lit*chick

i'll own it

after using my it's not a cup cup,  here are a few observations...

• it's awesome
• the silicone lid is a little weird, but after you get used to it, fine
• you don't really need a cozy, it keeps your hands cool and bev warm, did I say need??
• the hubs has taken to calling it my sippy cup (it really is an adult version of a sippy cup, no?)
• my guess is version 2.0 will have designs/colors to choose from

In other news...we had a full day ahead and in the blink of an eye it changes. Caleb is either worn out from basketball camp, fighting a cold, or both. He is not himself at all. So no camp or birthday party tonight. And our schedule is cut in half just like that. I would prefer the lighter load comes by happier circumstances, but a lazy day of summer is in order either way.

This is an opportunity to get some things done. To get some things done around the house OR read. Hmm.

Someone who is himself:

 

 

 

the O. He cannot be stopped. Gloves, glasses, galoshes, viking hat,sword, pockets filled. Check.

Finished the memoir What Remains and novel By Bread Alone. I recommend both.  Different genres but the themes of love and loss run through both. And they were quick & painless. A word of caution: By Bread Alone makes you want to eat a loaf of artisan bread, for real. 

Q: What book have you read that gives you a specific food craving? cookbooks excluded :)

Mine are the Diane Mott Davidson culinary mysteries. Goldy, the heroine/caterer, bakes alot and drinks excessive amounts of espresso with whipped cream. And the included recipes are truly yummy.

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seriously, it takes a village

for me to get my haircut.

Miji made an appointment for me with her girl and had to come with, since I don't speak Korean. Sue dropped out of the sky and volunteered to watch all three cherubs while I did the deed. Her house is THE house where everyone wants to be - you know the one...doors always open, snacks galore, laughter and crafts and pets and craziness.  It's a perfect place for the O, he can't figure out what to make of the controlled chaos. Super. So thanks girls, for keeping me quaffed and pampered.

Pictures forthcoming, I have a wicked case of bedhead.

So I managed to get these at b&n sale - some people thrift, i stack:

1. By Bread Alone by Sarah Kate Lynch
2. What Remains by Carole Radziwell
3. London is the Best City in America by Laura Dave
4. History of Love by Nicole Krauss

Breakfasted with the dc metro girls at Bread & Chocolate in Old Town Alexandia. Then on to Paper Source, where I not only got paper & related products, but one of these:

...trying to figure out if i can decorate it somehow. I definitely want to get a cozy here .

Finished a good book yesterday -

This is a solid summer choice. It's an intricate plot (click on the pic and read the description) but the author's style is easy to follow and the story has an unputdownable quality.

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back to the stacks

Whew! 

I finished The House at Riverton last night.  And sighed contentedly. After a slowish start (on my part) it finished with a bang.  Mysterious, but not as dark as The Thirteenth Tale, with a dash of Gosford Park equals a must add for your summer reading list.

Off to get my much needed haircut and stop by the bookstore. I'm going to try to pick up The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, maybe a Margot Livesay and a Madeleine L'Engle. We'll see how far I stray...

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book club & reviews

there are a few new reviews on the feed...more to come.

my bookclub meets tonight at Orinoco :)

we are discussing These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine 1881-1901 by Nancy E. Turner. A fictional account of a feisty pioneer woman in the Arizona Territories. Good stuff.

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The God of Animals by Aryn Kyle

Qs are on the

MESSAGE BOARD

Would love to hear your thoughts on this one.

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book clubs

tonight:

my real life bookclub is discussing The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian - i am leading and have looked forward to talking about this story for a year. by the way, the author is a great friend to bookclubs - he hosts a discussion board, replies to questions and is in a word, accessible. it is a great gift to a reader to have more information - so go check it out. i am also thankful to gently ease myself back to normal life after retreating. steady as she goes.

online:

The God of Animals questions will be up on Wednesday. I'm going to try something a little bit different this month.The plan is to post 2-4 questions each week for a month. This seems like it may be more manageable AND you won't have to finish in order to participate. Sound good?

dcmetro:

i am not a member of the dc gals bookclub, but i do read vicariously through them. they had their bookclub this past weekend  - hosting the author of their selection: Practically Perfect in Every Way by Jennifer Niesslein (still on sale at amazon).

did you read anything this weekend?

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back to business

I hope everyone had a lovely Easter weekend. Ours was a big blur of basketball, bunnies, nerf guns, church, lemon bars and colored eggs.

Most of you probably had spring break last week, but ours is this week - the kiddos are all home and already fighting. Sigh.

But I'm back to the stacks after my brief bout with a stomach bug. I read Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy. I'll talk more about it on the feed, but it was a worthwhile read. And I finished The God of Animals - April's online bookclub pick. It is risky to choose a bookclub book you haven't already previewed (not a good habit), but after seeing it on the NY Times 2007 Notable list I figured good or bad there will be lots to discuss. Well, I can happily report the gamble paid off and I encourage you all to get a copy and read it. I'm anxious to talk about it, it's one of those books that you really want other people to know. And it's in paperback now, so you have no excuses.

That's all for now, I have to grab a light saber (aka cattle prod) and retrieve a ball out of the woods...

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The Book Thief

Questions can be found under lit chick book club - click on it to play :)

and here's the author website with some interesting details about the background of the book: Marcus Zusak

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watch out for the flood

Updated the feed with comments from the last four books.

Started Keeper and Kid, should be finished tonight.

Friendly bookclub reminder - you are free to comment on any of the titles at any time. Don't forget to check back to see if there are additional comments or questions. AND if you haven't started The Book Thief, get going. :)

I'm lining up May-July online bookclub picks. And I'll let you know as soon as I finalize the titles so you can get a headstart. I met some readers yesterday, good times. I look forward to another dc metro lit chick gathering soon.

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dwindling

My library pile is finally a bit more manageable. Unfortunately, I had to return the last 2 books without writing down my favorite passages. And there was a lot of good writing.

I'm currently only reading one book - The Kept Man by Jami Attenberg.

Supposed to get snow here so I'm off to get provisions. This time, no more books!

Comments for Someone Knows My Name are on the feed.

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