I was always taught to be quiet and respectful of others during movies and especially at live performances (unless they are the sort that invite audience participation).

Yet I’ve been surprised, at my children’s last few school concerts, to find that parents of similar age to myself will chat through the performance, maybe shutting up only when their own child is featured. Although most of the audience members at the local Binghamton Philharmonic concerts are well-behaved, I sometimes hear people humming along or crackling candy wrappers at untoward moments. While I will practically burst my eyeballs to hold back a sneeze until a break between movements!

I’m noticing this sort of thing a lot more in movie theatres, too. And it’s not children or teenagers who seem to be the worst offenders; it’s adults who seem to think everyone around them should be delighted with their running commentary on the film. If you try to shush them, they behave as if you are the one being rude. I googled around a bit and found that audience behavior seems to be a growing problem, at all sorts of entertainment venues. For instance, the San Diego Opera has posted a set of Golden Rules of Opera Etiquette to try to address it.

But maybe I’m not so old-fashioned. During the Regency and earlier periods, the theatre and opera were places to see and be seen. People socialized and often didn’t pay much attention to what was going on on the stage, unless they were heckling the performers or throwing something at them!

My reading this year has been largely colored by what is going on in my life. As many of you know, my husband suffered a severe stroke in January. So I’ve had less time to read than I would like, though I still read over breakfast and in waiting rooms, etc… I could not live without the solace of books!

Of necessity, I’ve read a number of books on stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI). A few of these stand out as fascinating, not just to those whose lives are affected by TBI, but to anyone interested in how our minds work. I’ve already mentioned MY STROKE OF INSIGHT, by Jill Bolte Taylor, the story of a brain scientist who suffered a stroke and recovered to write about it. It has a lot about the interaction of the left and right brain functions and insights into how to live a more “balanced-brain” life. BRAIN, HEAL THYSELF, by Madonna Siles, is the story of a woman whose friend and roommate suffered an aneurism that left her somewhat zombie-like after conventional rehabilitation ran out. Siles found creative ways to help her friend and their story is not only a page turner but full of useful advice for caregivers. THE BRAIN THAT CHANGES ITSELF, by Norman Doidge, deals with neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to rewire itself. Doidge writes about recovery from brain injury, but also topics such as overcoming learning disorders, including a chapter on maintaining mental acuity as we age. The key, friends, is not only to stay active but to always be learning something new. Something I think we Riskies and friends are into anyway. 🙂

As for fiction, I feel a bit guilty to say that it’s been hard to read romance. If I were not a writer, I’d be gulping down romance novels as an escape. As it is, I find it hard to read romance without feeling the pangs of wanting to write again.

So for a time, I concentrated on reading my children’s favorites. One that stands out is the Percy Jackson and the Olympian series by Rick Riordan. It’s sort of like Harry Potter but with Greek mythology rather than magic as a backdrop. I say this just as shorthand, not to imply there is anything about this series that is not fresh and funny and delightful. I hear there’s a movie coming out in February and can’t wait to take my kids.

I’ve also read some general fiction. I was thrilled to read the published version of my friend Therese Walsh’s THE LAST WILL OF MOIRA LEAHY, which I’d already critiqued in several earlier incarnations. I also finally caught up with THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES, one of those books I’d always felt I ought to read. It is a beautiful book. Has anyone seen the movie and did it do justice?

I haven’t avoided romance entirely. I read one historical in which I felt the author aimed for a Kinsalean level of hero angst and fell short. I just wanted him to get over himself! But that is just my opinion; many readers loved this book. Since then, I’ve stuck mostly with authors who rarely disappoint and who inspire me to want to get back to my own stories. My favorites of this year are older books, so you may have already read them. One of them is BEAST by Judith Ivory–I was totally intrigued by what Ivory did with her complicated, beautiful, scarred hero. I would like to see Johnny Depp play him.

I mentioned a while back that Laura Kinsale’s FLOWERS FROM THE STORM helped me hold onto hope during the dark early hours of my husband’s stroke. Since there are long gaps between her books (though they are well worth waiting for!) I have been hoarding them. This year I dove into the last one, SEIZE THE FIRE. I loved her characters, the historical background that made their angst feel so very real, and the essential goodness that helps them survive.

I allowed myself to read SEIZE THE FIRE because (hurrah!) Laura Kinsale has a new book coming out in February, LESSONS IN FRENCH. And she’s going to be our guest at the Riskies on February 7th.

So here’s looking forward to much happy reading and blogging in 2010!

Elena