Reading Journal

Mirror, Mirror Off the Wall: How I Learned to Love My Body by Not Looking at It for a Year by Kjerstin Gruys


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The concept of the challenge was intriguing: go for an entire year without looking at one's own image. Gruys was bold enough to allow the challenge to encompass her wedding day (a loophole was created for a once-over of the wedding photos).

Her background, especially working with groups that help women overcome destructive body issues (i.e. eating disorders), sets the tone for the book. I was impressed by her explaining technical terms as she used them. However, I feel it could have done well without most of the cussing.

The final chapters are full of insight as to the lessons Gruys learned throughout the process and those are well worth reading.




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Shortly after beginning this book, I was looking for something to use as a bookmark and the first thing I saw was a postcard from some dentist (it may or may not have been mine).  After actually looking at it, I realized how appropriate it was.

It's time to define your beautiful smile.

Reading Journal

The River at the Center of the World: A Journey Up the Yangtze and Back in Chinese Time by Simon Winchester


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


In the beginning, he says that he intends to go back into the history of China as he travels up the Yangtze. He didn't, which was a disappointment as I was rather looking forward to learning some Chinese history in such a unique way. Instead, I was flooded with information from whatever period of history was most eventful for the locale. Which probably wouldn't have been so bad if that's what I had been expecting.

Overall, the book and the stories were interesting, but I could see the editors and proofreaders started getting tired around page 300. I certainly can't blame them. The middle was rather dry.

If you're into travel writing, you might like it; if you're into Chinese history, you probably will; if you're not into either of those things, you'll get bored just after the page of no return.




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Reading Journal

I need to hurry up!  I want to have Mirror, Mirror finished before I do the Day Without Mirrors challenge next week so I can incorporate my review into my reflections on the challenge.  (Pun partially intended.)  But I am literally 75% done with my China book.  I'm on page 300 of 400.

Guess that means no Candy Crush for a while, huh?  (Yeah, I'm addicted.)
When I get behind like this, I like to set rotations because I feel like I work faster when I multitask.

So I'll probably read Mirror, Mirror on all my lunch breaks (it fits in my purse better).  At home, I'll use the following rotation*:
China to a stopping point (chapter or page break)
Mirror, Mirror to stopping point
China to stopping point
Rinse (do something else, like housework, work on a church lesson, text/play on the phone) and repeat.

Heck, I should be doing this rotation, anyway, right?
*Reading may be done during commercials of shows I happen to watch, such as Jeopardy, the news, WoF, Community, Liberty's Kids, and Castle if I'm still going on Monday.

Reading Journal: Land of the Free!

It isn't often that I title any posts on this blog, other than to identify them as they relate to reading or writing, but this, I couldn't help.

This morning, I got an e-mail from MMM (which is, like, the most interactive blog on the planet) saying that their most recent giveaway winner hadn't responded with an address, and was the address from the last time this happened still good? 

Sure is!  I seriously am not sure what I'm going to do with 5 new more books.  I already need another bookshelf.  I'm pretty sure the tall one started to bow the last time I added books.  ....although....I did just clear out a shelf in one of my closets; I could probably move my journals there.  Then I could use the enclosed shelf they're on now for my antique collection, which might allow for some breathing room.  But probably not much.

I think I'm most excited about the 1945 edition of  Temples of the Most High by N.B Lundwall.  Not only do I love temples, but I've been pondering a lot about the history of temples since the Industrial Revolution.  And I love old books.  I seriously had to talk myself out of spending $20 on 2 sets of 5 books each circa ~1940s at the thrift store last night.  If they had been in better shape, I hadn't walked to the store, and I knew I had room for them, I would've bought them.

This afternoon, Kjerstin Gruys offered a copy of her book, Mirror, Mirror, Off the Wall for free.  Well, essentially free.  She's asking bloggers/recipients of the book to take the challenge to not look at their reflection for one day and blog about it the week of May 6th.  Which I'll do here.

Guess I'd better hurry up and finish Of Thee I Zing and The River at the Center of the World so I can move on to the next segment of the cycle.

Oh, and I know it's early, but I may have to drop out of Camp NaNo.  I'm just not feeling it, and not in that "I'm just not feeling it" way.  I mean, I'm thinking this is a challenge I'm not up for just quite yet.  I'm thinking I should stick to just November.

Reading Journal

I just finished "The Crucible."

I wish I had more to say about that.

 Next book will be "Of Thee I Zing,' ©2011

I joined a discussion group on goodreads to help me get back into talking about books rather than just of them. I'm hoping to also get some perspective to aid in writing "The Victorians," possibly with my roommate.