A to Z Book Survey

A while back I stumbled upon this Book-Blog Survey by Perpetual Page Turner. I decided that since I'll be taking over Reception at work for the next few days, and I'd have a lot of down-time, a innocent little post like this wouldn't hurt.

Author You've Read The Most Books From

Possibly Meg Cabot, though it is possible I've read all of Lois Duncan's books in Jr. High (does that count? They were clearly ghost written)

Best Sequel Ever

I can't think of anything off the top of my head, per say, but I think I'll answer 

Currently Reading

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, among some others...

Drink of Choice While Reading

Hot tea, m'dears - it's like an anchor, even if I don't drink any of it.

E-reader or physical book?

Physical book - all the way. But I have figured out that the Kindle app is extremely useful for boring parties.

Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated in High School

Well, I would have loved to have dated Stephen Maturin from Patrick O'Brian's series of books. (And then I pretty much did.)

Glad You Gave This Book a Chance

The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver

Hidden Gem Book

Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

Important Moment in Your Reading Life

Christmas Eve, the year I was in 3rd grade. My god-mother had given me a chapter book for Christmas and initially I was so extremely upset and raised three kinds of hell - which was amazing, because I was not a child prone to temper tantrums. But then I read the book, and it literally changed everything I thought about books for me. I'm really ashamed of the way I acted now, but I'm also eternally grateful for it too. It's the reason why I think giving children books early on is so extremely important.

Just Finished

Story of a Soul

Kinds of Books You Won't Read

Gentlemanly-type espionage, action movie equivalents. And books about sports, because sports are against my religion. 

Longest Book You've Read

Oh, Clash Of Kings, for goodness sake!

Major Book Hangover Because of

Ha! Probably Birdsong

Number of Bookcases You Own

Technically three of them, plus one built-in communal bookcase but I literally have books stacked on every flat surface that I conceivably stack them on. (And some that inconceivably! [am I using that correctly?]) 

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times

Jane Eyre!

Preferred Place to Read

On the living room couch, but only if no one else is in the living-room (so, never). Most of the time I read in my bed, with the radio on the block out other noises, or at a cafe.

Quote That Inspires You

"Let me live, love and say it well in good sentences."

Reading Regret

Not allowing friends to lend me so many books, actually. Whenever I visit my friends, I almost always come home with more books then I can read! It gets really hard to keep track of, and it's too hard telling them no!

Series You Started and Need to Finish (series is complete)

Game of Thrones. UGH! It's so LONG!

Three of Your All Time Favorite Books

Jane Eyre, Swamplandia!, and Runaway Bunny

Unapologetic Fangirl For

Mr. Darcy, Yo!

Very Excited for This Release More Than All the Others

Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russel, and the US edition of Morrissey's autobiography (which I have pre-ordered)

Worst Bookish Habit

Aaahhhh... I really shouldn't mark in library books, huh? That's a new habit of mine, too. :/

X Marks the Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book

Haha, well since I'm at work, I'll have to wait until I get home to answer this, y'know?

Your Latest Book Purchase

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. I'm loving Fangirl so much, I went to the bookstore as soon as I could to buy MORE!

ZZZ-Snatcher Book (last one that kept you up way too late)

Harry Potter

So do we share any of these in common?  What are your answers?  If you did the survey, feel free to leave a link in the comments and I'll check out your posts!

It's Called a Breakup Because It's Broken

photo credit: alt3rd-state

I have to say, I'm not super proud of this post. But I've always been super honest and open on the topic, and I promised to review every book I read from cover to cover here, so here goes nothing.

The book: It's Called a Breakup Because it's Broken. The authors: husband and wife duo, Greg Behrendt & Amiira Ruotola-Behrendt (Should we trust them more because they are happily married? Especially because 1/2 of them is a Dating Advice Rock Star?)

How did I ever come to find myself in a situation where I would need to read a book like this? How did I become "that girl"? Oh well. Self-help books exist for a reason, as bad a wrap as they get. I poured over the titles in the self-help section of my local library, hoping to find something that would jump out at me. This was the closest thing I could find, though it wasn't quite what I was looking for. The proverbial ship has sailed on this situation, but the scabs haven't completely healed over, so I decided "Eh, well I may as well give it a read."

The book is funny, light-hearted, and very, very frank. No, it didn't eventually answer the question I went into it asking, but I'm afraid some things can't be found in books, my dears. Did I mention it was frank? (And by "frank" I don't mean your stupid friend who tried to get himself deported, only to try to get back. ...Who doesn't have a Frank in their life?) What I mean is it hit some raw nerves that somehow hadn't been touched on yet. How can a book, published 6 years ago, be so all knowing? Answer: (you might want to write this one down and stick it on your vanity mirror) You Aren't That Special! Oh sure, you're a snowflake alright. But the situation you're in? It's been done. It's been done by Hollywood, MTV, the Ancient Greeks, Revolutionary Frenchmen, Dr Who, you name it. Is there some comfort in that? Maybe. 

This book does not guarantee a major plastic surgery on your broken, train wreck of a heart. But this book does have something great to offer - caution and self-esteem boosts. Here, let me pull up some gems for you gals:

“The time it takes to feel better about a breakup is directly proportional to the time it takes to feel better about yourself.” 

“Even with all the mayonnaise in the world, you can't make chicken salad out of chicken shit.” 

 “It's an odd thing to think about, but try imagining that your breakup is a disease. If you were told that you had a serious yet curable disease, would you go get hammered on a regular basis? Eat two bags of Oreos? Chain-smoke, pop, pills, get stoned, or fuck around? NO YOU WOULDN'T. You would take great care of yourself and cut all the unhealthy things out of your life."

Just keep reminding yourself that you're a catch. Yes, it hurts like hell to have someone choose another person over you - especially because you cared very much and very deeply for that person. But don't take that to mean that you're disposable. You aren't. Think of those home decorating shows - people (okay, gay men) literally decorate their beautiful, exquisite homes with things that they find in other people's garbage or flea markets. You're like that pine chifforobe left out on the curb, and then an Antonio finds you and makes you desirable. But you are, in fact, a human person. Which means that you have legs and upward mobility and you can walk yourself off of that gross curb or out of that dusty flea market and you don't even have to wait around for your fairy gay-mother. In fact, you don't even need a Prince Smarming either, but you're entitled to one if you really want one.
This book is really cute, and it's good to have handy when cupid whacks you in the face with the back of his hand. Don't do anything crazy, live your life, and if you can't well... fake it til you make it. That's what I always do!

My Clippings: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)

Today I'm going to start a new segment called "My Clipping," which basically refers to the highlighting feature on the Amazon Kindle. I noticed a while back that I'd highlighted some really awesome, funny, inspirational, and random passages in books I'd completely forgotten I'd read.  Sometimes it's just because of the way it was phrased. Sometimes, for no other reason than that it resonated with me.

In today's installment, I feature Mindy Kaling's hilarious memoir Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns). I personally love this little Throughly Modern American Hindu - I love her show on FOX The Mindy Project (though my Mom doesn't share my enthusiasm because, in her words, "She talks too fast.") I think the was the first book I ever read entirely in ebook form. If you're into Female Comedian Memoirs, which I get it if you're not, and you - through some fluke of fate - haven't read this one yet, I think maybe you should. Hopefully some of these clippings will convince you.

Before we begin, I would like to do the responsible thing and mention that none of the following were mine - they are entirely that of the author's and the publisher's and anyone else who had a hand in this book's creation which is in no way affiliated with this blog. Also, there aren't any page numbers assigned because it was in ebook form, and that may not be accurate. However, I think a few of them are obviously from the same chapter because they cover similar ground. I'm hoping that we're all intelligent readers and can figure it out without having to be told. Okay, I think that about covers it. Follow the jump for the quotes now!