What's next?

So, I think anyone who was going to read Time Traveler's Wife has read it by now.
What books are we thinking about next?
I am just starting a non-fiction book by Timothy Keller called "The Reason for God; Belief in an Age of Skepticism."
Instead of copying the synopsis I'll just list off some of the chapter titles:
-How could a Good God allow Suffering?
-Christianity is a straight jacket
-Science has disproved Christianity
-You can't take the Bible literally
In this book Keller discusses the common doubts/questions that prevent people from being Christians. I've only read the intro, but it's pretty good so far. He seems to take a fairly unbiased approach from both sides of the arguement and encourages doubt with the caveat of researching answers.

Love you all!

Question 3: Age Factor?

did the age factor ever creep you out? like a 6 year old Clare to a 30 year old Henry. do you think it was weird, even though he tried his hardest to keep it wholesome?

and, did any of you see the movie?

Question 2: Gomez

did you love or hate Gomez? how much?

Question 1: God, determinism, free will

One of my favorite passages early on is p. 74-78 in which henry and clare talk about free will and determinism and god. These topics come up frequently in the book as henry chooses what he tells clare about their future. E.g. he tells her how she likes her coffee and who her favorite poet is.

He asks her what universe she wants and which she believes in block, chaos, christian. What say you?

Time Traveler's Wife

Hey gorgeous busy ladies-
The movie comes out in two days! I am really interested in reading this book next. Not as though we've all been on the same book ever anyway, but let me know if your against starting this book next.
I'm probably going to buy or borrow this book this weekend.
love!

Book suggestions?

so i went to a movie on the beach tonight and am buzzing off butterflies and beer so i decided to blog. so apropro. we need a new book selection...anyone have suggestions/ideas?

Have you ever forgotten your password for a v. long time?

I have had a lot of trouble remembering this password... I think it keeps changing. Anyway, I am no longer underway, and I will be a better blogger from now on! I love that you all kept this up.

I have been reading a chronological 'finish in a year' bible, and I have 100 pages left. After I finish that I will join up with the next book you ladies choose. PS: LOVE that you chose Stroke of Insight. I will be catching up with that one too.

Hottest of the Mohicans

Well, I'm reading Last of the Mohicans (sadly, i just read your posts on the brain book, so i missed that). Anyway, I thought the book might be boring since I've already seen the movie, but it's really quite different. Duncan isn't such a ninny and the girls are a little less competent, but the Mohicans are super hot.

i highly recommend. plus, you can imagine Daniel Day Lewis as the scout all day long.

Stroke Of Insight - pain

on page 165, Dr. Taylor says "When i'm in pain, I become quiet, coddle the wound, and consciously surrender into the pain, which helps it dissipate...Once my brain acknowledges the existence of the pain, then it has served its purpose and either lightens up in intensity, or goes away."

do you think there is truth in this? have you ever successfully practiced this?

Brain Chatter

On p. 31 Dr. Taylor first introduces brain chatter. I wondered now that I had a term for what my brain is constantly thinking, what I am actually thinking about. So I said for a whole day I was going to write down everything my brain chatted about.

I quit after 5 minutes. It is crazy how much you can think about just in 5 minutes. Try it and post your results and I will post mine!

Now off for some indian food which my brain was chatting about as I titled this post... :)

left and right brain

from reading the first few chapters, you get an idea of what each hemisphere of the brain is responsible for. are you more "left brained" or "right brained"?

our Stroke of Insight

ladies, we are reading My Stroke of Insight as of...NOW!! click here for more info.

title: My Stroke of Insight

autor: Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor

Re-VIVE!!!

LADIES!!! it's time for us to revive!!!

i will be meeting with Pink tonight, and we will choose a new book. or maybe one from the old list that we never got to. regardless, i will post it and then we can all start fresh, at the same time.

love, me

Persuasion

Right now I'm reading Persuasion by Jane Austen. My sister gave me the book for Christmas, and I wasn't sure I'd enjoy it because I found Sense and Sensibility hard to get into (I did love Pride and Prejudice, though). But it turns out that I'm not completely devoid of taste, and I may even branch out to other Jane Austen contemporaries!

My thoughts: if Louisa had not hit her head when leaping from the rock wall into Captain Wentworth's arms, would they have married?!?! I think they would have! He would never have seen her stubbornness as a fault, and probably would have married the lady of inferior mind! harumph! i think less of him already.

Electric Michelangelo Question 5

what do you think about Cy's thoughts on the mermaids - as they relate to female sexuality, implied or obvious? Does the foreshadowing of the Pisces vaginales serve to intensify this connection, or lighten it with some humor?

what do you think of Riley's (and then Cy's) connection between women and the smell of rain or the sea?

Electric Michaelangelo Question 4

if you were to get a tattoo, what would you get? where would you have it?

what do you think Hall was trying to express when she described Riley's tattoo on his foot?

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright,

In the forests of the night,

What immortal hand or eye

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

Electric Question Three

When Cy first starts to work at the tattoo shop he comments on Riley's disposition and his ability to see humor in the dark. He says, "Perhaps he had come of his trade well fitting with a character already formed and suitable, or perhaps the trade had made him." Do you think there are any jobs that you were "made" for or thinking about your job now, has it made you?

Electric Michaelangelo Question 2

What do you think of the relationship between Cy and his late father? How do you think it affects him growing up? What do you think of Reeda's explanations of her late husband to Cy?

Electric Michaelangelo

Consumption? Really? do you think you could handle holding basins of bloody vomit at a young age? now?

Where are my readers at?

I guess we are that time of the month when our lives, like our hair, becomes unmanageable. No one is in on The Electric Michelangelo.

I finished the book due to a 5 hour layover at Dulles. I LOVED the story and it had great details about the people with strong female characters.

Related to the story: Astroland at Coney Island (where the story takes place) officially closes down tomorrow after operating for 46 years.

Electric Question One

As I am not entirely sure who is still wanting to read Electric Michelangelo, or who is even reading this blog in general - I decided I could at least have a conversation with myself. The first portion of the story involves a young boys coming of age at a seaside town. I especially find it easy to become absorbed in the coming of age because the author is a woman and the voice of the boy still feels authentic. 

So my question, even if you have not read any pages, is what is your own favorite coming of age story?

The Bookstore and Receding Rick

There have been better times to post comment...but I have whiskey coursing through my veins as a result of my last night here, and a story to tell, so I figured now is as good a time as ever.

Today I ventured out to Barnes and Noble. It is my last day in Washington and I am headed to Virginia to spend some time with classmates so I figured since I had the day off a bookstore was the perfect place to visit.

I walked into the pennsylvania avenue store and of course as soon as I walked in I was bombarded with Obama propaganda. Over 40 books stared me in the face begging me for purchase to discover the story of how Obama overcame adversity and became the 44th president of the US. Lucky for me I have a strong will power and moved on. On my way to the escalator I passed the magazine racks and I kid you not, 16 separate magazines (I pulled each off the shelves and held them altogether) all had Obama on their cover.  How insane is it that 16 separate magazines each had their own nexus to our President!

Onward to the escalator it was for me and I landed in my mecca - the fiction section. I was searching for Hall, Sara, "Electric Michaelangelo" and sniped the last copy on the shelf. Because I found the book so quickly I felt cheated of my book searching rendezvous so I continued to peruse the shelves. In the "N" section (I was looking for anything new by Neresian, Arthur) I heard someone ask aloud, What's that?" I turned. I was the only other person in the aisle. I surveyed the individual. He had on a wool coat, polyester blend scarf (so unfortunate) and ordinary khaki pants with square tip loafers. The only thing remotely notable about him was his receding hairline. As such, we shall call him "receding rick."

Receding rick: What's that?

Me: What is what? (similar to what is the what!)

Receding rick: Your book. What is it about?

Me: Um. I do not know. A tattoo artist. It is for a book club.

Receding rick: Do you have any recommendations? I am just now getting into reading again.

Me: Well, not this one. It was the last one on the shelf. Good luck.

I then promptly walk out of the aisle and down to the escalators to purchase the book.

As I left the bookstore I realized I had done something awful...I had denied myself of sharing my every experience with books! I have opinions on every book I have ever read. I love books! I love reading! My one chance where a human tried to connect with me on a literary level -  my one chance where I was able to influence someone and their opinions on what to read - and I dismissed it.

I am often frustrated that I hear people (more specifically men) say that when they see a woman they want to talk to, they are intimidated and just stand there and move on. I get frustrated with that sentiment because I knew that if anyone actually did get up the nerve to talk to me, and it was not 3 am last call at a bar, I would embrace that encounter and talk with them. So much for that. I am most certain that at this point, because I literally turned my back on this guy, that a karmageddon* will occur in my life. You reap what you sow, and I am fully prepared.

Now for some coffee. 

* 1. (n.) It's like, when everybody is sending off those really bad vibes, right? And then, like, and then the earth explodes and its like a serious bummer.

Quando?

When do you all want to start a new book? Are we still on for Electric Michaelangelo?

What is the What Question Five

If you were in a situation similar to Achak's, would you want to be taken to America or another country? Would you want to stay as close to home as possible with hopes of return? Where would you try to go?