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It's not everyone's cuppa for comfort reading, I'll grant you.
Over this past weekend, being completely out of Agatha Raisins, I turned my attention back to nonfiction. On Friday night I watched a documentary titled We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks, which was about WikiLeaks and Julian Assange. Bonus points: I learned that Assange is actually an Aus...
Mr. CR thinks it's nuts. Weirdly it helps me not worry about my own little world here, which I tend to do too much.
I've read LOTS of British escapism, including having my homepage set to YahooUK! (meaning I haven't actually seen an American news headline for a long time, it's AWESOME). So I totally support that reading. Might have to look into "The Diana Chronicles."
Always nice to chat with you too, thanks for commenting!
It's not everyone's cuppa for comfort reading, I'll grant you.
Over this past weekend, being completely out of Agatha Raisins, I turned my attention back to nonfiction. On Friday night I watched a documentary titled We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks, which was about WikiLeaks and Julian Assange. Bonus points: I learned that Assange is actually an Aus...
Circle back round anytime, with wine, without wine, with snowy champagne, without...
I firmly believe every high school in the world should have a one-semester class called "My Lai." There will be units on inappropriate use of the military, colonialism, how not to treat women, how not to treat humans of any kind, how not to obey authority, why you don't put a bunch of teenage guys together and expect good things to happen, and also units on the importance of not shooting people who weren't personally bothering you, the importance of talking about what you've seen, and how to try and heal trauma and PTSD and oh yes, actual wounds. Actually it might need to be a year-long course.
Like vampires are even scary compared to My Lai. Garlic is widely available.
It's not everyone's cuppa for comfort reading, I'll grant you.
Over this past weekend, being completely out of Agatha Raisins, I turned my attention back to nonfiction. On Friday night I watched a documentary titled We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks, which was about WikiLeaks and Julian Assange. Bonus points: I learned that Assange is actually an Aus...
Ugh is right on the prostitution, particularly child prostitution, following "peacekeeping" troops. For God's sake, people.
On the heels of that understanding, yup, more comfort reading is def in order. I might have to go big and just hammer the jeeves and wooster (or just give up and watch the TV version starring Fry and Laurie). Thanks for the Amelia Peabody reminder...might have to try that...although I have memories of trying the McCall Smith series and it just wasn't my cuppa. Then again I used to think that about Agatha Raisin. Might have to revisit Mma Ramotswe. Thanks!
Evolution of a reading obsession.
I'm still reading everything I can find about whistleblowers. When I finally finished every Agatha Raisin cozy mystery I could get (yes, the whole series, 31 titles, although I see there's a new one expected at the end of next year*) over the holiday season, I celebrated by going back to my typi...
Yeah, I just don't like him. Didn't know he is in fact a big pot smoker. Huh. You learn something every day.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/11/elon-musks-totally-awful-batshit-crazy-most-excellent-year?utm_source=pocket-newtab
Also, he's a real shithead to whistleblowers:https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-03-13/when-elon-musk-tried-to-destroy-tesla-whistleblower-martin-tripp
Your Friday Giggle: Welcome to the Future.
My most fervent desire for Elon Musk is that he eventually shoots himself into space and we never have to hear about him ever again. Seriously, I hate him. And all his kind. So when I saw there was an entire parody book titled Welcome to the Future: Which Is Mine, by "Not Elon Musk," well, you...
But would he smoke a joint with you? He doesn't really seem like the laidback type.
I don't know, I just don't like him. I don't like the way we reward these tech "geniuses" with all our money and adulation. I don't even understand the basic appeal of the Tesla brand. For one thing, I think it's un-democratic that they can only ever go to Tesla-approved repair shops (with stories like this one, https://www.sfgate.com/cars/article/tesla-repair-wait-time-complaints-electric-car-13796037.php).
Ugh. Born rich, came up with a stupid car to sell other rich people, will die rich. What an absolute zero.
Your Friday Giggle: Welcome to the Future.
My most fervent desire for Elon Musk is that he eventually shoots himself into space and we never have to hear about him ever again. Seriously, I hate him. And all his kind. So when I saw there was an entire parody book titled Welcome to the Future: Which Is Mine, by "Not Elon Musk," well, you...
DREW!!
So glad you picked up "Fist Stick Knife Gun." Was that a mindblower or what? Talk about a book that should be required high school reading--equal parts honest, realistic, scary, yet hopeful, and all in a not-too-many pages package.
Well, I have two modes of book recommendation. "I loved this," which doesn't happen real often, and "I didn't get any dumber reading it," which, with nonfiction, luckily happens quite a bit. That's actually one of the highest compliments I can give--I hate small talk encounters and (sadly, because I'm an introvert) meeting new people, but if I come away feeling like I picked up an interesting tidbit/s to think about, then I feel better about how I spent the time. If that makes any sense. I had to use it here because I get the feeling I wouldn't actually care much for this guy in person but WOW...what a story.
Doing Time Like a Spy by John Kiriakou.
I really should not have read John Kiriakou's memoir Doing Time Like a Spy: How the CIA Taught Me to Survive and Thrive in Prison. The minute I saw the word "prison" in this book's subtitle, I should have known to return it, unread, to the library. I have a wide variety of fears, and a fear of...
Jenny,
I'm not gonna lie. This book is deeply, deeply unsettling. It also makes you think about unsavory topics: torture, corrections officers who are COs because they don't have any other good choices and are therefore unpleasant people, the truly appalling number of criminal pedophiles around, and what the "drug war" has wrought on jail and society. Whether or not you want to think about that stuff might be a different story.
Doing Time Like a Spy by John Kiriakou.
I really should not have read John Kiriakou's memoir Doing Time Like a Spy: How the CIA Taught Me to Survive and Thrive in Prison. The minute I saw the word "prison" in this book's subtitle, I should have known to return it, unread, to the library. I have a wide variety of fears, and a fear of...
LAURA!
Always glad to meet a fellow CD fan. I just re-watched the movie and it's so gorgeous, New York looks dirty (but not scary dirty, just kinda of old infrastructure dirty) and cityish and in the 90s people still sold book first editions on the sidewalk (and other people bought them) and I wish I could BE THERE.
I adore rom coms and often I don't even care if they're terrible, I still enjoy them. It doesn't get any worse than "Leap Year" and yet still I enjoyed it, mainly because who couldn't listen to Matthew Goode speak all year long (not to mention he's extremely easy on the eyes).
Now---list me some more of your favorites? Let's see where else we converge. I would add these to the list: When Harry Met Sally (for Carrie Fisher alone); the John Cusack triumvirate of very strange teen rom coms, Better Off Dead, Hot Pursuit, and The Sure Thing; Return to Me; Ten Things I Hate About You.
I still like Meghan Daum.
I've said it before, Meghan Daum is one of my favorite essayists. I like her because she's smart but not pointlessly intellectual (I'm looking at you, David Shields), thoughtful but not sentimental. As per usual, I enjoyed her latest collection, The Problem with Everything: My Journey through ...
VIVIAN!
I like your post-it idea...very uplifting...especially seeing as how any post-its I currently have stuck up say things like "buy can opener" and "call re: Mom's pills" or "el reloj" (we're trying to learn Spanish because Korean is beyond us).
And thank you for recognizing the understated romance of the golden raisin. I'd like to be the kind of renegade who could put kiwi in our oatmeal, but we're from the Midwest.
Citizen Reader in the New York Times!
I wouldn't say that Mr. CR and I are living in a romance novel, but sometimes we have the same thought, and that's always nice. So I wrote about it for the "Tiny Love Stories" feature in The New York Times (it's the last story on the page*): Tiny Love Stories Hope you are doing well, and that yo...
Oh, thank you, Drew, you are always so supportive, which this (actually not very resilient, but I'm trying) person thanks you!
I'll say this for health issues, they make you recalibrate your definition of a great day. Am I, or anyone I love, in the hospital today? No? GREAT DAY!
Citizen Reader in the New York Times!
I wouldn't say that Mr. CR and I are living in a romance novel, but sometimes we have the same thought, and that's always nice. So I wrote about it for the "Tiny Love Stories" feature in The New York Times (it's the last story on the page*): Tiny Love Stories Hope you are doing well, and that yo...
Janet,
John Prine does kind of get under your skin like that.
I hope you and yours are healthy and stay that way.
I learn by going where I have to go.
In a time of epidemic and crashing economic systems and human's unkindnesses to humans, I think the thing I read today that made me feel the worst was that the news that singer-songwriter John Prine has died, aged 73. I am not sad because John Prine didn't lead a full life. I think he did. I'm ...
Kacey,
Very nice to meet you and thanks for stopping by!
Actually, I can never quite decide on Glennon Doyle. I think she's very, VERY good at catchy phrases and excellent, even sometimes very funny prose. On the other hand, I believe very strongly that nobody should be warriors (even "love warriors"--very clever co-opting, that, but still not a deeper sentiment with which I agree)--that we should aim higher. I haven't tried "Untamed" yet but will probably try it--I've been through "Carry On, Warrior," a couple of times because honestly, I'd like to learn how to replicate her (inarguably very successful) style.
Let us know what fiction you're reading too! I just finished Edward Snowden's memoir "Permanent Record" and enjoyed the hell out of it--mainly because he is one weird dude in a completely enjoyable (to me, anyway) way, and it was a pleasure to feel like I was spending time with him. I don't often do "deep dives"--reading on one subject obsessively--but I seem to be on a whistleblower kick and am reading all sorts of strange stuff connected with that.
No fiction holds my interest whatsoever right now. Don't know if it's something wrong with me or something wrong with the fiction I'm trying. The test would be to see if I have any patience for Agatha Christie, which is usually my go-to comfort reading.
Let's all just keep reading.
Everyone still there? How are you hanging in? I read my first "introvert advantage backlash" article yesterday, so I'm glad to see people staying positive. Those stories go a little bit like this: 1. Introverts everywhere, to varying degrees (and also depending on how many extroverts they're stu...
Drew,
Nice to be sharing anything with friends these days, even if it is pleasure/pain and an ever-so-slightly pissy attitude!
Hope you are doing well and taking care of yourself!
Let's all just keep reading.
Everyone still there? How are you hanging in? I read my first "introvert advantage backlash" article yesterday, so I'm glad to see people staying positive. Those stories go a little bit like this: 1. Introverts everywhere, to varying degrees (and also depending on how many extroverts they're stu...
Vivian--totally agree on changing POV, by the way. I enjoyed the whole production.
A fun fiction wintertime read: An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good.
I'm not sure where I heard about it, but I just picked up Helene Tursten's tiny little An Elderly Lady Is Up To No Good, a collection of linked short stories about feisty octogenarian Maud. It's dark and the protagonist Maud is mostly unlikable, but, God love her, you're not going to push her ar...
Well, you never know about hobbit-seed, this book is so tiny and so cute, if you plant it, you might actually grow little Hobbitses. Mean little hobbitses, if they take after dear Maud.
I totally enjoyed the stories in the book, and I really prefer fiction that I can blow through in a couple of hours and be done with. Fiction is my flighty mistress that I mainly need to look good and make me feel good. Nonfiction is my workhorse life partner for whom I save most of my energy and deep love.
Is she mean? Well, usually, if she is, there's a reason. I can respect that. She is emphatically not Miss Marple, who believed in justice but still always had a twinkle. There is no twinkle to Maud. Don't get in Maud's way. Period.
Maybe that's my hope for all us women as we age. Something between Miss Marple and Maud, only with fewer outright criminal acts.
A fun fiction wintertime read: An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good.
I'm not sure where I heard about it, but I just picked up Helene Tursten's tiny little An Elderly Lady Is Up To No Good, a collection of linked short stories about feisty octogenarian Maud. It's dark and the protagonist Maud is mostly unlikable, but, God love her, you're not going to push her ar...
BookerTalk--There have been a ton of pretty successful farm and "back to the land" books. I should get my act together and make a list. I'm interested in the subject but I struggle to find books I like--can't remember enjoying any since Michael Perry's "Coop" or Jeanne Marie Laskas's "Fifty Acres and a Poodle."
I'm not going to finish "A Farm Dies Once a Year."
So I got to page 200 of Arlo Crawford's memoir A Farm Dies Once a Year before I admitted to myself that I just don't like this Arlo kid or his book, and I'm going to stop reading it now. I know. I really have to get both more efficient and honest with myself and stop reading things that I dislik...
You're not doing any plundering, Brandon? Get on that. It's the warrior way.
How are you doing, buddy?
We're drowning in the printed word and Legos over here.
And we're loving it! Okay, so I feel like a soulless husk now that both my CRjrs are in school, but on the bright side, I now have more time to pursue freelance work, make a decade's worth of personal health appointments and catch up on home repairs, and also, let's face it, putter around the ho...
Shannon, dear heart--we're not actually managing to manage anything over here. Could be a problem eventually. But for now? Let the reading and Lego playing commence!
Always glad to find someone else who appreciates a dusty house. :)
We're drowning in the printed word and Legos over here.
And we're loving it! Okay, so I feel like a soulless husk now that both my CRjrs are in school, but on the bright side, I now have more time to pursue freelance work, make a decade's worth of personal health appointments and catch up on home repairs, and also, let's face it, putter around the ho...
Exhilarating is the perfect word for it! Tapestry is a good one too. I love it when I hear something on the radio or hear/see it elsewhere and I finally have context thanks to something I read. There's not enough time in the day to read all the books I need to, to get the context I want for life! Glad others feel the same way.
Trying to find the thread.
The CRjrs are both in school now, and dear friends, I am bereft. They like school, and I'm glad for that. Likewise, it's been exciting to make ten years' worth of doctors' appointments, haircut appointments, car appointments, and house-repair appointments. But other than that? I really miss the ...
Fixed it!
Yeah, I know (re: Lego fights). It'll take about two hours of summer vacay next year and I'll be yelling "For the love of all that's holy you have a MILLION Lego pieces! You do not both need THAT PARTICULAR ONE RIGHT NOW. You're ridiculous!" Actually, wait, me yelling that only took them being at home for five minutes this afternoon after school.
Yeah, I know, that Stacy Horn book. People who have read it either love it or hate it, seemingly because of the structure. I still think it is such a lovely work of scholarship, highlighting not only the victims but also the investigators who really wanted to solve the crimes just because crimes should be solved. Stacy's tenacity in getting that book just right, I think, is why it ties in with the rest. Or something.
Trying to find the thread.
The CRjrs are both in school now, and dear friends, I am bereft. They like school, and I'm glad for that. Likewise, it's been exciting to make ten years' worth of doctors' appointments, haircut appointments, car appointments, and house-repair appointments. But other than that? I really miss the ...
Vivian, keeper of the Taffy for whom my heart swoons--
So sorry about the email coming back to you--I would say I don't know why that happened but I know now you are not fond of that. Did you send it to realstory@tds.net? That's the first piece of info I need, and then I will look into it.
Of course, of course, of course--is all I can say to the above. There are as many ways to run a Friends group as there are libraries--and all I can say is I kinda wish I worked in your library. The Friends I worked with previously were not giving us gifts or funding scholarships--and that was okay. I was paid adequately and I enjoyed the benefits and frankly I've really never thought anyone else should have to pay for my schooling. So I get it.
My thanks to you from afar for doing anything to help libraries and bookstores and the world in general, which is the category I put you in when you make adorable little Peter Rabbits playing mini-golf. BOOM. World better. And for the record? If someone wanted to give me $9750 I'd take it in nickels. Or credit card, whatever. That reminds me to put a PayPal button on this site. Ha!
Congrats. I've never tried doing it mainly because I KNOW I would be the world's worst fundraiser. I salute you.
Best of 2018: The Max Power Way.*
I've got to be honest with you: I'm not all that sorry to see 2018 go. Not that I really expect great things out of 2019 (my secret to happiness being, of course, low expectations), but it is nice to pretend through at least January or so that "YEAH! This'll be my year!" One of the reasons I wa...
Unruly!
You'd think we would know this, being librarian type people, but by all means, label your decorations in a way that makes sense to you! It will work. My house doesn't make sense to anyone else (people always seem stymied by where my silverware drawer is) but I pretty much know where everything is. So have it.
My only rule for decorations is that they don't outgrow our four boxes (one for Mr. CR, one for me, one for the lil CRs, one for the nativity scene), so in past years I've had to give away/recycle some decorations that were okay and I'd had a while but that I just didn't love. This allows me to keep my traditional favorites (you know, the little ceramic mouse popping out of a present that I've had since I was ten) but every year still have the fun of purchasing one or two little things at holiday sales. I'd recommend the method to everyone! (Although Marie Kondo beat me to it--guess I'm only keeping the things that absolutely "spark joy.")
Happy New Year, Unruly, and enjoy Year Two (when it starts) in your new palace!
Hitting up the comfort reading hard.
I really, really enjoy Christmastime. Of course it is not really the done thing anymore to say it that way, and that's okay. I'm down with saying "Happy Holidays" or whatever other greeting is appropriate for people I know. I don't particularly believe there's a war on Christmas. But there's als...
I did! And I can totally see why Tyler's doing it, it takes a lot less time.
Really teeny tiny review: Anne Tyler's Clock Dance.
I'll say this for Anne Tyler: even when she's phoning them in (and Clock Dance feels just a bit phoned in, although it is still quite good), I still really like her writing. You can read a book of hers about families and people and interpersonal relationships, and when you're done, you don't fee...
Unruly!
So glad you are reading it! WOW. What a book. What a woman.
And congrats on your new house--should get over there and comment that on your blog instead--hope you are settling in cozy-like!
Labor Day Reading List 2018.
Good morning! If you'll remember, Labor Day is one of my absolute favorite holidays. I am determined to enjoy it today, although for some reason I cannot sleep at all lately and so stumble around all day like a zombie. Also, it is dark out there (I live in a new monsoon zone where it is constant...
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