April Showers Bring May Flowers

April is rushing out on a rainy note here in DC. I still can't believe it is the last day of April. Where did this month go? But I'm looking forward to May, warmer temperatures (though please not in the 90s yet!) and days spent at the pool. I'm really looking forward to this summer. I'm not sure how long I will stay in the DC metro area, but the spring/summer is definitely my favorite part of the year here. I want to soak up every moment, in case I do find myself elsewhere come next summer. 

Last night I walked from my house to meet up with a friend for a late happy hour. Armed with my umbrella I started the 20 minute walk to my destination, hoping my IPOD would keep me entertained. But I walked on a different side of the street than I usually do and noticed the most interesting things - an all female martial arts class, a lovely looking ice cream/gelato store, a Santa Claus look alike on a bike who almost ran me over.  Just little things I never notice in my usual rush to work or home. 

Even though I've walked up and down that street countless times, this time I had nothing on my mind and actually paid attention to these little simple things (Ok Santa Claus bike man was a little abrupt). But I think we sometimes take for granted the little pleasures we can get out of the simplest things. I hope to embrace that more here this summer. 

Photo Credit: BBC News

Handle with Care Review

Warning: If you are in my book club or don't want to read a spoiler about Handle with Care read no further. I finally finished this book, and I've never been happier...now that it's done! I was not a fan of this book. I've read another Picoult book and am not sure what to think of her as an author. It's obvious that she likes to hone in on a particular controversial issue (in both books I've read it's been medical). The issue is usually not very common and requires her to extensively research her book. In this aspect, she succeeds.

Picoult's strength (at least in My Sister's Keeper) is making you think about a certain situation in a different way. In that book she made me go beyond my gut-reaction to think, how would I really choose or behave if I was actually put in this situation. Being able to see a complicated issue from a completely different perspective was my favorite part of that book.

I think she tried to do the same in this most recent novel, but it didn't work. Every depressing event that happened, did not in my opinion, lead to whatever she was trying to show us in the end. I came away from this book, learning nothing, feeling nothing except sadness. But not in beautiful/tragic beautiful prose way - just one hit after another.

HUGE SPOILER: I still cannot understand why Willow died in the end. Had she succeeded in her faux suicide attempt, as tragic as that was, that would have even given some validity to the hell her parents had put her through and pushed her to the brink. But to just drown out of no where? I read a review saying wondering what if Willow had survived and her mom was putting the check in her coffin many years later (having never used it, having learned from all their mistakes, etc). I think this would have made a much better ending - but I don't believe this is the case, because her mother visualizes her drowning as she is describing this section.

My favorite dialogue came from Amelia, Willow's older sister. But again, she was put to the side the whole book. Even her "cure" of bulimia was for her parents to ship her off to get help, and coming back at the end of the book fine and "healthy". Even the author pushes Amelia to the side - that was a quick fix to a problem that was just as severe as Willow's.

I can't wait to hear the opinions of my book club members. The book was a page-turner for sure, but only because you desperately wanted something good to happen to this struggling family - and it never did.

AC-less

I'm half-asleep writing this post...the hot weather made me squeeze the most I could out of this weekend and I'm ready to crash now. I'd like to stay up and watch the rest of this Yankees/Red Sox game, but seeing as it is 10 pm and only in the 6th inning, that's probably not going to happen. I'd also like to finish Handle with Care because while this book has brought up some serious issue to contemplate, its completely a downer. I'm hoping something redeeming happens at the end, but with only about 20 pages left, I don't have high hopes.

Random thoughts from this weekend:

• Sitting outside for the first summer-like weather is both very tiring and can cause sunburn.
• My apartment stays surprisingly cool in 90-degree weather, with only one working AC currently. My AC-less room...not so much. Good luck to me sleeping tonight.
• Chic-fil-a + a blanket = the best picnic ever.
• It really feels even more like summer whenever you're drinking Corona.
• People from Switzerland pronounce "Vs" like "Ws" such as "Napa Walley".
• Don't put your metro card, that you just received earlier in the week, in your pocket. You will always loose it.
• The Red Sox can really suck the life out of you. However, I've never see someone steal home plate before, which, as much as I hate to admit, was pretty cool.

Happy Earth Day

Happy Earth Day! Earth Day here in the nation's capitol started off rainy, turned sunny, I think rainy again, and finally sunnier, but much cooler. It was a weird weather day, is the earth trying to tell us something? Anyways, I'd like to say that I did something to help the environment today, but other than tossing my empty wine bottle into the recycling bin after dinner, and watching some documentary on sick killer whales on PBS right now, I can't say I contributed much.

However, my roommate was telling me about an book that would fit right into the earth day theme: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver. I haven't read any of her books, but have heard great praise for them. The book is about Kingsolver and her families decision to buy only food raise in their own neighborhood or food they grew themselves. Writing about home-grown lettuce doesn't sound that intriguing, but the fact that she could read about it for pages without completely losing her mind kinda shows to me Kingsolver is a damn good writer.

My roomie even decided to stop by the farmer's market today to try and buy some locally grown produce - things that were in season for this area. Unfortunately, she could only find spinach from CA. I guess that defeats the purpose of cutting down on environmental waste by shipping it halfway across the country. Later, at Whole Foods, they had apples imported from Brazil. Oh well, at least she tried....all thanks to motivation from a book!

The Lost Symbol

I think I've read all of Dan Brown's books to this point. I read The Da Vinci Code and was hooked. After Angels and Demons I even went to his other books like Digital Fortress and Deception Point.

Brown's talent isn't in the phrasing or beautiful use of words. Brown is able to take an interesting plot line, build intense suspense and keep you wanting more. I don't read a passage and stop and ponder its meaning, turn a page or break out my highlighter (yes, I do that), but I read through at a rapid pace because I can't wait to see what will happen.

After I read all his books, I remember seeing the movie (it was alright), and now am anticipating Angels and Demons (I like that one even better than Da Vinci Code). I was so happy to find out that Brown has a new book, The Lost Symbol, scheduled to be released in September. Now, I don't even care what the premise of this book is (which does feature Robert Langdon from Da Vinci Code)...I'm going to read it. And Publishers Weekly is even toting it as a much-needed boost to the publishing industry in general.

This announcement comes conveniently weeks before his Angels and Demons is released in the theaters (with Ewan McGregor, yay!). I, for one, can't wait for the movie and the new book!

New York Is the Best Revenge

I've always contemplated moving to NYC. It really is the center of the world for publishing. But I also know that its a tough town. When, and if the time is right, maybe I'll end up there one day...like all these folks.

My favorite line..."When you get laid off from your job, or get dumped by your boyfriend, New York is the best revenge."

I haven't read through all the arrival stories, but I plan to. Maybe one day I'll have my own story to tell.

Random Thoughts

It's Friday and closing time....so I present to you, random bullets!

• I'm about to begin this weekend by sitting OUTSIDE enjoying some lovely beverages with my lovely coworkers. Yes, I said OUTSIDE.
• I'm currently reading Handle with Care. It is seriously so depressing, I really just want to finish reading it. Too bad I'm not even halfway through. Reading it after 2 glasses of wine is probably not a good idea either.
• The Yankees lost so badly in their much anticipated home opener yesterday - get it together boys!
• Mean what you say and say what you mean....I'm not sure who said that, but it's something to live by. 

That's all I got for now. Happy Friday!