Today was the oh so exciting first day at the new job and thank God I like to read! I was greeted this morning with three 200 page manuals...my reaction (in my head of course) was a very un-enthused "yay" as the coffee had not yet done it's job. The manuals actually aren't all that bad though because they lay out the three different therapeutic programs that we offer kids.
Here's a quick recap on what I'll be doing. I'll be place at a school that's only 5 minutes away from my house which is great news! The original place I was going to be at was about 40 minutes away from my house. I'm an employee of the state though, not an employee of the school system. The school I'm working at is a middle school for kids who have been expelled from other schools. My job is to assess and diagnose kids who the teachers and social workers think may "have a problem." If they do indeed "have a problem" I'll do a 12 week counseling program with them. The program is very structured and we have a program for kids with depression, behavioral disorders, and just this year, we added anxiety disorders.
My supervisor is really cool which made me happy. Life's so much easier when you like the people you're working with. The atmosphere is laid back and all of my nervousness that has built up over the last month has gone out the window. In fact, reading through the anxiety counseling manual today actually helped me! Go figure! So I'm really excited to be there and it will really be nice when that first check comes in!
Back to books tonight. Should have a Something Wicked This Way Comes review up soon...hopefully tonight.
Oh! And did you see that Oprah picked Love in the Time of Cholera as her new book club selection? I'm so happy that I bought my copy before they put her damn name on the cover! I have mixed feelings about it. I'm happy that so many people will read the book now, because it's an absolutely amazing book, but at the same time it bugs me and I don't know why...we've talked about this before on here. What is it about the "Oprah's Book Club Selection" sticker that irks people (like me). For instance, I still haven't bought a copy of The Road or Middlesex because I can't find a copy without her name on it! It's especially aggravating when there's no mention of the Pulitzer prize on the cover, but Oprah's name is on the cover. Oh well...it's spilled milk. I really don't have a problem with Oprah...she does some great things for the world and even has some great shows occasionally, but there is just something about Oprah and all of these books that doesn't work for me and I don't even know what it is! It's like she's taking over the world. Another very cool piece of Love in the Time of Cholera news...I saw a poster for the theatrical version in the movie theaters the other night! How cool!
21 comments:
My book club was in the middle of reading Love in the Time of Cholera when she announced it. We all feel like we're smart now lol! So far I'm really loving it.
Chris, Glad you're enjoying it! I read it over the summer and it became a favorite of mine. Isn't it just a beautiful book? I can't wait to read some more Marquez!
ummm, if having her name on my story got it published, I'd splash her face front and back! LOLLOL..
But she will never endorse anything but "classics" or classic type...i like Oprah but when it comes to reading anything other than a classic she would NEVER endorse it. Like only those are worth reading.
Deslily, Yeah, I guess if you look at it that way...lol! I don't think of it like that, but if I ever see Neil Gaiman's name on a story, I buy it! So I guess Oprah's name does the same thing for others. You're right though...her tastes seem to be a bit pretentious...not that the books that she picks aren't good, but like you said, there are other great books out there!
Hey, Chris, you do realize those are stickers, right? They peel right off...
But I know what you mean. There's just something about slapping that "Oprah's Book Club" sticker on a book that puts me off. Does that mean we're snobs of some sort?
Anyway, I bought Love In The Time of Cholera today while I was at KMart. They had it at a great price and I peeled the silly sticker right off.
cjh
The Oprah sticker thing kind of irritates me, too. But, I love Marquez and I've already got a copy. Someday I'll get to it!
CJ, LOL! Some of them are stickers, but for some of the books they actually print "Oprah's book club selection" on the book!! That just sucks! My copy of 100 Years of Solitude has it printed on the damn book...psht! Damn Oprah! Lol...ok, enough ranting. I hope you enjoy Love in the Time of Cholera! I fell in love with the book but it wasn't until I was finished it. It took me a while to get through it, but it was one of those books that when you look at it as a whole it's just beautiful.
Bookfool, I hope you get to it sooner than later ;) It's a great book! What is it about the Oprah sticker, lol...us silly readers!
Congrats on starting your new job, Chris. That sounds like very interesting work indeed!
Her choice of that book probably has something to do with the upcoming movie. But yeah, it's silly that they print her name on the cover. It should at least be in an easily removable sticker or something.
I'm very glad to hear your first day at your new job went well, and that your supervisor is cool. Liking the people you work with really makes a big difference.
Okay, I just saw CJ's comment...I'm glad it IS a sticker :P
Nymeth -
Well, according to Chris, they're not all stickers. Mine was, and I'm glad. So was the one on Middlesex, which I just peeled off.
And Chris, I forgot to say congrats on the job. It sounds like a good one. Have I mentioned my niece is working on her MSW? She's interning in a school setting and has been put in charge of a pilot program. I'll say I admire you for doing the job and her, too.
cjh
I don't think those feeling are snobbish. Just seems to me that the author should be getting the credit for the book, not Oprah.
Anyway, I am sooooo happy to hear that you're excited about your job! Sounds like it's going to be quite fascinating, but definitely tough. Can't wait to hear more about it!
CDN, Thanks! So far it's proved to be very interesting...let's hope it stays that way!
Nymeth, I'm guessing it has something to do with the movie as well. It sounds like they may have finally moved to a sticker since CJ got a copy with a removable sticker...thank God! I wish I could peel her name off of my copy of 100 years of solitude! Ah, just saw your second comment :p I like my supervisor a bunch and yes, it definitely makes a BIG difference!
CJ, Very cool that your niece is getting her MSW! I think I remember you mentioning that before. I love the profession. It's rewarding and it's fun! Glad to be a part of it.
Debi, lol...it really is like Oprah gets more of the credit than the author..my, my...
I'm hoping the job won't be too tough. I have the age range I want, 11-14. Not too old, not too young, so I have the best of both worlds. We'll see how it goes!
Sounds like a really interesting job. I supervise a program with staff in those exact same type of positions. I think you'll find it an interesting and rewarding job.
I don't get the Oprah sticker thing! To not read a good book because her name is on the front of it doesn't make any sense to me at all. But, that's just me. In many cases I have read the book before it became an Oprah book or at least bought it. I just consider myself having good taste. :) I always found that her books have morals and deal with serious issues. I am not sure if that means they are 'classic' types, I just think that is what she reads. Truthfully, I am not sure some of her older choices are even that well-known, so I don't think they are going to be classics. In any case, that is my long-winded lead up to me saying: Don't not read Middlesex because her name is on the cover! It is one of my favourite books ever. I haven't read The Road yet.
Carl, Very cool! You should come move to New Orleans and be my supervisor ;) I'm more and more excited about the program as I get to know it. It sounds really cool and everyone that I've talked to who's working in it seems to love it!
Kailana, Oh, her name won't stop me from reading them ;) I'm just a big cover snob and love my books to have the perfect covers...so I'm trying to find the cover I want with a removable sticker. But I'll read regardless of whether or not her name's on the cover. Middlesex and The Road are two that I will most certainly read!
So happy to hear that your job has started and it's looking good. There's sure a lot of kids that are going to appreciate your help.
Booklogged, I hope so. I was a bit nervous at first about jumping in, but I'm really excited now!
Hey Chris, here's one more angle on Oprah's pick - MSNBC.com reported that Vintage Books, a paperback imprint of Random House Inc., announced a new printing of 750,000 copies for the novel, and an additional 30,000 for the original Spanish-language text.
I know that Random House, which is a leading U.S. publisher, announced in 2006 that it will raise the proportion of recycled paper it uses to at least 30% by 2010 from under 3% at the time of the announcement. Still, I am quite sure that a lot of virgin paper will be used for all these new copies.
Therefore, those of you who will buy new copies of the book (libraries or getting a used copy are also great options to get a hold of the book) are welcome to balance them out by planting trees. “Love in the Time of Cholera” is really a great book and can be a great opportunity to start taking action and making our reading habit more sustainable. I’m sure Oprah wouldn’t mind that :-)
Raz @ Eco-Libris
Raz, What a great idea! Plant a tree for a book...I like that. I should definitely plant a tree for all of the books that I read and I think that I'll do just that as soon as I'm at a piece of property that's my own. Then I can watch it grow and know that I've replaced the books that I've read thanks to mother nature!
Hi Chris,
Thanks for the feedback! At Eco-Libris we've partnered with three non-profit organizations that work in collaboration with local communities in developing countries to plant the trees. These trees are planted in high ecological and sustainable standards in Latin America and Africa, where deforestation is a crucial problem, and planting trees not only helps to fight climate change and conserve soil and water, but also benefits many local people, for whom these trees offer many benefits and an opportunity for a better future.
Raz @ Eco-Libris
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