Lunch with friends ~ and books on my mind

Last Sunday, I got a call from Lauree (and Ron, above) inviting me to lunch while they're in town.  We went to First Watch, and I got the same combo as the last time I went there with Lauree and her friend.  Since Lauree was the one who taught our recent class on scams and phishing, I slipped my laptop into a bag and took it with me to share that scam attempt I wrote about this week.  This photo shows Ron helping me sort out what to do about it.  (Lauree says he knows more than she does; she took this photo.)  My thanks to both of you for your help — and for a great lunch with great company.

So You Want to Write: How to Master the Craft of Writing Fiction and Memoir (2nd edition) ~ by Marge Piercy and Ira Wood, 2010, writing, 330 pages (colorful image)

How to Master the Craft of Writing Fiction and the Personal Narrative (1st edition) ~ by Marge Piercy and Ira Wood, 2001, writing, 200 pages (dark image)

When I tried to download this book (2nd edition) onto my Kindle, there was a problem with my card.  It was denied as "expired" (which it isn't).  So I put the book on reserve at my library while I got the updated card sorted out.  The copy from my library is the old one, roughly 2/3 the size of the new edition.  I thought, "Okay, better than nothing."  When I fixed the problem with the help of Ron and Lauree, I was able to get the book downloaded onto my Kindle.  Whew!  So now, I have BOTH editions in hand.  Which one do you think I'll actually read?  Two guesses.  Memoir does sound more succinct to me.

The View from Flyover Country: Dispatches from the Forgotten America ~ by Sarah Kendzior, 2018, essays, 256 pages, 7/10

In 2015, Sarah Kendzior collected the essays she reported for Al Jazeera and published them as The View from Flyover Country, which became an eBook bestseller and garnered praise from readers around the world.  The book was released in print with an updated introduction and epilogue that reflect on the ways that the Trump presidency was the certain result of the realities first captured in Kendzior’s essays.  I found this book on my friend Donna's Kindle.

The book is a critique of the labor exploitation, race relations, gentrification, media bias, and other aspects of the post-employment economy that gave rise to a president who ruled like an autocrat. Amazon says it's necessary reading for anyone who believes that the only way for America to fix its problems is to first discuss them with honesty and compassion.  Kendzior is definitely a critic of the Trump administration.  Some of the book is a bit out of date (how many of us are still thinking about Snowden?), but it was interesting to read.

Perfectly Pegasus ~ by Jessie Sima, 2022, children's picture book, 48 pages, 7/10

Nimbus has always lived among the clouds.  She’s a pegasus, after all, and the sky is where she belongs  She is one of a kind.  And when she wants a friend, all she has to do is look up — and talk to the stars.  Only, they don’t really talk back.  The clouds don’t, either.  And sometimes, being the only pegasus can be a little lonely.  So she decides to find a fallen star to make a wish on — and wishes for friends who are just like her.  Along the way she meets a Unicorn named Kelp, and a host of other creatures who might just open her eyes to something other than what’s up in the sky.

Word of the Day

pegasus ~ A pegasus is one of the best known creatures in Greek mythology.  He is a winged divine stallion usually depicted as pure white in color.

Deb at Readerbuzz hosts The Sunday Salon.