For some reason this one escaped my notice for years.
But, when a category came up in the 2024 Reading Challenge for a "book based on a real event," I dusted it off.
Verbal Pictures for the Artistically Handicapped
For some reason this one escaped my notice for years.
But, when a category came up in the 2024 Reading Challenge for a "book based on a real event," I dusted it off.
I didn't love this book, and I think it's because I didn't really like the characters much. The main character is sort of a bumbling doofus through much of the book, and I never developed a liking for him. The one character I thought had potential to be very interesting -- one of the Rickys -- played only a bit part that served mostly to provide a few setting-based nuggets that the author comes back to later. So in that sense, I suppose it was constructed reasonably well.
It also drew a lovely picture of the town of La Plata, in Andorra, and the sparkling seaside harbor around which the town was constructed. The only problem is that Andorra, in real life, is a land-locked country. So there were a few liberties taken there.
Overall, it was a quick and easy read, but had some problems.
What I really liked about his take on the whole "I don't want to wear my fanciest clothes, because I might stain them" question was that he had such a logical response. Basically, it was "don't worry about that, we'll just get the stains out." He had such a lovely attitude about, yes, laundry, that I got his book from the library.
As I started reading it, I realized that it contained a mix of general ideas and very practical tips, so I decided I should probably get my own copy. I did that, and returned the library's copy, but unfortunately I haven't made much further progress since then. But, it's still there on the table, waiting to be read. I'll get it done.
I have had this book for a long time and had absolutely no recollection of what it was about when I picked it to start the year. Given how busy I've been with other things (mostly work) which delayed my start, this seems like it was probably a good choice.
I'm one chapter in, and what I know so far is that the narrator has fled his prior life to move to Andorra, a tiny bubble of a country on the Spain-France border, which I have actually been to! I remain hopeful, because often books with a mystery at the core are quick reads, so perhaps I can get back on track.
The Battered Bastards of Baseball is a fantastic film! It's a documentary about the Portland Mavericks, a semi-professional baseball team. They were put together by Bing Russell, father of Kurt Russell, and played from 1973 to 1977. You can find a history of the team -- which still exists in a slightly different form -- here. I was fascinated to learn that Kurt, the actor, even played for the team for a short time in 1973. What an interesting upbringing he must have had! It's a great story about someone bucking the system and crushing it, and what a fascinating piece of fun baseball history it is!
As is my habit, I wanted to read a book either about or set in Ireland during S's and my recent trip there. As it was a bit of a last-minute holiday adventure, I didn't have a lot of time to peruse the variety of options available, and instead had to go for whatever I had on my shelves. Lucky for me, I found two:
First up was a lovely reminder of last summer's trip with K&J to London and Edinburgh. At the conclusion of S's bookshop tour, we popped into the doubly charming shared space of Typewronger Books and McNaughtan's Bookshop & Gallery. While in McNaughtan's, I found one volume of a two-volume 1892 pair of travel books about the Emerald Isle and acquired it for the bargain price of 10 pounds, since it was missing its partner. Ireland (Part I): Northern Counties Including Dublin and Neighbourhood is not what I would call current, but it's descriptions of the cities and towns remain spot on, and the descriptions of the travel from place to place is fascinating to read 120 years on. How little changes over the years! The train timetables are a bit out of date, and I'm not sure I can still water my horse at all the same places, but otherwise it remained surprisingly spot on! (The link above is to the 1909 edition, which is available at that link in full in case you want to have a look before your next trip to the northern half of the island.)I also found an old copy -- I'm not sure whose it was originally, not mine -- of McCarthy's Bar: A Journey of Discovery in Ireland. It is a travelogue written by the half-Irish Pete McCarthy. He spent his early childhood in Ireland before growing well into middle age in England. He decides to head back to the smaller island to do some solo traveling and write about Irish people, the Irish countryside, tourism in Ireland, and of course Irish pubs. I laughed out loud several times, perhaps especially so because much of what he discussed in the book I nearly simultaneously witnessed with my own eyes. As with Ireland (Part I), I guess some things just don't change too much over time. In all, this was a quite enjoyable, amusing read, and you will likely find it especially so if you are predisposed to find all things Irish quaint and adorable.My Christmas festivities this year (technically last year, I suppose) started early and went late.
Beginning on the day after Thanksgiving, when S and I were in Phoenix, we helped decorate my in-laws' house and watched Love Actually, one of my must-sees.
Back at the ranch but still before Christmas, we decorated our own house and watched a mess of additional movies -- some new, some old, some new to me, some previously seen: Four Christmases; National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation; The Shop Around the Corner (the early inspiration for You've Got Mail); Christmas as Usual; A Christmas Story; Miracle on 34th Street; and EXmas.
My father-in-law sent us a advent-calendar-style whiskey tasting box tasting box as a Christmas present, and that really gave us the spirit of the season in the run-up to the holiday proper, with a new whiskey to taste each evening. Great idea!
My sister-in-law and I were treated to the Ambassadors of Harmony's holiday show at UMSL, which -- as it was last year -- was delightful. I love any Christmas concert, but I especially love an a cappella Christmas concert.
For the holiday itself, we headed off to Ireland. It was S's first trip there (besides one prior flight layover in the Dublin airport), so we did a driving tour to take in as much as we could. More on that in a separate post, perhaps. But specifically as it relates to Christmas, there was lots of Christmas music on the radio and compliments of streaming services as we cruised around the country. Though every shop in town except the kebab shop was closed, we saw the Christmas lights of Galway on the day, which were lovely. I especially liked the decorated sailboats. All of the hotels we stayed in had some sort of holiday decorations up, and the Canal Court Hotel in Newry was dressed to the nines for the occasion. They win the decorating prize!
I still had one of my must-see movies to watch when we returned from Ireland, so prior to taking down my decorations, I snuggled in to watch Little Women as the weather in St. Louis takes a turn towards the very cold for a while.
Now that that's done, I suppose it's time to begin the wintertime activities in earnest. I've been saving up many, many "inside projects" since the first warm day of spring last year. Time to get started on them!
Never two people to be daunted by a lack of success (I scored a solid D+ in my 2023 Reading Challenge), K and I are again undertaking an annual reading challenge!
Here are this year's categories and the books I've selected to fill them:
January: a book with a one-word title
Andorra, by Peter Cameron
February: a book based on a real event
Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Storm in History, by Erik Larson
March: a book that will stretch you
Love Her Wild, by Atticus
April: a book recommended by a friend
Faster, by Neal Bascomb
May: a book your mom loves
Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, by Alexandra Fuller
June: a book about hiking/road tripping
The Ultimate Journey: Canada to Mexico Down the Continental Divide, by Eric and Tim Ryback
July: a book about books
The Library Book, by Susan Orlean
August: a book that has a cover you love
Greyfriars Bobby, by Eleanore Atkinson
September: a book set in an intriguing city
Tangerine, by Christine Mangan
October: a used book
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, by Ken Kesey
November: a book with an ugly cover
The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams
December: a book with a number in the title
Three Day Road, by Joseph Boyden
I suppose I shall also apply my usual rules:
1. It has to be a book I already own;
2. It has to be a book I have not read yet (or at least haven't finished yet);
3.
Though I can go out of order, some of the months are clearly themed
(specifically, May), so I will try to read those books at
least close to the month they are selected for; and
4. If I want to include a book I've already listed but didn't read, that's okay.
What I found notable about many of the books I have selected this year is that loads of them could have fit in many categories. For example, Andorra, Faster, or Tangerine could have been my one-word-title book. Faster, for that matter, also could have been the August selection, as it has a lovely, artistic cover. At least nine of the books (possibly more; I can't recall where I acquired a couple of them) are used so could have been the October selection. At least five of them could have be the February "based on a real event" selection.
How did I do on my 2023 Reading Challenge? A solid 66.67%. The summary:
January: a book with a "home" word in the title
House of Sand and Fog, by Andre Dubus III
READ
February: a book with red on the cover or spine
Our Own Devices, by Edward Tenner
STARTED AND QUIT. JUST NOT GOOD. But I'm counting it, because I tried.
March: a book recommended by a friend
The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls, by Anton DiScalfani
READ
April: a book with at least five words in the title
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, by Dave Eggers
DID NOT START
May: a book you should have read in high school
Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
READ
June: a book with an animal on the cover
Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know, by Alexandra Horowitz
READ
July: a book that starts with the first letter of your first name
Morning Poems, by Robert Bly
READ
August: a book in a series
Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon
READ
September: a translated book
If On a Winter's Night A Traveler, by Italo Calvino (translated from Italian)
DID NOT START
October: a book set in a country other than your own
Ali & Nino, by Kurban Said
DID NOT START
November: a book with a night scene on the cover
After Henry, by Joan Didion
READ
December: a book with a winter element on the cover
Solo Faces, by James Salter
DID NOT START
On to 2024, and some new reads!