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Sunday Matters

A rather funny title for this post because these days, an adventure means that we simply left the house. Progress. Usually we spend too much time running around so the fact that things have slowed down is really a good thing. So, what do we have planned for today?

Right Now:

Church! This morning’s service is special in that we have former Dodger Darryl Strawberry in attendance. We had planned to attend in person but now I am having trouble getting everyone to go. Maybe we’ll go. Maybe we’ll watch online. Still not sure.

After that, we will grab lunch or a late breakfast and head off to the Petersen Automotive Museum. Guys and cars. What can I say?

Not sure what we will do after that. Tacos were mentioned.

This Week:

This is the week before my daughter and I leave for camp. There may be some prep stuff involved with that and then at the end of the week there is a “volunteer thank you” at my church which should be fun.

Nothing else!

Reading:

I am so proud of myself. I promised to get through my review copies and I’ve been doing great with that. I just finished Wintering by Peter Geye. Quite good. Before that I finished Firefly Summer by Nan Rossiter. Also, very good. Reviews coming soon.

I just started The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler and I am kind of loving it.

Big read along news:

A group of us will tackle this beast in July. Who is with us? The Fireman by Joe Hill is a chunk of a book so if you plan to read it, then why not read it with us?

Watching:

I’ve been channel flipping lately. I’ve seen bits of Jaws, Seinfeld, a documentary about a missing ship, way, way too much news and I was very sad when I saw Babar listed in the U-verse guide only to find out that I do not get the channel.

Making:

I made some crazy good dip this week for chips. I made Grilled Chicken salads one night, pasta another night and breakfast for dinner. My creativity is tapped out though. Dinner has become this boring meal. The kids are out of school and they are eating later in the day which messes me up for dinner. I cook it and then no one wants to eat it.

Grateful for:

Quiet evenings. It’s been nice to just come home and do nothing.

What’s your Sunday looking like? Your week? Any special trips? Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there!

Zero K
By Don DeLillo
Scribner Book Company, Hardcover, 9781501135392, May 2016, 288pp.

The Short of It:

Death is inevitable but some choose sooner, rather than later.

The Rest of It:

This is the second book I’ve read this year about cryogenics. I’m not sure why my attention flits over to that subject every now and then but when it does, I find myself fascinated by the topic and this book was no exception.

Jeffrey finds himself supporting his stepmother’s decision to be cryogenically preserved. You see, Artis is dying anyway, but she’s chosen to give her body to science and unfortunately for Jeffrey, Jeffrey’s father has decided to join her in death.

This story explores the idea that there is a purity in death that cannot be achieved in life. For me, the purity aspect is further supported by the clinical nature of the procedure itself. There is a starkness to it, a coldness if you will. Everything is sterile and clinical and without fanfare. The body stripped of clothes is just a body. No longer father or mother but just skin and bones and a glimmer of what used to be.

This book reminded me a lot of Never Let Me Go. I felt somewhat detached while reading it but it’s not nearly as depressing or dark. This has a much more positive feel to it, although you have a dig to find the positivity within it.

Some of the writing really made me think about civilization as it stands now. How do the events of the past shape the future? How can the decisions we make as a society today, impact us later in life?

Overall, this was a good, interesting read but it’s a little deep and I may not have gotten all of the meaning behind it. There were times where I could not tell if something was happening for real or if it was in a dream or some created reality. It’s that kind of book.

Have you read it?

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

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