Looking for Humor, Finding Something Better

 

     I chose David Sedaris's book Happy-Go-Lucky because he is a good storyteller and so wickedly funny. He talks about his life and family in blistering terms. I don't feel like the weirdest one around when I read about his life. Happy-Go-Lucky is about, among other things, the decline and death of his 98-year-old dad. It is comic and heart-wrenching. I understand no one gets a perfect mom or dad, and I can't be the ideal mom, daughter, sister, or wife, but I want to be,, and I want my parents to be. It's complex. Sedaris exemplifies complicated grief. I listened to the book as I walked on the treadmill and cooked Thanksgiving dinner. I found it comforting to see someone else's suffering and laugh at it. It helped.

Maybe I am the weirdest one around. 

😜😜😜

   Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrelle Zevin has been on my holds list for two months or so and it was worth the wait. I am not generous with in giving out 5 stars on GoodReads. At it's core, it is a book about Sadie Green and Sam Masur, two kids who met in Los Angelos in a children's hospital game room and became friends, then enemies, then game partners. Zevin does a masterful job of twisting their lives together while creating tension that made the book compelling. I admire how big events like loss, chronic illness, and abusive partners are woven into the story, but not in a maudlin or poor-me way. I was impressed with the story, but also the depth and scope of the characters. It is a great read. This is one of the best books I've read in 2022.

⭐⭐🌟⭐⭐

Comfort Reads

    If I was a car driven by my different emotions, most of the time, my confidant, capable Glad self, who raised five children, steers. It says things like, "I understand you want to sit on the couch and watch the newest season of The Crown, but this house doesn't clean itself," and "Yes, this is a good book, but if you don't turn out the light soon, you will be grumpy tomorrow." That woman gets stuff done and enjoys it. However, this season Anxiety snuck out of the trunk, crawled over the back seat, and keeps grabbing the steering wheel. I needed something that wouldn't stress me out or plunge me into despair. So, no Maggie O'Farrell. 😱

    The first stop is Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. I'm not a big rereader, but this book I've read four or five times. I know what's going to happen, which is comforting, but I am also dazzled (Redazzled? Bedazzled?) by the language. I fell asleep on the couch listening and woke up to Marianne praising Willoughby, snorted in disgust--Willoughby--am I right? Then fell asleep again. It was a great nap. 

 

    When I worked in a bookstore, I shelved many Naomi Novik books and thought they looked interesting. I like fantasy and fairytales. I heard Novik recommended on the podcast What Should I Read Next and went looking for them on Libby (a terrific app for borrowing audiobooks). Hurray, I found them! It might be a case of the right time and right place, but I enjoyed these so much. Spinning Silver weaves together several narrators in a tangled plot. The two Novik books I've read have had a Slavic flavor that shows up in the food, location, names, and clothes. Spinning Silver is based on the fairytale Rumplestiltskin, but it tears the story I know apart and reassembles it into a fresh, face-paced account. I love a story that has me saying, I didn't see that coming; therefore, I loved Spinning Silver. I didn't want the Novik party to stop, so I borrowed Uprooted and liked it as well. Novik's heroines are strong and resourceful, likable and encouraging. They helped soothe my anxiety. 

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You can do hard things, maybe not on the first try, and maybe not by yourself, but you can. 

For My Dad

 

    The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone is a book I associate with my dad. It is a children's book that breaks the fourth wall. Grover talks to the reader, trying to convince them not to turn the pages because there is a monster at the end of the book! I remember my dad reading it to my three-year-old sister after he came back from being deployed in South East Asia. He is the standard of how to read a book to a child.  Funny voices are required. When Grover yells, my dad yells. Dad invested wholeheartedly with enthusiasm and his audience appreciated it. My sister's face was rapt, and I could see her concern for Grover's plight.

    Many years later, when I had my own children, he read the book to them in the same way, and they loved it and him.

    Yesterday, my dad passed away. On his final day, my daughter sat beside him with her little one and read The Monster at the End of this Book. It was a good, sad day.

    I am a writer seeking to be published and this month I was. It was inspired by my dad. Here is a link. tools I'm grateful my dad got to celebrate that milestone with me. 

    Here is a link to my brother's lovely tribute to my dad: https://www.facebook.com/george.laskey

    

Older Murder, Newer Spies

 

    Louise Penny is one of my favorite mystery writers. Still Life is the start of her long-running series about Inspector Gamache and the village of Three Pines. Re-reading it was surprising because Penny does a great job of evolving her characters. Seeing them in their beginnings made me appreciate how she matured her cast over the series, but kept the essence of Inspector Gamache. I heartily recommend this series because it's well-done, humorous, and mysterious. 

👏👏👏

    American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson is not your typical spy novel. I find most spy novels to have a noble protagonist, but Marie Mitchell is trying to decide where her loyalties lie. The "enemy" who she loves or her country who has betrayed her and her family. Wilkinson tells a suspenseful tale with good action. She jumps around in time, giving the story a jolting quality that works well. American Spy is an entertaining book that also made me think about American foreign policy and the FBI. Impressive. 

                                                                            🕵🏾‍♀️🕵🏾‍♀️🕵🏾‍♀️

Surprise To Read Only One Book This Week

 

    I am a fan of C. S. Lewis. So when I encountered Surprised by Oxford: A Memoir by Carolyn Weber, I was intrigued because the title references Lewis's book Surprised by Joy. It is a memoir of his childhood and conversion. Weber's book is also a conversion story: hers, which happens at Oxford. She is a poor scholarship student from Canada. Her childhood has given her good cause to doubt the kindness of others. 

The writing is erudite; she's a student at Oxford, after all. Its plot drew me along. Her wrestling with Christianity feels authentic. Woven throughout the book are interactions with deep theological questions--why are we here? Do we matter? Does anything matter? Does God care? How do we know? Frequently, I found myself thinking: that's a good answer. Weber swims in deep waters, and, at times, it is a bit tedious. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book and gave it five stars. Weber dealt knowledgeably and compassionately with those inside the faith and those outside the faith. Good job. 

🤩⭐️🌟⭐️🤩