'Tis the Season

'Tis the Season by Lorna Landvik was a fun, quick read. It was hard to see how it was all going to come together, but of course it did. And it was cute. Perfect for the hectic holiday season. Book Club in Preston last Thursday was fun. We watched the Lorna DVD discussion for book clubs and ate good/great food! Some felt that Lorna was a bit over the top with her "acting" on the DVD, but I think it's a hoot.

This is the year of the book again for me. I bought books for everyone, except my mom. I'm not sure you can have too many books. I can't wait until the package arrives with all the books I ordered online. I'll have to wrap up a few tomorrow and get ready to mail them. That's good fun, too.

And now I have book club again this Thursday... more on that later!

WICKED

What fun it was to see Wicked with 60 of my closest friends yesterday! Ha. But it was fun. There was a lot I didn't remember from the summer of 06. I couldn't remember the shoes. I didn't remember that Fiyero is the Scarecrow of that Boq was the Tin Man. Couldn't remember, or blocked it out because it was so disturbingly different than the book. It was painful to see it so soon after reading it. So this time I had forgotten the book, memorized the music, and just enjoyed the show. Galinda was hilarious. Very SNL "Superstar" ish. Same motions. Hilarious. And Fiyero was very very hunky.

The day was great. I'll have to plan another...

"Naked"

What a hoot book club was with the Rochester girls on Nov 14. Half of the group hadn't read the book. Didn't have time, couldn't get into it, just didn't like it. But we all laughed hysterically during the read-aloud parts. What fun to read those sad, disturbing slices of his life. How much is truth and how much is fiction? Living in the Naked Trailer Court was a hit - what would it be like to live in a nudist colony with retirees in trailers? His trips across country hitch-hiking... his job opportunities... his mom!

It was fun.

Patty Jane's House of Curl

Just finished reading "Patty Jane's House of Curl." I might have read it before - but it was written in 1995 so it could have been long ago and my memory is TERRIBLE! Hence, the book blog. This isn't really for book club, but the FC gals are going to read and discuss anything Lorna on Dec 11 and watch the DVD she created to introduce her books and talk to book clubs.

Lorna is such a hoot. Last October Beth and I took a road trip (with kitschy side stops) to Pierre, SD. Beth's sister Mary works at a book store and Lorna was going to be there, mid-week. So we took off on a Tuesday morning and had so much fun visiting with her. We told her about the flood in Rushford, learned about her book writing process, and then took her to see the Flaming Fountain at the war memorial in Pierre - the capitol of SD. It was so fun. We hoped to get to her one-woman show at the Bryant Lake Bowl in January but tickets sold out!

And then she came to Rushford. She was in town doing a fundraiser for the library - a book reading of her new Christmas book, a book signing, and then a silent auction for dinner in the library with Lorna. No one was bidding! So Beth and I put our contributions towards dinner and we got to eat homemade bread and white chicken chili in the library! With red wine! And crepes for dessert! Wow. It was a delicious meal with great conversation. She's so witty and fun to listen to, and just like us. So Beth says I have to wait to read the Christmas book until after Thanksgiving - it's our next book club pick - so I've been reading a couple other Lorna's in the meantime. Finished Patty Jane and now working on "Oh My Stars!" I know I read that one, but it was on audiobook so I just don't remember them as well. Oh my mind.

Patty Jane's House of Curl is about women in the 60s who overcome their alcoholic parents and live mostly happy lives, even through their other losses. Patty Jane has Nora, and Thor bumps his head and doesn't return to her for 15 years. Harriet has Avel who dies in a plane crash, the day of their wedding, and after sinking to her depths she meets the man who pulls her out - Reese. It was a sad story, but funny too. Just like life.

Funny in Farsi

The reason for starting my blog was to write about the books I've been reading. So because my memory is short I'd better write about them soon!

I'll start with the book-club book #1. We're going to meet Friday after the workshop day to discuss this book. It was a light little book about growing up in America as an Iranian in the 70s and 80s. The writer was very funny in her descriptions of her family and their quirks. Her family's love of America, her mother's unwillingness to learn English, the relatives who were never far away. It was a great book and I'll write more after I have it in my hands. My copy is at work.

Go RP!

All Hallow's Eve Eve

I'm really not much of a Halloweener - in fact, I was "Bah Humbugged" at WalMart when in that section with co-workers looking for treats for kids. Actually "Bah Humbugged." But I don't care. Don't know how the aversion came about, but I really don't do anything scary. Don't like haunted houses, scary movies, people in masks, murdery books. I have friends who love the holiday and go all out. It's fun to watch and they used to invite me to their parties, but I was never very clever. One year I was the Judge and wore an old graduation gown. One year I wore an old bridesmaid dress and made a sash that said "Queen of Everything." One year I was a sunflower- have a headband and wore brown.

Tomorrow I am going to be a cat. I have the headband (from the Chanhassan Theatre production of "Cats") and will paint on some whiskers. I will wear my black cozy veloury top and that will be it. No tail for me. I'm some special tailless cat. Not gonna worry. Then tomorrow night we'll see what happens. Maybe I'll crawl into bed and watch movies all night in the dark, avoiding the trick or treaters. Maybe I'll go to a party. Maybe I'll just go shopping! Ha.

But I don't begrudge anyone a grand old time, so hope that many have a blast! Go RP!

Once upon a time I had a list of 40 things to do before I turned 40. Then October 1 I turned 40! One of the things on my list that didn't get crossed off was to WRITE. A blog. Letters. Journal. I think I did better at writing letters in the last year, but I really wanted to start a blog - so here I am! It's the end of "Danette-tober" and the celebration of my age is coming to a close. And during this last month I found a blog that I really think I would like to emulate. It was a blog of art performances seen. I could do that. I would like to do that. I used to have a journal of all the books I've read - and it went down with the flood. When I picked it up off the floor in my room I lost it just a little. If I started blogging about the books I read, they'll be here! I could do books, movies, plays, whatever! How fun. For me. And it is just for me. Who would want to read this, anyway!

So I'm excited. Life has changed. Life is good. I really am blessed and hope for more blessings!
And now I'm going to crawl in bed and read my next book club book, "Naked" by David Sedaris. What a hoot.
DKG