Hello!
The first time I found out about American summer was in a book by James Patterson called Sam’s Letters to Jennifer. A super-soapy tale about a columnist who learns about her grandma’s clandestine love affair over the summer season, it was my introduction to docks, to Farmer’s Market, and the fact that the sun sets at 9 pm in the Western Hemisphere at this time of the year. A couple of weeks ago, James Patterson was in town for the launch of his memoir, rather plainly titled ‘James Patterson by James Patterson’ and I had a chance to attend this event. It was one of those dream-come-true moments, my teenage self was in disbelief, fully and wholly happy.
Reading Corner
Sam’s Letters to Jennifer has all the elements that you would seek out in a summer romance. There are not one, but two romantic stories, unveiled, in the backdrop of a beautiful summer in a lake town near Chicago. Reeling from personal loss, coping with new challenges, and trying to understand the reasons behind years of infidelity while possibly having a romance of your own, are the plot points behind the book, written with the drama and suspense of a thriller. I am severely biased towards the book because I read it many years ago as a teenager.
If all of this sounds a little too cheesy, may I recommend this non-fiction by Elif Shafak, The Happiness of Blond People, a ‘Penguin Short’ Special that dwells on the identities of ‘East’ and ‘West’ people, and examines our beliefs, and the way it shapes our world view? The book is one long essay, that weaves daily routines with multiculturalism, and takes a hard look at the eastern and western cultures, our differences, and their nuances.
Writing Corner
It is a house-hunting season in my life and I sat down to reflect on the houses I have come across so far. This list is not exhaustive in any way.
My current home mirrors Boston's temperamental weather as dramatically as it possibly can. When the going is good, it is the best place to be: it plays with my plants, keeps me company, and wakes me up gently. But when the going gets tough, it turns its back on me, leaving me at my own mercy.
It is on these days, that I need it the most but it chooses to abandon me. Hot. Cold. Hot. Cold. Hot. Cold.
A situationship leading nowhere.
A couple of feet away, my neighbors live enviably well. Sometimes I spot rabbits hopping around, I read signs in the front yard, some political, others not so much. There are more of these- luscious gardens, nestled next to each other. At nightfall, no one can tell one from the other.Nepotistic cousins united by blood.
One of my fondest memories is from a place where there were more people than furniture. It was accommodating: expanding to fit our needs- more storage, more people. On days where no one was around, it remained un-shrinked: welcoming us back, after exams, after tanking in job interviews.
It was a safe space. Literally.
Learning Corner
Lounge Corner
Thank you all for reading!
Pratiksha