Today’s Best of 2009 Blog Challenge is on one of my favorite topics: BOOKS! I am a bona fide book junkie and word lover, so this was both difficult and easy to choose which books to share with the world.
Here goes:
I couldn’t narrow my book of the year to one book – and since Poetry collections weren’t listed in today’s prompt, I feel as if I am allowed the privilege of an extra title on my list of “Really, you must read this book!” Neither of my books was published in 2009. Both were culled from past years (2001 and 1973, respectively).
I am speaking of Cries of the Spirit, Edited by Marilyn Sewell. (Close second is her collection titled Claiming the Source Within: A Sourcebook of Women’s Poetry. The only reason I singled out Cries is that I read it first.) These collections include 300 poems each, all written by women poets from a variety of time periods with a variety of styles of writing, all related to spirituality. I was introduced to some new poets through this collection (for example, Denise Levertov, how could I not know her – and now I have added some of her single collections to my book shelf) and Marge Piercy. Favorites like Mary Oliver and Anne Sexton are well represented.
When my daughter’s English class had a Summer assignment to read and analyze a poem, these are the books I offered to her friends. “You will find the just right poem on these pages.”
The other title is Journal of a Solitude by May Sarton.
Reading Sarton is like sitting down with a trusted friend over a cup of coffee as the afternoon turns to night and after laughing for what feels like the thousandth time you look out the window and notice it is pitch black and your stomach is growling because you missed your normal dinner hours ago, unnoticed in the delicious conversation.
She gave me permission to be myself. This is a common theme in the books I enjoy but what I especially loved is she spoke to me from a generation ago: she wrote when I was just eleven years old yet she felt completely contemporary to me. When I read her, I wished I could get to know her face-to-face. I just know I would fall in deep friendship with her – or I could hope, anyway.
I also love the collection of letters from a lifetime from her to Juliette Huxley. Beautifully written letters. I could select quotes just from Sarton and fill a lengthy book.
I have been in the throes of theater since Mid-Summer and as of Sunday night will be on a much needed break. My plan is to climb into bed with several books, my notebook and pens, candles and maybe tea and more tea and a cookie or two, provided by my patient love. I ordered one of Sarton’s other books (Plant Dreaming Deep) to be one of my companions.
I think that says a lot.
I look forward to finding other books from the Best of 2009 Blog Challenge participants. I wonder if any one else will include poetry?
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