Book Worm Galore

I'm pretty excited that soon my life is going to go from 0 to 100 MPH. I start my new job on Monday and in 2 weeks I'll have a second, part-time job as well. I have the LSAT to study for and boyfriend is coming in three weeks.

So why did I go to the library and check out more books than I can read?

I just finished Hunter S. Thompson's "Hell's Angels" - I enjoyed it.

This is what I have left:

• Maritta Wolf - "Sudden Rain"
• Norman Miler "The Castle in the Forest"
• Carolyn Cassady "Off the Road"
• Sue Monk Kidd "The Secret Life of Bees"
• Alison Weir "Innocent Traitor"
  

Although I have all these books to knock off and enter into my GoodReads (I'm obsessed with that website), my free time has been spent watching Torchwood. What can I say, Captain Jack Harkness is pretty hot.

Even so, I'm also looking for more good books to read. I really want to read "The Inheritance" by David E. Sanger about what challenges Obama faces, as well as "Snark" by David Denby, why the New York Times reviewed today. Any other suggestions?

(Why did my Blog Roll disappear?)

It's a silly time to learn to swim when you start to drown...

After three weeks of being back in upstate New York, I finally have a gym membership! The best part is, it's only $20 a month for six months! Incredibly cheap for this area. I'm super excited to get back into working out after a few weeks of sitting around. I think that's one of the factors resulting in my intense moodiness. They don't have a lot of classes though which sucks but oh well. Maybe I can find some cheap yoga classes in the area or just force K. to do yoga DVDs with me.

Now that I have a membership, I can start making new work-out playlists! I typically listen to hardcore while exercising (underOATH, From Autumn to Ashes, Every Time I Die, Drop Dead Gorgeous) but lately it's been more electro (The Bloody Beetroots, MSTRKRFT, Boys Noize, Uffie, Blank & Jones). Sometimes there's even my typical indie choices in there (Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade, The Pierces) What do you recommend?

I just read "This is Not Chick Lit" which is a collection of short stories, edited by Elizabeth Merrick. I absolutely loved it and would recommend it. Some of the stories are heartbreaking, others comical and heart warming, while there are those that are just disturbing in a way that really makes you think about different situations you may have never considered before. It is not a cheap shot at "chick lit" as many have come to see it, including the editor of "This is Chick Lit" but rather an opportunity to give the spotlight to eighteen female modern literary talents. I think my favorite story was Cristina Henríquez's "Gabriella My Heart" about a young man coming to terms with his homosexuality.

Hi, my name is Amanda and I'm judging you.

Oh gosh, ANOTHER confession?

Here it is...

...I judge people. Harshly.

Who doesn't. I will never let it cloud my ability to be open minded until I get to know that person. After that, it's game on. Recently, I met a sweetheart who proclaimed herself to be an avid reader and book lover. Hell yes! She was telling me that she wants to go back to school for her B.A. and was interested in going for Literature. A woman after my own heart. She said in a haughty voice that she judges people who do not read and won't talk to them if they don't (even I'm not that bad - I'll talk to them and have plenty of material to talk about to my friends after, obviously).

We started talking about what we were currently reading. I told her I was reading "The American" by Henry James. I love Henry James. As my brother recently pointed out, there is no soul in his books. I just adore the commentary on American-European social standards in the late 1800's, as well as the travel aspect of it. What can I say, it gets me all hot and bothered. She had never heard of Henry James. Hmm. Really? Not everyone has, so I'll let it slide. The conversation continued and she told me she loves British and Irish literature. Me too! James Joyce is one of my favorite authors! Her response? "Oh, I've never heard of James Joyce! Is he a new author?" I almost fell off my chair. And she wanted to major in literature? 

I can appreciate the fact that she enjoys reading, even though most of her chosen material seems to be of the...sexual persuasion. At least it's using more of the brain than watching television. I have to admit, once in a very great while I will pick up a chick lit book. Hell, I freaking love horror fiction, especially those that involve vampires (sorry, I hated the Twilight series - horribly written). Yet I'm still going to judge you if you act all high and mighty and better than everyone because you read constantly, claim you love Irish literature but you don't know who James Joyce is. What's next, are you going to tell me you don't know who Sylvia Plath or Virginia Woolf are? 

I'm not saying that everyone should run out and be well versed on Joyce or James. I just feel that if you truly have a passion for literature, you would at least have heard of these authors. Therefore, I'm judging her. Harshly. But I'll never let her know and I'll continue to allow her to talk "books" with me.