Neuromancer

Author: William Gibson
Category: Acquisitions

I gave this book to my Dad for his birthday last year because I had read something about it being one of the greatest science fiction books ever written. For those who know my Dad, it's almost impossible to find a good science fiction novel that he hasn't already read. I thought I struck the jackpot with this one.

So after he finished he passed it on to me. Here's what I have to say about it.

I don't think I've read a book before where I reached the middle of the story and at that exact point (no sooner) was when I finally thought I might have some small minuscule idea of what the hell was going on. And then five pages later decided I was wrong and was still swimming on the fringe hoping the cool kids would let me in on the joke. What was happening, who were these people, WHERE were these people, and what language were they speaking?

After conferring with a friend of mine who regards this as one of his most favorite books ever, apparently that's how it's SUPPOSED to be. According to him, it's a reflection of the kind of fast-paced dream-like world the characters inhabit where they themselves have little idea about what is going on, who employs them, and what they're supposed to be doing. And oh yeah, I'll probably need to read it two or three more times to fully understand it.

Um, no thanks. Too many other books in the hopper to do that again.

I do have to say that by the end I think I know what the general point of the story was but am not entirely convinced it's one of the best science fiction books ever written. But then again, maybe I'm just stupid.

Reunion

Author: Alan Lightman
Category: Stacks

This was my first completed read for my 19 in 2009 quest. I've read five books of Lightman's published fiction, but definitely none of his published works on physics.

I think one of the reasons I like him so much is because he is first and foremost a scientist. His writings have such a nerdy comfortable feel for me. Reunion was no exception. He is masterful in showing how our memories can play tricks on us, or rather how we choose to remember things as we want, not as how they may have actually happened.

oh yeah

My friend, Connie, has her pic posted on Perez this morning. She's on the left. Craziness!

game on

It's a week into our family weight loss challenge and I'm the early front runner. As Pink points out, I have had an extra couple of weeks of exercising to get my metabolism up to speed compared to everyone else. But as I told all the contestants (5 of us in all) I will NOT be an embarrassment at the beach this summer.

I've also discovered the greatest time management multi-tasking brilliance ever. We get so many magazine subscriptions at our house that it's almost impossible to keep up with them. And I keep getting more because I want them, but also seem to send several to the recycle bin without even a glance.

At the gym at work there are two tvs, one on CNN and one on ESPN. Because I listen to my shuffle I can't tune into the sound of either tv and am forced to read the captioning. And although I'd prefer to read ESPN, the ellipticals that I frequent are in front of CNN and you're not allowed to touch the tvs. Bastards. Are all gyms like this?

Anyway, my new plan which so far has worked flawlessly is just to bring one of my mags. What a novel freakin idea. I've already blown through two Entertainment Weeklys and halfway through my new Wired. Oh the joy.

milly & r-patz

Who knew my sister-in-law was in a random London pub just the other day!

fitness low. heart rate too high.

Tuesday=bad day.

Bad day=no explanation or solution for some bizarre facial numbness I'm experiencing AND hearing we need to replace the transmission in our Jeep. Bad day, for sure. And just to rub it right down in there good and deep, my day was capped off with the title statement, "Fitness Low. Heart rate too high."

In an attempt not to be a total embarrassment when the family hits the beach this summer I started working out last week. I was feeling pretty good about myself until I did the Performance program on the Precor machine (which in reality is a fitness test) and it decided, "Fitness low. Heart rate too high." I think the program even aborted early, doubting I could survive the rigors of the rest of the workout. No good deed goes unpunished, right?

books, books, books

I love books.  No, that doesn't even begin to cover it.  

I love to read them, I love how they feel, I love to turn the pages, I love to own lots of books and be in rooms with the walls covered from ceiling to floor in them.  I love to feel utterly suffocated by them, the best kind of claustrophobia.  All those pages, all those words.

I love to own books that other people have owned.  I like to know I'm reading a book that someone else has already loved (or not, I suppose), whose hands have turned the very same pages in the very same desperate anticipation (or not), books that have likewise sat on other peoples' shelves patiently waiting their turn at the party.

Here's my problem, though.  I have too many books.  Well, perhaps not too many, just too many I haven't had the time to read.  If I had to estimate, I would say that I accumulated roughly 23 books in 2008.  I received 8 books for Christmas (one is a first edition of a book I've already read though), purchased only four for myself this whole 2008 (quite unbelievable, actually), borrowed only one from the library, and "acquired" approximately 10 others, mostly passed on to me from my Dad after he's finished with them, but also including those loaned to me from friends.  

Twenty-two unread books in, only 9 consumed in 2008.  You can see my mathematical issue.  At this rate, I will never have read all the books that I own and that is a little unsettling to me.  For a while now I've been thinking that if it's in my "library" then I should have read it, or at least be intending to.  I suppose there are some books I'll keep even though I never plan on reading them (or ones I've tried to, unsuccessfully) just because I like the way they look or they're signed by the author.  But for the most part I want to be able to pull any book off my shelf and say fondly, "Oh yeah, I loved that book [Andromeda]," or "Damn, that book infuriated me [Cold Mountain]."  Either one of those statements is so much better than, "I duh no, haven't read it yet."

Obviously, I need to set up a strategy for 2009, one that I can stick to.  Either fewer in, more out, or both.  Hmm, fewer in...not a happy thought but perhaps a necessary sacrifice.  More than doubling my consumption...a challenge, but not wholly implausible.  To make any headway though, I've got to dip into the ones already sitting on my shelves.

I think I can reasonably read 1.5 books per month capping me out at 18, maybe squeezing in one more for good measure so 19 total.  Here's how I'll break it down:

7 - received this Christmas

3 - purchases in 2009

2 - library borrows

4 - from my stacks

3 - friendly acquisitions

In theory, I will read everything "new" that comes into my possession, as well as rescuing four lost souls from the dusty confines of my various bookcases.  Anything above and beyond is gravy.

If this goes anything like my dedication to posting on the blog 12 days in a row I'll be off the wagon in no time.

 

last but not least

So, I'll finally wrap up my Best Of 2008 list (albeit ever so slightly late) with a tribute to my favorite pastime...

Best Real Book: The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory

Most Entertaining Book [series]: Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer

Again, I've got two related winners here.  TOBG came to me via my sister and I adored it.  I've always said I don't like to read books about history or historical fiction but I've been proven wrong on that before (Winds of War and War and Remembrance, Winds of Wars being one of the top 5 books I've ever read).  So it seems I'll have to change my mantra.  

Phillipa Gregory is masterful as she weaves this tale.  But almost more interesting to me than the story she wrote was how fascinated I became with the real history and the sheer number of people who research and write about Henry VIII.  Each one has a different 'perspective' of how mad he really was and what really happened - fascinating to me that there could be so many sides to seemingly one story.  Anyway, it was a great read and a complete page-turner.

Ok, so on to Twilight.  Thanks go to Marsha and the Entertainment Weekly subscription she gave me for this one.  Back in early June there was a big spread on the approaching movie.  I love vampires - Anne Rice used to be my favorite brain candy - so of course I thought I would like this.  I ordered the first two books from Amazon and literally sucked them down over the course of a weekend.  I started Saturday afternoon while baby J napped and stayed up until 2 am.  I was done with the second by Monday evening with the 3rd acquired the day before (God forbid there was any lapse) and stretched it out until the fourth and final book came out on Saturday.  I didn't go so far as to hit up Borders' midnight release party (I wouldn't admit it here if I did) but I did reserve my copy and head over there toot sweet in the a.m.

While no literary classics by any stretch, these four books were hands down the most entertaining that I read last year.  And the giddy high I was on after reading them continued for about 2 months while 3 girls at work and my sister devoured them and constantly kept me updated on where they were in the books.  I can honestly say that I don't think I've ever felt so pathetic in my whole life.  

Well, perhaps there was one other time...like when my three girlfriends and I got our Twilight movie tickets a week ahead of time, skipped out of work at 1 pm, and I felt like I was trapped in a bad after school special.  Oh yeah, this was my only other movie for 2008, quite possibly the worst movie I have ever seen, even worse than the only other movie I'm embarrassed to admit I saw in the theater, "Dude, Where's My Car."