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First read in November 2008. (Yep, I'm doing re-reads this month, too.)
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First read in September 2007.
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The Wager
Quick and dirty (ha!) summary: After a catastrophe leaves him penniless, playboy Don Giovanni makes a bargain with the devil -- in exchange for limitless wealth, he will not wash, cut his hair, or change his clothes for three years, three months, and three days. If you know Donna Jo Napoli, you know she doesn't flinch. The lady's made a living out of delving into the details fairy tales ignore or gloss over, so brace yourself. There are boils, sores, scabs, bugs, infections, itches, and worse. All 1188 unwashed days are downright tangible. *scratches* There are practical concerns, too: where does a walking accumulation of filth sleep? Where does he get food? (He's not especially popular at inns.) Most of all, how does a man stay human when the world shuns him? And here's the other thing about Donna Jo: she knows Italy firsthand, and it shows. The colors, flavors, and scents of the food, the cities, and the landscape are every bit as palpable as Don Giovanni's offal. And that makes it just about bearable. (Available in April)
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First read ages and ages ago.... "There are always uncles at Christmas." *snurp*
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First read well before my BFF's first baby was born. It's as good as I remember, and still my #1 source on the care and keeping of infants.
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Truce
I'm a little late getting to this one, but squeezed it in right under the wire. All I have to say is that in spite of (or because of?) its brevity this was approximately half a jillion times better than the grown-up book I tried to read on the subject two years ago. (Complaints on Silent Night third from the bottom here.) Thank you, Jim Murphy.
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Dicey's Song
