A-Z Book Survey

I was going to do a little book review of some of the books I've read recently, but then this survey popped up on the internets and I thought, let's do this instead! I hope you'll enjoy it - and maybe even be inspired to go pick up some of my favorite books at the library!  (Sarah - I want you to fill this out!)

A: Author you've read the most books by: Mary Higgins Clark - this women has written a bajillion books (Ok, I looked it up, actually 43). And I've probably read most of them - (I have 14 of them on my bookshelf and have read many more than that). 

B: Best Sequel Ever: Harry Potter series (JK Rowling), The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographic series (James A. Owen), The Hunger Games series (Suzanne Collins), the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series (Ann Brashares), the Work and the Glory series (Gerald Lund).

C: Currently Reading: The Ninth Wife (Amy Stolls), Reviving Ophelia (Mary Pipher - non-fiction).

D: Drink of Choice While Reading: Usually just water - but I do love a good mug of hot chocolate.

E: E-Reader or Physical Book? Physical book, most definitely. (However, I do love taking my Kindle on planes... Shhhhh!)

F: Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Dated in High School: I honestly have no idea. I've read a lot of YA lit, so I'm sure someone from one of those books, somewhere....  Maybe Sumner, from That Summer (Sarah Dessen), 

G: Glad You Gave This Book a Chance: Here, There Be Dragons (the first book in The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica series) - so not my usual style of books, but I loved it, and all the rest of them, too.

H: Hidden Gem Book: The Art of Racing in the Rain (Garth Stein) - it's about race-car drivers and told in the voice/perspective of a dog, but it's so good! 

I: Important Moment in Your Reading Life: First time reading each HP book - especially #1. Also, reading Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom) for a class in college. Such an incredible and life changing book. 

J: Just Finished: The Book Thief (Markus Zusak) - it took me a loooong time to finally finish this book (like 2 years), but I ended up really liking it!

K: Kinds of Books You Wont Read: I'm not a huge fan of fantasy/sci-fi (of course there are a few exceptions, though). I also don't read too many non-fiction books unless they have to do with what I studied in college. 

L: Longest Book You've Ever Read: Les Miserables (Victor Hugo), unabridged. The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged (both Ayn Rand) are up there, too.

M: Major Book Hangover Because Of: I binge-read the first two books of the Hunger Games series, so I was a complete tired,emotional mess by the end of Catching Fire. Plus, as you know, the end to that is a super cliff-hanger, so I was like out of control crazy. 

N: Number of Book Cases You Own: Only two, currently. But they are filled pretty much to capacity and then some.

O: One book you have read multiple times: Besides the obvious HP series...  I have to pick Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) and Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte). My copies of them are both falling apart since I've read them multiple times. 

P: Preferred place to read: Curled up next to the arm of a couch/loveseat. But really I read anywhere. 

Q: Quote That Inspires You/Gives You Feels From a Book You've Read: "After all this time? Always." HP. (And a lot more from HP.... but I won't list them all here.)
"Real or not real? Real." THG.
"It is only from the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the human eye." The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
"Love wins, love always wins." Tuesdays with Morrie. (But let's be honest, basically that whole book is my favorite quote.) 

R: Reading Regret: Ehhhh, all the Twilight books. They were an utter waste of time.

S: Series You Started But Still Need to Finish (All Books Are Out): The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica - the last one came out in November and I haven't picked it up yet. 

T: Three of your Favorite Books: Only 3??? Outside of others I have already mentioned in this blog post....  Let's go with The Thirteenth Tale (Diane Setterfield), The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold), Nineteen Minutes (Jodi Picoult).

U: Unapologetic Fan-girl For: JK Rowling and HP, forever!

V: Very Excited for This Release More Than Others: I don't have one I'm looking forward to, actually.

W: Worst Bookish Habits: When I start a new book I generally won't do anything until I finish it. So I am pretty much on my couch and nothing gets done. And I sometimes ignore my husband. Soooo that's a bad habit.

X: X Marks the Spot, Start at the Top of Your Shelf and Pick the 27th Book: The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Stephen Chbosky) - I love this book, such a good read! (and the movie adaptation was so well done, too!)

Y: Your Latest Book Purchase: Hmmmm, Kyle and I bought The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog (Bruce D. Perry - nonfiction) for Christmas. Oh, and we just bought And Baby Makes Three (John and Julie Gottman - nonfiction). 

Z: Zzzz-Snatcher Book-(The last book that kept you up way too late): The last book that kept me up was Sisterhood Everlasting (Ann Brashares) - this is the last book in the Traveling Pants series, and I stayed up all night reading it until I finished. 


You should check out my recommended books HERE - since I wasn't able to mention all of them in this survey, as much as I tried :) 

Thoughts

1. So, I caved in and bought gummy vitamins. Because, even though I should, I will not take vitamins you have to swallow whole. I hate them. I hate pills. I hate gagging. So. I bought the (slightly more expensive) gummy kind so that I will actually take vitamins and be healthy. Or something like that.

2. You know those people who are witty and funny, and can be quick and concise in blog posts? I wish that were me. But it's not.... So I will continue being a long winded blogger. Sorry, friends.

3. I think 2-5pm should disappear. Or be nap time everywhere. Either one.

4. Last weekend was General Conference. YES! It was fantastic, and I can't wait to get my Ensign. (Side note: the family on the cover of this month's Ensign Kyle knows. He served in the same mission, and went to their sealing and everything. We're practically famous.)

5. This weekend will be also fantastic. It will include seeing my oldest and dearest friend, Lexi, get sealed. I'm so happy for her! :) It will also include girl time with some of my favorites, but mostly a SLEEPOVER with my bff Ayisha. Yep, be jealous.

6. Kyle was sick last week, and I've been sick this week. I thought my head was going to explode from sinus pressure. No bueno :(

7. I renamed my car. Aerie wasn't doing it for me, so now her name is Suzie Q. I've been thinking about it for a while, but it's not official until it's on the blog, so there it is.

8. Kyle and I love Pretty Little Liars. We're about halfway through the second season. And ok, maybe Kyle only likes it, but he still watches it with me.

9. K and I have been reading the Maze Runner series. We liked the first book, the second was ok, and we read the third summary online. It was a disappointing series, overall.

10. But on the other hand I read the most AMAZING book, The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield. Read it. You will love it. Especially if your favorite books are Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, like mine. Then you will extra love it. HOLY COW IT WAS SO GOOD READ IT NOW.

11. I just really really want Les Mis to come out NOW.

12. Kyle and I love mac and cheese with hot dogs.

13. I scored some great deals shopping today (most of them not even for me!). Thank you to coupons, and clearance.

14. Kyle did laundry last night. I love him.

Super Bowl Sunday, and other news

Today was the Super Bowl. 

K and I love the Super Bowl. (Ok, K likes it a bit more than I do... I like food and gathering and socializing and half time shows that go along with it, but you know - same dif.) And even though it was just the two of us today instead of hosting a party like we have the last few years, we still enjoyed it. 

We had a "heartbaker" pizza from Papa Murphy's, Kyle made tex mex (aka seven layer) dip, and I made some chocolate chip cookies which turned out delicious (thanks to a recipe I found on pinterest, found here). 

In other news, I read The Kite Runner this week in preparation for a book club I was invited to attend (meeting tomorrow). I was excited to read it, yet also hesitant as I had heard it had some disturbing content and because I have struggled with books set in different countries/belief systems before (especially books set in China/Japan, but that's another story...) I made it through, and although it was very sad in some parts, I did like it overall. K and I watched the movie today as well. I'm excited to hear others perspectives on it tomorrow. (I'm also kind of nervous for the book club! My friend Kaci invited me [who I met though Kyle since they are in the same program] - and so I will be going with her, but meeting new people as well! It's like first day of school jitters.)

I'm also still in the middle of the Lord of the Rings. Love it.

And good news about my job! This is my last week of doing PSR! After that I will be working full time in the office, being trained in more Billing areas, and it will be great. I will be working 8-4 - I'm going to try to be really good about waking up early and getting ready as I'm not a morning person, haha. But I am excited to have a set schedule (!!!!) and be able to be home at nights. I also got my own computer at work set up on Friday (finally!) which also calls for a little celebration as I had been going to work not knowing if I was going to be able to get on a computer each day. And last exciting thing about work - Friday was pay day. My first paycheck, and a full 80 hours. Woohoo! We're going to be able to start actually saving money and paying off student loans, too! This job is a blessing for sure.

And last thing of the night.... The new Hunger Games trailer. 

Is. So. Good.

LOTR

I love this book. And I'm so happy to be rereading it.
And yes, I am a closet nerd.

My Not-So-Secret Secret

I love books. I love words. I love reading.

I'm a fast reader.

I devour books.

Sit me any place and within minutes I will be reading something: a book, the back of a DVD, a magazine, a pamphlet, a survey, even a advertisement - if it's by me and it has words on it, it will be read. I can't help myself.

My love of books started at a young age, while still in a crib. My mom would put a book on tape in a tape recorder on a desk next to my bed, and give me the book. I taught myself how to switch the tape through the slots of my crib. And I read along.

I was potty trained by books.

In elementary school I was always a couple of grade levels ahead, reading wise.

I've always been the one my friends come to for book suggestions.

However, I'm not a huge analyzer of books. I read books for fun. I read books because I enjoy reading. I love stories. I love to be entertained. I love to be shocked. I love it all. But ask my why I think an author decided to do something a certain way and I clam up. My brain stops working. I can't think of an intelligent thing to say. 

Now, I have analyzed books before, I was in honors English for three years, and AP for one. I learned to twist and talk about plots and symbols in books. But I was guided, taught. I can't really come up with stuff on my own. (Unless it's about Jane Eyre. I've read that book so many times that I could twist it to fit any and all AP essay prompts.) 

(This is also one reason why I decided that being an English major was not for me.)

But back to reading.

I love it.

I have a vivid imagination, and while I read it's like watching a movie in my head. No effort required. It just happens. I read a word and the story comes life inside my head.

It's pretty magical. 

Go brain.

Since we've moved to Pocatello I have read 13 books. 

Not skimmed, not looked at. Read. 

I average about a book a day, if I don't have much to do.

You see, once I start a book, I can't put it down. I can count on one hand the number of books that I have started and not finished. Books compel me to read them. However, as I've learned these last couple of weeks, this can sometimes be a bad thing. If I read for hours in a day I start to go crazy. My brain kind of clouds over and I can't function very well. I'm in a sort of funk from reading too much. So I've been trying to limit myself. Even I need to take a break.

Why am I telling you all this? Oh, I don't know. You probably won't think it's very interesting. 

But it's a major part of who I am.

So there you go.

PS - if you are a lover of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, you will be interested to note that a fifth book just came out. Yes, a fifth. Set 10 years after the fourth. It's called Sisterhood Everlasting. I got it two days ago, started reading it at like 11 pm and stayed up until 2 am to finish it. It was amazing. I cried and cried and cried. You definitely should check it out. But not before reading the first four. That would just be a crime.

You can check out books I've read here:
my read shelf:

Random Thoughts at 4:20 in the Morning

Lets see how coherently I can write this late. Or should I say early? I always have things I want to get done when I work graveyards but they never seem to happen. I have a hard time being productive in the middle of the night even if doing the things I'm supposed to would probably help pass the time.

I don't know how Britt is going to be able to go another month waiting for Harry Potter. I think he kind of took over the blog. It's ok I'm not jealous. Besides we all know HP is the real "chosen one" not LeBron. LeBron should get that tattoo removed. Loser.

I'm ready to quit my job, but I like money and earning more of it before going into debt for graduate school seems like a good idea. I need almost every Saturday off from now until we leave for Pocatello so having weekends off will definitely help survive a couple more months here. Between the MTC and this treatment center I have worked almost every Friday and Saturday since I have been home from my mission. I'm pretty sure I can count the weekends I have had off in the last 4 years on my fingers. I'm thinking its time to change that.

I ran 7.5 miles yesterday. My legs are a little sore right now but not too bad. I'm serious about running the Pioneer day marathon next month. I'm going to run a half marathon on the 9th and we will see how that goes. I don't like running all that much but I like doing hard things and running 26.2 miles sounds hard. I like challenges and I like to push myself.

I read a book by Dr. Laura this week. I always thought of her as kind of a nut with a radio show. You know Sleepless in Seattle.... but the lady has a lot of interesting things to say and I like how direct she is. Someday I'm going to write some good books on marriage and family therapy. After I write some kids books (Britt found a Dr. Seuss biography for me to read at the library! Thanks babe!) and after I write my book on missionary work that is, well..... still being written. It's more than a few pages now though.

I guess it is time to watch a movie on Netflix before I try and drive home without falling asleep! Wish me luck! And whoever you are that is reading this I hope you have a great day! This paragraph has a lot of exclamation marks!!

Book Review #1

Well, I'm quite bored at work, having finished all my jobs.... And I feel like blogging, but what about? So, I figure I'll do a book review type of post on the books I've read lately. I'll warn you, I'm pretty bad at articulating  my thoughts beyond "it was really good" or "it was really bad" but I'll do my best.

First up, Shutter Island by Dennis LeHane.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a really good psychological thriller that has a definitely twist at the end. 

A movie version of it came out last year staring Leonardo DiCaprio, but I didn't see it because it was rated R. But I had heard it wasn't a "bad" rated R, so I took a chance on the book. And I definitely enjoyed. 

If you don't mind a some questionable language, but enjoy thrillers, I would recommend it.

"It's 1954, and up-and-coming U.S. marshal Teddy Daniels is assigned to investigate the disappearance of a patient from Shutter Island's Ashecliffe Hospital. He'd been gunning for an assignment on the island for reasons of his own -- but before long he wonders whether he hasn't been brought there as part of a twisted plot by hospital doctors whose radical treatments range from unethical to illegal to downright sinister. Teddy's code-breaking skills soon provide a promising lead, but the hospital refuses him access to records he suspects would break the case wide open. As a hurricane cuts off communication with the mainland, more dangerous criminals "escape" in the confusion, and the puzzling, improbable clues proliferate, Teddy begins to doubt everything -- his memory, his partner, even his own sanity." (from goodreads.com)

Second, The Talented Mr. Ripley, by Patricia Highsmith.

Again with a movie adaptation being rated R.This was another sort of thriller, and I also enjoyed it although not as much as Shutter Island. I would recommend it as it is quite a different concept than most novels.

"Tom Ripley is chosen by the wealthy Herbert Greenleaf to retrieve Greenleaf's son, Dickie, from his overlong sojourn in Italy. Dickie, it seems, is held captive both by the Mediterranean climate and the attractions of his female companion, but Mr. Greenleaf needs him back in New York to help with the family business. With an allowance and a new purpose, Tom leaves behind his dismal city apartment to begin his career as a return escort. But Tom, too, is captivated by Italy. He is also taken with the life and looks of Dickie Greenleaf. He insinuates himself into Dickie's world and soon finds that his passion for a lifestyle of wealth and sophistication transcends all moral compunction. Tom will become Dickie Greenleaf--at all costs." (from goodreads)

Third book, Red Hook Road, by Ayelet Waldman.

I liked this book. 

Like I said... Not too good at expanding on that. It has a similar feel to a Nicholas Sparks book, although not as romantic, and (I think) better written. Read the summary below and check it out.

"A marriage collapses under the strain of a daughter’s death; two bereaved siblings find comfort in one another; and an adopted young girl breathes new life into her family with her prodigious talent for the violin. As she writes with obvious affection for these unforgettable characters, Ayelet Waldman skillfully interweaves life’s finer pleasures—music and literature—with the more mundane joys of living. Within these resonant pages, a vase filled with wildflowers or a cold beer on a hot summer day serve as constant reminders that it’s often the little things that make life so precious." (goodreads.com)

Fourth and fifth books, 1984 by George Orwell and Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley.

Both books are about a "Utopian" type future world, and about those who fight against it.

I'm not big into searching deep into books for deeper meanings, so I can't give you a lecture on about how or why the books were masterpieces and how they are connected to our world today.... 

But I did enjoy them, and I was horrified at how these authors portrayed how they thought the world might become if society keeps going downhill.

So there you have my reviews.

Maybe you enjoyed them at least a little bit? :)