Book Chatter

Sunday Matters

We finished Shrek the Musical last weekend. It was a huge success. Right now we are enjoying a short break before Grease rehearsals start back up. It’s nice to come home and not have to be somewhere.

Right Now:

When the holiday falls on a Tuesday, it doesn’t make for much of a “holiday” weekend but hey, it’s still the weekend and I’ll take it. Not much going on today. My daughter and I need to go to the thrift store to get some pieces for her ensemble costume. The 50’s prom dress will be difficult.

This Week:

I get July 4th off but no other days so I will be at work most of the week. Speaking of work, my cube is being remodeled and expanded (more space!) so I am in a temporary cube downstairs with all my stuff packed up. They tell me it will only be for a week or so.

Besides rehearsals not much else going on. We will most likely stay home on the 4th. The Otter Pup is not bad with fireworks if we are home with her but lately she is so terrified of weird things like house flies so yeah, we will have to stay home with her.

Reading:

I’m still reading the same two books (Perennials and Do Not Be Alarmed) but I did finish The Gypsy Moth Summer.

My reading tastes are all over the place right now. I want riveting stories but for some odd reason I am wanting non-fiction reads too. So rare for me.

Watching:

I recorded Stephen King’s The Mist but haven’t watched yet. Have you seen it yet?

With production week, I fell two episodes behind with Fear the Walking Dead. I hope to catch-up this week.

A movie that I haven’t seen in a really long time is The Big Chill. The Hub is like, “I can’t remember if I’ve ever seen it.” How can one forget such a stellar cast?? He’s seen it numerous times. Now I feel as if I need to buy a copy.

Making:

I made Pork Chops and scalloped potatoes. No applesauce although that would have been good given that The Girl got braces and is having a hard time eating.

I also made spaghetti and chili dogs and some tuna casserole thing that was a big bust. I made it gluten-free and it was okay but not something I’d make again. Of course I made enough to feed an entire country.

Grateful for:

I am really happy that our little heat wave from last week is over, at least for now. We had 106+ temps for several days and I just do not feel human at any temp over 102.

What’s new with you? What movies have you seen? What books do I need to pick up right away?

The Gypsy Moth Summer
By Julia Fierro
St. Martin’s Press, Hardcover, 9781250087515, June 6, 2017, 400pp.

The Short of It:

The inhabitants of Avalon island are trapped between the here and now and what the future holds for them during one of the worst moth infestations to ever hit the island.

The Rest of It:

The story starts off innocent enough. Jules and Leslie return to the island of Avalon with dreams of restoring her family home, known by all the locals as The Castle. While living in the cottage guest house, Jules is at first unsure of the move. Is this island ready to accept an interracial marriage, no questions asked? Jules is willing to find out when he discovers the beautiful gardens attached to The Castle.

Also on the island is Maddie and her rag-tag group of friends led by Bitsy, every bit as horrible as her name implies. Maddie is constantly measuring herself against her peers. Is she pretty enough? Smart enough? Cool enough? The pressure to fit in forces her to experiment even though in her head she knows it could end with disastrous results. But then Maddie meets Brooks, the son of Leslie and Jules. Brooks is like no other boy she’s met before but will their relationship be accepted by her friends? His family? Hers?

This is not the first time I’ve read a Fierro novel. Her first novel Cutting Teeth impressed me with its raw, brutal look at “adulting” before “adulting” was even a word. In The Gypsy Moth Summer, there is a lot of racial and class tension as these island inhabitants are thrown together while the destructive Gypsy moths devour trees to the point that their chomping can actually be heard.

This constant battle of life vs. death, creation vs. destruction, love vs. hate wears these characters down and the end result is a tightly wound novel full of dysfunction (my favorite thing). It’s not shiny and pretty to look at. It’s not sandy beaches and blue, blue water but it’s a little gritty and there’s heat between some of these characters which makes it a little racy at the same time. I loved how Fierro included facts about the Gypsy moth in the story and of course these life cycle inclusions could easily be compared to the island’s inhabitants as they go about their lives.

If you haven’t read a book by this author yet, DO give her a try. She has a knack for peeling back the layers and you know me, I love a little depth in my summer reads. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Julia Fierro

For more information on the author, click here.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

This giveaway is for one copy of The Gypsy Moth Summer and is open to the US and Canada. A winner will be chosen randomly by me. The book will come directly from the publisher/tour coordinator. Only one entry per person. Giveaway closes on July 2, 2017 (pacific). I will contact the winner for his/her mailing address.