Book Chatter

Sunday Matters

The title of this post is a well-known fact about me but I’ve never loved books more than I do right now, at this moment. I have been picking up the best reads lately. Not all of them are perfect but they take me through my day and leave me with questions when I finally decide to crawl into bed. A busy mind, one that is not crowded by anxiety and stress is good for the soul.

Right Now:

Happy Valentine’s Day! We do not have anything planned except for picking up some takeout and at this writing, we haven’t figured out what to get yet. I love Indian food and it’s often a friendly vegetarian choice. The Hub likes a good curry but he’s not much into the other dishes.

Sparkle Heart

Later, my youth group will meet on Zoom. Not sure if anyone will show because it’s Valentine’s Day after all.

This Week:

Tomorrow is a holiday for my daughter. No school for her but my campus is still open so I am working from home. She has an audition with Missouri State though and then on Friday and Saturday, auditions for the University of Texas at Arlington and the University of Northern Colorado. That should be the end of her audition season unless another walk-in opportunity comes up.

At the end of this week, she has a master class that I can’t really talk about at the moment, but I’ll be able to soon!

Reading:

Oh my word. I finished Anxious People in one day. A lot of you included it in your Best Of lists for 2020 and I can totally see why. What an odd little book. I bawled. I teared-up in many places. The review should post on 2/22.

I think The Midnight Library is my next read. I have the new Murakami but that one doesn’t come out until April so I want to read it a little closer to its publication date.

Watching:

Schitt’s Creek. Still. Almost done with Season 3. I am enjoying it way too much.

Grateful for:

My son applied to grad programs as you know. So far, he has gotten into the University of Oregon, Claremont and Seattle. This has bolstered his confidence immensely.
My daughter has gotten into some good schools so far but she isn’t done with the process so we wait.
I have an old high school friend who just entered hospice. He is completely lucid and he is spending every minute of every day appreciating everything he has. It’s heartbreaking to read but he has found some peace taking this grateful approach. If you are the praying type, please pray for him. Everything seems to hold a little more value these days because of his posts.

I am so happy to hear that many of you have gotten your vaccines. I’m not sure what tier I will end up in but whatever tier that is, it’s not a priority one. I am guessing it will be fall before I get it.

Take care of yourselves!

Klara and the Sun
By Kazuo Ishiguro
Knopf, 9780593318171, March 2021, 320pp.

The Short of It:

Love, loneliness and loyalty are front and center in this story about friendship.

The Rest of It:

Klara spends her days at the store, rotating positions with others. Some days she is in the shop window and able to watch the busy people rushing past the shop, interacting with others and living their lives. Other days, she is moved to the back of the store. On these days, her only view is that of others in the store and she can’t help but yearn for more hours in the window. Hours where she can feel the sun’s warmth and personally experience its rejuvenating effect.

Klara is an AF, an Artificial Friend. Although there are newer models with more advanced features than what she can offer, Klara is spotted by Josie, a young girl and instantly, Josie is sure that Klara is the AF for her, but the two do not meet at that moment. The mother needs more convincing and so Klara, although hopeful to find a new home, is moved to the back of the store again.

Months pass and Klara has all but given up hope, but then there she is, Josie. Klara’s heart is bursting at the sight of her but she can’t help but notice that Josie doesn’t look well. So as Klara is taken to Josie’s home, she quickly realizes that Josie is a special girl and that not only will she be Josie’s best friend, she will also be the one to notice her rapid decline in health and be the one to do something about it.

What a story. It’s a little weird and sad and somehow manages to hit on all the things we are feeling now. Disappointment, loneliness, isolation, hope. What does it mean to be a friend to someone? How can you love a person when you are in fact a machine? What happens when your purpose conflicts with your heart?

You might think that it will be difficult to feel much while reading this story about what is essentially a robot but think twice. Remember that episode of the Twilight Zone, Sing the Body Electric? Bradbury wrote the script and it later became a story with the same name. Anyway, I felt all the emotions while watching that episode and I felt the same way here. Ishiguro presents an AF who is almost too human and I loved her. I loved her gentle observations and her willingness to sacrifice herself when needed. Truthfully, I am a little sad now as I just turned the last page not long ago. This story will sit with me for a long while.

If you are wondering about the title, it’s all explained in the story and probably represents many things but I will keep my thoughts to myself so that you can consider the meaning yourself.

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

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