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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...

The Sunday Salon: What I've been Doing

The Sunday 
Salon.com

I didn't mean to disappear from the Interwebs, especially since I've been back from my mountain cabin vacation for about a couple of weeks. The vacation has been a glorious time away from the daily stresses and routines, and a big reminder to do such vacations more often. Not necessarily by shelling a lot of money to secure a fabulous cabin at the top of the Blue Ridge, but at least by doing less work and more fun stuff once in a while.

Since I got back, it's been a busy couple of days at work, and I got swept into knitting a sweater over the weekend, so I have been largely absent from the internet and unplugged most of the time. When I'm bit by any hobby bug, I like to let it pass because it's very difficult to put it down and look around at other things. Besides, with the occasional cold days showing up here, I've been itching to make something that I can wear this season, something more challenging, like a sweater. It's amazing how hard it is to come back to the blog, the longer I stay away.

Luckily, I've been reading some. I finished listening to Hatching Twitter by Nick Bilton and enjoyed it. Listening to it was like watching a soap opera that I could not peel myself away from. Twitter has such a shameful background that it's surprising to see a service coming from such sordid depths become one of the most used ever. Of course, Facebook is right up there with it, with all its scandalous history.

I also finished listening to I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai. I wasn't initially inclined to read I am Malala. I keep my memoir reading to a very minimum, but I am glad I picked this book. It was charming, informational, and very engrossing, so this book turned out to be a fast listen. I am Malala is also the first book I have read/listened to that was set in Pakistan. And I thought this was just the perfect book to read if someone wanted to learn more about this country. Malala may be just seventeen years old, but she knows more about her country than most people know about theirs.

I'm finishing up The Hundred Foot Journey today. I've been reading this book for a long time despite it being a very entertaining book. (Blame the knitting for this.) My glorious plan was to read the book then go watch the movie. I don't think the movie is even running at the theaters anymore. Oh well. I also have been reading three knitting books (see, I told you I have been reading, just not books I would be reviewing) - why three at the same time, I have no idea, but it's helping me combine two of my hobbies without making me miss one or the other. Rrrright.

This Friday, there was a street festival downtown that was a lot of fun to be at. We don't go often to downtown so this was a nice excuse to get down there. I have a low-key Sunday planned, or rather nothing planned for today. Some pending work for my office, some knitting, some reading, and some Feedly catch-up are all that I am intending to do today.

Comments

bermudaonion(Kathy) said…
I'd love to see the sweater you knit! The movie version of The Hundred-Foot Journey is better than the book, in my opinion.
Trish said…
I'm not familiar with the background of twitter! You definitely have me curious for all the dirt. I do remember being surprised when I learned about Facebook's beginnings. Do you listen to audiobooks while you knit? Very very occasionally I'll handsew (quilt) while listening to audiobooks but I usually just opt for TV watching. ;)

Like Kathy I would love to see some of your knitting!
Diane D said…
Glad you enjoyed your time away. Nothing like the feel of wearing some new that is hand knitted. Post pics later please.
JoAnn @ Lakeside Musing said…
I'd decided to skip I am Malala, but never thought about listening... may just reconsider. I haven't done any knitting in at least 10 years, but all of a sudden have an itch to pick it up again. Wonder if I'll still remember how ;-)
iliana said…
Oh please share a pic of your sweater - would love to see your creation! Sounds like you had a great vacation and enjoyed your time unplugged from the blog :)
Lisa Sheppard said…
Every time a blogger talks about knitting, I kick myself for not really pushing myself to learn from my mother-in-law while she was still alive. More than 30 years I had a ready teacher and didn't take good enough advantage of it. I'd love to be able to just whip something up that you can actually wear!
Sam_TinyLibrary said…
Your vacation sounds so idyllic, glad you had a great time :)
I read Hundred Foot Journey a few years ago and don't remember being too impressed by it, so I think I'm going to give the film a miss.
Sheila DeChantal said…
Hatching Twitter sunds interesting - I am off to check that one out!
Yay for knitting and vacay and unplugging a bit.
Oh I loooove a street festival! Hope you had fun at yours. I'm interested in Hatching Twitter, which I hadn't heard of until just now. I don't know anything about Twitter's history!
literaryfeline said…
Sometimes it takes awhile to unwind from a vacation, no matter how relaxing that vacation might be. :-)


I know so little about Twitter's past (or Facebook for that matter--I haven't seen the movie Social Network). A soap opera, you say? Sordid? Sounds interesting!


I have been curious about I am Malala, but not enough to read it. Like you, I am not a huge fan of memoirs, although occasionally one catches my interest.


I hope you are having a great week!