Ponder: Slow Dance

Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell ©2024 was like its title.... slow moving. Plot is secondary to character development in this romance and yet I kept turning the pages to see how the confusing relationship between Shiloh and Cary grew. Slow Dance was the August 2024 pick of Reese's Book Club. I do not know what the desirable criteria are for a "good summer read" but Reese's picks for 2024 — June (The Unwedding @ 3 stars),  July (The Cliffs @ 0 stars), and August (Slow Dance @ 2 stars)  — were not stellar in my opinion. Is there some assumption that during the summer months we all have beach brain? Typically I like the choices of Reese's Book Club, so this summer appears to be an anomaly. (I gave her January pick, First Lie Wins, pick 5 stars.)

Shilo and Cary along with their friend Mikey are a trio of close friends all throughout high school. They go their separate ways after graduation only to meet up again at reunions and weddings. It seems inevitable that Shiloh and Carry will wind up with each other, an outcome obvious to all but the two of them. How they "dance" around each other is initially amusing to me and then becomes increasingly frustrating. I want to say "Get on with it already!" I was focused on finishing the novel to learn if they ever did figure out their relationship or if a sad final parting was in the cards. Rainbow Rowell threw in a smattering of white trash upbringing, hoarding, marital infidelity, aging parents, and body image insecurities as a method to give the novel an interesting backdrop. (As an aside, I think the most amusing part of this book was that when my husband passed the spot where I had set it down, he kept trying to pluck the curling flower petal off the cover image.)

★★☆☆☆ Ok, not great; some redeeming features; I finished it

Ponder: First Lie Wins

Early this year, I checked out First Lie Wins ©2024 by Ashley Elston from the library and did not get a chance to finish it before it was due. Since others were waiting and I was only about one-third through it, I returned it. Putting my name back on the waiting list, I had to wait months later for a second try. I needed to read the first third again, since it had been long enough from the first time that the intricacies had vanished from my memory. My persistence to read this book was definitely worth it. In fact, after completing it, I wanted to re-read passages from the book yet again, so I actually bought the kindle version to have an electronic search capability. That's how much I loved this book.

First Lie Wins was engaging, fast paced, with a southern setting and multi-sided characters to keep the reader's interest along the way. I was definitely drawn in by the characters who were not always "nice" but still very human and invested in each other—invested in either a good or bad way.  The relationship between Evie and Ryan is intricate from the banter between them to his fierce support of her. Evie is a very smooth, smart, strong, and resourceful woman. She inextricably entangles herself in Ryan's life. Evie's "boss" is a real piece of work whose communication techniques introduce another layer of mystique to First Lie Wins.  "Mr. Smith" conducts abbreviated phone conversations with Evie using an electronically distorted voice and leaves instructions in a manila envelope in a mailbox at a discretely revealed shipping store.

The novel does jump around between time periods, which usually mildly annoys me, but in First Lie Wins I found the writing technique fascinating. The different time periods reveal Evie's varied personas and aliases as she works on different "jobs" for "Mr. Smith", thus building depth to her character and subtly showing aspects of her moral character. Who really is each of pseudonym's that Evie uses and what light does each cast on the inner workings of Evie Porter's mind and heart?

I really grew to like Evie and Ryan, neither of whom are squeaky clean, and I do not want to feel guilty about having those sentiments. Robin Hood was technically a crook but was it for a good cause? Is there honor among thieves? To quote a favorite line of mine from First Lie Wins ... "we’re both honest about how shady we are".

First Lie Wins is the January 2024 selection for the Reese's Book Club. Reading First Lie Wins has restored my faith in using this club for my reading suggestions. The June 2024 pick The Unwedding I was mediocre per my post for 9/4/24.  The July 2024 pick The Cliffs was slow moving and deviated so far from its enticing description that I quit reading it.  First Lie Wins, however, was certainly a big winner and I will continue to consider Reese's Book Club as a prime source for my reading choices.

★★★★★ Great! Read it!

Ponder: The Unwedding

The Unwedding ©2024 by Ally Condie is a murder mystery. In a plot not uncommon to whodunit book settings, The Unwedding has a finite captive list of murder suspects isolated at a luxury resort near Big Sur, CA due to a mudslide. The Unwedding is Ally Condie's first book that is intended for an adult audience. Per Wikipedia

Allyson Braithwaite Condie (born November 2, 1978) is an author of young adult and middle grade fiction. Her novel Matched was a #1 New York Times and international bestseller, and spent over a year on the New York Times Bestseller List. The sequels (Crossed and Reached) are also New York Times bestsellers.

The main character Ellery, had planned to go to this fancy resort with her husband to celebrate their 20 year anniversary. Instead the couple got divorced a few months prior. Ellery goes by herself, after all, it was paid for and she did not want her ex to take his girlfriend. To add insult to injury, the resort is hosting a wedding and the grounds are heavily populated by the bridal party and guests. Ellery feels even more alone. 

The resort setting appealed to me. It is nestled on the coastline of Big Sur, CA.  Per the description in
visitcalifornia.com

With cliffs plunging hundreds of feet down to rocky coves churning with foamy surf, it’s no wonder that many people consider Big Sur the most dramatic stretch of coastline anywhere in the world.

Mudslides are a not an uncommon occurrence and fit in well with the isolation theme. Per a story in the LA Times in spring of 2024

The March 30 slip-out that occurred just south of Rocky Creek Bridge — in which a chunk of the southbound lane fell into the ocean during a rainy weekend — left much of the famous Big Sur coast cut off from the rest of the state, with only limited convoys allowed through the damaged stretch.

The Unwedding has many characters to keep track of — the bride and groom with their wedding party, wedding guests, resort staff and other resort guests. The murder victim is a surprise — as is the second murder victim, too. Typically with murder mysteries, there are several options for suspects and that is also true in The Unwedding. The fun in reading a murder mystery is figuring out who the murderer is or at least having a strong suspicion. The unspoken challenge is to figure out the guilty party before the big reveal. The novel dragged a bit and then end of the novel seemed rushed. Insufficient clues were provided, or clues were not revealed soon enough, for reader to figure it out. The flow was a bit awkward and the closing slightly disappointing.

 

The Unwedding was the Reese's Book Club selection for June 2024. Usually this book club is a good source for my reading material selections, but to me the The Unwedding fell short and was just mediocre; Amazon was aligned with my opinion, readers giving it 3.6 stars out of 5.

I will add a few of Ally Condie's young adult books to my reading list because I am curious about this genre of the author and also to give her another chance. The reading age for the Matched trilogy is 11-13, 11+, and 12-17 years for Matched, Crossed, and Reached respectively. I want to see if the trilogy is worth suggesting to my bookworm granddaughters. But I am not giving those books a high priority in my to read list. 

I half-heartedly give The Unwedding three stars. 

★★★☆☆ Better than average; not a waste of time

Brick Fest Live with Alex

Sunday, August 18th, Frank and I took Alex to Brick Fest Live, a local LEGO event held in two buildings at the Alameda County Fairgrounds. We thought he would enjoy it since Alex had had a great time at LEGOLAND in San Diego when we went there in 2012 for his 26th birthday trip. For nostalgia, here is a photo of Alex twelve years ago in LEGOLAND San Diego. He is building with large DUPLO bricks. 

Unfortunately a repeat trip to San Diego in June of 2022 was curtailed when Frank and I tested positive for COVID. In December 2022 we went to LEGOLAND Discovery Center Bay Area which is not as extensive as the San Diego park but still had the bricks experience that Alex liked. So when Brick Fest Live became available in our neighboring town we decided to explore it. Unfortunately DUPLO were not available at Brick Fest Live. I did however leave a suggestion for the show managers to incorporate DUPLO in future shows. There were lots of little kids at the show who also would benefit as well as attendees with limited fine motor skills.

We took part in the creation of a super big floor mural made from square LEGO board tiles the participant covered with colored LEGO according to an accompanying chart. Alex liked putting the LEGO in place with moderate color accuracy but needed a little bit of help to press them down. (I learned the plural of LEGO is LEGO,  without an "S". Also "LEGO" is derived from the Danish phrase leg godt which means "play well".)

The large LEGO sculptures scattered through the buildings were impressive. I photographed only a few with Alex nearby to show the scale. 

Some of the kids built vehicles from LEGO bricks. Alex enjoyed watching those cars race.

Brick Fest Live also had a coloring activity table set up. Alex did a bit of decorating on a small picture which he carried around with him throughout the show. I was fascinated by the LEGO markers and pens; the price was formidable. Each pen set and each marker set was $30. Add in the case and the total climbed to $90. We did not buy them.

 

Alex and Frank wore their matching LEGO shirts. They collected many kudos and compliments. After the show we stopped at McDonald's for a snack. Since Alex is a person who prefers salty to sugary I got him french fires and Frank and me ice cream cones. Alex saw my cone and reached for it. I gladly gave it up to him. It was fun watching him dig in  eagerly and voraciously. Believe it or not, this was his first cone experience with us. It was definitely a highlight of our outing, mess and all. And yes, the shirts survived without permanent stains.

Ponder: Lion of Lark-Hayes Manor

My granddaughter Autumn was awarded The Lion of Lark-Hayes Manor by Audrey Hartman ©2023 as a prize in a reading competition and she showed it to me during her visit early August.  She really liked it and highly recommended I read it. I can see why. It was a sweet story that captured the thoughts and mannerisms of a unique and creative eleven year old while being true to a fairytale type plot. The main character Poppy is very much invested in books, so very similar to my two eldest granddaughters, ages ten and eleven, who are also avid bookworms.

The basic plot is that Poppy's parents have careers as renovators of historic home. In touring a dilapidated run down mansion, Poppy hears a voice. Upon investigating, she finds a water nymph pinned in an indoor pool by a piece of large scale construction machinery. Upon freeing the nymph, the "grateful" nymph rewards Poppy by granting her any one wish she desires.  Upon careful consideration, Poppy wishes for a lion. As is generally the case with wishes, there are caveats and strings attached which are not revealed in a straightforward manner at the outset.

The Lion of Lark-Hayes Manor is a Young Adult book. The ending held together perfectly with no loose ends - a feature I have found lacking in many books for adults. The relationship between Poppy and her older brother Luca will make you smile. The atmosphere is steeped in a deep love for books. The social challenges of pre-teens further enhance the story without being angst-ridden. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of reading The Lion of Lark-Hayes Manor.

★★★★★ Great! Read it!

Robin, Jeremy, Autumn, Isaiah Visit

We had a fun Robin and family visit from Oklahoma Friday August 2nd through Tuesday August 6th. Frank and I had just returned from a Colorado trip to see Dan's family a few days prior so we were grateful and relieved that someone other than us was doing the traveling needed for an in person visit, not a FaceTime or Zoom digital substitute.

Friday, August 2nd
Jeremy Robin, Autumn and Isaiah arrived at the Oakland airport mid afternoon, pretty much on time.  Frank picked them up. They spent a good portion of the early evening readying their arrangements for sleeping. We had cautioned them that since we had just returned from travel, coupled with our low energy, that they would be on their own for establishing their creature comforts. They efficiently and cheerfully changed the sheets on the guest king bed and the Micky Mouse double bed.  Most amazing of all, they located a folding cot that Frank and I had "lost" somewhere in the house. That is a big thing to lose! They made it up for Autumn and placed it in the sewing room so she would have her own hideaway to read as late into the night as she wanted with sole control over the lighting.

They presented me with some surprise gifts. Robin and Jeremy had brought along a third suitcase, tongue in cheek tagged  "HEAVY" by the airline, that contained three decorative wreaths from a business a friend of Robin's runs called Confetti Jubilee. I had admired  decorations on Robin's front porch she had bought from that friend. The Instagram site of Confetti Jubilee has photos of one after another gorgeous wreath, swag, or garland for a variety of holidays. The ones Robin and Jeremy brought out were: a Sunflower, a Hello Fall, and a Merry Christmas. I hung the sunflower on the front door immediately. It coordinates in theme with a sunflower quilt I have displayed in the dining room. 

The other two wreath are for the upcoming fall and Christmas seasons. I love the black and white gingham on the fall one and the green and red plaid on the Christmas one. I am also enamored with that metallic mesh ribbon in general that gives glitter without littering sparkles everywhere. What a great surprise!

Saturday, August 3rd
Saturday was a laid back day, typical of taking a deep breath after travel. Robin and I made a trip to my local quilt store "In Between Stitches". She bought a pattern and I bought an outdated magazine from their clearance section. The purpose of the trip was bonding not buying.

Coincidentally, this Lynn Wilder pattern was for a quilt I had admired in the 2024 AVQ Quilt show I attended in June titled Alaskan Journey by Laurie May. Then Robin and I went home and over the next several days  and "shopped "my stash. I happily passed on to her a Utopia quilt kit, a halloween panel, a layer cake of batiks, a layer cake of Tula Pink line work, several magazines, and other unnamed treasures of the fabric persuasion. We were both happy: me for the output and her for the input.

Sunday, August 4th
Sunday is traditionally our day with Alex so we all went bowling, with lunch afterwards at the alley. We played two games with three on two teams. First game: Alex, Jeremy, Frank, versus Isaiah, Autumn, Robin. Second game we switched it up a bit.  Isaiah's very first ball went straight down the center of the alley. I sat on the sidelines, contemplating techniques and cheering everyone on.

Autumn was in the final chapters of her Hunger Games book, and took every opportunity between ball tosses to remain engaged in the saga. Suddenly we looked at Autumn and she was not just teary-eyed, but rather sobbing uncontrollably. Apparently a key character in the book had just died and Autumn was devastated. Had she realized Autumn was so close to the end of the book, Robin would have tried to persuade Autumn to leave it home and finish it later. Instead, we felt bad that Autumn's vicarious grief had needed to be manifested so publicly.

Our scores were not stellar, but we had a good time, both bowling during the games and munching on snacks afterward.

Autumn, Alex, and Isaiah willingly posed for a photo op on a bench outside Earl Anthony's Dublin Bowl. Afterward, Robin and Frank drove Alex back to his home at St Denis in San Ramon. Jeremy drove Autumn, Isaiah, and me back to Livermore.

Once back in Livermore. Jeremy took on the role of chef. He made marinated chicken, Yukon potatoes, and carrot slices. We enjoyed them all. But he was not finished. Sunday night he made tri-tip in the oven that was delectably tender, juicy, and delicious. Next time they visit, he is the designated chef!

Jeremy had entertainment in the kitchen while he cooked. Robin bounced by on a foam block with bungee cord type handle, an indoor-appropriate variation on a pogo stick. The contraption has a squeaker built in so each bounce is accompanied by a high-pitched "eek-uh" like a dog toy. Each time I heard it I could not help but smile. Robin's side kick Autumn, also grinning widely, jumped along right beside her. I think my children, both Robin and Dan, were silently grateful that this particular toy never made it home to either of their houses.

Not all activities were lively. Autumn did a lot of reading using her brother as a convenient, if slightly lumpy, pillow. As a pre-teen fetish of her 11 years, Autumn tried, whenever she could, to hide her face from the camera. The bowling alley and pogo shots were the exceptions rather than the norm during this visit.

Another sedentary activity was watching the Olympics. Isaiah joined Frank in front of the living room TV when he was not being squashed by his sister. 

Both Isaiah and Autumn enjoyed the Paint by Sticker book given to me by my friend Kathie. It was originally intended as my low energy diversion during my recent cycles of chemo, but the kids made much better use out of it. I was impressed with their persistence and attention to detail.

We also put together two 500 piece puzzles over the weekend. Autumn was a whiz. I'd watch her hover over the array of pieces, place a dozen or so related ones in her palm and then— plink, plank, plunk—she'd dropped them in place. The Ravensburger puzzles were Dream Library and Northern Lights. Autumn picked the book one to do first, of course. The details of the many spines did not escape her notice during the assembly process. We enjoyed leaving these out on the table giving random participants the opportunity to contribute.

Monday, August 5th
Enough of the sedentary. That afternoon Robin and Jeremy took Autumn and Isaiah to a facility in Livermore called Lost Worlds Adventures. Part of the place is dinosaur themed.

It is mandatory that each participant purchase a pair of non-skid socks before venturing on to the Super Slides, Rope Course, Ball Pits, Super Play Structure, or Ninja Agility Course. I do not think the socks were required for miniature golf, though.

Both Autumn and Isaiah ascended high up on the climbing walls. Isaiah performed a bit of drama after his fake fall. Autumn forgot to hide her face for the photos; but then again it was kind of obscured by the helmet.

What is the significance about this next photo? You can see Autumn's face as she shares the details of her purple rubber ducky (prize...?) with Grandpa. Plus, yee gads! I did not realize my hair was that gray.

Monday evening we tried out the game of Family Faceoff. There are four categories of cards: Guess It, Act It, Find It, and the Mental or Physical challenge options of Faceoff. We played boys vs. girls. When following the rules became too contentious or onerous we just resorted to flipping through the cards and having fun with them. The "guessing the songs" category was very popular and clearly demonstrated the generational differences by which tunes we were able to recognize. Tune identification was so popular in fact that, after the game, we located "name that tune" type TV and YouTube shows and had a rousing time answering those questions.

I was the main reader in the guess songs category. Jeremy and kids reveled in the competitive nature and congratulated each other with each success. It was a noisy, raucous, fun session.

Tuesday, August 6th
Tuesday was departure day. In the morning we made time in the garage to be with Grandpa and his trains. Isaiah gets to run them a bit now.

"Parting is such sweet sorrow," to quote a line from Romeo and Juliet. There! That pretty much exhausts my Shakespeare knowledge. Robin and family were packed and ready for their afternoon flight back to Oklahoma via Denver. They were down one suitcase since Jeremy, the packing guru, managed to squeeze one smaller suitcase into the extra large one that had contained the decorative wreaths.

After some final photos on the driveway, Frank drove them back to Oakland airport.

It was a fantastic visit and Frank and I will miss them!

Bummer afternote:
Their flight to Denver, CO was diverted to Amarillo, TX due to weather in the Denver area. Note the sharp turn south in the flight path.

When they were flown back to Denver later that evening they had missed their Oklahoma connection and had to spend the night at a Denver hotel. To add insult to injury, due to flying standby, the four of them were separated and had to fly back, two each, on two different flights. The unanticipated extra day of their "vacation" was spent in cooling their heels in transport. Oh, well. They had their books and iPad and made the best of it. They all eventually reconvened in Oklahoma City Wednesday evening August 7th, tired but none the worse for wear. The post-euphoria of the visit was a bit tattered, but not totally vanquished.