13 posts tagged “books”

With finals this week and a 2-week school break coming up, I thought a couple of selections from the fantasy fiction aisle would be in order. (I know, I know, when is it *not* a good time to read fantasy fiction!) Miraculously, they both arrived at the library for me to pick up on the same day. Which was a good thing since they are two in a series. (It would have been a bummer to receive #2 well before #1!) What are these mysterious two books? Well it's the Internet and you already scanned this post for the answer, so I might as well tell you...it's Eragon and Eldest, the dragon-cover books! I've just finished the first chapter of Eragon and I'm hooked. I simply must remind myself that finals aren't over until Friday night and try to hold off until then. Oh, who am I kidding? I'll be reading these at every spare moment.

Eragon (Inheritance, Book 1)

Eldest (Inheritance, Book 2)

Moongirl (picture from Drawn!)

I really want to check Moongirl out when it's released next month. The illustrations look absolutely fantastic. I love the use of light. I didn't know this, but, according to Drawn!, the book is an adaptation of a short film, which will be included on DVD with the book when it hits the shelves in October. Neato.

Moongirl: The Collector's Edition Book and DVD Gift Set

The Cubicle Next Door

I love books like this. You know, the books you are loathe to put down, where you curse your errands, long drives, classes and anything else that prevents you from finishing the book, and then when you finally finish it, you plunge yourself into denial that you've actually finished it, re-reading the final pages until you've finally accepted the fact that the book is in fact, read. The Cubicle Next Door was one of those books for me. Not because it was some fast-paced spy novel with "24"-esque plot twists. But because of another kind of "twist" -- the wrenching and twisting that of the heart. In The Cubicle Next Door, I get a glimpse of the thoughts of a character's heart that is not so different from my own. And with the guidance of  fictitious characters, I can safety and securely listen to the thoughts of my heart that I have dismissed, ignored, buried, and otherwise put off to the indeterminate future.

I've read and sincerely loved all of Siri's books so far (she was my childhood neighbor, after all). If you like smart, edgy, romantic comedy, I think you will like her books too. See this other post of mine for more books by Siri Mitchell.

Happy sighing.

Since my amazon associates fees up to this point in my life have totaled a whopping $0.00, when I received an e-mail from amazon.com about their new aStore beta app, I thought to my self, "Self, get yourself an aStore. Maybe you can earn a dime before the end of the year." So I did make myself an aStore. I call it, "The Contemplative Chic." Go have yourself a look-see.

The bittersweet reality of devoting lunch hours, coffee breaks, morning commutes and the late hours of the night to finishing a novel is that sooner, rather than later, you finish the book. My general mood, behaviorial, and emotional state after reaching the inevitable Last Page has become almost predictable. This has led me to the conclusion that I suffer from none other than an (albeit, mild) case of Post Novel Depression. The symptoms are as follows:

1. Wake up the next day and re-read the last chapter just to make sure that, yes, I did reach the end of the book.
2. Check the Web to see what the author is up to. Is there a sequel in the works? When will it be released? Should I wait for the U.S. edition or just get the U.K./Australian/What-have-you edition?
3. Add the International version to my cart on amazon.com
4. Remove the International version from my cart on amazon.com
5. Add the International version to my Wish List on amazon.com
6. Take a long nap
7. Repeat steps 3-5.
8. Find another book to read.

As you can see, it's really just a mild case. I imagine a more serious case would include frequent trolling of message boards devoted to the books and several unposted drafts of fan-fiction. But still, I must acknowledge a predictable sort of melancholy every time I reach the end of a good novel. *sigh*

Here's to The Last Page. May you be ever-attainable and deeply satisfying.

This week's commuter reading list reflects a tired soul looking for adventure as well as an overachiever trying to hold her 99.2% in A&P ;-)

The Riddle: The Second Book of Pellinor (Pellinor Trilogy)

• The Riddle (The Second Book of Pellinor) by Alison Croggon in which Maerad and Cadvan seek the Treesong. An epic journey complete with maps, a guide to pronounciation, a special language, poetry, songs, and a note on the translation, all of which give it that Lord-of-the-Rings-esque feeling that this might be some long lost piece of human history. Another gem from the "Teen Fiction" aisle. (Why should teenagers get all the good books?)
• 

  Facilitated Stretching
  Facilitated Stretching—chapter 6 for tonight's Massage 2 class. So far the book has been a little too incongruently technical for the class. The class itself is technical in its own nice friendly way, but the book leans a bit too far into the esoteric side of things. It might help if the instructor bridged the gap a bit. Anyway, gotta read it for tonight...
• Anatomy Coloring Book (various pages). For this, only a haiku can express the depth of my feelings for the ACB. If you please:

  green hypophysis
  bright orange hypothalamus
  color. remember. reflect.

  

  The Anatomy Coloring Book (3rd Edition)

  
  

  
  

Thus endeth the Commuter Reading List. Go back to your lives, citizens.

(Intially posted at my other blog, Awake.)

I recommend this book:

Boundaries

Good day to you.

All kidding aside, where have I been that I missed Dallas Willard's latest book, The Great Omission? Not that I've finished The Divine Conspiracy yet. The first chapter made me think so hard I wasn't sure what to do with myself. (Must. Allow. Neuron. Pathways. To. Grow.) No really, Willard is good medicine for the disillusioned. He really gets back to the basics: biblical discipleship. I'm more resolved than ever to dive back in. Anyone else?

The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus's Essential Teachings on Discipleship

The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God