Summer 2017 (at nº 42)
We have a slight pause between the departure of our last guests and the arrival of new ones. Well, we do have a dog guest now, but that’s different. I’m very much looking forward to starting The Sellout by Paul Beatty. It won last year’s Man Booker Prize. He starts the book by really slapping the reader in the face:
The flowers in town this summer are lovely. The combination of colours really works. They change them every season and nine out of 10 times they’re nice, but this time they’re happy. here are some in the immediate vicinity of number 42.
Also on my reading list this summer is Ian McEwan’s book with the fetus narrator, Nutshell. These are books people bring us after testing for themselves, so they’re sure bets 😀
Last week was the Fanfares Sans Frontières which is the Mazamet carnival. We took our guests to dinner at the Grand Balcon (newly reformed, excellent new menu, they’ve gone from mediocre to very good) and afterwards to see some of the parade as it’s in walking distance of the house. It was amusing.
My Mazamet 
Have you read McEwan’s novella, On Chesil Beach? A masterpiece, in my view, fwiw.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I haven’t, but I’m pretty sure we have it- so I’ll add it to my summer list.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The town flower beds remind me of when we had a lady gardener as a visitor: having taken her to every garden we could think of…private (much wangling involved) and public…and digested her comments and criticisms we were having a coffee in town when some rash fool said that he thought the town`s floral display was good this year.
Distance glasses removed from handbag and donned….a long silence…then
`Rather busy for my taste.`
LikeLiked by 2 people
What a coincidence….husband bought that book last week, so if he doesn’t start it before I’ve finished my current book, I’ll read it first. Your town flowers are pretty, they always cheer up public places, even if they can sometimes be ‘busy’ & rather bright in colour. That is perfect for towns. One decent thing our Council does is to have beautiful traffic islands covered in plants & flowers all year round.
I’ve been struggling computer wise for weeks, our old desktop, using Vista, is dying slowly, & it’s been too much of a struggle to use it. My phone is ok, but I kept forgetting to put passwords on it so could read your blog but not comment. Hopefully new (purple!) laptop will prove wonderful once everything has been set up to my liking.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Don’t get too hopeful. I’ve got the new windows and it’s spectacularly annoying! I’ve started on the book and I’m impressed,that’s usually a good sign 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Read The Sellout a couple months ago and found it brilliant. I think people either love it or hate it ( as my bf did…)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Why did he hate it? I haven’t read the criticisms yet.
LikeLike