Sunday, July 22, 2012

literacy is the ill-est

believe it or not, i know how to read. 
in fact i love to read. 

since i've been breastfeeding a baby all summmer, i've been doing a ton of reading. i think i'm pretty tough to please too. i rarely give a 5 star rating and 4 star ratings and often begrudgingly given.  
one of my favorite things to do is update my book reviews on goodreads. i like writing the review almost as much as reading the book, even if i don't like the book, i love to write about it. often i even take notes. i think that means i need to go back to school and get a master's in book reports.

these are my top books from the past 2 months:

1. look me in the eye by john elder robinson
Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's
i thought this was a great memoir about a man who has asperger's syndrome but was not diagnosed until he was 40 years old. funny, shocking, sad and enlightening. 

2. bewitching by alex flinn
Bewitching (Kendra Chronicles, #2)
i love YA fiction, i love fairy tales, i love nerdy girls who like to read. this was just fun and easy. nerdy girls unite! it's the 2nd in a series, but it's not imperative that you read the 1st book(beastly, i also really enjoyed. now a major motion picture) to understand the 2nd. and this book cover is indicative of absolutely nothing in the story.

3. the book thief by markus zuzak
The Book Thief
interesting view of WWII germany. very emotional. don't read it on a bad day.  a great book to take notes on.

4 and 5. wildwood dancing and cybele's secret by juliet marillier
Wildwood Dancing (Wildwood, #1) Cybele's Secret (Wildwood, #2)
both excellent. both a good stories exclusive of the other. again, i love fairy tales and these are really sweet but not so sweet that they give you a stomach ache. there is a lot to think about and lots of eastern european history. my friend wrote about them, "I like that the character in both of these novels are known for their intelligence and wit, rather than their beauty." well said. 

and some of my 5 star rated books on goodreads:

1. gone with the wind by margaret mitchell
Gone With the Wind
pretty much the best book ever. 

2. economics in one lesson by henry hazlitt
Economics in One Lesson: The Shortest and Surest Way to Understand Basic Economics
about 10 years ago my husband paid me $50 to read this and i should have read it without the $50 incentive. it's an excellent way to begin to understand economics and how to make good financial decisions. i've referred to it several times in the time since and i am a smarter, better informed person because of it. 

3. two moons in august by martha brooks
Two Moons in August
one of my faves from my adolescence. i loved reading it and realizing that there are lot of teenage girls who feel lost. you'll want to call your mom. and wear bright red lipstick.


Tuesday, July 03, 2012

least fave

the trend i would most like to see die a quick and sudden death would have to be ugly cankle boots worn with skirts or shorts. 
i hate it.
it's like a really confused pioneer in summertime. "i want to enjoy the warm sun on my calves, but only on my calves. i've got to protect my feet from all those cow pies at the beach."


even worse are ragged shorty shorts with ankle boots. it looks so uncomfortable. if you twisted your ankle on those spindly heels you would absolutely scrape your legs all the way from shin to upper thigh. 

or when paired with a dress it reminds me of the orphans from annie:

but the worst offender in creation are the faux cowgirl boots. crime against humanity! if denise huxtable wore them 25 years ago, perhaps you want to forgo that trend. and i love me some denise huxtable.

which trend do you want to shoot to death at point blank range?