Is anyone else participating in the BookRiot Read Harder Challenge?

Macaulay has lately been the topic of articles. Which came first? Me, choosing the book from my to-be-read pile, or the spark of interest in the author by today's essayists? Either origin, it has been a happy journey with Macaulay this past two weeks.

She said, "Do you know how Mick Jagger said that he didn't want to be forty-five and singing 'Satisfaction'? Well, worse than that is being forty-five and writing about Mick Jagger singing 'Satisfaction.'" I laughed. That is the only funny thing I heard anyone say at the party the whole evening.
-January 16, 1978

I picked up prize for completing my first 10 hours of summer reading. The goal is 100 hours of reading before August 31st. (I enjoy participating in library events.) I then picked up my library hold of "Dietland". What an intriguing read! I started it yesterday and am already on page 191 of 307 pages. As of this morning, I'm at 35.25 reading hours, adding 6 hours of reading because I can't put down Walker's book.

I'm not a baseball superfan. I enjoy the game because my Son-in-law is a superfan. I enjoy spending time with my family at MLB games and am faithfully in the bleachers as my Son-in-law and Daughter coach the Grandies in t-ball. We promised Son-in-law that if his favorite player made it into the Hall of Fame, we would go to the induction as vacation. So, I'm heading to NY this summer. Anyway, I'm getting into the spirit of things with this read.

I need something fun to read, so, of course, Lisa Lutz was pull off my TBR shelf.

I liked this book for the simple reason that it gives hope. Pinker shows us to look at the data to see progress continues, rarely, if ever, reverting to darker ages. He is careful to inform doomsday rhetoric comes from conservatives as well as liberals/progressives. For example, we should not tolerate racist segregation any more than we should tolerate labor-intensive organic food movements. Neither is a panacea.

(Pinker, 2018, p. 235)
I feel this is great thought for Memorial Day.

My granddaughter is safely returned to her parental units after her sleepover with me. I can finally dig in to this 453-page tome. (453 pages!!!) I'm only on page 52. Wish me luck, or, if generous, send wine for fortification.

Confession: I didn't read the book, though I will because I adore everything RBG, but rather just watched RBG at a historic cinema in the place where I live. The documentary is GRAND! Justice Ginsburg is extraordinary, truly extraordinary. (And, she has a fantastic sense of humor.)

Well.... Hmm.... That was interesting. It's not your ordinary mystery, though Cheaterton did not mean it to be. It's an allegorical commentary on relativism and casual intellectual rejection of faith, a commentary Chesterton claims is quite simple but I and others find very complex. Such is the nature of dreams -- to be complex.

Planning the family vacation. My family bought me the book for Mother's Day. We are heading to the state at the end of July. Ear Innand Fraunces Tavern seem like stops.

Love of place is real when you walk into your local independent bookstore and you can find yourself chatting with the two wondrous ladies behind the counter about life, happenings, and books we are reading in your small community paradise. Love of day is when the ladies tell you the book you came to purchase is free because you've earned enough frequent buyer credits.

Most of last week I was conferencing. But, I put off flying out for my conference by one day because I had to see David Sedaris, who read for fans in Tacoma, WA. I struggled to decide which book to bring for him to sign settling on the one that made me fall in love with his sardonic, irreverent prose. He always puts on a great show using my favorite curse word in affably caustic volumes (i.e., 'fuck').

I hope you all visited your local independent bookstore today to tell them thanks walking out with one or two gems to read.