CHILD OF GOD BOOK REVIEW.

   


 “Good fiction’s job is to comfort the disturbed, and disturb the comfortable.”- David Foster Wallace 

Cormac McCarthy does just that in Child of God in the most Faulnkeresque, clandestine way possible; this book is so dark and real. We follow Lester Ballard (our protagonist), a 27 year old outcast of society in Eastern Tennessee in the 1960’s. The story starts out with the town holding an auction for Ballard’s family property, where upon you come to see that Ballard lives alone, no family and friends. He is the epitome of forlorn. Throughout the pages you come to discover the true disposition that is realism within the mind and actions of Ballard. This is by far the most disturbing book I have ever read to date.  It seems Cormac McCarthy always makes me feel so uncomfortable, and yet, I am drawn to his elegant prose time and again.

Good vs Evil: Philip Zimbardo said, “The line between good and evil is permeable and almost anyone can be induced to cross it when pressured by situational forces.”

This is the case of our protagonist: We have learned that he, as an outcast of society is in need of love, a certain yearning for acceptance. His father committed suicide and Lester - it seems to me - has never fully gotten over the fact he is alone, isolated from his home, family, and inevitably his town of which he is made fun of and rebuked for being the isolate. Of which during these times you begin to feel empathy for a man whose actions and ferocity has predisposed him to be without human connection; outside the definite ardor for the victims that lie at his mercy, he is with none other who breaths the same air as he.

 It is amazing to me that McCarthy can make you feel for this young man in most vulnerable of times through his crisp turn of the pages – the sympathy you wish you didn't have for him.

While following this man Ballard (and McCarthy always does this to me) I oft times found myself questioning my thoughts, actions, and whether I have done anything to cause one to feel like a pariah of my own flesh and blood?

Overall I recommend this book because it will make you feel something; albeit, it wasn't comfortable, I felt awkward, uneasy, sadness, and pure disgust throughout the 197 pages. It is brutally dark, but with the poetic exposition of this book it brings a density to it that I personally love. Just a fair warning once again. This is the darkest book I have ever read. Cormac McCarthy’s Child of God. Four out of Five stars.

HEARTPUP.

I am so excited about this puppy carrier I just HAD to write a blog post about it! 

(and naturally post a tacky mirror selfie because I'm not one of those cool blogger that has a professional photographer for everything)

I have been eyeing this puppy sling since February! I even tried to duplicate it (thanks for your help, Mom!)... Which ended up to be an absolute waste of time, because Mollie grew out of it in like 2 seconds. Thankfully this darling company, Heartpup, went on Shark Tank recently and so they were having a sale (finally). Huzzah! Me and Mollie could not be happier with this purchase! I mean, just look at her cute little face in the picture. She is in puppy heaven! If you have a little furry friend you should definitely look into investing in one of these. 

PS. I didn't take a picture of it, but there is a secret pocket to keep all your special things in. Yay! Anything with pockets is an A+ in my book! 

xoxo 

Carlie 

MY LIFE ON REPEAT.

Long time no see friends! Sorry, it's been a hot minute since I last wrote on the old blog-eroo. Life seems to have gotten away from me. It tends to do that you know. Well, as you can tell, things have changed a bit around here. Big shout out to the lovely Kaylie Marie, the greatest blog designer in the world! {Check out her gorgeous work when you get the chance.}

Any-hoo. I figured the best way to jump back into this would be to do a little post about my favorite things as of late. These five things are the constantly on repeat in my life right now. 

{I am no photographer. No judging, please.}

#1. The Perfect Fall Booties:

Sam Edelman Booties {Porter}

Okay, so I got these gems just this week, but I'm pretty sure they will be seen on my feet almost daily in the months to come. They are my first pair of Sam Edelman shoes {that have been LONG awaited}. Sam Edelman is hands down one of my most favorite shoe designers. There is just something about the versatility of his designs that make them a perfect staple item in any girls' wardrobe. 

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#2. The Perfect Lipgloss:

Buxom Full On Lip Cream {Mudslide}

Ladies, let's be real for a second. We all know it's near impossible to find a gloss that has a long wear life, but isn't too sticky. Well, look no further, Buxom has created the perfect lipgloss. My favorite shade is Mudslide {With a close second being White Russian}. It is a pinky neutral, that has just enough color to add a certain pop to your lips. It's long wearing. Not too sticky. And best of all.... It plumps! Ahhhhh yeah. I wasn't kidding when I said it was perfect. 

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#3. The Perfect Headphones:

Marley {Smile Jamaica}

I have been on the search for some good headphones for months now. {Ever since sweet little Mollie did me the favor of chewing through mine. Love her.} I read review after review online of many different types of headphones, but one never stood out to me. Then one day at good ol' Target I stumbled across these lovelies. They were aesthetically pleasing, and seemed to have all the features I was looking for... So I took the chance and bought them on a whim. And boy, they do not disappoint. They have great sound quality. A microphone that also allows you to skip to the next song, pause, or go back {which is a MUST for me when it comes to headphones}. A tangle-free fabric cord. Earth-Friendly {made from certified beech wood and recyclable aluminum}. And best of all, a portion of the proceeds goes to support the 1Love Global Charitable Movement. Win-Win in my opinion. 

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#4. The Perfect Read: 

Maze Runner Series

Thank you to my dear husband for introducing me to this series. He read all of the books as they were released, and is a huge James Dashner fan. {Fun little FYI, James Dashner lives Sandy, and frequently does book signings around here. How fun!} Chase was so excited to go see the movie when it was released, but said I needed to read the book before we went. So, I read it in about 3 days time, which is a huge deal because I am not a fast reader! 

I am currently on the second book {The Scorch Trials}, and loving this one even more than the first. I recommend this series to anyone looking for a great, quick, entertaining read. 

WARNING: The books are pretty graphic/gory at times. So if you are faint of heart, maybe this isn't the series for you. 

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#5. The Perfect Jam: 

Misterwives 

Thank you Spotify for recommending this little gem of an album to me. They recently did a Spotify Session that is to die for as well. I'll let the music speak for itself. Take it or leave.

Hope you give some of these a try, and maybe they will soon become your favorites as well!

xoxo

Carlie