Sunday, October 24, 2021

Monday Mini-Reviews: Finding Time to Read Amidst Some Fun XC Memories

Last Thursday was the district XC meet - the qualifier for the state tournament.  Middle Sister and Little Sister both qualified individually (MS took 6th place overall, and LS took second place overall) and their team took first place (the top three teams qualify). The continue to have a "dream season" and are looking to go up against Mid-Prairie, the number one rated team in the state in class 2A. The girls have their work cut out for them, but they are focused right now and really ran well last week -despite the fact that it was cold and windy and all of us spectators were bundled up in coats, hats and mittens. 




They were interviewed for the news as well - another exciting recognition.


So, while that was going on, I tried to get in a little reading.  I devoured a few books this past week and want to highlight two I will be thinking about for a while:




The Wonder Test by Michelle Richmond- long ago I read Richmond's The Year of Fog and loved it. It was women's fiction with some suspense and I remember not wanting it to end.  I totally forgot about her book The Marriage Pact which was also a book I couldn't put down -but it was also a bizarre and disturbing story.  Well, the Wonder Test is definitely un-put-downable -and it is also disturbing.  The narrator is one I felt like I could relate to quickly as she and her son are starting over, moving to California to live in her father's house after his death to start afresh after the death of her husband. And while everything in this beautiful California town seems nearly perfect, there are a lot of things going on that are anything but OK.  The synopsis of this book made me think it was going to be science fiction, but it's not at all and I can't wait to talk about it with someone whose read it.


We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza- this one has "book club" written all over it as these authors tackle the touchy topic of best friends who are not of the same race. Despite knowing each other since childhood, there are lots of things they aren't saying to each other and plenty of ways to give - and take- offense.  This one is so timely right now and I feel like everyone should read it to try and understand things from a perspective different than your own.  I will be thinking about this book for a long time.


I've started The Paper Palace this weekend and hope that I can curl up with it again tonight after getting some school work done for tomorrow.

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