What I'm reading...

After Bradley and I met last for coffee and a little 5x5 chat, we headed to Garrison Keillor's WORLD FAMOUS (maybe?) bookstore, Common Good Books. I love this place - it's underneath a coffee shop in a beautiful old building, so there's lots of exposed stone and crazy architectural features. It's also just big enough to house a very interesting collection of cookbooks, Minnesota themed books, and children's books... along with all the regular good stuff you expect to get at a book store.

But let's go back to that children's books part. I thoroughly LOVE fiction for all ages of children. Picture books with wonderful illustrators can stop me dead in my tracks, and I will be honest when I say that I enjoyed every single Harry Potter (although I promise I have not read Twilight and have only thought about reading it a solid three times).

I was absolutely thrilled on our little stop at Common Goods, then, to see Wildwood, by Colin Meloy (yes, of the Decemberists) with illustrations by his wife/my favorite illustrator Carson Ellis. Carson has a charming style that is chock full of tiny minute details that give me the shivers. An entire book with spot illustrations from her is a dream come true!

It was an added bonus that the book is actually smart and adorable. The little foxes in their soldier's uniforms are so cute, and the main character Prue is believable and the kind of pre-teen that I'd actually enjoy the presence of.

Wanna know more? Watch this cute video and GET THE BOOK. If you are embarrassed to be seen reading a book for 12 year olds when you are a grown person, you can claim you got it for your cool niece for Christmas or something. I don't think you should be embarrassed about it, though.