3 posts tagged “books”
Whaddaya know, it's still hot. But not nearly as bad as last week, at least. Rode this morning and could still breathe at the end of it. We walked around the barn a bit after we finished up, visiting the cows in the back and looking at the summer camp next door. Sean was unfazed by all of it, but also frankly uninterested, as it involved me still sitting on her. She likes the end of the ride, when she gets a bath followed by a handful of peppermints (her favorite).
I'm now watching a documentary about Gavin Menzies' book, 1421: The Year the Chinese Discovered America. I haven't read the whole book, but I'm watching the show because one of my former bosses at Bantam originally bought that book, but then cancelled the contract because she felt the research didn't hold up. (The book wound up selling to Morrow and having some success on the shelves, I think, but the doc is essentially debunking Menzies' claims.) I find myself wondering about the actors in this program who are recreating ancient Chinese audiences with the emperor. What do you suppose it pays to show up, put on elaborate court robes, and "look on in disapproval" but say no lines?
Tonight Gordon and I are joining some friends for dinner at a Peruvian place (mmm, ceviche) followed by our favorite improv troupe, Baby Wants Candy. This is the group that does an hour-long improv musical based on a suggestion from the audience. (We'll have to think of a good title.) They have a four-piece band onstage that plays various "Broadway-ish" music, and the actors have to make up the songs, the choreography, and try to carry the story forward. I don't think I could do it for real, but I often find myself in my seat thinking, "No, a better lyric there would have been, 'So you can see that I'm/atoning for my crime...'." I'm more of an improv kibbitzer, I guess.
We're getting excited for our trip to New Hampshire next weekend--we leave Thursday night right after work and then head up to Winnepesaukee (which I suspect I'm misspelling). Our friend Mike is hosting us at his family's lakefront cabin, and we'll swim, grill, play poker, read, and generally lie around with six of our friends. Mike is also determined that we stop at Friendly's on the way--I think he's as excited about that as he is about the trip. Friendly's always reminds me of my mom convincing us she had magical powers when we were kids: we would go out to Friendly's for dinner, order our food, and wait. And wait. And when we had waited as long as we kids could stand it, Mom would tell us, "Watch. I will light up a cigarette, and that will make the food come." And you know, it always did.
My week has been very busy with various sorts of shopping. The primary sort is for books...but this time I actually got them! My last cocky deal-related post was premature, as it turns out, because only one of those four deals actually came through. I was beginning to develop a complex. But this week I bought 3 books, two of which are quirky little originals I thought I wouldn't be allowed to bid on.
One of them is set on a ranch in eastern Washington, and opens when a riderless horse appears out of a snowstorm on the heroine's land. She saddles up and goes to look for the fallen rider, who turns out to be an Mexican ranch hand on the run from immigration. The two of them start up an unlikely friendship that blossoms into romance--and there's tons of horsey stuff to keep me happy.
The other is a novel set in Brooklyn, and is about a single mom who discovers an ATM that gives her extra cash, with the onscreen admonition to "Use It Well." How she spends it, and what that does to her life, is surprising...particularly when she has to figure out what to do with a $10,000 bill.
The last was the easiest deal, because it's the third book from an Irish author whose first book, PACK UP THE MOON, has just come out in the U.S. It's doing very well already, especially at Target. Of course I'm happy when any of my books do well, but it's always a plus when you love the book, and this one is special. I recommend it wholeheartedly.
The other shopping was for Gordon's birthday, and was slightly less successful. He asked me for a car converter for his iPod, but he wanted a very particular kind...which they don't make any more. So I got the slightly different kind, and will have to exchange it if it doesn't work. But I think I've been to every Best Buy in the city--all of them are equidistant from my office, it seems, and I have time to hit only one in a lunch hour, so it was taking forever. Amusingly, at Thursday's Best Buy, they clearly used to carry the item but had sold out. The sales clerk helping me told me there were still some in the Chelsea store, and to help me, he ripped the plastic tag with the SKU number off the wall! It's in my purse now, and I'm sure I'll forget all about it until I replace this bag and think, "Did I steal something from Best Buy?"
OK, I'm off to complete my glamorous week by cleaning my disgusting house. I've crossed "cat box" and "sweeping" off the list, but have been utterly unable to face "laundry," "wash kitchen floor," or "work room." Where's a fairy godmother or a magic broom when you need one?
A friend of mine is working for an organization that has arranged an online charity auction to support the UNHCR (the UN's organization for refugee support). I believe they're currently raising money to help with Darfur relief organizations. If you're interested in bidding on diamonds once worn by Angelina Jolie, a signed first edition of Toni Morrison's Beloved, or a power lunch with former Sec. of State James Baker, among other things, have a look at their site:
http://www.charityfolks.com/cfauctions/auction_verticalngo.asp?slrid=42
