OK, time to get serious now. Of my 20-chapter manuscript from nanowrimo (nanoficwrimo for me!), I’ve got 7 polished chapters under my belt, which means I’ve got 13 left. So here’s my plan:
this weekend:
chapters 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
this week:
chapters 13, 14, 15, 16
next weekend:
chapters 17, 18, 19, 20 (and epilogue)
Which reminds me, I guess I get to get a nice juicy reward when I finish – I know just what I want, too! What a dangling carrot!
I have had this book on my to-read list for quite some time, ever since I heard an interview with the two authors on NPR. The book is written in dual POV, with one author tackling each POV in alternating chapters – very well done!
The title itself intrigued me as well, because of the playlist, and because of the pairing of the names – can it be coincidence that the authors used the same names of the ultra-chic and romantic couple of the 1930’s Thin Man movies? (played by Myrna Loy and William Powell)
As far as the plot and characters go, it couldn’t be more of an in-the-moment glimpse of two young adults on the verge of stepping off into their futures. Norah, who turns down an admission to Brown to elect to head to South Africa to chase down a stupid ex-boyfriend who instead shows up outside of her favorite club in NYC, where she has become the five-minute-girlfriend of Nick, who is pining away after a classmate of Norah’s who doesn’t care a lick about him or his wicked cool song lyrics that have been making Norah swoon (without knowing who he is) all year. Nifty sexual encounters include a run-in between the two girls in the bathroom at Velseka (borscht!) and a very close call next to the ice dispenser in a Marriott between Nick and Norah.
What will happen next? Without a sappy-happy ending, you know that these two have started something big, something which will continue to grow as they set out on their own lives. Very cool book.
Now that I don’t get out much, I like the awards shows to tell me what movies I should see once they make it to DVD. Although I really wanted to see “No Country for Old Men” after last year, and ow-ow-ow, was that ever NOT my kind of movie! I had nightmares of Javier Bardem jumping out of my closet to kill me for days! Thank God I saw it after I saw the one movie I saw in the cinema last year, Vicky Christina Barcelona, because otherwise I wouldn’t have seen that, and I would’ve missed out on Penelope Cruz’ magnificent performance.
Anyway, from 2008, in my own particular order:
To sell at the MOT spring sale this March – try not to forget anything!!
Start boxing up the stuff for the MOT fall sale too (all those winter goodies!) …
My mouth was watering since I was thinking about my favorite bakery in Brookline, so I figured I’d stop by for some croissants this morning. Chilly morning, did I mention? 28 degrees, ouch.
ClearFlour is tiny. I know this. Only about 6 customers can squeeze into the front of the shop at a time. It’s not a problem in the summer, when you can bask in the sun in the line that snakes around the corner.
And I knew it was chilly. But I’m a Bostonian. I had on my super-warm fluffy boots, my knee-length NorthFace down coat, and my fleece gloves and cap. All set.
The only problem was flipping pages of the novel I’m reading (Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist) with the gloves on, but I still made it through two chapters without removing a glove.
And then I got in! One epi-bread, one Vollkornbrot, four croissants, and two chocolate brioche (and $28) later, I was back on the street, humming a happy tune on the way back to my little Scion. Oh, happy day!
Yeah, it’s totally worth it.
Some of the things kips love about the Boston area is that there are so many places to pick up yummy things. Here is a sampling:
Russell Freedman’s exceptional research and writing skills have once again hit the mark with his latest work published by Holiday House. This book focuses on the tough winter endured by George Washington and his troops at Valley Forge from 1777-1778, framing the winter’s events within the scope of the entire American Revolutionary War, from Lexington and Concord all the way to Yorktown.
Using direct quotes from Washington and his men, Freedman seamlessly feeds the reader details about the difficulties the Continental Army faced, including the overall situation: “Washington had warned Congress that without adequate supplies, ‘this army must … dissolve.’” Another informative perspective Freedman weaves into his book is that of Private Joseph Martin, who, after the war, “was known for miles around as a popular yarn-spinning veteran of the Revolutionary War.” Freedman includes quotes from Martin at strategic points in the book, including several references during the winter, as well as some both before and after the freezing months at Valley Forge.
The picture Freedman paints of this difficult winter meshes with the legends we’ve all heard: soldiers marching out in the snow without shoes or boots, hungry men unable to get much in the way of food from surrounding farms, and a ragtag group of individuals who learned discipline and gained strength under the leadership of Washington, his generals, assistants, and military trainer Baron von Steuben.
Complete with reproductions of paintings and engravings created during and after the war, this excellent book places the reader behind the eyes of the soldiers who were there, as well as inside the head of the commander who eventually led them to victory.
OK, almost everything in Spain is amazing, but there are a few things which could be improved:
1) no high chairs in restaurants (holding squirming toddlers gets old quick …)
2) garbage cans the size of ashtrays (fill ’em up with one diaper change of twins!)
3) teeny-tiny elevators that can barely fit a stroller
4) running out of hot water in the tub/shower/lo que sea
5) this weird thing called “football” instead of baseball …
Yes, we are back from Spain, and are already missing some things. Here are the top 10 on the list:
1) la familia española
2) pan bueno
3) chocolate con churros
4) comida rica
5) la moda española
6) el corte inglés
7) hablar en español
8) el tren y las cercanías buenas
9) ropa mona para niñas
10) la casa del libro
For adults:
For babies: