Ti | Book Chatter

This post is coming to you a little late. We had a very full day at the track yesterday. It was The Girl’s first meet of the season and it was an away meet, at a school that happened to be hosting for the very first time. Let me tell you, the people were so incredibly nice but it went on for twelve hours!! My two-hour volunteer block stretched into nearly six hours because no one else showed up. And as you can see, by the end of the day, people left with their kids because it was just way too long of a day.

That is The Girl in front, doing her thing.

The upside, is that The Girl was awesome but had a ~~little spill~~ huge spill, during the 100m. At first, I didn’t think she was able to get up because she hit the turf full force at full speed, but she managed to pull herself together and finish the race. It was horrible to see! She was going so darn fast when she did it.

What you see below is just one of the injuries. She basically took out her entire left side and although she is somewhat smiling in this photo, she was definitely not smiling this morning. I am just so darn glad she got up and finished the race. The crowds in the stands, the stands were actually full for that race, stood up and cheered her on. I was so glad to see the opposing teams cheering her on too. I was so sure she was going to be carried out on a stretcher because when I say she hit the ground hard, I mean it.

Doesn’t she look like a little bad ass Daryl Dixon in this pic? The Walking Dead fans, will chuckle at that She is my little ass kicker.

Turf Burn

But after a day like yesterday, none of us wanted to go to church this morning because after twelve hours in the sun and heat, we just couldn’t think of getting up but of course we did. So we dragged our sorry butts to church and enjoyed it quite a bit.

Later this week, we have track practices, Jazz Pop rehearsals for choir, open house at the high school and that biopsy that I mentioned in a previous post which I am really, truly dreading. Wish me luck.

What am I reading?

I am not sure if I will ever finish Orfeo. It started off strong but it’s been painful reading a few pages every day, to just get through it. I may give it up. I started The Museum of Extraordinary Things which is pretty good so far. Still trying to get through Life After Life. Very slow but the story has picked up a tiny bit.

Oh, and I finished Me Before You. There are no words. I wish I had not waited so long to read it.

What am I cooking?

Today was one of those “hungry” shopping days. The weather has been glorious so we hit the market after church to pick up something to grill. We ended up with steak, salmon and chicken! Everyone wanted something different so whatever doesn’t get eaten, will be the stuff of salads later this week. We are also having baked beans, corn on the cob and baked potatoes! Yep, a “hungry” shopping day for sure

What am I watching?

Well, I had to stop watching Lost at lunch because The Girl wants to watch it with me now so all that I have been watching lately is The Walking Dead and Bates Motel. Both, too good to miss so my Sunday and Monday nights are pretty set. I wanted to squeeze Catching Fire in there this weekend but it didn’t happen, and won’t. I am about to crash on the couch for a much-needed nap and that is all I can think about at the moment.

What did you do today? Reading anything good?

Eleanor & Park
By Rainbow Rowell
(St. Martin’s Griffin, Hardcover, 9781250012579, February 2013, 336pp.)

The Short of It:

You know when you were in school and drew hearts all over everything to express your love for a particular thing or person? Well, if I could actually bring myself to write in a book, there would be hearts all over this one.

The Rest of It:

Eleanor, an awkward, “big girl” with crazy red hair, lives at home with her numerous siblings, her mother and her abusive stepfather. She’s poor. Poor enough to learn how to make do with what she has, and often, what she has is very little. Her crazy outfits make her the butt of everyone’s jokes and the morning bus ride to school is made worse by the fact that no one wants to sit next to her.

However, none of this goes unnoticed by Park. Park observes Eleanor from afar, before offering up the seat next to him. Half-Korean and in a circle of his own, Park is not popular, but not unpopular either. He’s able to blend, mostly because he grew up with these kids. There is a degree of respect for him, so once Eleanor accepts the next to him, the atmosphere changes ever so slightly. Hesitant to talk at first, the two bond over comic books. When Park notices that she’s reading his comic books as they lay open in his lap, he begins to bring them just for her. What happens next is nothing short of magic. These two unlikely characters forge a friendship, which eventually becomes love. Through music and comic books, they come together and once Park gets close enough to know Eleanor’s true story, he does everything in his power to save her.

Sometimes, I think the success of a book comes down to how well an author captures a feeling. Reading this book was like living my high school years all over again and I mean that in a good way. Even with all of the teen angst, the high school years are the ones that stick with you. Am I right? Good, bad, ugly. It’s the stuff of memories and that is why I enjoyed this book so much. Rowell’s ability to strip the characters down to their most vulnerable state is what makes this book so readable and probably why the characters felt so real to me.

I loved Eleanor’s awkwardness but I think I loved Park’s pragmatic approach to life even more. And his parents? So awesome. Loving, supportive parents who aren’t perfect. Sure, there was a heavy dose of sap when it came to the romance itself, but that’s how it is when you are young. You can’t wait to see each other and you do nothing but obsess about it until you do. Rowell captures it all beautifully.

One bonus to reading this book is that it’s set in the 80’s and the musical references are like whipped cream added to a sundae. Delightful! I grew up in the 80’s so that entire decade is near and dear to my heart but this book has a little something for everyone. I highly recommend it.

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

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