Tag: summer

Who Are You?
Two-Bit Musings.

Who Are You?

SnapDragon X.16 Comments

(Possibly) (Probably) Incoherent Ramblings from Yours Truly

Quiet Lunch, 2016. Magnolia Brewing, San Francisco. Original Photo by SnapDragon X. All rights reserved, yo.

Wuddup, yo.

It’s a new month, so you just know I’ve taken this opportunity for another fresh start.

(Broken record. Such a broken record.)

I’m gonna read a book from start to finish.

(It’s time for a Stephen King, Snap. It’s been way too long. And you call yourself a fan?)*

I’m gonna post everyday darn-tootin’ day.

(Things always seem better this way. Community. Sweet sounds of the keyboard. Stimulation. Growth. Accountability.)

I’m gonna chill the eff out.

(Home. Family. Career. Passions. 24 hours. Clutter. So much clutter. You are human. You cannot do it all. Embrace it.)

I’m gonna release all negativity into the ether.

(People fuck up. Most are too stubborn or repressed (or both) to apologize. Stop waiting for a train that ain’t comin’.)

I’m gonna be me.

(Is that a BSB lyric? Nsync? But for real, I’m not trying to be anybody but me. Frizzy curls. Green eyes. Coffee stains. Cat-hair-covered clothes. Quiet yet opinionated. Early to bed, somewhat early to rise. No meat. Sings the harmony. Probably over-punctuates, if that’s even a thing.)

Snap. is. here.

I love you, Dear Reader. Be well. Be the best you’ve ever been.

. . .

SnapDragon is an artist who just wants to eat an ice cream cone without thinking about calories.

. . .

* (Umm, yeah. You’re not getting through a Stephen King in a month, Snap. But, good of you to try, love.)

It’s No Secret: I Love This Book.
It's No Secret: I Love This Book.

It’s No Secret: I Love This Book.

SnapDragon X.Leave a comment

A Short Critique of The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Shh, 2019. Original Photo by SnapDragon X. All rights reserved.

Ahh. Another book finished. Another book enjoyed.

The Secret Life of Bees made my list of 100 Classics, in case you missed it. (Check it out here, yo.)

It’s mentioned on almost every list of must-read fiction. So I decided to give it a whirl.

I read Sue Monk’s Kidd The Mermaid Chair years ago, which left me a bit disappointed with the G-rated, Nicholas Sparks-type dialogue. So I started this book with half-hearted enthusiasm.

But Kidd’s debut novel is worth the read, yo.

I recently started a habit of placing dog ears on pages I fancy. I can’t quite bring myself to highlight anything, as this feels like a violation of the text and an intrusion on a fellow reader’s experience. But I like to commemorate beautiful phrasing when I encounter it, at least in some small way.

I have dozens of dog ears throughout this book.

I’m a Nerd, 2019. Original Photo by SnapDragon X. All rights reserved.

Kidd writes with confidence and sophistication. Her use of first-person is realistic, and honest. Her characters are memorable, and in a word, lovely.

While I don’t believe I’d ever live down south, the thought of residing in a bright pink house and selling hand-crafted jars of honey makes me happy. This book made me yearn for the summer days of bare feet and ice-cold drinks. Fireworks. Tree swings.

My favorite character is without a doubt Miss August Boatwright. She is the embodiment of pure empathy. She has a patience, a wisdom, and a kindness I hope to employ for the rest of my days. I just want to hug her.

My favorite passage?

(pulls at hair like a cartoon character at the brink of a meltdown)

To make it easy on myself, I’ll go with my gut:

“I sipped. Rosaleen, however, downed hers so fast she let out a belch that the boys in my old junior high would have envied. It was unbelievable” (Kidd).

Yes, Sue Monk Kidd. Yes.

So let’s raise a jelly jar of sweet tea: May we have countless days of curiosity and companionship ahead, dear ones.