Maybe it's because we're all digging out from the snow, or because our group hasn't been immune from the waves of various "bugs" sweeping the Portland area. But March is sneaking up on us, and we need to choose a book.

We're doing something a little different this time. First, we'll vote on March and April at the same time -- to try to get a little ahead of the game. Secondly, we'd like for you to nominate books for May & further out.

Here are the choices we're considering for March and April. All can be found on the Literary Map of Maine, but here's a bit about each.

"Any Bitter Thing" by Monica Wood. A novel about a woman recovering from an accident and facing a journey into her past.

"The Cider House Rules" by John Irving. The 1985 novel about an orphan and the director of his orphanage was later made into a film.

"The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon," by Stephen King. Maine icon King wrote this one in 1999, about a girl lost in the woods who listens to the Red Sox and fantasizes her idol will save her.

"Hitty: Her First Hundred Years" by Rachel Field. A children's book about a doll's amazing adventures with her owner.

"Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary Schmidt. This historical novel received the Newbery award.

"The Secret Life of Lobsters" by Trevor Corson. Perhaps a timely selection, given the trials Maine lobstermen have been facing.

Vote now in the survey. We'll vote through Sunday, March 1, and start discussing the book on March 8, to get everyone a chance to get started.

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