For our February meeting, my book club is reading The Marriage Plot, one of the most buzzed-about books of 2011. FSG even rented a billboard in Times Square, an unprecedented move in the world of literary fiction. I’m just about three-quarters of the way through the book, so I’ll reserve my judgment for when I’m finished, but so far, I’m enjoying the book. It’s not Middlesex, but what is? I guess the only problem with writing a modern American masterpiece is that then you have to follow it up.
In Eugenides’ latest, Madeleine Hanna, Leonard Bankhead, and Mitchell Grammaticus graduate from college at Rhode Island’s Brown University and find themselves confronted with that age-old question: what now? The book glides from perspective to perspective as the three do their best to figure out how to be adults.
This Fashion Book very nearly wrote itself: I was struck by the following passage, and could immediate picture Madeleine’s outfit–summer, 1982, Cape Cod.
“To meet her mother, Madeleine put on a pair of khaki linen shorts, a white blouse, and a navy sweater with a white striped V-neck. One good thing about being out of college–and living on Cape Cod, not far from Hyannisport–was that nothing now prevented Madeleine from dressing in the Kennedy-esque style in which she felt most comfortable. She’d always been a failed bohemian, anyway.”
Have you read The Marriage Plot? What did you think?
The Cover:
I did a Fashion Book for this a few months ago, but the cover art is too good to resist doing a coverall too.
The Looks:
The cover incorporates two of my favorite things: bright colors and polka dots. So I revisited some of my past Pinterest pins and dug up some looks that are reminiscent of the cover (it was surprisingly easy).
A Sunday BotL BotB post! Will wonders never cease? NYC got its first snow of the season (not counting the fluke Halloween weekend storm) yesterday and so I stayed in nearly the whole day, in slippers, drinking coffee and reading on the couch with Chief. It was wonderful. Today Joe and I are going to see Kevin Spacey in Richard III at BAM. I haven’t been to see a show in months, so I’m looking forward to it!
How have you been spending the weekend?
Best of the Looks:
I know we’ve all seen enough coverage of the fashion from the Golden Globes last week, but Evan Rachel Wood’s dress was my favorite by far. It was dramatic, gorgeous, and reminded me of Alexander McQueen.
Madewell’s spring line is out and I really want this dress.
Kendi’s right on the money with her take on 3rd grade. I had jeans exactly that color then, and frequently wore them with a brightly-colored sweater with a horse’s face on it. Trendsetter?
I love Monique’s personal and inspiring post about her hair.
A neat trick at Clothed Much to keep your belts in place.
Best of the Books:
Ten literary traditions for die-hard fans.
Author Sophie Masson dissects cover art among different editions at Writer Unboxed.
Miss Bibliophile unveils some truly unique dolls in the likeness of writers.
A new column on the Ploughshares blog dissects “blurbese,” the often cliche-ridden language of book reviews.
An entertaining post at BookRiot on how to merge bookshelves with your partner–without the fallout.
Today, in protest of the SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect Intellectual Property Act) legislation, Wikipedia and other sites (including my new Tumblr!) are “blacked out,” preventing access to information on these sites.
It’s an effective strategy, and I think it accomplishes the goal of forcing the American public to carefully consider how this legislation will influence their daily lives. The Internet is not just Facebook and Downton Abby animated gifs. It’s a vast wealth of information, information that helps us every single day (how many times have I Googled “toxic foods for dogs” in a panic after Chief has eaten yet another sketchy morsel from the sidewalk?), information that most of us take for granted. Think back to when you were growing up, before every household had at least one personal computer–our lives were just different then. And there’s no going back.
If you agree that the bills, if passed, could be irreversibly damaging to the Internet and society, consider signing this petition at Google, or contacting your local representatives. Voting begins on January 24.
I’m likely preaching to the choir, but I think it’s a worthwhile discussion–what would you do if your access to the Internet was limited or censored? Do you think there’s any benefits that can come from the above legislation?
Because I don’t have enough online presence, I decided to start a Tumblr this weekend. It will be a place for me to post brief visual inspirations, fun stuff, and quotes, while the blog will remain the place for longer ruminations and regular features. Check it out here: http://looksnbooks.tumblr.com/
I’m still adjusting and feeling my way around the new world of Tumblr–do any of you guys have an account? Leave your link the comments and I will follow you! What other favorite Tumblrs should I be following?
Hope you’re all having a great long weekend!
