Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

I had plans for yesterday, friends–I really did. And then, after getting all the kids off to school, the deplorable state of my refrigerator got to me, and I snapped. Instead of writing a blog post, going to Costco, or attacking laundry–all part of my plans–I ended up cleaning out the main part of my fridge, which included trimming the sad parts off of a large head of cauliflower and cutting it into florets.

Also emptying a noticeable quantity of containers.

By that time, it was late enough that instead of trying to do anything else big, I tidied in the kitchen and dining room until it was time to take my 14-year-old to an appointment; from there, we hit the pharmacy on the way home, I fit the elliptical in, and then it was all dinner and my son’s flag football game and getting kids where they needed to go. Today, however, I really do plan to go to Costco and attack laundry, and (since I finished an audiobook last night) I figured I’d fit in a belated blog post as well.

I’m starting to have mixed feelings about Gordon Korman, folks. On the one hand, I liked Ungifted so much that I chose it as one of my son’s Christmas books this past year; on the other hand, my feelings about Whatshisface–the one I finished listening to last night–are more complicated. The concept of a boy from Shakespeare’s time haunting a contemporary middle schooler’s phone is most certainly entertaining, and I’m all about anything that champions modern-day appreciation of Shakespeare. (Which Whatshisface does do, despite its convoluted approach to it.) On the other hand, I felt like Korman phoned in his plot logistics (so to speak–pun unintended!) during the leadup to the climax, and if you think too hard about Jolie, you start to get annoyed about her character inconsistencies. (I also felt the climax itself was a bit sudden and simplistic.) Ultimately, however, I have to admit that as an author, Korman does consistently draw you in and keep you entertained, which matters for his intended audience–it keeps them reading, and that is incredibly important. As for the adults in the lives* of that audience?

Maybe just don’t think too hard about what you’re reading.

*The singular/plural agreement in this sentence is a grammatical quagmire, so I’m choosing to pick a (probably incorrect) solution and call it good enough. I apologize for not caring more, but I’ve got a busy day ahead. You’ll live.