I'm a graduate, y'all! To celebrate the end of the semester, I ran off to DC for a week to visit the library of libraries, the Library of Congress. I saw some other cool things, but let me real a second, for just a millisecond, I went for the Library. I honestly didn't get many photos there, but I think it's because I was actually in awe. Go on their free tour if you can and make time to wander afterward.
I also got new bookshelves! They're IKEA Hemnes. We had the two large ones and not a ton of room left, so we added the smaller one in the middle. I literally filled it up with books I haven't read yet. It was a fun project because I had to take everything off my shelves in order to detach them from the wall, move them, reattach and then put everything back (not actually fun, but I did like the end result). The other new bookshelf went into the office, but it's not as exciting.
This is after I weeded, too.
Funny story time. After I had taken them all off the shelves, my husband suggested that I put them back "thematically".
That's it. That's the funny story. I mean, I laughed when I heard it.
Anyway, I read some interesting things this month, too. Read about them!
May's Many Books:
1. We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby
I'm not sure if Samantha Irby is entirely funny or if some of the things she writes are just so shocking and blunt that I couldn't help but laugh. I originally picked this up because it had an angry, wet kitten on the cover and angry cats are adorable, but I stayed for the opening essay/introduction/application to be on The Bachelor. Maybe a year ago I would not have found this funny, but I just started watching this season of The Bachelorette after writing 4500 words on trust, transparency and agency within the franchise. There are some hits and misses throughout the essay collection, but enough of it rings true that it's hard to put down. Maybe skip if you don't like cursing or bathroom talk because I'm not sure a single essay doesn't include one or both.
2. Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant by Roz Chast
We will all die, but sometimes the parts that come before dying are harder on everyone involved. Not many people want to talk about how they want things done if they're not responsive or what they want their remains handled (please let me go and cremated, mixed with Dwight's ashes and interred in the family plot near Red Rocks, please), but that doesn't mean that we can ignore those topics forever. This is a sad, beautiful look at the many things that need to be done in the process of dying, which we are all doing everyday.
3. Love is Love: a comic book anthology to benefit the survivors of the Orlando Pulse shooting
This was a beautiful collection of comics, drawings and poetry. I definitely cried through many of them. Not only do the stories comment on the tragedy, but they manage to comment on what society has done to let this happen. Heads up, DC Comics helped sponsor it, so their characters pop up throughout. Most people will recognize Batman, but there were some more obscure characters, too.
4. When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon
Ending on a lighter note. This is one of the cutest young adult novels I have ever read. Dimple, a scowling computer geek who was named in hopes of many smiles, wants to go to a tech camp before her first semester of college. She has career goals, and not even her Indian parents who want her to find a husband will stop her from creating the summer's winning app and meeting her idol. Except she gets to camp and meets Rishi, whose first line to Dimple is "hello, future wife." Misunderstandings, friendship, maybe even love despite parental approval? It's a treat to read.
Pick up one or a few of these books at your local library or wherever you get your books! I might be biased because I love libraries (hire me!). Also, I took a selfie with the Dean. Until next time!
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| First time the name America was on a map |
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| Part of Jefferon's donation to the Library. The Library lost books in a fire, then lost some of Jefferon's books in a fire. Some are original, but many are replacements made possible by lots of money from Jerry Jones of Dallas Cowboys fame. |
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Also, I know I have a ton of animals on the shelves. Two of them, the elephant and lion, are weighted bookends. Some of them are childhood friends, some from crafty friends and family, and some were part of my grandmother's collection. Basically they're not going anywhere.
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Funny story time. After I had taken them all off the shelves, my husband suggested that I put them back "thematically".
That's it. That's the funny story. I mean, I laughed when I heard it.
Anyway, I read some interesting things this month, too. Read about them!
May's Many Books:
1. We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby
I'm not sure if Samantha Irby is entirely funny or if some of the things she writes are just so shocking and blunt that I couldn't help but laugh. I originally picked this up because it had an angry, wet kitten on the cover and angry cats are adorable, but I stayed for the opening essay/introduction/application to be on The Bachelor. Maybe a year ago I would not have found this funny, but I just started watching this season of The Bachelorette after writing 4500 words on trust, transparency and agency within the franchise. There are some hits and misses throughout the essay collection, but enough of it rings true that it's hard to put down. Maybe skip if you don't like cursing or bathroom talk because I'm not sure a single essay doesn't include one or both.
2. Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant by Roz Chast
We will all die, but sometimes the parts that come before dying are harder on everyone involved. Not many people want to talk about how they want things done if they're not responsive or what they want their remains handled (please let me go and cremated, mixed with Dwight's ashes and interred in the family plot near Red Rocks, please), but that doesn't mean that we can ignore those topics forever. This is a sad, beautiful look at the many things that need to be done in the process of dying, which we are all doing everyday.
3. Love is Love: a comic book anthology to benefit the survivors of the Orlando Pulse shooting
This was a beautiful collection of comics, drawings and poetry. I definitely cried through many of them. Not only do the stories comment on the tragedy, but they manage to comment on what society has done to let this happen. Heads up, DC Comics helped sponsor it, so their characters pop up throughout. Most people will recognize Batman, but there were some more obscure characters, too.
4. When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon
Ending on a lighter note. This is one of the cutest young adult novels I have ever read. Dimple, a scowling computer geek who was named in hopes of many smiles, wants to go to a tech camp before her first semester of college. She has career goals, and not even her Indian parents who want her to find a husband will stop her from creating the summer's winning app and meeting her idol. Except she gets to camp and meets Rishi, whose first line to Dimple is "hello, future wife." Misunderstandings, friendship, maybe even love despite parental approval? It's a treat to read.
Pick up one or a few of these books at your local library or wherever you get your books! I might be biased because I love libraries (hire me!). Also, I took a selfie with the Dean. Until next time!
