Archives - Weekly Update

I have to admit that our 20-year milestone crept up on me! I know that two decades is something memorable and to be celebrated, but we’ve been so busy that I have not come up with anything “special” to commemorate it. Then this morning, my personal Facebook page sent me a reminder about it by linking me to the blog that Greg wrote on the 15th anniversary. I read it and smiled, noting that all those sentiments still rang true --- and that the bottle of tequila is still in the office fridge (you can see it above). The one difference: Now Cory, who was one when we started the company, is also of legal drinking age!

It was another Olympics-obsessed start to the week, though I confess that my interest waned starting Wednesday night, perhaps because I needed sleep! A few observations from the couch about topics you may not have pondered: 1) While watching the floor gymnastics, I was wondering if, in the future, when the gymnasts hear the choreographed music that they danced the floor exercises to, they break into their routines in, let’s say, the supermarket. 2) Does anyone really know what "a gainer back layout with a full twist" is? What I know is that none of us can do it! 3) I love the Australians' Olympic uniforms. You know...the color. 4) Do you wonder why there are so many ties in swimming and not in other sports? Here’s why. 5) The color of the water in the diving pool was a huge fail. Here's more about the pool in Rio. Did swimmers in some lanes have an advantage?

I, like many of you, have been obsessed with Olympic coverage this week. On the beach last Friday, I read Megan Abbott's YOU WILL KNOW ME, which is terrific, and it put me in an Olympic frame of mind. Why? Young gymnasts with Olympic dreams --- and their coaches and families --- are at the core of the story.

Megan was influenced to write this book during the 2012 London Olympics when she saw the video of Aly Raisman’s parents that went viral as they acted out her routine in the stands; they were back at it this year. I think that they should get a gold medal! She explores a family where their lives revolved around a plan to make their daughter a star, with this as their sole obsession. That would have been strong enough, but then Megan layered in the shocking death of a beloved member of the gymnastics community and the stakes ramped up. I am selecting YOU WILL KNOW ME as a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection this week; scramble to read it before the rest of the gymnastics events next week. The New Yorker ran a terrific cultural commentary about the book here.

Well, I served jury duty and never had to show up! In our county, you check in the night before to see if you need to go to court the following day. This happens for four days or one trial. My number never came up to appear at the courthouse, thus I was sprung from my civic duty. Of course, I also will not get the $5 a day that I would have earned if I was called in. What I could have done with that $20!

Since jury duty was a non-event, I moved my trip out to the Hamptons up by a few hours. There was something ever so splendid about cutting out of the office midday on Thursday instead of leaving after the typical work day. The bus on the way out had Wi-Fi, so I was able to connect and finish up a few last things. Last weekend was one very wet weekend, which kept my reading and floating time to a minimum. I am hoping for better weather this weekend! But then again, there are two bookstores that I want to check out in the Hamptons --- BookHampton in Easthampton and Southampton Books. We are out one weekend too early this year for me to hit the East Hampton Authors Night, which I have enjoyed in the past.