SqueakyChu's reading in 2021 blooms anew! - Quarter 2

Conitnued from here.

Hi, folks, and welcome to my 2021 second quarter thread!

Spring is here. Flowers are starting to bloom in my part of the world. I have a new president and finally some hope for the future. I'm on my way to getting my second Moderna vaccine. I'm hoping this year continues to improve.

I'm starting to enjoy reading again, although I haven't seemed to pick up much momentum. I have been enjoying some magazine articles. I'm trying to stay away from those topics that seem to enrage me or bring me down. I don't have extra space in my brain or my soul for that.



Total pages: 3,043
Reading rate: 18 pages per day

APRIL:
1. BookCrossing Convention via Zoom - April 16-18, 2021


Photo by Dziunka DBK - Flickr- CC,A

BOOKISH EVENTS:
1. BookCrossing Zoom Unconvention - Great fun it was!
2. Podcast interview with Laila Lalami

COMPLETED:
9. Mother Said - Hal Sirowitz - TIOLI #17: Read a book or two with a shared title word (said) - 128 pages
10. The Ark Sakura - Kobo Abe - TIOLI #1: Read a book whose spine contains either the full author's name and/or the full title in white letters on a black background (title) - 336 pages
11. Negative Space - Lilly Dancyger - TIOLI #9: Read a book with a title word or author name beginning with a letter in "April" (L) - 280 pages

MAY:


Photo by Robert - Flickr- CC,A

BOOKISH EVENTS:
1. Zoom BookCrossing meetup in Toronto - I missed this due to
out of town guests
2. Zoom BCinDC BookCrossing meetup
- great fun as I was able to participate with a new camera and mike (for my pc) which had been gifted to me by my older son

COMPLETED:
12. The Polish Boxer - Eduardo Halfon - TIOLI #4: Read a book with a title with three or more words containing at least one article - 188 Pages
13. How to Be an Antiracist- Ibram X. Kendi - TIOLI #1: Read a book with the letter X in the title or the author's name (author's name) - 305 pages

JUNE:


Photo by Frapestaartje - Flickr- CC,A

BOOKISH EVENTS:
1. Zoom BCinDC BookCrossing meetup on 07/20/21

COMPLETED:
14. Baby's Boat - jeanne Titherinton - TIOLI #8: Read a book where at least two of the title words start with the same letter (B) - 21 pages
15. I Swam With a Seal - Charlotte Agell - TIOLI #8: Read a book where at least two of the title words start with the same letter (S) - 29 pages
16. Mona at Sea - Elizabeth Gonzalez James - TIOLI #1: Read a book with a liquid on the front cover (the word "sea') - 260 pages

Happy new thread!

Thanks, Jim! :D

Happy new thread!

>7 quondame: Thanks, Susan!

Happy new quarter, Madeline. x

The flowers are colourful for your new thread - I especially like April.

>9 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul,That's a morning glory.

We used to have them in our garden when I was a child growing up. They bloom in the morning and then they die. Each day there are new blossoms. It's a vine and is prettu invasive so I don't plant it now.

Happy new thread, Madeline. Love the flowers you've picked for each month.

Happy new thread, Madeline. Gorgeous flowers!!

>11 Helenliz: >12 jessibud2: Thanks, Helen and Shelley.

I had a most amazing flower gift for my birthday back in October.. My daughter gave me an orchid which stayed in bloom from then for FIVE months! The same stalk on which the last flowers had bloomed are now making more flower buds! I've never had that happen with an orchid before. I'm amazed!

When my friend had surgery last year, she gave me an orchid she had received as a gift. She is not good with plants and thought it would do better with me. It sure did. It also lasted a long time, though I forget now how long. Orchids are not something I would have bought for myself but it was beautiful! Sadly, thanks now to the new cats, especially Theo, I have given away most of my plants because he gets into everything. I did buy 2 tabletop tomato plants a few weeks ago which I keep on the sunny counter in the kitchen. I put them in a closed room at night, and bring them back out each morning. So far, it's working!

I have always had a soft spot for the delicate snowdrop, hopeful, solitary harbinger of spring and longer days.

Hey, everyone, feel free to post flower pictures on my thread (as Paul has done!).

>14 jessibud2: Well, Shelley, one type of house plant (even if it's a vegetable) is better than none! Good luck with your harvest later on! :D

>15 PaulCranswick: Those are beautiful little flowers. I especially love the early spring flowers, Paul, because I'm not a fan of cold weather.

I was given an orchid when I left my last job. And I've not killed it yet. I has flowered a number of times since. No idea how, I'm not the greenest fingered person.



That was April last year and it is just about ready to flower again.

>17 Helenliz: I think orchids flourish on neglect! :D

Happy new thread, Madeline!
Good to read you enjoy your reads again.

>18 SqueakyChu: Don't say that, it could fool me into thinking I wouldn't kill it, like I have literally every other plant I've tried!

>19 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita. It’s coming along slowly, but I’m really starting to get into the reading groove again. Not by numbers, but by enjoyment.

>20 ursula: I’ve found the key to caring for orchids, Ursula, is not to overwater them. I dip mine’s pot into a container of water for only five minutes weekly and allow it to drain completely. It sits in a bright room but has no access to direct sun. It seems to be thriving.

8. Mother Said - Hal Sirowitz*


------------------------------------------
TIOLI #17: Read a book or two with a shared title word (said)
---------------------------------------------
What a funny book, but what a tragic book at the same time. I read this book on the heels of another book, Father Said: Poems, by the same author because that book spoke to me. This book was even heavier as this was the book with the Jewish mother. You know that character, of course. She's the one who lays on the guilt trips. She's the person who speaks about her death during her entire lifetime. Naturally, she is also the person who is most likely to talk about the following:

Poked-Out Eye

Don't stick your head out of the window,
Mother said, while your father is driving.
A branch from a tree can poke out
your eye & even if he stops in time,
& is able to find it among all the fallen leaves,
you can't just put it back into the socket,
& expect it to work like it did before.
A doctor will have to reconnect the tissues,
& if any part is damaged--your father
might have stepped on it before finding it--
it'll never work right & everyone
will know it's defective,
because of the way that you squint.

Join the family in this book -- for a laugh, for a bit of nostalgia, or just to absorb some of that Jewish guilt. It's an experience you'll remember.

Rating 4 stars
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
This book is a re-read for me, I read it the first time in 2010 and posted the review you see above back then. This time the poem below was my favorite. I sent a copy of it to my daughter as it reminded me of her when she was in high school. She had a good laugh over this. :D

Crumbs

Don't eat any more food in your room,
Mother said. You'll get more bugs.
They depend on people like you.
Otherwise, they would starve.
But who do you want to make happy,
your mother or a bunch of ants?
What have they done for you?
Nothing. They have no feelings.
They'll eat your candy. Yet
you treat them better than you treat me.
You keep feeding them.
But you never offer me anything.

>23 SqueakyChu: - Oh! I think I am going to see if I can hold of a copy of this to give my mother for mother's day. Poems are short enough that she just may be able to read it and enjoy. She isn't reading books any more (the dementia makes it hard for her to focus and retain the way she used to) but this could be good. I have been sending her magazines and she enjoys those.

>24 jessibud2: Some of the poems are a little darker, but many made me laugh out loud. I had been saving this book and its companion, Father Said, because the poems are so good, but at my age, I think I had better release them so others can enjoy them. I did copy down the above two poems to save because they had been my favorites.

As I said somewhere else (but can’t remember exactly where), I have started reading poems again because of Amanda Gorman. I now realize that some poems which are considered good or great I can’t enjoy because I don’t understand what the poet is trying to say. The above poems are easily understandable, lighthearted and funny. In other words...very enjoyable to read, especially aloud.

10. The Ark Sakura - Kobo Abe


--------------------------------------
TIOLI #1: Read a book whose spine contains either the full author's name and/or the full title in white letters on a black background (title)
-------------------------------------
I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of reading this brilliant book. Kobo Abe wrote the weirdest stuff. This novel is mesmerizing, imaginative, absurd and fun to read. Some parts of this story are hilarious while other parts are deeply disturbing.

This is a story of survival. An introverted character called Mole (and later, Captain) hosts three people, first encountered at an outdoor market, within an abandoned quarry (the Ark Sakura), his venue of ultimate survival. It’s worthwhile taking a trip with this author into his surreal labyrinth and learn about the odd interactions between the Captain and the three crew members who decide live with him. Are the four of them alone in the mammoth quarry? Can he trust them? Are there other enemies within? Who are the Broom Brigade? Find out by reading this crazy adventure. Oddly enough, a fictitious insect began it all. So strange and wonderful!

Rating - 5 stars

The important thing after all, is not really survival, per se, but the ability to go on hoping, even in one’s final moments.

>25 SqueakyChu: I just placed an order for the book, Madeline, from Thriftbooks. I see there is another in this series by him, called My Therapist Said. Looks like fun but I only ordered the one this time.

>27 jessibud2: I think any of his books would be fun reads. I’m now re-reading Father Said.

Hi, Madeline. Just sent you a pm.

And since you issued the invitation,

>29 ffortsa: I am so excited I might get to meet you and Jim this year! It all depends on some health issues, but we’ll see what the future brings. I gave you some ideas for how to follow up. Hope you found those helpful.

Love your bright flower! :)

>29 ffortsa: - OOO! Is that a ranuncula? One of my faves!!

>31 jessibud2: I’ve never even heard of a ranuncula!

Google it, Madeline. They come in a wide variety of colours and though they don't last that long, they are worth it for their beauty. I usually buy the red, the yellows, and the whites, and place them together in planters. I love them. It's RANUNCULA

>33 jessibud2: Will do!

Here's my picture of the day...



Grape hyacinths

>30 SqueakyChu: I checked with DrNeutron and he's all eager to set things up. So we will just watch the Covid news. And yes, I'd love to meet you finally!

As for your vision problems, I have many friends who have had cataract surgery, including Jim, and the overwhelming outcomes have been excellent. I hope it will solve the issue for you.

>35 ffortsa: I knew Jim would jump at the chance! His wife Danita is lovely and she often joins us for our meetups as well. Everyone I know just wants to see other human beings in real life and no longer on Zoom!

Thanks for the encouragement about the cataract surgery.

Yup, we’ll make some kind of plan. Laura (lauralkeet) isn’t too far away now that they’ve moved to Virginia, so we may be able to get them into the city as well!

>37 drneutron: Very cool, Jim! I’ll need to deal with vision problems before I can do meetups, but we’ll see what the future brings. Even if I can’t make it this year, I hope all of you can get together. I fully hope my situation improves so that I can be independent enough to participate in future meetups.

Just saying "HI"

>39 magicians_nephew: Hi, Jim. Thanks for stopping by!

11. Negative Space - Lilly Dancyger


---------------------------------------------
TIOLI #9: Read a book with a title word or author name beginning with a letter in "April" (L)
-------------------------------------------------------
After having received this book from the publisher (Thank you, SFWP), and being in tears by the time I got to page three, I believed this would be a book I would want to read in its entirety.

This is the story of a Lilly Dancyger’s love for her father. It is a complicated story because, not only were both of her parents heroin addicts, but her father died when she was only eleven years old, and her dad was still a fairly young man. It’s hard to believe that the author waited until she was in college before opening her father’s notebooks to explore more about his life. I know there was grief after his death, but I doubt if I would have had the patience to wait as long as she did before she started learning more about him with those notebooks of his so close at hand.

I found it interesting that the author, a New York City high school dropout, found great pleasure in reading, especially the classics. It was her curiosity and love of reading and writing that ultimately led her to further education, writing, and to the creation of this book. Her father, Joseph Schachtman, was an artist whose strange and provocative art, a lot of it sculpture, was usually carefully crafted with odd items such as discarded objects of others or items found in nature, such as wood, hair, and even feathers from roadkill.

Lilly’s parents divorced at a time when her dad’s heroin use led to financial problems and complete lack of hygiene. Heroin use may or may not have been the direct cause of his death. That is not really clear, although lab tests showed he was clean when he died in bed at his own home

The loss of Lilly’s father at a young age put a spirit of longing in her to recapture him as he was. Through people who knew him and through his art, which she displayed with black-and-white photographs carefully arranged throughout the book, she gave honor to a fallible person she loved dearly. She was able to overlook her father’s faults and give praise where it was due.

One part of this memoir that brought me to tears was near the end where Lilly tells about her dad taking her to Friday night services “finding religion for the first time in his life”. I found that especially moving as I find comfort from time to time in religion as well.

I see that there was an inner warmth in Schachtman’s art work that appeared outwardly strange and unapproachable. In cataloguing and exhibiting her dad’s art work in this book and doing research among people who knew her dad, Lilly not only brought out that inner meaning for others to see but created a lasting record of his life’s work.

This is an honest, beautiful, and thought-provoking memoir unlike any other that I have read. While reading, I never missed an opportunity to stop and write down special passages that captured my heart. I liked the author’s idea that her father continues to talk to her through the art he created. This story was a pleasure to read.

Rating - 5 stars

I thought of the guidance counselor from Bard who’d told me I’d end up on the street if I didn’t “ straighten up and fly right” (she really used those words), and imagined mailing her a photocopy of my master’s degree with “F*** YOU, C***” written across it in Sharpie.

Enjoying hearing planning for meet-ups.......hopefully sanity in the world is nearing a return.

>42 PaulCranswick: Local meetups have been such fun I the past. Hope we can pull more of them off soon.

>43 SqueakyChu: Hear! Hear!

13. The Polish Boxer - Eduardo Halfon


------------------------------------
TIOLI #4: Read a book with a title with three or more words containing at least one article
--------------------------------------
This book started off with short stories which totally engaged me. Then I realized these were not short stories at all, but part of a novel. However, I subsequently realized that this book was neither short stories nor a novel but somewhere in between. It's the story of a Guatamalan man named Eduardo Halfon. Yes, that is also the author's name. In the end, I realized that this book was all about identity. Was this book about a fictitious character or about the author? Was this book a short story or a novel? Who knows?

Then there is the component of the characters having multiple ethnicities or roles. A student of Eduardo Halfon, who was a college literature professor in Guatamala, was a member of an indiginous tribe in Guatamala. Eduardo Halfon himself had a grandfather who had been a Jewish Holocaust survivor. So did that make the author or the protagonist Jewish? How about the acqaintance of the professor, a Serbian pianist by the name of Milan Rakić. Did this musician discard his Serbian identity to take up his Gypsy roots?

If all of this sounds confusing, it is not. It's all woven into a beautifully written story. I especially liked it because I've been to Guatemala and to Yugoslavia (the part that is now Serbia), and remembered with joy the people and culture of those two vastly different countries. Some of the scenes in this story were about Judaism, but those made me deeply sad. After reading this story, you will know why.

This is such an interesting novel with information slipped in from many categories, such as music, geography, literature, culture, food, and language. I took the opportunity while reading this book to learn more about all of these topics in depth in order to better understand what Halfon was trying to say.

There was also the theme of what is reality and what is story. Were the tattooed numbers on grandfather’s arm his phone number or his tattoo from his imprisonment in Auschwitz? Did he escape his imprisonment there because a Polish Boxer told him what to say, or was it because he had been a carpenter? How much of one’s identity is truth and how much is fiction? There’s lots to think about here.

I see this book as an exploration of identities. There were different ethnicities, different locations, different names, different countries of origin, different religions, different languages, different social statuses, and different professions or roles. And yet, these differences locked together in such an interesting and amazing story! I just loved it all.

Rating - 4.5 stars


Milan began serving himself generous spoonfuls of pepián and caquic, and I, considering him brave to attempt such a mixture, could only think about how some people flee their ancestors, while others yearn for them, almost viscerally; how a few run from their fathers’ world, while others clamor for it, cry out for it; how I couldn't get far enough away from Judaism, while Milan would never be close enough to the Gypsies.

>45 SqueakyChu: Ah, you got me with The Polish Boxer. I'll put in on the recommendation list I've been keeping.

The conference Jim and I were going to attend near Washington has been cancelled, alas. Not that I was looking forward to sweltering on July 4 in D.C., but it would have been so nice to have a meetup.

>46 ffortsa: Actually, I’m not sure I would have attended a meetup. I still don’t trust that I won’t catch covid or bring it home to my husband. I just declined an outdoor restaurant lunch meetup with friends. I have only been indoors with my older son, daughter-in-law, and daughter. Since a close friend of mine (whom I uninvited to visit me this weekend) caught a severe case of breakthrough covid, I am leery of gathering with others too fast. I still don’t drive or see well and scheduled my eye doctor appointment for June. I’m good with taking this all very slowly.

The Polish Boxer is really an interesting book. The copy I have is BookCrossing registered so let me know if you want me to mail it to you. I don’t need it back. It was originally recommended to me by berthirsch, but I got it as a bonus from the publisher with another LT Early Reviewer book I won. I was really surprised and happy about that.

>46 ffortsa:, >47 SqueakyChu: That’s a shame, but perhaps we can get something going some other time.

>46 ffortsa: >48 drneutron: If you plan anything in the future, keep me in the loop!!

The book does sound interesting, Madeline. I have made a note of the title and author.

I agree with taking it slow. Even fully vaccinated, the pandemic is far from over and with the rise of variants, just not enough is known yet. Soon it will be summer and being outdoors where it is known to be safer and is easier to distance, hopefully will bring an easing back into things. Better safe than sorry never meant as much as it does these days!

>50 jessibud2: I have become such a recluse over the past year that I hope I’ll know how to socialize once I get back among people! Even with my kids, I’m taking things very slowly.

>48 drneutron: Of course I will keep everyone in the loop! And really, the conference would have only been an excuse. We do have a couple of hard dates this summer that involve travel, and autumn might be a little safer for train trips - our usual way to get down to D.C. or up to Boston.

Madeline, so sorry you know someone who had a 'breakthrough' covid! We can't be complacent even after vaccination, because we just don't know enough. And the long covid reports are even more of a reason to stay safe. I hope your eye adventure goes well and you can feel better about driving, as it is, in terms of breathing at least, the safest way to travel these days.

eta: >47 SqueakyChu: Oh, I'd love it if you would send me that book! Do you have my address? If not, I'll PM you.

The Polish Boxer has arrived! Thanks so much for sending it.

>53 ffortsa: Great! I hope you like it as much as I did.

13. How to Be an Antiracist- Ibram X. Kendi


-----------------------------------------------
TIOLI #1: Read a book with the letter X in the title or the author's name (author's name)
------------------------------------------------
Wow! What a powerful book…as well as one that presents hope for the future! It is a thorough, detailed look at the history and modern day aspects of racism followed by personal anecdotes, making reading this book both informative and immersive. I must admit, though, that I had a bit of a struggle to understand everything and sometimes had to re-read bits of it to clarify what the author was trying to say. I found that the information was forcing me into self-reflection and pointing out ways in which I can become more antiracist. I like that.

It is of note that race itself was not a concept until formalized in the fifteenth century. That this was only six centuries ago is in itself startling. There is so much food for thought and conversation in this book that I think the best way to read it is very slowly, and taking the time to discuss Kendi’s ideas with others.

This is pretty heavy reading if you take time to try to understand all of what is being explained and try to think about how you can incorporate antiracism into your own life. This will be an ongoing process for me--one that will start with antiracism toward Blacks, but later will incorporate these ideas into my relationship with all kinds of people. My biggest take from this book is that no one person should.be taken as a symbol for a whole group. It is an idea that should start with the Black population, but should be part of any relationship with someone else.

Think about it. If the author has to take the time and effort to organize for himself how to be antiracist, how much more important is it for everyone who is not Black to do so as well? Let’s begin now, and let’s do this together.

Rating - 4.5 stars

The source of racist ideas was not ignorance and hate, but self-interest.

>55 SqueakyChu: I just finished a reread myself, for a discussion group I was invited to join. The last few chapters really hit me, with his emphasis on power and policy. To say that racism is 'institutional' makes it sound very hard to grapple with - but if you talk about racist 'policy' instead, you realize that what is needed is the power to change policy - and we know how to get that!

>56 ffortsa: Right! What Kendi said made so much sense. I agree that the use of the term "racist policy" is much easier to understand than "institutional racism". I also liked how he explained the difference between a demonstration and a protest. I really want to get hold of his book Stamped so I can read that as well.

I have spent much of the pandemic complaining about various health issues. When I read Kendi's chapter about surviving stage 4 colon cancer while writing this book, I was blown away. Ineed to stop blowing my health issues out of proportion.

I recently took a course in African American History taught by a Black man who is an award-winning teacher in our local high school. The program was sponsored by my synagogue because our congregation and our rabbi are very much into social justice. What I was taught had nothing at all to do with anything I had been taught when I myself had been in high school. Fortunately, we are going to be able to take a second course from this same teacher. I very much look forward to it.

>57 SqueakyChu: Ah our own health issues always loom larger because they are so much closer to us. But yes, he and his wife went through some bad times at young ages.

Your class at the synagogue sounds very beneficial. I hope you enjoy the followup.

>55 SqueakyChu: - This is a book I do want to read but though I actually requested it from the library last summer/fall, I ended up cancelling my request. I just am not yet reading *heavy* subject matter books, at least for the time being. I know I will get to it at some point and I know it's an important book to read. Thanks for your thoughtful review and comments. It reminds me why I do want to get to it.

>58 ffortsa: It will be open to the public, I might just post the information here on this thread when the course is ready to accept students. I really love the teacher!

>59 jessibud2: It really is not an easy book to read. I don't mean this about the content of which I was very interested, but in the explanation of the ideas which at times seemed difficult to understand and was the reason I reread parts of it and why it took me a while to finish.

I'm giving this book to my friend Barbara this weekend when she comes to visit.

>61 SqueakyChu: - Will this be the first time you are seeing Barbara since the pandemic hit? Say hi for me!! :-)

>62 jessibud2: It will actually be the second time. She came here to visit two mutual friends two weeks ago, but she would not touch or hug anybody! I'll tell her hello from you!

14. Baby's Boat - Jeanne Titherington


------------------------------------------
TIOLI #8: Read a book where at least two of the title words start with the same letter (B)
----------------------------------------------------
This is a beautiful bedtime story for a very young child. It is imaginative, poetic and loving. It's about a baby sailing in a boat through the sky. The baby fishes from the boat, using a moonbeam for a line and a star for bait. The illustrations are large and rendered in soft colors, perfect for viewing at bedtime. The last line says, ..."Only don't forget to sail...Back again to me" which, of course made me cry because our little ones are so cherished.

Rating - 5 stars

Baby's fishing for a dream,
Fishing near and far.
Her line a silver moonbeam is,
Her bait a silver star

>64 SqueakyChu:

“Why can't you fly now, mother?"
"Because I am grown up, dearest. When people grow up they forget the way."
"Why do they forget the way?"
"Because they are no longer gay and innocent and heartless. It is only the gay and innocent and heartless who can fly.”
-- J. M. Barrie, Peter Pan

>65 magicians_nephew: Thanks for sharing those lines from Peter Pan, Jim!

I had the good fortune to spend a few hours this past weekend with my two grandchildren, but the youngest one, who is now three, especially fascinates me with her sweetness and innocence. She is so ready to learn anything. Before the pandemic, she was so young and just learning to speak. Now she can hold deep conversations. I missed her entire toddlerhood! I'm grateful to finally be able to spend some time with her and her eight-year-old brother.

15. I Swam With a Seal - Charlotte Agell



---------------------------------
TIOLI #8: Read a book where at least two of the title words start with the same letter (S)
-----------------------------------------
This is such a cute book. It's really fun to read aloud because it is written in rhyme. It's great for toddlers who love animals because it talks about different animals and what is unique to each. There are bright and beautiful illustrations by the author as well. I think this book would be perfect for my three-year-old granddaughter!

Rating - 5 stars

I peeked at a porcupine
in a tall pine tree.
I was hiding,
but he could see.

Where are your sharp quills, you funny porcupine?

>66 SqueakyChu: Glad you got to spend some time with the grandkids. They do grow fast!

16. Mona at Sea - Elizabeth Gonzalez James


------------------------------------
TIOLI #1: Read a book with a liquid on the front cover (the word "sea')
--------------------------------------------
Mona Lisa Míreles of Tucson, Arizona, is fresh out of college with a finance degree, but she can’t find a job. She attends a program at her family’s church to help people find employment. There she has encounters with several people who turn her life in unintended directions.

I had mixed feelings about this book. I liked the writing and the story, but I was reading this novel at the end of the covid-19 pandemic when unemployment wasn’t just caused by a recession so I probably felt a little more unsympathetic than necessary toward Mona than I would have had I read this novel at any other time.

Young adulthood can be a particularly difficult period, and this novel addresses many of the problems faced by individuals at this stage of life. Some of the story was funny, and some parts were sad. However, the chapter I liked the most was the one where Mona goes out on a date with her boss Skip from the telephone call center. That episode was simply hilarious and kept me belly laughing throughout. That part could even stand alone as a short story.

This debut novel is from a writer to watch. I’ll be curious to see in what direction she’ll take her next novel.

Rating - 4 stars

I don't have time to redo anything so I grab grey eye shadow and start caking it on, hoping to cover up the eyeliner mess. My hands are shaking from either nerves or wine and I’m dropping flecks of grey everywhere, so I sigh and rub shadow over and under and all around until I look like a very tired raccoon.

I started a third quarter thread here:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/333251#n7540258