I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It had a great tone throughout, had me entertained throughout, and broke my heart toward the end. Mr. Noah and his mum have gone through so much, and they still stand strong through all the mishaps, mistakes and misgivings. It’s a great read for anyone, but especially for those who love to go on journeys with their story-tellers. Mr. Noah has proven himself to be a formidable man in any country he lives in. He’s quickly become one of my favourite voices in our volatile world of current events. I hope we are gifted with more books from him in the future.
Only The End of the World Again
| Yet another reason why Neil Gaiman is one of my all-time favourites. The imagery of P. Craig Russell, Troy Nixey and Matt Hollingsworth – coupled with Mr. Gaiman’s masterful story-telling – makes this an unforgettable story that is hard to put down. |
Why I Enjoyed “Today Will Be Different” by Maria Semple
Mental health, or lack thereof, has become a hot-button topic over the years. But it seems to be extremely prevalent as of late, when considering the PEOTUS seems to be seriously deficient in the mental anything scope.
Indeed, we are all seeing and feeling the rough waters of the next four years lapping at our feet. With the inauguration in exactly one week, thousands of people like myself are scrambling to find our “happy place”.
Ninety-five percent of the time, my happy place is in a book. The other 5% largely looms around coffee. Because priorities. (Don’t give me that look. If you were honest with yourself, you’d admit there’s nothing as wonderful as what’s in your mug.)
For the last week or two, reading Maria Semple’s junior effort, Today Will Be Different has kept me preoccupied on both my train rides to work in midtown Manhattan, and subsequently, my train rides home to Brooklyn. She brings her main character, Eleanor Flood, to the forefront of multiple relationships; wife, mother, sister, daughter, student. And by the end of this book, we as an audience all become students. You definitely learn a lot not just from Eleanor, but also her husband (Joe), her son (Timby — yes, really), her sister (Ivy) and the myriad of other people in her life. You learn how she’s had to adapt to transitions late in life. You get a sense of the complexities of being a sister, and the tasks of forgiveness that being a sister entails.
Set in Seattle, it’s a light read that guarantees a smile on practically every page, with the hardback edition being just over 250 pages. There have been multiple times where I have bark-laughed on the F train. Awkward? Yes. Silver lining? Pleeeeenty of personal space after the release. If you’ve never read her books before, let me suggest reading this as an intro. Her two previous books, Where’d You Go, Bernadette?(released August 14, 2012) and earlier than that, This One Is Mine (released December 4, 2008), are worth a read as well.
She has a great sense of humour, and often reminds me of Jenny Lawson in the brand/tone/delivery of humour she uses. She writes beautifully flawed characters, and the hook is in by the second or third page. I strongly recommend this book if for no other reason than it’s a nice escape from “the real world”.
These are a few of my favourite things!
Favourite thing #1? BOOKS!
Hello? That’s what the blog is (mostly) all about!
Favourite thing #2? NEW YORK CITY
It’s expensive as all get out. Unless you live under a rock in Zimbabwe, you already know this. They’re probably planning a new tax just for breathing air. But at the same time? This is an exciting city to be in. You don’t even have to come to visit with a plan, although so many tourists do (amateurs). When you put books together with New York City, sweetheart, you’ve got something spectacular.
Not just for the fact that we have the Wonka Chocolate Factory of bookstores here, The Strand (found on 12th and Broadway), but a lot of famous authors call this city “home”.
Dylan Thomas (Under Milk Wood), Patti Smith (Just Kids), Nathan Englander (What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank), Paul Auster (Winter Journal), Nick Tosches (King of the Jews), Kurt Vonnegut (Slaughterhouse Five or the Childrens Crusade: A Duty Dance with Death), and a myriad of others. This city has electricity, it has excitement and adventure, it has pretty much anything and everything you could ever want or need in the creative field. It is, for all intents and purposes, the mecca of creative wonderment. It has the New York Public Library, which has been my Camelot for the entire time I’ve lived here.
This month, NYPL is featuring a podcast:
Helen Mirren on Women’s Roles and Taking on Shakespeare
And this is just one of over a hundred podcasts for this year alone that NYPL brings to the general public.
This summer, you’re going to be out and about, roaming all over. When your legs get too tired to take another step, get settled in with a book.
And now, for some ramblings on YouTube.
Maintenance on this blog takes time, yet isn’t paying me any income. Donations are gratefully welcomed! Paypal
From the Beginning
In a world…
…filled with people who create their own worlds, and share those worlds with world-lovers of this world.
She knew it was love at first sight, the moment she lifted the hardback off the shelf. There could be no other for her.
…but then she looked at the next shelf over, and it happened all over again.
She is… a bibliobimbo!
You can’t blame her, can you? I mean, not really. There’s so many great books out there! Is a girl really expected to stay loyal to just one?
As you can probably already tell, this is not the most serious blog you’re going to read. You are, however, going to have some fun!
My Wear/Read Friends is meant to not only bring bibliophiles together, but also to proudly wear our hearts on our sleeves and our books on our chests! (And ears, necks, wrists – okay, fine, ALL OVER!)
In this blog, I will be focusing not just on books from the past, present and future, but also on clothing and accessories (and hey! Tattoos!!!!) that are biblio-centric.
Over the last few years, I have been focusing on jewelry, clothing and bags that are literally literary (say that one five times real fast), and have proven to start conversations amongst strangers and those a little stranger. Whether it’s someone on the F line who’s caught your eye with the newest Sedaris, the princess who reads King, or the guy in the corner getting his Deadpool fix, there’s something out there for everyone. You can be a Hotter Potter, or a sci-fi snob, and still get a convo going with the hopeless romantic reading an Austen classic. It’s all good here.
Soon to come: links on sites that sell book-related items, a vlog on currently-reading books, and updates on Best-sellers and Goodreads Recommendations.
Stay tuned, because I’m just getting started!
MY WEAR/READ FRIENDS
In a world…
…filled with people who create their own worlds, and share those worlds with world-lovers of this world.
She knew it was love at first sight, the moment she lifted the hardback off the shelf. There could be no other for her.
…but then she looked at the next shelf over, and it happened all over again.
She is… a bibliobimbo!
You can’t blame her, can you? I mean, not really. There’s so many great books out there! Is a girl really expected to stay loyal to just one?
As you can probably already tell, this is not the most serious blog you’re going to read. You are, however, going to have some fun!
My Wear/Read Friends is meant to not only bring bibliophiles together, but also to proudly wear our hearts on our sleeves and our books on our chests! (And ears, necks, wrists – okay, fine, ALL OVER!)
In this blog, I will be focusing not just on books from the past, present and future, but also on clothing and accessories (and hey! Tattoos!!!!) that are biblio-centric.
Over the last few years, I have been focusing on jewelry, clothing and bags that are literally literary (say that one five times real fast), and have proven to start conversations amongst strangers and those a little stranger. Whether it’s someone on the F line who’s caught your eye with the newest Sedaris, the princess who reads King, or the guy in the corner getting his Deadpool fix, there’s something out there for everyone. You can be a Hotter Potter, or a sci-fi snob, and still get a convo going with the hopeless romantic reading an Austen classic. It’s all good here.
Soon to come: links on sites that sell book-related items, a vlog on currently-reading books, and updates on Best-sellers and Goodreads Recommendations.
Stay tuned, because I’m just getting started!
*Donations gladly welcomed through Paypal
My Wear/Read Friends 