Closing the Book
I decided to shut down my Bookish blog, for reasons I write about there. Mostly, the fun had drained from reviewing books to feeling OBLIGATED to do so, and . . . I don't wanna.
So, I figured I'd integrate bookish things into this blog as I wish, sprinkled throughout my other ramblings. Because you KNOW I can't ever separate myself from books.
This week, things are back to normal for the Hofmanns. Nobody is traveling, the ballet schedule is normal, work is fine, the kids are healthy, and Emma is still The World's Most Neurotic Beagle (ohhhhh, but I love her so).
The pool opens this weekend; Charlotte graduates from preschool next week; I've requested my vacation time for summer travel. Summer awaits! And after 11 years of dwelling on the East Coast, I think I have finally adjusted to the steamy summers here. I no longer dread June, July, and August. Sure, my hair gets BIG, and sure, Chris no longer lets me lean against him during church ("You're too HOT!" I'm told), and sure, Emma's tongue hangs out the side of her mouth as she pants through her daily constitutional . . . . but I'm actually looking forward to summer.
Now, books.
Here's what's on the girls' nightstands:
For our current chapter book, Charlotte and I are reading aloud Betsy-Tacy, an old, quaint tale of two BFFs who just so happen to be five years old. (Warning: A baby dies in Chapter 9, which shows how dated the book is, and boy, Charlotte had some questions about that. It's actually a beautifully and sensitively written chapter, but heads up.) The stories are endearingly lodged in the points of view of young girls, without lame-o lessons thrown in, which is probably why the book is still in print. Lorelei, great lover of all things related to seahorses (what?), has rediscovered this little board book in her book collection, Secret Seahorse. It's illustrated through funky sea life quilts (yes, quilts). A poem guides us on our search for the secret seahorse, and each page has part of the seahorse hidden. She LOVES trying to find the seahorse. Heck, even Charlotte loves this book, even if it's meant for toddlers. I'm just thrilled it's princess-free.
Me, I'm reading these:
Out of the Shadows, which is a downer about serious mental illness, jail, homelessness, and effed up policy. (It's also almost 20 years old, so it's dated to boot.) Still, an important book on a heartbreakingly important topic. I'm slogging through it. I also just started Lidia Yuknavitch's Chronology of Water. One chapter. I found the writing so stunning that I shoved in a bookmark after the first chapter, vowing to pace myself, to make this writing last. I actually BOUGHT this book (I'm a library whore), and I'm so glad. I can take my sweet time.
So, I figured I'd integrate bookish things into this blog as I wish, sprinkled throughout my other ramblings. Because you KNOW I can't ever separate myself from books.
This week, things are back to normal for the Hofmanns. Nobody is traveling, the ballet schedule is normal, work is fine, the kids are healthy, and Emma is still The World's Most Neurotic Beagle (ohhhhh, but I love her so).
The pool opens this weekend; Charlotte graduates from preschool next week; I've requested my vacation time for summer travel. Summer awaits! And after 11 years of dwelling on the East Coast, I think I have finally adjusted to the steamy summers here. I no longer dread June, July, and August. Sure, my hair gets BIG, and sure, Chris no longer lets me lean against him during church ("You're too HOT!" I'm told), and sure, Emma's tongue hangs out the side of her mouth as she pants through her daily constitutional . . . . but I'm actually looking forward to summer.
Now, books.
Here's what's on the girls' nightstands:
For our current chapter book, Charlotte and I are reading aloud Betsy-Tacy, an old, quaint tale of two BFFs who just so happen to be five years old. (Warning: A baby dies in Chapter 9, which shows how dated the book is, and boy, Charlotte had some questions about that. It's actually a beautifully and sensitively written chapter, but heads up.) The stories are endearingly lodged in the points of view of young girls, without lame-o lessons thrown in, which is probably why the book is still in print. Lorelei, great lover of all things related to seahorses (what?), has rediscovered this little board book in her book collection, Secret Seahorse. It's illustrated through funky sea life quilts (yes, quilts). A poem guides us on our search for the secret seahorse, and each page has part of the seahorse hidden. She LOVES trying to find the seahorse. Heck, even Charlotte loves this book, even if it's meant for toddlers. I'm just thrilled it's princess-free.
Me, I'm reading these:
Out of the Shadows, which is a downer about serious mental illness, jail, homelessness, and effed up policy. (It's also almost 20 years old, so it's dated to boot.) Still, an important book on a heartbreakingly important topic. I'm slogging through it. I also just started Lidia Yuknavitch's Chronology of Water. One chapter. I found the writing so stunning that I shoved in a bookmark after the first chapter, vowing to pace myself, to make this writing last. I actually BOUGHT this book (I'm a library whore), and I'm so glad. I can take my sweet time.
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