a little leopard, a lot of books

tee, Gap

jeans, Banana Republic Factory Store

leopard print belt, thrifted 

necklace, eBay

     It's been much too long since I wore this necklace. I added the leopard-print belt because it seemed to go well with the mustard/goldenrod color in the necklace.

     I've listened to some really great audiobooks lately. The last one I finished was "Operation Yes" by Sara Lewis Holmes. I had read the book this year, and really enjoyed it - it's a great story about the power of art, and the positive changes that a teacher can trigger, and its setting in an elementary school which serves kids from military families reminded me of the school I work for. One great thing about the audiobook is that the reader's voice really captured the North Carolina setting, which only added to my enjoyment of a familiar story.
     Currently, I'm listening to "The Age of Miracles" by Karen Thompson Walker.  This is the first audiobook that I've listened to "cold" - I usually read the book first, then listen to the audio version.  I've always hesitated to encounter a book for the first time in audio form, partly because I derive so much more enjoyment from absorbing a story from a printed page vs. by ear. I also think I am much more of a visual vs. auditory person, but using audiobooks seems to be balancing things out. Walker's book has a great premise - the main character, Julia, is 11 when humanity figures out that Earth is undergoing what's called "the slowing" - the slowing rotation of the planet leads to increasingly longer days and nights. This results in all kinds of interesting effects - the birds are the first to succumb, and crops begin to require exceedingly expensive greenhouses equipped with lights that keep the plants alive during long periods of darkness. It's not what I'd call a fast-paced book at all (which I suppose is fitting, given the premise!) but I think the author captures really well Julia's loneliness and the travails of middle school.