Greetings Unravelers!
(I am not mentioning any of the shootings that happened over the holiday weekend but that does not mean they are not on my mind. They are. I just don’t have any words to express my thoughts how is it possible that we are on the 187th day of 2022 and there have been 300+ shootings nationwide. I do know that I think about public spaces differently these days… and that makes me so very sad.)
Meanwhile, of course there is knitting…I am making slow progress on the socks for Big Foot. And honestly, I do not know who I am knitting by the seat of my pants with these socks! No pattern… making it up as I go! What?? I am not quite to the halfway point of the foot but I am through the toe increases. I am going to do another short-row gusset after thought heel… that will have planned placement! I am making good notes, which if I got by Sam’s socks… the second went much faster than the first! So I knit on!
And I pulled out that sweater and managed a few dozen more mindless rounds. It is good TV knitting.
The reading this week was a rather mixed bag…one book was rather meh and the other a huge hit for me at least. Your mileage for either book may vary!
Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
It took me several days post finish to rate this book. First, this book is a commitment, it is long and that does not mean it was good. It is wordy in a way that was unnecessary, imo.
Next, the cast of characters are utterly unlikable… Russ, Marion, Clem, Becky, and Perry are seriously the family you hope you never meet. They are off the charts dysfunctional…really, not quite believable dysfunctional. There is an abundance of religiosity that, to me, seemed stereotypical of non-denominational churches of the time that this was written. Much of this book missed the mark for me and several times I considered not finishing…but I held out hope for an ending that gave me some hope.
My rating… 1.5 stars rounded up to 2 stars. I do not recommend.
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
If you are looking to add a bit of whimsy to your summer reading, look no further than this whimsical tale! It is heartwarming. It will lift your spirits. It will pique your interest in the Giant Pacific Octopus! And this book does an excellent job of reminding me that I do so love an octopus who can tell his story… who is smarter than humans… and who loves a happy ending.
I loved Tova and Marcellus so much! I confess that I cried…lots. And I gasped a few times!
I highly recommend this fabulously whimsical tale!
That is all I have for today. What about you? What are you making this week?
As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below and thank you!
Calamus looks great and I love your sock yarn! Nice pop of yellow there. I just finished a hateful dishcloth (LOL) and am continuing to knit (rather slowly) on Fletcher’s sock. I originally had Crossroads on my TBR list, but someone else (Kym?) didn’t have much good to say about it and now your review convinces me to not bother. The Octopus book looks interesting though. I’m into “The Lincoln Highway” by Towles, but it is not as compelling as
A Gentleman in Moscow” was (at least for me).
A bit if whimsey sounds terrific. I’m reading The Thorn Birds, can’t quite believe I didn’t read it before!Knitting is going well on my next contribution to Baby P’s wardrobe.
Did you happen to see the mayor of Highland Park when she was interviewed yesterday? I saw her on the Today show, though I’m sure other news shows interviewed her, too. I thought she was incredibly well spoken and made a very clear point about what the problem is — the guns.
The sweater and the socks are looking marvelous.
I have to say that I have tried to read a Jonathan Franzen book exactly once and couldn’t make it past the first couple of pages. I’ve never felt a desire to try another; I just don’t think he’s a writer for me.
The ‘octopus’ book sounds like fun, will have to see if my library has it in yet.
One day I will do socks…one day…not just at the moment!
Take care
Cathy
An acquaintance told me that now she had to add parades to her list of places where she didn’t feel safe, and I think I scared her by saying that none of us can feel safe anywhere because of guns.
I tried to start Crossroads three times and didn’t get more than 25 pages in each time. Like Sarah, he’s not a writer for me.
But onto happier news – your seat of the pants socks and Calamus! They are both looking wonderful! I thank you for Wednesdays when we can all share some lovely making!
that gray that you are knitting with is calling my name, what a beautiful shade!!
The sweater looks nice. What’s not to love about gray? Well – maybe not at the end of January but still, I just bought some gray yarn today. Like several others, Franzen is not the writer for me. Isn’t it nice to have enough knitting experience to fly by the seat of the pants now and then?
Okay. I’m really loving “that sweater.” And the socks are going to be great. For whoever. 🙂
As for Crossroads, I’d love to actually discuss this one with you; it’s a book that begs for discussion. Also. . . Franzen. People either love him or hate him. I tend to fall on the “love” side . . . but not always. I do agree that most of the characters in Crossroads are imminently unlikeable. But . . . extremely well developed! I take it you won’t be interested in the rest of the series???? 😉
Your pile of knitting is so pretty and the yarn you’re using for the Calamus looks divine. I can’t wait to watch this grow!
Franzen. I’ve never read anything by him. I think I went to an author reading by him before I had children and his talk didn’t inspire me to read any of his work. So I’m a little relieved to see that you gave this 2 stars because now I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything. Thanks for taking one for the team! 😉