Another thing that usually cheers me up is to read a really, really good book. There are a lot of mediocre books out there; I know because I have read a lot of them. I’m not usually one of those people who puts down a book partway through – essentially breaking the book-reader relationshp waaaay before first base.

I have read and re-read all of my favorite novels. I’ve trudged through somewhat boring books and suffered through really predictable books that angered me at their lack of creativity. I’ve read really good books that were ruined by the author’s insistence on throwing in come cheesy elements that had no reason to be there.

I’ve also read some books that have shaped me as a person. Anita Diamont’s The Red Tent. Audrey Niffenegger’s The Time Traveler’s Wife. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (everything Lois Lowry write is amazing). The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Wicked by Gregory Maguire. This is the level I am looking for. I get all happy when I think about these books.

The search shall commence tomorrow. I’ll let you know what I find.