Lots of Italics in This Post to Represent Disbelief

This weekend I went to the beach with family and friends.  A tent had to be pitched on the beach.  That’s right, we are those people now, apparently.    And even though one of our friends put together a tent, this is of course what happened:

So very little reading was done.  Luckily I have a bunch of free time on weeknights from 9:45-10:15pm and during that time I read the awesome One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus. 

I loved this book.  I have never heard about the group of white women that were sent off as brides to Native Americans to “civilize the savages.”  This novel was based on a true historical event, but it was a fictitious story.  It read like the real thing though.  Wow, was it good.  If you like reading, being interested in things, happiness, and especially reading, you will like this book. 

If you like things that are cute, babies, love, happiness or things that loosely tie to book blogs you will like this:

Take This, Andrew!

I (slowly) read The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz recently, and am now proving to my husband that I still write this blog.  Because I do!  I just can’t read as much as I used to, which is kind of killing the premise here.  But I am still 100% willing to spend 5 minutes per month writing drivel in a small corner of the web for Phill to read on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  That’s just the kind of person I am.  Won’t let ya down, buddy.

Regarding the book I finally read – it won the Pulitzer Prize.  Therefore I think it is wonderful because I am super smart and have a well-honed literary mind.  For example, I loved the use of swearing in the novel.  Good job, Junot.  A perfect use of the f-bomb.

But honestly Phill, I liked the story and the writing style but occasionally I found it a tad bit confusing.  It was told out of order – which can sometimes be great.  But in this case, I was sometimes a bit lost and confused about what was going on.  I would have thoughts like “did I switch the laundry?” or “what time is my first meeting tomorrow?” which is not a great sign.  Especially since yes, I did just switch the laundry and I have a meeting at 10 am.

My smart work friend Kristin liked this book, so maybe you will too.  I’ll just be over here hitting refresh on people.com for royal baby news like all the other literary scholars out there.

If You Have Nice Things To Say About United Airlines, This Isn’t The Book Blog For You

Last week I went on my first overnight trip since Jane was born.  I got to spend my night away in scenic central New Jersey, where the restaurants are BYOB and where you make big plans to go to bed early but work on a presentation until past bedtime and, as it turns out, several beers deep.  Also, without getting into detail, let’s just go ahead and add United to the Very Long List of America’s Most Hated Companies.  In my case, these are all airlines.

At least I got to spend some time in the Newark Airport finishing the highly anticipated (by me) book And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini.  I mean, if an airline is going to rob you of time with your precious baby whose first months are priceless and are gone before you know it, at least have a very good book on hand to pass the time.  Even if said book is not as good as his other two books The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns.   

This is a Very Good Book, but it didn’t all come together until very late in the game, and by that point I was really hungry and not in a great head space.  It is very tough to win me over in that mindset, but I still have a favorable opinion of Hosseini (again, not of United Airlines) and would happily read anything he writes.  Hopefully I will read his next book somewhere more pleasant – like on a beach, or my patio or the DMV.

Oddly astute security tub mocks Bookworm.

Blogger Already a Better Parent Than at Least One Other Person

On Friday, I rode on a plane for the first time in 6 months.  6 months.  I haven’t gone 6 months without taking a flight since I was 18.  The break was good.  So good, that I forgot you have to take your shoes off at security.  A TSA agent had to remind me.  I resisted the temptation to yell to everyone in line “I knew that!  I just had a baby!  I need to lose another 5 pounds!  I bought a one-piece bathing suit!!!” but luckily kept it together.

All this to say, I finished Falling Leaves: The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah on the plane.  This book was so, so sad.  (yes!)  First off, who doesn’t want a daughter?  Son, maybe, but daughter?  Girls are the absolute best.  I am currently raising one and let me tell you – girls are the way to go.  Don’t get me wrong, I know some sweet boys, but do they wear smocked dresses?  No.

This memoir made me mad because I wanted Adeline to stand up to her parents rather than constantly looking for their approval.  I know it is a cultural thing, but I will never understand how anyone can be so emotionally abused and still go back for more.  But I loved the way the story was told, and was impressed by all this poor girl achieved despite horrendous parenting.  And not I-Took-My-Infant-To-Greekfest-At-9pm type bad parenting.  But like, Hey-Go-Live-In-An-Orphanage-See-You-In-A-Few-Years type bad parenting.

I think I can beat that.

Smocked outfits are critical for raising smart, balanced young women.
Also, damn cute.

Yes, I seriously made this.

A Blog Entry Is On Here Now

If you are reading my blog, I just want to say:  Thanks for giving birth to me, Mom.  I’m not sure anyone else would still be sticking with me. 

So….guess what Mom?  I read a whole novel!  When I should have been sleeping in case somebody got hungry at a time of day when only college students should be eating. 

And not just any novel.  A Big Thick Book worthy of being called epic.  Thanks to (former?) Blog Reader Friend Courtney, I thoroughly enjoyed Seven Types of Ambiguity by Elliot Perlman.  I loved the way the story came together, told by six narrators.  It reminded me of Jonathan Franzen’s writing style, but I didn’t hate every single character quite as much. 

This is the kind of book I am talking about, people.  I mean, person (Mom).  Please recommend some equally fantastic books so I can read them.  Instead of washing and sterilizing bottles, doing laundry, grocery shopping, making lunch, being on time for work, re-stocking the diaper drawer, refilling the wipes caddy, putting away toys, changing the sheets, packing for daycare, filling out the daycare form, labeling clothes, unloading and reloading the diaper bag and making a to-do list with all of these items.

My Somebody doing some
(very) light reading on her own.