This weekend was brought to you by...

Beholding Bee by Kimberly Newton Fusco

~AND~

The Center of Everything by Linda Urban

I have no idea what planetary spirits aligned to allow me the time, two days in a row to sit down and read a book from cover to cover.  This is the stuff of vacation, not the school year.  I mean we still have three weeks of school left!  How dare I be so decadent with my time?  I will tell you why I was so irresponsible.  

The books made me do it.

Normally I would read in bits and pieces around the myriad other tasks, both home and work-related that fill my weekend.  Not this weekend and not with these two books.

Maybe it is the theme - both books are about finding and creating community, a subject that resonates with me.  

Maybe it is the protagonists - both strong and independent middle-school-aged girls trying to make sense of their worlds and find a place for themselves within it.

Maybe it is the writing - both books are beautifully and sparingly written, capturing the aching and longing of one who feels lost and alone, but also the grace and power of love.

I think it is just the books. period. Both Beholding Bee and The Center of Everything are transformative. They are the types of books where one needs to engage in "busy work" for a bit afterwards to take in the changes.  Both books quickly transport the reader into their world.  A world of heartache and hurt, love and beauty.  It is a journey well worth taking. 

I wonder what next weekend will bring...