Life & Lit Society

I'm well into my grueling summer work schedule. The good news is that, due to all the hazing last semester, I'm now leading some workshops and may soon be in charge of a couple of projects. So, that's cool! Other than killing myself on the bike (for real - my butt bones? - oh, how they ache at all times) and re-watching all the episodes ever of Orphan Black, and pointedly ignoring any remaining yard work, I have, of course, been reading.

Currently working my way through this stack:

And this stack:

Also dealing with the daily maintenance of these things:

Don't these bunny feet just slay your heart?!

And! I got a thank you gift in the mail today from the family of a former tutoring student. Made my day.

And! We had Lit Society last night! Last month was fiction and our choice was:

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

No pics of food because Chef Campo goes golfing these days and leaves us on our own for sub-par dinners. Nothing picture worthy. Lots of wine, though. :)

But, about the book...

All the Light We Cannot See follows and weaves three different WWII story lines until they converge: (1) a blind French girl who passes her time, under siege from both the Germans and the Americans, by escaping into both literature and science, (2) a German orphan boy who, through a series of serendipitous or cursed circumstances, becomes a radio/signals genius and escapes a life of being trapped in the mines for one of being trapped in Hitler's Army, and (3) a man in search of a mysterious, valuable stone that could change the destiny of those who come into contact with it.

The writing is lyrical, including some truly remarkable phrases and descriptions. It is also comprehensive, considering the many and varied details it includes of the time period and countries involved in the war. Nat King Cole and I both decided to keep the book, as we'll likely re-read it in the future.

Due to the nature of the writing and the content, it's a pretty heady book, so maybe not one for summer or an airplane ride or anything. But it's worth the read!