Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Magical Thinking

A few weekends ago, I stumbled upon a cheap copy of Magical Thinking by Augusten Burroughs on CD.  I was so excited about this find!  I've been wanting to read more by Burroughs after reading Running With Scissors, and I love listening to audiobooks on my way to classes.  It only took me a few days of driving around various places to finish the book. 

Here is the Goodreads description:

It's best to know this from the start: Augusten Burroughs is mean. Augusten Burroughs is also outrageously X-rated. If you can get past those two things, Burroughs might just be the most refreshing voice in American books today, and his collection of acerbic essays will have you laughing out loud even while cringing in your seat. Whether he is stepping on the fingers of little children or giving you the blow-by-blow on a very unholy act, Burroughs manages to do it in a way that fills conflicted fans with both horror and glee.



Spanning from the surprisingly Machiavellian portrayal of his role in a Tang commercial at age seven to his more recent foray into dog ownership, Burroughs has what seems to be an endless supply of offbeat life experiences. Much like earlier David Sedaris collections (Barrel Fever or Naked), there are occasional fits and starts in the flow of the writing, but ultimately, Magical Thinking is worth reading (and re-reading). If you're familiar with Burroughs's memoirs, Running with Scissors, and Dry, you may find parts of Magical Thinking repetitive, since these essays bounce around in time between the other two. In fact, in an ideal world, this collection would have come first, as it offers an excellent introduction to Burroughs's fascinating life. --Vicky Griffith

Cover: I think the cover is interesting.  I'm not quite sure what means, though.  At first, it reminded me of a "glass half empty or half full."  Then I noticed that the water being poured into the glass is actually turned back up away from the glass.  This made me think of using "magical thinking" to make the water change direction.

Characters: I'm a huge fan of Augusten Burroughs.  He is direct, honest, and blunt.  I love that he's not afraid of offending others and doesn't censor himself.  While listening to the book, I focused mainly on Augusten's character, but there was another one that stood out for me.  The undertaker.  Perhaps it was the experiences Augusten had with the undertaker that made him so fascinating for me.  I just found him to be intriguing, and honestly, kind of creepy.  And, let's face it.  People are drawn to creepy.

Writing: Magical Thinking was basically a collection of short stories.  I love books formatted in this way.  As mentioned before, Augusten Burroughs is direct and blunt.  Listening to the book made me feel as if I were actually talking with Burroughs, and he was telling me those stories as a friend.  While listening to him talk of finding a mouse in his bathtub and the attempts to kill it, I found myself becoming very anxious.  He was describing it so well that I found myself fearing there would be a mouse in my bathtub.  At one point, he says he may not be able to shower or bathe again and may have to resort to "spongebaths with Evian water."  I, too, found myself contemplating spongebaths because of a fear that a mouse would slip on out of my faucet.

Plot: I had trouble following a specific plot.  For books like this, I don't necessarily know if they have plots.  When an author picks and chooses stories for a collection of memoirs, they may not have a plot in mind.  I can't remember if the stories went in chronological order throughout his life, but for me it didn't matter.  Each chapter was it's own little story in my mind.

Overall: 4/5     I gave the book an overall rating of 4/5.  Yet again, Augusten Burroughs has made me laugh and left me desiring his other books. 

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Teaser Tuesday (3)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme held by MizB over at Should Be Reading. It's easy to play along. Just check out the rules and grab a book!




Grab your current read, find a random page, and share 2 teaser sentences from that page. Be careful to not include any spoilers. Don't want to ruin the book for anyone who hasn't read it! Be sure to add the title and author in case any of your readers want to check it out.



So, what's your Teaser Tuesday post? Leave me a comment with a link to your blog post or your teaser! :-)

 
A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb

It seemed this was my release, and I took it.  I navigated the hall as quietly as if I were Light again and listened at the study door, which stood ajar. - p. 155

Monday, April 19, 2010

Am I crazy?

I'm pretty well-known by my friends and family for having incredibly strange dreams.  To give you an idea, I have a recurring dream that I'm fighting off ninjas, and I actually karate chop my fiance in my sleep.  I've also had a dream that we lived on a pirate ship docked on our property and were actually attacked by other pirates while having a BBQ.  Our friends had to help us fight off the pirates. 

The dream I had the other night, however, topped all of the weird dreams I've ever had.  To my knowledge, I couldn't think of anything I'd seen on TV or heard about that could've influenced this crazy ass dream.  So obviously, I think I'm crazy.  And my fiance agrees.  So...here's my dream.

After working outside all day, I come in to the bathroom to clean up.  While washing my hands, I look in the mirror above the sink and notice a brown spot above my lip.  It looks sort of like a mole, but I don't have one there and know moles don't magically appear.  I look at it more closely and find a tiny speck sticking out of my lip.

I begin to squeeze this brown spot and a tiny brown string comes out.  As it squeezes through my lip, it expands until it reaches it's full shape and size.  It's a brown bug about the size of a quarter and is made of the sticky, rubbery material of the bugs I used to get out of quarter machines.  I continue to squeeze and white strings begin to come out and turn into long snakes made of the same material.  Several of these come out until finally the string turns green.  This green string slides out of my upper lip and once completely out, falls to the ground and turns into a cat.  I continue squeezing my upper lip only to have more stringy, sticky, rubbery things come out of it.  It seemed to never end.

I woke up before I got everything out of my lip in my dream.  When I woke up, I noticed my upper lip was sore, as if I'd really been squeezing it!  So, do you think I'm crazy?

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Book Therapy

I'm currently working on my Master's in Professional Counseling, and part of the process of becoming a licensed professional counselor (in PA anyways) is passing the National Counselor's Exam (NCE).  This exam covers information that you would have learned throughout your education in a graduate program.  The exam is made up of 200 questions that cover information from 8 different areas.  Only 160 questions count, though.  The other 40 are considered "test" questions to possibly use in other editions of the exam. 

Today was the big day.  I've been studying hardcore for the last month.  If I were a good student, I would've been studying hardcore for the last several months, but I'm a little too busy to be a good student. ;-)  I went to the test site, took the test, and then cried on my way home.  I'm pretty sure I failed.  This test was TERRIBLE!  It was like trying to decypher some dead language. 

When I got home, I tried eating my feelings to make myself feel better.  Two crunchy tacos and two soft tacos from Taco Bell.  A brownie.  Chips and dip.  Leftover Easter candy.  Another brownie.  Contemplated baking cupcakes.  Another brownie.  This didn't work. 

My next unhealthy coping skill: spending money on books.  I'm definitely a hypocrite, because I'm always telling my fiance to watch his spending.  I lecture him for spending money on unnecessary things, but then I go out and buy books.  A new bookstore moved into my local mall replacing Borders.  I decided to go check it out and left with some good deals.  I got 2 paperbacks and an audiobook for $25.18.

 Conversations with the Devil by Jeff Rovin $3.98









Columbine by Dave Cullen $15.99









Magical Thinking by Augusten Burroughs $6.98








I'm excited to have a new audiobook to listen to.  It'll be great for my drive to classes this week.  My fiance probably won't be thrilled that I bought new books, especially considering all of the books I own but haven't read.  Oh well.  My book therapy helped me feel better.  That's all that matters. ;-)

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Teaser Tuesday (2)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme held by MizB over at Should Be Reading.  It's easy to play along.  Just check out the rules and grab a book!

Grab your current read, find a random page, and share 2 teaser sentences from that page.  Be careful to not include any spoilers.  Don't want to ruin the book for anyone who hasn't read it!  Be sure to add the title and author in case any of your readers want to check it out. 

So, what's your Teaser Tuesday post?  Leave me a comment with a link to your blog post or your teaser! :-)

The Aqua Net Diaries: Big Hair, Big Dreams, Small Town by Jennifer Nevin

"Sometimes Ned would call me from the bathtub, where I tried not to picture his naked feet, which for some reason bothered me more than the rest of him being naked and soapy.  He knew his feet bothered me, so he always mentioned them." pgs. 96-97

Who doesn't like winning stuff, especially books?

I found some awesome giveways while browsing through some blogs today, so I thought I'd share them.  Just click on the link to get to the blog page to learn more about what you could win.

Birthday Phenomenon Giveaway

Food and a Contest

Reading Rocks Giveaway

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Book Blogger Hop (Week1 Part 3)

Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme I found over at Crazy for Books.  The idea is to connect with other book lovers.  If you want to participate, your blog should be book-related (including some reviews).  If you decide to follow a blog you find through the Hop, comment to let that blogger know.  This isn't just a way to advertise your own blog.  You should make an effort to continue to follow new bloggers you discover.  So, if you want to join in on the Hop, go here.

For the weeks that I join in on the Hop, I'm going to try to check out a new blog each night and share the link with everyone.

Tonight's blog is: With a Good Book

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Book Blogger Hop (Week 1 Part 2)

Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme I found over at Crazy for Books. The idea is to connect with other book bloggers who share a passion for reading, just like you. This is my first week participating.


Here are some of the rules:

Your blog should have content related to books. Reviews should be included, but your blog doesn't have to be strictly reviews.

If you find a blog you like and decide to follow, leave the blogger a comment to let them know you found them through Book Blogger Hop.


If you're interested, hop (sorry. couldn't resist) on over to Crazy for Books to sign up.

For the next week, I'm going to check out a new blog each night and post the link.

Tonight's blog is: My Random Acts of Reading

Friday, April 9, 2010

Book Blogger Hop (Week 1 Part 1)


Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme I found over at Crazy for Books.  The idea is to connect with other book bloggers who share a passion for reading, just like you.  This is my first week participating. 

Here are some of the rules:

Your blog should have content related to books.  Reviews should be included, but your blog doesn't have to be strictly reviews.

If you find a blog you like and decide to follow, leave the blogger a comment to let them know you found them through Book Blogger Hop. 

If you're interested, hop (sorry. couldn't resist) on over to Crazy for Books to sign up.

For the next week, I'm going to check out a new blog each night and post the link.

Tonight's new blog is: Just One More Paragraph.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Book Review Outline

So, I've been having a hard time deciding what to write when I do book reviews.  As I read the book, great thoughts come to me.  Unfortunately, those great thoughts are fleeting, and I don't write them down.  So, I decided to make a little outline for myself to decide what things I'll discuss in my reviews.  You can find them under Book Review Outline under Pages.

Bright Lights, Big Ass

After what seemed like forever, I finally finished Bright Lights, Big Ass by Jen Lancaster.  The length of time it took me to read this book does not reflect my feelings about it.  It usually takes longer to finish books we don't quite like, but that's not the case with this one.  I LOVED this book!  Unfortunately, life has been quite crazy for me lately, which has left me with little reading time.  So...here's a little preview of the book from Goodreads:

Jen Lancaster hates to burst your happy little bubble, but life in the big city isn't all it's cracked up to be. Contrary to what you see on TV and in the movies, most urbanites aren't party-hopping in slinky dresses and strappy stilettos. But lucky for us, Lancaster knows how to make the life of the lower crust mercilessly funny and infinitely entertaining.


Whether she's reporting rude neighbors to Homeland Security, harboring a crush on her grocery store clerk, or fighting-and losing-the Battle of the Stairmaster- Lancaster explores how silly, strange, and not-so-fabulous real city living can be. And if anyone doesn't like it, they can kiss her big, fat, pink, puffy down parka.


Reading about Lancaster's whacky adventures was like talking to friends.  I enjoyed her honest writing and foul language, because let's be honest.  Who doesn't like (even if it's secretly) when a chick drops the F-bomb?

My favorite part of the book (SPOILERS AHEAD) was when Jen's husband was away on business.  I could totally relate to being scared of being home alone at night, eating ridiculous foods for dinner (I've recently been eating Robin Eggs for dinner at least once a week), and not being able to function like a responsible adult when the hubby's gone.  Best part: she slept with a machete under her pillow! 

I read that part of the book one night while my fiance was at work.  I welcomed him home with, "Can I get a machete?"  I explained I could use it for protection while he's gone like Jen did in the book.  His response was, "No.  You'll hurt yourself before anyone ever breaks into this house."  He's probably right.  I'm sure there's also a good chance that I would be roused from a deep sleep when he returns home from work in the middle of the night and attack him with my trusty machete.  I may surprise him and get one, though.  My pap has 2 from Honduras. ;-)

So for those of you who haven't read this book...go get it!  I'm going to be picking up the rest of Jen Lancaster's books!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

While waiting for class to start one day, I decided to check out The One-Minute Writer.  I follow her on Twitter and had briefly looked over the site before but hadn't really taken the time to find out what it was all about.  For those who are unfamiliar with The One-Minute Writer, it's a site by C. Beth at C Beth Blog.  She posts a prompt each day, and visitors write for one minute about whatever the prompt inspires. 

The prompt for that day was "disappointment."  I wrote a brief response and didn't think much of it.  The other day, though, I received a comment on my old blog page that I had won for that day!  Woo hoo!  My first writing achievement!  :-)  Here's what I wrote:


One-Minute Writing of the Day:


Writer: amdenman

In high school, I lied to my parents and snuck out with a boy. They caught me and grounded me. My lesson learned didn't come from losing car and phone privileges. It came from letting one of the worst people I've ever met into my life.

Thanks so much, C. Beth!  The story that could follow those few sentences is one I probably won't ever share with others.  It felt good, though, just to write that brief paragraph.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Speak Out Saturday (2)-Sexual Assault Awareness Month

April 1 is best known for being April Fool's Day.  For some, April 1 is not just one important day but the start of an important month.  April is designated as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Many agencies/programs/community groups spend April spreading awareness about sexual violence.  I work for a rape crisis center, and we're working to do that as well.  In the past, we've held special events, but budget cuts and limited manpower have prevented us from doing that this year.  Instead, we've focused on getting information out to local businesses, using local media to our advantage, and reaching out to as many people as possible.  We'll be doing this for ALL of April rather than holding an event for one day of April.

On Thursday, I attended our county commissioners meeting with my co-workers to have a proclamation read declaring April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month in our county.  But this isn't just a local thing.  The President even read a proclamation on Thursday recognizing Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Sexual violence is all around us, whether we  like it or not.  The only way to change that is to begin talking about it.  Remaining silent gives perpetrators power.