Thursday, March 19, 2009

Me: I have writer’s block. Give me something to talk about. The Husband: How much you hate this time of year of college basketball – MARCH MADNESS and frickin’ Cal State Northridge is beating Memphis right now – CRAZY!

I don't know what that means exactly, but that’s the e-mail I received back from The Husband so I’m running with it.

This is certainly an interesting time of year for us. Nearly every sport imaginable is in full swing. Basketball, both college and pro, NASCAR, Tiger Woods golf, baseball (wait, has that started yet?)… Basically, my time at home is spent sitting next to The Husband with my nose buried in a book while he talks stats in my ear. I have no idea what he’s saying. Sometimes I think it’s another language.

Speaking of vampires… I am waist deep and totally hooked on the Twilight series. I’m more than a little embarrassed to admit that I can’t put it down, but there you have it. Seriously, every waking moment that I have (outside of work, of course) (but don’t think I haven’t thought of bringing it with me) has been spent reading.

On Sunday, The Husband and I went to one of our favorite restaurants in Huntington Beach. We had perfect timing, sitting down to eat just as the sun began its descent. It wasn’t the most spectacular sunset I’ve ever seen, but it was intriguing the way the big, orange ball began to sink below the horizon when usually it sinks behind a wall of marine layer. It was crystal clear and lovely. I, of course, didn’t have my camera. My poor camera has been neglected for over a month. Something I will soon remedy. And by “soon” I mean in another thousand or so pages because I have more than half of the second and all of the third and fourth books left to read and I can’t see myself doing anything else until they’re done.

In fact, you probably wouldn’t hear from me at all if not for this job, which is the only thing forcing me out of my pajamas each day rather than staying in bed to read.

No matter how much or how little I have to drink, I inevitably wake up in the middle of the night, dying of thirst. At two-thirty in the morning, I stumbled sleepily in the dark to the kitchen, poured myself a tall glass of water, and padded back to bed.

I was tired and groggy and could easily have lain down and gone right back to sleep, but that would have only wasted precious reading time. Yes, I stayed up for another hour, reading. And when The Husband opened his eyes, frowned, and ask “why are you awake?” all I could do was tell him the truth. “I have a problem,” I confessed.

The sad thing is that I borrowed these books from my sister. My fourteen-year-old sister. I’m so ashamed.

So, lovely readers, fellow-bloggers, and eFriends… are you a reader? What was the last book you couldn’t put down? Or what was the last book you seriously considered flushing down the toilet?

I went to the library bookstore a few days ago to see if I could find anything interesting for fifty cents. I picked up this one book, I think it was called Blow Me Down (I don’t remember the author), but I didn’t read the back cover close enough. It. Was. Terrible. Seriously awful. I was mad that I wasted the two quarters. I didn’t even read past the first fifteen pages. Man alive, it was bad. Why that story ever got published in the first place, I’ll never understand.

Okay, I’m done now.

14 comments:

  1. I'm with you on the Twilight series. I finished them a week ago. I won't tell you how it ends though. It's ok that you like them. To say I'm a reader is an understatement. When I was in fourth grade, I have a clear memory of looking at a brand new bedside bookshelf and imagining how my home when I grew up would have rooms and rooms of books! Now of course we live in NYC so there are no rooms and rooms of anything! Thank goodness for Kindle- as many books as I want and they don't take up space.

    ReplyDelete
  2. My friend is sending me the Twilight series this weekend. She's been promising to mail them to me for months now so I have not bought them myself but I am sure I will adore them. Have you read the Sookie Stackhouse books that the Showtime series is based on? You will LOVE those too, I promise. When you are done with the Twilight stuff go read them.PS to the hubby, Mephis one, Cal State Northridge couldn't take the heat I guess.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hey,The last book I couldn't put down was "The Gift" by Cecilia Ahern. I also liked "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom.I'm quite a reader I would say. I've got two bookshelves full with them. Reading is just like diving into another world.I love it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. The Twilight series sat on my stairs and stared at me for three months before I ever picked them up...and that was...almost a year ago now. I am so glad I gave in...although getting through them all is like you have a heroine addiction and your husband is nothing short of PISSED at the actual books for making you insane. But the end result is awesome. Although you morn cause it's all over and there is nothing else to read...but there is a fifth book online on Stephanie Meyers website. It's only half done and she explains why but it. is. hilarious. NO JOKE. READ IT!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am a reader. Or I was until four weeks ago. I haven't been able to concentrate on words on a page since then. But it will come back - it always does. When I was in grade school, my dad would get disgusted by me having a book in every room and he would ground me from reading!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anything and everything by Ken Kesey. And Stephen King. I could read their shopping lists.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I have read the Twilight series. It was really good. Sadly, I have not read the fourth book. (Maybe I should do that this weekend.) I will tell you: I went to the midnight release of the fourth book and it was more packed than the midnight release for the 7th Harry Potter book. ~The Twilight movie gets released tomorrow night at midnight. Yes, they are having a big thing for this too. I don't think I will be going to this one though. The kids haven't asked to go to this, but they have asked for the movie.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Violet makes me laugh, as she's the only other person I've heard of that was grounded for reading. Most people think I must be mistaken but, no. My mother used to take everything but my spelling book away. *sigh*However, it is a sad fact that I rarely find that books sweep me away anymore. I read every single day, and I enjoy it, but that feeling of being just pulled away into another world? Haven't had it in a very long time. And now I'm depressed.

    ReplyDelete
  9. About 10 years ago, when I was bored and had no books to read, I picked up my then-5th grader's book that he was required to read called "Ender's Game." I'm not embarrassed to admit that I enjoyed it so much, I went out and bought the sequel, which was just as good as the first novel.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I haven't read the Twilight series yet but I do want to. But, speaking of vampires, I am currently reading Guilty Pleasures-Anita Blake Vampire Hunter. I am about half way through and it is a little boring. I think part of the problem is that I try to read in the evening and my husband keeps interrupting to tell me about politics (he's not into sports, it's politics for him) and I have not mastered looking like I'm paying attention to him while really reading yet!

    ReplyDelete
  11. When I’ve got my nose in my books, everything else just fades into oblivion. I’m an avid reader of romance, suspense and mysteries. So I’m always on the hunt for a good read.The last book I couldn't put down was ‘Death angel’ by Lina Howard. But this book is not going to be for everyone.Book I could not stand: ‘Obsession’ by Karen Robards. What was she thinking? Did she smoke crack cocaine while writing this book? It just didn’t make ANY sense. The first few chapters were very engrossing and scarey. But not long after the confusion set in. I did finish the book, because I was obviously on crack too and I though Robards would eventually pull it off, but she clearly DIDN’T. I wish I had not wasted my money or my time on this disappointing disaster.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I only read periodicals. My attention span is too short for full length novels....and a series? Forget it.

    ReplyDelete
  13. What the heck happened? I can't quite figure it out, but maybe I haven't looked closely enough. I am sorry that it sucks right now.

    ReplyDelete