The Sayer and the Namer

For you folks raised in the 80's (and 90's? not sure about that), do you remember Reading Rainbow on PBS? I loved that show, and my favorite part was at the end when the kids would give book reviews and tell you to go check out their recommendations. I always wanted to read those books. Today, I will be that kid on Reading Rainbow.

Anyway, since I'm a book nerd, sometimes people ask me what is the best book I've read lately. I figured I'd do a Book of the Year award blog series highlighting my top 10 books of 2009. I'm not sure I trust myself with this, however. Like I said, I've got a lot of good intentions with my blog and not a lot of follow through, so I'm gonna go ahead and spoil the two books that (according to me) you ABSOLUTELY MUST go to a bookstore, buy, and begin reading today.

#1. The Road by Cormac McCarthy

**Warning - I'm going to gush.** This is the most beautiful and haunting novel I've ever read. I can't say it's my all-time favorite because of the bleakness of it, but it's definitely top 5 of all time. It's probably crazy to say that a novel can be life changing, but I'm pretty sure this one was. The language used by Cormac McCarthy is astounding, and the images he creates are at the same time scary and gorgeous. The love of The Man for The Boy is transcendent. The innocence of The Boy is heartbreaking. The lasting impression this book left me with is one of deep gratitude for what we've been given. I read this book in the summer when everything was green and bloomed, and every time I would stop reading, I'd look outside and thank God that I live in this version of Earth, rather than the version presented in "The Road." It reminded me that I need to be proactive in preserving my preferred version of the Earth. It also reminded me about the beauty of relationships.

Buy it, read it, and like all books, DON'T go see the movie and think you've read the book. Please. I obviously haven't seen the movie yet (it comes out on Thanksgiving weekend), but I can tell you right now that there's NO WAY the movie can capture the book's heart. Impossible.

also #1. Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer

I hate to say it twice, but this is a life changing kind of book. It's Foer's first nonfiction book, and it's about an intensive study of the factory farm industry and the impact it has on us, the animals, and the environment. I know what you're thinking right now. "I already know that stuff. It's bad." I thought that too, but I read the book anyway, and I quickly realized that I didn't know even half of the issue. Without being preachy or feather-ruffling or anything, I'll just say that if it doesn't make you SERIOUSLY reconsider your food choices, you didn't fully read the book. It's not necessarily an argument for total vegetarianism, but is an irrefutable, multifaceted argument against industrialized meat, which is 99% of meat sold. If you buy it from the grocery store or eat it in a restaurant, it's industrialized. I wish I could buy it for every person I know and love, but I can't. Even if I did, I know that's no guarantee that you'd read it. If you're thinking that you don't want to read some hippie vegetarian book, at least take a peek at Amazon (watch the video and look at a few reviews) please...pretty please? It's that good... http://www.amazon.com/Eating-Animals-Jonathan-Safran-Foer/dp/0316069906/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

So there we have it! I kind of ruined my book award series by giving away the first two right off the bat, but I wanted to be sure they got out there! I promise this will be my only tie. Unfortunately, I can't promise I'll finish the other awards...I'll try, I'll try!

Happy reading!!