Archive for August, 2009

This marks my very first Sunday Salon.  For a couple weeks, I have been reading all your wonderful Sunday discussions and decided that I would give it a shot.  After all, we all have book-ish topics on our minds.  Some come up in our reading, others come up just because life throws them our way.

This Sunday I’m coming to you from my campus library, where I work.  We have an pretty cool automated retrieval system and right now I’m manning that.  Luckily, since school is not in session, the back room is quiet and calm leaving me some free time to catch up with all the posts piling up in my google reader and hopefully (later on) some reading.  This week has been insanely hectic leaving me little time to read.  I’ve had work, rock climbing, moving, and social obligations all week that left me with very little spare time.  Because of my hectic schedule, I’ve fallen horribly behind on my reading schedule.  Currently, I’m about halfway through How to Buy a Love of Reading.  I hope to make the time to finish it tonight after I finish unpacking all my stuff.

My hectic schedule along with the book have led me to think about people’s excuses for not reading.  Sure, we all lead hectic lives with insanely busy schedules, but does that really mean that we don’t have time for reading?  Or does it just imply that we don’t make time for reading?  Some might say the two are the same, but I beg to differ, I believe they are very different.  Last year, I claimed I was too busy to do any reading aside from what was assigned to me in class.  After all, I was taking four classes, participating in a research project on the side, and working two jobs.  Some days, I barely had time for sleeping.  When I was complaining about this to a friend and co-worker, she insisted that I could make time for reading since it is something I enjoy.  She suggested setting aside time every day for reading even if it was only half an hour.  This summer, that is exactly what I have been doing.  If I don’t have time during the day to delve into a book, I read for half an hour before bed (frequently longer because I just can’t put the book down, who needs sleep anyway, right?).  After all, reading slowly is better than not reading at all.

Another wonderful thing I have to share with you (which I’m incredibly excited about!) are some awards!  Yes, I have received some blogging awards.  Can you believe that people are actually reading this and enjoying it?  I can’t!  Nevertheless, I am grateful and excited to both accept and pass on the awards I have gotten this week.

I received the Kreativ Blogger Award from Amy Reads Good Books.  After getting this award, you have to name seven favorite things and pass the award on to seven awesome bloggers.  This sounds both fun and easy!

Seven Favorite Things

1. Starbucks Grande Nonfat Vanilla Lattes
2. Summer sun
3. Long nights of staying up and reading
4. That wonderful feeling you get when you get things done
5. The beach
6. Freshly backed chocolate chip cookies
7. Long walks along the Santa Clara campus

Seven Awesome Bloggers ( although really, you’re all awesome bloggers!)

1. Kay @ The Infinite Shelf
2. Megan @ Write Meg
3. Natalie @ Book, Line, and Sinker
4. Simon @ Savidge Reads
5. Jenny @ Take Me Away
6. Rebecca @ The Book Lady’s Blog
7. Stephanie @ Stephanie’s Written Word

I received the My Top Blog Commenter Award from Take Me Away.  I find this award to be very important because I so deeply appreciate any and all comments that I get from you. So I’m passing this on to:

1. Kathy @ Bermudaonion’s Weblog
2. Megan @ Write Meg
3. Kim @ Sophisticated Dorkiness
4. Amy @ Amy Reads Good Books
5. Lahni @ Nose in a Book

The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken – excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all…

I received this rather amusing award from Take Me Away and am excited to pass it on to the following bloggers:

1. Amy @ Amy Reads Good Books
2. Becca @ Bookstack
3. Jennifer @ Book Club Girl
4. Simon @ Savidge Reads
5. Matt @ A Guy’s Moleskin Notebook

Happy Sunday, Happy Reading, and Happy Blogging friends.  I’d love to hear about your favorite blogs, your excuses not to read, and your Sunday plans, reads, and thoughts.

Going through my blogroll this morning, I saw numerous posts about the RIP IV Challenge (Readers Imbibing Peril) hosted by Stainless Steel Droppings and I just couldn’t help myself – I had to join in the festivities.  The challenge, at whatever level you choose, involves reading books from the following categories between September 1, 2009 and October 31, 2009:

Mystery.
Suspense.
Thriller.
Dark Fantasy.
Gothic.
Horror.
Supernatural.

Wonderful idea, right?  Me being the aspiring overachiever that I am have decided to Peril the 1st meaning I am aiming to read four books from any scary sub genre I chose.  How exciting is that?  Some direction in my reading picks!  Now the list for this could be endless and I’m not entirely sure what I will end up reading, but here are some possibilities.  Also, any suggestions are welcome and if you’ve read any of the books listed below, I would love to hear your thoughts.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

The Eight by Catherine Neville

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Ghostwalk by Rebecca Scott

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: Pick two random sentences from your current read.

“For years she’d been telling Francis something was missing in their only child, fears he’d dismissed as her being critical and controlling.  Carley didn’t want to become anything, Gretchen tried to tell him, but all Francis would say was, She already is something.”

Enzo is not like other dogs.  He is so much more than a simple companion or the very cliched description of dogs as being “man’s best friend.”  No, Enzo is more like that little voice in the back of your head that tells you what’s right and what’s wrong because he really understands what’s going on.  Although Enzo is only a dog, he understands pain and suffering, love and loss, life and death more than some humans I know.  Oh, and he wants nothing more than to become a human so he can race cars in the rain like his master, Denny.  Enzo is like a superdog – he despises his primal habits and wishes more than anything to be refined and have opposable thumbs like humans.  Still, he does well for himself in his current dog form.  He cares for his family: Denny, Eve and Enzo in the best ways he knows how.  Sure, he wishes he could do more, but in so many ways he changes their lives without even realizing it.

I knew I was different from other dogs.  I had a certain willpower that was strong enough to overcome my more primal instincts. (37)

The books begins with Enzo sharing his plan; a plan he devised from watching TV documentaries about dogs in Mongolia.  Enzo is going to die; willingly die; so that he can become a man.  Once he becomes a man, he is going to find Denny and his daughter Zoe and tell them “Enzo says hi” so that they know what he has accomplished.  A strange way to begin a book, but effective.  It drew me in and I was hooked.  After sharing his plan, Enzo recalls everything he has experienced in his dog life: the wonderful life he lived with Denny, Eve, and Zoe.  The story that unfolds is an amazingly pure, beuatiful story about life.  It doesn’t always turn out the way you planned, but if you fight for what you believe in, you can get your happy ending.

There is no dishonor in losing the race.  There is only dishonor in not racing becuase you are afraid to lose (277)

The books is filled with amazing insights and racing metaphors that are both strikingly brilliant and insightful.  I found these pieces to be especially enjoyable.  Enzo learns so much about racing from Denny and he relates his lesson to the events he sees unfolding before him.  The story might not have been the most captivating, but seeing the events unfold through Enzo’s eyes was a special, unexpected treat.  He took what could have been a mundane story and turned it into a beautiful lesson with witty anecdotes that will stay with me for a long time.  Plus, I loved the piece about racing.  Enzo praised Denny for his racing skills and loved to watch the races on TV with (or without) Denny.  He studied them and admired all the subtle maneuvers that frequently go right over people’s heads.  I think it is these pieces of the story that made this book spectacular.  Maybe not the most original story ever, but the point of view definitely kept it from becoming mundane.  After reading it, I can assure you I want nothing more than to go out and buy a dog!

And now, because they were so incredibly poignant, I will share some of my favorite Enzo wisdom:

That which you manifest is before you (41)

Your car goes where your eyes go (94)

It makes one realize that the physicality of our world is a boundary to us only if our will is weak; a true champion can accomplish things that a normal person would think impossible (65)

The true hero is flawed.  The true test of a champion is not whether he can triumph, but whether he can overcome obstacles – preferably his own making – in order to triumph.  A hero without a flaw is of no interest to an audience or to the universe, which after all, is based on conflict and opposition, the irresistible force meeting the unmovable object (135).

I have already started to recommend this book to my family because I loved every page.  There were a few moments where things got weird (something about a possessed zebra toy), but the story is still a beautiful picture of family, love, perseverance and to me it really illustrates what it means to be both a hero and a champion.  I found the story to be extremely moving and especially motivating.

Overall Rating: B

I have been so busy these past couple days!  I feel like I’m already beginning to neglect my blog.  In in the middle of reading The Art of Racing in the Rain and I’m absolutely loving it.  Expect a review either later today or tomorrow.  The book is difficult to put down because I am dying to know how it is going to end – but at the same time, I have to take breaks every now and then because I get so sad/mad/frustrated at what is happening to the characters that I’ve already grown to love.  More on this in the future …

This weekend, in celebration of my birthday which was last week (August 16), my parents took me up to the city (San Francisco) to see Wicked.  It was absolutely delightful.  I haven’t been to a musical in a while and I forgot how much fun they can be.  The show was funny, the music was delightful, the stage was beautiful and the special effects were phenomenal.  The story was extremely enjoyable: an interesting take on the classical story of Dorothy and Oz.  I have the book, but haven’t had a chance to read it yet – seeing the musical definitely makes me want to dig in sooner than later.  I’m sure that many of you have already read it or other books by Gregory Maguire – any insights on the book you’d like to share?  My sister read it, but didn’t have much to say afterward (extremely disappointing!) so I’m looking for some thoughts on the book before I get around to reading it myself.

In other news … I have also added a lot of new blogs to my google reader (it’s taking up a lot of time, but I’ve found it to be an enjoyable way of passing the time at work).  You all have such amazing insight and are reading such a diverse selection of books that I can’t help myself.  I’m going to be spending some time reading your blogs: getting some tips, ideas, ect so look out or my comments of awe and apreciation.  As I was reading, I was wondering, when a new reader comes along, do you like him/her to just start commenting on your posts, or do you like him/her to make an introduction in a comment first so you know who this person is and can check out his/her blog?  Personally, I have no idea what I prefer.  I like the idea of an introduction so I can know who is reading my blog – sometimes I wonder if anyone is reading this! – but I appreciate comments no matter what.  Do you even think about these things dear reader?  I find myself obsessing over them lately and constantly checking my blog for comments or some sort of life.  Maybe I’m just losing my mind?