Weekly Update: July 12, 2015

Another Sunday and, for a change, an absolutely gorgeous summer weekend - it's about time! The week flew by. In addition to the routine activities, I had a couple of meetings, lots of book sorting (two weeks until the library sale), another car service appointment, and book club.


I finished reading//

Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan

Look for a Paris in July review later this week

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

It was good. I'll let you know if it was great after I tidy ;-)

Current reading//

The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante

If I have to wait until September for the final Neopolitan Novel, I might as well dive into her backlist.

Framley Parsonage by Anthony Trollope

I'm not loving this like Barchester Towers or Doctor Thorne, but still an enjoyable read.

On the blog//

Six in Six: 2015 Edition - a midyear survey, of sorts
The Horla by Guy de Maupassant
Tuesday Intro: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up


New books//

Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip - Confessions of a Cynical Waiter by Steve Dublanica

A kindle daily deal and just the type of light nonfiction I find helpful for a reading slump. Thanfully, I don't need it at the moment.

Book club//
My book club met Friday morning to discuss I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron. I loved it when I listened a few years ago, but did not reread for the meeting.  I missed my book club most of the winter and the group took a brief hiatus this spring, so it was great to catch up with everyone... and we even discussed the book!

Next month we'll talk about The Sabbathday River by Jean Hanff Korelitz, an early novel from the author of Admission and You Should Have Known.


In the kitchen//

We lived off holiday leftovers for several days at the beginning of the week, but on one (of many) rainy evening, I pulled out an old favorite - Pan Seared Swordfish with Lemon and Wine Rosemary. We usually grill swordfish, but the weather has been uncooperative lately and this was a nice treat.


Later today//
Rest! My husband is running a 15k race this morning, so our afternoon and evening will be very low-key... reading on the patio, a nap for some, maybe a boat ride, and hamburgers on the grill.

How was your week? What are you reading today?

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. While she is taking a break, check the hashtag #IMWAYR on twitter.

Six in Six: 2015 Edition

Jo at The Book Jotter  is running her Six in Six meme again this year. It's a fun way to summarize the first six months of your reading year by sorting books you've read into six different categories. Choose from the ones Jo suggests or feel free to create your own. The same book can obviously feature in more than one category.

I always enjoy this little exercise and participated in 2012 and 2013.  I could have sworn I played along last year, too, but can't seem to find the post.

Six new-to-me authors:
Emily St. John Mandel
Rabih Alameddine
Elena Ferrante
Paula Hawkins
Nickolas Butler
Atul Gawande

Six tried-and-true authors:
Dorothy Whipple
Stewart O'Nan
Anthony Trollope
Thomas Hardy
Theodore Dreiser
Lucy Knisley

Six classic novels:
Sister Carrie  by Theodore Dreiser
They Were Sisters  by Dorothy Whipple
Barchester Towers  by Anthony Trollope
Doctor Thorne  by Anthony Trollope
Far From the Madding Crowd  by Thomas Hardy
Bonjour Tristesse  by Françoise Sagan

Six Nonfiction titles:
Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?  by Roz Chast
Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading  by Nina Sankovitch
Heads in Beds: A Reckless Memoir of Hotels, Hustles, and So-Called Hospitality  by Jacob Tomsky
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End  by Atul Gawande
On Immunity: An Inoculation  by Eula Biss
An Age of License: A Travelogue  by Lucy Knisley

Six in Translation:
My Brilliant Friend  by Elena Ferrante
The Story of a New Name  by Elena Ferrante
Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay  by Elena Ferrante
Bonjour Tristesse  by Françoise Sagan
An Unnecessary Woman  by Rabih Alameddine
The Horla  by Guy de Maupassant

Six Newer Novels:
Shotgun Lovesongs  by Nickolas Butler
Euphoria  by Lily King
Station Eleven  by Emily St. John Mandel
Enchanted August: A Novel  by Brenda Bowen
Bittersweet: A Novel  by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore
The Girl on the Train  by Paula Hawkins


How is your year stacking up? Let me know if you decide to play along.

The Horla by Guy de Maupassant

The Horla
by Guy de Maupassant
Fantasy and Horror Classics, 2013
35 pages
originally published, 1887
source: purchased

He is here... the...the...what is his name?...the... it seems as if he were shouting his name in my ear, and I cannot hear it... the...yes...he is shouting it... I am listening... I can't hear... again, tell me again... the...Horla... I heard...the Horla... it is he... the Horla... he is here!

What is the matter with me? It is he, he, the Horla, who is haunting me, filling, my head with these absurdities! He is in me, he has become my soul; I will kill him.

Guy de Maupassant, considered one of the fathers of the modern short story, is a personal favorite and has made several previous appearances on this blog:

• "Farewell" 
• "The Confession" 
• "Abandoned" 

It's been a couple of years since I last read his work, but  Paris in July inspired me to seek out another of his stories. The Horla, written in a journal format, chronicles one man's "descent into madness". Published shortly before de Maupassant himself was hospitalized for insanity, the story seems tame compared to today's psychological thrillers, but was considered ground-breaking at the time.

De Maupassant wrote and revised The Horla over a period of several years. An early draft was entitled Letter from a Madman, while a later reworking tells the same story from a doctor’s point of view.  The Melville House edition (part of their Art of the Novella series) includes both of these variations along with the final version. I would have been particularly interested in reading this story from the doctor's perspective.

I chose the above edition because I liked the cover. If I'd been a little more discerning, the Melville House edition would be on my shelf instead.

The Horla can be read in its entirely here.

Visit Thyme for Tea for links to all of this week's Paris in July posts.

Tuesday Intro: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

Introduction

In this book, I have summed up how to put your space in order in a way that will change your life forever. 

Impossible? A common response and not surprising, considering that almost everyone has experienced a rebound effect at least once, if not multiple times, after tidying. 

Have you ever tidied madly, only to find that all too soon your home or workspace is cluttered again? If so, let me share with you the secret of success. Start by discarding. Then organize your space, thoroughly, completely, in one go. If you adopt this approach - the KonMari Method - you'll never revert to clutter again.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
by Marie Kondo

I've always been organized and my house is usually pretty neat, but don't be fooled. If you open my cupboards, closets, or drawers, a beast is lurking. Lately, my social media feeds are full of friends embracing the KonMari Method. They are decluttering, paring down possession to include only items which bring them "joy"... and I am more than a little curious.

The local library's hold list is unbelievably long, so I had the brilliant idea of checking my Florida library for the ebook. It was checked out but, surprisingly, had no holds. I hopped right on it and was able to download the book last night. I'll start reading later this morning as I wait for my car to be serviced.

Here is the goodreads summary:

Despite constant efforts to declutter your home, do papers still accumulate like snowdrifts and clothes pile up like a tangled mess of noodles?  

Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you’ll never have to do it again. Most methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, which doom you to pick away at your piles of stuff forever. The KonMari Method, with its revolutionary category-by-category system, leads to lasting results. In fact, none of Kondo’s clients have lapsed (and she still has a three-month waiting list).  

With detailed guidance for determining which items in your house “spark joy” (and which don’t), this international bestseller featuring Tokyo’s newest lifestyle phenomenon will help you clear your clutter and enjoy the unique magic of a tidy home—and the calm, motivated mindset it can inspire.

Could there be something to this? Would you keep reading?

Every Tuesday, Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea posts the opening paragraph (sometime two) of a book she decided to read based on the opening. Feel free to grab the banner and play along.

July 6: It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

Whew, that was fun! The long holiday weekend meant a full house, hosting two parties, fireworks, boating, a parade, craft show...now I need a day off!

Last week I read//

The Horla by Guy de Maupassant

For Paris in July, look for a post later this week.

Current reading//

Framley Parsonage by Anthony Trollope

A read/listen combination

Bonjour Tristesse by Francoise Sagan

I'm loving this short book!

On the blog//
My thoughts on Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
Paris in July Kick-off Post
Top Ten Tuesday: My Favorite Books of the Year So Far


In the Kitchen//

My kitchen was humming this week. Besides all the party prep, I tried one new recipe and granted two favorite dinner requests from the girls. This Classic Crab Cake recipe found on MyRecipes.com was a winner - their photo, not mine.

My oldest daughter asks for Spicy Shrimp with Lime and Cilantro every time she is home.The recipe is from Jenny Rosenstrach's book, Dinner: A Love Story, but I found it on Martha Stewart's website.

Twin A's favorite is Tortilla Pie, another recipe from Martha Stewart. Since stumbling upon this recipe, I use my springform pan more for dinners than for desserts!


Around the blogosphere//

• Diane's review  of Creatures of a Day: And Other Tales of Psychotherapy by Irvin D. Yalom had me ordering this book through ILL from my library. I should get it sometime this week.
• Shannon at River City Reading had a thought-provoking post - Who Should Get ARCs and What Are They Really For? 

That's all from me... How was your week? What are you reading today?

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. While she is taking a break, check the hashtag #IMWAYR on twitter.

Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

It's tough to "review" a classic. I worry that I'm not using the proper vocabulary (should have taken a few more English classes in college), plus it seems like there isn't much fresh or new to say. So instead, I have chosen to focus on my reading experience.

When it comes to Hardy, my experience is limited. The Mayor of Casterbridge  was assigned at some point in college, but I have no recollection of actually reading it... I was probably studying organic chemistry.

Two years ago The Classics Club Spin dealt me Tess of the d'Urbervilles , a novel which redefined my idea of a tragedy. I loved it and knew there would be more Hardy in my future.

Far From the Madding Crowd was next, primarily because of the impending film release. I watched the trailer, but went into the book not knowing anything else about it. Not the way I usually approach a novel, but that turned out to be a plus in this case.

The story was engaging and I delighted in a couple of unexpected plot twists. The characters were well-drawn... independent and determined Bathsheba Everdene and her multiple suitors. My favorite, of course, was the quietly suffering, honorable Gabriel Oak.

Hardy does get a little long-winded in some of his descriptions, but I felt I could see the countryside and characters. A very visual author, indeed.

This book was another a read/listen combination for me - my preferred approach for classics these days. I enjoyed Jamie Parker's narration, but it did seem strange listening to someone other than Simon Vance read a classic. Thank you, Care for "OneBooking" this title to me. I would be happy to pay it forward if anyone else would like to listen. (Read about audible's OneBook program here.)

I finally saw the new film version over the weekend and loved it... the perfect way to spend a cold, rainy Sunday afternoon, in my opinion. My husband, unfortunately, wasn't quite as enthusiastic and had a hard time staying awake.

Which Hardy novel should I read next?

My rating:

Paris in July

It's time for Paris in July! This event, back for a 6th year, is hosted by Tamara at Thyme for Tea. Here is her quick overview:

The aim of the month is to celebrate our French experiences through reading, watching, listening, observing, cooking and eating all things French!  There will be no rules or targets in terms of how much you need to do or complete in order to be a part of this experience – just blog about anything French or Paris, or Paris-like, and you can join in! Some ideas might include:

• reading a French themed book – fiction or non-fiction,
• watching a French movie,
• listening to French music,
• cooking French food,
•  experiencing French, art, architecture and travel

 Sounds like fun, right? I'm not exactly sure what will strike my fancy this month, but I've requested a couple of books from the library:

Bonjour Tristesse by by Françoise Sagan

This book has been on my Paris in July list for a couple years, but Melissa's recent review prompted the library request. 

Clementine in the Kitchen by Samuel V. Chamberlain

Part of the Modern Library Foods series, I learned about this from Audrey a couple of years ago. Glad to find a copy in our library system.

Other possibilities:

The Fortune of the Rougons (Les Rougon-Macquart #1) by Émile Zola

on my kindle and ready to go

The Horla by Guy de Maupassant

That Part Was True by Deborah McKinlay
Looks like this could be a foodie version of 84, Charring Cross Road. I think part of it takes place in Paris.


Would you like to travel with us? Tamara's general sign up post is here. If you write a post about what you might read, watch, cook, etc., link up here.