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Thursday, September 1, 2016

August Recap

Library Books:
The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom
Flaubert's parrot by Julian Barnes
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo
The Angel's game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, translated by Lucia Graves
This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz


Hiro's Library Books:
I Funny by James Patterson and Chris Graberstein
How I Learned to Fly by R.L. Stein
Welcome to Camp Slither by R.L. Stein
Dr. Maniac vs Robby Schwartz by R.L. Stine
Goosebumps Horror Land #1: Revenge of the Living Dummy by R.L. Stein
Day of Doom by David Baldacci
Unstoppable: No Where to Run by Jude Watson

Books Purchased:
June B's Essinsial Survival Guide to School by Barbara Park
Rebecca Ringquist’s Embroidery Workshops: A Bend-the-Rules Primer by Ringquist, Rebecca
Encyclopedia of Embroidery Stitches, Including Crewel (Dover Embroidery, Needlepoint) by Nichols, Marion
Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology by Bolton, Andrew


Hiro's Purchased Books:
Who Was Gandhi? by Dana Meachen Rau
The Untimate Unofficial Encyclopedia of Minecrafters. by Megan Miller

Gifted or free books:
Story Thieves by James Riley (Barnes and Nobel free summer reading prize book)
Life on Mars by Jennifer Brown (Zev)

Frankie Presto was a lovely, quick, easy read skimming over the who's who of the history of music.  The narrative spanned over 3 continents and included  a bit of magical realism.  The narrative intertwined the charmed and cursed characters in and out of each others lives and made me want to listen to some Django Rineheart and Ella Fitzgerald again.  I haven't read anything by Mitch Albom since this break through best seller Tuesday's with Morrie decades ago, and was pleasantly surprised at this book.  

The two books purchased this month both came from shows.  The first one Junie B's Essential Survival Guide, was given to us for donating $20- proceeds that benefits Theaterworks- amazing shows put on for children during the summers for free. We went to see Hiro's awesome violin teacher  Mr. Lee playing many roles and Hiro loved his first musical experience. ...especially since Mr. Lee kept pointing at him in the first row.   

The second book is the catalogue for the Namus x Machina show at the Met.  A show I had wanted to see and was resigned to missing it but ended up dragging Hiro to after both Rob and Chris Sanderson, two completely unrelated and opposites in personality, recommended it highly.  It was a bit hard to really focus on each works in this huge show, so after skimming the works in the show, I ended up buying the hardbound catalogue, since I knew I would not go back to the exhibit before it closes the first week of September.

I saw The Angel's Game sitting on the recent fiction released shelf at the library as I was walking out.  I loved The Shadow of the Wind, also by Zafon, though I have no recollection of the narrative, only that it is about books.

The setting of Barcelona, scenery reminiscent in tone to Piranesi etchings and odd characters are intriguing, but the more I read, the more disappointed I became at how predictable it was.  There is a conflict between good and evil, a mysterious character Andreas Corelli is alluded to as being the devil.   Stereotypical symbolism such as dropping in the number 666 and things happening on Friday the 13 for example.  I also kept picturing Johnny Depp playing the title role, (in the film The Ninth Gate based on the book by Arturo Perez-Reverte's The Club Dumas.)

I got through it, but just barely because I wanted to know how it ended, which was a bit of a disappointment.  However, I could see the film version of this book being better for some reason...maybe using Johnny Depp. 

As August comes to a close, I am left with a stack of Jane Austin books, untouched.  My attempt to read some classics that I never read in high school....though the stack sits collecting dust since I became sidetracked with a wonderfully quiet, thoughtful book titled Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo.  

The main protagonist is curiously self aware, open minded and thoughtful even though he has never left his little town in upstate New York.  It's a part of the country we camped in this summer and got to know a bit, with all it's drunk driving, racism and poverty.  The writing is wonderful, the sentences and turns of phrase Russo uses warrants a slow read to savor. The narrative goes back and fourth between the protagonist (named Lucy) and his childhood friend Bobby Noonan's history from youth to old age.  Just lovely and a surprising read.

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