Notes From the Bedside Table

Overcast, cold, 40 degrees. Sunrise 7:48, sunset 5:58.

Today's morning routine: Listening to Stewart Brand on KUOW, the author of The Whole Earth Catalog, the bible of the environmental change that occurred in the 60's and 70's.

I was pretty young when the book first came out but a later edition was one of the first books I bought with my textbook money when I went to college (in Eugene, home of hippies and recycling on street corners). His new book is The Whole Earth Discipline which suggests we rethink our ideas of what we should be doing now to save our environment.

I just read that he was one of the Merry Pranksters.

Washed the dishes, had breakfast, started Last Night in Twisted River (I'm not sure if this'll beat out finishing The Midnight Charter), swept the kitchen floor and did a load of laundry. Showered and washed my hair (I hate washing my hair-it takes forever to dry).

That Dark Divine book I was reading yesterday was really good! It is about a girl named Grace, a pastor's daughter, and a boy she used to know (and had a huge crush on) who has come back home. He has changed in some pretty dark ways, but she still finds him more than attractive and realizes that he is probably dangerous.

Daniel (the boy) and Jude, Grace's brother, and she were almost family when Daniel moved in with them after his father beat him badly. While living at the pastor's home something horrible happened and Daniel disappeared.

Three years later, he's back to atone and take care of the obligations he has accrued in his life. Unfortunately, Jude and some others in town are opposed to his return and are furious that Grace is becoming more and more involved with him.

Things reach a flashpoint when animals start to go missing, dead people have their flesh torn, and rumors are flying that Daniel is the reason why.

I love Grace and Daniel as a couple, you know he has been pining, longing for her, all this time and I appreciate that we can see how strong Grace is in her feelings for him. Their relationship doesn't depend on him and his being or not being with her, she holds her own in this one. I like that the author really shows us who Grace is from the beginning without resorting to having the other characters tell us about her.

It's really good and I will tell you that I couldn't put it down. I left the book I was reading in a bag in the car the other night, The Midnight Charter, by David Whitley. It is really good and different (although, I don't like the finished cover as much as the reading copy cover).

Unfortunately, I just couldn't go back out to the car to get it. Fortunately, I happened to have The Dark Divine on the kitchen table and I am very happy it was there.

The Dark Divide has a reading level of 12 and up, but I think ages 14 and up is a better one. There's no sex, very little cursing, it's 14 and up in my mind only because I think 14 year-olds are readier for books like this than younger readers. Let me know what you think when you read it.

Published by Egmont, available January, 2010. $17.99.