--Emily Dickinson
Big Mistake. I read Lebovitz's description of The Sweet Life in Paris, and I am so ready to be walking down the Champs Élysées at dusk, or to be eating a croissant in a little pastry shop down a little side street. I went to Paris with a little chip on my shoulder. If everyone loves it then it must be more touristy than I like. Wrong! Oh, it was touristy in places. I think there are more mini Eiffel Towers in the city then there are people, but who cares. I LOVE the charm of the city. I love the history throughout the city. I revel in the shopping in the city. The shoes...oh the shoes! I love the pastries for breakfast, lunch, dinner and in between. I loved the romance in the air. Arthur and I always hold hands, but somehow in Paris I felt like we were in our twenties again. Read the book...and visit Paris at least once in your life.
Of course visiting places can be great and sometimes makes us want to leave home and move to far away places. I am not sure we can ever experience that total feeling of comfort though, when negotiating completely new territory. In Gimenez's novel, The Perk , Beck, a hometown hero who left for college, became a lawyer and stayed away for years, decides to return to his small town Texas roots after his wife dies. Children in tow, he returns to find much has changed. He is quickly brought into the politics of the town, and he finds himself using his legal skills to help a friend. The history of Texas that Gimenez shares adds to the story in a big way.
Speaking of home, we FINALLY were given a closing date for the house we have watched being built for the last fourteen months. In three weeks we will be home owners again. There has definitely been a sense of freedom in not owning a home. Not being responsible for broken appliances, dying lawns and a myriad of assorted household bills has been nice, but it is definitely time to put our own roof over our heads. It is hard to imagine the amount of work that the next six weeks will bring forth however, and I am a bit intimidated. My list of phone calls takes two pages, and the packing/unpacking will be a nightmare.
I will continue reading and writing, because like food they are necessities to my well-being, but I am not sure I will get through two books a week. I will try my best, but I would really appreciate some help. If you read a good book, or even a not so good book, please write a review (short or long) and send it to us at [email protected]
Happy reading
Beverly