A few things that were on my mind this weekend …
1. Carol Edgarian’s Three Stages of Amazement may be my favorite novel I’ve read in years. It is a beautiful, pitch-perfect story about adulthood and marriage and in exploring the complexities and challenges of both it shows that trying hard and wanting something badly doesn’t keep people from messing up. Edgarian’s characters stagger under the weight of their commitment and responsibility and yearn for the freedom and desire of earlier days but ultimately they tiptoe into a tentative but redemptive embrace of their flawed, rich lives.
2. Laura Munson, whose book This is Not the Story You Think It Is: A Season of Unlikely Happiness touched many people, is reading in Cambridge on Wednesday April 13th at 7pm. I’m so looking forward to meeting Laura and hope many others will be there.
3. My friend Hilary Levey Friedman told me about a piece of art she has ordered for her new house. First we laughed about how there is very little wall space for art, given how many books we both have. I remembered the Anna Quindlen quote that she “would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think interior decorating consists mostly of building bookshelves.” Then Hilary told me about a wreath she is having made out of book pages. I adore, worship, and covet this idea and can’t wait to see it.
4. Finally, I have a professional page on Facebook. I’d be honored if you would click over and check it out. Asking this makes me more nervous than almost anything else. Thank you to the lovely Social Butterfly Solutions for her help!
Having just had two custome book shelves made for our family rec room, I can totally relate. Sadly they are not yet quite finished so they stand bare eagerly anticipating their new friends.
Please share a photo of the book-pages wreath… sounds delightful and I would love to see what it looks like. Will definitely look for the Three Stages of Amazement. Thanks for starting off my Monday with things to think about!
Thank you for telling me about your nerves and having the courage to put yourself out there anyhow. Because here’s the thing: NOTHING gives me more pleasure than supporting people I believe in. I want the world to be full of people succeeding in business that bring their whole soul to their work. Surely that can be said of you. Why would I not RUN to “like” that?
Loved the Quindlen quote. “Liked” the FB page!
Lindsey,
I’m certain you will enjoy Laura Munson’s talk. I met her a few months ago and she is a great spirit. Looking forward to hearing your impressions. I will certainly check out Edgarian’s latest. Thanks!
I aspire to reacquaint myself with a satisfying rhythm of reading that carries with it no guilt for having not done something else in order to read.
Thanks for the shout-out!
Behold, a book wreath: http://www.etsy.com/listing/68909022/paper-book-wreath
What was life like before Etsy?!
It will go above our fireplace, because that is one of the few places books don’t fit so well…
Whoa! Your last post is titled Messages from the Universe, yet this post landed in my inbox today — 12 days after it was originally posted.
The message I took from it is that I will read Edgarian’s and Munson’s books, and perhaps get a book wreath (we already have bookshelves in almost every room in our house).
And I’m so glad to know about your Facebook page and “liked” it very much!