Why I'm So Easily Distracted by Distractions

I'm going to be the first to admit that I am excessively easily distracted. I have a short attention span sometimes and it takes something really interesting to catch and hold me for any long period of time. So, last year when I read something like 115 books, I was hooked into reading constantly and could never pull myself away from my kindle or bookshelves. It was wonderful (expensive, but wonderful) and I think I burned myself out a little bit.

So instead of filling my time with constant reading, I've found some other distractions this year that I wanted to share with y'all and hopefully try to show why I'm so hooked onto random things.

First of all, wedding planning.

It's stressful. I've given myself a year and a half to figure this out but there's so much going on with it. Whether it be picking out flowers, wedding colors, bridesmaids, catering, or whatever, someone always has an opinion and a better way of doing something. A word of wisdom to everybody who knows someone that is getting married: offer support, not advice. I don't need lectures about why I'm not getting married in a church or renting out a huge venue. Plan your wedding, not others.

Secondly, I've discovered Korean dramas.

There's a few big reasons that I'm completely in love with these things...

One of the biggest reasons is that they are clean to watch.

How many times are we watching a tv show or movie with someone and it turns to that sex scene that's so ingrained in Western culture and you can't help but blush and look away awkwardly? I hate that it's so predictable. That's not to say I don't appreciate Western shows but I've just gotten bored of them. In Korean shows, it will literally take a 16 episodes for a kiss sometimes. A single awkward eyes open kiss.

They're also pretty funny. There's a lot of silly misunderstandings, slapstick comedy and ridiculous dancing. One drama talked about having fangirls write fanfiction about the band members and I nearly lost it.

Heartstrings

You're Beautiful

They do have a serious side and that's what really takes the cake for me. I have never cried so much in my life over anything. I sat one day and binge watched a show and went through an entire box of tissues. (That show was Boys Over Flowers and it broke my heart in so many ways. I wasn't emotionally stable for a week.)

You're Beautiful - favorite scene, favorite character

There's real life drama in them. Parents dying, being introverted, the one you love leaving...it's all easy to relate to, despite the sometimes ridiculous situations that the characters are in. Sure, maybe you're cross dressing to cover for your absentee twin brother or your mother is the evil overlord of a multinational Fortune 500 company but watching the one you love be in love with a jerk is something that's universal.

So, if you're sick of the same plot lines of Western shows, want something different, or just want to cry an excessive amount, check out some dramas. 

Look for some reviews of these dramas in the future. I absolutely love them right now. I want to get other people hooked so I have someone to fangirl with. Many are available on Netflix and Hulu and they're super fun to watch.

So yeah...sorry about being distracted. 

I am getting back into my reading but I'm really enjoying these new shows and they are blocking out some of the stress of planning a wedding. Just bear with me. 

Musing Mondays (2)

I hope everybody had a wonderful weekend! I spent the weekend and Mother's day at the lake with my parents, planting flowers, sitting one the dock and reading. I got terribly sunburned but it was worth it to be able to swim for the first time this season. The water was finally warm enough and since it's before Memorial Day, there wasn't a whole lot of boat traffic.

Musing Mondays is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jenn at A Daily Rhythm. Each week, there are a few prompts and you can pick which one to talk about!

• I’m currently reading…
• Up next I think I’ll read…
• I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
• I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I can’t wait to get a copy of…
• I wish I could read ___, but…
• I blogged about ____ this past week...

THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION: Do you have a “kindred” reading buddy — someone who very closely shares your taste in books? If not, do you wish you did?

I think, my next book will be The Fire Sermon by Francesca Haig. It just sounds too damn interesting and the cover is amazing.

Blurb from Goodreads:

When Zach and I were born our parents must have counted and recounted: limbs, fingers, toes. We were perfect. They would have been disbelieving: nobody dodged the split between Alpha and Omega. 

Nobody. 

They were born together and they will die together. 

One strong Alpha twin and one mutated Omega; the only thing they share is the moment of their death. 

The Omegas live in segregation, cast out by their families as soon as their mutation becomes clear. Forced to live apart, they are ruthlessly oppressed by their Alpha counterparts. 

The Alphas are the elite. Once their weaker twin has been cast aside, they're free to live in privilege and safety, their Omega twin far from their thoughts. 

Cass and Zach are both perfect on the outside: no missing limbs, no visible Omega mutation. But Cass has a secret: one that Zach will stop at nothing to expose. 

The potential to change the world lies in both their hands. One will have to defeat the other to see their vision of the future come to pass, but if they're not careful both will die in the struggle for power.

I mean, how good does it look without even words on it? It doesn't even need a title on it and I'm drooling over it. It reminds me of the Harry Potter posters that came out before the 8th movie where there wasn't anything on them except the release date but everybody was going crazy over them. As soon as I finish the two books I'm actively reading right now, this one is getting downloaded onto my kindle. I've seen it in bookstores and I have resisted up until now but I don't think I can anymore.

As for the random question, I don't have any friends around me that have similar reading tastes because mostly, I'm the only one I know that reads extensively. Online, of course, I have friends that I can fangirl with as well as disagree with and we get along fine. I wish that there were more people I knew that were readers but I have a feeling that a lot of readers feel that way but we're all at home...reading. 

Book groups are fine and all but it would be so nice to have a friend who would be happy coming over and splitting a bottle of wine and not talking for a few hours just to read something good that just came out. 

What about y'all? Leave a link to your post or post in the comments!

Musing Mondays

Musing Mondays is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jenn at A Daily Rhythm. Each week, there are a few prompts and you can pick which one to talk about!

• I’m currently reading…
• Up next I think I’ll read…
• I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
• I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I can’t wait to get a copy of…
• I wish I could read ___, but…
• I blogged about ____ this past week…

THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION: What would you do if you wanted to buy a book for someone, but didn’t know what they like to read? Would you ask them? Would you choose something you, yourself, like? How would you go about buying them something?

So right now, I'm reading Red Rising by Pierce Brown.

I'm not a big fan of sci-fi books but this one is done pretty well. It's a good mix of space adventure type stuff and fantasy and it works for me so far. The characters are diverse and interesting and the manin character, Darrow (love the name) is kind of a jackass so he isn't perfect. I will warn you though, this book is remarkably similar to Red Queen in some ways. They are almost two different side of the same coin but each one is unique and completely worth the read.

As for the random question...It definitely depends on the person. If it was a family member, it would be easy enough to search through their bookshelves and pick something that they like. But if it were for someone I wasn't close to, I would probably go with a book that I really enjoyed but isn't a niche book. I wouldn't pick high fantasy or sci-fi but something a little bit more down the middle of the road. Another option is a really nice copy of a classic book that they probably read in high school. It's nice to have hard covers of old favorites.

What do y'all think? What would you do?

Hope everybody has an awesome week!

Discussion Post: Books about Sports

First of all, I'd like to apologize for the lack of posts recently. As some of you know, I recently underwent my 6th or 7th back procedure and I've been sort of laying low for a few days. It takes a while to bounce back from them occasionally and I'm not recovering as well as I would have hoped. So, hopefully now that I'm feeling a bit better, I can get back to regularly posting and chatting with y'all!

Today, I'm going with another discussion post. I recently received a Netgalley book about soccer and I was beyond pumped. I grew up playing the game and even played in college so I'm a big fan. Soccer is somewhat a black horse in America still and every time I can get my hands on something that positively portrays the beautiful game, I'm on it. I don't discriminate. I love lots of sports and I'm just as eager to read something about basketball or hockey as I am about soccer. 

But this one was a disappointment to say the least. The game writing was awkward and forced and it was boring in the style. I get that soccer is a back and forth game but this sort of killed it. "And they ran up the pitch, and back down, passing and crossing the ball." Congratulations, you've just described every game of soccer ever. 

Not every sports book is like that though and I do have some that I really enjoyed. Tangerine has always been one of my favorites, mostly because it deals with some pretty messed up stuff and a goalkeeper. 

We're pretty interesting players and you think more would be written about goalies. We spend a lot of time standing in goal thinking and then we're asked to do stupidly crazy stuff for the sake of a game. I think it would be a good story. But we don't get any respect to begin with so maybe I'm deluding myself thinking that someone besides a keeper would want to write about a keeper.

The Secretary of Defense, ladies and gentlemen

Anyways, does anybody else read sports books? Do you know any good ones? 

I find that a lot of them are filled with cliches and unrealistic expectations of what certain age groups are able to do. I hate it when I read a book about sports where nobody is trying to improve since they are already the best at what they do. I want to find the gems though. So if you have any recommendations, send them my way!

Until next time...

Discussion Post: Bookstores and the Temptation Problem

I love bookstores. I absolutely do. The feeling you get when you walk in and you get the sensory overload of the smell of the books, the look of the cover designs, and the feel of new pristine books in your hands. I could spend hundreds of dollars in one trip, given the opportunity.

Which is why I don't go that often. I can't. I would have absolutely no money left. I am already out of room on the bookshelves. I have kept most of my school books with all of my notes in them from 5th grade on and people love to give me books as presents. Not that I'm complaining in any way.

I'm an impulse buyer and I can't be trusted with my own debit card. If it has a pretty cover, an interesting blurb and especially, if it is discounted, it is mine. This leads to a big problem though...

Last weekend, my fiance came to town and he wanted to go to the bookstore for some investing books. Knowing myself, I didn't even bring my purse. But there I was, browsing the discounted section and I found something with a pretty cover and a thick binding. Taylor bought it for me (what a good man) and it is now sitting on my bedside table waiting for me to tackle it.

Here's the problem: It's the fifth book in a series. So now I'm going to read all of the others just so I can read the one he bought me. Once again, not complaining.

But does anybody else have this problem of low impulse control in bookstores? This isn't the first time it has happened for me. I have so many second and third books in a series because I was drawn in by a cover. This has been at least partially mitigated for me by having a kindle and planning out my purchases in advance. 

But I can't be trusted in bookstores. I'm not a responsible adult. I'm a little kid in a candy store with no real supervision.

I'm sure a lot of you guys have this problem but what is your strategy for book stores? Do you have a plan and go in for one or two books or is it a free for all for what catches your eye?

The Friday 56 (3)

This is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Freda at Freda's Voice.  This is a fun and simple meme, just follow the rules! It's a great way to connect with bloggers and share new or favorite books with them.

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.

*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader

(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)

*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)

*Add your name to the link up at Freda's Voice

Ok...I'll admit this week, I had to fudge this post by a couple of pages so this time, it is the Friday 60. I know most of the time, this blog focuses on YA/NA books but every once in a while, I like to look back at some of the books that made me think about things a bit differently and aren't simply an adventure or love story.

So my Friday 56 post will be from Edward Abbey's Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness. Edward Abbey is not someone to look up to in many ways (he was on the FBI watchlist for many years and one of his novels, The Monkey Wrench Gang, has been cited as inspiration for many radical groups) but he did have a beautiful way of writing about the importance of keeping the natural world natural. His writing is confrontational, accusatory, and harsh but it shows great passion for the environment.

"And most significant, these hordes of non motorized tourists, hungry for a taste of the difficult, the original, the real, do not consist solely of people young and athletic but also of old folks, fat folks, pale-faced office clerks who don't know a rucksack from a haversack, and even children. The one thing they all have in common is the refusal to live always like sardines in can - they are determined to get out of their motorcars for at least a few weeks each year."

Despite how this may sound, this is one of the nicest things that Abbey said about tourists into national parks. He wanted people to experience nature outside of their cars and go out and explore the world a bit. I'll leave you with this, from the forward of Desert Solitaire. It's one of my favorite passages of all time from environmental literature.

“Do not jump into your automobile next June and rush out to the canyon country hoping to see some of that which I have attempted to evoke in these pages. In the first place you can’t see anything from a car; you’ve got to get out of the goddamned contraption and walk, better yet crawl, on hands and knees, over the sandstone and through the thornbush and cactus. When traces of blood begin to mark your trail you’ll see something, maybe. Probably not. In the second place most of what I write about in this book is already gone or going under fast. This is not a travel guide but an elegy. A memorial. You’re holding a tombstone in your hands. A bloody rock. Don’t drop it on your foot - throw it at something big and glassy. What do you have to lose?”

I'm hoping that maybe I'll be able to inspire someone to pick up this book, acknowledge that it's going to make them mad, and read it anyways. Go out into the woods or into the desert and get lost for a little while. It changed my perspective on parks and how we approach them.

Sorry for such a serious end to the week! For some reason, this book was calling out to me from my bookshelf.

Happy Friday! Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Reading Slump!...Sort of...

I have to apologize for myself...

Usually, I devour books at what would probably an alarming and expensive rate. But, for the past few weeks, I've found myself looking at my kindle and sighing (somewhat melodramatically) and wishing I was more inspired to pick it up.

Let's not get confused. It's not because I am reading books that I'm not excited about. I'm loving The Bone Season, The Woodlanders and Risking Ruin but it's like there is something in my way from reading voraciously.

I usually read at night, sometimes into the early morning hours until I was finally exhausted enough to go to sleep. But there has been one thing that has been distracting me and pulling me away from my kindle and onto Hulu or Netflix.

It's not like this is a new obsession. At all. This goes back to watching Tsunami on Cartoon Network after school. My brother and I would watch Sailor Moon and DragonBallZ before doing homework or going to sports practice.  I didn't realize how easy it is to binge watch this and OMG IT'S THREE IN THE MORNING AND I HAVE WORK TOMORROW.

It's ruined me for reading books at night. The manga app on my phone doesn't help since I can read the mangas at work and at least sort of look like I'm getting something done. "No...I'm reading an email update I got from the ArcMap company about the new program that is coming out this spring!" So I am technically reading but not the books I've been meaning to read. I'm very easily distracted by attractive animated men and silly fun plot lines. (I'm looking at you, Ouran High School Host Club)

I'll get back to reading soon. It's just sort of nice to have a break and be a bit juvenile at times when my life is consumed by graduate school applications and planning a wedding. I have to enjoy these while I can because Taylor isn't too thrilled with all of these girly animes. 

So...the point of this entire post:

Do you watch/read anime/manga? What are your favorites? Do you recognize the animes I have up above? Any recommendations?

The Friday 56 (2)

This is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Freda at Freda's Voice.  This is a fun and simple meme, just follow the rules! It's a great way to connect with bloggers and share new or favorite books with them.

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.

*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader

(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)

*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)

*Add your name to the link up at Freda's Voice

This Friday, I'm going with The Casquette Girls by Alys Arden. It's one of the best paranormal thrillers I've read in a long time and I love that it is set in New Orleans. It's an awesome book so go check it out!

"Inside, the smell of wood, lilacs, and cinnamon permeated the air. I can't believe I am here looking for answers, I thought as I walked past the Voodoo dolls, tourist thrills, and alligator skulls. I found Désirée at the counter, doing what I assumed was homework. I would turn out to be wrong; at least, it wasn't homework in the traditional sense."

What are y'all reading this weekend? Any big plans? How do you feel about books set in New Orleans? Big fan or overplayed?

Random Questions Tag!

Happy Friday! 

Today is a two post day so be on the lookout for the Friday 56 later this afternoon!

I was tagged by the lovely Bee at Bee Reads Books to do the Random Questions tag. Go check out her blog and say hello!

Do you like blue cheese?
In certain settings. One of my favorite appetizers uses blue cheese but it also has bacon, garlic, and artery clogging amounts of cream cheese in it so it all balances out. Click here for a recipe if you're curious.

Do you own a gun?
Not at the moment. My dad has guns and my fiance has guns so I'll probably end up with one at some point. I am building up my shoulder strength again so I can try out bow hunting though.

What flavor Kool- Aid was your fave?
Probably watermelon. It's a hard flavor to find sometimes though.

Do you get nervous before doc appointments?
I used to, but not anymore. I was seeing the doctors at least twice a month for a long time for various things so you kind of get over it really quick.

What do you think of hot dogs?
Love them. There's a new minor league baseball stadium in Birmingham and I love going there and chowing down on hot dogs and beer.

Fave Christmas movie?
White Christmas with Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney. I adore the dances, dresses and the singing. I'm a big fan of musicals made in the 50's for some reason.

What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
Cancer causing Diet Coke at the moment. I was completely off of my caffeine addiction in college for a while and then comprehensive exams happened. My coffee maker has a gremlin in it and hates me so for now, just easy simple Diet Coke. My favorite morning drink is a vanilla latte with an extra shot though.

Can you do push ups?
I can now! I used to not be able to because if I put my full weight on my shoulder, it would pop out of socket. Which was an adventure.

What’s your fave piece of jewelry?
I love my engagement ring but my favorite piece of jewelry is one I don't have. My great grandmother's diamond cocktail ring is my favorite but it is being passed down through the generations right now.

Do you have A.D.D.?
Probably not.

What’s your fave shoe?
I have these beautiful black suede pumps from Steve Madden that I'm completely in love with. They have a special place in my closet so they won't get dirty. I rarely wear them and they make me 6'3" but they are so pretty!

Mine aren't peep toe, but you get the idea

Middle name?
Louise

Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment.
What should I cook for dinner

I need to oil my boots

Hope the dogs are doing ok at home

Name 3 drinks you regularly drink.
Ridiculous amounts of green tea, lots of milk and diet coke

Current worry?
Getting the house clean before my fiance gets into town

Current hate right now?
Unsolicited wedding advice

Dum da dum dummmm, what is that?
Somebody's in trouble!

How did you bring in the new year?
At Taylor's (fiance) house with a movie on and the dogs on our feet. New Years is also our anniversary and he fell asleep before midnight.

Where would you like to go?
Barcelona

Do you own slippers?
Ugg house slippers. Don't judge. They are magical.

What color shirt are you wearing right now? 

Red-ish?

Do you sleep on satin sheets?
Hell no.

Can you whistle?
Yup! I can do both the pursed lips whistle where you can whistle a tune and the "call the dogs in" whistle where your eardrums explode.

Fave color?
Lavender

Would you be a pirate?
Sure, why not?

What song do you sing in the shower?
Anything by the Pistol Annies. Can't do the harmony but I like to think I can sing :-)

What’s in your pocket right now?
Spin pins. If you have long hair and you don't know what they are, you're missing out.

Last thing that made you laugh? 

The Guinness Sheep Dog Trials commercial. Tried to embed the video but it isn't cooperating.

Best bed sheets as a child?
I had pretty purple ones with flowers on them but I never had little kid sheets on my bed.

Do you love where you live?
Yes, but I'm moving to the mountains of Georgia. Birmingham is lovely but I want to be out in the country somewhere.

The Vulcan is a pretty badass statue to have in the city

Does someone have a crush on you?
I don't think so. I think he may have gotten over it a long time ago.

What’s your fave candy?
Sweetarts and Nerds. I know they are both pure sugar but whatever.

Fave. sports team?
How can I pick only one? Favorite soccer team is Liverpool but I want to see Barca play someday. I love the Atlanta Braves but they are breaking my heart at the moment. I am undeclared as far as football goes but I'm apparently turning into a Georgia Bulldogs fan when I get married. But in reality, I'll cheer for anyone to beat Tennessee and Texas A&M.

The three people that you're tagging?

Melissa at Ever So Mela

Raquel at Raquel Gabrielle's Blog

Jess at Jess Time To Read

Book Lovers Questionnaire!

I was tagged by the wonderful Melissa at Ever So Mela to do this book tag. I love doing these. You get to learn so much about other bloggers and get to explore your own reading habits!

1) Do you have a specific place for reading?

Can sort of be an answer here? I read the most in my bed, probably like most people. Sometimes one of the dogs joins me (only Beulah can make it up onto the bed by herself right now) but it's a nice quiet spot most of the time. I also read a lot outside in the yard during spring, summer and fall but right now it is just a tad too chilly for that. I'll read anywhere though. As long as I'm comfortable, I'll curl up with a book and ignore the rest of the world. 

2) Bookmark or random piece of paper?

I'm a bit of a kindle addict so I don't need bookmarks for the most part.  When I do have real books, it is usually a piece of carefully folded paper. I'll write down the page numbers for favorite passages on the piece of paper but it usually goes AWOL at some point. I used to dog ear but I learned my lesson after loving a few books to death.

3) Can you stop anywhere in a book or does you have to finish the chapter?

Can versus will are two completely different things here. Since I tend to read anywhere, I can stop in the middle of a page if necessary (like in a waiting room) but I'd rather not. If I'm about to go to bed, I always finish the chapter...and then the next one...and the next one...





4) Do you eat or drink while reading?

I try to drink while reading but I rarely eat, mostly because if I'm eating, then I'm getting stared at and I can't concentrate. I also hate having sticky or greasy fingers on my kindle, since it is a touchscreen. I compulsively clean it and I am always wiping it down to remove fingerprints. If I had food around it, I'm sure that I would only succeed at getting more neurotic about it. If I get really into a book, I'm known to forget entire fresh pots of tea and let them get cold over the course of a few hours so drinking is only successful part of the time.



5) Music or TV while reading?

I'm incapable of focusing on more than one distraction at once so I can't really read and watch TV at the same time. I can listen to classical music while reading and I have a sound machine next to my bed that is always on when I am in the room.  My windows are a bit too close to a tree in the neighbor's yard and whenever the wind blows, the branches brush up against the screens and make it sound like someone is trying to break in.  The sound machine muffles that so I'm not constantly freaking out.

6) One book at a time or several?

I vastly prefer only one book at a time but I'm capable of having multiple going, as shown by my currently reading list. High school and college sort of ruined me for only reading one book at a time since coursework was always reading. If I'm reading more than one at once, I feel like I'm not giving myself a full experience of the book if that makes any sense.

I mean, wouldn't you want to read here too?

7) Reading at home or elsewhere?

Anywhere and everywhere. The botanical gardens is within walking distance here so I can amble down there and read in the rose garden during the summer. My kindle has its own little pocket in my purse and goes with me whenever I leave the house.

8) Read out loud or silently?

The only time I read out loud is when its a children's book and I'm babysitting.

9) Do you read ahead or skip pages?

Nope. I'll skim but I always read the entire book, cover to cover.

10) Breaking the spine or keeping it like new?

Ugh, I hate it when spines are broken on books. It's one of the reasons used book stores freak me out. I have to keep my bindings crisp and new.  One of my friends considers it therapeutic to break the spine and it makes my skin crawl watching her do it.

11) Do you write in your books?

Only textbooks or course books. My copy of The Sound and The Fury is covered in highlights and notes but all of my "fun" books are kept pristine.  The kindle lets me take notes in books without having to mark anything up which is awesome. I can remember what I want to bring up in reviews and why I liked whatever quote I've highlighted.

12) Who are you tagging?

Booknut 101 at 21st Century Once Upon a Times
Olivia and Sarah at Brewing Up Books
Carina and Haley at My Addiction: Books
Samantha at Bookish Serendipity

Opinions: Taking Notes in Books?

We've all been there.

It's your first day of whatever literary class, whether it be in your native language or not, and the teacher/instructor/professor utters that sentence that can either drive people crazy or lead to broad smiles in the bibliophile world.

"You will want to take notes in your book."

Some people's hearts stop when they hear those words.  Defile a book? Absolutely not!  Your notes will be taken in a notebook or you would rather print out the poem and take notes on that.  By the end of the year, you'll have a thick binder full of notes but your books will be absolutely pristine.  The idea of writing in a book makes you anxious and what if your opinions change over time?  You can always change your mind but you can't change what you have written in that book. It will be there forever!


Then there are the people that love taking notes in books.  It's so organized and it's all right there all together where it is supposed to be!  That way you can keep your books and what you learned forever and ever and you will never lose them.  You love going back to the same works years later and laughing over your old notions of literary insight.  You can highlight and compare to other pieces without having to keep track of another notebook. Your books may be ragged but that adds character and shows that you really loved the class!

So...which one are you?  Or are you indifferent?

In college, I saw people almost religiously abstaining from marking up books.  They made their notes in spiral bound notebooks and carried both to class.

In high school, most people happily desecrated their books, writing their names boldly on the spines and ends of pages.  After all, we all had the same anthologies that we paid for and it was much easier to identify your own if it was colorful and unique.  There were fewer notebooks to carry and a lot easier to pretend you were paying attention in class as long as you had your massive book out.  It was also conveniently sized for texting in class but shhhhh...nobody ever did that.



As for me...

I'm usually not a person that would mark up a book at all.  I don't lend out books ever just in case someone dog ears a page or even worse, breaks the spine.

But I'm more than happy to take compulsive excessive notes in my beloved anthologies.  As you can see, I did the typical high school thing and scrawled my name across the pages of my book and then proceeded to happily put down my own opinions of classic authors.

To put this in perspective, all of the notes shown are for one of two poems by T.S. Eliot: The Waste Land or The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.  And all of my notes are different. All of them are color coded and have carefully preserved opinions from two high school classes and two college courses. Like many, every time I went through a course where they covered old material, I learned something new and that shows in the notes where I can see how my perspective changes. Or the professor's opinions were different.  Growth is an important thing, especially in the literary world.

I can't tell you how many times people have told me I should just throw these books away or store them but I adore going back into them and rereading the poems and going over my old notes.

It's just so nice to have everything right there together.  It is compiled and organized.  There's no searching for notebooks. I can remember the year I took each notes by the books that they are in.  It's so soothing to know that I will never lose them.

Does anybody else have compulsive note taking problems? Which side of the fence are you on?  Notes in books or notes on pages?

Christmas Carol Book Tag!

Merry Christmas Y'all!

I was tagged by the lovely ladies, Fari and Kitty, over at My Little Corner For Books to do the Christmas Carol Book Tag.  Go check their blog out, it is wonderful!  This may be my last post for a week or so, depending on how present wrapping goes in the morning.  I'm off to Tennessee for another week with the family so only my phone and Kindle for internet access.

1.) "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" - Name a villainous character that you can't help but love to hate.

Good gravy, this is a hard one.  I'll always lean towards Draco Malfoy with this, mostly because he is so overly damaged. I know he is a coward but I always felt like he was just manipulated and I wanted to help him.

Only somewhat related but it cracks me up

I do have a close second and it's the Darkling from The Grisha series.  Perfect bad boy that you adore.  He has become the standard for most for their evil male leads.

2.) "All I Want For Christmas Is You" - What book do you most want to find under your Christmas tree?

I have a funny story about this song involving a bunch of fraternity guys, Southern Comfort and Mariah Carey playing over the speakers during a party.  Moving on...I'm going to have to dive into my TBR list for this one.

It has beautiful photographs. I can't help it.

It has amazing photography and is a wonderful portrait of the region that I'm in.  Also, if you are going to do a photo book, do a hardcover and that is a bit out of my price range.  Do want.

3.) "Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer" - Name your favorite character that had to overcome a major obstacle. Why are they your favorite?

Can I pick two?  They are from the same book.  I have to go with Mr. John Thornton and Margaret Hale from North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell.  Their obstacles are basically self-created, be it prejudice of location or pride but I love their story and I adore the BBC mini series.  They have a perfect love story in my mind and it is because they both realize their mistakes and atone for them.

4.) "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" - Which character to do you think is at the top of Santa's "Nice" list and which is at the top of his "Naughty" list?

Jeb from  Splintered has to be at the top of his "Nice" list just because he is so flipping good.  On the other hand, Morpheus is at the top of his "Naughty" list, from the same book.  I mean, they are perfectly opposite of each other.

5.) "Frosty the Snowman" - What book just melts your heart?

I have to go with Mariana by Susanna Kearsley.  All the feels.  The story of Mariana is just so sad and if I could write a cross time love story, this would be it.

6.) "Feliz Navidad" - Your favorite book that takes place in a country other than your own.

I have an entire shelf for these books on my Goodreads page.  The Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning is pretty much on target for this one.

7.) "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" - What book do you read to get you in the Christmas spirit?

My mother would read The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry to my brother and I every year before Christmas when we were little.  Now that there are little babies in the family (older cousins, not me), we are passing it on and it always puts me in the right mind set for Christmas.

Also, the illustrations are magical

8.) "Sleigh Ride" - What character would you most want to spend the holiday with?

That's such a hard one!  The Weasley's would be pretty awesome to spend Christmas with.  They have a wonderful family atmosphere and are so welcoming to all.  

9.) "Baby, It's Cold Outside" - Which book do you hate so much you'd sacrifice it to the fire to stay warm?

I'm one of those people that blocks out the memories of horrible books so I have to go to my 1 star list on Goodreads for this one.  Ah...yes...

My friend in high school gave me the entire series for my birthday one year before a long trip and I read them all on the 16 hour total drive.  I should have just watched the trees pass on the highway.

10.) "Do You Hear What I Hear?" - What book would you recommend to everyone?

The Casquette Girls by Alys Arden.  I cannot say enough good things about this book!

And that is all for this tag!  I feel like I'm the last one in the blogosphere that hasn't done this tag but if you haven't YOU ARE OFFICIALLY TAGGED! 

I hope everybody has a wonderful and safe holiday!  Spend time with loved ones and spread the love and joy of the season around!