Books and My Writing and Other

     I promised updates on the reading list. As any reading list/journey/goal goes, I did not exactly stick with the list. Yes, the summer is still young, but I have realized that my previous goals are not in line with my current goals. You see, Love in the Time of Cholera wasn't for me. I know, it's a classic. Even more, as a future Latin American Studies major, I feel as if I have broken some sort of pact. I don't think they let people who couldn't finish a GGM book into the club. For that reason, I'm just shelfing (I know it's shelving, but shelfing sounds a hell of a lot better) the book for now. Maybe beautiful literature isn't what I need right now. 

The amended list is as follows with, as it would logically suggest, a strike through the books I have already read. Rankings are out of 5. You will also notice it has only two in the "books to read" section because apparently the it's on your list you've got to read it argument doesn't really work for me. I'm adapting. 

Divergent- Veronica Roth 3.5

Looking for Alaska- John Green 2.5

Insurgent- VR 2.5

Allegiant- VR 2

Little Bee- Chris Cleave 4

Bel Canto- Ann Patchett 

Mattherhorn- Karl Marlantes

       It hasn't been a good reading summer for me. The Divergent series was pretty brutal to finish. I was distracting myself from LinToC with it's polar opposite. VR hooks you with the first one and then I couldn't stop. I kept reading even though it was poorly written, even though exactly one character was likable (Christina, duh), even though I would audibly complain to whomever was listening every time I picked up the book. Looking for Alaska was also quite bad. A quick read, yes, but John Green's other famous novel featured unlikable, whiny characters. With Little Bee, I moved onto adult fiction which perhaps is where I should stay. Horribly sad. Well-written. Morally ambiguous circumstances. Finished it in under two days. Do recommend. 

       Aside from reading, I have been writing quite a bit recently. But where is it? For what reason have you not posted this obviously wonderful material on your widely read blog? the engaged reader would ask eagerly. Well, you see, I don't believe I own the material I have written. I work for 22nd Century Media which is a company that puts out hyper-local newspapers in the area (and on the South Side as well as in Malibu). I write for The Winnetka Current and am also occasionally featured in The Wilmette Beacon and any of the other three North Side papers. Exciting stuff. I would link you to my stuff, but you can only read a line or two without an online subscription (the newspapers are delivered to each home it's respective town free of charge). If you're interested in reading some of my stuff, which includes event wrap-ups and much more exciting food reviews/features, send me an email and I can send you scanned copies of the stuff. 

Big high-five to whomever noticed that this font isn't the normal Arial but rather Helvetica. Living life on the edge.