I've been doing some thinking and I've made a decision. I've been feeling like I have a bit of sensory overload lately and I need to take some pretty drastic measures. I love visiting all the lovely blogs out there, reading intriguing content and looking at such beautiful imagery. I'm seeing hundreds of images a day, and then having random pictures flashing through my brain all of the time; I never know anymore which are my original ideas and which are those I've picked up out in Bloglandia. So I've decided to unplug from the internet for an entire week. As I sit here typing I'm tempted to take my daily cruise around, but I'm being good. I did make one last visit to a couple favorite spots. I just had to go watch Myrnie perform Summertime. Oh my goodness! Go over and listen; she's wonderful.
So, I will be back to the blog on Monday March 29. Before I go, I want to leave you with this, because I promised Pam. Last week I talked about Pam's reading list and how I wish I could read as fast as she does. Well, here it is...my review of my stack of unfinished books!
And mind you, this is a partial stack! I feel I need to explain a little though. These are all wonderfully written and interesting books; I just have a problem. Or two. One is that I put off reading until bedtime. Well, it only takes a couple of pages and I'm asleep. The other is I'm so easily distracted by a pretty face (or book jacket). I will be in the middle of a perfectly good book, and I'll get that urge to go to the bookstore, and well then I have to start reading the book I brought home, and yes, I stray.
You can see that I'm to the middle or close to finishing on most of these. The one on the bottom there, Barbara Kingsolver's The Lacuna I will definitely finish this week. I have every intention of spending a good part of today engrossed in the story. It's written as a set of journal entries of a young boy whose mother hauls him off to live in Mexico as she jumps from one living situation to another. Where I am in the book, he's been back to the states for a short bit with his father and has returned again to Mexico, where he considers to be his true home. The book covers the 1930s through the 40s, and according to the book jacket, "is a poignant story of a man pulled between two nations as they invent their modern identities". I love authors who use language beautifully, and Kingsolver does.
The third book down, Terra Nostra by Carlos Fuentes is a monumental feat in trying to read. Again, it's a good story, Fuentes is also very good at turning a phrase and twisting a story this way and that. This story is complicated, and because I keep putting it down when I get distracted by another, I have to go back a few chapters and try again. And I take notes as I read. It takes place mostly in Spain; the mad queen, Juana de Castilla makes quite an appearance. There appears to be some time travel going on, a lot of magical realism. I just glanced at the acknowledgments page and I see that Fuentes credits Luis Buñel, conversations with whom were the "initial specter of these pages." That explains a lot!
OK, quickly now, Cultivating Delight by Diane Ackerman, is a beautifully described picture of her garden through the seasons. I left off in summer - last summer. I've picked it up again these last few days as I dream about creating my own garden.
The Lady in the Palazzo by Marlena de Blasi is an account of Marlena and her husband's adventures in finding a home in Umbria. I read her previous book A Thousand Days in Tuscany more rapidly. I think there were more descriptions of food in the other. But both are good for arm chair traveling.
A Homemade Life by blogger Molly Wizenberg of Orangette has lots of good food in it, with recipes. I tore through almost to the end, and then I got distracted by... something. Now I use this as a nighttime book, just a couple of pages before I sleep. It's a sweet story.
And finally Spice by Jack Turner. It's a history of the spice trade, tells stories of strange food customs of old and about different ways spices have been used throughout the ages. I hope to get back to it soon too.
Well, that's about a week's worth of blogging right there! See you on the 29th!
Ah Bobbi, you are so sweet- I'm glad you enjoyed my song :)
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your week away! I admire your strength- it's something I've been thinking about.
Take care!
ReplyDeleteLOVE the cat picture!!!
ReplyDeleteAh, to be able to relax like that...
Nice stack of unfinished reading! I'm so glad you did the post!
I don't have any of those in my stack{s}, but I do have the other Marlena de Blasi book you mentioned---A Thousand Days In Tuscany---waiting for me. I love armchair traveling...great for those of us who don't fly....
The Diane Ackerman book sounds interesting too........
Enjoy your blog "vacation"....I will miss you!
:D Heh. The sign of a great mind! At least that is what I tell myself...
ReplyDeleteHope your week off is going well. It seems a lot of us needing a blog/internet break. It is such a time sink...Perhaps a better schedule is the key?
xo
Andrea