I remember my first favorite book, the one I first read over and over again at the age of 9 “Little Men” by Louisa May Alcott. Yes, I preferred the adventures of boys rather than the mild, and to me hum drum lives of the “Little Women” written about by the same author.
Though I had been a reader before the age of 9 at that particular age I found that my Barbie dolls were boring and my pogo stick and tether ball no longer seemed engaging. Reading became my play, and more than that, it became my way to seek adventures, to travel through time and space, to feast on life. For me books are as essential as air, and food and sometimes more essential than sleep. I would love to know your favorite books.
In 2011, I wrote more, spoke more, and traveled more than in any year of my career. To balance my wonderful real life with my creative life that meant I also read a lot of wonderful books.
Here are my favorite books from 2011 in order of “wonderfulness.”
1. Little Bee by Chris Cleave
2. Leeway Cottage by Beth Gutcheon
3. Fifth Avenue 5 A.M. by Sam Wasson
4. Eureka Street by Robert McLiam Wilson
5. The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer
6. La’s Orchestra Saves the World by Alexander McCall Smith
7. The Lake Shore Limited by Sue Miller
8. Broken for You by Stephanie Kallos
9. Bittersweet by Leslie Li
10. Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson
11. The Season of Second Chances by Diane Meier
12. How to Be an American Housewife by Margaret Dilloway
13. Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik
14. The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman
15. The Man in the Wooden Hat by Jane Gardam
16. Goodbye Without Leaving by Laurie Colwin
17. Heart of Deception by M.L. Malcom
18. A Question of Attraction by David Nicholls
19. Stardust by Joseph Kanon
20. The Doctor and The Diva by Adrienne McDonnell
21. Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier
22. My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveira
23. That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo
24. The Empress of One by Faith Sullivan
25. The Man of My Dreams by Curtis Sittenfeld
26. Clara Callan by Richard B. Wright
27. Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman
28. The Imperfectionist by Tom Rachman
29. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
My two favorite Autobiographies this year
30. Bossypants by Tina Fey
31. Seriously… I’m Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres
Favorite nonfiction book
32. Paid to Speak with one little chapter by me
More Wonderful Books by Authors I Love
There are some authors whose books you read simply because you love their writing and other authors you read simply because you love the characters and want to see what happens next. I have read all the books published by the following authors. This list is of books of theirs that I read in 2010.
33. The Innocent Man by John Grisham(Excellent,but read it when you can stay up all night)
34. The Man From Beijing by Henning Mankell
35. The Red Door by Charles Todd An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery by Charles Todd
36. Careless in Red by Elizabeth George
37. The Cooper Beach by Maeve Binchy
38. Juliet Naked by Nick Hornby
39. New England White by Stephan L Carter ( Author of the Emperor of Ocean Park)
40. Murder on the Leviathan by Boris Akunin
41. The Water Room- A Peculiar Crimes Unit Mystery by Christopher Fowler
42. The Double Comfort Safari Club by Alexander McCall Smith
43. Fatally Flaky by Diane Mott Davidson
44. The Last Dickens by Matthew Pearl
45. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
46. Mary Ann In Autumn by Armistead Maupin
47. Both of Betty White’s Biographies
The following books I read and later gave to friends who liked them more than I did
48. One Day by David Nicholls
49. Elements of Style by Wendy Wasserstein
50. Grange House by Sarah Blake
51. Rescue by Anita Shreve
52. The Ghost of Greenwhich Village by Lorna Graham
53. The Colour by Rose Tremain
Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at http://PattiWood.net. Also check out the body language quiz on her YouTube Channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.
The Gold Container
Some time ago, a man punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree. Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, "This is for you, Daddy."
The man was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found out the box was empty. He yelled at her, stating, "Don't you know, when you give someone a present, there is supposed to be something inside? The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and cried, "Oh, Daddy, it's not empty at all. I blew kisses into the box. They're all for you, Daddy."
The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her forgiveness.
Only a short time later, an accident took the life of the child. It is also told that her father kept that gold box by his bed for many years and, whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.
Moral of the story: In a very real sense, each one of us, as human beings, have been given a gold container filled with unconditional love and kisses... from our children, family members, friends. There is simply no other possession, anyone could hold, more precious than this.
Friends please do not take family members for granted. Love them, Acknowledge them, Hug them, and Kiss them. Don't be too busy Earning a Living that you forget to LIVE.
Story is from an unknown source. If you know it’s origin please let us know.
Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at http://PattiWood.net. Also check out the body language quiz on her YouTube Channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.
The man was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found out the box was empty. He yelled at her, stating, "Don't you know, when you give someone a present, there is supposed to be something inside? The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and cried, "Oh, Daddy, it's not empty at all. I blew kisses into the box. They're all for you, Daddy."
The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her forgiveness.
Only a short time later, an accident took the life of the child. It is also told that her father kept that gold box by his bed for many years and, whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.
Moral of the story: In a very real sense, each one of us, as human beings, have been given a gold container filled with unconditional love and kisses... from our children, family members, friends. There is simply no other possession, anyone could hold, more precious than this.
Friends please do not take family members for granted. Love them, Acknowledge them, Hug them, and Kiss them. Don't be too busy Earning a Living that you forget to LIVE.
Story is from an unknown source. If you know it’s origin please let us know.
Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at http://PattiWood.net. Also check out the body language quiz on her YouTube Channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.
Patti reads Ryan Brunn's Body Language on HLN Special Report
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtMnQyFKgBo&feature=plcp&context=C4f79ce1VDvjVQa1PpcFMMV6yXsfgKMbHtHXK6rpedhjfwqV320wI%3D
Patti shared her insights with Vinnie Politan on HLN Special Report Monday regarding the body language of Ryan Brunn while he was being interrogated for the murder of Jorely Rivera. Check the link below for details!
Patti's notes on the video:
• Overall notice how he consistently repeats back the interrogator’s words to say no rather than use his own wording to deny. When you are keeping information in, when you are lying an easy way to respond is to repeat back the question as a statement.
• Ryan gives a very subtle mouth tense at 1:42 When Interrogator says, “You haven’t told me everything.” That indicates a hot spot, he is keeping something in.
• When interrogator says “One did you participate?…” Ryan’s breathing changes from his baseline to high up in his chest you can see the rise and fall change at 1:59.
• “That tells me that there was some involvement.” Ryan does a half head shake no. Notice that he does not fully shake his head no. Nor does he interrupt and say no as an innocent person would.
• He checks his phone twice around the Pot questions. I can share why he did that, how it affects the brain and the timing.
• “I am not holding nothing back. I promise you.” He nods no, that head shake seems to align with what he is saying. But notice how he keeps shaking his head this time more quickly and more forcefully shaking no when he says he will retake the polygraph and keeps shaking his head no through the next statement.
• “You said nothing happened in Virginia.
• Caught in the lie about where there were any accusations made 3:07 his breathing becomes fast and again goes high in the chest and his voice goes up. He knows he is caught.
• When interrogator having caught him in the lie about charges in Virginia says, “You see the pattern building up. You can see that when I run the polygraph on you.” Ryan clearly shows he is caught. By his response to that at 5:31 his head goes to the side as if he has been punched and his mouth puckers up with the sourness of feeling caught and then Ryan does a tongue cleanse and licks his lips to get that bad taste of being caught out of his mouth.
I
‘Interrogator says, “Is Ryan a bad person. Is Ryan holding back something?” Ryan jerks back then brushes his hand out weapon like and says, “Has anyone ever said you touched them?” Ryan’s pulls in his lips showing he is keeping the truth about that statement in. I didn’t do nothing to that little Spanish girl and I didn’t do nothing. Look at the gesture smacking down what was just said, smacking down the statement trying to make it go away.
Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at http://PattiWood.net. Also check out the body language quiz on her YouTube Channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.
Romney's Anger Real and Controlled According to Patti
Patti was interviewed by the Associated Press Friday on the recent Republican debate in which Romney forcefully responded to the remark that he was "anti-immigrant." Check the link below to find Patti's insights on Romey's body language.
http://m2.tbo.com/content/2012/jan/28/281231/romneys-forceful-body-language-scores-in-debate/news-politics/
Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at http://PattiWood.net. Also check out the body language quiz on her YouTube Channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.
http://m2.tbo.com/content/2012/jan/28/281231/romneys-forceful-body-language-scores-in-debate/news-politics/
Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at http://PattiWood.net. Also check out the body language quiz on her YouTube Channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.
Patti Reveals if Kim's Confession is Real or Fake
Patti was interviewed by Hollywoodlife.com about Kim Kardashian's confession to her mom, Kris Jenner, that she wasn't happy in her marriage to Kris Humphries. Click the link below for Patti's insights on Kim's body language. Was her confession real or fake? You can see Kim's confession at the end of the article. Watch it and see if you agree with Patti.
http://www.hollywoodlife.com/2012/01/09/kris-humphries-kim-kardashian-fake-marriage-body-language-patti-wood/
Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at http://PattiWood.net. Also check out the body language quiz on her YouTube Channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.
http://www.hollywoodlife.com/2012/01/09/kris-humphries-kim-kardashian-fake-marriage-body-language-patti-wood/
Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at http://PattiWood.net. Also check out the body language quiz on her YouTube Channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.
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