8.17.2020
Stack of Books
My to-read list is pretty long - but I'm going through books fairly quickly. The only one I don't have is How To Be Anti-Racist which is the book club choice for August - however, my Kindle isn't working quite right and I can't download the book. I may have to reset my Kindle.
Since the library closed in March, I've been buying books at an alarming rate and just looked at my stack. I stopped buying books so I can get through these before I buy anymore. The library just re-opened too so I've been getting books that I've requested.
About two weeks ago I flew through a book I borrowed from my sister - Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich with her Stephanie Plum series. I forgot how terrible and funny those books are. I really don't have to think much while reading them so I can get through them in just a couple days. So I requested numbers 15 and 16 (because I couldn't remember where I stopped in the series, I had to look at my Goodreads account). Finished both of those in the same week and now I just requested number 19. I don't feel as though they really go in order?? Maybe I can't remember what happened in previous books but I do know that it seems that the main character is always stuck in the same place in a relationship, the cars blow up, something is on fire, and her hamster, Rex, is alive at the end. So honestly, if you need a book where you don't have to think and you just want to read - start with One For The Money and see what you think. This series is serious brain cookies, where it's not hard to follow along and you do laugh. Just keep in mind that none of it is realistic, it's all made up, and so with that - the books make for great reads for me when I'm finished with heavy books.
I'm in the middle of Still Midnight by Denise Mina. It was slow to start and also a bit hard to follow at the beginning, which for me can be tricky because I hate to have to go back and re-read previous chapters. The book follows all of the characters, not just the main detective so you get to see the crime happen and the whole mystery unfold. The little details are currently making the investigation more interesting and definitely making this book better to read! As soon as I hit the actual investigation part, I started liking this more and more. So if you're into European mysteries written by women, this is definitely a book for you - and this is also the first book in a series about the main detective.
Next up after this - I have to finish The Tattooist of Auschwitz to be able to give that to a friend, which I think I only have about 70 pages left. The people that survived these camps are fucking amazing. There's no other words to describe them, I don't think. I can get through that fairly quickly. Last month I was on a WWII kick and read many fictional books that had nonfiction threads wound through the stories, so I needed a bit of a break with the heavy material. In this day, you'd think that Americans would have learned from the past but since the war didn't actually take place here in America, I think it's hard for some Americans to be able to empathize and realize how terrible, and horrific the Holocaust was because there are people that are currently comparing mask-wearing to the Holocaust (right, there's absolutely NO COMPARISON. We're trying to save lives, not KILL PEOPLE).
Happy Monday! Go find some time to read today!
8.12.2020
8.11.2020
Fawn Doe Rose
We did something a little Covid-y last Friday. We went to Wisconsin and visited Fawn Doe Rosa with a family that we've been seeing since April. Wisconsin doesn't have a mask order nor do they think Covid-19 is real so we decided to go anyway??? Actually, it's outdoors and I saw other moms posting in Facebook groups about how it was pretty ok and not too bad when they went.
Honestly...it made me a little nervous because the only people that were wearing masks were from Minnesota, and we also ran into people that we knew from Minnesota and they were also wearing masks.
This is a serious petting zoo. And the deer just walk up to you. The goats try to steal the bags of food right out of your hands.
And you have to dodge Wisconsonites so you don't get sick. So beware!
7.23.2020
7.22.2020
Book Review - The Water Dancer
This was my book club pick for July. I was so hoping that I could make a really good Southern spread for my book club - BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches, collard greens, steamed okra, corn on the cob, etc... But alas, the dumpster fires of 2020 rage on so again we meet by Zoom.
This book is lovely and deeply emotional. Hiram is a slave. He was born into slavery and then his mother was sold. He cannot remember his mother but has heard stories of her magic power. When he experiences the magic himself, he has so many wonders about his mother. The imagery of the magic of this book and the memories which keep the magic alive are so beautiful and yet so haunting. I really enjoy how the story is told, there's a surprise with every chapter. And some of those surprises are absolutely awful, because, well, slavery. I think reading about the betrayal is my least favorite, simply because I had been rooting for Hiram the entire time not wanting him to have any setbacks (possibly a spoiler?? Possibly not??).
Sometimes the book stalled out, almost as if Hiram lost himself. Almost as if the book was going to end and become a short story instead of a full novel. It seemed there could be an ending at a few different spots but then there was an added twist to the story and once more, it would be an engaging read, which can be a telltale of a first novel - or so I've noticed with the last few first novels that I've read. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but just an observation.
I also like how this author provides us with an alternate history - with the added magic of Conduction and the memories that Hiram has, this books leads me to believe that slavery - in this book - had a better outcome than reality. Systemic racism still reaches everyone today. I also really love how Harriet Tubman appears and is known as Moses, a magician in the book. It makes the wonderment of history and the hope that slaves escaped instead of died so much more. Reading about Harriet Tubman as Moses made me stop to think - and read up on The Underground Railroad more to refresh my memories from school, and also learn new things since they don't teach everything you need to know.
I really enjoyed this book. And find it appropriate to read this summer - with all the racial tensions, this is something that you can physically buy to support a Black author and to raise Black voices.
7.14.2020
July Garden Updates
I've been tearing out more grass this year in our front yard. It's been tough work but it's also been fun. Over the years I've realized that I can do whatever I want and it's been really hard to embrace - because I want things to look a certain way RIGHT AWAY. I need to let that go and just let the perennials do what they do. So I'll try that approach for awhile!
I hope that by next year over half the front lawn will no longer be lawn.
I need to add in brick border pavers along the neighbors lot line so that it's easily weeded for me and easy to mow for her.
6.15.2020
The Quarantine Life
Oh man. My last post was so long ago. The computer was basically hijacked for distance learning. Now it's used for tv time. I'm around my family 24/7. Haven't quite lost my mind yet but I feel a bit freer than two weeks ago - having to schedule time for school, and quiet time and crap.
Baby Chewie is 4. He had a Halloween Racecar Birthday party with family only. He can also now ride a bike with pedals, no training wheels.
I'm sewing masks during this Pandemic to donate. Holy shit, it's seriously like a dystopian novel these days. George Floyd was killed by police and for a week there was riots, police helicopters. We heard the flash bangs at night and sirens were basically non-stop. It's quieted down now that law enforcement has realized they're the assholes (yes, I am a FUCK THE POLICE person, they've literally only been helpful since we've become middle-class and homeowners, and that's not ok at all, they need to stop killing black people). So in any case, our President Cheeto is awful, there's been fires, floods, diseases, etc... I can't wait to vote out the asshole in November.
Happy Monday. I'm hoping to post more this summer now that distance learning is done and I can hopefully regain control of the computer to do what I want to!
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