i thought this day would never come.

When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest. The only thing that could spoil a day was people and if you would keep from making engagements, each day had no limits. People were always the limiters of happiness except for the very few that were as good as spring itself.

That's the opening paragraph from "A False Spring" from Hemingway's A Moveable Feast. Friends, do you know how much it hurts me to say that I not only read this book, but I maybe even kind of liked certain parts of it? I do NOT like Hemingway. At all. But maybe a little bit in this book. He didn't feel like the pompous jerky-jerk I got from his other work. He felt okay, and sometimes we even agreed on certain things, and that really amazed me. (And yes, this is that book I was reading that I kept quiet about. Don't you understand now?)

My favorite story from the collection is "Birth of a New School" where Hemingway essentially verbally beats down this guy who interrupts his writing. Leave it to me to enjoy that piece the most, but I thought it was hilarious.

I'd say more, but this is Hemingway we're talking about, and I already feel slimy admitting that I might have maybe kind of sort of been a LITTLE wrong about the worth of all of his writing. This collection was okay. And that's it! Also, I'm thankful my friend Lisa convinced me to read it. It really is different from his other writing.

Now, I'm off to start Firelight by Sophie Jordan and Pastwatch by Orson Scott Card.

conquering my addiction.

Friends, I've done my best to conquer my addiction.

I've practiced strict, cold turkey regiments. I've practiced stepping stone elimination processes to reduce withdrawal, and I have done my best to just not think about that aching feeling inside of me, demanding to be filled by books.

But I think I really do have a problem.

That's the first step, right? But I'm not actually sure I want to recover, though I may rethink that statement the next time we move.

I visited the library this weekend, and oh my awesomeness. They had a library sale. We're talking BRAND NEW hardbacks here, peeps, for amazing prices. I know I know I know that I said I wasn't buying books this summer so that I wouldn't have to lug them home, but dudes, how could I pass them up? Here's my loot:

Sure, I already have a copy of Guernsey, but since I have read that book about eight times, I decided that I needed a copy in hardcover. I also picked up an Elizabeth Peters novel--don't judge!--and a Geraldine Brooks book which I started but had to return to the library before I finished, and a copy of The Three Musketeers so that I can return the copy I've been borrowing from K for the past kajillion years. :) Oh! And an Arthur Conan Doyle collection. Volume 2! Woot!

Did I mention that I paid $5 for these bad boys? That's $5 TOTAL, not $5 each. (Fist pump!) And do you see my kid's hands going for my books? BAD! No! Those are PRISTINE hardbacks. Leave them alone! Well, the Everyman's Library isn't pristine, but the pages are so lush and fantastic.

Now, down to business. What have I been reading? I finished Ex Libris, but you already knew that. I finished The Statistical Probabilities of Falling in Love, which should have been on the list, but wasn't. (And it's a YA title, meaning I've found a way to check them out, even if I can't peruse the shelves!) I'm moving through Pilgrim and Elantris, and I just picked up Finnikin and Here Lies. When it rains, it pours, right? (Those are mostly abbreviated titles, BTW, because I'm too lazy to type out the full thing. You'll forgive me because you always do. Thanks for that!)

Back in the Saddle Again....

Okay. I might be settled in. Almost. I've figured out the library (grumble grumble) and actually found some of the books from my list, so hopefully I'll make up some time by flying through the titles. Here we go:

• Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard
• Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
• The Night Circus by Erin Morgernstern
• Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman
• The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan [Realized I've tried to read this before and just don't want to try again right now.]
• Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
• Hood by Stephen Lawhead
• Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
• Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
• Legend by Marie Lu
• Firelight by Sophie Jordan
• Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta
• Pastwatch by Orson Scott Card
• Here Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck
• The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

I finished Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman this afternoon. Dude, this was an awesome book. The essays were short and sweet and had meat to them, but at the same time, they were easy and fun to read--thank you, Anne Fadiman. I can't settle on a favorite essay, I just can't. As I'm trucking through this beauty, I kept thinking to myself, why don't I read some of these authors? Why don't I read Proust? I could read Proust! (Oh yeah. Um, I don't wanna.)

Now, off to finish The Night Circus, which I'm still nervous about, and start Elantris. Busy bee, I shall be!

Summer Reading List 2012

The list is far from final, but here is what I have so far:

• Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard
• Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
• The Night Circus by Erin Morgernstern
• Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman
• The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
• Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
• Hood by Stephen Lawhead
• Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
• Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
• Legend by Marie Lu
• Firelight by Sophie Jordan
• Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta
• Pastwatch by Orson Scott Card
• Here Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck
• The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

It's on the shorter side, that's for sure, and these are not in order. Book completion will be based on a number of things, such as library availability, Audrey's mood, time of day, etc. I may try and tack on some of last year's books that I couldn't find copies of. And like last year, the plan is to share some of my thoughts with you as I finish the books. Fun, right?

To the many people who have suggested I read The Hunger Games: I'm sorry, I can't. I understand it is supposedly fantastic. Know that my resistance to reading them is not the same as my reasons for not reading Twilight. I honestly don't think I can handle the subject matter. Also, someone told me a major spoiler from the final book, and that pretty much killed it for me.

I hope to start Bitterblue today, but I've been trying since Friday, so we'll see.