Here is a list on Bookshop.org with all the Maeve Binchy books I’ve read all year.
Monday, December 2
- Book: Nights of Rain and Stars
- Chapters: 9 – 10
- Location: Front room, it’s chilly and windy
- Smoking: it came from a jar
What I’m listening to:
Did I cry?
I did not
Thoughts while reading (could be about the book, could not):
Okay, so technically this thought happened before I was reading, but while I was outside getting a wee bit high on local jar ouid.
I have spent most of my life protecting men in some way or another. Mostly because that is how I was brought up, but also partly because they were often in power.
And then I was out there watching the peepy birds fly from bush to bush impatiently waiting for us to go in so they can go ham on that cracked corn that I put out in their rainbowl (a low, wide bowl with a rainbow circle pattern) and I had this thought:
That’s how they’ve been able to stay in power. Not just because of me, but because of other people like me who were brought up with similar values or who had to do whatever they could to succeed in business in order to survive. And this terribly skewed power imbalance has impacted so many more than simply women.
And a lot of men don’t even know what to do with power and it often feels like they don’t want it. They just act like they do because they think that’s what they are supposed to do because they are men.
The thought was way more well-formed outside, but there’s something there I think. If you’re reading I’d be interested to know your thoughts.
Okay, I’m gonna go read now.
Oh wait no. One more thing:
I made gnocchi with local gnocchi and locally made puttanesca sauce for dinner last night. It was so good I’m doing it again. They were delicious like pillows (not like the impossibly perfect clouds at Supino, sadly) and the sauce was almost as good as the place I used to get it with Gretch.
Ok, now I am reading, brb.
I very much enjoy it when Maeve Binchy furthers the story by showing bits of the lives of people we’ve only heard about up until this point, like one of the main character’s sons, or parents, or best friend. It’s a fascinating insight into what truly makes up a character.
You know what? This book is just okay. None of the characters are really sticking with me at all.
New birds heard:
None!
Wednesday, December 4
- Book: Nights of Rain and Stars
- Chapters: 11 – 15
- Location: Inside the Jury Room
- Smoking: Nothing I am in a government building
What I’m listening to:
Did I cry?
No!
Thoughts while reading (could be about the book, could not):
Re: the book:
It’s fine, not her best, but it’s good. The characters are warm and loving and good friends and above all human. It’s just not my favorite. I like reading about Ireland and this is in Greece.
Jury Duty was an experience, though.
I took notes.
Here they are (with after duty commentary):
- Fashion show
- Okay, so going to jury duty was like seeing a fashion show. There were so many well-cut coats and nice shoes.
- Alfalfa hair fellow
- While waiting in line to get into the jury room initially, there was a fellow standing in front of me. He was taller than me, with light red hair, slicked down against his head very hard. One small section escaped the cowlick, perfectly pointy and at attention. It looked like an intentional Alfafa.
- Nah I’m good shirt lady
- One of my fellow jurors had a shirt that read, “Nah, I’m Good.”
- Tattoo face very friendly kid. Incredible tattoos of ladies on his face.
- This was is self explanatory, except the kid was probably in his mid to late 20s. Not really a kid.
- Start chapter 11 of the book
- It is good.
- “We’re not going to entertain any side hustles. Even if they’re wearing a vest. Parking is free.”
- So, the courthouse recently moved and, apparently, parking was very expensive at the last place. They made sure they had free parking to offer jurors at the new spot and our “handler” (idk what the right word is, it was before we got our own bailiff) gave off a little spiel about never paying for parking here.
- Not in first group called to a courtroom
- I was relieved
- This is honestly very organized
- I was surprised
- First break 930
- I forgot what it felt to wait on other people to give me breaks
- Wild
- Love this character in the book… Vonni
- Yeah, she cool.
- Two other people are wearing masks
- I accidentally wore a black mask with red blood splatters on it. This might have been a mistake.
- The juror stickers look like the Supreme logo
- Mickey agreed.
- I am currently juror number 8 on a murder trial
- This happened quickly. I got called into a jury room and I was in the first round of jurors in the box. The seats were not adjustable in any way and my feet did not touch the floor. I felt like a little kid.
- Lots of shame and guilt here.
- This added to the “little kid” feeling.
- I do not like the judge. He feels very rude.
- This would persist through the process so much that when my friend KPerks watched the replay on YouTube the next day she commented on me giving the judge “dagger eyes” multiple times. What can I say? He didn’t treat people like humans!
- The prosecutor seems very green, inexperienced and nervous.
- If there were cameras in the room and a celebrity that no one else knew, I’d’ve thought I was on a new season of Jury Duty. If you haven’t watched this, it’s a bop.
- The defense attorney has so much personality.
- This only added to the surreal, television like feel.
- It seems like a lot of responsibility to make a decision like this.
- I tried not to think about this too much.
- More than two hours for lunch.
- This was excessive.
- Ate chicken strips in the little cafe and then came up to the jury room to wait.
- I found a really nice window seat to burrow in.
- An avengers movie is playing. I cannot tell which one.
- It is because I do not have a visual memory.
- This is not my favorite Binchy book but the way all the pieces for perfectly together throughout the book are amazing.
- Yeah, it’s good.
- Oh it’s the Snap episode of The Avengers .
- ”I. Am. Iron. Man.”
- I think I am watching a minions movie now?
- I never figured this out
- We got let go for the day to report back bright and early the next to finish the process!
New birds heard:
None, I was in a courthouse.
