Double Fisting the Books

Can you believe it's October 1?  The honkin jack-o-lantern is going out in the front yard at some point today.

I'm not even that big on Halloween itself, but man I love this month!  All the cinnamon and pumpkin and spice and fall colors and leaves falling and slanted sunlight and crisp mornings.

Somehow in the midst of everything else that is going on, I have still managed to double fist the books (for fun).  I'll write about our Lit Society book soon, and a book that one of my grad school peeps recommended (about halfway through it), but for now, you must read this one:

Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver

It is a sequel to her novel, The Bean Trees.  Young mom, Taylor, and her hastily-adopted Cherokee daughter, Turtle, are on a small vacation at the Hoover Dam when they see someone get badly hurt.  Their rescue efforts bring all kinds of media attention, which leads to a legal battle about the adoption, raising questions about American law, Tribal law, and the nature of family.  Although this is one of Kingsolver's earlier books, it is fantastic and she can do no wrong.  If I had an ounce of her writing ability I wouldn't need grad school and I wouldn't fantasize about a rich benefactor to subsidize our lifestyle.  I could just crank out amazing stories and drink coffee and be reflective all day.

Instead, I must read several theory articles for class tonight and prep for teaching.

Who thought grad school was a good idea??