Lovely, Lovely Books - My Own Treasure Trove...

A wonderful package arrived via UPS in the middle of the blizzard yesterday.  Normally I make my online book purchases from Amazon, but thanks to the much appreciated gift of Barnes and Noble gift cards I was delighted to receive my order in time to hunker down during the storm.  It may be in poor taste to flaunt my good fortune, but I am so excited about the treasure trove of books that await my perusal.  I had to share them with someone!
 

When I first saw this book by Dinty Moore, all that came to mind was a thought of some kind of beef stew.  Once I was past that distraction, though, I was enamored by the subject matter of the "personal essay", one of my favorite types of writing to both read and write.  I was especially captivated by this line from the back cover - "the personal essay is an ever-changing creative medium that provides an ideal vehicle for satisfying the human urge to document truths as we experience them and share them with others - to capture a bit of life on paper."  That sums up what I love about reading and writing - the capturing of life on paper.  It is why I chose to read primarily nonfiction - for I so enjoy a glimpse into the lives of others. 

This book has been on my wish list for some time.  I'm not big on New Year's Resolutions because I am constantly resolving to make this or that change in my life throughout the year, but I thought the start to a brand new year would be the perfect time to find my purpose and "get over life's little imperfections" as the book cover says.  As the back cover states, something is constantly nagging most women.  I lay awake hours at a time worrying over any number of frivolous events.  This book claims to help resolve concerns in the areas of "memories, nearest and dearest, friendship, when work follows you home, body image" (a biggie for me!), "intimacy and relationships, nourishment and the division of chores, parenting, expectations".  Sounds like a lot of work, but it should be rewarding!

Janet Conner's premise is simple:  Show Up, Open Up, Listen Up, and Follow Up.  That's all it takes to find one's inner wisdom.  I'm always up for some serious soul-searching, and I can certainly use all the wisdom I can get!

The title made it impossible for me to pass over this one.  It's so hard for me to be authentic in my writing.  I cringe over many issues that others might not even give a second glance.  Written by a woman with experience in writing, editing and teaching, the book promises to be packed with insights and advice both "practical and irreverent".   

This is one I am most excited about.  I read scores of memoirs, and the craft and skill that they require is admirable.  We all have demons which we must at some point face, and I am no exception.  I look forward to using writing in a more productive and effective tool for scaring those demons away.

I'm a perfectionist to a fault.  In fact, I can safely say that perfectionism is certainly one of my personal demons.  It can wreak havoc on a life.  This book promises to provide guidance "from a place of worthiness". 

This is one I've wanted for quite some time, and I checked it out from the library repeatedly.  You can't borrow this one, though, you have to have a copy all to your own so you can annotate it and devour it and savor it.  Julia Cameron is a genius.  I look forward to owning more of her inspiring works. 

And finally, the book that holds the most promise for me.  One of my 30 Before 30 goals is to get something - anything - published this year.  Since I have no idea how to go about doing that, I will rely on this book to help me figure out the publishing industry, and where best to submit my writing. 

There you have it - my treasure trove of books for the New Year.  There can be no greater gifts than books.