This review contains spoilers for The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Frye, which was a beautiful story and you should go read it — but don’t bother with this sequel. “People can love in different ways. You can love full-on, with a lot of noise, or you can do it quietly, over the washing-up. You can even love a person without them knowing.” The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy tells the story of Harold and Queenie from Queenie’s perspective, as she writes it all out while waiting […]
“I’d sooner wear white shoes in February, drink unsweetened tea, and eat Miracle Whip instead of Duke’s than utter the words ‘you guys’.”
This one starts out very funny, and then goes downhill pretty quickly. I’d recommend just reading the first third, or skipping it altogether… Celia Riverbark is a Southern woman, and really proud of it. Obnoxiously so. Some parts of this collection of stories cracked me up, especially her updates to a 1950s textbook on pleasing your man: “[Home Economics Textbook from 1950]: “Make [your husband] comfortable. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in low, soft, soothing tones, allowing him to relax and […]
“People always say I’m going to look back on these days and laugh — why put it off?”
“Um, am I the only person who is walking around without underwear on today? I know I can’t be. This isn’t the first time this has happened to me, and I know if it’s happened to me more than once, it’s happened to someone else at least one time. I’m three quarters short of clean draws.” Angela Nissel’s memoir The Broke Diaries apparently started out as a blog that she wrote in college, trying to find humor in a very crappy financial situation. Flat-broke in college, occasionally […]
“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.”
I picked this one up after reading Matthew Inman’s very different book about running, in which he mentions Murakami’s memoir. I really enjoyed it, and I think even non-runners would, too. “People sometimes sneer at those who run every day, claiming they’ll go to any length to live longer. But don’t think that’s the reason most people run. Most runners run not because they want to live longer, but because they want to live life to the fullest.” Murakami runs long distances — like, he […]