Other stuff & things

[prosodic]

I'm worried about my plants. My potted plant outside was labeled a desert mix, so I thought it would be able to endure a week without watering. Not so. It's nearly dead. I dumped an entire watering can's worth of water on it, so I hope it will revive it. We shall see. It was a pretty expensive plant (I never would've bought it, except that I had gift cards for this nursery, which paid for it), but if the plant itself dies, at least the pot is really nice and I can plant something else in it.

Note to self - next time, plant nanny! For all the good that does, it's still better than nothing.

My hanging basket is horribly wilted, even though I put a plant nanny in it. I guess a wine bottle's worth of water isn't enough to last a week.

And my roses...forget about it. They were gorgeous a month ago. I've got nothing now. Stupid dry spell.

I have some photos from Inniswood Metro Gardens that I need to upload. Probably won't be until this weekend.

I just read an entire book today - Almost French by Sarah Turnbull. Loved it! Read Ursula Hegi's The Worst Thing I've Done on the flight to Ohio. It was pretty good. I didn't like it as well as some of her other novels, but it held my interest long enough for the flight.

Comments

[emmabovary.livejournal.com]

I despised Almost French and was astounded that Turnbull was able to sell this manuscript. She's a tedious amateur writer and her editor (if there was one) is worse. How these people get book options is a mystery to me.

[prosodic.livejournal.com]

What didn't you like about it? I didn't think she was Frances Mayes or Bill Bryson or anything like that, but I thought her book had some laugh out loud moments (although I tried not to do that, since I was on a plane and didn't want to appear to be a lunatic).

There were several parts of the book where my mind drifted off somewhere else, so I suppose I can understand why you call her tedious. Otherwise, it kept me occupied well on the flight.

[emmabovary.livejournal.com]

It was SO self-centered and offered nothing new about the expat experience. And she just writes so poorly....It just bothered me that she got paid for being such a ninny.

Sometimes when I walk into a fellow-expat's apartment here, I have a quick look at their library. I can often predict if they will have the Turnbull book judging by other expat authors they read. Stephen Clark, for instance. His first book was funny in that witty London-writer way, but the subsequent tomes were really milking it. So if I see Clark on the shelves, I know Turnbull is not far behind...and then the person has to redeem themselves!

I'm very black/white on this issue, I know. But I did like Sarah's Key, which you liked, too! At least there was some sound historical research performed when by the author; something both Clark and Turnbull lack the intelligence to master.

[prosodic.livejournal.com]

Yes, it was self-centered. And she didn't really put anything into any historical context at all. But I pretty much knew I was reading fluff going in and not anything that would provide any major cultural/historical enrichment.