March | 2015 | Book Chatter

Sunday Matters

It’s so easy to be consumed by sadness. I don’t get sad too often. I am mostly content and happy. My kids will say I yell too much. I do. Patience is not my strong suit. But these last few weeks really brought me down. My father’s death, the eye injury, etc. I tried to be all quiet with it all. Sleeping, living on gluten free toast which is like prison food. And yes, I yelled a lot. Short fuse.

Now, after after a few weeks of moping around I am better. I think it’s good to just give in sometimes and to realize that you don’t have to keep it all together. It felt good to just let it all go. I want to thank all of you for the kinds words, the numerous “check-ins” and the fun stuff you all sent me to cheer me up. Seriously, thank you.

Right Now:

Coffee, breakfast, church. Over the last twelve months, church has played a bigger role in my life than it ever has. Mostly, because we finally found a church that we can live with. It’s called Real Life Church and that is what it is. Practical messages for daily living. Come as you are. No fancy schmancy dressing up and they even have a coffee house which even The Girl takes pleasure in. They make a mean hot chocolate. So that is how we will spend the morning. Oh, and trying to get used to the time change. I am not a fan of Spring Forward.

This Week:

The Girl auditioned for Brigitta (The Sound of Music) and a lead nun. We find out on Tuesday if she got a callback.
Track is in full swing, but The Girl missed some practices because of the show and we had some practices cancelled because of rain. Not sure she is going to be ready by the first meet on 3/21.
The Teen continues with his rehearsals for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
The Teen is starting his SAT prep course soon and the college packets are starting to arrive at the house. He is a senior next year. Wow.
I have a parent teacher conference on Tuesday and I am working the book fair on Thursday but forgot my kid will be at track. Bad planning on my part.

Reading:

I am about 70 pages into Pet Sematary. I fell behind for the read along because of the eye injury (so stupid) but I am trying to catch-up. I think most have finished already. I am also reading The Book of Strange New Things. I started this one ages ago and got totally sidetracked so now I am reading it FOR REAL. I’d like to fit one more book in. A page-turner like The Girl on the Train. Any suggestions?

Watching:

One thing I did a lot of while moping around was watch Breaking Bad. I started that first season and did not think I was going to like it and now I am more than halfway through season three. What an awesome show.

Still watching The Walking Dead and it’s getting really good. You can’t trust anyone on that show. It’s a fun one to watch and now The Hub and Teen are hooked.

Gearing up for the return of Bates Motel (Season 3) which premiers this Monday.

Making:

A new Mexican market opened up on our side of town so me thinks some tacos might be in the works.

Grateful for:

All of you.

Happy Thought For the Week:

Hoping for a good outcome when the callback list is announced on Tuesday. Thinking happy thoughts, doing a happy dance. Also, the Teen is narrowing in on what he wants to focus on when he does go to college and it looks like Arts Management. That makes me happy.

South of the Border, West of the Sun
By Haruki Murakami
(Vintage, Paperback, 9780679767398, March 2000, 224pp.)

The Short of It:

Success and happiness don’t always go hand in hand.

The Rest of It:

Okay, guys. My love for Murakami is approaching full-on creep level. If I could shrink him down and put him in my pocket, I’d carry him around all day long. Weird, huh?

I saved this book for a long time because it was the last translated novel that I had not read but when my father passed away and I was unable to pull myself out of bed, I reached for it and Murakami’s writing did what I expected it to. It soothed, refreshed, made me ponder life in a big way, and all of a sudden all these feelings were rushing through me again.

This is probably one of my favorite novels, ever. It’s right up there with Kafka on the Shore and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. It’s a plain, simple story about a middle-aged man by the name of Hajime. He has a loving wife, and two beautiful daughters. He owns a couple of very successful Jazz clubs and enjoys the life he’s earned. But deep down, there’s something missing.

Not fully understanding this sense of longing, he’s reminded of a girl he knew in childhood by the name of Shimamoto. She was his everything but that was a long time ago. Is it possible that she even remembers him?

Memory plays a big role in this story and it’s beautifully handled. Murakami paints vivid, broad strokes when it comes to Shimamoto so it’s easy to see why Hajime is so taken with her. In childhood she’s this beautiful, delicate untouchable thing but when she walks into his club one rainy evening, Hajime begins to doubt his own existence and is no longer sure what happiness is.

This novel is full of romantic interludes but I hesitate to call it a romance because it’s much deeper than your typical romance novel. If you are familiar with Murakami’s writing at all, you know that his books can walk the surreal line. Some of his books are way out there, like Kafka and Wind-up but others are more subtle and this one is definitely one of the quiet ones but oh, how I loved it. That last page! That last line. Sigh.

If I want to try Murakami, which book should I read first?

Everyone always asks me which book to read first. It’s really hard to say. I read Kafka on the Shore first and it was like an acid trip. At page 50 I was about to give up on it and then something clicked. But that’s me. I like it when an author surprises me. But I think about 75% of you would run screaming from a room if you picked that one up first.

So then, to be on the safe side, I usually suggest After Dark, which dips into the surreal but not overly so but if you like excitement then that one might not work for you. Then, there are his short story collections. Some of you adore short stories and some of you don’t. But, I have to say that South of the Border, West of the Sun is the one I will recommend for first time readers from here on out. It’s beautifully written and well-balanced. Not too much of any one thing which makes it a good read for first-time readers of his work.

Just for Fun

Check out this cafe which became a hangout for Murakami fans. I’d like to live there.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

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