Favorite May Reads

I am still finding a little time to read and haven't forgotten about my May books post. I read two great books in May, one I've been reading for a few months and will continue reading - How to Tell Fate From Destiny, and another that was a nice escape.

How to Tell Fate From Destiny by Charles Harrington Elster (Adult Nonfiction)

Though there were a handful of word distinctions I was already familiar with, I was surprised by how many I didn't know and how many words I mess up. I made a list of words I struggle with in the hopes I will use the list when I'm writing something important. Occasionally Elster gets frustrated with common errors, and because he's a logophile, this can be pretty entertaining. For instance, while writing about "the rampant misuse of can for may," Elster states,  "'Everybody does it' is the poorest, lamest excuse for an infraction. It's the last refuge of the speeder, the spitter, the litterer, and the liar. Do you want scoundrels like these to run your language?" Though Elster's scolding tone may rub some the wrong way, I applaud his passion (even though I shrugged off some of the scolding). How to Tell Fate From Destiny has a little bit of everything - humor, passion, history, an opportunity for personal growth, and the feeling of a deeper connection with fellow scoundrels.

Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes (Adult Nonfiction)

Before reading this I couldn't help peeking at the first review on Goodreads. It's hard to miss because it's in all caps, practically shouting to skip the book because it's basically the ramblings of a middle-aged woman. Whether you've read the book or not, it's bound to make you chuckle. After reading Under the Tuscan Sun I have to agree that the reviewer isn't wrong - there is a lot of rambling. Though the path was linear, I felt like the story zig-zagged the entire way. But I thoroughly enjoyed it. If I ever do anything half as interesting as purchasing a neglected villa in Italy, I would love to ramble on and on about it. Under the Tuscan Sun picked me up out of a rather crazy time in my life and transported me to a different kind of chaos, a chaos sprinkled with incredible moments of serenity and beauty. 

Here are a few of my favorite moments: 

"The house must be in some good alignment... Something is giving us an extraordinary feeling of well being." I, too, understand this feeling. I had it a few times while my husband and I traveled in an RV a few years ago. The RV felt like home in a way no other place has. One night we stayed in a gas station parking lot, and I remember looking out the tiny window into a cornfield and having that same feeling of well being, like everything was ok in the world. 

I also enjoyed Mayes' ruminations on olive trees - "The olive tree does impart a sense of peace. It must be, simply, the way they participate in time." What an idea!! I have been doing a lot of thinking about how I "participate in time." I can't stop thinking about this line. 

I enjoyed the brief discussion Mayes had with her husband concerning bees, and what her husband says about the workers: "The workers...have the best life. they have fields of flowers to roll in. Imagine turning over and over and inside a rose." It's another line I can't stop thinking about. 

Though stressful at times, I enjoyed reading about Mayes' home restoration. I was floored when a fresco was uncovered and enraged when a worker wrote over it in sharpie. 

Her food descriptions are rich enough to put you in a food coma and her writing style is just as rich: the mixed lettuces she planted "bolted the border," and "green beans served with black olives, sliced raw fennel, spring onions, and a light vinaigrette or lemon juice must be one of the nicest things to happen to a green bean." I think about this now when I make something. For example, lemon, Parmesan, olive oil, and Dijon mustard have got to be one of the nicest things that can happen to kale. 

This is one of those rare books I continue to think about nonstop after reading. It's one of those books that has changed how I define myself and how I see the world. It was such a pleasure to join Mayes while she aimlessly and joyfully flitted from one interesting thing to another and shared her incredible journeys in Italy. I can't wait to read more!