Reading List

 

I am never tempted to join a book club. I might like to read what others are reading, but, honestly, I don't want to read them when others are reading them and on their schedule. I have been tempted by reading clubs where people get together, read quietly from a book, magazine, e-book, or even their own drafts of work and then, if one cares to, one can read a bit from their selection to the group. Drinks and snacks, of course. Always.

I have recently read these four. Took a while because I read actual books at night, in bed, before falling asleep.

The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates. This book ranges from Africa to South Carolina, to Palestine and Israel. Coates talks about writing and reading, book bans, racism, Zionism and more. I read it a few months ago and flipping it open now I can see that I could enjoy rereading parts of it.

Personal Velocity by Rebecca Miller. Each story is about a different woman grappling with life. It is well-done, but I wouldn't read it again.

When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamin Labatut. This book explores links between math and science and the history of people making discoveries. There is some light fictionalization  around some of the characters, like Heisenberg. I could reread this one.

Bibliophobia by Sarah Chihaya. Sarah was an academic struggling to finish work that would get her tenure. She has sought the key to her life in books. She struggled with depression, suicidal ideation, and self-harm. She struggles with her identity. She found that she couldn't read (her solace) or write (her salvation). I had trouble relating to this work. My darkness takes a different form, and most of the literary works cited weren't in my wheelhouse. But as I try to write about it I find myself wondering what I missed.

Walking Downtown

Off we go on a walk to Stevie.

Walking to Stevie (the wonderful statue of local Blues legend Stevie Ray Vaughn on the south side of Lady Bird Lake) is one of our "standard" walks.

We almost always cross the pedestrian bridge over Shoal Creek at Third Street (see above) and walk through the Seaholm Plaza.

Seaholm Plaza, where a power plant once was.

We continue down the steps in Seaholm Plaza to Second Street.

Down the stairs to Second Street.

Then it's across the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge.

Across the Pfluger.

And over to the trail by Vic Mathias Shores.

Along the trail with the skyline across the lake.

We take an obligatory picture with Stevie.

Stevie.

Sometimes we turn around. But today we briefly went to the lobby of the Hyatt Hotel and then continued to the Congress Bridge.

Steps to Congress Bridge.

Crossing the Congress Bridge is quite a view.

Capitol View.

One has to pass Veracruz All Natural without getting a taco.

Mural by Veracruz.

Today we walked on the south side of César Chavez to Colorado as we headed home.

Walking toward the Buford Tower.

Along the way today we noticed some Elon protest.

Elon.

We also noticed that there is a drag brunch at Jo's. Drag won't be allowed at The University of Texas. So we need more drag everywhere.

Drag Brunch at Jo's. Second Sunday of each month.

And it is spring!

Redbuds are the harbinger of Spring there but all kinds of things are blooming and budding.