June 30, 2024 CLOSING TIME

 

Back in the day--I went to Kalamian Rug Shop to pick out rugs. I'd take a few home to see if they looked good--bring back the ones I didn't like--pay for the rugs I kept. It was a super convenient, easy way to get what I wanted. Fast forward--there is NO WHERE to buy rugs anymore. Drove all over creation AND NO LUCK. Spent SEVERAL hours online shopping for rugs. There are over 5 billion rugs online so the whole thing gave me a GIANT headache. I actually like to touch the rugs, check out how soft/hard they are and see the colors IN PERSON.  So now I guess I'm actually going to have to order rugs--and return the ones I don't like. That sounds like a HUGE pain in the ass to me. It's not like I'm returning a pair of jeans. RUGS are big--awkward--and expensive to return. Shaking me head......Just finished a good mystery set in a bookstore called Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew Sullivan. Set in Denver, Lydia Smith is a clerk at the Bright Ideas Bookstore. This is a funky store complete with "Book Frogs"--lonely regulars who hang out at the bookstore--among them is her favorite--Joey Molina. One night at closing time, Joey's dead body is found on the second floor--an apparent suicide. Equally disturbing, is the picture he has in his pocket of Lydia as a young girl. After Lydia inherits Joey's collection of books, she discovers a mystery--hidden messages throughout the books. What do they mean? What do they have to do with her?  Will they involve her own childhood trauma? Read this interesting mystery, with several twists and turns to find out the answers to these questions and many more. It's about 300 easy pages that you will find hard to put down. 

June 18, 2024 SHOCK THE MONKEY

 

Took my son to look at UCONN yesterday. Haven't been in that area in forever. I used to work at the Papa Gino's at the East Brook Mall in Mansfield 40 years ago. OMG. Can't believe it was that long ago. Felt a little nostagic so I made a point to stop at the mall on my way home. Talk about a blast to the past. It was like walking into a time warp. Sadly, many of the stores are closed---as most malls have really suffered since COVID--but I was thankful that the PAPA GINO'S was still there--AND it looked exactly the same. It was all I could do not to walk behind the counter and start making a pizza--wipe the counter down--or go the the register to take an order. That was my first REAL job and I loved it. Worked our tails off for $3.00 an hour. Great friends and a tons of memories were made in those restaurants. Who knew then that those were the days.....Speaking of a time warp--I just finished Lisa Grunwald's new book The Evolution of Annabel Craig. This super interesting, well-written historical fiction novel  is set in Dayton, Tennessee, during the Scopes Monkey Trial and is told by the main character, Annabel Craig. Annabel was born and bred in Dayton, a  quiet, conservative town. After her parents die, Annabel meets a new lawyer in town named George Craig and they marry within the year. During this time, the town locals talk John Scopes, a biology teacher, into teaching the theory of evolution, which is prohibited in Tennessee because of the Butler Act. He is arrested and the town is suddenly a hot spot. Famous lawyers and preachers come from all over as witnesses in the trial--it's the Bible and Christianity VS Darwin's Theory of Evolution. The trial not only divides the town and pits neighbor against neighbor, it also sparks Annabel's own evolution and journey of self-discovery. Interestingly, this event from 100 years ago, reminds me a bit of what's happening in our world today and is a reminder that we should all be a little more opened minded and reflective in order to make our world a better place. 

June 9, 2024 TIME AFTER TIME

 

Week one of summer vacation in the books. Great success. There is nothing better than going out for an early morning run--bike ride--yoga class. That's what makes me happy. I really need to be out in the morning--doing my thing. It helps me feel grounded--balanced and at peace. And the weather has been wonderful too. A perfect blend of sun--wind--clouds too so I can do my other favorite thing--Read at the beach. Just finished a lovely book that any booklover will want to read. It's called The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods. This charming tale centers on three characters. Opaline is a young woman living in Paris in 1920's who runs away from home to avoid an arranged marriage and live life on her own terms. Martha is an abused wife who flees to Dublin to hide from her husband. She finds a job as a live in housekeeper for an elderly woman where she meets Henry. Henry is in Dublin searching for a lost bookshop and a woman named Opaline who disappeared a hundred years ago. Although these characters appear to have nothing in common, they are all connected somehow. As Henry and Martha become friends, their search for Opaline and the bookshop lead the reader into a  story that's filled with many twists and turns, characters who are really interesting and good writing. It's a magical story of about 400 pages that's also historical with a little romance mixed in too. It's the whole bag. Relax and enjoy the ride. 

June 2, 2024 SUMMER BREEZE

 

School's out for summer. AMEN. Survived another year. It REALLY does get harder every year. When I first started teaching --it was mandatory to have a plan book and a grade book. The plan book had to be open at all times on your desk so administration could see it when they came in your classroom. AND who could live without a grade book to keep track of student progress........TODAY.......I'm a DINOSAUR. I'm the only teacher left at my school who uses them. I asked the secretary for new ones  yesterday and she looked at me like I was a NUT. That's very telling. It's almost time. Going to have to get on the retirement train sooner than later. Seriously.  I was telling a friend the other day----I feel like I went to bed --woke up the next morning and all the rules changed--but I didn't get them memo. Anyone else feeling that way?? Another reason  to stick my nose in a book. Just finished a quirky little gem that's just in time for summer called The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl. Set in the 1980s, Stella St. Vincent is a copy editor for a small publishing company in New York City. She live a quiet, rigid, scheduled existence until her estranged mother dies. As an inheritance, Stella is left a plane ticket to Paris and $8000.00. Once in Paris, Stella gradually breaks out of her shell and starts to try new things. One day, She stops in a vintage store and buys a Dior dress which is totally out of character. After this purchase, her life really starts to change. She meets an art collector who opens her world to fine dining, art, fashion and a world of new adventures. It really is a fairy tale come true so you have to go with the fun. Reichl, the author, is a former restaurant critic and editor who really knows her food as the taste, descripton and her love of food shine throughout the novel. If you love Paris, art, food, fashion--and want to go on an adventure--check out this easy to read, quick novel for yourself. 

May 18, 2024 THE GARBAGE MAN BLUES

Belated Happy Mother's Day to all the women out there who hold families together, sometimes at great sacrifice. Being a mother is probably one of the most challenging jobs of all. When the kids are young--we face exhaustion--later teenage angst brings out the worst in parents and kids alike--then adulthood--where we worry that they are safe, happy and healthy. It's definitely never ending BUT I can't think of a more rewarding thing to do with my life. This was a special Mother's Day for me because I finally ordered a REAL bedroom set after 31 years of marriage. I know that sounds ridiculous but it's true. NO worries, my kids always had the best of everythng BUT we kept putting off spending money on ourselves--til now. This "sacrifice" is absurd when compared to the daily sacrifices Sang Ly makes in the lovely novel The Rent Collector by Camron Wright. Sang Ly, husband Ki Lim and sickly son, Nisay, live in a waste dump call Stung Meanchey in Cambodia. Every day is a struggle as they make a living scavenging through the trash for metal, plastic or recyclables to sell in order to buy medicine for their son and pay the rent collector. The rent collector is a drunk woman who seems to be lacking in compassion until Sang Ly learns her secret after begging the rent collector for another day to pay their rent. As time marches on in the dump, Sang Ly and the rent collector form a friendship that ultimately changes both of their lives in many ways. This beautifully written story is a must read. It touches the heart in so many ways because it is a story of hope and the resilence of the human spirit in a world that seems doomed. This 288 page book is also full of life lessons that we all need to be reminded of at times. 

May 5, 2024 WALK ON THE WILD SIDE

 

20 days left of school. It's that time of year when EVERY day feels like a week. I'm not even kidding. I actually have to WILL myself through each day. Talk myself into having a good day. Beg myself not to say the WRONG THING. Shake my head and take a deep breath about 50 times a day. YUP--that's what it's like at the end of the year. AND THAT'S JUST FOR TEACHERS.  Wonder if the seniors feel the same way? I bet they do. As for the rest of the student body.........they're just muddling through AP exams followed by FINALS. Like I said--It's an UGLY time of year. Stressful for all BUT a necessary Evil-I guess. See you on the other side. Until then, I'll leave you with a review of Alex Michaelides new book The Fury. I totally enjoyed The Silent Patient and The Maidens BUT this thriller/mystery did not live up to my expectations.  Here's the premise--Lara Farrar is an ex-movie star who owns her own island in Greece called Aura. Every Easter, she invites a group of close friends for the weekend. By the end of the weekend, the reader learns about old jealousies, anger, revenge, desire AND that one of them has been killed.  Sounds like an old Agatha Christie mystery right? This story is told through the eyes of Elliot Chase, a second rate author AND unreliable narrator. He introduces the reader to the cast of characters--unlikeable and whiny for the most part--who also spend the weekend on the island. Mix in just the right amount of red herrings and we have ourselves a mystery.  I have to admit that I didn't know what was really going on until the bitter end BUTmy problem with the book was that  I just didn't like any of the characters and didn't care who died. This novel has mixed reviews so I'm eager to know what you think. 

April 21, 2024 WHITE LIAR

 

Best news ever---My daughter joined a book club. My prayers have finally been answered AND-- she asked me to read one of their books. I've been waiting years for this. She was a big reader when she was young and then who knows what happened--cell phones-friends-college. BUT--she's finally making her way back and I'm so glad. She actually listens to some of the books because she has a long commute to and from work. Who cares!!! She's interested in books again. So--she's been telling me about this book she couldn't put down that she wanted me to read by Lisa Jewell. I've read Lisa Jewell before and have enjoyed her psychological thrillers and this one does not disappoint. It's called None of This is True. The main character of this bizarre story is Alix Summer's a famous podcaster. On the night of her forty-fifth birthday, she is celebrating with family and friends when she meets Josie Fair, who is also out celebrating her birthday. They are birthday twins. A few days later the two bump into each other again, and Josie asks Alix to do a podcast about her life as it's on the cusp of big changes.  Alix is in between jobs, so she decides to interview Josie. Before she knows it, Alix realizes she's interviewing a very odd woman who is in a beyond dysfunctional marriage with two very disturbed daughters. Don't want to say too much more except that Alix and her family get drawn into Josie's nightmare and their lives are forever changed. This is a real page turner. It was a whirlwind of crazy. Just when you think you know who's telling the truth--think again. It's about 380 pages that I had a very hard time putting down. Still weighing how I feel about the ending. Let me know what you think.