Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns

In my compulsive need for organization, my books and I have adopted this whacky tradition.  As soon as I get home from the library, I sit down on the bed or the couch and I line the books up in front of me.  I then look through each one of them with the precision of a crime scene investigator, paying closer attention to detail than I did during their selection process at the library.  I re-read and ponder over the summaries on the book jackets or back covers; read the first few pages or the first chapters; review the return dates for each one; and finally stack them on my desk in order of priority to read from first to last.  And since I've got this ritual down to a science, it doesn't take longer than an hour; and I can sleep easy knowing what to expect because it's all been planned out ahead of time.

Okay.  So I realize that this routine is a bit extreme to some (and hopefully there are others out there that share my desire for spotless oraganization and detailed planning.  I know my aunt certainly did).  But in a world and in a life full of chaos, choosing the next book I read is one of the few things I can control.  And given the fact that many people love books and love to read, maybe it's not such an odd ritual afterall.  Perhaps these books do more for me than I realize.  And then I got to thinking. . .

I remember watching a public announcement made by John F. Kennedy, Jr. in regards to his mother's death.  And I remember him stating that she had died "among her family and her books."  Honestly, I first thought the statement about the dying-among-her-books part was a bit odd.  But after a little thought, I suddenly understood what he was saying about the former first lady.  She must have loved to read, and she clearly enjoyed being surrounded by books.  Books brought Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis comfort even as she lay dying.  Her son's statement suddenly struck me as being exceptionally poignant.  I have come to realize that books bring me comfort, as well.  They're like old friends that you can rely upon.  And I like knowing that through this routine I have developed a relationship with a selection of titles piled on my desk waiting for me to read.

Coldy Sassy Tree happened to be one of the books at the bottom of my pile.  Not only did it have a later return date than the others, but it was something I just wasn't excited about (for reasons I can't explain).  But I was pleasantly surprised when I was immediately sucked into this turn-of-the century, Southern-fried delight.  It's the story of a 14-year old boy and his grandfather who recently lost his wife and remarried a woman half his age three weeks later ~ causing quite the scandal in the small southern town of Cold Sassy.  And the scandals keep on rolling throughout the book, stirring up gossiping neighbors and adolescent-like antics.  I adored the relationship between Will Tweedy and his grandfather; and I adored the traits of the other characters involved.  It was unfortunate that this little gem of a book didn't make it to the top of the heap.  But the important thing is that it did make it and that it provided me with a good dose of southern comfort.