Well, that was disappointing!

The face that results from the fact that there are bad books in the world.

So, it's been awhile since I have blogged anything about books... because it's been awhile since I finished a book.

There are several reasons for this:
1. It's the end of the semester, so I'm grading.
2. I came down with such a bad case of strep throat that I spent 6 days (including Thanksgiving) in a sort of fever daze.
3. We found a new place, so when I'm not grading, I'm packing.
4. I'm working on some Christmas present projects, so when I'm not packing, I'm creating.
5. One of my students may have created a voodoo image of me (wearing a Rush t-shirt, no doubt) because I am having terrible dreams every night for no reason.
6. I am a very clumsy packer, so I have managed to crack the bridge of my nose into a stand, bruise myself all over, and do something mean to muscles in my back.

I still read when I can, but it tends to be snatches and fragments... and a lot of me falling asleep with a book nearby! I did, however, finish these two - but I can't say it was a rewarding experience!

I had doubts about this one because I'm not a Highsmith fan to begin with, but the fact that the stories were being told from the animals' points of view tempted me. And I can't say that every story was a waste of time; I particularly enjoyed Ming the cat's revenge on her owner's boyfriend! Still, the story about the horse avenging its kitten broke my whole heart and I won't be picking this one up again. To the donation pile with you!

I've been reading Gluck's poetry for years, but this title did not resonate with me for some reason. I always worry that I'm not quite clever enough for poetry anyway, so perhaps there was a theme or a message that was eluding me -- but this grouping of poems didn't seem to have either the luster or the emotional resonance of her earlier titles.