July 5, 2006
My New Library Card
Today was exciting because I joined the Toronto Public Library! One might wonder why I’d never done so before, but you see, I’ve always had the EJ Pratt Library at my disposal before. Pratt, however, does not contain such treasures as Let’s Knot: A Macrame Book, and so to Lillian H. Smith I went. I am learning macrame for research purposes, as any story about a 1970s housewife must inevitably include such crafting. So that was that. Any day in which I obtain a new library card is a fine day.
Also notable, books in the post! Jpod by Douglas Coupland and Every Day is Mother’s Day by Hilary Mantel were delivered, both thanks to birthday gift vouchers. I am too spoiled.
In Corporate Governance news, Ken Lay’s convenient death. Elsewhere, Canada Books. Like many of us, Zoe Williams has, and is not ashamed. Here on book trailers; incidentally this trailer is appalling. And an article on deciphering blurbs.
July 3, 2006
Even my toenails love long weekends
This weekend was out to Erin’s on Friday night to see her beautiful apartment at Chester and Danforth, and to eat homemade sherbet. She also gave me by birthday present, which was one of her Blythe photos against a streetcar background and it’s amazing. Saturday morning was spent reading, and then watching World Cup. We don’t have cable and our game (with Chinese commentary and the volume down low) was a few seconds ahead of everyone else’s we think, and upon each goal scored on England, the world outside was silent for a brief eternity, and then all at once, I felt like we were in the middle of a stadium. At the Portugal victory, we jumped on our bikes to get out of the neighbourhood (and the horns were blasting well into the night) and cycled to High Park, which was sort of like cycling into a magical world and we had enormous fun. Cycled home in time to get dinner ready, for Katie and Alan were coming over. A fantastic night with them, and we had an excuse to use the cake stand Jennie gave me for my birthday and it was wonderful. On Sunday morning, Stuart cooked the closest thing to a full English we could manage in our meat-free kitchen (eggs, beans and toast) and it was delicious, and we read the paper and hung about until hopped on our bikes again (I feel like a character from ET except we do not have BMXs) and sailed through Trinity Bellwoods Park down to Queen Street, Type Books specifically, where I spent my birthday gift certificiates.
I got Cathedral by Raymond Carver, Angel by Elizabeth Taylor (as recommended by Hilary Mantel), and When I Was Young and in My Prime by Alayna Munce. I was happy with my selections. It was very fair, I think. A Canadian, American and a Brit. Two novels and a short story collection. And I was good enough to support a male author, as well as the two women. They’re on my shelf now, just waiting to be read.
After that we went to Caban. Now I HATE Caban, except that the last time I was there (which was actually the first time), it seemed to be full of treasures and also it is going out of business, so everything was on sale. I thought I would come home with discounted treasures. Was not to be. I have never been in a store in which I wanted so few things. Everything was ugly, cheap or both. And what wasn’t was always over forty dollars. I wanted stainless steel measuring spoons but felt forty dollars was a bit much. Similarly for the Nigella Lawson garlic grater. Or the 80 dollar teapot. Or the hideous overpriced vases. We did find a book of six glasses marked at $5 however, which seemed reasonable. And we needed some glasses. And we were so desparate to make our trek to Caban somewhat worthwhile, we decided to brave the queue. Twenty minutes later, at the check out. Cashier rings them up, and oh yes, they’re five dollars per glass, which comes to $30, which I guess I should have known, but I am just way too accustomed to Wal Mart. Needless to say, we left.
And thereafter was Scrabble and Wine on the porch, reading, dinner and watching About a Boy, which we love. And today I have to do some work, but we have a rooftop dinner scheduled tonight at the home of the marvelous Carolyn.
All in all, it has been a very good weekend.
July 3, 2006
I think I cheated
I finished reading The Master and Margarita on Saturday. I read it last for my Soviet Cultural History class in 2001 and liked it then, but couldn’t much remember it after all this time. I loved it. The rich intertextuality and multitudinous levels of meaning were fascinating and the story was great. But it’s a very heavy book, in every sense. So upon finishing it, I decided to read Don’t You Want Me? by India Knight, which I’d received as a birthday gift. Now I had read My Life On a Plate by India Knight when I lived in England, and thought I’d read this second book too. Upon completion, I realized that I really hadn’t read it. Which I sort of knew all along I think, but after Bulgakov’s epic tale, I wanted a pink novel which a cartoon on the front. I hope that’s ok. Oh my, I read it in a day. A day in which I rolled around laughing hysterically at that little pink book. India Knight is one of my favourite newspaper columnists- deeply provocative, hilarious and well-argued, no matter how outlandish her claim. And she writes funny books. They’re not perfect novels, because as in her columns, Knight fills her books with asides and incidentallys, that don’t exactly carry a plot along. But because one likes India Knight, one is carried along. One is I. This book was absolutely brilliant for a summer’s day involving scrabble and wine on the porch. And I’m now reading The Radiant Way by Margaret Drabble, which is very exciting because this is the book that made me love her (only?) two years ago.
