Sunday, October 24, 2010

Sunday Salon--Halloween season

The Sunday Salon.com

We are pumpkin-y and leafy around here, and the kids insisted that we decorate for Halloween early. We get so many trick-or-treaters, it's insane. We live one street away from a street where everyone decorates the heck out of their houses at Halloween, and trick-or-treaters come from all over. We only get the spillover from that street, and I have to buy 1200 pieces of candy. Isn't that crazy?

But we actually love it. The kids enjoy giving out candy more than they care about trick-or-treating themselves.

My husband and I are getting ready for our trip to Paris, sans children. I cannot wait! I pulled out my copy of A Moveable Feast, to re-read Hemingway's memories of his time in Paris in the 1920s. Apparently he lived there on 5$ a day...ha! Wouldn't that be nice? I often forget how good a writer Hemingway actually was...this book is reminding me of that.

When I threw it out there that I'm looking for something to read while I'm in Paris, a commenter recommended Mavis Gallant stories. I've been meaning to read Gallant for years. So of course I bought a copy of her Paris Stories (published by one of my favorites, New York Review of Books Classics), so I'll have that to bring along.

And I'm still making my own slow way through Jonathan Franzen's Freedom, though I'm almost finished now. I swing wildly between identifying with the characters and being disgusted with them. I can't wait to hear what my fellow book-groupers think next week.

What are you reading on this lovely fall weekend? And do you have any good recommendations for things to do, eat, read in Paris? I'm loving everyone's advice!

6 comments:

Leah said...

Oooh Paris, one of my favourite places and so many things to see, but my all time favourite place is Pere Lachaise Cemetary where all of the artists, writers and philosophers are buried in a beautifully atmospheric Gothic graveyard. You have everyone from Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde and so many others, plus graves with their own stories. I also recommend the Pantheon in the Latin Quarter where Emile Zola and Victor Hugo are buried. It is in a lovely district with good views of the Eiffel Tower. I could go on and on...have a brilliant time.

Gentle Reader said...

Leah--I've heard about the Pere Lachaise cemetery--sounds so cool. Also the Pantheon isn't so far from where we're staying, so I was planning to check that out. Thank you for the info!!!

Ti said...

We are going to have quite a few trick-or-treaters here as well. I live in a cul-de-sac community and I never think that people will bother coming up the hill to get to it but they always do. We are just having friends over for some food and then the kids will hand out candy. No one is in the mood to go out this year.

Paris!! How wonderful. I've never been so I have absolutely no advice but you are going to have such a fabulous time!

Gentle Reader said...

Ti--your Halloween sounds just about my speed! I'm going to try to stay in and send my husband around the block with the kids trick-or-treating. Then they like to give out candy for the rest of the night so I can relax!

Anonymous said...

I justed finished Freedom and wasn't sorry to see it end. I liked parts of it but there were just too many penises if you know what I mean. I need to read something really girly next to detox.

Liz

Gentle Reader said...

Liz--LOL! I only have a few pages to go and I feel your pain. Girly sounds good at this point!