Category: books & reading

Well hello there. Sorry to be away for so long, but there is something that has captured almost all of my free time these days. In fact, it is tough for me to be taking the time away to write this now. I’m not talking about David, although he is with me most of the time. I’m talking about a book. Actually, books.

I began reading Twilight by Stephanie Meyers last Tuesday night. I picked it up in Hawaii when David and I went to a Borders Bookstore to kill time waiting for my flight. I bought it because a friend of mine (not someone whose reading habits I know much about) had recommended it to me quite awhile ago, it was on prominent display in the bookstore, and because I love fantasy in all forms, vampires included. Especially of the YA  (young adult) genre.

OMG I am now obsessed. I finished Twilight early Thursday evening. I accomplished that feat while working full-time by reading at almost every possible chance including stoplights. I couldn’t stand to think of not having something to read the next day, so I immediately grabbed David and we went to Barnes & Noble so I could get the next book in the series, New Moon. I started it that very night, finished it yesterday, and now I’m well into the third (out of four).

Seriously, it’s been since I read Harry Potter the first time since I’ve been this in love with a book series. I am devouring it. I do wish that sometime soon I will fall in love with a book that isn’t targeted toward teenagers. I wonder what that says about me?

These books are about a high school girl who falls in love with a beautiful and romantic vampire. I mean, what’s not to like? I’m a sucker for romance and adventure, especially if you throw in other-worldly creatures and superhuman abilities. The very thing that some people hate about fantasy is what draws me to it: that it’s not realistic.

Anyway, I think David is sick of these books because I keep telling him all about them, keeping him up to date with what’s going on with the characters, and he really couldn’t care less. I’m just grateful that he’s been on a reading kick of his own these days. Sometimes at night we don’t even turn on the TV! At least until I go to sleep, that is.

So people, if you are at all interested, please read Twilight so I can have someone to talk to about it!

I wasn’t actually tagged by my friends The Klines to do this meme, but I’m sure that if they had tagged anyone, like they were supposed to, they would have tagged me. So I’m doing it anyway.

1) One book that changed my life:

Practicing His Presence by Brother Lawrence and Frank Laubach. It completely transformed the way I relate to God.

2) One book that you have read more than once:

I don’t do this very often because there are so many books in the world that I want to read. Sometimes I get really scared that I will die without having read all the books I want to. I know it’s ridiculous. But I have read The Lord of the Rings a few times because it is my favorite, and I wish I lived in Middle Earth.

3) One book that you would want on a desert island:

Um, The Bible is the only one that would never get old. Cliche, I know.

4) Two books that made you laugh:

Huh. Apparently I don’t read humor very often. But The Know-It-All by A.J. Jacobs was funny at times, as was A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole.

5) One book that made you cry:

Oh my gosh, it’s totally embarrassing but A Walk To Remember by Nicholas Sparks had me bawling for hours, more than any other book I’ve ever read.

6) One book you wished you’d written:

A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving. It’s wonderful, and I love how every little detail means something.

7) One book you wish had never been written:

I honestly have no idea. I’m sure there’s one out there, but I can’t think of it offhand.

8 ) Two books you are currently reading:

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss and God’s Politics by Jim Wallis. I actually do keep my “Currently Reading” section up to date (see top right).

9) One book you’ve been meaning to read:

Just one? Well, I guess Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol has been on my shelf the longest. Although I have a list about a mile long.

My roommates and I started a book club quite awhile ago, maybe even a couple of years ago now. It started out just the three of us, and now it has grown to a whopping five! We’ve had some people drift in and out from time to time, but the five we have now are steady. I like it to be small like this though, because we can be flexible with each other and the discussion is much more interactive with less people.

We read a book a month, then meet over dinner or coffee to talk about what we read. Pretty simple. Some books we talk about for an hour nonstop, and others we find ourselves out of things to say after about ten minutes. Our discussions are rarely literary or high-minded. It’s just our thoughts and impressions spilling out. I find that I enjoy books much better after having talked about them with others. I gain so much insight this way.

For example, tonight we discussed the book Atonement by Ian McEwan. It was definitely one of the better books we’ve chosen. It was beautifully written, suspenseful in its own way, haunting, sad, hopeful, and surprising. I loved it, but after our meeting tonight I realized I had totally missed a couple of important points. Now I feel its impact even more.

Other book club favorites of mine:

The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl
The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Stardust by Neil Gaiman

The other day I showed up to my indoor soccer game and was waiting for the previous game to end. A few minutes before the game my dad showed up, gave me a hug, and sat down by me. He had a sneaky little smile on his face, and the first thing he said was, “Did you get my e-mail?” I hadn’t. What was it about? I wanted to know. “I need Courtney to hook me up,” he said, smile widening. He proceeded to tell me the details of his proposition.

Courtney is my roommate and one of my best friends in Houston. What is it that my dad so desperately wanted from her? A book. Courtney works for the Harris County Public Library. My dad’s e-mail went like this:

I just reserved the new James Lee Burke novel Tin Roof Blowdown, but I’m 69th in line. :( Can Courtney hook me up in a better position? It’s nice to have friends in high places.

The funny thing is that I have totally used Courtney for this purpose before, and my dad was so excited when he found out about it. This is the kind of thing my family gets excited about being “hooked up” with. But seriously, the library is awesome. Since living with Courtney my world has been broadened. I use it for movies, music, audiobooks, and, of course, books. And I’m sure Courtney could tell me a slew of other resources the library offers.

Gosh, I am such a NERD.