Saturday, March 21, 2020

24in48 Readathon, Dreyer's English, and 3 Good Things




You know what this week has been like. Waiting. Watching. Worrying. 

Let's share.







Dreyer's English by Benjamin Dreyer


"Only godless savages eschew the series comma."

"Before we get to what you do use apostrophes for, let's recount what you don't use them for.
Step back, I'm about to hit the CAPS LOCK key.
DO NOT EVER ATTEMPT TO USE AN APOSTROPHE TO PLURALIZE A WORD.
'NOT EVER' AS IN 'NEVER.'
You may reapproach."

"Lately one encounters people referring to any full-length book, even a work of nonfiction, as a novel. That has to stop."

"...Two Words Where One Will Do...
free gift...
join together...
kneel down...
last of all...
lesbian woman...Come on, folks. Think."

There. That should be a sufficient sample to let you decide if this is the book for you.






Rules of Civility by Amor Towles


"...life is less like a journey than it is a game of honeymoon bridge. In our twenties, when there is still so much time ahead of us, time that seems ample for a hundred indecisions, for a hundred visions and revisions---we draw a card, and we must decide right then and there whether to keep that card and discard the next, or discard the first card and keep the second. And before we know it, the deck has been played out and the decisions we have just made will shape our lives for decades to come."

Rules of Civility is the story of Katey Kontent, twenty-five in 1938, child of Russian immigrants, working in a typing pool on Wall Street. She meets many people in that single year, and it is the people she meets and the opportunities they present that create her entire life.

Author Amor Towles has a beautiful way of setting up a scene and then closing the door, leaving the reader to imagine what is going on. He has created bright and entirely human characters, characters who have mysterious pasts and unexpected futures, much like the real people we see and meet every day. Towles captures the world of 1938, uncertain times following uncertain times, in New York City where people can become fast friends in the matter of a few days, and where everyone is in the process of making and remaking their lives with whatever chance brings to bear.

Rules of Civility offers the best things a novel can provide: complete immersion in another world, as well as thoughtful takeaways from the experience.








I'm reading: War and Peace; Gulf: The Making of an American Sea; Pauses for Lent; and Migrations: A Novel.









From the 24in48 Readathon:
And as more and more countries are implementing social distancing recommendations (if not actual quarantines), we decided it was time to find comfort in books and the community that loves them.
Which brings us to the Social Distancing Readathon.


Stay home.

Wash your hands.

Read books.

March 21 & 22.


It's that simple. No prizes. No hourly challenges. No requirements. Just a chance to reconnect with this amazing bookish community (online! no hand sanitizer required!) Read some good books, and talk about them with other readers. Sign up here





From Anne Bogel at Modern Mrs. Darcy:

These are wild times. Because of the coronavirus, I’m not leaving town to continue my book tour as planned. Everything is canceled. So here's what we’re doing now. We’re inviting authors whose in-person book events have been disrupted by COVID-19 to join us online for a virtual, stay at home book tour. We’ll keep the format of a bookstore author talk, but we’ll do it online. We’ll do multiple events over multiple days. We won’t do signings or selfies, but we hope to bring the DELIGHT of a good book tour event straight to you, wherever you are. 
We’ll be meeting via the video conferencing platform Zoom. We will email out Zoom invitations to these events several days prior to each event. To participate, click the invitation link to join the discussion. Find out more at Modern Mrs. Darcy.




What other bookish events do you recommend for these times?





We started all meetings off at school by sharing good things. It sounds hokey, but it seems to help me with stress.

So I decided to share 3 Good Things today.



#1 Good Thing

It's the first birthday of my grandson, Wyatt.


I painted this standee for his party. It's huge---8' x 4'. I originally cut out each face so that partygoers could pose for pictures, but, in light of social distancing, I decided to tape the faces in place and make it serve as a sign. It will be just grandparents and parents at the party. 

I probably spent 20+ hours making the sign, but it was oddly therapeutic to paint during these stressful times.


#2 Good Thing 

My son and daughter-in-law in Chicago have taken over the shopping for my daughter-in-law's parents and grandma. Her parents are elderly, her mom has diabetes, and her grandmother (who lives with her parents) is 95 and has dementia.


#3 Good Thing

Brenda at Log Cabin Library sent me her copy of Timmy Failure this week. It's a silly and wacky children's book. Fun. Thank you, Brenda.



Let me leave you with this short video from Ruah Spirituality Center at Villa de Matel in Houston, a retreat and meditation center.






What have you been doing to keep your spirits up 
and to keep up the spirits of those around you?




I'm very happy you found your way to the Sunday Salon. There are no real requirements to linking up at Sunday Salon. Sunday Salon is simply a place for us to link up and to share what we have been doing during the week. Sunday Salon is a great way to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. 

Some of the things we often talk about at the Sunday Salon:

  • What was your week like?
  • Read any good books? Tell us about them.
  • What other bookish things did you do? 
  • What else is going on in your life?


Other places where you may like to link up over the weekend are below. Click on the picture to visit the site.


My linkup for Sunday Salon is below.


51 comments:

  1. To keep my spirits up, I haven't been watching the news constantly or checking in on news sites. Today, to help with that, I'll be participating in the special Social Distancing Edition of the 24in48 Readathon like you. As for others, I'm trying to encourage them through Instagram from time to time, especially those participating in the readathon. I think I might have to stay away from Instagram Stories for a while though as it's...well...too much real, whereas last week it seemed surreal, if you know what I mean. For the readathon, I'm reading short stories from Sherlock Holmes to start so we'll see how that goes.

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    1. I finally settled into reading The Long Winter. I'm heading back to that in a bit, as soon as I finish visiting blogs.

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  2. These are stressful times. I'm having trouble focusing on much of anything so I can see how painting that adorable sign would be therapeutic.

    Wyatt is adorable!!

    We've decided we'll have groceries delivered when we need them again.

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  3. I loved Rules of Civility too and think I may need to get my hands on that Dreyer book! Your grandson is adorable and that sign is painted is impressive! Happy Birthday to Wyatt :)

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    1. The Dreyer book is great fun. Perfect for this crazy time.

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  4. Thanks Deb. Good luck on your reading this week-end. I was going to participate in the readathon. But instead have been calling several people. And also praying with a monastery through their live streaming videos: https://www.holycross.org/blogs/news/monastery-livestreaming-all-services-throughout-coronavirus-epidemic.
    Keep well

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    1. You always think of others, Emma. Thanks for motivating me to do a little of that, too.

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  5. What a cutie your grandson is! Love the picture! I bet it was fun to paint that sign. Happy Birthday to him! We've been mostly at home - my husband working and me running out the door often to walk around the block again. Ha! I've been trying to check on friends and family and have a goal of two phone calls a day to do that. We've also been picking up some to-go orders from local restaurants that we like - trying to do our part to support them through their closure. Deb, take care and we'll all weather this storm.

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    1. You are doing good work, Kay. I'm glad you are checking on others and supporting restaurants.

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  6. Wyatt is adorable and what blue eyes he has! We've been staying home as much as possible though we've been getting takeout a decent amount. I'm reading A Gentleman in Moscow by Towles and am really enjoying it. Have a great week and stay safe!

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    1. I read A Gentleman in Moscow first. It was a lovely read.

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  7. I absolutely love the photo of Wyatt, what a sweetheart. And the sign you painted is fantastic. This past week feels as if it dragged and flew all at once; I was so busy.

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  8. I've been trying to stay away from the news but that's not working out well. It's definitely a trying time. Take care and stay safe!

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    1. It helped me tremendously to turn off the news notifications on my phone.

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  9. It's nice to focus on the good things in life in times such as these!

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  10. I am a complete grammar nerd so loved the quotes.
    I have put Rules of Civility on my TBR list.
    We're still enjoying our self-isolation but wish more people understand the need for social distancing!!

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    1. If you liked the quotes, you would love the book. It is filled with so much fun for us grammar nerds.

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  11. Thanks for that uplifting video! I like that online connections are helping us cope with the New Normal (for now!).

    Enjoy your week.

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    Replies
    1. I love to visit Ruah, so it was nice to be able to visit it online during this time.

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  12. Sounds like you're keeping busy. I'll be in an online improv class today. Should be fun and spontaneous.

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  13. Ok Deb, you’ve sold me on Dreyer’s English!
    That mural is wonderful, and will be just as useful at his second birthday party I have no doubt..Wyatt is such a cutie - happy birthday to him!

    Wishing you a great reading week, be well!

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    Replies
    1. Dreyer's English is wonderful, and somehow perfect for these crazy times.

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  14. I love the Good Things!! There used to be a link up for Feel Good Fridays on a blog that no longer exists where you had to list 5 good things each week I loved doing that.

    Happy Birthday Wyatt!

    Have a great week. Stay SAFE!

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  15. i have been reading...and reading...and reading
    sherry @ fundinmental

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  16. What a lovely idea - featuring the Good Things:)). And I hope Wyatt has a lovely birthday - he looks a little darling... Have a wonderful readathon, Deb.

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  17. Your grandson is cute. My grandson turned 7 a couple of months ago.

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  18. Stay home and read books. that I'll do. It's harder to stay away from the TV news. Things change so fast and in unexpected ways. Stay healthy and well.

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  19. Happy birthday to Wyatt! I’m doing 24 in 48 too. It’s been more fun than constantly checking the news. I hope you have a good week!

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  20. Oh, look at that adorable face - I can't even! How do they even make them like that!

    LOL @ those passages in Dreyer's English. Yes - I have to read it. Sounds like Dreyer could have been a good buddy of mine.

    Starting each day with three good things sounds like a SPLENDID thing to do. I certainly need a way to refocus on the good and ride out the bad, seeing as there's not much I can do but stay home and wash my hands.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, let's start now with adding 3 Good Things to our daily routine.

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  21. It's just the four of us. Except for running essential errands (grocery shopping and a trip to the vet), we are staying at home.

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  22. I haven't gotten much reading done the past week with watching all the news updates. Last night I shut the TV off, crawled in bed and read and it was glorious :) I hope you can stop by:

    https://collettaskitchensink.blogspot.com/2020/03/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-32320.html

    Colletta

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  23. LOVE the adorable sign that you painted! Sorry he didn't get to use it for a bigger party, but maybe they can hold onto it and use it in the future. So cute!!

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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  24. What blue eyes your grandson has! I have been staying home and listening to a lot of audiobooks. I have also been trying not to watch too much news and staying far from news websites. Once a day is enough to keep me up to date without causing too much anxiety. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

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  25. I loved Rules of Civility and I think I would like the curmudgeonly tone of the Dreyer's book. Your handpainted sign is beautiful and, as others have said, I hope it can be used at future birthday parties, too!

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    1. Thanks, Laurie. My daughter-in-law put it in Wyatt's room as a mural for now, and that makes me happy.

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  26. Happy Birthday Wyatt :) And happy to hear people are taking care of each other. Rules of Civility and Dreyer's English both sound amusing to me. Enjoy your week!

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  27. I liked both Dreyer's English and Rules of Civility (both of them I finished in 2019 so they are fresh in my mind). Also it's nice to add three good things a day during these stressful times. Nice pics. Keeping reading & Stay well.

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    1. I think I am going to write down my three good things each day. That way, I can look back on them.

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  28. How can anyone look at that photo of Wyatt and not smile?! He is such a darling. And the sign you made is AMAZING! You are so talented, Deb. I love the idea of writing down three good things every day. It will be nice to put those positive thoughts in my bullet journal and not so much of the worrisome notes. Be well, my friend.

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