Small But Mighty: Book Review

     This is a blog about writing, not photography, so please don't notice the bad lighting or the tchotchke (definition of tchotchke here) surroundings. Please do notice the title of the book and the sticker on the cover: The Reading Promise. BARGAIN  BOOK $4.99. Actually, it was even more of a bargain, but I peeled off the big, red $1.00 sticker.

      The Reading Promise is by Alice Ozma. It is her autobiography and centers around the 1,000-night reading pact she made with her father, which ended up lasting 3,218 nights. He read to her every night for 9 years, from the time she was nine to the day she went off to college at eighteen. That kind of commitment puts a shadow over things I've neglected, like writing, and blog posting!
      Midterms and spring break kept me from posting the past two weeks, and I think that's understandable. But what made it easy was that sometimes I feel like my words fall into a cyberspace black hole. Today, though, I was reminded that people do take time out of their hectic schedules to pop in here at The Well.

     Whether you have read every post since I started or just the posts that grabbed your attention or you only look at the pictures or have only read the title of one post you are a Well-Wisher, and you give me power to write.

Thank you for visiting!

Free photo courtesy of Free Digital Photos.net

     Now, on to the book. Instead of the usual 5-star rating, pros and cons review, I am giving you my 4 favorite lines. I actually underlined them and dog-eared the pages, so I could go back to them. My before self would be horrified, but that's another story.

Favorite Lines from The Reading Promise, by Alice Ozma

Context: Alice's father brought home yet another bicycle to add to their apparently unneeded collection. Big people=parents.

Quote: "But it was still interesting to imagine what these big people were like as little people, whether they'd been horribly murdered by Voldemort [the villain in Harry Potter] or they were still alive and well, buying large quantities of used bicycles" (page 97-8).

Context: n/a

Quote: "But it was by no means, not even in the slightest bit, good weather for total embarrassment. I'm not sure what that weather is. Probably snow or rain or any other condition that creates limited visibility" (page 196).

Context: This is Alice talking about her father. I want to be like this.

Quote: "His work was a challenge, but he couldn't help loving it anyway.

Context: Alice's boyfriend Dan is telling her a bedtime story about a heroic hedgehog named Worthington. I'm giving you two lines as context.

            "But he was just a hedgehog." [Alice]

            "Don't say it like that! What if I said you were just a girl?" [Dan]

Quote: "I would say [sic] you that you are right, but I am a very nice girl. I am small but mighty." [Alice]