Halfway through the week

I can't believe it's halfway through the week, and I'm just now realizing that ... I haven't been posting.  It's true.  Is it okay to blame my forgetfulness on things like watching the build-up and then the fireworks for the huge 4th of July celebrating 250 years since the beginning of the United States?

Yes, I watched the fireworks on television.  Crown Center's huge TV was tuned to what was happening in New York, but I missed seeing what was happening here in St. Louis.  I found this photo of downtown St. Louis online just now.

• On the last Monday in June, I mused about a runaway, HERE.
• My Wednesday word, two days later, was about a sloth, HERE.

And then ... nothing.  What was I doing?  Meeting in the lobby to talk with friends and neighbors; meeting a brand new resident and inviting her to the café with me.  Sunday came and went, and here it is already Wednesday before I am remembering to blog.  Okay, so I really AM getting old and forgetful.  Oh, wait, I did have my annual doctor's appointment on Thursday, so maybe that took up all the space in my brain, perhaps?

On the last Friday post that I remembered to do, I wrote about "mindfulness" HERE, but then my mind seems to have slipped out of gear or something.  Oh, well, time to pick up the pieces, and "click" back into my blogging mindset.  (Let's hope that did the trick.)

Another book donated to our Crown Center library

Children of the Alley ~ by Naguib Mahfouz, 1996, (Egypt), 464 pages

The novel was first published in Arabic in 1959.  It's about an Egyptian family, but it's also the setting for a second, hidden, and more daring narrative:  the spiritual history of humankind.  The men and women of a modern Cairo neighborood unwittingly reenact the lives of their holy ancestors:  from the feudal lord who disowns one son for diabolical pride and puts another to the test, to the savior of a succeeding generation who frees his people from bondage.  This powerful novel confirms that Mahfouz is "the single most important writer in modern Arabic literature" (quoting Newsweek).

In 2016 an Amazon reviewer wrote:

This book is a fictional retelling of the history of the great religious leaders of the Middle East, including Moses, Jesus and Mohammad, and a scientist to represent the modern era, when God is supposedly dead.  The story is a bit predictable, because you know who the players are in advance, but Mahfouz plays with their histories enough to provide some surprises, and the way he interprets the temperament of the great spiritual leaders is designed to be entertaining and leave you wondering what will happen next.  The writing is quite good, better than in many of his books, though I don't know how much of this is Mahfouz and how much is the translator.  The book is fast-paced, and I found myself turning pages quite rapidly as the heroes appear on the scene, take on the bad guys, and effect spiritual enlightenment which never lasts long.  I have read many Mahfouz books, and this one is a gem.  I found it on a list of great world literature, and I agree with whoever made that list; this story is excellent.  Highly recommended!"

My neighbor says she couldn't put this one down

The Appeal ~ by Janice Hallett, 2021, murder mystery, 432 pages

This international bestseller follows a community rallying around a sick child — but when escalating lies lead to a dead body, everyone is a suspect.  The Fairway Players, a local theatre group, is in the midst of rehearsals when tragedy strikes the family of director Martin Hayward and his wife Helen, the play’s star.  Their young granddaughter has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, and with an experimental treatment costing a tremendous sum, their castmates rally to raise the money to give her a chance at survival.

But not everybody is convinced of the experimental treatment’s efficacy — nor of the good intentions of those involved.  Things come to a shocking head at the explosive dress rehearsal.  The next day, a dead body is found, and soon, an arrest is made.  In the run-up to the trial, two young lawyers sift through the material — emails, messages, letters — with a growing suspicion that the killer may be hiding in plain sight.  The evidence is all there, between the lines, waiting to be uncovered.

NOTE:  Since my neighbor Betty needed another book to read, she called me, offered me this book, and I gave her "Nice" Jewish Girls by Julie Merberg that I read in October and rated 10/10.  Read about it, HERE.

The third book in this week's trilogy

MaddAddam: Book 3 of The MaddAddam Trilogy ~ by Margaret Atwood, 2013, literary fiction, 416 pages

This final volume of the internationally celebrated MaddAddam trilogy "has brought the previous two books together in a fitting and joyous conclusion that’s an epic not only of an imagined future but of our own past" (The New York Times Book Review).

The Waterless Flood pandemic has wiped out most of the population.  Toby is part of a small band of survivors, along with the Children of Crake: the gentle, bioengineered quasi-human species who will inherit this new earth.

As Toby explains their origins to the curious Crakers, her tales cohere into a luminous oral history that sets down humanity’s past — and points toward its future.  Blending action, humor, romance, and an imagination that is inventive yet grounded in a recognizable world.

Where does rabbit live?

Missing Rabbit ~ by Roni Schotter, illustrated by Cyd Moore, 2002, children's picture book, 32 pages

While shuffling back and forth between her Mama's house and her Papa's house, Kara's favorite toy, Rabbit, asks to stay at Papa's house.  Kara must leave her toy behind while she is at Mama's house, where she misses him terribly.  This heart-warming tale for children whose parents are divorced captures the true meaning of home and parental love.