It has been a busy few weeks chez Maureen. There was the rush to write up last year’s books. There was the announcement of the Cybils finalists. Then on Friday we had a Christmas Entertainment at our house, with readings and carols and a living creche for the children. It was a kind of cross between a caroling evening, the Cambridge Revels, and the Christmas story evening my parents always do. It was a lot of work and it turned out wonderfully. However, that meant that we were doing a major event, in our living room, two days before our Christmas.
And then we had Christmas and 17 people for dinner. But wait! There is more! Yesterday was also the 40th day after my dad’s death and on the 40th day, we do a short memorial service. I made kolyva for the first time and it turned out pretty well, with dried cranberries for a decoration.
SO. All of that means that I haven’t been reading much except for the Cybils, which I can’t talk about. I did manage to gulp down a couple of Jennifer Echols’ books. I enjoy her a lot, though they’re definitely on the light side. I’ve been working my way, very slowly, through The Damnation of John Donellan, which is good but a bit depressing (Elizabeth Cooke tries to keep the outcome of the trial an open question but by the middle of the book it’s pretty clear). I feel like I haven’t been reading at all lately and I don’t like that feeling.
I’m also trying to make sure I’ve updated my To Be Read list, which I keep in a spreadsheet in Google Docs. I have two questions for the audience: 1) would anyone be interested in SEEING said spreadsheet? and 2) do any of you have a book that I just HAVE to read? Leave a comment! I can’t promise that I’ll get to them anytime soon, but I’ll at least put them on.
(Title from the Canon from Matins for Nativity.)
