Literary Leech

I can't stop reading.


In the past week I've read/finished:
-Left Neglect by Lisa Genova
-Rancine's Phaedra
-Monkey by Wu Cheng-en
-The Hunger Games by the well known Suzanne Collins
-Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan
-Sor Juana's Reply to Sor Filotea 


Left Neglect, as I have said, is such a touching story. Lisa Genova spends years preparing for her novels. Her next one is going to be about a family connected by an autistic child. I can't wait to read that heartwarming tale.

I can't believe it took me a year on my kindle to start reading The Hunger Games! Did anybody else feel like they were watching a movie? I certainly did. In fact, that will be the first book we read at the book club I just started.

That's right! I've taken my love of reading to a whole knew level. I was sick of not having anyone here in Colorado to discuss my latest findings with. I think there are about ten girls that will be attending, and hopefully I will help us 11 girls find a wonderful new group of friends.

When I picture our meeting, I imagine us knitting quilts and sipping tea. I feel so old fashioned.

Commencement was rather interesting. Pinterest sparked my interest for this book, as it was on many of my peer's boards. But let me tell you...

I was certainly out of my comfort zone on this book due to a few sex scenes and strange references, but never the less you get to love the characters like they are your own friends. Despite the uncomfortable-ness, I finished the book in two nights' reading.

The others I had to read for my literature class. Monkey was an excerpt from Wu Cheng-en's The Journey to the West. It's a tale of a buddhist monk that has a "stone" monkey lead him on his journey to the buddha to gain scriptures. It has characters that stick close to your heart and make you feel like you're reading a grown up rendition of a childhood fable. Phaedra and I on the other hand, didn't get along very well. I'm not a huge fan of Greek Mythology.

Oh shoot! This is a food blog isn't it? Sorry for the lack of food. I'll post my enchiladas recipe up tomorrow eventually :)

Beloved Books

Wow. I haven't made a blog post in a week! Just a week ago I was sleepily on my living room couch, mindlessly watching the Kardashians and their shenanigans. Now I've traveled 900 miles to lovely Fort Collins, CO, where I will be landlocked for close to three months until I break free for a sunny spring break. I'll miss everyone at home so dearly and I'm already dying to go back...but the friends I have here are so wonderful, genuine, and refreshing that it makes me feel like I need to live in two worlds at once!

That being said, for all of y'all back home...this blog will help you keep a close eye on me as my days blend together like a sweet black-raspberry smoothie (I'm obsessed!). I have an action-packed semester that will need my undivided attention as well as a complex workout plan to get in the best shape of my life. You wouldn't believe the determination that I feel pumping throughout my body. Seven months. Forty pounds. Pumping my fist in the air saying, "I can do it!" 

I know last week I said I would give you a list of my lifetime favorite books. I've picked a set of my modern favorite books as my list of favorite classics are not typically what my friends like.

Still Alice by Lisa Genova
 For any of you out there in a nursing major...this one is for you! It's about a prof. at Harvard that is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. I don't want to say its cool to see behind the scenes of someone with Alzheimer's disease, but it certainly gives you a new perspective on life and cherishing time. As does the novel I love below...


What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
(see my previous post for the description)


 The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
This novel is in the perspective of a dog! Can you fathom what it would be like to be a dog? Would you poop on your neighbor's lawn just to make them mad (not that I would...)? Or would you eat everything in sight because you don't have to worry about fitting in to any clothes? This is about a dog named Enzo who dreams of being reincarnated as a race car driver. It's a story of love, sadness, and struggle. With an awesome twist...it's hilarious!!!! If you have yet to read this, you must download it on your computer's kindle app, on your kindle, or go to the book store or library IMMEDIATELY. :D I read it during Saturday school detention in high school (in my defense it was because I had bronchitis and the swine flu which made me absent for 12 days...1 over the allotment).

Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Horowitz
Alexandra is a cognitive scientist who explains the mind of a dog, where the dog possibly evolved from, how they utilize parts of their body, and more. It's one of the most interesting books I've ever read...because of the footnotes. You cannot skip over them as they tell little stories that take your breath away. They're little interesting tidbits. For example...one of them spoke of how a dog was able to detect an epilepsy attack just moments before a child had one and would NOT allow the child upstairs. Isn't that amazing? This one is quite the read...but worth it if you're an animal lover like me :)

Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler
Have you seen the previews for the new show?! I just watched the pilot on hulu and it was hilarious. Now, let it be known that I have a very little boyish sexual humor and find Chelsea's obsession with midgets hilarious. Out of her four books, this one was my favorite. The moment when I'm a mother and my daughter turns 16, I'm buying her all of Chelsea's books as a way of telling her what NOT to do.

-I must interrupt-

It's TWENTY EIGHT degrees outside right now. My Arizona butt is NOT used to this.

 Wow, I guess I should charge my phone! 

Well, there are some great books for you to boogie on over to the library for. I'll be back after I grocery shop! Back in Colorado with an empty fridge. 

School on the Mind, A Book in the Bind

I feel like Thomas the Train when it comes to this blog. I have to keep on typin', keep on cookin', and keep on trying to sway myself to continue a blog that has so few readers. But, like any challenge, I am not going to back down.

Lately I had been questioning my choice of being a Business Management and Accounting major and English Minor. That was, until a few words fell out of my mouth as I was casually speaking to my boyfriend. "I guess, if I graduate and end up in a job that I am unhappy with...I can always go to culinary school."

I cannot explain the feeling that passed over me at that moment. It felt something like having a great bowl of comfort food (mashed taters!) and being wrapped up in your favorite warm blanket.

Speaking of warm blankets, I have been cuddled up on the couch reading for the past few hours. I just finished a book called Still Alice  that was featured on the Eat Live Run blog.

I have a book I am begging you all to read called What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty. Whether you have to run out to the bookstore, order it on Amazon, or buy it on your kindle or nook...do it! My boyfriend's sister suggested the book to me over the summer and I absolutely fell in love. It's about a 40 year old woman who falls off of her stationed bike at the gym and wakes up thinking she's only 30! I will leave the rest of the story for you to stumble upon...

Enjoy!