Update #12

I thought it was frustrating (and I still am frustrated) when I couldn't find the final book of the Sophie Katz mystery series by Kyra Davis at the library, but I've found a new reason to be even more frustrated.

Last week I requested a book that claimed to have plays by Tennessee Williams. My intention was to read A Streetcar Named Desire and it was convenient to have other Tennessee Williams plays in the same books. However, I checked the book out of the library, only to discover that it only contains Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. I even double checked to see if I had flipped through the pages too quickly, I didn't. Now I have to return the book because at the moment I'm not ready to read Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. It may seem like a trivial reason to be upset, but I never read A Streetcar Named Desire in high school and I'd like to read the play before I see the 1951 film. I'm just going to find it online; thank glob for the internet.

On the other hand, I'm really enjoying reading Naked by David Sedaris. I think that's the only book on my November reading list that I'm actually reading. (There will be a review of Naked soon.) I decided that I'm not going to finish that book I've been assigned in my class. I saw some girl brought it into class and it's a thick book; I'm not even interested in the plot. I also returned all the Sookie Stackhouse novels I checked out. I've had them for weeks and I never opened them; I just haven't had the time. I'm really not happy about that. I'm sorry that post was such a total lie. Here's an updated version:

Naked by David Sedaris

Doomed by Chuck Palahniuk 

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

I'm most excited to read Doomed by Chuck Palahniuk; it's the sequel to Damned which I absolutely love! Check out my review! If I finish these novels quickly, maybe I can fit in three extra books into the month. Here's hoping!

Anyway, wish me luck with my reading quest as I wish you luck in your reading and everything else in your life. Hopefully it's not as hectic as mine.

Just Keep Reading!!!

Reading List!: November 2013

Two months left until the end of 2013 and I'm still short of completing my goal. I am SO determined to complete this goal within the next two months. Maybe month and a half, if I drop everything.

This month I'm reading these books:

Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy 

The Plays of Tennessee Williams by Tennessee Williams

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

in addition to still reading the three Sookie Stackhouse books and Naked by David Sedaris from last month. And, if I finish any of these books early, I'll cram three more Sookie Stackhouse novels into my reading list.

Wish me luck!

GOOSEBUMPS!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYONE!

"Reader, beware, you're in for a scare!"

Jim Gaffigan vs Mike Birbiglia vs Paul Feig

Since I published this post after reading comedic books written by Chelsea Handler, Tina Fey and Mindy Kaling, I thought it would be fun to read comedic books by Jim Gaffigan, Mike Birbiglia and Paul Feig. 

It was.

Reading List!: October 2013

With only three months left to complete my goal of reading fifty books by the end of 2013, crunch time is now.

Here are the six books I'm reading during October, plus The Bomb by Frank Harris (required reading for class).

Dead until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Naked by David Sedaris

Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

Sleepwalk with Me and Other Painfully True Stories by Mike Birbiglia

Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

Kick Me: Adventures in Adolescence by Paul Feig

Apparently October is comedy month for me, but I'm keeping it spooky with Charlaine Harris.

I've also decided to not read the last book on my September reading list, Lolita by Vladmir Nabokov. It's more creepy than interesting to me and at this point I don't want to give it a chance. I made it to chapter twelve, so I think that's a pretty good feat. Again, like with The Picture of Dorian Gray, I'll read it in a couple years.

Update #11: I Could Use a Break

Hey Y'all! 

How y'all doing, y'all? 

I hope whatever book you're reading is bringing an immense amount of joy to you life, day, hour, whatever. 

Since I last updated, I had a couple weeks to myself before I started my third year at college. I'm five weeks in and I want O-U-T, immediately. I have been going nonstop. I feel like half of me is an unstoppable force and the other half is an immoveable object. Every day that passes reminds me of my first year of college and how much I hated everyone and everything. But I keep reminding myself that I've made it this far, I can't give up now. No retreat, no surrender! 

However, I'm barely making it through. I'm taking five classes this semester; I hate all of them except one. Seriously ALL of them except one. Can you tell I'm excited to graduate? 

Well, as this is a blog about books and not a blog in which I complain about college, let's talk books. Because of school I'm behind on my reading list. I sadly, sadly only read three books in September. Not including The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde which I had to read for class, but only read half. I hate reading books for class. I wanted to read The Picture of Dorian Gray too, but I found it incredibly boring. Maybe I'll read it, for real, in ten years. 

I'm slowly catching up on my reading now. I'm reading two books that were on my September reading list now as I wait for my October reading list books to be ready for me to check out at the library. At first I was reading two books at the same time, but I think reading one wholly and completely is better than reading two at the same time and not getting a real feel for the books. One of the books is a quick read and I hope to finish it by the end of the week. However, there just aren't enough hours in the day. Every day I feel like my subway ride gets shorter and shorter. And when I get home I can't lie down on my bed, read and listen to music because I'm busy writing. I'm currently writing for two classes and a separate project for myself. Not to mention I have over two page essays due by the end of the semester, December, in two classes and I want to get a head start on those. So I'm up all hours of the night writing and planning when I can read next. It's not ideal, but it's real and I have to deal. (The cheesy rhyme is because I'm extremely tired while I write this. Please excuse.)

The good news is that I am finally starting Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire series aka The Sookie Stackhouse series! (Isn't it hilarious that the series is really called Southern Vampire series? With that name, I hope they're not romance novels. What have I gotten myself into?) I figured since it's October, it was fitting to start the series now. I'm so excited to read them. I hope I can finish them before the new season on True Blood next summer. Hey, I guess that's my first goal for 2014! I can't wait. 

I'm counting down the days until Thanksgiving vacation when I'll have a whole TWO days to read. That's a luxury considering my days now. 

I will not falter with posting on this blog though. I made a promise to myself that I'd have four posts every month until the end of the year. It's a bit of a burden considering everything I just rambled about, but if I accomplish nothing else this year, at this I'll have that. 

And thus concludes my update! I'll be back next week! 

Until then: 

Just Keep Reading! 

This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper

"The death of Judd Foxman's father marks the first time that the entire Foxman family-- including Judd's mother, brothers and sister-- has been together in year. Conspicuously absent: Judd's wife, Jen, whose fourteen-month affair with Judd's radio-shock-jock boss has recently become painfully public.

Simultaneously mourning the death of his father and the demise of his marriage, Judd joins the rest of the Foxmans as they reluctantly submit to their patriarch's dying request: to spend the seven days following the funeral together. In the same house. Like a family. 

As the week quickly spins out of control, longstanding grudges resurface, secrets are revealed, and old passions reawakened. For Judd, it's a weeklong attempt to make sense of the mess his life has become while trying in vain not to get sucked into the regressive battles of his madly dysfunctional family. All of which would be hard enough without the bomb Jen dropped the day Judd's father died: She's pregnant.

This Is Where I Leave You is Jonathan Tropper's most accomplished work to date, a riotously funny, emotionally raw novel about love, marriage, divorce, family, and the ties that bind-- whether we like it or not."

This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper is amazing. I'm so impressed by Tropper and going to try and coherently express it in this post.