Sunday, December 14, 2014

The Black and White Book

The Black and White Book by R.P. Moore
2001
Weight: 9.6 oz
Method of Disposal: Donating to AKS


I wanted to write: "This book was awful.  Nuff said."  But, I happened to see that 4 out of 5 people on Amazon gave it 5 stars.  Two people described the book as having blown them away.  Shocking really.  I open it at random now.  On the left there is a black page with white writing that says "End Racism!"  On the left, "See just how racism is ending."  This on a white page with black writing.  Another couplet says "Fear" on the black page and "love" on the white page.  Black:  "I went from Corporate Account Executive to selling flowers from a cart in the mall."  White: "I went from being stressed out, miserable, and tied down to being creative, content, and free."  Too each their own.

I have lost my wedding band,, and I have not even been married a full year.

I held onto my wedding band for 8 months and now I can pick out another one!

No, but seriously, I want the original back.  Now.

North and South

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
1996
Weight: 15.2 oz
Method of Disposal: Donating to AKS


This was a gift from Harriet's mother on a recent trip to the states and so I, of course, started reading it the day she left for England.  True to what I have read by other classic British women authors there was a love story between two people who absolutely misunderstood each other, talked past each other, made mistake after mistake, and the tension just grew and grew until you were about to throw the book across the room if they didn't just admit that they loved each other!  It was much more than that though.  There was an examination of class, business, labor struggle, management, strong women, human weakness, compassion, and friendship.  I found myself deeply invested and having empathy to all the characters, even the ones I initially had disdain for.  Also interesting to think about the North and South divide then and now.  I hope someone else enjoys this book as much as I did!  Thank you, Sarah!

Boy's Life

Boy's Life by Robert McCammon
1992
Weight: 9 oz
Method of Disposal: Donating to the AKS


This book was recommended to me almost ten years ago.  I was working at Barnes and Noble and a woman that I absolutely respected, who had very different taste than me, highly recommended this book.  I bought it right away, but it took me a long time to actually read it.  I finally did this summer, and I really enjoyed it--despite the fact that it is not my usual style at all.  It will sound ridiculous, but it had everything from murder to streaking to dogs to camping to lust to racism to ghosts to magic to teenage boys to hunting to loss to family to underwater monsters...to on and on.  It is hard to imagine that he packed it all in there, but he did.  It is almost like someone challenged him.  Write a novel...and include all this crazy shit...and make it readable.  Like magic, you get Boy's Life.

Loyalty Unleashed

Loyalty Unleashed: Pit Bulls and the People Who Love Them  by Sue Torres
2014
Weight: 1.2 lbs
Method of Disposal: Donating to the AKS

This beautiful beast is named Pongo, and he is available for adoption!  He is around 1 year old, and he loves dogs, cats, and people of all ages.  Let me know if you are interested!

It has been 6 months since I last wrote on this blog.  So much has changed since my promotion to shelter manager and since I got married.  The number one change is that I am at work all day and night.   I get home very late and then want to spend my last hour or two with my wife.  Hence, the drastic drop in my reading and blogging.  Besides, with her in the U.S. how many people left are out there are reading this thing?

It has been a very difficult year at the shelter and very stressful for me, but it has also been wonderful.  Adoptions are up, and we have adopted out every single dog that had been there for a year or longer.  We adopt out many more pit bulls now, which is my main goal in life.  There is a lot to be proud of.  We have taken in 640 animals, and we have adopted out 585!  That is over 100 more than last year.  I have met a lot of wonderful new volunteers and staff.  I have learned a lot about the people I have worked with for years.  And I have learned a lot about myself as a leader.  Here's to hoping 2015 is even better and that I am able to improve on my weaknesses and those of the shelter to save even more lives.

Friday, June 20, 2014

Blue is the Warmest Color

Blue is the Warmest Color by Julie Maroh
2013
Weight: 12 oz


It has been a LONG time since I last wrote and a lot has happened.  Harriet has moved in, and we were married in April.  Currently, we are in Wyoming and waiting for our connector flight to Colorado.  It is the saddest day of any vacation, and we are particularly depressed to be flying back home.  We went to a dear friend's wedding in Teton National Park and then went exploring on our own.  We saw the geysers at Yellowstone, saw a herd of bison cross the road, rode horses around the mountains, and bear "hunted" for over 5 hours just to see one's butt.  It snowed the first three days and on the fourth day it was so hot I got a sunburn while riding a horse through the mountains.  We are discussing making a big move and have been scouring the "Help Wanted" sections of the local newspapers.  We hear it is less fun to live here than it is to visit, and I question if we (me) are prepared for the brutal winters.  You know there is something wrong when you get full time, benefits, and a competitive salary at the local bagel shop.  That took me at least six years to get at my current job.

I did the naughty thing of buying a book or two before leaving.  I read and enjoyed Blue is the Warmest Color and then left it in the Snake River Lodge for some other traveler passing through.  I can never resist a good, queer graphic novel, and I feel the place was lucky to gain a little lesbian touch.  Maybe a lot of one if you include the time we spent there.

Friday, February 21, 2014

The Year of Living Biblically

The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible
A.J. Jacobs
2008
Weight: 1lb
Method of Disposal: Leaving near a bookstore



I have been thinking about how to write about this book for the last three days, and I am still not sure so, as usual, do not expect greatness.  I picked it up years after it was given to me to read.  I am ashamed to admit that I was suppose to read it so I could tell customers in the bookstore about it and recommend it, but I see that it did quite fine without me.  How many sins did I commit then?  I am fairly certain I was suppose to return the copy to the store once I was done.  The store I worked for is closed down now so I cannot give it back.  I guess the next best thing would be to leave it near a bookstore now so someone can find it. 

The book was amusing, and it gave me lots of new information.  I was speaking all sorts of Bible talk to people at random for days, and it felt good.  People would just look a little stunned, a little confused, and then try to engage, though skeptical. 

I had no idea that their was a group called RECAP that existed for men who wanted to get back their foreskin after circumcision.  The group still exists with a different name.  Here.  I will save you the Google search: http://www.norm.org/history.html
But it is not a great conversation starter over sushi with friends.  I learned that last night.

There are people out there that will drive dangerously slow in order to abide by the laws and thus not lie.  And, by dangerously slow, I mean the speed limit.  There are also people that believe Noah took dinosaurs on his ark.  Only God knows what sin they committed to get knocked off after completing that journey.  The grandmother of an ex-girlfriend once told me that dinosaurs did not exist, with full conviction, because they were not biblically accounted for.  I loved that woman.  She also liked the way I colored.  With crayons.  It was far more beautiful than her granddaughter's style.  We were adults at this point--just to clarify.

I fell in love with A.J.'s wife.  She was quite endearing when she would pop up, and I loved her use of the word "helmet" to let A.J. know that he was being an overprotective parent, which happened with regularity.  I appreciated that she sat in every chair in the house while on her period, inadvertently forcing A.J. to buy a stool to carry around with him.  I cannot imagine being intimate with the man who has the biblical beard and that is relieved when he does not have to touch impure women--and later men.  I know she struggled, endured, and believed in something--love, I guess--to get through that year.

And, at one point, I connected with A.J. in a way I have not discussed with many people.  It happened on day 271.  He writes about how in high school he was concerned that girls he liked might be watching him...while he was at home, chilling.  He would try to look extra cool doing mundane things, act rebellious for no reason, and listen to music he did not necessarily like.  I did this too.  For years.  Is this normal?  Can someone tell me?  I would randomly flick off the window or flash the woods behind my house just so that THEY would know that I knew THEY were there.  You can imagine that discovering masturbation was both a blessing and a curse.  Oh the joy.  Oh the shame!

All of that being said, I am not sure what I wanted from this book, but I know I did not get what I was looking for.  I enjoyed it, and it was amusing.  Like I said, I appreciate my new and rare trivia, but it all just felt so incomplete.  Like A.J. said, it would be impossible to take on the entire Bible in a year, and really everyone who is interested is forced to pick and choose which parts of the holy book they pick out, follow, or speak about, but I still wanted more.  I think my wariness started with the proclamation at the start of the book that he would not buy into the crap while he studied it. 

On the one hand, I liked to see him talk about how it affected him far more than he thought it would and was glad that it even made surprising improvements in how he is as a person when dealing with others.  But, I couldn't help but feel like the whole year was just to get a laugh.  It would vaguely irritate me when he would do rude and/or ridiculous things like not shake people's hands when we all knew good and well he was avoiding all sorts of other shit he didn't want to deal with.  Why should that bother me though?  There was SO much for him to follow and what's wrong with a sense of humor? 

He explored some extreme subsets and did some weird shit, but it was all just the tip of a very massive ice berg.  I cannot tell you why I was hoping to get something deeper from the book.  I am not religious.  I guess it was just so obvious that he was focusing on the surface level of everything and not really trying to delve into the meaning, which was a little off putting since he complained all the time that he was not really feeling God.  I never got the impression he was really, truly trying to so what was he worried about?  I am not hopeful about the Bible and yet I could tell I was let down at the end, and there was that point, before the end, where I started wanting to skip pages.  It wasn't so much that the New Testament was rushed.  I can appreciate why, but it was disoriented and not as coherent, which felt weird since that is when his lovely neighbor died and his amazing wife gave birth to his two sons.  Maybe that was it.  Life got real busy, real fast, and he was on a deadline. And it was obvious.  Whatever it was, I lost interest and when my curiosity would get peeked by some little tidbit it would be over a minute after I started reading it, which was a letdown. 

At the end of this rant, I must confess that I am slightly nervous A.J. or someone he knows will stumble across this one day and be aggravated.  How sweet is it that his dad marks negative Amazon comments as unhelpful?  I love him.  I think it is clear that, despite my problems with the book, I really enjoyed it and had fun reading it.  I think A.J. can be proud and if you want to learn a bunch of random things about Judaism and Christianity then I recommend that you pick this book up.
 

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Beyond the Yellow Brick Road

Beyond the Yellow Brick Road: Our Children and Drugs by Bob Meehan and Stephen J. Meyer
1984
Weight: 1 lb
Method of Disposal: Burn

ABC 15 News Bob Meehan

Nuff Said.

Good Riddance.


Autobiography of a Fat Bride

Autobiography of a Fat Bride
2003
Weight: 7.2 oz
Method of Disposal: Leaving Somewhere


My wait is almost over, but it could not end soon enough.  The closer I get the more anxious I am for it to get here.  Our visa has been approved, but it is like I cannot believe it until I see it.  Hopefully, she will be here by the end of February!  Is there a better Valentine's gift than that?

I guess it is pretty obvious why I chose this book.  It is going to be me soon!  And I have 6 hours and 8 minutes of songs on my Wedding Mix to help us get through the long ass drive to DC and back that we will be making twice.  

I bought this book, originally, because I had read Notaro's others.  It is a rare thing that comedy/humor makes me laugh, but when she did I would be in tears and sometimes, no matter how embarassed I was, I could really relate.  

Here is Notaro on a visit to the gynecologist:

"Dont worry about children now," my doctor said as she laughed mockingly at me.  "You're not even married."

"I'm getting married...soon," I explained hesitantly. "And I don't want to have a newborn when I'm so old we can sleep in cribs next to each other."

She laughed harder.

"Let's wait and see if your marriage works out first," she scolded me. "It's no fun being a single parent."

Her comment felt like the slap of my mom's flip-flop to the side of my head.  What?  I thought as I looked at her.  What did you just say?  My mother is the only one who has the right to pop my self esteem with a harpoon like that.  You don't have that right!  You've only seen me naked! (34)

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Snow Day

The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick 2000
The Magic Paintbrush by Lawrence Yep 2000
Weight: 14 oz
Method of Disposal: Leaving Somewhere

I am feeling very lucky and a little guilty.  I have been in my nice warm house all day, and the power has not gone out yet.  I am very thankful for this.  I have not been back to the animal shelter since 11pm last night.  Four of us went to clean up the pets, let them out, and make sure the one generator we have was working.  Today, a small crew of dedicated staff went to the shelter to care for the animals.  I was pleased to enjoy my day off and also feeling a little useless.  Mixed feelings.  I have no idea what tomorrow brings.

Meanwhile, in the UK the weather is even more atrocious.  Harriet's power went out a couple times, and we were creating backup plans to ensure we would still be able to check in with each other periodically.  Wishing everyone could be safe and warm tonight.

80 mph Gales

About 4 hours away in Wales

I wish I could say that I had been productive today, but I absolutely have not been.  I have been snuggling with all the critters, my own and my fosters, and reading books.  I should be cleaning, working, writing letters, but I am so sleepy and my body just seems to want to rest so I have been reading.  I finished these two books today.  I remember being worried that The Last Book in the Universe would just be a rip-off of Fahrenheit 451.  Not at all.  It might have made me cry at one point. I am already scanning my shelves for my next read.


Sunday, February 9, 2014

Let's All Kill Constance

Let's All Kill Constance by Ray Bradbury
2002
Weight: 14.2 oz
Method of Disposal: Leaving Somewhere

 
I really enjoyed this book for the first 100 pages, but I slowly started to lose interest after that and by the end I will admit I was glad it was over.  That is almost more disappointing than reading a book you do not enjoy through and through.  I had such high hopes!  I, honestly, do not have a lot to say about it other than that and that Constance Rattigan is a fantastic name for an aging Hollywood icon.
 
Today was one of the worst I've had in some time.  Work has been absolutely brutal.  It has been stressful, raw, emotional, and hard.  So hard.  And tomorrow is a really important day for me.  I am tired, but I am having trouble sleeping since it is all I can think about.  I am trying to distract myself by reading, blogging, and, yes, by Facebooking. :(  Send me all your positive energy, keep your fingers crossed, and hope tomorrow is a fantastic day.
 

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Common Sense

Common Sense by Thomas Paine
1999
Weight: 4 oz
Method of Disposal: Leaving Somewhere


Sometimes being a little nerdy can make you the dumbest one in class.  I remember that in high school we were able to pick a book off a list for class, and I chose Common Sense based on the title.  Not on any previous knowledge of it.  Not on the number of pages, though it amuses me to think that kids regularly fall into this trap.  At the time, I was bored out of my mind while reading it.  It was paine-ful.  Haha, get it?  Okay, not funny.

Any who, now I have taken home this adorable Chihuahua puppy and was considering adopting her, but common sense tells me I should let her go.  A high school acquaintance who is a wonderful dog mom is very interested and that has to be the best route.  To love her for the next two to four weeks and then let her go.  The joys and sadness of fostering...

Guess I better talk to the wife.  Got some things to work out.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Feast Day of Fools

Feast Day of Fools by James Lee Burke
2011
Weight: 1.6 lbs
Method of Disposal: Leaving Somewhere


Anytime I start to argue that I have a sleeping problem remind me that I only seem to have this problem when I know I have to go to work in the morning.  Something about knowing that I will not be able to control my schedule, freedoms, and admonishments makes me feel like I have to pack everything into one night.  If I stay up the morning will never come, but I know from college (all those years ago) that is not true.  Morning does come.  Over and over and over. Responsibility is this beast that some people try to maintain and others just let run away, but either way it complicates things.  If you stay up all night you are just tired the next day.
 

Dictionary of Modern Anguish

Dictionary of Modern Anguish by R.M. Berry
2000
Weight: 7 oz
Method of Disposal: Leaving Somewhere


This Chantix is an emotional rollercoaster, mostly one that is going very quickly down, but I trust that it is all so I can get off, safely, at some point.  I picked this book of the shelf because of the title on a particularly miserable night.  I did not know what to expect, and I think that is a good thing because there is no way I could have expected this.  I loved it.  I really enjoy experimental fiction and, when I read this, I could not help but think this is what separates brilliant people from the rest of us.  Book reviews of books that have never been written, insecure ramblings, and a man entranced by two women--the young, despondent one he loves and the old, mind-controlling talker who got him stuck in the first place.  There were some pieces that I couldn't care less about, but the ones I loved I really loved.
 

Saints and Strangers

Saints and Strangers by Angela Carter
1987
Weight: 3 oz
Method of Disposal: Leaving Somewhere

 
My grandmother gave me this on her 80th birthday in October 2013.  She was surprised that I had not heard of Angela Carter, and almost appalled that Harriet had not, being from England and all.  I just now read it, and I was very impressed.  My mother walked by while we were discussing the book and put in her two cents that it was horrible.  Lovely writing, but the stories would just make you feel terrible.  They were both right, but I loved it.  I was shocked and slightly embarrassed to realize how well-known and respected Angela Carter is.  A quick Google search and you find that Time magazine considered her one of the 50 greatest British writers in 2008.  I am absolutely going to be seeking out her other work.

After finishing her book, I was feeling down and decided to begin working on a realistic long-distance love letter.  Here is the start of it:

I stare at the body under my sheets.  It is blanketed in a thick, dark layer of fur.  A physical reminder of how long you have been gone.  It is dreary and self-important to think of oneself like a tree whose rings announce its age to the world, but I do.  My hair says you have been gone for months, and my general malaise says there is no end in sight. I take the razor slowly and clumsily to my skin.  It does not matter if I get it all or if it looks organized.  I have time.  I secretly hope it will speed things along, but then I realize that you left me at the coldest time of the year, and I have removed my coat for you but you are not here to accept it, and I am cold.

The water is cold.  I dry myself off with a towel, check the fire and miss you.  I get into bed and slide towards the middle.  My dogs’ weight and the age of the mattress creating a rut that is just big enough to be uncomfortable.  I lay on 15 years of dead skin cells collected from ex-lovers, old pets, and dear friends.  If you cut my mattress in half could you map out my life until now?  We could take little tacks and tiny scraps of paper.  Organize it by number.  The single digits being the deepest and driest, and the double digits being more recent and fragrant.

All of this makes me want a cigachantichocolate.  I want chocolate.  Or do I want a cigarette? 21 long days for a 22 year old woman that makes my heart as pretty as my matching shower curtain and the candles that are “just for decoration.”  I never knew that I was supposed to choose them for color over scent.  The things you learn when you trail behind the world’s most beautiful woman with your legs shaved, your panties wet, and your mind focused on reorganizing your life philosophy developed over 28 years.

All this paints a fairly unattractive portrait of what it feels like to love 4,033 miles away from you.

My incredibly sweet grandfather on my father's side always asks if I have written anything lately and wants to read it.  Should I show him this?  And, just to clear things up, I ordered a new mattress immediately after writing this.  I shouldn't even show you this...


I cannot tell you how relieved I was to see it being toted away in a giant plastic bag this afternoon.

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Monica's Story

Monica's Story by Andrew Morton
1999
Weight: 1.2 lbs
Method of Disposal: Leaving Somewhere


Do you remember the Monica Lewinsky debacle?  Anyone old enough probably cannot forget if they want to.  What a strange, absurd thing.  I bought this book when I was in eight grade.  My girlfriend at the time really liked Monica and told me I should read it.  I decided I would.  Her story felt like slut-shaming to me.  What did she do to deserve so much scorn?  I bought it partially to hear her side, partially to impress my girlfriend, and partially to throw money Monica's way.  After all the public embarrassment and nastiness being slung about her, I really did not care if she got "rich" of it.  Nowadays, I am just not interested in keeping the book, rereading it, or really thinking about Monica Lewinsky.  I wish her and everyone else involved the best regardless of anyone's actions.
 

A Trade Off

The Politics of Social Service by Jeffry H. Galper 1975
The Sixteenth Century Journal Vol XXXIII, No. 3 Fall 2002
Weight: 3 lbs
Method of Disposal: Leaving Somewhere

 
A volunteer brought me two books about dogs today, and they look awesome!  It is not my fault and, anyway, it would have been rude to turn them down, right?  I will get rid of two other books in order to make room for the two new ones.  They are far more up my alley anyway.

I wish I knew when and if and who will end up with The Politics of Social Service.  I would like to know what they think about it 39 years later.  We may never know though...

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Penguins

Penguins by Lisa Purcell
2007
Weight: 2.2 lbs
Method of Disposal: Leaving Somewhere


                          "It's practically impossible to look at a penguin and feel angry." -Joe Moore

                                                                           Agreed.
 

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

The Writer's Harbrace Handbook AKA Things I Just Need to Get Rid Of

The Writer's Harbrace Handbook
2003
Weight: 1.2 lbs
Method of Disposal: Leaving Somewhere


I need to get rid of:

1.  This handbook.  No matter how much I might need it, I have others like it and this one is very heavy. 

2.  My Uterus.  No matter how much I might need it (questionable), other people have functioning ones and this one is very painful. I am about to RIP IT OUT.
 

Waiting For Normal

Waiting For Normal  by Leslie Connor
2008
Weight:12.8 oz
Method of Disposal: Giving to a Friend


I loved it so much!  Okay, let me rewind.  My Amazing was having trouble sleeping tonight and so I was reading to her via Skype.  On the occasions I have read to her in the past she does not really listen to the words and falls asleep quickly so I did not think twice about reading a New Yorker article on how children with chronic illnesses are living longer and longer.  About twenty minutes in I realized she was still tossing and turning and listening so I went on the hunt for a more suitable read.  Something less jarring.  I grabbed Waiting for Normal because it is a young adult book, and I thought it would read easily.

It did read easily and wonderfully.  I did not put it down and continued to read it long after she fell asleep.  I read it in bed, took it into the bath, brought it into the kitchen for a late night snack, and back to the bath.  It was a very long bath.  Pages from the end I was crying heavily and reading furiously.  Addie, the main character, is extremely lovable, as is her makeshift family from the nearby minimart.  She is a girl growing up with a deceased father, a stubborn grandfather, an almost absent mother, a very caring (but not blood related) ex-stepfather, a school friend named Hannah, an adult friend who is overweight and has cancer, and an adult gay male friend.  She finds the positive in almost every situation and sees the good in people without trying.  She strives to be her best and cannot always see it when she is succeeding.  She is lovely, and I love her and her story.  Any who, I highly recommend it to anyone, at any age.
 

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Whole World Guide to Culture Learning

Whole World Guide to Culture Learning by J. Daniel Hess
1994
Weight: 1.2 lbs
Method of Disposal: Leaving somewhere in Decatur, GA

 
This is a book to help people adapt to living and/or working abroad and to encourage cultural learning.  I am assuming that it is dated now, at twenty years old.  How is it that 1994 happened 20 years ago?!  I don't believe it.  I won't believe it.

I am not certain when I will get the chance to travel again--much to my dismay--and I have never been anywhere but Georgia for over a month.  I know one day I will have the opportunity to live in England now, but will I get the chance to live anywhere else?  I still have so many dreams, but the years go by so quickly.
 

Hunt For Hector

Hunt For Hector by Tony Tallarico
1990
Weight: 9. 6 oz
Method of Disposal: Leaving Somewhere in Decatur, GA




First things first.  There is a search for a hero dog in the Atlanta area...a pit bull mix, of course.  See below:
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/search-continues-for-hero-dogbaby-girl-remains-foc/nc4NJ/

Now, Onward.  I have been depressed as of late.  It is ridiculous.  The people I love are going through a lot right now but I, personally, am not.  I believe it is tied to the Chantix I have been taking to quit smoking.  I have sad dreams, wake up and am irritable all day at work, come home and am so miserable to be so far away from my fiancée that I end up getting snippy on Skype.  It makes no sense at all.  It is only a 3 month treatment, and I am 20 days in.  I know I can make it, damn it, but I hope she can.  I have been a nonsmoker for the last thirteen days and am hoping I smell better :)

Any who, tonight is the first night all week where I felt okay.  I went to work this morning, but I mostly drove to various places.  I did a home inspection and went to talk to the owner of a local doggy daycare.  By the time I got back to work there was only one employee left since the snow had scared the rest off.  We closed up the shelter and rescued a freezing kitty.  Really, it was a very successful, beautiful, and productive day.

I loved listening to music too loud while watching the snow fall, and I loved running around the yard snapping pictures of my dogs.  I also had a great time on Skype--playing games, answering riddles, reminiscing, and saying all that stuff that would make other people nauseated if they had to overhear it.  Now, I am up and reading, relaxing, and planning my weekend.


The only problem is that I really need to get to sleep.  I am seeing all the Facebook posts about all the people stranded in the snow around Georgia, and I am quickly realizing that I will, in fact, be working tomorrow.  There is no way there is going to be enough staff at the shelter tomorrow.  Friends are stuck at 24 hour businesses, their mothers are stuck in their cars on icy roads, children are stuck on buses or in nearby buildings away from their families, there have been over 600 accidents.  For some reason, I really did not expect all this.  I know a lot of people are making fun of the South right now, and I get it, but there are still people out there in serious need of help so let's hold back for a little bit and hope that everyone is going to be okay overnight.  And wish me luck getting to work tomorrow morning because their are some pups in serious need of a good pee and some breakfast!
 

Friday, January 24, 2014

The Rendezvous

The Rendezvous  by Justine Levy
1999
Weight: 5.6 oz
Method of Disposal: Leaving somewhere in Lithonia, GA


This book is what a woman remembers while waiting on her non-existent, but oh-so-beautiful mother, at a café.  In the time it takes her to admit she has been stood up we are able to review every single memory she has of her mom, mostly bad, though she adores her.  I could not get into the book, though I very much appreciate the idea.  The last page was lovely, the way it wrapped it all up. 

It is really not the fault of the story that I am not in the mood to moon over lackluster "parents" who go about their sad existences while hurting their offspring all along the way and never take responsibility for their actions.  No animosity here. 
 

The Catcher in the Rye

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
1972
Weight: 8 oz
Method of Disposal: Leaving somewhere in Lithonia, GA

 
A broken tooth is a very annoying thing to have.  I am a wuss.  I have been learning these two things over the course of a week.  When you have a broken tooth, you cannot stop licking it.  Even if it makes you bleed.    The day it happens, you will be so horrified that you will proclaim to your best friend, "You are never allowed to tell anyone about this!" and the next day 10 people will know about it and the list will continue to grow because you cannot stop complaining.  The day after it breaks it is possible that another piece will crumble off while you are standing with a complete stranger.  You will stare into space while they ask you questions you do not answer because you cannot hear them.  You remember a time in your youth, or the day before yesterday, when you never even considered that this would happen.  You will look on in awe as your coworkers regal you with horror stories about all the much needed dental work they have avoided for years.  You will go to the dentist who will tell you that you need a specialist and everyone in your life--your boss, your fiancée, your friends, your coworkers will respond with, "Wtf?  I thought a dentist WAS a specialist."  You will buy the at home plaster they sell at a local pharmacy on someone's recommendation and then be afraid to eat.  This is all still more exciting but not more annoying than The Catcher in the Rye.

 

Thursday, January 23, 2014

I Capture the Castle

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
1999
Weight: 11.2 oz
Method of Disposal: Leaving in Decatur
 

This book was recommended to me by my dear friend, Sarah.  So many books were. I had no idea, until today, that it was written by the same woman who wrote 101 Dalmatians.  I find that strangely exciting.  I love it when authors are able to write both adult and children's books. 

I am afraid I do not remember too much of the book now, but I do remember enjoying it and liked to imagine living in an old, falling apart castle.  I saw that it has been turned into a movie as well, though I have not seen it. 

Dodie Smith has a great name, a great title for this book, and a great track record.  I hope someone else enjoys this book when they find it.
 

Noel the Coward

Noel the Coward by Raboert Krauss Illustrated by Jose Aruego amd Ariane Dewey
1988
Weight: 1 lb
Method of Disposal: Leaving at Kroger off North Decatur Rd



 
I chose this book because I feel that this illustration captures exactly how I have felt upon waking the last two days.  I am not sure if it is the Chantix, living so far way from my fiancée, the way my new job overwhelms me, the stuff going on around me, the hormones, or if it is just a normal sadness that will soon pass.  I slept in until 11am, trying to hide today.  I try not to waste me weekends like that, but we cannot change the past.  We can only move forward, and there is SO MUCH TO DO TODAY.  Waaaaaahhhhhhhh.
 
I think the pictures in this story are superior to the actual words.  It is about a little coward and his cowardly father.  The little coward gets picked on all the time so him and his father take a self-defense class.  He learns how to avoid a fight and does not have to fight because he knows he could and so do the bullies.  Mama is so proud of him and dad.
 
Why can't life be so simple?

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

A Handbook of Biblical Difficulties

A Handbook of Biblical Difficulties  Robert Tuck
1836-1911
Weight: 2 lbs
Method of Disposal: Donating


There is something absolutely magical about old books even if you are not into the topic.  It is partly that amazing smell they all carry and partly how they fall open.  It is a little bit that they have no ISBN and are harder to track.  It is also because you cannot begin to imagine how many people held that same book, where the kept it, and what their life was like.  Daydreaming about that is almost better than reading the book.  The first person that held this book, studied the Bible, kept it on a shelf could not have even dreamed up that a young lesbian would be blogging about it on a computer all this time later.  Lesbian. Blog. Computer.
Biblical Difficulties.

Frost on My Moustache

Frost on My Moustache: The Arctic Explorations of a Lord and a Loafer  by Tim Moore
2001
Weight: 13.4 oz
Method of Disposal: Donating


I couldn't get into it.  At all.  It is a very rare book I do not finish, and I did not finish this one.  It has been rated highly.  I just think it is not my thing.  Or maybe it is because I am not British.


Any who, I hope the next author is British or has a sense of humor or has disdain for frost on moustaches or enjoys it more.

Odyssey

The Odyssey  Homer
Translated by W.H.D. Rouse (1999)
Weight: 8.8 oz
Method of Disposal: Donating

Another thing I find embarrassing to admit is that I don't and never have liked The Odyssey.  The back of this book calls it "THE GREATEST TALE OF ALL TIME."  Don't get me wrong.  I have a healthy respect for it.  I recognize how important it is and how very old it is.  To be able to read something that was probably written in the 8th Century is awe-inspiring.  I just feel like having read it once is enough for me.  Now that I am out of school, I feel safe putting it in the donation box.

Diary of a Schizophrenic Girl

2 x Diary of a Schizophrenic Girl Foreward by Frank Conroy/Analytic Interpretation by Marguerite Sechehaye (1970, 1994)
Weight: 12 oz
Method of Disposal: Donatine to AKS


Right before the move, I read this book.  I was really into it at first, but then I came back to my reality and started questioning its validity.  How conveniently the story fit into a Freudian cube.  I left not knowing what to trust.  It was a really interesting story, regardless, and your heart, of course, went out to the girl keeping the diary and losing the capability to see the world as a whole.

I found more copies after moving.  How did this book fall into my hands so many times and this is the first time I read it?

P.S. The following quote stood out to me right away, "I clung desperately to her, clutching at her dress.  I wanted to take refuge in her, to hide in her heart, to escape the frightful anguish that overwhelmed me (38)."  It stood out for all the wrong reasons though.  It is actually quite embarrassing and, believe me, I am not trying to demean the experience of the girl, but I immediately started thinking about my long distance partner.  Ah well.  After a month, just pulling into my driveway and remembering to come in towards the left so the bottom of my car doesn't scrap reminds me of her.  After a month, just about anything reminds me of her.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Divergent

Divergent by Veronica Roth
2011
Weight: 7.2 oz
Method of Disposal: Donating


I went to see the second Hunger Games movie, and there was a trailer for Divergent.  I have not worked in a bookstore in so long, and I have been avoiding going into any while I try to read and get rid of all the ones I have.  I am, officially, out of the loop.  In the first few seconds I actually got excited because I thought it was The Giver--not that I am sure a movie made in 2014 could give that book justice.  This excitement was quickly followed by agitation that there was another book like it out there.

Days later I realized how silly that emotional roller coaster was.  It did not seem all that similar.  It was dystopian, and there are a lot of similarities in all dystopian books because they mirror us.  Our hopes and our fears.  We are drawn to them.  I picked it up in a grocery store.  I felt compelled and could not stop myself, despite this project.  I never have time for anything but work anymore and the idea of a fast-paced young adult read was irresistible.

I am so glad I did.  It did, indeed, read fast, and I really enjoyed it.  I am very excited to see the second one and, yeah, I am sure I will eventually see the movie.  Sometimes you need to just let yourself go...
 

Monday, January 13, 2014

No Home for Shannon

No Home for Shannon by Marilyn D. Anderson
1997
Weight: 2 oz
Method of Disposal: Donating to AKS


I love reading children's books, and I cry every single time I read about a rescued dog.  It really does not take a lot.  I have also been working A LOT of overtime and hardly have time to read so this was the perfect book to pick off the shelf for a rare, relaxing bath I had the other day.  I love to think about kids learning how to take care of a rescue dogs at an early age!  I suppose I will pass this on and hope a child gets it this time. :) Maybe one twenty years younger than this kid.
 

Sunday, January 12, 2014

A Long Time...

Freakery: Cultural Spectacles of the Extraordinary Body 1996 Ed. Rosmarie Garland Thomson
McSweeney's Issue 36 2011
The World of Michael Parkes  1998
Weight: 8 lbs
Method of Disposal: Sold online



I have not written in a very long time.  A lot has happened, and I have been heavily distracted.  I am engaged to the most beautiful, compassionate, and fun woman I have ever met.  I am now the shelter manager where I work, and I have moved to a new house on a horse farm.  There is a lot more room when I need or want to foster!

Work is difficult, and I frequently am working overtime, which leaves me tired when it comes to blogging.  I am determined to get back into the swing of it though.  In the meantime, I have just been selling books I listed on half.com long ago.  I need to raise money for the wedding!

Since I have moved, I sold two books I absolutely love and one that is part of a collection.  It was very difficult to let them go, but I need the money, and I still need the weight off.  Some things never change, right?

My dear friend Sarah introduced me to Michael Parkes when I was sixteen, and I loved him.  The first painting I ever saw was of a girl blowing bubbles on a roof and a gargoyle jumping off trying to catch them.  The Freakery book was from my college days and has a ton of great essays in it.  The McSweeneys is a McSwenneys, and I always hate giving them away!