Insanity

If I had of known there would be so much writing in this class, I never would have signed up for it. This is crazy! Every class we have a quiz that is three essay questions, answers supported with text quotations. Then we have critical essays and other essay exams, along with all the reading. Just finished Ethan Frome. I have always disliked that book, still do. How can there be so much depression and suffering in so short a novel? Next up is A Passage to India, which is absolutely beautiful from what I have read thus far. The language is amazing, I can see why it is hailed as the greatest 20th century novel. Arguably of course. So instead of writing why Ethan Frome is a chain of cause and effects, I am blogging about nonsense. I can honestly say I am semi looking forward to a science class to have a little break next semester. Though I do not find science or math to be very easy (well if the science does not have math it is easy), I need a break from writing. I just want to be lazy and read. I am dying to read the latest Thursday Next novel by Jasper Fforde. I love those books!

Things are going to get crazy...

I am proud to say I have finally completed a reading challenge. It was ridiculously easy this time around, what with only one book to read. I'm going to move onto another book for the challenge, A Highlander in Her Bed. I am almost ashamed to admit that I will be reading this as it is a paranormal (? does that count as supernatural) romance novel. It combines my love of all things Scottish with trashy romance. Can it get any better than that? And to think that I enjoy reading the classics as well. The Turn of the Screw was a good book but the ending was a bit anticlimactic. I really enjoyed James style of writing, and the slow build up of suspense. However near the end it seemed a bit rushed. Either way it was creepy in a non-scary way, you know your imagination makes it out to be worse than it really is. I wonder if he knew people would do that. It was the Victorians, of course they would do so. Just to depress everyone Christmas is only 12 weeks away or so. The family has decided to do a handmade holiday, so I need to get crafting.

Another Beginning

The new semester has started, I love literature classes! I also broke down and joined another reading challenge. This one I can complete. It is the R.I.P III challenge, and I am reading The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. I am somewhat cheating as that is also the first book we have to read for my class, but hey it fulfills the requirements for both. I plan to try to read other books as well, but living alone is not conducive to pre-Halloween reading, if you catch my drift. Put bluntly I am a scaredy cat. The weather is starting to change along with the foliage. I love the fall, the cool weather, the leaves all falling to the ground and swirling about, the smells. Especially being here in picturesque New England. I am dying to know what goes on in my book but do not want to read it before going to bed. I also need to check out what other people are reading to get some ideas. I've already read Dracula, and multiple Stephen King novels. I want to see what other people are reading, I'm just plan nosy I guess.

I do not know why I bother to continue with this blog. Right now, I am waiting for my nails to dry and so have nothing better to do. I am in the midst of an obsession with Janet Evanovich's books featuring Stephanie Plum. I love these damn books. I am reading nothing else but them until I am finished. Then I promised my friend I would read Wicked by Gregory Maguire. We tried to read Huckleberry Finn but quite frankly I enjoyed War and Peace better than Huck's adventures. Go figure. Classes will be starting up again soon, I pray that my class does not get cancelled due to a lack of students.Admidst all of this reading, I need to start getting serious about knitting and making christmas presents. The time is coming up soon. Of course it does not help that once September hits I am the happiest person on the planet. I love fall, and always rush the holidays to come. I cannot help it, they are so much fun and enjoyable.

I really do dislike titles. I find them tedious at least and daunting at most. I am all over the map, I am reading Clan of the Cave Bear, but find that it is an easy book to set down. I picked up the newest rage in reading Twilight, by Stephanie Meyer and it is excellent. Honestly I did not think I was going to like it what with all the hype and it being about vampires. But it is really, really good. Well the series as a whole thus far is amazing. You cannot put the books down. I am finding this poetry writing to be difficult but incredibly satisfying and fun. I get more enjoyment and a sense of accomplishment from penning poems than stories. Perhaps because they can be so short and you are able to end them abruptly without anyone seeing it as such.

Reading Challenges Revisited

So I was reading over the Herding Cats challenge and saw that the minimum is three books, so I am officially giving up on Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. I am in the long process of reading Possesion by A.S Byatt. It is an excellent book but a bit longish. I actually had to renew it from the library. I like to take books out from the library because they put a time limit for how long you get to read the book. That is how I finally managed to read Atlas Shrugged, which is one of my favorite books. So I will try to read Clan of the Cave Bear next. So busy trying to write a sestina for my writing class, why are we doing something they did in the twelfth century? Of course they had time for nonsense like that back then. Now working full time, reading challenges and school? Not a chance. Oh well.

Belated Posting

Wow, it has been a month since I last posted anything. What is my excuse even? I did not succeed in finishing the Once Upon a Time II challenge. Things got too hectic with classes and work. I have started Mr. Norrel and Jonathan Strange, but just cannot get into it. So I am moving onto the 5th book in the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. I just love those books, and especially Jamie Fraser, who does not really? I am taking a creative writing class right now and it really makes you appreciate all the books you read and take for granted. It is not so easy to write this stuff and expose it to a bunch of strangers. I have even more respect for most authors now. I have also read some great stuff penned by my fellow classmates. I am awed by the sheer imaginative genius out there. Now I get to go and read a bunch of photocopied pages that are hard to decipher on the influence of Contemporary art in allowing photography to be more accepted as an art form. Fun stuff!