Summer Reading

Yesterday I took the 12pm Bikram class, taught by a brand new teacher. It was only her third class and it was such a treat because she only said dialogue. She had a firm commanding voice and I was able to relax into the familiar words and meditate on my breath. I also met the owner of the studio who turned out to be incredibly warm and friendly and already has offered to let me teach one of her classes so I can get a feel for the studio. She then told me I can be on the schedule in August and I can't wait, the students here seem very focused and disciplined, I noticed they move only with the words.

After class I was determined to buy some beach reading so I walked across the street to a used bookstore I had seen before on my way to the studio. It was called High Browse Books and specialized in literature, history and the arts. I like to temper my reading with a variety of genres but let's face it, there is nothing like a good juicy read when you're on the beach. I'm currently reading two workbooks on grammar and writing which are dry and boring so wanted something a bit lighter for a little break from the heavy-handed stuff. Unfortunately it didn't look like this particular shop carried what I had in mind but as I was leaving I passed a treasure chest labelled $1 books and I thought 'this must be where the trash is!'. I pawed through the vampire romances and religious discards and came up with three books that I think are suitable for beach reading.

First is When in Rome by Gemma Townley, a true chick-lit book that caught my eye because I recently visited Rome and fell in love with the city. There were not too many girly books in the pile so I feel lucky to have grabbed this one especially as it is written by a British author because I think the Brits write the best girly novels. This one will give me a great reason to get out to the beach this week and enjoy being entertained in a lighthearted and whimsical manner.

Second is Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells. I thought that a book which has been turned into a movie can't be so bad, right? Then I thought of all the so-so movies I have seen that were based on books hmmm... I was wary. However after reading the back and discovering it was set in the South I was interested. I find the southern US fascinating with its focus on manners and niceties that actually mask the society's true ills. One of our favorite TV shows is True Blood, set in the south and using the fictional world of vampires and supernaturals to explore modern gender and sexual issues. This book is a bit more substantial than the first book so will serve me as I get into more of a routine here and can read for longer periods of time.

And finally, Margaret Atwood's Wildnerness Tips. First of all, it's Margaret Atwood, a famous Canadian female writer and secondly I loved her book the Blind Assasin. I read it when I was younger and it's a novel that has stayed with me over the years as a standout so I look forward to experiencing more of her work. I also feel like I am in the wildnerness a little bit because I'm in the Okanagan, an area where I used to come camping when I was younger so thought it was fitting.