Monday, July 27, 2009

Heat wave

Ugh, the misery of heat. Portland usually has at least a few days a summer of yucky heat -- mid-90s and up -- though some summers it never manifests and I was hoping this would be one of those. No such luck. We're right in the middle of a string of 90-100 degree days, and I HATE IT. I know, many of you probably live in hotter places, but you also probably have central air. No one here does. Well, we did just have an a.c. installed in our bedroom, thank god, and we have one in the studio, which is where I will be today, still trying to de-clutter.

Agh, clutter. At what point do you just shrug and start tossing everything in big garbage bags? I mean, that's one way . . . Just toss it all. So many books to sell to Powell's and donate to libraries! I'm terrible at getting rid of books, but in our little house, there's just no way to keep them all. I must be ruthless, keep only the ones I love.

Speaking of books I love, I finally finished the Attolia trilogy by Meghan Whalen Turner. I don't know why I waited so long! I'd read The Thief last year and liked it a lot up to the ending when I suddenly loved it. I bought the remaining two books but they just sat there on the nightstand for ages. Well, I just read them in two days and WOW -- they're awesome. So full of intrigue and suspense and -- unexpectedly and quietly -- romance. I highly recommend them.

Okay, to work! To conquer the clutter. Cheers!

19 comments:

lizardek said...

I recently re-read those...they wowed me, too, when I read them first. AND I just got Blackbringer, finally in paperback over here! YAY!

Enna Isilee said...

LOVE those books! I just recently listened to them on audio, and I read them a year ago.

Charlotte said...

Oh, I'm so glad you liked them! I think King of Attolia is one of the best written books ever--each re-reading shows hidden depths and nuance and meaning etc etc.

R.J. Anderson said...

Yay, another Megan Whalen Turner fan! I'm so excited to be interviewing her next year just before her fourth Attolia book, A CONSPIRACY OF KINGS, comes out. And, of course, I'm even more excited to read that book! (Hmm, I may just have to re-read the first three amazing books in the series first. Oh, what a trial, how will I endure it? :D)

Lisa Schroeder said...

Ugh is right. And of course my kids are doing a sports camp all week.

Hope you can stay cool. My first son was born August 15th, so I remember what it's like. At least you can hopefully sleep with the AC in your bedroom!!

~Molly~ said...

I think we have traded weather! East Texas is expecting 6+ inches of rain over the next 7-8 days!! Of course, our typical highs for late July and August top the 100 mark so this is highly unusual for us this summer with our 100s coming in late June and a few for July.

Anyway, donate those books!!! I am also a book hoarder but have come to realize I just don't have the space(or time) for most of them. Think of it this way; if you donate them, someone will be able to enjoy them who might not otherwise be able to afford to buy.

Q said...

I love the Attolia trilogy with all my heart. I heard rumors about a fourth book (which would be excellent), but I don't know how true they are.

Charlotte said...

Q, and anyone else who doesn't know, the fourth book is coming next March, and here is the first official blurb from the publisher, as it first appeared:
http://charlotteslibrary.blogspot.com/2009/07/official-blurb-for-conspiracy-of-kings.html

And I meant to say good luck with your cluter, Laini! But you realize, don't you, that little Professor will want every scrap of fabric, bit of paint, cardboard, button etc to make Crafts with? There is no point trying to throw it away because it will all Come In Useful.

And actually, sorting things out in small steps is the sort of peaceful activity one can do with a new born--it gives a pleasant feeling of progress without being too taxing! So you can save some of it for later...

Anonymous said...

Come visit me Fattypants! I moved for the week into the giant storage fridge down the street inside Papa Hayden's. Its just me, the freezer, and all the desserts. Come see for yourself! And do not forget that today is P-DAY...thats short for Postcard Day. For the love of God- and the honor of the family- please do not abandon your oath. p.s. I hate clutter. Why can't it declutter itself?

Laini Taylor said...

Ooh, Rebecca and Charlotte, I didn't know about Conspiracy of Kings! So exciting! Sophos with a peashooter :-) What's that about?? I need to reread Thief, because I can't remember Sophos very well.

And "Anonymous": I wrote four postcards today! Two each. The family honor will prevail!

Sarah said...

Yay for the Attolia books!

And book donations are great. I work at a library that receives plenty. It would be nice, however, if donors gave us the books in person or with a note instead of throwing them in the book drop, where we will assume they are someone's personal books and will hold on to them for at least a month before taking them as a donation. But you probably weren't going to do that :D

I hope it cools down in Portland!

holly cupala said...

Hmmm, conquering the clutter, eh? Methinks these are biological portents of imminent, total transformation in the Taylor/di Bartolo household...

Heather said...

Ugh! Pregnancy and mega heat don't mix well. I bought my sister one of those Evian misting sprays when she had her summer pregnancy. They feel great! Also ROQ and Roche-Posay make them. They're usually in the cosmetic section of drugstores. Maybe it will get you through the next week or so while you wait for Professor to emerge.

Anonymous said...

I love those books! I will have to re-read them before I read the next one though, I haven't read them in forever.

This heat sure is nasty. We have a window air conditioning unit, but for various reasons we don't have a good place to put it in until a couple of attic vents are installed, and our house is uninsulated. Gnarly. :P

Good luck with the clutter! I hate chores, I need a maintenance robot. ;D


-QZQ

carolyn said...

Curses on this heat wave! (Shaking fist) Even my computer hates the heat. (It suffered from fainting spells, until we had it cleaned and moved to the dungeon.) Been thinking of you these last few days. Hoping you're one of those people who love the heat! Glad to hear you've got AC to help with working, and sleeping.

Emilie said...

Ugg to heat indeed! Up in the Seattle area, it's just as bad with the same lack of central air. This is my third summer here and the only one where I've wished for even a window unit. But I can't imagine being pregnant in this heat!!! My mom always says the July she was expecting me was the hottest on record for our corner of the Midwest, but I wasn't born until November. That just stinks--I can't come up with any comforting words other than your baby girl is almost here!

Shelli (srjohannes) said...

ah nesting :)

Christine Fletcher said...

Oh, it hurts to be ruthless with books...I went through the same thing a month or so ago. Piles of books everywhere, HAD to thin the herd. And in this heat, with the Professor about to make her debut! The end result is nice, though: neatly lined shelves, random surfaces cleared for the first time in months.

Good you have at least a couple of rooms with a/c. I hope it's getting you through this oven of a week!

dotdotdot said...

I think it was this post that made me finally settle down and read the Attolia books the other week, and oooh, it gave me palpitations. Weird, obsessive palpitations, where even though I am not the sort of person who does any kind of fan fiction whatsoever (at least not since my blatent Redwall ripoffs in fifth grade), I am still so starving to spend more time in the world that I could probably weaken and start googling terrible terms like "gen fanfic" or something. Let's hope it doesn't come to that. I have enough real books to read without such things.