Monday, August 15, 2016

Monday Musings

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My week: It was kind of a dull, blah, grumpy week here, where a bunch of little things started piling up and up and up and eventually it just seemed like the world was out to make my life miserable. To enhance the black cloud over my little corner of the planet, I just so happened to be reading the most depressing book ever, "A Little Life" by Hanya Yanagihara.

I know from last time we were stationed in Hawaii that it can be very hard for a military spouse to find work here, but I think I really need to buckle down on the job search -- I'm starting to go a bit stir crazy (and, obviously, get a bit grouchy) spending so much time at home with only the cat for company!

Reading: I finished two books last week and started a third. Talk about a book hangover: I finished the 720-page saga "A Little Life" on Thursday and I'm still digesting it. I loved it, I hated it, I was horrified and disgusted, my heart was both warmed and ripped the hell out. I actually watched an hour-long interview with the author in an attempt to better understand her purpose in writing such an emotionally slaughtering book -- and to divine my feelings about it. So far I'm undecided on a rating and don't even know where to start on a review.

Then, since I needed a pick-me-up after the ridiculous heaviness of "A Little Life," I read "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child." As I wrote on Instagram: I read "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" on Friday evening, and overall I was a bit disappointed. I didn't love the script format (I missed all those descriptive details that come with a real novel, and it was SO short), and I thought the plot was flimsy. And there was one part in particular that made me say, "WHAT?!? That would never happen!" I also didn't appreciate the portrayal of poor Ron as a dopey idiot. Still, though, it was a fun little read and I did love Scorpius. I'm sure "The Cursed Child" would be MUCH better in it's intended format -- a play, not "the eighth book."

And now I'm reading a highly rated crime thriller by John Hart called "Redemption Road," which is set in North Carolina. I'm definitely intrigued, though I'm only just learning the various storylines. I saw it described as a gritty Southern mystery somewhere, and I'm feeling like that's accurate so far. (P.S. The cover is so pretty in real life! The paper feels like a paint canvas and the artwork has a watercolor look to it.)



Knitting: Nothing last week, but I'm about to cast on for a new cardigan, the Earnest pattern by Joji Locatelli. This week is the start of her Fall Knit-Along and I'm excited to participate!

Working on: The blog! I finally started the loooong-overdue process of adding my recent-ish reviews to the book reviews page on the blog (I hadn't done it in over a year; I don't know how I got so behind!). I also finally made a Facebook page for my blog. If you'd like to follow Lindsay's Library on Facebook, you can find the page here!

Watching: We've mostly been watching the Olympics, but on Saturday night we put in a DVD of "Trumbo." It stars Bryan Cranston as a well-known Hollywood script writer and communist who's been blacklisted during the McCarthy-era witch hunts, sent to prison and then unable to find a job. The way he copes, and the way he helps affect change, are amazing. The acting (from Cranston, Diane Lane, Helen Mirren, Elle Fanning and more) was wonderful, and I was pleasantly surprised at how well the (true!) story kept my interest.

Listening to: "Closer" by The Chainsmokers and Halsey. (I do admit that part of the reason I love this song is the mention of Boulder. I'm obsessed with anything related to my home state of Colorado -- even though Boulder is the home of my alma mater's arch-nemesis.)


Eating: We tried two new recipes this week, both from a food blog I recently discovered called Carlsbad Cravings. I'll make a few slight modifications next time, but both the Smothered Baked Chicken Burritos and the Chicken in Coconut Mango Verde Sauce were keepers!

Buying: We've gradually been making our new backyard and patio more hospitable (at least we now have grass) and a couple weekends ago Jarrod built the structure for a raised flower bed. Saturday we picked up a truckload of top soil from a small local landscaping company tucked away on the far west side of the island. It was a typical wacky Hawaii experience: it was the epitome of a laid-back operation, and the owner seemed both delighted and annoyed by our desire to purchase his dirt. He also basically insisted we pay with cash instead of card so he could have some beer money. Yesterday we picked some veggies to plant in our new garden (peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, okra), so now we'll cross our fingers and hope it flourishes after all our (well, mostly Jarrod's) hard work!

Looking forward to: This week my mom bought plane tickets for a visit to Hawaii in October! I'm hoping to take her to Kauai, our favorite island, this time.

I'm linking up with Kathryn of Book Date for It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

13 comments:

  1. You definitely need to read something light and fun after A Little Life! That book just stomps all over your poor heart.

    Good luck with the job hunt!!

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    1. Thanks, Lindsey! I was really hoping to continue working at a library, but that career path may just have to be put on hold for the next three years. :(

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  2. I hope this week is better for you. Here is my weekly report. Happy reading!

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    1. Thank you, Kathy -- I hope so too! New week, fresh start!

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  3. Yay for getting your blog organised slowly. But boo to a book hangover. I hope you can find peace with it soon!

    Here's my weekly round up : #IMWAYR

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    1. Yes, the blog stuff is long-overdue! I only got about halfway through linking up my book reviews (I plan to finish one night this week while watching the Olympics) but at least I made a start!

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  4. Oh my - yes you need a recovery book after A Little Life. I hadn't grasped that concept when I read it and regretted it b/c it took me a long while to right the ship afterwards.

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    1. Yes, I can see that! I didn't really know what the book was about going in, but I did read a million times how much it wrecked readers' mental states -- and I am very glad I planned to read something easy and fun afterwards to sort of "reset" my book brain!

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  5. "beer money" that's funny. Laid back indeed! I think I've seen redemption Road around, it looks familiar- and sounds good. It's been mostly Olympics around here not as much reading as a result. Have a good week!

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  6. I think I'll pass on A Little Life for now; I'm looking for lighter reads right now and that sounds incredibly gut-wrenching.

    Glad you are getting your house over there to feel like a home! Good luck on the job search. re: your love for Colorado, do you plan to move back there when your husband retires from the service? I've moved a whole lot too, and yet still have a fondness for my original home.

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    1. "A Little Life" really was gut-wrenching. The number of really, really awful things that happen to one person is not only unrealistic, but reading about it felt almost... wrong. Like I shouldn't be getting entertainment out of someone else's suffering, even a fictional character. But it did have its redeeming moments too. So I don't know... clearly I've got some mixed feelings about it!

      I'm not sure where we'll live when Jarrod gets out of the Air Force. I'm from Colorado, but he's from Florida. He likes Colorado, but I think he'd prefer to live somewhere warm and beachy. Me, though, the older I get the more I miss my Colorado Rockies -- and my family! Colorado is definitely where I'd live if I had my choice. Where are you from originally?

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  7. I am sorry you aren't feeling well. I have heard "A Little Life" is quite depressing, so definitely not one you want to read when you aren't feeling good.

    I hope things start looking up for you soon, Lindsay!

    I probably will read the play, but I am in no hurry. Way back when it was first mentioned it was a script, I knew I wouldn't race out to read it. I don't especially like reading plays. Watching them, now that I can do and enjoy!

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    1. I'm with you on Harry Potter. In fact, reading it I was thinking that maybe it should never have been published in book format. I have a feeling it was all about making money, and perhaps a better way to do that would be to record the play and then show it in movie theaters across the world. Even so, I think you'll still get some enjoyment out of it when you do read it. While it was disappointing, it was still Harry Potter, after all!

      And thank you, Wendy! For some reason this move has been unusually hard for me. I didn't want to move back to Hawaii anyway, and I'm having a tough time settling in! But I'm sure once I find a job and make some friends, things will be better.

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