Space Station Mir

Just Finished: I was expecting a memoir cum novel about the restaurant industry, instead I got this profound prose poem to finding one's power against the backdrop of the New York restaurant industry. It begins similar to Camus'  The Stranger, with an unnamed protagonist encountering a sensualist paradise, but evolves into Tess claiming her name and her power and her experiences, and I want to recommend this to everyone. Currently Reading: I'm having a good couple of reading weeks, because I also want to recommend this to everyone, even though I'm not quite finished yet! The title undercuts the seriousness of this thoughtful memoir. It's not about a "man fast," as Scripture establishes early on, but instead a spiritual journey into becoming the person she is meant to be. A lot of folks have compared it to Eat, Pray, Love . The writing style reminds me more of Elisabeth Eaves, but the subject matter definitely has a lot in common with ...

My Top Ten  Fifteen  Auto Buy Authors Classics: 1. Jane Austen 2. Louisa May Alcott 3. L.M. Montgomery I will read anything by these authors. Although I started with and loved their best-known works ( Pride and Prejudice ,  Little Women , and  Anne of Green Gables , respectively), I find that I often love their more obscure works best. Persuasion is a melancholy gem, Rose in Bloom is probably the book I've reread the most times in my life, and L.M. Montgomery's short stories, like the collection The Road to Yesterday , are pitch-perfect miniatures of her larger novels (and often feature Anne cameos), not even to mention Emily of New Moon and her dreamy writerly ways. Reading the backlist of beloved classic authors, in my opinion, is one of the best ways to find new and sometimes stunningly apropos favorites at just the right moment. Poetry: 4. Leigh Stein If I see Leigh Stein's name on a poetry book, I'm buying it. So far, I've only had the chance on...

Just Finished: I don't really know what this book is, but it's an adorable work of art. It's a slightly tongue-in-cheek but mostly earnest manifesto of a certain kind of white Southern womanhood: sweet, friendly, and blessedly frivolous. If you're interested in Reese Witherspoon, it's certainly insightful on her upbringing. However, this is definitely not a celebrity memoir. There's nothing (intentionally) controversial here, and while it feels restful, certain comments can be jarring without context (e.g. if you don't know Christmas carols, you live in a cave). Ummm. I don't know Christmas carols because I'm Jewish and have actively worked not to soak them up. I don't think it's meant to be offensive and I don't take it that way because this book is a very specific portrait of a white Christian Southern culture, but, in this day and age, it may make people feel a bit sensitive. All in all, this book is worth a literal look or two, fo...

Bookish and Not So Bookish Goals for July July is my birthday month, and I've had some plans in place. Due to the nature of my job, fall is VERY busy, so I want to soak up the sun while I can. Here's what I've started (and would like to) accomplish by the end of July: Camp NaNoWriMo-Write 3,000 words! Take weekend trips with friends-July 4th weekend in Ocean City is in the books; next up, visiting friends in Boston! Swim-my parents' new house has a pool, so I've already been swimming more this summer than the past several years combined, and I hope to keep it up! I even bought a new swimsuit for the first time in 15 years.  Spend a lot of time outside-The beach helped, I've been weeding outside, and walking my dogs. And wearing plenty of sunscreen! Read at least 10 books--In previous years, I've averaged 4-5 books a month; this year has been more like 8-9. Since I have some time off this month, I think I can get in at least 10! Meditate Dance Cele...

Books Read This Month The Two-Family House by Lynda Cohen Loigman All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater Under the Table: Saucy Tales from Culinary School by Katherine Darling The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson Favorite Book Series This Month Clearly, The Raven Cycle , judging by the pace at which I went through the whole thing... and I'm considering reading them all over again.  The Raven Boys starts off as a contemporary Gothic paranormal Harry Potter, but the series evolves into a found family epic (and romance) featuring several of the most individual characters I've ever met in fiction. It's got me interested in tarot cards like I've never been, sighing over an unlikely, unexpected, and perfect couple, and terrified of dreams (and Latin). I had such a book hangover, t...

Books Read In May Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi The Hellfire Club by Jake Tapper You Think It, I'll Say It by Curtis Sittenfeld Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading by Maureen Corrigan Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen You Are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero League of Dragons by Naomi Novik (Temeraire #9) America's First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie Thoughts : I've been procrastinating on posting my May list because I wasn't especially blown away by any one or two of the books this month, although I appreciated aspects of several.  I was really looking forward to Children of Blood and Bone.  I loved the sample opening chapter, and I ended up enjoying the book. I especially enjoyed the concept of the maji and the structure of the world with the gods: the mythology was a definite strong point. I also really loved the character of Amara and how she's unexpectedly strong but also just fu...