The Pumpkins of Fall

This weekend is shaping up to be a fantastic first weekend of Fall. The sun has been shining, the weather has been in the cool 70s, and I had my first (and second) pumpkin iced coffees of my life. (They are amazing and I have been missing out!) I never realized that Autumn was my favorite season until I got married during it, but it really always has been. Thick scarves, high boots, pumpkin flavored everything, apple cider donuts, browns, reds, golds...it always makes me appreciate the fact that we have seasons. And Fall is a rather fantastic one, don't you agree?

What makes this weekend even more awesome is how we spent it. We had friends over and Dan spent the afternoon brewing beer with his friend while I enjoyed the company of his wife and adorable baby girl. While they were here, we received a call from a very close friend of ours that he had gotten himself engaged! We could not be more excited for him and his new fiancee and the story of how they got engaged is just magical. And tonight we have the Patriots game and the Emmy Awards! Fun for both of us.

Meanwhile ...

Both times my sister and I have visited our grandmother in Virginia, I end up taking books home and Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda was one of them. It was a story about adoption, different cultures, and the importance of knowing where you come from. I find India and all of its cultures and traditions fascinating and beautiful and if you do as well, you will enjoy reading this book. It is told from a few different perspectives, which is a technique that I like. I find stories more enriching when I can understand it from different views.

While I was reading this, I was also finishing up the audiobook I had in my car. It took me over a month to get through it, as it was a 24 hour story. But it was so worth it. As I had mentioned in a previous post somewhere, I had tried to read Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides before and could barely get through the first chapter. I knew it was a book about a hermaphrodite and I have always found genetic anomalies fascinating, so I was interested to read it. I stopped reading it for two reasons: 1.) I didn't understand why the main character's brother was referred to as "Chapter Eleven" and 2.) It really wasn't about the genetic anomaly at all. But having the story read to me in all the different voices and accents really brought it to life. It turns out, it isn't about hermaphroditism so much as it is a detective story about how that particular chromosomal difference occurred. The reader is taken on a journey that goes as far back as the main character's grandparents and the long journey from their story, to the parent's story, and then to his story. Think "How I Met Your Mother"-esque (this happened because that happened because the other things happened). I am very glad I gave this book a second chance because it was AWESOME and I highly recommend it. In audiobook form, if possible. (Also, after doing a little research, the name bestowed upon his brother by the main character has something to do with the the U.S tax law Chapter 11. Interesting.)

The last book I finished has a little story behind it. When Dan was deployed, I started watching the TV show "Bones" on Netflix. And fell in love. Not since E.R. have I found an hour-long drama show that I felt so connected to. It turns out that the show is based off a series of novels that were written about a forensic anthropologist that helps solves murders using bones (like the show). I was so excited that I couldn't wait for the first book in the series to check back into the library, so I downloaded it onto my Kindle. And I was disappointed. Aside from the name and occupation of the main character, nothing else was the same. Her personality and lifestyle were different, her location was different, and none of the other characters in the book matched the characters from the show. And that bummed me out. Once I realized it wouldn't be the same, I tried to separate the show and the book in my mind so that I could try to enjoy Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs on its own. In the end, it was a good mystery, but not what I was expecting (and not in a good way). So really, I would only recommend this series if you haven't seen the show. But I DEFINITELY recommend the show. Seriously. Start watching.

My next blog post is going to have a theme! Gasp! Woo! Seriously, it'll be fun. Have a great weekend! Happy reading.