My Amazon order arrived today! I got a giftcard from work and decided to spend it all on one thing; books!
1) Lit by Mary Karr
2) The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
3) Eating the Dinosaur by Chuck Klosterman
4) Little Bee by Chris Cleave
5) The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Net by Stieg Larsson (guilty pleasure!)
Have you guys read any of these? I can’t wait to read them. Now I definitely can’t buy any new books for a long time because I still haven’t finished this list either.
I wanted to make a Gift Guide this year but I’m a little pressed for time and, who am I kidding really, every time I go shopping for someone else I return with bags full of stuff for myself.
My brother asks my every year what I want for Christmas and I realized I spend all my money on clothes and books (and booze). But I’m such a shopaholic that if I’ve asked for it, I most likely bought it a day later.
Nevertheless, I decided to make a Wishlist…and maybe if you have a friend or bratty sister who loves fluffy animals and regresses in maturity with each year she lives…well maybe there would be something on this list that you could buy for her…
BOOKS:
I buy books often and I collect them for my future library but the one thing I rarely buy for myself are gift books. It’s just not the same when you buy them for yourself.
The Word Made Flesh: Literary Tattoos
PAJAMAS:
Who doesn’t love comfy PJ’s? Who actually spends money on it though? No one- unless it’s a gift. I’m not sure why but I have an obsession with Christmas Story style onesie longjohn pajamas. If you love being warm and being the walking epitome of unsexy- these are the pj’s for you!
These are a bit more functional while still getting the 5 year old boy look…
L.L. Bean also has a pair for “all day comfort!” It says. (I know, what was I doing shopping the L.L. Bean catalog right? I knew they’d have a thermal onesie).
OTHER CRAP I DON’T NEED:
I am a sucker for all things colorful and unnecessary and Pylones is an awesome store to spend money you don’t have on things you don’t need.
I have been looking for a USB hub and was holding out on buying one until I found a cute and overpriced one. Um, FOUND IT!
I also really love globes and maps. I imagine having a bunch in different sizes and styles in my library. How awesome is this globe of NYC?
And speaking of maps, I think this scratch off map is such a great idea. You can scratch off the countries you’ve visited, like a lotto ticket, and keep track of where you’ve been.
Ok maybe it’s a good thing I don’t have a bigger apartment because I may just spend all my money covering it in maps. But if I did have a place of my own, I would love this silk screened map above my couch.
Happy shopping!
Last night Bionics and I went to see Joshua Ferris, author of Then We Came to The End, read from his new book, The Unnamed. I asked Bionics to go with me since she was the one who introduced me to his first book. Since we had some time to kill before the reading started, we decided to grab a few drinks beforehand. You know how the rest goes.
We ended up downing our drinks and running over to The Strand, arriving 5 minutes late. We managed to get seats in the last row where you can just about make out what he says if you leaned slightly forward and turned your ear toward the podium. About 10 minutes into the reading I texted Bionic, who was sitting right next to me.
“Are you finding him really boring or am I just drunk?”
Bionics chuckled and texted back.
“Oh thank god. I thought I was the only one to think he was boring.”
Perhaps because of the alcohol, we could not concentrate on his voice. The floor boards of the book store creaked so loudly when customers walked about the store, which was so distracting. Then a car alarm was going off outside on the street. Then a baby started crying.
“Creak, creak, creak. Meep, meep, meep. Wah, wah, wah. Creak, meep, wah!” was all we could hear above Ferris’s monotone voice.
Bionics and I continued to rudely text back and forth like (drunken) teenagers at an assembly. “Clack, clack, clack.”
I heard Ferris read a line where the characters drove past a Waffle House and realized I hadn’t eaten dinner.
“Mmmmm waffle house,” I texted.
This caused both our bodies to shake uncontrollably as we were trying to silence our giggles. We were such rude, drunk, teenagers.
I hope karma doesn’t get me when it’s my turn to have a reading on my book tour. Haha.
(We did purchase his new book though so that should balance the cosmics).
I saw this book, Mentor by Tom Grimes, on the Discover Great New Writers list at Barnes & Noble and admit I picked it up because of its cover. (I’m so easy). In his book, Grimes tells the story of the life of a writer and his relationship with his teacher. While reading this book, I felt like Grimes was writing out my thoughts when he describes his aspirations as a writer, the self-doubt, and the disappointments. But more than that, his relationship with his professor, his mentor, really touched me. It made me think of the people who have unknowingly influenced and guided me, mainly my former English professor. I had lost touch with her a few years back, but after reading this book I decided to email her. After I hit send I continued to refresh my inbox to see if she’d emailed back, nervous that she wouldn’t, or worse, wouldn’t remember me.
A few hours later I received a reply and it made my day. I will be forever grateful to her for stepping into my life when I had very little guidance and encouraging me to pursue writing. We’re planning on meeting for lunch soon and I’m so excited to pick her brain and ask for her opinion on my latest work. (Hopefully there would be fewer red marks and question marks than when she graded my papers years ago).
Isn’t it amazing how one little encounter with someone can change your life or make such a difference? Who knows, maybe you’ve affected someone and one day you’ll receive an email from someone who’s always been grateful to you all these years.
About 2 weeks ago I finished reading Andre Agassi’s memoir titled Open. I had picked up the book for 3 reasons. 1) I was told that Agassi had devoted a chapter to and a friend of mine. 2) Many raved about it. 3) It was finally available in a much more compact paperback.
I was impressed with the book right from the first few pages. I had expected a book about tennis (which I have very little knowledge) but it was about so much more than that. Agassi writes about family, pressure, drive, and a search for his identity outside of everyone’s expectations. Most men I know who’ve read it thinks he whined too much. Typical of men, no ability to sympathize. I admired how vulnerable and honest his voice was, an obvious play on words for the book’s title. I highly recommend this book.
(PS- I even developed a new interest in the sport. US Open anyone?)