Sunday Salon -- Fall Edition

As I walked around the yard this week I found quite a few treasures: flowers still blooming because the weather is still fairly warm and sunny; apples and tomatoes ready for picking; green blueberries which no doubt will not ripen before first frost; a blue spruce tree with cones full of yellow pollen (This time of year?); and garden spiders who have been eating well all summer and now frighten us by their size.

Weather today: sunny and warm. We are not experiencing typical fall weather, though the local meteorologist warned that cooler weather is around the bend. 

Two sick boys: both of our grandsons have some tummy virus. Our daughter is keeping us posted with "puking updates." We remember those days when being a parent meant cleaning up after sick kids, over and over again, and wishing we knew what we could do to make them feel better.

Reading, reading, reading: I have started pre-reading for my role as a Cybils judge. This year I'm on the poetry panel which includes Children's and YA poetry collections and novels-in-verse. I placed a bunch of books on hold at two libraries I frequent (city and county) and came home with armloads full of books. If I can manage to read a book a day, I'll be able to manage this pile before they are due in three weeks. In the meantime, I've been placing new holds as nominations are still being accepted. Here is the list of poetry books I'll be reading: Cybils Poetry/Novels in Verse

Books/Reading/Reviews:

• Currently reading:
• Singing with Elephants by Margarita Engle: a novel in verse about an eleven-year-old girl who is lonely after moving with family from Cuba. I am LOVING the poetry. E-Book; 4%.
• Respect the Mic edited by Hanif Abdurraqib. A collection from 20 years of poetry from the Spoken Word Club at a Chicago-area high school. The contributors to this collection all seem to have had their lives changed by poetry, in a good way. Very inspiring. Print; 43%.
• Poetry RX: How 50 Inspiring Poems Can Heal and Bring Joy to Your Life by Norman Rosenthal, MD. This is not part of the Cybils project and it is right up my alley. Not only are great poems highlighted, but also information about the poet and how the poem can help others who are dealing with similar situations. Audio; 26%.
• Searching for Sylvie Lee by Jean Kwok. A book club selection about family secrets. Print. 18%.
• The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander. A novel-in-verse set in Ghana (Gold Coast) in the 1800s. I'm still trying to get a fix on where this story is leading. Print; 36%.
• A Swim in the Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life by George Saunders. Don and I are listening to this book together and are finding it so well written and interesting. Audio; 55%.
   
• Recently finished (in the last two weeks): 
• Nine children's or poetry books. If you want to see the whole list, check out my Goodreads page.
• As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner. This was my Classics Club Spin #31 book. Not a favorite, but I finished it. (Print)
• The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin. A story about friendships and life as both women face death. I cried. (Audio.)
• Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. Another story about friendships, grief, and new beginnings. This one includes an octopus. (Audio)
   
• Book reviews written (click on title):
• As I Lay Dying
• Respect the Mic
• Remarkably Bright Creatures
• The Cartographers
  

 

 Think about this:

Everyone should watch this interview with Scott Galloway, author of Adrift: America in 100 Charts. Both Don and I think it is excellent and Galloway certainly takes a different approach to information than we are used to hearing. The interview is 15 minutes long. Take the time to view it. (Republicans, Democrats, Everyone!)

This is especially poignant this week since we are watching the Ken Burns series The U.S. and the Holocaust on PBS. So disturbing.

I would add: You are against abortion unless the person who paid for it is Herschel Walker.

And for laughs and for smiles: 

The Seattle Mariners pulled off a miracle win over the Toronto Blue Jays to take the Wild Card Series. They were down 8-1 after five innings, but came back to win 10-9! This is the first time our Mariners have been in the postseason for 21 years. It all feels like a miracle.

-Anne