I hadn't expected it to take me a week and a half to finish my first book of the year, but then again, I guess I'm not really surprised either. As usual, I just have too many books going at once. Anyway, I am so very pleased that Saffy's Angel by Hilary McKay was the first book I finished...I'm pretending I believe in "signs" and this is a sure sign of a wonderful year of reading ahead. It also qualifies as my first read for Ana's and Iris's Long-Awaited Reads Month. (Or in my case, Long-Awaited Reads that are All Ana's Fault Month.) :D
Okay, Saffy's Angel. *hugs book tenderly and fiercely all at the same time*
It is the story of the Casson family, a family who most definitely lives life on their own terms. I'm not sure if anyone else would agree with this comparison, but I was strongly reminded of Francesca Lia Block's writing. Or really, I guess I mean her characters, at least from the Weetzie Bat books. Both Block's and McKay's characters have this utterly refreshing quality to them--they are quirky and odd, they are unique and delightful, they are so positively themselves. And I love them to pieces.
Eve and Bill, parents, artists. Caddy, the oldest daughter, loves animals, believes she will never pass any exam she ever takes, and is quite infatuated with her driving instructor. Saffy, next oldest daughter, feels somewhat out of place and lonely. Indigo, next oldest and the only boy in the family, an inventive cook, loves "his pack" (aka his sisters) fiercely, and works hard to conquer his fears. And Rose, the youngest daughter, bold, fearless, and a budding artist herself.
At the beginning of the book, Saffy discovers that Eve is not her "real" mother, but her aunt, and her siblings are her cousins. (Her mother died when she was just three, and her grandfather brought her from Italy to come live with the Cassons in England.) While she is every bit as much a sibling as any of the others in the minds of Caddy and Indigo and Rose, she finds herself feeling as if she somehow doesn't belong. The book tells the story of Saffy's search for her angel, a stone angel from her Italian garden that her grandfather left to her when she died, but no one knows where it is. But it really tells the story of Saffy's search for her place in the world, her place in the family.
This is not a heavy, soul-searching tale though. It is light and so utterly charming, it is laugh out loud funny, and it has more heart than one might imagine could be stuffed into 215 pages. Saying that I loved it feels like such an understatement.
With this book alone, I can most definitely declare Long-Awaited Reads Month a success for me! Ahhh, but so many more books still to come...
Showing posts with label happiness project. Show all posts
Showing posts with label happiness project. Show all posts
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Sunday, August 4, 2013
a happiness project update...
This may be my favorite project of all time. :) And I don't feel like I've been giving it enough of my time and attention. I'd really like to change that--but with no pressure. I'm going to try to have at least one item in my immediate sights at all times. I do actually have a small handful in the works, but I haven't been putting a lot of focus on them...need to change that.
Sooooo. This past week I was perusing my happiness project lists looking for inspiration to strike. And strike it did. When I was reading my sweet, sweet, sweet friend Heather's list of "fun/challenging/interesting things to do," I latched right onto #13: Finish one scrapbook album. As soon as I read that, I knew immediately what I wanted to do. Rich and I had taken a wonderful hike at one of our favorite places, Devil's Bathtub in Mendon Ponds on Tuesday afternoon, and I'd taken a ton of photos. I wanted to make a mini album just to document our wonderful afternoon.
One of the things I love, love, love about the album itself is that I made it largely from items I save from the recycle bin. I'm constantly saving things I think I can use eventually. This album has chipboard from the back of tablets, a piece of acetate from packaging, the little glossy inserts that come in packs of photo paper, the cardboard inserts that Amazon often uses, etc.
And yep, here's where I bombard you with way too many photos. (I apologize and sincerely encourage you to feel free to skip this post.) But I want to do it for me.
Heather dear, thank you so much. Rich and I love this album, and there's a very good chance I never would have made it without you. :D
Sooooo. This past week I was perusing my happiness project lists looking for inspiration to strike. And strike it did. When I was reading my sweet, sweet, sweet friend Heather's list of "fun/challenging/interesting things to do," I latched right onto #13: Finish one scrapbook album. As soon as I read that, I knew immediately what I wanted to do. Rich and I had taken a wonderful hike at one of our favorite places, Devil's Bathtub in Mendon Ponds on Tuesday afternoon, and I'd taken a ton of photos. I wanted to make a mini album just to document our wonderful afternoon.
One of the things I love, love, love about the album itself is that I made it largely from items I save from the recycle bin. I'm constantly saving things I think I can use eventually. This album has chipboard from the back of tablets, a piece of acetate from packaging, the little glossy inserts that come in packs of photo paper, the cardboard inserts that Amazon often uses, etc.
And yep, here's where I bombard you with way too many photos. (I apologize and sincerely encourage you to feel free to skip this post.) But I want to do it for me.
Heather dear, thank you so much. Rich and I love this album, and there's a very good chance I never would have made it without you. :D
Friday, March 1, 2013
projects progress...2013 update 6...
*The unofficial-for-me reading challenges:
Wandering Son Volume 3 by Takako Shimura fills holes for:
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 219 pages (12/20+),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (6/24),
the Young Adult Challenge (10/20),
and the Global Women of Color Reading Challenge--Asia (1/10)
Sita's Ramayana by Samhita Arni and Moyna Chitrakar fills holes for:
the Genre Variety Challenge--mythology (7/18),
the Telling Tales Reading Challenge (1/5),
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 152 pages (13/20+),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (7/24),
the Young Adult Challenge (11/20),
and the Global Women of Color Reading Challenge--Asia (2/10)
Tyranny by Lesley Fairfield fills holes for:
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 114 pages (14/20+),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (8/24),
the Young Adult Challenge (12/20),
and the Mental Illness Advocacy Reading Challenge (2/4)
A Game for Swallows: To Die, To Leave, To Return by Zeina Abirached fills holes for:
the What an Animal 2013 (5/6),
the Nerdy Non-Fiction Challenge--memoir category (2/15+),
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 188 pages (15/20+),
the Middle East 2013 Reading Challenge (1/1-5),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (9/24),
the Young Adult Challenge (13/20),
and the Global Women of Color Reading Challenge--Middle East (3/10)
Castle Waiting by Linda Medley fills holes for:
the Telling Tales Reading Challenge (2/5),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (10/24),
and the Young Adult Challenge (14/20)
The Lindbergh Child: America's Hero and the Crime of the Century by Rick Geary fills holes for:
the Genre Variety Challenge--true crime (8/18),
the Nerdy Non-fiction Challenge--law and crime category (3/15+),
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 80 pages (16/20+),
and the Graphic Novels Challenge (11/24)
The Lives of Sacco and Vanzetti by Rick Geary fills holes for:
the Nerdy Non-fiction Challenge--law and crime category (4/15+),
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 80 pages (17/20+),
and the Graphic Novels Challenge (12/24)
Castle Waiting Volume II by Linda Medley fills holes for:
the Mount TBR Reading Challenge (11/60),
the Telling Tales Reading Challenge (3/5),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (13/24),
and the Young Adult Challenge (15/20)
Deogratias: A Tale of Rwanda by J.P. Stassen fills holes for:
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 79 pages (18/20+),
and the Graphics Novels 2013 (14/24)
Americus by MK Reed and Jonathan Hill fills holes for:
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 216 pages (19/20+),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (15/24),
and the Young Adult Challenge (16/20)
Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge fills holes for:
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 192 pages (20/20+),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (16/24),
and the Young Adult Challenge (17/20)
Retrovirus by Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Norberto Fernandez fills holes for:
the Genre Variety Challenge--sci-fi (9/18),
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 64 pages (21/20+),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (17/24)
Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise Part Three by Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru fills holes for:
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 76 pages (22/20+),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (18/24),
and the Young Adult Challenge (18/20)
Lola: A Ghost Story by J. Torres and Elbert Or fills in holes for:
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 103 pages (23/20+),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (19/24),
and the Young Adult Challenge (19/20)
Revival Volume One: You're Among Friends by Tim Seeley and Mike Norton fills holes for:
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 128 pages (24/20+),
and the Graphics Novels 2013 (20/24)
The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi fills holes for:
the Mount TBR Reading Challenge (12/60),
the Nerdy Non-Fiction Challenge--memoir category (5/15+),
the Middle East 2013 Reading Challenge (2/1-5),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (21/24),
and the Global Women of Color Reading Challenge--Middle East (4/10)
A Killing Frost by John Marsden fills slots for:
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 270 pages (25/20+),
and the Young Adult Challenge (20/20)
WooHoo!!! I've actually unofficially completed two of these challenges now (the Quick Fix and the Young Adult).
*Non-fiction Adventure (unofficial for me):
The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is one of the books on my list.
*Personal read-the-world challenge:
Sita's Ramayana by Samhita Anri and Moyna Chitrakar fills the slot for Indian author.
A Game for Swallows by Zeina Abirached fills the slot for Lebanese author.
Deogratias: A Tale of Rwanda by J.P. Stassen fills the slot for a Rwandan setting in a fictional work.
Lola: A Ghost Story by J. Torres and Elbert Or fills the slot for a Filipino setting in a fictional work.
The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi fills the slot for an Iranian setting in a non-fiction work.
*Read the top 10 lists from The Ultimate Teen Book Guide:
The Complete Persepolis is on both the Biography/Memoir Top Ten and the Graphic Novel Top Ten.
*50x50:
#33. Make 50 meaningful layouts for Gray's albums. (1/50)
#37. Read 50 books I never heard of before buying/borrowing from the library. Sita's Ramayana, Tryanny, A Game for Swallows, Americus, Retrovirus, and Revival Volume One: You're Among Friends all fit here. (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12/50)
#40. Read a book set in each of the 50 states. The Lindbergh Child was set in New Jersey and Revival Volume One: You're Among Friends was set in Wisconsin. (17 and 18/50)
#41. Read 50 non-fiction books, each about a different country. The Complete Persepolis is a memoir, but it is also largely about Iran. (7/50)
#42. Read 50 memoirs, autobiographies, biographies, etc. A Game for Swallows and The Complete Persepolis (7 and 8/50)
#43. Read 50 award-winning books. Deogratias: A Tale of Rwanda--the 2000 Rene Goscinny Award and The Complete Persepolis--2004 Alex Award. (10 and 11/50)
*My happiness project:
The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi was one of my picks from my dear friend Kara. :)
Wandering Son Volume 3 by Takako Shimura fills holes for:
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 219 pages (12/20+),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (6/24),
the Young Adult Challenge (10/20),
and the Global Women of Color Reading Challenge--Asia (1/10)
Sita's Ramayana by Samhita Arni and Moyna Chitrakar fills holes for:
the Genre Variety Challenge--mythology (7/18),
the Telling Tales Reading Challenge (1/5),
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 152 pages (13/20+),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (7/24),
the Young Adult Challenge (11/20),
and the Global Women of Color Reading Challenge--Asia (2/10)
Tyranny by Lesley Fairfield fills holes for:
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 114 pages (14/20+),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (8/24),
the Young Adult Challenge (12/20),
and the Mental Illness Advocacy Reading Challenge (2/4)
A Game for Swallows: To Die, To Leave, To Return by Zeina Abirached fills holes for:
the What an Animal 2013 (5/6),
the Nerdy Non-Fiction Challenge--memoir category (2/15+),
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 188 pages (15/20+),
the Middle East 2013 Reading Challenge (1/1-5),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (9/24),
the Young Adult Challenge (13/20),
and the Global Women of Color Reading Challenge--Middle East (3/10)
Castle Waiting by Linda Medley fills holes for:
the Telling Tales Reading Challenge (2/5),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (10/24),
and the Young Adult Challenge (14/20)
The Lindbergh Child: America's Hero and the Crime of the Century by Rick Geary fills holes for:
the Genre Variety Challenge--true crime (8/18),
the Nerdy Non-fiction Challenge--law and crime category (3/15+),
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 80 pages (16/20+),
and the Graphic Novels Challenge (11/24)
The Lives of Sacco and Vanzetti by Rick Geary fills holes for:
the Nerdy Non-fiction Challenge--law and crime category (4/15+),
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 80 pages (17/20+),
and the Graphic Novels Challenge (12/24)
Castle Waiting Volume II by Linda Medley fills holes for:
the Mount TBR Reading Challenge (11/60),
the Telling Tales Reading Challenge (3/5),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (13/24),
and the Young Adult Challenge (15/20)
Deogratias: A Tale of Rwanda by J.P. Stassen fills holes for:
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 79 pages (18/20+),
and the Graphics Novels 2013 (14/24)
Americus by MK Reed and Jonathan Hill fills holes for:
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 216 pages (19/20+),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (15/24),
and the Young Adult Challenge (16/20)
Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge fills holes for:
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 192 pages (20/20+),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (16/24),
and the Young Adult Challenge (17/20)
Retrovirus by Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Norberto Fernandez fills holes for:
the Genre Variety Challenge--sci-fi (9/18),
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 64 pages (21/20+),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (17/24)
Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise Part Three by Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru fills holes for:
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 76 pages (22/20+),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (18/24),
and the Young Adult Challenge (18/20)
Lola: A Ghost Story by J. Torres and Elbert Or fills in holes for:
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 103 pages (23/20+),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (19/24),
and the Young Adult Challenge (19/20)
Revival Volume One: You're Among Friends by Tim Seeley and Mike Norton fills holes for:
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 128 pages (24/20+),
and the Graphics Novels 2013 (20/24)
The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi fills holes for:
the Mount TBR Reading Challenge (12/60),
the Nerdy Non-Fiction Challenge--memoir category (5/15+),
the Middle East 2013 Reading Challenge (2/1-5),
the Graphics Novels 2013 (21/24),
and the Global Women of Color Reading Challenge--Middle East (4/10)
A Killing Frost by John Marsden fills slots for:
the Quick Fix Challenge--coming in at 270 pages (25/20+),
and the Young Adult Challenge (20/20)
WooHoo!!! I've actually unofficially completed two of these challenges now (the Quick Fix and the Young Adult).
*Non-fiction Adventure (unofficial for me):
The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is one of the books on my list.
*Personal read-the-world challenge:
Sita's Ramayana by Samhita Anri and Moyna Chitrakar fills the slot for Indian author.
A Game for Swallows by Zeina Abirached fills the slot for Lebanese author.
Deogratias: A Tale of Rwanda by J.P. Stassen fills the slot for a Rwandan setting in a fictional work.
Lola: A Ghost Story by J. Torres and Elbert Or fills the slot for a Filipino setting in a fictional work.
The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi fills the slot for an Iranian setting in a non-fiction work.
*Read the top 10 lists from The Ultimate Teen Book Guide:
The Complete Persepolis is on both the Biography/Memoir Top Ten and the Graphic Novel Top Ten.
*50x50:
#33. Make 50 meaningful layouts for Gray's albums. (1/50)
#37. Read 50 books I never heard of before buying/borrowing from the library. Sita's Ramayana, Tryanny, A Game for Swallows, Americus, Retrovirus, and Revival Volume One: You're Among Friends all fit here. (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12/50)
#40. Read a book set in each of the 50 states. The Lindbergh Child was set in New Jersey and Revival Volume One: You're Among Friends was set in Wisconsin. (17 and 18/50)
#41. Read 50 non-fiction books, each about a different country. The Complete Persepolis is a memoir, but it is also largely about Iran. (7/50)
#42. Read 50 memoirs, autobiographies, biographies, etc. A Game for Swallows and The Complete Persepolis (7 and 8/50)
#43. Read 50 award-winning books. Deogratias: A Tale of Rwanda--the 2000 Rene Goscinny Award and The Complete Persepolis--2004 Alex Award. (10 and 11/50)
*My happiness project:
The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi was one of my picks from my dear friend Kara. :)
Friday, February 1, 2013
projects progress...2013 update 4
No update last week because I didn't manage to do even one piddly little thing. And I don't suspect this will exactly be a long update either. Yeah, not being all that productive. *shrug*
*The unofficial-for-me reading challenges:
Finished up Bad Science by Ben Goldacre. Awesome book! And it helps me on these lists:
the Mount TBR Reading Challenge (5/60),
the Genre Variety Challenge--for nonfiction science (3/18),
and the Nerdy Non-fiction Challenge--first for the science category (1/15+)
*The Non-Fiction Adventure (which is also unofficial for me):
Bad Science is one of the books I had on my list for this. (1/50)
*50x50:
#22. Make 50 one-of-a-kind gifts. Finished up a blanket for Annie's birthday (yay for getting things done early!). (8/50)
(The picture does not do it justice--it is so soft and cozy!)
#44. Read 50 science/nature books. Bad Science obviously counts for this. (6/50)
*My happiness project:
Bad Science came from Ana's list of books. Have I said lately how freakin' much I love this project?!!! 'Cause I do! Thanks again, dear friend--you make my life so much richer!!! (5/50)
And that concludes another week's progress (or really I suppose I should say 2 week's worth). Not high in quantity, but definitely high in quality. :)
*The unofficial-for-me reading challenges:
Finished up Bad Science by Ben Goldacre. Awesome book! And it helps me on these lists:
the Mount TBR Reading Challenge (5/60),
the Genre Variety Challenge--for nonfiction science (3/18),
and the Nerdy Non-fiction Challenge--first for the science category (1/15+)
*The Non-Fiction Adventure (which is also unofficial for me):
Bad Science is one of the books I had on my list for this. (1/50)
*50x50:
#22. Make 50 one-of-a-kind gifts. Finished up a blanket for Annie's birthday (yay for getting things done early!). (8/50)
#44. Read 50 science/nature books. Bad Science obviously counts for this. (6/50)
*My happiness project:
Bad Science came from Ana's list of books. Have I said lately how freakin' much I love this project?!!! 'Cause I do! Thanks again, dear friend--you make my life so much richer!!! (5/50)
And that concludes another week's progress (or really I suppose I should say 2 week's worth). Not high in quantity, but definitely high in quality. :)
Friday, January 18, 2013
projects progress...2013 update 3
Yep, here we go again. :P
*The unofficial-for-me reading challenges:
I finished up Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden. It fills holes for...
the Mount TBR Reading Challenge (4/60),
the Quick Fix Reading Challenge--it comes in at 276 pages (4/20+),
and the 2013 Young Adult Reading Challenge (3/20)
*Personal read-the-world project:
Tomorrow, When the War Began fills in the slot for an Australian setting in a fictional work.
*50x50:
#47. Watch 50 different seasons of TV shows on DVD. I watched the first season of The Fabulous Beekman Boys (more about this in a sec). (16/50)
*My happiness project:
Chris's List of Movies/TV Shows: The Fabulous Beekman Boys, season 1. (2/51)
I know I've said it before, but I just can't stop myself from saying it again--I LOVE THIS PROJECT!!! And I'm so very grateful to all my friends who so generously spent their time making these lists for me. Every single time I do/read/watch one of the things from these lists, I feel I've been given a special gift. Thus far I've absolutely loved every item I've tackled. Absolutely loved. And I would have loved them even if I'd discovered them on my own. But that added bonus of having them all wrapped up with people I love, well, that just makes them beyond wonderful. So yep, The Fabulous Beekman Boys, which I adored, will always be associated with Chris in my mind. And I really did adore it--every episode made me laugh out loud. And a few of them made me cry, too. And I'm just so disappointed that Netflix doesn't have season 2 available...maybe someday. Thank you, Chris!!!
*The unofficial-for-me reading challenges:
I finished up Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden. It fills holes for...
the Mount TBR Reading Challenge (4/60),
the Quick Fix Reading Challenge--it comes in at 276 pages (4/20+),
and the 2013 Young Adult Reading Challenge (3/20)
*Personal read-the-world project:
Tomorrow, When the War Began fills in the slot for an Australian setting in a fictional work.
*50x50:
#47. Watch 50 different seasons of TV shows on DVD. I watched the first season of The Fabulous Beekman Boys (more about this in a sec). (16/50)
*My happiness project:
Chris's List of Movies/TV Shows: The Fabulous Beekman Boys, season 1. (2/51)
I know I've said it before, but I just can't stop myself from saying it again--I LOVE THIS PROJECT!!! And I'm so very grateful to all my friends who so generously spent their time making these lists for me. Every single time I do/read/watch one of the things from these lists, I feel I've been given a special gift. Thus far I've absolutely loved every item I've tackled. Absolutely loved. And I would have loved them even if I'd discovered them on my own. But that added bonus of having them all wrapped up with people I love, well, that just makes them beyond wonderful. So yep, The Fabulous Beekman Boys, which I adored, will always be associated with Chris in my mind. And I really did adore it--every episode made me laugh out loud. And a few of them made me cry, too. And I'm just so disappointed that Netflix doesn't have season 2 available...maybe someday. Thank you, Chris!!!
Friday, January 11, 2013
projects progress...2013 update 2...
I have a feeling this shall be quite the short list this week...
*The unofficial-for-me reading challenges:
First, I finished up Nick Hornby's More Baths Less Talking. It fills holes for...
the Mount TBR Challenge (2/60),
the 2013 Essay Challenge--six more essays (10/30),
and the Quick Fix Challenge--it comes in at 135 pages (2/20+),
And then I read The 10 p.m. Question by Kate De Goldi. It fills holes for...
the Mount TBR Challenge (3/60),
the Genre Variety Challenge--realistic fiction (2/18),
the What an Animal 2013--there's two birds on the cover and birds definitely play a part in the story (1/6),
the Quick Fix Reading Challenge--it has 245 pages (3/20+),
the 2013 Young Adult Reading Challenge (2/20),
and the Mental Illness Advocacy Reading Challenge (1/4)
*Personal Read-the-World Project:
The 10 p.m. Question fills in the slot for a New Zealand setting in a work of fiction.
*50x50:
#11. Watch 50 documentaries. Annie and I watched American Experience: My Lai for school. Obviously very disturbing. (26/50)
*Happiness Project
The 10 p.m. Question came from the wonderful list of books that my dear friend Ana made me, and you better believe in my mind she was right there reading along with me. It's one more precious gift I will cherish forever. Thank you, Ana!
*The unofficial-for-me reading challenges:
First, I finished up Nick Hornby's More Baths Less Talking. It fills holes for...
the Mount TBR Challenge (2/60),
the 2013 Essay Challenge--six more essays (10/30),
and the Quick Fix Challenge--it comes in at 135 pages (2/20+),
And then I read The 10 p.m. Question by Kate De Goldi. It fills holes for...
the Mount TBR Challenge (3/60),
the Genre Variety Challenge--realistic fiction (2/18),
the What an Animal 2013--there's two birds on the cover and birds definitely play a part in the story (1/6),
the Quick Fix Reading Challenge--it has 245 pages (3/20+),
the 2013 Young Adult Reading Challenge (2/20),
and the Mental Illness Advocacy Reading Challenge (1/4)
*Personal Read-the-World Project:
The 10 p.m. Question fills in the slot for a New Zealand setting in a work of fiction.
*50x50:
#11. Watch 50 documentaries. Annie and I watched American Experience: My Lai for school. Obviously very disturbing. (26/50)
*Happiness Project
The 10 p.m. Question came from the wonderful list of books that my dear friend Ana made me, and you better believe in my mind she was right there reading along with me. It's one more precious gift I will cherish forever. Thank you, Ana!
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Have His Carcase...thoughts along the way...
...ridiculously rambling and possibly incoherent thoughts at that...
Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers.
*Why this book? Well, Ana sold me completely on the Harriet Vane/Peter Wimsey books. Anything she loves as much as she loves these, just has to be awesome. I enjoyed the first, Strong Poison immensely, and Ana assures me they only get better. Secondly, I've been wanting to focus a little more on my happiness project, and Ana actually put this on my list of books to read. And finally, it's still RIP time, and I've been focusing my reading on almost exclusively RIP-ish books and wanted to continue with that. Not sure I'll finish it before RIP ends, as my reading-purely-for-fun time is a bit slim at the moment, but that's okay as I always have a hard time saying goodbye to all the RIP-goodness at the end of October anyway.
*And we're off to a wonderful start, this book and I. Don't you just love it when you are completely charmed with a book right from the very first paragraph?!!
*New-to-me word alert: scabious (p. 3). Context told me it was some sort of plant, but I had never heard of it.
Scabious--a plant of the teasel family, with pink, white, or (most commonly) blue pincushion-shaped flowers
*I remember being surprised and delighted by the humor in Strong Poison. But still the humor in this book caught me off-guard. And yes, it still delights me.
*"Acid drops"--what the heck are they? Not the same as dropping acid, that much I can tell. Maybe antacids? Google, here I come...
Ah, sour balls! Hmmm, acid drops is a far cooler name...I do think I shall have to adopt it.
*Page 103: Inspector Umpelty is telling Vane and Wimsey that the folks who live along the shore simply aren't talking.
Okay, that just made me bust out laughing. Pollock is my Mom's family name. I've never thought them to be overly surly myself. :P
*Page 153: Yeah, so here I am enjoying the hell out of this book for all its wit and humor and whatnot...and then bam! I'm blindsided and left all teary-eyed. And no, it's not that anything overtly sad happened. It's just that I was totally caught up in the rawness and honesty Sayers poured onto these pages in this conversation between Harriet and Peter. These characters who are so aware and disheartened by the strictures that society places on people. Characters that refuse to buy into these strictures but are forced to accept the realities of how they will be/are viewed for it.
*New-to-me word: tarradiddle (p. 232). A petty lie; fib. Or silly pretentious speech or writing.
I am infatuated with this word!
*Oh, Ms. Sayers, I love the way you can make a book feel like a total comfort read, and yet bring up really important social matters. I'm sure that's not a combination that is easy to achieve, but you seem to do it so effortlessly, so flawlessly.
*New-to-me word: purlieus (p. 278). The area near or surrounding a place. Or person's usual haunts.
Another useful word for the arsenal.
*Ummmm...is it just me of are things getting a wee tad far-fetched here???
*LOL. Thank you, Harriet. She, too, thought things getting a bit stretched for the imagination. :) (p. 297)
*Okay, we're no longer "along the way"...our internet went out and stayed out for over a week, during which time I finally finished this book. Yes, it took me over two months(!!!) to read this book. Now you might be tempted to think that means I didn't like it all the much since it took me that long to read it, but you would be wrong. In fact, the exact opposite it true. The fact that I stuck with a book when I was only managing to fit in a few pages a day is actually testament to how much I did enjoy it!
*I'm going to have to say that the mystery itself wasn't my favorite part of this book, which is not the same as saying that I didn't like it. But oh my gosh, what really makes me love this book is the dynamic, the banter, the honesty between Harriet and Peter. It makes me sad to think that I've only got two more books with them to go. (Though I know, thanks to my implicit trust of Ana's opinions, that the best is yet to come.) Seriously, is there a more fun couple? Real question, actually--do you know of any other couples that I really need to read???
*****
Reading this also completed an item for my happiness project--from Ana's list of books. Of course, even if she hadn't put this on my list, I would have thought of her the entire time I read it anyway. :D
*Why this book? Well, Ana sold me completely on the Harriet Vane/Peter Wimsey books. Anything she loves as much as she loves these, just has to be awesome. I enjoyed the first, Strong Poison immensely, and Ana assures me they only get better. Secondly, I've been wanting to focus a little more on my happiness project, and Ana actually put this on my list of books to read. And finally, it's still RIP time, and I've been focusing my reading on almost exclusively RIP-ish books and wanted to continue with that. Not sure I'll finish it before RIP ends, as my reading-purely-for-fun time is a bit slim at the moment, but that's okay as I always have a hard time saying goodbye to all the RIP-goodness at the end of October anyway.
*And we're off to a wonderful start, this book and I. Don't you just love it when you are completely charmed with a book right from the very first paragraph?!!
*New-to-me word alert: scabious (p. 3). Context told me it was some sort of plant, but I had never heard of it.
Scabious--a plant of the teasel family, with pink, white, or (most commonly) blue pincushion-shaped flowers
*I remember being surprised and delighted by the humor in Strong Poison. But still the humor in this book caught me off-guard. And yes, it still delights me.
*"Acid drops"--what the heck are they? Not the same as dropping acid, that much I can tell. Maybe antacids? Google, here I come...
Ah, sour balls! Hmmm, acid drops is a far cooler name...I do think I shall have to adopt it.
*Page 103: Inspector Umpelty is telling Vane and Wimsey that the folks who live along the shore simply aren't talking.
...They're a surly lot, those Pollocks and Moggeridges, and up to no good, in my opinion....
Okay, that just made me bust out laughing. Pollock is my Mom's family name. I've never thought them to be overly surly myself. :P
*Page 153: Yeah, so here I am enjoying the hell out of this book for all its wit and humor and whatnot...and then bam! I'm blindsided and left all teary-eyed. And no, it's not that anything overtly sad happened. It's just that I was totally caught up in the rawness and honesty Sayers poured onto these pages in this conversation between Harriet and Peter. These characters who are so aware and disheartened by the strictures that society places on people. Characters that refuse to buy into these strictures but are forced to accept the realities of how they will be/are viewed for it.
*New-to-me word: tarradiddle (p. 232). A petty lie; fib. Or silly pretentious speech or writing.
I am infatuated with this word!
*Oh, Ms. Sayers, I love the way you can make a book feel like a total comfort read, and yet bring up really important social matters. I'm sure that's not a combination that is easy to achieve, but you seem to do it so effortlessly, so flawlessly.
*New-to-me word: purlieus (p. 278). The area near or surrounding a place. Or person's usual haunts.
Another useful word for the arsenal.
*Ummmm...is it just me of are things getting a wee tad far-fetched here???
*LOL. Thank you, Harriet. She, too, thought things getting a bit stretched for the imagination. :) (p. 297)
*Okay, we're no longer "along the way"...our internet went out and stayed out for over a week, during which time I finally finished this book. Yes, it took me over two months(!!!) to read this book. Now you might be tempted to think that means I didn't like it all the much since it took me that long to read it, but you would be wrong. In fact, the exact opposite it true. The fact that I stuck with a book when I was only managing to fit in a few pages a day is actually testament to how much I did enjoy it!
*I'm going to have to say that the mystery itself wasn't my favorite part of this book, which is not the same as saying that I didn't like it. But oh my gosh, what really makes me love this book is the dynamic, the banter, the honesty between Harriet and Peter. It makes me sad to think that I've only got two more books with them to go. (Though I know, thanks to my implicit trust of Ana's opinions, that the best is yet to come.) Seriously, is there a more fun couple? Real question, actually--do you know of any other couples that I really need to read???
*****
Reading this also completed an item for my happiness project--from Ana's list of books. Of course, even if she hadn't put this on my list, I would have thought of her the entire time I read it anyway. :D
Thursday, November 1, 2012
an attempt at a happiness project project...
Yes, I said attempt. I honestly don't know if I can pull this off, but I'm going to try. The ever-delightful and oh-so-adorable Heather challenged me to NaNoBloMo on my List of Fun/Challenging/Interesting Things to Do. (Actually she challenged me to NaNoWriMo, too, but I'm not nearly ready for that challenge yet!) And truth be told, I'm probably not up for this one either (though I'm going to try my goshdarn hardest!), which is why I'm not not officially signing up. I do hope, dear Heather, that it's okay with you if I go the unofficial route.
Now whether this is a good year to attempt this, I'm not sure. On the plus side, we will be home over Thanksgiving, and that rarely happens. (We cannot go to visit either of our families because our minivan has an exhaust leak that is getting to the inside of the van. Even if it wasn't cold in these here parts in late November, the windows don't work. Our car guy said fixing the problem would cost far more than the van is worth. We've known for a while that its days were numbered. It's been a great car for us for a long time, so we really can't complain. But, as we cannot afford to get a new-to-us [we always buy used cars] minivan at the moment, we're stuck close to home where we can use Rich's little car--no way it will hold the five us plus Bacon--for the time being. Aside: When we do get a new car next year, we will likely be getting rid of both of our current vehicles and learn to live as a one car family. Environmentally smart, money smart, but potentially stressful at times...we'll manage, I'm sure. /tangent) On the maybe-this-isn't-a-good-year side is the fact that Eva dear will be here for a few days. I'm not sure blogging is a hostess-friendly thing to do. But then again, maybe she'll let me post pictures of her, and it will make for easy posts. :)
Okay, since I've gone and babbled on for so long, I think I can consider this good for Day 1, right?
Now whether this is a good year to attempt this, I'm not sure. On the plus side, we will be home over Thanksgiving, and that rarely happens. (We cannot go to visit either of our families because our minivan has an exhaust leak that is getting to the inside of the van. Even if it wasn't cold in these here parts in late November, the windows don't work. Our car guy said fixing the problem would cost far more than the van is worth. We've known for a while that its days were numbered. It's been a great car for us for a long time, so we really can't complain. But, as we cannot afford to get a new-to-us [we always buy used cars] minivan at the moment, we're stuck close to home where we can use Rich's little car--no way it will hold the five us plus Bacon--for the time being. Aside: When we do get a new car next year, we will likely be getting rid of both of our current vehicles and learn to live as a one car family. Environmentally smart, money smart, but potentially stressful at times...we'll manage, I'm sure. /tangent) On the maybe-this-isn't-a-good-year side is the fact that Eva dear will be here for a few days. I'm not sure blogging is a hostess-friendly thing to do. But then again, maybe she'll let me post pictures of her, and it will make for easy posts. :)
Okay, since I've gone and babbled on for so long, I think I can consider this good for Day 1, right?
Sunday, October 21, 2012
a happiness project update...
Have I said lately how very much I love this project? 'Cause I do. I really, really do. I only wish that I had more time to focus on it. I need to *make* more time to focus on it! But here's a couple of things I have managed to accomplish (sort of) recently.
First up, from Pat's List of Old Movies, I watched Arsenic and Old Lace. A handful of the movies she put on my list were ones I'd seen before, and this was one of them. Even though Pat generously offered to replace the ones I'd already seen with different ones, I wanted to go with her first thoughts. Plus every one of the ones she'd chosen were movies I loved, so what a wonderful excuse to rewatch them, right? And RIP seemed the perfect time to rewatch Arsenic and Old Lace. To be honest, I've seen this movie many a time. But that doesn't seem to matter, it delights me every. single. time. It is so quirkishly silly and amusing. And to be watching this time with Pat in my thoughts, well that just made it all the more special. Thank you, dear friend!
Next, a movie from Chris's List of Movies/TV Shows. Again RIP helped me narrow down my choices...and Chris told me this was definitely RIP-appropriate. Rich, Annie, and I watched this movie together, and of course, in my heart and mind, Chris watched with us too. Which is what I love so very much about the happiness project. We all enjoyed the movie quite a lot...though none of us were quite sure how to interpret the whole thing. In case you haven't watched it, I won't really explain that statement. But the "sort of" conclusion we reached turned out to be the conclusion that Chris and Megan had reached in their many viewings of the movie. Rich and I also thought that it had a David Lynch-like feel to it. And then when I was talking to Chris about it afterward, he said the same thing. Anyway, it's not really a movie that one can discuss much without spoiling things. But it was suspenseful, confusing in a delicious sort of way, and thought-provoking. Yep, another winner in my book. Thank you once again, Chris!
And finally, from Heather's List of Fun/Challenging/Interesting Things To Do. "14. Preserve five things for winter." I have to admit that this one feels a wee bit like cheating, because I do this anyway. But I would have read some of the books and watched some of the movies and listened to some of the songs, etc. from my lists anyway, too. And the point for me is to do these things with my dear friends in mind...which makes all these fun things just all that much better. And so it was with this one. And let me tell you, there were some days when canning when I was mighty grateful to imagine Heather there cheering me on. :P
So, what five things did I preserve? Well, I canned (and canned and canned and frickin' canned) tomatoes from our garden. Lots of spaghetti sauce and chili and soups and... in our future. And I canned (and canned and canned and frickin' canned) salsa made from our homegrown tomatoes and jalapenos. And I canned green beans from our garden. (I didn't need to can applesauce or apple butter or jam this year because we have loads left from last summer/fall.) Then, there was freezing. I froze oodles and oodles of blueberries (picked at a local organic you-pick farm). And I made blueberry syrup to freeze. And I froze local organic strawberries (whole and sliced and coulee). Oh, and I froze several pints of kohlrabi from our garden. And finally, drying--I dried a pile of the blueberries we picked. And also dried basil from my wee herb garden. I had hoped to can peaches and pears and freeze cherries, but those crops were pretty much lost up here in upstate New York thanks to the freakish March/April weather we had. Anyway, I got my five things done. And I have Heather to thank for cheering me on in my imagination. :)
I have a few other happiness projects on the go as well (a couple of books, a crochet project, and a photography project), but it may be a while before I finish them. I am, however, enjoying the hell out of every second I spend at them. Thanks again, guys!
First up, from Pat's List of Old Movies, I watched Arsenic and Old Lace. A handful of the movies she put on my list were ones I'd seen before, and this was one of them. Even though Pat generously offered to replace the ones I'd already seen with different ones, I wanted to go with her first thoughts. Plus every one of the ones she'd chosen were movies I loved, so what a wonderful excuse to rewatch them, right? And RIP seemed the perfect time to rewatch Arsenic and Old Lace. To be honest, I've seen this movie many a time. But that doesn't seem to matter, it delights me every. single. time. It is so quirkishly silly and amusing. And to be watching this time with Pat in my thoughts, well that just made it all the more special. Thank you, dear friend!
Next, a movie from Chris's List of Movies/TV Shows. Again RIP helped me narrow down my choices...and Chris told me this was definitely RIP-appropriate. Rich, Annie, and I watched this movie together, and of course, in my heart and mind, Chris watched with us too. Which is what I love so very much about the happiness project. We all enjoyed the movie quite a lot...though none of us were quite sure how to interpret the whole thing. In case you haven't watched it, I won't really explain that statement. But the "sort of" conclusion we reached turned out to be the conclusion that Chris and Megan had reached in their many viewings of the movie. Rich and I also thought that it had a David Lynch-like feel to it. And then when I was talking to Chris about it afterward, he said the same thing. Anyway, it's not really a movie that one can discuss much without spoiling things. But it was suspenseful, confusing in a delicious sort of way, and thought-provoking. Yep, another winner in my book. Thank you once again, Chris!
And finally, from Heather's List of Fun/Challenging/Interesting Things To Do. "14. Preserve five things for winter." I have to admit that this one feels a wee bit like cheating, because I do this anyway. But I would have read some of the books and watched some of the movies and listened to some of the songs, etc. from my lists anyway, too. And the point for me is to do these things with my dear friends in mind...which makes all these fun things just all that much better. And so it was with this one. And let me tell you, there were some days when canning when I was mighty grateful to imagine Heather there cheering me on. :P
I have a few other happiness projects on the go as well (a couple of books, a crochet project, and a photography project), but it may be a while before I finish them. I am, however, enjoying the hell out of every second I spend at them. Thanks again, guys!
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Emma...thoughts along the way...a happiness project update
*Ana, Ana, Ana, how am I ever going to thank you enough for putting this series on my happiness project list?!! Volume One alone has completely won me over. I am charmed through and through. I love the setting (yes, me who is intimidated by all things Victorian England :P ). The art has this simple beauty to it that just makes me smile inside. And Emma--oh, how I already adore Emma!
*Volume 2. Okay, so I should have known things would get rough--after all, when is life ever innocence and happy hearts all the time, right? Oh but there's a scene in chapter 9 that truly cuts. This series is quite timely for my reading. I hate to admit the breath of my ignorance when it comes to issues of class, and these issues have been occupying my mind recently. (This would probably be a good time to mention for those who have never heard of this series--William is the oldest son of gentry-class family and Emma is a maid, though not for William's family. They begin falling in love. You can see where this is going, no doubt.)
*Still in Volume 2. Oh my. Friendships come in all shapes and sizes, and I truly love reading about ones that somehow fall outside the norm. In this instance, Emma and her boss Mrs. Kelly Stownar. *tears welling up*
*Loved finding out Emma's backstory in this volume.
*Volume 3. Sadness. Yet not hopeless. Hmmmm...and now some intrigue...
*I love Hakim. Seriously.
*Volume 4. Oh William. No no no no no...
*Mrs. Trollop--love.
*Love how this one ended. But of course, am very worried about what is to come. I know it is the way life goes, but it's so sad to see hearts broken...
*Volume 5. Snobbery abounds!
*Love Mrs. Trollop (Aurelia) even more.
*Eleanor seems like a sweet person. I really worry about her. Her father, however, what a frickin' douchebag!!! (Sorry, I really don't like saying that, but I can't think of a better way to put it.)
*Volume 6. Oh my, oh my, oh my...I'm not liking how this is going. The douchebag proclamation above--well, multiply it by a hundred. Why do people think it's okay to play with their children's lives? How is trickery and deceit ever going to lead to real happiness?
*Whew. And wowza. Wasn't this the action-packed episode?!! Things aren't looking good, no matter where you look at the moment. Ahh, but I have faith...
*Volume 7. Okay, here is where I confess confusion. Not with the book, but with the series. There were 10 volumes of Emma at the library, and after reading the first two and falling in love, I just went ahead and checked out all the rest on my next trip to the library. And I just assumed (bad me!) that all 10 volumes followed one major story arc. Hence my bewilderment upon discovering that Volume 7 is actually "the end" of the main story. The next three volumes apparently contain short stories that fill in gaps, tell tales of some of the minor characters from the main arc, fill in more backstory, etc. It's not that I mind this so much as I was just caught off guard. Here I was, thinking I had four more volumes of Emma's and William's story, and finding out that this was actually the last.
*All that said, I actually liked how the story ended. I don't want to spoil anything, thus the vagueness, but I love that it didn't overreach, didn't try to miraculously make everything "happily ever after."
*Volume 8-10. At first, I was going to talk about the stories in these volumes separately, but well, that just didn't feel right. Some of the stories could spoil things in the earlier volumes. What I can say is that I enjoyed these volumes, but not nearly as much as the main story arc of the first seven. They were quite an eclectic bunch of stories, some more engaging than others.
*By the way, the panels above do not necessarily match up to the volume being discussed. I just wanted to share some of the art from this series so you could see how lovely it is. It was a very big part of what brought me to love these books so much. They really are just so visually stunning and expressive.
*A few other personal notes: 1.) I tend to be intimidated by historical fiction. (Yeah, don't ask me why, when I love to read non-fiction history.) But this year, I've been reading just a bit more, and really haven't had a bad experience yet. The Emma series will be another tally in the historical fiction win column. 2.) I have this notion in my head that I don't like romance. This notion is blatantly false. Honestly, why I put this wall up every time someone mentions romance is completely beyond me...guess I've just told myself this for so long that my brain just automatically screams it. In trying to be observant lately about what I honestly do and do not enjoy, I've learned that I'm often very drawn to romantic relationships in stories, just as I am to other types of relationships. So...while I'd like to call this two lessons learned, I know how prone I am to setbacks, so I'll just call them two lessons I'm working on learning.
*****
Projects progress:
Happiness Project: Ana's list of books
Unofficial-for-me reading challenges: Graphic Novels 2012 Reading Challenge and Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
*Volume 2. Okay, so I should have known things would get rough--after all, when is life ever innocence and happy hearts all the time, right? Oh but there's a scene in chapter 9 that truly cuts. This series is quite timely for my reading. I hate to admit the breath of my ignorance when it comes to issues of class, and these issues have been occupying my mind recently. (This would probably be a good time to mention for those who have never heard of this series--William is the oldest son of gentry-class family and Emma is a maid, though not for William's family. They begin falling in love. You can see where this is going, no doubt.)
*Still in Volume 2. Oh my. Friendships come in all shapes and sizes, and I truly love reading about ones that somehow fall outside the norm. In this instance, Emma and her boss Mrs. Kelly Stownar. *tears welling up*
*Loved finding out Emma's backstory in this volume.
*Volume 3. Sadness. Yet not hopeless. Hmmmm...and now some intrigue...
*I love Hakim. Seriously.
*Volume 4. Oh William. No no no no no...
*Mrs. Trollop--love.
*Love how this one ended. But of course, am very worried about what is to come. I know it is the way life goes, but it's so sad to see hearts broken...
*Volume 5. Snobbery abounds!
*Love Mrs. Trollop (Aurelia) even more.
*Eleanor seems like a sweet person. I really worry about her. Her father, however, what a frickin' douchebag!!! (Sorry, I really don't like saying that, but I can't think of a better way to put it.)
*Volume 6. Oh my, oh my, oh my...I'm not liking how this is going. The douchebag proclamation above--well, multiply it by a hundred. Why do people think it's okay to play with their children's lives? How is trickery and deceit ever going to lead to real happiness?
*Whew. And wowza. Wasn't this the action-packed episode?!! Things aren't looking good, no matter where you look at the moment. Ahh, but I have faith...
*Volume 7. Okay, here is where I confess confusion. Not with the book, but with the series. There were 10 volumes of Emma at the library, and after reading the first two and falling in love, I just went ahead and checked out all the rest on my next trip to the library. And I just assumed (bad me!) that all 10 volumes followed one major story arc. Hence my bewilderment upon discovering that Volume 7 is actually "the end" of the main story. The next three volumes apparently contain short stories that fill in gaps, tell tales of some of the minor characters from the main arc, fill in more backstory, etc. It's not that I mind this so much as I was just caught off guard. Here I was, thinking I had four more volumes of Emma's and William's story, and finding out that this was actually the last.
*All that said, I actually liked how the story ended. I don't want to spoil anything, thus the vagueness, but I love that it didn't overreach, didn't try to miraculously make everything "happily ever after."
*Volume 8-10. At first, I was going to talk about the stories in these volumes separately, but well, that just didn't feel right. Some of the stories could spoil things in the earlier volumes. What I can say is that I enjoyed these volumes, but not nearly as much as the main story arc of the first seven. They were quite an eclectic bunch of stories, some more engaging than others.
*By the way, the panels above do not necessarily match up to the volume being discussed. I just wanted to share some of the art from this series so you could see how lovely it is. It was a very big part of what brought me to love these books so much. They really are just so visually stunning and expressive.
*A few other personal notes: 1.) I tend to be intimidated by historical fiction. (Yeah, don't ask me why, when I love to read non-fiction history.) But this year, I've been reading just a bit more, and really haven't had a bad experience yet. The Emma series will be another tally in the historical fiction win column. 2.) I have this notion in my head that I don't like romance. This notion is blatantly false. Honestly, why I put this wall up every time someone mentions romance is completely beyond me...guess I've just told myself this for so long that my brain just automatically screams it. In trying to be observant lately about what I honestly do and do not enjoy, I've learned that I'm often very drawn to romantic relationships in stories, just as I am to other types of relationships. So...while I'd like to call this two lessons learned, I know how prone I am to setbacks, so I'll just call them two lessons I'm working on learning.
*****
Projects progress:
Happiness Project: Ana's list of books
Unofficial-for-me reading challenges: Graphic Novels 2012 Reading Challenge and Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
Monday, July 9, 2012
Paper Towns--thoughts along the way...
*Why this book? 1. My dear friend Ana put it on my happiness project list of books. :D 2. I was rummaging through all the as-yet unpacked boxes of books in our soon-to-be reading room and this book just jumped out at me. 3. Hello--it's John Green.
*Why has it taken me so long to get around to reading this book anyway? Good question. I have no good answer.
*I'm currently on page 32. I am definitely intrigued--what sort of adventure am I about to embark on here? Knowing John Green, it's going to be both interesting and meaningful.
*Haven't yet fallen in love with the characters (it is early), but this quote by Margo has me thinking that at the very least I'm going to like her very much:
Yeah. I'm a big believer in random capitalization. The rules of capitalization are so unfair to words in the middle.
*Page 37, and I like her even more.
That's always seemed so ridiculous to me, that people would want to be around someone because they're pretty. It's like picking your breakfast cereals based on color instead of taste.
*John Green has a knack for giving his characters really great names. This time it's Quentin. (Though I don't quite adore it as much as Hazel or Augustus from The Fault in Our Stars.)
*Lots of things I love about John Green and his writing. One of them is that he's just so damn clever in the way he puts things. But not just plain old clever, more like clever with a soul.
*Up to page 184 now. This book is shredding my heart. Thing is I can't even explain quite why. But it hurts. And it's personal. Not personal as in secret though. Just yeah, I don't know...
*Page 199. I've read this passage 6 or 7 times straight now...
...Margo Roth Spiegelman was a person, too. And I had never quite thought of her that way, no really; it was a failure of all my previous imaginings. All along--not only since she left, but for a decade before--I had been imagining her without listening, without knowing that she made as poor a window as I did. And so I could not imagine her as a person who could feel fear, who could feel isolated in a roomful of people, who could be shy about her record collection because it was too personal to share. Someone who might read travel books to escape having to live in the town that so many people escape to. Someone who--because no one thought she was a person--had no one to really talk to.
It makes me so sad. How often do I do that? Seriously. I find someone so awesome, so seemingly together, so full of confidence. And I'm intimidated. And I forget that this person has their own insecurities, and their own feelings of not being understood, and their own moments of loneliness.
*It is not at all unusual for me to cry during a book. I probably cry during more books than not. (Slight exaggeration, but only slight.) Laugh though. Like literally right out loud laugh--that's a much rarer beast. But I just did. Page 232.
*So love it when I learn cool new stuff reading a novel. For example, copyright traps. Might have gone to my grave without ever acquiring this knowledge if not for reading this book.
*Page 244. Laughed aloud again. In fact, I now sort of have a case of the giggles.
*Page 256. This latest burst of laughter has finally convinced Rich that he needs to move John Green way up the TBR pile.
*His knack for getting to very depths of what it is to be human, how it feels to be human, and yet still leave one filled with hope...that is John Green's gift. Well, one of gifts anyway.
*****
Project progress:
Happiness Project--Ana's list of books AND
Unofficial-for-me Reading Challenges--What's in a Name 5 (Category 5: A book with something you'd carry in your pocket, purse, or backpack in the title) AND
50x50--#40. Read a book set in each of the 50 states (Florida)
Thursday, May 3, 2012
another gap filled...
I know, I know--how the heck could I have lived for 48+ years without reading The Hobbit?!! I've never claimed to be well-read, and here's a prime example, huh? And you know what? This wasn't even one of those instances of "too many books" but instead was an instance of avoidance. I've just always had it in my head that it wasn't a book I'd really enjoy...
Despite the fact that I've never heard *anyone* say a bad word about it.
Despite the fact that people whose opinions I very much respect, and tend to generally match up pretty well with when it comes to books, love this book.
Despite the fact that I was afraid of The Lord of the Rings, and found I positively adored it when I finally dove in.
Still I doubted.
But then that darling husband of mine put it on his list for my happiness project. Combine that with the fact that I thought it would be a perfect choice for a school read with Gray *and* it's as perfect a choice for Once Upon a Time as likely exists...yeah, it was just time.
As everyone else on the planet has already read The Hobbit, it seems pointless to summarize or analyze or any other -ize it. (Okay, it's not really the pointlessness of it that is stopping me, but rather the fact that I suck at it and don't much enjoy doing it. :P )
But as for my expectations...well, they of course were proven wrong. I *did* enjoy this book. A great deal. Still, there's a few things I wish: 1.) That I'd read it as a kid. I have a feeling that I would have been positively captivated then, as multitudes of children have been over the years. And 2.) That I'd read it before The Lord of the Rings. Not because of the fact that the story takes place before those books, but because in some ways it felt somehow "less" than those amazing books. The Lord of the Rings has so much more depth and more darkness. I felt far more immersed in it than I did in Bilbo's story. (And yes, this begs the question--why have I never got around to reading The Return of the King. Another glaring omission in my reading. I don't know--I seem to have a problem with completion. I haven't yet read the third book in His Dark Materials either, another trilogy I'm completely in love with. /tangent) Anyway, while it's impossible to miss the similarities in the stories told in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, I think it's also impossible to miss how very different they are as well.
Bottom line: I'm grateful that Rich "forced" me into finally reading The Hobbit (and I'm grateful that I decided to use it for school, because Gray is loving it!). I found it to be absolutely delightful, and in many ways the timing was perfect for me--escaping to Middle Earth was a great stress-reliever. And while I may not be as fond of it as I am of The Lord of the Rings (what I've read anyway :P ), it is a definite mark in the WIN column.
(Projects progress: happiness project, Rich's list of books
AND 50x50, #39-Read 50 classics
AND of course, it counts as a Once Upon a Time read)
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
lost and found...
Remember back a couple months ago when I was crocheting a sweater for Annie's birthday? Well, I actually did finish it back when we were living in the hotel. So yep, it was ready in time for her birthday. But she didn't end up getting it on her birthday. :( It somehow managed to get lost in the move. Or perhaps "misplaced" is more accurate. Rich and I spent literally hours looking for the box it was in the day before her birthday, but to no avail. We knew it had to be in the house as it never actually went into any of the storage units...but we. just. could. not. find. it. *sigh*
But better late than never--it did eventually show up. And Annie said it was worth the wait. :) She really, really loves it! And well, that makes me a happy mama, as well as a happy crocheter.
And you know what's the icing on the cake? Making this sweater counts for a Happiness Project item! Yep, my dear Ms. Heather, this is #8 from the list of fun/challenging/interesting things to do--Crochet something you've never made before. And even though I've been crocheting for *cringe* about 40 years, I've never before made a sweater. About time I changed that! So thank you, Heather!!!
And you know, if only I'd made this next month and if only I'd signed up for the lovely Trish's super fun-sounding Pin It and Do It Challenge, I could have counted it for that. (Yep, this pattern was something I originally pinned last year hoping to make it for Annie for Christmas. :P )
But better late than never--it did eventually show up. And Annie said it was worth the wait. :) She really, really loves it! And well, that makes me a happy mama, as well as a happy crocheter.
And you know what's the icing on the cake? Making this sweater counts for a Happiness Project item! Yep, my dear Ms. Heather, this is #8 from the list of fun/challenging/interesting things to do--Crochet something you've never made before. And even though I've been crocheting for *cringe* about 40 years, I've never before made a sweater. About time I changed that! So thank you, Heather!!!
And you know, if only I'd made this next month and if only I'd signed up for the lovely Trish's super fun-sounding Pin It and Do It Challenge, I could have counted it for that. (Yep, this pattern was something I originally pinned last year hoping to make it for Annie for Christmas. :P )
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
you'd think I'd learn...
Not to assume, that is. How many freakin' times do I have to have my assumptions proved wrong before I quit making them in the first place?!!
This time around--I assumed I wouldn't like a particular movie. The Village. I remember when it first came out, and I wanted nothing to do with it. Well, Chris "assigned" me this movie for my happiness project. He was even so kind as to send me the movie! On top of all that, Annie had been dying to watch it. So on Friday night when Rich hauled the boys off to go ice skating, I decided the time had come. Annie and I had a mini girls' night. We popped it in...and much to my surprise, I was immediately taken with it. Slightly confused at first, but very intrigued. And wow. I totally ended up loving this movie!
Far-fetched? Maybe so, but I loved it anyway. :)
The only downside: Every time I see M. Night Shyamalan's name, I am reminded of the whitewashing of The Last Airbender. This still greatly saddens me. :(
Anyway, thank you so much, Chris!!! I really did know deep down that you wouldn't steer me wrong! :D God, I love this happiness project. :D
(Project progress: Happiness project, Chris's list of movies/TV shows, Item 32-The Village)
This time around--I assumed I wouldn't like a particular movie. The Village. I remember when it first came out, and I wanted nothing to do with it. Well, Chris "assigned" me this movie for my happiness project. He was even so kind as to send me the movie! On top of all that, Annie had been dying to watch it. So on Friday night when Rich hauled the boys off to go ice skating, I decided the time had come. Annie and I had a mini girls' night. We popped it in...and much to my surprise, I was immediately taken with it. Slightly confused at first, but very intrigued. And wow. I totally ended up loving this movie!
Far-fetched? Maybe so, but I loved it anyway. :)
The only downside: Every time I see M. Night Shyamalan's name, I am reminded of the whitewashing of The Last Airbender. This still greatly saddens me. :(
Anyway, thank you so much, Chris!!! I really did know deep down that you wouldn't steer me wrong! :D God, I love this happiness project. :D
(Project progress: Happiness project, Chris's list of movies/TV shows, Item 32-The Village)
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
and we're off...
I'm off and running (well, running might be a bit of an exaggeration) on my happiness project. And it's already bringing me so. much. happiness.
First off, thank you Heather! Heather was kind enough to make me a list of fun/interesting/challenging things to do...and on that list was "7. Learn to knit, if you haven't already." I had taught myself to knit (just the basics) a few years back, but hadn't done any knitting since. Which of course meant that I didn't remember a darn thing. :P So I adapted this to "relearn to knit." And what project would be more appropriate than to make something for my dear friend Heather, right? Sooooo...
...my chubby little fingers set awkwardly to work. I had such fun relearning, and honestly, without Heather's prompt who the heck knows when I might ever have picked up the needles again. And you know what, maybe the stitches aren't all so perfect, but I'm pretty darn happy with how it came out.
But then, darling Ms. Heather could make anything look wonderful. :D
(Project progress: Happiness Project, Heather's list of fun/interesting/challenging projects, Item 7-Learn/relearn to knit)
*****
Next up. Thank you Chris! Chris made me a list of scrumptious sounding books, all of which I'm dying to read. Well, okay, a few of them scare me...but that just makes it all the more fun. Anyway. As the days of 2011 were coming to an end, I managed to squeeze in my first read from Chris's list. And what an incredible little read it was!
A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote. This little book was an out-of-the blue surprise from none other than Chris himself. It includes not only "A Christmas Memory," but also two other wonderful stories titled "One Christmas" and "The Thanksgiving Visitor." I really loved all three stories, but "A Christmas Memory" is by far my favorite.
Oh my goodness. If you haven't read this before, please please please treat yourself to it next Christmas season. Not that you have to wait until then, of course. It's a sweet (but not of the saccharine variety), beautiful, touching story of a unique friendship. Seriously...it dug itself a cozy little spot right in the depths of my heart.
And as I'd hoped with the whole concept of my happiness project, the joy came from more than just the story itself. It came from knowing as I read every page that this was a treasure I was sharing with Chris because he picked it out for me to read. This particular story came with a bonus bit of joy...because it wasn't just Chris, but Ana as well, that stayed in my thoughts as I read. While this wasn't one of the books she'd picked for me, I know it's a story she loves as well, and it was because of her that Chris read this story in the first place.
Sheesh. I'm feeling mighty sentimental, aren't I? I'd apologize, except for the fact that I'm not really sorry. :P
(Project progress: Happiness Project, Chris's list of books, Item 32-A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
AND Misc. Projects--Read Ana's List of Midwinter Reads, Item 5-A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote)
*****
And that's it for now. I have a few more Happiness Project items started...some of which should be finished soon, some of which will take a bit longer. But all of which I'm having great fun with.
First off, thank you Heather! Heather was kind enough to make me a list of fun/interesting/challenging things to do...and on that list was "7. Learn to knit, if you haven't already." I had taught myself to knit (just the basics) a few years back, but hadn't done any knitting since. Which of course meant that I didn't remember a darn thing. :P So I adapted this to "relearn to knit." And what project would be more appropriate than to make something for my dear friend Heather, right? Sooooo...
...my chubby little fingers set awkwardly to work. I had such fun relearning, and honestly, without Heather's prompt who the heck knows when I might ever have picked up the needles again. And you know what, maybe the stitches aren't all so perfect, but I'm pretty darn happy with how it came out.
But then, darling Ms. Heather could make anything look wonderful. :D
(Project progress: Happiness Project, Heather's list of fun/interesting/challenging projects, Item 7-Learn/relearn to knit)
*****
Next up. Thank you Chris! Chris made me a list of scrumptious sounding books, all of which I'm dying to read. Well, okay, a few of them scare me...but that just makes it all the more fun. Anyway. As the days of 2011 were coming to an end, I managed to squeeze in my first read from Chris's list. And what an incredible little read it was!
A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote. This little book was an out-of-the blue surprise from none other than Chris himself. It includes not only "A Christmas Memory," but also two other wonderful stories titled "One Christmas" and "The Thanksgiving Visitor." I really loved all three stories, but "A Christmas Memory" is by far my favorite.
Oh my goodness. If you haven't read this before, please please please treat yourself to it next Christmas season. Not that you have to wait until then, of course. It's a sweet (but not of the saccharine variety), beautiful, touching story of a unique friendship. Seriously...it dug itself a cozy little spot right in the depths of my heart.
And as I'd hoped with the whole concept of my happiness project, the joy came from more than just the story itself. It came from knowing as I read every page that this was a treasure I was sharing with Chris because he picked it out for me to read. This particular story came with a bonus bit of joy...because it wasn't just Chris, but Ana as well, that stayed in my thoughts as I read. While this wasn't one of the books she'd picked for me, I know it's a story she loves as well, and it was because of her that Chris read this story in the first place.
Sheesh. I'm feeling mighty sentimental, aren't I? I'd apologize, except for the fact that I'm not really sorry. :P
(Project progress: Happiness Project, Chris's list of books, Item 32-A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
AND Misc. Projects--Read Ana's List of Midwinter Reads, Item 5-A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote)
*****
And that's it for now. I have a few more Happiness Project items started...some of which should be finished soon, some of which will take a bit longer. But all of which I'm having great fun with.
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