Recent arrivals (top to bottom):
- Goodnight from London by Jennifer Robson and
- The Marriage Bureau by Penrose Halson - both from HarperCollins for review (I can't resist anything with the word "London" in the title or a London setting and both of these are London books)
- 5 Worlds: The Sand Warrior by A. and M. Siegel, X. Bouma, M. Rockefeller, and B. Sun - a middle grade graphic novel from Random House Children's Books for review
- Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast by Josh Funk and Brendan Kearney,
- Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast: The Case of the Stinky Stench by Funk and Kearney, and
- Caring for Your Lion by Tammi Sauer and Troy Cummings - from Sterling Children's Books for review
Exciting arrivals! If you've been around for a few years, you may recall that I used to read children's books to my cats. The newer kitties (who aren't so new, anymore) are not necessarily the best listeners, so I sometimes just sit on the couch and read aloud to nobody. My husband has walked in on me reading aloud to myself and he thinks it's hilarious. Well, whatever works. I love children's books and it's always best to read them aloud because that is, after all, how you read them to children. I'll keep working on my cat audience, though. Sooner or later, they're bound to give in and pay attention.
Books finished since last Malarkey:
- My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem
- Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast by Funk and Kearney
- Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast: The Case of the Stinky Stench by Funk and Kearney
- Caring for Your Lion by Sauer and Cummings
- Mister Monkey by Francine Prose
You could be forgiven for assuming Mister Monkey is a children's book title, especially coming on the heels of a bunch of books about royal grain products conquering mountains of potatoes and dastardly smells in the fridge and a book about training a lion, but it is not. I just thought I should make that distinction.
Last week's posts:
- Fiona Friday on the Wrong Day - Sleepy girls (cat photo)
That's right; I couldn't even manage to post Fiona Friday on the right day, much less write a book review or two. I hope this week will be more productive, blog-wise, because there comes a point that the backlog gets a little overwhelming and I'm on the verge of arriving at that point.
Currently reading:
- No Man's Land by Simon Tolkien
This is my second attempt at No Man's Land. The first time I opened it, I kept rereading paragraphs. It wasn't the book; it was me. Too tired? Not the right book for the moment? Who knows. No Man's Land is very accessible. But, it really jumped out at me, when I picked it up again and had no problem at all with it. I remember thinking that first page was practically gibberish, the first time. But, of course, it wasn't. It was fine. I know that happens to other readers but it still strikes me as strange that two readings could have such dramatically different results. I'm not far into the book (maybe 40 pages?) but I like the writing. It has a richness that I know I'm going to enjoy digging into.
I haven't got any other books going, so I'll sift through my piles, tonight, and see what nonfiction title appeals to me.
In other news:
We had interesting weather, this weekend. It was almost cold on Thursday night, pleasantly cool on Friday, and then Saturday it grew hot, then muggy, then fiercely windy. Sunday, storms blew in from the west, tornado sirens went off, and we lost power for 3 or 4 hours. The tornadic weather began early enough that I wasn't fully awake. I got dressed because you really don't want to be in your pajamas when the heroic firefighters dig you from the rubble -- and shoes are a necessity -- threw 4 pillows on the rug in the laundry room (our "safe room") and curled up on the floor. I was asleep when Husband told me the storms had passed and it was safe to come out. As it turned out, those sirens were no joke. A "moderate" strength tornado (EF-1) touched down a couple miles west of us. Our neighborhood was a bit of a mess and one of our neighbors got a very big tree through the roof of their house -- no injuries, thank goodness -- but we missed the worst of the storms. My biggest worry is always that I can never talk the cats into coming into the safe room. This time, they wandered in and out; the sirens went off not once but several times. Had I lunged for a cat, though, she would have gone right back out the door and left me behind in a cloud of fur. So, I didn't try.
How was your weekend?
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I like to read children's books aloud too. I usually force my husband to listen. I found the cutest one at the thrift store the other day called the Hiccupotomus.
ReplyDeleteI had that book not working one day and blowing you away the next thing happen to me for the first time awhile back. It's so strange.
That's scary about the tornado. I'd force my kitties in the safe room. I'm mean that way.
Funny! I sometimes read the children's books to my husband, too. He's an even worse listener than the cats, sometimes - depends on the book, though. :)
DeleteIsn't that strange the way a book can work one day but not another? I've occasionally tried books as many as 3 times because of that. If they don't work by the third attempt they're out the door, though. Great Expectations is one that took three tries before I got into it and when I did, I absolutely fell in love with it.
I once rounded up my kitties during a tornado warning and they practically went nuts trying to get out of the bathroom. It was pretty funny. That was at the old house. I haven't succeeded, here. Isabel was actually up on the top of her kitty tree when the sirens were going off, looking totally relaxed. I really need to figure out a way to get them into the safe room. They're hard to catch!!!
Tornados are scary. I've always heard warnings but one never passed through my neighborhood- until just a few weeks ago. I was in a store. The cashier saw a small TREE fly through the air in the parking lot and invited me to wait out the storm with them in the employee break room. Later I learned that a several houses and buisnesses just a mile or two away lost roofs. Luckily our neighborhood was untouched, we didn't even loose power. I'm glad you're all safe! My cat would never come in a safe room- he thinks under the bed is the best hideout in a storm. There's no budging him.
ReplyDeleteI guess I've just lived with tornadic weather for too long. It doesn't scare me. I just figure if I get blown away, I get blown away. I worry more about the cats than anything else, although I'm sure I'd be heartbroken if all my books and such were destroyed. So glad that tornado didn't make it to your neighborhood!
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