Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Summer To Do List



I have a feeling that this spring is going to be as short as this winter was long. Just yesterday, Boston hit 80 degrees and this sun finally seems to be shining all day, every day. It's still the beginning of May, but if this weather is indicative of anything, it's that summer is coming for us, fast.

This will be my first full summer living in Boston and since about February I've been making plans of all the fun things I want to do in the city during the summer months. Now that the weather is finally cooperating, I think it's time to start making plans for this long awaited summer.

Take the ferry to Provincetown. Because I both enjoy going to Provincetown and riding on ferries. There are always fun things to do and crazy people to see in P Town so hopefully AJ and I will make it out there at least once this summer.

Walk the Harbor Walk. Not the whole thing, I guess. It's going to be a full 47 miles once it's fully completed. But it would be fun to walk it to Charlestown or South Boston on a breezy, sunny day. Nothing like walking along the water in the summer.

Eat a lobster roll at Sully's.

Attend Shakespeare in the Park at the Boston Common. I think they're performing King Lear this year!

Browse the food trucks at the Rose Kennedy Greenway. Especially The Cookie Monstah.

Go to a game at Fenway. We've gone to two games so far but both nights ended up being chilly and windy. I want to go to a game when no jacket is needed! Good thing AJ got tickets for a game in June.

Take day trips. I'm thinking Newburyport and Concord.

I'm sure this list will grow as summer gets closer and I hope we can fill it to the brim with fun things to do!


Friday, May 1, 2015

Recommended Read: Peyton Place


When I used to intern at a small publishing company, if there weren't many tasks for me to do that day, I'd occasionally scour Amazon and read the first few pages of books that looked interesting—professional, I know. But I found a lot of great books that way! One book I found was Peyton Place. I hadn't heard of it before, even though it's been around since the 1950s.

I bought it on a whim at my school bookstore and once I started reading it, I couldn't stop! I think that my favorite part of this book is its scope! The author, Grace Metalious, writes about an entire town and its inhabitants with such ease and artistry. The book is easy to read and easy to follow despite how many characters there are. This is one of the books that simultaneously makes me want to give up writing and inspires me to be better.

The book is a composite of all small towns, but is specifically set in the fictional, New England town of Peyton Place. It fully embodies what every small, New England town is like and all the characters are exceptionally realistic. Further, when this book was first published, it was seen as extremely scandalous and was even banned in some states! While it might not be seen as scandalously now as it was then, there certainly are a lot of dirty little secrets that are enticing and exciting to read about.

Peyton Place is so full of beautiful prose and intriguing story lines, you will find yourself absorbed in this little town from the first page! I highly recommend this novel and I'm wondering if anyone has read the sequel, Return to Peyton Place. I certainly wanted the book to last forever, but I'm also wary of sequels. Thoughts?