Thursday Thoughts: summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind

1. A little over two weeks ago, I began the switch from liquid shampoos and conditioners to solid all natural shampoo soap. They say it can take up a month for your hair to acclimate. So week one...hair was trying to work out the residue left by normal shampoos, appeared to be a wax helmet in pony tail formation, felt terrible. I reached fuck this shit o'clock very quickly and kicked week two off with a baking soda clarifying treatment followed by shampooing followed by an apple cider vinegar rinse. While an infinite improvement over the wax helmet, I woke up yesterday with wild, enormous, sort of curly hair that felt like hay. My hair has never held a curl even with an implement. Yesterday I walked past LUSH looking for solace while keeping it solid. Is prayers for hair a thing? Also, if you see me, pretend I don't have hair until I get this sorted out. Thanks.

2. Dog days of summer. Pic from MFD. I'm happy we haven't been to the shore in this horrendous heatwave. Geege in particular struggles badly in the heat and I have to carry him much of the way around the block. They're looking forward to fall at the shore with cooler air and a return to beach access once the summer crowds have gone.

3. I finished an advance reader copy of A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles on Tuesday. Such truly beautiful writing. Have you read Rules of Civility by Towles? If not, put it on your list, and also check out A Gentleman in Moscow when it's released. It was the 75th book I read this year. Sometimes I feel like throwing book parties in which I am the only one in attendance. 

4. See above? That's the Kindle paperwhite screen (yellow portions were highlighed in picmonkey). I'm pleased to report that I can read it outside in full sun wearing polarized sunglasses and be able to see everything just like I'd see a page in a physical book. I was having a terrible time doing that with the Kindle Fire, even with the anti-glare screens and turning the brightness of the screen itself up.

5. LAST book thing today. On this week's episode (out today or tomorrow) of The Armchair Librarians, Jana and I are joined by her daughter to discuss Dork Diaries #2 - Tales from a Not-So-Popular Party Girl. Parents, do your kids enjoy this series? It's been a long time since I've read a kid's series book. It was a nice change from the murder and mayhem I'm usually reading about. FYI, Jana & I are taking the podcast down to every other week since we've been fumbling to fit it in every week. We currently have no books we're co-reading. Is there something you read that you think we should read and discuss? Is there something you haven't read but think sounds like it might be a good book for discussion? Hit me up with any suggestions.

6. I let my pedicure go too long so I was relieved to freshen up yesterday with OPI She's a Bad Muffaletta...and then walk around town with the toe things still in. tra la laaaaaa

7. I've officially reached the point in the summer where I'm wearing the same five things with no regard for anything else in my closet. I need to think about this and let some things go clothes-wise. I'm gearing up for a big Vietnam Vets pickup, so the time is now. Especially since I just bought a few replacement items at GAP for some of my basic stuff that's seen better days. I'm looking at you right now, v-neck t-shirts. I tend to replace in waves. This year since spring I've replaced all of my v-neck tees (I love to catch sales on those at GAP and LOFT). Last year I replaced all of my tank tops. The year before that, non-work pants. 

8. I could not tell you the last time I looked at a magazine. That shit keeps piling up. Most of the time I pass them along to my mom after I've given up and realized I'm not going to get around to reading them. I think I'm cancelling everything but Real Simple and in the future will just buy one when I want to read one instead of having them pile up around me in a useless and dust collecting manner. I never thought I'd be a one magazine type of lady, but here I am, driving towards that toll. 

9. Reminder. 

10.  E-card of the week: Me to 99% of people on the train right now. 

Thursday Thoughts - In Short Order

1. July was here and gone in the blink of an eye.

2. Watching: Stranger Things on Netflix. Winona Ryder and Matthew Modine, I've missed you.

3. Fresh air. Tuesday and Wednesday we had the windows open in our house. It is so glorious to sleep with the windows open on a temperate night in the summer. 

4. I tried the DD cold brew iced coffee yesterday. I'll stick with the regular iced. 

5. Philly's looking fine this week. I love the building on 16th that is painted entirely with dandelions and grass right now. Of course I was taking a million photos of it, really impossible to get the whole thing from the same side of the street, and the people were probably watching on the cameras like look at this amateur.

6. Today on The Armchair Librarians, Jana & I discuss my idol, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, subject of Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

7. At the risk of sounding like a senior, I don't get the appeal of the boomerang function on Instagram. So I see you moving the same way over and over like a deranged robot? Okay. Next.

8. Books: Show Us Your Books is Tuesday. Currently reading: Cruel Beautiful World.

9. Advice. Along these lines, check out this post from Chelsea at The Girl Who Loved to Write.

10. E-card of the week:

Made it through a Thursday Thoughts without politics. Send rewards. 

Linking up with Kristen & Gretch

The Armchair Librarians: Hit us with your best shot

Jana and I are going to record an interactive episode next week that includes questions from you about books, reading, or anything else you've heard us talk about when we go off the rails. If you have a question or topic you'd like us to spend a few minutes on, please leave it in the comments below. 

Yesterday's episode was us talking about movie adaptations of books. Next week we'll be discussing Side Effects May Vary and a little of Dumplin' by Julie Murphy. 

Interspersed between general topics, we will have episodes that focus on particular books. If you like to read along, in a few weeks we'll be discussing How to Start a Fire by Lisa Lutz and sometime this summer we'll be discussing The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney and Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. 

The Armchair Librarians Podcast with Jana of Jana Says & me...episodes release most Thursdays

Visit our website for episodes:
The Armchair Librarian

Searchable on iTunes or click here: 
http://thearmchairlibrarians.libsyn.com/podcast

Show Us Your Books - What I Read in April

1. First order of business: a book themed Haikuesday ditty:

Don't fret, don't fear, for
it is Show Us Your Books Day!
Dance, booknerds, dance. Dance!

2. Second order of business: At the end of May an episode of The Armchair Librarians will air where we will discuss Side Effects May Vary and I'm sure we'll also touch on Dumplin' by Julie Murphy. We won't do spoilers, but if you'd like to read either of those before you listen to the podcast, now is the time. If you want to actually hear Jana and I talk about books, reading, and other things that may or may not be related out loud, you can catch us once a week on The Armchair Librarians. It's on iTunes and all episodes live here: http://thearmchairlibrarian.com/ .

Linkup Guidelines:

This link up happens the second Tuesday of every month.

The next one is Tuesday, June 14, 2016 (Flag Day!). 

1. Please visit and comment with both of your hosts, Jana & me
2. Please display the button (need it? let me know) or link back to us on your blog post
2. Please visit a few other blogs who've linked up and get some book talk going!

Here's what I read since the last linkup. As an example of how I don't really count books...when I sat down to write this post, I was sure that I had only read four books since the last linkup. 

Engrossing Reads

Please Don't Come Back from the Moon by Dean Bakopoulos - I adored the writing and really liked the story too. It's hard to be both gritty and mystical but this manages both well. Jana and I discussed on Episode 8 of The Armchair Librarians. (paperback, purchased from Amazon)

Circling the Sun by Paula McLain - I was a huge fan of The Paris Wife, and McLain did not disappoint in this similar undertaking. McLain takes actual history of actual people and crafts novels around them. This time her main character was Beryl Markham (who wrote West with the Night) and Denys Finch Hatton and Karen Blixen (Isak Dineson, writer of Out of Africa) filled it out. This was a beautiful and romantic novel tinged with loss, triumph, and hardship. I truly enjoyed it. (library hardback)

Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye - This is being touted as a Gothic re-telling of Jane Eyre, one of my all time favorites. I could see plenty of Jane/Jane paralells, but I really liked this story standing on its own. It was a little wild, a little improbable, a little out there, darkly funny, and pretty enjoyable. If you don't like books of Jane Eyre's wavelength (time period, manner of speech, etc.), this is not for you. This is also an example of why I say give threes a chance: I rated this book a three on goodreads and really enjoyed it. (library hardback)

Miller's Valley by Anna Quindlen - Quindlen's novels are usually solid reads for me, and this one was no different. I knew I would love it from the first three pages, and I did. It didn't blow me over or knock my socks off, it wasn't that kind of book. I saw it referred to as a quiet novel, and that's a great word for it. It held true to itself and pushed a lot of my great book buttons: beautiful writing, small town setting, working class/hardship. (library hardback)

Passed the Time Just Fine

Don't You Cry by Mary Kubica - This was hard for me to get into, but I needed to know where it was going so I kept with it. Once it did get going over halfway through, it was like a runaway train. I had to sit outside in my car just to finish it instead of driving home. Pretty far fetched to me. (Free from Netgalley)

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix - I adored the 80s references and the kind of friends Abby and Gretchen were. The exorcism and demon stuff freaked me out, which was the point. Lots of insanity in this book, which made it a quick read for me, I finished it in a day. (Free from Netgalley)

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys - A solid read with a like-able cast of quirky characters fitting of New Orleans. It left me wanting for something - a little more depth, a little more closure, I'm not sure. But something. (library hardback)

One Kick (Kick Lannigan #1) by Chelsea Cain - I tore through the Gretchen Lowell / Archie Sheridan novels by Cain, so I thought I'd try her new series. It didn't blow my hair back, but I'll definitely continue on. I want to see if it flows more when the set up of what will be a series character is all taken care of. (library hardback)

Hard No

The Girls by Emma Kline - This started out as a 4+ start book and ended just around a 2 star book. So much promise, lacking in delivery. I love me a good cult book...this wasn't one. I wouldn't waste the time. (Free from Netgalley)

An InLinkz Link-up

All I am saying ... is give threes a chance

This is a little ditty about the Goodreads star rating system sung to the tune of Give Peace a Chance. Sing along with me now.

Jana and I have discussed the Goodreads rating system a few times on The Armchair Librarians podcast, Kristen did a post on how she rates books on goodreads, and I may have mentioned here or there that I dislike star rating systems but haven't really talked about how I rate books using a star system.

The simple answer is it varies.

The complicated answer is it varies.

It depends on my state of mind when I close that book for the last time. Anyone who is an avid reader knows a book that is like a punch to the gut in a good way might not pack the same punch if it's re-read again 10 years down the line. You're a different person then. You interact with that same book differently. So much of what we like or dislike about novels is ourselves reflected back at us.

It also depends on the day. In times of contentment, I will typically love a book that makes me yearn for something. If I was giving it a star rating, I'd close that book and give it a four or five. In times of discontent, a part of me will probably hate that same book because I have enough of that going on in reality, but I recognize that it's well done and might give it a three star rating.

I would venture to guess that I rate most books a three on goodreads. It never occurred to me until I was talking to a friend at work that three was a meh rating to most people. She told me she'd not even consider adding a book to her to read list that carried a less than an average four star rating. That blew me away. I was like but you're missing a lot of solid three reads! The three star rating is my workhorse. It didn't blow me away but I still enjoyed the read.

I read whatever I want to read, regardless of what others thought of it. It's always nice to hear people liked it, but even if people didn't, I still might. And if I start it and it sucks, I can just stop. 

At the end of the day, I think you should give a book a chance because you like the title, cover, or description; because a friend liked it; because a friend didn't like it; because you've never heard of it or because it's everywhere; because you want to see if the average five star rating is right or because you want to see if the average two star rating is right; or just because anything about it is whispering read me to you. Know that there are many people out there like me who give arbitrary ratings. Know that everyone could hate a book and you can love it or vice versa and that it's fine. Chart your own reading path!

And give threes a chance.

Can you be a podcaster and not listen to podcasts?

If you're me, you can. I listened to Serial because who could resist the siren song of Adnan's story, but other than that I've turned most podcasts off after a while. Frankly, I'd rather write or read than listen in my spare time. 

I have never done a video blog (vlog for those not in the biz) and am never planning to do a video blog because 1) I don't really like videos and 2) I am not really video friendly. I'm not a fashionista, I never blowdry my hair, and I might wear makeup once or twice a week if the world is lucky. I'm not knocking myself, but my appearance is honestly not at the top of things I think about unless I am unfortunate enough to see someone I haven't seen in a while when I am out in public looking like I just crawled out of the sewer where I was living for 37 days. 

I also never even considered doing a podcast because 1) I hate the sound of my voice when it's recorded and 2) What the hell would I even talk about and 3) I have no interest in working the technology and 4) I use like like a crutch and am pretty unapologetic about it. 

But I guess this podcast thing is a case of never say never, because here I am doing The Armchair Librarians with Jana. This is her baby, and she asked me to join her on it. I am pleasantly surprised at how much fun it is to record once a week, to just have 30 minutes to an hour to discuss one of my favorite things: books, reading, and all the things in between...we're not professionals and staying on course is not really our strong suit. Sometimes I forget we're recording. So thanks, Jana, for this. 

If you like reading and books and hearing friends talk about it, give The Armchair Librarians a go. I haven't listened, but I imagine it's like eavesdropping on a conversation, which let's be real all of us like to do. Jana and I met in college in 1995, lost touch for a while, were reunited through facebook, and happily found out that we both blog and read like our lives depended on it. 

How do you find this podcast? If you have a podcast app on your phone, it's searchable on iTunes. You can also find all the episodes on our website by clicking here. Jana usually puts a new episode up on Thursdays, which means one dropped yesterday. 

Before you listen ... the first four (five?) episodes have some hinky audio issues. And honestly, the audio will never be perfect. We're not in a studio. We're two women leading full lives approaching 40. Ain't nobody got time for a background perfectly devoid of noise. 

The Armchair Librarians Podcast with me & Jana of Jana Says...episodes release most Thursdays

Visit our website for episodes:
The Armchair Librarian

Searchable on iTunes or click here: 
http://thearmchairlibrarians.libsyn.com/podcast

If you already listen, thank you! Is there any general topic related to books or reading that you'd like us to cover, or a book you'd like us to read and discuss?

Not a podcast listener? Join us for book talk the second Tuesday of every month when we co-host Show Us Your Books. Do you like neither and want in on this in some way? We need a designer for a logo - the one we use now is not doing it for us. 

That'll do it for the week. 

LYLAS. 

Thursday Thoughts on things

1.  The bastard squirrels have eaten too many of my bulbs. Lori is going to re-plant spring bulbs for me in the fall. The few that remain are crutching along. I've been planning my front flower bed this past week.

2. I've had Like the Weather by 10,000 Maniacs in my head all week, specifically because every day this week I've walked out of my house in inappropriate attire and refused to go back in for a heavier jacket. I feel a shiver in my bones just thinking about the weather. It's like the 1990s up in here.

3. Pedicure today. I'm in need.

4. Every April, MFD likes to play the guess how much we owe in taxes game. I do not like to play this game, but I humor him. This year something went terribly awry during said game and his typo had me thinking we owed the federal government $110,000. Never mind that there's no way that could possibly be, I was not thinking clearly and I believed it. He was out with clients and didn't get my frantic WTF texts so basically I nearly died and within minutes had planned to sell everything I own and move into a van down by the river. He had a hoot of a laugh when he got back to me, as has everyone else who has heard this story since Tuesday.

5. Jana and I are super jazzed that Show Us Your Books had 55 posts link up this month, including ours. What a fucking fantastic community of readers. When people ask for book recommendations, I'm just going to send them to this link and say if you can't find one here, I don't know what to tell you. Thank you and good day. I SAID GOOD DAY. Anyhoo Jana and I met up for lunch on Wednesday and even though she drug two old books I lent her with her, I left them in the booth with the romantic notion that someone in need of a book might happen upon them.

6. Happy National Library Week!

7. Jana also bought me this Urban Decay Sheer Revolution lipstick, which I love a) for the name and b) for the color.

8. I cancelled my plans this weekend because I need to slow my roll and re-charge in a major way. I will always say no to things in order to say yes to my sanity.

9. I've been watching Rectify. Have you guys seen it?

10. E-card of the week:

Show Us Your Books - What I Read in February

Seven days until my birthday and an entire day today devoted to reading about what you've been reading and going over my to be read list and requesting books from the library? Sounds like a perfectly crafted sandwich of joy to me. Except this week is the first Show Us Your Books that one of my favorite authors is no longer with us. Pat Conroy passed away on Friday. Lucky for us, he left behind a lot of treasures. 

Today would also be my Mom Mom's birthday. She's now been dead for longer than I had with her on earth, but she's such an intrinsic part of who I am that it feels like she's never left me. Probably because she hasn't. Fitting that her birthday is on International Women's Day. She's probably the strongest and most independent woman I have ever known.

And remember that podcast Jana dreamed up, The Armchair Librarians? Here's one of them. The first one. We're clearly not professionals, we're just friends talking about books. And while I had a cold, my voice always sucks on recording devices so I'm afraid it won't get much better. lolol 

Linkup Guidelines:

This link up happens the second Tuesday of every month.

The next one is Tuesday, April 12, 2016. 

1. Please visit and comment with both of your hosts, Jana & me
2. Please display the button (need it? let me know) or link back to us on your blog post
2. Please visit a few other blogs who've linked up and get some book talk going!

Here's what I read since the last linkup. 

Engrossing Reads

Dodgers by Bill Beverly - I loved this book from beginning to end. It gave a glimpse into a life that's totally foreign to me - the criminal drug element and hierarchy of the streets. Beverly didn't go deep enough to overload you with info, but just far enough to make you realize it is a life with totally different rules that you can't even imagine. I loved the main character. I got an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Silent Girls by Eric Rickstad - I was hoping this was a series. I liked the police force and PI characters a lot. The story was twisted and there was a big ass twist at the end that I didn't see coming. Eric Rickstad, you should make a series around Frank Rath.

Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver - I found this read emotional and moving. I was a little ragged and achy inside when I finished this. I don't know if it hit me at a good time or what, but the entire reading experience with the story and the words and all of it was beautiful. This is one of the things I really love about reading - the after feeling.

Dumplin' by Julie Murphy - I read this beginning to end in less than 24 hours. I loved the story and messages in this book. I thought Willowdean was just the right combination of kickass and vulnerable and enjoyed the blossoming of her misfit friends. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Brutality (Fina Ludlow #3) by Ingrid Thoft - The third book in the Fina Ludlow series did not disappoint. I had to stay up until 1 a.m. on a work night to finish it. I think Fina is a kickass female lead character and if you like mystery thrillers, you might enjoy the Fina books.

Passed the Time Just Fine

My American Unhappiness by Dean Bakopoulos - Good writing, a little bit of skimming, and characters that interested me...even the ones I didn't like. The problem with going through the books of a newly discovered author close to each other is the comparison issue. I think I liked this story more than Summerlong, but the writing in Summerlong better.

Hard No

The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud - I read this whole book waiting for things to happen. Nothing did. It was good writing on misdirected anger and uselessness feeling and obsession...but if that was what it was going to be about, it didn't need to take that long.

Leaving Shangrila: The True Story of a Girl, Her Transformation and Her Eventual Escape by Isabelle Gecils - One of my problems with reading non fiction is that when I talk about it and things I don't like, I feel like I'm judging someone's life. I think when you write about your life, it's quite hard to see what might not be necessary to the story - you want to lay it all out there. Even if the reader doesn't need it all.

Non-bloggers, what have you read recently? Let me know what you recommend and what to stay away from. Bloggers, link up your posts below.

An InLinkz Link-up