My Blind Date

Valentine's Day was pretty low key in our home.

Our Valentine's Day cards.

Matt got loads of chocolate for me.

And Tiny and I took the bus over to the lab, so that we could walk around Princeton as a family.

We stopped at Starbuck's and House of Cupckaes for hot chocolate and cupcakes,

before hitting up our other favorite local spots like the toy store and the library.

I love our library.

I usually have a love/hate relationship with them, since they require that I hand back books by a certain date, but this library and I just hit it off.

I love it, and it's good to me.

For example, there is a playroom designed for toddlers and their exhausted parents.

Matt spent a good thirty minutes while I went and found a copy of Les Mis.

The copy on the third floor was missing, so I grabbed Matt and Gooby and we went down together.
In the adult fiction section, there were all these books wrapped in shiny paper and bows.

I was looking at them, when I librarian said, "Those are our blind date books. We wrapped up some of our favorite books. You just pick one and take it home with you."

I immediately had to have one.

It took me forever trying to choose. The beautiful wrapping paper was a big distraction. It's like going on a blind date with a hot guy...only to find out he's boring. I had to find one that I liked enough to bring home. So finally I decided on this one.

"A fascinating work of historical fiction based on the story of the last woman ever executed in Iceland."

I spent the rest of the night with my actual date,

(though to be fair Matt probably wouldn't be too surprised if I ditched him for a book for the night.)

This morning I took it out.

It took our curious toddler a few minutes to find it.

She had fun unwrapping it and chewing on the bow.

"Set against Iceland's stark landscape, Hannah Kent brings to vivid life the story of Agnes, who, charged with the brutal murder of her former master, is sent to an isolated farm to await execution. 

Horrified at the prospect of housing a convicted murderer, the family at first avoids Agnes. Only Tóti, a priest Agnes has mysteriously chosen to be her spiritual guardian, seeks to understand her. But as Agnes's death looms, the farmer's wife and their daughters learn there is another side to the sensational story they've heard. 

Riveting and rich with lyricism, BURIAL RITES evokes a dramatic existence in a distant time and place, and asks the question, how can one woman hope to endure when her life depends upon the stories told by others?"

I'm excited. :)

I think if I had to choose a book for people to read it would be The Hocky Family for kids, Tricker's Choice for teens, and The History of Love for adults. I would love to wrap those books up and send them off on blind dates.

Any book that you would love to set up?