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booky wooks

So the much hyped Olive Kitteridge was kinda super depressing. It was like, 'This book makes me want to break out the razorblades and start slicing lengthwise,' but the writing was good so I stuck with it. Started out chirpy but quickly descended into a monotony of 'life sucks and then you get sick and die real slow'.. or tempering one's melancholy with donuts and pie. Spoiler alert? ha. 

Make no mistake, Elizabeth Strout is an exceptional writer and her stories are deeply moving. I loved her humor, her characterizations and eloquent observations about the sometimes ineffable qualities that make people tick... but I reckon life is hard enough without having to read about it over and over again. Did not appreciate the fact that I had to grope about for my bearings in every other chapter as a bevy of new characters were introduced; who, while interesting; unraveled threads that led mostly nowhere. Soo unsatisfying. 

                                                                    Cover Art

  
    

Just about devoured Gone Away Lake and Return To Gone Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright. Love the vintage cover art. Wasn't expecting much, but found myself entirely lost in the enchanting summer adventures of a pair of cousins who stumble upon and bring life to a small Victorian ghost town that lies decaying by a dried-up lake. Utterly charming! For a children's book, the writing was impeccable. Funny too, I laughed out loud quite a bit. This line made me devoutly thankful for my own cousin-friend: “Now isn't that nice!" said the old lady. "If cousins are the right kind, they're best of all: kinder than sisters and brothers, and closer than friends.” Trufax! except I'm fortunate in that my siblings are both exceptionally kind. 

 Another gem where one cousin, Portia, describes the other: Julian has "about a hundred thousand freckles on his face, all sizes, and the same color as his hair. He says it's the influence of the carrot on his appearance; that when he was a little kid, carrots were the only vegetable he'd eat, and he ate them every day for every meal except breakfast. So he turned orange. Uncle Jake always says, 'Good thing it was carrots and not spinach.'" Bazinga! This Julian reminds me of my own nephew; an intrepid young naturalist in the making, wandering around collecting inchworms & butterflies, overflowing with entomological factoids and a bubbling enthusiasm for the ephemeral. Basically this book is how life should be. *wistful sigh* Maybe I should just stick to kid lit.

Next on the formidable and ever-growing Reading List:

Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen                               The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

 

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

Just thought I'd throw in a pic of Mr Thornton nee Richard Armitage for good measure and also because no mention of North & South is complete without his mug. Yes, I am shallow like that.

BIG SHINY ROCKS

aka Jim Hodges' new sculptural installation investigates the notions of time, movement, color and reflection. Arty speak for big-ass shiny rocks.

 

P.S. Happy National Day Singapore! or as the kids would say, Happy Nat-nol Day!

               Off for swimsies and parade watching/eyerolls galore at Jo's. Toodles!   
                       
  

Antonio Marras for Kenzo

Sometimes I forget just how much I love fashion.

 

Kenzo Spring 2011

  

 

                  all images: style.com

Ouchamagoucha

Sweet mother of pearl. I feel like wet laundry. Bedraggled. Note to present and future self: this body circa 1981 cannot quite withstand 20 yr old late night shenanigans. Drowning achy sorrows in my new book and Day 8 Olympic Swimming finals. Goooo Phelps!

In other news: Yarn Bombing. Guerrilla knit-meisters on the prowl. Removable granny graffiti. What a brainwave. 1) who has the time or inclination for this? 2) only in developed nations and 3) why are people so awesome?

 

Miyazaki Magic

Very much jonesing to watch Studio Ghibli's retelling of what should be on every child's reading list, Mary Norton's 'The Borrowers'. I'm not big into anime but old school animation invariably gets my arms flailing muppet-style. The 1992 BBC version with Ian Holm & Penelope Wilton was pretty darn charming in its own right.. still have the tapes squirreled away somewhere.

Staying focused

For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. - 2 Chronicles 16:9 

Teach me your way, O Lord and I will walk in your truth; 

give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. - Psalm 86:11 

But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendents will inherit it. - Numbers 14:24   

Currently burning a sizable hole in my playlist: