I had a bit of a frustrating week, mostly due to work issues. When you work with the public there just comes a time when you feel burned out, disappointed in humanity, impatient with complainers and tired of power trips. Every few months I suffer from all of the above and struggle to get out of bed in the mornings, feel deep ennui when I walk into the library and have to give myself pep talks about how I do believe I am doing a job that is valuable in my community and makes a difference in people’s lives. Still. I am so happy when the weekend comes!
Books finished this week:
Appointment in Arezzo: A Friendship with Muriel Spark by Alan Taylor – Alan Taylor was friends with Spark for the last 17 years of her life. He visited her many times at her home in Italy, exchanged correspondence with her and even traveled with her and her friend Penny. This book is part bio of Spark’s very interesting life and partly Taylor’s own observations of the great writer and her choices and influences. Other than being a bit repetitive, it was really delightful. Spark was such a fascinating person and I enjoyed reading about her life and opinions.
The Other Americans by Laila Lalami – I’m not sure what drew me to this title, but I am glad I picked it up. It is set near Palm Desert in California and the story centers around the death of a Moroccan immigrant who is killed in a hit-and-run accident. Each chapter is told in the voice of a person who is affected by the crime: various members of his family, police officers, a man who witnessed the crime, etc. What I loved about it is that the characters are so well-drawn, so real and truthful. And I admired Lalami’s ability to have compassion for each of the characters and that she showed that fear and grief drive a lot of our hatred, bad choices and dysfunction. There are many “other Americans” in this book and their stories are beautifully told.
And now I am having trouble finding another book to read. I have started a few, most notably Normal People by Sally Rooney, but I am just not in the mood for anything. I’m hoping that something will catch fire today. Have a lovely week!
A Certain Fondness 
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