Sunday, May 9, 2010

Books, Thoughts...and the Weekend

Abe Books has a list of 25 books that infuriate their readers...

but wait! Some of those same books are my favorites, including C.S. Lewis' Last Battle (made me weep, not mad),  Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt (sure, the irresponsible parents are irritating, but what a survival!), and Jeannette Wall's Glass Castle (same parents as Frankie's, if a tad more responsible). Even Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl is on the list... because you can't help thinking of the waste when this amazing writer, and others like here, were lost forever.
    I won't argue about some of the titles: Salinger's Catcher in the Rye is a self-serving piece of crap. (Politely speaking, of course.) Take a look, and a minute to say what book...or television show...or movie...or whatever...really irritates or angers you!

Some of the items on the Brick "really pushes my buttons" List:

*People who are cruel to their pets (those Humane Society commercials just rip my heart out)
*Arrogant teachers. Historians. Writers. Plenty of them out there.
*F. Scott Fitzgerald -- drowned his talent in alcohol and excess. What a waste.
*Other great artists -- examples like Hemingway, Anne Sexton, Ted Hughes, Robert Frost -- who had no trouble using up, belittling or taking advantage of the friends and family who loved them. Then spent their time whining about how life was so hard, wasn't faaaiiiiirrrrrr, etc, because they didn't get their way 100% of the time.
*Bodice rippers. Very few of the romances I've tried to read were worth the effort, with the exception of Grace Livingston Hill. (And even she gets a bit too saccharine at times.)
*Reality shows that encourage -- and reward -- their characters to act badly.
*Blatant sex in a movie -- when it could easily have been implied, or left out.
*People or pundits who dismiss or make fun of something they obviously don't understand, or haven't taken the trouble to research before they blat their mouth off about it. Shame on them.
*Wasting in any form...time, money, effort.  
I especially hate it when it's me who's wasting!


* * * * * * * * *
A long day of trudging around condos and apartments, checking addresses, interviewing people and leaving NVs (Notice of Visit forms). The wind was really cooking around here -- probably in the 30 mph range. Try dealing with paperwork while it is flapping in your face! On the plus side, though, I probably looked a lot less intimidating with hair flying all over.  This census business is a strange thing. What did your mama warn about talking to strangers?? And I'm doing it all day --

Got home with scratched-up knees throbbing, but a burger, fries and a few minutes with an amazing new quilt book helped.
This mom is having both of her daughters home for Mother's Day...one of the nicest presents I could have ever asked for. Thank you, girlies.
Happy Mother's Day to you!

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