Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 08-31-06

Join my email book club. Over 330,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

One of the joys about my job is receiving emails from book club readers. You are a talented group of people. The emails you send to me have turned into much more than mere comments on the book or my column. You've actually started writing a Dear Reader Column back to me. What a treat! I write a daily column for you to read and you email one back to me.

Here's a perfect example. Beth sent me an email about last week's bathroom column.

From my Email Bag:

"Suzanne, I totally agree with you on your bathroom story. My husband and I went into our credit union (where we held several accounts already) to get a car loan. Everything was going well with the loan process until I had to use the bathroom fairly urgently. I politely asked the loan officer where their bathroom was and she told me that their bathrooms are not for public use. Shocked, I said that we had been sitting, working with her for over 30 minutes, so it was not like I came in off the street to 'abuse their resources'. Besides, I already held accounts with them and was in the process of setting up a significantly sized loan. She apologized and said that there were no exceptions. I thought a moment, then asked 'can you explain to me the difference between a bank and a credit union?'. She replied that at a credit union, the people own the place since we are all shareholders. With this, I got up and as I was walking towards their private bathroom, I told her that according to her, I am partial owner of that bathroom and will return to continue signing papers after I'm finished using the Shareholder's Facilities. (of course, my grand exit was slightly interrupted when I had to track down someone with a bathroom key). What IS this world coming to???

Keep of the great work, Suzanne!"--Beth Hall

If you missed the New York City Bathroom column you'll find it at:
http://dearreader.typepad.com/dear/2006/08/dear_reader_col_16.html

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Warmest regards,
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com 
http://www.DearReader.com

P.S. I have 25 copies of Still Life this week's special book, by Louise Penny to give away. Read the sample, then send me an email and let me know what you think and you'll be entered in the drawing. Go to: http://www.supportlibrary.com/nl/path_go.cfm?x=805&site=11

AUTHORBUZZ: Amazing contests this week! WIN a pet tag ticket for your favorite creature, free DVDs and of course signed free books from these wonderful authors: Debra Farrington, All God's Creatures; Kimberly Raye, Dead End Dating; Rachel Kadish, Tolstoy Lied: A Love Story; and Elizabeth Ridley, Dear Mr. Carson. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

READ THE CLASSICS: Gravity's Rainbow, by Thomas Pynchon, and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to: http://www.supportlibrary.com/nl/path_go.cfm?x=815&site=21

Dear Reader Column 08-30-06

Join my email book club. Over 330,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

Will you help me name the baby?

Save the congratulations, it's not mine. Don't plan any book club baby showers. I've raised four children and at this point in my life it would be a cruel joke if...well let's not even finish the sentence.

But my son and daughter-in-law are expecting their first child in January and they're finding parenthood a bit of a challenge right from the get-go. A baby boy is on the way, and they can't agree on a name--and believe me they've tried.

Last Sunday the soon-to-be parents even tried to convince their minister to poll the congregation. All those in favor of Paul, say "Amen," all those in favor of Owen, stand up and yell, "Hallelujah." The minister wisely side-stepped their request, but he did vote for his personal favorite.

I'm afraid to go anywhere with them anymore. It's getting a little embarrassing. Last week when we were in a restaurant I had to stop my son from tapping the water glass and announcing "Attention please. Would everyone put down their fork and listen up? My wife and I are in a disagreement and we desperately need your help. We can't decide what to name our baby..."

Of course I bought them a book. It has over 54,000 names and the cover assured me that, "Naming your baby has never been so easy." But I don't think so. My son and daughter-in-law read the book and they still can't agree on the same name. Naming a baby is complicated. The problem is they like a lot of names, but the ones they agree on like, Michael, David and Patrick, are already taken. How can a name be taken? Well, my daughter-in-law comes from a big family and someone already has those names. And then there's the nickname problem, if they call their son William, the kids will end up calling him Will, or Bill, and if you really wanted a Henry, you might end up with a Hank, too.

The book suggests powerful names for winners such as Sydney and Graham. Want a doctor in the family? Name your child Suzanne or Peter. Trying to nurture a future lawyer, try the names Rachel or Quinn. Great names to grow up with are Samantha and Brian. (The names of two of my own children.) And Brian and Samantha were great yelling names too--another thing you need to consider when you're naming the baby. "Brian Tadd Beecher get in this house right now!"
"Samantha Dawn Beecher I told you if you do that one more time...!" See how easily they roll off your tongue. They were great names to insert at the beginning of a get-in-here-or-else warning.

Will you help my son and daughter-in-law name their baby?

They've asked me to poll the book club readers. You get to pick the name. I'm not kidding. Whichever name gets the most votes, that's what I'll be calling my new grandson.

The choices are in alphabetical order: (please only vote once)

If you like the name, Owen Robert Beecher send an email to:
enter-to-win2@emailbookclub.com

Or, if you like the name, Paul Robert Beecher send an email to:
enter-to-win3@emailbookclub.com

Please cast your vote by Wednesday, September 6th. Of course, I'll let you know the results.

Gotta go, it's time to cast my vote!

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com 
http://www.DearReader.com

P.S. I have 25 copies of Still Life this week's special book, by Louise Penny to give away. Read the sample, then send me an email and let me know what you think and you'll be entered in the drawing.
Go to: http://www.supportlibrary.com/nl/path_go.cfm?x=805&site=11

READ THE CLASSICS: Gravity's Rainbow, by Thomas Pynchon, and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to: http://www.supportlibrary.com/nl/path_go.cfm?x=815&site=21

Dear Reader Column 08-29-06

Join my email book club. Over 330,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

Some people are afraid of blank pages, a big room to fill, or new opportunities. Anxiety sets in.

What if I can't? What If I try and it doesn't work out?

But blank pages, new opportunities, or wide open spaces, they only need to be filled one word, one idea, or one flower at a time. 'No need to hurry. Take your time, Suzanne.' That's what I tell myself every time I'm trying to get up the courage to work in my flower gardens.

Courage may sound like a strange word to use when I'm talking about pulling weeds or planting flowers, but there are seven huge flower gardens surrounding my home and I do all of my own gardening. It's not totally by choice. I've tried to find some neighborhood kids who are interested in earning money, but apparently their piggy banks are full, because nobody wants to work. I really don't mind pulling weeds and I love planting flowers, but getting started is always a real struggle for me. It's a huge amount of space that needs tending to and it can be intimidating. Seven huge flower gardens up against one single person--where do I begin?

Intimidation usually wins the first couple of rounds; I wrestle with the "getting started" part in my mind for a couple of weeks and then finally one day, when I'm walking by the flower gardens, I stoop down and pull a weed. Okay, that wasn't so hard. In fact it felt pretty good, and an hour later, there's a huge pile of weeds beside me.

A few months ago, I pulled out a long line of plants along side of my house. They were looking ragged and just had to go. I'd been avoiding the task, because every time I thought about what I'd replace them with, I couldn't come up with any ideas. It's such a big space, where would I begin? I had no idea how I was going to fill the area. But after I yanked those old plants out and surveyed the wide open space that was in front of me, then I could see all kinds of new possibilities.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com 
http://www.DearReader.com

P.S. I have 25 copies of Still Life this week's special book, by Louise Penny to give away. Read the sample, then send me an email and let me know what you think and you'll be entered in the drawing.
Go to: http://www.supportlibrary.com/nl/path_go.cfm?x=805&site=11

READ THE CLASSICS: Gravity's Rainbow, by Thomas Pynchon, and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to: http://www.supportlibrary.com/nl/path_go.cfm?x=815&site=21

Dear Reader Column 08-28-06

Join my email book club. Over 330,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

Don't miss one single day of the book club this week. A bundle of joy is on the way--due in January--and I need your help naming the baby. I'll tell you all about it in a column later this week.

I have 25 copies of Still Life this week's special book, by Canadian author Louise Penny to give away. It's a wonderful mystery. Read the sample, then send me an email and let me know what you think and you'll be entered in the book drawing. I'll pass your comments on to the author. Authors love to hear from you. Thanks for taking the time to respond.

To read the sample of Still Life go to:

http://www.supportlibrary.com/nl/path_go.cfm?x=805&site=11

Well, it's Monday, so let's get to it!

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Warmest regards,
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
http://www.DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: Amazing contests this week! WIN a pet tag ticket for your favorite creature, free DVDs and of course signed free books from these wonderful authors: Debra Farrington, All God's Creatures; Kimberly Raye, Dead End Dating; Rachel Kadish, Tolstoy Lied: A Love Story; and Elizabeth Ridley, Dear Mr. Carson. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

READ THE CLASSICS: Gravity's Rainbow, by Thomas Pynchon, and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to: http://www.supportlibrary.com/nl/path_go.cfm?x=815&site=21

Dear Reader Column 08-25-06

Join my email book club. Over 330,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

After this morning, I believe the worst thing about being stranded on a desert island would be that there wasn't any coffee. I was visiting a friend of mine in Madison and she was supposed to pick me up at 8:30 a.m. We were going to Starbucks for coffee.

Coffee is a big deal to me in the morning. I'm usually up and at 'em for only a mere 15 minutes before I get my first coffee infusion, and since I'd already been up for an hour and a half I was starting to experience coffee withdrawal.

Every thought I had, had a cup of coffee attached to it. I was surrounded by coffee. There was even a coffee table for guests in the hotel's lobby. I was sitting outside, and every time someone walked through the front door, a big whiff of freshly brewed coffee would taunt me.

Oh boy, what time is it now? I could really use a cup of coffee. Maybe I should call her? But maybe then I'd sound desperate. But I do feel desperate and I'm feeling more desperate every minute. Tall, insulated, coffee to-go cups are dancing in my head. The only reason I started writing this column was to try to think about something other than coffee. Obviously it's not working.

Relax and breathe, Suzanne. I wonder if Lamaze breathing would deliver me from these coffee pangs.

Okay, we said we'd meet at 8:30 it's now 8:34. Where is she? I know I'm a little over the edge this morning, but aren't you supposed to be prompt for job interviews, business appointments, and a coffee rendezvous?

All smiles and looking totally put together, my friend showed up at 8:35. She looked so good. How did she do it? I just had to ask, "You must have already had your first morning cup of coffee?"

No, she hadn't. In fact she doesn't even drink coffee anymore. And there in lies a valuable coffee lesson: Make sure the early morning designated coffee driver "actually" drinks coffee.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com 
http://www.DearReader.com

P.S. To enter this month's chocolate chip cookie giveaway, tell a friend about the book club, then send a copy of your email by midnight on August 25th, to:
enter-to-win@emailbookclub.com

READ THE CLASSICS: Gravity's Rainbow, by Thomas Pynchon, and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to: http://www.supportlibrary.com/nl/path_go.cfm?x=815&site=21

Dear Reader Column 08-24-06

Join my email book club. Over 330,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

Fear comes over me a lot easier than it used to. Maybe it's because I've been around for awhile, been down too many roads, know too much, and experienced too many things--had a loved one die in my arms. It changes you.

I never used to give things a second thought. If I got an idea and thought it was worth pursuing, I did. There wasn't any consideration for how it would change my life or that I might not succeed. It might not have been the best approach to take, but it was my style and I was comfortable with it. But lately my style has changed. I seem to be more cautious. Looking in from the outside, you'd think a more cautious attitude might bring me a sense of security--but it hasn't. Instead it's made me more uncomfortable with myself and taken away a lot of my joy.

My husband and I go for a walk every day and as we're strolling through the neighborhood, it's not unusual for us to start brainstorming about new ideas. Back and forth, his idea, my idea--we've done it for years. It's always been "play" for us. But the other day when my husband started talking about a new business idea, I noticed that listening to him was making me uncomfortable--actually quite irritated. I could hardly wait for him to pause, so I could blurt out a list of reasons about why his idea was dumb and we certainly didn't want to do it. But that's not the way we've always played the brainstorming game. So what was up with me? And in the midst of trying to figure out why I wasn't willing to entertain new ideas, even just for fun, I realized that fear was the problem.

Okay, so what exactly was I afraid of and why was this fear showing up all of a sudden? I wasn't sure. Maybe I was afraid to entertain any new ideas just in case one of them became a reality. But that never used to stop me. Sorting and sifting through different ways of looking at things, it's always been part of the joy in my life.

Sometimes recognizing that I'm afraid of something, even if I can't figure out why, is enough for me to conquer the fear. And thankfully that's what happened. When my husband and I went for our morning walk yesterday, we were both enjoying playing the brainstorming game again.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
http://www.DearReader.com

P.S. To enter this month's chocolate chip cookie giveaway, tell a friend about the book club, then send a copy of your email by midnight on August 25th, to:
enter-to-win@emailbookclub.com

AUTHORBUZZ: Great signed free books from these terrific authors: Troy Cook, 47 Rules of Highly Effective Bank Robbers; Jeff Abbott, Fear; Kathryn Fox, Malicious Intent; Art Linkletter & Mark Victor Hansen, How to Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life; and Toby Devens, My Favorite Midlife Crisis (Yet). Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

READ THE CLASSICS: Gravity's Rainbow, by Thomas Pynchon, and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to: http://www.supportlibrary.com/nl/path_go.cfm?x=815&site=21

Dear Reader Column 08-23-06

Join my email book club. Over 330,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

Frankly, I don't understand why it isn't a huge topic of conversation, but in all my trips to New York City no one has ever mentioned it--the bathroom shortage. When I rent a hotel room in Manhattan, what I'm really renting is a bathroom.

I know where almost every publishing house is located in New York City and I know where their bathrooms are too, because the key to their bathroom is the first thing I ask the receptionist for when I walk in the door. When you get the opportunity to "go" you have to take advantage of it, because most businesses in New York City discourage customers from using their bathrooms or they just come right out and say "no."

On my last visit, when I had two hours to kill in between appointments, initially I was going to window shop, but suddenly there was a change in plans when I realized I needed to find a bathroom. My hotel was a 35 minute cab ride away, so I was relieved when I spotted a New York City branch of my friendly personal bank. Of course they must let customers use their bathroom. So I stood in line, got a cash advance, and then I politely asked the teller if she'd direct me to their bathroom.

But instead she pointed to the front door, "Go outside, turn left, walk 20 blocks and buy a doughnut at Millie's Bakery. Oh yeah, be sure to tell her Angie sent you--that's me--then she'll let you use her bathroom."

What's the world coming to when you need a bathroom referral from a friend of a friend and you have to buy a doughnut before you can go?

But then again, maybe this bathroom shortage could really be a tremendous moneymaking opportunity for some clever entrepreneur. For instance, restaurants could offer bathroom services a la carte or include them in their daily specials they post outside to entice you to walk in the door.

Today's Specials: Scallops $21.99 and a two minute bathroom pass. Or All-You-Can-Eat buffet $27.99 and as much bathroom time as you need!

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com 
http://www.DearReader.com

P.S. To enter this month's chocolate chip cookie giveaway, tell a friend about the book club, then send a copy of your email by midnight on August 25th, to:
enter-to-win@emailbookclub.com

READ THE CLASSICS: Gravity's Rainbow, by Thomas Pynchon, and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to: http://www.supportlibrary.com/nl/path_go.cfm?x=815&site=21

Dear Reader Column 08-22-06

Join my email book club. Over 330,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

Thanks for taking the time to write. I really appreciate it.

From my Email Bag:

"Dear Suzanne, You are my inspiration.

I am the Director of IT for an engineering firm. At my goal planning session last December, my boss told me that I must send out one e-mail per month to my user community (2500 employees) about e-mail etiquette. I'm not a writer, nor an expert on e-mail, nor an extrovert, so the task was quite daunting.

Each month, I sit down at my computer, stare at the screen and think 'oh my goodness, how am I ever going to write this?' Then I think of you and your columns, how you have to think of something every day, and how much I and other readers like your personal and engaging style. I then read a few of your e-mails and pretty soon I am typing away. Once I get started, you know what? The words flow like honey and I am having a good time. Then comes that moment when it is time to hit 'Send'. What if they hate it? What if they tell me to quit wasting their time?

I take a deep breath and hit 'Send' and what comes back? Lots of thanks, some very good questions, and no hate mail.

Thanks for the inspiration and for being a great teacher!"--Lisa

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
http://www.DearReader.com

P.S. To enter this month's chocolate chip giveaway, tell a friend about the book club, then send a copy of your email by midnight on August 25th, to:
enter-to-win@emailbookclub.com

READ THE CLASSICS: Gravity's Rainbow, by Thomas Pynchon, and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to: http://www.supportlibrary.com/nl/path_go.cfm?x=815&site=21

Dear Reader Column 08-21-06

Join my email book club. Over 330,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

Buzz, whine, buzzz.......zzzzz.......zz. When I looked out the window someone was hacking the limbs off the tree in my yard. There was a crew of workers out in front of my house, orange cones lined the street, a flagman, and a guy in a white bucket high up in the air with a deadly chainsaw. What the heck was going on?

This scene looked familiar. They came around a few years ago--the tree cutters from the power company. I had to fend them off then because they wanted to chop down my palm trees and it looks like I'm going to have to do it again today.

I'm not a tree nut, I realize that trees, people, and power lines all have to find a way to coexist. But why do they need to cut down big, beautiful palm trees when all they really need is a good trim? That was my argument a few years ago and that's what I was trying to ask the man today. But the noise from his truck and the machine that was grinding up the tree limbs was deafening. The man couldn't hear me. I couldn't hear him and the guy with the deadly chain saw just kept cutting my trees.

So I did the only thing I could think of doing. I jumped in the tree cutter's truck, turned the motor off, took the keys out of the ignition and put them in my pocket.

Ah, silence. "Now can we talk?" I asked him.

He decided to quit for the day, but I knew he'd be back tomorrow morning to cut down my trees and I had no idea how to stop him. I dialed the mayor's number, but his secretary said he was at a ground breaking dinner. The city's regulation maze--I wasn't familiar with it and researching where to complain and how to fight the system, it was overwhelming. Besides where would I find the time to put up a fight? It's not like I had any free time in my day.

I was accepting defeat but I hadn't even put up a fight. Where was the old Suzanne? She used to fight the good fight when she needed to. Am I so consumed with my work that I don't have time to stand up for the things I believe in?

When I called a friend and told her my tree story she said not to worry. You don't have to take on every fight yourself. Everyone has their job in this world and she knew a woman who'd taken on the job of saving the trees. And 30 minutes later the Save the Trees woman telephoned, and told me to expect a call from an arborist who worked for the city. The arborist did call, in fact he stopped by my house early the next morning and he agreed that my trees just needed a good trimming.

I guess I did have the time to fight the good fight--I just needed a little help from a friend.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com 
http://www.DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: Great signed free books from these terrific authors: Troy Cook, 47 Rules of Highly Effective Bank Robbers; Jeff Abbott, Fear; Kathryn Fox, Malicious Intent; Art Linkletter & Mark Victor Hansen, How to Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life; and Toby Devens My Favorite Midlife Crisis (Yet). Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

READ THE CLASSICS: Gravity's Rainbow, by Thomas Pynchon, and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to: http://www.supportlibrary.com/nl/path_go.cfm?x=815&site=21

Dear Reader Column 08-18-06

Join my email book club. Over 330,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

It's chocolate chip cookie time again.

Every month this year, I'm baking two dozen cookies for a lucky book club reader. The August chocolate chip giveaway is easy to enter. All you have to do is invite a friend to join the book club. Then send me a copy of your "tell-a-friend" email and you're automatically entered in the drawing. I'm always looking for ways to spread the word about the book clubs and I sure do appreciate your help. I hope I'll be baking for you.

My chocolate chip recipe is a good one. You'll love the cookies, especially if you're a "dunker".

Sandi and her mother highly recommend my chocolate chip cookies:

"Suzanne, this past Sunday I baked your chocolate chip cookies. First let me say that it's only my mother and me in that house. Second, I'll tell you that the cookies are 3/4 gone and it's only Tuesday! You are right, the freezing makes this cookie! My mother especially said to say thank you for the recipe! She says they are the 'bong'! (My mother's from Cuba and sometimes she doesn't 'get' slang!) So needless to say, these cookies have now been entered into our special recipe section. Thanks again!"--Sandi

To enter this month's chocolate chip giveaway, tell a friend about the book club, then send a copy of your email by midnight on August 25th to:

enter-to-win@emailbookclub.com

Have a wonderful weekend. Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com 
http://www.DearReader.com

READ THE CLASSICS: Gravity's Rainbow, by Thomas Pynchon, and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to: http://www.supportlibrary.com/nl/path_go.cfm?x=815&site=21