Six of many

The wonderful Jenners tagged me for a bookshelf meme earlier this week and I have been waiting for the perfect moment to sit down and write it out. I loved reading about her books and now I'm excited to share mine with you!

Tell me about the book that has been on your shelves the longest:
That would be my old, faithful copy of Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. The edges of the book are worn and the pages are yellowed with age. I honestly read this book more times than I can count growing up. The touching story of Billy and his two dogs, Old Dan and Little Ann, probably helped shape and nurture my own love for our four-legged, slobbery friends. This book will forever hold its spot at the top of my "favorite reads" list. Even though I know how it ends, I cry every time I get to the end. The pain of losing a pet - a friend - is heart-wrenching. My heart always breaks for Billy. Of course, if it comes as a surprise to any of you, Old Yeller was my favorite movie as a child. Another sad story of a boy losing his best friend. Why do they do that to children? "That's the real world, kid. Pets die. Sorry."

Tell me about a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (i.e., a person, a place, a time, etc.):
When I was in high school, I knew this guy who defied every stereotype of a male athlete. He played football, rugby and wrestled, yet he also played the piccolo and was fluent in Latin. Academically, he was the top of his class, and physically - he resembled a Greek god. Tan, rugged and smoldering hot (if we're being honest) he was pretty much the ideal guy. (And he was nice, just to top it all off.) Well, we were talking books one day and he mentioned A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. He said it was philosophical, and talked about the symbolism, going in to deep character analysis and making me feel like a dummy for never reading it. So, that weekend, I rushed out the store and found the book. I spent the next two days reading it cover-to-cover so I could tell Mr. Athlete how much I loved it. And you know, I actually did love it. I've re-read it several time since then, and though it's been years since I've talked to Mr. Athlete, I think of him each time I glance at the book.

Tell me about the most recent addition to your shelves:
My most recent addition is not really a book at all, not in the paper sense. I got a Kindle this Christmas and LOVE IT. I was a little worried that it would be weird reading an entire book from a screen, but it is absolutely amazing. We don't have a bookstore in the little town I live in, so it's really convenient to be able to browse 100,000s of titles and instantly download whatever interests me. And it definitely saves gas money, since the closest town with a bookstore is 45 minutes away.

Tell me about a book you acquired in some interesting way (gift, serendipity in a used book store, prize, etc.):
When I turned 21, my mom and step-dad gave me very practical, "Welcome to adulthood" gifts. I was given a power drill and Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover: A proven plan for financial fitness. This book teaches the importance of saying no to credit cards, building a nest egg and not living above your means - all very important lessons for an amateur adult.
The dedication from mom reads: Heather, Happy 21st baby. You're an adult now - legally, anyway. I hope you will read this book, follow the plan and stay away from debt! Credit cards, car notes, personal loans - they will all suck the life out of you and I want you to have a great, joyous life. I love you always! Mom

Tell me about a book that has been with you to the most places:
I've always had really vivid, movie-quality dreams. So when I came across The Dream Sourcebook and Journal, I knew I had to buy it. It delves into the realm of dream psychology, explaining (or hypothesizing) what different aspects could mean in your daily life - interpreting the subconscious. I used to be really intrigued by that kind of thing, and I still am to an extent. Anyway, I used to take this with me when I traveled, just in case I had any strange or recurring dreams I wanted to look up.

Tell me about a bonus book that doesn't fit any of the above questions:
One of my favorite, quirky, darkly-humorous books is Dogrun by Arthur Nersesian. In the book, Mary comes home from work to discover her live-in boyfriend, Primo, dead in front of the TV. She realizes that she knew very little about Primo, so she hunts down all of his ex-girlfriends in an attempt to learn more about the man she'd been living with.

So, now for the rules:

1. Tag 3-5 people, so the fun keeps going!


2. Leave a comment at the original post at A Striped Armchair so that Eva can collect everyone’s answers.


3. If you leave a comment and link back to Eva as the meme’s creator, she will enter you in a book giveaway contest! She has a whole shelf devoted to giveaway books that you’ll be able to choose from, or a bookmooch point if you prefer.


4. Remember that this is all about enjoying books as physical objects, so feel free to describe the exact book you’re talking about, down to that warping from being dropped in the bath water…


5. Make the meme more fun with visuals! Covers of the specific edition you’re talking about, photos of your bookshelves, etc.

Okay, I tag Jen, Jessica and anyone else who wants to attempt it! I know some of you have already been tagged.

Is it Wednesday yet?

Wow, is it Monday already? Where did the weekend go?? It was pretty fantastic, and now it’s over. If it weren’t for the four-and-a-half day weekend I have coming up, I might be sad.

Friday night, I hit the road and headed up to Alabaster to visit the fam. My aunt and uncle and their two ADORABLE babies were over visiting and I couldn’t pass up a chance to see them.
Saturday we went to the new Bass Pro Shop that opened up near Birmingham. It was fun, but opening weekend probably wasn’t the best time to go. It was so crowded you almost couldn’t move around comfortably. Add three kids, 10 and under, to the mix and it could get a little hectic. (But still fun. I’m not complaining.) And in their defense, the kids were really, really well behaved.

After supper that night, I headed back home. I hate that I couldn’t stay longer, but I had Toby with me and I was afraid he’d bark in the middle of the night and wake up the baby. He’s not allowed to stay inside at Mama’s, and he gets lonely in the garage (as was evident by his barking EVERY hour, on the hour, Friday night.) He has a little separation anxiety. It’s like he thinks if he doesn’t bark, I’ll forget he’s out there. I called the vet this morning to see about boarding him while I’m at my dad’s this week, and guess what? They’re booked. Greeeeeaat. Prepare yourself, Dad – you’re about to get five days of Toby. I know you’re ecstatic.

Anyway, when I got home from church Sunday, I decided to force-feed myself holiday cheer. I cranked up the Christmas music, got out the tree and proceeded to decorate the house. And you know, it kind of worked. After the initial frustration of putting the tree together and stringing the lights (WORST thing EVER – next year I’m buying a pre-lit tree) I actually started to feel the excitement. I think the candles helped. The Christmas Tree candle made my house smell so good, it was impossible not to feel a little giddy at the thought of Christmas.

Speaking of giddy – I had almost decided not to even mention this in my blog because SO many other people have already been raving about it, but I can’t help it. I guess I’m jumping on the Twilight bandwagon. I read the first book over the weekend and was absolutely captivated. Yes, it’s probably geared more toward the high school, teenage readers, but I fell in love. If for some reason, you’re trying to avoid the series because of all the hype – give in and go buy them. I won’t make you suffer through all of the brilliant details because a) you’ve already read them, b) your planning on reading them and I don’t want to spoil it for you, or c) you have absolutely no interest and don’t care to read about how absolutely fantastic the first book was. (And it was SO fantastic.)

So that was my weekend. Spending time with family, Christmasfying the house and reading a wonderfully amazing and spectacular book. (Did I mention it was fantastic?) Now it's two and half days of work, followed by a loooong weekend of fun in Mississippi. I am so beyond excited about seeing everyone over there. Is it Wednesday yet??

Gambling and other addictive habits

When it comes to contests, I am (always have been) perpetually unlucky. You could put 10 pieces of paper in a hat, nine of them with my name and a singular, lonely strip bearing someone else’s — And you know what? Against all odds — against the very laws of probability — the name drawn would inevitably NOT be mine.

I should NEVER go to Vegas.

But the tables of chance have finally turned in my favor (and my name was only entered one time)!

Thanks to Jessica over at SouthernYankee, I will soon be the very lucky recipient of a wonderful candle, made my none other than her “Mum.”

Jessica’s mum makes an array of scents that sound amazing. She asked the winners which one we’d like, but I simply could not choose, so I told her to surprise me! I’ll definitely be back to share the (certain) good news of how great it is after it arrives.

In other news, I’ve gotten back on track with my reading and have plowed head-first into the newest Greg Iles book, Third Degree. I started it yesterday after work and have successfully managed to knock about half of it out already. It’s pure genius. It has me a nervous wreck, in the best way possible. I literally feel the anxiety of the main character; I feel that familiar twinge of panic for her as she finds herself in an impossible situation. It has me turning pages, ignoring phone calls, forgetting supper and forgoing sleep.

I hope to finish it tonight.

To me, reading has always been like a highly addictive drug (or what I’d imagine a highly addictive drug would be like, since I’ve never actually tried one). It consumes me. While I’m on my “trip,” I lose all concept of time; I have no notion of the events taking place around me. Nothing else is necessary. Not food or sleep – I get lost in an alternate reality. Some other place and time where I see vivid images of people that seem so real, I almost feel guilty of spying on their lives.

When it comes time to put the book aside and carry on with my daily life, I have a hard time functioning. In the back of my mind, I’m still dissecting the plot - trying to figure out what’s going to happen or analyzing the personalities of each character, creating back-stories and imagining different outcomes. It’s a bit obsessive. I’ve always been told I have an overactive imagination. I guess I can’t argue with that.

My favorite authors are artists. Instead of painting or sculpting, they carefully craft their words in a way that can evoke joy, fear, excitement, uneasiness and nostalgia (all in the same novel). They have an uncanny way of making their characters a perfect blend of familiarity and intrigue – relatable enough for readers to connect with, but mysterious enough to keep the interest fresh. They vibrantly describe places and thought processes, vigilantly weaving plot twists and somehow managing to pull all of the loose ends together by the end of the book (or sometimes series).

In any case, they keep me coming back for more - impatiently awaiting their next addictive masterpiece, longing to feed my inexorable habit.

Hi. My name is Heather and I’m a book junkie.

"Never break a pinkie promise" and other recommendations

Over the weekend, I got tagged for a really interesting meme. (THANKS DIANE!!)

Like you, I was stoked to get a chance to blog about books. At first. Then, I realized that describing four of my favorites in 30 words or less would be dang near impossible.

But I promised to give it my best, and I try to never go back on a promise. (Especially a pinkie-promise. Did anyone else do those as a kid? They were supposed to be unbreakable! If you went back on a pinkie-promise, you were pretty much cursed for life. At least that’s what I grew up believing.)

Anyway, let’s get started:

Fiction – This was probably the hardest of all the categories. I tend to stick to fiction, so there’s an infinite number of great books to choose from. After much (MUCH) deliberation, I decided on this one:

Blood Memory by Greg Iles – Mystery, suspense and heart-pounding action all wrapped into one amazing book. I literally did NOT sleep until I finished all 767 pages. Greg Iles is my hero.

Non-fiction – I don’t read a ton of non-fiction, but this one won my heart. You guys already know I’m a sucker for the four-legged, shedding, slobbery type.

Marley and Me by John Grogan –This book made me laugh, cry and laugh some more (before I cried again.) The mischievous Marley will make you cherish your dog even more.

Autobiography – This one is a toss up, both by the same amazing man. I’m going to go with the most recently published.

Cash by Johnny Cash – I opted for this one over Man In Black just because I feel like it’s more complete. Even if you don’t care for his music, his story will touch your heart. He tells it with exceptional grit and honesty.

Any genre – I cheated here and picked another fiction book. Don't act surprised.

Diary by Chuck Palahniuk – Palahniuk’s book are inventive, shocking and slightly disturbing. He has a unique way of digging deep into the inner-workings of his characters to reveal some greater truth. This book manages to be hysterical, heart-wrenching and horrifying all at the same time.

If you haven't read these books, stop what you're doing and go buy them NOW. You won't regret it. In fact, I bet you'll thank me for the wonderful recommendations!

I also got another Superior Scribbler award this weekend, this time courtesy of the wonderful Mel. If you need a good laugh, check out her blog. She has a wonderful way of making me smile, and I know she'll have the same affect on you.

I'll be back later to pass the award along to some deserving bloggers.

As for the book meme? Anyone who wants to give it a shot, be my guest! I'd love to hear about all of your favorites!

Coulda been a flower child

This week’s weekly writing prompt from MamaKat: If I could live in any era of history, what would it be? (This was the obvious choice. I can answer without hesitation.)

Sometimes I feel like my soul is from another time. I listen to music, read books and watch movies from my favorite decade and feel a strange sense of nostalgia, even though it was years before I was even thought of. (Actually, I was never really “thought of” until it was too late. I hear I was an “uh-oh” baby. But anyway…)

So, what decade would I love to visit? The sixties, of course. (That shouldn’t come as a surprise to those who know my musical inclinations and love for old films.)

There are so many great things about this era in time:

• Music – Okay, you should have known this would be at the top of my list. But how can you not LOVE sixties music? The Doors, The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead, the beginnings of Led Zeppelin (their first album wasn’t released until 1969), The Who, The Kinks, Van Morrison, Otis Redding, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard….the names go on and on. And then there was Woodstock. I would give anything to see some of these bands live. Unfortunately, it is much, much too late for that. Well, technically I could still see the Stones, but who would want to? One of them might fall and break a hip.
• Audrey Hepburn – The sixties gave us Breakfast at Tiffany’s and My Fair Lady, two of my all-time favorite movies. Although my favorite Hepburn movie was Sabrina (1954), this was still a great decade for Audrey.
• Literature – Some of my FAVORITE books from childhood were written in the sixties. Although the Boxcar Children series began in the forties, ten of the books were written between 1960 and 1969. It just so happens they were my favorite ones. ALSO, Madeleine L’Engle wrote A Wrinkle in Time and The Moon by Night, the first two books of hers I ever read. They led me to her 1980 book, A Ring of Endless Light, which I can honestly say I read at least five times as a teenager. (If you saw my copy of the book, you’d know. It is definitely well-worn.)
• Television – Oh my gosh, the sixties had some of the BEST shows. The Flinstones, Alvin and the Chipmunks, the Jetsons, Mr. Magoo, the Beverly Hillbillies, Bewitched, the Addams Family, I Dream of Jeannie, Mr. Ed, the Dick Van Dyke Show, Gilligan’s Island, Green Acres, Get Smart, Flipper…There should be a channel dedicated to JUST shows from this decade. TV Land is decent, but lately they’ve been slackin’.
• Revolutionary thoughts – The sixties was a decade of radical thoughts and protests. People stood up for what they believed in and spoke out against injustice. The Free Speech Movement took place in 1964 at Berkeley, where students demanded administration to acknowledge their right to free speech and academic freedom. Martin Luther King, Jr., made his famous “I have a dream” speech and anti-war sentiments were made known by the flower child generation. People didn’t stand around idly waiting for things to happen or change to occur. They stood up for what they thought was right, even if it meant persecution.

I know it was a painful, tumultuous time in the lives of many Americans, but we have learned so much from people of this era who were unafraid to speak their minds and push the accepted boundaries.