There is no Frigate like a Book

I evidently read 32 books in 2021, and according to my Goodreads ratings, which I only use to remember what I've read and whether I loved or hated it, these were some of my favorites:

The Overstory by Richard Powers. What I remember about the four stars I gave this book is that I was entranced by the first half or so, absolutely in love with it (trees!), and then struggled to focus on all the various characters and the arc of the plot in the second half. And this is a big, fat book.

Fair Play by Tove Jansson. This was so charming — I forgot my January 2021 plan to read more of her books and biographies, etc. Maybe this year!

Journal of a Solitude by May Sarton. "My need to be alone is balanced against my fear of what will happen when suddenly I enter the huge empty silence if I cannot find support there."

Leave the World Behind by Alam Rumaan. An unsettling near-future possible dystopia situation, a social satire crossed with a thriller.

No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood. I loved this, and I only gave it four stars because I find it so hard to give anything five out of five stars, you know? A weird, beautiful, hilarious, and devastating prose poem. Whenever I see Patricia Lockwood's name I initially think she's a family member. I hope we're related.

Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh. I loved Hyperbole and a Half, and I was worried about her when she didn't publish anything for seven years. What a treat to read this — she's still so funny and honest.

I am, I am, I am: Seventeen Brushes With Death by Maggie O'Farrell. Basically what it is to be a living human person in a body. She is a beautiful writer.

Women Talking by Miriam Toews. Mennonite women conspire in an attic, but much more interesting than that sounds.

To Write as if Already Dead by Kate Zambreno. This one is hard to describe, but it was one of my favorites this year. A ghost author, "writing the body," a kind of detective story in search of a lost online friendship, plague times (AIDS/Covid-19).

More four-star reviews:

The Matrix by Lauren Groff.

The Spare Room by Helen Garner.

I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness by Claire Vaye Watkins. 

Fight Night by Miriam Toews.

Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney.

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz.

Objects in Mirror are Closer Than They Appear by Katharine Weber. 

Second Place by Rachel Cusk. 

Ten

We spent Monday working and feeling worn out after a weekend of staining boards (they'll eventually be the new kitchen ceiling), rewiring electrical doo-dads, priming the wall. It doesn't sound so exhausting looking at that list now, but believe you me, etc.

Next on the Kitchen List: tear down the drywall in the ceiling (at first we thought we could get away without doing this, but no); another coat or two of primer to cover up the strange Pepto Bismol pink; backer board where the tile will be. Whee!

top ten movies

by request, a list of my ten favorite movies from last year. i tried to pick mostly newish films, rather than the classics that might turn up on some kind of life list (like annie hall and breathless). anyway, here, in no particular order, my top ten movies of 2010:

+precious

+up

+best worst movie

+auf der anderen seite

+true grit

+toy story 3

+my heart is an idiot

+good hair

+temple grandin

+frozen river

ugh, it's hard to list just ten. i might change my mind, although i am sure that those are ten great movies.

movies

here is a list of the movies i watched in 2010. i doubt it will be of the slightest interest to anyone but me - i am really just archiving it here for future reference. but it's kind of impressively long, right?

2010

· 1974: the red riding trilogy part 1

· 1980: the red riding trilogy part 2

· 1983: the red riding trilogy part 3

· alamo: 13 days to glory

· all the president's men

· amreeka

· an education

· annie hall

· auf der anderen seite

· best worst movie

· big sleep

· breathless

· catfish

· charade

· christmas story

· chungking express

· code 46

· crazy heart

· damnationland

· darjeeling limited

· dark corner

· das weisse band

· date night

· dhoom

· dhoom two

· district 9

· elf

· everyone says i love you

· fish tank

· food inc.

· frozen river

· ghost writer

· gigantic

· gilda

· girlfriend experience

· good hair

· greenberg

· harry potter and the chamber of secrets

· harry potter and the philosopher's stone

· herb and dorothy

· i am love

· it happened one night

· it's a wonderful life

· jack goes boating

· kick ass

· kids are all right

· kismat konnection

· lady vanishes

· le temps du loup

· låt den rätte komma in

· man who knew too much

· monty python's the meaning of life

· mulholland drive

· my heart is an idiot

· mystery of the thirteenth guest

· no impact man

· om shanti om

· paper heart

· pianist

· please vote for me

· precious

· quick change

· rab ne bana di jodi

· rated local

· rebel without a cause

· rocket singh: salesman of the year

· room with a view

· runaways

· sabotage

· scott pilgrim vs. the world

· sherlock holmes and the secret weapon

· sherlock holmes: dressed to kill

· sherlock holmes: terror by night

· shining

· single man

· social network

· story of india

· stranger

· streetcar named desire

· sweet and lowdown

· sweetie

· temple grandin

· third man

· thirty-nine steps

· three amigos

· three idiots

· toy story three

· tracey fragments

· true grit

· une femme est une femme

· up

· way we get by

· what ever happened to baby jane?

· what's your raashee?

· white christmas

· wild at heart

· woman in green

a summary of 2010, the happy parts anyway*

ninety-seven movies watched
sixty-three books read
one hundred and forty-one conversations overheard
(approximately) seven hundred photographs taken
twelve rabbit rabbits
two bones broken (in the same arm)
one national park visited (twice)
three cousins hosted
one hockey game attended
three pets buried in the yard
three craft fairs
two german friends
innumerable: crows, baked goods, games played, walks on the beach, moments of maternal pride, tears shed, hugs given and received, rabbit costume sightings, songs sung and heard, t-shirts printed and stitched, cups of coffee consumed, reasons i love my dog, fires built in the yard, friends, and family.

as far as the not happy parts, it would be silly to list them. they live in the past, and a new year lies ahead. as usual, i am ready to shake the dust of 2010 off my feet and step boldly into 2011.

*yeah, oh boy, i am such a weirdo. why i included broken bones and deceased pets in this list is as much a mystery to me as it is to you.

happy happy new year

a new sweater for boo.
























newly cut bangs for bean.



















we celebrated with the dancer family last night.
























sparkling pomegranate juice to ring in 2010!
























the original fame on the telervision.
























the dancer made us delicious tacos for dinner, and we brought a (storebought) chocolate raspberry cake.
























and i have some actual resolutions this year:

:: learn to play the guitar, a little bit ::
:: get an ezpass ::
:: learn to use m's fancy camera ::
:: unsubscribe from all the email lists i'm on, even good causes ::
:: knit something and actually finish it, whatever it is ::
:: paint the living room ::

artemis's meme

doing: making lunches, fooling around on the interweb

smelling: coffee

seeing: blurrily, the computer screen

feeling: so sleepy!

tasting: the aforementioned coffee