June | 2016 | Book Chatter

Sunday Matters

After a very mild spring, we are having a heat wave. My house has been neglected these past few weeks because of the flurry of activity that always seems to hit me at the end of the year so staying inside to tidy-up doesn’t sound all that bad today.

Last night, the Teen and I volunteered to work A Night to Remember, a free prom honoring students with special needs. I worked food detail and the Teen was a student host to one of the honored guests. It was a blast!!

Right Now:

I’ve not been able to attend church these past few weeks because of the award show we attended and being out-of-town for Memorial Day so today we head back to church and I am so looking forward to it. Also looking forward to seeing my middle-school group tonight, even though Justin Cronin decided to do a book signing when I was not available to go. I’ll forgive him.

This Week:

I have nothing after work this week except a girl’s night out. This will probably be the only time ever I will get to write a sentence like this one.

Reading:

I am really making an effort to get through my review copies and it’s paying off. I am currently reading Zero K by Don DeLillo and it’s reminding me of a couple of books (Never Let Me Go and The New World). It’s a fast read so far and I am anxious to see where the story goes.

I am also reading two bigger books, which is why I haven’t made too much progress with either of them: The City of Mirrors and The Fireman. Actually, with the latter, I just started it.

Watching:

Nothing.

I’ve not seen anything good and I am very behind on all of the shows I watch (Fear the Walking Dead, Bates Motel). My TV watching time is Sunday nights and Sundays have been busy for me but I should have plenty of time now.

Making:

I am not really in a cooking mood but since the kids are home and schedules are manageable now, I feel the need to cook a meal or two. Maybe lasagna? Grilled chicken salads? I haven’t a clue. I would be happy just eating bread, good cheese and fruit but that gluten-free thing messes me up every time.

Grateful for:

The friends I’ve made through theatre, choir and track and yes… church! I always have this super-busy schedule but every time I show up to volunteer for something, I have happy faces around me to keep me entertained. This is why I volunteer. Not only to help my kids out, or the school out, or even the church out… but to meet in real-time, have conversations and do something for someone else.

IT FEELS GOOD. I highly recommend it.

We’re All Damaged
By Matthew Norman
Little A, Hardcover, 9781503933378, June 2016, 268pp.

The Short of It:

Marriage is highly overrated. Especially when your wife takes off with your paramedic neighbor down the street.

The Rest of It:

After losing his wife to his neighbor and humiliating himself at his best friend’s wedding, Andy Carter is forced to realize that his marriage is over and that it’s time to move on. He moves to New York City where he makes do in his tiny apartment but happy, he is not.

When he gets the news that his grandfather is dying, he decides to make the trip back to Omaha to spend as much time with him as possible but that means seeing his ex-wife, her new lover, and all the people that he disappointed along the way.

This is a “woe-is-me” read but I can so relate to Andy and I suspect that a lot of readers will too. He’s well-meaning but awkward. His matter-of-fact approach is kind of funny too. There is a lot of self-deprecation going on here but it’s so well done and there are many odd, quirky characters thrown in for good measure. If you like this sort of thing, you will find this aspect of the story quite amusing.

But, it’s also a sweet story about heartbreak and loss. It has just enough humor to keep it light but there are some deeper themes here, which I enjoyed. I read Norman’s first book, Domestic Violets and that one had the same kind of humor but I think I liked We’re All Damaged a little bit more.

If you want a funny, summer read but one that has some depth to it, you really can’t go wrong with We’re All Damaged.