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Sunday Matters

As of this morning, The Music Man is done. We battled illness during its run but The Girl did well even though she wasn’t feeling good for most of it.

Right Now:

I am lounging people. LOUNGING. It’s Super Bowl Sunday and even though I have zero interest in the teams that are playing, I love all the other stuff that goes with it. Plus, I have the night off from student ministry which makes it pretty nice.

Some have asked for an update so here you go. My son is good. He’s putting his hours in and exploring Disney World during his off hours. He’s making new friends and he seems to be eating okay. So far, so good.

This Week:

Nothing out of the ordinary this week. Same old stuff. The weather has been unseasonably warm. I mean, it really feels like spring. It’s kind of nice. It makes me think of summer reading.

Reading:

Speaking of reading. I am reading Nomadland for a non-fiction club. The idea of living modestly is appealing to me. I know some people are forced to live in vans or RVs because they can’t make rent but some people do it by choice, refusing to work themselves to death just to live in traditional housing. I’ve read articles where young people are living this way so they can go to where the work is. Interesting.

I have some review books to get to but I am looking for something really juicy to read. Not juicy like a bodice ripper but a good, psychological thriller would be great. Any suggestions?

Watching:

I keep talking about all these shows I want to watch and it never happens. When I have down time, I am either reading or just hanging on the couch staring off into space.

Making:

Nothing fancy. I tried cauliflower pizza the other day. Interesting texture. Of course, today is a big food day with the Super Bowl and all. We have been invited to a friend’s house to watch the game and with me being gluten-free and my daughter being a vegetarian, we will be bringing some things to the party as well. Plus, they have a new puppy. Enough said.

By the way, The Girl wants mozzarella sticks:

Image result for mozzarella sticks — Photo credit: The Food Network

Grateful for:

People with a sense of humor. Gosh, I love to laugh and I love to make people laugh too. I am grateful for all the people who make me laugh.

So, do you have a juicy reading recommendation for me? The kind of book that makes you forget to eat? I want one of those.

The Book That Matters Most
By Ann Hood
W. W. Norton & Company, 9780393354096, August 2017, 384pp.

The Short of It:

Surprisingly enjoyable.

The Rest of It:

After Ava’s marriage falls apart, she finds herself desperate for companionship. So desperate, that at the suggestion of a close friend, she joins her book club. The club’s reading theme for the year is “the book that matters most”. The participants select books like The Great Gatsby or To Kill a Mockingbird but Ava selects a book from her childhood that many are not familiar with.

As Ava navigates life and tries to figure out where to go next, her daughter Maggie spends her days in Paris as a kept woman and spirals downward into the dark sea of addiction.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when this book was selected for my book club. Honestly, I felt like it would be too fluffy and dare I say it, too romantic and sappy but it was none of those things. The Book That Matters Most deals with some pretty deep topics. I found myself eagerly flipping the pages and because it centers around a book club, there is plenty of bookish talk which I always enjoy.

This book has been around for a little while but I don’t recall ever seeing it before it was selected for my club. I’m glad I read it. I felt like the daughter’s story was more developed than Ava’s but overall it was an enjoyable, page-turning read.

Source: Borrowed
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