Sunday, June 27, 2004

Reentry

I'm back safe and sound (and extra crispy) from Hatteras, NC. Vacation was great. The weather was great. The food was great. The family visiting went well, but as always, there is never anywhere near enough time to see and do everything and everyone. It can get discouraging sometimes, and all I can do is say maybe next time.

Today I'm doing my best to ease my way back into life and routine here at the Tuna compound, trying hard to avoid resuming my 100 mph existence -- at least for today. So, as I'm putting things away, I'm taking my time and focusing (ala TinyTuna) on the memories. Over the next several days there will be plenty of stories to share about our annual east coast excursion. Thankfully, I'll have my own computer at my disposal, instead of waiting like a dog for my half-hour Internet kibble at the Hatteras Village Public Library (for which I was very grateful).

Today, I bring you the books I read during my week on at the beach. This is the time I become a voracious reader because I feel I have the time and the attention span to read something longer than a 500-word essay. They aren't exactly bodice-rippers, but rather my version of beach books:

The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club by Laurie Notaro.
Hah. Ok. So, I guess I read essays even when I'm at the beach. Funny writer.

If I Live To Be 100 : Lessons from the Centenarians by Neenah Ellis.
Neenah Ellis produced NPR's One Hundred Years of Stories. This book chronicles the many centenarians she met and interviewed for this series.

The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith.
I'm not a huge fan of mysteries. I don't dislike them, I just tend to pick lots of other literary genres first. I've seen this series in bookstores over the years, and decided I would try one. I'm glad I did. The writing is lyrical, and I loved it for its descriptions of Africa as much if not more than for the many investigations undertaken by Mma Ramotswe. Now I have to go get book number two...

Like The Red Panda by Andrea Seigel.
A story of a smart, Princeton-bound California senior who, during the last two weeks of high school, decides to change the path of her life. A very well-written book by a young author.

Why Girls Are Weird by Pamela Ribon.
I was glad to finally get a chance to sit down and read this book. Girl writes blog. Girl meets lots of interesting people. Gah, it was really funny, and guess what? The author also writes for TWoP. It's like reading one for the home team.

Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.
I'm sure I'm the last person on earth to have read this book. I have nothing more to say than it was amazing. If you haven't read it, you should.

Unless by Carol Shields.
I'm not done yet. It was the only book that took me more than a day to read, because I wanted to keep going back and re-reading sections over again. I'm anxious to finish the story.

I leave you today with a little thought from a little book I bought last year at the beach

At the beach, treasure is what we find, not what we buy.
The beach is where we remember how to shine,
how to peel ourselves down to essence and shed our shells,
how to reduce speed....

(from How To Live At The Beach by Sandy Gingras)

It must be time to rest.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Welcome back, Tuna! You were sorely missed. Great book list!
~Grace

TVJ said...

Welcome back, Tuna! We missed you. You did some readin' on vacation, huh? I have not read "Lovely Bones" yet .. so you aren't the last one.

www.tv-junkie.com

Kat said...

Glad you're back, but glad you enjoyed yourself!