Saturday, November 26, 2011

Found: Gratitude

Well, a sunny day, spontaneous brunch with a friend, and a bit of birthday shopping, and the world suddenly seems like a much more appealing place. Moods! What is the good of them, that's what I'd like to know.

I bought three new books with the 50 bucks my mom & dad gave me for my birthday — Sunset Park, a new novel by Paul Auster, whose New York Trilogy I recently read and enjoyed a lot; Girl with Curious Hair, David Foster Wallace's short story collection that I have somehow overlooked; and When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chödrön, Buddhist advice-giver extraordinaire. Funny how the purchase itself of this last book almost immediately made my times feel less difficult. Maybe that means I don't have to read it anymore — just put it on my shelf and smile. Although I'm pretty sure one of the chapters in it is NOT "Go Out and Buy Something for Yourself."

Anyway, thanks, Mom & Dad! Lots of great stuff to dive into now, once I've finished Barometer Rising for the book club I've joined at the library (thanks, Kristina!) and Bicycle Diaries, David Byrne's travel-and-eco-musings-blog-turned-into-a-book that Alison gave me, also for me birthdee. Thanks, Ali!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Glad you got some good new reading material. I love getting new books. Dad and I both enjoyed "Beginners" very much. Will continue to go to the next three films of the season. What did you think of Barometer Rising?
Mum

Andrew said...

I'm still on the first chapter. Not really enjoying it so far. It's kind of boring. Lots of description, with very little action. Plus, the main character is already looking at himself in a mirror on page two so that we can be told what he looks like — such a cheap trick.

Andrew said...

OK, it's getting better now...