Thursday Thirteen (Vol. 3)

I had "How Di's Book Blog Saved My Life (Part 2)" all composed and posted and had to rescind it because I remembered it's Thursday. Amazingly I've been up for well over an hour due to my husband's early flight and the imponderable fact that the alarm clock is on my side of the bed and I have just made note of what day it is. So I guess you will have to wait until tomorrow!

Thirteen Things about Di 13 Writers Who Are Unforgettable 1. Anne Lamott - Anne Lamott has long been my favorite author, moreso for her non-fiction than for her fiction. It kind of annoys me that her books are in the Christian section at Border's because although yes, she is a born-again Christian, she is the most irreverent, non self-righteous Christian you would ever meet. I have probably bought a total of 50 copies of Operating Instructions, Traveling Mercies and Plan B to give as gifts because I want so much to share Anne Lamott with everyone. For a really great "read" get one of these books on tape, read by the author. By the end, you feel like it's a friend talking to you. One of my goals is to one day meet her in person at a book-signing or reading. 2. Margaret Atwood - Atwood is amazing not only for being prolific over a long period of time, but for consistently putting out thought-provoking novels that defy critics to categorize her as a "women's writer" or "Canadian writer". Three of her books that haunt me to this day are Cat's Eye, The Blind Assassin and Alias Grace (please note kudos to Amy who made me give this book a second chance when the first several pages didn't grab me.) But how can I leave here without mentioning The Handmaid's Tale.  3. Stephen King - Yes, he's been criticized for being too "pop", for churning out books at an unbelievable rate without regard for quality. But come on...can you imagine a guy who can write at this rate, "churn" out some pretty iconic books, play in a band with a bunch of other writers and still have time to write a brilliant monthly column in Entertainment Weekly? I will never forget reading 'Salem's Lot when I was home alone sick with mono at the age of 16 and at the end BELIEVING in vampires! I read Pet Sematary in a creepy house in western Mass that my boyfriend lived in while he was gone for the evening and it was terrifying! My friend Lauren (Lauren, are you out there in Raleigh somewhere? Don't know if you read my blog) and I took turns buying the episodes of The Green Mile as it came out in serial form. Whoever's turn it was would buy the book the day it came out, devour it that night, give it to the other who would immediately do the same and then together we would count the days until the next episode. 4. Jodi Picoult - Her books have been consistently good, readable and relevant over the years, but she had me at The Pact. She could have stopped there and would have probably still made this list. 5. Jane Hamilton -  Map of the World marked my return to serious reading after 6 months of People magazines when Haley was an infant. Recommended by Amy (hmmm...there's a trend here) BEFORE it was an Oprah selection, it stunned me and ripped at my heart. Subsequently, when The Book of Ruth was one of the earlier Oprah selections, my friend Nancy in Oregon wrote a letter and was actually on Oprah with Jane Hamilton! As part of the segment, they went bowling together and Nancy spoke glowingly of Jane Hamilton and I think they have remained in contact over the years (Nancy, if you are reading, please comment!) 6. Tracy Thompson - My friend Karen happened to have a copy of The Beast on her bookshelf when I was in NC this summer after recovering from my worst depressive episode ever. The timing was fortuitous because the author was about to release a new book. The Beast was so candid and chillingly accurate that I immediately pre-ordered the new book from Amazon. The Ghost in the House did not disappoint and should be required reading for any woman who is a mother and suffers from depression (not just post-partum depression). The balance of research and personal insight make this book a powerful resource. Now I check Tracy's blog daily and we have e-mailed back and forth. She is as down to earth as anyone despite her "fame and fortune" (she will laugh if she reads this) as a writer. Oh, and her John Prine music recommendation was great! 7. Anne Morrow Lindbergh - Gift from the Sea is another book that I love to give as a gift to woman friends (old and new best friends!) because it is truly a timeless classic. Lindbergh wrote this book over 50 years ago and obviously being married to probably the most famous man in his time came from privilege, but the book is relevant up to this moment to all women. Incredible. If you haven't read it, read it...if you have read it, reread it. 8. Larry Watson - There is something about White Crosses that made me a forever fan of Larry Watson. As an author, he held me spellbound, spun me around and surprised me with his plot and characterization. 9. Dr. Seuss - My Mom read his books to me, I read them to my kids and I venture a guess that my kids will read it to their kids. I think I could probably still do "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" from memory. 10. Joan Didion - I had almost forgotten what a huge impact her writing had on me in college when The Year of Magical Thinking came out. She has the most amazing ability to clearly, incisively and almost dispassionately detail and comment on her world. 11. Judy Blume - Reading Are You There God, It's Me Margaret is probably practically a rite of passage for pre-teens. And in my day (ugh, I'm totally old enough to say that), I still remember the dog-eared copy of the "forbidden" Forever that was passed around amongst all of my friends...we all felt so deliciously bad reading it. 12. John Irving - He has created some of the most memorable characters in modern fiction and of course wrote one of my favorites, A Prayer for Owen Meany. I am proud to have a copy of A Widow for One Year inscribed "To Diane" and signed by the author thanks to my friend Dricka who lives in the same town that he does. 13. Amy - Although she is not published, Amy has written some of the most riveting prose I have read in the last 23 years. Her hand-written missives detailing the squalor of her post-college living situations, her customized guide to mothering which served as my bible when I had my first child, her prescient comment in 1992 that, "I'm tired of the whole presidential race. Right now the only person I want to vote for is Hillary Clinton." and thousands of e-mails since never fail to make me smile! Links to other Thursday Thirteens! (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!) 1. Ali    2. Blue Star 3. Hello Self 4. Caylynn 5. My Two Cents 6. Susan 7. MommyBa 8. Amy (a different Amy than the one who is oft mentioned here) 9. Shoshana 10. Wacky Mommy 11. Sanni 12.Susan

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Give me feedback on this Thursday Thirteen thing. Let me know if you think I should keep doing it, if you have ideas for a topic, etc. Please visit some of the other Thursday Thirteen blogs.

Di

Comments

[ali]

great tt!
i love love love Margaret Atwood :)

[beth]

Thanks for coming by my blog :)

I like your list of authors. I love Stephen King - I think he gets a bad rap for some of his horror tales. He's written some great books.

My personal favorite is The Stand. Delores Claibourne is another great one.

[el-e-e]

Jodi, Jane, Judy, and John are definitely all on my list.

[my 2 cents]

The only ones I've read from your list are Dr. Seuss, Judy Blume and Jodi Picoult. I know Jodi Picoult is a great author, but I haven't read anything written by the other two in years and years.

[Caylynn]

Great list! :) I remember reading Judy Blume's books, and I guess I'm old too, because I remember how "Forever" was a scandalous book, so they couldn't have it in the young adult section of the local library!

Margaret Atwood is a great author. Being Canadian, we read some of her books in English class in high school, and they were good books, unlike some of the stuff we had to read.

Happy T13. :)

[Susan Helene Gottfried]

Whee! Your TT rules today, Di!

Btw, I read Larry Watson's Montana, 1948 and looooooved it. What a moving book. It was one of those I picked up a second copy of, to share on BookCrossing.com

(hey, you're gonna post my link now, huh?)

[MommyBa]

#s 3 and 9 - they're truly unforgettable :)

Happy Thursday!

[amy]

Loved Judy Blume

[Shoshana]

I like Picoult. Great list you have here.

My t13 is up too.

[Wacky Mommy]

Oh, great list! You picked most of my favorites.

[Sanni]

Great TT! Thanks for sharing :-)

[Susan]

this is a great list!!!! fellow Atwood fan here (among others you have listed) ... I just bought her latest short fic collection _Moral Disorder_ off to a great Atwoodian start I must say... also I found some REALLY COOL old interview sound and vid files of her the other day at the CBC Archives site (google it and you'll find it - Canadian Broadcast. Sys.) -- a must-visit for anyone Atwood-loving!! Mine's up finally - drop by. Happy TT, all!

[alisonwonderland]

terrific list, di! gift from the sea is one of my all-time favorite books! i also love anne lamott's writing (and love that her christianity is so "real"). the handmaid's tale was incredible. i've got a couple of jodi picoult's on the shelf that i hope to get to soon.

[ribbiticus]

great choices! i should look up those i haven't read before. thanks for the tip! my tt's up! ;)

[Sophisticated Writer]

A great list of writers. I love Stephen King. Hope I can be a well-known writer one day *sigh*. Take care.

[Nancy]

I'm the Nancy referred to by Diane regarding Jane Hamilton and Oprah's book group. Hard to believe it's been almost 10 years (Jan '96). Meeting (and bowling with) Jane was the highlight. She's a warm, smart, engaging woman. Too bad most of her insightful comments were left on the cutting-room floor. For the most part, "all words lead to Oprah." But, hey, she made it all possible, so I'm not complaining. The Green Room is green, the limos were a treat, and being behind-the-scenes of a very professional show made for a very special experience. Jane came to my town of Bend, OR, a few years ago, and we had a nice reconnection. Her latest work looks intriguing! Nancy Tyler

[Nicholas]

I agree about S. King, and you chose three of his very best.