Double-Stacked Bookshelves

It's Thursday and the sunny weather that Oregon has been experiencing for the past few weeks is no more.  Hello, Rain.  How I've missed you.  Moving on...today we move on to the letter D and I'm bringing you the following: The Devil's Punchbowl Sounds ominous, right?  Worry not, dear readers.  The Devil's Punchbowl is nothing more than a rock formation on the Oregon Coast just north of Newport.  Some perspective:  Newport is two and a half hours south of Portland; one hour and fifty minutes north of Eugene; three hours and thirty-six minutes west of Bend; nine hours and forty-four minutes north of San Francisco; and five hours and five minutes south of Seattle.  Designated a National State Park, Devil's Punchbowl is a nature preserve open year round for hiking, bird and seal watching, and general exploration.  It also encompasses Seal Rock just north of the Bowl.  Devil's Punchbowl at high tide. The bowl is a natura...

I've put off reading Yann Martel's Life of Pi for years it seems.  I don't know why.  It's been recommended to me several times and touted as a "must read" by many of my friends, mainly Audrey. Maybe that's why I never got around to reading it:  fear of it not stacking up to the hype.  So, while I was in Portland at one of my favorite bookstores, Wallace Books, I saw a used copy for four bucks and finally picked it up.  All I can say is "Thank You" Martel for writing a book that was seriously awesome and thank you Audrey for continually extolling its awesomeness! Pi follows the story of Pi Patel, a sixteen year old boy who has been shipwrecked while on his way from India to Canada on a Japanese ship.  Before setting sail, Pi and his family have liquidated the zoo that his father manages.  All of the animals have found homes around the world in different zoos and sanctuaries.  However, there are a few animals that embark on the same journey the P...

This week's teaser is kind of ironic.  Mainly because I started reading it while on a boat out in the Pacific Ocean.  Thank God I didn't end up like Pi. "Dumb with pain and horror, I watched as Orange Juice thumped the hyena ineffectually and pulled at its hair while her throat was being squeezed by its jaws.  To the end she reminded me of us..."(164). The further I get into Yann Martel's Life of Pi , the more I want to sit and continue reading it.  Nearly done with it too.