Friday, August 2, 2013

Books and other things I am thinking about while waiting for coffee

Do you think they will throw me out of the English Majors club if I admit I DO NOT ENJOY JANE AUSTEN NOVELS?  I don't.  I have tried, seriously, but Jane just makes me want to scream.  I had to read her in High School ( Pride and Prejudice)  UGH.  Again in College ( Sense and Sensibility- I think I needed Cliff notes for that one) Recently took a "which Jane Austen character are you" quiz and got Catherine Moreland from Northanger Abbey.  Tried reading that.    It's like pulling teeth.So fellow readers of good literature, what am I doing wrong here.  Any "Austenites" care to share the key to loving Jane?  I know there are whole groups of devotees and I want to know why I just can't get into Jane Austen.

I am also reading the Mortal Instrument series, in advance of the release of the film later this summer.  The book reminds me of an old Saturday Night Live skit "It's a floor wax, it's a dessert topping"  The book is all over the place, genre-wise.  It's a teen angst love story, a dystopian world although, it's set in the current world as well.  It's vampire, faerie  and werewolf lore mixed in with a new group of fantasy characters.  It's escapist fare at best, but the books take a lot of willing suspension of disbelief to make them work.

For the Record, I never read the "Twilight" series.  I tried about two pages gave up.

I am always looking for books recommendations.   When I worked in Branch Services, I was able to read the Library Journal and got a lot of great recommendations there.  In my new office, I don't see it anymore and I am constantly asking people "What are you reading"  I suppose I really need to get more into "Goodreads" to see what friends are reading.  That might help.

I checked out a cd- Tai Chi for  Beginners.  It looks like something even I , the world's least coordinated human being, might be able to do.  I need to do some form of exercise to help with a health issue .Nothing BAD, I just am resisting the need for additional meds right now.  My mom used to look at her morning "cocktail" of pills and say "If they give me any more pills, I won't need to eat"   People suggested Yoga, but I think my balance is so bad that I would fall over a lot.  Tai Chi has a lot of gentle movement to it.  I Am going to try it and see if it's a good fit.

1 comment:

  1. I just finished reading the trilogy by Patricia Wrede that begins with Thirteenth Child. It was very good. Here's my trick for Jane Austen: watch the BBC versions. Mortal Instruments was okay. I read the first three. I pretty much agree with you.

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