Skip to main content

Featured Post

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 story of her family through the other protagonist, El

Back with some updates


Whew! A whirlwind two weeks later, I'm finally somewhat less busy. I'm still in India, but slowly getting back to some form of a routine. After two weeks off the grid, I find myself even reluctant to get back online, because of everything that's pending and needs attention.

The wedding went great! It was very tiring by the end of the day, but still fun. I still haven't uploaded the photos yet, but I have one photo available on PhotoBucket (click the link).

A few things that happened during my absence from the blog.

- I had guest-posted over at Alyce's blog, At Home with Books, on the Best and Worst of Marjane Satrapi. Satrapi's Persepolis was my introduction to the graphic novel medium, and it's still one of my favorite graphic books.

- The shortlist for the Indie Lit Awards is up! Since I'm judging in the Fiction category, I can't wait to read the titles! These are the books shortlisted for the Fiction category:

Dance Lessons by Aine Greaney
Cross Currents by John Shors
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones
The Last Time I Saw Paris by Lynn Sheene

- I had already posted my favorite reads of 2011 and plans for 2012 before I took my blogging break.

- I haven't read anything so far this year, save for a short story - The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. The short story medium is still a challenging one for me, and I hope to change that this year. I just started reading Banana Yoshimoto's The Lake today, and so far I'm enjoying it.

I still have a few reviews from last year pending, so I'll post them over the next few weeks as I get my posts written. I don't plan to be OCD about reviewing all of them, because I want to get started on my 2012 reading. What have I missed over the last two weeks?


Comments

zibilee said…
Hey there! Glad to see you back! I am glad that everything went well in India, and that the wedding was a success and a great time! I just downloaded The Lake, and hope to read it soon. I have heard great things about Banana Yoshimoto's writing. Have a great day over there, and don't stress too much! Catching up takes time!
Athira / Aths said…
I'm glad to be back as well! It's been a long but refreshing break, and I am more than ready to bounce back to routine. All the books left to read and posts left to be written. :) 
Delia said…
Congratulations Aths, and welcome back!
I like the photo, I was wondering what a wedding in India would be like, maybe I'll get there someday and see for myself (if not for a wedding at least to visit the country).

I've read The Yellow Wallpaper last year and liked it a lot even though I had a feeling the writer was playing tricks with my mind but then maybe that's the reason why I liked it.
Now I'll go and read your other posts, I have some catching up to do.
Have fun in 2012!
bermudaonion (Kathy) said…
Congratulations!!  You look gorgeous in that photo!
Ti said…
I read a few pages of The Lake months ago and was totally pulled in and then for whatever reason, reading obligations maybe, I put it down. Is that a photo of you? Or the happy couple? So gorgeous. 
christa @ mental foodie said…
Congrats! Looked like a great wedding! Can't wait to see more :) http://mentalfoodie.blogspot.com/
Helen Murdoch said…
I read The Yellow Wallpaper in college and  remember thinking it was very interesting.

Love the wedding photo, congratulations! He has such a nice smile and looks so happy!
Juju at Tales of Whimsy.com said…
Hey! Miss you!

And OMG you look AMAZING! You go girl! Congratulations! I can not wait to see more pictures. 
Karen Marie said…
welcome back, and congratulations!!! I just found your blog and am SO happy that I did - really looking forward to following you and reading more.

<3,

Karen

conceptualreception.blogspot.com
Athira / Aths said…
I felt the same thing - that the writer was playing with my head. But I liked it. It was worth reading.

I am only just beginning to catch up on blogs. Thank goodness for Google Reader's 'Mark all as Read'! And I hope you get to visit India some time! 
Athira / Aths said…
Thank you! That's a photo of me and my husband. :) We were the ones who just got married 10 days ago.
Athira / Aths said…
Thank you so much! I love meeting new-to-me bloggers, so I'm off to check your blog. 
Athira / Aths said…
Thanks!! It's so great to be back! :)
Athira / Aths said…
Thank you! He does smile all the time that I am pretty grumpy by comparison, lol! 
Leeswammes said…
Congratulations, Aths. The picture looks wonderful. Glad you survived the wedding well and I hope you'll be happy in your married life. 

[Noticed that the email (with your post) has a copyright notice going until 2011. It's 2012 now...]

Happy reading for the Indie Lit. I'm judge for the Speculative Fiction genre and reading Stephen King right now.
Athira / Aths said…
Thanks for reminding me about the copyright notice! Need to now remember where all to go and edit that, lol! Managed to survive the wedding, lol! I was getting antsy, but it all went well! 
I just added "The Lake" to my wishlist. Have you read "Kitchen?" It was my introduction to Banana Yoshimoto and I loved it!
Athira / Aths said…
I haven't read Kitchen yet, but I'm looking forward to it. I didn't like Lake as much as I hoped to, but it was still a good one.