It's awfully hot out. Not dog days of summer, just yet, but yucky enough to make a girl want to escape to someplace people are wearing jackets or take a generous siesta. Where are people wearing jackets in June? I need to know. Better yet, tell me where they'll be wearing jackets in August -- other than Alaska. I've experienced a cold, rainy Alaskan August. I loved it, just FYI.Weekend report:
I actually finished two books, this weekend! Woot! In brief:
Alone in Berlin by Hans Fallada - Originally entitled "Everyone Dies Alone" (I used an online translator to determine the original German title), the German name is much more accurate. Pretty much everyone dies, eventually, and they all die alone without friends or loved ones present, but the book isn't as much of a downer as you may think. It's about retaining one's principles, even while knowing that doing so likely will bring about death. A pretty amazing WWII book based on a true story.
Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones - A fictional look at bigamy from two sides - that of the daughter who feels like she's the least favored because her mother isn't the one legally married to her father; and, the viewpoint of the legitimate daughter, Chaurisse, who is not as pretty as her half-sister, Dana. Chaurisse describes Dana as one of the "silver girls" to whom people are drawn. When they meet and become friends, what will happen? Surprisingly, I found this one a bit of a page turner.
I'm not yet packing books but I'm still trying to thin them and I started reading a Regency romance to see if it was worth keeping. I'm not finding the book as exciting as most of the Regency romances I've read, so I think it'll go in a donation bag. Into the Free isn't thrilling me, either, I'm afraid. It seems to lack a definitive sense of time and place. I may ditch it and just see what everyone else at my F2F group has to say about it. We'll see. According to my reader (fortunately, my copy was an ebook freebie), I've read roughly 21%. The meeting is Wednesday, so I still have time to finish Into the Free if I manage to get into it.
The other two books in my sidebar are non-fiction and I feel like I always have to have a fiction title going. I think I have one or two fiction ARCs left, so I'll choose from whatever remains in the ARC pile (which is shrinking, for once).
Recently walked in:
Two books arrived in the mail, last week, and one just walked in the door. So I am not totally deprived of those lovely manila envelopes with little bubbles inside.
- The Garden of Happy Endings by Barbara O'Neal - Very kindly sent to me by Fizzy Jill when I mentioned that I must give this author a try because I can always use an upper. Thanks so much, Jill!
- A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash - A drawing win from BermudaOnion's Weblog. Very exciting. Wiley Cash is the author I missed seeing in Oxford by mere hours. I've been anxious to read his book.
- Poopendous by Artie Bennett and Mike Moran - Sent by the author. I'm planning to have a "Children's Day" (several reviews of children's books), soon, and I loved The Butt Book by the same author, so I said "yes" to reviewing Poopendous. It's about just what it sounds like -- the many fine uses of poop, like carrying seeds and such.
Is it weird that I'm pretty sure I'm going to miss our giant oak trees when we move, even though every time we have a tornado warning I visualize one of them falling on the house? They're so nice and shady. The view from my desk is about the bottom 25 feet of the oak trees (and a whole lot of poison ivy). There are no limbs for that first 25 feet or so; that kind of gives you an idea how humongous the trees are. I get to see squirrels, chipmunks and lizards playing outside my window, all the time. I do believe I'll miss that. However, I won't miss the poison ivy or picking up the limbs that fall after every puff of wind.
Enough for now. I hope your week has started well!
Hot but cheerful Bookfool
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Yay! I'm glad to know A Land More Kind Than Home arrived - I hope you love it as much as I did.
ReplyDeleteI'm very excited about it, Kathy. Thanks so much!
DeleteTrees are only truly enjoyable when you don't have to take care of them. In my opinion, anyway. :) I took a page out of my kitties book and flopped down on my tile floor to cool off, worked like a charm.
ReplyDeleteYes, I do believe you're right. We'll have very small trees at our new house, by comparison with what we've got. Just about anything (except maybe redwoods) would be small by comparison. The oaks are definitely a nuisance. But, our summer electrical bills are shockingly low because of the shade they provide, so we may get a nasty surprise in the new home.
DeleteOh, good for you. Should have done that. The heat has given me a headache, so I'm probably going to be worthless, tonight. I'm off to find a painkiller.
Come visit foggy, cool Morro Bay CA where the high this week is expected to be 63 degrees!
ReplyDeleteOh, Fizzy, I so would like to go to foggy, cool Morro Bay. One day, I shall show up on your doorstep with a suitcase (and you can point out the nearest hotel). ;)
DeleteWe just returned from Oregon. The high temp while we were there was 73.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your move!
I have always wanted to go to Oregon, Deb. I need to start making plans . . . you know, for whenever I get to go on a vacation, again, since the new house is apparently my vacation destination for the summer. LOL Thanks!
DeleteOh Silver Sparrow was a real favourite of mine :) Also, cute kitty! No jackets here sadly so I can't help you... but cooler then there at least likely.
ReplyDeleteI really liked Silver Sparrow, too. It's a book worth talking about. My kitty and I thank you. Fiona really knows how to sprawl. LOL I think it's just getting to the lower 90s so technically it's not that bad, yet. But, the middle of the day . . . ugh, I just want to sleep on the floor with the cats. I don't handle heat well.
DeleteHow could you NOT miss your giant oaks?? they're just such beautiful trees!!! I feel you on the heat thing…I go into a major funk every summer because of the heat and I think poor Matt is seeing the first day of that today.
ReplyDeleteOh, well, there is that. LOL They are rather magnificent, very stately trees. I love to look up, up, up at them. Okay, now my heart is breaking into little oak-leaf shaped pieces at the thought. The shade is wondrous, too. So, the trees in the front yard of the new house are Bradford pears, which are very pretty. The back yard is a scraggly mess but I'm afraid to cut anything down because what's there is high enough for privacy, even if it's a disaster (and I really don't want to look at the neighbors' yards - we'll have a tiny yard, this time). My new backyard will require some thought.
DeletePoor Matt. He's going to find out the true meaning of "suffering". At least you do sort of almost kind of get used to it, eventually. Wait, no, really you don't. I forgot. It's just a misery. Don't tell Matt. He might decamp back to the not-quite-north-but-marginally-more-acceptable country.
Poopendous! I have it. Haven't read it yet, but I'm soooo looking forward to it after The Butt Book.
ReplyDeleteI would miss those trees, too! The house I just moved into has a very shady lovely back yard, but it does need some tidying of the small scrubby plants. Ack!
Loved this post!
It looks every bit as fun as The Butt Book, doesn't it? I was kind of sad to hand my copy of The Butt Book over to the great-nephew but I'm thinking he'll love it when he gets just a tiny bit older (old enough to "get it" and giggle).
DeleteWell, damn it, at least my new house will have a shaded patio and a fabulous attic. I just will try not to think about trees. The yard is not much of anything. Kiddo is mourning just a tiny bit because we've warned him that it's not big enough for archery. Our current yard is perfect for that. We have a hill that he can shoot toward so there's never any worry of mortally wounding (or even marginally damaging) a neighbor.
There will be some removal of ugly old shrubs at our new house, too. I like seeing out of my windows, thankyouverymuch. And, I want flowers!!! I may have to join Pinterest to get decorating ideas, too.
Oh, aren't we going to have fun, Andiloo?!!
It is too bad that you are hot, but at least you are cheerful!
ReplyDeleteI have a lot to be cheerful about. Being hot down here is just par for the course. In the summer I do tend to hibernate, so this year will be unique. Moving in the heat is bound to be a sweaty adventure. LOL
Deletehot! I have Silver Sparrow, maybe I can get to it this month.
ReplyDeleteVery! Hope you do. I think it's excellent and, of course, Fizzy Jill agrees with me and we all know she has excellent taste. :)
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