Tag Archives: Bookish Chatter

Chatter about books, reading and anything related to either one.

Friday: Random Bits

This week has been a blur. In one sense, it has gone quickly but in another… slow as molasses! The Boy is still causing me grief and I have a patch of gray hair to prove it. Seriously, this patch showed up overnight. You can’t see it unless I pull my hair back but The Girl was kind enough to point it out to me. God love her.

As we roll into May, things do not die down. Instead, they pick up. The Girl was asked to join honors chorus. The only downside is that rehearsals are from 4-5pm, which makes it difficult for a working parent. The challenges never end but it’s just six rehearsals and a final show so it’s a short-term thing. I think we can make it work.

Beauty and the Beast is coming along. The Boy is becoming, ahem, transforming into Lumiere as I type. The French accent, the walking around with forearms help upward, the singing, the dancing…it’s all coming together. We haven’t seen the costume yet but it’s rented and apparently has the torches and everything built in. However, I don’t think the theatre will allow the use of propane so we’ll see how they handle the effect. Plus, The Boy wears glasses so we need to get him some contacts for the show. Wouldn’t it be funny if Lumiere wore some cool, hipster eyeglasses? Okay, I guess not.

Bryan Batt
Bryan Batt as Lumiere
Photo Credit: bryanbatt.com

In addition to the show coming up, The Boy is wrapping up track season with a few more races and the banquet. Then there is his choir banquet, then they both have a cast party for the last show (Music Man), May and June will be very busy before it begins to slow down again. The Girl had wanted to try out for swim team this summer, but it conflicts with her summer camp field trips, which are both offered through the city. You’d think they’d consider this when scheduling.

As for me, I’ve been feeling a little down. The events in Boston, followed by the tragedy in Texas and the fact that I am a complete and utter news junkie, meant that I was glued to the TV and/or computer while the entire thing unfolded. I can’t tell you how sad it made me to see Boston fall off the trend list on Twitter after just TWO days. Terrible things happen, people move on. Sigh.

On a happier note, and probably what’s kept me somewhat grounded through all this crazy, is the #winditup2013 read-along. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle continues to be a very interesting read and reading it with others has been an enjoyable experience. We are about to roll into book three, the final book, and right now the story could go anywhere. One of the participants described it as being Twin Peaks-y and I agree. It’s a little bit of everything for sure.

We had some plans for this weekend but they’ve been nixed since The Boy is helping someone with a video shoot and I stupidly scheduled eye appointments right smack, in the middle of the day. Doesn’t leave enough time for a road trip so I’ll spend the weekend reading. I am not joining Dewey’s Read-a-Thon officially since I never have enough time to dedicate to it, but for my reading buddies who DO participate, enjoy!

Why I Feel Like Ms. Lucky Pants Lately

You know that feeling you get when a new, highly anticipated book comes out and that brand new copy ends up in YOUR hands? That is the best feeling. But when you get that copy before it even comes out? Bliss. I’ve been Ms. Lucky pants in that department lately!

Here are just a few that I am really excited about:

Galleys of Upcoming Books

Big Brother by Lionel Shriver (June 4, 2013)

For Pandora, cooking is a form of love. Alas, her husband, Fletcher, a self-employed high-end cabinetmaker, now spurns the “toxic” dishes that he’d savored through their courtship, and spends hours each day to manic cycling. Then, when Pandora picks up her older brother Edison at the airport, she doesn’t recognize him. In the years since they’ve seen one another, the once slim, hip New York jazz pianist has gained hundreds of pounds. What happened? After Edison has more than overstayed his welcome, Fletcher delivers his wife an ultimatum: It’s him or me. (Goodreads)

The Illusion of Separateness by Simon Van Booy (June 25, 2013)

Award-winning author Simon Van Booy tells a harrowing and enchanting story of how one man’s act of mercy during World War II changed the lives of a group of strangers, and how they each eventually discover the astonishing truth of their connection. (Goodreads)

We Are Water by Wally Lamb (October 29, 2013)

We Are Water is an intricate and layered portrait of marriage, family, and the inexorable need for understanding and connection, told in the alternating voices of the Ohs-nonconformist Annie; her ex-husband, Orion, a psychologist; Ariane, the do-gooder daughter, and her twin, Andrew, the rebellious only son; and free-spirited Marissa, the youngest Oh. Set in New England and New York during the first years of the Obama presidency, it is also a portrait of modern America, exploring issues of class, changing social mores, the legacy of racial violence, and the nature of creativity and art. (Edelweiss)

What would make this list even better, would be the inclusion of Stephen King’s two books (Joyland and Dr. Sleep) and The Abominable by Dan Simmons. I keep looking out for ARCs but I suspect the King books are impossible to get and I haven’t seen a galley offered of The Abominable as of yet. I keep looking though!

What upcoming books are you excited about?