“He was like a song I'd heard once in fragments but had been singing in my mind ever since.” 

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who listen to Christmas music before Thanksgiving and those who refuse to Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. Rachel and I echo the joyous strains pre-Turkey day—sometimes in secret for fear of being ridiculed. This year, I don’t much mind being scorned.  Loud and proud, I’ve been playing Christmassy melodies…no trace of any shame. With festive music in my ears and Starbuck’s peppermint specials in my belly, I’ve been shopping online.  The mood’s right.  Today I jumped on Amazon, added stuff to my cart; 82 save-for-later items were already there. 82.  Other than the Masterpieces NFL Map Puzzle, a tri-magic boomerang, some kicks, a Steph Curry Adidas golden youth player shirt, and some Cadbury Wunderbars, it was all books.  

Glorious books. Since it’s Jeudi, it’s time to give a shout out for an oldie but goodie.  Back when I only had one employer, fewer stretch marks, and breezier hours, I read Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha.  Little did I know about geisha and Japanese culture.  Nitta Sayuri, a celebrated geisha and the narrator of this runaway best seller, enlightened me.  My ignorance made Sayuri’s story even more compelling.  In the words of one professional reviewer, “Golden, with degrees in Japanese art and history, has brilliantly revealed the culture and traditions of an exotic world, closed to most Westerners.” One shiny penny and one click later, you can buy a window into another world...save for later at the very least!

Posted by Tracy