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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, Readerbuzz, and Book Date.
The Sunday Post #343
On The Blog Recently
- My Book Buying Ban: One Year Later
- Nature Books I Want To Read
- Books To Read In Fall
- Reading Ideas For Spooky Season
- Year-End Reading Goals
In My Reading Life
I haven't been reading much lately because work has been excessively work-ish, but I did finish Anxious People by Fredrik Backman. This book is like a hug. The plot and characters are silly, but they're also exactly what I need right now.
Anxious People is a comedy about a bank robbery gone wrong. A failed bank robber bursts into an apartment and accidentally takes a bunch of hostages. While police circle the building, the robber and hostages eat pizza and chat about life. They discover they have more in common than they imagined.
I love how Fredrik Backman writes about tough subjects in funny, quirky ways. In the hands of another writer, this novel could be scary or completely depressing, but Backman somehow makes an accidental hostage situation laugh-out-loud funny. The hostages and the bank robber are ordinary people who are fumbling through life. They're dealing with grief, loneliness, money troubles, pregnancy, relationships, mental illness, and all the typical human problems. This is a book about compassion. The average person is dealing with a lot, and most of us are doing the best we can to cope. It's a book that will make you feel less alone.
Since it's a comedy, and humor is subjective, I didn't always love the humor. It occasionally gets too silly and heavy-handed for my tastes. You're very aware that this is a fictional situation with over-the-top characters, and none of this would happen in real life. For the most part, I could overlook the silliness. I had fun with this book.
In The Rest Of My Life
Not going to lie, it's been rough lately, but here are five things that made me happy recently:
- People who wear life jackets and check the weather conditions before going out on lakes. A paddleboarder drowned at my job two weeks ago. It took us over 8 hours to find and recover the body because the wind was scary-intense.
- My work hours are finally getting cut down! For the rest of the year, I'm only going to be working between 24 and 40 hours a week.
- I made spaghetti squash, and it wasn't disgusting. I didn't think I'd like squash because I don't like zucchini, but it was fine.
- Halloween candy (because squash is too healthy. I need to balance it out).
- Survivor and Amazing Race and Kitchen Nightmares are back on TV!
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Take care of yourselves and be kind to each other. See you around the blogosphere!
I am a squash fan, I do like spaghetti squash and acorn squash more than all the other squashes. Tis the squash season.
ReplyDeleteSorry about the body but life jackets do help avoid the body.
I can't buy halloween candy otherwise I will have to buy more next week, my family can't not eat it.
Have a great week, AJ! Happy Reading!
We don't kid ourselves about banana bread but my daughter cuts them up and freezes them to put in smoothies. I love spaghetti squash and acorn and delicata. I use zucchini in kebabs and grilled for dinner. We are just not getting Halloween candy. We would just eat it.
ReplyDeleteAnne - Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post
How awful about your work colleague drowning. It must be rough for everyone. I liked, not loved, Anxious People and was shocked by the twist.
ReplyDeleteOoh I am not a fan of spaghetti squash, but I really should eat more vegetables!
ReplyDeleteDamn recovering a body! For once I don't envy you AJ...
ReplyDeleteRecovering the body of the person who drowned must have been beyond rough. My heart goes out to you and your colleagues, and the person's family. And I agree; people should always wear a life jacket when out on the water. My family and my camp drilled that into me from a very young age.
ReplyDeleteI chuckled about the bananas, but I really do make banana bread. Haven't made any since last spring, though. It's pumpkin bread time now!
The drowning is so sad! Why don't people follow safety rules?
ReplyDeleteI am really enjoying Amazing Race and I have also started the most recent British Baking Show. Both mak me happy.
I am a superfan of Backman's books. I always finds the way he embeds human connection into his stories so meaningful. So sorry to hear about the paddle boarder. It must be tough to have to work those incidents. Squash comes in so many varieties. I love acorn, butternut, and delicata. Enjoy the candy!
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking of trying some squash dishes, I've never really eaten it.
ReplyDeleteWhat a horrible thing. I guess when some of us complain about our jobs we don't realize there are REAL things to be sad about.
I disapprove of a vegetable that's arrogant enough to imitate pasta. Every vegetable should know its place. I do like other squashes, though (and also spaghetti).
ReplyDeletebest, mae at maefood.blogspot.com
I tend to like squash as well but have never tried spaghetti squash. I am glad a lot of people take the appropriate precautions. Has to make things easier, not to mention, safer. I still haven't read a Bachman book so I need to remedy that. Have a great week! And a big YES to Halloween candy.
ReplyDeleteI've recently come around to squashes myself, and I still find zucchini kind of meh.
ReplyDeleteI'm still howling at Mae's comment about veggies that are arrogant enough to imitate pasta. Preach, Mae! :) So it's a no for me on the spaghetti squash but I'll eat zucchini in almost any form. Sadly my favorite is fried with a side of ranch. lol
ReplyDeleteI’m glad to hear you’re now able to work more reasonable hours AJ! I loved Anxious People but don’t bother watching the film adaptation - one of the worst I’ve seen. Have a great week ahead.
ReplyDeleteBut I *might* make banana bread and can't if I don't have overripe bananas around. Glad to hear that your work schedule is getting less intense. I tried Anxious People and tossed it back on TBR mountain. Maybe I should try again. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteSpaghetti squash, so yummy, my favorite.
ReplyDeleteGood luck for what you are going through.
Cut these bananas in small pieces, freeze them, and then when you want ice cream, just add a bit of milk and whatever other fruit you want, and out everything in a smoothie maker or the like, something that can crush ice. The bananas give it the perfect ice cream texture, no need of sugar. So so easy to do
I really enjoyed Anxious People, and think your likening it to a hug is perfect. That's so sad about the paddleboarder who drowned. Taking safety precautions go along way when actually used. I am glad to hear though your work hours will be more reasonable. That's a plus! I hope things get better for you life wise. Enjoy your reading and have a great week, AJ.
ReplyDeleteSorry about the stress at work and the particular cause. We mostly don't think about how many people are impacted by an accidental death.
ReplyDeleteSpaghetti squash was my first foray into the winter squashes. Now, I'll eat them all. Part of the ritual of autumn.
I'm so sorry for the stress you are going through at work. That has to be so difficult.
ReplyDeleteI love Survivor. So happy it's back. Have a great week!
I am so sorry to hear about the paddleboarder who drowned. That's horrific.
ReplyDeleteEverything I have read by Fredrik Backman has been excellent. I like books that make me smile.
Lol over Mae's comment regarding squash! Spaghetti squash is okay, I do love zucchini, though. Candy sounds like a perfectly good way to balance out the healthy, haha! I mostly enjoyed Anxious People, but I agree with your observations. I listened to the audio and I was disappointed they narrated in with American accents since it was set in Sweden (?). Too lazy to check, but it was somewhere they definitely would not have American accents.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about the drowning victim and with you having to find the body! I'd be relieved my hours were being cut back too. Sounds like you need a break.
I'm so sorry for your loss and all that you've been through. That book sounds like the perfect escape. I think I like spaghetti squash more than any other kind of squash, but I can't eat much of it because it upsets my stomach. When I used to eat it, I would lightly roast the seeds and eat them. They were so delicious. And yes, balance is good. :)
ReplyDeleteSomeone drown? Oh gawd. sorry you went thru this. How awful. You need more happy reads.
ReplyDeleteOh man. I'm sorry to hear about that paddle boarder. What an awful thing to happen.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like having to deal with the paddle boarder was a traumatic experience.
ReplyDeleteI also loved Anxious People. Fredrik Backman writes with such tenderness, humanity and humour that even the most realistic situations end up being a joy to read.