Sunday Salon: my 'new normal'

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(Note: email subscribers, you may have noticed you're getting emails a bit later in the day. This change ensures you always get the post the day it posts!)

Good morning, y'all! I'm enjoying my first 'normal' weekend in the new house. Every box has been unpacked. Every thing has at a least a temporary home. We have no visitors, which is bittersweet. It was wonderful to have family in town for almost two weeks, but it's nice to get used to this new normal.

What I'm reading (and finishing, if all goes well) today:
Thus, I'm enjoying my favorite of Sunday traditions, the lazy Sunday. While, I may be physically lazy today, I do hope to finish both of my current reads: Why Have Kids? by Jessica Valenti and How Should A Person Be? by Sheila Heti. As there titles imply, both are provocative and thought-provoking. And although I didn't intend to read them together, they make fascinating companion reads. If I do manage to finish both today, I will have read four books so far this month. Considering I managed only three in all of May, I'd say I'm quite enjoying the 'new normal.'

Top of my TBR:
I'm a notoriously moody reader, so I always hesitate to say what I'll be reading next, but I'm been saving both Big Brother by Lionel Shriver and Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld to read closer to my review dates (June 19 and June 24, respectively.) Both are authors I've loved in the past, and longtime readers might recall Sittenfeld's last novel is the first I rated 6 out of 5 stars and remains my all-time favorite novel---so no pressure! I'm always eager to read new books by favorite authors, and both of these women certainly are favorites, but I'm also cautious not to expect too much and be disappointed. I'm also (finally) slowly making my through the Orange (Bailey's) Women's Prize longlist (and shortlist and winner) from this year.

What I've been watching:
In anticipation of Before Midnight opening in Des Moines on Friday, the third film in Richard Linklater's trilogy with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, Mr. Nomadreader and I watched Before Sunrise (which I've seen approximately a gazillion times) and Before Sunset (which I've seen not as many times because it only came out nine years ago instead of eighteen.) Both films still resonate incredibly strongly with me, and I'm hoping to find a way to articulate those feelings for a post on Tuesday. As far as television, I'm still working by way through Grey's Anatomy. I'm almost through season three, which I think is when I stopped watching it on television. I've been doing more reading than television watching this week, and I'm quite pleased with that.

 Coming up on the blog this week:
I'm planning to slip into my new posting schedule:

  • reviews on Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays (despite my anemic reading in May, I still have a huge backlog, but eventually one of those days may not have reviews, as I rarely consistently read three books a week)
  • film reviews on Tuesdays
  • television reviews/thoughts on Thursdays (or a second film review)
  • Saturdays will be wild card days: I may or may not post. Those posts might be mini-book reviews (sometimes I just don't have much to say), links from around the web, things I've read in magazines, etc.
  • Sundays will be Salon days, and I hope to write them almost every week
Next weekend, also look for an exciting announcement about the future of The Backlist Book Club. I didn't intend to take six months off, but I'm glad I waited for inspiration about its future. I'm thrilled with its new structure (which incorporated many of your suggestions!), and I hope you will be too.

Now tell me: what are you reading/doing today?


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Comments

  1. Laurie CJune 9, 2013 at 1:34 PM

    I also have Sisterland and look forward to starting it. I have two digital ARCs that I requested and a few print ARCs that I requested. I picked up the ARC of Sisterland at a library conference, so I really should read the ones I was sent first. I thought American Wife was an amazing book, also, and it's good to know that wasn't just because it was an incredibly well-done audio narration that I listened to.

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    Replies
    1. nomadreaderJune 10, 2013 at 7:04 AM

      Laurie, I'll look forward to your thoughts on Sisterland! I'm glad to know you loved American Wife too:-)

      Delete
  2. VasillyJune 9, 2013 at 9:03 PM

    I can't wait to read about The Backlist Book Club! I'm part of the "moody reader" club too so I understand about not really sharing what you read. Big Brother is on my reading list too. Good luck with your new blogging schedule.

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    Replies
    1. nomadreaderJune 10, 2013 at 7:05 AM

      Thanks, Vasilly! I appreciate your continued support of the Backlist Book Club.

      Delete
  3. Gayle WeiswasserJune 10, 2013 at 12:27 AM

    We are reading twins. :) Reading Sisterland right now, and Big Brother just arrived - two of my favorite authors. I will wait to weigh in on Sisterland til you've read it.

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    Replies
    1. nomadreaderJune 10, 2013 at 7:06 AM

      Gayle, I'll look forward to comparing reading thoughts on both Sisterland and Big Brother!

      Delete
  4. TiJune 10, 2013 at 12:06 PM

    I started Big Brother but for all the wrong reasons. I was feeling fat! LOL! When I am feeling fat, it helps to read about other people who are more fat than me. Ha! It's very readable but these people... not likable!

    ReplyDelete
  5. AndiJune 10, 2013 at 2:20 PM

    The new normal looks good on you!!! I'm glad you're beginning to get your reading mojo back.

    ReplyDelete

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