Apparently all I think about are books

And zombies.

Finished Book Thief, almost finished with World War Z.

Yes, I’m reading about zombies. It’s actually really awesome, you should try it sometime.  My only qualm is the occasionally overdone prose that deep down you know a person would never say out loud (the book is supposed to be survivor accounts from interviews, so presumably it’s all be said. Yeah, I *almost* buy it) which makes me cringe or pause at times.  Beyond that my only possible complaint is some of the made up slang. There’s a number of different terms for zombies used in the book, depending on the person/area/etc. that wear a little thin after 300 pages because really, who decided to calls zombies ‘Zacks’?  But I’m loving it anyway. It mostly makes me want to fortify my apartment, start stockpiling, and buy a machete.  I’m also blaming it for Zombie by The Cranberries being stuck on repeat in my head for the last 3 days. I kinda want to buy The Zombie Survival Guide( same author but fun whereas world War Z is seriously done) but I’m trying to resist. If the zombie apocalypse comes and you don’t hear from me, you’ll know I never bought the guide.

My life has been reduced more or less to work, reading(at work), eating(mostly at work) and keeping up with a couple blogs when I finally get home. I’m also doing yoga and running about 4 times a week. 

 Yeah.

My summer guilty pleasures (besides rainbow push pops) have become The Mole, which was the only reality show I ever really followed besides the first season of survivor so I’m very glad it’s back, and ‘I Survived a Japanese Gameshow’ which premiered last night and I saw down to watch it with my entire family. I don’t think my family has ever fully agreed on a TV show. But we have a certain place in our hearts for Takashi’s Castle and when my dad called out that it was starting everyone gathered around. My mother thinks the games are a bit mean but even she can’t help laughing.  I could care less for the reality show portion; I just love the games. Also the Japaneses host of ‘Majide’, the Japanese games show the contestants are thrown on(which seems to have been made up specifically for this show but I can’t find any information on it) is fantastic.  In my defense I don’t usually watch reality TV, or much of any TV at all. Watching 2 hours of TV a week during the school year is a lot for me. I mostly live off dvds  which, I’ll admit, I watch too many of. So I suppose it evens out.

Maybe I should get back to work now. On bad days my job is like this:

http://xkcd.com/349/

It’s alright today though.

More Books

Dear American Airlines is finished! It was compact and well written. I’m left feeling that the novel was complete and finished without allowing to me forget the novel or need something more. Which is rather how I like my novels, don’t leave too much unresolved, tell your story, confine the book between the covers.  Take a thousand pages if you need but please make your novel complete. 

The narrator comments that he should have been a Russian novelist because he can’t even write a complaint letter without telling his life story. The rhythm and quality of the writing reflect  this influence on Miles.  The book is modern in it’s confessional air, but, thankfully, there is a knowledge of and tribute to greater writers. Jonathon Miles has been added to my list of people to watch.  I don’t think the book is perfect or that it’ll go down in infamy but I do think that he has the ability of writing something great and that Dear American Airlines is such a starting point that he won’t have far to go.

Well, I suppose that was a little more official than I intended but I really did enjoy the book and I think he’s going to continue writing great things.

 In less pompous book news I am 427 pages into The Book Thief. Which, as I was NOT warned, touted as a ‘young adult’ book. I almost died of embarrassment walking in the young adult section to retrieve it, silently cursing the boy who recommended it. He’s escaping retaliation because I’m enjoying the book.  There is some debate about it’s appropriateness for younger readers apparently so I feel slightly consoled.  The prose is awkward at times, I don’t really believe Death would write or speak like this, but the story and characters are compelling enough to carry the novel. Though writing about Nazi’s seems to automatically do that. Maybe we need to invoke a variant of Godwin’s law for novels. Some thing like ‘If you write about Nazi Germany before your third novel you fail.’ A corollary being that if it involves hiding Jews in the basement or attic then it’s fail unless it’s your 5th novel.

Not to say the book is bad, I am enjoying it, but I feel it might save us some trouble.

Unfocused

 I’ve gone through several drafts of some various commentary on the current political craziness since last Wednesday.

None have been that great or even worth reading. There is so much commentary coming from every directions that I’m a little tired of it all, so I’ve decided to scrap my drafts and just write something.

I like Obama, I like Hilary. Let’s go sing some kumbaya until everyone does ok? ok!

That’s all for now on that front. I love politics but I’m worn out from following the primary season.  I’m giving myself a break which means I have to stay away from nytimes.com for awhile.

I’m 33 pages from finishing Dear American Airlines and I finished Diary last Thursday. I’ve gotten another recommendation, The Book Thief  which has been added to my list. At this rate I’ll have to start reading when I’m not at work.

This entry has also been sitting in my drafts too long.

I need to be more decisive.

Small Victories

So I’m doing computer installations for my annual summer slog to save up money. I did the same thing last year and because of the large lulls that occur when installing software and moving data, surfing the Internet is always our time waster. Most of the installers are college students. We’ve gotten creative about keeping ourselves busy.

Well, the company I work for has finally updated their block list and now Facebook, Youtube and my favorite game site have been blocked.

But WordPress hasn’t.

So, perhaps this blog will get some proper updates since I’ll have nothing else to do besides read the New York Times. I have ten and a half weeks to go and would like to keep my sanity. 

I’m also reading to keep myself busy. Last year I worked only 7 weeks yet I read  2,000-3,000 pages during work hours.  I’ve got 7 books planned for this year so far:

Diary (currently reading)
Rant(have read 20 ish pages of)
Choke
Snuff
Oryx and Crake
Dear American Airlines
The Unconsoled(1/3 finished over Christmas, may need to backtrack a bit)

I’m heavy on the Palahniuk. This is the third summer in a row I’ve read him. If I finish these four I’ll have read everything he has released.  Yikes. I may save one or two for July and August so I don’t over saturate myself.

I’m going to pick up Dear American Airlines after work tonight.

Hmm, I should probably go work some more. Oh wait, no, I’m waiting for the transfer.
Nevermind, It’s done now.

First

Hey there new blog. No one’s watching yet but here’s the lowdown.

I’m a 20 something college student  and proclaimed miniskirt-feminist. I spend my time between a large city, where I attend school, and my slightly smaller hometown in the Midwest. How’s that for vague?  I’m not really sure what to tell you to expect. Feminism, standard student trauma, social/political commentary(when I’m feeling pretentious of course) and maybe even some fashion.

Oh, and bad grammar, I will try but it is my weak point.

So welcome! more substance to come, for now I leave you with this:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/books/review/Russo-t.html?_r=1&ref=books&oref=slogin

That’s what’s next on my to-read list. Hopefully it will live up to the review.