The Kirtsy book comes out today!

Why am I excited about it? Maybe because a number of lovely women have their writing, photography and general online fantasticness profiled in this anthology of women on the web.

You another reason?

I’m one of the contributors! (I know. Can you believe it?!) I’m even attending a book release party on Thursday night and will have a Sharpie (have you seen their gallery?) on hand to sign copies (and will be looking over my shoulder for Candid Camera the whole time). You’re invited to the party if you’re in the DC area. Seriously.

The piece included only came about because of my addiction to Twitter (who says all addictions are bad?!) and the very cool people I regularly interact with there (are we following each other? If you’re human and not spamming, I follow back–social media is all about relationships, yo). Since it wouldn’t have been possible without them and because you can’t click on a link in a book, I’m rerunning the post here and hope you’ll click away on the links below.

Oh and buy the book too (I don’t make anything off of it). Mine is only one of many resources and eye candy you’ll find in it.

Twitter Speaks: More Than 50 Books that Have Had an Affect on Us
(originally posted August 9, 2008)

It’s summer and I’m on a reading binge again. Our annual trip to the beach followed closely by a weekend of relative solitude (*gasp* imagine?) has given me the chance to get through a few titles at a much faster pace than regular life allows.

Right now I’m finishing up Still Life with Woodpecker by Tom Robbins and there are so many great passages/great lines that have made me stop to think about which books have spoken to me the most.

I subscribe to the belief that different books can mean different things to you depending on where you are in your life. Additionally, books can have varying impact on people reading them depending on the events going on in the world or the timing of the publication. For example, while I think On The Road must have been groundbreaking when it was written, I wasn’t as blown away by it having had the experience myself of traveling without a plan–which is a far more common experience today than it was in the Fifties.

This thinking about reading and “the classics” led me to wonder what books had most influenced others. (My favorite section in Newsweek is A Life In Books… the brief interview with an author and the list of the author’s favorite books and the book they felt was most overrated.) With trusty Twitter at my fingertips, I asked the following question to my Tweeps.

What book have you read, other than the bible, that has had the greatest impact on you?

Folks on Twitter (if you’re not on there, you should be) were tremendously forthcoming with titles–so much so that the following list will keep my reading for years. While 140 characters didn’t allow for much more than title and author, I did receive a few notes about why people had selected certain titles. I’m hoping that folks who contributed to the list (or others inspired by this post) might consider writing a post explaining why the book they listed had such an impact on them. I’m fascinated by these stories and always looking for good recommendations.

Someone did come back to me wanting to know which book most influenced me and I do feel an obligation to share that information. Unfortunately, I can’t point to one particular title that has had the most influence. I love books. I always have. Each on it’s own has affected me in one way or another. Do I have favorites? Absolutely. But even those that were difficult to get through have increased my love for words and added to my ability to think in words.

So without further ado, I give you…

Twitter Speaks: More Than 50 Books that Have Had an Affect on Us

Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald Mama Tulip

She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb Mama Tulip

I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb Send Chocolate & Mama Tulip

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides MamaTulip

Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck Karoli SoCalMom

Happy Hooker by Xaviera Hollander SoCalMom (you wouldn’t believe how it could scare a 14 y.o)

Lamb by Christopher Moore Anissa Mayhew

The Pact by Jodi Picoult Jodifur

19 Minutes Jodi Picoult Jodifur & Hip Mom

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith Jessabean

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Whit & GraceD & Dooblehvay

A Heatbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers Whit

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison Isabel Kallman

Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill Rumford

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott Flutter & Hip Mom (this had a huge impact on me too)

Teenage Liberation Handbook by Grace Llewellyn NoirBettie

Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser Neilochka

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron Lola Goetz

The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger Devra

Foundation by Isaac Asimov YatPundit

Rebecca by Daphne DuMarier Casey Moosh in Indy

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby OpenBookJen

Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde Redneck Mommy

Leaves of Grass* by Walt Whitman Redneck Mommy

Lucky by Alice Sebold Flutter

A Separate Peace by John Knowles Samanthia & PunditMom

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxyby Douglas Adams Crunchy Carpets

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon Kiki Laughs it Off

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens Kiki Laughs it Off

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell Kiki Laughs it Off

The Witching Hour by Anne Rice Kiki Laughs it Off

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle Kiki Laughs it Off

Mullet Madness by Alan Henderson Undomestic Diva

Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera NOLANotes

A Sense of Honor by Jim Webb Gunfighter

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood Jodifur

Love and Other Impossible Pursuits by Ayelet Waldman Jodifur

The Princess Bride by William Goldman SueBob

A Course in Miracles SueBob

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White Assertagirl

Intermediate Man John Locks tag

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou GraceD

Laura Ingalls Wilder books GraceD

Bias by Bernard Goldberg Kiss My Gumbo

Evidence of Harm by David Kirby To Think

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley SoCal Mom

1984 by George Orwell SoCal Mom

Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut SoCal Mom

Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien PaullYoung

A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn khylek

Death Be Not Proud by John J. Gunther Slouchy

Atonement by Ian McEwan Slouchy

Superior Women by Alice Adams CharmingDriver

If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino Linseyk

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard FairlyOddMother

The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen Cindy Fey

How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie Mike Driehorst

Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner Pundit Mom

The French Lieutenant’s Woman by John Fowles Pundit Mom

Edited on 8/12/08 to add the following titles originally left off because, well, I’m just a dope.

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell Julie Pippert

Children of God by Mary Doria Russell Julie Pippert

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett Julie Pippert

*This book of poetry was given the highest recommendation when Redneck Mommy explained that it virtually got her through the death of her son. It will be next on my list for a number of reasons and I will think of T’s beloved Bug as I soak up Whitman’s words. Thank you T for being willing to share him with us.

I watch the Twitter stream flow throughout the day. One cannot comment on every one, but here are some that caught my eye today.

@ADDmoms Have you tried searching with http://www.summize.com It may help if you can remember what the Tweet said… [identity withheld to protect the guilty]

Really?? Did you really send this to ADDMoms??

My husband just confessed he wishes he was a superhero. He was being serious. LauralOutLoud

I think all of our husbands are serious about this.

@MomDot My mom died of cancer in 2004 and I felt MomFaves was the best a way I could preserve her memory. She loved sharing her faves . JoshUnfried

As a mom of three boys, this just made my heart swell. Follow Josh.

@mammaloves I believe the bell pealed and you peeled an orange, so it’s eye’s peeled, lol watkins_lady

I’m still confused.

If you laminated your laundry all you’d have to do is wipe it off. ilinap

Brilliant!

@cckarl you just scared the shit out of me w/ that thing paullyoung

These types of conversations should really stay in the bedroom.

My SIL bakes 10 pies for Txgiving. One for each person. Here’s her recipe for pecan pie. (it’s easy) http://tinyurl.com/5vn7y8 sourwine

My SIL must not love us that much.

Pitch of the Day: Are your sperm strong swimmers? Um…wait…I know this answer…uh…probably…if I had any. thompsonclan6

And I thought the Viagra ads were bad.

Epson printer giveaway contest on SV Moms http://tinyurl.com/6xhay9 svmom

I have this printer. You should definitely enter.

Australian Man Arrested for Pleasure Via Pasta Sauce Jar http://tinyurl.com/5swuue truerumors

I can’t even bring myself to click on that link.

Did you ever have an idea that you knew everyone would think was crazy?

Did you proceed with it or did you put it aside and always wonder “what if?”

Well I have an idea and I think I’m going to go for it.

There are enough regrets over missed opportunities in my past because I was too afraid to fail. Here I am trying to raise three boys to understand that failure is part of life and you have to just keep trying and yet I’ve been too afraid to fail.

Not this time.

So here it is.

I want to organize a HUGE tweet-up in conjunction with President-elect Obama’s inauguration. I want to organize it entirely using social media and relationships developed through social media. I want it to draw main stream attention to social media and Twitter. Frankly, I want it to be so big that the President-elect actually stops by to say hi.

Who am I to pull this off? I’m a mommyblogger of three, an almost 40 year old woman with a full-time job and honestly that more than qualifies me to make it happen. Right??

I won’t be able to do it alone.

I’ll need the help and connections and sponsors of fellow social media devotees and those who want to reach them, but isn’t that what social media is all about–one person starting with an idea, bringing it to the group and growing it from there.

Want to get on board?

Join up here.

I don’t know if I’ll really be able to make this happen, but I’ve been inspired by the words I keep hearing from our next President.

Yes We Can!

How can you help out??

It’s summer and I’m on a reading binge again. Our annual trip to the beach followed closely by a weekend of relative solitude (*gasp* imagine?) have given me the chance to get through a few titles at a much faster pace than regular life allows.

Right now I’m finishing up Still Life with Woodpecker by Tom Robbins and there are so many great passages/great lines that have made me stop to think about which books have spoken to me the most.

I subscribe to the belief that different books can mean different things to you depending on where you are in your life. Additionally, books can have varying impact on people reading them depending on the events going on in the world or the timing of the publication. For example, while I think On The Road must have been groundbreaking when it was written, I wasn’t as blown away by it having had the experience myself of traveling without a plan–which is a far more common experience today than it was in the Fifties.

This thinking about reading and “the classics” led me to wonder what books had most influenced others. (My favorite section in Newsweek is A Life In Books… the brief interview with an author and the list of the author’s favorite books and the book they felt was most overrated.) With trusty Twitter at my fingertips, I asked the following question to my Tweeps.

What book have you read, other than the bible, that has had the greatest impact on you?

Folks on Twitter (if you’re not on there, you should be) were tremendously forthcoming with titles–so much so that the following list will keep my reading for years. While 140 characters didn’t allow for much more than title and author, I did receive a few notes about why people had selected certain titles. I’m hoping that folks who contributed to the list (or others inspired by this post) might consider writing a post explaining why the book they listed had such an impact on them. I’m fascinated by these stories and am myself always looking for good recommendations.

Someone did come back to me wanting to know which book most influenced me and I do feel an obligation to share that information back. Unfortunately, I can’t point to one particular title that has had the most influence. I love books. I always have. Each on it’s own has affected me in one way or another. Do I have favorites? Absolutely. But even those that were difficult to get through have increased my love for words and added to my ability to think in words.

So without further ado, I give you…

Twitter Speaks: More Than 50 Books that Have Had an Affect on Us

Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald Mama Tulip

She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb Mama Tulip

I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb Send Chocolate & Mama Tulip

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides MamaTulip

Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck Karoli SoCalMom

Happy Hooker by Xaviera Hollander SoCalMom (you wouldn’t believe how it could scare a 14 y.o)

Lamb by Christopher Moore Anissa Mayhew

The Pact by Jodi Picoult Jodifur

19 Minutes Jodi Picoult Jodifur & Hip Mom

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith Jessabean

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Whit & GraceD & Dooblehvay

A Heatbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers Whit

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison Isabel Kallman

Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill Rumford

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott Flutter & Hip Mom

Teenage Liberation Handbook by Grace Llewellyn NoirBettie

Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser Neilochka

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron Lola Goetz

The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger Devra

Foundation by Isaac Asimov YatPundit

Rebecca by Daphne DuMarier Casey Moosh in Indy

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby OpenBookJen

Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde Redneck Mommy

Leaves of Grass* by Walt Whitman Redneck Mommy

Lucky by Alice Sebold Flutter

A Separate Peace by John Knowles Samanthia & PunditMom

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxyby Douglas Adams Crunchy Carpets

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon Kiki Laughs it Off

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens Kiki Laughs it Off

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell Kiki Laughs it Off

The Witching Hour by Anne Rice Kiki Laughs it Off

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle Kiki Laughs it Off

Mullet Madness by Alan Henderson Undomestic Diva

Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera NOLANotes

A Sense of Honor by Jim Webb Gunfighter

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood Jodifur

Love and Other Impossible Pursuits by Ayelet Waldman Jodifur

The Princess Bride by William Goldman SueBob

A Course in Miracles SueBob

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White Assertagirl

Intermediate Man John Locks tag

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou GraceD

Laura Ingalls Wilder books GraceD

Bias by Bernard Goldberg Kiss My Gumbo

Evidence of Harm by David Kirby To Think

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley SoCal Mom

1984 by George Orwell SoCal Mom

Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut SoCal Mom

Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien PaullYoung

A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn khylek

Death Be Not Proud by John J. Gunther Slouchy

Atonement by Ian McEwan Slouchy

Superior Women by Alice Adams CharmingDriver

If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino Linseyk

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard FairlyOddMother

The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen Cindy Fey

How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie Mike Driehorst

Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner Pundit Mom

The French Lieutenant’s Woman by John Fowles Pundit Mom

Edited on 8/12/08 to add the following titles originally left off because, well, I’m just a dope.

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell Julie Pippert

Children of God by Mary Doria Russell Julie Pippert

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett Julie Pippert

*This book of poetry was given the highest recommendation when Redneck Mommy explained that it virtually got her through the death of her son. It will be next on my list for a number of reasons and I will think of T’s beloved Bug as I soak up Whitman’s words. Thank you T for being willing to share him with us.