{"id":27616,"date":"2020-05-23T11:07:35","date_gmt":"2020-05-23T15:07:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mookseandgripes.com\/reviews\/?p=27616"},"modified":"2020-05-23T11:07:35","modified_gmt":"2020-05-23T15:07:35","slug":"weekend-thoughts-6","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mookseandgripes.com\/reviews\/2020\/05\/23\/weekend-thoughts-6\/","title":{"rendered":"Weekend Thoughts"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a><\/span><\/div>

\"\"<\/p>\n

Writing my weekend thoughts a couple of weeks ago was surprisingly restorative for me. So I’m trying it again! I do have a couple of brief things to share! And since Monday is Memorial Day here in the United States, Monday morning’s dark shadow is not shading my Saturday — it’s time to start the weekend!<\/p>\n

Summer Reading<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yesterday was the last day of school in this area, so this weekend begins summer vacation at our house. It might not feel very different since the kids have been home for a few months at this point, but I’m excited for them. They and their teachers did a great job finishing the year at home, and we celebrated last night by having a hot dog roast in the backyard. Sadly, the skies darkened with clouds and the wind really picked up, so we didn’t spend a lot of time out there, but it was still a lot of fun.<\/p>\n

Now I’m hoping we can find them some great books to read over the summer. They all like to read, but I love it when they find something they cannot put down. Here’s hoping. My wife and I are currently working on a post of some of our favorites, but please share yours!<\/p>\n

Mac Barnett<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"This is kind of a preview of that post, but at my house, one of our favorite children’s book authors is Mac Barnett. Last fall, I read Guess Again!<\/em><\/a> at a local library event. It was a rough crowd. My parents and my in-laws were there in the second row. Everyone ate it up!<\/p>\n

I was delighted when my wife showed me that he is reading his books on Instagram (see here<\/a>), and my kids and I have been watching them. He and illustrator Shawn Harris are also doing Live Cartoons there. They are silly, clever, and very entertaining! I am watching them with my four songs, but I’d watch them on my own.<\/p>\n

I don’t know how to use Instagram well, but go seek and find!<\/p>\n

What I’m reading right now, and what’s coming up<\/strong><\/p>\n

I’m just about done with Graciliano Ramo’s S\u00e3o Bernardo<\/em><\/a>, which NYRB Classics recently published. I’m really enjoying in, particularly the rather abhorrent narrator’s voice. After I’m finished, I’ll be sticking with NYRB Classics because this past week I got a copy of their forthcoming edition of\u00a0The End of Me<\/em><\/a>, by Alfred Hayes. In 2013 I read Hayes’\u00a0In Love<\/em><\/a> and\u00a0My Face of the World to See<\/em><\/a>, both fantastic (my reviews here<\/a> and here<\/a>). I love the covers, which each feature a photograph by Saul Leiter.<\/p>\n\n\t\t