Have you ever had one of those weeks where you feel like you were never home? I mean, I know I've been home this week but sparingly, very sparingly, so sparingly it seems like since last Sunday morning I've been home for a grand total of four hours that wasn't spent sleeping, because sleeping time totally doesn't count, right? I've been working, working late, working out, eating out, buying books at the winter library book sale (Bad Megan!), but I've hardly been home, and when I have been, I've been doing chores and paying bills and doing all sorts of things that leave me feeling like I've hardly had a few minutes in a row of downtime. That said, it's nice to be enjoying a much more easy-going weekend. We've just had our first real snow storm of the winter, and it's delightful to be inside catching up on the blogging I've been neglecting and getting into my latest read, The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin while the world outside is all pretty and white.
Random.org, which is picking me books from my own shelves this year, apparently feels like I should be getting in touch with my YA collection. First it was Tiger, Tiger and now The Rules of Survival, which is, so far, an excellent novel about three kids who are looking for a way to escape or at least survive being abused by their mercurial mother. I have a feeling I'm definitely going to like the book, but I'm kind of twisted because I sort of hoped Random.org would pick me a few that wouldn't pass the 50 page test so I could get down to this clearing my shelves thing. Oh well. I guess I'd win either way!
In between all the working and the other working and the more working, I managed to finally finish off Alex Gilvarry's From the Memoirs of a Non-Enemy Combatant. This was a review copy offered to me by the nice folks at Viking accompanied by this entertaining trailer (be warned, though, the language is not quite all PG) ...
The book is an entertaining mix of the funny and the sad as it follows the hapless Boy Hernandez while he tries to make it as a designer in the New York fashion industry, but has his rise to fame interrupted in a most unusual way. It definitely nails the post-9/11 terrorism hysteria satire, and Boy is unique character with a convincing voice, but I have to admit that the book dragged a little for me, so I'm looking forward to a quick YA read. Watch out for the full review of FTMOANEC (the title is long!) later this week, in accordance with my blogging resolutions. ;-)
Also be on the lookout for my Bad Megan acquisition post, since my trip to the library book sale was, as usual, quite fruitful indeed. I came away with 22 new (used) books to add to my collection, most of which are trade paperbacks, my most beloved of all book formats. I'm totally over hefty hardbacks, and while I love the size of mass markets, I hate how they don't hold up well to use. Ah, but the trade paperback, is there anything better?
No, seriously, is there? What's your favorite book format?
I listened to The Rules of Survival this past summer and agree it was pretty intense! I liked it.
ReplyDeleteLife has been crazy for me too, so I can relate. I love the idea of using random.org to pick books.
ReplyDeleteI've never thought to use Random.org to pick my books. As I've quite accepting so many review books, I'm left to pick my own books much more often and it can be so hard. Great idea!
ReplyDeleteMy new office is only a few blocks from the branch of our library system that has the book sales - and they are open for business every Thursday. I could be in big trouble!
I like trade paperbacks the best, too! They're easier for me to hold than hardbacks, and they don't break down as quickly as mass market books do. Yay for trade paperbacks!
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