Minutes to Memories

I'm a huge Lemony Snicket fan. There, I said it.

It is strange to find oneself addicted to reading a set of children's books that relate a series of unfortunate events as experienced by three unlucky children, but it has become the truth. I just can't quit reading them. They are the crack-cocaine of children's literature, and I'm finding myself becoming a dealer. :-)

I made a special trip to the public library today to turn in the 7th book in the series, "The Vile Village," and of course I had to check out the 8th book, "The Hostile Hospital," while I was there. I'm on a roll.

If I remember correctly, my wife placed the first book - "The Bad Beginning" - in my Christmas stocking last year. I don't remember why I had the original interest in reading Lemony Snicket's work, but after the first book I know I was interested in reading the second. And then the third. And so on.

I found myself in a bit of a contest with my Hillary's best buddy, Connor, a contest I have been losing for a long time now. Snicket published the 13th (and final) story around Halloween, and I know Connor has been reading on that one. I'm only five books behind!

Hillary has found herself attached to the books, too. She just finished (as I was typing) the 5th book ("The Austere Academy" for those of you scoring at home), so she might end up passing me as well. Getting whipped by a pair of fourth graders. Oh well. Anything to get kids reading, right?

The stories are entertaining, but it is Snicket's writing style that has me hooked. He is downright hilarious, while at the same time creatively teaching kids the world of vocabulary (who am I kidding - did any of you adults know what ersatz meant? Me neither...). The fact that he tells very depressing stories are really beside the point - that is just his niche for bringing us into his world, teaching us the wonders of language, and making us laugh.

Okay, I've got to quit blogging. I have some reading to do.