadn't exercised...that is different). So making it to the gym on a regular basis will be a continued goal. But adding to that goal, I think some more hot yoga sessions will do my body good. If you aren't familiar, hot yoga is just as it sounds: yoga in a hot room. Don't forget to hydrate. Seriously. Do you find you're always focusing on cardio or strength but spend very little time on flexibility or on your mental health for that matter? Here's to hoping hot yoga will improve my flexibility and sanity (and keep me warm, right? Is it as hot in there if it is freezing outside? Yes. Yes, it is.)

3. Winter Olympics

• I mean, come on! The tears of the winter olympians may be enough to get me through the below freezing temps without the help of anything else on this list. That and the Morgan Freeman Visa Olympic commercials. This and this and THIS! Also, figure skating rocked my world starting in second grade as I know it did for many of you. So I'm looking forward to the ritual of hunkering down in front of the television, watching the teeny athletes perform and then sit with their coaches on that bench staring at the scoreboard, and maybe shedding a tear or two for second place (but not really because second place is AMAZING! Why do those figure skaters get so hung up on it? Michelle Kwan never won gold, but she is still my favorite so gold, shmold). Olympics, you're okay in my book.

*I'm hoping for a peaceful time for all in Sochi which seems to be an unsteady site with concerns over terrorism, gay rights, and the human rights practices of the Russian government (brief overview).

4. Tunes

• I bet you could beat the winter blues if you started each morning with this song.

5. Fresh food

• Nothing like some fruit and veggies to make you feel like summer's around the corner. I know most things aren't in season, but rock the citrus. Seriously, rock the citrus. I could eat about 18 clementines in one sitting. Good thing they sell them in bulk!

So there you have it: my plans to survive the first 3 months of 2014 with a smile on my face and a spring in my step. How will you get through? Check out the tried and true Mayo Clinic for some real and reliable S.A.D. info and help.

Welcome, New Year!

Holiday bounty...this isn't all of it!

The holidays are great and all, but is it just me, or are you glad they're behind us?

I had a ball with my family and friends for the past 2 weeks. We ate, we drank, and we sang ourselves silly. But never have I felt such a strong desire for the restart of the new year. Clean slate. Square one. You are welcome here, 2014. Come into my warm embrace.

2013 was great, y'all. Don't get me wrong. But it was a whirlwind, and my reading suffered. The mayhem prevented me from getting lost in any books, from really devouring them. The calm of a serene 2014 full of words is appealing. (One can hope!)

And on to the books! I have some great readers around me. GREAT! And they gift me with new titles all while I pilfer their own personal libraries and fill my suitcase with the bounty. I come to this restart with a new motivation to not just find and covet books, but to actually sit down and read them as I've always done. Let me share a few titles still resting rather snugly in my suitcase, great candidates for the first solid read of the new year.

Detroit City Is the Place to Be: The Afterlife of an American Metropolis by Mark Binelli, 2012

Truth be told: Detroit City Is the Place to Be was resting under many a board book on my brother and sister-in-law's staircase. I started it while I was their house guest intrigued as we all are now (I'm late to the game) in all things Detroit. So far as I can tell, Mark Binelli moved to Detroit and wrote this nonfiction book about his observations while there. The book is also littered with history and possibilities for the city's future. I read this Slate review that seems pretty convincing of Binelli's lyrical prowess and ability to inform and entertain despite not coming to any new conclusions.
I grew up about 4 hours from Detroit and now spend a lot of time in Michigan as my husband lives there, and I have NEVER BEEN WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS! Travesty.
2014 resolution: visit Detroit.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, 1939

Not usually much of a mystery reader, I've never read any Agatha Christie. NONE! Isn't that the worst? My brothers (they're at it again...they are the true feeders of my reading habit) say And Then There Were None is pretty creepy and not in the gruesome way but in the suspenseful unknowing way which is the best kind of creepy.
10 people, all of whom were involved in the death of other people in various ways, are tricked into coming to an island on which they are trapped due to poor weather. One by one they are each killed.
And that's all I know because I haven't read it! But seeing as it is considered the best selling mystery novel ever, this librarian needs to get on it!

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, 2009

Dave gave me this book for Christmas...do you think he's trying to say something?! I spent a lot of time during the latter half of 2013 going through the motions, sulking in my teeny apartment, and generally feeling in a funk. Husband is on it throwing back the curtains, letting the light in, and gifting me this book written by Gretchen Rubin who devoted a year of her life to incorporating more happiness and joy in her day-to-day.
Maybe giving up all those" drink more water", "exercise daily", "up your veggie intake" resolutions and resolving to get happy in 2014 is the way to go?

Gold Coast by Elmore Leonard, 1980

Elmore Leonard passed away this year, and I've never read his books. Seen a movie or two (Get Shorty, Be Cool, etc.) adapted from his work, but never read one of his books. And then wouldn't you know my brother Matt had this nestled on his bookshelf. He gave it a high accolades so it stowed away in my carry on.
One sentence pitch: When Karen's mob boss husband passes away, he leaves her millions with a caveat: if she starts seeing someone else, she'll lose it all...something is bound to happen with a set up like that!
I've only read the first chapter, but so far it is quick and readable with plenty of plot to keep you entertained.


P.S. Leonard spent much of his life living in Michigan and working in Detroit. Just a little Michigan lover there for you.

*And while you're busy clicking around the internet, check out this cheeky piece written by Leonard for the NY Times in 2001: "WRITERS ON WRITING; Easy on the Adverbs, Exclamation Points and Especially Hooptedoodle".

Happy fresh start to you and yours! XOXO