I just realized I am guilty of a thing that I hate that other people do: not putting Goodreads links (or Amazon or wherever) for books I’m currently reading. I will no longer make that mistake.
Hello! This has been a whirlwind week. First, I have to say I am officially OFFICIALLY on vacation now. I know I said I was on vacation last week (and I was), but I had to wrap up some search committee work, which meant I had to go to work twice. TWICE. That does not count as vacation, especially since I had to (a) set my alarm and (b) go to work and do work. Interviews! Work.
Anyway, it’s over now, and I have three months with no teaching or search committees ahead of me.
A funny thing keeps happening to me. I cannot for the life of me remember what I am planning to do in my classes in the fall. I always remember three of the four assignments I have planned. And it’s only ever three. Usually it’s the same three, but this time it’s a different three. My plan is to put the missing assignment in my phone as soon as I remember.
But I digress.
The other part that was a whirlwind is my domain expired, which of course means any links to my site out there in the world are no good. It’s funny because I wanted to get my domain renewal and my domain mapping renewal on the same date, but I didn’t want it to be because I didn’t have the money for the one that’s due first. Womp womp.
On Saturday, I went to two parties (two!) that completely overlapped.
And to round it all out, this Sunday was Senior Sunday at church. The youth group puts on the service, and the “sermon” is delivered by the graduating seniors. Sermon is in quotes there because they don’t give a sermon so much as talk about their experiences growing up in and participating in the church. It’s one of my favorite services of the year, and of course this year’s was extra special because my daughter is a senior. So that was a lot of fun.
Oh and then there was also book club on Sunday. So yeah. Whirlwind.
And now it’s Monday–well, technically Tuesday. I’m already tired. (But not of being on vacation. Vacation, vacation, vacation.) The bluetooth in my car is acting up (neither my music nor audiobooks will play over Bluetooth, even though I’m able to talk on the phone just fine). So that’s a thing I need to investigate that I wish I didn’t have to.
I finished some books:
What You Know First by Patricia MacLachlan
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I have absolutely nothing to say about this book other than I read it.
An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
3.5 stars, rounding up
Okay, so this is first and foremost a romance with Harlequinesque descriptions of sex and love. It’s very important that you know that going in because I DID NOT, and I was not prepared, and it tempered some of my enjoyment of the novel. If I had known, I don’t think I would have been bothered by it as much, but I didn’t know and so I was. So. I just needed to start there.
Other than that, I really enjoyed this book. I did find the romance distracting at times (see above), but that was mostly because the spy stuff was so compelling. I really liked both characters, and I especially liked the discussions of race, class, and patriotism here. By the end, I was completely involved (but, again, mostly in the spy stuff). I didn’t care so much about the romance, but it was an excellent framework for some of the necessary discussions in the novel, and I appreciated that part.
Oh, and my favorite part was probably when the white male character realized he hadn’t thought of the slaves as individuals with their own wants and needs and human desires even as he knew that slavery was wrong and was fighting against it. So yeah, stuff like that is why I really enjoyed this one.
Also, read the author’s note. It’s good.
The Crossroads of Should and Must: Find and Follow Your Passion by Elle Luna
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I was thinking of getting this for my daughter as a grad gift, but may reconsider since she read my library copy. She did like it, though, so at least I know I was on the right track.
Anyway, it’s fine. It’s in line with other books like it, which is to say that it has some advice about making time for yourself and the things you love and gives reasons why you should make time for yourself and the things you love.
In vacationing fail, I have watched no TV shows yet. Sitting on the couch and watching TV while not doing anything else just feels weird to me. I’m going to have to break myself of this soon. It’s really cutting into one of my favorite activities.
But I do keep reading books so I guess I’m on track for that. I’m currently listening to Blame by Michelle Huneven. The audiobook narrator is a little flat for me, but it’s still engaging. I’m interested to see where the story goes.
Have a great week, everyone!
The Englishist 