April Book Club

Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism, by Maria Emmerich. Well, technically I haven’t finished this book, but I have gotten a little bit bored with it. It has a lot of really good information, I especially liked the part that explained the connections between your period, energy cycles, and metabolism. But it gets very repetitive overall. Basically, eat a lot of vegetables. Don’t eat sugar. There, now you don’t have to read the book. Because it’s other problem is that it was self-published and edited by the husband…who would have failed all my English 111 grammar exercises. I read it with red pen in hand and there were mistakes on every page. Not exaggerating!  So that was hard for me to read.

Swamplandia! by Karen Russel. I bought this book from the sale table at Anthropologie a while ago. The narrator is a 13 year old girl aligator wrestler whose mom has just died. There are a lot of sad parts in the book, but kind of a good sad, and I love the main character so much. The writing style is very quirky and unique and it kind of wraps you up in words, if that makes sense. I guess the author just did a really good job of creating a whole world for you to live in as you read it. The end was super suspenseful and tense, although the beginning started off more languid. Overall i really liked this book! Check it out.

11/22/63 by Stephen King. On mom and aunt Kiki’s recommendation I checked this book out from the library. And was surprised to see that it was over 800 pages! However, the writing wasn’t dense, and the margins were wide, so it really didnt take long to get through. Plus, I really wanted to find out what happened, so I read it pretty fast. Since it’s Stephen King, you know he’s good at suspense and keeping things going forward (or backward, since it’s about time travel). But, it is NOT a horror novel. Of course there are some creepy moments, but it’s not a scary book. I thought it was actually extremely realistic in terms of what could actually happen if someone found a time travel hole in their diner. I liked the way King showed us the various outcomes the occurred when one or two things in the past were changed. So if you want a page turner for the beach this summer, get this one!

 

I didn’t read as much in April for some reason, but now I don’t remember why. Reading a good one right now, so I’ll report back on that in my May posting. What are you reading right now? Is it good?

March Book Club

Contents May Have Shifted At first I didn’t think much of this book–it was ok, but it wasn’t doing much for me. Until I really started to think about how it worked, and about the way it was written. It is broken down into small chunks labeled by place. They are not in chronological order, and the places repeat at random. Each place though, has a guy the main character is involved with. Some guys show up in multiple places. It is “about,” I guess, the woman’s adult life and how she navigates her love life as an independent person. I also liked the parts that take place in Boulder, and mention specific streets and restaurants. Mostly though, I liked this book because it gave me ideas on writing, plot, and the way a story can be told, and what a story does or doesnt need. So, that probably woulndn’t reel most people in, but her writing is very real and kinda conversational, and I liked that too.

 

 

The Almost Moon. Oh boy, this book was weird. In the first chapter the protagonist kills her mother. Then, to me it seemed, you read the rest of the book without ever being able to figure out if we are supposed to ultimately understand that murder, or if it is unacceptable, and if so, then how do we feel about the main character, who in most books you are meant to sympathize with.

It took me a while to get into this book, but even once you start finding out about the past and the family dynamic, I am just never sold on any of it, and it’s difficult to read an entire book without knowing what to feel or think. So maybe that’s one reason why it was in the bargain bin at Barnes and Noble. Not a recommendation, but if anyone wants my copy, you’re welcome to it.

 

The Sisters Brothers A blog I read said this book made a good Valentine’s gift for a guy. I knew Aaron would never read it, so I thought I’d check it out. It’s an interesting book– I guess it’s a Western (and so I thought I’d read it since grandpa was always reading Westerns) but it has a very modern voice, even though it takes place around the time of the gold rush. The main characters are two brothers, one likable, one not so much. The best thing to me about this book was the writing. It was unexpectedly funny in places, I think due to word choice, kind of like Brautigan. The story kept me interested, and ultimately I did enjoy it, but it’s probably not my favorite book of the year. Maybe of the month though?

 

 

 

The Smart Cookies Guide to Making More Dough This was my non-fiction option for the month. It is a book that’s part informative, part questionnaire, part advice, part real life stories from a group of women who got their finances in order in various ways. There were questions in each chapter that I took time to answer, and some were valuable, and a good way to see specifically what your money goals may be. It also had good information on different types of investments and other things I am really unfamiliar with. There are worksheets you can print out online that go with the book, and the part I liked most was the budget. I will write more this week about the money experiment I did in March, and what I’m continuing to do. I thought there was some good points made in the book, but it’s very basic, so if you already know anything about money/budgeting/investment you probably want something a bit more advanced. If you know nothing, like me, it’s great!

Not quite as much reading this month. Or maybe the books I chose were just more slower going than normal. Have a couple good ones on deck for April though.

What have you been reading??

February Book Club

1. The Keeper of Lost Causes. I wrote about this one in my Nordic Thrillers post, but it was a pretty good book. Like I said, a bit slow at the start, with some disturbing scenes, but I liked it. I did give some weird dreams one day though, I think.

2. The Help. I avoided reading this one for so long but I dont know why! I remember  Alissa recommending it to me a long time ago, and then I never got around to it. For some reason the premise just didnt interest me at the time. But then I wanted to see the movie, but wanted to read the book first, so I finally checked it out. And I’m so glad I did! It truly is a great book, and I really loved the characters. It’s the kind of book where you miss the people when the book ends. And I thought the movie was really good too.

3. The Sense of an Ending. I heard about this one on NPR one day and thought the premise sounded interesting. Basically, something happens to an old man that makes him question his past. That’s how it was described. And that did happen. I am interested in books that ask questions about memory and the way it works/doesnt work, but this one didn’t do much for me. I feel like I probably would have liked it more if I was older. It was harder for me to relate to the main character. The writing was good, and the book kept me interested, but I never felt that into it. I have a feeling the older crowd, who can really appreciate the concept, would like it a lot.

4. The Lover’s Dictionary. This book takes only about an hour to read. It’s set up like a dictionary, with different entries for different words. Each entry describes or tells or shows us something about the relationship that the story is about. There are a lot of quick little descriptions that feel very unique but at the same time universal. I really liked this book, and it was nice to read a novel with a more experimental design.

5. An Object of Beauty. I really liked Steve Martin’s (yes, the actor) first book, Shopgirl (and the movie), so I thought I’d give this one a try. It’s about the art market in NYC in the late 80s through today. Well, not about that, but that’s the background against which the story takes place. In the movie version of Shopgirl, Steve Martin does voiceovers, reading scenes from the book. So, in my head as I read this book, I felt like I could hear Steve Martin’s voice reading it. It wasnt a bad thing, just interesting. But it was cool to read about the art world from a different perspective, and I think the writing is good. Very clear and direct style. And, there’s pictures of the art referred to in the story, which was kinda cool. Overall, I liked it.

6. Switch. I decided to start mixing more non-fiction in to my reading, and I started with this one, which was a book Aaron brought home from work and was supposed to read. I figured he’d never have time, so I read it for him this week and took some notes. It’s a book on the various ways to make change happen, and talks about the different aspects of successful change. I actually enjoyed it a lot. They cite a lot of cool studies to illustrate the points they are making, and it’d be easy to apply their methods to large, small, corporate, or individual changes you want to see happen. I am going to try some of their ideas and see how it goes.

7. The Hunger Games. I downloaded The Hunger Games onto my phone because I heard that it was really good and I wanted a book that I would get really in to. But the trick was that I was only going to read it at the gym, and so that way I’d go more often and work out more. Well, it turned out that it wasnt powerful enough to get me to the gym everyday, and eventually I just started reading it in bed, but nonetheless, it was a great book, and worth the hype it gets. The story keeps you interested and also raises a lot of questions as it goes. I thought the whole premise was really cool. And I just found out the movie comes out soon so I’m excited! Definitely recommend this one.

8. The Leopard. I normally try to space out my reading of Nordic thrillers, but somehow I read two this month. This one was really good and had a good mystery, but I think it was a little too long. One too many twists in the plot, perhaps. By the end I kind of just wanted to see what happened and have it be over. But this could also be because I wasnt in the mood for this type of book. So, I still recommend it.

 

Since I stay at school all day on Mondays and Wednesday’s now, and have a few breaks in between classes, I got a lot of reading done this month! I also read every night before bed and sometimes in the afternoon too. Just really into reading at the moment. I think it has something to do with winter and clouds and not wanting to do much but stay inside.

Did you read any good books this month? Anything I should check out in March??

Nordic Thrillers Recommendations!

If you enjoyed “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” series, and it seems like most people did, allow me to offer you some other options for exciting Nordic mysteries! I know I was a bit sad when I read the last of the Stieg Larsson trio, but these other authors have filled the void quite nicely. They are all very well written, and they’re all page turners.

The middle row shows a few books by the author Jo Nesbo, a well-known Norwegian writer. He has written many books, I’ve read 3 or 4 of them. The main character in his books is Harry Hole, a smart, surly, alcoholic detective. He’s an interesting character. I like him. I suppose the Hole books go in some type of order, but I read The Snowman first, out of order. It’s a good, creepy book, though pretty graphic with its descriptions of violence. Not for the easily scared. But it was a good mystery, and since I never really try to solve mysteries as I read, I was intrigued all the way through. The Devil’s Star is another good one, same main characters, although this time the book is set during the summer, which is odd since a big part of most of these Nordic mysteries is the pervasive cold. Lots of other options by this author as well. I highly recommend him.

The Hypnotist is by Lars Kepler, which is actually the pen name of a Swedish writer couple. Cool! This book starts out with a very violent crime, but the book overall isnt as graphic as some of the others .There is a good mystery, and interesting characters. I liked this book a lot too.

I just read The Keeper of Lost Causes and enjoyed it as well. This one takes place in Denmark. A few of the scenes were pretty twisted and hard to read, and I think gave me weird, messed up dreams a few times, but it was a good book, the kind I couldnt put down for the last fifty pages or so especially. This one is a bit slower moving overall, but still a good read and a good mystery.

I have not read this last one, The Boy in the Suitcase, but I saw it on Amazon and I thought it sounded good.

I hope you enjoy whatever Nordic mystery you chose! Let me know of some other good ones I have missed! I especially like reading these in the wintertime for some reason.

Yellow, Birds

Just a quick photo of my lunch break. My 12-week classes started, so now I get to hang in the teacher’s lounge at Ivy Tech between my 9:30, 12:30, and 3:30 classes. Just one more left! I dont know if it’s related to the Super Bowl, but only 10 people showed up for my am class (out of 25) and like 10 were missing from my 12:30. Weird. Well, not that weird. Attendance is pretty bad in general here.

Anyway, here is my new lunchbox from mom (I forgot a spoon to eat my yogurt with, boo), which matches my book, The Help. I have been putting off reading this book forever, but it is so good! I’ve been flying through it. Started Saturday and I’m on page 280 already. I really want to rent the movie this weekend too.

This past weekend was pretty lowkey. Laid around all day Saturday, ate at Broad Ripple Brew Pub Saturday night. Sunday I did some lesson planning and organization then worked on a bunch of quilts. I attempted to watch the Super Bowl but the commercials and half-time show weren’t online as I watched, so I gave up and went back to sewing. Will show you what I’ve been up to soon.

Don’t forget to watch The Bachelor tonight! But don’t tell me what happens, I don’t get to watch it until Tuesday am

Off to class now, then am hoping to get back into the habit of going to the gym this week (skipped all of last week….). Wish me luck.

January Book Club

 

The Marriage Plot I finished this book over Christmas and New Years, I believe. I have enjoyed Eugenides’ past books, so I was looking forward to this one. It was not quite what I was expecting, which doesn’t reflect on the book at all. I for some reason thought it would be more serious and a bit more heavy. In a way it reminded me of Tom Woolf’s “I Am Charlotte Simmons.” Overall, I enjoyed it, although it switched point of view among the characters, and there were some I found less interesting than others, which is always the risk. Recommended if you are an English major looking for a quick but not embarrassing read.

 

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? You always hear about this book in comparison to Tina Fey’s memoir, which I guess makes sense since they are both female comediennes who write Thursday night sitcoms. I think Tina is from a different generation, and her book deals with trials of women in a male-dominated business, and had a lot of feminist overtones, which I loved. Mindy’s book is much lighter. I read it in one night when I couldnt fall asleep. I had a few laughs, there’s some funny pop culture and Harry Potter references, but overall I liked Tina Fey’s book better. I laughed more and harder. Still, I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a light, funny, easy reading memoir.

 

There But For The I am not sure where I heard about this book but it sounded interesting so I checked it out from the library. A guy locks himself in the guest room at a party thrown by some people he doesnt really know. The book is broken into 3 sections, each from the point of view of someone else who was at the party, or who knows the man in some way. I wouldn’t say this was the best book of the year (or the month, really), but it had some interesting parts. The last section, from the point of view of a 12 year old, was really good, and it was interesting what happened as a result of the man being locked in the room, but I think the ending was kind of a letdown. Recommended to anyone looking for something off-beat with quirky language and word play (that was the most interesting part of the book for me.)

 

The Third Reich I only heard of Roberto Bolano when he died recently. He was spoken of quite highly so I decided to check him out. This book follows a German couple on vacation in Spain. The guy is involved in a war game/Risk type thing, he’s like a professional at it. I liked the writing style because it was very dramatic and spooky, always hinting weirdly that terrible things were just around the corner, or were happening at the edges where they couldnt quite be seen. I did like this book, but I think there was a lot I didnt grasp, so I should probably read it again someday. But I am interested in this writer and would read more. Recommended for someone looking to read a South American writer who likes dark and subtle mystery.

 

Virgil and Beatrice  Oh, this book! I loved it so much. I     remember really liking Life of Pi, and the way something at  the end changes and makes the whole book look different. That kind of happens in this book too, though not exactly. This was also a quick read, and is fairly short. It is the story of a writer and his relationship with a man who requests his help in writing a play. The play itself is show, in parts, throughout the book, and it reminded me a lot of Waiting for Godot, which is probably significant somehow. The writing is interesting and descriptive, and I liked the main character. I also cried at the very end, which is something I rarely do when reading. I would definitely read this many times, and I think it’s the kind of book where something is gained each time. Recommended to everyone! Especially if you are looking for a quicker read that is still quite deep and lasting.

 

 

 

So, those were the books I read in January. I guess I had more time than usual on my hands, plus a lot of them were quick reads. What did you read that was good this month??

Book Review: Freedom

For a long time I felt a certain weird resentment for Jonathan Franzan, and I was annoyed at how often his book Freedom was talked about when it first came out. It seemed like it was everywhere! On the radio, in my email, Amazon’s homepage, newspapers, front tables at the bookstore (used and new!). How can a book really be this good, to generate this much attention?? I thought. Of course I understand that the publishing industry is all connected, and when a book is talked about in one place it’s purposely being talked about in a lot of other places too. I didnt think this was all a coincidence. This was a popular writer, who had written anything in a while. People would talk. It may have been my secret Naropa heart, the heart that sides with the literary underdog, that kept me from ever reading any Franzen.

However. I started to think that I was being weird and silly, to dislike an author I had never read. (Also, I think I had been confusing him with a couple other writers as well. Jonathan Letham was one, and also for some reason I thought Franzen was a political journalist. Not sure why…). So I found his older novel, from 10 years ago, at the used book shop, and decided to give it a go. I devoured its 600 pages in a week. Then I thought, well no way can Freedom be this good. So I put off reading that too.

Now, I’ve read a lot of Freedom’s negative reviews (because I’m perverse, and like to see why other people dont like the things that I do like), and in many ways I understand where those reviews are coming from. My friend didnt like it because she felt it was slow moving, that nothing was really happening, and it became tedious. I didnt feel that way. I was drawn in right away, and I think that what I like most about both of these books (and they have extremely similar structures) is the way, at the end, you leave with a complete and full picture, from nearly every vantage point, of a whole family. I love that the books switch points of view and that you come to understand and see the motivations of almost every character. It makes the misunderstandings between them that much more interesting, because you can understand why they react the way they do, but you can also understand that they are misreading a situation. In real life, people misunderstand each other all the time (maybe even constantly), and this book gives you both sides of each equation.

I also judge books on how many times a sentence or idea really makes me stop to think, or stands out as being an absolutely clear and perfect way of presenting a point. Most books don’t do this at all, some do it once or twice. And although the book may have many pretty unlikable characters, and maybe it moves slowly at times, it also has many moments that go beyond the story, and suggest important ideas about the world, or especially (now that I look back at my notes) about the notion of reality. A few examples:

“Patty believed that parents have a duty to teach their children how to recognize reality when they see it.”

“He nodded and ate, and it occurred to her that she was a person who dwelt in fantasies with essentially no relation to reality.”

And, on the theme of people’s misunderstandings of each other (here, a mother and son): the mother mentions a sensitive topic to the son, but not directly. “And she knew better than to stab an existing wound twice, but either she was the world’s most expert implier, or Joey was the world’s most sensitive inferrer.” I’m sure it is my own sensitivities resonating with this particular line, but it seems so true, and how many problems does this not knowing cause…

I also enjoyed the section that explores the ideas of the power of words themselves, suggesting, I felt, that words make reality, that if things are not spoken, then they are not (as?) true. This idea is also echoed in the book, as part of it consists of the main character’s “autobiography,” which she writes for therapeutic reasons, then shares with the man she cheats on her husband with, who then shows it to the husband. It sets everything in motion, even though all the problems existed before the book was revealed, it made them too real to ignore. Same when the son and his girlfriend begin to have phone sex while away from each other at college. What began as an effort to distance himself from his girlfriend by only talking about sex, Joey actually becomes more entwined with her:

“He realized it [phone sex] was making their contact all the deeper to hear Connie finally naming all the things they’d done and the things she imagined them doing in the future. This deepening was somewhat strange, since all they were doing was getting each other off. But in hindsight it seemed to him as if, in St. Paul, Connie’s silence had formed a kind of protective barrierL had given their couplings what politicians called deniability. To discover, now, that sex had been registering in her as language [love that line]–as words that she could speak out loud– made her that much realer to him as a person… Words made everything less safe, words had no limits, words made their own world.”

And I love when books do this. When they tell a story and at the same time talk about much, much bigger ideas. The story doesnt suffer, it doesnt seem to have a hidden agenda, but it points to the ways that even the normal things we do in our everyday lives do have bigger implications, and can be more important that what is suggested just at first glance. I love when books remind me of the possible depths of the world, by making their own world deep, working with many  layers at once.

So, I guess Franzen doesnt really need another good review at this point, and maybe everyone is as sick of hearing about him as I was, but I was glad I gave him a chance, and I liked the time I spent in this fully realized world he created in Freedom.

Books and More

Today I made a spontaneous trip to the used book store, and what a great decision that turned out to be. I knew it would be a successful trip when the first book that caught my eye was called “The Sexual Politics of Meat”– grabbed! I have been reading som old feminist theory books I have from college lately, and I am getting ready to do a 30 day vegan cleanse, to be profiled on a cool website I found (more on this soon) so that seemed like a great find.

Then, when looking for a Sherman Alexie book I found, instead, Kathy Acker. As soon as I saw it I knew that was the book I needed to read. For the past week or so I havent been able to get into a book, nothing is suiting my mood. Turns out, it was Acker I was looking for all along. AND, this one has illustrations as well, which goes along with my plan to start drawing again, and possibly incorporating drawings with text. Done!

Then, on an endcap I spotted a book called “Betewen the Assassi Nations,” written by the same Indian writer who wrote “The White Tiger.” I didnt know he even had another book out, but I loved “The White TIger” so much, so I was quite excited.

The other day I read something about an author named Donna Tart who sounded interesting so I picked up her first novel.

Also, I really wanted a book by Michael Ondaatje called “Divisadero.” They didnt have it with the other Ondaatje books, so I was kinda bummed. But then right before checking out I decided to look at the discount fiction rack and what should I find?? Divisadero, for $2! Score.

Anyways. It has been a while since I posted. I am no longer copyediting for the time being. I was making too many mistakes, couldnt focus, and wasnt giving the project the time it needed, so I talked to the other editor I was working with and we decided to just give the book to someone else. I am not exactly happy about it, but it has given me some time to think, and I think this is good. Will have to make up the income somehow, but I really wasnt that into copyediting. I mean, I like the idea of it, but I think it was too detailed for me, and I wasnt good at keeping track of the millions of thigns that have to be kept track of. I am not a perfectionist, and I think you kind of need to be for that job. So I am going to devote my time now to getting more sales to my Etsy site, writing and drawing again, and hopefully submitting some stories and doing some contests again. Also, NaNoWriMo starts next month, so I’ll need time for that. And, I’ll be able to spend more time being prepared for class each week, which will be good.

I have added some pillows and new ruffle-y clutches to my shop page. I am trying to find some ways to get more traffic to my site, but have had trouble coming up with anything. Maybe I need to try selling stuff at local boutiques again.

Well, I am going to visit Finn and friends this evening, so I best be on my way. This was a lame post, but I’ll try for a better one soon!

A Few of my Favorite Things

Last night I didnt make any mooney at work (literally, $0) and I left at 6:30. In an effort to not be mad and frustrated, I did two things. One, drink champagne. Two, I went around my house finding things I really really like, that make me happy whenever I see them. Oh, and I also sewed a lot, so I guess that’s three things. Anyway, here they are:

1.Champagne of course! The one I drank yesterday was a gift from my parents, and it was really really tasty. Dry but a little creamy, a little fruitiness as well, but definitely not sweet. And it was really easy too drink. (too easy? maybe!) This is the bottle:

2.Notebooks! Clearly, I have a problem with buying notebooks. I just love them. I love the possibility they hold. I love their covers, and different sizes, I live the different types of paper they all use. After I took this picture I realized there is a notebook I bought, didnt use, and now can’t find, and then I also found a purple one in my room. By the way, these are only my empty notebooks. There are plenty of filled ones around the house too.

3. This particular combo of fabrics. I want to make a little pouch out of the tan, with polka dots inside, and make piping around the outside of the bag using that really skinny cord and the bright fabric. I’ll post that once it’s done.

4. I also really love this fabric combo, which I started collecting way earlier in the summer. I am going to make a baby quilt with it, or maybe a bigger quilt, who knows, if I ever find time. Which I will! I just think the fabrics are so pretty and soothing and interesting.

5. This shirt from Anthropologie! I splurged a little bit, but I was trying it on and I only had one arm through the first sleeve and I knew I had to get it. It was soooooo soft, the grey is a really soft, thin sweater material and the middle is silk. It is a really flattering length, and I think it’s a good mix of casual and chic. Love it!

6. The pile of books by my nightstand! Usually they are a bit more organized than this, as I normally have them picked out and stacked in the order I want to read them. These have just been gathering there all summer, but now that I’m done reading the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series I should be able to start cracking this pile. ALthough a few of them I have already read.

7. This Banana Republic ring that Mattie let me have. I love the way the stones are set, and I love that it is flat against your finger. It is sparkly but not gaudy or costume-y. I even think I would want something like this as a wedding ring someday.

8. Arrested Development! I watched it again recently because there was nothing else to watch, and even though I have probably seen it more than 10 times, I found another new joke I hadnt noticed before. Its like the gift that keeps on giving!

9. I don’t know what these things are called and I don’t know why I keep them, but they are printed on the edges of fabric and tell all the colors that were used in the pattern. I just really like circles, I think, and I like the row of colors. So maybe I’ll think of something to do with them someday. Who knows. For now I just think they’re cool.

Ok, nine is kind of a weird number for a list but I’m going to stop here anyway. Because I have to go do things not on my favorites list including:

-Go to the mall before work because my phone is broken. Last night when I hung up the screen was flickering and then I plugged it in to charge it. When I unplugged it it was insanely hot and it wouldnt turn on at all. I really hope it’s an easy fix!

-Get ready with a slight hangover after sleeping until 1:00. And I have no food at all here, so I can’t even eat until I am done getting ready. And, the only thing I have time to do before work is go get my phone fixed. Luckily I dont really have much that i have to do, so I guess it’s acceptable.

Off to go dry my hair. Adios!

Ouch!

Well, this day has been very lazy so far. I wish I could chart everything about my life so I could see the relationship between eating, sleeping, reading, hormones, etc. and my level of productivity. I am sure I stayed up too late last night, but even once I woke up today I have not felt like doing much.

I was going to run but my quads are WAY too sore!! There is a reason, and it’s pretty pathetic–I went dancing on Saturday night. I havent danced in a really long time. In addition, I havent been working out all that much this summer. I also busted out a pair of heels for the first time since…. April? So yesterday my legs were burning but today they hurt even more and I feel like I am even walking funny! So, I am going to attempt to do yoga now before going to Carrie and Kevin’s for dinner and trash night, and hopefully that will loosen up my muscles. Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I was this sore. Boo!

Also, I watched a few episodes of the show Castle online this week. It is actually pretty good. I thought it looked kinda dumb, but it’s good. It’s like a funnier Law and Order, and one of the characters is a mystery writer, not a cop. And, the main girl character is the sister of a guy I went to high school with. Go figure!

After finishing the second of Steig Larsson’s books I knew I wouldn’t be able to truly move on with my life until I read the third one. I even left early for work one day so I’d have time to stop at Target and buy it… Except it’s not out in paperback yet and won’t be for at least another year (yes, I called Barnes and Noble to inquire). It was $20 at Target! I rarely spend $20 on anything, even clothes, so to spend it on a book that will probably take me 5 days or less to read seemed a bit much…. So I did what any normal person did and bought it on Amazon, where I had to spend $25 to get free shipping, but I got 3 books instead of 1! Yay! Rounded out my purchase with some Lydia Davis short stories and a little nonfiction book. Now I am just biding my time waiting for it to arrive in the mail. Have been reading a book about language and how/if it affects thought. It’s actually pretty interesting (to an English major).

Oh yeah, and I got a job teaching English 101 at Ivy Tech Community College in downtown Indy! (That exclamation mark denotes terror). I am pretty nervous, but I know that is always the case with things you’ve never done before. Hopefully after a few weeks it will be easy…. or at least not scary. I’ll keep you posted.

Alright, time for yoga. Wish my legs luck!