Sunny and Share

If you were in many parts of the Southeast yesterday, you received a gift: a beautiful, warm, sunny day. I spent much of the day in the car with the accompaniment of my favorite songs. Windows were down and there was only one traffic light where I was caught singing. It was the type of day where you felt happy even if you did not believe you were.

Reading was deferred until the next cloudy day.

Up, Up and Away

Fridays are the days I allow myself a little more caffeine than normal. I may try out a new shade of lipstick or add a little something unexpected and/or unorthodox to an ensemble. I have made a ritual of Fridays, and they have been celebrated for many years, originating I think with those first trips to Provence on Friday mornings in search of a croissant, a coffee, and eventually the dear friends I still have today.

And so I saved this title for a Friday: Encyclopedia of the Exquisite: An Anecdotal History of Elegant Delights. I received this book as a gift over the holidays by a dear friend and fellow book enthusiast. [Note: Forgive the website link included above. It's really not fantastic, however I did want you to get a good look at the cover. She/her publisher is a better writer than web content designer.] The book jacket cover is ivory and red with a spine and actual (again red) book cover that would make one proud to have it on their shelves. Secondarily, the content is pretty fun as well as interesting with the first item/chapter/section entitled "Aerostation: The art of hot-air ballooning" which began in France (like many good things) in 1783. If you have never ridden in a hot air balloon, you should.

As I turn through the pages, I read about "The Bob" (which I now associate as my breakfast here after years of Sunday brunch with my yogi friends) but was once a quite radical hairstyle for a lady. And finally, my favorite thus far is "Far Niente: Sweet Idleness" which seems appropriate for a Friday.

I hope this weekend brings you something exquisite.

Making Good Time

In 2011, I have made more time for reading. My schedule is not quite as regimented as it once was in the pre-blog/work/school/travel/move/change your life days but I have become a bit more focused. It has helped me cross over the 50% mark in Great Expectations. (I have either become a slower reader, my reading water/reading combination is off, or I did not remember this text to be as long.)

I am also back to the morning news, reading articles today about my smile courtesy of NYT and mushrooms via WSJ. Both stories make me want to make a return journey to France (and to explore whether I have a fixation on news agencies which can be abbreviated to three letters).

There will be however new journeys for 2011 - I just need to plan what they will be.

skinny latte, skinny jeans, skinny list

Earlier this month the category winners for the Costa Book Awards were announced. I was unfamiliar with most of the titles but a few of these will make my ever-growing Excel list of books.

The Hand that First Held Mine by Maggie O'Ferrell (novel)

Witness the Night by Kishwar Desai (first novel)

The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund de Waal (biography)

Of Mutability by Jo Shapcott (poetry)

Out of Shadows by Jason Wallace (children's)

The book of the year will be announced tomorrow on BBC Radio 4 which gives you just over a day to choose your favourite (with the additional "u" a nod to the Brits).

For those of you unfamiliar, Costa is a coffee house which appears in London as much or more than our green-labeled (now no name on the cup) friend here from the States. If you are lucky, you will get a bit of attitude served with your latte. Cheers.

I See Your True Colors

From today's reading of Great Expectations:

He says, no varnish can hide the grain of the wood; and that the more varnish you put on, the more the grain will express itself.

Cell of the Century

With a little fortune from my scheduling, I was able to make a late appearance to the January meeting of the GBC. I knew I was at my heart's home when our lovely hostess said upon my entering: "I will warm your plate for you." (That never happens at my physical home.) So while I ate my delicious Russian themed meal, I listened to discussion about the book and DNA and thought reading has met my new working life. Torn between two book club books and a textbook, I did not have the opportunity to complete The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. The conversation last evening was enough to secure that I would.

As we rounded off the evening with a final toast of Russian reading water (themes, we like themes), we left happy and at least for me, feeling quite lucky.

Conspiracy Theory

I had forgotten how much more challenging it is to read a textbook than a work of fiction.

I think the subconscious works in parallel with the environment to cause distractions.

This theory has not yet been proven but was developed over my morning espresso.

Validation pending.

Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory

A cup of coffee and a leisurely Sunday morning morning of email, news, and social media perusal led me to this book review of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua. For those of you who know my childhood, inherently I cannot help but to check out anything which begins "Battle Hymn." [Aside: my ex tried to convince me that "Battle Hymn of the Republic" could be a fantastic wedding song. To his credit, while it did sound amazing on this organ, it received a firm veto.]

This book chronicles one mother raising her daughters using the Chinese model rather than western traditions. (In reading through her list of impermissible items, I think my mother was a partial adapter of Chinese rearing.) If we use Carnegie Hall as a measure of success, her children are well on their way to achieving amazing things. Her methods of forced practice every day remind me of Hseih's childhood account in Delivering Happiness that I read last fall. As I do not have children, I cannot offer opinions of one technique versus another. With its exploration of mother/daughter relationships and the drive to succeed, I do think this read could be a fascinating discussion for the GBC. It has made my reading list.

Doing my O.W.N. thing

Little did I know that my selection of Great Expectations was in line with main stream media, and by that, I mean Oprah. As I sat in the waiting room reading, I received the typical interrupting questions from a neighbor: Do you like your Kindle? Yes. What are you reading? Great Expectations. Oh, you are doing the Oprah books! I had no words for this comment.

Reading time to me is like airplane time. These are solitary moments, and I try to remove myself from surroundings using either my book or music. The persons who take these actions as an opportunity for an intro conversation will receive one-word answers (unless of course the book title is two). Secondly, how is it that I selected the Oprah readings as my next choice? I downloaded the book last spring as part of my going to France, must have books and oh, this is free selection but it never made the top of the queue until now. First book of the year and I have joined the thousands of other women (and a few men) across the US who are reading with Oprah. Maybe this means I should print out the bookmark.

To Like or Not Like? That is the question.

I spent time last night exploring the idea of "like/do not like." I am an emotional "liker" - I prefer something because it typically connects with one of my senses: the smell, the flavour, or the completeness of the object resulting in my inability to pin it to one particular sense but rather to an overall sensation: I like this. I am connected to this in some way.

For things I do not like, I become very analytical and can rattle off a list of reasons that this particular item or object does not appeal to me. [The book was too long. The vocabulary was too flowery. The brie should have been served warm on my salad. And the examples could go on.]

After spending the time for reflection, I am not sure that I will change these habits in some way. You may still hear me say I liked this book "because it spoke to me" complete with hand gestures, a smile and a sigh as a first explanation before attempting to delve into analytics. I walk the Myers Briggs line on T versus F. [cue Mr. Cash for my exit music]

Snow Place Like Home

With two days pending, I have yet to finish the book for the first meet of the year with a new bookclub. I will be able to complete the read if I manage 300 pages/day or factoring in my free non-work, non-exercise, non-eating but still awake time, 150 pages/hour. I need a miracle.

Slackish or brave? Arguments could be made for either side. I still recall my first night with the GBC many years ago. Reading the book was a secondary issue to my preference in reading water. Of course, I did know most of the members. Wednesday, weather cooperating, I will walk into a room of strangers without detailed knowledge of the material and work through the conversations like a girl on her first audition. Knowing my clumsy tendencies, I just hope I don't break a leg.

Saturday Night's Alright

Weekend weather combined with today's news stories have left me without a suitable theme today. I hope you are enjoying your weekend.

Stay warm.

Read if you can.

Have a cup of tea (or reading water).

Act Now - Cancel Anytime!

Many of us keep up with the latest in film and addictive television programming with Netflix. Some may take collective use a little further with handbag selections. This week, I discovered another intriguing opportunity in the wide world of rentals: books. Bookswim allows subscribed users to rent books for a monthly fee beginning at $23.95 for three books at one time. There are no deadlines to reading unless self-applied (over-achievers) or demanded by your book club (procrastinators). No additional shipping fees apply so feel free to order those really heavy books that you have been so desperate to have. Options include paperbacks and hardbacks. A simple search also led me to Booksfree which shares their "how it works" graphics with Netflix (I would suggest a little differentiation here). Booksfree targets paperbacks as well as some audio with a price point that is cheaper than Bookswim. With Booksfree, one also has the option for monthly, semi-annual, and annual memberships (just like your gym).

Immortal Bee Witch lives Secret Lives

With the New Year officially in full swing, it is time to get organized for your first quarter reads. Upcoming titles for the GBC are:

Jan - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Feb - Little Bee by Chris Cleve
Mar - The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho
Apr - The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives by Lola Shoneyin

As already mentioned, my local alternative for January is Outlanders by Diana Galbaldon. Time for me to pick up the pace on Great Expectations.

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Advice for 2011 inspired by a weekend in NYC:

1. Don't forget your sunglasses in the cab, even if the ride makes your top #5 scariest of all time.
2. Know what you want by the time you get to the counter.
3. Hear a band play twice live in the same venue: you may just feel like you are part of a heartbeat.
4. Go for long walks.
5. Wear sparkly things.
6. Falafel eaten standing may in fact be better than that served to you at a table.
7. Read Hemingway, chronologically if so desired.
8. Make spontaneous resolutions at dinner parties.
9. Wash dishes for someone else.
10. Use a brown paper bag to remove exterior skin from grilled peppers.
11. Stay in touch with old friends and make new friends.
12. Speaker placement is important.
13. Taking the scenic route can be more fun.
14. Visit museums and use the audio tour.
15. Order two desserts.

Wishing you an ultra-fabulous beginning to your year.