My new literary obsession

I tend to get bored. Easily.

So when I'm editing photos/toning and working on orders, it's really great to have something to keep my mind going. I know a lot of photographers listen to music ... but I tend to flit around too much with music. I can't stay focused and decide on only ONE thing to listen to.

Enter: Audio books!!!!!

I'm a reading junkie, but with my eyes engaged to look at/tone/edit, I can't physically read at the same time. So I listen to books on CD. I lurrrrve it. Especially the 'whodunnit' books.

I have to admit, I'm a bit of a coward when trying new authors. I have tried and true authors who I'm loyal to, and don't really venture out. But a week ago, I was at the library, and I'd listened to all of the books on CD that were checked in. Uh-oh. So I took a nervous breath and checked out a new author.


I have to admit, I really thought it sounded lame. Not really interesting. But I figured 'what the heck?' .... and was totally shocked and surprised at how much I enjoyed the book.


Since the first, I've plowed through 2 more and am on my 3rd.

One of the things I like about the books is the sleuth is a baker by trade. And along the way, the puts in these amazing recipes in the book. The downside for me listening to them is that I don't stop to write them down as I hear them. I figured I"d be clever and go to her Web site: Murder she Baked (a clever spinoff/play on words from "Murder she Wrote'", but the actual recipes aren't on the Web site! Boo-hoo!!!!! (well, the names of the recipe is on there along with the corresponding book, but you have to get the book to get the recipe). I guess I'll have to go check out the books and make copies!

Let me just say the "cherry bomb cookies" sound oh-so good!!!!!

Also, much like the Carol Higgins Clark books, these aren't dripping with unnecessary sex, sex, sex. The story is driven by the STORY, which I very much appreciate.

Here's the scoop:

Ok, so you have been spoiled with daily blog posts.

That's because I pre-blogged a ton, and my pre-blogging has all been blogged.

So, patience while I get more stuff together. Still a ton of photos to share from DC ....

In other news around here:

• I'm SO CLOSE to getting the rain barrel overflows complete!!! I promise, a full blog post (maybe even video) when it happens.

• Wrestling with figuring out how to pay sales taxes online. Seriously, state. I know you want to cut budgets and this is more cheap for you, but HELLO!!!! Summer is a massively busy season for us. Why now?

• In all of my free time, I'm reading the following book:


It stems from NFP (the other major NFP model is HERE).

Even for the general person, there's a wealth of excellent information about eating a balanced diet. Just all around good reading.

• It's 7 a.m. and I want to take a nap. Sheesh.

• Mike and I are gearing up for the big bridal show in Wichita in about 2 weeks!!!! Still some last minute stuff to do, but we're in fairly good shape.

• I've been eating an obscene amount of guacamole as of late. I stinkin' love that stuff ... and it's SOOOO tasty!!!! Anyone else? Oh, I want some more now!

• I'm listening to "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" on CD right now. Unabridged. It's long. And not much about the hunchback so far ... but once I got past the Disney version and expected it to be all about him, I'm enjoying it rather a lot.

Gordon Parks

Last week, I wrote about reading Gordon Parks' memoir: "A Hungry Heart."

Well, I just finished, as evidenced by the tear streaks on my face. No, it's not particularly a sad book. It's just so beautifully crafted. Seriously. (He writes "After ninety two years I still don't know who I am" ..... GENIUS and SO honest! AMEN Gordon!). Parks is a master of photos, film, music and words.

I first was introduced to Parks (quite literally) the day I graduated from high school. I was at an exhibit of his work at WSU. He was there to meet and greet and sign autographs. The line was long, and I left, disappointed. In the parking lot, I basically talked myself into getting in line. "When are you EVER going to have a chance like this again, Karen?" I said to myself. The line was crazy-long, but I met him, and skidded into high school graduation just in time.

Then while living in Southeast Kansas, I went to his boyhood town of Ft. Scott. I'd read some of Parks' love poetry from the library and disliked it, but the poems on the walls of Mercy Health Center moved me nearly to tears. For example:

THE FUNERAL by Gordon Parks

After many snows I was home again.
Time had whittled down to mere hills the great mountains
of my childhood.
Raging rivers I once swam trickled now like gentle streams
and the wide road curving on to China or Kansas City
or perhaps Calcutta
had withered to a crooked path of dust
ending abruptly at the county burial ground.
Only the giant that was my father remained the same.
A hundred strong men strained beneath his coffin
when they bore him to his grave.

--It's online HERE

I'm so ashamed it took me 2+ months to pick up this book (I checked it out from the library about 3 months ago). And now? I don't want to take it back!!!!! You can just BET this is on my wish list of books to own!

So ..... you photographers/photojournalists out there: YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK!!!!! And for those of you who like a guy who goes against insurmountable odds ... you also must read this book!

"A Hungry Heart"

Wow.

So I'm sitting in the Denver airport waiting for a training for a group I volunteer with. But that's neither here nor there.

A month or more ago, I checked out Gordon Parks' memoir, "A Hungry Heart" from the library.


I'm embarrassed to admit I had the book for probably 2 months and hadn't cracked the cover. I extended the matearial from the library ... twice ... and now I'm FINALLY reading it. I read it during the entire flight here, and it's UUUUUUMAAAAAAZING! I'm only about 70 pages in and I've been teary about a half a dozen times. Parks is such a craftsman of words. I remember reading his love poetry and not being enamoroed. But on a trip to Fort Scott, I read his poems about the Kansas landscape .... and they're breathtaking!

As I said, I'm only a short distance into it, but Parks' drive to follow what he is passionate about is just so moving! (Dad, you NEED to read this book!).

For more information about the book, please CLICK HERE!

Making nice

After being so harsh on literature yesterday, I tried to make up for it by going to the library and picking up an armload of books.

I added a widget on the right side of the page, which tells what I'm reading ..... if anyone wants to join me on GoodReads.com, that would be cool! Sort of like having a book club .... but we're all over the place!

I had to pick up one from the large print section. And as I was checking out, I told the lady I really enjoy large print books b/c I look really brainy when I'm reading such a THICK book at the pool. ;)

Raising the white flag ....

It's not often I put a book down in the middle. In fact, I can think of only one other time I've done it. But yesterday, I finally admitted defeat. For more than TWO MONTHS I'd been trying to power my way through this book on MP3 and I finally gave up on "Reading Lolita in Tehran."


Of the 120-some-odd "chapters" of the MP3 player, I made it to 79. So about 2/3 of the way through. Not BAD ... but I just couldn't finish.

The thing that gets me is ..... this was a bestseller. I'm not sure HOW, but it was. I'm not saying the book is bad by any means .... it's just .... slow. It starts in the present, then flashes back to her book club, then flashes back more and then flashes back even MORE. Um, confusing. And rambling. There was a point when she introduced a student, then went on for a chapter about the student's favorite book. I groaned OUT LOUD while I was on my exercise bike at the Y when this happened.

I feel like SUCH a jerk. Because the material is interesting. It's just SO SLOW MOVING. I told Erik I'd make a good person to abridge the book. Get out my butchering knife, because there was a lot of fat that could have been trimmed from the 2/3 that I read.

Just as a point of comparison (because I'm a dork like that), Harry Potter book 7 is about 21.5 hours in audio form. This book was 18.5 in audio form. Does that give you a feel for it? I couldn't get ENOUGH of HP7, but this ... zzzzzzzzzzzz.

Ok, I'm officially a jerk. Azar Nafisi, if you're reading this, I'm sure you're a lovely author ... your writing style is so lovely ... but it was just too long!

I feel like I need to make up for my literary meanness, so I'm going to head to the library and see what I can find today that tickles my fancy.

# 18 — Read one book a month for one year

WHOOOOOOOOIE!!!!!!!!!!

Phew. What the heck was I thinking? Read a new book every month? Ok, it wasn't a terrible idea. I used to read a TON for recreation. But lately, not so much. So, I changed that. I LOVE a good mystery, so I basically chewed through anything written by Carol Higgins Clark. What I like about her books is that generally, there are multiple story lines going on all at the same time. I love to see how things can merge and affect one another.

Here's a list of my readings:

May: "Hitched" by Carol Higgins Clark
June: "Laced" by Carol Higgins Clark
July: "Jinxed" by Carol Higgins Clark
August: "Snagged" by Carol Higgins Clark
September: "Twanged" by Carol Higgins Clark
October: "Burned" by Carol Higgins Clark
November: "Decked" by Carol Higgins Clark
December: "The Poisonwood Bible"
January: "One Fifth" by C. Bushnell
February: "A Groom With a View" by Jill Churchill
March: "On the Shortness of Life, Life is Long if You Know How to Use it" by Seneca
April: "Hug Your Customers" by Jack Mitchell

I did read a few more, but didn't include them all here. :)

Oh, so good to be more than 1/3 of the way through the 101 in 1001.

Book break!

I don't know how I stumbled across this, but I recently learned a fabulous book I read, "My Sisters Keeper," is being made into a film! How exactly I stumbled across the book, I'm not sure. I think I was living in Indy and grabbed it on CD to listen to in the car.

Anyhow, it's INCREDIBLY powerful and EXTREMELY thought-provoking.

I'm COMPLETELY aware this will spark a LOT of backlash when the film incarnation comes out. And I have to say, I agree some of the issues presented in the book ARE troubling. If you had an ill child, would you opt to have a child who genetically matched that child ... it's a slippery slope, and with the way the new administration is heading ... yeah. Anyway.

More info about the upcoming film HERE and HERE.

I suspect a LOT of misinformation will be spread in the ultra-conservative circles about this one ... and I just urge you to GET INFORMED. Seriously. Nothing irks me more than people blindly opposing something. There's plenty of lead time ... go to the library and check this one out. Read it IN ITS ENTIRETY. This is NOT one of those books you can read a fraction of and form an opinion.

"The Poisonwood Bible"

Wow.

That's the only word I have for the book I'm currently reading ("The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingslover).

I could not even do justice to explaining the book/plot. But, you can do so by CLICKING HERE.

My friend, Jeanel, gave it to me two years ago during my trip to Africa.


I don't know why it's taken me two years to really delve into it ... but I SO love it! Getting the characters all straight in my head took awhile, but once I got it down, I have had a hard time putting the book down.

Just last night, I was reading ... and here's a quote that just hit me like a ton of bricks.

"The power is in the balance: we are our injuries, as much as we are our successes." ~ p. 496

So powerful.

So true.

(and for those of you who might be curious, it's not sacrilegious or anything like that .... it's about a Baptist family and Poisonwood is a type of tree ... and that's all I'm going to say ... other than go check that book out from your local library!!!!!)