You are going to be SO jealous...sorry, I just have to tell you since I know that you'll understand my joy. My (amazing) sis-in-law in trying to find me a present for my upcoming birthday saw that I had highlighted several books from the Orange Broadband Prize list that I would like to read and she bought them for me and had them sent to my house!!! I am so excited...and cannot believe how t
thoughtful that was! so very sweet. Have you read either of these "Half a Yellow Sun" or "Arlington Park"?? What did you think about them? Arlington Park actaully gets very mixed reviews...so I am interested to know that you think.As for my current reading:
I finished Anna Karenina, and I still didn't like it(I am really sorry if you did, please do not be offended) here is my review. Then I tried to pick up Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood, but I have faltered in my quest for reading books that are in any of my challenges, or would even match up! I picked the book up twice, but just wasn't hit by it, or captured. I'll read it soon, I hope. After that, just to clear my head I read "Confessions of a Shopaholic", a book that my friend lent to me. It was better than I thought it would be at first, I mean it is what it is: chick-lit...but it ended well, and was funny and just like reading a sit-com or watching a chick-flick.
Okay, and right now I am reading "There's a (slight)Chance I might be Going to Hell" by Laurie Notaro, I am 75 pages in, and I am enjoying this one. It is somewhere between chick-lit and a regular novel. It is about a woman who leaves her life in Pheonix, with her husband because he gets a job in Spalding Washington. I think it is more interesting to me right now because we JUST moved last month and it all just seems too real to me. The whole concept of making
connections in a new city, a new place, a new church is hard...but if you put the effort forward you will be rewarded. In the book Maye (the main character) tries very hard to make friends, but the more she tries the more it seems she is crazy to others, and not friend material...anyway..it is funny. I'll review it when I'm done.How do you go about making friends? I guess since we moved, I have actually made a lot more book blogger friends...but I want to consistently make friends who live in my area too (no matter how great you all are). We go to church, so I have the connections I am making there, and I have two little ones so I get out and go to the park as well...and we meet tons of interesting people there.
Anyway...I am going to keep reading my book. I'll come back and do a post in a while, and let you know how it goes. For right now I am going to try and take a look at what you all have said...HAPPY READING EVERYONE!!
19 comments:
I know exactly how you feel about not connecting with a book you have chosen to read. I have been struggling to start a pile a books, but finally switched to an Anne Tyler book and am making progress. *pat on back*
Good luck with all your reading and challenges.
Happy Sunday and I hope you find more local friends soon. (And maybe give me some tips on the whole situation!)
I loved 'Half of a Yellow Sun'. It was a worthy winner. If you're interested, you can read my review here:
http://web.mac.com/ann163125/Table_Talk/Table_Talk_Blog/Entries/2007/12/15_Half_of_a_Yellow_Sun.html
Making friends isn't easy in a new situation: I know, I've just retired and left behind the community in which I'd worked for twenty years. I've found getting involved in classes with people who are interested in the same things very useful. Is that a possibility for you?
That Laurie Notard book sounds a lot of fun! I haven't read either of the first two books you mention but have heard very good things about both, so you are in for some wonderful reading. How nice to get a parcel of books and a very happy birthday when it comes (mine's tomorrow in fact, now I come to think of it!).
I've got Half of a Yellow Sun on my TBR list, too. I've read some great reviews.
Good luck with the friend-finding! I remember reading that it takes about 3 years to feel truly at home in a new place, and I've found that to be quite accurate. We lived in 3 different cities when my kids were very small. The best places I found to meet other moms were at story-time at the library, at church, and at the park. Later I made friends at the preschool. Now we homeschool, so that is a fabulous place to make friends!
SmallWorld
I'm tempted by Half of a Yellow Sun since I've seen quite a few good reviews of it. Of course when it was on the bestseller list I turned my nose up at it - and now the price has gone up (our local supermarket does the top 20 at half price). I might add it to my wish list though.
What a lovely gift. I'm always thrilled to get books in the mail. Haven't read either of these, though.
That was nice of her. Happy early Birthday to you!
Sometimes I'm just not in the mood for a challenge book but I'm actually doing not too badly so far this year. This year I'm not worrying about sticking to my original lists so much so it's nice to still be a bit flexible.
It is hard making new friends. We've moved a fair bit over the last few years. The best way to meet new people for me has been joining something like a class or book group, etc. Good luck settling in.
*megan- yes. it is hard to connect sometimes.
And yes, working on finding friends, it is going really well...I love where we live!
*table talk- Glad you liked it, I am very excited to get it started! I will check out your review.
Good luck to you finding friends too then! That would be hard, but an adventure, right!?
* litlove- yes, I am insanely happy each time the mail carrier comes and brings me a book!!! fun stuff.
* smallworld- yes, it does seem to take a while...I am in no hurry, I understand that. I am a bit of a hermit anyway. hehe.. for me it is just being able to go out if I choose to, but mostly I like to hang out at home.
*mrs s- yes, this is where I found out about it too. people seem to really like it.
*jeane- oh yes!! books in the mail there is nothing quite like it!
*tanabata- yes, very nice of her! thank you for the birthday wishes!
I have not been in the mood for a challenge book lately...but I think after the one I am reading now I'll get back to it.
Half of a Yellow Sun is fantastic. I just finished it last week (still need to post a review) but already it's one of my favorite books of the year.
Making friends seems to get harder the older we get doesn't it. My problem is that a lot of my friends have moved. But I belong to book groups and sign up for fun classes so that usually helps. Good luck!
Hi Sis-in-law,
I am so glad that you liked the birthday presents. You have a third one coming..but I saw that you already bought that one. Bummer dude! Maybe you could sell it at a used book place and get another one in it's place...or just keep 2 copies, so you have one to loan out.
Anyway, I hope you don't mind that the books were used. I don't think you would care, probably prefer them to be used....=)
We were gone this weekend and my cell phone was dead when you called. Thanks for calling! Love you all!
Belated Happy Birthday wishes!
I enjoyed Arlington Park, but I know others didn't.I wrote about it here if you're interested
http://booksplease.blogspot.com/2007/08/arlington-park-by-rachel-cusk.html
I'm currently reading Half a Yellow Sun, which I think is very good too, although very different from Arlington Park.
I echo what others have said about making friends. It can be difficult when you don't know anybody in an area. It sounds as though you're doing the right things to meet people.
Grats on the gift! I know I was sooo happy when my husband sent me a bunch of books from my wishlist for Valentine's Day. :D
What a great birthday present! I read Laurie Notaro's book last summer on vacation and parts of it just made me laugh out loud! I have always liked her books, but realize she can be a bit raw for some tastes. Hope your new ones turn out to be good ones!
*smiles*
Kim
http://pageafterpage-kim.blogspot.com/
hey.. i have read the complete shopaholic collection.. they are pretty funny. I read them between classics and other difficult literature books and they proved to be a good distraction!
*iliana- great! I will go check that out! yes...friends moving, not fun either.
*angel- oh! you are so incredible...not even words can describe. THANK YOU!!!!
*booksplease- Thank you! I am glad you liked Arlington Park, and Half a Yellow Sun, I'll head over to check out your reviews!
*heather- yes,books are one of the gifts that speak to my heart! that is so sweet of your hubby!!
*kim-yes, she does seem raw sometimes...but just mostly silly the rest of the time. I finished it yesterday, and really liked it. Glad you like her too!
*ramya- I can totally see reading them in-between heavy classics...it makes the load a little lighter! Oh, I'll keep reading the series too!...check out my review on it if you are interested.
Thanks to all of you for such sweet comments!!!!
I'm sorry you couldn't get into Cat's Eye. It's not my favorite Atwood although I still really liked it. And if I remember it took me a little bit to get into the story. I am reading Half of a Yellow Sun for your challenge--I can't wait. I keep wanting to start the books NOW, but then I remember all the other challenges books I could be reading in the meantime. :)
I am about to start Laurie Notaro's book soon, so thanks for the notes! :)
*trish: I haven't given up on it! I'll probably read it at some point. I just have so much else to read right now. Half a Yellow Sun, I first heard about that one on your blog! (you won it from somewhere or something!...right?) Anyway I'll probably add that one in on my list too, since my sis-in-law sent it to me!!! yay.
*april boland: I really hope you like it too!!! it was fun.
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