What a long, strange month it's been.
The world is crazier than ever, with a mass shooting at a nightclub in Orlando - we used to ask for the politicians to wait at least 24 hours before jumping in, but it looks like we're going to have to start begging for half a day. The gun control fights (no debates in sight) have been raging, with the usual slinging of 'greed' and 'hypocrisy' and ''Merica!' and not much focus on generating actual - or even proposed! - solutions to the epidemic of shootings that are going on. Not much real talk about the poor victims of the shootings, either... Not in Orlando, or the other shooting that happened just hours later. Not nearly enough talk about real people.
The current political climate is an absolute madhouse. There's a potential Libertarian candidate that sounds like a bastion of sanity by comparison to the Democratic and Republican 'candidates' (look 'em up), and he's got a couple of policies he's hawking that will make sure he's never connected to a critical mass even though everything else could actually work. Over in the UK 52% voted in a referendum to Leave the European Union, shocking the living daylights out of the rest of the world ('Huge majority!' screams some headlines. Um, 'No', says I) and sending the 48% who wanted to Remain into something of an emotional backlash.
An alligator attacked a two-year-old on a Disney resort beach in Florida (never happened before in 45 years there), and the Internet swam around in its favorite pastime - blaming the parents. It was awful, all of it. The Stanford Swimmer rape trial sentence made a mockery of the 'justice' system, though the letter written by the victim went viral and is amazing and empowering. Victim-blaming abounds. An expose in Chicago about systemic, ongoing abuse by an artistic director of a theatre company brought out 'those women should have known better' and 'actresses should take responsibility for their own situations' comments - and not just from a male reporter (who was fired), but also from a friend of mine over lunch (who... was not). The article also highlighted the actions of a group helping non-Equity companies create standards of behavior so that clear boundaries and expectations are created in similar artistic endeavors.
It's been ridiculously hot for June, and it's hard to sleep.
It's been a rough month for everybody, basically.
Oh - I had a really good performance review and got a small unexpected raise, which was lovely... I just don't have anyone to tell about it. So, y'know - goals. Also, trying to make the world a better place.
We could really use the help.
* * * * *
Watch out for falling turtles!
June 25, 2016
June 18, 2016
Books, Books, and More Books
Sometime near the end of 2015 I read an article talking about how the author had read 180+ books that year. I read a lot, I like reading more than just about anything - eating chocolate is a close second, maybe, but yes, I would still rather read - so the number didn't alarm or startle me. The interesting thing was that the author kept a record of everything she'd read, and then analyzed the list for patterns and holes in her reading history. Sounded intriguing, so I started a list for 2016.
It's been incredibly enlightening.
It's probably a lot like writing down everything you eat (consume) and checking the calorie content - except when I do that, I really do pay more attention to what I'm going to eat later that same day. I TRY to be more conscientious about what I'll read (consume) next, but TBR piles are fluid, changing things (at least as fluid as a pile of objects made from tree bark can be). And then the Kindle TBR 'pile' - that thing has a crazy mind of its own.
I just finished my 100th book for the year. Don't freak out or make any comparisons - I really have no life. I have so little life that that number would actually be higher, except that I've been on a Marvel movie kick lately, a Hallmark Christmas movie kick - sue me -, and my light switch relationship with Netflix is most definitely ON at present.
Here are some things I've learned: I have read exactly three books written by men this year. (One mystery, two YAs: an end-of-the world, and a coming-of-age. Both were fascinating, and heart-wrenching.) I read a LOT of Romance, and while occasionally I feel like my brain is stuffed with cotton candy in large part I read books by people who can really, really write. I'm a loyal reader - if I like your style (i.e., you make me laugh) I will read all of your books. If I like your descriptions and characterizations I will read and re-read your books even if there are minor period or cultural anachronisms. I am NOT cool with grammatical errors or stilted, trying-too-hard writing. I've read a lot of YA this year, and have plans to adapt several of the stories as plays. I've also done a lot of mysteries and gothic novels (see above re: author loyalty). I've read almost no non-fiction, despite determined attempts to fill out that category with major library hauls and Kindle biography purchases. I have a few auto-buy authors whose books I will buy or pre-order, regardless of price and always for my Kindle so that I can stay up all night reading (they usually arrive before midnight the day before they're 'out') or be a zombie at work wondering when I'm going to get back to my book. Otherwise, everything comes from a Kindle sale or the library, and those are definitely not always good choices.
(I found a quote in a newspaper years ago: 'Never read a book that is not a year old.' I like it, I agree with it, and it doesn't work out so well for me.)
I read more books on my Kindle than on paper (the convenience!) even though I currently have some MAJOR book stacks happening in my house. I've also read more new books than re-read favorites this year, which is good because I tend to read what I know I already like. I definitely need to branch out, read SO MUCH MORE non-fiction - I probably ought to get to that biography of Alexander Hamilton that is a doorstop in my room; if I start now I may be able to finish before I finally see the musical in 2-5 years (and I really want the Hamiltome) - I also really need to get back to classic fiction. ('At LEAST a year old. Maybe lots of years old.') I definitely need to read more books by male authors, to balance out perspectives if nothing else. And I need to stop reading sometimes and get working on those plays. (And read more of my 'How to Write Plays' books currently sitting in my stacks.)
Technically, I have read more that 100 books this year. There are a few that I have read and immediately hated myself for them - for the most part I have recorded everything, no matter how awful, but a very few I just couldn't. (Am now going to add a book I didn't want to admit I read. Okay, I'm back.) And just a few days ago I went to the library after work - to return books, but there's no walking out of either of the two library systems I use without at least one book in hand (as my piles can attest) - picked up... something... off the New Books table, sat down, and read it. I can sorta vaguely remember it, but I couldn't hang on to the title or the main characters' names even to the next day. I really should stop doing that - there's a lot of important, MEMORABLE stuff out there to read. In a way, it made me feel like I was cheating on my list, that I spent a couple of hours reading it and then couldn't even write it down.
So. Bookworm, or Book SuperHero? I guess the next six months will tell!
It's been incredibly enlightening.
It's probably a lot like writing down everything you eat (consume) and checking the calorie content - except when I do that, I really do pay more attention to what I'm going to eat later that same day. I TRY to be more conscientious about what I'll read (consume) next, but TBR piles are fluid, changing things (at least as fluid as a pile of objects made from tree bark can be). And then the Kindle TBR 'pile' - that thing has a crazy mind of its own.
I just finished my 100th book for the year. Don't freak out or make any comparisons - I really have no life. I have so little life that that number would actually be higher, except that I've been on a Marvel movie kick lately, a Hallmark Christmas movie kick - sue me -, and my light switch relationship with Netflix is most definitely ON at present.
 |
| 'Working' books. Plus others that ended up on the pile because it's convenient. |
Here are some things I've learned: I have read exactly three books written by men this year. (One mystery, two YAs: an end-of-the world, and a coming-of-age. Both were fascinating, and heart-wrenching.) I read a LOT of Romance, and while occasionally I feel like my brain is stuffed with cotton candy in large part I read books by people who can really, really write. I'm a loyal reader - if I like your style (i.e., you make me laugh) I will read all of your books. If I like your descriptions and characterizations I will read and re-read your books even if there are minor period or cultural anachronisms. I am NOT cool with grammatical errors or stilted, trying-too-hard writing. I've read a lot of YA this year, and have plans to adapt several of the stories as plays. I've also done a lot of mysteries and gothic novels (see above re: author loyalty). I've read almost no non-fiction, despite determined attempts to fill out that category with major library hauls and Kindle biography purchases. I have a few auto-buy authors whose books I will buy or pre-order, regardless of price and always for my Kindle so that I can stay up all night reading (they usually arrive before midnight the day before they're 'out') or be a zombie at work wondering when I'm going to get back to my book. Otherwise, everything comes from a Kindle sale or the library, and those are definitely not always good choices.
 |
| Current library stack - except for the one on the bottom, which I purchased after reading it in the library because I decided it needs to be a children's play. My stack categories are... nebulous. |
(I found a quote in a newspaper years ago: 'Never read a book that is not a year old.' I like it, I agree with it, and it doesn't work out so well for me.)
I read more books on my Kindle than on paper (the convenience!) even though I currently have some MAJOR book stacks happening in my house. I've also read more new books than re-read favorites this year, which is good because I tend to read what I know I already like. I definitely need to branch out, read SO MUCH MORE non-fiction - I probably ought to get to that biography of Alexander Hamilton that is a doorstop in my room; if I start now I may be able to finish before I finally see the musical in 2-5 years (and I really want the Hamiltome) - I also really need to get back to classic fiction. ('At LEAST a year old. Maybe lots of years old.') I definitely need to read more books by male authors, to balance out perspectives if nothing else. And I need to stop reading sometimes and get working on those plays. (And read more of my 'How to Write Plays' books currently sitting in my stacks.)
 |
| Recent acquisitions. I have connections, which means I have WAY TOO MANY BOOKS. (By which I mean I don't have enough shelves.) |
Technically, I have read more that 100 books this year. There are a few that I have read and immediately hated myself for them - for the most part I have recorded everything, no matter how awful, but a very few I just couldn't. (Am now going to add a book I didn't want to admit I read. Okay, I'm back.) And just a few days ago I went to the library after work - to return books, but there's no walking out of either of the two library systems I use without at least one book in hand (as my piles can attest) - picked up... something... off the New Books table, sat down, and read it. I can sorta vaguely remember it, but I couldn't hang on to the title or the main characters' names even to the next day. I really should stop doing that - there's a lot of important, MEMORABLE stuff out there to read. In a way, it made me feel like I was cheating on my list, that I spent a couple of hours reading it and then couldn't even write it down.
So. Bookworm, or Book SuperHero? I guess the next six months will tell!
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