40. Better Than Before, Gretchen Rubin. I loved The Happiness Project so I was excited about the prospect of another life-changing book. I loved the first because I have always liked setting goals and it gives me a huge sense of accomplishment to achieve them. This book focused on habits, and those definitely aren't something I have been patting myself on the back for. I did get some good information, and a lot of the things she wrote changed the way I think about habits. I liked the book and found it useful.
But overall, I mostly realized that establishing habits is really hard and I am not going to be successful at it. It just takes too much work to make something happen every single day and that's not what I'm focusing on right now. Since reading this book, I've kind of felt bad when I don't do something that I normally do (get up 30 mins earlier than I have to so I can go for a walk, go to the gym right after school, say no to treats, etc.), but it hasn't made me keep doing them more often. Or maybe it has. I think it's worth reading, but I'm not at a place where I want to be a slave to my habits yet.
41. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte. OMG. I hated this book with the burning fire of a thousand suns. I read it in 9th grade for summer reading and I remember enjoying it, I guess. It's my mom's favorite book, plus about a million other people. People like this book. Especially women. But I despised it. Mostly because every man is an abomination. It's like reading a book full of Donald Trump characters. Yuck. Also, I just couldn't handle the sexism/racism/classism that I know was normal back then. This is a big part of why I don't like to read less contemporary books. Our world has changed for the better and I'm glad I live now. I get too angry reading about people being marginalized and it being okay because it's the past. Ugh.
Here are the things that I'd like to say to Jane: 1. It's not cool that Mr. Rochester uses his power over you as his employer to manipulate you romantically. 2. It's not cool that you act like teaching "impoverished" farm girls is such a worse gig than teaching at that uppity boarding school. 3. YOU ARE NOT GOING TO DIE SIMPLY FROM LIVING IN INDIA. People live there. That doesn't cause them to die.
I also have a lot of things to say to Mr. Rochester and St. John but mostly it's language that I don't really use and definitely shouldn't be published on my blog.
TL;DR: If you like this book okay but I really don't get you.
42. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon. I have been meaning to read this book since 2009. Proof of that is the receipt I found inside the book from Smith's in Provo. Apparently on August 18, 2009 at 11:18 pm I purchased a bag of potatoes and an onion.
I'm glad that I finally got around to it because this is one of my favorite books from this year. It took me forever to read it (I started in August and finished today, yikes), mostly because of the vocabulary. I wasn't aware there are so many words in the English language that I didn't know! Motivation to up my vocabulary. It's also pretty dense. I couldn't just cruise through it like I have a lot of these books.
But, I think the time I spent with this book contributed to how much I loved it. I realized as I was nearing the end that I was going to miss spending time with [reading about] these characters. They were believable, they were heartbreaking, they taught me things I didn't know about the world. That's what I want out of books, honestly.
Currently listening to Henderson the Rain King and reading Lust for Life. Making progress.
But overall, I mostly realized that establishing habits is really hard and I am not going to be successful at it. It just takes too much work to make something happen every single day and that's not what I'm focusing on right now. Since reading this book, I've kind of felt bad when I don't do something that I normally do (get up 30 mins earlier than I have to so I can go for a walk, go to the gym right after school, say no to treats, etc.), but it hasn't made me keep doing them more often. Or maybe it has. I think it's worth reading, but I'm not at a place where I want to be a slave to my habits yet.
41. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte. OMG. I hated this book with the burning fire of a thousand suns. I read it in 9th grade for summer reading and I remember enjoying it, I guess. It's my mom's favorite book, plus about a million other people. People like this book. Especially women. But I despised it. Mostly because every man is an abomination. It's like reading a book full of Donald Trump characters. Yuck. Also, I just couldn't handle the sexism/racism/classism that I know was normal back then. This is a big part of why I don't like to read less contemporary books. Our world has changed for the better and I'm glad I live now. I get too angry reading about people being marginalized and it being okay because it's the past. Ugh.
Here are the things that I'd like to say to Jane: 1. It's not cool that Mr. Rochester uses his power over you as his employer to manipulate you romantically. 2. It's not cool that you act like teaching "impoverished" farm girls is such a worse gig than teaching at that uppity boarding school. 3. YOU ARE NOT GOING TO DIE SIMPLY FROM LIVING IN INDIA. People live there. That doesn't cause them to die.
I also have a lot of things to say to Mr. Rochester and St. John but mostly it's language that I don't really use and definitely shouldn't be published on my blog.
TL;DR: If you like this book okay but I really don't get you.
42. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon. I have been meaning to read this book since 2009. Proof of that is the receipt I found inside the book from Smith's in Provo. Apparently on August 18, 2009 at 11:18 pm I purchased a bag of potatoes and an onion.
I'm glad that I finally got around to it because this is one of my favorite books from this year. It took me forever to read it (I started in August and finished today, yikes), mostly because of the vocabulary. I wasn't aware there are so many words in the English language that I didn't know! Motivation to up my vocabulary. It's also pretty dense. I couldn't just cruise through it like I have a lot of these books.
But, I think the time I spent with this book contributed to how much I loved it. I realized as I was nearing the end that I was going to miss spending time with [reading about] these characters. They were believable, they were heartbreaking, they taught me things I didn't know about the world. That's what I want out of books, honestly.
Currently listening to Henderson the Rain King and reading Lust for Life. Making progress.
What did you cook with the potatoes and onion?? - Joey
ReplyDeleteMy guess is a Spanish tortilla, because those are prime ingredients. I'm wondering why I wasn't celebrating YOUR BIRTHDAY instead of going to the grocery store. Maybe it was on the way home.
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