This is my workspace.  Is it narcissistic to have two pictures of myself on my desk?  Perhaps.

The IT guy at work always gives me crap for buying a Mac.  But it’s what I wanted.  But I tell you what I won’t be buying– an iPad.  Between my MacBook, and my iPhone, do I really need small, smaller, and smallest?  No thanks.

I think Apple could have shown a little more class by not trying to make a Kindle for Mac lovers.  And Kindle’s are nice, but what’s so wrong with an old-fashioned book?  And you can read most of those for free thanks to the library, where I am off to in just a second to get some more… (GASP!) old-fashioned books.

So far this week I have:

• finished school
• laid out for 3.5 hours resulting in an incredibly awkward and painful sunburn
• moved out of my apartment/dorm/whatever
• bowled a 183
• watched a ridiculous amount of television on my parent’s sweet cable setup

And tonight I’m just sitting here watching The Babysitter’s Club movie on On Demand.  I just love that Ann M. Martin!  I think it’s a great idea to make life as an 8th grade student seem deep and complex.  These couldn’t be just normal girls, Martin had to go and give them issues.

Like how Stacey has diabetes.  Kristy comes from a broken home (wow… controversial!).  Claudia can’t pass 8th grade science.   Mary Ann suffers from crippling shyness and an overprotective father.  Dawn is very granola and cares about the earth.  And don’t get me started on Jess and Mallory.  I mean, they’re only junior members of the club, so their issues of diversity and being a nerd aren’t near as important.  I mean… they’ve been 11 years old since 1988, I’m sure they’ve conquered those by now.

Sigh.  To be in 8th grade again.  If I went to Stoneybrook Middle I’d be all over that Logan Bruno.  But ultimately concerned if I had to stay in the 8th grade for 12 years.

What was your favorite BSC novel?  This is a shallow choice, but I’m going with Kristy + Bart = ?

I feel like I am just flying through the stack of books on my desk that I have been meaning to read. Here’s what I have finished lately.

Odd Thomas | Dean Koontz

• I had a hard time visualizing some of the supernatural elements in the book. For example, the room that Odd goes into and time-travels out? Couldn’t even see it in my mind. That and the bodachs.
• His love interest was named Stormy… which I think it fairly laughable. Also, she was written with a purely male audience in mind, which irked me.
• Good ending!

Amsterdam | Ian McEwan

• I thought I would warm up with this one before I actually read Atonement. I’ve seen the movie, so I already know the plot of that one will frustrate me.
• This plot was not frustrating! Huzzah!
• At 193 pages, it’s a very quick read. Also, I’m not English major, but it felt pretty high-brow to me. And I love false senses of superiority.
• I highly recommend this.

Twilight | Stephenie Meyer

• These are the books that all those teenage girls are reading.
• Meyer is an awful writer. I will admit that there is something about the story, but her writing is so… so… ugh. I lost track of how many times I rolled my eyes!
• I’ll probably get all excited to see the movie in December. Like a sucker!

This is a proud, proud day for my parents. Emma Chace can read! I’ve finished 4 books this year alone… that’s nuts!! I knew I got accepted to college for a reason.
Here are my thoughts on those four books. I will try to make them as spoiler-free as possible.

Heyday | Kurt Andersen
- This book was big and long.
- I thought the characters were not as engaging as the overall story. Tim Skaggs was my favorite, and probably because he felt like the most appropriate character for the time period.
- The book loses a lot of momentum when everyone decides to go to the California gold rush, but the end ties it together nicely.
- I seriously love me some historical fiction!

The Time Traveler’s Wife | Audrey Niffenegger
- I read this in 2 days. It is a page turner!
- After I finished, I find myself asking a lot of questions along the lines of “which came first, the chicken or the egg?” I don’t know how sure I am that Clare and Henry would have gotten together if he hadn’t time traveled back to when she was young.
- Even with that issue, I found myself completely engrossed.
- The movie, due later this year, will probably blow but I will be excited to see it nonetheless.

The Man from St. Petersberg | Ken Follett
- I picked this one out myself with no suggestions from anyone! (I am quite proud of this.)
- Again, I love me some historical fiction.
- I totally saw where this was going, but the ending surprised me. Let me clarify by saying it’s not really a twist ending, but I did not think Follett would come up with a resolution at all but then HE DID!
- Follett totally played with my loyalties. I was torn between Stephen and Feliks. I wanted them both to get what they want, but alas that was impossible!
- My only complaint was the portrayal of Winston Churchill. But ultimately it was not a big deal.

The Other Boleyn Girl | Philippa Gregory
- Yes, I read this because the movie was coming out. I even bought the little paperback with the poster as the cover. I am shameless!
- This was engrossing enough, but not as great as I thought it would be.
- The movie threw out the book. But you know… whatever… it’s a movie.
- For the third time, I love me some historical fiction.

Read any good books lately?

I am really enjoying the book I’m reading right now. I bring it everywhere I go. I brought it to lunch today. I usually don’t eat out by myself, but on Tuesdays you can more than likely find me eating at McAlister’s with my friend Shelly. Shelly is home for the entire week whoring herself out for “The Secret“. (Those were her words, not mine). And I was really wanting some chicken tortilla soup in a bread bowl from McAlister’s, so I went by myself.

Anyhow, back to me actually doing some recreational reading, I had my chicken tortilla soup in a bread bowl while I read my book. Now, reading this book has been no small feet. It’s 620 pages long to be exact. It also just looks big because it’s hardcover. Everywhere I bring this book I get a comment. Most of the time it’s something along the lines of “ooooh, ambitious!” or “my, what an undertaking.”*

So what’s the point to this post besides to tell you of a book you should run out and read? Oh yes, I can actually see myself finishing this book in the near future. And I’ve been carrying it around all semester since I’m terrible at reading books. In a way this book has become a little part of me and I’m not quite ready to stop carrying it around. I’ll just have to find a good substitute book… something just as large and hardcover and interesting. Like I needed an excuse to browse the bookshelves at Borders!

*yes, people I see out in public use this rhetoric. Don’t be jealous.