Amaryllis sillyramA

Setting: library sorting area

[Sound of a book falling onto the floor]

Library worker #1 (offstage): I swear I heard that book jump off the shelf.

Library worker #2: I know! Stupid books with legs.

Library worker #1 (offstage): Hee hee.

The other day I was using a pair of scissors to cut open one of those awful packages — the kind made of clear, thick plastic sealed tight and nearly impossible to get open without a hacksaw. Apparently they’re called clamshells, or blister packs. Usually I am careful when opening these things, since they’re so sharp after they’ve been cut, and just so unwieldy in general. But did I think to be careful with the scissors? No I did not. Pinched myself good on the palm of my hand:

Since then, since the blisters formed, I keep seeing them out of the corner of my eye and thinking it’s ink or something. Last night I mentioned that to M., and added that maybe I’d start telling people it was my new tattoo of a pair of eyes, and he came up with the brilliant idea to make it into a face.

Neato!

Bitter with Baggage Seeks Same, Sloane Tanen
Sister E. brought this book to me. Super funny and silly.

The Prydain Chronicles, Lloyd Alexander
M. recommended these books. He was re-reading them, and thought I would enjoy them too. I am so glad I read them! They’d be great even without the giant cat. I would recommend them for anyone 10 or older.

By the Shores of Silver Lake, Laura Ingalls Wilder
And thanks once again to the lovely Chanzara, who got me reading the series. This one’s excellent like all the others, and full of signs of things to come. First glimpse of Almanzo, for instance. And now that I’ve read it I’m going to give it to the lovely C., since it appears she doesn’t have it! It’s a surprise. Chanzara, if you’re reading this… Surprise!

How to Cure a Fanatic, Amos Oz
There are two essays in this book. I have read the first one. It is the most interesting piece I’ve read about Israel and Palestine. His predictions about the solution — compromise — are very interesting, and I hope to see them come true some day.

And two more from the Chanzara-n-Me Book Club:

The Gun Seller, Hugh Laurie
Ok, I love Hugh Laurie. M. and I have been watching a lot of House lately, and so it’s easy to hear this book in his voice, which makes it all the better — even considering the distraction caused by my brain going back and forth between his British (real) voice and his American accent voice.

Lamb, Christopher Moore
This Christopher Moore person, well, hmm, let’s just say if he wrote a book like this about anything Muslim, he’d be dead by now. Way funny and interesting. And oh, Hooray! He’s coming to a bookstore near me! Soon! Think I just might go to the reading.

On deck:

The Elements of Style, Strunk/White/Kalman
A new edition of the little book? How about that! And illustrated by one of my favorites! In this new edition — hardback no less — on the inside of the front cover is the word hello. How beautiful is that?

Don’t get too comfortable, David Rakoff
I loved his book Fraud and can’t wait to get to this one.