An Announcement

People.

I finally - finally - have internet in my apartment.

With less than three months left at this lovely abode, I'm finally wired up and can actually blog. From my bed. Or my desk. Or from wherever the spirit leads. Prepare to see an increase in blog posts in the near future.

Stage Note: Drastic subject change.

Lately I've been chomping my way through a lot of books. Just in case you want some recommendations, here's what I have to say about what I've read.

1. Memoirs of a Geisha: ok, ok, I'm way behind the bandwagon on this one. Seriously...I think it's probably required reading for some high school somewhere, and I originally picked it up because I saw it on a list of "100 Books that Every Person Should Have Read" and I was convicted. I hadn't read it! I should have read it! I needed to read it right then!

 But honestly, I was mesmerized the whole way through. The writing was so good that I was almost convinced that it was non-fiction. While I can't say that I was totally in love with the main character (I though her motive through the entire story was a little silly), I can say that it was a very compelling plot, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I'd give it 4 stars.

2. Doomsday Book: I wouldn't consider myself a sci-fi fan, so even though this book is technically considered sci-fi, I don't think I'd put it in that camp. Yes, there was time travel involved. But that wasn't the point. The point was that the story showed how people cope in the face of massive suffering and death, and how regardless of time period, people all struggle. Obviously, it was a really happy book (insert sarcasm here). If you feel like reading about that, I'd tell you to pick up this book. Although be forewarned - I finished the book and couldn't sleep until I'd done Wikipedia research on the bubonic plague to remind myself that it was something that happened in history, and wasn't happening to people that are my nearest and dearest friends. I'd give this one 4.5 stars.

3. I Am Malala: I thought this book was fascinating. Since it's non-fiction, it's a little different than my usual fictional fare. But it was well worth the departure from the norm! I got to the last page and felt like I'd learned a ton about Pakistani culture. I think this is an important book - it helped open my eyes to the fact that the American perspective is certainly not the only one, and if we're going to try to help people, it's best to really understand them. What a concept, right? Atticus Finch really had something going on when he mentioned walking a mile in another person's shoes...4 stars.

4. Theft of Swords, Rise of Empire, and Heir of Novron: These books are just pure fun. I haven't read anything quite that good in a long time, and I have nothing but good things to say about them. There are two smaller books in each book (in the style of Lord of the Rings), so reading all of it is definitely a commitment. Technically it's in the fantasy genre, but I think the beauty of it is that it's just a good story. How often does adult literature aim to just tell a good story? I won't give you a synopsis. Just go read it and enjoy. 5 stars, no question.

This certainly hasn't been my most interesting post as of late. But I think it's probably better than nothing, and who knows! Maybe you'll now go pick up a book. What should I read next? Throw me your best suggestions!

Lessons from TKAM

Maybe back in 9th grade, calling To Kill a Mockingbird "TKAM" was cool or something. I don't know. In any case, the person that wrote this appears to have been very insightful.

Cake Pops!

CHECK IT.

I discovered this book at Target the other day, and while I didn't buy it immediately - though perhaps I should have - I've decided that I need it.

[source]

They's so cute! So the next cookbook (bakebook?) I buy will be this one. Without question.

Free time? WHAT?!?

As it turns out, practicing a lot, classes, and work keep a person pretty busy. Thus the severe lack of writing in the past few weeks, or however long its been. But this evening turned out to be miraculously free of anything, which is shocking because I usually have at least three back-to-back events on Monday nights. Ah, heavenly free time. So I went to Barnes and Noble and picked up a few things that I probably could have done without. Nevertheless, I'm very glad to now own a copy of the Odyssey (I've been wanting to buy it for at least five and a half years), Gray's Anatomy (absolutely unrelated to the tv show and yes, I know it's not a normal book to have sitting on the shelf...), and North and South (admittedly girly). I then spent a good hour and fifteen minutes poring over them whilst consuming chicken noodle soup from a bread bowl and a chai latte at Panera. In the short span between when I finished the Count of Monte Cristo and now, I totally forgot how utterly delightful it is to lose oneself in some other literary world, laying the petty concerns of daily life momentarily aside.

On the way back from Panera I turned on the heat in my car for the first time this year. It reminded me of winter, and made me want to curl up with my down comforter, a cup of tea, a book (maybe one of the ones I just bought?) and watch snow fall outside my window. I realize that that situation is currently impossible, seeing as the temperature is 29 degrees above freezing, but I always associate the smell of the heater with winter. Maybe that's weird. Nevertheless, that's what I think about. I also just realized that turning the heat on when the outside temperature is 61 degrees is a little pathetic; I swear it felt colder than that!

Narnia! And normal things.

Because spring break entails some amount of free time, I have been filling mine with rereading some of the Narnia books. I didn't read them all until the later end of high school, and I can't believe that I didn't read them sooner. They are absolutely phenomenal. They are full of good things - quality literature, brilliantly portrayed characters, creative plots, fantasy, reality, and good messages - that everyone should encounter. If they were arranged chronologically, they would look like this: The Magician's Nephew; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; The Horse and his Boy; Prince Caspian; The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; The Silver Chair; and The Last Battle. I plan on bringing them back to school with me so that there will be more frequent (?) opportunities to read sections from them on a regular basis.

Also, today I went to the eye doctor. As it turns out, the astigmatism correction on my contacts was all wrong and has been since January 22nd, 2008, which totally explains the weird eye problems that I had at the end of last semester. Who knew. In any case, now I have a much more accurate prescription for contacts as well as glasses, so hopefully I will be able to see better all the time.

I am going to back to school on Saturday rather than on Sunday, which means that I get to go to church back at school! This is most exciting! After missing a week in MA because of spring break, I am very much looking forward to going back to a church with splendid hymns, an organ, short-yet-good sermons, and fantastic people. That's not to say that church at home is bad...it's just not the homey place that church is back at school.

Finally, the Massachusetts All-State Festival is happening the week we get back from break, and I'm SO EXCITED! I am prepared to get very little sleep for the last four days of the week, but I think it's going to be an amazing opportunity to see how the inner workings of this type of thing fit together. Also, I get to dress up and pretend to be a professional for a little while. Score.