Sunday, April 29, 2012

Sunday Salon: Week of the Crud

 A fantastic morning to all of you my friends!  Well, last week I alluded to the fact that this week would be squirrelly.  (The Sandy definition of "squirrelly" = downright horrid.)  However it was not.  At least not in the way I was expecting.  


I had expected non-stop insanity, with a number of schedules converging into a sort of cataclysmic act of God, but instead both of my kids contracted The Crud.  My son was out for the first four days of the week, and my daughter was out the last two.  Therefore, our number of volleyball games and practices were reduced, the number of nighttime Andre visits were reduced, and dinner was actually served each night BEFORE 8PM!!!  Amazing.  If not for the sickness, it would have been a perfect week.


An all-day meeting at school was cancelled for me, I was able to get four workouts in at Casa Angel of Death instead of the normal three, and I was actually able to sneak in a lunch with Heather (Raging Bibliomania) to trade bookish goodies.  Friday night my husband and I attended our school's annual fundraising Gala, which was a ball.  


So not many squirrels.  Except for the ones that my daughter thinks she needs as pets, and is attempting to catch with a snare.  I don't know, go figure - when it comes to animals and this child, I don't even try to understand.  She thinks she is Katniss.


So I was able to do a little reading.  I finished "The Big Short" in print, and as much as this is a niche book and not what I would consider the greatest for a book club because of its complexity, I enjoyed it immensely.  There was a two hour special on PBS on Tuesday (continued on next Tuesday as well) about the financial meltdown, and it was a nice supplement to the book.  So then I briefly started Lauren Oliver's "Pandemonium", but after my lunch with Heather, who loaned me her copy of "Fifty Shades of Grey", I started that one for my other book club.  Not to spoil anything people, but this has got to be the most horrible thing I've ever read.  My buddy Molly Bumble, she looks out for me, and suggested perhaps I engage in a drinking game while reading it.  Not a bad idea.


On audio, I finished "Swamplandia", and after wallowing in a general feeling of sadness and ick, I picked up "One of Our Thursdays Is Missing" by Jasper Fforde.  I know many of you love these books, but it did not work for me on audio.  It was glib and a little too clever for itself, and only managed to irritate me, so after one disc I stopped.  I turned to my fail-safe alternative, Jack Reacher.  His latest adventures in the novel "The Affair" is keeping me entertained and I should be done with it soon.


For the longest time, I almost couldn't load the audios fast enough into my iPod, I plowed through them so quickly.  Now, between my library requests, loans from friends, and the monthly packages of happiness from Penguin Audio, I am almost swimming in them.  Just this week I loaded "Heft" by Liz Moore, "Catherine the Great" by Robert Massie, "The Informationist" and "The Innocent" by Taylor Stevens, "A Stolen Life" by Jaycee Dugard, and "A Land Remembered" by Patrick Smith.  That is just in the last three days.  I want to listen to them all NOW.  


Hope you all have a relaxing Sunday filled with friends, family and reading!   


      

19 comments:

bermudaonion said...

Sorry your kids were sick, and I hope you don't come down with it, but I'm glad you had a break from the crazies!

It sounds like you're in for some good listening!

Unknown said...

You've been reading so much more than I have. I'm jealous. I also quit my second job this week, so I hope to have more reading time.

rhapsodyinbooks said...

we need to email re second half of Swamplandia!

Marie Cloutier said...

Jasper Fforde annoys the *sh*T* out of me. jeff got me The Eyre Affair because he knows I love Jane Eyre but I just can't stand that arch, knowing, wink wink nudge nudge humor. Blech!
And re: Fifty Shades, LOL! I think a lot of people get this book not knowing what it is. It's been selling like CRAZY everywhere and hafl the time I'm like, really? Are you sure? Cause... LOL

JoAnn said...

Heft and Catherine the Great are in my audio future, too. Once summer starts though, my listening time evaporates...

Marianne Murphy said...

I can't wait to here what you have to say about 50 Shades. I tried trashing it at the Gala, and someone told me I need to keep reading, it gets better?
Maybe, if your drunk!

Marianne Murphy said...

HEAR!!!!

caite said...

Oh no...Shades of Gray! most horrible ever, that is bad! but not surprising

Unknown said...

Great audios! You have some wonderful listening ahead.

Molly's advice to drink while reading Fifty Shades... I feel for you, Sandy.

It's awesome how much your daughter loves animals but I'm not so sure the squirrels want to be pets!

I cannot wait to read your review of Swamplandia...I've wanted to read that book for a while but then I read some so-so reviews of it and decided to wait to read it

I hope your children are feeling better and you don't get sick.

Alyce said...

I'm glad to hear that you got a more restful week, and hope that the entire family is healthy now! I thought Jaycee Dugard's book was good.

Julie P. said...

Ooooh! I can't wait to hear what you think of HEFT. I read it and loved it!

Carrie K. said...

Ooo, such a bounty of audiobook riches! I hope you love the Taylor Stevens books as much as I did. :) And I can't wait to read your review of Fifty Shades of Grey - I'm craving some snark!

Heidenkind said...

Kimberly from Reflections of a Book Addict and I came up with a drinking game for 50 Shades; she has a post on it. Get ready to really hurt your liver. ;) Seriously, though, not recommended.

Ti said...

I am about halfway through with Swamplandia! now. I was loving it... but when it switched voices... eh... let's just say I am not loving it so much now. That may change.

Zibilee said...

Oh no, I am now dreading 50 Shades even more which is not good, as I have to read it at some point soon. Sorry to hear the kids were sick. It's miserable when they get sick, but at least it cut back your schedule a bit and gave you a break. It's so funny. I forgot to mention to you the other day that I was at Barnes and Noble the other day picking something up, and 2 women came in all frantic asking about 50 Shades. Like Marie said, it is selling like mad! I hope the days of sickness are over now, and that you have a great week!

Jenners said...

It seems The Crud had a nice silver lining in a way. I'm totally curious about just how bad this 50 Shades of Gray is. I"m almost tempted to read it just to make fun o it!!

Unknown said...

I'd never associate squirrel with bad things - they are so cute and fluffy! It is interesting how different people have different thoughts on the same word. I hope your next week is less squirrelly!

Unknown said...

I am glad your week was only busy, not squirrely...LOL.
50 Shades....amazing what poorly written fiction can do, I'm still amazed at the sales. Should be an interesting book club meeting.
I am listening to Jaycee Dugard now...dear lord it's tough.
Have a good week, it's half over, but I have been a bit busy.

Kathleen said...

Sorry to hear about your week of the crud. It would almost be better to be busy than to have everyone sick. Sounds like you managed to squeeze some reading and. I'll warn you now that the Jaycee Dugard book is heartbreaking and will be especially so since you are the mother of a young daughter. Steel yourself for this one Sandy!