Thursday, March 27, 2014

A peak into Where'd You Go, Bernadette and Silent Spring

Book Beginnings on Friday is hosted by Rose City Reader.

This week has been really stressful. I wanted something fun so I am reading Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple.

It starts ...

The first annoying thing is when I ask Dad what he thinks happened to Mom, he always says, "What's most important is for you to understand it's not your fault." You'll notice that wasn't even the question. 

The other thing I started reading is Silent Spring by Rachael Carson, which isn't a terribly relaxing selection.


It starts with ...
A Fable for Tomorrow 

There was a town in the heart of America where all life seemed to live in harmony with its surroundings. The town lay in the midst of a checkerboard of prosperous farms, with fields of grain and hillsides of orchards where, in spring, white clouds of bloom drifted above the green fields. 



For The Friday 56 hosted at Freda's Voice here is something from page 56 of Where'd You Go, Bernadette...

I went to HR to get my new key card and office assignment. (In ten years, this is the first time I've had a window office!) I was unpacking my photos, mugs, and snow baby collection when I looked up and saw Elgin Branch across the atrium. He wasn't wearing any shoes, just socks, which I found odd. I caught his eye and waved. He vaguely smiled, then kept walking. 

From page 56 of Silent Spring we have .... 

This soil community, then, consists of a web of interwoven lives, each in some way related to the others – the living creatures depending on the soil, but the soil in turn a vital element of the earth only so long as this community within it flourishes.

The problem that concerns us here is one that has received little consideration: What happens to these incredibility numerous and vitally necessary inhabitants of the soil when poisonous chemicals are carried down into their world ... ?

So, the father/husbands name has been bugging me - I keep seeing the Elgin Marbles and Lord Elgin, aka Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin and 11th Earl of Kincardine, who I am pretty sure wouldn't be caught dead wandering around without his shoes.


6 comments:

  1. One of my favorite Indie bookstores, Sun Dog Books in Seaside, FLorida, highly recommended Where'd You Go, Bernadette.
    Let me know if you like it!

    Linking from Friday 56,
    Ricki Jill

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  2. Where'd You Go, Bernadette sounds great!

    Here is my Book Beginning post!

    AND

    Here is my Friday 56

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  3. I've heard many great thinks about Where'd You Go, Bernadette, so am really interested in this novel. Thank you for sharing.

    My Friday 56. post.

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  4. Where'd You Go, Bernadette definitely looks like a good book. I have seen it on many blogs. I haven't read it yet.

    Silent Spring is another one I haven't read, but the beginning lines are amazing.

    THANKS for sharing.

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    My Book Beginnings

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  5. I thought Bernadette was a kooky, cool broad! Hope you like her too!

    Happy weekend!

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  6. I loved Where'd You Go Bernadette. I didn't expect to at all, but Bee and Bernadette both had such wonderful narrative voices.

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