If you’ve noticed, I’ve been really bad in tagging my posts of late. As in I haven’t been tagging them. I did come late to the tagging game, which I think I might have mentioned. I have my reasons for not liking to tag posts, and it has to do with the fact that if I don’t have a predefined set of subject classifications already designed for me to choose from, I am hesitant to create one of my own, in case I – at some poing along the way – decide I don’t like this particular set of tags, and want to change them up.
I realize this is blindingly stupid to most people, but I think some of the library types out there might feel me on this one. Maybe? Maybe not. Anyway. The UIG + tagging posts = Fail. Does it matter? Probably not, but I’m trying to make a conscious effort to go through and tag older posts and attempt to properly tag my current efforts, especially the ones where books, movies, other things are discussed. It’s just good form, and I like to be able to search other blogs by tag, so I’m going to really try. As I said, I have an aversion to assigning tags to posts, but I’m working on it. It would have been nice, when I started this blog, for someone to come along and say “Hey, here’s your subject classification parameters – blog about the following topics, and tag them thusly!” But that’s bananas, right? Although, if you think I’m on to something and you have a set of tags you want to assign to me? I’d be all over that, I’m just putting it out there.
Okay, on to the good stuff! It’s Friday and it’s gorgeous out there, blogfriends, so let’s talk about some books and stuff.
Swamplandia! by Karen Russell. The story of the Bigtree clan and the inevitable decline of their alligator wrestling dynasty after the death of their world-famous wife/mother. Seriously, they had me at alligator wrestling. The writing in this book so evoked the swampy everglades of Florida that I sometimes felt clammy and mosquito bitten just reading it. Really funny at times and extremely sad and horrific at others.
Bright’s Passage by Josh Ritter. This is a slim little book that I mentioned last post, and it was a fast-paced and very enjoyable read. WWI veteran Henry Bright hears the voice of an angel on the battlefields of France, the angel follows him back to America and has him do his will, to save Bright’s only son, supposedly The Future King of Heaven. Beautifully written, which is not surprising from an author who also writes some pretty beautiful songs.
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. Another book set in a steamy and tropical swampy area – this time the Amazon. Pharmaceutical researcher sent to track down one of their scientists at a remote research facility, to learn what happened to cause the death of her colleague. Ethics and morality are called into question, and the book had a sort of Heart of Darkness feel about it to me. Venturing down the river to locate Kurtz, or in this case, the elusive Dr. Swenson.
And in music news, it would seem that the women of this awesome band are back together, recording new material and maybe even touring! So if you’re about to go crazy still living here, just get your friends together and dance, dance dance – to one of the best urban summertime videos of all time.
Happy weekend, blogfriends!
The Urban Info Girl 