What I'm Reading Spring Semester 2015

Welcome to the semi-annual school book list extravaganza! Okay, so it's not that exciting. But I'm proud to say that this semester I have the extremely reasonable number of 11 books for the next three and a half months. MUCH better than 31. It helps that I only have three courses this semester (I'm trying to make my blog like a fourth class, but so far I'm rather failing at that...) and that only one is an English class.

Liberal arts for the win my friend.

So, let's get started:

New Testament

This was a last-minute addition to my class schedule after Modern Latin American almost put me to sleep...on the first day. Having made the mistake of staying in a class I hated last semester, I escaped immediately. Sadly, I couldn't pick up another history class, but I'll make up for it next year.

BUT ANYWAY. New Testament books:

• New Oxford Annotated Bible: NRSV. Because it wouldn't be a Christianity class without it.
• Parallel Gospels: A Synopsis of Early Christian Writing, by Zeba Crook. So how similar are the gospels after all?
• A Brief Introduction to the New Testament, by Bart D. Ehrman. Just your classic 100-level textbook.

Gender Across Cultures

I return to the anthropology world to learn about gender, one of my favorite subjects (if you get the chance, PLEASE take a women's studies class. It's such an important learning experience). Since this class discusses all types of gender, I look forward to learning more about societal influences on people's everyday lives.

• Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective, by Caroline B. Brettel and Carolyn F. Sargent. Just the one textbook...what is this department??

Playwriting

I branch out of my writing comfort-zone into playwriting, where apparently acting is required. I'm nervous, but I think it will be good for me to put myself out there and do more public speaking. Since this is an English class, the book list is more extensive than the others:

• The Clean House & Other Plays, by Sarah Ruhl. I read this for a class two years ago (I'm SO OLD) and really enjoyed it. I'm sure I'll enjoy it again!
• Topdog/Underdog, by Suzan-Lori Parks. Apparently it's quite a big deal--lots of people in the class have read it before.
• 4000 Miles, by Amy Herzog. But I would walk 4000 miles, and I would walk 4000 more...
• Water by the Spoonful, by Quiara Alegria Hudes. A play that introduces the Internet to the real world. Say no more--I'm intrigued.
• An Almost Holy Picture, by Heather McDonald. One-man show with lots to say.
• The Pillowman, by Martin McDonagh. Judging from the back of the book, this does not include a pillow fight.
• Take Ten II: More Ten-Minute Plays, edited by Eric Lane and Nina Shengold. To inspire me to write my future ten-minute play.

I think all the plays sound interesting; I don't know much about them yet but since Topdog/Underdog comes recommended, I think I'll put it at the top of my list. Which book sounds the most exciting to you?

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Below the Line:

• Recruitment starts today. You know what that means...sleepless nights and lots of food. And that's just for the sorority women.
• Since this week has been so Greek focused, it's hard to believe I'm back in the school groove. I have to admit, I miss my internship. I loved the work I was doing, plus coming home and not having to worry about anything was a good life!

What I Read: Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore

4/5 pineapples

Oh, blogger's block.

I was pumped at the beginning of this year about my blogging. I would do it more and consistently. I would have exciting new posts that would attract the attention of all my readers. I would find a style that worked for me. I would create a space that was a hobby, not a chore.

But the best laid plans...

I tried to post, I really did. But every time I started something, I didn't like it. It never had the tone or content I wanted or that I felt was worth publishing. So I was silent.

Until now.

Last night I finished Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, a novel of books, computers, Google, twenty-somethings with 21st century jobs, and people in black robes. This book was a roller coaster, surprising me in subtle ways and changing throughout the lines in each chapter. By the time I closed the paperback, I wasn't sure what I thought--or, for that matter, what had just happened to me.

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore explores the relationship between books and technology, a topic most of us dance around nowadays. I don't like to see books give way to code and digitization. A character who works at Google actually says:

"I mean, once we've got everything scanned, and cheap reading devices are ubiquitous...nobody's going to need bookstores, right?"

Um, wrong. I'm grateful when Clay, the narrator, replies with: "We'll be fine...people still like the smell of books." YES WE DO! And the rough paper between our fingers, and the satisfaction of watching the pages stack up to the left side of the books, and our thumbs catching on the fibers of paper to turn the page...

But I digress.

Mr. Penumbra makes me think about books, and I love that. Why do we read them, and what are we looking for? What do they tell us? And how much does technology matter in how we understand and use them? It's thought-provoking, and full of little lines about books and life that make me want to pinch the words right off the page and into something I wrote (yes, I know that's wrong--hush, hush, I'm not actually going to do it).

There are times where the book would drag a little for me, or where I lost the plot/what mattered. Part of this is because I was reading it in bits and pieces every night, but part of this is because the story takes a little while to get moving. I had trouble getting into the book until at least halfway through; but once I got there, it was well worth it.

I also almost banged my head against a wall when I saw "Epilogue" printed at the top of the last chapter. NO NO NO. The book ended just fine before that; I didn't need to know how everyone lived happily ever after, and I felt like Sloan cheated me out of imagining my own futures for the characters.

All the same, a book for readers and technology-lovers alike, I really enjoyed the balance between print and screen Sloan explores in Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. 

What do you think--do books have a future in a technology-based world?

Oh, and P.S.- try reading it in the dark.

Happy New Year!

I don't know about you, but 2015 couldn't come fast enough. I try not to wish away years (especially since this time next year I'll be looking at my last semester of college) but 2014 was a rough year for me. 2015 brings an opportunity to let go of parts of it and use the lessons I've learned from it to make 2015 one of the best yet.

I don't normally make New Year's resolutions, since I make changes at whatever point in the year I decide something needs to happen, but this year I've decided to make some goals for myself. I'm ready to let go of some of the fears I have about the future and do something about them that lets me take control.

So here my goals for 2015:

1. Prepare for a job in 2016. By this time next year, I want to have a good idea of what I want in a post-graduate job. This means trying different things in my internships, searching the types of jobs out there and what kind of skills I need to learn for them, deciding how far I'm willing to move for a job, and getting advice from recent graduates. Hopefully in a year, I'll feel more prepared for a future outside of education and less afraid of it!
2. Read 50 books. This was a goal for 2014 and I failed. This year I want to take advantage of my free time and use it to read instead of watching TV I don't really care about or scrolling through social media. Which leads me to...
3. Waste less time on the Internet. I often come back from an afternoon class and sit and stare at Twitter for an hour. There is nothing on Twitter that demands an hour of my attention. So this year, I want to only use social media on my phone (where I look at it less) and save my computer for things I need to do. The goal is to see my computer as a productive place, not an unproductive one.
4. Consistently post on the blog. I was doing really well with this in the summer. But as soon as the semester started, I put all my attention to school work. Not this year. Even if it's only once a week, I want to have a schedule for my blog and stick to it. I think I'm going to try just posting every Thursday, and then if I feel like I can return to twice a week I will (and I want to!).
5. Run 5 miles. I've been running for over a year now, but I'm stuck at 2 miles. Part of this is how much time I have, but another part is lack of motivation to run further. So this year, I want to be able to run 5 miles without walking by the end of October. I'm hoping along the way I will start to run faster and more frequently, making my exercise routine more of a productive routine.

What are your goals for 2015?

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Below the Line:

• I've been compiling my stats for 2014, and I'm excited to share them with you! Look for a bonus post coming soon evaluating Scribbing in the Margins' first year.
• I start my winter term internship on Monday with the local magazine. I'm really excited to try a 9-5 "job" and learn about writing/publishing careers.