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I never expected to read The Improper Life of Bezellia Grove in one sitting but it was a super fast read. No idea why since I think it was just as long (page-wise) as Packing for Mars. It just flowed nicely so even when I thought I’d put it down and go to bed – I didn’t, I just kept on reading and before I knew it… done!

I also didn’t expect to enjoy it quite as much as I did. It looked like a fluffy story about a girl growing up privileged in Nashville in the 60s-70s with all of the typical race issues you’d expect. But I did enjoy it, a lot. And the ending wasn’t one of those happily ever after endings. The ending made sense. I like that.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

Thank you @Firemom for posting about Debra Ginsberg’s newest book, The Neighbors are Watching. I’m a big fan of Ginsberg but had completely missed the launch of this one. After reading it – I’m still a Ginsberg fan.

This is what happens when you don’t know your neighbors. Or your own kids. Or your spouse or partner. This is what happens when you aren’t paying attention.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

Thank goodness for Sassymonkey and her review of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake. If I hadn’t read it long before I read the book, I might have been one of those who was frustrated by this brilliant novel. I might have thought it was a book that is similar to something Jennifer Weiner might have written. Or maybe Lolly Winston. But this book is not anything like those.  It’s closer to something written by Sarah Addison Allen in that it has magical elements but it’s really nothing like that either.

It’s not like anything I’ve read and that amazes me. It’s so rare to find a story you haven’t read before.

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake isn’t a happy story. It’s a story that left me feeling out of sorts and angsty. It’s a good story. Read it but read it without expectations – if you can.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

We went from having not enough good library books to choose from to having too many. We’ve had so many that we’ve held a couple a few extra days so one of us could finish something we started on the due date. We’ve had some books go back unread by either of us. It’s a frustratingly awesome problem to have. As I was reviewing my library account, I saw some books that were due back today – none had been renewed, so I clicked the renew button only to discover that two of them had holds and couldn’t be renewed. Huh. Neither were books I’d heard anything about. Both were just plucked from the New Arrivals shelf because their titles or covers looked interesting. I figured TW would have time to read them both – she reads faster than I do and has more reading time than I do. I thought I might get lucky and manage them both but I decided I’d read She’s Gone Country, if it looked like I’d only have time for one.

But while TW read Stiltsville, she kept stopping to talk to me about it.

“I want to live in Miami.” – Weird because while we both like to visit Miami, neither of us has really expressed interest in living there. I don’t think we’d like it.

“How’s that reading along with your daughter’s syllabus working out for you?” – Hmph! It isn’t. I read one book instead of three because our library was closed for so darn long.

“I want to live near the ocean.” –Well sure, me too, but can you define near? “Closer than our Starbucks.” Wow, that’s really near. You’d better get another job or start saving some more money because that’s pricey.

“I don’t want Michelle to go to college in Gainesville.” –Err she lives in Gainesville and she isn’t dropping out.

So… rather than read She’s Gone Country (out from under TW who hadn’t really started it until 10:30 last night because she spent six hours on my quilt) I picked up Stiltsville.

And it was good, I read it straight through – It didn’t quite make me want to live in Miami and I wouldn’t want a house in Stiltsville and I wouldn’t want Michelle living in Gainesville if another Danny Rollings decided to do horrendous things to women (and one man) and damn it, I still want to read along with Michelle’s syllabus. And I don’t particularly want to move to Asheville… even if TW dies.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.