Monday, March 07, 2011
Books for Monday
10:46 AM | 
Posted by
Wide Lawns |
I don't have a lot of time to write today. My house is being painted finally and I'm really excited. After our poll, I felt like I didn't like either of the greens so I thought maybe yellow. I got a bunch of samples and hated all of them and never has a person been so tortured and indecisive about painting a stupid house. Finally I got a book of samples compiled by designers where they put together 3 different colors (body, trim and accents) and showed how the combos looked. This finally helped me. After much agonizing, I finally decided on a combo. The house will be sand, with antique white trim and an aqua door and shutters. I know aqua sounds odd, but it's Florida and we live on the beach no less so it works. I also have aqua inside the house because I have a beach theme going. I swear, it's ok.Since I don't have a lot of writing time, I thought I'd share some more books.
Can you believe I'm still trudging through Just Kids? I can't seem to get done with this book. I'm struggling some with it and I want to finish so I can read the Cleopatra
book I keep hearing about. I'm really intrigued about that one.My husband wanted me to share a book that he feels has helped him tremendously. He just loves this book called Switch
by Chip and Dan Heath. He says it has really helped him to realize that making changes in habits doesn't have to be overwhelming and that usually just making small steps can lead to big, important and lasting positive changes. I haven't read the book yet, but I get the impression that it isn't like a cheesy self-help book and that it's more along the lines of Malcolm Gladwell's kind of writing where the authors explore different incidents and real life scenarios and analyze them from a more journalistic perspective. Anyway, he's raving about Switch and I can't wait to read it.I'm looking for some new, interesting memoirs to read. I tend to really prefer non-fiction stories about real peoples' lives. Are there any good, new ones out that I should check out?
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11 comments:
I recently read Have You Found Her. I read it on an e-reader, bought it based on skimming the description, and didn't even know it was a memoir until I was finished. I thought it was fiction.
Have you tried Too Close to the Falls, Glass Castle, Savage Beauty, Zelda or West with the Night?
Looking at the decorating book with the different color choices was extremely smart. It pays to consult the professionals!
I think the color combination that you've chosen for your house sounds very classic, yet simultaneously chic. It is my belief that your newly-painted house will be the envy of the neighborhood!
"Mennonite in a Little Black Dress" was hilarious..
Geisha of Gion is a well written autobiography of the geisha that inspired Memoirs of a Geisha. A very interesting look at a world very few people are familiar with. :)
And I think the house colors sound perfect. Tropical without the eye-cramps.
Have you read Ruth Reichl's memoirs? I love her. And _Look Me in the Eye_ is a MUST READ if you haven't already read it (read _Running with Scissors First_).
PS: I introduced my new CRW kids (new quarter/2nd semester) to your blog this week (no names--don't worry! lol), and they love you as much as last semester's kids did. You inspired one girl to go back and read through every blog you ever wrote on here. She's a writer...her stories and poems are fabulous. I so wish you would come be a guest speaker, but I know anonymity is important.
The kids' favorites are "Poopin' at the Ritz," "Beautiful," and the one about the bikini and the sharks.
Glass Castle is great. I'm listening to "The Next Better Place" by Michael Keith on audiobook which I like even though the writing's not anything to write home about. Still a good story.
I just read Blood, Bones and Butter by a famous NY chef. It's about family and cooking and how she grew up. She also has an MFA in writing so it's not your typical book written by a chef. The Liars Club isn't new but it is really great and about growing up and part of a trilogy of memoirs by a brilliant writer. Strange Piece of Paradise is also one of my favorites- the story of a woman who returns to a small town where she was nearly murdered 18 years prior and finds that people know who did it and he still lived there.
I recently read Micah Toub's 'Growing Up Jung'. He's the son of Jungian analysts (yes, mom and dad both). My partner is a psychologist and I had been struggling with this. Now I realize that psychologists are people just like us with normal human drama. Toub has a nice delivery, not too sarcastic, more along the lines of 'tell the facts and let the reader chortle'. It's evident that he very much loves his family despite their kookiness. This book is perfectly suited to you widelawns!
I have a beach theme going in my house too, even though we're 15 minutes inland. You house sounds beautiful, and I'd love to see the colors. Pictures when it's done? Please?? :)
Mennonite in a little black dress is great. I'm currently reading the immortal life of Henrietta lacks. I would highly recommend it to anyone.