Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
ImperfectCJ

ImperfectCJ

Joined May 2019

books: https://imperfecthappiness.org voice acting: https://ctlvoiceover.com/ The Storygraph: imperfectcj, IG: @ctlvoiceover, Bluesky: @charitytl
reading now icon
The Fountain Overflows by Rebecca West
blurb
ImperfectCJ
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
post image

June #bookspinbingo. As my teenager would say, let's go! Time to lock in!

@TheAromaofBooks

dabbe 💙 that bookmark! 18h
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Looks fantastic!! 17h
nanuska_153 The bookmark!!🥰🥰 16h
36 likes3 comments
blurb
ImperfectCJ
The Guncle Abroad | Steven Rowley
post image

The Storygraph has this AI-powered book preview (basically a prediction about whether a user will like a book or not) that I like to look at after I finish a book. This is from its prediction for how I'd feel about The Guncle Abroad. It seems like it's figured me out pretty well. It makes me wonder: How much can you tell about a person based only on their reading history? I feel like the answer is, "A lot," but I'm not sure about that.

review
ImperfectCJ
The Guncle Abroad | Steven Rowley
post image
Mehso-so

This one is relatively fun, and it's kind of nice to have Patrick called out on some of his silliness, but I'm not sure I'm super interested in general in people for whom flying first class is the default and purchasing real estate in SoCal or NYC is no big deal. The characters spend their time displaying a lack of awareness about their own wealth, being wowed at others even richer than them, and delivering one liners and schmaltz. Fun but light.

blurb
ImperfectCJ
The Guncle Abroad | Steven Rowley
post image

This lady has no respect for my to-do list. Or the fact that my coffee mug is empty. At least my book is within reach (just out of frame).

MallenNC Cat law means you can‘t move until she does! 2d
Ruthiella The cat vs coffee conundrum. I know it well! 😹 2d
dabbe #beyondadorable
🖤🐾🖤
1d
43 likes3 comments
blurb
ImperfectCJ
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
post image

Two bingos in May! I completed my #bookspin (although not my #doublespin). And I seem to be avoiding my #Roll100 titles...
#bookspinbingo
@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Fantastic month!! 22h
27 likes1 comment
blurb
ImperfectCJ
Stone Yard Devotional | CHARLOTTE. WOOD
post image

As I was putting this together, I realized that May 11-17 was a really good reading week...I listed my favorite, but there were a few other contenders, which is a lovely problem to have.

Farewell, May 2025! You were a good reading month.

#WeeklyFavorites @Read4life

Read4life I‘m glad you had such a good reading month!! 💙🦋💙 2d
BarbaraBB Such great books 🥰 2d
36 likes2 comments
blurb
ImperfectCJ
Untitled | Unknown
post image

Thanks for the tag @TheSpineView ! My first time playing this one...

Today is grocery shopping, running a mock 5k to see how my new training plan is working (aside from me gaining 5 pounds, which makes no sense but always happens when I add miles), and hopefully applying to a couple of interesting jobs. Oh, and getting my June library holds set up for our travels.

No idea whom to tag, so jump in if you want to play!

@AllDebooks #chatterday2025

TheSpineView 🥰😊🌞 3d
dabbe Good luck with the run and job applications! 🤩 3d
ImperfectCJ @dabbe Thanks! The run was a little slower than I'd have preferred, but I have some excellent excuses to explain that, and one of the job postings had closed but the other was still open and pretty promising, so all-in-all, not a bad morning. Now I'm reading, and that's almost always a great way to spend an afternoon. :-) 3d
36 likes3 comments
review
ImperfectCJ
Assumption | Percival Everett
post image
Pickpick

Everett has a way of writing characters that just draws me in, even if the plot confuses me. I wish I could identify what it is he does because it's really effective. I really enjoyed this one, although when I got to the third story, I wondered if I'd been reading the whole thing wrong. In the first and third stories, Ogden had been in the army, and in the second, he'd been in the Marines; I assumed this was an oversight, but now I'm not sure.

ImperfectCJ I could be annoyed at having the rug pulled out from underneath me, but something about how Everett writes has me looking around for what I might have done wrong to get me confused. That speaks to the trust Everett builds between author (or at least story) and reader, I think, because I usually have no problem getting irritated at an author if I'm feeling confused. 3d
48 likes1 comment
blurb
ImperfectCJ
Untitled | Untitled
post image

1) Camille, my reading buddy.
2) The penultimate concert of the academic year (Carmina Burana with choir!).
3) Rose Garden walk.
4) Silo getting his claws stuck in my son's shirt and then forgetting how to use his legs.
5) This pipe on our regular walking route that looks like a tiny robot guy from one angle, which I find delightful.
@DebinHawaii #5JoysFriday

monalyisha I love your tiny robot guy. I have a paint irregularity on the ceiling in my bathroom that looks like a polar bear gargling (or, I suppose, roaring…but that‘s not nearly as silly). I see it every time I tilt my head back to gargle mouthwash and it pleases me greatly. 3d
ImperfectCJ @monalyisha I just love those funny little things! There's also a knot pattern where I usually sit at our dining room table that looks (to me) like a fox looking around the edge of a doorway. 3d
Texreader Cats and roses and 🎶! Wonderful joys!!! 3d
32 likes3 comments
blurb
ImperfectCJ
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
post image

I am not happy that it's already June (I'm excited about things we're doing in June and that both kids will be home, but it's crazy that May is already over), but I'm always happy to put together my #bookspin list. I've got my #roll100, my #authoramonth, and my #camplitsy25 included here. (We'll see if I can get all of my hashtags right.)
@TheAromaofBooks

ImperfectCJ I just realized that I included on this list just ONE of the physical books I own but haven't read yet. I am incorrigible. 3d
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2d
42 likes2 comments
blurb
ImperfectCJ
Assumption | Percival Everett
post image

After a long day helping set up the high school gym for the Grad Night party, having an awesome time subbing a prealgebra class, and playing tennis with my spouse, I have a precious few minutes to read the tagged under a lovely sky before my kid is done with orchestra rehearsal.

review
ImperfectCJ
post image
Pickpick

Nate isn't quite as annoying as George (of The Book of George), but his story also isn't as interesting. After an enjoyable beginning, it moves into Nate's reiterative internal justification for inconsiderate behavior that provokes, at best, a kind of tired irritation, much like the emotional arc of his love affairs. His hopelessness and oblivious privilege are mundane (albeit realistic and well-written).

blurb
ImperfectCJ
The Book of Three | Lloyd Alexander
post image

1) I'm pretty happy with my name now (after trying to go by my middle name for a couple of years), but if I had to choose a new one, I'd choose one that sounds strong and stately to me, like Millicent or Birgitta.
2) Sam-I-Am, Maurice, Owen, Conrad Birdie.
3) Schuyler (actor who played Diana Barry in the Colleen Dewhurst Anne of Green Gables miniseries), Angharad from Welsh mythology (on my parents' long list for my name).
@Eggs #WondrousWednesday

Eggs All lovely names!! I happen to love the Dewhurst version of AOGG film❣️ 5d
30 likes1 comment
blurb
ImperfectCJ
Mocktail Party | Diana Licalzi MS, RD, CDCES, Kerry Benson
post image

I picked up this book today in the hopes that it will satisfy my desire for fancy drinks while not destroying my sleep like even one of the "real" versions does. There are kind of a lot of ingredients in a lot of these, but they look tasty.

blurb
ImperfectCJ
post image

It's my #Litsyversary! Six years on my favorite non-toxic (mostly) social media! Not a lot of time for reading today, but I did get to listen to the tagged this morning while driving to and from hanging out with a friend at the park, where we saw beautiful roses.

TheKidUpstairs Happy Litsyversary!!!! 6d
kspenmoll Happy Litsyversary! Gorgeous roses! 6d
AmyG Congrats! 🎉 6d
See All 10 Comments
Ruthiella Happy Litsyversary! 🥳🥳🥳 6d
Jas16 Happy Litsyversary 🎉🙌🏽📚 6d
Soubhiville Yay! Happy Litsyversary! 6d
Suet624 Yay! Happy anniversary!! 6d
Amiable Thanks for being here! 🥳🍾🥂 5d
TheBookgeekFrau Happy Litsyversary!! 🎊🎉 5d
Reggie Happy Litsyversary!!! 3d
46 likes10 comments
review
ImperfectCJ
Stone Yard Devotional | CHARLOTTE. WOOD
post image
Pickpick

I own this one in print, but I wanted to do housework today, so I opted for the audiobook. The contemplative pace is great for listening while doing chores. Everything in this novel means more than one thing, which I find comforting. There's also a comfort in the slow pace and the feeling that there's always time to reflect and improve. I feel like reading this on paper now, too.

review
ImperfectCJ
Solito: A Memoir | Javier Zamora
post image
Pickpick

This memoir captures the immediacy of Zamora's journey as well as the fast intimacies created by a shared intense experience, and it's delivered effectively through a voice that feels genuine to a nine-year-old's experience. It feels tedious at times, but this, too, feels true to the experience, which alternates between boredom and terror. I'm looking forward to the book club discussion. (Photo from a hike I took near the border in winter 2023.)

Kerrbearlib Gorgeous photo! 7d
ImperfectCJ @Kerrbearlib Thanks! It's by a military base, so the picture filters out the sound of helicopters very near the ground just out of frame, but it definitely was a beautiful hike! 6d
48 likes2 comments
blurb
ImperfectCJ
Solito: A Memoir | Javier Zamora
post image

I switched from audiobook to ebook so I could snuggle with Camille. She seems content with this change. First day in shorts (for non-exercise) this year and next to an open patio door. Feels about right for Memorial Day!

dabbe #cozycamille 🖤🐾🖤 1w
50 likes1 comment
review
ImperfectCJ
Mania | Lionel Shriver
post image
Pickpick

Even now that I've finished this and enjoyed it, I'm not entirely sure how to read it. It's cleverly written and goes into some depth about navigating relationships during times of extremism. There's also a fatalism to this alternate history, a sense that with culture becoming increasingly polarized into extreme viewpoints, certain outcomes are inevitable. Extreme positions of any kind give opportunists and narcissists a platform to thrive.

Suet624 Shriver is always offering thought provoking reads. 1w
dabbe Your house looks so cozy! 💚💜💚 1w
BarbaraBB Great review. I have this one on my shelves too, will get to it soon. 1w
47 likes3 comments
blurb
ImperfectCJ
Mania | Lionel Shriver
post image

Low-key readathon: Activated!

Only trouble is, the cat is so cozy, I'm about to fall asleep myself. 😴

#JumpStartSummer @TheSpineView

TheSpineView Cats can always find the most comfortable places. 2w
Leftcoastzen Awww!😻 1w
MemoirsForMe 😻😻😻 1w
Texreader Love this so much!! ♥️🐈‍⬛ 1w
50 likes4 comments
blurb
ImperfectCJ
Untitled | Unknown
post image

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii
1) Finished out the read-aloud year and brought home the book bin.
2) Bought a wagon so I'm less likely to injure myself taking the book bin to the main office next week.
3) Orchidelirium! Orchids have so much character!
4) Played my first piano recital.
5) Silo, our resident Distinguished Fellow.
Not pictured: I had a great informational interview exploring a new-ish field for me.

Suet624 Congrats on the piano recital!!!! 2w
dabbe 💚💜💚 2w
OrangeMooseReads Kitty is so handsome! Congrats on the piano recital 1w
MemoirsForMe Congrats on tickling those ivories! 🎹👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 1w
Gissy Congratulations 🎹👌👏👏👏 1w
38 likes5 comments
blurb
ImperfectCJ
Mania | Lionel Shriver
post image

I've got a busy weekend of music (both professional and talented student musicians) and stagehanding (if that's a word), but I'm hoping to sneak in some reading each day. I'm working on some Percival Everett for #authoramonth, Solito for book club, and the tagged just for fun, although I'm leaving open the possibility of just mood reading. #jumpstartsummer @TheSpineView

TheSpineView Enjoy! 🤩📖📚 2w
33 likes1 comment
review
ImperfectCJ
post image
Bailedbailed

After hearing the synopsis, reading the first few chapters and skimming the rest, I think I have the basic idea: You'll be happier and more successful if you aim for an ideal but measure yourself by your progress, not by how far you are from the ideal, like heading towards the horizon to give you direction, not because you expect to reach it. Decent idea, but it doesn't need this many words to convey it.

blurb
ImperfectCJ
Untitled | Unknown
post image

Bookends post for March and April 2025 is finally up: https://imperfecthappiness.org/2025/05/22/bookends-march-april-2025/

I list what I read in those months and ponder an unsettling temporal development.

review
ImperfectCJ
post image
Pickpick

Overall, I found this book to be moderate, data-driven, and interesting, with a couple of caveats. First, Twenge sometimes doesn't flag clearly what is data and what is her opinion. This is fine, it just means I have to pay closer attention. Next, I found the GenX section disappointing. She ignores outliers and nuances she points out in the Millennials section, and she reaches different conclusions from some data than I do. (cont'd ⬇️)

ImperfectCJ Admittedly, Twenge is an older GenXer and I'm a younger GenXer, and there's been a divide between those two microgenerations for a long time. Finally, some of the predictions for the future feel jarring given what's happened in the months between the book's publication and now, but I don't fault Twenge for that. We're in wacky territory is all, and data can only predict so much. (edited) 2w
ImperfectCJ And a final note for anyone who reads as I do, bouncing between the audio and the print/ebook: The ebook has been updated since the audiobook was made, so there are sentences and paragraphs in the ebook that aren't in the audio. 2w
RowReads1 Yup! I‘m a Xennial. there is a big divide between older and younger Xers. I‘ve been curious about this one. 2w
ImperfectCJ @RowReads1 Twenge's cutoff for GenX is 1979, which my younger siblings would take issue with (I'm 1976, they're 1981 and 1983). She does mention Xennials, and she quotes Chuck Klosterman about the differences between younger and older GenX, but that's it. I try not to make too big a deal about microgenerational differences within GenX, but when my GenZ teenager generalizes, I set him straight (then he points out that GenX is ignored online). (edited) 2w
RowReads1 @ImperfectCJ I don‘t mind that we‘re ignored online. I mean Gen X by Douglas Coupland is basically where the generational names and categorization “so called” officially took off from. We had tons of attention back then. 2w
44 likes5 comments
blurb
ImperfectCJ
Ulysses | James Joyce
post image

10/100, but it's more like 75/100 adjusted for Ulysses.

Notable titles of those I read:
1) Howards End (loved it)
2) The Trial (loved it)
3) Ulysses (loved being done with it)

#ThreeListThursday @dabbe

Leniverse That's how I feel about Ulysses too 😂 2w
dabbe You get a standing ovation for ULYSSES! 🤩 #TFPAS (Thanks for playing and sharing) 😊 2w
30 likes2 comments
blurb
ImperfectCJ
The Overstory: A Novel | Richard Powers
post image

1) Reminding myself that, assuming we're not living in the Matrix, I only know for sure that I have this one life, so it deserves my attention, care, curiosity, and joy.

2) Tagged, although there are several I could name at different points in my life.

#WondrousWednesday @Eggs

DrSabrinaMoldenReads Well, I may never forget the Count of Monte Christo, book and character (edited) 2w
ImperfectCJ @DrSabrinaMoldenReads I actually never read that one...the English teacher I didn't have had that on her syllabus, so most of my friends read it. Perhaps I should check it out as an adult. 2w
Eggs Love #1❣️Thanks for playing 🥳 2w
34 likes4 comments
blurb
ImperfectCJ
Penguinaut! | Marcie Colleen
post image

Today I finished the last read-aloud session of the academic year with the tagged book. I volunteered to bring my school's book bin back to the main office next week and to pick up and return as many as three other bins from other schools. I'm in good shape, but lugging this bin a city block to my car left me a sweaty mess with an ache in my back, so I ordered a heavy duty wagon to help with the other bins. Volunteering can get expensive!

review
ImperfectCJ
The Dream Hotel | Laila Lalami
post image
Pickpick

Lalami's writing is sometimes a little obvious in its intentions, but this one plays with nuance a little better than The Other Americans, which I appreciate. It's definitely paranoia-inducing, so if you're reading fiction to avoid doomscrolling or if you don't want to look at your smart devices with suspicion, this might not be your best option. But aside from those caveats, I quite enjoyed this one.

ImperfectCJ Bonus points because this is the first of Lalami's novels I've read that doesn't mention turtle doves living in North America (which they don't). Bird mistakes in fiction are a pet peeve of mine. I'm still irritated at The Memory Keeper's Daughter for a robin mistake, and I read that one in 2009. It's actually pretty much the only thing I remember from that book. 2w
Ruthiella Small errors like that can really bug! 2w
TrishB It‘s historical inaccuracies that annoy me! 2w
Suet624 I‘m still thinking and talking about this book 2w
42 likes4 comments
blurb
ImperfectCJ
The Dream Hotel | Laila Lalami
post image

I had a lovely time at the orchid exhibition at the botanic garden yesterday. It was a nice break from national news, unlike the tagged, which I started on audio. It seems pretty good, but I don't know if I'm in the right headspace to cope with the paranoia. (I also played at a piano recital and was so nervous that I pretty much blacked out during my performance, so I might need something lighter to read to help me even out.)

kspenmoll How beautiful! What a peaceful way to spend some time. 2w
42 likes1 comment
review
ImperfectCJ
post image
Pickpick

A quick and impactful read, this book by Richard Haass is like a distillation of David Brooks's writings about character. It was written before the 2024 election but predicts many of the threats to democracy that resulted. The suggestions are moderate and bipartisan, although in the current environment would likely be considered radical.

TL;DR: Protecting democracy is necessary, nonpartisan, and requires our active participation.

blurb
ImperfectCJ
post image

Back when I was a recent college graduate, I wrote a letter to John Glenn, one of my senators at the time, proposing an expansion of benefits associated with voluntary civil service (essentially making AmeriCorps service and military service equivalent). I never got a reply. Here in Obligation VIII, Haass proposes almost exactly what I did at age 21. I feel vindicated and also a tiny bit wise beyond my years (retroactively).

DogMomIrene People are so change-resistant. That‘s one thing I‘m working on as I age – not getting stuck in one way of thinking. But imagine if more young people‘s ideas were seriously considered. This book sounds really good. 2w
ImperfectCJ @DogMomIrene I find that people are either resistant to change or waaay too enthusiastic about throwing out both baby and bathwater. I really enjoyed this book as I'm definitely a fan of keeping the foundation strong and building something better and better on top of it. (To mix metaphors...) 2w
33 likes2 comments
blurb
ImperfectCJ
post image

Please don't let one of the obligations be strict sobriety. 🤞

@MaleficentBookDragon I was inspired by your bourbon posts to make myself a Friday night Harlequin Racerunner (except with rye instead of bourbon because I wanted something less sweet).

blurb
ImperfectCJ
Untitled | Unknown
post image

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii
I continue to feel down this week, but there were definite joys:
1) Mother's Day vampire movie! (Along with the recent discovery that my younger kid shares my love of scary movies...I've got a bunch out from the library to watch with him!)
2) After 2+ weeks, the new dishwasher is finally installed!
3) Silo looking cozy.
4) Silo looking regal.
5) Silo and Camille "hunting" an alligator lizard through the screen door.

Leftcoastzen All great joys !😻😻 3w
5feet.of.fury I wanna see that movie soooo badddd 3w
ImperfectCJ @5feet.of.fury I really liked it! Michael B. Jordan did a really outstanding job, and the music is fantastic. 3w
mcctrish Woo Hoo with the dishwasher getting installed 👏🏻👏🏻✊🏻 2w
dabbe 💙💚💙 2w
30 likes5 comments
review
ImperfectCJ
Dr. No | Percival Everett
post image
Pickpick

Despite not being a fan of the ending, I really enjoyed this book. It's weird and quirky, and the tone almost reminds me of Stan Schmidt's Life of Fred series of story-based math books (a reference only a few homeschoolers are likely to get, but that's what it made me think of). I haven't read any James Bond books, so I can't say if it's like any of those. #authoramonth

Ruthiella I‘m listening to this now. Definitely different, but I am enjoying just going with the flow. 3w
ImperfectCJ @Ruthiella Going with the flow worked for me with this one. Everett knows so much about so many different things, it's fun to observe (so long as I can avoid feeling too unintelligent in comparison, but unlike some authors, I feel like Everett is inviting the reader to engage as equals, rather than being clever in order to make his readers feel stupid). 3w
40 likes2 comments
review
ImperfectCJ
post image
Pickpick

I started this in Spanish and finished it in English because I read too slowly in Spanish. I'm not sure if that's ironic or not. Newport writes in this book that he aims to write in a style that's a cross between Stephen Covey and Malcolm Gladwell, and I think he's succeeded. He presents anecdotes from which he derives hypotheses about productivity, and then he offers possible solutions to reduce performative productivity. It's interesting.

48 likes2 stack adds
review
ImperfectCJ
Erasure: A Novel | Percival Everett
post image
Pickpick

What first struck me about this novel about art getting out of hand was how quickly I felt close to the characters. There's an event near the beginning that's foreshadowed clearly, but still it felt like a blow when it came because I had connected with the characters so much already. I listened to part of the novel in the car and found myself self-consciously turning down the volume at stop lights. (Guess which section that was.) #authoramonth

ImperfectCJ It felt good to be drawn into a story like this one drew me in. I'm excited to read more from Everett. 3w
ImperfectCJ And Sean Crisden's narration on the audiobook was excellent! 3w
Readerann I loved the narration, but I get you wouldn‘t want to have it blaring from your car. 🤣 3w
willaful I know what you mean, it really hit me hard too. 3w
42 likes4 comments
blurb
ImperfectCJ
post image

Our library system already has a budget that's lower than the average per capita library spending for the state, and last week more budget cuts went through, with plans to close libraries on Sundays and Mondays and reduce cleaning and maintenance services. I'm angry and discouraged that our city isn't prioritizing libraries, especially when literacy is under attack on a national level. So, I'm visiting the library and enjoying humorous signage.

Read-n-Bloom I don‘t like any of the downgrading of libraries. We should be lifting them up and encouraging them. 3w
Read-n-Bloom And I love the ant apocalypse signage 😂 so funny 😂 3w
CarolynM 😆 (the photo) 🤬 (underfunding of libraries) (edited) 3w
58 likes4 comments
blurb
ImperfectCJ
Untitled | Unknown
post image

For #TuesdayTunes, I'm revisiting the debut album of Tift Merritt, a North Carolina artist whose music almost always hits the spot for me. https://open.spotify.com/track/4pd9x8AzxZHEd17QT7vH6B?si=PtFE0iHTTjedh3W32GPEZQ&...
@TieDyeDude

review
ImperfectCJ
The Stranger | Albert Camus
post image
Pickpick

I read The Plague years ago (while pregnant with my first, whose 20th birthday is today), and while I kept meaning to read this one, it took my second-born reading it in high school and begging his father and me to read it to get me finally to pick it up. It's a quick read, the style reminiscent of Hemingway in the first half. As my son promised, there are some fire quotes in here, as well as musings about existence in the modern age. I liked it.

Scochrane26 I first read this in French class but didn‘t remember much about it. So I reread it (in English) a few years ago. 3w
ImperfectCJ @Scochrane26 My son's English class read this, Oedipus Rex, and Crime and Punishment, which I think is a very interesting grouping. How did you find The Stranger when you read it in English? I also see it translated as The Outsider...is it the same word for both in French? 3w
BarbaraBB I read The Plague too when I was really young and still remember it. Much much later I read The Stranger and unfortunately didn‘t enjoy it as much. I hope you have a better experience. Oh and I love you son‘s English teacher 🥰 3w
See All 7 Comments
Faranae @ImperfectCJ It's the same word in French: “étranger“. It can also be translated as “Foreigner“. You can't use “extérieur“ as a singular noun to mean a person rather than a place. 3w
ImperfectCJ @BarbaraBB I definitely like her style! My son has been talking every night about his readings for class and is even enjoying reading outside the curriculum, which I was worried he'd dropped entirely in favor of YouTube videos! I need to send his teacher a thank you card. :-) 3w
Liz_M @ImperfectCJ I'm trying to come up with an informal name for this class -- is The Guilty Murder Club too obvious? 3w
ImperfectCJ @Liz_M That's better than what I thought of (Remorse and Remorselessness in World Literature). But both are more descriptive than Honors English 10, which is the actual name of the class. 😁 3w
59 likes7 comments
blurb
ImperfectCJ
The Stranger | Albert Camus
post image

"So, with all the sleep, my memories, reading my crime story, and the alternation of light and darkness, time passed...days could be both long and short at the same time: long to live through, maybe, but so drawn out that they ended up flowing into one another. They lost their names. Only the words 'yesterday' and 'tomorrow' still had any meaning for me."

He's talking about prison, but this works to describe how a lot of 2020 felt, too.

review
ImperfectCJ
Dream Count | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
post image
Pickpick

I quite enjoyed this novel, with its distinct, richly drawn characters, complex relationships, and cultural critique. I also appreciate the author's perspective on lockdown and its effect on how we relate to others. It's refreshing to read about lockdown from the perspective of characters who believe lockdown and masking were necessary with negative side effects, rather than either ignoring that period or acting like it was all an overreaction.

Suet624 I love those kind of skies. 3w
ImperfectCJ @Suet624 I left for a jog yesterday, looked up, and had to stop to take several pictures. It was so fantastic, and then as the run progressed, it turned into a more classic mackerel sky. Just gorgeous! 3w
47 likes2 comments
review
ImperfectCJ
post image
Pickpick

The characters are definitely characters, and Paley's dialogue is quite colorful, which makes this book of short stories something of an experience, even as I found it difficult to discern what the heck was going on at times.

This was a #Roll100 title from January.

PuddleJumper 😻😻 3w
51 likes1 comment
blurb
ImperfectCJ
post image

As a matter of fact, yes, I did forget to finish my #WeeklyFavorites collage for April until the 10th of May.

@Read4life

kspenmoll I just posted mine too! 🤪😂 3w
Suet624 I feel as if folks haven‘t talked about The Warehouse enough. I still think about it. 3w
Read4life I love seeing these no matter when they‘re posted!!! 💙📚💙 3w
44 likes3 comments
blurb
ImperfectCJ
Untitled | Unknown
post image

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

Counterclockwise from bottom left:
1. Lounging cats.
2. Live music.
3. Ephemeral art by high schoolers.
4. Bibliotherapy.
5. Curious towhee at my garden camera.

dabbe 💜💚💜 4w
37 likes2 comments
blurb
ImperfectCJ
Dream Count | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
post image

I woke up in a similar despondent, low energy mood as when I went to bed last night, so after making myself work out, I indulged in some audio-organizing and decluttering. I cleared out three bins of homeschool stuff (only 6 more to go 🙄), reorganized our games and some of our books, and dusted underneath the piano. Finally having all of my library books in one place reminds me how aspirational my checkouts often are. I feel moderately better.

ImperfectCJ (Except that I'm on the edge of a panic attack/acute midlife crisis from all of the papers I recycled that have my kids' handwriting on them. I curated a small amount as keepsakes, and I'm comforting myself thinking of those.) 4w
BarbaraBB Been there and recognize what you‘re saying ❤️‍🩹 4w
Suet624 💕💕💕 4w
43 likes3 comments
blurb
ImperfectCJ
post image

After a frustrating day, I'm going to follow Camille's lead (although I'm going to try to finish one story from the tagged before I lose consciousness)(and I likely won't fall asleep perched on the back of the sofa).

Ruthiella 😻😻😻 4w
MemoirsForMe Camille has the right idea! 😻Wishing you better days ahead 4w
Leftcoastzen 👏😻 4w
See All 9 Comments
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Sweet Camille 🐾 4w
dabbe #coziestCamille 🖤🐾🖤 4w
BookmarkTavern An elegant lady! And just the right idea! 4w
Darklunarose Cats always have the right idea😻 3w
ImperfectCJ @Darklunarose Maybe this means I should knock more stuff off of counters. 🤣 3w
Darklunarose @ImperfectCJ well it‘s worth a try 🤣 3w
64 likes9 comments
blurb
ImperfectCJ
post image

For read-alouds today, I read the tagged (and experienced the absolute joy of hearing 4-year-olds say "lellow") and the pictured "scary book," as the students proclaimed it. I also wore my rainbow heart "Library For Everyone" shirt, which is always a hit. Only two more weeks before the reading year ends; I'm going to miss sharing books with these kiddos every week.

blurb
ImperfectCJ
post image

What an odd little book this is! It's taking me a while to figure out how to read it (and not just because I didn't realize at first that it's short stories). We'll see how it hits me as I make more progress.

review
ImperfectCJ
At Bertram's Hotel | Agatha Christie
post image
Mehso-so

This is not among my favorites. It feels more like an interesting idea that Christie is exploring in writing than it does a complete story. And Miss Marple doesn't play nearly as large a role as I would prefer her to.