Outside Reading

Yay, it's finally spring around here! And one of my favorite things to do when the weather is nice is slow down a bit, mix up a cool drink, and sit outside with a book. So with that in mind, I thought I'd offer a few suggestions straight from my patio...

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress, by Rhoda Janzen

This is a fun, breezy memoir with some surprisingly poignant topics - religion, family, heartbreak and redemption. Rhoda tells the story of her failed marriage (her abusive husband runs off with a man he meets on gay.com) and her return to her Mennonite family home for recovery. Tales of her childhood in the fold of her religious community are told with love and brash humor. The chapters are related but not sequential, so it's a great book to pick up and put down as the wind blows...

Behind the Beautiful Forevers, by Katherine Boo

We can all admit that it is sometimes difficult to find the will to read non-fiction about the hard, troubling injustices of the world. Books like this might not seem like patio-friendly reading, but this one is different. Boo treats the subject of life in a Mumbai, India slum with the care and character development of a fictional telling. Facts, theories and statistics about the slum are included in the book, but the real heart and focus is the characters - families living in the slum (the only home they've ever known), children working to survive on their own (mostly by collecting trash or recyclables from the nearby dump), all constantly striving to better their lives in sharp contrast to the luxury hotels they watch grow and multiply nearby. The key element to this book is its ability to make you identify with the slum-dwellers, to see them as people entirely similar to yourself, and not just as statistics.

The Passage, by Justin Cronin

Need a little thrill in your spring? This page turner will keep you reading long after the moths and fireflies join you outside. Although technically a "vampire" novel, this book is more apocalyptic than your average paranormal romance. Telling the story, from various points and points of view, of a virus that consumes the United States, Cronin creates a highly-believable history of a world collapsing. Part 1 follows the downward spiral of a nation in crisis. Part II revisits the country, years later, when only pockets of human life survive. It's engrossing, I tell you. The sequel, The Twelve, is slightly less successful, but you'll want to keep reading to find out how this world progresses. Read now and you'll be ahead of the movie, which is reportedly in the works.

Oh, and for what I'm reading the rest of the spring and summer?

Right now, I'm a few pages into The Night Circus - and very intrigues.
And I hope to get to:
Bastard Out of Carolina, by Dorothy Allison
The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things, by Paula Byrne
These is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, by Nancy Turner

I hope you enjoy one or all of these books! What are you reading now that it's spring?

Seasonal Dis

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Do you do this? All winter I'm crazy longing for warm weather, dreaming of walking outside without a coat and basking in the warm sunshine. Then, the minute it hits, 85, I grumble rumble about how hot it is! Last night, tangled up in my sheets, sweating, all I wanted was a cold winter breeze...

Am I wrong if I just want it to be Spring, then Fall, then Spring again? This is where The Boy makes an evil laugh and suggests sunny California (his home state). And I just shake my head and say "cost of living." Maybe the Midwest's bargain prices make up for the snow and heat and quick-vanishing Springs. Maybe...

Spring Escapes

Winter always makes me feel like snuggling inside, wrapped in (layers upon layers) of blankets, avoiding the elements at all costs. Spring, on the other hand, just begs me to fling off the covers and explore. Here's a list of some top weekend excursions I hope make it onto the calendar this Spring.

Chicago:

here

So beautiful in the spring. And Breaking News:

 Special Genghis Khan  exhibit at the Field Museum. 

How did I NOT KNOW THIS WAS HAPPENING?!!

Oooh, tough guy. here.

You know, from here, that I have a soft spot for GK and his ruthless, yet brilliant, empire-building ways. It's a pretty quick trip from South Bend, and if we can coincide a trip to the museum with one of the city's many many outdoor festivals, and a visit to Ikea, we've got a weekend trip, folks!

Columbus, IN:

from here

Southern Indiana is a bit slooower and calmer than up here in the big city, so it's not a place you'd expect for a hotbed of modern architecture. But that's where Columbus blows you away. With a variety of mid-century modern builidings, by architects such as I.M Pei, who were commissed by the city's industrialist leaders to transform the small town into a global destination, Columbus is worth much more than a second glance. The Boy and I have already made a trip or two, but we want to go back for a reservation-only visit to the Miller House and Gardens. Ranked "America's most significant modernist house" by Travel + Leisure, this is a must-see for architecture lovers ... and anyone needing a more intellectual excuse to drive past the Edinburg Outlet mall.

Three Rivers, MI:

Sometimes, it's fun to go back in time to small town America for the day. I'm thinking a day-trip to Three Rivers may just do the trick for me. The historic downtown is full of interesting shops and independent restaurants (the only chain  is a Sherwin Williams - and who doesn't like paint stores?) There's even an original 1969 diner called Goldie's - apparently they do old school ice cream sodas and malts - hold the phone! The town is surrounded, not surprisingly, by three rivers where visitors can kayak and canoe. Another impressive feature is a large scale petting zoo - when was the last time you visited one of those? But the piece de resistance is the Riviera Theatre, above. Dated to 1925, this is one of the oldest operating theaters in the Midwest. This weekend, they're hosting the Rivers of Justice Film Festival featuring films with social justice themes. I see a weekend trip in our very near future....

Where are you going this Spring? 

SPRING!!!

via Pinterest

Spring is here! Gauging by the weather, it's been here for several days now but who's complaining? The change in season always makes some changes in life - less gloomy, moody days and more time for fun! This spring I want to:

Inject some new-growth colors in my house, like a pollen or bright bright green...

here

here 

And sweeten the air with these!

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 I'll read every day on the porch 

(currently loving Lisa See's "Shanghai Girls and "That Might Be Useful" by Naton Leslie)...

 

while sipping these!

Pineapple Limeade, from here.

Do stuff with my hair, like this maiden's braid ...

here

and when I give up, throw on one of these...

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I'll wear turquoise as much as possible...

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and always have my toes out!

 

from here, here and here.

Happy Spring!!