I am a huge Downton Abbey fan, and when I saw a review on NPR that billed The Uninvited Guests as the perfect read for Downton fans, I ran to the library to snag a copy. I found it to be so strange, eerie, and grotesque -- like a modern fairy tale. I stayed with it until the end, but I felt kind of icky as I was reading it. Aside from Smudge (whose Great Undertaking was brilliant), the characters were not the kindest lot in the world. Still, it was a good read, and like a good fairy tale, there was a happily ever after.
Another NPR recommendation was Pure. I read this and then quickly developed mastitis. I don't know if the two were related, but I think they were: The book just depressed me. To the author's credit, his writing is so vivid and his descriptions of pre-revolutionary France so precise, it was hard to remember I was actually in 2012 Connecticut USA. The grim subject matter, the filth and foulness, all of it...Pure became a bad feeling I couldn't shake off. I understand why this book is critically acclaimed (and I believe it deserves the credit it has received), but it was simply not my cup of tea.
Thank goodness for the next book: Growing a Farmer by Kurt Timmermeister. I absolutely adore this book, as I do most books on farming. But this one is different. First, Timmermeister is so self-deprecating, so funny, I laughed out loud at the same farming mis-adventures I've read about in other books a dozen times before. Second, I loved how he sees farming through the lens of business. He had owned restaurants before he ventured into farming, so cash flow and balance sheets were wisely a part of his farming approach. Even if you don't love farming or business, give this book a try.
Finally, a guilty pleasure. When I was recovering from mastitis (the worst bout I've ever had!), I was browsing through Netflix. I wanted something fun and not at all serious. I settled on Strictly Ballroom, and don't regret the time I spent watching it for one second. I had heard of the film before, but other than name recognition, I knew nothing about it. What fun! Outrageous costumes and make-up, ridiculous dancing sound effects that had me laughing out loud, and a sweet love story. I loved how the movie pokes fun at the world of ballroom dancing, but at the same time, conveys the beauty and emotion of dancing.
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