carol anshaw – Bookish Butch

Library visit

I’m melting,

it’s hot,

very hot,

but,

weirdly enough,

I’m getting used to,

it,

but,

I’m still melting:-)

Had a whole,

bunch of boring,

little things,

to do,

today,

nothing worth,

mentioning.

I went to the library,

brought back,

the Ivans,

and got some,

new stuff,

A Carol Anshaw,

I read her,

Aquamarine,

last year,

really enjoyed it,

recently,

someone suggested,

I check out more,

of her stuff,

and the library,

happened to have,

Lucky In The Corner,

so,

into the book bag,

it went.

One of my favourite,

books read this year,

was,

Bird By Bird,

by Anne Lamott,

so I got her,

Grace(Eventually) Thoughts On Faith,

it’s a book of essays,

I like her style,

I like her humour,

I’m looking forward,

to reading it.

While,

I was poking around,

the memoir section,

I came accross,

Literary Life,

by Larry McMurtry,

I loved,

the first part,

of his memoirs,

Books: A Memoir,

this is the second part,

should be a good read,

not too long,

I read part of it,

at the library,

he’s a pro,

this guy,

it flows.

From the back cover:

What I hoped to be, all my mature life, is a man of letters. Somerset Maugham, not much valued today, was a man of letters, and his valedictory statement is to be found in a lovely book called The Summing Up, which in my youth, I read many times.

McMurtry and I,

destined to get along,

we both love,

Maugham:-)

Well,

I know it’s not much,

of a post,

but,

did I mention,

I’m melting.

🙂

Later girls,

Aquamarine

OK, you must read this book.

It is one of the most original books I have ever read.

I want to thank a good friend for giving it to me, more on that later.

Jesse, is a former Olympic swimmer,

she won a silver medal in Mexico City in the ’68 games.

The novel is short, 197 pages, and is divided into 5 parts.

A prologue that shows what happened at the games and why Jesse “lost” the race,

an epilogue which I won’t go into for fear of spoiling anything,

and 3 distinct lives for Jesse.

Each life is different and yet all are plausible, believable and Jesse is very much the same girl.

In the first, Jesse is married to Neal and living minutes away from where she grew up,

helping to run his family’s business.

In the second, she is a college professor and “married” to an attractive New York actress.

In the third, she is a divorced single mother raising two teenagers and running a business.

All these Jesses are possible depending on certain decisions.

Go to college or not , love women or love men, have children or not.

Jesse in each case, has the same past, the same memories and yet her lives are different.

It’s all about roads taken,

or not.

I don’t know if I am being clear, and honestly I don’t want to give too much away.

I also don’t want to be simplistic but, I think books mean different things to different people.

This is a terrific book.

Believable characters.

Nothing is false or contrived.

A must read.

I could not recommend it more highly.

Aside from being a good read it makes you think about your life, your choices.

I will most definitely read it again,

and seek out more books by Carol Anshaw,

a name to remember.

The friend who gave it to me has given me a few books lately,

that have brought me joy as well as insight.

Thank you.

Sharing books we love with people is a beautiful gift.

That is one of the reasons I really enjoy blogging,

that and the whining.

Sharing my non expert opinion about books that touched me, somehow.

Later girls

Take care

Of lakes and pools and beautiful women

I had a great day.

All my customers, without exception, were in a great mood and complimentary.

The AC after a cleaning, seems OK– fingers firmly crossed that it lasts through the summer.

My landlord, a nice guy but, usually the clueless type,

said I looked rested and that my new glasses made me look

five years younger.

Let me say it again,

I had a good day,

must be a new moon or something. 🙂

Lately, I have been reading books that all seem to have been written for the mood I’m in,

or in that in some way, reflect my vision of life,

it’s eery.

Julie and Julia as mentioned was recommended by my ex,

and you know it really made me feel better about my job and stuff.

Last night I started a book that I already feel is amazing and I’m only 75 pages in,

Aquamarine by Carol Anshaw. This book is good, better than good.

It’s about how life can take you in different directions depending on your choices.

The main character, Jesse, is a former olympic swimmer,

she won a silver medal in Mexico City 1968.

She should have won the gold but, she lost focus because of a beautiful Australian rival.

It’s about how different your life is depending on where you live and who you love.

Basically.

Interesting and intriguing.

I often think about the choices I have made or have avoided making, and how my life could be different.

Plus I have had lakes and pools and childhood memories and beautiful women on the brain lately.

Somehow it seems fitting that I should be reading this now.

I’ll let you know what I think, probably tomorrow.

Later girls