Did I think April was a whirlwind? WELCOME TO MAY, SON. This month I worked. And worked. And worked more. So this month I'm starting with....
Something I did (at work!): I did 10 school visits this month promoting Summer Reading. I also made a few videos about SRP and shared them with other schools in our area to play during their morning announcements. I went to a city council meeting and got approval for the library to use the city park twice during Summer Reading. I recruited volunteers for our kickoff party and other SRP events. I finalized my part of our proposed budget for the next fiscal year. I covered Preschool Storytime to give our regular Storytime provider the month off. I'm honestly really, really, proud of some of the things we did in ST, but those will have to make it into their own post sometime! I finished up the last few weeks with my Young Scholars. I decided to interfile all our Nonfiction, Graphic Novel, and Biography sections (because I had plenty of time...). And I helped move furniture, books, shelves, carts, and more furniture all over the library. In the past week my desk has been in four different locations. But we are making it work! And our new shelving has arrived! And the expansion/renovation should be done soon! This is the home stretch, and will be well worth the exhaustion.
Something I watched/listened to: I've basically just been coming home to crash on the couch, so I watched lots of TV this month! Y'all: go watch Dead to Me on Netflix. It has everything I like in a show: suspense, murder, female friendship, dry/dark humor... what more do you want?! Also, you know how you can just tell when a show is created/written by women, because the female characters seem so real, like you know them? That's Dead to Me.
Something I read: Okay, there's a lovely new little book of essays called The Anna Karenina Fix; it's by Viv Groskop and holds wonderful reflections on major Russian classics, complete with wit and personal anecdotes. Jojo told me about it, which inspired me to get it from the library and I loved it! I'm also inspired to read more Russian literature and have now checked out some of Anna Akhmatova's poetry (Groskop calls her the Russian Virginia Woolf, so I am hopeful...). For those wondering, no, I did not read any more of my own books, but yes, I may next month (should it count if it's a re-read?).
Something I cooked: hey remember when I said I was really busy working this month? I honestly have no idea what I ate. Probably sandwiches. I heated up a frozen lasagna last night?
Something I did (at home!): I'm honestly just really proud of this tweet.
Only two weeks until Summer Reading begins!
Friday, May 31, 2019
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
April
April was a whirl. wind. Let's do this.
Something I read: I've been reading lots of Tess Gerritsen this month. My good friend Curran recommended the show Rizzoli & Isles to me, and when I found out it was based on a book series I thought I would check out both from the library! I took the first title, The Surgeon, with me to a conference and was definitely awake into the wee hours of the morning finishing it by the hotel light. I'm now working my way through the sixth title in the series... they're not my favorite books, but they lean heavily on the thriller/suspense side, which I do enjoy. Also, the first book came out in 2001, and I find the cultural references, though made in earnest, often have a way of providing some comic relief to otherwise rather intense stories.
Something I watched/listened to: Okay, this has been a month of Rizzoli & Isles! Best friends homicide cop and medical examiner? This show is literally right up my alley. I've been getting the DVDs from the library and am already on the fourth season. Also, I do think the show is better than the books -- the characters are less abrasive and more likeable, and the storytelling is more dramatic and relational and less about actual medical and forensic details, which is fine by me.
Something I cooked: I didn't cook that much since I was traveling quite a bit this month. But, I did contribute homemade bread and roasted asparagus to our Easter party and both were a hit. I let the bread rise for less time this time around, so it didn't flop over the sides of the pan :) And I've actually been making that asparagus every week and I do not kid when I say that straight out of the oven they're practically as good as fries (if you know me at all you know how big of a deal this is). But also they're 400* so maybe not straight out of the oven.
Something I did (at home): I changed my air filter? Because apparently that's something you're supposed to do? So now the air coming into my apartment is cleaner, which is good.
Something I did (at work): I met lots of cool authors and illustrators in Hattiesburg! I spoke on a panel at TLA in Austin! I demonstrated online resources for teachers and students at a local school's faculty inservice! I raised butterflies with my after-school program! I got our SRP fliers approved for electronic distribution through the ISD! I ordered all of the books our local schools need for Summer Reading! And more! April was a very busy month and it is just the beginning of the snowball!
Something I want to do next month: This is a work thing, but I really want to visit every school in our district to pitch Summer Reading. I have about half of the visits scheduled already, but I still need to sort out the rest! It will be a lot of driving around and a lot of early mornings, but I really want to get as many kids and families as possible into our new building this summer.
Something I read: I've been reading lots of Tess Gerritsen this month. My good friend Curran recommended the show Rizzoli & Isles to me, and when I found out it was based on a book series I thought I would check out both from the library! I took the first title, The Surgeon, with me to a conference and was definitely awake into the wee hours of the morning finishing it by the hotel light. I'm now working my way through the sixth title in the series... they're not my favorite books, but they lean heavily on the thriller/suspense side, which I do enjoy. Also, the first book came out in 2001, and I find the cultural references, though made in earnest, often have a way of providing some comic relief to otherwise rather intense stories.
Something I watched/listened to: Okay, this has been a month of Rizzoli & Isles! Best friends homicide cop and medical examiner? This show is literally right up my alley. I've been getting the DVDs from the library and am already on the fourth season. Also, I do think the show is better than the books -- the characters are less abrasive and more likeable, and the storytelling is more dramatic and relational and less about actual medical and forensic details, which is fine by me.
Something I cooked: I didn't cook that much since I was traveling quite a bit this month. But, I did contribute homemade bread and roasted asparagus to our Easter party and both were a hit. I let the bread rise for less time this time around, so it didn't flop over the sides of the pan :) And I've actually been making that asparagus every week and I do not kid when I say that straight out of the oven they're practically as good as fries (if you know me at all you know how big of a deal this is). But also they're 400* so maybe not straight out of the oven.
Something I did (at home): I changed my air filter? Because apparently that's something you're supposed to do? So now the air coming into my apartment is cleaner, which is good.
Something I did (at work): I met lots of cool authors and illustrators in Hattiesburg! I spoke on a panel at TLA in Austin! I demonstrated online resources for teachers and students at a local school's faculty inservice! I raised butterflies with my after-school program! I got our SRP fliers approved for electronic distribution through the ISD! I ordered all of the books our local schools need for Summer Reading! And more! April was a very busy month and it is just the beginning of the snowball!
Something I want to do next month: This is a work thing, but I really want to visit every school in our district to pitch Summer Reading. I have about half of the visits scheduled already, but I still need to sort out the rest! It will be a lot of driving around and a lot of early mornings, but I really want to get as many kids and families as possible into our new building this summer.
Sunday, March 31, 2019
March
Um, is this me, blogging on time for two months IN A ROW? It really, truly, is. What did I do in March, you may ask? I'll tell you.
Something I read: the first week of the month I read Listen to the Marriage, which I actually kind of loved. I found the beginning a little slow, and it took me awhile to get used to the narrative style. The book is told from the marriage counselor's point of view as a recently separated couple comes in -- individually and together -- over the course of a year. It fascinated me because it's primarily dialogue, and the reader won't know anything about the characters' lives unless they choose to share it verbally in the session. It honestly kind of reminded me of reading a screenplay. I head about this book from the Modern Love podcast and it did not let me down!
Something I watched/listened to: I've been listening to audiobooks almost all month! I saw the trailer for Where'd You Go, Bernadette? and remembered how much I loved the book -- I read it at Christmas in 2017 (I think) and so enjoyed it! Jojo had listened to the audio version and recommended it to me before she knew I had read it, so I thought this would be a good way to refamiliarize myself with the book without *technically* checking out more library books. Y'all, it's so much fun. Just, wonderfully, dramatically, delightful. The release date is August 9 so I will report back if the movie is equally delightful!
Something I cooked: Y'all. I MADE BREAD. WITH MY HANDS. I specifically googled 'easy bread recipes' and picked one with explicit directions and pictures and this blogger promises in another post that her nine year old was capable of making this bread, which I found encouraging. Anyway, I think my loaf pan was a little small because the top got a little flat, but it was totally delicious and I ate like half of the loaf in a single day. I will be making it again!!
Something I did (at home): I read two books I actually own!! I am MEETING GOALS, PEOPLE. Also, it's Mandy's birthday (today!!), so we spent last night out for dinner and drinks with a friend of hers and had a lovely time.
Something I did (at work): We had a whole slew of Spring Break programs, including a family-friendly Antarctic-themed escape room of my and a coworker's own design. In the words of one third-grader, it was "totally wicked!!"
Something I want to do next month: Honestly, I am traveling for conferences twice next month and will be gone seven working days, which is kind of a lot, and I just want to stay healthy and get all my work done since we are waist-deep in planning for Summer Reading. (I feel compelled to add that I did make and freeze a casserole so when I get back I won't even have to cook lunches for the week between trips. Meal. Prep. QUEEN.)
PS: I actually read a lot this month and wanted to share a few titles
Blink is a fantastic nonfiction read about implicit bias and snap decisions; it captivated me.
Sophie Kinsella is one of very few contemporary authors who makes me laugh out loud, and her latest, I Owe You One, is no exception.
I've been meaning to read Silence and Beauty ever since it came out in 2015 (incidentally, when I was reading Silence for the first time), and I finally finished it this month -- a really fascinating study of art, beauty, trauma, and faith.
Lastly, I'm sorry to disappoint those who love these titles, but I didn't think either The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society or Salt to the Sea lived up to the hype. The characters felt flat and indistinct from each other. As a reader who loves character-driven stories, they were rather disappointing.
More next month! And more books read from my own shelf!
Something I read: the first week of the month I read Listen to the Marriage, which I actually kind of loved. I found the beginning a little slow, and it took me awhile to get used to the narrative style. The book is told from the marriage counselor's point of view as a recently separated couple comes in -- individually and together -- over the course of a year. It fascinated me because it's primarily dialogue, and the reader won't know anything about the characters' lives unless they choose to share it verbally in the session. It honestly kind of reminded me of reading a screenplay. I head about this book from the Modern Love podcast and it did not let me down!
Something I watched/listened to: I've been listening to audiobooks almost all month! I saw the trailer for Where'd You Go, Bernadette? and remembered how much I loved the book -- I read it at Christmas in 2017 (I think) and so enjoyed it! Jojo had listened to the audio version and recommended it to me before she knew I had read it, so I thought this would be a good way to refamiliarize myself with the book without *technically* checking out more library books. Y'all, it's so much fun. Just, wonderfully, dramatically, delightful. The release date is August 9 so I will report back if the movie is equally delightful!
Something I cooked: Y'all. I MADE BREAD. WITH MY HANDS. I specifically googled 'easy bread recipes' and picked one with explicit directions and pictures and this blogger promises in another post that her nine year old was capable of making this bread, which I found encouraging. Anyway, I think my loaf pan was a little small because the top got a little flat, but it was totally delicious and I ate like half of the loaf in a single day. I will be making it again!!
Something I did (at home): I read two books I actually own!! I am MEETING GOALS, PEOPLE. Also, it's Mandy's birthday (today!!), so we spent last night out for dinner and drinks with a friend of hers and had a lovely time.
Something I did (at work): We had a whole slew of Spring Break programs, including a family-friendly Antarctic-themed escape room of my and a coworker's own design. In the words of one third-grader, it was "totally wicked!!"
Something I want to do next month: Honestly, I am traveling for conferences twice next month and will be gone seven working days, which is kind of a lot, and I just want to stay healthy and get all my work done since we are waist-deep in planning for Summer Reading. (I feel compelled to add that I did make and freeze a casserole so when I get back I won't even have to cook lunches for the week between trips. Meal. Prep. QUEEN.)
PS: I actually read a lot this month and wanted to share a few titles
Blink is a fantastic nonfiction read about implicit bias and snap decisions; it captivated me.
Sophie Kinsella is one of very few contemporary authors who makes me laugh out loud, and her latest, I Owe You One, is no exception.
I've been meaning to read Silence and Beauty ever since it came out in 2015 (incidentally, when I was reading Silence for the first time), and I finally finished it this month -- a really fascinating study of art, beauty, trauma, and faith.
Lastly, I'm sorry to disappoint those who love these titles, but I didn't think either The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society or Salt to the Sea lived up to the hype. The characters felt flat and indistinct from each other. As a reader who loves character-driven stories, they were rather disappointing.
More next month! And more books read from my own shelf!
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
February
oh, hello, I would first just like to draw everyone's attention to the fact that I am blogging ON TIME. please hold your applause and continue reading.
For being the shortest month, February certainly felt long! The library got even smaller with the addition of another (thankfully, the last!) temporary wall. I took a quick trip to Denton to visit Mandy over President's Day. And I've been working through some really bad allergies for the past week now that Spring is actually coming! But onto the things I did!
For February:
Something I read: Becoming by Michelle Obama. I'd been on the waiting list even before the book arrived at the library, so I was eagerly anticipating the arrival of this one! It was perfect timing at the beginning of the month since I am going with friends to hear her speak in Austin tonight (the 28th)!
Y'all. It's so good. I just love her so much. I actually read it kind of slowly, because her story is so much to take in and I wanted to savor it. This probably sounds cliche, but it was so real and honest and humanizing, yet inspiring at the same time. There were times it made me so sad I just had to quit and take a break, because I miss the Obamas' public presence so much. But there were also times -- many more times -- when her passion for the work she did and the initiatives she started jumped off the page and brought me so much joy. Get it from your local bookstore or library and read it!!!
Something I watched/listened to: I'm going to cheat a little bit and do both for this one because I couldn't choose!
watched: Season 3 of One Day at a Time on Netflix. I watched the first and second seasons because Mandy recommended the show to me, and I thought it was alright. Then I read this article extolling the virtues of the third season and y'all -- it's not wrong. I LOVED it. They have found their footing and I enjoyed it so much. I mostly just really love shows where kids act like kids and parents act like parents, and I think the family dynamic in One Day at a Time is truly wonderful.
listened to: The Friendship Episode of Truth's Table. I started listening to this podcast when it first came out and I lived in Austin and loved it from day one! I didn't listen regularly in Dallas, though, so I've recently been working my way through Season 2 on my commute. Y'all, take 35 minutes and listen to this episode. I was inspired both by the fact that Ekemini, Michelle, and Christine became friends as adults, and by the active steps they take to preserve and invest in their friendship. I've listened to it more than once! (also while you're at it just subscribe and listen to all the episodes...)
Something I cooked: I believe this is technically baking, but I made some delicious banana bread this month! I also made blueberry muffins twice, and both times they grew mold by day 5, so that was kind of a bust. They were good the first few days though, and made quick easy breakfasts when I was rushed before work! (also if anyone knows something I could do to make these last longer --besides freezing them -- please hit me up because having them in an airtight container is not cutting it!)
Something I did (at home): I scrapbooked! I am almost ten years behind in my scrapbooks, but it's a hobby I love and just don't usually make time for. My friend Megan suggested it, so we got together with our friend Maggie for a day of crafting. It was a total joy -- and I got a lot of pages done! I'm inspired to keep it up now that I have more time for hobbies, so maybe I can actually get less years behind...
Something I did (at work): Did I tell y'all I'm on a task force?
via GIPHY
It's actually just a fancy name for me and two other librarians meeting to discuss problems related our rapid growth and write new policies and procedures to fix those problems. It can be time-consuming and cause a bit of a headache, but after about six weeks we finally solved some of our problems! We instituted our new policy and procedures for when library materials are overdue, damaged, missing, or returned incomplete, and so far it seems to be working! It sounds tedious and nerdy to care about policy, but I'm very proud of the flowchart I contributed, so. My coworkers also love the flowchart, which I think means I'm definitely working with the right people.
Something I want to do next month: Okay so I didn't read any of my own books. I just... keep putting things on hold. I'm trying not to! I think I have three library books out now? Somehow only one less than this time last month, though I've read five books this month.... so: the same goal! I'm feeling more confident for March!
For being the shortest month, February certainly felt long! The library got even smaller with the addition of another (thankfully, the last!) temporary wall. I took a quick trip to Denton to visit Mandy over President's Day. And I've been working through some really bad allergies for the past week now that Spring is actually coming! But onto the things I did!
For February:
Something I read: Becoming by Michelle Obama. I'd been on the waiting list even before the book arrived at the library, so I was eagerly anticipating the arrival of this one! It was perfect timing at the beginning of the month since I am going with friends to hear her speak in Austin tonight (the 28th)!
Y'all. It's so good. I just love her so much. I actually read it kind of slowly, because her story is so much to take in and I wanted to savor it. This probably sounds cliche, but it was so real and honest and humanizing, yet inspiring at the same time. There were times it made me so sad I just had to quit and take a break, because I miss the Obamas' public presence so much. But there were also times -- many more times -- when her passion for the work she did and the initiatives she started jumped off the page and brought me so much joy. Get it from your local bookstore or library and read it!!!
Something I watched/listened to: I'm going to cheat a little bit and do both for this one because I couldn't choose!
watched: Season 3 of One Day at a Time on Netflix. I watched the first and second seasons because Mandy recommended the show to me, and I thought it was alright. Then I read this article extolling the virtues of the third season and y'all -- it's not wrong. I LOVED it. They have found their footing and I enjoyed it so much. I mostly just really love shows where kids act like kids and parents act like parents, and I think the family dynamic in One Day at a Time is truly wonderful.
listened to: The Friendship Episode of Truth's Table. I started listening to this podcast when it first came out and I lived in Austin and loved it from day one! I didn't listen regularly in Dallas, though, so I've recently been working my way through Season 2 on my commute. Y'all, take 35 minutes and listen to this episode. I was inspired both by the fact that Ekemini, Michelle, and Christine became friends as adults, and by the active steps they take to preserve and invest in their friendship. I've listened to it more than once! (also while you're at it just subscribe and listen to all the episodes...)
Something I cooked: I believe this is technically baking, but I made some delicious banana bread this month! I also made blueberry muffins twice, and both times they grew mold by day 5, so that was kind of a bust. They were good the first few days though, and made quick easy breakfasts when I was rushed before work! (also if anyone knows something I could do to make these last longer --besides freezing them -- please hit me up because having them in an airtight container is not cutting it!)
Something I did (at home): I scrapbooked! I am almost ten years behind in my scrapbooks, but it's a hobby I love and just don't usually make time for. My friend Megan suggested it, so we got together with our friend Maggie for a day of crafting. It was a total joy -- and I got a lot of pages done! I'm inspired to keep it up now that I have more time for hobbies, so maybe I can actually get less years behind...
Something I did (at work): Did I tell y'all I'm on a task force?
via GIPHY
It's actually just a fancy name for me and two other librarians meeting to discuss problems related our rapid growth and write new policies and procedures to fix those problems. It can be time-consuming and cause a bit of a headache, but after about six weeks we finally solved some of our problems! We instituted our new policy and procedures for when library materials are overdue, damaged, missing, or returned incomplete, and so far it seems to be working! It sounds tedious and nerdy to care about policy, but I'm very proud of the flowchart I contributed, so. My coworkers also love the flowchart, which I think means I'm definitely working with the right people.
Something I want to do next month: Okay so I didn't read any of my own books. I just... keep putting things on hold. I'm trying not to! I think I have three library books out now? Somehow only one less than this time last month, though I've read five books this month.... so: the same goal! I'm feeling more confident for March!
Saturday, February 2, 2019
January
I'm trying a new thing.
I'm a little late to start, but if I wait to start until the end of February I'll forget again! For those who have been following for awhile, in 2017 I tracked all of the books I read and then blogged about them every month. I didn't do that in 2018 for a variety of reasons, and I'm not going to start again! (sorry if that's a letdown). But here's the deal: I do a lot more than read. I still track what books I read every month, but I also spend time with family, do puzzles, listen to podcasts, meal prep, and take my dog to the park. And work (I have a real grown-up job now). But I miss writing, and I like having a record of things I've done (it helps mark progress when I think I haven't gone anywhere), and sometimes people ask what I'm reading. So, each month I'll tell you a few things: Something I read, Something I watched/listened to, Something I cooked, Something I did (at home), Something I did (at work), and Something I want to do next month. We'll see how it goes!For January:
Something I read: The Library Book (finally)! Hailed by Booklist as "a riveting mix of true crime, history, biography, and immersion journalism," Susan Orlean's book tells the story of the 1986 Los Angeles Central Library fire, which ruined or damaged more than one million volumes. But it also tells the story of the Los Angeles Public Library, its librarians, its city, its resilience, and its future. I'd add "love letter to libraries" to its "riveting mix." Of course, I heartily recommend this book!
Something I watched/listened to: I'm not sure who hasn't tried at least one episode of Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflix yet, but I definitely watched the whole series. And then I read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and now I think I need to Marie Kondo my house.
Something I cooked: y'all, I made grits in my rice cooker and let me tell you.... LIFE. CHANGING.
Something I did (at home): I spent time with friends! I had friends stay with me over New Year's, I have college friends that live in San Antonio who I've been blessed to spend time with, and my good friend Jenna took a break from med school to visit me last weekend!
Something I did (at work): I got the attendance at one of my programs back up to its starting numbers! I have a homework/reading/outdoor club that meets once a week after school, and we regularly had 20 of our 25 registered kids coming for the first six weeks. After Thanksgiving those numbers dropped and our first week back in January we only had about 10 kids. So, I found all their registrations forms, practiced the very little Spanish that I know, and called all their parents -- we've had 18-21 kids for the last three weeks of the month! Even though it was time-consuming and a little embarrassing on my end to stumble through "la clase de biblioteca esta comenzando nueva esta semana," it had very obvious and positive results so I know it was worth it and am so glad I decided to just sit down and do it!
Something I want to do next month: I really want to read my own books this year, y'all. I know only reading my own books is impossible, but I had the idea to do a 1:1 plan. As in, read one book from the library, one I own, one library book, one bookshelf book. This way, I can still take home a cool new book once in awhile, still place a hold on something really popular, or read something I'm really in the mood for but don't own, while still making a dent in my home TBR pile. Here's the thing, though: I have no self-control when it comes to library holds, and I'm really bad at timing when they'll come in. For example, today at work I had two holds come in, and then this afternoon I got an email that an eBook I've been waiting on since before Christmas is now ready. And because those are time-sensitive I HAVE to read them NOW. And this is what always happens!! BUT. I have STOPPED placing holds (for now). So they should be slowing down (assuming I continue to have an iron will). My goal for February is to get all the books I currently have checked out from the public library (four? I think?) read and returned so I can start reading one of my own books! You (and I) would think that with 26 days this is more than possible... we shall see!
Thursday, January 25, 2018
america
until last week
I could count on one hand
how many white people I’ve seen at my apartment:
the little girl,
with a place name like mine, and her dad.
a woman whose dog is constantly getting out.
the couple across the hall, who take
their recycling to Sprouts.
but from day one
I didn’t have enough hands to hold the pied beauty of my neighborhood:
its red, blue, yellow, buildings,
bus stops with people milling,
and neon signs to set the mood.
its Hispanic couple,
young black man,
trans woman,
African couple,
Latina property managers.
its women at the neighborhood grocery speaking in languages I don’t recognize --
much less understand --
and cashiers wearing headscarves, telling us “Have A Nice Day.”
and the children! in every color, everywhere, asking:
“How old are you?”
“Where do you work?”
“Do you have any kids?”
“Have you read this book?”
“Where do you live?”
“Do you like cupcakes?”
“Can I pet your dog?”
and
“Do you have any food?”
that I can’t count, but remember.
last weekend
I walked my dog around the neighboring elementary school,
advertising a free health clinic on Saturday.
We walked the perimeter of the school grounds, bordered by a family of fences:
three different gated apartment complexes
and one [enclosed] piece of suburbia.
my apartment is an inlet, hamlet,
my Hamelin,
from which tweens and teens slip
in a cinch
for our fence
is not a solid eight-foot metal sheet
attached to posts anchored deep in a concrete
wall
to prevent any holes underneath
or bars missing between
like those we see on its wrought-iron brothers
so these children
drawn by the dribble
pulled through by a Piper beating a ball on the ground
can just play with their friends on a sunny afternoon?
we come home
sit outside in the sunshine
and I think
Glory be to God for dappled things
Latin music floats up to my porch
mingled with rap
punctuated by car horn
and I wonder
Is the sound of every tribe and tongue and nation?
with news of
and section 8
do we see
deadbeat
or Imago Dei?Friday, November 3, 2017
Catching Up
I didn't blog for September. My bad, y'all.
Once I realized it was October, I thought I would just wait, and do a nice, thought-out, two-month blog post, because it really had been a diverse list, and I was going to try a few more things, and I thought I could write about Genres and whether or not libraries should genrify their collections, and how this all tied in with my discoveries about myself as a reader and I could hazard a guess as to whether genrified libraries would have made me a better/more voracious reader as a child and teen. But then Halloween passed and now here we are and ^that's all I've got on the subject of genres at the moment.
I'm just going to be really honest and say that I am in a slump. Fall is not my season. I've been looking back at things I've written in years past, Sept-Nov. (blog posts, facebook posts, journal entries, etc.) and it's kind of a recurring theme. I get stressed out when things from the new school year start kicking into high gear, and I get crabby when the weather gets cold and it gets dark early. I'd love to be witty and/or interesting and/or insightful but all I've got is a list of books, lots of snark and a little residual anxiety. And since you probably are only interested in the first item on that list, I've got the books I've read recently listed below. The list is surprisingly longer than it felt when I was reading. My progress has felt ridiculously slow these past few weeks. I'm out of my groove, y'all.
Anyway, here goes (with some brief parenthetical asides):
9/1 The Diary of Melanie Martin, by Carol Weston (as far as kid diary books go, I can't complain)
9/3 Ava & Pip, by Carol Weston (just a cute, cute, story about sisterhood and palindromes)
9/6 Re Jane, by Patricia Park (totally underwhelming Jane Eyre retelling)
9/11 The Casual Vacancy, by J.K. Rowling (stick with Harry Potter)
9/17 Kitchen, by Banana Yoshimoto (probably the first book I've read by an author with the same name as a fruit)
9/20 In the Time of the Butterflies, by Julia Alvarez (it took me forever but I made it. also I thought it was a true story so that was a trip)
9/23 Cold Sassy Tree, by Olive Ann Burns (I have so many mixed feelings on this one I don't even know where to begin. let me know if you've read it because seriously I need some secondary opinions)
9/24 Of Mess and Moxie, by Jen Hatmaker (I stayed up until 4am to finish this one)
9/29 Go Set a Watchman, by Harper Lee (hmm. yeah editing is a good thing.)
10/1 We Are Okay, by Nina LaCour (honestly I liked it but don't see why everyone is so obsessed with it)
10/6 Forever, by Judy Blume (this is actually a first-time read! Somehow I never made it past Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, in the Judy Blume repertoire as a kid)
10/8 Radium Girls, by Kate Moore (seriously, their lives were trainwrecks. go read about it)
10/11 The Remains of the Day, by Kazuo Ishiguro (damn. this guy won the Nobel for a reason)
10/27 By Book or By Crook, by Eva Gates (cozy mystery about a librarian who lives in a lighthouse. pretty self-explanatory)
10/28 Spell It Out, by David Crystal (the history of English spelling might sound boring, but for real this was one of the most fascinating books I've read in awhile)
So there you have it, folks. That's all I can crank out for now. We'll see how November goes.
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