Sunday, June 20, 2010

Reading

I have a lot of stuff that I want to write about.  I keep trying to put pen to paper, or actually fingers to keys.  I keep starting and stopping, unhappy with where my words are taking me (or really taking you, my loyal readers).  I probably should quit self-editing and just open the flood gates...

I want to tell you about why I've been so bad about blogging lately.  I have composed several "in response to the oil spill" posts.  There may even be an upcoming post entitled "Bitch Face" on the horizon (my dear Amy, if you are reading this,  I have documentation of mine and am ready to out it to the world), I even want to just share some pictures of our recent goings on, but I haven't...  It's the first item in the list that's holding me back.

I've just been feeling kind of like this lately...
Not sad (much), not lonely, maybe a little alone and very much apart (as in disconnected, not as in falling).  Maybe I'm suffering from some sort of weird SAD (seasonal affective disorder) due to our lack of seasons and am trying to gear up for summer (and Price's SECOND birthday) in a place that is summery year-round and doesn't really seem to change from month to month (except for how often we have to mow- and by we, I mean Don-due to our current dry spell) ...  I don't know.  But I haven't been cooking much or well or interesting, and thanks to the stupid Housewives of NY and NJ, my love affair with bad reality TV has grown by leaps and bounds.

But, I'm getting back where I belong, I'm deciding that it's better to be alone rather than in the midst of groups that make me feel lonely.  I'm drawing lines in the sand with some things and trying to hold strong.  I've been really good about going to the gym and am feeling stronger physically.  I'm taking on some projects around the house.  And, thanks to my rejuvenating trip to Palau, I've started reading again.  It seems like since Price was born (almost two years ago- that is CRAZY to me), I only read in fits and spurts.  Which is unusual for me, I used to always have at least 2 books going at pretty much any given time.  But once the little man arrived on the scene, it was rare for me to make find the time to read (you know since I was busy watching Real Housewives).  Anyway, I knew I needed some books to take to Palau and since the base library is small and has a limited selection of options, I broke down and bought a book at the BX, which has an even smaller selection of books (allegedly there are 2 real bookstores in Guam, I have seen 1 and wasn't impressed enough to walk in and I just forget about the other one, plus when one waits until the last minute to procure said books, it doesn't work to drive more than 5 minutes to get them).  So anyway, I perused my options in the paperback section and settled on one by an author that I had never read before, but the jacket info looked interesting and it was set at the beach. I also borrowed one from the library to have as a back up, by an author I have read many times who writes easy, perfect for the beach chick-lit.  Of course the mindless chick lit book, Last Chance Saloon by Marian Keyes, won out and I read it and never even opened my purchased book the whole time I was gone.

Shortly after returning from my get away, a series of awkward, enlightening, unpleasant, demoralizing, self-esteem crushing social situations piled on top of each other and started me on my path of feeling disconnected.  So, I retreated into my land of fiction and found comfort in books.  A place I have always been able to hide my head and not have to worry about what I think other people think about me, where I don't have to talk and put my foot in my mouth. I can just read (during stolen moments) and tune out the rest of the world (yes, I realize as I type this, that perhaps retreating to fictionland does not help me connect to other people).  I started my new book, I was a little apprehensive about it because I knew nothing about the author, I wasn't sure I was going to be engaged, I wanted to be entertained, but I didn't want to have it all figured out by page 30.  I began reading Tracey Chevalier's (she wrote Girl With a Pearl Earring) Remarkable Creatures.  I was hooked!  It was such a good story, based on real people (I didn't realize this until the end of the novel).  I liked it so much, that before I was finished, I went to the library in hopes that they would at least have Girl With a Pearl Earring, which they did and they also had The Virgin Blue.  I liked all three of them, they are all historical fiction with heavy art references (really just the latter two have the heavy art references).  I say liked because in the span of three weeks, I have read all three of them.  Again, I am seeing that burying my head in books for three weeks is not conducive to a lot of productivity....

Anyway, now I'm bookless again and looking for something else to read.  I've read 6 books this year (I guess when I put it like that, it's not too bad it averages out to one a month)- The Help- AMAZING!  still the #1 I've read so far this year, The Postmistress- totally not a fan, and then the four I just read.  What are you reading?  Any suggestions??

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bummed to hear you weren't a fan of the postmistress! That's on my list. I totally loved girl with a pearl earring, and also another one of hers, i think it was called falling angels or something like that. couldn't finish the virgin blue, for some reason or another. i just finished The Passage (best book ever) but it's def not light summer reading. you would have to be into that sort of thing. i also read the girl with the dragon tattoo books, there's three, and those were great stories, although not very well written, if that makes any sense. next up i'm doing the hour i first believed, by wally lamb? he wrote this book (naturally i can't remember the title, but it was about twins and it wasn't 'she's come undone') and i really really liked it. i liked it so much i can't remember what it's called.
the library down here sucks too. they use an actual card catalogue. like, no computers. and they don't have ANY new books. i've been waiting for the new jodi picoult book since i got here. there's a bookstore at gpo that i hated, and one in that mall on the way to andersen, i don't know what it's called, but it was better, i thought. looked like a mall walden's back home.
i feel blue and lonely too. maybe you're on to something about the weather.

Rachel May said...

So I don't have my list off the top of my head but on FB I joined the book club that can be published on your page. There is my list of books that I've read or want to read. Many are on my friend's pages that I didn't add to mine. Check out that list. Miss you!!

Jennifer Wicks said...

If you are in a historical fiction phase, I read Abundance last year by Sena Jeter Naslund (LOVE HER), and I loved it. Also read her book Four Spirits which was great as well. I have a stack of books waiting to be read, and next on my list is South of Broad by Pat Conroy, who I know you like as well. It looks good, so I hope it brings me as much book happiness as Beach Music did.

Terrell said...

@Rachel- thanks for the reminder about all the books on your FB page, I've looked at before, will pay attention this time :)

@JWi- Pat Conroy, new book?? I'll try to see if I can find it here (unlikely), will maybe break down and order on-line! I'll look for those other books as well. Thanks for the recs.

Terrell said...

Jennifer- I was going to put a note on my blog post that I wasn't copying your blog post, it was totally coincidental that we both wrote about reading. Do you really get EW? Our subscription ran out and we haven't renewed it b/c us getting magazines delivered are pretty hit or miss :( But I sooo miss that magazine!!! I may check out The Passage, but post-Apocalypse stuff scares the you know what out of me (although, I really enjoyed The Stand). I loved She's Come Undone, so I need to read more of his stuff. the GPO store is the one I forget about- since I've only been to GPO twice and the mall bookstore is the one that depressed me, so I guess I'm out of luck...
I hope your lonely blues get better, it's hard being here sometimes!

Kelly said...

I fell behind this week on your blog (we got a new computer and I lost all my saved websites).
The Postmistress is on my list too. Bummer.
The Wally Lamb book is I Know This Much is True. It's pretty good! I'm currently reading The Bolter, which is OK. I loved The Girl with the Pearl Earring. If you're in the mood for more historical fiction, I loved The Other Boleyn Girl and The Other Queen (Philippa Gregory). But my newest read-from-start-to-finish-in-a-sitting is "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie."
TTFN TTM!

frosty said...

ok, must see said documentation of bitch face.....

Anonymous said...

FROM SHAUNA:

Hi Terrell, I am catching up on your blog after a summer of what seems like constant travel. Took a road trip to AZ, and then Hud to camp, and the little boys to the lake house. Just got back from picking Hud up at camp (and going back to lake).

I have a long, diverse list of good books I have read lately: The girl with the Dragon tattoo (and if you like it, its two sequels), The Thirteenth Tale, The Shadow of the Wind, The House at Riverton (also the Forgotten Garden by same author), and The Likeness(and In The Woods) by Tana French.

I am currently reading Dissolution by CJ Sansom (historical fiction - a murder mystery set in a 15th century english monestary). Really enjoying it so far.

If you have trouble getting books at your local library, splurge and get a Kindle. I didnt want one, but got one as a gift. Although I prefer the feel of a real book in my hands and the smell of the pages, the kindle comes in very handy, esp when travelling. For you, it would put the entire Amazon catalogue at your fingertips. There is also a very large library of classics available for download free (I just reread Pride and Prejudice). Anyway, just a thought if you are frustrated by your selection.

Loved seeing the pics of Don's parents' visit. We all miss you so much. Take care!

Anonymous said...

FROM SHAUNA:

Terrell, the nonfiction telling of story behind Remarkable Creatures is "The Fossil Hunter: Dinosaurs, Evolution, and the Woman Whose Discoveries Changed the World." I haven't read it yet, but it has good reviews.

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