It was a fun week to be checking out blogs this week. Between the holiday book reviews, the progressive dinner party and posts about holiday events, there was plenty to put me in the holiday spirit. Maybe too much good stuff to look at--I didn't get much reading done!I did find a couple of interesting links this week. For a look at what reviewer's in the Midwest liked this year, check out KansasCity.com's top 100 books of 2009. "review," Barnes and Noble's dotcom newsletter compiled their editor's picks for the best books of 2009. And Publishers Weekly published their top 100 books of the year here. How many of these have you read? Any surprises here?
With the success of David Cullen's "Columbine" this year, attention has, once again, been focused on that tragedy. Every time I think about what happened, I have to wonder how the parents of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold could not have noticed the road their boys were headed down. Up until now, they have been silent. But Oprah Winfrey was recently able to convince Susan Klebold to tell her story in this month's "O" Magazine. After reading this, my heart goes out to this woman who has to live with the knowledge of what her son did as well as the loss of her beloved son.
I think that would be a good article to read. I feel extrememly sorry for both sets of parents and I'm sure they live with much sadness and regret daily.
ReplyDeleteThe blogosphere is certainly filled with the holiday spirit this year. :-) Like you, I didn't get much reading done this past week--or blogging of my own done for that matter. I did at least do a little sightseeing at many of my favorite blogs.
ReplyDeleteI would like to read the article you mention, the one with Susan Klebold. I imagine it has been very difficult for her, and like you, my heart goes out to her.
I hope you have a great week, Lisa.
There was definitely an abundance of good stuff around the blogosphere last week. it was hard to keep up, but I especially enjoyed all of the food posts.
ReplyDeleteI checked out those lists and I had heard of maybe two. so many so little time! Thanks for the links!
ReplyDeleteI think it would be hard for any parent to see so much evil within their own child. They may have seen things, but who would really ever believe that their own child could do something so horrific? I feel for those parents.
ReplyDeleteI will have to check out Susan Klebold's article--sounds interesting!
ReplyDeleteLike 9-11 and the Challenger disaster, I will always remember the day of the Columbine shooting. As a Coloradoan, there was the fear that work colleagues had children there and the disbelief that something like that could happen so close to home. I remember reading article after article speculating about what the parents knew, etc. It was such a tragedy...words fail me.
ReplyDeleteI looked at the KC list and was amazed that it was the YA group that had the most that I recognized. More from blogging hype? I don't really ever quite realize if a book is a recently pub'd or not. :)
ReplyDeleteI think the only one I've read from any of those lists is Stitches!
ReplyDeleteI usually have to pull myself away from blogs and Twitter so I can get chores and reading done!
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa,
ReplyDeleteIf this seems like a rant just cut it.
What I don't get is why disasters like these haven't caused a rethink over accessibility of firearms.
Laws here in OZ were tightened up in the late 90s after the Port Arthur Massacre. Now you have to have a good reason to own a gun here: for work (farmers, security, pest controllers etc.) or for sporting reasons (ACTIVE member of a shooting club or hunter).
The government then established a fair buy back for unwanted or illegal firearms. I got better than market prices for my auto-rifle and shotgun.
Surprise, surprise, our gun deaths have gone WAY down and we haven't had another massacre since.
Meanwhile those who want to shoot legitimately still can (I have been a member of both pistol and rifle clubs since). There is a bit more red tape to owning a gun but it seems a price worth paying.