Not a lot going on lately. I went to the doctor last Monday for my regular three-month exam, and everything was good. I'm feeling a little down lately, not sure why, but I did ask for recommendations from the doctor about therapists/counselors. I haven't heard back yet, but I'm going to call tomorrow and see if they've gotten any names for me.
I went book shopping today. Just what I needed - more books. And I ordered a couple that will be here this week. Sigh. I'll never catch up on my reading.
So this is what I bought:
Ordered: Neil Gaiman's American Gods and Terry Pratchett's The Color of Magic
At Half Price Books: Dave Barry's Tricky Business; Carole Nelson Douglas' Cat in a Diamond Dazzle (signed), Cat in a Kiwi Con (signed), and Irene at Large; Harry Kemelman's Someday the Rabbi Will Leave and Wednesday the Rabbi Got Wet; and somehow, inexplicably, a second copy of Dorothy Gilman's Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist - which I just read a few weeks ago. How did I do that? And I had a list of the ones I had - why did I not notice that? Oh, well, mom gets her own copy now, I guess.
At B&N: Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility and Michael B. Oren's Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East 1776 to the Present.
Right now, I'm reading God: A Biography by Jack Miles, and I'll probably start Sense and Sensibility as well. God's a bit of a slow read, but I've been wanting to read it for a while - even back when it first came out, I almost convinced myself to buy the hardcover a few times, but didn't. I don't know that I'll learn anything totally new, but I want to see what he has to say, since he's approaching the Bible as literature instead of talking theology or history.
I just finished Kinky Friedman's Meanwhile Back at the Ranch, and part way through realized I'd read it before at some point. I hate that. But I didn't remember who'd done it, so it was okay, I guess. I hate that even more - I'm only 32, I'm not supposed to have such a bad memory. Anyway, it was good for light reading, which is what I wanted - it's really my nonfiction that's piling up on the TBR shelves, I mostly keep up with the easier stuff.
Well, I think I'll go read for a bit now.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
April 18, 2008
I finished reading Caravan by Dorothy Gilman and God Bless John Wayne by Kinky Friedman this week. Caravan was interesting, but not as much fun as Gilman's Mrs. Pollifax novels, in my opinion. God Bless John Wayne was pretty typical of Kinky Friedman's novels, which I always enjoy, but which might not suit everyone.
Anyway, I don't really feel like writing a lot about either of them right now. I need to go catch the mouse that Mischief brought in. I think it's still hiding behind the fridge, but I could be wrong. I also have laundry to do and a million other things to clean/straighten around the house. Everything's been piling up lately, I just haven't felt like messing with any of it. I think it's nerves, at least partly - I go back to the dr on Monday. Plus, I think I've been a wee bit depressed, but I feel like maybe I'm getting better. The new hours at work are helping. Working three or four days a week is nice. I could get used to it. Unfortunately, there'll be a week in May, one in July, and then the month of August when I'll have to go back to the schedule I had before, and then from October through January as well.
Well, I have a mouse to catch, so I guess that's all for now.
Anyway, I don't really feel like writing a lot about either of them right now. I need to go catch the mouse that Mischief brought in. I think it's still hiding behind the fridge, but I could be wrong. I also have laundry to do and a million other things to clean/straighten around the house. Everything's been piling up lately, I just haven't felt like messing with any of it. I think it's nerves, at least partly - I go back to the dr on Monday. Plus, I think I've been a wee bit depressed, but I feel like maybe I'm getting better. The new hours at work are helping. Working three or four days a week is nice. I could get used to it. Unfortunately, there'll be a week in May, one in July, and then the month of August when I'll have to go back to the schedule I had before, and then from October through January as well.
Well, I have a mouse to catch, so I guess that's all for now.
Monday, April 14, 2008
April 14, 2008
I just finished reading Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones. I enjoyed it, although I can see how not everyone would. It's the story of the family and friends of a murder victim, told from the victim's point of view as she watches from heaven. The point of the story is how the family and even the victim ultimately learn to move past the crime.
At times while I was reading, the thought of the victim's rape and murder made me angry, especially when you realize the man who did it had other victims and continued to get away with the crimes. However, I think by the end of the book, it became clear that one message the author wanted readers to hear in this story was that you can't continue to focus all your energy on the criminal, you have to let go in order to live your life.
I would recommend this book, and to people worried about any graphic descriptions of the crime, there is really only a brief description, and it's not as graphic as I was afraid it would be.
At times while I was reading, the thought of the victim's rape and murder made me angry, especially when you realize the man who did it had other victims and continued to get away with the crimes. However, I think by the end of the book, it became clear that one message the author wanted readers to hear in this story was that you can't continue to focus all your energy on the criminal, you have to let go in order to live your life.
I would recommend this book, and to people worried about any graphic descriptions of the crime, there is really only a brief description, and it's not as graphic as I was afraid it would be.
Monday, April 7, 2008
April 7, 2008
Well, I've just spent the entire weekend getting absolutely nothing done. I still have books to get on the shelves, a sink full of dirty dishes, laundry to do, and just general housecleaning stuff that really needs to be done. Instead, I spent most of today in bed, reading. Over the weekend, I read three Mrs. Pollifax novels, plus a Lord Peter Wimsey that I think I read at some point, ages ago, but didn't remember the details and didn't own it, so that's okay.
I started The Lovely Bones, but only got a couple of pages into it. I made the mistake of stopping at Half Price Books on Thursday on my way home, and I have a (smallish) pile of mysteries to read now. Since I have no willpower and know I'll like them, I'll probably end up finishing them before getting back to The Lovely Bones. I'm going to keep track of how many books I read this year, although I haven't set a goal for a certain number. I'm not going book shopping again for a while, though - I need to get through my stack of books I haven't read yet first. I may set some goals re: reading more classics or something like that, but right now, I want to read what I've got on hand.
As far as tracking what I've read, here's a list:
Pillars of the Earth – Ken Follett (started in Dec. ’07)
Thunderstruck – Erik Larson
Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist – Dorothy Gilman
Mrs. Pollifax Three Complete Mysteries: A Palm for Mrs. Pollifax; Mrs. Pollifax on Safari; Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station - Dorothy Gilman
Murder Must Advertise – Dorothy Sayers
I'll update my What I'm Reading Now list in a minute with the next three or four I plan to get to.
Also, I've found this great site - librarything.com - that lets you catalog your books (200 for free, but I'm going to have to join because that's just not enough) and also has message boards and some really neat statistical toys about what people have in their library. I've already spent a fair amount of time lurking there, now I just need to get the nerve to join in.
Anyway, I think that's all for right now.
I started The Lovely Bones, but only got a couple of pages into it. I made the mistake of stopping at Half Price Books on Thursday on my way home, and I have a (smallish) pile of mysteries to read now. Since I have no willpower and know I'll like them, I'll probably end up finishing them before getting back to The Lovely Bones. I'm going to keep track of how many books I read this year, although I haven't set a goal for a certain number. I'm not going book shopping again for a while, though - I need to get through my stack of books I haven't read yet first. I may set some goals re: reading more classics or something like that, but right now, I want to read what I've got on hand.
As far as tracking what I've read, here's a list:
Pillars of the Earth – Ken Follett (started in Dec. ’07)
Thunderstruck – Erik Larson
Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist – Dorothy Gilman
Mrs. Pollifax Three Complete Mysteries: A Palm for Mrs. Pollifax; Mrs. Pollifax on Safari; Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station - Dorothy Gilman
Murder Must Advertise – Dorothy Sayers
I'll update my What I'm Reading Now list in a minute with the next three or four I plan to get to.
Also, I've found this great site - librarything.com - that lets you catalog your books (200 for free, but I'm going to have to join because that's just not enough) and also has message boards and some really neat statistical toys about what people have in their library. I've already spent a fair amount of time lurking there, now I just need to get the nerve to join in.
Anyway, I think that's all for right now.
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