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lunabee341. We got Margaret settled into the assisted living facility on Monday, and she's done so well. By the end of that first day, she already had a gaggle of friends she was hanging out with, and they have activities all day long. She's so busy, we all have trouble catching her on the phone.
I think all of us had been waiting on tenterhooks and scared that she'd react poorly, but thankfully she didn't.
One down, one to go!
2. I don't know if y'all remember a few years ago when we hit a bear on the highway and totaled our car. Last week, Fiona and I were driving down the highway, and we saw a little bear cub frolicking on the side of the road at the exact spot where we had the accident. It freaked me out because where baby is, mama is not far behind. But we escaped unscathed this time.
3. I didn't post any real details about this book in the review, but I'd love to discuss this book!
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is absolutely masterful. I love a good Neo-Victorian, and this is the best one I've read maybe ever. The writing is beautiful, the focus on all the details that ground a reader in the 19th century (slang, dress, the grime) is amazing, and the sense of place (London, the asylum, the countryside forty miles from London) are all exquisitely drawn.
I love how twisty and turny this novel is. I don't want to say too much about the plot for fear of ruining it, but there's such an excellent payoff in the third act.
Highly, highly recommended.
View all my reviews
4. I'd love to discuss this one with anyone who's read it, too.
McTeague: A Story Of San Francisco by Frank Norris
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is a book in which deeply unpleasant things happen to deeply unpleasant people. The characters (and the narrative itself) are racist and sexist; child abuse goes unremarked and treated as a matter of course. Domestic violence, alcohol abuse, and murder feature prominently.
And, yet, Norris is a compelling writer. His descriptions of San Francisco and later of the desert are vividly written. His portrait of an unorthodox romance between two elderly characters is an oasis of sweetness amidst all the horror.
I enjoyed parts of this book but will not read it again.
View all my reviews
I think all of us had been waiting on tenterhooks and scared that she'd react poorly, but thankfully she didn't.
One down, one to go!
2. I don't know if y'all remember a few years ago when we hit a bear on the highway and totaled our car. Last week, Fiona and I were driving down the highway, and we saw a little bear cub frolicking on the side of the road at the exact spot where we had the accident. It freaked me out because where baby is, mama is not far behind. But we escaped unscathed this time.
3. I didn't post any real details about this book in the review, but I'd love to discuss this book!
Fingersmith by Sarah WatersMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is absolutely masterful. I love a good Neo-Victorian, and this is the best one I've read maybe ever. The writing is beautiful, the focus on all the details that ground a reader in the 19th century (slang, dress, the grime) is amazing, and the sense of place (London, the asylum, the countryside forty miles from London) are all exquisitely drawn.
I love how twisty and turny this novel is. I don't want to say too much about the plot for fear of ruining it, but there's such an excellent payoff in the third act.
Highly, highly recommended.
View all my reviews
4. I'd love to discuss this one with anyone who's read it, too.
McTeague: A Story Of San Francisco by Frank NorrisMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is a book in which deeply unpleasant things happen to deeply unpleasant people. The characters (and the narrative itself) are racist and sexist; child abuse goes unremarked and treated as a matter of course. Domestic violence, alcohol abuse, and murder feature prominently.
And, yet, Norris is a compelling writer. His descriptions of San Francisco and later of the desert are vividly written. His portrait of an unorthodox romance between two elderly characters is an oasis of sweetness amidst all the horror.
I enjoyed parts of this book but will not read it again.
View all my reviews
