The Middle Place
Posted: December 4th, 2009 | Author: Jacky | Filed under: Life | Tags: #best09 | 1 Comment »
December 4 What book — fiction or non — touched you? Where were you when you read it?
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It’s hard to remember the books I’ve read this year because nearly all were checked out from the library and aren’t sitting on my bookshelf to remind me. Before I moved to New York, I never used the library. Books were like my friends and I wanted my favorites surrounding me at all times. But I started running out of room and didn’t want to spend the money and the NYPL turned out to be awesome. Problem solved.
One of the few books I did actually buy this year was Kelly Corrigan’s “The Middle Place,” which is about her battle with breast cancer. My mom mentioned she’d read it and sent a video link to part of a book lecture by the author. I loved her voice and writing style immediately.
I bought the book on a Saturday morning in May. I was sick and had to miss a 10K race in Central Park, so I went to Borders to cheer myself up. Then I spent the day in bed reading — surrounded by Kleenax, cough drops and Vitamin Water. As I read the book, I wanted to be her best friend (my mom did too). She’s funny, honest, imperfect. This is the kind of book you don’t want to put down, but force yourself to because you don’t want to finish it yet. When I finally did finish the book, I cried and then just sat on my bed for awhile letting her story soak in.
Hi Jacky, I enjoyed your post. (found through the best09 challenge) Well written. I could totally relate to what you said about books being your friends and wanting to keep them around you, but, like you, I can’t afford to do that anymore either. The library is my 2nd home. And paperbackswap.com is also nice, sending my books out into the world again.