when you are 28 years old you sorta have your set answers….

favorite movie: STRICTLY BALLROOM

favorite song: HALLELUJAH, jeff buckley version

favorite concert: NKOTB

favorite tv show: 90210, the original (duh)

you get the idea.  so when something new shows up – it’s not only unexpected, you’ve also got to make room for it on your list.  and…change is tough.

basically what i’m trying to say is – i’ve got a new favorite book.  I KNOW!  who has a new favorite book?  isn’t it supposed to be about the books that have withstood the test of time?  books that hold up against other books?  well – whatever.  screw every book i’ve ever loved before.  not really.  past favorites include: SONG OF SOLOMON, THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS, ISLAND OF BLUE DOLPHINS, EXTREMELY LOUD and INCREDIBLY CLOSE.  but now – please add BEL CANTO to the very top of that list.

devoted readers may remember that i read IN TRUTH AND BEAUTY a couple of years ago…and i loved it too.  i don’t know why it took me so long to get back to ANN PATCHETT.  her writing is lyrical, almost like a song (that goes on for 200 plus pages).  i love that she fully describes every situtation – the sights, the smells.  as i read i kept thinking – i’ve seen this movie, right?  because the picture that she created was so vivid.  ugh, i loved absolutely every page of it.  i started reading on my way home from durango (yep, that was part of my couple of months away from blogging) and had to force myself to slow down my reading because i was enjoying it so much, i didn’t want it to end.

until last night.  ABN and i got back from AVATAR (yep, i saw it again) and i decided the perfect way to spend the rest of my saturday night was in the bathtub, with my book.  it ended as well as it began.  i should know, as soon as i finished, i started it over again!