...and so little energy right now to say it all.

If you follow either Facebook or our website for Stu at caringbridge.org, which my long-time friend Tom Whitmore is STILL maintaining for me after four months, you'll know that my life is pretty much focused on going to see Stu in the hospital every day, coming home, trying to fit in food, laundry, a shower, lather, rinse...

I wanted to post something here for Blog Action Day because the topic was something about "the power of we" and I wanted to talk about the strength of community, literal and virtual, that has kept me going for four months. Missed it. I think that was the day that Dr. Oz (yes, no jokes, dammit) Stu's doctor at Kindred Acute Care Hospital, decided he was concerned enough about Stu's lack of response that he wanted the neurosurgeon who'd put in Stu's shunt to take a look.

Yeah, like that.

I have so many times wanted to just sit here and write about oh, love, friendship, appreciation, thanks. About how weird it is to be managing this crisis far better than I could ever have imagined (not that I imagined this exactly but you understand...)

So all I'm about to do here is to talk a little about books. I have, as you imagine, read very little in the last several months. I haven't written a review in ages, and I haven't read many new books at all. When I try to read, my brain skitters off the page, for the most part, and I play computer games instead. I have, recently been able to read some new stuff and boy, that is so lovely. I still rely on my love of rereading to keep me going. Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching books just rule the world in that regard. Sweet, funny, edgy, funny, wicked and funny. I'm looking forward to heading into a new Jasper Fforde Thursday Next book soon. I need that little bit of absurd.

I missed Bouchercon, never even got around to getting a membership - sort of which I'd done something so I could have the bookbag, but ack. Do we really need more bookbags. (no! No. stop that! A thousand times no!) But it meant that I haven't bothered thinking about what I've read, the best books I read in 2012, just the usual. But there are a few.

I have to start by saying that while it came out in 2011, GHOST HERO by SJ Rozan has been a book that, to date, I have read three times, and liked it more each time. Laura Lippman's AND WHEN SHE WAS GOOD is a book that I did not expect I would be able to read, given how scattered I feel, but I fell into it and did not stop. I am having that same reaction to Sara Paretsky's BREAKDOWN - I opened it and haven't stopped reading. When I can concentrate, that is, but I really worry about giving the right attention to novels, and I am finding myself able more as the days go by, to read and remember what I've read.

In that regard, I thought I'd try short stories, and not surprising, that's worked well. Greg Benford's new collection ANOMALIES showcases his great skill at writing short fiction. Kij Johnson's first collection AT THE MOUTH OF THE RIVER OF BEES was such a great pleasure to read. I finally have read her work. Oh wow. Oh boy.

It will come as no surprise to anyone that Cornelia Read's VALLEY OF ASHES tops the list. Cornelia's talent so amazes me. I just love the way this woman writes. I've read VOA in a few different iterations, and I'll be reading the final version several more times. Many more over the years.

As I noted back in June, when Stu had the stroke, life went on hold in many ways. I cannot remember most of what I read before June, and I remember little of what I've read since. I feel bad that I can't write well enough to put a review together, but am using this blog to at least mention oa few titles and hope that I can come up with more as the days go by. I know I'm skipping over a number of authors and titles. This is what I can do right now.