J has learned to climb entire flights of stairs. I need to learn how to teach her to climb backwards down the flight of stairs now. Today was an exciting development as J managed to stay in the nursery and had fun with the caregivers during the church service and I wasn't called back to extract her from the nursery and given the evil eye of her setting off all the babies in the nursery crying with her wails of separation anxiety.
I have been applying to jobs and yesterday I thought I should test myself to learn how fast I can actually type as one of the jobs I applied for with the government required a certain typing speed. Luckily even with my non-typing for the past two years I was still able to pass the target. My mom used to type at 100wpm on a typewriter so my measly 60 wpm could still use some improvement. I don't yet know what I will do for childcare for J. I guess I will see if I get an interview and job offer before I start to worry about it. And as you read above today's success in the nursery makes me hopeful for a positive transition to daycare. L is still on leave from work. His mom flies in from Mexico this week.
I have only read 2 pages in the book I am reading in February.
But this post was to be about books I've been reading. January I really overachieved and read six books. Six!! I know, shocking.
So here are a few words about what I've been reading.
A Man Called Ove, Rules of Civility and Shanghai Girls were all books I found at the Library book sale earlier in the summer.
I wasn't really a fan of Ove in a Man Called Ove even though he has a lot of aclaim over on Goodreads. His anger was a little wearing for me. There were some interesting turns as Ove's attempts to commit suicide were thwarted by neighbors dropping by to request assistance. Perhaps it was a little wearing as L was also in a dark place in the month of January. That was hard on me. L has some Ove-ish outlook tendencies minus the anger and telling people off.
I really enjoyed Rules of Civility as it had the feel of the Great Gatsby. I read it in one night while L was working a night shift. I paid for it the next day while caring for J. I havent read a book that late into the night in a long time. If your looking for a book that will wisk you away this is a great read.
Shanghai Girls was an interesting read. It is the tale of two sisters whose father gambled away their future, a mother that risked her life for them, their fight for survival, their disappointments as they find themselves trapped in marriages in a new country at the mercy of a cruel father in law, their devotion to one another and sometimes petty jealousies. I enjoy novels of cultural family relationships.
I listened to an audio version of The Ocean at the End of the Lane read by the author Neil Gaiman. It was so good! His telling was fantastical and fascinating. If I were to recommend one book from January's readings this would be it.
I had wanted to finish Welcome to the Circus by Rhonda Douglas for the January Collaboreads linkup but did not finish it in time and just finished it by the month's end. It is a collection of stories by a new Canadian author that I found at the library. The first story held promise for the book, I enjoyed this tale of three friends in grade school who become enamored with their French teacher. The rest of the book was downhill from there and really ugly stories. I guess they are well written in terms of literary style but they are miserable stories of individuals with addictions and relational problems. It was a depressing read. A depressing note is not a good way to end the month reading which is likely why I'm still on page 2 of my next novel.
Well I'd like to say more because really it's been too long since I blogged but J is playing in the toilet swishing her fingers around in the water of the bowl. Yuck! Fingers to be washed and toilet lids closed, I'm off.
