Monthly Archives: October 2014

We’re All All Right

Posted on October 31, 2014 by Marion

Chris Thornberg, founder of Beacon Economics, spoke as he does every year at the annual Sonoma County State of the County breakfast, hosted by the Sonoma County Economic Development Board. After the obligatory patting-self-on-back remarks by a couple of elected … Continue reading →

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Claire DeWitt and the Bohemian Highway; Tasty but Fails to Satisfy

Posted on October 27, 2014 by Marion

A while ago I read Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead. It was a new experience for me; far from a standard detective story. Although it is set completely in this world, it felt a little like reading New … Continue reading →

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Food for Thought

Posted on October 24, 2014 by Marion

I dragged myself out of bed at the outrageous hour of… okay, well, it was 6:45, fifteen minutes earlier than I usually get up. I showered, drank coffee, put on make-up and drove carefully through the curtain of ground-level fog … Continue reading →

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Do We Need Libraries?

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Marion

“Don’t get mad,” Spouse said, “but I have a question. Are libraries as important now as they were twenty years ago, with the internet and Amazon and everything? I know we love them, but do we need them?” He asked … Continue reading →

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Update: Station Eleven

Posted on October 19, 2014 by Marion

It’s nominated for the National Book Award, along with Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast. Here is another great example of how the graphic technique can be used to tell any kind of story. Anyway, Station … Continue reading →

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The Book You Have to Read

Posted on October 14, 2014 by Marion

 (Fair Warning: Despite my title, if you are someone who is terrified you’re going to get Ebola, don’t read this book yet.) Station Eleven, by Emily St John Mandel, is a book you need to read. In a market cluttered … Continue reading →

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A Stranger Comes to Town

Posted on October 10, 2014 by Marion

In all of the various plots that comprise stories, two of the most common are 1) A Stranger Comes to Town and 2) A Person Goes on a Quest. Cory Doctorow used this fact in one of his best titles: … Continue reading →

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Calabash 2014

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Marion

Calabash is one of the most unusual, and most fun, fund-raising events in the county. Not only is there great wine and yummy food, music and a tranquil setting, the event features gourd art that is auctioned off. I didn’t … Continue reading →

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What I’ve Been Reading

Posted on October 4, 2014 by Marion

The streak of excellent books is continuing, more or less, and I feel very blessed.  Here’s a sampler: The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell. Mitchell, of Cloud Atlas fame, has delivered once again, a stunning literary fantasy about time, personal … Continue reading →

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