tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34331160919906051682024-03-05T09:14:13.584-06:00duessa and mardithe (mis)adventures of a girl and her dog.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger243125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433116091990605168.post-1321716038029658982015-02-27T00:00:00.000-06:002015-02-27T00:00:02.158-06:00photography challenge - february: wordsthis month's challenge was right up my alley (you know, being a nerdy english professor and all).<br />
<br />
i snapped a few shots around my workspaces of the words that i surround myself with daily:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrIzlnoWjXn8zf3hVpZFWJJJC8IHSsnnkn27UeU1OqND-de-263Ovx9l1Pr_M9O88wUduOdFc_jsGEPZktO7Nn-Lbewd41PULKd-4V9imu9KoZPNvrLiBiiFN9a9PAlTF2MgiZl431YASi/s1600/DSCN0035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrIzlnoWjXn8zf3hVpZFWJJJC8IHSsnnkn27UeU1OqND-de-263Ovx9l1Pr_M9O88wUduOdFc_jsGEPZktO7Nn-Lbewd41PULKd-4V9imu9KoZPNvrLiBiiFN9a9PAlTF2MgiZl431YASi/s1600/DSCN0035.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyphenhyphenwTnMtud4TVX5_W5nupyQQof9lgV5TLB3rW_xNkcuY7Z532etL7yp79M0ws0OGGAUvDHt-GWA8Z5CmTrvItsKFSR60aE2l7xka7ttnYW6fhh9oauJt-hFGvJUTgzMWEWXHCmQzX9FEoG/s1600/DSCN0101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyphenhyphenwTnMtud4TVX5_W5nupyQQof9lgV5TLB3rW_xNkcuY7Z532etL7yp79M0ws0OGGAUvDHt-GWA8Z5CmTrvItsKFSR60aE2l7xka7ttnYW6fhh9oauJt-hFGvJUTgzMWEWXHCmQzX9FEoG/s1600/DSCN0101.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
i then ventured to my city's <a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/news/metro/20130413-dallas-first-free-wall-in-west-dallas-gives-graffiti-artists-a-legal-canvas.ece" target="_blank">free graffiti wall</a>--a place where graffiti artists can create art with absolutely no risk of punishment. it was beautiful and creepy and good:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqkE0_rfdl82lYyl7E8BLDkkB-CFiujNqzGWIsLuLSd53l354Phs0F0rTGsjM-E72djSJSjEo1yE2uGiFpTV7EJXXE5pmtYuhwsS4JeB9fIjFpzuzOxyhzTkgLr36TOAGqKyDU8-TEDJcc/s1600/DSCN0150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqkE0_rfdl82lYyl7E8BLDkkB-CFiujNqzGWIsLuLSd53l354Phs0F0rTGsjM-E72djSJSjEo1yE2uGiFpTV7EJXXE5pmtYuhwsS4JeB9fIjFpzuzOxyhzTkgLr36TOAGqKyDU8-TEDJcc/s1600/DSCN0150.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiej_zp_pJLZbRSXJpM_EdzEizOa-Qnp2lLNp1k6aLHwdTxyZ7Ik_UG5LhR84MqB2uOYwaO17xuX_WHNGcX9yhm4x-pVx6PCZUolCY7E3JCDxNg36-ycAMt3nIpmElSOJaPvAnMBGF4s3y9/s1600/DSCN0159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiej_zp_pJLZbRSXJpM_EdzEizOa-Qnp2lLNp1k6aLHwdTxyZ7Ik_UG5LhR84MqB2uOYwaO17xuX_WHNGcX9yhm4x-pVx6PCZUolCY7E3JCDxNg36-ycAMt3nIpmElSOJaPvAnMBGF4s3y9/s1600/DSCN0159.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVaZzvB2qnj8V5xsh1D4y9f1vCdHc4v2g14M9LCFcn_e5EVmDyPGHuYclJZBhAKu24Pv3otFm_7j7wtWsHDuulCoxrPrFSrO33olRRda-R-haD6C-4PIIGSAp_sQmAkulEVZAoNC9EqKiK/s1600/DSCN0164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVaZzvB2qnj8V5xsh1D4y9f1vCdHc4v2g14M9LCFcn_e5EVmDyPGHuYclJZBhAKu24Pv3otFm_7j7wtWsHDuulCoxrPrFSrO33olRRda-R-haD6C-4PIIGSAp_sQmAkulEVZAoNC9EqKiK/s1600/DSCN0164.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7-w-99O26Ad3rUDXpUb5IiHDWE2etJo4jikugUekk0G3zNGFIeQN9wqsAKKu3TrR4g0f5vx8sMYIcY0n7XyMyRNWMurfiVZwCg-vnPFdZz8XMyoyqxqEiELOZv1qE2BSM7XFHCAn8H1ie/s1600/DSCN0160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7-w-99O26Ad3rUDXpUb5IiHDWE2etJo4jikugUekk0G3zNGFIeQN9wqsAKKu3TrR4g0f5vx8sMYIcY0n7XyMyRNWMurfiVZwCg-vnPFdZz8XMyoyqxqEiELOZv1qE2BSM7XFHCAn8H1ie/s1600/DSCN0160.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0T8l5ig2vFxDkDDyC-5yfFtxn54SAPAVH5pd4ATLP5VgRZbnyMI9EA-6-XwjzXxobiX6TwEnp8vdfP1WwTZGFbvXCFOswHYeuJIQj4Uv6JwuN8wuzZAvGokhy-MIcFdyuM5rkETj_JcSr/s1600/DSCN0152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0T8l5ig2vFxDkDDyC-5yfFtxn54SAPAVH5pd4ATLP5VgRZbnyMI9EA-6-XwjzXxobiX6TwEnp8vdfP1WwTZGFbvXCFOswHYeuJIQj4Uv6JwuN8wuzZAvGokhy-MIcFdyuM5rkETj_JcSr/s1600/DSCN0152.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Rpeb9hv6smcI7g-pLrC1TI4DpomOKsLq10kGMyZk9LuXP1Th0wqDu_eDVduaegxrBn7dLkdsofkBkppidRVrx-d2JzL2tQ81V6w-fyNj1g65nxhaFNkFm69nK1JdOUyEYZVDrUV7IYMT/s1600/DSCN0151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Rpeb9hv6smcI7g-pLrC1TI4DpomOKsLq10kGMyZk9LuXP1Th0wqDu_eDVduaegxrBn7dLkdsofkBkppidRVrx-d2JzL2tQ81V6w-fyNj1g65nxhaFNkFm69nK1JdOUyEYZVDrUV7IYMT/s1600/DSCN0151.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib2yu7xFV9gDrHrRNx0DBruMqedEyln593gfB1sbxHBm8g24epSTDtIztPHdS9mwJWJMuv64KhwjsZpcna99vr41zaQZ_fORSyXpahNmcAdKa8uKQfOenxJHvrVv2YMR20H4hVQtN5C-tI/s1600/DSCN0148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib2yu7xFV9gDrHrRNx0DBruMqedEyln593gfB1sbxHBm8g24epSTDtIztPHdS9mwJWJMuv64KhwjsZpcna99vr41zaQZ_fORSyXpahNmcAdKa8uKQfOenxJHvrVv2YMR20H4hVQtN5C-tI/s1600/DSCN0148.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
and of course, one of my little nuggets had to go on this adventure with me:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG8DnsyvakBHE_QUQy3srXtkRpHyfjKTfryXVTMMuxqVKiQIka1frqhDDcxstmRoa57W76VJ6BuHrQ6kfiXWvIAL6W48qoqKC4P74dVhKqFNKD6SlJ_Jn0P2CX6L8fRz1M1T6ATrUbdhIC/s1600/RSCN0170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG8DnsyvakBHE_QUQy3srXtkRpHyfjKTfryXVTMMuxqVKiQIka1frqhDDcxstmRoa57W76VJ6BuHrQ6kfiXWvIAL6W48qoqKC4P74dVhKqFNKD6SlJ_Jn0P2CX6L8fRz1M1T6ATrUbdhIC/s1600/RSCN0170.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
so that's my month of words.<br />
<br />
next month's theme: starts with 'b'Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433116091990605168.post-14481148334901578212015-01-31T21:09:00.000-06:002015-01-31T21:09:27.751-06:00photography challenge - january: familyi totally sucked at this.<br />
<br />
i ended up spending the first part of the month sick then was thrown into the chaos of the beginning of a new semester, so this challenge, and photography in general, had to take a back seat.<br />
<br />
below are a few images of family i managed to capture during my mom's 60th birthday party. <br />
<br />
they aren't great, and i'm less than proud of them, but i must post them to remain true to my purpose.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjap9wdBHkh1bcTdkPZiZseJeF9oGG3OnTQiX_Zq4j73ZMtrln6lR4oJFDS_SkyyzTKzXz6bJivjfB3twMhO2MTqBbxc61Co8zPnS38JC2kAWpHxI2PTXs93qFMQ3AuD4mCfBkmkwrS9lEX/s1600/DSCN0028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjap9wdBHkh1bcTdkPZiZseJeF9oGG3OnTQiX_Zq4j73ZMtrln6lR4oJFDS_SkyyzTKzXz6bJivjfB3twMhO2MTqBbxc61Co8zPnS38JC2kAWpHxI2PTXs93qFMQ3AuD4mCfBkmkwrS9lEX/s1600/DSCN0028.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWBHI8vrkhZ7znNdJWb1NE4grKv-1Is5O0OPKCWGTljLO6MENu5AFq0tHXt6RiJ-hKoR51cj_xLSay3tYwzBaXLXUVmr06lkJ1GJOh4ntjc0W7VK8vC6kdbTAW5Rr7tkjdduU8StPhiSkL/s1600/DSCN0029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWBHI8vrkhZ7znNdJWb1NE4grKv-1Is5O0OPKCWGTljLO6MENu5AFq0tHXt6RiJ-hKoR51cj_xLSay3tYwzBaXLXUVmr06lkJ1GJOh4ntjc0W7VK8vC6kdbTAW5Rr7tkjdduU8StPhiSkL/s1600/DSCN0029.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWb85wcJPzro5N0fCO90BKkr9fiwlV82NRrkvDHVljJhbq0npj886ih91X_z469gBuYSbL8TlOYLazSJSrb0bAldVdd3KBEwb3QzG2pg8nmiF1CxOpWjsHc4E2hW-Nf6boIfdFpWWMKHEU/s1600/DSCN0030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWb85wcJPzro5N0fCO90BKkr9fiwlV82NRrkvDHVljJhbq0npj886ih91X_z469gBuYSbL8TlOYLazSJSrb0bAldVdd3KBEwb3QzG2pg8nmiF1CxOpWjsHc4E2hW-Nf6boIfdFpWWMKHEU/s1600/DSCN0030.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7j2M1wCzhI8jx4ty1TkJSejswRGaqgjd05s6lR38Eeu6N_bmWNBffhojvuRMApufetehyphenhyphenMvJbH2FfANWgyLVQ0tpY7N5sOvz_AdDhAmbZrGzrf-YkSiqU4Vrs8ZzRqW8kBeRhdiOx3-17/s1600/DSCN0031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7j2M1wCzhI8jx4ty1TkJSejswRGaqgjd05s6lR38Eeu6N_bmWNBffhojvuRMApufetehyphenhyphenMvJbH2FfANWgyLVQ0tpY7N5sOvz_AdDhAmbZrGzrf-YkSiqU4Vrs8ZzRqW8kBeRhdiOx3-17/s1600/DSCN0031.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
february will be a better month for me in this challenge.<br />
<br />
next month's theme: words.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433116091990605168.post-37334388642757043352015-01-02T00:00:00.000-06:002015-01-02T00:00:07.973-06:00on new challenges.so this year, instead of an official reading challenge, i've opted for a photography challenge.<br />
<br />
photography has always been a love of mine--waxing and waning from time to time as other interests/necessities took its place. i miss it often.<br />
<br />
i was gifted with a beautiful new camera for christmas, so a photography challenge feels right.<br />
<br />
i've looked at a lot of photo challenges lately, some 30 day, some 52 week. i haven't really found what i was looking for in terms of a schedule, though, so i'm creating my own.<br />
<br />
mine will be a twelve month challenge, each month having its own theme. <br />
<br />
i will take pictures within the theme and post at least one of them here along with a description of where/when/why the photo is taken and (if it's not obvious) how it fits the theme. there will likely be more than one posted, but one is my absolute minimum.<br />
<br />
here, in order, are the themes to come this year:<br />
<br />
january: family<br />
february: words<br />
march: starts with b<br />
april: technology<br />
may: flowers<br />
june: vertical<br />
july: blue<br />
august: books<br />
september: pet<br />
october: bokeh<br />
november: self-portrait<br />
december: hobby<br />
<br />
ready or not, here we go!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433116091990605168.post-19232177407767229602015-01-01T00:00:00.000-06:002015-01-01T00:00:00.469-06:00on 2014.<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">2014 is over, so here's the obligatory year in rewind:</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><b>worst parts:</b> losing pets, one super sick puppy, mystery illnesses</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br /><b>best parts:</b> new tech, getting one super sick puppy worlds better, various vacays, lockhart BBQ, awesome movies, amazing books, incredible coworkers</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><b>in 2014, i resolved to:</b></span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">1) embark on a new book challenge (i don't know what it will look like yet, but i need to do something)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">--done and done. i challenged myself to read 60 books this year, and i was successful. this blog has been one big book list this year.</span><br /><span style="color: purple;">2) continue learning and growing as a teacher</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">--i accepted a new tech-based role in addition to my regular teaching load this year and it has been SPLENDID! in addition, i've presented at my first conference and have the second one all lined up. done.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">3) work on accepting bad news in a productive manner</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #e69138; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">--this one's a fail as there have been a lot of not so great moments this year. i've dealt with a ton of anxiety issues as a result, so this one is still a work in progress.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><b>in 2015, i will:</b></span><span style="color: #0b5394;">1) Embark on a new challenge--probably photography based</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">2) Write more. </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><b>best of 2014 </b>(the best things i've encountered this year [either truly great or awesomely bad or entertaining])</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">books:<br />*<i>the ocean at the end of the lane</i> - neil gaiman<br />*<i>the coldest girl in coldtown</i> – holly black<br />*<i>the book of life </i>trilogy – deborah harkness<br />*<i>bones never lie</i> – kathy reichs<br /><br />movies:<br />*<i>american hustle</i><br />*<i>captain america: the winter soldier</i><br />*<i>interstellar</i><br />*<i>mockingjay, part 1</i></span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><br /> </span></b><br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="color: #351c75;">2013 in review (quotes from my dear neglected blog):</span></b><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;" />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">enero: "</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">so it begins: a new book challenge for 2014.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">"</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br />febrero: "</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">all in all, this was a deeply moving text for a reason i can't quite put my finger on. well done, mr. egan."</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br /><br />marzo: "</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">fun. campy. a bit preachy at times. basically everything the television show is condensed into a book.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">"</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;">abril: "<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">the cliffhangers! </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><span style="line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">the revelations! </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">the theories abound!"</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">mayo: "</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">i'm currently developing a harry potter class grounded in narratology, so i picked this book up hoping for a good biblical allegorical interpretation."</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br />junio: "</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">sidenote--his </span><i style="font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">psychopath test</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> is the book that taught me it was okay to cull--to just stop and put a book down in the middle if you aren't getting anything out of the read.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> "</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;">julio: no posts<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br />agosto: "</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">while i hesitate to proclaim that this text is better than ender's game, i do think it surpasses it in engaging audience sympathies and leaving the reader satisfied at the end. if not better, it is certainly as good."</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br />setiembro: "</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">awesome. fun. totally not my usual read. i flew through this series really quickly because it was just an absolute joy to read."</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br /><br />octubro: no posts<br /><br />noviembro: "</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">it's the middle of the semester...actually almost the end. blogging has been light, and i've been terrible about keeping up with the books i've been reading here. but i have been reading."</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br /><br />deciembro: "</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 1.4;">i'm done! i have succeeded! if only every challenge could be this easy..."</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433116091990605168.post-16277793175440243212014-12-19T07:19:00.000-06:002014-12-19T07:19:05.218-06:00on books 57-60.<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Just Another Hand'; font-size: 42px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; position: relative;">
<span style="font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 1.4;">i'm done! i have succeeded! if only every challenge could be this easy...</span></h3>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4732834562953328608" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 598.181823730469px;">
<br />here's a brief recap of books 57 through 60:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">book 57 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"> <i>jurassic park</i> by michael crichton</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348796998m/7677.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348796998m/7677.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">thoughts:</b></div>
<span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><i>jurassic park</i> is easily still one of my favorite movies (totally nerding out over <i>jurassic world</i>, btw), so i thought it was time to read the book.</span></span></div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4732834562953328608" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 598.181823730469px;">
<span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4732834562953328608" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 598.181823730469px;">
<span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><i>sidenote: i hate the adage that the book is always better than the movie. in fact, i teach a class in comparative studies where my students aren't allowed to make that claim. the book and the movie are distinct entities created by vastly different artists for incredibly remote purposes. </i></span></span></div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4732834562953328608" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 598.181823730469px;">
<span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4732834562953328608" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; position: relative; width: 598.181823730469px;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">after reading the book, i can safely say that the movie was...different. the movie was a traditional translation of the text, meaning some major plot pieces were changed to </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">accommodate</span><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"> the medium, but that the sense of the plot as a whole and the major themes present in the text were retained. </span></span></div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4732834562953328608" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; position: relative; width: 598.181823730469px;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4732834562953328608" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; position: relative; width: 598.181823730469px;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">all said, the book was obsessively entertaining, and i still love the movie. i consider this a triumphant success!</span></span></div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4732834562953328608" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; position: relative; text-align: center; width: 598.181823730469px;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">________________________________________________</span></span></div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4732834562953328608" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; position: relative; text-align: center; width: 598.181823730469px;">
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4732834562953328608" itemprop="description articleBody" style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; position: relative; text-align: start; width: 598.181823730469px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">book 58 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"> <i>the davinci code</i> by dan brown</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.4; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1303252999m/968.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1303252999m/968.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">thoughts:</b></div>
<span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">again a book i saw as a movie first. again a traditional translation. again entertaining in its own right.</span></div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4732834562953328608" itemprop="description articleBody" style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; position: relative; text-align: start; width: 598.181823730469px;">
<span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4732834562953328608" itemprop="description articleBody" style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; position: relative; text-align: start; width: 598.181823730469px;">
<span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">what a delicious and perfectly nerdy read this was. so much so, that i plan on reading the other books in the series.</span></div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4732834562953328608" itemprop="description articleBody" style="position: relative; width: 598.181823730469px;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">________________________________________________</span></span></div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4732834562953328608" itemprop="description articleBody" style="position: relative; width: 598.181823730469px;">
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4732834562953328608" itemprop="description articleBody" style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; position: relative; text-align: start; width: 598.181823730469px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">book 59 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"> <i>after the end</i> by amy plum</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1380827849m/13601681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1380827849m/13601681.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.4; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">thoughts:</b></div>
<span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">dude. based on the description of this book, i thought it was going to be awesome. </span></div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4732834562953328608" itemprop="description articleBody" style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; position: relative; text-align: start; width: 598.181823730469px;">
<span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4732834562953328608" itemprop="description articleBody" style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; position: relative; text-align: start; width: 598.181823730469px;">
<span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">the description was completely misleading and wrong, but it was still an enjoyable book. </span></div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4732834562953328608" itemprop="description articleBody" style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; position: relative; text-align: start; width: 598.181823730469px;">
<span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4732834562953328608" itemprop="description articleBody" style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; position: relative; text-align: start; width: 598.181823730469px;">
<span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">i plan on reading the second part when it comes out early next year.</span></div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4732834562953328608" itemprop="description articleBody" style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; position: relative; text-align: center; width: 598.181823730469px;">
<span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">________________________________________________</span></div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4732834562953328608" itemprop="description articleBody" style="position: relative; text-align: start; width: 598.181823730469px;">
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4732834562953328608" itemprop="description articleBody" style="position: relative; width: 598.181823730469px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">book 60 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"> <i>talon</i> by julie kagawa</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1397581124m/17331828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1397581124m/17331828.jpg" width="138" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">thoughts:</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">so i've read a lot of YA. i tend to think that good YA has a lot to say to all age groups, not just teens.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">this book had such promise for a YA fantasy novel--a race of dragons hidden within the human world, hunting and being hunted.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px;">
<span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">yeah. not so much. this book sucked. it was ultimately a piece of dribble that focused far too much on a YA love triangle and a weak protagonist. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px;">
<span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px;">
<span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">i *almost* culled this one so many times, but i received it as a gift and i felt it was only right to see it through to the end.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px;">
disappointing as my last official read of the challenge.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px;">
<b>currently reading: </b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><b>#61:</b> <i>the lost symbol</i> by dan brown (more semiotics fun!)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><b>#62:</b><i> the martian</i> by andy weir (just started and loving it, if slightly wigged out over the concept)</span></span></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4732834562953328608" itemprop="description articleBody" style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; position: relative; text-align: center; width: 598.181823730469px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433116091990605168.post-47328345629533286082014-11-19T17:27:00.002-06:002014-11-19T17:27:45.545-06:00on books 45-56.it's the middle of the semester...actually almost the end. blogging has been light, and i've been terrible about keeping up with the books i've been reading here. but i have been reading.<br />
<br />
here's a brief recap of books 45 through 56:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">book 45 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"> <i>mockingjay </i>by suzanne collins.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358275419m/7260188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358275419m/7260188.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">thoughts:</b></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">this is a reread that, i must admit, i reread solely to guess where the movie will split in half. for the record, i think they'll cut it just as peeta tries to kill katniss upon being rescued from the capital and brought to district 13. the movie comes out tomorrow. we'll see if i'm right.</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">---------------------------------------------</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">book 46 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"> <i>madonna and the corpse </i>by jefferson bass</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1357072047m/13615823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1357072047m/13615823.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">thoughts:</b></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">thought i might catch up with an old anthropology fave. TERRIBLE IDEA.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">---------------------------------------------</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">book 47 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"> <i>season to taste </i>by natalie young</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1404479666m/18774023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1404479666m/18774023.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">thoughts:</b></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">this is a story about a woman who kills her husband then proceeds to cook and eat him, piece by piece. i don't think i've ever been so disgusted while reading. this was made worse by the fact that there is literally no point to this book and the narrator isn't remotely sympathetic.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">---------------------------------------------</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">book 48 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"> <i>the fever </i>by megan abbott</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1381359885m/18656036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1381359885m/18656036.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">thoughts:</b></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">i appreciated the mixed narrative here, but overall the book was forgettable.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">---------------------------------------------</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">book 49 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"><i> conversion </i>by katherine howe</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1381742575m/18667792.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1381742575m/18667792.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">thoughts:</b></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">basically the same book as <i>the fever</i>, with some minor changes. better, but still not great.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">---------------------------------------------</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">book 50 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"> <i>what if? </i>by randall munroe</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1394648139m/21413662.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1394648139m/21413662.jpg" width="154" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">thoughts:</b></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">best. book. ever. i mean, how can a book that explores the science behind some super crazy hypothetical situations be bad? it's not. it's great.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">---------------------------------------------</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">book 51 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"> <i>bones never lie </i>by kathy reichs</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1394666544m/19322169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1394666544m/19322169.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">thoughts:</b></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">after being burned by jefferson bass, i was afraid this book would let me down. it did not. it was just as fun as i remember the series being, and the twist at the end was EPIC!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">---------------------------------------------</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">book 52 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"> <i>the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy </i>by douglas adams</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327656754m/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327656754m/11.jpg" width="121" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">thoughts:</b></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">how have i never read this before? douglas adams: that's a frood who really knows where his towel is.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">---------------------------------------------</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">book 53 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"> <i>into the darkest corner </i>by elizabeth haynes</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355923186m/15818362.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355923186m/15818362.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">thoughts:</b></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">while initially disappointed in the book, it eventually wormed its way into my head. elizabeth haynes is sick and twisted. like gillian flynn.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">---------------------------------------------</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">book 54</b><b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"> of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"> <i>the 5th wave </i>by rick yancey</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1359853842m/16101128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1359853842m/16101128.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">thoughts:</b></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">wow. twists and turns aplenty. some you see coming, others sneak up and completely catch you off guard. good little book.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">---------------------------------------------</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">book 55 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"> <i>not that kind of girl </i>by lena dunham</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1402816003m/20588698.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1402816003m/20588698.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">thoughts:</b></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">i don't get lena dunham. <i>girls </i>is funny. dunham is funny in acceptance speeches and interviews. this book is not. it reads very preachy--and quite a bit like an essay written for a class. i think i'll stick to amy poehler and tina fey.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">---------------------------------------------</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">book 56 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"> <i>harry potter for nerds: essays for fans, academics, and lit geeks </i>by travis prenzi</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347954797m/12094240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347954797m/12094240.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">thoughts:</b></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">after having an epiphany about another narrative style that can be applied to the harry potter series, i just had to have this book. it's awesome. and nerdy. and wonderful.</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433116091990605168.post-71543237955636336212014-09-18T15:20:00.002-05:002014-09-18T15:20:14.934-05:00on books 42-44.<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">book 42 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"> <i>the battle of the labyrinth </i>by rick riordan.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">date started:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"> 8.11.14</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>date completed: </b> 9.16.14</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400602912l/2120932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400602912l/2120932.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"></span>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">thoughts:</b><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">ehhh. i'm quickly losing steam with this series. it's still fun, but i'm glad to be through this one.</span></span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px; text-align: center;">
-----------------------------------------------------------------------</div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px; text-align: start;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">book 43 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"> <i>the last olympian </i>by rick riordan.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px; text-align: start;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">date started:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"> 8.11.14</span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; text-align: start;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>date completed: </b> 9.16.14</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327924597l/4502507.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327924597l/4502507.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; text-align: start;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
</div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; text-align: start;">
<b style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">thoughts:</b><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">much better than the previous book. glad i read the series, but it's nowhere near as good as harry potter.</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;">
-----------------------------------------------------------------------</div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px; text-align: start;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">book 44 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"> <i>doll bones </i>by holly black.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px; text-align: start;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">date started:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"> 9.15.14</span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; text-align: start;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>date completed: </b> 9.18.14</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1357922357l/15944406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1357922357l/15944406.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; text-align: start;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<b style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">thoughts:</b><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">i'm not sure how she manages, but black consistently puts together creepy and cute in a way that works. this book has a little bit of everything and just enough nostalgia to make it work. while definitely not as great as <i>the coldest girl in coldtown</i>, it is a terrifically fun little novella.</span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433116091990605168.post-3411135236622254732014-09-14T17:29:00.005-05:002014-09-14T17:29:40.999-05:00on books 38-41.<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">book 38 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"> <i>lost girls: an unsolved american mystery </i>by robert kolker.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">date started:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"> 8.26.14</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>date completed: </b> 9.3.14</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1369820015l/16248146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1369820015l/16248146.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">thoughts:</b><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">sucko. kolker does a good job of narrating these womens' lives, but ultimately there's just not enough difference or intrigue here to carry the story through.</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
-----------------------------------------------------------------------</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">book 39 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"> <i>a discovery of witches </i>by deborah harkness.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">date started:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"> 8.26.14</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>date completed: </b> 9.1.14</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1322168805l/8667848.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1322168805l/8667848.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">thoughts:</b><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">awesome. fun. totally not my usual read. i flew through this series really quickly because it was just an absolute joy to read.</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
-----------------------------------------------------------------------</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">book 40 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"> <i>shadow of night </i>by deborah harkness.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">date started:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"> 9.1.14</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>date completed: </b> 9.7.14</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320604137l/11559200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320604137l/11559200.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">thoughts:</b><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">awesome. fun. totally not my usual read. i flew through this series really quickly because it was just an absolute joy to read.</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
-----------------------------------------------------------------------</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">book 41 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"> <i>the book of life </i>by deborah harkness.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">date started:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"> 9.7.14</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>date completed: </b> 9.13.14</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389281784l/16054217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389281784l/16054217.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 22.1759986877441px;">thoughts:</b><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.4545450210571px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">awesome. fun. totally not my usual read. i flew through this series really quickly because it was just an absolute joy to read.</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433116091990605168.post-16360404778600366432014-08-27T18:49:00.001-05:002014-08-27T18:49:30.378-05:00on book 37.<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">book 37 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"> <i>ender's shadow</i> by orson scott card.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">date started:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"> 8.18.14</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>date completed: </b> 8.26.14</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; line-height: 20.15999984741211px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; line-height: 20.15999984741211px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388177923l/9532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388177923l/9532.jpg" width="217" /></a></div>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">thoughts:</b><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">i love <i>ender's game</i>, and this is its companion text. i *really* doubted that it would be as good. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">bean, the main character, can come across as a bit whiny, but he is (dare i say it) a more sympathetic character than ender. even as he tries to ignore/hate/avoid ender while constantly being compared to him, bean grows to love and respect his future commander.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">always the smartest in the room and ahead of everyone else, bean figures out the secret of the ansible and does the right thing for his team. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">ender may be the hero, but bean deserves just as much credit. maybe even more given his unusual birth and genetic history.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">while i hesitate to proclaim that this text is better than ender's game, i do think it surpasses it in engaging audience sympathies and leaving the reader satisfied at the end. if not better, it is certainly as good.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">mr. card, i may despise your politics, but i love your art. please keep writing.</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433116091990605168.post-43820445356072831242014-08-13T08:37:00.001-05:002014-08-27T18:37:36.643-05:00on book 36.<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">book 36 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"> <i>bibliography and the sociology of texts</i> by d.f. mckenzie</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">date started:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"> 8.7.14</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>date completed: </b> 8.11.14</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348272783l/1742731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348272783l/1742731.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;"></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">thoughts:</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">this book was a total mindfuck. seriously. BLEW. MY. MIND.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">i have read a lot of bibliographical studies books in my life, and with that prior knowledge i have decided that this guy is the macdaddy of bib. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">much of the material in this book was written in 1986, but mckenzie is able to foresee technological changes to text that hadn't even been conceived of yet. much like bradbury, he seems to *know* what's coming. what an incredible mind.</span></span><br />
<br />
because of this text, i have a plan to merge two major research projects that i have been frustrated with for some time AND some excellent source material to back up my claims.<br />
<br />
i heart d.f. mckenzie.<!--3-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433116091990605168.post-80114399725716219922014-08-10T10:28:00.001-05:002014-08-10T10:28:28.984-05:00on book 35.<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">book 35 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"> <i>the titan's curse</i> by rick riordan</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">date started:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"> 7.28.14</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>date completed: </b> 8.7.14</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400602804l/561456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400602804l/561456.jpg" width="220" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">thoughts:</b><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">better than the second because it breaks form just a bit. still a really fun, easy series, even if it is younger YA.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433116091990605168.post-4041467551059009202014-08-07T07:47:00.001-05:002014-08-07T07:47:57.656-05:00on books 31-34 and catching up<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">i've been on vacation since the beginning of july, which apparently means no thinking or writing. i have been reading though, so here's the lowdown:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">book 31 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"> <i>one more thing</i> by b.j. novak</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">date started:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"> 7.3.14</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>date completed: </b>around 7.12.14</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2FxhTn9cEhI/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2FxhTn9cEhI/maxresdefault.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;" />
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>thoughts:</b></span></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">i appreciated a lot of the stories in this book. they were humorous and literally made me laugh out loud, which is quite a feat.</span></span><br />
<br />
some stories were just ok, as is usually the case with a collection. all in all, i enjoyed this one.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
---------------------------------------</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">book 32 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"> t<i>he sea of monsters</i> by rick riordan</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">date started:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"> 7.13.14</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>date completed: </b>around 7.15.14</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/46/PercySeamonsters.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/46/PercySeamonsters.gif" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">thoughts:</b><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">not quite as fun as the first one, but they are quick, entertaining, and it's fun to guess who's who in the ancient greek world.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
---------------------------------------</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">book 33 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"> <i>to kill a mockingbird</i> by harper lee</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">date started:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"> 7.16.14</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>date completed: </b>around 7.21.14</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://talesuntangled.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/mockingbird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://talesuntangled.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/mockingbird.jpg" height="320" width="199" /></a></div>
<br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">thoughts:</b><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">this is another re-read. i have read this text every year since high school and intend on continuing to do so. there's something about july that just screams for TKAM--maybe it's the description of the heat in maycomb...maybe it's that this is an incredible piece of writing that yearns to be read wholly and all at once.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;"><br /></span></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
---------------------------------------</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">book 34 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"> <i>fahrenheit 451</i> by ray bradbury</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">date started:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"> 7.23.14</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>date completed: </b>around 7.25.14</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://litstack.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/fahrenheit-451-book-cover1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://litstack.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/fahrenheit-451-book-cover1.jpg" height="320" width="193" /></a></div>
<br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">thoughts:</b><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">this is another re-read. i have read this text every year since middle school and intend on continuing to do so. my love of bradbury is rather apparent to all who know me or read this blog regularly (i mean, i named my dog after a character in it!), so i needn't say a lot here other than this text is so rich that i find something new every time i read it. amazing.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;"><b>probable next read: </b>finishing <i>the goldfinch</i> by donna tartt (which might happen one day...we'll see...)</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433116091990605168.post-27219089700891845432014-06-27T11:16:00.000-05:002014-06-27T11:16:05.778-05:00on book 30 and the half way point.<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">i'm halfway done with my challenge and right on schedule, yo!</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">book 30 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"> <i>the death cure</i> by james dashner</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d3hgnfpzeohxco.cloudfront.net/images/ar/97819084/9781908435200/0/0/plain/the-death-cure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d3hgnfpzeohxco.cloudfront.net/images/ar/97819084/9781908435200/0/0/plain/the-death-cure.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">date started:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"> 6.24.2014</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>date completed: </b>6.27.2014</span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>thoughts:</b></span></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">y'all, i tried. i really did. i HATED the first book so much. the second one was much better. this one was somewhere in the middle. </span></span><br />
<br />
i don't think i'll move on to the prequel. james dashner, i'm done.<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;"><b>probable next read:</b> i have absolutely no idea. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433116091990605168.post-22808231448318603422014-06-27T11:11:00.003-05:002014-06-27T11:16:32.334-05:00on book 29.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">book 29 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"> <i>cartwheel</i> by jennifer dubois</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://accidentalmoments.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/91qucklb8nl-_sl1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://accidentalmoments.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/91qucklb8nl-_sl1500_.jpg" height="320" width="214" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /><b>date started:</b> 6.15.2014<br /><b>date completed: </b>6.21.2014</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>thoughts:</b></span></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Puritan;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;">i think i like this book. it was engaging, and generally easy to read. the fact that it was<strike> ripped off from</strike> inspired by the amanda knox case neither troubled or interested me--it was simply just a book.</span></span><br />
<br />
similar to my experience with marisha pessl, though, the ending just kind of fizzled out for me. there was so much build up about the main character's uniqueness and difference from those around her that the ending felt like a cheat. instead of working through all the interesting parts of this girl, dubois just stops. she gives you resolution, but noting feels resolved. i did enjoy the fact that we never really find out what happened, especially since the details don't matter as much as the characters in this book.<br />
<br />
but maybe the dissatisfaction is the point. read the book and that sentence will make sense.<br />
<br />
i don't know that i'd recommend this to anyone, but it certainly wasn't bad.<br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;"><b>probable next read: </b><i>the death cure </i>by james dashner</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433116091990605168.post-85737354750049323482014-06-15T11:50:00.002-05:002014-06-15T11:50:57.234-05:00on books 25, 26, 27, and 28.<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><span style="font-size: 17px;">i'm a bit behind. on the blog, that is. i'm right on track with my reading goal, but since i'm teaching summer classes, i have VERY LITTLE time to do any writing of my own. in fact, i should be grading and prepping classes for tomorrow as i type this very sentence, so this post will cover four books instead of one.</span><b style="font-size: 17px;"> </b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><b style="font-size: 17px;">book 25 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 17px;"> <i>lost at sea: the jon ronson mysteries</i> by jon ronson</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /><b>date started:</b> 5.24.2014<br /><b>date completed: </b>6.9.2014</span></span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;" />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5f/Lost_at_Sea,_The_Jon_Ronson_Mysteries-_Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5f/Lost_at_Sea,_The_Jon_Ronson_Mysteries-_Cover.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><b style="font-family: inherit;">thoughts:</b></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>
</b></span>ugh...<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">i have...trouble...with jon ronson. i adored<i> them: adventures with extremists</i>, and was entertained by <i>the men who stare at goats</i>, but i've abhored everything else he's ever written. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">sidenote--his <i>psychopath test</i> is the book that taught me it was okay to cull--to just stop and put a book down in the middle if you aren't getting anything out of the read.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">so i was doubtful when i picked this one up. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">it was fine. fine, not good, not bad--just fine. the stories were quick, engaging, and varied. i tolerated them and even found a few to be downright interesting/entertaining.</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">*************************************** </span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><b style="font-size: 17px;">book 26 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 17px;"> <i>four short stories</i> by emile zola</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /><b>date started:</b> 6.3.2014<br /><b>date completed: </b>6.8.2014</span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;" />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347261979l/1480749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347261979l/1480749.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><b style="font-family: inherit;">thoughts:</b></b></span></div>
amazing, spectacular, peculiar, sad, and beautiful. everything you would expect from the master that is zola. <br />
<br />
seriously, "the death of olivier becaille" might be the best piece of short fiction i've read in a very long time.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">*************************************** </span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><b style="font-size: 17px;">book 27 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 17px;"> <i>percy jackson and the lightning thief</i> by rick riordan</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /><b>date started:</b> 6.5.2014<br /><b>date completed: </b>6.12.2014</span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;" />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.layers-of-learning.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/percy-jackson1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.layers-of-learning.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/percy-jackson1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><b style="font-family: inherit;">thoughts:</b></b></span></div>
while this book series tracks a bit younger on the YA spectrum, A LOT of my students love it, so i thought i would check it out.<br />
<br />
it was fun, lighthearted, and a delight to read. i'm a sucker for ancient mythology, so it was great fun to see how a contemporary writer could work figures like medusa into contemporary settings. so much fun!<br />
<br />
i plan on continuing in the series, when i get to it...<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">*************************************** </span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><b style="font-size: 17px;">book 27 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 17px;"> <i>confessions of a latter day virgin: a memoir</i> by nicole hardy</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /><b>date started:</b> 6.12.2014<br /><b>date completed: </b>6.15.2014</span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;" />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51FbdScXPQL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51FbdScXPQL.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><b style="font-family: inherit;">thoughts:</b></b></span></div>
so i've had this memoir on my to be read for a long time, and some of my friends have read it and rated it highly, so i thought i would check it out. plus, i've been craving a bit of narrative non-fiction, so this definitely fits the bill.<br />
<br />
while this is a book very much about sex, and the writer's lack of it and quest for it, there is deeper, much more substantial material at work here.<br />
<br />
hardy was, as the title implies, a mormon woman who chose, after suffering from an extreme case of cognitive dissonance, to leave the church. the reasons for her split are multi-layered, only one of those layers dealing with sex. she did not feel at home in her own society, being told that she had to be married, be a mother, and give up her career to be complete, accepted, and worthy of the eternal afterlife the LDS church touts. <br />
<br />
this book is uncomfortable. while it kind of reads like an <i>eat. pray. love. kind</i> of tome (which is totally NOT my kind of read), ultimately it is timely (given all the press on the LDS community lately) and speaks to womens' rights. <br />
<br />
i'm not sure what, exactly, i think of this book, but i'm glad i read it. i think there is always value in understanding that difference exists in the world and that we, as individuals, don't always fit where we imagine we should/will.<br />
<br />
<b>probable next read: </b><i>cartwheel</i> by jennifer duboisUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433116091990605168.post-25975462125182361302014-06-02T22:24:00.002-05:002014-06-02T22:24:56.377-05:00on book 24.<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><b style="font-size: 17px;">book 24 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 17px;"> <i>the extraordinary adventures of alfred kropp</i> by rick yancey</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /><b>date started:</b> 5.30.2014<br /><b>date completed: </b>6.2.2014</span></span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;" />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/bf/Extraordinaryadventuresalfred.jpg/200px-Extraordinaryadventuresalfred.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/bf/Extraordinaryadventuresalfred.jpg/200px-Extraordinaryadventuresalfred.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><b style="font-family: inherit;">thoughts:</b></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>
</b></span><br />
this was an unplanned read. a librarian friend of mine recommended it ages ago, and while it is a bit on the younger side of YA, it was a delightful, fun read.<br />
<br />
about a boy who discovers he plays a part in a larger mythos, the narrator here is a bit slow at first, and, in my opinion, asks entirely too many questions. but he is likeable and funny, so that kept me engaged.<br />
<br />
i enjoyed the interwoven mythology, despite the fact that i have a rather notorious hatred of all things historical fiction (i'm looking at you, philipa gregory!).<br />
<br />
all in all, this is a delightful book, and i look forward to reading the rest of the series.<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b> </b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>probable next read:</b> <i>lost at sea: the jon ronson mysteries </i>by
jon ronson</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433116091990605168.post-45768094046151503002014-05-25T01:00:00.000-05:002014-05-25T01:00:00.016-05:00on book 23.<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><b style="font-size: 17px;">book 23 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 17px;"> <i>one fine potion: the literary magic of harry potter</i> by greg garrett</span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /><b>date started:</b> 5.7.2014<br /><b>date completed: </b>5.23.2014</span></span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;" />
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347651276l/8310962.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347651276l/8310962.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<b style="font-family: inherit;">thoughts:</b></div>
</b></span></div>
i'm currently developing a harry potter class grounded in narratology, so i picked this book up hoping for a good biblical allegorical interpretation.<br />
<br />
i got that and more.<br />
<br />
garrett approaches the harry potter series through a christian lens, yes, but he does so in a fair and honest way. instead of the preachy-ness i feared i would find and have found to be the case in many books of this kind, i discovered a rational and refreshing argument.<br />
<br />
in addition, garrett expounded on the texts through the four levels of interpretation found in thomas aquinas' <i>summa theologica</i>, one of my favorite texts.<br />
<br />
while i did find his interpretation at the tropological level a bit weak, overall this is an interesting and compelling read. it is well written and contains some really terrific ideas and sources.<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;" /><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>probable next read:</b> <i>lost at sea: the jon ronson mysteries </i>by jon ronson (whom i REALLY don't enjoy over the course of an entire book, so we'll see how short articles strike me...we'll see)</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433116091990605168.post-64043887251300812622014-05-24T00:30:00.000-05:002014-05-24T07:46:36.757-05:00the adventures of flat kristy.meet flat kristy. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0Vyd4vLvfUTBFsUVT_edMVVUpKlkUFxa1C6OCPrWWX4v4vF34xZS6N2_2QhAy_eZY6HrmZPM-sCcjUxt90ILLciItcygaRK9YKlGpbzbq-9OaNlLKz8ZFDzXeQDhtGen5ohfRmyaTUGE/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0Vyd4vLvfUTBFsUVT_edMVVUpKlkUFxa1C6OCPrWWX4v4vF34xZS6N2_2QhAy_eZY6HrmZPM-sCcjUxt90ILLciItcygaRK9YKlGpbzbq-9OaNlLKz8ZFDzXeQDhtGen5ohfRmyaTUGE/s1600/Untitled.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></div>
<br />
flat kristy's 40th birthday is today, so she decided to take a trip to texas to visit with her family in the days leading up to the big 4-0.<br />
<br />
after she arrived, flat kristy spent some time hanging out around the house with her family. she watched some tele and smooched on some puppies.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMJzAY0d4mRlqdCITWqhwBVB2l5dLFd9RZDXnVzqFlOGq3A_kyIe8IjnNy4FK392uDzfR8khSe1FaiXbUSGKJLxWSxo_TOHdeNgqFbEXIEPHSMOUAnqA4eJd55VhW-C7OyBqkFVTpkvs3/s1600/2014-05-23+09.29.33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMJzAY0d4mRlqdCITWqhwBVB2l5dLFd9RZDXnVzqFlOGq3A_kyIe8IjnNy4FK392uDzfR8khSe1FaiXbUSGKJLxWSxo_TOHdeNgqFbEXIEPHSMOUAnqA4eJd55VhW-C7OyBqkFVTpkvs3/s1600/2014-05-23+09.29.33.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicrOol5C0QqScC8Xx1ynlNLnaQ2gQ9OtuDMMII23jaYMvkKQt51zqnBpUi3YOwh5Pv84mpfC17kMiVT6i_CsEgxAyVO9y9wHdhhuoJQLNUKiJzpV4gYLRdC3u9biTzUq0HgBz1eO6SW4Za/s1600/2014-05-23+09.21.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicrOol5C0QqScC8Xx1ynlNLnaQ2gQ9OtuDMMII23jaYMvkKQt51zqnBpUi3YOwh5Pv84mpfC17kMiVT6i_CsEgxAyVO9y9wHdhhuoJQLNUKiJzpV4gYLRdC3u9biTzUq0HgBz1eO6SW4Za/s1600/2014-05-23+09.21.59.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZQxHBlBCyrN2Jbdiz1qOs1q3Dt7Abzv2K0XzTsP-Q-Itz2H4l5wIn6FEiQ0itWw2gy_BS1k67kq2cFZtYe9zLfrsQ0L8daLesx0FbDa7lMxv-hFVQWjCcGEWX-QgbAwwrz2khouJkaVF/s1600/2014-05-23+09.22.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZQxHBlBCyrN2Jbdiz1qOs1q3Dt7Abzv2K0XzTsP-Q-Itz2H4l5wIn6FEiQ0itWw2gy_BS1k67kq2cFZtYe9zLfrsQ0L8daLesx0FbDa7lMxv-hFVQWjCcGEWX-QgbAwwrz2khouJkaVF/s1600/2014-05-23+09.22.48.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
later, she took a trip to lowes with her mom and sister to pick out some new plants for the garden.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlaPSHHC2w0SxLfAaeFIM841ULwz8KvKGsNBEZldnUoQuUJ9KvnOFTHIyGnV9C9edScfrn_wo63dfOqsjwyjXTLdoZD7QXmnhY-zEwUjzbHDezgLWy60b2rb1sA6JlQ-HhbAIpyH64XB14/s1600/2014-05-17+09.50.32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlaPSHHC2w0SxLfAaeFIM841ULwz8KvKGsNBEZldnUoQuUJ9KvnOFTHIyGnV9C9edScfrn_wo63dfOqsjwyjXTLdoZD7QXmnhY-zEwUjzbHDezgLWy60b2rb1sA6JlQ-HhbAIpyH64XB14/s1600/2014-05-17+09.50.32.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
then it was time to garden (flat kristy's favorite!). first she checked out this year's tomato crop:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZZ-jrzth1qgFeNNFa2IahFDz5fhaVKAeSjbvXO6A-p06sRQnpoRsIDgzYHrVSpZq3jqkjPbPO-14D8GJa2j0-ScexX5qsyOLKBb704OPWnv29WWsb1vKffJJT_2jM2t9Qe6gc2aC75F8x/s1600/2014-05-18+10.07.32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZZ-jrzth1qgFeNNFa2IahFDz5fhaVKAeSjbvXO6A-p06sRQnpoRsIDgzYHrVSpZq3jqkjPbPO-14D8GJa2j0-ScexX5qsyOLKBb704OPWnv29WWsb1vKffJJT_2jM2t9Qe6gc2aC75F8x/s1600/2014-05-18+10.07.32.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
then she helped trim some herbs:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXl3E88-891ZlCxP3guaKJw4WLkyGy1r67FOLFnFL4FWs4iXvMA24Bk1vKhVFu3-O3-yNgf2qn3ap_GM7M9OdMUrEfxQBQuEZ7_2Y95597X8f9PyxlgHXliTLp2RGRgphz1DLEwRD8LAv/s1600/2014-05-18+10.05.23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXl3E88-891ZlCxP3guaKJw4WLkyGy1r67FOLFnFL4FWs4iXvMA24Bk1vKhVFu3-O3-yNgf2qn3ap_GM7M9OdMUrEfxQBQuEZ7_2Y95597X8f9PyxlgHXliTLp2RGRgphz1DLEwRD8LAv/s1600/2014-05-18+10.05.23.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
just when she thought her gardening adventure was over, she met a new friend:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj14jH4EZDgY3cSx2onjQAQJ4kCYZqGgOk3dOncaELoIrpn212raebN5pYJQp7PbISvwP8GsPjl-NUuRcvBZvr_BSGrtk22zdAKCcEpgukVmpkvpqi3PTPPPM9aOd6g4s_msfwHAzjyTEuO/s1600/2014-05-18+10.08.07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj14jH4EZDgY3cSx2onjQAQJ4kCYZqGgOk3dOncaELoIrpn212raebN5pYJQp7PbISvwP8GsPjl-NUuRcvBZvr_BSGrtk22zdAKCcEpgukVmpkvpqi3PTPPPM9aOd6g4s_msfwHAzjyTEuO/s1600/2014-05-18+10.08.07.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
after she was done with her garden chores, flat kristy assisted her sister with dehydrating the herbs they picked. she was thrilled with the result:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsT3ZbMbcUID0d6xpO_LDviDS86mT3LHp69IAQiZBjNDGuhLKl0dRkD_P5fe7DACMEO_HZiNFwd7QWkcNlmqKq0NwRafgZaXBbIV4D9fXVukGgQlzninWOW_djwW-EAMuydOIqdP2YIoE/s1600/2014-05-22+12.48.05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsT3ZbMbcUID0d6xpO_LDviDS86mT3LHp69IAQiZBjNDGuhLKl0dRkD_P5fe7DACMEO_HZiNFwd7QWkcNlmqKq0NwRafgZaXBbIV4D9fXVukGgQlzninWOW_djwW-EAMuydOIqdP2YIoE/s1600/2014-05-22+12.48.05.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
the next day, flat kristy accompanied her mom and sister to the grocery store, where she found her favorite soda:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVLjDDtVjHpKNgzIhB78DKhLGb9vaUhnXf5wtIvGtjCRqreOvO-My5uF-O6mAFZLNg6xmo9e2l9csxYtneDCbtWBZFnqsBbXy960QC_QXRexukJ-z8uQDe5d3dErv-uBdgKtz-enfaQcx/s1600/2014-05-18+08.28.57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVLjDDtVjHpKNgzIhB78DKhLGb9vaUhnXf5wtIvGtjCRqreOvO-My5uF-O6mAFZLNg6xmo9e2l9csxYtneDCbtWBZFnqsBbXy960QC_QXRexukJ-z8uQDe5d3dErv-uBdgKtz-enfaQcx/s1600/2014-05-18+08.28.57.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
then it was time for some fun. first, she had dinner with a few friends at a local restaurant. because flat kristy can't get enough tex-mex, she chose cristina's mexican:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvqnT8nLbcN-CeqYxyUXtflv_gvwqL9Lsg6kLLG4Khk-OSyL6g9lQsSoW8J-RuhclaamGFU9LK0hPF6VeLHdjEOs9u6W5KjqGwho5w64EYuTzP099FQHk1ZERNzTiRWIy861f4tMY7WZ8/s1600/2014-05-17+20.00.47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvqnT8nLbcN-CeqYxyUXtflv_gvwqL9Lsg6kLLG4Khk-OSyL6g9lQsSoW8J-RuhclaamGFU9LK0hPF6VeLHdjEOs9u6W5KjqGwho5w64EYuTzP099FQHk1ZERNzTiRWIy861f4tMY7WZ8/s1600/2014-05-17+20.00.47.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
then it was off to the bookstore to see what they could find. flat kristy was quite taken with the true crime section:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiQ6zXN1CHFYV5GDAJV8HkUeB179UN7jenWc42rXDj5_tEv4JkWHG-X1o8PoaItTigAvJZm5A20d6rBUI6RW3iJBRBeTSd9afW8i52QuVLUQ7PjnXeRwHQMUEVEfy3jCrAmRF3vAnZeD8O/s1600/2014-05-17+20.34.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiQ6zXN1CHFYV5GDAJV8HkUeB179UN7jenWc42rXDj5_tEv4JkWHG-X1o8PoaItTigAvJZm5A20d6rBUI6RW3iJBRBeTSd9afW8i52QuVLUQ7PjnXeRwHQMUEVEfy3jCrAmRF3vAnZeD8O/s1600/2014-05-17+20.34.06.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
then, it was off to meet some more friends for a late showing of godzilla:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj78gl9zPT5cKcn361j2qIW9fR6e5s2_y_uc-jMEQcmkwJXahlr4l4qwOI-J4dGScFgwopmLva16nFJ7bQpcfaeF4gmueyLRiqwWQNQAbb7nooNyeGCgNxtIHfVscPIKkSwMdDCbnLqaBfT/s1600/2014-05-17+21.18.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj78gl9zPT5cKcn361j2qIW9fR6e5s2_y_uc-jMEQcmkwJXahlr4l4qwOI-J4dGScFgwopmLva16nFJ7bQpcfaeF4gmueyLRiqwWQNQAbb7nooNyeGCgNxtIHfVscPIKkSwMdDCbnLqaBfT/s1600/2014-05-17+21.18.01.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
before the movie started, though, flat kristy got into a raging argument with a friend about which is better, orcs or elfs. flat kristy plainly lost (her elf argument was simply invalid):<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwHj5yIvmuvt44HZFnvbqfQljatG8wVrWxedWDAntXfCc7CQgIVRvIisdF4mtVGQJA_22NGsgLY61FEt9L-YRHDQTM6fOFnQpPtj-f6_SM1WHq-U_5N8-QsI9zM78O4vokQE9LYoQbuos/s1600/2014-05-17+21.18.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwHj5yIvmuvt44HZFnvbqfQljatG8wVrWxedWDAntXfCc7CQgIVRvIisdF4mtVGQJA_22NGsgLY61FEt9L-YRHDQTM6fOFnQpPtj-f6_SM1WHq-U_5N8-QsI9zM78O4vokQE9LYoQbuos/s1600/2014-05-17+21.18.36.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
the next day, she grabbed lunch with her sister at mesquite barbeque:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6F2mvbNfuUbnWl2yqd2kCrSoIoChApYIrtiU8G6y-bCcPTwL-Zif8L7yqf9J-BhteLAplsJH4usuEV7r18rCowV_QNOBkrjY47NCAfrLi18Kx36Fs43A_xbLuDRqkIvPgTR4UYluNI95A/s1600/2014-05-22+12.25.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6F2mvbNfuUbnWl2yqd2kCrSoIoChApYIrtiU8G6y-bCcPTwL-Zif8L7yqf9J-BhteLAplsJH4usuEV7r18rCowV_QNOBkrjY47NCAfrLi18Kx36Fs43A_xbLuDRqkIvPgTR4UYluNI95A/s1600/2014-05-22+12.25.55.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3lZX7JGRGe8Y4eZC6TRjB6ye0egLtCoceWS7-8YwPFjWpTsjLg_T6C_f2nPsck1mXgYZ81PZqGKcSlQ9WTOUePspbVbZl8IsW36SKFDNhxBQkigI3oAPuCXYjDnYa5MOsbquhPQ3W_Qy5/s1600/2014-05-22+12.47.23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3lZX7JGRGe8Y4eZC6TRjB6ye0egLtCoceWS7-8YwPFjWpTsjLg_T6C_f2nPsck1mXgYZ81PZqGKcSlQ9WTOUePspbVbZl8IsW36SKFDNhxBQkigI3oAPuCXYjDnYa5MOsbquhPQ3W_Qy5/s1600/2014-05-22+12.47.23.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
then flat kristy tried to help nick find a new house:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdClLGn4q7YUs0i9SfXOCa2ljiuY8dK9vqht4kzWMv20cECTY9RYjYJgywC9UEnlvR24fVi-dk8475wQPFxlYYkfuty43tQmgK9K-078ZUmSsaclSKUtoqBsYxJ3-L-w3ZbxblKwOJhaaa/s1600/2014-05-23+09.02.34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdClLGn4q7YUs0i9SfXOCa2ljiuY8dK9vqht4kzWMv20cECTY9RYjYJgywC9UEnlvR24fVi-dk8475wQPFxlYYkfuty43tQmgK9K-078ZUmSsaclSKUtoqBsYxJ3-L-w3ZbxblKwOJhaaa/s1600/2014-05-23+09.02.34.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
after an exhaustive search with no luck, flat kristy, her mom, sister, and nick had dinner at her favorite (and most missed restaurant), pappasitos. flat kristy enjoyed the whole experience, from picking out what she wanted to eat:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxdD_Gd4dyduI_FLHS2jltXzu5gyoNnoeKXwAqvmj3FiKpdOw9II8UsCt5relMGZGyYB9cvu8przQrZSbgcoAWsz-YInQ4GinD_dhyawluOvkvPSqad8c1QFbe2ZXr03QhOJ0_cLJ00Gz/s1600/2014-05-21+19.06.21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxdD_Gd4dyduI_FLHS2jltXzu5gyoNnoeKXwAqvmj3FiKpdOw9II8UsCt5relMGZGyYB9cvu8przQrZSbgcoAWsz-YInQ4GinD_dhyawluOvkvPSqad8c1QFbe2ZXr03QhOJ0_cLJ00Gz/s1600/2014-05-21+19.06.21.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
to snacking on chips and salsa:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCHh8Q5dtcAg2wnoc5MPQNshYcimX7m8X17lrO7KQwp1yVKP72LQ8Fy4v6RREFcft9ZjGDdQneGgXNqAEym04J6Nt3Tfv-NAdJC68TKYeBjX0-a4fGep5Kt94j-efgc0e_GRxsldBq8Z4K/s1600/2014-05-21+19.10.07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCHh8Q5dtcAg2wnoc5MPQNshYcimX7m8X17lrO7KQwp1yVKP72LQ8Fy4v6RREFcft9ZjGDdQneGgXNqAEym04J6Nt3Tfv-NAdJC68TKYeBjX0-a4fGep5Kt94j-efgc0e_GRxsldBq8Z4K/s1600/2014-05-21+19.10.07.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
to eating a delicious meal:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_1h5flKXkhuxTRNOM2NJO3W0BTlElWs8sMf5F_44on_C5tT0PWY437LZN90hFir3JM8BUKOVzBnJ3BQGrDa7-RoJN4zJ0MiiyInp3zg1t67K6WA5BhqOw6lu5xy1Th2OeDyndUIsANK_/s1600/2014-05-21+19.37.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_1h5flKXkhuxTRNOM2NJO3W0BTlElWs8sMf5F_44on_C5tT0PWY437LZN90hFir3JM8BUKOVzBnJ3BQGrDa7-RoJN4zJ0MiiyInp3zg1t67K6WA5BhqOw6lu5xy1Th2OeDyndUIsANK_/s1600/2014-05-21+19.37.04.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
to enjoying a wonderful dessert and drink:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixVtcqsh7DhMGyHsAuW8cez5_d1VChJvvCn6G36ZLgg7koVRO_Y9sYf5NOlXRQe5gCkqQTtiO-bFi4W_INDMixpxUcBeXGhN3A0knn3kgPy49ajjaVv4tjSxNuW_FH9no5SEptUTE0n76M/s1600/2014-05-21+19.56.33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixVtcqsh7DhMGyHsAuW8cez5_d1VChJvvCn6G36ZLgg7koVRO_Y9sYf5NOlXRQe5gCkqQTtiO-bFi4W_INDMixpxUcBeXGhN3A0knn3kgPy49ajjaVv4tjSxNuW_FH9no5SEptUTE0n76M/s1600/2014-05-21+19.56.33.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
flat kristy may have gotten a bit too carried away with dessert, though:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig1ttm61E9Lb0HtH2b5b_gY-acL246U3h4EwExT6VvnbYzENYA0f40mqD76PSkz7YlMrA5onpu31iYq2eIK7xu-Ac-EVV6VmHGz0Y67kdI4u67CO9GsX-4b-fTCT1BYuPd_nX3t7BcbPg2/s1600/2014-05-21+19.58.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig1ttm61E9Lb0HtH2b5b_gY-acL246U3h4EwExT6VvnbYzENYA0f40mqD76PSkz7YlMrA5onpu31iYq2eIK7xu-Ac-EVV6VmHGz0Y67kdI4u67CO9GsX-4b-fTCT1BYuPd_nX3t7BcbPg2/s1600/2014-05-21+19.58.14.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
but she pulled it together (despite being SO FULL!), and took a selfie with the family:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsY7j1oD_9etoQKn6SCt-QtJyxLD6M69nXx09lWfAFK-sw6w-pUQFJr2atK4ygQNarnneqm0LDMRVFiRU3qJ6aSTuLcuHNcDnC_eW_qEjYGxye8r84tvW4GWKR7iEHVUpN0hj84NZhNKTR/s1600/2014-05-21+20.05.39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsY7j1oD_9etoQKn6SCt-QtJyxLD6M69nXx09lWfAFK-sw6w-pUQFJr2atK4ygQNarnneqm0LDMRVFiRU3qJ6aSTuLcuHNcDnC_eW_qEjYGxye8r84tvW4GWKR7iEHVUpN0hj84NZhNKTR/s1600/2014-05-21+20.05.39.jpg" height="198" width="320" /></a></div>
but, the highlight of the evening came later when flat kristy was serenaded by a mariachi band:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8DQBBvDRwvIs7zHOZwqdiFWYrQuMj49RIxpldADeGnWNvKN5MpFjAuFPuR12GNsl_rNMUMVwF5rwyhHWF24gFf9Sxu4_xwYq00ekmQ_U8ISIuf7j0ON8sa1DjgVthqjtd-53Z5Mgds5Bq/s1600/2014-05-21+19.46.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8DQBBvDRwvIs7zHOZwqdiFWYrQuMj49RIxpldADeGnWNvKN5MpFjAuFPuR12GNsl_rNMUMVwF5rwyhHWF24gFf9Sxu4_xwYq00ekmQ_U8ISIuf7j0ON8sa1DjgVthqjtd-53Z5Mgds5Bq/s1600/2014-05-21+19.46.06.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
all in all, it was a wonderful few days. <br />
<br />
happy birthday, flat kristy!<br />
<br />
*nick said you will pay for this come july...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433116091990605168.post-9579067053870450002014-05-17T08:21:00.001-05:002014-05-17T15:36:24.014-05:00on book 22.<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><b style="font-size: 17px;">book 22 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 17px;"> <i>it happened on the way to war: a marine's path to peace </i>by rye barcott</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /><b>date started:</b> 5.6.2014<br /><b>date completed: </b>5.17.201</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://luxuryreading.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/B82743255Z.1_20110527150402_000+GNT2O2ESQ.1-0.embedded.prod_affiliate.56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://luxuryreading.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/B82743255Z.1_20110527150402_000+GNT2O2ESQ.1-0.embedded.prod_affiliate.56.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>thoughts:</b></span></div>
this book was selected by the common book committee on my campus as our campus-wide common book for 2014-2015. that means that professors throughout the campus will adopt it in their classes, structure assignments around it, and that special events will be held all year long in relation to the book and its content.<br />
<br />
i was extremely skeptical about this book.<br />
<br />
i'm not usually one for military-based narratives, so i wasn't initially thrilled with the selection, but i went ahead and adopted it and began reading.<br />
<br />
while the writing isn't wonderful and can be a bit self-indulgent at times (the writer was in his 20s at the time, so, you know, kind of excusable i guess), the story is so compelling that it takes over.<br />
<br />
about a man who, in the last year of his college career before heading into deployment as a marine, visited the kibera slum in kenya and founded a community development organization due to his experiences there, the book weaves the stories of kibera and the USMC together quite effectively.<br />
<br />
the book delves into topics like ethnic conflict, war-time mentality, good v. evil, and personal growth and development.<br />
<br />
this book contains a rich tapestry of life lessons, and i look forward to working it into my curriculum.<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>probable next read:</b> <i>the death cure </i>by james dashner</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433116091990605168.post-71343716226401708962014-05-15T18:30:00.000-05:002014-05-15T18:30:09.383-05:00on book 21.<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><b style="font-size: 17px;">book 21 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 17px;"> <i>life after life </i>by kate atkinson</span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /><b>date started:</b> 5.6.2014<br /><b>date completed: </b>5.15.2014</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQhQe369XQ0OwxsH99QoptcnOIe0zIYAiXpBbiiirf3WkkTY5xY6XKU-_UckEpqH81I78vEpilwl1iJdbhhfhtM7P2bqAIuQO4_qmvHf-HebweiAL3kWn59fxKGt8Gy1ob0xVGI8lLnphQ/s1600/Life+After+Life.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQhQe369XQ0OwxsH99QoptcnOIe0zIYAiXpBbiiirf3WkkTY5xY6XKU-_UckEpqH81I78vEpilwl1iJdbhhfhtM7P2bqAIuQO4_qmvHf-HebweiAL3kWn59fxKGt8Gy1ob0xVGI8lLnphQ/s1600/Life+After+Life.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>thoughts:</b></span></div>
very interesting book that was not at all what i thought it would be. <br />
<br />
basically the groundhog day of books, the protagonist, ursula, repeats her life until she gets it right. and there are nazis.<br />
<br />
yeah...so, that happens.<br />
<br />
all in all this is a very british book that i think i enjoyed.<br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>probable next read:</b> <i>it happened on the way to way </i>by rye barcott</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433116091990605168.post-70160139546359456602014-05-07T16:24:00.000-05:002014-05-07T16:24:10.541-05:00on book 20.<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><b style="font-size: 17px;">book 20 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 17px;"> <i>the coldest girl in coldtown </i>by holly black</span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /><b>date started:</b> 4.30.2014<br /><b>date completed: </b>5.4.2014</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.xpressoreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Coldtown.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.xpressoreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Coldtown.png" height="320" width="224" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>thoughts:</b></span></div>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">best. book. ever.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">worst. book-hangover. ever.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">seriously. this book is AWESOME. entertaining from the very first page--funny, dark, gross, a little bit angsty (but not so much that i wanted to stop reading). </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">i found myself so engrossed in the reading experience that i didn't even see the plot-twist until it was upon me. SO GOOD. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">i will definitely pick this one up and read it again.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">be warned, though: you will not be able to find another book worthy of your time right after finishing this one. give it a day or two for the book-hangover to wear off.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>probable next read:</b> <i>life after life</i> by kate atkinson</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433116091990605168.post-85131300311557723662014-04-29T07:10:00.002-05:002014-04-29T07:10:43.547-05:00on book 19.<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><b style="font-size: 17px;">book 18 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 17px;"> <i>the scorch trials</i></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 17px;"> </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 17px;">by james dashner</span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /><b>date started:</b> 4.22.2014<br /><b>date completed: </b>4.29.2014</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6w6mAb99Rkip6zJqYUsEyqPrI5o-6wcdyPMQBN9-9v545YDZ-T1pS3y1GqPMQ4hF5qEMiVN8tK9j2ykSkwaEAVXOWecEZGC6tTLBXupWU6LHcidHWu4pjob6DpZaWUConvZ8qyUq76EVi/s1600/7631105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6w6mAb99Rkip6zJqYUsEyqPrI5o-6wcdyPMQBN9-9v545YDZ-T1pS3y1GqPMQ4hF5qEMiVN8tK9j2ykSkwaEAVXOWecEZGC6tTLBXupWU6LHcidHWu4pjob6DpZaWUConvZ8qyUq76EVi/s1600/7631105.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>thoughts:</b></span></div>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">i abhorred the first book in this series. it was poorly written schlock, in my humble opinion. on the recommendation of a couple respected book-lovers, i went ahead with this book.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">it is MUCH better. dashner doesn't repeat himself endlessly and dance around as many unnecessary secrets here. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">there are a couple moments where zoning out took over, but they pass quickly and the end is definitely enticing enough to carry me into the next book.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">all in all, not great, but not bad, either. </span></span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>probable next read:</b> <i>the coldest girl in coldtown </i>by holly black</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433116091990605168.post-53219174345072715512014-04-22T22:05:00.002-05:002014-04-22T22:05:20.964-05:00on book 18.<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><b style="font-size: 17px;">book 18 of 60:</b><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 17px;"> <i>a dance with dragons</i></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 17px;"> </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 17px;">by george r. r. martin</span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /><b>date started:</b> 3.21.2014<br /><b>date completed: </b>4.22.2014</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.racheltheriveter.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/dance-with-dragons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.racheltheriveter.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/dance-with-dragons.jpg" height="320" width="291" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>thoughts:</b></span></div>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">the book that would never end. i am now officially caught up with <i>the song of fire and ice </i>series, and while this book wasn't my favorite (in that it moved the central plot forward but a millimeter and was SOOOOOOOO long), i am left desirous of book six. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">the cliffhangers! </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">the revelations!</span></span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
the theories abound!</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
i really can't say too much about this book and it's key bits without revealing MAJOR spoilers, so i'll just say this: it's not as bad as <i>a feast for crows</i>, but it's definitely not one of the best books in the series.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.17599868774414px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>probable next read:</b> <i>the scorch trials</i> by james dashner. i HATED the first book in this series, but i've been told by numerous trustworthy sources that the second is much better. we'll see.</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433116091990605168.post-6486133623970737082014-04-07T18:49:00.001-05:002014-04-13T20:59:05.025-05:00on book 17.<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-size: 17px;">book 17 of 60:</b><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 17px;"> <i>writing machines</i></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 17px;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 17px;">by n. katherine hayles</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /><b>date started:</b> 3.20.2014<br /><b>date completed: </b>4.6.2014</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: start;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4bd0LHCE0kBzSDJBpm_EsayTEh-OPGzViAjiuvIGihmisAUpUT5eb5jtNQlPT42S7nVsWfj_lvzlLyrort2hHqP1Wvm36CGdOzst7cQkN9gvuhwv-U0Zc_aqbhZM8njKzbLnECfR9oC-5/s640/blogger-image--103497283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4bd0LHCE0kBzSDJBpm_EsayTEh-OPGzViAjiuvIGihmisAUpUT5eb5jtNQlPT42S7nVsWfj_lvzlLyrort2hHqP1Wvm36CGdOzst7cQkN9gvuhwv-U0Zc_aqbhZM8njKzbLnECfR9oC-5/s640/blogger-image--103497283.jpg" /></a></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: start;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: start;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>thoughts:</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">this is another book for a research project, which may sound incredibly boring to some. about the ways in which text and technology cooperate to create meaning, and as such should be considered inseperable, hayles presents ideas here that are not only interesting and fresh but, in my opinion, woefully overdue.</span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">i did not think research on textual studies could get better than jerome mcgann...until i found hayles. AMAZING.<br /><br /><b>probable next read:</b> on hold. i'm in the middle of <i>a dance with dragons</i> and feel that it might never end...</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3433116091990605168.post-23510181661538574062014-03-21T07:34:00.000-05:002014-03-21T07:34:40.772-05:00on book 16.<b>book 16 of 60:</b> <i>special topics in calamity physics</i> by marisha pessl<br />
<br />
<b>date started:</b> 3.11.2014<br />
<b>date completed: </b>3.20.2014<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsjHAjidIS-0aZzcD_uugvwQzq2r_3Zz_zrhzkusYsVXvwCMaDpMXsFbv8Jir-s6MGJhWCYxhJCI0gzlizLw-XbEOWiWKTkK1T9l_iH-Ka_Z4WrB3exuKOM11hjqyRWHA0h6wCKo-K8ao0/s1600/CalamityPhysicsBookCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsjHAjidIS-0aZzcD_uugvwQzq2r_3Zz_zrhzkusYsVXvwCMaDpMXsFbv8Jir-s6MGJhWCYxhJCI0gzlizLw-XbEOWiWKTkK1T9l_iH-Ka_Z4WrB3exuKOM11hjqyRWHA0h6wCKo-K8ao0/s1600/CalamityPhysicsBookCover.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>thoughts:</b><br />
pessl's other book, <i>night film</i>, was good most of the way through, but fell apart completely in the end for me. <br />
<br />
this book was so much better, including the end.<br />
<br />
pessl's characters are so vivid--so distinct from one another. the turn in the end of the book is startling, given how well you think you know the characters by that point, but it somehow works.<br />
<br />
the entire read is engaging, constantly leaving you wondering how exactly the narrtive will shake out.<br />
<br />
i don't have a lot to say about this book--i really can't put why i like it so much into words, but i know i like it, and that's enough.<br />
<br />
<b>probable next read:</b> <i>a dance with dragons</i> by george r.r. martinUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0