reading: time vol. 173 no. 24

TIME Magazine Vol. 173 No. 24 - June 22, 2009

A thick, satisfying slab of a double issue. International news snippets galore and plenty of health articles that preach, then comfort. Even the not-so-lofty language of TIME makes me realize how out of the loop I am in terms of international news...and yes, even national and local news. Yikes.

A good news magazine for the traveler. TIME isn't intellectual by any means, and its pieces are decidedly skewed, its language golly-gosh-next-door-neighbor chummy. If I wanted a more sophisticated take on the world, I'd look elsewhere. But what with the bumping and the drowsiness and the uncomfortable shifting I go through to avoid unnecessary contact with the commuter seated beside me, it's bite-sized chunks of easily digested information. Almost skimmable. :) Interesting piece: a guy in Japan who watches cliffs for potential suicide jumpes and invites them in for tea, mochi, and life talks.

(And now I know more about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict other than that it's a conflict. Between Israelis and Palestinians.)

started: the house of the spirits

The House of the Spirits - Isabelle Allende (1982)

Perfect Friday-afternoon post-workweek reading. Vigorous in a different way from Accordion Crimes. Magic, myth, and even death in bursts of unbelievable, unrestrained liveliness. This isn't a depressing read at all and I'm sucked into the characters' lives in a state of suspended disbelief, precisely what you want from magical realism.

The bus bumps to a stop and I look up hastily, note my progress at page 29, and scamper off. Whoops. Good thing someone else pulled the cord.