Hoyaheel

Agreed - I'm not sure where we get the idea that it's not okay to drop a book

Elementary school, high school, college.....

 

As a reader, I knew I just had to get through everything. I felt incredibly guilty if I didn't like what I was reading. Maturity is slowly changing that--I don't feel guilty anymore, about not finishing a book, or not being interested in trying out the book that "everyone" else just loves.

 

This morning I'm bummed because I didn't get to read much of Helen of Troy last night Had to spend "quality time" with my husband..... OK, that part was nice The other thing that "maturity" is doing for me is allowing me to balance between spending all my free time reading and do other things that are important to add balance to my life--exercise, socializing, etc. Though every so often I want to be a selfish 15-yr-old and just lock myself in the bedroom and read in bed all day long

The nice thing about vacations--I bring paperbacks and then leave them behind & use the space for souvenirs. On my honeymoon, we went to jamaica for a week--I know I brought at least 10 books.....My husband didn't complain--what else are we going to do on the beach all day? He understands my needs--there is a reason we were married, after all

 

I do have some quick romances, I ordered a non-fiction, some other fiction (including one that's short stories, I think--it's Wodehouse but it hasn't arrived yet) and I have a few Gore Vidal books--I LOVE his American history series, and they do take me longer than the average paperback to get through. I'll try to write up how I've done upon my return

 

Just to clarify--I know I'll have fun doing lots of things, but a main reason we're taking this cruise is to relax and drink wine on our balcony, so I do intend some reading as well as port visits and yoga class in the gym

I loved Cider House Rules--probably my 3rd favorite John Irving (I liked World According to Garp and Hotel New Hampshire better--I do tend to like his earlier stuff better than his later stuff) But the older I get, the more I realize--if I'm halfway through a book and I STILL don't like it, I give myself permission NOT to finish it. If I want to try again later, I can always do that.

I have to ask fellow booklovers a silly question--if you were going on an 11-day vacation (a cruise that has FOUR "at sea" days) how many books would you bring?? I am sorting & picking my books now, I figure I'll take at least 11 books, possibly 15 (1 per day plus extra, just in case) My husband looks at me like I'm nuts (though, less and less as years go by and he sees how quickly I plow through the books) Just looking for a little validation here

It's mainly for books I want to read, but for series--I have to keep the entire list on there or there's a chance I could duplicate. So I'd say about half is "to-read" and half is "already read, keep looking for next in series".

 

I just ordered a bunch of stuff from Amazon (mostly used) for the cruise I'm taking at the end of October. It's a long cruise and we'll have a lot of "at sea" days so I want to make sure I have enough to read!! Trashy romances (which I love) only take me a couple hours to read, so I have to mix in more substantial stuff or I'd have to carry too much

I just got Helen of Troy (by Margaret George) from the library on Saturday. 600 pages. Too big to read in the bubble bath A tiny bit slow but now that I've passed the first 100 pages it's moving along more quickly.

My husband did and shaved his head (he had a lot less hair at age 26 than Will has -he's what, 24?) I still think Prince William is a hottie, but then, I'm biased in favor of men losing their hair, I suppose. As long as he doesn't do any wacky combovers or anything

I've always liked her--a littly chubby or thinned down & glammed up--I think she's one of the more "real" people in Hollywood (though I'd still hesitate to call her "normal", which goes back to my philosophy that creative geniuses really can't be normal)

http://gawker.com/news/vogue-australia/fat...ogue-199434.php

 

Read this on Gawker--major drama at Australian fashion shows because a designer dared use a non-anorexic size 8-10 models. Oh, the horror! Gawker also says Australian Vogue took coverage of that designer off its websites.....How horrible!

Glad they're happy but that dude is gross ugly. Sorry.

Aw, I think he's adorable--such a great smile!!

Page Six:August 29, 2006 -- STAR Jones and hubby Al Reynolds were back from their European vacation for only a couple of hours last week when Reynolds left his wife at home to hit the clubs with the guys. He arrived at Lotus with three young men "in tight pants" and a woman and partied for a few hours before going home to Jones. But a pal of Reynolds says he may have just been trying to help his underemployed spouse get a job, telling us: "Al went out with the new female host of '106th and Park' and a group of executives from BET."

He has always reminded me of John Ritter's love-child from the '80's....

And that has nothing to do with the fact that John Ritter played his dad on a couple episodes of Scrubs before his untimely death??

The more expensive the wedding, the shorter the marriage, or something like that....I don't have good feelings about those plans.....

Oscar is adopted right? Is Ava too?

Yes, they're both adopted.

I wonder how much $ he'll get in the divorce. A lot, I bet. He certainly seems to have earned it!

After he stole her money??? I tend to think that might negate a prenup if they go the court route, not mediation....No matter how awful she was to be married to, you don't steal. Just like you don't cheat. If it's a bad marriage, END IT, then move on....

C'mon let's say it all together" "P-H-O-T-O O-P"

I sure as hell prefer photo ops with own kids in the park than doing nothing, like entering or exiting the Ivy....

Just finished The Starter Wife by Gigi Levangie Grazer. Odd, but fun. I enjoyed it. I just read that the USA Network cast Debra Messing to star in a six-hour miniseries adapted from the novel.

I enjoyed that one as well. I tried to read her other novel (the name escapes me right now. I want to say it was Maneater) but I couldn't get into it.

Guess she got a better ghost-writer for the 2nd book?? I liked the Starter Wife as a quickie, though I didn't find it especially well-written, it was an entertaining bit of fluff....

I think her "natural" hair color now would probably be grey.

She's only in her early 40s, doubtful she'd be full grey now unless early greying runs in her family.....

From his bio on IMDB.comHas one son by his ex-wife and two children by 'Lina.'Has 3 children: Two sons; Lucas, born in 1988 and Jacob, born in 1994. He also has one daughter, Meg, born in 1997.

Yep, just looked earlier in this thread. Reading IS fundamental, I should do it more often

The son I knew about would be like 18 now--that one looks too young....

I think she hosted a couple of episodes of a house hunting show on HGTV (that's what I'm hoping) When Star & Al were first dating/engaged, he was described as a wall street financier or some such wording. Undoubtedly he could find some sort of employment. Could get references from his Fire Island chums, n'est ce pas?

So I'm reading the August Vogue in the mornings when I dry my hair (I rarely get this magazine, but they had it on sale at Costco and it looked interesting this month, what can I say?) Anyway, it's a style through ages issue and for the 50s, they profiled Ellen Barkin--who's best friends with Julianne Moore. Ellen jokes about how she calls her up and says "Julie, if I see ONE more picture of you in jeans and birkenstocks in the Post...." I thought that was really funny But Ellen goes on to say something like "when you have your style, what can you do?"

I finished Mr Darcy Takes a Wife a couple weeks ago and it turns out Linda Berdoll released another follow-up in March--Darcy & Elizabeth: Nights and Days at Pemberly....So I just requested that at the library. I really enjoyed the first "sequel"--lots of action & sex

I decided not to pick up On Beauty at the library because the cover blurb didn't appeal to me, then felt bad because I was reading the style thing in Vogue on Zadie Smith and I felt like I should read it.

 

I had a message on my machine at home that the Templar Legacy (fiction, a guy who does a bunch of Russion history conspiracy books--Amber Room, one other I can't remember the name of....) is in at the library for me. Yippee! I'll try to get there tomorrow--have a couple to return too....

yeah, this thread has not exactly helped me curb my Amazon habit...

Public library!!! Getting a library card is the first thing I do whenever I move to a new place! Since I moved to my current home, I've even been on the board of the Friends of the Library (I figure $100 tax-deductible donation every year is a LOT cheaper than what my Amazon bill would be if I bought all the stuff I read) I go through too much stuff--only buy textbooks (not so many anymore, thankfully) or reference books. I clean up at book sales too--but after I read those I give them away or back to the library for the next book sale we hold....