Thirteenth Book

(A small part of me wonders if I should skip to fourteen out of superstition?)

I was talking to Bechka about God today (I hope you don't mind me saying that, Bechka) and I found myself quoting things from this book to say to her. I'll explain later what I found so quotable, but first to this: she asked me, Why are you reading this, anyway?

I paused. I wasn't entirely sure, to be honest. True, Sam is obsessed with the culture but she's doing it for research both for her paper on Iran and for her several stories involving Muslim characters, but why on earth am I reading it? Well, for one, it was on a discount shelf for $5. But it's more than that. I've been getting into political debates with Sam now and then, or I just make her explain things to me. The other day I demanded she explain the history of Iran to me. It was interesting, and she has such a humorous way of describing things. I felt I didn't know enough about the topic, and it looked interesting, and I've always been interested in Islam. So, I bought it. And I'm glad I did.

I vaguely knew things about Islam, and I had heard things from Sam as well, but this book taught me a lot and will hopefully lead me onto a path of more research. It's given me new ideas into my own faith with God, and all my thoughts on religion. It was also funny, on many occasions. ("What's shakin', Shakey?")

My only complaint would be about side comments Daveed made. I can't think of which one it was. But some event he spoke of at the beginning of the novel, was then mentioned again at the end. And he would explain it, but with almost the exact same words from before. Of course, I read this in a week or so, everything is fresh in my mind. I know why he wrote it that way and I don't blame him for it, most people would forget that. It's a lot easier (especially in NF) to assume your reader is an idiot, than to assume they will know what you are talking about, only to loose the altogether. Over all though I have to say this was an amazing book. I loved it a lot. I was hoping to be able to email Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, but felt hesitent. Not about emailing him, but about being able to find contact information. Most of the authors I like are dead, and those who aren't seem to have no contact info what so ever. (Elizabeth Kostova, call me?) I googled his name, and there was his web page. He has a Gmail based email account too. Hopefully I'll receive a reply from him. (I will be writing him an email as soon as I finish this blog post.)

If you have any interest in Islam, the more radical sides of it, or just want a good, quick read, I suggest this. Get un-ignorant, silly person of our world. I'm sure Daveed would appreciate that.

Twelfth Book

I haven't posted despite finishing a book? I finished this last week--if not before then? It was for lit class. I also read O Pioneers! but never finished it. I'm half way through and I feel too lazy. Cather, I love you, but what are you doing? Her use of present tense, at random, and blurting phrases, is terrible. My Antonia is much, much better.

As to Ethan Frome. This certainly was a good book, from the stand point of emotional appeal. It's packed. It's full of humanity, pain, joy. Some lines sparked and shone with beauty, though overall I found the writing rather dry. Gerard, during discussion, suggested that the absence of creative word usage, imagery, was to show Ethan's absence.Though it is in third person, it is still coming from Ethan. That, yes, that is believable. It's beautifully believable. To show the entire empty existence of Ethan by the end of the novel through the continued plain speech... True, it could really be a good way to hide under the inability to write. I, though, do like Wharton. I want to read her other book, whatever it was Williams told us about. I forget the title now; her best known one. I want to read a lot of things though. I want to reread, even. East of Eden is sometihng I want to reread. I always want to reread The Brothers Karamazov. I don't have time between the books I should read, the books I'm reading, the books I need to finish, and the books I want to read again. How does one find so much life? Perhaps it will come to an end. Or, perhaps, I need to learn to read faster. I need more life?

Yes. I could read quickly, but I don't even think it is how quick I read. It is the effort I have. I'm still in the middle of Dracula, you know? Oh, goodness. This summer I should read a book each week. That would happify me, hahah.

Currently Reading: As I lay Dying by William Faulkner, My Year Inside Radical Islam by Daveed Gartenstein-Ross.

Eleventh Book

Admittedly, my reading is going poorly/slowly. Dracula sits around my room and I practically refuse it. Which is terrible, considering the first bit was so good! But those damn newspaper clipping are more boring than watching paint dry on growing grass.

So as a bit of avoidance and enjoyment, I purchased Phantoms in the Brain by VS Ramachandran. I have to admit, I really really love Rama. I've seen him on several TV shows before, and I've always loved him. This just adds to the love. My sudden interest in neurology and the like was well entertained! Some sections were a bore, although I don't exactly think that is the books fault! I've been rather... lazy with reading lately, as this blog can attest to. My disposition can occasionally make me not want to read at all! But, for the most part, this book was, as I expected it to be, amazing. The final chapter was difficult for me to understand...It was real in depth analysis of self, which my brain needs more time to work on, haha. I would suggest it to any person out there who has a geekgasm over the brain doing really bizarre things, or likes to touch other peoples hands under a table (visual perception tricks!). This book was a joy to read, and I feel smarter for it. I can also entertain friends by babbling about things the don't understand. Which is always nice.

I'm a bit tired now, so my explanation may not be as great as the book deserves. It's excellent, and has encouraged me to continue reading into neurology and the like. I really want to purchase this book by Pinker, on linguistics and the brain... I found it and squeed, I was so overjoyed.

Er, so what am I reading? Well, I've finished Night, and now this. I'm still in the middle of Dracula and that scene thing. The Scene thing? I'm just lazy, and it isn't neccessarily helping me! It is, but I don't entirely care either. Which is terrible. Logic would dictate I read one of those now, or attempt to finish them, because I have a list long enough of unread things, but, ah, I am not sure. Er, eventually, something else will be read. In a months time I'll be out of school and reading for Brit Lit next year! As well as a bit of Dostoevsky hopefully. I do have something of his waiting around to be read... Cannot forget him, certainly not!

Oh, which reminds me. Phantoms has a section on temporal lobe epilepsy. Dostoevsky [so it is said] had that!

Tenth Book
 
I finished reading Night by Elie Wiesel just a bit ago. What else is there for me to say?

Yes, it was amazing. Yes, I cried in places. There isn't anything else you can say about such a thing.

Hopefully it will help me in both my novel and the essay I am doing. Some quotes will help, for certain.

I'm not reading as I should. I am now only in, haha, two books! Dracula and Make a Scene! We'll see if I finish both before school lets out. I'm distracted, I'm just not into it. But I need to read, and I want to read. I'll have three books to read for lit class over the summer, and I do hope to get through another Dostoevsky novel over the summer. And wouldn't it be grand if I did read more than four books? Ha! I need to pick myself up and get to reading, or, at the very least, writing!

Ninth Book

This was a real quick read, I started it Saturday morning and finished it Monday morning. It was for a scholarship but still worth it. Something I had been meaning to read for a while.

Stevenson isn't the best writer, true. ("If he is Mr. Hyde, then I shall  be Mr. Seek" Oh, terrible.) But the story is interesting. It would have been more horrifying if I hadn't known the general plot behind it--but culture has sucked is so in that it is apart of us and so the story is a well known one.

I've been flipping through the YWS lit journal. It's all right, but I'm not devoting much of my time to it. I also received Draculaan dMake a Scene in the mail. Currently working on Dracula. I read the introduction by Elizabeth Kostova and it was wonderful. Reminds me of how much I truly loved The Historian.

Eighth Book

This might not be the best post by me in the whole world. I'm ill at present. Though this was a good book. An amazing book. Willa Cather is now one of my favorite authors, for certain. Her imagery was the best part. It makes me long for the Nebraska prairies. I've never been a prairie person; I even hated learned about all that stuff in history class. (Strange enough, we haven't talked about that at all in history class.) It always bored me and just seemed so stupid. OK, well, yes it is stupid, but not when it is written by Cather and not when it is set in Nebraska.

The imagery is amazing, but the ending was so...perfect. I couldn't be happier with it. It has the feel of still going on, everything is still continue. Antonia ended up in a good place, which makes me so happy. And that road, wow how that road is amazing. I was sad last night, because I was reading and more than anything I wanted Jim and Antonia to be together. But they weren't. I'm wondering if other people feel this way too, so I look forward to discussing this with my lit professor. They should have been together, it would have been so wonderful. Then, all at the same time, it would have been improper. Jim is in a good spot too, I suppose. Or it is just neutral. It was never his story really, even if he was the narrator. It was always Antonia's. And though it would have made me happy to see them together, it wasn't meant to be. So the heavens propagate? I'm not sure why it feels that way.

I love Antonia to pieces. I am in agreement with Mr. Williams. I want to take Antonia away, and marry her. Hah, OK well maybe not entirely, but I do love her. She radiates something special, something none of the other girls had. Not Lena or Tiny. It seemed so strange when Antonia got pregnant. Everyone realized how unlucky it was that harlot Lena ended off well, but Antonia didn't. And yet she turned that around, too. She had everyone's respect (mine, anyway) even though that had happened to her. I don't think it was her fault, even though she was mad in love with the guy. The guy was an idiot. She should have fallen in love with Jim, but that couldn't have happened. And Cusak is nice, anyway.

Well, I'm done babbling. I really enjoyed it, that's all. It was so wonderful. I wish I had my own copy and I hope to read it again sometimes soon. I want to mark it up. It's so  beautiful.

I don't know what I'm reading next, but I have some things on the way:

Young Writers Society Literary Journal
Dracula
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Short Stories by  Hawthorne

Until those arrive, I'm not sure what I will be reading. Something good, I hope.

Book Seven

I'm reading more slow than I would like to. Rather, I'm not reading at all. Or blogging.

I finished this book a week or so ago. I enjoyed it so much. Tim O'brien is an amazing writer. My highlighter had a lot of fun. I'm considering giving it to Gerrard and saying, "You were looking for modern literature?" He keeps asking why the writing we read in lit class isn't in today's writing. Oh, but it is..

His metaphor about carrying things had to be the best. It was so powerful. It begs, "What do you carry?" I don't have a lot to say about the book because I finished it a while ago, but it was so wonderful. Incredibly wonderful. It was an easy form of writing--I had just finished Dostoevsky and though I love him, my mind wanted a break from literature.

Since we're reading a lot in class (currently Willa Cather's My Antonia) I don't have much time to read. I'm also trying to dedicate myself to school or writing. (More often than not, the latter) I am some what in the middle of Belinda which is more of a joke than good reading. I'm not sure why I'm reading it. I should find something better to read; and there is a lot, isn't there? And I have so many odds and ins I haven't finished. Tragic. Outrageously tragic.

If you think about it though (and I do think about it) I only have a few months left of school. Summer is not nearly enough time to catch up on this reading mishap I have created. Fifty books in a year? Thats week when people manage hundreds. I should learn to be focused. I don't feel like finishing Belinda so maybe I have something better to read. A part of me wanted to reread Vile Bodies but do I honestly have time to reread when there is so much I have yet to read? No, not justified, I must say.

I did finish Notes from Underground but I am not blogging on it because--technically--I didn't finish the book. Half of it. I didn't read The Double.

Chow

Fifth [sixth?] book

Technically I finished reading The Awakening for my lit class. I also finished Notes From Undergound by Dostoevsky, but not The Double which is in the same book so I do not know how to count that....

February went bad quickly when it comes to reading, because of my ACT, school, and my trip to DC. It threw off my whole plan of 50 or so books, haha, I'm so behind. I don't know what happened, honestly? So, I guess I just need to play catch-up, or read, or do something right? It'll... happen.

I read a lot of short stories by Poe. I'm not too sure that counts.

Fourth Book (isn't it?)
I think I have died and gone to really good book heaven written by someone who actually isn't dead yet heaven. Seriously. Read this book. Now. I command it.

It was weird. The writing was weird. It took me three times to get past chapter two because I could not comprehend this book but it made me cry so much, and laugh so hard, and it his, to be playful illuminated me to a new way of thinking and looking and believing. It was such a mishmash of thing--but good things and wonderful things and things I love and things I did't particularly want to hear. And I love Jonathan Safran Foer, the writer, not the character. I love Alex/Sasha/Shapka/Alexi-stop-spleening-me! to the very depths of my heart. His character grows so much in the novel that it is heart not to want to hug him tightly and tell him that you are also proud of him. This was such a touching, depressing, hilarious, disgusting book. And not like Running With Scissors was, because the was just creepy in a I want to throw up way.

Read this book. If you do not read this book I might feel  compelled to punch you. I will punch you. I enjoyed it so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so much and you will enjoy it so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so much too.

[It's something Foer would have done, so I do it in his memory, or, to think of him, because he isn't dead. Yes.]


Next I have to read my book on Auschwitz although right now I have a test to study for which I put off all night to finish reading....

Third Book

Well for just the third week in I'm doing darn good this year! Of course, I'm reading several short things (ish?) so...But I suppose if I read lots of short things then I have time for longer things, yes? And longer things I do have coming...


The Artful Edit: On the practice of editing yourself by Susan Bell was great. I've just finished my novel this past weekend (coming in with a nice score of 74,112 words, not counting "the end") and with an end comes the realization that you are far, far from the end. I know I will be editing for years. (I can feel it inside me, when I stare at the "over view" of the plot in my mind, and see all the bad scenes and the holes, all to supply word count.) This book set me in the mode to edit, and also inspired me on some things, too! I suggest this to every writer who has to edit something, so isn't that every writer? This is especially good for novels. I've edited short stories, with a method I call "internal edits"; I do not rewrite, but move things around within the same text. Now, with such a beast (Haha, what a pun!) to deal with, I'm going to have to rewrite the whole thing, if not several times. And, I have more research coming, which is why I speak of large books...

But I wander, again. This was a great book. Real short, easy to get through (took me little over two days, because I didn't have much time yesterday...) and completely worth it. Hurrah for Bell!

As to the big book. As we speak, I have a 600 page book about Auschwitz on its way to my house. Research is a lovely thing... Anatomy of Auschwitz, I saw it in the book store, and from flipping through it, I knew it would tell me more than anything else. I'm still worried I will not have enough of the right (and trivial) information (what did SS officers eat, for goodness sakes?) but I can only do so much before I start to remember that I am writing a fiction book--one that dances along the lines of nonfiction with facts, but leaps over to fiction every chance it gets. I need not be perfect--just close enough so the general audience isn't confused.

As for now, I'm venturing on my third take at Everything is Illuminated by Johnathan Safran Foer. Third take only because both times the second chapter threw me for a loop, to be cliché. I couldn't handle the weird style, and further more, I couldn't understand it! It makes sense now... sometimes my brain just doesn't comprehend things the first few times, and I do have to give it some tries to truly understand.

Second Book

by Ian McEwan, I'm not sure what to say. He is an amazing writer. I fully give him that. He has locked me tightly in a battle with myself. I hate a loved the ending. Hated it more though.

But I shall speak in good terms first. His story was brilliant, and his ability to follow one day in 240 pages or so was wonderful. I loved his characterization, and strange notices, and all of that. The sections on war were great as well, and he really does have talent.

In the end though I can't entirely believe that this was made into a movie. It was so disappointing. Spoiler, do keep in mind. I find it beyond annoying when a writer ends his book with a first person account from the "writer" of the book, one of the main characters of said book. So, Atonement was Briony's way of asking for forgiveness. It makes me sick when writer's do this. It is such a trick. I feel like, as a reader, I have been tricked into believing something this is untrue. Does Briony (or McEwan) think he is satisfying his reader when he tells us that her sister died? That Robbie died? That they never met? It's disgusting. I would have preferred a more concrete ending within the story, not a dissent into Briony's speculation about her own story, and her 80th birthday, and what not. I will give him that it was sweet. I enjoyed to see the play again (or, to see Briony see her play) and to see the house after so many years.

But really, McEwan, if you are being horrible and googling yourself and you find this, do not take it personally, haha. (I say this because he is one of the only modern writers I'm actually paying attention to, and who knows, he may google himself... but would he find my live journal, and my comments?) He is an excellent writer. I do not suggest this book to you. Perhaps another one by him is better. I can only hope he put his talent to some better skill somewhere. The ending was such a trick, such a device. It sucked the life from the story, and made the time I spent reading it feel like a waste. The whole story felt like a waste. It was so... uck, I cannot explain it.

So, did I like it, or no? I'm not sure. I am tied on that. He was a great writer, but he certainly needs to learn to master his plot and endings better. Perhaps most of the population will be fooled by his trickery, and it will make a good movie (By the way, I think I am going to strongly avoid seeing the movie. I cannot even imagine how they made this into a movie without it being horribly bad.) He holds no candle to my favorites and... perhaps I won't read anything else by him. I'm terribly disappointed. I had liked him so much for a while, but he disappointed me.. I suppose that is all.

Not sure what will be read next. I purchased Autonomy of Auschwitz so I could continue my research for my novel. It should show up in a week or so. I'm nearly finished with my novel. I have The Artful Edit to read (Because I'm nearly done with my novel...) but then again, many, many things sit round being unread. We'll see what I get to.

First book

The Parts of Speech, for Better or For Worse by Ben Yagoda.

I guess I never made a post about all the books I read? Hm. Hm. Hm. Oh Well! I don't need to...


This was a great book. It analyzed each part of speech, and in a real humorous way. I suggest it to everyone! It was a quick read, too. (It should have been quicker than it took me, but I was slow!) Ben Yagoda is so funny...

I wish I had more to say on it but I'm feeling distracted right now, haha.

Thirty-Fifth Book

How depressing, this is all I will probably have read for all of 2007? I will (eventually) be making a post with a list of all the things I read in 2007, for the fun of it.

The Midnight Disease: The Drive to Writer, Writer's Block, and the Creative Brain was an amazing book. I suggest it to everyone nerdy enough out there to care about what part of the brain does what, and the fact that deaf people think in sign language, among other very interesting things. In a way, though, this book was unsatisfying. But at the same time, the aspect of it that made it unsatisfying made it really good. It left me with so many more questions, about myself, my sanity, the human brain, writing, creativity...

The compulsive part of me had me highlighting so many things. Dostoevsky at every turn, Kafka at the next, and the single Joyce Carol Oates. It was lovely to read. I suggest it to everyone who writers, or likes psychology. I realize my explanation of it right now may not sound so firm. I finished it Saturday, and my enthusiasm for it has been soccer bunched by the flight back home. I'm rather tired! Do read it, though? I give it my "stamp of love" so to speak.

I'm currently in Paint it Black and my collection of Gogol short stories which I received from Prince Charming. I have an unbelievable amount of books to read, and I am rather overwhelmed. I also want to work on my novel soon, so... no telling what will happen next, haha. My shelf, obviously, needs to be "cleaned up" otherwise I will have no room. CDs are of less importance, hee hee.

Thirty-Fourth Book

My great uncle, a man I highly respect and admire, suggested this book to me. It was his brothers (so, in that case, also my great uncle) favorite book. And I can understand why. I wouldn't call it an amazing piece of literature or anything, but it was an over all good book. Some of the writing wasn't that good, but I kind of blame it on a bad editor. Some sentences just made no sense, unless you moved whole sections of words over. It was really good though. It was...thought provoking. An amazing science fiction book for a person who doesn't read science fiction, but loves science, haha. I could put to use my basic knowledge about things, and it was... great. I wish I knew more about Null-A in general, I will have to do some research into the philosophy behind the book. The twist at the end was great. I really can only say, don't go into this thinking of it as a science fiction classic. Think of it as just a really good book. It was thrilling, I couldn't put it down. I started it on Saturday evening and just finished it on my flight in. It was a quick read! Really, really enjoyable.

Now I'm reading The Midnight Disease by Alice W. Flaherty. From what I've already read (about three-fourths of the introduction?) I'm excited. It is a wonderful delve into the creative brain and how the mind has to do with writing. I'm hoping it will throw me into an exciting few months of writing. I need to finish Death Machine.

It is about time I have finished this massive... thing. Considering I started reading it in August, got to 170, then picked it up again just a bit ago, it didn't take me...too long? I just had a large gap in finishing it.

And honestly I don't know what I think about it. It wasn't like Dostoevsky's usual books? Or like Crime and Punishment, or The Brothers Karamazov... in that, the plot wasn't straight forward, although they aren't in those either, but they have something to focus on. And this had something to focus on too but I never knew where it was going. It was following Myshkin all the time but I never knew what the story was? It is a romance? I haven't a clue... I think it is just that the story worked on one of those levels where everyone said something but meant something else and because I'm ignorant of social things and what not, it was hard for me to follow at points. It would always take ma while to figure out what was going on.

But I enjoyed it. How could I not? Dostoevsky wrote it. I just wish I could have understood it better, or something... and it was great to read I just feel that it was bizarre, although I can't fully explain why. Oh well, the more I read by him, the more I will understand him as a writer, and his writing.


I believe that next I will be reading The World of Null-A.

Thirty Seconds Book

Finished reading this finally! I don't have a lot to say on it currently, I was just glad to finish it. The ending didn't... do a lot for me, though Hawthorn does make me really happy. I liked the rest of it, and I'm sure once my Literature Professor shines light onto the strings within it, I'll fall in love with it again. I will, not so sadly, be losing my copy, as I wish to send it to a friend. Hopefully that won't bother my Lit. Class too much... I don't think so.

I haven't a clue what I will be reading next. I'm still in the middle of The Andromeda Strain and Possession, but, being that it is NaNoWriMo, I'm working really hard to finish writing my novel. I've reached the 50,000 word mark (Those of you paying attention to my NaNo journal, noveltastic, should already know that.) but my novel isn't finished...Come December, I'm hoping to finish both of those, and then finish The Idiot. Wish I had more time to devote to reading... School sucks up my time. 

Thirty First Book

I realize I've skipped some numbers, but I've read some things I didn't record (and don't have enough to say on them to give them their own post!) I've read several things by Irving: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, The Devil and Tom Walker, and Rip van Winkle. All for Lit. class! Irving is interesting. Oh, I also read The German Student. I have to say, I liked that the most. That and The Devil. The American version of Faust! Which is why I read Dr. Faustus.

The first time I read it, I didn't understand it too well. My understanding of old English is none to poor. This time around though, I understood it rather well, thanks to suggestions from the Great Lit Teacher Williams. It was... beautiful. Violent, shocking. I'd love to see it live. Or performed, at all. I'll have to look for it on DVD, perhaps BBC did something...

I really can't think of a lot to say on it. It was Faustus... I need to read Goethe's version, though, to truly understand the tale. Marlowe is excellent, I think I might read the rest of his plays, soon. Sometime soon. I am not sure what I will be reading next. I feel like reading Shakespeare, but I know my understanding of it will be even less than it was for Faustus! It's just too difficult for me... I'm half tempted to read Swan's Way by Proust, though I hardly have the time to be sticking my nose into that kind of book. I've also started to read Note from the Underground & The Double three times now, and have no patience to tolerate him talking about himself--even if it is Dostoevsky! Then there is some book on WWII and Nazi's in my book bag, which I read the day I took it from the library, then nothing more. Poor books, how I abuse you!

Heh, expect something soon, though. Hopefully.

By Laurence Rees, this is an amazing book. I suggest it to anyone interested in WWII or Auschwitz or if you have a vague interest in anything. Read it. It was brilliant, well written, perfectly depicted the feelings of the era. I wish I had my own copy (I want to get my own copy) so that I could highlight it, mark it up, comment in it. It's an amazing record of what happened. I found out there is also a BBC documentary that this book goes with, or something like that? I'm hoping to get that as well.

This was a most valuable piece of my research. It has inspired me in so many ways, given me ideas for my plot... This was the saving piece to my novel, non? I have over checked it from the library, ^^; I need to take it back, and recheck it.

You'll find me reading more by Rees, since his written two or three other things on WWII. Please, read it. It was amazing, touching, depressing, and enlightening.

The Twenty-eighth book

This was my third reading--I ran through it with a highlighter. I suppose You could blame Mr Williams for that. But now I can easily flip through and find my favorite quotes, alliterations, metaphors... I'm wondering how I could work that beauty into my own works, although that is hard when you are writing about a death camp? You really shouldn't have beauty next to all those corpses, heh.

I'm not sure I can really say a whole lot about this since it was my third reading. The ending, when Dorian started becoming evil, was so boring for me. I like the young, innocent Dorian. The search for beauty, the power of sin... It's so beautiful to read. Since I now know more about Wilde than previously, I see parallels of sorts, and more interesting things than I used to see about this work. I always remember that the original version was cute a bit when it finally went to publishing--I wonder what Wilde took out? I would love the original version...

No idea what is being read next. for a while, I said I was going to read Lolita again, but I am not sure. I tried Everything is illuminated which was amazing until the second chapter, haha. But I'll read something, you can count on that. Since I'm not writing, its all I have!

In an attempt to read anything, since my time for reading has become so limited, I finally read this. Wow. For only fifty-eight pages, it is just like Wilde to write something so simple, short, and nearly meaningless that still leaves me stunned. I once more hunger for the great works of the 19th century. I should pick up some Dumas, which would really satisfy Cat, but I'd much prefer to read it in French... *sigh*

This story was... short. hahah. As expected, but beautiful. I do not see the great meaning behind it, as I had been told through biographies of Wilde, that was there, so I might have to read up on it. It's a strange sort of essay. I'm just glad to say I had read something. And sure, it is technically not a book, but it is binded, and it can sit on a shelf, so, as far as I consider it, it is a book!

What I will read next? I don't know. I've jumped from The Idiot to The Polish Officer to texts on WWII to research for my NaNoWriMo novel (November will be a time sans reading and full, inflated, we can only hope, with writing.) I need to pull something off myself with not just readerly joy, but dedication as well. Otherwise nothing will be finished, other than those required works. Bah.

I do love Anne Bradstreet, though.