(no subject)

Woman in Black was not particularly scary. It did make me jump and squeal, but as long as we don't end up a) living in a house on a tidal march b) having any kids, there's no lingering jumpiness. Period horror movies and creepy-kid horror movies intrigue me, but seldom actually spook me enough that it's hard to go to sleep that night.

In spectacular news, Kris Delmhorst sang Book of Love last night at Passim. And it made me feel all schmoopy towards Light. which isn't to say that the peter gabriel and edie carey covers aren't lovely, but this was still pretty awesome.

And it led me to spend some time thinking about why I attempt to see so much live music, and what is important to me about the unmediated experience. I am totally getting sucked into the world of thumb-typing, and I'm not certain that that is how I want to experience the world.

I had a huge angry rant in my head Monday afternoon, which got blown out of the water by the events of monday evening. It was about resentment about all sorts of things, triggered by the fact that I don't want to be someone who changes in the changing closets, but I also feel like I should be ashamed of my scars and not inflict them on other people. And I get so angry about other people's nipples. So, so angry. And hard on the heels of that is anger at myself for not being able to cope more gracefully.

Seriously, does every single thing I think about eventually loop back to grace or mercy?

Remember that time when I said I was never buying tea again? I lied. I got the tea guys catalog, which includes a whole lot of flavors not sold on the website, but still available to me. Such as

berkshire apple and fig black tea
chocolate strawberry saffron black tea
honey pistachio biscotti black tea
toffee chocolate hazelnut black tea
strawberry ginger peppercorn white tea
toasted caramel rooibos
spiced Mexican chocolate rooibos

I am often a little embarrassed by or defensive of my taste in tea. Some part of me wants to be one of those people who always steep the tea for exactly the right amount of time, and drink tea-flavored tea and have distinct tastes in it. Me, I usually just want something sweet and milky and comforting.

Now, to go make stew and blondies. And possibly try to find a playlist to rock out to while I'm in the kitchen. And maybe build the new bookcases we bought today and reorganize my books. Forward motion, baby. Forward fucking motion.

(no subject)

Woman in Black was not particularly scary. It did make me jump and squeal, but as long as we don't end up a) living in a house on a tidal march b) having any kids, there's no lingering jumpiness. Period horror movies and creepy-kid horror movies intrigue me, but seldom actually spook me enough that it's hard to go to sleep that night.

In spectacular news, Kris Delmhorst sang Book of Love last night at Passim. And it made me feel all schmoopy towards Light. which isn't to say that the peter gabriel and edie carey covers aren't lovely, but this was still pretty awesome.

And it led me to spend some time thinking about why I attempt to see so much live music, and what is important to me about the unmediated experience. I am totally getting sucked into the world of thumb-typing, and I'm not certain that that is how I want to experience the world.

I had a huge angry rant in my head Monday afternoon, which got blown out of the water by the events of monday evening. It was about resentment about all sorts of things, triggered by the fact that I don't want to be someone who changes in the changing closets, but I also feel like I should be ashamed of my scars and not inflict them on other people. And I get so angry about other people's nipples. So, so angry. And hard on the heels of that is anger at myself for not being able to cope more gracefully.

Seriously, does every single thing I think about eventually loop back to grace or mercy?

Remember that time when I said I was never buying tea again? I lied. I got the tea guys catalog, which includes a whole lot of flavors not sold on the website, but still available to me. Such as

berkshire apple and fig black tea
chocolate strawberry saffron black tea
honey pistachio biscotti black tea
toffee chocolate hazelnut black tea
strawberry ginger peppercorn white tea
toasted caramel rooibos
spiced Mexican chocolate rooibos

I am often a little embarrassed by or defensive of my taste in tea. Some part of me wants to be one of those people who always steep the tea for exactly the right amount of time, and drink tea-flavored tea and have distinct tastes in it. Me, I usually just want something sweet and milky and comforting.

Now, to go make stew and blondies. And possibly try to find a playlist to rock out to while I'm in the kitchen. And maybe build the new bookcases we bought today and reorganize my books. Forward motion, baby. Forward fucking motion.

So many things about books

new bookcases are awesome.

I'll lead with the above the fold stuff and then talk more about the bookcases.

In the process of reorganizing, I have come across five books which I found so awesome, I picked up extra copies to give to people. Well, I've picked up more than five (the spice must flow), but I have on hand extra copies of these books. If you haven't read them, tell me and I will mail them to you or to a person you designate.

Special Topics in Calamity Physics - Marisha Pessl
Smoke & Mirrors - Neil Gaiman
World War Z - Max Brooks
The Electric Michelangelo - Sarah Hall
Housekeeping - Marilynne Robinson (so much better than her subsequent novels)

Also, local people. In March, both Jeanette Winterson and Heidi Julavits come to Brookline Booksmith (at different times). I am so there. Want to join me?

Alsoalso, why did no one tell me AS Byatt had done a Canongate Myth Series book about Ragnarok? I'm actually sworn off of purchasing new books until at least march, but I'm already on the waiting list for a library copy.

back to the nattering about bookcases. I'm spending a lot of time thinking about 'public' and 'private' books, where public is in the sitting room, sort of public/sort of private is in the guest room, and private-private is in the bedroom. And cookbooks are in the kitchen. And Light's books are outside all this consideration.

Some part of me wants to institute a "best of" shelf, where all my favorites live so I can look upon them and be pleased that they exist. And I'm still pretty fixated on the idea of a curated life. Currently, in the sitting room live crafty books, childrens books, poetry, plays, oversize and unread. Currently in the guest room live fiction, trade paperback and paperback, general nonfiction (all specific, but not really enough of any one category to make it make sense for the shelving to be by topic), a series of very old books I got from my grandfather (if you know someone who I can pay money to to come into my house and tell me if anything I own is worth a second look), and some latin and greek textbooks (I had a period in which I collected them). Upstairs live the books I wouldn't want my mother seeing, and then some books that I don't want to admit I haven't read, but don't feel comfortable broadcasting the fact that I haven't, but Italo Calvino's essay about the classics has made me much more likely to own the fact of the worlds of classics I haven't read.

I don't really feel a strong need to hide away my fiction, or put out my meager shelf of poetry. I do, however, kind of think of the guest room as a vacation destination for books, so it makes sense to have the unread ones not in the guest room.

it's too late for this. Sleeping now.

So many things about books

new bookcases are awesome.

I'll lead with the above the fold stuff and then talk more about the bookcases.

In the process of reorganizing, I have come across five books which I found so awesome, I picked up extra copies to give to people. Well, I've picked up more than five (the spice must flow), but I have on hand extra copies of these books. If you haven't read them, tell me and I will mail them to you or to a person you designate.

Special Topics in Calamity Physics - Marisha Pessl
Smoke & Mirrors - Neil Gaiman
World War Z - Max Brooks
The Electric Michelangelo - Sarah Hall
Housekeeping - Marilynne Robinson (so much better than her subsequent novels)

Also, local people. In March, both Jeanette Winterson and Heidi Julavits come to Brookline Booksmith (at different times). I am so there. Want to join me?

Alsoalso, why did no one tell me AS Byatt had done a Canongate Myth Series book about Ragnarok? I'm actually sworn off of purchasing new books until at least march, but I'm already on the waiting list for a library copy.

back to the nattering about bookcases. I'm spending a lot of time thinking about 'public' and 'private' books, where public is in the sitting room, sort of public/sort of private is in the guest room, and private-private is in the bedroom. And cookbooks are in the kitchen. And Light's books are outside all this consideration.

Some part of me wants to institute a "best of" shelf, where all my favorites live so I can look upon them and be pleased that they exist. And I'm still pretty fixated on the idea of a curated life. Currently, in the sitting room live crafty books, childrens books, poetry, plays, oversize and unread. Currently in the guest room live fiction, trade paperback and paperback, general nonfiction (all specific, but not really enough of any one category to make it make sense for the shelving to be by topic), a series of very old books I got from my grandfather (if you know someone who I can pay money to to come into my house and tell me if anything I own is worth a second look), and some latin and greek textbooks (I had a period in which I collected them). Upstairs live the books I wouldn't want my mother seeing, and then some books that I don't want to admit I haven't read, but don't feel comfortable broadcasting the fact that I haven't, but Italo Calvino's essay about the classics has made me much more likely to own the fact of the worlds of classics I haven't read.

I don't really feel a strong need to hide away my fiction, or put out my meager shelf of poetry. I do, however, kind of think of the guest room as a vacation destination for books, so it makes sense to have the unread ones not in the guest room.

it's too late for this. Sleeping now.