Progress in 2014

Surprisingly, I've been able to stick to the "no buying books in 2014" rule pretty well. The Tulsa Library and my own personal library have been my friends, and two gift cards from Amazon.

Since last posting, I've finished more books:

"Insurgent" by Veronica Roth (finished February 12)
page turning! 
"Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn (finished March 5)
It was wonderful to read something for adults. And I was absolutely mesmerized. But so disappointed in the ending.
"Cutting for Stone" by Abraham Verghese (finished March 18)
As transformational as "The Poisonwood Bible." A must-read.
Re-read "Eat Pray Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert (finished March 23)
Because I couldn't get into anything after Cutting for Stone (yep, one of those) and I was traveling. It was awesome to re-read this book that was so inspiring to me at age 21(ish) as a 27 year old. Some of it felt like I was reading it for the first time. 
"Where'd You Go, Bernadette" by Maria Semple (finished April 6)
HILARIOUS. I was consistently entertained and didn't want to stop reading.

I tried starting, but have yet to finish (for lack of interest, really):

"Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
Roth's "Tobias" sounds a lot like her ... lead female I can't remember. And they both sound like whiny teenagers in this book - I couldn't handle it. Had to take a break.
"The Circle" by Dave Eggers
Not yet hooking me in, and after 100 pages, that's sad.
"A Casual Vacancy" by JK Rowling
Way too many characters. I should have been keeping track in a notebook. I will likely re-visit this because it did seem interesting, just too much for my brain on vacation;-)
"Heaven is For Real" by Todd Burpo
Was interesting sometimes but then got a little preachy. Not my jam.

Currently, I'm reading:

"Winter's Tale" by Mark Helprin
Love this - it's complex but is built like a fairy tale in some ways. It's a long read. I'm about 400 pages in and only halfway through; I had to renew this at the library 3 times and then decided to use a gift card to but the e-version on Amazon so I didn't have to lug the book around while I traveled for work recently. It's also so good I don't mind having my own copy to preserve earmarks.

Yay for reading!

Now, about to watch Season 4 of Game of Thrones. I am tempted to get back into reading those books, but fear it will only confuse me more!

~MJ

Reading in 2014

I'm not spending any money on books this year, unless it is already designated for books (through gift cards or credits). And so I'm focused on reading through what I have and using the library. What a concept!

So far, I've finished two books:

"11/22/63" by Stephen King (finished Jan. 27)
"Divergent" by Veronica Roth (finished Feb. 9)

I'm reading:

"Insurgent" by Veronica Roth - thanks to my friend loaning me the book (there were 80+ holds at the library for less than 40 copies city-wide).

To adventures in reading,

~MJ

Oh, Harry.

This year has been a mixed bag of books for me. I will discuss that in a later post.

But I did do something over Thanksgiving Break that sent me on a whirlwind three weeks of happy nostalgia.

While one of my friends and I adventured in the Land of Enchantment, we took an audiobook for the long drives through Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico. That audiobook was "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." Beyond the trip being amazing, that was one of the best things that ever happened in my travel experience.

First, I don't do audiobooks very often (or really, at all). Second, I rarely re-read (or re-listen?) to stories I've already read. But when she put in the first CD, I was giddy with joy. This series truly gives me light.

We listened to the whole book. While stopped in Amarillo, TX for a snack, we passed a Barnes and Noble, and knowing our proximity to the end of the story, we contemplated buying the second book. But we didn't. Oh, how wrong we were! A half hour outside of Amarillo, we regretted this decision when the book ended. When Dumbledore awarded Neville points for his courage in standing up to friends, I teared up. How could one not?

And then we were left with 3-4 hours of road left, many cows, and no Harry Potter. So we filled the emptiness with theories about what happens after book 7 and whether J.K. Rowling should write an 8th book. We also just rode quietly in awe of her masterpiece and the uncertainty that anything quite like it will come again.

Upon arriving at home, I did get the second book in audio form and commenced my new exploration into the Chamber of Secrets. It blew my mind that literally, I had not engaged with that text since seventh grade, and yet the story - and so many details were fresh. It was like seeing an old friend for the first time in years and picking up right where we left off.

Then, I was at Target (like B&N, a dangerous and expensive habit), preparing for Tulsa's "snow days." I happened to pass through the DVD section (it was right there!) and found the HP Movie series, in its entirety, for $20. Now, I have never been quiet about my opinion that the movies are not that good - but, the audiobooks had made me thirsty for all the Harry Potter I could get.

And so I watched 7 of the 8 movies in four days (thank you "snow days") - and it was so good for my soul.

The whole experience reminded me of just how powerful this series is, and what a profound impact stories can make. As I embark on Christmas break, I hear a play is coming along from J.K. Rowling about Harry. What I realized is that no matter the next installment, the first seven stories are ones for the ages. And the reason I crave more is that they are just so good. Even 14 years after my first reading, I still find them to be engaging and beautiful. Whether an additional installment, in the form of a play, will satisfy  - I don't know. But I'm happy these stories happened, and that they continue to live very brightly in my life.

Thanks again, Harry.

~MJ