The True Bad Girl

"The Good Girl's Guide to Bad Girl Sex" is not a bad book, if you're a "good girl".

The author separates girls into 4 categories:

-the bad girls

-the good girls who are ignorant

-the good girls who like sex, but don't understand their sexuality

-the prudes

Being a bad girl reading this book, it was just a review of everything I already knew for the most part. Eh, maybe my sister will benefit more.

Rant(s)

Confession: this was my first Palahniuk.

At the beginning I was intrigued. Didn't really know what was going on, but enthralled all the same. Palahniuk introduced us to Buster "Rant" Casey, a strange soul, who's story was told through the people he met/loved in his life.

In the middle, I wasn't sure I liked the book anymore. It was grotesque (not in the fun way) and wasn't making sense. All over the place, with no reason why. I knew I would finish, but I was feeling very negatively toward it all.

At the end, it all came together. Once I started looking at the metaphors more closely, it made sense and shook me up a bit. I don't want to go to in depth for those who haven't read it, but Palahniuk basically tears into the younger generation and the need for some form of stimulation to live life. Its very chilling, and really made me look at my life a little bit.

Overall, I enjoyed it. Chuck Palahniuk is no Kurt Vonnegut, but he does know how to get into your head.

Life at These Speeds

I didn't expect this book to be good. An 8th grader in track watches his whole team die in a fatal accident.

But it was actually really good. Nicely written, realistic tone. Good for anyone.

Random Family

This true story was so depressing.

A journalist followed 4 generations of women from the Bronx through their trials and tribulations: drug addiction, pregnancy, first love, death, prison.

It highlighted everything that was wrong with society then (1980's) and today. From Health Care, to Jump Start programs, these men and women are the ones suffering.

Outliers

Malcolm Gladwell believes exactly what I have always known: that success is a combination of hard work and luck.  There are a lot of hard working people in the world, unfortunately not all of them are lucky enough to be successful.  

It makes me wonder what I've done in my life for ten thousand hours.  Several things come to mind, however I don't think I can apply any to my career (reading would only work if I was intending to be a book editor, which I definitely am not).

In the end, however, my dad is right.  While is was a very interesting read, in five, ten years, it will be dated.  

"Hard work is a prison sentence only if it does not have meaning."

In the Company of Angels

At first, I thought it was alright.  Not great, but alright.  But the plot never really grew.  These characters were stuck in their battles almost.  And then the author throws in a random bit about the Mother Superior's family doing scientific testing on children.  Save yourself and don't read the book.

The Prophet

Pretty good.

Very inspirational for a 100 pager.

I loved the part where he talked about teaching and influencing children, but not controlling them.  Definitely a lesson some people could use.

Here's my favorite quotes:

"Work is love made visible."

"Yesterday is but today's memory and tomorrow is today's dream."

"Beauty is not a need but an ecstasy."

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

For the first time ever, I have successfully re-read a Harry Potter book before seeing the movie.  In fact, I still have yet to see the movie!

But I do love this book.  Its intricate yet subtle.  It answers a lot of questions yet creates more holes to the trilogy.  Easily one of my favorite Harry Potters.  Its also one of the first times that J.K. Rowling emerges as a true(ish) author.

All I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

With a title like that, I expect something witty, different and inspiring.

Instead, I found clichés in every sentence and barely anything that really moved me.

Well, except maybe this quote, which I feel is very appropriate for parts of the United States:

"My country was dry, as only a country filled with Baptists could be." p. 25

Overall, not something I'd be recommending any time soon.

Love in the Time of Cholera

I love Gabriel García Márquez.  Easy to read he's not, but he's easily one of the most eloquent writers I've seen.  The man could write about the most grotesque subjects, and they could be beautiful.

I definitely enjoyed this book, even though it took me 2 months to finish.  While there were definitely odd and uncomfortable scenes (a 70 year old bedding a 13 year old is a bit much for me), I couldn't help but be mesmerized.  

"Florentino Arizo stated it another way: 'The world is divided into those who screw and those who do not."  He distrusted those who did not: when they strayed from the straight and narrow, it was something so unusual for them that they bragged about love as if they had just invented it.  Those who did it often, on the other hand, lived for that alone. "  p. 183

"Old people, with other old people, are not so old."  p. 312

Less Speech More Secret

Tom Rob Smith is a very excellent writer.  He writes in a very fluid, detailed style that makes his books impossible to put down.

I absolutely loved "Child 44" and read it in 3 days.  His sequel on the other hand, "The Secret Speech" was a bit harder to get into.

It had much of the same elements and I definitely recommend it to people.  It was more out of personal taste that I just didn't like it as much.  I guess I was missing the gore and suspense the other one had.  And I suppose the personal character battle just wasn't the same.

Wonderland

Having been in the play my junior year, I've always been curious about reading the actual "Alice in Wonderland" book.  I bought the 2 for 1 "AIW/Through the Looking Glass" and definitely enjoyed them.  I never knew that the movie/play adaptations were a combination of the two books.  I am still slightly creeped out by the premise of Alice being the fascination of Carroll, but learning that he was a student of mathematics and logic definitely helps explain some of the riddles and rhymes.

Child 44

So when I first came to Chile, I decided to give "Anne of Green Gables" a try.  Talk about epic fail.  I get to page 36, painfully slow mind you, and just can't do it anymore!  Luckily, around this time I was in Puerto Natales, having just got back from a four day hiking trip through the Parque del Torres.  I was in this vegetarian restaurant and they had a book exchange!  The one book that grabbed my eye was the one I'd read about, Child 44.  

Let me tell you, best exchange ever!  Child 44 reads like a Dan Brown, but better.  Set in 1950s during the end of the Stalin era, it is dense but quick.  With a death almost every chapter, its amazing to think that this wasn't far from reality.  It focuses mostly on an on-going investigation of a murderer of children.  The book kept me surprised and intrigued to the very end.  It was interesting that the author noted in an interview that he was inspired by the show "24" which it definitely mirrors in terms of element and style.

Have Gun Will Travel

This book I have unfortunatly been unable to finish. I feel that while the ideas involved the gangsta rap industry being a kind of Al Capone system. However, I just can't stand to contunuely read swear words & poor English.

"That's what street life is about - people living on a barbaric level in which almost any kind of conventional civilized morality is sneered at because it's in the way of these people achieving what they want."

So It Goes

Ah, how I love Vonnegut. I decided to read "Bluebeard", one of his lesser known novels. Definitely a good pick: it made me laugh & inspired me. I have nothing more to say, really, other than to write my favorite quotes:

"The human condition can be summed up in just one word... Embarassment."

"I have had all I can stand of not taking myself seriously."

"Knowledge was so much junk to be processed one way or another at great universities. The real treasure the great universities offered was a lifelong membership in a respected artificial family."

"And what is literature... but an insider's newsletter about affairs relating to molecules of no importance to anything in the Universe but a few molecules who have the disease called 'thought'."

Fatty!

I expected the book "The Fat Girl's Guide to Life" to be really inspirational. Here was a woman proud of her larger than average physique, wanting to change the stigma of the "fat girl." I don't know a single woman (or man for that matter) that hasn't dealt with body issues at some point in their lives. It really is sad that today, while a family in a third world country are starving to death, we are starving/gorging ourselves on purpose! Talk about American indulgence....

Well...I didn't like the book. It was less of an empowering monologue and more of a manifesto of Wendy Shanker and her life as a fat jew. I'm sorry, but I personally don't care about the life of Wendy Shanker. She's an average, rather cliched writer, kind of boring life; it seems the only drama in her life has been her on-going battle of her bulge!

Even worse was that is made me feel worse about myself, reminding me of my bad spots instead of my toned torso. And she relied way too much on stereotypes (fat girls with gay best friends, anti-curly hair) that fat girls relate to. Since I fit into those categories (gay best friend, curly hair) it seemed like a big cop-out, especially since most females want either or both.

However, on the rare page or two, Wendy did make a good point (or say something really clever):

"People take your cue on how to behave around you. If you act ashamed of yourself, they will be ashamed of you. If you act proud--even if it's just an act--people will kowtow"

"I've rarely met a man who feels like he has TOO MUCH vagina access...The dude's more like, 'Psych! I get to put my penis in a vagina! Hooray for me!'"

Letters from a Nut

I picked up this book the other day that consisted of all letters to famous companies, hotels, universities, etc. In these letters, Ted L. Nancy writes the most elaborate and creative tales ever, appealing to these companies (having an extra leg, wanting to bring his own mattress).

This was probably the funniest thing I've ever read. Some of it is just so oddball you can't help but laugh. I wish I could have read more out loud (that's when the book is at it's best), but I definitely would reccommend this to anyone and everyone. Especially Mr. Brower. I could see him and Mr. Nancy having tea together, laughing.

"...it will blink out of unison with yours. Your sign blinks, then ours. So...when your sign blinks then goes dark - my sign blinks. When mine is dark - your's blinks. It will be two different signs blinking one right after each other. (I may have music)."

"But, Sir, with all due respect, I cannot be compared to Rip Taylor. I am the 16th President of the United States...I am a log splittler, a not so easy accomplishment."

The James Frey Theory

I enjoy a good memoir every now and then. Especially if they are well written, and the story is fascinating.

Ever since James Frey confessed his lowly secret of fabricating his memoir, I've been extra cautious when reading.

Personally, while I believe I have a very vivid memory, I couldn't remember the intricate details and conversation that make up an every-day memoir (and my story isn't finished yet!).

"The Glass Castle" is an intense story. Jeannette Walls writes very eloquently, lightening the depressing details of her childhood (alcoholic father, neglectful parents, poverty). So much of her life just made me greatful for what I take for granted, and it is truely remarkable that she grew up successful and still kept in contact with her parents.

Now, every detail in the book, while very dramatic and elaborate, there was one part that really bugged me. In one scene, Jeannette and family are at a zoo, when her father suggests that she and her siblings climb into the cage with him and pet a cheetah. Now, as great of a story as this sounds....COME ON! Its just way too unbelievable.

All in all, it was an interesting read, I just wish I believed it more.

Band Aids and Iggy Pop

I love reading literature on music of the '60s-'90s. I happen to like the music they showcase (everything from Led Zepplin and The Beatles to Nirvana), and having missed the hey-day of those artists, I feel closer to appreciating them on the levels of people like my dad with each new book.

Having just finished "Let's Spend the Night Together: Backstage Secrets of Rock Muses and Supergroupies," I wish I could travel back in time and be a groupie when music was more about a talent and attitude and less about fame and talent-free.

To a certain extent, I admire these girls for their daring, courageous moves. However, I felt sometimes, it was more about pleasing their "Rock Gods" then getting something for themselves.

In the end though, these girls had the prime time of being a groupie. Led Zepplin, Elvis, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Nirvana, Cat Stevens, Jimi Hendrix; those were the days to be a groupie. I must also include that this book re-invigorated my passion for a certain rock god: Iggy Pop. Those girls were so lucky.

Hot Topics

I recently finished a book called "The Tortilla Curtain," contrasting the lives of a rich Californian family and a Mexican couple struggling to survive in the new world. As the immigration issue has taken a back seat thanks to our weakening economy, it made me re-evaluate how I felt about the problem.

Of all the political issues, the immigration dilemma is one I'm not quite decided on. On one hand, I think the population influx of Hispanics is out of control, and things need to change. But I also see how its borderline hypocritical of us to call them "immigrants" and to stop coming here. This is a country based on immigrants, where the only people who really have a right are Native Americans.

Well everyone has an idea for this debate, but I don't see this being solved in my lifetime, especially with far more critical situations to attend to (hello war, Middle East, Recession....).

Now, for the book....it was hard for me to get into at first. I couldn't agree with the Mexican couple, Candido and America. I couldn't really pity their bad luck when I felt it was their fault (kind of hard to ask for work in USA when the only English words you know are "No espick ingliss", but hey, to each their own). At other times, their string of misfortunes just broke my heart, and I just wanted them to find some stable source of money already so they could better themselves.

While the Mexicans were hard to relate to, the caucasion couple was worse. I COULD NOT STAND the couple. They were so naive and ignorant in dealing with others; it made me sick to think there are people who are just like them!

So with that in mind, I didn't get into the book until the devastating climax (read the book if you want to know). Once I got over that hurdle, the book came full circle and ideas just popped out.

"This isn't about coyotes, don't kid yourself. It's about Mexicans, it's about blacks. It's about exclusion, division, hate." p. 220, Unfortunately, this quote speaks so much truth about our society. It really is remarkable that we have elected a Black president, with people who can say these things.

"Get complacent, and you become a statistic." p. 221, Another very truthful quote, because the minute you stop fighting your cause, you become another drone.

"One (beer) would make him feel loose at the edges...but two would be glorious, two would be thanksgiving.", p. 254,
"It was as exciting as going to the toilet." p.336, I just like these quotes!

Those 6 Magic Words

I can't say them. Men and women across the country can't say them. And it's true, we do everything possible to avoid saying that simple phrase: i'm just not that into you.

This was a book that I'd been dying to read for a while. I was hoping it would give me newfound insight to my dating life (and the movie was coming out).

Well, overall, "He's Just Not That Into You" was definitely NOT a book for me. There were two pages (out of the 165 page book!) that applied to my past experience with guys, but the rest...well needless to say I should just give this book to all those guys I wasn't that into. Disappearing, too busy, just got out of a relationship, not ready for something serious, I've used them all!

Now while I didn't gain too much from this book (except those 2 pages, which I had figured out already), there were a couple things that stuck out that I did not agree with:

1. The first chapter is about guys who aren't into you if they aren't asking you out. Now while that statement is true, what they say next is very backwards of them. The authors advise women that men enjoy asking women out, they crave that chase. They discourage women, saying he'll ask you out if he likes you, so let him do the work, even including a poll with guys that said it would have taken out all the fun.

Now, being a woman who has seen the struggles and fights we've had (voting, abortion, job equality - oops not solved yet), I'm rather upset by this statement. Don't get me wrong, I love being chased, it is something that has been instilled into every girl, and it is quite fun. But also being a mature, strong-minded female, I still like to toy with the idea that I could ask him out if I wanted to. I don't like being told I can't do that. In fact, I took a poll myself of guys and asked them whether this idea was true, that girls are wasting time if they ask guys out. Well, surprise surprise, all eight of them said they would love it/have no problem with it. Now, I still am determined to find guys who think only guys should ask out girls....so this idea is to be continued. Until then, I will do my victory dance and ask the next guy I meet out, just to spite the authors.

2. The next thing that bugged me what a rather biased quote from author Greg:
"Because face it, you're a woman, and women can't separate sex and emotions." Well Greg, you are full of it. That idea is as sexist as saying men can't be nurses and women can be presidents. Speaking on behalf of my sex, I will say I know which women you are referring to. They CAN'T separate sex and emotions, but they are also the women who have sex for love, save it until marriage, or have a few long-term relationships in their lifetimes. Now, many more of my friends (and myself) know the power of balance. AND, there are MEN who can't separate sex and emotions! Okay, Greg won't read this, but I hope you, the reader of this, does understand this theory.

Now I'm writing this after I went to see the movie. I appreciated what the directors did, in basing the stories from both men and women angles. However, I also counted 4 men, so I'm not sure how effective that was. In terms of a movie, it was predictable, cliched, and too much Jennifer Aniston/not enough Jennifer Connelly for my liking. But, I would definitely say skip the book and see the movie. You'll get the same idea out of the movie, sans the sexist criticism, biased writing, and you'll see Ben Affleck in a Wisconsin Badger t-shirt!

Doctors' Orders

I have an interesting history with doctors, starting from when I was younger. From bad backs and fractured ribs to near death, I've done it all. I've had some really great, understanding doctors and I've had lousy, judgemental, sell-out doctors. With a pre-nursing roommate and my frequent visits, I have mixed emotions when it comes to doctors. But I definately agree with the book, "How Doctors Think" on this statement: every doctor is unique for every patient.

The book was decent. I was prompted to read this by a recent judgement call one of my doctors made that skewed her focus in my appointment. It definately opened my eyes to the realities of being a doctor, and how an idea can greatly influence a doctor in dealing with a patient:

"And once you rememove yourself from the patient's story, you no longer are truely a doctor." p. 17

Time After Time

Among my many enemies (the can opener, my 4th grade bully, the hairbrush, humidity), time is the worst. There's never enough of it when you need it, and too much when you have no way to occupy yourself.

I was lent the book "The Time Traveler's Wife" recently, a book that reading the back alone would have never propelled me to turn a page. The back describes an "unconvential love story" about two people who struggle with the changes of time, especially since one travels back and forth. Lame right?

Well, the beginning I was still kind of worrisome. I mean, imagine meeting your future spouse when you are 6 and they are 40. That is just, well messed up (for lack of a more eloquent word choice). It does improve, and come in full circle when the couple are married and he starts his visiting his current wife during her childhood.

Now the main themes of this book I didn't really like. That whole, love enduring time kind of fluff just doesn't grab me. But I loved the Chicago backdrop and being able to understand the locations of everyone. And what I like about the idea of time traveling was the realistic twist the author added to it; time traveling as a genetic disorder verses some magical power.

"I thought free will had to do with sin." p. 75, Probably my favorite quote in the book. It presents an interesting idea that I never have given much thought, of free will being closely tied to sin. I diagree with that idea for several reasons. Under our free will, we sin, but we also do so many good things that really balance out our bad. But then again, everyone has a different idea for what "sinning" is considered.

"I mean, to me things seem to random and meaningless for there to be a God." p. 76, I think this is a good sentence, because it's a really good description of how an atheist/agonstic views religion. I remember when I first started questioning things, it didn't make sense to me that if this so-called God was so great, why there were so many things wrong with the world (according to Christians). This is obviously a post for another time, so I will just say, the world is too imperfect for a God.

"My vast powers of observation have led me to the conclusion that whatever remains when you have eliminated the impossible, is the truth, no matter how impossible." p.87, I really just love this quote. I think its so beautiful.

"Praise means nothing...only criticism can flush her cheeks and catch her attention." p.216, What I like about this quote is that I really relate to it. Praise is wonderful, but it's forgetable and meaningless to a degree. In the end, if you get praise, it means you didn't fuck up. Whereas criticism is a wonderful thing. I have learned more from my mistakes and critiques then from anything else. A criticism is a gift in disguise.

To Valpo With Love

uAs many of you might know, I am studying abroad in Chile for Spring Semester. My semester starts rather late (25 Feb to be exact), but that leaves me plenty of time to read up on my future destination. I learned recently that Chilean author Isabel Allende based part of her novel "Daughter of Fortune" in Valparíso, the city I will be living in.

Reading Allende reminded me a lot of Marquez in "One Hundred Years of Solitude". It had the same mystical aura about it, but kept on a more realistic level than Marquez. Valparíso serves as a parallel to San Francisco as a place of many different cultures struggling to fit together. In fact, in the guide books I've read, they describe Valparíso as "Little San Francisco". The main character lives with an English family, has a Mapuche (type of native in Chile) nanny, and falls for a Chilean boy. The guide books also mention a heavy German influence, not present in the novel. This book was beautifully written and not predictable in the least.

This book filled me with a variety of emotions. It piqued my interest about my future home, while also making me yearn for my past home (many characters move to California in the gold rush). As a period novel, based between 1830s-1850s, there is a lot of repression and negativity towards women. Smart women are scorned and ambitious women are looked as hookers.

My two favorite characters were the sailor John Sommers and the business woman Paulina Rodríguez de Santa Cruz. As a captain, John Sommers lives the ideal life. He travels all over the world, meets many people, and brings home wonderful treasures. He is stricter than most captains, pulling a tight rein over his crew, but that only adds to his reputation. Paulina is a modern woman stuck in the 1800s. Exiled from her family for falling for someone of lower class, Paulina starts off struggling to survive. Always a woman for business, she instructs her husband to set up a bank account and deliver fresh food over to the gold miners for profit. By far the strongest woman of the book, she never takes no for an answer.

Some of my favorite quotes:
"What matters is what you do in this world, not how you come into it" p. 5, presenting the first theme of nature vs. nurture

"You and I both know that my nature is more savage than yours" p. 13, Rose Sommers response to her brother Jeremy's statement of man's savage nature and woman's destiny to preserve moral values and good conduct

"Size has nothing to do with it, man. It's balls that count." p. 299, presenting the second theme of breaking masculine and feminine boundaries

My Guilty Pleasure

Sure I love the occasional soap opera, movies with Hugh Grant, dark chocolate M&Ms; the usual guilty pleasures. But my biggest guilty pleasure would have to be British Chick Lit. Yes, it must be British, because American Chick Lit is rather boring and terribly written. Brit Chick Lit (it's even fun to say!), while cliche most of the time, is fun and unusual. It never takes itself seriously, and presents women who are flawed, but still have a great time. And best of all, they use vocabulary you'd never hear your best friend use.

My recent BCL, "Confessions of a Shopaholic," was picked for two reasons:
1) I have wanted to read it for a while, hearing from others that it was really smart and funny.
2) The movie is coming out soon, and so it inspired me to start earlier than later.

Now, I was kind of skeptical about starting this book. I hate hate hate shopping, so how was I going to enjoy a book about a professional shopper?? But after realizing that it was by a British author, I decided not to hold the shopping part against it. And the good news: not even that much shopping! It really was much better than I had expected, although of course not a literature gem. Definitely good for a laugh.

Here's some of my favorite vocab used in the novel:

- a skip = an English term for dumpster, sounds more pleasant
- fusty = meaning stale and old-fashioned
- on the hop = I couldn't actually find a definition for this phrase, but based on its usage ("You had us all on the hop" p. 301), I believe it's a way of saying "in a frenzy". Ex. Wall Street has been on the hop ever since the Recession was made public.

The Jane Austen Discord

I am not a Jane Austen fan.

Don't get me wrong, the woman can write, and what she wrote was quite an achievement for her time. In fact, Austen was one of the inspirations of "Chick Lit," a genre that consists of the soap operas and tabloid reads of literature.

I find the concept of Austen's novels very fascinating. What she wrote was quite saucy for the time period; where the scandals of her novels could be equivalent of the Brad-Angelina-Jennifer triangle of today. I had read "Pride and Prejudice" and while it took me longer to read it, actually enjoyed the love story of Mr. Darcy.

I decided to tackle "Sense and Sensibility" with the same notion, hoping to understand more of Jane Austen's appeal. Some of it was actually fun, and I could enjoy the laughter of Marianne and the hatred of Fanny. Other times, I felt it drag on, hoping against all hope that in the next scene they just sold Elinor for slavery to keep things exciting.

There was one thing, however, that I took from the novel. The first was Fanny's temperment, her superiority complex made me loathe her as a character, but piqued my interest. From the first paragraph, I instantly saw Blair Waldorf from "Gossip Girl" emboding today's Fanny Dashwood. She represents the type of people I very much detest: those who feel they are better then everyone, but have nothing but scheming and manipulation to show for their honor. What's even more fascinating is that, almost 200 years after the novel was published, nothing has really changed. In that respect, Austen's novel really isn't dated after all, as it still shows the ugliness of people when money is involved.

The Taboo Idea

Could abortion really help lower the rate of murders?  

There were many intriguing ideas brought up in Freakonomics, but my favorite by far was the idea of abortion saving lives.  

Less than forty years after Roe v. Wade, abortion is still a very taboo topic.  You can turn on the TV and homosexual relationships on both daytime and evening programs, but Degrassi can't even show its abortion episode.  

I chose Freakonomics, curious to know more about this new approach to the declining homicide rate.  

I find abortion a very important issue.  Although I don't feel it is important enough to properly address with our current economic situation, it needs to be discussed at some point.  

Reading this book, I felt very curious and interested in ideas and issues I hadn't really thought about.

The Heath in Us

My first book of 2009 was the classic Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë.  I've wanted to read this book for a while for several reasons:

1) Being Brontë's only book, I was curious what made her stand the test of time.  

2) Many people (including my mother) have called this book the classic love story of Catherine and Heathcliff

3) I had just finished the Twilight series (a big waste of good reading time) and for some reason, Stephenie Meyer kept on referring to Wuthering Heights, so I wanted to see what parallels there were to the series.

I loved the character of Heathcliff.  He was such a troubled, dark, evil individual, yet you couldn't help but be on his side.  You could understand why he was such a brute, after hearing about all the abuse he endured from Hindley.  My only upset was that we didn't know the complete history of Heathcliff.  However, that only made him that much more intriguing.

The biggest emotion I felt during the reading was longing.  For every character at some point, they weren't satisfied with what they had.  While they made sacrifices (Catherine marrying Edgar) and difficult decisions (Catherine II living with Heathcliff), they always wanted what they couldn't have.  Some characters let this longing haunt them into death (Heathcliff), while others let their longing guide them to something they wanted and could achieve, like Catherine marrying Hareton.  The lesson here: we all want something we can't have.  In fact, the idea that we can't have it makes it all that more desirable.  In the end though, its how we take that desire to get satisfaction out of our lives that counts.  

My Reading Lists

Anyone who knows me really well knows this: I love reading.  

It is a passion of mine that I have had since I was younger and has only grown and increased over the years.  I remember being in grade school and others would complain during English over each book we had to read.  I loved it.

These days, school and work are my priorities.  Thus, I make a goal at every break to read at least 20-30 books.  I've been pretty good, reading more than 15, but I've yet to make my complete goal.

For each book, I will talk about why I choose the book, somethings I found interesting/strange/note-worthy, and my emotions while reading.

Enjoy.