Catching Up

Currently reading:

The Fraud by Zadie Smith
Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury
Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver by Mary Oliver [ongoing]

Books finished this week(ish): 3

★★☆☆☆

Where this book came from: Powell’s in Portland, OR! (As covered here.)
Why this book: The cover had caught my eye online and in stores quite a bit, and the description sounded like exactly the kind of spooky I like.
Thoughts: This book was not for me. Very slow, a little too surreal for my tastes, and why was Tom Cruise mentioned so much?? I don’t know, though I was glad the action picked up a bit near the end and some things were explained, I just didn’t get the deeper meanings from this that other folks clearly have.

**Photographed at Brieux Carre in the Marigny, New Orleans.**

★★★★★

Where this book came from: I have to admit that I have no idea lol.
Why this book: Dark academia. Also, Donna Tartt. (I am mildly obsessed with the class at Bennington that gave us both Tartt and my problematic king, Bret Easton Ellis—to whom this book is dedicated???)
Thoughts: No notes. The first time I read this book, I only gave it four stars, but it was almost a decade ago and I don’t remember why, but I can only chalk it up to youthful folly.

★★★★★

Where this book came from: I got the copy I read and annotated from an event with Jami Attenberg at the Center for Fiction. But I forgot that I had also preordered a signed copy from Books Are Magic. Yes, I now own two copies of this book.
Why this book: Who doesn’t want writing inspiration?
Thoughts: Reading this book felt like having my own cheerleaders, and also ears to fill with venting and shoulders to cry on. I’ll admit that some of the advice and cheering felt a bit repetitive as I got toward the end of the book, but overall this was such a wonderful, inspirational, and affirming resource, especially as I continue to work on recentering my writing in my life.

Library updates:

So, I technically broke the Library rules with both of the books I finished reading over the last few weeks. The Secret History was a reread, which I’ve said I wouldn’t count. But technically, the copy I read was new to me. I genuinely don’t remember where the copy I read ten years (ten years!!) ago came from or where it is now, but I know it wasn’t this one. I also made a promise to myself not to count any books about writing that I purchased or read toward the Library counts, because they’re meant for my personal betterment, but I wanted to talk a little about 1000 Words. I’m still not counting writing books as being added to the Library, but I’ll probably still review any other ones I read in the future. (I make the rules, so there!!)

Anyhow, you may have noticed a lack of Library blogging, Instagram posting, and email sending the last two weekends. I skipped writing first because I was in New Orleans for Mardi Gras, and then because I was freshly home from Mardi Gras and, to be frank, I was exhausted.

It was an absolutely wonderful week away. The frivolity and exploration (and day drinking) were very much needed. And who doesn’t love a parade?

Photo collage of some of my favorite sights and moments below, because I’m tired of writing lol

Closing thoughts:

Laissez les bon temps rouler.

Total books read from the Moratorium Library: 65

(Total books added to the Library: 137)

(. . . do I need help?)

Listen, I know one of the rules of the Library is supposed to be that I don’t count books I buy from indies on vacation, but I’ve done it before, so why break the trend? (Though I didn’t count The Writing Life toward the final count, for reasons discussed above. I also skipped Cocktail Dive Bar, because it’s a cookbook and was also a gift.)

Books shown here were purchased at Frenchmen Art & Books, Faulkner House Books, Crescent City Books, and Garden District Book Shop, four of my new favorite places on the planet.