Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
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My New Job

So after having to quit my job in January (more on that in another post?) I was pretty down...I loved my job as a dance teacher and I still hope to be able to teach in the future. But jobs locally in that field are pretty hard to come by sometimes, so I spent the entire summer looking for something that would be reliable and have the hours I wanted.

I instantly ruled out retail and waitressing (making the pickings pretty slim...)

I applied at the local library (5 minutes from my house!) and was hired!! I was so excited. 

As I'm sure you know, I LOVE books. I love to be around them, I love the way they smell, I love to read them, I love to hold them...

Okay, this just got awkward...

Anyway, I started working on October 1st and I have to say I am really happy. My hours are perfect, I don't work weekends or holidays and everybody who works there is really nice. I feel so blessed and grateful to have been given this job and this opportunity. 

As a side note, working at a library just makes my want to write.

I've always loved creative writing...well, any kind of writing really. I'v written poems, short stories, long stories...and I desperately hope one day to be able to call myself an author.

If anything, working at the library has fueled this desire and turned it into a real, tangible, dream.

Until then, I will start to put lots of effort into my writing. I have two ideas for books and I believe that if I put the time and effort into, could really become something.

I guess we'll see!!
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Coming Back...

I've been away from blogging for a while now. At first, I thought I liked it better...I didn't feel pressure to post anything, I felt like I had one less thing to worry about.

And for a while, that was cool. I was okay with it. But recently, I realized that I am not okay with it. I loved my blog. Even though I'm not sure that anyone besides my mother actually read it, I liked having this small piece of the internet to call my own.

So I'm coming back to blogging and this time, I'm not going to give up so easily...I think I'll stick around for a while, see where it takes me. :)

Updates:

I have a Storenvy store! HD computer wallpapers, iPhone wallpapers, etc! Check it out! More coming soon.
My Pinterest boards are overflowing...
My Design Business is going great! I have some new clients lined up for the fall and I'm really excited.
I'm in my Senior Year of College!! I'm ready to face the last year head-on and I can't wait to have that diploma in my hand.

There's tons more, but I'll save the rest for individual posts.

I hope someone, somewhere is happy that I'm back :D
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January Reading List 2012



Guantanamo Boy
Back to the Garden
Einstein: A Life
Clockwork Angel
Sherlock Holmes
Inheritance
Lily of the Nile
The Green Mile
Jumper
The Help

I can't wait to get reading!!
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Untitled

My recent foray into the poem world with the book, Because I Am Furniture, inspired me to share a poem I had written recently while I had time to kill on campus. It was a beautiful day, uncommon for November, and I was watching the leaves fall from the trees...

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Because I Am Furniture

I was intrigued by this book's title, which is the original reason I picked it up.

It's not the only reason I wound up loving it.

Written in the form of many poems, it was brilliantly captivating. I literally picked it up and didn't put it down until I had finished.

I have to add that I didn't realize it was written in poems until I got it home from the library. When I opened it, I was skeptical. I usually don't enjoy books written in poem form…they scare me. I always feel like I'm missing something, or like there's some deeper meaning that I'm just not getting. I actually almost put it down. 

What a mistake that would have been.


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Bone Worship

I saw this book in Barnes and Noble one day as I was shopping. I read the back and it sounded really interesting.

The main character, Jasmine, is the child of an Iranian father and an American mother. After flunking out of her last semester at college as a double major, she returns home to make good on her promise to her parents to let them arrange a wedding for her.


I'm not going to summarize the book here, (in short, I really enjoyed the book) I just wanted to write a little bit about why I thought this was such a good book and what I think makes a good book.

Writing style is something everyone has a different preference for. Some people like simpler writers, others like a more complex writing style.

I happen to like somewhat of a middle ground. For example, I recently took the newest Meg Cabot novel out of the library's teen section (yes, I often read from the teen section- usually if you pick through the angst-ridden high school stories, you can find some good stuff). I started reading it, (it was supposed to be a modern take on Persephone) I thought that the Greek mythological background would make it interesting (I happen to LOVE mythology). But I found myself bored, not because of the story, but because of the writing style.

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Yet Another Etsy Purchase

I recently purchased a Nook Color from Barnes and Noble.

When I started looking at a case to carry it in, I realized that every case I found was either leather, boring, or both.

So I decided to take a look on Etsy and see if they had anything a little more exciting.

They did!



1 Sweet Pea Boutique makes adorable, stylish, cases for all sorts of electronic devices.

The one I got has owls, one of my favorite things :)

It's perfect, it keeps my Nook cozy when I'm not using it and keeps it safe if I put it in a bag or need to travel with it.

Moral of the Story: Etsy Rocks.
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My Obsession with Egypt...


I have always had a slight obsession with everything Egypt, ever since I was very little and started learning about Ancient Egypt in school. I'm not sure exactly why and I actually had almost forgotten about it until I picked up a book I had bought a while ago in Target because it was on sale. (Yes, I often buy books just because they are on sale and for no other reason.)

The book was called Nefertiti and the author's name is Michelle Moran. The author is an archeologist and after exploring and unearthing many artifacts in Egypt, decided to write a book about Ancient Egypt.

Not only are her books almost historically accurate, they are thrilling to read. Obviously we don't know everything about Ancient Times, but what we do know has been incorporated into an amazing work of fiction.


I have devoured her first book Nefertiti and just recently finished The Heretic Queen. (The sequel to Nefertiti.)

I just started Cleopatra's Daughter and I'm so excited to read about an entirely different era of Egypt and Rome.

Even though I have never been a real fan of history as a subject, when put into a personal context (like when reading about Ancient Egypt through a spurned princess' eyes) it's much easier for me to enjoy. 

I would definitely recommend giving them a look if you like historical fiction or Ancient Egypt :)



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"In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed."

Mr. Darcy said this to Elizabeth, in Pride and Prejudice, my favorite book. This cuff, handmade, is being sold on Etsy for $35.

I'm soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo tempted to buy it.



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Freakonomics…A Very Interesting and Well-Done Documentary

A few nights ago I watched Freakonomics, a documentary based on the book by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. Not only is the cover graphic awesome, but the subject matter is interesting as well. I haven't read the book yet, but have picked it up at the store with interest in the past and plan to read it in it's entirety in the future. The book includes more examples than the documentary, but I believe the documentary went more in-depth on some subjects.

The documentary opens with Stephen and Steven talking about realtors and their motives for selling your home; and it's immediately established that these two have a sense of humor (as if you didn't get that already from the title and the apple/orange on the cover of the book). They start with a blooper and then head on to a really great animation of themselves, demonstrating why, when it comes to your relationship with your real estate agent, your "interests aren't aligned".

The entire idea is totally interesting. Steven D. Levitt, an economist, (boring right? NOT.) has spent his career researching the reasons behind everyday occurrences: crime, parenting, swimming, all sorts of stuff. He challenges conventional ways of thinking and shows that by asking the right questions and drawing connections between seemingly unrelated data, you'll find answers some people didn't think were there.

Stephen J. Dubner is a journalist. He profiled Levitt for The New York Times and that was how the idea for the book came together. Together, they make a great team - they look at the topics from interesting angles and come up with some very unconventional conclusions. 

Plus it's just cool that both of their names are Stephen, even thought they spell it differently.

The animations in the documentary were done extremely well and the filming and music was great too. It had a real innovative feel to it, which I think went really well with their unconventional, out-of-the-box thinking.

The entire documentary was interesting, but as with all films, I believe the book will be better. (Not to mention that the book covers more topics.) I'm looking forward to reading it.






P.S. - They wrote a second one! It's called Super Freakonomics. I'll definitely be checking this one out after I finish the first one :)
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