One Art
by Elizabeth Bishop
The art of losing isn't hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster.
Lose something every day. Accept the fluster
of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.
Then practice losing farther, losing faster:
places, and names, and where it was you meant
to travel. None of these will bring disaster.
I lost my mother's watch. And look! my last, or
next-to-last, of three loved houses went.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.
I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,
some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.
I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster.
--Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture
I love) I shan't have lied. It's evident
the art of losing's not too hard to master
though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Books I've read OR I'm sick and bored today
bold the books you’ve read.
the anarchist cookbook.
running with scissors.
on the road.one flew over the cuckoo’s nest.
fight club.
the electric kool aid acid test.
slaughterhouse-five.
naked lunch.
a clockwork orange.
1984.
extremely loud and incredibly close.
invisible monsters.
the glass castle.
me talk pretty one day.
the picture of dorian grey.
trainspotting.
a scanner darkly.
go ask alice.
catch-22.the devil’s dictionary.
as i lay dying.
girl, interrupted.
fear and loathing in las vegas.
speak.
jane eyre.
the curious incident of the dog in the night time.
life of pi.everything is illuminated.
the virgin suicides.american psycho.
you don’t know me.
the perks of being a wallflower.
the communist manifesto.
breakfast of champions.
invisible monsters.
the bell jar.
the catcher in the rye.
the fountainhead.
the anarchist cookbook.
running with scissors.
on the road.one flew over the cuckoo’s nest.
fight club.
the electric kool aid acid test.
slaughterhouse-five.
naked lunch.
a clockwork orange.
1984.
extremely loud and incredibly close.
invisible monsters.
the glass castle.
me talk pretty one day.
the picture of dorian grey.
trainspotting.
a scanner darkly.
go ask alice.
catch-22.the devil’s dictionary.
as i lay dying.
girl, interrupted.
fear and loathing in las vegas.
speak.
jane eyre.
the curious incident of the dog in the night time.
life of pi.everything is illuminated.
the virgin suicides.american psycho.
you don’t know me.
the perks of being a wallflower.
the communist manifesto.
breakfast of champions.
invisible monsters.
the bell jar.
the catcher in the rye.
the fountainhead.
Survey
What book are you reading now? The Reader
What are your favorite books? [You can put specific books or genres or both.]
My two favorite books are To Kill a Mockingbird and The Giving Tree
How did you learn to read?
With those skinny books in first grade that we had to read a jillion times to our parents each night. God I hated it.
What foreign languages do you read?
Um, none.
What 's the funniest book you ever read?
When you are engulfed in flames by David Sedaris. I had to put my hand over my mouth a few times while reading it in public.
What books have changed the way you look at the world or the way you live your life?
I like to think that they all do, but Dispatches from the Edge by Anderson Cooper was pretty great.
What books have affirmed what you believe about life or the way you look at things?
To Kill a Mockingbird. When Atticus says, "Courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. It's knowing you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do."
What books have you changed your mind about? Chick lit books in general. Sometimes it's ok and actually fun to read something easy.
What are some of the scariest books you've ever read? Yea, I don't read scary books. I read some goosebumps when I was in 6th grade and that was good for me.
About how many books do you think you have you read in your life?
I have no idea. I started keeping track in 2005 and since then I've read 102 books.
About how many books do you own? I have no idea. My bookshelf is packed and I have books stashed everywhere in my apt and my parents house
How many books per month do you usually borrow from the library? Probably like 3 or 4. Since I work in a place with a library sometimes it's more
How much would you say you've paid in library fines in your life? I've only had to pay a library fine once because I like time limits with books. Plus if mine are overdue I can just call my library and renew it
Do you read in bed? Rarely. I like to be sitting up.
Do you ever read while walking or driving? Sometimes while walking just to finish a paragraph
OK, let's get real. Where is the strangest place you've read a book?
Nowhere really strange. One summer I was forced to go to a lake cabin with the fam for a week and I spent the entire time reading and re-reading Just as long as we're together by Judy Blume. I read it seven times that week.
Do you listen to audio books?
Sometimes. They're great for when you can't sleep. I love Harry Potter on audio book.
Has anyone ever read aloud to you or you to them? Tell us more. I read books outloud everyday at work. The last one I read was Julius Caesar which is better the second time around. I don't like when people read to me now but my parents had the best reading voices ever. We liked my dad to read Chica Chica Boom Boom and my mom to read Purple, Green, and Yellow.
What book was the most difficult to read?
Catch-22 was really hard for me to get through. I printed of character lists and used spark notes after certain sections. I was glad that I got through it though.
Do you read every word of a book, or skip parts that don't hold your interest?
Skip Parts! People think I'm crazy when I tell them this.
What books do you keep intending to read but put off? Jane Eyre. Passage to India. The Hobbit. Sherlock Holmes.
Do you buy new or used books, paperbacks or hardbacks, leather or collector's items? Mostly used on Amazon except if I have a Barnes and Noble gift card or when Harry Potter came out
How do you feel about writing in books, dog earing, etc I love underlining and dog ear almost every book. If I haven't dog eared anything it usually means I didn't like it (except again for Harry Potter).
What is the first book you remember reading
Besides those stupid first grade books I disctinctly remember going out to buy Shel Silverstein books when I was little and attempting to read all the crazy poems because of my first grade teacher
Do you lend your books? Ever had to hire Large Louis to get it back for you?
I do lend books to people, and I do have to make them give them back to me. So far I've only had one go missing and one come back very dirty.
What were your favorite books when you were a child I lived for Ramona books.
What children's books do you most enjoy as an adult I love the Lorax and The Butter Battle Book. I also love Peter Pan books, Roald Dahl books, Holes, and Tuck Everlasting.
What books would you especially recommend to young people? I would have middle school aged people read Holes and high school aged people read The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Do you ever read the ending first? I always read the last line of a book first. It's interesting and usually doesn't give much away.
DUELLING BOOKS
Did you ever agree to read the book somebody was pushing on you
if they would read one for you in exchange? What were the books?
I reccomend boooks to people all the time. I rarely need to be pushed into reading a book.
Have you ever read a book more than once? If so, mention them and
why you read them more than once, please. I've read my top ten books repeatedly because they each mean something to me.
What frequently recommended books have you been unable to finish? I finished it, but Wicked was really a challenge for me. I thought it was kind of boring and not very whimsical.
Which of these world classics did you actually plow through at one time or another in your life?
X The Iliad
X The Odyssey
The Aeneid
Dante's Inferno
Paradise Lost
Goethe's Faust
War and Peace
Ulysses
Les Miserables
Atlas Shrugged
Moby Dick
Gone with the Wind
Remembrance of Things Past
Churchill's History of England
Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
What other favorite books of yours are extremely long? I haven't really read any extremely long books. I guess the largest was probably between 700 and 800 pgs
What are your favorite books? [You can put specific books or genres or both.]
My two favorite books are To Kill a Mockingbird and The Giving Tree
How did you learn to read?
With those skinny books in first grade that we had to read a jillion times to our parents each night. God I hated it.
What foreign languages do you read?
Um, none.
What 's the funniest book you ever read?
When you are engulfed in flames by David Sedaris. I had to put my hand over my mouth a few times while reading it in public.
What books have changed the way you look at the world or the way you live your life?
I like to think that they all do, but Dispatches from the Edge by Anderson Cooper was pretty great.
What books have affirmed what you believe about life or the way you look at things?
To Kill a Mockingbird. When Atticus says, "Courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. It's knowing you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do."
What books have you changed your mind about? Chick lit books in general. Sometimes it's ok and actually fun to read something easy.
What are some of the scariest books you've ever read? Yea, I don't read scary books. I read some goosebumps when I was in 6th grade and that was good for me.
About how many books do you think you have you read in your life?
I have no idea. I started keeping track in 2005 and since then I've read 102 books.
About how many books do you own? I have no idea. My bookshelf is packed and I have books stashed everywhere in my apt and my parents house
How many books per month do you usually borrow from the library? Probably like 3 or 4. Since I work in a place with a library sometimes it's more
How much would you say you've paid in library fines in your life? I've only had to pay a library fine once because I like time limits with books. Plus if mine are overdue I can just call my library and renew it
Do you read in bed? Rarely. I like to be sitting up.
Do you ever read while walking or driving? Sometimes while walking just to finish a paragraph
OK, let's get real. Where is the strangest place you've read a book?
Nowhere really strange. One summer I was forced to go to a lake cabin with the fam for a week and I spent the entire time reading and re-reading Just as long as we're together by Judy Blume. I read it seven times that week.
Do you listen to audio books?
Sometimes. They're great for when you can't sleep. I love Harry Potter on audio book.
Has anyone ever read aloud to you or you to them? Tell us more. I read books outloud everyday at work. The last one I read was Julius Caesar which is better the second time around. I don't like when people read to me now but my parents had the best reading voices ever. We liked my dad to read Chica Chica Boom Boom and my mom to read Purple, Green, and Yellow.
What book was the most difficult to read?
Catch-22 was really hard for me to get through. I printed of character lists and used spark notes after certain sections. I was glad that I got through it though.
Do you read every word of a book, or skip parts that don't hold your interest?
Skip Parts! People think I'm crazy when I tell them this.
What books do you keep intending to read but put off? Jane Eyre. Passage to India. The Hobbit. Sherlock Holmes.
Do you buy new or used books, paperbacks or hardbacks, leather or collector's items? Mostly used on Amazon except if I have a Barnes and Noble gift card or when Harry Potter came out
How do you feel about writing in books, dog earing, etc I love underlining and dog ear almost every book. If I haven't dog eared anything it usually means I didn't like it (except again for Harry Potter).
What is the first book you remember reading
Besides those stupid first grade books I disctinctly remember going out to buy Shel Silverstein books when I was little and attempting to read all the crazy poems because of my first grade teacher
Do you lend your books? Ever had to hire Large Louis to get it back for you?
I do lend books to people, and I do have to make them give them back to me. So far I've only had one go missing and one come back very dirty.
What were your favorite books when you were a child I lived for Ramona books.
What children's books do you most enjoy as an adult I love the Lorax and The Butter Battle Book. I also love Peter Pan books, Roald Dahl books, Holes, and Tuck Everlasting.
What books would you especially recommend to young people? I would have middle school aged people read Holes and high school aged people read The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Do you ever read the ending first? I always read the last line of a book first. It's interesting and usually doesn't give much away.
DUELLING BOOKS
Did you ever agree to read the book somebody was pushing on you
if they would read one for you in exchange? What were the books?
I reccomend boooks to people all the time. I rarely need to be pushed into reading a book.
Have you ever read a book more than once? If so, mention them and
why you read them more than once, please. I've read my top ten books repeatedly because they each mean something to me.
What frequently recommended books have you been unable to finish? I finished it, but Wicked was really a challenge for me. I thought it was kind of boring and not very whimsical.
Which of these world classics did you actually plow through at one time or another in your life?
X The Iliad
X The Odyssey
The Aeneid
Dante's Inferno
Paradise Lost
Goethe's Faust
War and Peace
Ulysses
Les Miserables
Atlas Shrugged
Moby Dick
Gone with the Wind
Remembrance of Things Past
Churchill's History of England
Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
What other favorite books of yours are extremely long? I haven't really read any extremely long books. I guess the largest was probably between 700 and 800 pgs
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The Reluctant Fundamentalist
"As a society, you were unwilling to reflect upon the shared pain that united you with those who attacked you. You retreated into myths of your own difference, assumption of your own superiority." -Mohsin Hamid-
I decided at page 20 of The Reluctant Fundamentalist that I was in love. I stopped and noted the page number and actually said (in my head of course, I was at work), "I'm in love."
The basic story is about a guy named Changez who moves from Pakistan to the United States to go to Princeton. From Princeton he goes to work at an evaluation firm and starts living the life in New York. He also falls in love with a girl named Erica and Changez pursues an out of the ordinary relationship with her.
Everything changes though in the wake of September 11th. Changez has a constant inner conflict, trying to decide if he'd be happy staying in a country that he doesn't agree with or going home to a place that is headed for turbulence. He also has to deal with Erica's past issues that seem to be taking over her entire being.
The most interesting thing about the book is that Hamid has written it as Changez telling a 'random' American about how he himself lived in America and how he came back to Pakistan. There are brief periods in each chapter where Changez is talking to the American (we never learn his name) and we learn a little about the Pakistani culture and Changez's thoughts on his story and the American. This was one of my favorite thins about the book.
Basically, I like everything about Fundamentalist. I liked that it was humorous. It was short (184 pages) and to the point but got it's point across. It has a unique way of story telling and a very interesting ending. I have a love/hate relationship with stories that have open endings. If I love it I want to know the ending of every character and see them tied up nicely, but I also like to be able to create my own endings.
In my opinion, you should read this now.
Bonus Quotation: "One ought not to encourage beggars, and yes, you are right, it is far better to donate to charities that address the causes of poverty rather than to him, a creature who is merely its symptom." -Mohsin Hamid-
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
"It's never the changes we want that change everything." -Junot Diaz-
In the past few months, I have had no interest in reading while at home. Luckily, I get a little time at work to read almost every day so I try to zoom through books during those brief periods. I was really looking forward to reading Oscar Wao as I had heard nothing but great things. Junot Diaz won numerous awards for it, including the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. These days, it takes a lot for a book to get buzz unless Oprah recommends it or it features teenaged vampires. Both are fine, but I'm on a constant search for my next book love of my life.
This was not it.
It started off really great and intriguing but eventually it became too long winded and winding. Oscar is a "disastrously overweight ghetto nerd" from New Jersey and we follow him on his pathetic attempts to be anything but himself. The book is broken into sections starting with Oscar and then goes into his sister's and mothers lives. They were supposed to be vignettes that would eventually fit together, but I got really annoyed with the sudden transitions between the stores. I thought Oscar's story was hilarious, his sister's was amusing, but his mom's just felt like a "history" lesson.
What I loved: -Oscar's love for literature as I can relate
-The constant geek references (comparing people to Lord of the Rings characters)
What I hated: -The notes. I love notes in books, but they were constant and long and soon I got very tired of them and would only skim them. Very interruptive.
-The usage of Spanish. Now don't get me wrong, I like when books use other languages when appropriate (like in The Kite Runner) but a lot of times there'd be words that I didn't have any idea (without looking them up) what they meant.
All in all, I don't regret reading The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, but I would've liked more that I could relate to OR less interruptions so I could fully immerse myself into Oscar's world. I'd like to have a convo with someone else who's read it and see what they think.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
A world of books...
"I live in two worlds. One is a world of books. I've been a resident of Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha County, hunted the white whale aboard the Pequod, fought alongside Napoleon, sailed a raft with Huck and Jim, committed absurdities with Ignatius J. Reilly, rode a sad train with Anna Karenina, and strolled down Swann's Way. It's a rewarding world..." -Rory Gilmore-Gilmore Girls-
I love to read and have piles of books all over my apartment. I also often carry books with me in my purse (like Rory). I decided to start this blog because I usually have tons of things I'd like to say about a book and no one to say them to. I think reading is so awesome and I wish more people did it. I will start with my top 10 books of all time (in no particular order besides no. 1) :
1. To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee
2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower- Stephen Chbosky
3. A Separate Peace- John Knowles
4. The Time Traveler's Wife- Audrey Niffenegger
5. The Giving Tree- Shel Silverstein
6. A Million Little Pieces- James Frey
7. Cider House Rules- John Irving
8. Brokeback Mountain- Annie Proulx
9. Harry Potter Series- J.K. Rowling
10. When You Are Engulfed In Flames- David Sedaris
(ok it's my top 11 then, I'm on a roll)
11. The Lorax- Dr. Seuss
I love to read and have piles of books all over my apartment. I also often carry books with me in my purse (like Rory). I decided to start this blog because I usually have tons of things I'd like to say about a book and no one to say them to. I think reading is so awesome and I wish more people did it. I will start with my top 10 books of all time (in no particular order besides no. 1) :
1. To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee
2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower- Stephen Chbosky
3. A Separate Peace- John Knowles
4. The Time Traveler's Wife- Audrey Niffenegger
5. The Giving Tree- Shel Silverstein
6. A Million Little Pieces- James Frey
7. Cider House Rules- John Irving
8. Brokeback Mountain- Annie Proulx
9. Harry Potter Series- J.K. Rowling
10. When You Are Engulfed In Flames- David Sedaris
(ok it's my top 11 then, I'm on a roll)
11. The Lorax- Dr. Seuss
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