Monthly Archives: August 2010
August 2010 Reads
It’s been a trying month for reading: I read on the train, squished between commuters and the hydraulic doors; hanging out at the office pantry; the wee hours of the morning when night terrors come a-knocking. Phooey. I wanted to read, and some silly little thing like bed time or late for work isn’t going […]
I need them actual books in my hands
Thanks to NetGalley and HQN Books, I spent the better part of last week glued to the migraine [megrim!] – inducing monitor glares: Have been reading Anne Stuart‘s House of Rohans series — Ruthless, Reckless, and Breathless. I feel like I’ve been reintroduced to the genre. It’s been two months since I last read a […]
marginalia || The Mountain Lion, by Jean Stafford
Jean Stafford‘s introduction to her 1947 novel, The Mountain Lion, closes with: “Poor old Molly! I loved her dearly and [spoiler spoiler spoiler].” That never augurs well. You begin the novel wary of tragedy, anticipating brokenness and all-around disaster. That you feel, even within the first few pages, that it shall all lead to you […]
Now is as good a time as any to talk back — Haters gon’ hate, demmet
I’ve been getting a lot of negative comments lately, some on the posts I put up re book thoughts, and some on the posts re navel-gazing and other frou-frou reflections. And I know they’re not spam, because peepees and Russian folk singers are rarely mentioned. Now. I love the people I’ve met through this blog, […]
Three Different Books, Three Different Kinds of Silences I Need to Break
Because sometimes, I don’t have the words. And sometimes, what words I have are inadequate. And sometimes, I just want to keep on lying down, with a look of horror / loneliness / disappointment on my face, intent on just letting it all soak in. I like these books, for different reasons — the emotional […]
Still Thinking About Love, and Romance — Thanks, Miss Nehring
>> And still thinking about Cristina Nehring’s book. I’ve realized that this book deserves a long response. I just found it so rich — it has many things I agree with, some things I vehemently disagree with, and some things were just really cool to know about. Phenomena, attitudes, literary trivia. So, yes, I’ve been […]
Trying out Austin Kleon’s Newspaper Blackout for myself
Tried out some Newspaper Blackout myself. It wasn’t pretty. Although there was an alarming amount of glee with crossing out entire articles, a part of me still reasoned, “I’d rather be writing, ya know.” But, yeah, it was fun while it lasted — won’t be doing more soon; the fumes give me headaches, for seriously. […]
Some things off the top of my head, in response to A Vindication of Love: Reclaiming Romance for the Twenty-first Century by Cristina Nehring
Romantic love needs to be reinvented for our time . . . it needs to be formulated afresh. The purpose is by no means to beatify romantic love, or to reclaim it as a fine hallmark sentiment suitable for swooning schoolgirls. The goal is to embrace its dangers and darknesses as well as the light […]
