The list begins.

This has been a weekend of achievement. 3 books in one weekend! Now, I can't say I started all of them this weekend. I can't give myself that much credit. I can claim though, Handmade Nation, started and finished in such a small amount of time.

About a month ago, I started Vintage Munro. A collection of Alice Munro's short stories. I've been wanting to read Munro for some time now after seeing Sarah Polley's cinematic adaptation of Munro's short story, Away From Her. So, I picked a collection of short stories from various collections of hers. After reading Vintage Munro, it is clear that the film captured the purity in her writing. She writes complex stories simply and personally with depth and curiosity; something you surely want from a writer of short prose. The last short story in Vintage Munro ended my favorite. Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage is also the title of another collection of her short stories. I loved how it opened slowly, uncovering deceptive school girls, and displaying the desperation of Johanna in such a humane way.

I also finished How Sassy Changed My Life by Kara Jesella and Marisa Meltzer. I had forgotten about this book and luckily came across an old review of it in an old magazine. A library check out, I was surprised at its large print and its lack of visual history of Sassy. I was expecting to see covers of old issues and photos of staff and contributors. It offers many testimonials and rounded Sassy's life and its meaning to not only to teenage girls, but to women and men alike, and to the indie community or music, art, and DIY. Don't mind me, for some reason it took me a month to read a book a little over a hundred pages. The only thing I regret is not finishing it earlier. Well, like I said, I wanted more pictures. I guess that's the child in me.

Lastly, Handmade Nation by Faythe Levine and Cortney Heimerl. I am excited to see the doc version of this. The book of course is easy to flip through and I couldn't help but be excited that DIY culture of art, craft, and design like this exists. I am unhappy that Minneapolis and St. Paul are not properly represented, but I am sure it's not on purpose...I think it's handy for inspiration and I will keep it next to my (new) sewing machine (thanks to Nils) when I get frustrated or depressed when I can't get the thread through the needle or when I prick my finger for the hundredth time...

Keep reading,
Jessica