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It's that time of the month again. It's the end of June, half a year, 63 books. Most of which were 140 page preteen fic so that number is not meant to impress. But keeping lists of what I've read was really a great idea because I actually remember what I read! (Shocker)
1. Gilead, Marilynne Robinson
I don't want to be lengthy here, but this might be the most beautiful book I've ever read. It's like light literally shone through the words.
2. Calamity Jack, Shannon and Dean Hale
A great sequel to Rapunzel's Revenge. The art was beautiful, and I think I like Jack better then Punzzie. The pixie was an awesome character.
3. A Good Man is Hard to Find, Flannery O'Connor
Technically a short story, but I read it, so it counts. Flannery's writing is so literal and exact, but the whole thing reads like magical realism.
4. The King Must Die, Mary Renault
As a lover of anything Greek Mythos, I automatically liked this book. It was written in the 20th century, but it felt translated. I don't know how the author achieved that, it was amazing.
5. Wise Blood, Flannery O'Connor
This book was so good I read it twice. It was beautiful and symbolic and very religious and very shameless about the Biblical parallels and judgments made on humanity. You don't see that very often.
6. Pilgrim's Progress, John Bunyan
I've heard this story countless times, so I finally read it. It was eye opening, and encouraging and John Bunyan pinpointed every type of Christian, every type of sinner, every sort of temptation. It was really beautiful.
7. Christiana, John Bunyan
This one (which I prefer) reads more like a romance and an adventure story than an allegory. Or maybe it reads that way because the reader is already familiar with the stops along the way to "heaven." Also REFORMED THEOLOGY FOR THE WIN.
8. Sorcery and Cecelia, Patricia C Wrede
A pointless, adorable fantasy set in Regency times. Fluffy, hysterical, enjoyable. The authors did a good job capturing the wordy style without being annoying.
9. Gone and Back, Rockne O'Bannon
This story is probably my favorite so far, it went where the show would have gone. And Katrala broke my heart, which was hard to do considering John and Aeryn are destined.
10. All Alone in the Universe, Lynne Rae Perkins
All I can say is that Lynne Rae Perkins must have kept some seriously detailed journals as a preteen. No other author can capture the adolescent gloom in such a poignant way without getting melodramatic.
11. Northward to the Moon, Polly Horvath
This book was made for me I think. It had landscape porn. Motels and diners and Native American tribes and Signs and Wonders and lovable but pieced together families. Polly Horvath is magic.
It was boiling at work today. So I sat in the freezer and ate yogurt to cool off. The freezer smells like olives and I don't mind.
Dear Mulder and Scully, how do you except me to focus on the plot when you keep looking at each other like that? You are acting like 15-year-olds on your first date, so just calm down. Love, Me.
I do not condone the 21st century consumerist upper-middle-class urban style of environmentalist. Instead of buying a new $80 organic cotton blouse, shop secondhand. And what do you think your individually packaged Whole Foods wild grown almond sampler is doing for the the world other than fill up landfills? So I try to conserve, as long as I can afford it and it doesn't take up too much time. We normal people have lives to live, so listen up park slope yuppies. Try actually CONSERVING for once, instead of just consuming.
Stainless steal bottles. My sister's carried this around with her for almost a year now. The amount of plastic (and money) she's saved is amazing. I bought one too recently, it's really an impactful habit.
One big thing our family does is go without AC in the summer. We only use it at night. Now this is more for saving money so we can eat out more (we really like eating out) but it still conserves lots of energy.
We use reusable bags or course. My Dad's done this for years now. (This spiffy one with gorgeous aliens on it is MINE.)
Most of the time at a fast food restaurant, I leave the lid and straw off the cup. You're just gonna throw it out anyway.
Recycle. I know this sounds simple, but I know so many people who don't.
If I'm are out and have to buy a drink, I try to buy it in a glass bottle (renewable), and then bring it home to recycle instead of tossing it in a NYC Park Department garbage can, where I doubt anything gets recycled.
I don't use plastic cups, nor does Katie. I used to use a glass Coke cup, but that broke, so I've been using an electric green plastic margarita cup I got as a party favor, because why waste it and buy a new one?
Don't buy anything individually wrapped just for convenience sake. Use plastic baggies, and then reuse those.
On that same train of thought, I try and bring fruit for snacks, which I can just toss in my bag, instead of something that needs packaging in the first place.
Drawing and writing and formatting and editing. Running your own magazine (albeit a sporadic one) is too much work. More ~X-Files~ tonight. Also, I have decided that when we're done with the Files, I'm gonna watch all the Doctor Who episodes with Five. ♥
I'm in an emotional funk. So when real problems get you down like your best friend who is homesick in Russia and the fact that the only section of the SAT you actually did well in is the part Hunter and Brooklyn don't even look at, you need to start trying to enjoying life. You know, those not-important joys that mostly have to do with sugar and fandom.
Lungs, Florence and the Machine. This album, from start to finish is one of the most brilliant things I've ever heard. I'm just listening to it over and over and over again. There is no end in sight.
It's summer. Which means I, for once, am actually allowed to wear track shorts and camis around the house. YUSS.
I'm translating Harry Potter from German into English. It's ridiculously hard and kinda fun.
It's summer. Which means all I'm eating are plums and mint tea. And I am okay with that.
Last night we just watched the season 6 finale. They upped the Mulder and Scully romance so much this season, I don't even know what to think. Plus, Diana is Fowl and Skinner needs to make up his mind, and I like how they're totally backtracking from the invasion of 2012 all the way to the original colonists like before evolution and stuff.
We are getting a blender, first time the Diehl family will have ever owned one. Just in time for smoothies too! I am ecstatic.
I got four dollars in tips today. IDK what I did right, it was 95 degrees, and the ovens were blasting and I almost cried twice. Pity tips perhaps...?
The Pandorica opens in four weeks omg you guys!
It's official. I am ready for September. Ready to wear my Slytherin scarf and get back into the swing of proper school days. Ready to cut down on my work hours, and I've only been doing 18 hours a week for a month now. Ready for Fringe to come back, ready for hot coffee to make me feel warm inside and not inconveniently uncomfortable. It's June 24th and I'm ready for fall. Summer is only nice in theory.
