tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45351079988349445972024-03-13T15:31:07.933-04:00Bluestocking Revolutionbecause reading is sexy, dammit!Bluestockinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03289629265986379570noreply@blogger.comBlogger185125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535107998834944597.post-44026423006358390242012-08-05T19:46:00.001-04:002012-08-20T19:17:47.449-04:00I've Moved!Hi everyone!<br />
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This is incredibly overdue, but I've actually moved my blog over to Wordpress. You can now read my reviews and random musings over at <a href="http://witlesswitticisms.wordpress.com/">http://witlesswitticisms.wordpress.com</a>. I hope you'll check it out!Bluestockinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03289629265986379570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535107998834944597.post-61609364308147714242012-05-17T20:07:00.003-04:002012-05-17T20:07:53.102-04:00<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
A few weeks ago I read <i>Ransom</i> by David Malouf. <i>Ransom</i> is a retelling of the part of the Trojan war during which Priam travels to the Greek camp to ransom Hector's body. And you know how I love a retelling. </div>
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Malouf's writing style is exactly how I would want mine to be if I ever wrote a novel. I don't know what that says to anyone else, but it's a thought that struck me as I was reading. He brings us into the minds of Achilles and Priam so we gain a new understanding and appreciation for why they act the way they do. I think that it would be a really great companion piece to <i>The Iliad</i> for when kids read it for the first time in school.</div>
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The characterization of both Achilles and Priam, as well as some of the other smaller characters, is incredibly developed. <i>The Iliad </i>gives a fair amount of information about Achilles and what he decides, but Malouf gets us inside his head and shows us the desolation and frustration he feels. Malouf also takes us beyond the wall and into Priam's mind and history to understand why an elderly king would shed his noble exterior and venture into enemy camps to plead for his slain son's body. </div>
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I'd certainly recommend this book. I really like Malouf's style and I'm looking forward to reading more of his books. </div>Bluestockinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03289629265986379570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535107998834944597.post-73302122058503053002012-05-06T21:47:00.002-04:002012-05-17T18:42:46.968-04:00Reviews a few weeks late<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
First up: <i>Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir</i></div>
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So. Much. Love. </div>
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I managed to ration out my reading of this book so that I didn't finish it <i>too</i> quickly (and also so that I made sure I ate and slept). </div>
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Jenny Lawson is intelligent and witty and inspiring and all the things I wish I could be. She is living proof that you don't have to be "normal" to be happy and successful. Not only can you get through life's everyday ups and downs, you can be a famous blogger with a penchant for long dead (and taxidermied) animals in awesome outfits and a book deal. And that, friends, is the American Dream. That, and giant metal chickens named Beyoncé. </div>
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Since this has thus far been less of a review and more of an open love letter to the author, I think it's probably clear that I liked the book. </div>
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It was very similar to her blog in writing style, so I think her editors did a good job in letting her stick to her voice. There were a few things in the book that appeared on the blog, but with added insight. I'm not sure there was any chapter that was taken solely from the blog (but I'd have to check, and then I'd get so engrossed that I'd end up re-reading the whole thing and you wouldn't get this review for <i>another</i> two weeks). In short: I loved this book, just like I love the blog. </div>
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Moving right along...</div>
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<i>Ragtime</i></div>
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I've been familiar with the musical for years (and I think they might have shown us the movie in 9th grade), but I'm only now getting to the book, which is completely backwards for me. It was interesting though, to read phrases that appear almost verbatim in the lyrics. </div>
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Reading while having the music of the scene was a new and somewhat bizarre experience. I also found myself anticipating scenes ahead of time, but, of course, there was more in between in the book than in the soundtrack for the musical.</div>
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For whatever reason I found that I didn't sympathize as much with any of the characters as I would have expected. I'm not exactly sure why that was, but I think it probably affected my overall view of the book. </div>
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It was interesting enough, but not a particularly inspiring read. I'm particularly drawn to characters, so since I had issues with these, maybe that's why I was so underwhelmed by this book. </div>
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And finally, <i>Taft 2012</i></div>
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It was really just a fun and quick read. </div>
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I have to admit, pretty much the only think I know about Taft is the bathtub incident — that and his fairly spectacular mustache. Other than that, I am clueless about the man and his politics. About halfway through reading this book I decided I should find out what <i>actually</i> happened to him — Chief Justice of the united states 1921-1930. Not bad, William Howard, not bad at all. That further cemented the whole <i>alternate universe</i> thing, but it would have been kind of cool if Taft had, in fact, mysteriously disappeared the day his successor was supposed to be sworn in. But then, we would probably learn more about Taft in school. People tend to talk more about mysteries for some reason. </div>
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Anyway, Taft comes back. No one is really sure why, and for whatever reason they don't spend too long trying to figure it out. On a basic human level I kind of take issue with this because if a presumably dead former president fumbles into the next century as if he just woke up from a cat nap, I'm going to want some answers, but I digress. It kind of annoys me that Heller doesn't spend a bit more time with this issue, but I get it. That's not what he's focusing on. It's not "The Point."</div>
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This pokes gentle fun at the whole political process these days (like spending 3 out of 4 years on the campaign trail) and the media frenzy that goes along with it, but I don't think it quite reaches satire. It isn't subtle enough, but it doesn't dig deep enough either. I don't necessarily mean this as criticism, just observation. As I said, this is a fun book. It was an easy and enjoyable read.</div>
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It did lack closure though. The ending, while (for lack of a better word) cute, doesn't resolve the whole he-traveled-to-the-future think. Heller kind of leaves us hanging with that one. So what happens? Does he live out the rest of his "natural" life in this century? Does he travel back in time to 1913 and pick up where he left off? Does he vanish into thin air? I needed a bit more of a resolution there, but it just <i>ends</i>. Oh well, I guess I can't always get everything I want, right? </div>
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So now we're nearly caught up with reviews. I have a few more in the works and I'll post those in the near future. Any other exciting New York plans will go up here as well, though nothing seems to be moving forward in that arena. </div>Bluestockinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03289629265986379570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535107998834944597.post-40970710005983323342012-04-20T00:06:00.000-04:002012-04-20T00:06:28.036-04:00I got a package today.<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My copy of <i>Let's Pretend this Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir)</i> by Jenny Lawson arrived today. There may have been happy dancing involved. I have, as is to be expected, many library books that I need to finish, but they may all get shoved on to the back burner so I can read this. Seriously. Very excited. </div>Bluestockinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03289629265986379570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535107998834944597.post-71457286992776800282012-04-13T21:47:00.001-04:002012-04-13T22:17:34.861-04:00Girl, Interrupted<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I should have mentioned this sooner, but it slipped my mind. Oops. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Here on Bluestocking Revolution I review all sorts of books. I do not discriminate. Or maybe I do, but the point is: I read whatever catches my interest, be it adult fiction, YA, non-fiction, or anything else. Sadly, "smorgasbord" wasn't an option when entering the Independent Book Blogger Awards, so I went with adult fiction. And there you have it. My decision-making process. Ta da! </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Girl, Interrupted</i> is a memoir, thus the disclaimer. Moving right along...</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This was a quick and easy read for me, but I found it incredibly interesting. Kaysen tells her story admirably and it really does resonate. Susanna Kaysen, at 18 and after spending only 15 minutes with a psychiatrist she's never met, is sent to McLean Hospital where she stays for nearly two years. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Perhaps the most interesting part of this book for me is the blurring of the lines between sanity and insanity. Kaysen writes of the thoughts going through her head during her confinement in the hospital, many of which do not fit into our general impression of "crazy." With her annotation of the entry to the 3rd edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders for Borderline Personality Disorder (her diagnosis) Kaysen wonders if this disorder will one day make its way out of the DSM (the way homosexuality did) as societal views of acceptable behavior change. Kaysen also suggests that with those guidelines, many "normal" teenagers could receive those teenagers. After all, "an essential feature of this disorder is a pervasive pattern of instability of self-image, interpersonal relationships, and mood, beginning in early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts." (p. 147) That pretty much sounds exactly like adolescence. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I think part of what makes <i>Girl, Interrupted</i> so fascinating is that it doesn't answer the questions that we're all secretly trying not to ask — am I crazy? Will I end up in a loony bin? Kaysen seems to have ended up in the hospital by chance, and much of the time she and her friends don't fit the mold of the stereotypical crazy person. The lines tangle and blur. Who's sane and who's crazy? Sometimes it's difficult to tell. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div>Bluestockinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03289629265986379570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535107998834944597.post-58057758548342969042012-04-13T01:06:00.001-04:002012-04-13T21:48:11.385-04:00The Free World<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>David Bezmozgis' The Free World</i> was an intriguing and, at times, heartbreaking tale of the three generations of the <span id="freeText12751366946612583410">Krasnansky</span> family as they made their way from Soviet-controlled Latvia to "the Free World."</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span id="freeText12751366946612583410">Bezmozgis shows the blurring of lines and the complications that arise as people enter the Free World and ultimately become Free People. In cases like that of a family friend, Lyova, who is no longer branded an refugee, getting a visa to America proves even more difficult as he is now a "free man in a free world." </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Lyova might be my favorite character in this book. My complaint would probably be that we don't see enough of his story, except we aren't really supposed to — he's a passing character. He's kind of a tool Bezmozgis uses — he provides introductions for the characters and his predicament brings forth the bigger questions of freedom outside the USSR. Maybe one day he'll get a spin-off book.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">On the other hand, there's Karl. With most of the adult characters there was a certain amount of understanding after a while, but I feel like we never reach that point with Karl. He remains a mystery and almost feels like a villain because of it. We don't know what's going on in his mind.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">There was less of a driving plot in this book, but it was very strong on character development most of the time. The characters don't move so far, so the readers only get to see a small slice of the journey.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I'm still a bit confused about character motivation of one part — what was the point of all that business with Iza Judo and was it related to the Masha fiasco? If anyone has an answer to this, please let me know because I'm still in the dark about that.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I picked up <i>Girl, Interrupted</i> from the library yesterday and started it today. I only have around 30 pages left, so I'll probably finish that tonight and review tomorrow or the day after. It's been a quick, easy read thusfar.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Don't forget to vote for Bluestocking Revolution on the Independent Book Blogger Awards on Goodreads.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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<br style="clear: left;" /></div></div>Bluestockinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03289629265986379570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535107998834944597.post-66687954401476930892012-04-08T22:47:00.000-04:002012-04-08T22:47:06.393-04:00<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My friend and I were talking about <i>Game of Thrones</i>. I've kind of halted with the series and gotten caught up with reading all of the other books I have out of the library, so I'm still only a few hundred pages into the second book. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yesterday I went over to her house to start watching the HBO series. We ended up watching the <i>entire first season</i>. In one sitting. Have I mentioned that I'm not very good with moderation, self-control, etc.? It's just <i>so good</i>. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Needless to say, I returned home at 3:30 in the morning and commenced re-reading the first book (because at that point I had to start at the beginning). I'm reading another book, </span><i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Free World</i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">, by David Bezmozgis, so I'm switching back and forth. And I've been meaning to re-read </span><i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Hunger Games</i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">. So many books, so little time. Well, now that I don't have a job, I guess I have more time to read...</span></span><br />
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In other news, I've entered the Goodreads Independent Book Blogger Awards, so vote for me please! You know you want to read about my adventures at Book Expo America.<br />
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<br style="clear: left;" /></div></div>Bluestockinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03289629265986379570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535107998834944597.post-82528433703577109902012-04-07T12:00:00.005-04:002012-04-07T12:00:04.420-04:00The Night Circus, way after the fact<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I finished <i>The Night Circus</i> a while ago, wrote this review a while ago, and then forgot to post it. Whoops. Better late than never.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Most of the people I've spoken to about this book have very strong feelings about it. Love it or hate it, there are no feelings in the middle. I can kind of understand how it inspires those feelings, yet I am irrevocably indecisive, so I still find myself mostly in the middle of the road. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I enjoyed reading the book. It held my interest and I didn't really feel that the story lagged or the plot fell apart. That being said, I do take issue with some aspects of the book.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Most of the story is supposed to be set in the late 1800s/early 1900s. Other than women wearing gowns instead of dresses and the characters speaking with fewer contractions there is really no sense of this whatsoever. I understand that this is a different side of that era and Morgenstern is trying to show us a bit of the fantastic, but if you're going to go through the trouble to set that sort of scene, there needs to be more follow-through. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The challenge concept was a good idea, but there wasn't really the right balance of conflict throughout. At times there was so much focus on the challenge that there was a complete halt to the story, at others, the challenge seemed entirely forgotten. There was just a bit of a balance issue. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I also wanted to know more about Poppet, Widget, and Bailey and more about Marco's charms. These were the most interesting parts for me and I wish they had been developed more. It just felt like Poppet, Widget, and Bailey should have been played much bigger parts in the story. They were interesting and I wanted to know more. I wanted to know what it was like for Poppet and Widget growing up in the circus. And the magic: Celia's is innate, but Marco's is learned. I understood this to be at least partially the basis of the challenge, so I wanted to know more about Marco's magic. I also wanted to learn more about the magic that held the circus together: what magic belonged to whom?</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">All in all, Morgenstern has a flair for description, I'll give her that, but at times I wondered at the things she chose to describe. It almost seems like everything I wanted might have been in there at some point, and then someone told her to edit for length and she took out all the wrong parts. </span>Bluestockinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03289629265986379570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535107998834944597.post-31985945067559149572012-04-07T00:36:00.000-04:002012-04-07T00:36:55.681-04:00Book People<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I decided to make this a separate post since it's only tangentially connected.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Dream program? Check. Dream city? Check. Now I just need to figure out how to make them a reality. I'm confident that I can make it work though. I've decided that I'm willing to put myself into a certain amount of debt to pursue my passion for books. I'm already in debt for college, what's a bit more to get me to a place where I can do something that I love?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So there we go. Yours Truly is moving to the Big Apple. And yes, I am aware that Step 1 is to never again call it the Big Apple. I am really excited about the prospect of living and working in New York, which is something I've wanted to do since I was a kid, but I also can't wait to be around fellow book lovers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">As one of my friends said when I told her about all this, "you'll finally be with your people!" I told my mom about this exclamation and she laughed and agreed, but then said that wasn't I already with "my people" working at a publishing company? Sadly, no. A friend and I discussed this over drinks — in our chosen fields where so many English and literature majors flock, "our people" — the book dorks and grammarians — are a rarity. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In a group of ESL teachers she mentioned reading <i>Pride and Prejudice</i> and was met with surprise and near-disdain. The counter in my office kitchen which for most is a place to drop off old books that were cluttering up the closet or to pick up a book that looks interesting was a magical fairy book counter for me, producing a number of books on my ever-growing to-be-read list. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I went to the library the other day and returned 2 books. I checked out 5. I have at least 4 boxes of books I brought home from college sitting in a closet because we don't have any more shelf space in my house (yes, the fact that they're in the closet and not out in the open haunts me). It's a sickness, but one I wouldn't try to treat. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I can't wait to move to New York, but I'm kind of dreading it at the same time. If I had to guess, I'd say at least 80% of my possessions are books. And books are heavy.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I suppose there could still be people who are not "my people" in the program. That's fine, you don't have to be a prolific reader to be my friend. But it would be nice if you'd help me carry my books. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span>Bluestockinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03289629265986379570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535107998834944597.post-39170270894012402992012-04-07T00:20:00.000-04:002012-04-07T00:20:21.201-04:00My Own March Madness<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">For all those who perked up at the thought of gym floors and riotous, painted</span> crowds: sorry, false alarm (you poor, lost souls). This post is really about the madness of my life this past month.<br />
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First of all (and minor compared to everything else): I am now a certified EMT. Huzzah! There is nothing particularly "mad" about this other than the fact that I am now certified to make healthcare decisions in certain situations. Take that as you will. Now, on to the crazy:<br />
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In late February/early March, I hear from Pratt that my application is complete (I know, I sent in everything in November...) and that I should expect a decision by the first week of April. I figure that these timelines are never really accurate, so I'll find out mid-April and settle down to wait impatiently. Skip forward to March 9 when my mother texts me (at 11:30, mind you) that an envelope has arrived from Pratt. I spend the rest of the day agonizing and inwardly flipping out, rush home, down a shot of vodka (judge me if you must), open the letter, and finally exhale once I process that I have, indeed, been accepted.<br />
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So that's the first big moment of March. I've gotten into my dream program. Now it's time to apply for financial aid and look for apartments and figure out logistics, but we'll deal with that eventually.<br />
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All along I've had this master plan where I'll simply transfer to the NY office of my company (which is mere blocks away from the campus according to Google maps) and life will go on with very few bumps in the road. Well, the best laid plans and all that jazz... When I finally managed to work up the nerve to talk to HR about transferring to the other office, the answer was, at best, a "probably not, but I'll ask." Well, since then the company has gone through "restructuring" and my position has been eliminated. This does happen a lot in the publishing industry and there are certainly no hard feelings, but that's never a good feeling.<br />
<br />
That's the other big moment of March.<br />
<br />
In some ways it has made things easier because now I can just start looking for jobs in NY. I'm still waiting to hear back from financial aid, which is obviously a huge part of everything since I'm not sure all of my savings could even sustain me in NY for a month.Bluestockinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03289629265986379570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535107998834944597.post-1316420895384068172012-02-02T20:24:00.000-05:002012-02-02T20:24:08.340-05:00<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">You know that feeling when you're at the library (or bookstore, I guess) browsing the shelves and all of a sudden you see the newest book in a series that you've been waiting for, but totally forgot was coming out? OK, well, maybe you don't because you're a better fan than I am and pay more attention to release dates. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The point of this story is that I was at the library today picking up my copy of <i>The Night Circus</i> (which I am bizarrely excited to read even though I have heard nothing but terrible things about it) when I glanced up and saw <i>I am Half-Sick of Shadows</i> by Alan Bradley (the 4th in the Flavia de Luce series) just hanging out on the shelf. I squealed like my inner five-year old and scampered over to grab it before anyone else could snatch up my prize. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And now it's upstairs and I'm itching to open it and start reading it except I have 600 or so pages of <i>Our Mutual Friend</i> and like 6 other books in line in front of it (or else I end up with more fines and at that point, why don't I just skip the middle man and buy the damn book?) </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In other news, I recently finished <i>Kafka on the Shore</i>. My reading experience with this book was much more of a roller coaster ride than I'm generally used to. At times I liked it and at other times I really didn't. Like <i>really</i> didn't. I asked a lot of questions as I read that book, and I definitely didn't get as many answers. Then there were portions that just felt gratuitous. I don't know. It's possible that it was the translation, but there were parts where the language was superb, so I'm somewhat loath to chalk it up to that.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I also finished </span><i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We, the Drowned</i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">, which was quite a saga. In the end, I think I enjoyed it, but there were times when I felt it a bit difficult to get through. The sections did tie together pretty well, but in some ways I felt like it was way too long. Again, there were times when I felt like things were gratuitous. Maybe I'm getting more critical in my old age or something...</span>Bluestockinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03289629265986379570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535107998834944597.post-9023136629290079882012-01-23T23:15:00.000-05:002012-01-23T23:15:40.789-05:00Every so often I get a reminder of why I love Dickens<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">On bees: </div><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"They work; but don't you think they overdo it? They work so much more than they need — they make so much more than they can eat — they are so incessantly boring and buzzing at their one idea till Death comes upon them — that don't you think they overdo it? And are human labourers to have no holidays, because of the bees? And am I never to have change of air, because the bees don't? Mr. Boffin, I think honey excellent at breakfast; but regarded in the light of my conventional schoolmaster and moralist, I protest against the tyrannical humbug of your friend the bee. With the highest respect for you."</blockquote><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">~Our Mutual Friend </span>Bluestockinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03289629265986379570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535107998834944597.post-78070450083197044842012-01-17T21:08:00.002-05:002012-01-17T21:08:52.684-05:00Awesome<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/SKVcQnyEIT8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
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It kind of makes me dizzy, but in the best way possible.Bluestockinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03289629265986379570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535107998834944597.post-78124387769464023172012-01-17T20:45:00.000-05:002012-01-17T20:45:21.524-05:00First post of the new year!Just 17 days behind schedule....<br />
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I actually do have books to report on. I can only think of one at the moment, but there will be more reviews to come.<br />
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On New Year's Eve I finished <i>The Paris Wife</i>. I *really* liked this book. Maybe it's because I like the sort of behind-the-scenes type of stories about authors, or maybe it was just well-written. Or both. Honestly, it didn't feel like it was about Ernest Hemingway. It felt like it was about his first wife, Hadley Richardson. Which it was.<br />
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OK, it's been a bit too long (apparently) for me to give a coherent review. Anyway, good book. I recommend it. I'm reading a few more books right now, so hopefully there will be more updates in the near future.Bluestockinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03289629265986379570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535107998834944597.post-77114070591949032322011-12-19T23:50:00.000-05:002011-12-19T23:50:04.455-05:00<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am the worst blogger ever. Actually, that's probably not true. Especially since I technically wrote this December 9, but due to unfortunate computer charger issues I haven't had time to post it. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Anyway, I've discovered that this whole "being employed" thing really cuts into my reading time. Which is ironic since I work in publishing. I'm seriously considering taking a week of "vacation" and just staying home and reading. This is my life.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So since selling my soul to Scarecrow Press (Monday-Friday, 9-5) and BCCRS/MCFRS (any other time period, occasionally overlapping), I haven't had as much time to read as I'd like. Nevertheless, I have managed to fit it in here and there and I have a few backlogged reviews.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Not too long ago I finished <i>The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet</i>. I found it to be a pretty interesting read. It wasn't exactly what I expected, but that's perfectly OK. There are certain books (and this one definitely falls into the category) that I hear such rave reviews for (on goodreads and the like) that I eventually just shrug and put on my list and then pounce on them once I stumble upon them on the library shelves. Oftentimes I end up diving into these books without really knowing what the book is about. It's bizarre and occasionally really confusing, but for the most part I think it's an advantage because your mind is an (almost) blank slate.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Another book I just finished also kind of falls into the same category, though there's been less chatter about it is <i>Her Fearful Symmetry</i>. It's by the same author that wrote <i>The Time Traveler's Wife</i>. Between that and the intriguing name, I had to pick it up. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have to say, I really enjoyed <i>Her Fearful Symmetry</i>, but reading it was truly an exercise in the unexpected. Or it was for me anyway. It starts off as an intriguing enough story with interesting characters and you want to keep reading because you want to see how things develop. There's also a sense of mystery to it, even before you know that there really is a secret. Then, 1/3-1/2 way into the book the author just starts throwing in twists and turns. Many a time did I stop, think "huh. that was unexpected" and then continue reading. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Overall, I think I liked the first part of the book more than the latter part. The beginning and the end are so far apart — but somehow everything between ties them together. It certainly didn't go in the direction I expected it to as I got further immersed in the story. I can't even describe it as the complete opposite since it was in a whole other world. It was mildly perplexing, but definitely a good read. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I will say though, if you're one of those people who reads the ending of a book first, you may want to skip this book if you can't manage to restrain yourself because knowing the ending without the middle and then trying to start from the beginning will be confusing as hell and you'll cheat yourself out of the full experience of reading this. Just saying. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Moving right along, after <i>Her Fearful Symmetry</i> I started <i>Super Sad True Love Story</i>. I really did have high hopes for this book. There was a ton of hype (and I try not to let that lead me astray since I sometimes find the public literary opinion worrying <i>*coughtwilightcough*</i>), but it seemed like an interesting work of social commentary with amusing-ish characters. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the world of <i>Super Sad True Love Story</i>, language has devolved, everyone speaks in abbreviations and thinks books "smell." Social media is <i>everything</i>. This is the portrait of the world Shteyngart paints us. As disturbing as I find this concept, it does provide a perfect setup for a dystopian novel.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Except it isn't one. It's kind of about government and society, and kind of about people — flawed, mediocre, generally uninteresting people — and while, again, these seem like they should be good jumping off points, it just doesn't work.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I finished reading it due to my unfortunate compulsion to finish all books that I start. I also kept hoping that I would like it more as the story progressed. No such luck.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">That's pretty much it for my book life. The only other thing of note is that I am (still) impatiently waiting for the </span><i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Hunger Games</i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> movie. It looks </span><i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">AWESOME</i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> and I'm absurdly excited. I'm pretty sure that I'm going to reread the books sometime before the movie comes out, but since I have until March, I've got time. I pretty much read each book in a day or so. Yep. Excited.</span></span></span>Bluestockinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03289629265986379570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535107998834944597.post-66153130816003140632011-12-12T13:12:00.000-05:002011-12-12T13:12:59.550-05:00~60 hours in the life<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We begin Friday evening:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Leave work intending to go to the gym. It's frikin' cold. Watch t.v. instead.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Successfully wake up in time to shower, get ready, get coffee/breakfast, and make it to class on time for my test. Take test without (much) incident. Change 2 correct answers to wrong answers at the last minute. Kick self later. Take CPR test. Pass. Rejoice. Commence waiting impatiently for card to be in my possession (~2 weeks in theory). Spend the rest of </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> my Saturday watching <i>Sister Wives</i> on t.v. while taking 3 out of 4 online MCFRS tech classes and drinking wine. Go to bed early-ish. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Wake up Sunday morning. Class. "Assess" classmates with fake complaints. Quick nap between class and duty. Arrive at squad. Finish remaining tech class. Learn how to read a map. Discover that fluffy comforter provides the illusion of a comfy bed. 3 a.m. call. Back to bed. Back home to get ready for work. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Take pills. Too lazy to take multiple gulps of water. Start to choke on a pill. EMT training actually kicks in. Remind self that partially-obstructed airways usually clear themselves (or the become completely obstructed and then I could pass out and die, but I don't remind myself of that). Commence coughing-involuntary retching cycle. Eventually clear airway. Congratulate self on staving off complete panic attack. Take anxiety medication. Finish getting ready. Realize that socks actually show despite bootie-style heels. Decide mismatched polka dot socks add a touch of whimsy (also that warm feet are more important. It's <i>cold</i> out there). Crave peppermint mocha. Realize I have neither the time nor the money for that. Decide to create own peppermint mocha. Fail spectacularly. Rectify situation at work by diluting with ( a lot) more coffee. Contemplate taking nap under desk during lunch. Not even 11 yet. Will revisit possibility later.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My life is so exciting, I know. It's now around the time when I eat lunch. I still like the idea of a nap, but I'm also hungry. Quite the conundrum, I know. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I really do have a post that is related to the usual topics of this blog, but it's on my computer at home and I'm currently at work. It'll be posted in the near future (probably). </span>Bluestockinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03289629265986379570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535107998834944597.post-32898938001581067752011-10-28T18:39:00.000-04:002011-10-28T18:39:40.839-04:00Seriously?Watching the news. It's apparently going to snow tomorrow. It's like nature doesn't want me to be healthy.<br />
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Tomorrow may be spent on the couch with tea and a book about running. Maybe I'll drag myself to the gym, but I make no promises.Bluestockinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03289629265986379570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535107998834944597.post-66731697973107789742011-10-27T23:32:00.000-04:002011-10-27T23:32:00.041-04:00There's a book for thatI may or may not have mentioned this at some point, but I've decided to start running. Now, if you've ever met me, that sounds like the most outlandish statement in the world. I <i>hate</i> to run. I loved playing soccer and rugby, but my coaches were always frustrated by the fact that I didn't run.<br />
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So why the change of heart?<br />
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No idea. I just decided one day, and now I'm actually feeling motivated. Since I really am trying to be healthy in every way, I need to hop on any motivation train that comes my way. I love the idea of running, and after doing extensive reading (because that's what I do) about how to start running, it does seem like something of which I really am capable.<br />
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So last weekend I went on an expedition to Fleet Feet. It is a great store, and if you're looking for anything running-related, I seriously suggest you head their way (and no, they aren't paying me, I just had a very good experience with them. They could totally pay me with free merchandise though....) The woman helping me watched me walk, measured my feet sitting and standing, and then recommended shoes and inserts she thought would be right for my feet. After trying on a few different pairs (with and without the inserts) and walking and running around inside and outside, I picked my shoe. I'd have a picture, but I do not have my life together that much, so I'll post a picture of my new running gear at some point in the near-ish future.<br />
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After spending lots of time browsing all the gear and reminding myself of the difference between "need" and "want," I headed to the cash register with my shoes and inserts.<br />
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....and one other thing.<br />
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Yep. I bought a book at a running store. Only me.<br />
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The book is <i>Running for Mortals</i> and I only had to read the title to know I <i>needed</i> that book. I've only read the introduction so far, but even that has gotten me ready to go!<br />
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I have a not-so-irrational hatred of treadmills, so I want to go running outside. My plan is to go running on the bike path this Saturday, since it's usually starting to get dark by the time I get home from work and the path doesn't have lights.<br />
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I have a feeling that turning myself into a runner will be a long and (possibly) interesting saga. Stay tuned for horror stories.<br />
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Meanwhile, I'll be reading my book...Bluestockinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03289629265986379570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535107998834944597.post-71061120164040453662011-10-27T23:15:00.000-04:002011-10-27T23:15:43.659-04:00I am an advertiser's dreamThe other day I was reading a blog and I saw an ad for some new drink called <i>Neuro</i> (tagline: the operating system for life). Since I'm easily manipulated by advertising, I clicked it. Of course. Then I started reading about it and it really does sound pretty cool. There are a variety of flavors and they all have different supplements/benefits. Allegedly.It's basically a vitamin-water type product. It isn't sold anywhere in my area (as far as I can tell), but it <i>is</i> sold on Amazon. I filed away that nugget of information for later and then proceeded with my blog-reading.<br />
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The next afternoon I went into a meeting, and there was one of the drinks, just hanging out next to a pad of paper (and, you know, my coworker). Naturally it was in my head for the rest of the day, so when I got home I opened the page again (fun fact about me: I treat things on the internet like they'll disappear forever if I close the window or stop reading halfway through a blog's archives because it's 3 a.m. and my doctors assure me that sleep really is necessary for me to function). After reading reviews on amazon and agonizing over which one to try first, I discovered a variety-pack. <i>Score</i>.<br />
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With that major hurdle out of the way, I could focus on 1) how intrigued I am by the product and 2) how cool the packaging is. Call me superficial, but product design really does matter. It catches, and often keeps, my attention. Since I'm an amazon junkie and have impulse control issues, you can guess what happened next.<br />
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Yep.<br />
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A variety-pack of these new drinks is headed my way as these words zoom through the ether-y internet (that's how it works, right?).<br />
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Also, I think that <i>Neuro</i> should totally hire me to write reviews about this product. I've already waxed poetic (almost) on their lovely design. Imagine what I could do with some free samples (<i>wink wink, nudge nudge</i>).<br />
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So now I eagerly await my package of possibly-overpriced-but-the-bottles-are-really-cool "nutritional supplement" drinks.Bluestockinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03289629265986379570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535107998834944597.post-62752353719046701352011-10-20T23:21:00.002-04:002011-11-25T11:30:58.937-05:00Books in my blood"You will never find a librarian who will argue for higher prices. It's just not in their DNA." ~My boss, regarding prices on books marketed to libraries.<br />
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I heard this during our meeting today, and for some reason it's sticking with me. Maybe this is why I want to go to library school (I've taken to calling it that, as other people my age start working toward med school), why I covet special editions of classic books, but am easily satisfied being the third or fourth owner of a paperback (the special editions are so pretty, and if you see the state of some of my most-loved books, it's clear that <i>I can't have nice things</i>): it's just not in my DNA.<br />
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I read because I enjoy it. Because it opens my mind to new possibilities. Because each time I open a book, I learn something new. I love books and what they have done for me, and I truly believe that they should be accessible to everyone. Thus, despite my love for the physical book, the act of turning a page and the feeling of the tome in my hand, I don't scorn the rise of e-books and online media. As much as I want every kid to be able to hold a copy of the greatest works from Shakespeare to Dr. Seuss, that isn't feasible. But the ever-developing world of digital media brings these books just a bit closer to kids ever day. And that's a big deal.<br />
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So as someone who thinks books need to be available to everyone, how do I reconcile my beliefs with the need to turn a profit in the world of academic/professional/general interest (but not trade) publishing?<br />
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To be honest, I don't have a good answer to that question. The fact that the two biggest industries related to my passion for books seem to be in conflict is something that deeply troubles me. Maybe I haven't been working in publishing long enough. Maybe once I've been working in the industry longer, this question will cease to hold a place of importance in my mind. Now that's a scary thought.<br />
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I recognize that books can't generally be free. There are costs associated with producing them, so publishers must charge for them. That being said, I still can't totally get behind making a book expensive enough that only institutions are able to afford them. I believe information and resources should be available to anyone who seeks them. So maybe my love of books and my decision to pursue a degree in library science makes me more than a product of my environment. Maybe it's in my DNA?Bluestockinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03289629265986379570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535107998834944597.post-14733662789882398502011-10-13T20:24:00.000-04:002011-10-13T20:24:55.843-04:00I am not dead, just pretending to be a productive member of societySo it pretty much amounts to the same thing.<br />
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Why is it that going to an office to be surrounded by people staring at computers while I stare at my own computer all day is so much more exhausting than staying home and staring at my computer all day?<br />
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Seriously. This 9-to-5 cubical farm thing is killing me. I'm developing an irrational, seething hatred for the women whose cubicles surround mine. They talk <i>so</i> much. And yes, much of it is about work, but it's just from all sides. Sometimes they call each other (which does make sense because you don't need to walk all the way around 2 rows of cubicles to ask one question) and then from my desk I can hear their conversation in stereo. I'm in some sort of auditory reverse-Bermuda triangle. All sound goes directly to my cubicle. My ipod is now a necessity to get through my work day.<br />
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This post really was supposed to be about books and working in publishing, but I got distracted and now I don't remember what I was going to say. It'll come back to me eventually.<br />
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How do you get through a long work day?Bluestockinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03289629265986379570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535107998834944597.post-37219538089175322772011-09-24T19:18:00.001-04:002011-09-24T19:18:58.589-04:00<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dear readers,</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have been neglectful. I am sorry. Well... kind of. I had a lot going on. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">For example, I neglected to mention that my birthday was earlier this month. I didn't really do anything exciting. I did, however, have a job interview. AND I GOT THE JOB. Now that's birthday luck.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I started this past week, and while I think this will prove to be a valuable experience, I have NO IDEA how people spend the majority of their adult lives doing this. Sitting at a desk staring at a computer all day long is kind of killing me. I come home and can't focus my eyes.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But I'm working in publishing, so all my work involves books. BOOKS, people. My one, true love.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'm not throwing out my grad school plans though. It feels like a long process and now that I'm not home all day it's a little bit harder to get myself to focus and do something during my time off.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I had an informational interview with my friend's old boss, and he suggested another grad school that I hadn't even heard of. The program seems amazing though AND the campus is 2 blocks away from the NY office of the company I work at. I honestly have no idea if I'd be able to transfer to the NY office, but first I have to apply and get into programs. Then I have to assess which would be best for me. <i>Then</i> I can figure out if a transfer would be possible. Like I said, it's a long process.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">OK, so that was my check-in and I really will start writing interesting things and reviewing books again and all that jazz. If someone would just pay me to read all day I could do that again and blog about it and it would be PERFECT. Yes, I know. In my dreams...</span></div>Bluestockinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03289629265986379570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535107998834944597.post-4252586675898218572011-09-12T14:04:00.001-04:002011-09-12T14:05:16.906-04:00<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After finally jumping on the <i>Game of Thrones</i> bandwagon a few days ago, I finished the first book yesterday. Bottom line: I'm a fan.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I actually started reading it because my friend was watching the HBO series and wanted me to watch it with her. Of course, being me, I had to read the books first... </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">When I first started reading, it took me a little while to get into the groove of things and keep the characters/families/settings straight, but eventually you get so sucked in you understand everything without even having to think about it.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So yeah, I really enjoyed it and now I'm trying to find a copy of the second book in the series so I don't have to wait for the 70-some people who requested it from the library ahead of me to read it. Awesome.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In other news, I got a job offer! I'll be an editorial assistant, so it's pretty much right up my alley. Still not entirely sure how it'll work out with my grad school aspirations, but I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Anyone else read <i>Game of Thrones</i>? Thoughts?</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Juggling work with grad school? How do you manage? Is your degree taking a significantly long period of time?</span></div>Bluestockinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03289629265986379570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535107998834944597.post-67127947362325337752011-08-29T19:50:00.000-04:002011-08-29T19:50:13.093-04:00I secretly wrote this a few days ago and then proceeded to forget to post it. <style>
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</style> <div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">So the east coast earthquake — can you say "unprepared"? Everything started shaking and I looked at the cat for reassurance that I wasn't having a really ridiculous hallucination. Once my brain caught up I ran and stood under the door frame because that's what "they" always say to do, but later my architect father said that was an awful idea and that you're supposed to go away from doors and windows — basically outside. I think he might have some of his natural disaster protocols mixed up, but I admit that standing under a door frame in the basement during an event that causes buildings to collapse doesn't seem like the most intelligent thing either. </span></div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">The animals were kind of freaked out once it was all over, which is kind of weird in retrospect since people are always talking about how animals can sense that sort of thing before humans. But really, they looked just as surprised as I was. Not to self: my pets are ineffective as natural disaster detectors. </span></div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">The rush of social media attention after this was kind of hilarious. The earthquake <i>took over</i> facebook. What did we do before social media? Probably not read the word "earthquake" so many times in the span of two minutes that it starts to look wrong. </span></div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Anyway, the earthquake excitement was short-lived in my house, so my mom and I went to the movies. After the movie we went to Borders because I am a glutton for punishment.</span></div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I finally caved and bought a copy of a book I'd heard about on NPR and picked up every time I went to Borders, only to put it down later because it's still in hardcover. I also bought a copy of <i>Daisy Miller</i> (because who doesn't love Henry James?) and a notebook. I was actually looking for stationery, but I got distracted. I did seriously consider a copy of <i>Knit Your Own Royal Wedding</i>. Because seriously, who doesn't want yarn figurines of the royal family? I may not have the faux-sapphire royal wedding engagement ring (even though I can't deny, I wanted it. It's so damn pretty that I don't care if it's a fake, but getting called out on the royal wedding memorabilia might tag me as "crazy" and we wouldn't want that... right?), but I sure as hell can knit a Queen of England facsimile. Being unemployed at the moment, I couldn't quite justify spending the $12-ish even though it would provide endless hours of entertainment. If you, my loyal readers, want to pitch in and buy me this book I can promise pictures of my royal family attempts. Perhaps even puppet shows. Just sayin'...</span></div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">But back to Borders.... Being there these days always leaves me feeling kind of awful. It's so damn depressing. They're even selling the furniture/fixtures. Also, it's just chaos. Like a duck on water — calm on the surface, but paddling like hell underneath (I may have just stolen that simile from <i>So You Think You Can Dance</i>. I don't even know. In any case I'm keeping it because it fits exactly what I'm trying to express. Oh! Or eye of the storm where it's all calm in the middle, but it's this massive, chaotic, destructive thing. That one requires a bit too much explanation though. Also, this parenthetical is getting ridiculously long. I'm breaking into the meta-blog. Yeah, I went there).</span></div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">OK, this post went in many different (and clearly unplanned) directions. That's all for now. </span></div>Bluestockinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03289629265986379570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535107998834944597.post-41674490373483235282011-08-26T19:03:00.001-04:002011-08-29T19:50:42.296-04:00The internet needs copy editors<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">There are so many people/companies in the world that cannot properly use the English language. And apparently all of them are online. Despite all this, I'm still without a job. Someone please explain this to me.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Earlier today I was reading "10 Direct Selling Tips to Improve Your Sales" or something like that. Tip number 1 was "make a good first impression." OK, that makes sense. Let's continue to the explanation. In the first sentence, instead of writing "almost," they wrote "all most." What was that about first impressions? Yeah, irony's a bitch, isn't it?</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But seriously people, just re-read something before you hit "publish." It will keep you from looking like a dumb ass and keep me from wanting to hit you with something. It's a win-win. </div>Bluestockinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03289629265986379570noreply@blogger.com0