I know….given my job, every week should be filled with music. Believe me, it is and I love it. This week, however, seemed to have more music than normal with a recital hearing, a recital performance, and lots of final preparations for the upcoming NATS competition in Huntsville, Texas. I’ve been making lots of music and simply getting by in my reading life. However, I did decide that it was time to return to audio books as well just to make sure my reading life continues to progress during the busy season that comes at the end of the semester.
What I’m Currently Reading
One Plus One by Jojo Moyes (p. 126 of 369) With lots of evening engagements this week and struggles with my allergies (ugh!), I’m just about 1/3 of the way through. Since our last check-in, Tanzie has been entered in a Math Olympic competition up in Scotland that will cover the remaining portion of the massive tuition. Through a sort of comedy of errors, Jess and her children end up getting a ride from Ed, one of the homeowners that Jess works for. The situation is always awkward and the discomfort between the adults is in sharp contrast with Ed’s interactions with the children. Although the plot has moved a bit slower than I anticipated, the character interaction is hysterically funny and I am always anxious to get back into the pages of the book. I’m hoping that I’ll have some down time while I’m in Huntsville and can find a quiet corner to read for a bit.
Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten (audio book, 3:18 of 8:47) My family has watched cooking television shows as long as I can remember. When Food Network finally made its way into the Geriatric Ward, that became a standard channel for our television viewing. That’s where I first met Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa. My parents were never fans of Garten, but I was oddly drawn to her elegance and simple table settings even if I rarely wanted to make the recipes. I couldn’t put my finger on why, but I found the Contessa to be very calming. When I stumbled on this memoir in my Audible account, I knew it would be a great fit for me.
Thus far, I’ve heard about Ina’s childhood and how she met her husband, Jeffrey. I laughed at their adventures camping through Europe between Jeffrey’s discharge from the Army and the beginning of graduate school. I smiled as I listened to Ina recount how she came to own the Barefoot Contessa just off of Long Island. It is so encouraging to hear that “if you do what you love, you will be successful.”
I’m looking forward to driving nearly 8 hours tomorrow because I plan to have my new friend, Ina, tagging along and telling me the rest of her story.
Here’s hoping that we all have successful weeks in the pages of our selected books.
~Kennith
Reading for Me 