It's a Wrap

The year is winding down in a slightly different way than what I had planned. To this end, I'm going to take a bit of time for the more traditional pen to paper writing and work through a few items on my reading list. Best wishes to you for a happy, healthy end of year.  It's been fun reading with you in 2013.

See you in January!

Long Walk Through the Woods

I celebrate myself, and sing myself,

And what I assume you shall assume,

For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.

- Walt Whitman, Song of Myself

Walls of Jericho
November 2013

All in the Cards

My week in a table:

1 month ago	60 stamps
1 week ago	1 photo
1 week ago	50 photos
Monday night	0 stamps
Tuesday am	Still can't find stamps
Tuesday noon	60 stamps
Tuesday night	Not enough photos
Wednesday morning	10 stamps
Projected Wed noon	40 photos
Projected Wed just after noon	40 stamps
Net:	10 stamps on hand
	60 lost stamps
	A lotta hand-written notes

A continual loop of a disproportionate stamps and cards, but a lot of fun.

P.S. If you get a mid-year note with gingerbread house stamps, don't ask any questions.

Anywhere, I Would Have Followed You

After pushing Saturday a bit to the limits, Sunday was a day to catch up on sleep, spend time with friends in a recovery lunch and cardio-offset a Christmas cigar.  I paired The Holiday with reading water and my rocket card writing by the light of candles and my red tree.  Quaint.  Content.

When I crawled into bed, I wanted the feel of a book rather than my tablet and went scrounging around the bookcase to see what was untouched.  I picked up Don't Go Where I Can't Follow because it was short and I knew it had good reviews.  I'd purchased this and two others by Nilsen in August.  The books sat on the counter for about a month before they were packed, moved, and unpacked during my autumn transition.

It sat waiting until I was ready.

This was a read that I both wanted to turn the page to see the next space and at the same time did not.  I knew where I was headed as a reader and I wasn't sure I was equipped for this peek into another's grief.  The book is a beautiful collection of postcards, a letter, photos and travel anecdotes fading into excepts of writing by Mr. Nilsen at Ms. Weaver's bedside. The end through drawings and words is particularly touching.  I don't think I stopped crying from page 73 onward.

It is such a beautiful thing when two people find each other, admit love, and take on the challenges of life as a unit.  They weather unexpected events, find laughter, and choose to stick it out to the end.  As GBC P@1ge has recently reminded me, all relationships end, one way or another.  Nilsen gives us a look at the other, and it reminds my heart to keep hope that deep connections are always possible, even if they are way too short to be fair.

11 Days of Christmas

We're into the tipping point of the rest of the year flying by in a series of:

• manic Amazon purchases which has ensured you will sign up for one more year of Prime
• crushed visits to your local bookstore where you end up buying things for yourself
• last minute Christmas cards and hoping that you don't repeat last year and send multiple cards to people (running count three).  You write personalized messages so you're left wondering if you repeated or contradicted yourself.  This is of course the downside to pairing writing with reading water.
• commitments to baking cookies that seemed like a really good idea at the beginning of the month
• desperate knitting which seemed like a great idea in November
• multiple holiday parties
• crazy road trips
• panicked purchases of pink lipstick to go with a crazy dress that you just had to have for the party*
• Starbucks visits where they start making your latte the moment you walk in because they know what kind of week you've had

culminating in some amazing visits with family friends and potentially one frozen blogger.

Happy holidays ahead! Hope you enjoy every second.

*You waited too long to find a dress.  You have limited options and tried on six.  This was the one the sales person recommended.  You agreed.

Love and Pictures

Tonight I stood outside at exactly 0C taking photos.  I dropped my lens cap, misplaced my keys and nearly met the front grill of a big red truck because I was paying more attention to angle than the fact I was standing in the middle of the road.  [Kids, don't try this at home.]

Twenty minutes later when I can feel my hands, I'm scanning through media feeds and discover "The Tutu Project".  You may have already heard about it the last two days, but in my current sleep deprived state was incredibly moved by the sentiment for his wife and some really beautiful photos.  Links to video and Ballerina, the Book here.

Portraits and Poems

I like Jane Austen...but probably not this much.  I think I would opt for the £10 note instead.

Perhaps something more in the realm of possibilities is The Gorgeous Nothings:  Emily Dickinson's Envelope Poetry published at the end of October by Jen Bervin. This NYT review has a nice overview of the book and its inception.

Plain Dreams of Trains

I've been reading John Dies at the End by David Wong which was published before This Book is Full of Spiders.  Since I've read them in reverse order, I'm using Star Wars logic and treating it as a prequel.  The books are quite suspenseful so I'm not disappointed I already know about John* because that's one less thing that will creep into my dreams.  [Side note:  I've also been reading about dream interpretations.]  It was really fascinating to learn about Amy in reverse.

Hope you've had a good weekend.  I'm off to finish a book with a side of reading water.  It's been a fun read.

*Author's note:  Titles aren't always revealing as the other book wasn't really full of spiders. Well, not really.

Tree-ting Yourself

I'm a little late for a Friday photo but long work days and reading water sometimes take precedence. After an early morning cardio session that will leave me unable to climb stairs the rest of the day, I'm finally feeling a bit motivated to bring the holidays indoor.  I might even open up the porcelain Peanuts Nativity Scene which has been boxed (and moved 4 times) since 2005.  Hopefully Snoopy is still in tact.

Happy December y'all.

Washington Square to Empire State
New York, December 2010

Better than All the Rest?

The "Best of 2013" lists are starting to emerge (with apologies to anyone who might accidentally publish in December).  The Guardian's list was fairly interesting as it contained a few titles which had escaped my attention over the last few months.  My Struggle:  Book Two (A Man in Love) by Karl Ove Knausgaard is (wait for it) the second in a series of six autobiographical tales which turned out to be fairly controversial as he included narratives about friends, neighbors and his ex-wife.  (Norway's not so large so I'm sure he had a few uncomfortable nights at the neighborhood bar.)  If you're assembling your end of year hide away in a cabin reading lists in the great snowy north, the first two Knausgaard books might be an interesting add.

Hope your week hasn't been too great a struggle.

Cut it Out

It was a combination of GBC K1m's snowflakes and my spending Thanksgiving evening with an eight year old and her book Can You See What I See? that has left me thinking about pop up books.  Robert Sabuda has a number of pop up books, cards and picture books to capture your fancy.  Look for him tomorrow on the Today show and consider adding one of his books to your wishlist.

Grateful

This is the weekend I tend to take a moment to reflect on the 2013 reasons to be thankful. Over the last week however the singular thought was "gratitude".

This year I felt there was a big distinction.

Maybe it is the normal byproduct of aging, maybe it is the last minute vacation trip turned memorial, maybe it was holding a small child who gave implicit trust, or simple appreciation that I won't tolerate crazy in my daily life.  My core list includes a gratitude that I'm not afraid to take risks and that I love to read.

You have your list too, and I hope you had a moment this weekend to celebrate good fortune (and good books).

We're List-ening

If you are looking for downloads, library lends or through your friends' dog-eared copies for your next read, join the GBC with our upcoming list.  Thankfully I'm one ahead thanks to Ms. Patchett.

• December: Favorite poem or excerpt from a favorite book or story to share
• January: The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
• February: The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett
• March: We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler (the Nashville Citywide read selection!)
• April: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
• May: Your choice of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen or Death Comes to Pemberly by P.D. James
• June: The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida (translated by KA Yoshida and David Mitchell)

I'd also recommend This Book is Full of Spiders by David Wong though perhaps not while moving into a place that was previously vacant and that has, well, a few spiders.

November Snow

The Sunday night call with unexpected news.  On a week focused on giving thanks, there will be a little sadness.  Life's circle.  Taken from the poetryfoundation, this one is for Maggie.

A Chair in Snow
BY JANE HIRSHFIELD

A chair in snow
should be
like any other object whited
& rounded

and yet a chair in snow is always sad

more than a bed
more than a hat or house
a chair is shaped for just one thing

to hold
a soul its quick and few bendable
hours

perhaps a king

not to hold snow
not to hold flowers

Wide Arching

“Back of every creation, supporting it like an arch, is faith. Enthusiasm is nothing: It comes and goes. But if one believes, then miracles occur.”

- Henry Miller

Barnsley Gardens Ruins
June 2013

Here's to overcoming technology challenges, finding heat in the cold and taking a moment to pause and be grateful.  Hope you have a great weekend! 

All about Location

I managed to complete all the items on my Saturday to-do list, including the nap.  One of them I accomplished a little too well, but that's for another day.  As a Sunday bonus, I can now extol the virtues of a freshly juiced drink of apple, kale, and spinach with a shot of wheatgrass*.

A friend also shared a fun book:  The Architecture of Happiness by Alain de Botton.  I flipped through a few pages and was read an except about Villa Savoye.  [Aside:  one of life's little pleasures is having someone read to you.]  Based on these little intros, I've added it to my list.  

Hope your Monday gets off to a fine start.

*Filed under things:  
1) I can't believe I actually ordered; 2) I can't believe I actually liked; 3) I ordered while wearing yoga pants thus fulfilling the Whole Foods Sunday stereotype; 4) cures for Sunday ailments from Saturday birthday parties or 5) all of the above

To Do do do, De da, da, da

Saturday goals:

* Long workout (already in the books)
* Copious coffee consumption (in hand)
* Bring music back (in your hands, Apple Genius)
* Finish a book and start a new one (hello hardback and Kindle)
* Take a drive (and sing!)
* Eat, drink and be merry (probably the easiest one)
* Be grateful (always)

If I'm lucky, I will snag a nap, but I don't want to be greedy.

Somme Like it Cold

It's a 24 foot panorama as a book!  And while it could be just the endorphins wandering their course after my longest run since June (in 42 degree weather sans gloves), I'm just amazed (and a tiny bit cold).

The Great War by Joe Sacco was published this month and tells (visually) the story of the battle of the Somme. I cannot imagine the effort that went into this piece, but through photos, it is magnificent (and it's now on my wish list).

What's that? You eight.

Now that the temps have dropped below freezing periodically I might finally stay in and finish This Book is Full of  Spiders.  

I'm sure my dreams will thank me.

"The Greatest Ideas are the Simplest"

Author's note:  This is a long espresso-driven vignette with a book tie-in at the end.  

Saturday was a cool, crisp autumn day with a few yellow and orange leaves hanging on.  It was a perfect day for a hike so a friend and I decided to tackle a path which has been described as "The Grand Canyon of the South".  I've met a few people who had recently done the walk, and it was billed to be an approximately six hour hike with ~3.5 miles each way and an elevation change of 1,000 feet.  Totally doable and a perfectly peaceful way to begin the weekend.  

The first tip that this hike might not be the idealistic zen journey I had pictured was in the gravel parking lot.  Boy Scout Troops #Y was in the house. (We'll preserve their identity as minors.)  We also noticed pretty early that we were the only pair in (layered) running gear.  (This would later turn out to be an advantage.)  The journey down included a few switchbacks and we passed several couples and families who were taking it easy, but predominately the only sound was the crunch of leaf underfoot and the odd leaf blowing (tayin') in the wind.  Nice.

As we neared the 2.5 mile mark, voices were heard nearby.  Yelling , laughing, and the typical noises of youth rising so we suspected we were nearing a campground with the Troops.  As we approached the last narrow trek to the crevasse, the cacophony rose to a peak and we could see the Troops assembling in a little brown line spackled with various arm badges.  It was time for a split second call:  run to get ahead of these 40 boys or follow them to the end of the track (~half mile or so).  It seems an easy call, right?

So we ran and I sprinted over rocks with my best impression of a gazelle.  We were at the front of the pack headed toward the Walls.  In just a few short minutes, this decision was soon realized to be a gross error.  Underestimating the ferocity of youth and the sugar high that comes from too many energy bars for breakfast, they were quickly on our tail and the next 20 minutes was spent climbing over rocks in a single line formation with such varied topics at my shoulder to include these remarks:

• Coach's nicknames was Sunshine when he was in [redacted].
•    No it wasn't. Yes it was. [repeat 10 times.]
• The sun does not rotate. Gravity and time are not related.
• We're going to start a business selling souvenirs from [current site]. Who wants to run it? Call it! [insert long, drawn-out reverse countdown by a breaking voice here]

Luckily the area at the end of the trail was wide, so any adult not in the company of a 10-12 year old khaki or green pants kid took a break on the rocks until they soaked up nature and left.  

Quiet.  

The sound of babbling brooks and aging bones climbing rock.  This was the trip I expected.

The journey back began in this same tone with the sound of falling water to accompany the initial walk.  I even didn't mind getting passed by an oldie.  It was peaceful.

We trekked by the boy scout camp and it seemed they were starting to assemble lunch and/or napping.  The coast was clear for the rest of the journey.  The transition to upward descent is marked by crossing a creek with a "bridge" made from half a tree.  It was at this point we saw the group on the other side.  The scouts!  Apparently there had been two groups, and these were the 20 or so that were hiking out together (in red shirts).  We'd learned our lesson and slowly walked behind them.  Easy enough...slow pace and fairly quiet since we were behind the adult leaders.

After ten minutes or so, they noticed our presence and halted the Troop so we could pass.  [Um, thanks.] We made our way to the head of the line with the kids following.  Did I mention they had six foot poles to assist their climb?  Did I mention they were still running and despite the uphill climb one particular child still had the vocal capacities to continually proclaim he wanted to be first?  Their presence just behind me and the sound that their bamboo poles made when striking rock as they were hiking left me thinking of only one book....Lord of the Flies.  

I could barely keep my speed up the hill for laughing (and being slightly afraid).  Luckily, the troop leaders needed frequently breaks so we were able to pull ahead with my heart nicely in tact.  Despite the extended lunch stop and photo shoots, we made the round trip in four hours.

Hope your weekend has a fun book reference (sans drumming)!

Zoo-lander

A little dose of cuteness for your Friday.  This little guy can sleep for up to 18 hours at a stretch.  (If your week has been as busy as mine, few things sound better at the moment.)

Koala Bear, Cairns, Australia
September 2012

And always remember kids, don't feed the animals.

African Queen

I have had Katharine Hepburn at the front of my mind this evening.  It began with my late evening task of selecting a suitable reading water for my frozen entree.  (Monday at its finest.)

She has a host of memorable quotes from her Me:  The Stories of My Life.  I'm opting for this one for my Monday:

“Life can be wildly tragic at times, and I've had my share. But whatever happens to you, you have to keep a slightly comic attitude. In the final analysis, you have got not to forget to laugh.”
― Katharine Hepburn

A close second:

“If you obey all of the rules, you miss all of the fun.”
- Katharine Hepburn

For Everything There is a Season

This morning's run through the woods had me thinking about nature (and on my decision to have Half Ironman finishers as running partners during my recovery...but that's for another day).  The trees were shades of Golden Delicious, hints of Gala and pops of Red Delicious.  The morning was crisp and the air smelled like autumn.  Near the end of the run however, I got a stark reminder that all beautiful things have an ending when I encountered a dead doe on the edge of the trail.

Lou Reed's obituary by his wife, Laurie Anderson, was simple and lovely. She makes reference to nature, trees and movement in the wind.  I'm including the link to the Sydney Herald print because the accompanying photos are lovely captures of the couple.

The Look, the Feel

Cotton Field, Alabama
October 2013

"behind the cotton wool is hidden a pattern; that we—I mean all human beings—are connected with this; that the whole world is a work of art; that we are parts of the work of art. Hamlet or a Beethoven quartet is the truth about this vast mass that we call the world. But there is no Shakespeare, there is no Beethoven; certainly and emphatically there is no God; we are the words; we are the music; we are the thing itself"

- Virginia Woolf, Moments of Being (p.17)

Carving out October

Yesterday's Opinion piece by Paul Krugman in the NYT suggested that we don't read as much poetry as we used to do.  I am then breaking the trend as I find myself reading (and even writing*) a bit more these days.

In the art of public service, I offer the opening from "November for Beginners"  by Rita Dove.  You can find the piece in its entirety at poetryfoundation.org.

Snow would be the easy
way out—that softening
sky like a sigh of relief
at finally being allowed
to yield. No dice.
We stack twigs for burning
in glistening patches
but the rain won’t give.

*This author wrote two to three poems a day for a period of at least two years.  Several of them even rhymed.

Lost Cups and Old Cookies

This morning's NPR news noted a variety of statistics about the upcoming holidays, shipping days, shopping days, and general rushing the end of the year before we even adjust that beloved hour back on our clocks.  I appreciate the view forward, but I'm still trying to find the measuring cups I packed six weeks ago.  [I found cookies with my knitting if that tells you anything about the spatial way my mind works...perhaps it does actually..just forget I mentioned it.]

We'll also just skip how listening to Arcade Fire's new album reminded me of a series of movies watched this weekend which led me to a bookstore which led to a list which led back to knitting which led to:  I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen.  There's also the follow-up This is Not My Hat (2013 Caldecott Medal Winner).  Either of these might make good reads for the young ones for that end of year list that I should be making (right after I find the measuring cups).

The Final Frontier

Because Saturdays are really for:

    Sleeping in [down comforter]
    Space Interviews  [Chris Hadfield via The Guardian]
    Singing [Space Oddity by Chris Hadfield via David Bowie]
    Starbucks [triple venti]

and six weeks later moving finally unpacking the 23 boxes that somehow are supposed to fit in your galley kitchen so you can make your first proper meal which doesn't use [oven + a screwdriver].

Happy Saturday folks.  Hope you've got your ground control.

Allegro Presto

There are days when you are tired and if you dared admit it, a little bit sad, and you push yourself to make it through a small mountain of paper which has adhered itself to your desk.  Perhaps on those days especially, you take a little extra time to check on members of your team and in the fifteen minutes or so you spend with a couple of women, you hear two of the most heart-breaking stories you think you've ever heard.  You encourage but know you will need to search out something beautiful with which to end your day.

For those evenings, I recommend Chris Thile playing Bach on mandolin. (Bach is a personal favorite, and Thile happens to think the piano is one of the greatest instruments in the world so he's a man after my heart.)  His performance is amazing.    

Drood Night

I started The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens on the plane but did not make much progress.

Conclusion:  this probably isn't the novel to begin after a high-stress three days with intense sleep deprivation.

Next up on the GBC list:  The Price of Justice by Lawrence Learner. 

"Out of Darkness Comes Light"

While on the West Coast, I saw a sign which said "Jerusalem" which was just enough to get this song (with the same title) playing as background music in my head the last two weeks.  [If you like reggae, trust me, it's catchy.]  I had not watched the video until tonight but many of the scenes reminded me of my trip there a few years back.  [It even jogged my memory to the little note I left in the wailing wall during my visit.]  

No surprise then to be drawn to this Guardian review for the Observer Food Monthly Awards best cookbook for 2013.  There's an entire section on hummus.  

I'll let you guess the title.

Unclouded Judgement

      you could see white or you could see blue
      pay attention to shadows or delicate hue
      passing art to be found in the sky
      here for a moment before drifting by

Clouds II, South Bend, IN
September 2013

I'm taking advantage of a small burst of productivity and adrenaline rush after completing a big project. Hope your Friday is off to a great (but perhaps not as early) start.

Lumineers to Luminaries

Congratulations Ms. Eleanor Catton!  She and her book, The Luminaries, received the 2013 Man Booker Prize yesterday.  I'm sure this title has been added to holiday wish lists around the globe.

Interesting note:  the (848 page, 2.6 pound) book's 12 sections were of decreasing length by about half the pages each section.

Don't Fret About It

I once dated a musician who wouldn't let me touch his guitar.*  He had a Gibson Hummingbird of a vintage year and was quite sentimental about it.  [It was the same guitar that Emmylou plays.]  Since I am a pianist, my genteel fingertips and resulting strums did not have the magic to land me in No Depression but I was allowed a few supervised forays into the world of Girls with Guitars.**

With music on the brain fresh from last night's live performance, this NYT article by Larry Richter grabbed my attention like a capo: Roll Over, Stradivarius: ‘Inventing the American Guitar’ Explores 1840s Innovations.  Martin's been making guitars since 1833.

   * Not a euphemism.
** Playing a guitar and the harmonica in a holder is way harder than it looks, particularly if you are trying to look cool.  [ See also: Flashbacks if you ever wore headgear for braces.]

PS  J, when it was clear that things weren't going to work out, I jammed on your guitar while you were out...a lot.

Sur Enough

This week's little trek included a stop at the Henry Miller library in Big Sur.  I've been enamored with Ping Pong, An Art and Literary Journal of the Henry Miller Library.  I have the 2011 edition and find myself revisiting poetry from Brian Henry and Erica Lewis.  There's something extremely soothing in verse and rhythm.

Life Leaks

Whistle through closed car window.
Shower curtain which has a hole.
Iridescent shell cracked from erosion.
Falling soil from burrowing mole.

Coffee lid with an upward lift.
Jackhammer at the six o'clock hour.
Chocolate escaping through croissant.
A burst of lemon sour.

Wet shoe from a little log dance
Petal drifting from the leaf.
Felled moss covered branches hide
Delicate flora beneath.

Contingencies, boundaries don't seem to matter.
When day to day begins its scatter.

Soar Winner

Inspiration comes lately at odd hours and from unexpected places.  A day of music and cloud watching interrupted in one set by a v formation of geese.  

It reminded me of a photo of a "to do list" from a friend: 

1) Learn to fly

2) Fly away

And then this: a public art installation of birds made of books entitled "Language of the Birds"

Incidentally, for my fellow knitters out there, this v formation is sometimes called a skein. 

Falling

Chattanooga, TN
September 2013

Our Friday photo is a combination of books and falling water under the early light of the morning sun.  I recommend climbing on the ledge and touching the water.

Have a great weekend!

Love and a Saucepan

I had never heard of Marcella Hazan before Sunday's obituary in the New York Times.  Kim Severson's description assures me I would have liked her.  She studied biology, was opinionated about risotto, and drank Jack.  She moved to the US with her husband in 1955, learned English with the help of baseball, and didn't have a great first impression of cranberry sauce (solidarity!).  She didn't cook but wanted to take care of her husband.  She had lunch with him every day.  (The article includes a great photo of Marcella and Victor on their first date.)

I loved this quote from the obit taken from her biography:

“Cooking came to me as though it had been there all along, waiting to be expressed; it came as words come to a child when it is time for her to speak."

Grazie, Ms. Hazan.

Boxed In

I've been practicing the art of improvisational cooking:  four ingredients and no heavenly idea where a knife could be.  For people who like to have the odd cookbook (Hotdish for 100?,  The Pleasures of Cooking for One, Eggs and that ever popular Potato), might I suggest a cookbook for the week before and four weeks after you've moved?

It could well include chapters like:

* Philipps or Flathead for your Stand In Spatula?
* How to rescue food from burning with your brand new oven
* You need wine
* Throw away those condiments
* What to with six packets of yeast
* Eat everything in a bowl
* Your gym towel as a stand in oven mitt (if you haven't been to the gym)
* Ensure - it's the drink for the aged and people who move frequently
* How to sterilize your box cutter if you need to cut a bagel
* Aren't you glad you have three dozen wine glasses?
* Have your Dad bring tomatoes

Just a thought.  I'm sure there must be others suffering through a corral of boxes.

Right?

It's So Easy

Linda Ronstadt is one of the artists included in my Dad's record collection.  I can't remember the first time I heard her music, but she's one of the singers who stayed in my personal musical rotation through the years.  Her biography  Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir has been added to my book list at the positive review by another artist and GBC local, Gretchen Peters.

Hope you're finding a little musical inspiration this weekend.

je ne sais quoi

Paris has been on my mind this year.  It's the trifecta resulting in pined travel:  a few years since I've been (three), I've had dear friends make the trek this year, and a blue-eyed wonder said "take me to Paris".

You'd have Paris on your mind too.

Lisa Appignanesi pens her top 10 books about Paris in The Guardian.  I've read two, have two more on my book list, and have one associated book that was a gift from a colleague (Balzac's Lost Illusions).  A respectable start, don't you think?

Moving On Up

Based on current trends I should be unpacked by the end of October.

I will find my spare toothbrush in the next three weeks, that leather cuff in about two weeks, and if I'm lucky, my astronaut shirt in the next seven days.

All cookbooks are accounted for and I've asked the Universe to forgive me for the unkind thought to the boy who gave me a two pound Oxford French dictionary which landed on my foot.

Every day feels like Christmas.

(And Groundhog Day.)

Thursday Night Lights

Historical theatre with a historical band.  Music soothing the soul.

Princess Theatre, Decatur, AL
September 2013

Bringing into Focus

Photos...worth more words than I can muster with just a few sips of coffee.  I found this collection by Bryan Schutmaat incredibly moving.  I hope you'll check it out:

Grays the Mountains Send

Wifi High and Lowe's

Sometimes you find yourself in a very small town at the end of a thirteen hour workday.  You're hungry and you'd like a side of wifi with perhaps some eggs on toast or a tomato panini sandwich.

Simple, yet accessible.

Not too demanding. After all, you're still without water and home internet access because of a little utility accident with a very large shovel.

In that moment after a long drive around the city, desperately hoping for something that stayed open past nine, you realize you're in a town of introverts, and that instead of making wifi available in late night coffee shops around the city, each individual would rather be at home, alone or in small groups...programming, saving the world, creating the next best efficiency, or just playing a game on their super-secure, non-broadcasting networks.  Because after all, this town is smart.

So when you find yourself in a Lowe's parking lot typing away in your lap with a bag beside you that will be forever unnamed, you will try to forget that you ever read Fast Food Nation and hope that this isn't the first book you start to unpack.  When you go home, you will need a glass of reading water.

And when you go to sleep thinking about this very odd day, you will know that despite nights like this, you are still pretty darn lucky.

Moving On

Combining two stressful life/work events in the same weekend probably wasn't my best idea.  As an upside, I'm getting a nice bicep workout from carrying lots of boxes of books.  My bookcase has also found its new home and at some point in the near future, I'll have a lot of fun re-organizing the books to whatever whim I happen to have on the day.  Typically, they are (loosely) arranged by genre and then by height.  Authors sometimes are on the same shelf, but not always.

I don't have a future as a librarian.

Hope your weekend is going along well.

Something About Mary

The Man Booker Shortlist was named Tuesday.  Who will be your first read?

Image from Manbookerprize.com

I'm a Boxer

I've packed my books three times in the last three years.

The first time, all books were carefully cataloged into a spreadsheet and packed according to genre.  Some of the more delicate items were wrapped with brown paper to keep them from shifting.  It was all very deliberate.

The second time, I was still careful, packing books by genre but without the additional packing paper and spreadsheet.  I did dust off a couple of spider webs.

This weekend, Whitman was mixed with Tove Jansson mixed with Kaplan.  I didn't have time to sort and I resisted reading too much before the books went into the boxes (but I still reviewed all my bookmarks aka boarding passes).  I think I've reduced the number of boxes by seven or eight.

Still, I have these, two more boxes of cookbooks, and two shelves yet untouched.  I hope I didn't pack any spiders.

Then there were 19

OM is where the ART is

GBC P@1ge recommended Where in the OM Am I by Sara DiVello for my booklist.  I always take her suggestions anyway, but as an added bonus this book was published the same day I decided to learn to water ski.  (I think I uttered similar words after taking a header into the lake on my first try.)  I especially like the odd coincidence and the few things I expect to have in common with Ms DiVello based on the book description so this read will be next up in the queue.  

Short and Sweet

I really liked this essay on the Kindle Single published today in The Guardian.  I'd missed this Amazon launch (to which my vacation account is probably grateful).  According to the article, the format is geared toward items of 5,000-30,000 words in length, perfect for that weekend jaunt or an evening in.  Several writers are adopting the format, including Howard Jacobson and Margaret Atwood.  Look out, 1-Click!

Eight is Enough (Legs)

One of my favorite things to do is to talk about books.  I like to hear what others are reading and attempt to sufficiently describe what I'm reading as to entice the other person to give it a chance.  During my recent travels, I finished Feynman and although I had planned to jump into another story, a discussion about books led to a book loan/gift (the best kind really), This Book is Full of Spiders by David Wong. (Wong is actually a pseudonym but since he wanted to keep his personal and online lives separate, we can do that too.) 

I'm not particularly keen on the arachnid family and this morning's walk through a spider web made me jump a little more than usual after having read more of the book last night.  Nevertheless, I'm hooked (and keeping a vigilant eye for unexpected movement).    

Sunsets with No Internet

A Friday photo a few days late....

Hope you have had a story-worthy weekend.

Santa Monica
August 2013

California Dreaming

Sunny skies. 

Peach pies.

Letterpress.

Ramen best.

A long weekend with friends, reading water, and just the right amount of time to read. 

Feynman is pretty phun-y.

DC / AC

After chastisement by a chemist, my next read had to be Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman (Adventures of a Curious Character) by Richard P. Feynman.  I've managed the first chapter and already know I'll like it.  "He fixes radios by thinking!"

Hope your week is off to a fine tuned start.

Empire State of Mind

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok was one of the books downloaded for last month's holiday but not started until my return.  Yesterday's luxury was two cafe con leches and a morning dedicated to Kimberly Chang's journey.  A young girl and her mom who leave Hong Kong for Brooklyn in search of a better way of life.  It sounds like a line from a movie trailer but the story is much richer than your typical Hollywood survival.  Long hours in a sweatshop factory with sealed windows, a debt to family who is willing to give an opportunity to move to the US but not to provide adequate living conditions, and a girl who is more brilliant that she allows herself credit through her school years, except for one powerful scene with her headmaster.

There were a number of things I liked about this book.  Kimberly and her mom faced the challenges in a day to day manner.  At the advice of a friend during a challenging period, I adopted this approach and found that days somehow managed to string into weeks and months and you one day find you've survived something you never thought possible when thinking about it in years.  I liked the measurement of items by the number of skirts.  I liked the direct translation of an expression into English.  I liked the characters, and I admired Kimberly's choices.  I'd like to give her mom a hug but perhaps a bow might be more suitable.  Ms. Kwok did a fantastic job of capturing my attention and reminding me of daily gratitude.

I hope you had a great weekend and found a bit of time to read, relax and be grateful.  

In Plaid Sight

Because I seem to be on a rabbit hole toward darker topics this week, I've yet to find a bad review of this children's book, Duck, Death, and the Tulip by Wolf Erlbruch.  It was introduced by The Strand, hooked by The Guardian, and secured with Gecko Press.

I do love tulips.

Not Exactly Drawn Out

Anders Nilsen was a new name to me this morning.  I clicked this Guardian article, Anders Nilsen: drawing through grief, by Emma Brockes due to its title and to the fact that I identified with working through grief by doodling (though my drawings never saw light outside a 6x6 foot room with a semi-comfy green faux leather chair).  The article was powerful and something I wish I had read on the weekend so I'd have more time to mull it over before jumping into my day.  Once starting, there was no return so I now sit with a cold cup of coffee and three of his books in my Amazon cart.  It's the least I could do.

Paying the Piper

Somehow I managed to isolate myself from advertising enough to not know that:

1) the Netflix original series Orange is the New Black was set in a women's prison
2) the series is based on a book of the same name by Piper Kerman

GBC P@1ge filled me in 1) last week and NPR's most emailed stories clued in me on 2) this morning.

Sometimes books make my list in the strangest ways.

A Bunch of Hot Air

Today was the coolest day on record since 1948. I am certain that some will soon be pining for long summer nights.  Before the cool temperatures start to creep in more steadily, here's one more reminder to have a ball.

Decatur, AL
May 2013

Pet-ty Thief

I'm not quite sure how I managed 6 out of 10 on this "Pets in Literature Quiz" featured in the Guardian.  

A glass of reading water for guessing fortitude?  I'll take it.

Genre Alley

I visited the library in high school nearly every day.  Some of the time, it was a through-way to the photography lab where I could develop photos with a could-have-been-a-cousin-to-Bill Nye chemist, but most of the time, it was so I could swap out a book.  I had the stereotypical librarian:  lots of cats (LOTS!) and the sweater over skirt with the rimmed glasses look.  She was kind.  I remember the color of her lipstick and the way that she was very particular about random items in her space.  (I'm sure I'll have these same tendencies as I age though I do hope I select a different shade.)

I found this segment about "Libraries Leading Roles" on NPR to be a lot of fun.  The Keith Richard quote about churches and libraries sums my childhood brilliantly.  [Things I never expected to say.]  Incidentally, I've just added Keith Richard's Life  to my booklist.

I wonder if everyone has a favorite librarian.

That's What You Are

If you're doing any type of late night musings rather than enjoying a typical Saturday evening, perhaps you should add Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo and Me by Ellen Forney to your reading list.  This review by Matt Haig offers a glimpse into the text.  It's a graphic memoir and sure to be, in many ways, unforgettable.  

A Little Quarky

I have managed to live nearly sixty percent* of my life (statistically speaking) without knowing this book existed.  I've even dated two physicists.  How is this possible?  [Note: the rhetorical question applies to the book, though admittedly this is rather a high percentage of physicists in one lifetime.]

In swapping book lists this week with a chemist, he suggested Surely You're Joking, Mr.Feynman! (Adventures of a Curious Character) by Richard Feynman.  In mentioning, he had assumed I had already read it.  When I admitted I had not, he emphatically said that I must read this book at once.  In my defense, this book was published in 1985.  At that time, in true nerd form, I was reading through a suggested college prep reading list, alphabetically by author, as one does.

This NYT review from 1985 will give you a bit of an overview so you can decide if you'd like to add it to your reading list like I did.    I expect it to be a phun read.

*Don't calculate your "lived" span; it can be a little depressing.  If you choose to do so anyway, have at least one two glasses of reading water or a plane ticket (or both).

Falling a Bit

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok is next in my queue.  I'm stealing away a few moments each night to learn her story.  As summer moves into August and fall routines start to creep in, my book list is getting longer.

Starry Night

I ended the weekend star-gazing.  It was a nice cool respite before the week ahead.  While this website is a little heavy on the purple text, it's a good guide to astronomy resources if you feel like things are looking up.  The Fourth edition of Peterson Field Guide to the Stars and Planets by Jay M. Pasachoff and Donald H Menzel is currently available and I'd recommend this text as a staple.

2nd & 3rd Editions
August 2013

My bookshelf holds the 1992 Third Edition and tonight's astronomer host has a well-worn second edition that was used to guide our small party through the Nebula and beyond. 

Peak a Blue

"The violets in the mountains have broken the rocks."

 - Tennessee Williams in Camino Real.  

Glacier Park
The Alps, July 2013

If you have a spare moment, I'd recommend this small piece, Remembering Tennessee Williams by Mervyn Rothstein.

Lucky 13

The end of July brings one of my favorite events during summer:  the Man Booker Longlist for 2013 has been announced.

My fall reading list has another thirteen.

The Sundays

After a holiday away, it doesn't take long to fall back into the regular routines.  Alarms and schedules take precedence and reading becomes something I do during the random quiet lunch or in the evening hours once the sun has gone down.   Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok is still pending. Here's hoping for a rainy day so I can give her the time she deserves.

Flag Her Down

A Sunday walk.  Bright skies.  Flags.  A breeze

Zurich
July 2013

Happy Friday.  Happy weekend.

Conducting the Show

Book #4 was a choice between  The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett or Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok.  Having also read Night Circus this trip, I decided to continue with themes of misdirection and "go local with Ms. Patchett.

The book's first two lines drew me in:  "PARSIFAL IS DEAD.  That is the end of the story."

Who is this person? Why and how?  [I know the opening is always a tough bit so props given here to the author.]  The story is based in LA and manages to pull in small town, Nebraska...in winter.  [I could have actually typed the name but chances are few you would have recognized it.]  It's also one of the first fiction reads I've managed in some while where two of the main characters are dead.  Having wrote that, it seems strange to type then that this book spoke to me about love, different, powerful, kind loves.  Sabine, our assistant, has a nontraditional journey (which I like).  All characters are a bit (and in some cases a lot) quirky and Nebraska won me over in the end.

As a train to plane vacation read, it fit the bill.  While perhaps not my top Patchett work, it would be worth adding this title to your reading lists.

Random II

Some books are summer books because they are light or whimsical.  I hold others to be summer books because they would likely be too dark to read in winter.  Swimming with Maya by Eleanor Vincent was a random Amazon suggestion generated from a fresh browsing session with no cookies (physically or electronically).   This book chronicles the journey of a mother who has lost her daughter in a horse-riding accident.  I'm not certain as to how easy or difficult this might be to read, but I'm playing it safe and adding to my list for summer.

In Need of Train-ing

Book #3 began and could have been finished on the train.  Though completely enthralled with the story since pulling out of the station, with 15% remaining, I felt I would have done my life an injustice for keeping my head down reading rather than head up gazing out the train window at the Alps as they neared view.  Looking down was only for the strong of hearts and heights.  Instead, Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple was finished with a glass of Swiss wine on my top floor room with a blanket knocking the chill of my not appropriately dressed for the weather exposed knees.  (Not too shabby.  Nod in thanks to the Universe.)

This book was a recommendation of a college friend who was confidant, co-conspirator, teacher of poster-making bubble letters, and partner on a vacation which included the "two beer flip flop shower".  I knew it was going to be good for a laugh and an adventure.

The story has a few voices and my thoughts on several characters oscillated between "how did s/he get there?" to "oh, no s/he didn't".  Of course he or she did, and this made for one heckuva fun read.  Bee is ever endearing and I adored the relationship between her and her Mom.  I'm debating whether or not to suggest this book to my own mom as she already has a few Bernadette-like tendencies.  I could imagine her making a sign similar to that in the book (though she'd make it herself).  [Does anyone else's parents have separate tool boxes?]

This was a great summer read.  In addition, you'll be doing yourself an injustice if you don't check out her website. [Awesome!]  Sad that I missed her at Parnassus earlier this year.

Hope a great weekend!  I should be back on track with the postings soon.

I Go Out Walking After Midnight

I've had a small hiatus from writing.  During that time I was reading, traveling, and walking in the woods.  Between trains and planes, I devoured four books over the journey.  (More to come later on those).  For now, the memories I'm holding onto are my walks in the woods.

For hours, I'd follow small trails, hoping I was on the right path and eager to see the small yellow signs which had my destination village.  These signs also had a small snowman on them which I never quite managed to make out.  I didn't see any snowmen.

Since returning, I've had Robert Frost's "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening" and Thoreau's Walden mulling around in my brain.  The item which sticks with me most:

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life..."

- Henry David Thoreau

I'll Have a Double

I found the tipping point with the book.  Somehow I crossed the point of no exit.  I had to finish.

Having stayed awake to finish it last night, I can't say I quite understood how the loose ends were tied up (so to speak).  I also can't say currently if it was worth sacrificing that additional hour of sleep.  I think I need a double espresso to decide that.

A Cup of Coif-ee

In the breaks between electronica and German bands performing covers of John Denver and Lynyrd Skynyrd, I've started a new book.  This one was an Amazon recommendation (which I should now take  with more consideration based on the varied genres of books I've downloaded for family members).  Cross Dressed to Kill by Andrew Lucas is not my normal read. I'm nearly one-third into it and can't decide if I like it or want to stop reading it.  I couldn't sleep last night so I kept reading.  (I'm not sure which of these was cause and the other effect.)  I do like the sparkling shoes on the cover.

The link above previews the first chapter for you. Perhaps start it after listening to Kraftwerk to walk in my non-sparkly shoes.

Don't Send in the Clowns

I had a long travel day on the 4th which meant the required company of good book.  I had downloaded several items that had been crowd-sourced the day before and started with The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern at 10,000 feet.  (This is the 4th book I have read this year on the circus.  It's rather a curious June to June theme that I won't explore to any further psychological depth...particularly without a morning coffee.)

I adored this book.  I read it in the plane, paired with Rosé, at Starbucks, and at gate C14 where I noticed my battery was depleting and wondered if my Nexus would be able to finish the journey.  After a brief mathematical calculation involving % completion, time spent reading with a mild extrapolation to additional time required, I decided yes, opting not to charge, and turned off the device with 10% battery power remaining somewhere over Europe. The story lines run in parallel: the circus which appears with no warning and operates from dusk to dawn, and the characters which develop and meet in order to create such a venue.  There were no scary clowns (+1) but circular tents whose scenes ranged from the Ice Garden to Clouds (+2 for clouds).  This was my type of circus.

While I would have ended the book about 20 pages earlier, I can understand the author's desire to tie up loose ends.  Per my usual, I won't give away any spoilers, but this book is a great summer read item for your list.

Seeing Stars

Happy 4th (and 5th) -

Americana
Nashville, July 4, 2010

A Time to be Social

There were a number of things I enjoyed about "Alice Munro Puts Down Her Pen to Let the World In" by Charles McGrath:  the title of the interview, Ms. Munro's reenactment photo taken on the railroad tracks, her numerous quotes throughout, and her electric blue toenails.

She's an 82 year old after my own heart.  

A List Serve

As I am sipping my reading water and perusing the list of books I should "pack" for my upcoming adventure, I found a link to this Guardian list for Holiday reading.  The five authors have assembled a list of Fiction (legitimate summer reads), Crime (maybe, but I am traveling alone for part of the trip and really would like to sleep at night), and Nonfiction (a bit too serious for my summer reading however Levels of Life by Julian Barnes seems a book I shouldn't try to escape).

How are you doing on your summer reading?

Just a Swinging

Here's hoping the Friday photo inspires some weekend rest.

The lone hammock
Outside of Atlanta, GA
June 2013

Don't Panic

25 June 2013

Dear Banana Republic,

I am a big fan of your Non-Iron Fitted Long Sleeve Cotton Shirt.  For the 2014 Spring Collection, might I suggest that you consider including a water absorbent option for the career-minded female who after an eleven and a half hour day would head to the pool for her Endurance workout only to discover that she was not quite equipped for her long swim session?  I think this would be a very big seller, particularly in pink.

Sincerely,

A voracious reader who was clever enough to reference Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy to a forum of 107 yogis under a rocket but didn't manage to remember her towel*

*"A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. Partly it has great practical value. You can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapors; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a miniraft down the slow heavy River Moth; wet it for use in hand-to-hand-combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (such a mind-boggingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can't see it, it can't see you); you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough."
― Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"  http://www.towel.org.uk/

As Old As you Feel

Once you're a few lines in, you'll understand that this piece doesn't really need an introduction:

At 52, Not Too Old for a Debut Novel by Edward Kelsey Moore in discussing his The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat.

I learned to bike in my 20s and swim in my 30s so I don't think you're ever too old for anything...well, perhaps a couple of things that Moore mentions.

Star Struck

Tonight I stood outside on the cool grass and scanned the night skies looking for movement and trying to recall long-ago learned constellations and star names.*  For a brief two to three minutes, I also watched the International Space Station speed over Earth.  From my vantage point, this tiny, bright moving "star" represented dreams of childhood, dreams of humanity, and I felt at the same time both large and small in this Universe.  It was magnificent.

I hope your weekend has provided inspiration and joy in unexpected ways.

Aside:  I took college Honors Astronomy so I could share class with a cute physicist.  

To Fit the Bill

GBC P@1ge always has the most enticing summaries of book club so I've again used her words below.  I wish I could have been there on the porch.  I've overdue a seat between a couple of you.

It may have been the last al fresco dining opportunity for several months, so our host did good by us and got us outside for a lovely, late spring dinner (after light snacks around the kitchen island of course--it wouldn't be book club at Bill's without that!). As always, Bill prepared an incredible dinner with Tuscan chicken, saffron rice, ratatouille, Rugby salad and a green salad. Topping it all off for dessert--a gelatin salad. Light. Refreshing. Fun.

Now, of course, those words describe dinner, but not The Roundhouse. While the book was well liked and elicited a lively discussion, and the author did insert moments of great levity, one can't describe the book as "light". It was a great coming-of-age/crime novel that also educated us on some Native American history and folklore. I'm happy to pass my copy along to anyone who didn't get a chance to read but wants to.

Summer and higher temperatures are right around the corner, so it's a good time to find a shady spot outside or a comfy chair inside with the air conditioning and read our upcoming selections.

UPCOMING SELECTIONS:

July 16: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn 

August 20: YOUR CHOICE A BOOK BY DONNA LEON: some of her titles include Friends in High Places; Fatal Remedies; or Willful Behavior

September 17: A Summons To Memphis by Peter Taylor

October 15: Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore

November 19: The Price of Justice

Don't Skipper Ahead

I'm fairly certain someone gave me Lucky You by Carl Hiaasen as it is not a novel I can recollect purchasing.   I remember JoLayne (as people who have capital letters in the middle of their names do hold a special place in my heart) and I remember laughing as I read it.  I didn't break the spine, so I must have enjoyed it.

The recently published Bad Monkey had a pretty fine review yesterday in the NYT.  Ms. Maslin notes the novel isn't serious and there will be loose ends, so readers, this likely won't make our Top 100 list from Sunday.  Nevertheless, it will make my summer reading list.  Ever since my real-life Alaskan Whale Watching Tour turned stormy 3-hour Gilligan's Island rough weather where I took pills from strangers boat survival ride with Captain Hook*, I can't resist a crazy boat story.

*Two hooks actually.  True story.

Russian Through

Happy Father's Day greetings - I hope you all had a very fine day.

From The Guardian, this list of 100 Greatest Novels of All Time, should keep you busy.  After you have recovered from your flashback to high school English class, how many have you read?  I think I'm just over a quarter (thanks to my Russian writer reading phase).

How ever did I miss number 89, The Periodic Table?

Giddy up

Today I went horseback riding.
My horse's name was Lovey.

GBC P@1ge asked me if I believed in signs.
I think the answer has to be yes.

What the World Needs Now

It is the last night of my third decade.  The urge to wax philosophic is there but has been suppressed by a third glass of reading water.

As I sit in this little cottage with only sounds of nature (note to self: purchase or invent an iphone4 to iphone5 adapter for in room players), there are a number of thoughts on my mind but one resounding theme.

It is the stuff of songs, poems, youth, and bad texting.  It is painted on billboards, etched on school bathroom doors and whispered through parting hugs. A word never said, a word used until dull.

Love.

Love big and offer love to everyone you meet. One life. Make it full.

Lucky Genes

It was one of those books in which I saved the end.

On my best days I don't like to be interrupted when I'm reading the final chapters of a novel, but in this particular case I knew I had to be alone. Alice Sebold had garnered my full attention. She'd kept me company on a long flight, a Saturday night, and a Sunday morning where I needed more than courage to leave the warmth of a down comforter for a sub 80 degree lap pool.  She had earned it.

So in the oasis between gates with a glass of reading water in the tiniest plastic cup, I read about Lila and about Alice.  I lost myself in words.  Sometimes it takes a story a long while to find the happy bits...and even then, happy can be relative.

This would not be a book I'd place as a typical summer read but I think better on a warm sunny day than in the cold dead of winter.  We all have the inner stories which make us lucky and we each eventually find our way, sometimes the hard way.

Lucky One

My day was extended by two hours.
I was enrapt by Alice Sebold's Lucky for three hours. 
I had reading water in the afternoon and then a nap.
I had a vacant middle seat.
I drove along the coastline and saw the ocean. 
I had an apple waiting for me in my room and instead ate my favorite cookie that I'd packed.
I've had kale and quinoa and sang aloud to the car radio.

It's felt like Saturday and I'm happy. 

Rhye Smile

Normally, I find inspiration in the morning: a fresh start, the break of day, the first rays of sunlight, chirping birds, coffee....normally...beauty and words.  This morning, even my surprise, gifted, triple venti latte after my cafe con leche wasn't enough to bring me out of the haze.

So this evening, as I've rationalized Cheezits and wine for dinner for the second consecutive evening, I turn to the thing that always lifts my spirits and never fails to inspire.  Music.

Hope you enjoy a little Rhye.

Summer vs Winter

I like conversations that drift into stories about books.  Today a conversation about business strategy and drifted into something like this:

Add this to your list but don't read it now...it's depressing.
Is it a winter book?
Exactly.
I need a summer book.
Inferno is a good summer book.
Should I really read that?
It's a typical Dan Brown formula, it's predictable in a way and yet you want to keep reading.
So a summer book?
Yeah, a summer book.
Have you read 100 year old man?
Yes! It was so funny.
A great summer book.  

The strategy of book reading.