© 2012 Book Chatter | Book Chatter

…I would be so darn happy. Yes, it’s a work day, but the anticipation of the weekend makes the day tolerable and might I add, somewhat enjoyable. I nearly always have a social lunch with my co-workers, which often includes gossip (if there is any to be had), and great food and laughter. Today, we have yet to decide on a restaurant but whatever we choose will be perfect.

Tomorrow, The Girl has volleyball and then we may tackle the floors that we’ve been working on. Some sanding was accomplished last week, but more sanding has to take place before we can apply the concrete stain and as you know, sanding is messy, messy work! It gets everywhere!! Just an hour of it last weekend left everything covered in a fine dust, including the Otter Pup! She was a dusty little thing.

Sunday, we are taking The Hub out for a birthday brunch. We like to go here. It backs to the airport and the kids and Hub, love to watch the planes take off. Of course, the food is good too and they cater to kids so the buffet has all sorts of yummy stuff (crab, roast beef, eggs benedict) but it also has corn dogs, tater tots and other kid stuff. Oh, and the dessert table is fabulous! Buffets are a challenge for me as there is hidden gluten in everything so I will be armed with Benadryl and my inhaler!

After brunch, we are seeing The Avengers! I reserved our seats so we don’t have to deal with long lines. Should be fun. We hardly ever see movies in the theater anymore because I hate the crowds. I will suck it up for The Hub’s birthday though and it will be nice to see a movie before it comes out on DVD.

What am I reading? As usual, a ton of stuff. The book I am most excited about right now, that I actually have in my hands, is The Age of Miracles. I am going to start it this weekend. I wanted to start it right when I got it but the conditions weren’t right. You know how that works. Laundry was staring at me and homework needed to be done. I can’t read when that stuff is looming over me like a dark cloud. I am almost done with Swamplandia! Hmmm, I hope that it ends on a high note because right now, it’s dragging. I’ve got some other books going between Net Galley and Edelweiss. I need an app to remind me of the publication dates of these books. Sometimes I jump into a galley only to realize that it doesn’t come out for 3-4 months, which means that I can’t review it for awhile. I hate when I do that. I mean, I can write it up, but I hate to schedule posts so far in advance.

One more thing… The Boy interviewed for, and made… ASB (associated student body) for high school!! I am not ready for him to be in high school but I hope to adjust soon.

Okay, enough from me. Happy Friday!

Emily Alone
By Stewart O’Nan
(Penguin (Non-Classics), Paperback, 9780143120490, December 2011, 272pp.)

The Short of It:

A wonderful, poignant follow-up to Wish You Were Here.

The Rest of It:

When I read Wish You Were Here back in March, I expected to love the writing because so many have gushed about O’Nan’s work, but I didn’t expect to fall in love with this family and that is exactly what I did. The surprise here is that they aren’t all that lovable! There is some dysfunction and of course drama with the oldest adult children, but they are painted with a firm brush and so real, I felt as if I could easily pass one of them on the street. Wish had them all sharing a cabin by the lake over summer vacation. Emily Alone is Emily Maxwell, back home, a few years older and well…alone.

This is by far the more challenging of the two to write. It had to be! With the lake as a backdrop in Wish, and all those kids keeping everyone busy, there was a lot to write about and it took time to know each of the characters. In this book, Emily is at home, doing what she does every day which includes talking to her dog Rufus, getting the mail, and reading her book. She frets about her car’s dead battery, going out in the rain and spends her day adding items to a list that continues to remind her that her days are numbered. Although in perfect health, she goes through the year thinking that is may be her last. As an elderly widow, it certainly could be.

Technically, Emily has the company of her sister-in-law Arlene to spend her days with, but Arlene’s health is beginning to show signs of failure and all of their friends are slowly dying off. What Emily lives for, is time with her family. Thanksgiving and Christmas are holidays which become even more important to her as the years pass, and this particular year is no exception. She still remembers her husband fondly. His presence is still felt in the house, but Emily knows that soon, she will be with him whether she likes it or not.

As I was reading, I found myself thinking about my own mortality and what family means to me and how so often I go through the day not really feeling any particular way and how the days just run together. Not Emily. For her, as mundane as her day may sound, it all means something to her. Each day has importance and that’s an important reminder for anyone.

How is it that O’Nan can center an entire book around normal, day-to-day activities and still make it thought-provoking, poignant and interesting to read? Seriously, the man amazes me. This is absolutely a “quiet” sort of book. There are no huge plot points to shake things up but there is humor, genuine angst and a fondness for these characters that is surprising as much as it is welcoming.

Emily Alone was a real treat. I have Last Night at the Lobster from the library so I’m sure I will dive into that this weekend.

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

Chatting with friends about books and life…