I'm reading Chestnut Street, a collection of short stories by Maeve Binchy. I believe they must have been published posthumously, because they're not quite as cleanly written as most of her work. Still, they're enjoyable.

I'm also behind everybody else, it seems, and I am finally reading White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism by Robin Diangelo. I thoroughly expected it to be hard to read, but it's proving not to be quite as difficult as I thought. It has answered some questions that I've been unwilling to ask my black friends, for fear that it would offend them or make them uncomfortable. It has also explained some of the reactions I have gotten from white friends when I try to discuss something like white privilege. It's been, not quite eye-opening, because I knew that some of these problems existed. But it's been reassuring in a way, because I know I'm not the only person out there having these feelings - even if it seems, according to this book, that most white people aren't having these realizations yet. Apparently though, there are a lot of white people who are and who are also doing the work. It's a good read.

Friday Night Lights by H. G. Bissinger
 

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Link to book review: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/...y_Night_Lights

So, I came across a news article on CNN recently which explores several interesting dichotomies surrounding the ethnicity of Jesus.

LINK to CNN article: https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/31/us/je...cec/index.html

In this news article, it expounds upon the scholarly work examined in a book authored by Dr. Christena Cleveland (PhD)… who makes a salient point about Jesus being raised in the town of Nazareth by the Sea of Galilee— which is as near a Palestinian geological point of reference, as one could get. Was Jesus a Palestinian? Was he a person of color, and not someone depicted as a White Jesus (as some believe him to be)? Cleveland’s book is of great interest to me, so I’m gonna read it and sit with her thoughts for a bit.

BOOK: God is a Black Woman (Cleveland, C.).


https://www.harpercollins.com/produc...tena-cleveland


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New book to read…
 

https://www.versoz.com/cdn/shop/file...g?v=1727982446

I just picked up a book to read from Powell’s Books. I’m gonna spend Thanksgiving reading this book.

Here’s a link to reviews by other readers:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/...-me-everything

Stieg Larsson Trilogy
 

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I was at Powell’s bookstore recently and found all three books for less than $10. When I have spare time to kill, I’m re-reading from this book series.

I wish I was reading The New Yorker magazine. They have a special that's about to end, $1 a week for a year. That's a great deal, but I have other things I need to spend $52 on. I could also get a one year subscription to Vanity Fair for $8, which is also a great deal but a poor substitute for TNY. Hmm.

I look forward to reading this book soon…
 

I just read about a very interesting book featured on The Associated Press news website. Title of book: Everything is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection (John Green, March 18th 2025).

John Green previously authored the best selling book from 2012: The Fault With All Our Stars.

To find out more about this book, read the AP spoiler alert here:
LINK ——>> https://apnews.com/article/everythin...93608047db0991

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I caved and got the one-year subscription to The New Yorker. It was the repetitive ads on Facebook that did me in - I was thinking about it all the time and wanting to read the teaser articles. That said, I'm sure it will be a well-spent $52; I have been thoroughly enjoying it, and it's wonderful to be able to go back through the archives. It's quickly becoming a daily habit.

We have very big rivers here in my hometown area. Sometimes our area is called “Bridge City” or “River City” or any number of ‘river’ type names due to all the many rivers here (Columbia, Willamette, Sandy, Clackamas, Nyberg and Tualatin, etc).

Today I bought a book off of Powell’s Books website. It’s going to be a good read, I think, because it’s written by Robert McFarlane, who is known for his documenting natural history and such.

Link to book: Is A River Alive? https://www.powells.com/book/is-a-ri...-9780393242133

I’m currently reading Heathen School by John Demos.

It’s supposed to relate to a school for Native Americans that existed in Connecticut. However, the author seems to be taking the long way around with getting to that point.

The book is for book club, but the topic is interesting.

I'm enjoying reading my subscriptions to The New Yorker and The Atlantic. They both had specials and I caved and got them both.

I'm reading The Perfect Marriage. I was craving something of a thriller/suck you in type of book to go with this cold rainy week. An advertisement for it popped up yesterday morning on my computer and then when I parked at work, it was sitting on the passenger seat of the car next to me. So I figured that was a sign. It's good! I started it after work yesterday and was almost halfway through it when I went to bed last night. There is a sequel so I think I'm going to need to get that for the long weekend ahead.

Chancie, Homeseeking is in my "to read" list. Are you enjoying it?

Murder in the dollhouse: The Jennifer Dulos story
 

Spoiler alert: Rich Cohen, author of the true life story about Jennifer Dulos, mother of 5 children, and her subsequent death by her extremely toxic husband, is featured in the video below.

I’ve been a victim of two very toxic relationships, and I think the author is brilliant in covering the story of a loving, very smart, mother to her five children. Rich Cohen lived in a nearby town, where everyone is still affected by the fallout of what happened to Jennifer and her five children.

I’m fairly certain I will never part with this book. It parallel’s my own life experience with the exception that I got to live, sadly Jennifer has never been found (but with technological advances, one day we will know).

My heart breaks for Jennifer and her five children. 💔

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (June 2025)
 

—————————— :bunchflowers: —————————

I am reading a book by Taylor Jenkins Reid: Atmosphere.


Set against the backdrop of the 1980s NASA space program is a story about the extraordinary lengths of lesbian love… It captures your mind from the very beginning and I’m going to finish reading it tomorrow.


LINK: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/29/b...e=articleShare

I’m currently reading American Ground: Unbuilding the World Trade Center by William Langewiesche.
It’s difficult to hear some of these things even now, but the entire book is about perseverance and the tenacity of all the people involved with recovery after the terrorist attack.
The author, from what I understand, was a journalist at that time and was invited along to view the ruins with the engineers who were tasked with asserting the stability of the remaining structure in order to safely demolish or salvage what was left.
Engineering in general has become a huge interest of mine of late. Witnessing the post Helene reconstruction has given it a whole new dimension in my mind.