Snow Day. Again.

Between the snow days and school holidays around here, I have been totally disorganized, although I did manage to read Somerset Maugham's Cakes and Ale. From Maud Newton's talk about the satirical novel on her blog last year, I thought I'd like it and I did. The first two chapters were indeed "bitchily insightful about the hypocrisies of literary culture,"and I had to laugh. Somewhere in our house is another book by Maugham, The Razor's Edge, which might tide me over during today's ice storm—between games of Bananagrams and episodes of "The Other Siders," a TV show about paranormal activity and a favorite of my son's. I'm too marshmallow-headed right now for Sarah Bakewell's How to Live: Or a Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer, a Christmas present that the New York Times called a "delightful conversation across the centuries." Cabin fever does not lend itself to conversing across the centuries, at least today.

What are you reading?

Comments

[Catherine Nichols]

I read Packing for Mars by Mary Roach, which really wowed me. Fantastic research and writing. I finally understood things about space that had always been somewhat of a mystery--like free fall and gravity. I highly recommend it.

On the Kid Lit front, I just finished Which Witch? by Eva Ibbotson, and again, loved it. Ibbotson died in 2010 and I was unfamiliar with her novels. They sounded just up my alley, and judging by this first one, I was right. Can't wait to read more.

[Susan (Chicken Spaghetti)]

Oooh, Packing for Mars sounds good, Catherine. Thanks for the recommendation. It was on a lot of best of the year lists.

[Mary Lee]

Hmm...snow days make you DISorganized, and they help me get my overloaded to-do list a little better under control. Sorry. I still love 'em. Got one today -- ice. Lots of reading planned, but I will also clean house and grade some student online work!

[Susan (Chicken Spaghetti)]

Mary Lee, we are getting that ice tomorrow morning, but if you'd like to hold onto it in Ohio, please do. Today was yet another snow day here, but I am getting a little more efficient with each one. There was sweeping (all that dang sand & salt from our boots) and doing of laundry today. Jr. tried to ski in all the snow the other day, but it was too deep and he sunk.