My Reading Obsession

The other day I was saying that maybe I was over my aversion to books and movies with stressful situations.  The last few years, since I started school, I just can’t take stress.  I stopped watching downer movies or really tense stuff, especially of characters being totally humiliated or embarrassed.  My family completely mocks me about it.  Suddenly I’ve started watching romantic comedies!  Is sad, so sad.  So I’ve been reading The Given Day, and thinking, okay, this is really stressful, but I am liking it. Well, as of this morning, I think I’m done. I don’t think I can even finish it.  I mean, I’m at the end, just like the characters.  Ick.  Poor Luther.  What can he do now?  It’s awful.  I think I’ll start something else tonight and put it away.  It’s making me feel a bit sick.

Things never change, you know?  Back in that time period, immigration was a huge issue.  What’s different today? And some people are so full of hate, it’s just disgusting.  Back then, you have a man with an Irish accent, obviously an immigrant, in a position of some power, murdering and stomping all over people because they ‘don’t belong’ in America.  But to tell the truth, that’s the way it is, isn’t it? The thing that people hate the most is usually within themselves in some way.  It’s always been that way, and it always will be.  Is that what a good author does? Find truths about people as a whole and embody them in one character?  Well, for now, unfortunately, I’m going to have to switch to an author that finds some good in people for awhile.

Ugh. I have my last final tomorrow night. So I go to the local college library to study. Within 15 minutes, this jerk a few tables away takes a phone call. Unfortunately, it was his girlfriend calling to dump him. For the next hour, I listened to him cry and in the most graphic language accuse this ‘Jenny’ of only wanting him for his…appendage, and of not trusting him for no reason. Every other word was either the F word or BS or some other swear word. What the …!? I mean, after a few minutes I looked over to make sure Channi had her headphones on because I’m pretty laid back, but I didn’t want her hearing this stuff! Just as I finally packed up to leave, he stopped.

You know, a library is a place of quiet. But I have never, ever, since I started back to school been able to study with quiet. There are always these talking people, usually on cell phones. I don’t get it! F off and go somewhere else to talk. And that’s not even getting started on the personal stuff that people seem content that everyone and their brother thinks we want to hear about.

I never thought I would crave an elderly librarian walking around shushing everyone, but I sure do. On nearly a daily basis.

At home there are too many distractions, but if I try to go to a library, it’s no better. I feel like swearing. Badly. I really need Channi to fix my ipod issue so I can have headphones again…

J

I’m mentioned before I’m a bit addicted to magazines. Just a bit.

A couple of months ago, I got an offer for a free quilting magazine. Well, of course I sent it in. I love quilting, looking at quilts, and reading magazines, what else would I do? Surprise, surprise, after my issue arrives, I start getting bills for a subscription. I send it back declining and another one comes. So after spending an hour on hold, I clear it up–I think I do anyway. They can’t understand why I don’t want it. My saying, “There wasn’t one project in that magazine that tempted me to make it,” did not seem to be answer enough. Still, she said it automatically cancels when you don’t pay, and she ensured it was canceled. Well, Okay, but last night I got the first magazine of the subscription! Jeez.

Sad thing is, I actually like this one. If they had sent this as their free one, I might have been more tempted. But they didn’t and now I’m not getting mixed up with them again! Whew!

So last night I sat and read the magazine….fun, fun, fun. And Free.

Very.

I’m reading a bit today—Comprehensive Tax 2009, and the Given Day.  Which do you think I prefer?

Two guesses.  Okay, I’m sure you got it now.  The Given Day.  I love the beginning of the book when you’re introduced to different characters in different places, and thinking…’what do all these have to do with each other?” And they do end up being interrelated.  There is so much stress in the book–everyone is hanging on by a thread.  Why do I like it? I mean, my preference for all things ’stress-free’ is well documented.  Ever since I started school, I just don’t like the darker side of life as much.  I’m sure when my stress level goes down, I’ll be right back to it.  But somehow, I’m okay with this story.  Do I think things will turn out happily ever after?  I highly doubt it.

In other news, it’s raining here, and it smells like my childhood, all cozy and clean.  Amazingly enough, it hasn’t even set off my allergies, in fact it’s calmed them considerably, an added bonus.  I hope it lasts.  When others pray for the doom and gloom to go away, I hope it holds.  Rain is so comforting to me.

I’m working on one last paper and have one more final before this hellish semester is over.  My final on Saturday went really badly, but I’m just not too stressed about it. I may have just earned the first B I’ve gotten since starting back to school.  My husband says I shouldnt’ worry about it. I’m gainfully employed and they dont’ care what I get as long as I graduate. It’s sad to me though.  I always hoped to have another 4.0.  Sigh.

Happy Sunday to all.  Read and enjoy it.

Yesterday I said I was only reading ‘The Given Day’.  Then at lunch I went down to eat with my copy of Henry Miller’s ‘Washington Square’ in hand.  Oops!  Then I went and got to school a bit early so pulled ‘Mrs. Dalloway’ by Virginia Woolf off the shelf. I’ve been reading it during the semester whenever I had a few free minutes.  Usually when the commute is shorter than normal and I am waiting for class to start. 

So I do have 3 books I’m into right now.  My finals are over Wednesday, and after that I have two at home that I am getting ready to start and finish over the next 10 free days.  Did you hear that?  10 free days, with just work, housework, teenagers and husband to cook and manage, and fifty projects waiting. It’ll practically be a vacation!

My mom bought me this book for Christmas.  Books are something she knows she can safely give me.  So this is by Dennis Lehane, the author of Mystic River.  It’s sort of a historical fiction, with fictional characters living through actual times and events.  Actually, one of the characters isn’t fictional.  Babe Ruth has an ongoing cameo with other real people also wandering through the pages. We’ll see I guess, what that has to do with anything. It’s sort of interesting and fun though. 

When I’m really pulled into past times, I love it. I wish I had the time to just read this through in a couple of sittings. As it is, I can’t even finish a chapter at a time.  Right now one character is on the run because he murdered several people,, and another is trying to infiltrate the radicals and Bolsheviks.  Wouldn’t you want to keep reading? 

Amazingly enough right now, this is all I”m working on. Besides textbooks anyway.  However, come next Thursday, we’ll see.   I was trying to find HP 6 for my mom to read before the movie comes out, and cant’ find it. I think I took it to storage a few weeks ago, having read it myself. It’s frustrating not to have all my books within reach.