Read: Love in the Time of Cholera

I'm a sucker for a love story. A love story that spans fifty-three years, seven months and eleven days and nights? Be still my beating heart.

Love in the Time of Cholera is beautiful. In the beginning, I had a hard time keeping track of the characters (mainly because a) I suck at keeping names straight anyway and b) I was only reading bits at a time on the train in the morning). Soon though, it became hard to put down. I wouldn't mind the Boy being a bit late to pick me up from the train station at the end of the day on his way home, just because I could get in a few more pages of Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza.

Gabriel García Márquez is a beautiful writer and provides visuals that make you feel like you're there with the characters. Márquez' One Hundred Years of Solitude is on my booklist still, and I'll be picking it up sooner rather than later.

Lazy Sunday

The Boy is gone to Europe with his BFF for a few weeks, where my BFF can also be found these days. I'm pretty envious, but excited for the whole gang at the same time. Ah, to live vicariously through other people.

It's been fairly quiet on the home front, spending a bit of time recharging. Taking care of spring cleaning (a wee bit late), birthdaying a lot (my darling roomate has taken to referring to me as "Paris Hilton" with my three birthdays... which is somewhat unnerving), and reading.

Reading is something that I've not had nearly enough time to do lately. It's something that I enjoy, but that gets pushed to the background. It used to be an escape. I'd be found hidden away somewhere reading the adventures of others and getting lost in the pages of my favourite tales. Much to the chagrin of my mother. She'd give me chores, I'd complete them as fast as humanly possible and hide out in my room with a book until she yelled for me to come back. I spent many nights with the light on, unable to put the book down to sleep until I'd pass out on an open novel.

All of the reading necessary for university ruined that for me a little bit. So much time was spent reading for school that it was no longer enjoyable to do it in my downtime (unless it was some fluffy chick-lit which I could breeze through in a couple of hours).

I finished Kerouac on Sunday and have started in on the pile of unread (or partially read) books I have going on. I have a different book for reading outside in the sunshine than for reading before bed. One for work, one for home. It doesn't make much sense, but hey, that's how I roll.

Other things that have happened since the boy's been gone:

• I won $90 at the casino for birthday deux, vegas style. We were lucky to be at a table with some really nice guys who helped us decide whether to stay, hit or double down.
• I transferred my Ontario licence for an Alberta one. It's still a beginner's/learner's... but hey, it's a start.
• Improved my golf skills at the driving range. Mourned the loss of roomie's car. Poor car had a good, long life (20 years!). CAA/AMA guy didn't even laugh too much when Krista kissed the hood and paid her final respects.

I've been reading

Carlo Marx and I once sat down together, knee to knee, in two chairs, facing, and I told him a dream I had about a strange Arabian figure that was pursuing me across the desert; that I tried to avoid; that finally overtook me just before I reached the Protective City. "Who is this?" said Carlo. We pondered it. I proposed it was myself, wearing a shroud. Something, someone, some spirit was pursuing all of us across the desert of life and was bound to catch us before we reached heaven. Naturally, now that I look back on it, this was only death: death will overtake us before heaven. The one thing that we yearn for in our living days, that makes us sigh and groan and undergo sweet nauseas of all kinds, is the remembrance of some lost bliss that was probably experienced in the womb and can only be reproduced (though we the to admit it) in death. But who wants to die?

-- On the Road, Jack Kerouac

I don't actually read nine books at once

My little place in the blogosphere here has gone to shit.

I'm attempting to update, and so I will let you know that I don't actually read nine books at once (I just suck at reviewing them like I said I would). On the other hand, I do read about three or four books at once (just not nine -- that is crazy!)

So.

I have, in fact, finished:

1) Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk
I love anything by Palahniuk, so I'm biased. He is so delightfully disturbing and provides such brilliant social commentary through his tales. Really, I recommend anything he's ever written.

2) Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
Cute chick lit involving knitting and comraderie among women. Light. Quick. Sometimes you just need something like that.

3) Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann
Classic. Love the drama in others' imaginary lives... even though I can't stand it in my own.

4) Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klosterman
Love Klosterman. There were times I'd be reading this book and burst out laughing. In public. I don't do that too often. He's blunt. He's honest. He's hilarious.

5) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
The last of the Harry Potter books. Still undecided about how I feel about the ending. But it works.

Wine at 10 a.m.? Yes, please!

In the midst of slaving away this morning, I dug into my purse for lip gloss and pulled out a bottle opener (left over from Saturday night). *sigh* Too early in the day for that I'm afraid.

I'm currently reading Chuck Klosterman's "Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs" and find myself literally laughing out loud as I go over his words. Hilarious. And yet he also caters to my cynical side.

In the first chapter, Klosterman talks about "fake love". He surmises that no woman will ever be able to completely satisfy him, just as he will never be able to fully satisfy any woman, because both parties will measure the relationship against the prospect of fake love. The man has a point.

We're given chick flicks and sappy love songs and fairy tales and Harlequin romance novels... and the other sex is supposed to compete with that? Maybe this is the real reason why girls fall for jerks. Because we can maintain the flicker of hope that these guys will get better and that happily ever after will exist whereas with "nice guys" what you see is what you get. You get into a relationship with a guy who is already compassionate and romantic and nice and that's as good as it's going to get. And too often, it's not good enough. It just doesn't measure up to the concept of love we've dream of since we were little girls and so we throw it back and try to catch something new. Someone new. And then we wonder why we can't find anyone "good enough".

Ridiculous, let me tell you.

Books on the Bus: February Edition (...a little late, I know)

I have to admit, I haven't been reading a whole lot on the bus during the month of February. The winter blues had me a little down so when I wasn't reading (or knitting) on the bus, I would sleep with my iPod buds tucked into my ears. This past week has been absolutely incredible, warm and bright... so hopefully, this means more energy pour moi.

The following are books that I have read during February:

1) The Russian Debutante's Handbook: Gary Shteyngart
This book is very funny and full of adventure. It's fabulously written and I recommend it. It was one of those books that I had trouble putting down, speed reading through parts to find out what happens so that I wasn't left hanging until I picked up the book next.

2) Bitchfest: Ten Years of Cultural Criticism from the Pages of Bitch Magazine: Lisa Jervis and Andi Zeisler, eds.
Admittedly, this book isn't for everyone. There were essays I liked and others that didn't particularly tickle my fancy... but that's generally how Feminism and Feminist lit strike me. It's all about finding stories that are relatable. However, I do enjoy reading the opinions of others, and though I don't necessarily agree, it does lend a new perspective on some situations.

3) The Yarn Harlot's Knitting Rules!: Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
Stephanie Pearl-McPhee is absolutely hilarious. Who knew knitting could be so positively amusing?! Generally, I have taught myself to knit new things via internet patterns/tutorials, but it's good to have a book to refer to rather than getting off the couch and running back and forth to my trusty little box of all knowledge. Yes, reading this book further underlines my geekdom, but I simply don't care. It was too delightful to pass on.

4) The Kiterunner: Khaled Hosseini
This may have been one of the most incredible books I have ever read. The imagery is astounding, the writing beautiful and the story heartwrenching. It may be uncomfortable but it further leads to understanding the plight of the characters. Absolutely stunning. This book I recommend to everyone, just as it came highly recommended to me.

In February I also started reading Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina"... I have this urge to read more "classic" literature. However, I haven't gotten very far into it as of yet (and it is a huge book) so you'll have to wait until March's list comes out to get the down low on that one.

The Books on the Bus (..go 'round and 'round)

Ah but the ride to/from work on the 1 is slightly longer than enjoyable, however, it does provide quite the opportunity to get some reading into my busy little life. What I have read on the bus thus far in 2007, in case you're looking for recommendations or something.

1. For One More Day -- Mitch Albom

Easy read, light but still thoughtful... not altogether different from The Five People You Meet in Heaven/Tuesdays with Morrie.

2. Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool's Guide to Surviving with Grace -- Gordon MacKenzie

Brilliant. The importance of keeping your own creativity when in an organization rather than merely giving into to all of the corporate hoopla. Gift from a former Environment Minister, very easy to relate to organizations such as government(though the author talks about his experiences at Hallmark).

3. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West -- Gregory Maguire

This book was pretty good. I'm not usually into books which contain made up species and stuff like that, but because of the connection with the Wizard of Oz and because of all the buzz around it, I read it. And I liked it. It definitely provides a different perspective with some interesting plot twists. More importantly, it provides some compassion for the poor witch. Oh Elphaba!

4. Moral Disorder -- Margaret Atwood

Atwood is one of my guiltier pleasures. This book was okay, though no Blind Assassin or Handmaid's Tale.