I heard a crazy story this week about a tattoo parlor owner in East Texas that wanted to reopen despite our state's coronavirus restrictions. The owner invited a friend to help her, and her friend showed up toting an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle.
Sometimes it is embarrassing to be a Texan.
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Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles
The National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry edited by J. Patrick Lewis
The Principles of Uncertainty by Maira Kalman
Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pearce
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
Up and down and all over the place. That's what my reading was like this week. I was disappointed with The Starless Sea which was mysterious and odd but seemed to go nowhere. I completely figured out the plot of Dear Mrs. Bird, but the characters were so charming that I enjoyed the book anyway. The photos and poems in The National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry were stunning; I might look for my own copy. It took me about half the book to get interested in Mañanaland, but I couldn't stop reading once I got vested in the story. My favorite book was Simon the Fiddler, a story of a post-Civil War musician and his friends in Texas.
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War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Devotions by Mary Oliver
One Wild Bird at a Time: Portraits of Individual Lives by Bernd Heinrich
50 Ways to Draw Your Beautiful Ordinary Life: Practical Lessons in Pencil and Paper
The Book of Forgotten Authors by Christopher Fowler
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
This week I shared The Last Ten Books I Abandoned. I seem to abandon a lot of books these days. I wonder if everyone feels the same.
I also posted a list of Words for Peak Experiences.
1. New bird spotted this week. A female painted bunting? Vireo? Female orchard oriole? Goldfinch? Lesser goldfinch? Female lesser goldfinch? I've had all sorts of suggestions.
2. I got 50 Ways to Draw Your Beautiful Ordinary Life for Mother's Day. I am now drawing something every day.
3. My sister and I and our husbands watched Fiddler on the Roof together (virtually) for our movie club this week. My brother-in-law hadn't seen this movie in thirty years and my sister had never seen it. We had a great discussion about family and change and tradition.
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.
I loved The Night Circus but I am apprehensive about reading The Starless Sea in case it doesn't live up to the experience of the first book
ReplyDeleteI was eagerly hopeful about The Starless Sea. Others may love it, perhaps more than The Night Circus, but perhaps because of the lockdown is seemed beautiful but pointless.
DeleteI completely agree with you about The Starless Sea -- after such a long wait it was really disappointing. I am a big fan of Maira Kalman, though! And I haven't seen Fiddler on the Roof for a long time either.
ReplyDeletebe well... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
I am glad to hear I am not the only person disappointed with Starless Sea.
DeleteOh my gosh, I love Fiddler on the Roof. My first memory of professional theater is seeing that play. The movie is fabulous too. I'd love to see some of your drawings.
ReplyDeleteWe loved Fiddler on the Roof, too. It's free on Amazon Prime right now.
DeleteWow - it's been decades since I saw Fiddler on the Roof. I can still remember so many of the songs! Dear Mrs. Bird was certainly charming wasn't it? A good book to read right now I think. I figured out the plot, but I often do that with books. Hope you have a good week, Deb! And also hope your cough is better.
ReplyDeleteI can cry just thinking about some of the songs from Fiddler on the Roof.
DeleteSo it looks like the theme this week was fiddles. :-) Fiddler on the Roof is one of my all-time favorite musicals, especially the movie with Tevye. I have had it in my queue on Amazon Prime for a long time for a rewatch, but haven't gotten to it yet. Maybe here soon. I first was introduced to it on a Sunday afternoon through a PBS station...Devotions by Mary Oliver is one I purchased so I could read and I hope to get to some of it today along with Sherlock Holmes. At least, that is the plan...Scrabble Go? We need to play again. Even if we don't "connect" at the same time, feel free to start a game whenever and we can play. I'm around all this weekend; next week, I'll be around some, but not as much Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday as I head back to work as we plan for a limited reopening at the library where I work.
ReplyDeleteThe fiddle theme was pure serendipity.
DeleteYes, we must start another game. Don't think I'm avoiding Scrabble because you beat me. I'd never do that, right?
I hope not. 🙂
DeleteAll those birds suggestions sound good. My first thought was a goldfinch. It also looks like a female scarlet tanager, although you may be a little out of range that. But birds can't read maps, so it's always possible.
ReplyDeleteMy bookclub choose The Starless Sea. I struggled with that one. Pointless is an understatement. And I cared about none of the characters. I did like the lovely writing, but it was not enough to sustain me though the entire book, and I gave up half way through..
It is reassuring to know that I am not alone in my thoughts about a book.
DeleteYour rifle story is not just for Texans. In Florida, people have had knives and guns too, to resist wearing a mask in stores.! It is crazy.. I am a BIG fan of the music from Fiddler. I ask Alexa to play it all the time while i'm in the kitchen cooking. I think I know the lyrics to most of the songs by rote. I act out the songs pretty well too especially the Froma Sara with the dream and the pearls!! Have a great week .
ReplyDeleteI cannot imagine someone bold enough to bring out knives and guns in response to a request to wear a mask.
DeleteI'm still trying to wade my way through The Starless Sea!
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see what you think.
DeleteI loved Fiddler on the Roof. I've seen it so many times.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a great week! Stay safe!
Fiddler on the Roof reminded me of the wonderful and difficult parts of life.
DeleteSo cool that you're reading the Starless Sea. I recently picked up a copy from the friends of the libary mail box and I'll never forget the mailbox of the resident host. It was shaped like a ship in a very ritzy neighborhood near 'Grand' Ave (how appropriate!):)
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the friends of the library mail boxes are some sort of Little Free Libraries.
DeleteI'm glad you enjoyed Fiddler on the Roof so much - my student was in a wonderful amateur production last year and it was wonderful to see it. The songs brought back so many memories:). Love the butterfly pic! Have a good week, Deb - and best of luck with the drawing, what a great idea:)
ReplyDeleteThe drawing will come in handy when I illustrate my picture books.
DeleteI'm finding it very hard to get into reading these days and I thought I would be flying through books with so much time on my hands.
ReplyDeleteAlso seem to be abandoning more books than usual.
I feel guilty when I abandon books, but I can't seem to help it.
DeleteI’ve never seen The Fiddler on the Roof though I am familiar with the basics as it’s one of those things that seem to be referred to often in tv shows/films etc.
ReplyDeleteWe’ve had a handful of protesters here but thank goodness we really don’t have to be concerned with any of them being armed, I don’t understand what she thought she’d achieve anyway because I can’t imagine she’d be a deterrent against the police force.
I’ve only abandoned one book this year so far, which I do blame on the pandemic. I’m still finding focus a little tricky.
Wishing you a great reading week
Unfortunately here in Texas we seem to believe that anyone that wants to can carry around whatever weapons they feel like they need. Even automatic weaponry.
DeleteI've been eyeing Dear Mrs. Bird. Hope you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteStay safe and have a great week. Here are my WEEKLY UPDATES
Dear Mrs. Bird takes place in London during the bombing so it was perfect for reading after I finished The Splendid and the Vile.
DeleteI really struggled with The Starless Sea and put it down about 100 pages in...I abandon Books all the time and always have. Life's too short for bad books. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteNatflix&Books
I wanted to put it down, but I kept hoping it would get better.
DeleteI'm quite nervous about reading The Starless Sea, I fear I'm not going to enjoy it after all.
ReplyDeleteI really like Fiddler on the roof as well.
Have a wonderful week!
Perhaps you will love it. I hope so.
DeleteI'd LOVE TO SEE FIDDLER ON THE ROOF AGAIN, TOO.
ReplyDeleteThe music! And the wonderful story.
DeleteI never watched Fiddler on the Roof.
ReplyDeleteIt's powerful.
DeleteI remember the record as a kid of Fiddler on the Roof ... gosh we memorized it! Great soundtrack. And I thought Dear Mrs. Bird was pretty good, read it in 2018. I'll be interested to see if you like The Glass Hotel ... it seems bloggers have been half & half on that one ... I haven't gotten to it yet but I still hope to. Enjoy your week.
ReplyDeleteI'm supposed to see the author of Glass Hotel tonight (virtually, of course) as the last speaker of the year on our Houston reading series.
DeleteSomehow, the title and the cover for Dear Mrs.Bird intrigued me!! I think I will look for it.. and books like the drawing book always are fun :)
ReplyDeleteAs for bookish things myself, I did read a bit the last few days but did not talk about it on my blog .. I have to get back to doing so again this coming week
The drawing book is a great escape.
DeleteII never saw Fiddler on the Roof but intend to as soon as My Better Half gets home today. It will be a pleasant evening. I started Mrs. Bird but had to take it back to the library before I got really interested in it, and I haven't been motivated (yet) to try again. I had a book waiting for me at the library--the Large Print edition of The Splendid and the Vile, so I can take up where I left off, but my gosh--the size of the thing!!! Rae
ReplyDeleteIt took me a chapter or two (I actually gave up on it and returned it once) to get into Splendid and the Vile, but I found it as an ebook during the lockdown and loved it.
DeleteI need to get to Simon the Fiddler -- everyone seems to love it. That drawing book looks good.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think you do.
DeleteI have been solving the problem of abandoning books by concentrating on re-reading old favorites. Now I have to dig in and read my June review books. My personal bird knowledge extends to three kinds of birds: robins, chickens, and "other." Good luck identifying your visitor. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteHaha! Love your bird knowledge.
DeleteLove when the Spring birds appear. Laughed over the Gun toting Texan. Think of the good things about Texas. Like author Jodi Thomas who is entertaining me with her latest at the moment.
ReplyDeleteI love our Texas swagger, but sometimes it goes too far.
DeleteI love Fiddler on the Roof and haven't seen it in a while (think we have the dvd.) I read The Great Influenza about 12 years ago and thought it was well done.
ReplyDeleteI need to get the DVD.
DeleteI wish people would be sensible about the virus. A restaurant in my county opened its dining room when it wasn’t supposed to, and the place was packed. People were lining up to get a table. Why couldn’t all those people just order takeout? I hope you have a good week!
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
Yesterday I saw that a poker party in a town about a hour from me has resulted in twelve new cases of the virus so far. One of the people who was infected works at a nursing home.
DeleteI am SO far behind on reading people's blogs! Work has become a little overwhelming in the past couple of weeks and it won't really let up for a few more. Oh well. Love the new bird; I've been having orioles at my bird bath and love to see the bright yellow.
ReplyDelete