Currently Reading

Is anyone else guilty of reading multiple books and sometimes.... forgetting one or two of them?

(Because this is the internet, and we're only human, I'm going to assume "yes.")

I'm technically reading like six books now — although, if I'm being totally honest, I haven't picked some of them up in almost a year. I keep them on my list, though, because it A) makes me feel a little less guilty about abandoning them and B) reminds me that I'm meaning to read it/like it enough to keep reading it. I figured that I'd write about my "currently reading" books here because it might compel someone else to read them while I continue ignoring them.

(so, in no particular order....)

1. Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? — Michael J. Sandel
This book was assigned reading for my legal studies class last year, and I'm probably... halfway through it? Maybe a little less. I can't bring myself to abandon it because I don't see any reason why I should — it isn't hard, I didn't hate it, I just... wasn't required to finish it for class. This book is more philosophical than any of the other books on this list, but manages to apply theories (pertaining to equality, justice, etc.) by putting them in real-world context.

2. A Tale for the Time Being — Ruth Ozeki
A Tale for the Time Being was a "new addition" at my college's library last spring, and because I had seen it popping up a lot on the internet, I decided to pick it up for fun. I got about halfway through with it before the school year ended and I had to return it, but I liked it a lot and I definitely intend on finishing it the first chance I get. (Also, the cover art is, imo, gorgeous.)

3. Imperial Life in the Emerald City — Rajiv Chandrasekaran
I picked this book up last semester from the library because I was bored with my classes and wanted to read something that I could relate to my coursework while still...not being my coursework.

Since then, I've probably recommended Imperial Life to three people since I started reading it. I probably would have finished this book, but I let a friend borrow it because he had to write a paper about Iraq and — ugh. It got away from me. I'm going to pick up a paperback copy of this when I get home as opposed to reading it on my Kindle. Imperial Life is a book I like being able to flip back and forth through in order to refer to the index or earlier chapters. (I started making a reference sheet of characters for my personal use, but I lost that. :/) I'd definitely recommend this book if you're interested in American foreign policy — specifically in the Middle East, Iraq, or in the George W. Bush era. Chandrasekaran is a journalist, and also a really clear and concise writer. I think he does a really good job at explaining things in this book so that you don't need to have an intimate knowledge of Iraq to understand what's going on.

4. A People's History of the United States — Howard Zinn
OK, so I'm ACTIVELY READING this book. While it's been neglected a little bit since I've arrived in Jordan, I wouldn't say that it's been abandoned. The only problem that I have with this book is that it's so long and so dense that I can tell it's going to take me forever to finish it. I'm really enjoying it so far though, and I'd recommend picking it up for a more comprehensive understanding of American history. I can understand why so many people enjoyed it/recommend it. I've also gotten compliments on it, which hasn't happened to my reading list, like... ever. (This is the one book I brought to Jordan with me (besides my Kindle), and I think it was a good move on my part.)

5. The Secret History — Donna Tartt.
I started reading this book on the recommendation of one of my good friends, G., who, when telling me about it, got so excited that she started yelling. It was then that I figured I should read it for myself and see why so many people seemed to be nuts for this book. I'll admit that it took me a while to get into it (some of the characters really annoyed me in the beginning, and it took me a while to get used to the writing style), but by the time I left for Jordan I was totally hooked. I decided not to bring it with me because I figured, since I only had maybe 100 pages left, I couldn't really justify bringing it along with me on the plane because, if I finished it, I didn't want it to be a dead weight. I'm hoping that it won't be too hard for me to pick back up when I get home.

6. Abarat #1 — Clive Barker
I got the second Abarat book a little over ten years ago for Christmas. It's been with me for maybe three moves, and I finally decided that if I was ever going to read it, I should maybe start with the first book in the series. I had to drop Abarat for the usual reasons (going to school, leaving home & not wanting extra baggage, etc.), but think that if I had maybe gotten it a week earlier than I had, I would be finished with it. It's a fast, easy read, and I think that it's a really interesting concept. Asides from my forays into Discworld and Percy Jackson, it's the first fantasy I've read in a long while.



Is there anything you've been reading but putting off? Any books you've accidentally abandoned?

2014 in review, goals for 2015

2014 was a pretty crazy year for me. I spent the first half stressed out and moody and the second half... stressed out (sometimes), but also totally elated and joyful. A lot of great things have happened to me in the past few months, and if I play my cards right, then some great things will hopefully come my way in 2015. (It still doesn't feel like 2015. it probably won't until November or something.)

Book wise, 2014 was also pretty cool for me. I got my first "official" review book, Not My Father's Son, and finally read some books that I've either been meaning to finish for years or have been looking for for what seemed like years. I also utilized my Kindle to a much greater extent this past year than I have before due to being abroad, and I have a few gems on it right now that I'm looking forward to this upcoming semester. I was ALSO able to complete my 2014 reading challenge! Considering I was abroad for about four months, I'm kinda surprised that I was able to finish.

SO. My favorite reads of 2014 (in no particular order) were Shades of Grey, by Jasper Fforde; The Gardner Heist, by Ulrich Boser; The Mayor of Castro Street, by Randy Shilts; The Tiger's Wife, by Tea Obreht; The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, by Douglas Adams; and Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

This year I have a few goals for myself. Not too many, since I'll be going abroad again in about a week and a half, and that doesn't leave me (what I think is) enough time to get a significant start on my reading goal AND prepare for the semester AND work on art AND see my friends and family before I leave. So, yeah, reading will probably go to the wayside for the next few months — but I'm ok with that.

(Anyways. 2015 goals.)

1. To read 15 books before January 1, 2016.
2. To read 5 (or more!) nonfiction books. 
3. To read 5 books that I have owned for at LEAST one year prior to January 1, 2015. 
4. To either buy books on the Kindle store, or borrow them from the library. I would like to avoid buying physical books whenever possible.
5. To be more prompt with my book reviews. (There are only... five? six? from 2014 that I haven't finished. Urgh.)  

So, there y'all have it. Do you have any goals for 2015? Does any book from 2014 stick out to you in particular? Let me know in the comments. And as always, I'm taking recommendations. 

Happy 2015, dudes. Let's make this the best one yet! (David Bowie thinks it'll be pretty neat, too.)

One Last Summer Reading List and Book Haul!

Back in Kansas City.... and I have two weeks until I have to be back in Beloit. :/

Therefore I have made myself an "end of summer" reading list; hopefully I'll get through it all?

....Pfft. Yeah, right.

Abarat is something I've been planning on reading for a long time now, since I got the second book in the series years and years ago for Christmas. I finally got the first book a year ago, and I've gotta say - Wow! It has super vivid imagery. I can definitely tell that the author (Clive Barker) is also an artist; his descriptions are lush and perfect and strange. I'll hopefully post my reaction soon!

The two poli-sci books were assigned reading for my International Politics class last year, but since I fell asleep while reading them repeatedly (I am a terrible IR major) I'm going to try to knock them out now before the new school year starts. I think it's really fascinating material that should be helpful to me as an IR major, so the fact that I fell asleep while reading them are eternally frustrating to me.

And as for my recent book haul:

I also went to the used bookstore and found the rest of Douglas Adams's Hitchhiker "trilogy" for less than $2.00 each! I loved the first book in the "trilogy," so naturally I have high hopes for the rest of the series. I also got Hemingway's Boat (because he fascinates me, and I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about him) and Parade's End by Ford Maddox Ford (because I watched the HBO/BBC series this past winter, and was left thinking "wtf?!" and kind of dissatisfied, so I'm hoping that the book will fill in more character development, etc.).

This short period before the end of summer is kind of weird for me because it isn't long enough to do anything substantial (like get a job), but still feels too short (because, hello, summer. School is school, and it always comes too soon and ruins my ~free days~). First world problem? Ugh, idk. I kind of feel awkward using that phrase, since people all over the world in "third world countries" or whatever can have trivial "first world" problems too, and as an IR major the concept of "first/third world countries" is just too... grounded in the Cold War to really be relevant or whatever, and the concept of ranking countries based off of their alignment with the US and USSR is just really biased and stupid. But "developed world problems" just isn't as catchy I guess.

...IR major moment aside...

Is anyone else rushing to finish their fun before summer ends?
-M