The next couple days are going to be extremely frustrating. My boss has asked me to work a middle-of-the-day shift on Mondays and Tuesdays. That's going to cut deep into my freelance endeavors. Working an 11 to 8 shift doesn't allow enough quality time in the morning or in the evening to get much freelance work done. Also means, I'll miss two workouts per week. I'm a die-hard gym-rat, so missing workouts will hurt almost as much as losing freelance time. Even more frustrating, I've been asked to work these hours simply to fill a slot — to have a warm body sitting in a chair, just in case something happens. On most days, decisions aren't made until late in the day, so I'll be sitting there flittering my thumbs, with work building up at home. Sigh.
Anyway, I'm ready to begin reading a new book. I finished RAISING FENCES. Next in my pile: BORN TO ROCK, THE SLAVE POET OF CUBA, and PENNY FROM HEAVEN.
I grabbed BORN TO ROCKBORN TO ROCK last year at TLA. Or maybe it was ALA. The story begins with the main character bent over, grabbing his ankles, "while some total stranger has his fingers in a very private place where nobody should be rummaging around."
Reminds me, I'm overdue (intentionally) for a doctor's appointment. I'm putting this one on the back burner. The book and the appointment.
THE SLAVE POET OF CUBA begins as follows: "My mind is a brush made of feathers/painting pictures of words/I remember/all that I see/every syllable/each word a twin of itself..."
Beautifully written. But the last few books I read were heavy on poetry. I like poetry, but I'm not in the mood for more poems. I do plan to read this one, but I'll wait a bit.
That leaves PENNY FROM HEAVEN, a total contrast in comparison to other books I've been reading with African American male protagonists. But, I think I'm going to enjoy the change.
Good news: Cynthia Leitich Smith's popular's children's literature blog is back at home. Additionally, Cynsations is reorganized, has new colors, and is now mirrored on LiveJournal.
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