Books of 2010

Happy New Year, my lovelies! I feel so good about 2011. I think it's going to bring such great things!

I've been thinking about books a lot lately, especially since I got a Pandigital Novel (similar to a Kindle) for Christmas. It's pretty exciting! I'm mostly stoked to have less in my suitcase on vacations & to carry it around instead of my laptop for internet use. However, I'm not going full-out to the digital, as there's something irreplaceable about the old-fashioned hardcover or paperback. Plus, I have lots of books on my shelf that I still haven't read! But my first purchases on my new eReader might be one of The Job Snob's top ten books of the year.

I wish I could say I read loads of books last year, but with grad school going on for eight & a half months of it, the list is relatively short (unless you count academic books). However, I've decided to write it out anyway, with some comments. I'm very happy to say that I finished my final book on December 30th, which was a great end to the year. Anywho, here it goes!

1. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Breaking Dawn, the final book of the Twilight series, was a step beyond the first three of Stephenie Meyer's books - I still haven't decided which direction that step is in. It's strange, complicated, & a bit bizarre. It wasn't my favorite (Eclipse was!), I did enjoy it.

2. All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab

This book was written by a friend's sister. I think it's classed in the Young Adult section, but it was a great, simple read for when I was in the midst of academic work. The main character, Neily, feels alone in his school, ever since just before his best friend and ex-girlfriend, Carly, was killed. Neily looks for Carly's killer & for some peace. The characters were interesting & likable, there's a good twist, & while it wasn't incredibly intellectually satisfying, I would recommend it for anyone wanting a quick, easy read.

3. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

For some reason, I didn't expect Memoirs of a Geisha to be my favorite book. I suppose it's because, with the exception of The Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama, Asian cultures have not necessarily been an interest of mine. However, I couldn't have been more wrong. This was a beautifully written, intriguing book that everyone - at least every girl - should read. And the fact that a man wrote the life of this elegant woman is that much more impression.

4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

A page-turner with unique characters, it's no wonder that this book is so popular. I must advise, though, that there are some very graphic, difficult-to-handle sections in this book. I read one of them late at night & had trouble going to sleep. So if you have trouble with violence - especially against women - I suggest you read this in the daylight!

5. Chocolat by Joanne Harris

This book was another light one - great for reading at the gym. It was heartwarming, delightful, & delicious - & made me crave dark chocolate all the time!

6. Catch-22 by Joseph Harris

It took me absolutely forever to finish this book, & I dare say that I think it was too long. However, it was very ironic, which made it incredibly interesting to me. I wish I would have read it for a class or a book club so I could discuss the themes with someone. And I wish I had kept a notebook with me while reading it for all of the witty quotes!

I've also been dabbling in House and Philosophy, which has been interesting & fun.

I already have a reading list started for next year, too:

1. The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson
(Christmas present from Jonty. 100 pages in, & it's already better than the first in the series!)

2. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

3. The Hobbit & The Fellowship of the Rings trilogy

4. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
(Christmas present last year, & I still need to get on it.)

5. The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers

What did you read in 2010? Any plans for 2011?

Update: I just realized that I didn't include the audiobooks I listened to last year-


* The Know-It-All by A. J. Jacobs
* Close to Shore by Michael Capuzzo
* Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
* A Defense of Food by Michael Pollan (in progress)


And planned for next year-


* The Element by Ken Robinson


Update No. 2: I also left out Julia & Julia and Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows, which Jonty & I read aloud to each other in the fall.

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Book Swapping!

Reasons To Join a Book Swap
1. It's cheap. You only have to pay for postage.
2. It's convenient: a new read straight to your door.
3. It's greener. New books mean cutting down trees.
4. It will help de-clutter your house & your life. You don't have to add book upon book to your list of possessions. Instead, just read & swap for new ones.

Used book stores are a great way to get some of the above benefits, plus you're supporting a local business & are being green by doing less shipping. But if you don't have a good one near you, or can't be bothered, a book swap is the way to go.

Check out this Guardian article for more info and for a few popular book swap sites.

I don't know if I've ever expressed this to you guys, but I love love love books. I'm thinking of starting up a small book swap on my blog, where everyone throws in a good book they've read & we pass them around to each other. This would be fun because we'll get little literary surprises in the mail! And we could write a blog post, or a blurb in a journal we pass around, for each book we read. Let me know if you're interested :.)

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Sweet Summer

Jonty & I had a lovely, summery day today. I turned in my last essay (woop woop!), so we decided to head into town and celebrate.

We sat by the river for a while, sipping on Starbucks, reading, & listening to music.

I really love Bristol, especially in the summer.

We also did a bit of shopping.

Maybe you guys can settle a dispute: Is this dress nice enough for a wedding? (It's cotton.)

I didn't buy this bag, but how cute is it??

New 'fit from H&M.

My new favorite dress/top! <3

It was such a nice day on the town. When the sun is out in Bristol, it has such a good vibe. I can't wait to lay around on the grass, eat bread & hummus, drink iced tea, & read this sunny (knock on wood) weekend. Especially since I'm giving myself the rest of the week/weekend off before I begin my dissertation.

By the way, I don't usually photograph myself in the dressing room... Jonty was still looking around & I wanted him to see what I tried on. Plus, I was feeling particularly bloggy today.

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Books!

I finished reading

I am currently reading

I am going to read

I got this idea from DeeDee over at Whatever DeeDee wants... What are you reading?

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Just Do It

"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation."

-Oscar Wilde

All it takes to be yourself, original, is to let yourself think. Lately I've recognized a bit of a problem in myself--that I don't have the confidence to trust my own thoughts. I think I have a relatively healthy ego, at least at face value. I have no problem saying that I know I am pretty, I know I'm intelligent, I know I am creative (though I admit it's cringy to say/write as much to other people for fear of not sounding humble). But at a deeper level I think I have less confidence. I wait for direction from other people, rather than relying on myself. It's almost impossible for me to make a decision, even about something as simple as what to have for dinner. Most people procrastinate, but I've realized that what I put off is not work but making decisions.

I'm not writing this to put myself down; I'm writing it to bring myself up. Finding and admitting a problem is the hardest part, and now that I've done that I can work on fixing it. And my plan, which I think will be my New Year's resolution, is this: JUST DO IT. If I have an idea, I'll go with it. If I have a decision to make, I'll just make it. Every decision is not as big as it seems.

This is a lesson that everyone can and should learn. I highly recommend the book WHATEVER YOU THINK, THINK THE OPPOSITE by Paul Arden. Jonty gave it to me this summer, and I've only just gotten around to reading it. But I plan to read it over and over, as it's both funny and inspiring.

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I finished my book!

Yay! I've been saying I'll finish it for much too long, and now I finally got to the end!!! This is not the end, as there is one more book in the series coming out in the future. But I did enjoy the book, and I'm always sad when I come to the last page. Farewell, Brisingr.


I'd also like to pat myself on the back for not blogging about a particular frustration of mine. No, I'm going to let go because it's not worth my time to be upset about it.

I'm about to watch an episode or two of Firefly with Sissa. I'm really loving this series, and I'm sad there's only one season to watch (as it was canceled after 14 episodes), plus a movie (Serenity). It really is a great show, though. I guess people didn't catch on to how great it is until it was over. Such a bummer. But I'm going to relish every moment of it :.)


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Scattered Thoughts from/about Today

My mom and sissa bought me these really cute silver sandals yesterday! Mom got them in bronze and Sissa in white.



I also got a letter in the mail from an old job, saying that there was a check issued to me that was never cashed for $264 (I'm guessing for unused vacation/sick leave), along with a reissued check! Yay surprise money!

My left knee really hurts for some reason. It only started in the last couple minutes, but I can't really even walk. Wah. Hopefully it sorts itself out.

I rode my bike to work today! I can't believe I hadn't done it before! It felt really nice, and it's much easier than driving or walking, faster than walking, and cheaper than driving. Yay! I plan to get up and ride there in the morning. We'll see how this goes, since today I went in at noon and tomorrow I start at 8am. Before work today, I also rode my bike to Tupelo (an amazing local coffee shop) with my sissa. I had a great time, and next time we're bringing our knitting because we saw people knitting there and it looked like fun! I also found out Tupelo is opening a breakfast restaurant downtown, which I can't wait to ride my bike to :.)

Why do I get headaches when I use my shoulder muscles (e.g. carrying heavy bags on my shoulders)? I realize it's a tension headache, but why is it that I get them and most other people don't?

Same question, different problem: gray hairs at my age. Not that I mind much but still... why?

Can't wait to dye my hair darker and trim in it a few weeks, right before Val & Zach's wedding and leaving for the UK!

I'm reading a book called Brisingr--the third book in the Eragon series by Christopher Paolin. I'm enjoying it, but I want to finish it already!!! This is because (a) it is my sissa's and I want to get it back to her so she can read it before she goes back to school in a few weeks, (b) I've been reading it for forever and a day and am ready for something new, and (c) it's really big and heavy and I want to read a book that doesn't weigh my purse down (since I usually take the book I'm reading everywhere with me, just in case).

Time for sleep. I have work early! My plan for tomorrow:
(1) Bike to the bookstore.
(2) Work.
(3) ATM.
(4) Bike home.
(5) Make a dent in cleaning my room.
(6) Wash my car, or at least the windshield.
(7) Zumba with Rachel at 6:30pm.
(8) Drive-in movie.

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