1- This music (Manu Delgado + Max ZT, Deuce) is soooo soothing.
2- Loved this post about parenting middle schoolers from Brittany. One thing I never understood about parenting (until doing it) is that parents are basically . . . making it up. Doing their best. Figuring it out. And even a seasoned parent may have different challenges with each kid. It’s always a work in progress / journey sort of endeavor. (AND, I do really like the middle school stage, overall!)
3- OMG, the “We Have $2M, Why Can’t We Enjoy Life Now?” ep of Money for Couples is JUICY. I haven’t finished listening but in the first 20 minutes I am wondering how/if the couple is going to stay married. I learned about this from Kelsey who recommended the Money for Couples podcast. SO interesting to hear about others’ spending and savings habits, though suspect this show skews towards people who are on various extremes.
4- I started reading The Great Gatsby because our book club is reading it as a follow up to Heart the Lover (Gatsby references). I know I read it in high school but (duh) that was a long time ago so I didn’t remember much. I won’t say it’s the most propulsive and accessible read ever, but maybe things will improve . . .
(I know I promised to abandon books, but I feel committed to re-reading this one and at least it is short.)
Has anyone else revisited classics from childhood? I LOVED The Bell Jar as an angsty teen . . . I wonder what I would think about it now. I guess books read to kids counts here! G and I are reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and man oh man did I read the book version 8 million times. Unlike Gatsby it is incredibly familiar.
5- Positive note to self: Re-entry to clinic went fine. Grateful that my inbox is never quite as bad as I imagine it to be; I sent a dizzying number of patient messages between patients yesterday but feel 95% caught up. Hooray! That was definitely my FIG of the day! (And yes, continuing to track these in my little Midori Hibino journal – it has been fun both to note a positive thing in every day AND to look back on them.)
5 Comments
Heart the Lover is on my soon TBR list. Really looking forward to it! It’s the second book I’ve seen referenced recently has having similarities to Gatsby, the other being “Handful of Dust” by Eveyln Waugh which I just finished (was kind of meh for the first 2/3 of the book – but it was very readable so I persisted – and then holy f*ck the last third was outstanding. It was another Ann Patchett rec.). I remember liking Gatsby in HS relative to most of the other books I was forced to read… which maybe explains why I hated English class in HS haha.
Will have to take a look at the $2M post bc… by the title I may or may not find that a little too relatable. Ha.
I also love parenting my middle schooler. I also have a (for now, anyway) very easy child, so I can see how others may feel differently. But I kind of love watching her evolve into her own person.
I’ve reread Jane Eyre a while ago and enjoyed it, there were parts of the plot that I didn’t remember.
but I think I enjoyed Jane Eyre more than Gatsby first time I’ve read them.
F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of my favorite writers, so I revisit his work often. I have also reread Louisa May Alcott, Jane Austen, and Edith Wharton. I love classic literature. My son is reading Ethan Frome right now. I can’t WAIT until he gets to the twist at the end.
I will definitely listen to the $2M episode! I had kind of gotten burned out on the money for couples show, but now I feel like I’m ready to get sucked back in.
I also totally missed the connection between the Gatsby and Heart covers! Now that I see it I cannot unsee it. TBH, Gatsby never really did it for me. Returning to books that I read when I was a lot younger has been hit and miss. I was OBSESSED with Ayn Rand in late high school/early college and you could not pay me to pick up Atlas Shrugged today. On the other hand, Anne of Green Gables really slapped when I reread it last fall. I guess I would say that I always go back to the old favorites with the expectation of being disappointed, and I’m always very happy when I’m wrong.
I have definitely read pride and prejudice multiple times. Definitely an all time favourite of mine. I probably read it first when I was 16 or something. Still holds up for me