Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

[literary Christmas ornaments- a classroom tradition]

Link up below!

1. I hate it when people say things like "I'm not trying to make you feel guilty," "I'm not trying to insult you" or "I'm not trying to be rude." 

2. I'm doing a giveaway soon! I turn down ones all the time, but this one I'm excited about.

3. I'm I the only one that "saves" new clothes for "special occasions" and then realizes, eventually, that months and months have gone by and I'm wearing the same old shit and the new things have only been worn once or twice? No more. YOLO (--> said in an ironic, tongue in cheek sort of way in case you couldn't tell). 

4. Per usual, I'm way behind on the book club selection and the meeting is on Wednesday. Procrastination is motivation (I'm learning from my students, apparently).

5. I should have bought Frye boots last year when by big fat pregnant gut was telling me too. The must cheaper boots I bought are already falling apart.

6. I downloaded the stupid Timehop Ap- it's sort of embarrassing. I said what? Really? Shudder. But it's kind of neat, too.

7. Sawyer is starting to eat more solid foods- it's fun. Last night he tried some potato and we've also done bananas and refried beans. He also loves those stupid little Puff things too (which at 25 calories for 60 I think I'm going to make them my new favorite snack too).

8. I love the tack Christmas decorations that are popping up throughout the neighborhood. The blow up ones are getting even larger and are adding more and more movable parts. Not to mention how attractive they look during the day. I seriously do not understand the appeal.

9. The pins on Pinterest suggesting "gifts for teachers" kill me. Honestly? We do not want wreaths made of crayons, coffee mugs, or any sorts of crafts made by your kids. Instead? Gifts for Bevmo (since bringing bottles of wine on campus is illegal), gifts cards for pedicures or massages, snacks for our desks, and Costco sized bottles of Tylenol for the headaches your kids give us (kidding, kidding). Or nothing. Or even better? Tell your kid to be on his/her best behavior for a solid day.*

10. I am sitting down with every single student this week for six minutes of one-on-one time to talk about the books they read for their 700 page requirement. I went into it with dread, but am actually loving it. Some didn't finish the assignment, but we still talk about what they do read (and I'm not giving them too much grief so that the rest of the time goes well). I've been keeping a list a of books to add to my TBR list, so that part has been an added bonus. 

 

*This is of course all a joke. I would never, ever want a parent to spend a substantial amount of money on me. I actually prefer cards- in this digital age it's becoming a lost art. 

Giveaway Winnner

And we have a winner:

Please email me this weekend at christeenie22@aol.com with your address (I promise I won't start stalking you or toilet papering your house). Thanks for reading and entering!

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

1. I'm hosting a giveaway of Tiny Little Plastic Miracles- really great book. Enter here.

2. People should stop health-ifying recipes. Cookies, cakes, and brownies should be chalk-full of real butter, sugar (not agave), and chocolate. Stop substituting with Greek yogurt, for the love of God.

3. Everyone should go to a roller derby bout, a Lady Gaga concert, and see Zero Dark Thirty. Preferably in one weekend. 

[such a great show]

 4. Go 49ers! First it was the Giants, and then the Democrats in November- all my teams are winning.

5. I was pleased with all the mature, thoughtful responses I received on my Why I Don't Read YA post. I hesitated as to whether or not I should write it for a long time, since I know it's definitely the genre of choice for many right now. 

6. Speaking of YA, one question that arose while writing the above post was the difference between a bildungsroman and YA. I'd like to say that it's the intended audience, but I know that many YA writers know that full-fledged adults are now readers, so I'm not sure if that works. Food for thought.

7. I seriously loved Michelle Obama's eye rolling at the inauguration lunch. Sassy.

8. I need to learn how to make buttonholes on my sewing machine so that I can make pajama pants this weekend. My mom was supposed to teach me, but I guess I scared her off.

9. Yesterday was National Handwriting Day, which reminded me of the horrid elementary controversy as to whether or not we should take valuable time to teach little kids to write cursive. Eff cursive, that's what I say. How about learning to type?

10. Is it weird that I'm jealous of how my dog spends most of his day? 

"Sponsored" Review + Giveaway- Flimsy Little Plastic Miracles

[Available from Viking, February 7, 2013]

In a hurry? I don't blame you. Scroll all the way down for the giveaway. 

Sometimes I'm a little hesitant to get too enthused when I receive a book to review- it's a little like when someone you barely know gives you a sweater for Christmas. I suppose it's an awkward "Why is this person picking things out for me? They barely know me!" sort of complex. 

That being said, I am happy to report that after reading Ron Currie Junior's upcoming Flimsy Little Plastic Miracles I didn't feel that way at all. In fact, this would absolutely be a book I would have bought myself. Who doesn't want to read a book about a writer who ends up faking his own suicide only to become ridiculously famous? Here's ten reasons why you too should read it:

1. He pokes fun at Nicholas Sparks- Sucker.

2. The diverse settings- A downtrodden tropical island, the East Coast, and the actual Mount Sinai (as in Egypt... not New York). 

3. The romance- Emma is the woman that stole Ron the narrator's heart (perhaps Ron the author, too) in middle school and hasn't let go. Their relationship is complicated and full of ups and downs. 

4. The sex- Speaking of Emma... Currie's sex scenes aren't awkward, but instead equally disturbing and hot (this does not mean I'd like to be punched in bed nor do I condone sexual violence, just to clarify).

5. The cover is pretty damn awesome- Note the upper right hand corner. The only thing real is Emma...

6. Gifts of teeth- Nothing says "I'm sorry" and "please call off the caballeros from beating the shit out of me" like the gift of your own teeth.

7. The father-son relationship- Throughout the novel Ron tells the story of his father's slow death from cancer, something that obviously rocked him to the very core. The emotion is just right; it's not sappy, just genuine. 

8. The robots- Did you know the singularity is near? It's going to happen, you guys. And when it does we're totally screwed... or are we?

9. The courtroom testimony- Probably my absolute favorite scene occurs towards the end when Ron is on trial. His depiction of what truth is in terms of novel writing is perfect. 

10. There's a Say Anything reference- Boom box lifting would have solved everything.

Random tidbits and jokes aside, this was a book about relationships, identity, truth, and despair. The format is different- each sort of train of thought, memory, or narrative section is told in short, unlabeled chapter of sorts that ends up making it an extremely fast read. The whole blurring of the narrator/author line is also worth careful examination.

Want to read it? Viking sent me an extra copy. In honor of the main character, tell me where you would go if you decided to fake your own death. Too morbid? Tell me what you're reading. Winners will be selected Saturday at noon. Few will enter... one will win....

Giveaway Winner

We have a winner! 

Jill, please email me by Monday at christeenie22@aol.com with your address so that I can ship this out!

Books for Non-Readers

Obligatory reminder about the giveaway. You should enter. Free things are good (and yes, I will ship internationally; Cory did so to me, so I'll pass along the favors. Plus, it will make me feel special at the post office).

So, apparently, some idiots people aren't readers. I don't claim to understand such nonsense, but there are still books you can buy for these stupid special people during this holiday season. 

Title: How to Speak Wookie 
Author: Wu Kae Smith
Good for: People who are frustrated there's no Rosetta Stone for Wookie.

Title: Melt 100 Amazing Adventures in Grilled Cheese 
Author: Shane Kearns

Good for: People who like grilled cheese. Duh.

Title: Understand Rap
Author: William Buckholz

Good for: White people

Title: 36 Hours: 150 Weekends in USA and Canada
Author: Barbara Ireland
Good for: People who need to get out more.

Title: How Smart is Your Dog? Test Your Pet IQ
Author: Parragon Books
Good for: People with an unnatural obsession with their dogs (yeah, so, I have it on my wish list now).

Title: The Best Shots You've Never Tried
Author: Andrew Bohrer

Good for: Alcoholics. College kids. 29 year old teachers who don't cope well with their problems.

Title: Great in Bed
Author: Debby Herbenick and Grant Stoddard
Good For: People that like the sex (a legitimate substitute for reading, I suppose).

Title: F NISH TH S B   K
Author: Keri Smith
Good for: People who think "anyone can write a book."

Title: Suri's Burn Book
Author: Allie Hagan
Good for: Fashionistas. Celebrity gossip fans. Pedophiles.

Title: Raising Unicorns
Author: Jessica S. Maques
Good for: People who think child rearing is a big fat waste of time.

A Super Awesome Giveaway and Top Ten Tuesday

Before I get into my Top Ten Tuesday list, I'd like to share the giveaway that I'm excited to be hosting. Cory from Coryographies has agreed to give one lucky Bookishly Boisterous reader a free bookshelf necklace- I have it in my hot little hands and am having a seriously hard time parting with it. But I will.

Check out Cory's Etsy Shop and Blog

All you have to do is "Like" Cory's page on Facebook and leave a comment below telling me one book you'd like for Christmas (it would be nice if you followed my blog, but it's not required since I know not everyone has Blogger). And remember, you don't have to have an account- just select "Name/URL" from the drop down menu under comments and fill in your name (URL not required). I'll announce the random winner on Saturday, December 15, so make sure to check back. And if you don't win, they retail for about $41 dollars, which isn't bad for such a cool piece.

And now for my Top Ten. I screwed up last week and did the wrong list, so this week I'll do last week's- ten books I'd like Santa to bring:

1. The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling- I have a feeling I won't love it, but I feel like I owe it to the author to decide for myself, rather than go by the reviews. If it was anyone else I may not feel that way, but she did do something special with Harry Potter.

2. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan- All day, every day.

3. Flight Behavior by Barabara Kingsolver- Would be the first fictional book I've read by her.

4. Joseph Anton by Salman Rushdie- Ever since seeing him speak a few months ago this one has been on my radar.

5. My Ideal Bookshelf by Jane Mount- I adore her prints and until I can afford my own custom piece this would make me happy.

6. The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan- This one has been on my radar for a really long time but I've never picked it up. Still love the cover.

7.  The Road to Woodstock by Holly George-Warren- Because I really wish I was a bra-burning, protest-attending, daisy-chain-weaving, free-loving hippie.

8.  Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple- The cover totally sucked me in (and the story seems interesting).

9. Solo by Rana Dasgupta- Another one with an amazing story and an equally intriguing story.

10. Bouchon Bakery by Thomas Keller- Because sometimes Pinterst doesn't cut it. 

Don't forget to enter below!

Bookish (and Not So Bookish) Thoughts

1. Penguin has contacted me about reviewing some of their books. I'm a little worried about what this means for the many, many books that I already have to read.

2. There should be a reality show about retail seasonal workers. Every time one checks me out and smiles that eager smile I imagine them secretly battling it out with all the other workers to try to gain a permanent spot. 

3. I got some books for my birthday last week! Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan, Home by Toni Morrison, San Miguel by TC Boyle, and The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Also $50 in Amazon gift cards, which I'll obviously spend on books (because I need more).

4. I have a new game I play when I walk the dogs in the evening- I rate the neighborhood houses on the official Tacky Holiday Decorations Scale. Automatic one point if you have something that moves (blow ups not included), and another if your decorations make noise. Two points for the bright neon LED lights that wind up your driveway or walkway. Relax, it's all in good fun- fat nylon creatures that are pumped full of air aren't exactly intended to be elegant. 

5. I'm pretty sure every single book I buy for myself should be tax-deductible. I'm an English teacher-they're making me a better teacher. Am I right, or am I right?

[source]

6. Five words: Craisin Almond Chocolate Chunk Cookies. I invented them (unless some already did...)

7. I'm going to be hosting an awesome giveaway soon. Stay tuned.

8. I get jealous when my husband buys cool books. His limited edition of The Fifty Year Sword by Mark Z. Danielewski came the other day and the packaging is beyond awesome. I pretended not to be interested. I was. 

Books on Your Back- Giveaway Edition

Oh yes, you read that right: giveaway edition. I emailed a few t-shirt companies to see if anyone was interested in sponsoring a giveaway here at Bookishly Boisterous and the awesome folks over at Literary Rags got back to me first. They offer shirts with a wide variety of novelists, poets, dramatists, philosophers and other intellectuals and advise you to "wear what you read." A few of my favorites:

(Dostoyevski; back reads, "The secret of man's being is not only to live but to have something to live for)

(Fitzgerald; back reads, "Show me a hero and I'll write you a tragedy")

There are others in the same format (many come in different colors besides black) featuring Jane Austen, Earnest Hemingway, Arthur Miller, C.S. Lewis, Jack Kerouac, Hunter S. Thompson (a good one), and Virginia Woolf.

To enter you can do one of the following (1 = 1 entry, 2 =2, etc...)
1. Go to their site to check out the shirts and then post in the comments below the name of the book you're currently reading and what shirt you'd like (any of the shirts on their site, not just the two from above)- you don't have to be a member, I allow guests to comment (make sure you do this no matter what)
2. Become a follower on blogger or twitter
3. Share the giveaway on your blog, Facebook, or Twitter (and let me know)

The winner will be randomly chosen Tuesday morning at 10 am and then we'll go from there. So, to the like 5 of you who comment, good luck!