“Aren’t bookshops strange, sitting there with quiet menace, as if they were just a shop and not an entry point to 30,000 different universes?” –Matt Haig
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Bucket List item crossed off amid a torrent of pain
The migraine that wouldn’t end finally ended after more than three days of torture.
This particular monster was accompanied by a high fever, chills, body aches, exhaustion and a rash, so you know that was fun. M was a saint through the whole ordeal and I was once again reminded how very fortunate I am to have such a compassionate partner.
We did make it to the “After Dark” event at the Harvard Book Store last weekend, and it was everything I hoped it would be. Once the lights went out, ghost stories were shared and then we wandered through the darkened store by flashlight, searching for intriguing tomes. The migraine kicked in about halfway through the event so the ride home was pure misery, but once I emerged from the seventh level of hell, I had a bag full of books to read:
Have you read any of these books? If so, let me know what you thought.
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Trapped in a bookstore late at night? Sounds like a dream come true
As some of you know, it has long been a goal of mine to shop in a bookstore after hours. The very idea of having all those shelves of books to myself, late at night (my preferred time of day), is just so enchanting.
April 30 is Independent Bookstore Day and I intend to celebrate by crossing this item off my bucket list.
In an effort to highlight the wonderful contributions independent bookstores provide to communities, more than 400 shops across the U.S. will hold sales, giveaways, contests, author signings and other special events. One such festivity will take place at the Harvard Book Store in Cambridge, Mass., and I’ve already purchased our tickets.
At 11 p.m. on Saturday night, M and I will attend “After Hours at the Bookstore,” an event that involves the staff locking us inside the store for two hours. During that time, we’ll be offered refreshments, entertained by readings from Samantha Hunt and Kelly Link and given free rein of the shop for some late-night browsing. We’ll also receive a Harvard Book Store flashlight and a 20% discount on all purchases. I only wish I could pick up Joe Hill’s latest novel, “The Fireman,” but alas, it doesn’t come out until the middle of May.
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In which I answer Hank Green’s annual survey
Each year, vlogger Hank Green shares this survey with his friends and family, and they send him their answers. I’ve decided to follow suit by answering the questions myself and encouraging my readers to share their responses.
Ready?
1. Your name:
Jade Walker2. Your Web page:
http://www.jadewalker.com3. What have you been up to this past year?
Working, mostly. But also saving up to buy a house and move. Full list of activities was posted here.4. How much longer do you think you’ll be doing what you’re doing?
I really don’t know. I’ve been a journalist for 25 years now and the business has changed dramatically in that time period. Whether I shall continue to work in the media or branch out into another field is something I’m weighing this year.5. Why are you doing it?
I’ve always felt a calling to write and serve the public. Journalism has allowed me to do both.6. What do you want to be doing?
Ah, now there’s the $1 million question. I’d like to win the lottery, move to Scotland, write books, write obits and launch a podcast. But first I have to get my voice back (stupid cold). And I need to win the aforementioned lottery.7. What’s next in your life?
Covering the Olympics. Covering the 2016 election. Continuing to work toward our goal of moving, possibly out of state.8. How You Doin’?
On the plus side, I’m feeling better than I was last week. On the down side, I’m helping my youngest cat through the final phase of her life (fucking cancer). I also wish it would snow more.9. What’s the best book you read last year?
My favorite nonfiction book was “Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania” by Erik Larson. Favorite novel was “Finders Keepers” by Stephen King.10. Describe a perfect day.
Bake something delicious. Sit by the fire and drink a cup of tea while reading a good book. Spend several hours writing. Enjoy a double feature at the movies. Buy books at the Strand. Wander through an old boneyard and greet the moon. Hang out with my friends at a 24-hour coffeehouse or diner. Snuggle with my animals. And then at dawn, sleep in the same bed as my husband.11. Assuming that all things come to an end…how do you think humans will go extinct?
Hubris.12. How are you feeling about kids these days?
They’re our only hope for the future. I just wish they’d look up from their phones more often (and not text while driving).13. In this space, compose your own question, and answer it.
What is your personal motto? Carpe noctem.14. Ambrosia tastes better than anything else. What does Ambrosia taste like?
Pots de creme.15. If you were a cliché, what cliché would you be?
Keep your nose to the grindstone.16. What is your least favorite part of any given day?
9 p.m.17. Do you enjoy science fiction?
Yes.18. Cheese or Chocolate?
Chocolate, preferably dark chocolate.19. Where would you live if you could live anywhere?
Scotland. Canada. New Zealand.20. What was your first concert?
Winger.21. If you could start a business that would be instantly successful, what kind of business would it be?
A wire service for obituaries. Or a book store that’s only open at night.22. Invisibility or Time Travel?
Time travel.23. What’s wrong with the world?
Lack of compassion and curiosity. -
Seasonal slump, a quest for home and bookstore ruminations
So Summer has arrived and well… blech. But I shall endeavor to keep my seasonal grumpiness to myself. Just know that I dream of central air conditioning.
In recent weeks, M and I have been house-hunting and preparing to apply for mortgage applications. The first activity is fun, the second incredibly stressful. We really want to embark on to the next phase of our life, and that will involve moving, so both activities are required.
One thing I’ve learned during this process is how compatible we are. I knew we loved each other and got along fabulously, but our tastes are very similar too. Where they diverge, the differences are minor.
We also share a desire to make the other happy, which comes in handy while examining potential abodes. Best of all, after more than nine years together, we know each other’s likes and dislikes intimately, so much so that I’d feel entirely confident sending him out into the world to find us a home. Whichever place he picked would be perfect for our family. Knowing this type of relationship is so rare just makes me appreciate it all the more.
In other news, I miss bookstores. Oh, they’re still around, there’s just not enough of them. Bookstores call to me when I’m bored or curious or determined, when I’m killing time between movies or when I want to look at books that I don’t already own and the library’s closed.
Lastly, I wish time would stop whenever I read a book. Can someone make that happen? Thanks!
