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Infinite Country by Patricia Engel | Thoughts

   Published : 2021   ||    Format : print   ||    Location : Colombia ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆   What was it about the country that kept everyone hostage to its fantasy? The previous month, on its own soil, an American man went to his job at a plant and gunned down fourteen coworkers, and last spring alone there were four different school shootings. A nation at war with itself, yet people still spoke of it as some kind of paradise.. Thoughts : Infinite Country follows two characters - young Talia, who at the beginning of this book, escapes a girl’s reform school in North Colombia so that she can make her previously booked flight to the US. Before she can do that, she needs to travel many miles to reach her father and get her ticket to the rest of her family. As we follow Talia’s treacherous journey south, we learn about how she ended up in the reform school in the first place and why half her family resides in the US. Infinite Country tells the...

Back to the den!


So, when I said on Saturday that I may be off the face of internet, I didn't expect my smartphone to take it literally and commit suicide by drowning. Because, that's just what happened. I waited two days for it to power up, but at this point, I'm close to switching off its life support and handing off the phone to my friend who loves playing with the innards of gadgets. With that goes my main link to the internet. I still have the iPad, but I don't stare at it ever 5 seconds the way I check my phone. At least until I can upgrade my phone in May next year, I'm stuck in the Stone Age with a boring non-data phone (after I buy one). Believe me when I say that I'm ready for mid-2012 already!

Other than that blip, my vacation in West Virginia was super-relaxing. I'm usually used to fast-paced over-packed vacations, so this was a great stress-reliever. I guess that was mostly because the places we visited aren't commercialized or teeming with tourists. We also walked under a bridge (on its iron structure) and it was one helluva experience walking 850 feet above the long winding New River Gorge National River flowing underneath. I don't have any pictures yet, but I'll try to post when I get some.

In other news, the Indie Lit Awards are open for nominations. Please please please, get your favorite 2011 releases in. I'll do another longer post some day dedicated to some literary fiction titles, since that's the panel I'm judging in, but for now, if you have any books you loved (in any category), please nominate, or at least start thinking about the titles you want to see win. To nominate, head here, click on the specific genre of the book you are nominating and submit the form.

Speaking of Literary Fiction, I just found out an hour ago that my blog has been shortlisted in the BBAW category for Best Literary Fiction blog. I can't begin to say how honored and happy I feel though it was mostly surprise that struck me first. So, once again, I would love to say Thank you to all my followers and especially to those who nominated my blog. I also want to say thanks to the judges who deemed my blog worthy of heading into the voting round. The shortlists for all the categories have been announced today, moreover, the voting has also started (and ends on September 10th). Make sure you vote for your favorite blogs by heading over to this website and signing in with Twitter or Google.

Comments

bermudaonion (Kathy) said…
Do you blog from your iPad?  I found it very difficult to format posts from the iPad, so I gave up.

Congratulations on making the short list!!
I really need to buy a Ipad, seriously need it. ;) No, no mid-2012! Please no! let this year go very slowly... :)
Juju at Tales of Whimsy... said…
Congratulations on making the short list :) AND on the relaxing vacay.
Wendy said…
Yay! I am so happy you made the short list - so well deserved!!!!
Helen Murdoch said…
I can't believe your phone drowned. That is really sad, especially since you have to wait to long to replace it. Maybe you'll discover a life that is data-free?! Congratulations on the short list, I saw that when I just did my ballot. Good luck!
Jill Broderick said…
We had a phone drown too!  (in a bathroom - too embarrassing!)  Congratulations on making the short list!
christa @ mental foodie said…
Congrats on making the short list!
Kristen said…
I find it liberating sometimes not not have that internet umbilical cord.  Hope you come to see it as an okay thing after all.  Congrats on the short listing!
zibilee said…
Congrats on being short-listed! I am very sorry to hear about the loss of your phone, but am glad that your trip proved to be so relaxing and low stress.
Jackie said…
Congratulations on making the short list!
Erin said…
Aww, poor phone. Congratulations on making the short list -- well deserved!
Giving Reading said…
So sorry to hear about the phone. And congrats on your nomination :o)
Niranjana Iyer said…
I'm late here, but congratulations!
Athira / Aths said…
Oh no, I can't blog from the iPad - it is painful and the posts don't look anything like I want them to be. I only read blogs on it (in addition to other fun, of course).

Thanks (even though I'm super-late). :)
Athira / Aths said…
Haha! Now I'm fine. I managed to get a smartphone for cheap, so now I'm all for please let this year go slow!
Athira / Aths said…
I finally managed to get a smartphone for cheap, so now I feel good. I tried to embrace the idea of no smartphone life, but I couldn't even wrap my head around it. It felt like losing a body part.
Athira / Aths said…
Ha! I feel better now about my phone drowning in the Jacuzzi. :)
Athira / Aths said…
Well, I tried, but it didn't work I lasted just a week without a data phone. Finally got a cheap smartphone that I could use. Phew!