Cycle of Reading

The last two days I have not read anything which was not delivered to my telephone or work inbox. I have not checked my mailbox, I have not read personal email unless it made the priority inbox (thanks Google!) and I am not up to date in all current events unless it has hit my Twitter stream. I would say that I feel as though I had checked out, except that I am so "checked in" to a few work projects at the moment. It is the last day of the month and as we move forward into months that actually begin to feel like autumn, schedules will continue to be packed and the number of books that I am reading may likely decrease like the number of leaves on a nearby maple tree. Okay, that was a bit too dramatic. With the travel schedule increasing, I am certain the tarmac will provide endless opportunities for reading.

Re(a)d and Green

While watching my alma mater play football this weekend (Go Irish!), a "What Would You Fight For?" ad reminded me of a company that I do not think I have mentioned while writing here. Better World Books is an enterprise that started with an idea, some determination, and a desire to make a difference in the world. The goals were to save books from landfills (like my Auntie) and to support literacy around the world. If you take a look at the "Core Values," you will see that they are not too far removed from those at Zappos. (Better World Books does however get extra props for using the word "quirktastic" in their values.)

So, if you are looking for a new book, used book or an odd book, check them out. You will enjoy the carbon neutral shipping and the fact that in some small way, you are helping another enjoy the gift of something we love to do everyday.

Reel Love

I am still moving through The Potting Shed Papers, enjoying the various essays related to gardening. The author highlights some helpful advice such as keeping a gardening journal or at a minimum, a map of planting so one does not remove a Latin name I cannot remember thinking it was another Latin name I cannot remember. Important stuff.

One of my favourite chapters was "Machines" which highlights some of the tools the author uses in his garden. Several years ago when selecting a lawn mower for the small patch of grass which we called our yard, I pushed for an eco-friendly, quiet version something like this. My boyfriend at the time was not thrilled (understatement) with my selection, noting the manual labor required for use. He was also thinking ahead at the time of purchase; he would be using that mower a lot more than I would be. In addition to the aforementioned reasons, I also thought this model would be less likely to be stolen. At the time, the neighborhood was a bit rough around the edges. Anyway, though my mountain bike was one day lifted, this lawn mower was never a target. Elliott also shares a similar story of theft in "Machines" where only his hand tools were left untouched.

Moral: old school tools will not let you down.

Moon Struck

Last night was a moon-watching, listening to old bands, staring up at a night sky to wish kind of night.

I hope you have a weekend where old finds new, cool finds heat, and a long forgotten memory creeps up to make you smile. And maybe you will find time to pause, turn your head toward a night sky and sigh, and listen to Neil Young.

Happy harvest.

Happy Returns

I hopped in the car just after five yesterday hoping the traffic would allow an easy journey north. I passed cotton fields, softball games, restaurants with cattle horns (which seemed to be a more crowded than those that did not hang horns), and the occasional boat trailer en route to make the end of the September meeting of the GBC. The meal was themed to Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See, and I arrived in time to enjoy a glass of reading water, dessert, and get first-hand opinions of the book. Most (perhaps all excluding me) had read the title, but the opinions were overall neutral - not too excited but not bored. Plans were made for at least one future read, and I was the lucky GBC member to walk away with Pride, Prejudice and Zombies which will make a great weekend read.

It was fantastic to once again be in the circle of conversation which rattled around like a bottle in the back of a pick-up truck. (I think my new locale is affecting my analogies.) Several of us shared stories about our new journeys and I caught up a bit on neighborhood happenings. We discussed writing, jewelry, lawns, travel and cooking. Typical topics for our atypical group.

My fortune cookie from last night's meal: "Expect the best". I do.

GBC Kay and crew: Thank you for the warm welcome; it was great to see you.

Silver Bells and Cockle shells

I am continuing down the garden path with The Potting-Shed Papers by Charles Elliott. This is a title of which I own two copies. (I blame this on a faulty, meaning non-existent until I moved, inventory system.) Mr. Elliott is an American who moves to Britain and this collection of essays moves between his anecdotal recollections and practical advice. His use of language is superb, though my limited knowledge of Latin flowers made the "Names" essay a bit of work. The book has made me smile and wish again for my little backyard garden. I am inspired to create a little balcony haven though I will have to consult another book or two to see what fares well in this heat.

Sho-Gun

I have been trying for a few nights to move past Chapter 2 in Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson. I have read and re-read trying to engage myself in the book with no luck. I am also having a hard time with certain details in the story line. A woman from Alabama having had abusive relationships with her father and now her husband has now decided she will will shoot her husband. She keeps her gun in a Target bag? Really? This girl who has struggled to survive and moved west from somewhere in no-where Alabama to Amarillo, Texas by any means of odd jobs and has now found herself working part-time in a gun store keeps her father's old weapon in a Target bag? I don't buy it. Wal-Mart? Now I could move through the story with that. Rolled up in an oil-cloth carefully cleaned and maintained through the years? Seems even more plausible if you want to play up a Southern stereotype.

"Le bon Dieu est dans le detail" and I am a detail kind of girl.

Secret Garden

When my brain becomes overloaded with numbers, I turn to art as a reprieve. One of my favorite books for offsetting "Excel eyes" is The Garden Book by Phaidon Press (who incidentally ranks among my top publishers). I have the mini version of the book. (Size not to be explored in depth as I am taking a break from numbers.) The book surveys 500 (clearly stated in intro; I did no calculations) influential gardens, designers or architects from around the world. At the risk of eating my words, one of my favorites from the book is the "Garden of Cosmic Speculation" by Charles Jencks. Although not relevant to me until today, last night I noticed his garden includes metal sculptures of DNA.

I have been fortunate to visit several of the gardens included and a few of my favorites are the J. Paul Getty Museum Garden, Park Güell, and the Singapore Botanical Garden (aka Orchid Heaven). Japan, China, France, UK, and Finland (Alvar Aalto - need I say more?) are nicely represented as well. I can hardly think of a better way to pass a sunny afternoon than an aimless walk in a pretty place.

Hold Your a Pause Until the End

The phrase "closed the chapter" popped into my head Sunday evening. I am not certain how the phrase came to mean the end of something. If a book is complex or if I am enjoying a glass (or two) of reading water, I am constantly revisiting former chapters to remind myself of a character, an event, a phrasing, a date or a place. Unless the book is a collection of short stories or a very macabre tale, I cannot imagine at least one thread continuing to subsequent chapters.

So is closing a chapter merely a pause? I find difficulty relating to this idea as well, as I do not adhere to rules such as "stop a book at the end of a chapter." I also am not known for my ability to pause before rushing headlong into the next bit. Some call this trait "impatient" - I say "enthusiastic."

Don't Worry

It took me a little more than three hours to move through Delivering Happiness this weekend. Of course, I know this because 1) I like metrics and 2) I had two blocks of uninterrupted time which had constraints (built in timer). It has been some while since I have been excited about a business book, though I would hesitate to classify this title entirely in this genre. [The book includes a reference to fractals; my inner geek was thrilled.] By the time I had moved into the Appendix, I had created a list of questions to be answered in the near future, both in the workplace and personally. The book left me excited about possibilities and served as a reminder as to why I selected my current career path.

By the time I had finished, I could recall eight of the ten core values for Zappos. Do we each know our own? It is a good question. The reader will follow the story of individuals who found and created teams ("tribes" is Mr. Hsieh's word) and of a company which found its place after many trials. Working with believers is how I would describe the venture. I had a similar experience of trying to push the stone (a company) up a hill. The glue that held us together (other than the fact that we were all a little wacky) was our belief that it could happen and our will to do everything we could to crest the top.

So this week, think about what you can do to make another person happy, and check yourself that you are on the right path.

Happy Go Lucky

So, I wandered around my bookshelves like a woman dowsing water. The title which eventually spoke to me (figuratively, of course; I do NOT hear voices): Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose by Tony Hsieh. At least a few of our GBC members are Zappos customers, and if anyone is interested in customer experience or business culture, one would be hard-pressed not to have read an article about Zappos and their CEO. The detail which pushed me to select this title over the others awaiting a first read? In the preface, Mr. Hsieh admits he did not use a ghostwriter and that he "wanted the writing to reflect how I would normally talk." Authenticity, I respect that. Oh, and the book has a "Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Read This Book" on the back jacket. Lists, particularly those that are a little cheeky? Oh, I love those.

I should also disclose that I was one of the persons who received the book at no charge. The opportunity was available for anyone who wanted the book to request their copy. A+ for customer experience. So, with a bit of free time later today, I will embark into the land of "happy" (and perhaps the Hsieh-alluded occasional grammatical error. I will not judge).

Oar, Ore, Or

I am experiencing a pleasant pause between books. Do I move to the second Joshilyn Jackson on loan from GBC Paige, or do I try to tackle industry reading? Do I read the recently delivered copy of my sister's book, or do I move to a Nabakov classic? [Note: I have already read my sister's book lest you think I have no familial alliance.] Or, do I take a small break from reading to work on the alpaca cashmere scarf I am knitting? (I, unlike GBC K1m, cannot knit and do anything else of value at the same time.)

Regardless of my next literary move, I do want to remind you of this month's GBC read: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. Good luck with your reading choices and with packing up your white shoes for the southern belles among us.

My Kind of Town

"I love Chicago best in the cold" Erik Larson admits in the last sentence of his acknowledgements. Me too. I became a regular to Chicago in 2006 in the dead of winter and still recall the feeling of the first burst of cool air after exiting the station at State and Lake. After that first visit, I would have the opportunity to see the streets in their brown slush during the thaws, to walk down a Michigan Avenue colored in spring tulips, to run under trees which would shed leaves in the autumn, and to share the anticipation for an early snow. It was easy for me to imagine the excitement that some of the women must have felt in the late 1800s as they headed to Chicago in search of freedom, adventure, and of course, a Fair.

In The Devil in the White City: Murder Magic and Madness at the Fair that Changed America, Larson does a nice job of guiding the reader through the creation of the Fair while paralleling the dark side of a gentleman who ended the lives of many of the optimistic, vulnerable faces who journeyed to the city for their fresh start. Larson's book is heavily researched; he states his preference of primary sources and avoided internet information. This research however, does not create a stiffness in the read but rather lends weight to the story and to the characters. Larson also creates a suspense with his timing in revealing certain facts, at least for the reader (me) who was not quite up to speed on the historical events of the day.

I was drawn more toward Holmes as I turned the pages and think this would be a good book to re-visit to appreciate more of the architectural elements at play. The "Notes and Sources" section also gave me a few new items to add to my reading list. One can be certain that on my next visit to the Windy City, I will spend a bit more time reflecting the Rookery.

september remember

fall days
football haze
mountain skies
late peach pies

driving late
no due date
musical selection
a window convection

coffee steam
love supreme
sunshine stars
mason jars

long walk around
green grass abound
crisp air chill
this is my thrill

Molly with the Blue Dress On

I do not think I can again mention my current book's title for fear of increasing this site's probability of turning up in a google search on the occult. I definitely have a few more days of Larson remaining before I turn my eyes toward another title. I have reached the point in the book where my geeky engineering brain wowed at the construction of the item to out-Eiffel Eiffel. One-of-a-kind, highly precisioned, people think you are crazy to try to make it and yet, you will? Cool stuff. The only downside I have experienced thus far is that occasionally, when I see the words "World's Fair Exposition" my mind begins to hum that catchy ditty: "The 1982 World's Fair...You've Got to Be-eeeeee There!" Of course, my brain is highly sensitive to jingles and musical lyrics so this likely would not happen to any of you who are not likewise insane in the membrane.