We're having a little bit of cold weather here in Los Angeles, and I'm realizing that my blood has thinned significantly since I lived in colder climes. Okay, I've never actually lived anywhere really cold. I grew up in the Bay Area, which is rainier and colder than Southern California, but it only snowed twice there in the whole time I was growing up. Still, I used to ski, and I've spent plenty of time on the east coast during the winter. I used to love the cold. Now the thermometer is hitting 55 degrees outside and I'm turning up the heat and wearing my warmest sweater around the house. I'm officially a wimp. And just look what's going on around the rest of the country--check out Stefanie's blog for the freezing evidence.
But this kind of showery, partly-cloudy weather--an "open and shut day", my friend J. would say--is perfect for reading--indoors, curled up on the couch, possibly with a cup of hot chocolate. It's a good thing my morning plans cancelled and I can sit down with The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. I have not gotten far into this one, but I do like it so far. There's a vaguely menacing feel to the action, however, that has me on edge. I know this isn't going to be a cozy novel.
That's why I keep alternating it with L.M. Montgomery's Anne's House of Dreams (Anne of Green Gables, No. 5), the fifth novel in Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series. These books were a favorite of mine when I was a child, but I never read past the first three books, so I'm picking up where I left off. It's nice to be transported back to Prince Edward Island with feisty Anne, but it's surreal to juxtapose this with Murakami.
My hat's off to my husband, who cleaned out our garage office with a vengeance. Now I have about 25 books to list on BookMooch, and he set up a nice, safe shelf to keep them on so I won't lose the books or ruin them somehow in case a moocher wants them.
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11 comments:
I love BookMooch. Whenever I finish a book I don't love enough to keep, that's where they go! Into the hands of other eager readers.
jeane--me too, I'm so happy I discovered BookMooch. I also love mooching odd or difficult-to-find titles. Enjoying your blog, btw :)
I recently read in the Quill & Quire that this year is the 100th anniversary of the Anne of Green Gables books! Apparently, there's to be lots of special editions, one commissioned prequel from Penguin and a L.M. Montgomery "scholarly" scrapbook, among other things. I'm looking forward to the store displays.
You're right about Wind-up Bird.. not being a cozy novel. Dense and intriguing though. I can imagine how surreal it must be to alternate between it and Anne! ;)
I think 2008 is the year I need to finally join BookMooch!
imani--thanks for the info about the Annne-iversary! Okay, sorry for the bad pun, couldn't resist. But sounds like it could be fun. Interesting to see what bookstores and libraries will make of it here in the U.S.
tanabata--Surreal is right! And I say it's time for you to join BookMooch! I love the international aspect of it--I'm sending a book to France and one to Germany this week, last week sent one to New Zealand. (But you don't have to accept international mooches if you don't want to, either). Anyway, it's fun :)
Stay warm and happy.
Ah you have a special shelf for your bookmooch books now. That's a great idea. I need to set mine aside too before I lose them among the keepers :)
yolanda--it's raining and windy today, but I cranked up the heat and now I'm warm and cozy! Not so environmentally friendly, but oh well...
iliana--my husband's idea, because I kept saying, "Hey, honey, have you seen x book? I'm supposed to send it to somebody who mooched it..." and he got tired of my stuff!
Ahh weather... I'm still far more cold-tolerant than our Maryland neighbors (I'm in shorts while they're in parkas), but I doubt I could hack New Hampshire again right now.
I'm with you about the cold weather. This week the temperature has yet to break 50 degrees. It's been rainy and cold. What's better than curling up on the couch to read a book? I've knocked out a couple books for the Russian challenge and am reading a memoir on Anatole Broyard, a long-time News York Times book critic who for his whole life passed as white.
heather--the longer you stay in a milder climate, the less you'll be able to tolerate the rough stuff--but I love those folks who wear shorts in the 50-degree weather. That does not happen here!
matt--it continues on rainy and cold here, too. I'm loving the cozy reading, but hate going out in it! That Anatole Broyard books sounds fascinating, I'm going to have to check it out!
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