Midlife Sarah

  Just a post to review November reading. I kind of fell off the blogging wagon. Not sure if I'm going to keep it up, but for some reason I think that later I'll be happy to have my book reviews tucked away somewhere. Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte. Fall is the perfect time of year to cozy up with this novel. This November marked my third fall in a row reading Jane Eyre, and it was just wonderful. This time I found myself thinking more about the motivations and stories of the less-liked characters. How did Brocklehurst justify his treatment of the students of Lowood School? What caused St. John to believe that his God-given mandate was also everyone else's? What would I have done in Mr. Rochester's impossible situation?  I don't know why my mind focused on these things, but reading from a different perspective really did open the story in a new way. Because--as I usually find when I try to understand the "bad guys" of life and literature--we've all go...

  This month's reading turned out differently than most. While I only completed four books,  I took my time with each selection in October.  Each of the books that I read were remarkably rich and satisfying, with exceptional storytelling that felt like attending a literary banquet.  I'm sure the weather change helped this along.  As it gets colder outside, reading becomes less feature and more fixture in my days. I've learned that living in a four-season climate has this effect for me: As soon as a new season arrives, I'm eager to conclude what I've been doing and fully ready to submerge in the joys of the season to come. In October, I felt a tension between a yearning to be doing cozy things inside and my end-of summer-to-do list, which is mostly outside.  So what did I read? Here's the list. As usual, I'm giving simple ratings that make sense in my mind.  DNF = Did not finish 1/5 = I really disliked this book 2/5 = I disliked this book 3/5 = I liked ...

  Happy November, friends! I'm still working on reviewing my October books but wanted to get this TBR out straight away. Only one is a reread (but an all-time favorite) and it's exciting to have a stack of books that I have been anticipating for a long time. Finally the cool weather is here and I'm ready to fall headlong into these! Have a look and let me know what you think. As usual, you can click on the cover image of each book to be taken to its Goodreads page. Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte. Our in-person book club chose this for our November pick and I'm thrilled! This will be the third fall in a row that I've celebrated with a cozy blanket and this captivating novel.  Jane Eyre is a moody coming of age classic. As the kids would say, it's a total vibe. I can't wait to talk about this book with my friends!  Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel. This is the Close Reads book scheduled for podcasts from October 28 - November 25.   I read (and really e...

  Let's Cheer, All Cheer, for October is Here! I just clicked into this post and received a burst of joy when I saw the artwork above. I forgot that I placed it into the blank October file on my blog account. What a lovely surprise! I've been missing the coast terribly in recent months and this picture makes me miss it even more! If I look at it long enough I can put myself back in the parking lot of Lone Ranch beach in Brookings, Oregon, where I often went for a few moments of quiet when we lived there. I would roll down the windows as I neared the area, feeling the wind intensify in measures--stronger and stronger as I got closer. Then, after parking, a full-body wave of relief would wash over me the moment I cut the car engine. Complete peace. All alone. Not a human sound except my own breathing.   I would close my eyes, lay my head against the head rest, and listen to the roaring battle between the ocean and wind. The wind (and often rain) would mist onto me as I sat ...

  My September reading experience felt so odd!  Every so often I run up against a pesky readerly problem. Things like DNF'ing a long string of books, boredom, or being able to decide what to read next. In September I experienced the confluence of two others: A lack of focus and an abundance of library holds coming in all at once. I still find myself in that spot as I write this. While I'm currently reading two different books, four others are waiting on deck. I can hear these four titles whispering to me softly, "Tick-tock, tick-tock. Only 8 days to read me before you have to start the holds process all over again." At this point I have been waiting months to read that book and don't want to miss out on the opportunity, but know that there's just no way I'm going to get there early enough. So many books, so little time. Another hiccup has been my continued back flare-up. The constant pain in my back makes it difficult for me to focus on anything deeply or ...