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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 story of her family through the other protagonist, El

The Sunday Salon: Week in Bullets


The Sunday 
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Good morning readers! What did you guys in the US of A do during this long weekend? Whatever it is, I hope you all had fun. I usually like talking about one specific thing for Sunday Salons, but this is one of those days when I don't have anything specific. So I'll just bulletize (yes, this word doesn't exist, but you get the gist) my week, while I wait for the drooliciously fragrant French Toast baking in the oven.
  • We didn't do anything specific this weekend - the wet weather during the first couple of days made them mostly stay-at-home days, other than allowing for the occasional jaunt outside. Yesterday, however, we visited our friends in Raleigh, having a pretty good time.
  • This past week was my first summer hour week this year and it went a LOT better than ever before. I'm usually irritable and sleepy the first week but having started waking up earlier the previous week for a morning walk, I was able to bounce right into work by 7 am. This week, however, is a whole different story - I have been sleeping more than I should, so I'm sure I'm going to be irritable and sleepy this week instead.
  • Speaking of our morning walk, the husband and I got hold of two of those Fitbit Flex wrist devices that we have been eyeing for a while. It tracks your daily activity level - you can decide your target daily goal (10,000 steps, 3000 cals, etc) and the LED lights on the device display gives an idea of your progress. It's wickedly awesome - the first couple of days, the husband and I were intent on being the first to hit our goal. Since then, though..... 
  • Yesterday, we watched The Heat with our friends, and if you haven't watched it yet, or weren't planning to watch it - let me tell you - you absolutely should watch it. It is definitely one of those movies you will enjoy with your better half or your close friends or siblings. People were laughing out loud in the theater, not worrying about interrupting others' movie experience, because everyone was doing it anyway. I've always enjoyed Sandra Bullock's movies and this time she takes comedy to a totally different level. But really, the star of the movie is Melissa McCarthy - she was just ah-mazing! I can't begin to express how often I kept waiting for her screen time and hoping she stays in every frame. Long after the movie, we were still quoting lines and reliving laugh-out-loud moments from the movie. The husband also enjoyed it tremendously, so this is definitely not a movie just for the women.

  • This past Wednesday was my birthday. At this point, I've stopped counting my years - I've just realized that I'm entering the 30s next year (humongous gulp) and am not looking forward to it. However, the presents were great - they make any year feel better that your age. The husband gifted me Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close as a camouflage for his even awesomer gifts - a lovely beautiful pair of blue earrings and, wait for it, a full year subscription to The New Yorker magazine. I've been eyeing the mags for a very long time, but the price of the subscription kept turning me off. But now, I'm so thrilled I'm getting them and can't wait for my first copy. The brother gifted me Janet Evanovich's The Heist, which is book one of a different (non-Stephanie Plum) series and that one sounds wonderful too. Our Raleigh friends gifted me a stacked mug set that I'd seen around a few times and liked a lot - so it was wonderful to receive that.

What is happening at your end?


Comments

bermudaonion(Kathy) said…
Happy birthday a little bit late! I have plans to see The Heat with a friend on Tuesday and I'm really looking forward to it.

I added you as a friend on fitbit - at least I think I did.
Sam_TinyLibrary said…
Happy belated birthday! We are a similar age - I'll be 28 next year, so I'm not far behind you. Glad you got some awesome presents :)
This movie sounds fun. I've been debating it.


I want to see the earrings! :)

Happy belated birthday sugar!
Bryan G. said…
Yes, happy belated birthday. Humongous gulp for 30s? Wait until you hit your 40s, lady. :) My next decade is 50! The New Yorker and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close for your birthday -- and oh, yeah, those earrings too ;). Very cool. Sounds like you had a great birthday.


Here, I didn't read today, but napped and now probably my wife and I will watch something via Netflix. Lately, we've been watching a show called The New Girl with Zooey Deschanel, but who knows what we'll watch tonight? We'll see.
Ti Reed said…
Happy Belated Birthday!! My 30's came and went without incident. LOL.

I have had a nice weekend. Four days gives you enough time to do errands, take naps, read and then have some fun. I spent the entire day moving stuff around since we are getting U-verse next weekend. We have been satellite users for years and years so this will be different.



I am reading Night Film but haven't yet read any of it today. Not yet. I prefer to read that one at night.
Jennifer Hartling said…
Melissa McCarthy is a comic GENIUS. I have some a lady crush on her I can't even tell you :)


Happy belated birthday! Want to trade birthdays next year? You can have my 40th, I'll gladly swap, lol.
pattismith said…
Happy Birthday!! I've debated a subscription to The New Yorker as well...but yikes :p I usually end up buying one when I'm traveling and read it cover to cover :) Not sure if I'd be able to do that on regular time. Ah, the thirties...I really love the forties and honestly have not once wished I was younger...yet ;)
Happy belated birthday! We all get older, I'm 20 years older than you and still smiling, so don't worry!

I like the wrist band - now do keep going with your good intentions! :-)
Athira / Aths said…
Woot! I added you on fitbit. I can't wait to hear what you think of The Heat. I hope I can watch it a second time.
Athira / Aths said…
Thanks! I am super disappointed that there's no more 20s left for me.
Athira / Aths said…
Thank you! I hope you get to see the movie - it is a lot of fun!
Athira / Aths said…
New Girl is totally awesome! I haven't watched it in a while so I hope to play catch up soon.
The 30s are making me upset, I'm not sure how the 50s will make me feel. It's a nightmare.
Athira / Aths said…
For me, four-day weekends are too short. Heck, 10 days off work is also too less sometimes. I think I end up enjoying the holidays too much that I don't get to do any of those must-do stuff.
Athira / Aths said…
McCarthy is definitely a genius. Oh boy - how she put up such a brilliant acting, I don't know.
Athira / Aths said…
Yeah, I'm not sure I will be able to keep up with the mags either - my husband came thiscloseto not getting it for me because he knew how they just accumulate without being read. But he is awesome, so he got it for me.
Athira / Aths said…
Yeah, I need to keep myself motivated. It's hard during weekdays, because I work 10 hours, but during the 3-day weekends, I should be able to easily manage it.
Helen Murdoch said…
Happy late Birthday! I must say the 30s are pretty darn wonderful so I hope you enjoy them. I found I was more relaxed and didn't worry as much about what other people thought.
Lisa Sheppard said…
Happy belated birthday!