Summer reading list

Yesterday, Mr. John Swinburn made reference to our un-officially "long-forgotten" "What Are You Reading" list over there on the right side of the screen. Although Ellie updates it religiously, and Jacquie is on top of it too, I, well, I just don't, and am not. I'm not exactly sure why. Apathy mostly.

There was a day that I updated it semi-religiously (which is perhaps all I can expect from my dear self who is decidedly un-religious), but that somehow fell away after I gave birth to my third child and was once again consumed with tending to all the things baby. Which is to say many, many time consuming, sleep robbing tasks. I didn't read much during this period, which I know will shock all of you mothers out there.

I was slower than normal getting back into the reading routine, but back I finally am, and I'm looking to pick your reading brain.

I just finished a book last night, so I'm in that sweet spot where the possibilities are almost endless. Which book will beguile me to crack its cover this time?

That's where you come in....

But I'll share too.

The book I finished last night was "The Sugar Queen" by Sarah Addison Allen. I found it delightful, but would not recommend this read to everyone. It's short and sweet, and full of happy magic. A decided turn-off for many, I'm sure. But if you want a delightful diversion, I recommend it. It's delicious.

Prior to that I finally got around to reading "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins. Loved it! Jacquie told me about this book years ago, I vividly remember looking at her as if she was a woman gone mad as she explained the premise -- one girl and boy are chosen from each of 12 provinces to fight to the death, on live television; a sort of "Survivor" gone terribly wrong.  You crazy lady! I mean seriously, young-adult science fiction? And violent at that? That is just not my thing. I stand corrected!



Who can lend me "Catching Fire" and "Mockingjay"? Anyone?



This spring I happened to pick up "Breakfast with Buddha" by Roland Merullo before a red-eye flight, and am happy to report that it sustained me through the freezing night. The novel is funny, and light, and who doesn't love a road trip read? Or well-played spiritual humor?

I also picked up "Radio Shangri-La" for the same flight. Unfortunately, I wasn't as taken with this book, although I did learn about Bhutan, which is something, and I did identify with the author's desire to reshape her life. I think my disappointment was mostly a case of overly elevated expectations. I wanted more. But maybe you won't? (Now that's a glowing review!)

The next few are books I read long ago, but are in my current consciousness because I just picked them up for a friend. I've admitted that I have a second-hand book buying addition before, and these recent purchases are just proof of my never ending jones. But, worth mentioning here I think.

"Five Quarters of the Orange" by Joanne Harris -- ever read it? No? Well do. I loved this book. Harris does a bang-up job of writing from a child's viewpoint. True, it may be a little dark, but you know, so is life sometimes...

Okay, back to light and humorous. (It is summer for pete's sake.) I thoroughly enjoyed Helen Fielding's first novel, "Cause Celeb." It's fun, flighty, irreverent. Well, as fun as you can make an African famine, anyway. This book is a smash up of movie stars and refugees that works. Who can do that?  In my opinion Feilding can.

That's all I've got for now. What do you have for me?

Who knows, maybe I'll even update the "What Are You Reading" list.

Goobers

I've spent a lot of time with these two goobers these past ten days:

*Sigh*. I love these goobers.

Mind you, I've got many many other nieces and nephews -- okay okay, six additional nieces and nephews -- as well, but I only got to see two out of those addtional six this past week. These two:

*Sigh*. I love these goobers.

In the meantime, Jacquie and her kids were here for a good long visit, and I got to spend loads of time with her particular goobers.

Jacquie's girl and I always have a lot to talk about.

Most of the time her responses start with, "Wait, what?"

But we just talk and talk and talk.

And have a few yuks. It is, after all, the Corey Way.

And Jacquie's boy? Oh, what a weirdly delightfully oddly perfectly awesome 12-year-old boy*.

*In other words, an alien from outer space. Please notice his nicely placed elbows on his plate. He's an awesome kid, with wonderfully creative ideas, like wanting to sell the rocks from Milford's Gulf Beach to the denizens of said Gulf Beach.

(He had no takers.)

We had a lot of fabulous meals together, including this one Jacquie prepared for us all at Mom's on Saturday evening.

Say it with me now: "Ya-hum."

Cheers, peeps!

We may have had a yuk or two ourselves that night . . .

. . . it's possible we were cracking up until we were crying . . .

. . . Jacquie may even have laughed until she fell into the laptop, but nobody's quite sure.

And Jacquie's kids? They may be those acorns you always hear about, the ones who fall not far from the ol' tree . . .

They have wonderfully honed senses of humor, and fabulous cases of joie de vivre.  And, frankly, they're the most spectacular goobers around.

Oof, I miss those goobers.

gangstas

Oh, what a week this has been! We're headed home on this fine first day of August, and it shouldn't surprise you to know that Ellie and I will both surely bombard you with stories and images over the next few lifetimes. But right now I need to savor the final few hours of our visit out in the world with my peeps rather than in front of the computer, so I'll just give you a quick visual of the various places we've been, gangsta style:

New London

New York

Southport

Milford

East Coast, out.

Weekend 3-Way: take a look



Hmmmm. This looks like a cool place . . . 

Hmmmm. This once looked edible

Hmmmm. This looks a bit, uh, foolish

Fiction Friday: Swallow this

Gertrude didn't completely trust this Mr. Swallow. I mean, for pity's sake, what kind of a name is "Swallow" anyway? It sounded like one of those made up TV-type aliases to her ears. Or perhaps a bad knock-off of Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow. And why the immediate introduction?

It wasn't that he said or did something obvious to make her think that he was something other than what he claimed to be, other than the introduction, which she had to admit could be chalked up to good old-fashion manners; it was just a funny feeling she got, a tickle in her belly similar to the flutter she get when driving down Wickham Ave when late for work.

He was polite with no trace of an accent, rather plain in appearance and of medium build -- he was not much cause for alarm. He did, however, wear a fedora, which was not in fashion. At least not here. In this decade. But who knows, maybe he had some sort of Don Draper, Mad Men-esqe fetish, which was really none of her business. His request for very specific historical material was not completely out of the ordinary or overly obscure either, although it certainly wasn't your run-of-the-mill request in this large but ordinary library.

She longed to follow him to the stacks to see if her suspicions were grounded, but unfortunately she'd just had her morning coffee and couldn't avoid a hopefully quick trip to the ladies room.

As she walked down the far side of the fiction stacks she craned her neck to see if she could spot him, but she saw only Billy Jackson at the computer bank, who she swore was somehow eluding the libraries censorware and watching porn during his long and frequent visits. She halfheartedly wondered if they should try switching from Cyber Patrol to Smart Filter. Although she had not actually caught him in the act of viewing pornography, the satisfied expression on his face during his time online brought to mind only one thing. Which was not the sort of 'flutter' she should be thinking about while at work! She probably did have to have some proof before she formerly requested they change software programs though.

But never mind, Billy wasn't her concern this morning...

Ann Mania, Redux

That was the most beautiful look into Dad-Day that Jacquie wrote yesterday, was it not?

Sigh. Yes, it was.

Mistah took a million wonderful photos that brutally perfect day, too -- including shots of Jacquie -- and I'm going to share them, too, if you'll indulge me. But not today. Today, we're going to return to the celebration of Ann's Big Birthday.

My whole family came up to New London for the celebration. Believe that? We were 13 . . .

. . . no, wait! We were 15! Mumsie and Kelly joined us too.

Oh, wait! Jennie! 16!

We all returned to The Good Captain's, for food and fun and frivolity and fabulous festiveness. (And, from the looks of it, calamari and chowdah).

Julie had MB cracking up . . .

. . . Julie was on a roll that night . . .

. . . and Jacquie was no slouch herself.

Julie also apparently loves Tabasco. Really really loves it. Will commit misdemeanors on its behalf, even. Sigh.

My girl Chapel Hill Girl was in da house. As was her brother Joe. As was my fancy green L&M drink-bucket-with-straw. Haven't seen it since that very night.

Uncle Schleckah has been taking this same photo of Jacquie's boy for years and years now . . .

. . . and it's still working for them both.

There she is! There's the Birthday Girl! With my lovely lovely Mom.

Yay Mom! Yay Ann!

And then? Time for you-know-what.

Hoo-ray for Ann . . .

. . . hoo-ray at last . . .

. . . hoo-ray for Ann . . .

. . . for she's a horse's ass.

Julie felt the need to tie Ann's ribbons on her head, Rambo-style . . .

. . . and to add the tissue paper, too.

Everybody got into the act . . .

We had a great time celebrating the momentous day, especially after the wonderful, brutal intensity of Saturday.

Happy Birthday, Ann! Thanks for the fun!