Books about Africa

A book list from a recent National Geographic post on Facebook

1. Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, by Alexandra Fuller
2. Out of Africa, by Isak Dinesen
3. Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
4. Born a Crime, by Trevor Noah
5. In Arabian Nights, by Tahir Shah
6. Down the Nile, by Rosemary Mahoney
7. West with the Night, by Beryl Markham
8. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, by William Kamkwamba
9. Homegoing, by Yaa Gyasi
10. The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver

So far, I've read 10, 8, and 4.  Own 1, 2, 3, and 7.  I think this may be my reading list for after I'm finished with the No. 1 Ladies' Detective series.

Pandemic staycation

I think it's better to look at the lockdown as a staycation, for lack of a better word.  People online are calling it exile, grounding, punishment, etc, and I think that doesn't help the situation at all. 

Memorial Weekend quarantine update

Or, venting, as the case may be.

The Son's birthday was last week, and somehow we got talked into going to the in-laws' for a small birthday dinner.  Only three people.  Okay, not bad.  But the in-laws have been to the hair salon and church now.  We're probably going there for Father's Day big family dinner next month - 30 people, at least two of whom work in a grocery store.  Ugh.  Sure, Missouri is getting off pretty lightly so far, so is Boone County and the counties around it.  BUT, with the mass stupidity going on at Lake of the Ozarks over the weekend, I expect that to change.

But I'm still staying home most of the time and wearing a mask when I do go out.  Most shopping is done online - Hy-Vee has gotten the hang of online ordering and curbside pickup, so it's same-day pickup instead of 4 days from now. Can't believe the in-laws, who tick quite a few boxes on the high-risk checklist, are okay with going to church and havingthe grocery-working grandkids over frequently. 

Sadly, I don't see us eating in a restaurant for a while.  Sucks, because the long geek-chats with Alex at G&D are always fun. 

May's First Reads

Oh, look, it's May.  Or March 69th of the quarantine era.

1. Thriller - Don't Make a Sound
2. Contemporary Fiction - If You Must Know
3. Legal Thriller - Legacy of Lies
4. Book Club Fiction - Sorry I Missed You
5. Memoir - Your Blue is Not My Blue 
6. Historical Fiction - Golden Poppies
7. Picture Book - The Refuge
8. Literary Fiction - A Man (translated from the Japanese)

Knocking out the categories I don't like (thrillers, missing-person memoirs), I'm down to Sorry I Missed You, Golden Poppies, or A Man.

Still undecided.  Will think about it for a day or so.