Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Trip To The Bookstore And Mapping July

I've been so stressed lately and I'm not entirely sure why. I think it's just a number of things. Much of it is good stress, but good stress is stress none the less. I could sit here and ramble on about everything that's stressing me out, but that would only make me stress out even more...so instead, I'll talk about what I do to handle stress :) Well first of all, I tend to turn to books...duh...this usually involves buying books, which I did tonight. I didn't go overboard though...I used some control. The books of the night:

Kate Di Camillo's The Tiger Rising - I just had to read something else by her after the wonder Tale of Despereaux and this was all they had by her at Barnes and Noble. I may read this one tonight. Sounds great. By the way, if you're a DiCamillo fan, I highly recommend that you check out Carl's excellent review of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. It's the book that I really wanted to get by her tonight after reading his review...but they didn't have it :(

Terry Pratchett's The Color of Magic - This is the first book in the Discworld series. Knowing Nymeth's love of Pratchett's Discworld novels and after Jean Pierre's Thud! review and resulting Discworld conversation, I just had to start this series! So here it goes!

Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Love in the Time of Cholera - Nymeth wrote a wonderful review on this one and Robin described it as "the most passionate and intoxicating book I have ever read." Well, after that I had to read it! The girl at the register at B&N told me that Marquez is her favorite author, so I have really high expectations of this one! Looking forward to it and I can add this one to my Classics Challenge list.

SO...the other thing I do when I'm stressed out is plan, plan, plan and organize, organize, organize...I need structure and when life gets too out of hand, I go crazy trying to get everything back in place. So I've planned out July's reading :) I may not get all of this in as I have a friend coming in all next week and then the following week I FINALLY get to spend a week with Megan...but here's the plan:-Finish The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
-The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo (may read tonight)
-Siddhartha by Herman Hesse (for Classics Challenge)
-The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett
-Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi (for Newbery Challenge)
-Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman
-Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (bonus for Classics Challenge)
-AND Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (this one will be read on July 21st...trust me)

Keep your fingers crossed on Thursday for me...Job interview at 2!

33 comments:

darkorpheus said...

Good luck with the interview! Breathe deeply and check your teeth before going in!

Yeah, I love that whole strings of Discworld conversation rcently. It was fun! :)

Have fun with Pratchett and Siddhartha.

chrisa511 said...

Who the hell is that?! ;)

Thanks Dark Orpheus! Wasn't the Discworld convo fun? I haven't even read the books yet and I enjoyed it. Looking forward to both of those books!

Carl V. Anderson said...

Best wishes for your interview on Thursday.

Nice choices on the books to read this month. I think you'll enjoy Tiger Rising...I reviewed it here if you are interested afterwards:

http://www.stainlesssteeldroppings.com/?p=48

it isn't as good as Despereaux or Edward Tulane, but it is good.

I too want to read a Pratchett soon after all the talk on JP's site. Kudos to you for beating me to the punch!

chrisa511 said...

Thanks Carl!

I searched your site for a Tiger Rising review and couldn't find one...don't know how I missed it!

From what I've read from others, it's hard to find a certain Discworld book sometimes in the bookstore since there are so many of them, so since I saw that they had the first one there I figured I'd scoop it up. Looks like a quick read. Looking forward to it!

Stormfilled said...

Good luck for the interview! I hope it's for something worthwhile that won't drain your brain too far.

Impressive book stack once again - your house must be a bibliophile paradise. ;)

chrisa511 said...

I'm hoping the same Stormfilled. I'll find out soon enough..thanks!

I like to surround myself with books, they tend to put a smile on my face...one of my dreams is to eventually have a home with a whole room I can make into a floor to ceiling library...ah, one can wish :)

Stormfilled said...

Same here! It would have a ladder on wheels..

*sigh*

Home is where the books are.

chrisa511 said...

Ladder on wheels is a must!...one of these days...it will happen!

Jeff S. said...

I will add my wishes of good luck for your interview this thursday as well. I also understand you feelings of stress my life is filled with it as well right now. My plan to de-stress is to watch Transformers tommarrow and then blow stuff up with good friends and family.

Great stack of books for July. I also have been wanting to pick up a Discworld book after the great discussion on JP's blog about it. I can't wait to hear you thoughts on it. Honestly though I REALLY can't wait to hear your thoughts on all the stories in Smoke and Mirrors. Waht a Wonderful, Wonderful, Gaiman Book!

chrisa511 said...

Jeff, Transformers and blowing stuff up! Can't think of any better way to get rid of stress :D Hope things work themselves out for you ;)

We're gonna be a bunch of Discworld reading fools! I'm really looking forward to Smoke and Mirrors...It's about time I got around to Mr. Gaiman's short stories. I have a feeling I have all sorts of treats waiting for me...

DesLily said...

Stress is a wonderful thing.. not! I live with it constantly, and even trying to read is interrupted constantly. (which may give you an idea why Writing can take so long)

I will keep you in my thoughts tomorrow..I hate interviews lol..so good luck.

oh lord, I haven't read Discorld, but have seen and read reviews on a number of them..sigh.. I really need to see some "in person" since many seem so short for the $$. My wish list at amazon is huge already! And it sure never gets any shorter! I seem to order 2 or 3 books and before I can do that again I've added 5 more!

Between your company and then going to visit Megan it sounds like you won't get that reading list down much for July lol..

Anonymous said...

Good luck with the interview.

Discworld is one of my favourite series. Love Pratchett. The Colour of Magic is probably one of my least favourites though, so if you find that you don't click with it that much, do keep reading.

chrisa511 said...

Thanks Deslily...what would life be without stress, huh?

Last time I actually looked at my Amazon wishlist it was somewhere around 125 books..it just keeps growing and growing..The Discworld books look like alot of fun! I'll let you know.

Thanks Quix! I've heard that The Color of Magic isn't the best, so I'll definitely continue on with the series even if I'm not crazy about it. I just finished I'd read the series in the order it was published to make it easy!

Bookfool said...

You know, books are an excellent stress-reducer and probably the finest vice. Obviously, they don't cause lung cancer, contain no calories and have the added benefit of expanding your mind. I have too many books, but I refuse to feel guilty about indulging in something that will harm absolutely no one (apart from those who would like to forge a path through various living areas in my home). Enjoy your books.

I've only read one Pratchett book, so far, and it was cute - a little over-the-top, but fun. The second Crispin book and Edward Tulane are both on my wish list. And, I need to get to Siddhartha and Love in the Time of Cholera. So, gosh, that's a totally appealing pile, if you ask me! Have fun reading!

Stephanie said...

Good luck with the interview!!

And yeah for the Discworld start! I think The Colour of Magic will be my first one too. I think the series order is the way I'm going too!

I was supposed to see Transfomers today. It's rainy and yukky. Kind of like my mood.

chrisa511 said...

Bookfool, I shall enjoy my books :), thanks..I wholeheartedly agree..they are indeed a wonderful and very healthy vice...while they may be a bit expensive at times, they do nothing but add to the brain cells as opposed to harming the body. I'm really looking forward to this pile of books! Each and everyone of them is a real treat!

Stephanie, There's just too many Discworld books for me to read them any other way but in chronological order. I'd get lost! I hope your mood gets better :( You should go see Transformers anyway..it'll cheer you up, I'm sure.

Anonymous said...

Good luck with your interview!
Transformers isn't out in the UK until the end of the month so I will be avoiding people's reviews until then.

The Discworld is a funny one, everyone I speak to likes different ones better. I would try and read the first five and then make your mind up if you like them or not. The same goes for Gabriel Garcia Marquez, you either love him or hate him!

Anonymous said...

Given our similar tastes, I'll be interested to see if Chris ends up favouring the same Discworld books as me. *grin*

If you fancy trying something other than chronological order, this page from L-Space might be helpful.

chrisa511 said...

Thanks Rhinoa :) I'm sorry that you have to wait for Transformers! Thats just horrible *angry face*

I'm hoping that I enjoy both Discworld and Marquez! I have a feeling I will.

Thanks for the lead Quix, I'll check it out.

Bellezza said...

I absolutely love The Time Traveller's Wife! I recommended it to my book club friends, one set (the younger ones) loved it. The older group (my mother's friends, mainly) didn't even read past page 20~I don't think they understood the concept very well. Plus, one lady had trouble with Henry appearing to his wife as a child naked. Isn't that hysterical? I loved the book on many levels, one of the small ones being that it was set in Chicago. Not to mention the fact that sometimes the person one loves does seem elusive. I hope you're getting de-stressed, my thoughts are with you. Oh, and by the way, Because of Winn-Dixie is the first DeCamila book and it is wonderful as well. Especially if you're a dog lover. Or, understand loneliness.

chrisa511 said...

Bellezza, I'm almost finished The Time Traveler's Wife and I have to say that it is one of the best books I've read...it manages to haunt me and stay with me all day. Beautiful book. I'll have to read Because of Winn-Dixie...I have to admit that when I saw the previews for the movie I thought it looked so cheesy and didn't see it, but now that I've read some of her work, I'll have to read that one!

By the way, that is hilarious about the older ladies in the readers group! I can see how they wouldn't be to big of a fan of this one, lol..

Carl V. Anderson said...

Time Traveler's Wife stayed with me for days and days...wow!

Because of Winn-Dixie, the movie, was very sweet. Haven't read the book but I would have to believe that it is amazing.

chrisa511 said...

Carl, I think I'll be reading Because of Winn Dixie soon and will watch the movie after that. Now that I've discovered how great of an author she is, I'm very anxious to see a movie based on her work...I'm sure it's much better than what I had imagined it to be ;)

Jeff S. said...

I would recommend reading the Because of Winn Dixie book first then seeing the movie. I enjoyed the book more but the movie is cute and the girl who plays the lead is great. The dog they cast in the movie though just isn't how I pictured the dog in my head.

chrisa511 said...

I'll definitely be reading the book first Jeff. Of course, now I'll have the movie dog stuck in my head from just seeing the previews! I just started The Tiger Rising and am almost finished it. Great book! I'm really loving DiCamillo...she needs to start writing faster!

Anonymous said...

i thought i'd commented on this?! i obviously hadn't...

that sounds like the best therapy! buying books and planning :)

its so weird seeing a different pratchett cover. it looks so... different! :)

can you take a pic of it and post it somewhere?

chrisa511 said...

Hey Jean Pierre, The cover for The Color of Magic is horrible here! So plain...here's a link to the US amazon page for it: http://www.amazon.com/Color-Magic-Discworld-Novel-Novels/dp/0060855924/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-9128267-2336010?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1183750079&sr=8-1

Isn't that ugly? Oh well...

Ana S. said...

You have a lot of great reading ahead of you!

The Colour of Magic is a lot of fun, but if despite that you find yourself thinking "so this is what the fuss was all about?" please don't think we fooled you :P

Terry Pratchett is one of those authors that got better with time. I think it was only with "Mort" that Discworld really picked up.

But despite this, I think you will really like the book. It pokes fun at all the clichés of fantasy, but in a good-natured way, so as a fantasy fan you are sure to like it. Also, it's the only Discworld book that ends in a cliffhanger, so start getting ready to buy "The Light Fantastic" too :P

I really hope you like "Love in the Time of Cholera". I think that by reading your blog I have a good idea of what your taste in books is like, but with that book in particular, I really can't predict if someone will like it or not. But I also think it's one of those that doesn't feel like a complete waste of time even for those who don't like it all that much.

chrisa511 said...

Nymeth, That's what I keep hearing..that the Color of Magic isn't the best..so I'll continue with the series if it isn't my favorite ;) But I'm sure I'll like. It sounds like I will...and I've already planned to buy The Light Fantastic :D

I read a few passages from Love in the Time of Cholera in the bookstore and it read well. I have a feeling I'll like it. There's only one way to find out! I'll let you know in a few weeks! If anything, I love the cover of the US version!

Anonymous said...

oh dear, that is very bland, isn't it?

chrisa511 said...

Yeah, all the trades are really bad. The mass market paperback covers are a little bit better, so I may start reading those just for the covers :p The hardcovers are great, but there are only so many that you can still find in hardcover.

Anonymous said...

its just so odd seeing those covers as i am so familiar with the uk ones. the covers are synonomous with the books for me. do you know the uk ones i mean? are they easy to get hold of on ebay?

chrisa511 said...

I've seen the UK covers on a few blog sites (yours included), but I'm not all that familiar with them. I'm sure I could find them on ebay...and probably for alot cheaper than I'd pay in the bookstore anyway!