Can't Put Down-ness

When reading a book or story, I think about what the author has done in their writing that makes the story good, or the book easy, fun or exciting to read.  There are lots of reasons a book can be good.  Some books are very slow-paced and full of descriptions, but still are captivating to the reader.

Other books have this "can't put down-ness" to them.  I find that a tremendous skill.  The author has not only crafted a compelling story, they've done it in a way that's metered out with twists and turns so that every time you think you're ready to stop reading and take a break, you've just got to go one more chapter.

I haven't read the prior Dan Brown books (DaVinci Code, Angels and Demons, etc.)  My father-in-law passed on his new book, The Lost Symbol, a while back and said it was very good.  At the time, I didn't think I'd read it.  I have lots of things that are higher on my "want to do" or "need to get done" lists and at the end of the night, I'm far more likely to lie in bed in the dark and read an e-book on the iPad.

So I stuck the book by the tub—you know how I love my tub—and hoped to get to it eventually.  I think I was about ten pages in for close to two months.   The next time I picked it up, I hit the start of the "can't put down-ness" and it hasn't stopped yet.  It's pretty exciting.

Dan's got multiple character threads going, and each thread is filled with action, intrigue or plot twists.  I'm looking forward to the end. Someday, if I ever get around to writing a book, I'm going to have to think about not only an exciting or revelations culmination to the book, but keeping the audience interested as they're reading all the way through.

The Big Boy Update:  Playing with the dog.  He likes our dog.  She's a long-haired Chihuahua that's friendly and not as high-strung as many Chihuahua's are reputed to be.  But she's never really liked children.  I think they scare her because they're grabby and move quickly.  But she likes my son and he likes her.  He likes to play with her too.  He brings her toys, toys he knows she likes, but then plays keep-away with her.  Little does he know, this is exactly what she wants.  She loves his tub toys too.  He even will throw them out of the tub to her when she asks for one.

Last night his fever was more under control, but the sores on his hands are looking very uncomfortable.  They don't seem to bother him more than his normal itchy skin though.  But he's not eating that well.  He is drinking, so good news there.  It is most likely the sores in the back of his mouth that are affecting his appetite.  He did try, and eat half of a Popsicle this morning for the first time.

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  Thumb through the cloth.  We've been trying to deflect her from sucking her thumb.  She has a hard time holding on to a pacifier and in the middle of the night, it's very easy to find a thumb, or finger, or fingers, instead.  So she wears mittens, and in the morning we know she's been trying to suck, because both mittens are wet.  Recently I noticed she was completely happy sucking her thumb through her bib.  Are we averting one potential problem and replacing it with another, sucking through material?  So now, we're going a week or so without the mittens.  If we can keep her distracted or confused about her hands for a bit longer, I think we can get her fully on the pacifier, which she seems to like more and more.

Right-size Countdown:  9.4 pounds to go