Goodness, July went by quickly! I’ve been busy working part time, searching for a full-time job, reading, and trying to squeeze in a few visits with my boyfriend, who lives a few hours away. The highlight of my month was absolutely spending a few days at a cottage on one of the Finger Lakes with my family and some extended family. It was so nice to do some kayaking, water skiing, tubing, and swimming, and to spend time with some family members I haven’t seen in a few years!
Books read
A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again - David Foster Wallace
The Power of Myth - Joseph Campbell with Bill Mowyers
State of Wonder - Ann Patchett
Office Girl – Joe Meno
Collected Stories – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen (re-read)
Pages read
This month: 1,830
Year to date: 10,405
Books read YTD
Completed: 31
Progress toward 50 book goal: 62% completed, 3 books ahead of pace to accomplish goal
Books added to my collection
Alias Grace – Margaret Atwood
Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn
Collected Stories – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Office Girl – Joe Meno
Bel Canto – Ann Patchett
The Importance of Being Earnest – Oscar Wilde
August reading plans
It’s been pretty well established that I don’t like to make plans about reading; I’d rather fly by the seat of my pants and read whatever I feel like reading. However, I’ve found that I do like read-alongs. To that end, I will be joining the read-along of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest hosted by Wallace of Unputdownables next month! We will read the play over three weeks, with the first of the three weekly discussions taking place Friday, August 3. It’s not too late to join in the fun; head on over to Unputdownables to sign up!
What did you read in July? Any plans for August?
In July, I thoroughly enjoyed “Freedom” by Jonathan Franzen — it was much different from what I expected — and will make sure “The Corrections” is on my ever-growing list. What did you think of “State of Wonder” vs. “Bel Canto”? I preferred the former, myself.
I’ve heard really good things about both “Freedom” and “The Corrections;” I really need to add them to my own ever-growing list! I haven’t read “Bel Canto” yet, but it’s gently calling to me from my to-be-read shelf. What did you prefer about “State of Wonder?”
My July also went too quick! And you have my total admiration for keeping that few-hours-away relationship with your boyfriend.
There was no question about keeping the relationship going! The distance is hard, but it’s always worth it when I do get to see him. We’ve only been doing the long-distance thing since we graduated college at the end of May, and I’m hoping to move back to our college town/his hometown in a few months. Finding a job there is the tricky part!
All my best wishes to you both and good luck with finding a job. What did you study?
Thanks! I studied communication, with a focus on public relations and integrated marketing. The dream job would be doing public relations for a literacy organization
You’re studying English and American Lit, right?
Yes, one subject away from graduation (next February). I focus on crime/thrillers and Women Studies although I love Philosophy too.
That’s so exciting! I love philosophy, too, but I never got around to women studies. Good thing there are tons of books on the subject. Hooray for continuing education through reading!
How’d you like Power of Myth?
How’s Gone Girl? I read her other two books, and quite liked them but haven’t gotten to this one.
I’m reading A Discovery of Witches. It’s pretty good, I have to say.
I loved “The Power of Myth!” It was mind-blowingly fascinating. I’ll probably get a post up about it sometime next week. I also just got the DVD series on your recommendation, and I’m looking forward to watching it!
I’m loving Gone Girl so far. I really like the way Flynn alternates between chapters narrated by the husband after the wife disappears and diary entries by the wife, chronicling their relationship. It’s so interesting to see their relationship from both perspectives! Are her other books also thrillers? The writing is also really good; it’s actually chilling.
I haven’t heard of “A Discovery of Witches;” I’ll have to look it up!
The other books are thrillers, but they’re pretty disturbing. They’re both about women who had traumatic childhoods. But really well-written.
Gone Girl is getting crazy good, and it is definitely a bit disturbing. I’m not usually into thrillers, but I’m loving the way Flynn tells the story. I think I’ll have to read her other books!
That’s a prettygood July. I hope you’re enjoying Gone Girl, which I loved. I’m keeping my goals for August pretty minimal since the school year is samping up, but I’m continuing my year-long Ann Patchett project with The Magician’s Assistant. (Then, I’ll only have Taft left). I’m finishing This is Where I Leave You (wickedly funny) and I want to read A Walk Across the Sun. Good luck with the job search.
I’m a little over halfway through Gone Girl and absolutely loving it. Congrats on being nearly done with your Ann Patchett project! This is Where I Leave You sounds really good; I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
Wickedly funny. I definitely recommend.
I have a literary/mind crush on DFW. Sigh.
A worthy object of your affections, I think. My brain was mostly alternating between, “Good gracious this man is smart,” “LOLOLOLOL,” “Oh, yet another word to look up in the dictionary app I downloaded 15 minutes ago,” “Why am I reading about film director David Lynch for 80 pages?” and “Did he really just write,’existentiovoyeuristic conundra notwithstanding’?” It was kind of great. Any recommendations for which of his books to read next?
If you’d like a more personal look at DFW that explains why he thinks/writes the way he does, check out Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself, by David Lipsky. It is a book-length interview DFW gave to Lipsky for Rolling Stone, but was never published there. Lipsky had it published in book form after DFW committed suicide. I’ve reviewed it on my blog–it’s fantastic.
Awesome, I’ll check it out!
My reader just added this entry as recently posted! Keep me updated on Alias Grace. It is one of my favourite books
I will!