So, What's New?
Oddly, considering my out of pocket status, a lot of things.
In the book department...
* a collection of 50 Poirot short stories by Agatha Christie. I had never read Poirot, and I like him, although I think AC's estate needs to sue the executive producer of Monk forthwith.
* Journey to the Center of the Earth. I had this book when I was a kid, but the picture on the cover scared the crap out of me and eventually it got lost. Good book, though. I need to read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, since I somehow never got around to it...
* We Need to Talk About Kevin. I bought this book purely for the title, as a former acquaintance of myself and CDHSarah had the same name and, eventually, prompted the same comment. It's actually a novel-in-letters (I think there's another name for that, but don't recall what it is) from the mother of a kid who shot up his high school. Interesting, and clever, even if it was recommended by Good Morning America.
* Eleven On Top, the new Stephanie Plum novel from Janet Evanovich. I wasn't entirely certain how I felt about this book. On the one hand, taking the series in a somewhat different direction is interesting. On the other hand, I think she's let her universe get out of control. Only seeing Sally Sweet once in the lead-up to Valerie's wedding? Simply doesn't work for me. I'm still interested in this series, but I'm not looking forward to the next book with nearly as much abandon as I looked forward to this one when I read the last pages of Ten Big Ones. Facts is facts.
* False Prophet. Yet another Faye Kellerman. I like the Rina Lazarus/Peter Decker novels, but her need of an editor with a nuanced grasp of the English language needs to happen. The proliferation of homonym-based errors, particularly in idiom, in popular literature (even Evanovich, although she gets away with it because Stephanie Plum is the type of person who would make those little mistakes) is really starting to drive me bugshit. It's not a "lynch pin", it's a "linchpin". Seriously.
* The Quality of Life Report by Meghan Daum. This book kicked ass. It reminded me of Moo, still my favorite Jane Smiley. I like clever satire, and apparently I like the Midwest. Read it, it's good.
* Steppenwolf. I'm having more trouble with this book than I did Hesse's Siddhartha, but I've gotten past the prologue and into the body of the book and think it'll be pretty good once I fully settle into it.
* 120 Days of Sodom. I've been looking for this book for-freaking-ever, as I've never read de Sade. This edition has a foreword by Simone de Beauvoir, and I'm still working my way through it....my brain is too frazzled for really serious stuff.
* The Chalice and the Blade. Same here. Toooooo tired to read about sexism in archaelogy and the peace-loving egalitarian cultures who made, among other things, the Willendorf Venus. The book is good, thus far anyway, and not too special-pleading, woe-is-the-lot-of-womynkind, but I just can't make myself read it with the attention it deserves, at least not right now.
* Bonfire of the Vanities. I love Tom Wolfe and find John Updike unpalatable, and I loved Bonfire and am even now kicking myself in the ass for having, yet again, left The Right Stuff at the apartment. I've owned it for over a month and haven't read it yet only because I keep forgetting to take it with.
I'm sure there are a few others...oh yeah, the new David Sedaris, which I read in one sitting at Cafe O2...but I can't remember them right at the moment.
On other fronts, I have new clothes...a broomstick skirt, a blue MATH COUNTS t-shirt with which I fell instantly in love, and fifty-million other things salvaged from the summer rack at the boutique...a little print shirt-dress to wear over jeans that shows off the fact that I have, apparently, lost 10 pounds, a few cute t-shirts, some incredibly awesome zip-up mens' shirts with neat venting that I'm at a loss to describe. Also a pair of sunglasses, which I haven't owned in years, which have yellow lenses, and the most comfortable pair of pants currently extant in the United States, if not the world.
Losing 10 pounds is also new. People haven't seen much of me, online or off, in the past 2 1/2 weeks, and everyone appears to notice, so that's kind of nice. I weigh less now than I have in the last three, if not five, years. It won't last past the end of the job, I don't think, but it's nice. What isn't nice is the brand-new squeaky sound coming from my brakes, which is going to be expensive judging from purely auditory clues.
Listen to me, nattering on about my books and clothes and weight. Next thing you know, I'll be writing chick lit. At least I'd be writing something. In the interim, I'm writing to let you guys know I'm OK...because I am NOT DEAD, I SWEAR, whatever CDHSarah and LadyAlambil may be saying. ;)
I'll see y'all as soon as I have my life back. Promise. Call me later, 'kay?
posted by Pope Lizbet @ 12:26 AM
11 comments
11 Comments:
fun fun fun
BOOKS! You must review everything you read when you're done with them... nothing like books!
Irina, I have no idea if I'll have time to start reviewing again. It's almost NaNoWriMo. But I'll try. Kara brought up the idea of capsule reviews of the stuff she has for sale, so we'll see.
Newest book... Fear & Loathing In America, Hunter S. Thompson's collective letters from 1968 through 1976. Good stuff, and less brain-hurty. I could practically Gonzo it up now, if only I hadn't given up hard drugs...
Save the heathens, CDHSarah. Ok, love ya, see ya tomorrow!
Hehe!!!!! 120 days of Sodom and Chalice and Blade...mmm, fun. Of de Sade, all I've read are bits and pieces of Philosophy in the Bedroom...it's the least overtly sadistic of his work.
You can see where my mind is.
Ach, so.
But yaaaaay for new books.
And when you're restored to life, we shall play catch-up and hang out.
LadyA, I can't wait. I haven't seen your ass in forever.
MY DAD just called, wanting one of his constitutional law books back. Good thing? I know where it is, for once.
OooO! F&LiA is an AWESOME book, I forget if that's volume 1 or volume 2 of the collected letters- either way, it's a neat look into HST's life.
And the Poirot, oh, you have been bitten by the bug. Poirot is so addictive. Really, really addictive. I like them the best of AC's work.
Come back soon, we miss you. (But money is good, especially with brakes being doofy.)
It's the second volume, ET. I used to have the first one, but someone took it to the land of Borrow and I don't think it's coming back. I finished it, because I'd read it before.
Poirot is more addictive than crack, I think. I'm having to physically restrain myself from another book-buying orgy.
Turns out Dad had a reasonable excuse to call me and expect me to special-deliver his book; he needed it for his Constitution Day presentation for the local schools on Friday, because he's supposed to speak about the historicalist approach to Constitutional law (which isn't necessarily his personal position, but he's at least qualified to talk about it.) So that's a neat thing, plus he has to talk about the new prospective SCJ on his radio stuff this weekend. Go my dad.
I miss me, too...and you guys, of course. But considering I just recently dropped a month's rent off at the apartment (plus everything else I owed on deposits and back rent, which was just shy of $1000 taken all together) and have the cash already to pay for the electric and most of NEXT month's rent, and the job still isn't done, I think it's all going to be OK. Except for the fact that I may lose my regular, hold-music job, but since I don't want it that much anyway, I'm not overly concerned. Cake and Ice Cream Eddie's mom just hooked me up with a job offer at a printers' in Smyrna, so I have to call about that, see what it entails and if it would pay enough to be worth the switch, but ANYTHING is better than dealing with the Network for another day.
I'll be home, soon, I hope. We have more folks at the job site and things are starting to move more quickly, so it's looking good. Here's hoping....
yay for the money and such! That's good, indeed.
I don't have your number so I can't call you!
It's downright frightening, the power of Poiort.
And Bah! The job that doesn't end is finished, but I'm sure the Printer gig is way, way better anyway, and won't involve potentially lethal things falling on or jumping out at you- yes?
Mojo workin' on this end-
ok. where the hell are you, parce?
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