August 16, 2011

my name is krystyne, and i'm a bookaholic

recently, i owned up to having CSD.
Craft Starting Disorder
in really looking around my home, i have to admit i have another problem.
icriabisdwts.
I Can't Read It All, But I Sure Do Want To Syndrome. 


i mean, seriously.
i love a good book.
mainly fiction, but these days i've been piling up a hefty load of non-fiction as well.
normally the queue is long, but manageable.
right now the literal amount of books in my house that i am excited to read totals.....42.
seriously.
i find this more than slightly funny.
if you have read The Hitchhicker's Guide To The Galaxy, you will know why.
if not, here.


now, about 9 of these books came home from a conference that my husband went to in the spring where authors pedal their wares in the hopes that your university will pick their book for your annual book program.
so don't judge those.
unless you want to judge the fact that i apparently will read anything that enters my home. 
then i guess i don't have much of a defense. 


but the other 33? how did they come to stack up in little piles throughout my home?
some were gifts.
some i asked for for my birthday or christmas.
and some i acquired when the local Borders went out of business.
that and an Atlas Shrugged t-shirt. 
either way, it's ridiculous.
not that i don't want to have all of these books.
i'm more than happy to surround my kids with these and let them see us actually sit down and read them.
i love that my boys love to read.


what's ridiculous is my approach to them.
i, plain and simply, can't freaking decide where to start or how to focus.
my friends know that i have perfected the art of delayed gratification when it comes to some things.
if i get a purse i've been coveting (usually Fossil) for, say, V-day, i am able to tuck it in view in the closet and debut it in June.
i am perfectly content to know that i have something to look forward to using in the summer.
but books? no. 
i just can't do it.
i walk by them and they taunt me. 
literally. 
ok, not literally. but almost. 


i've had 3 books that played the trump card recently.
i chose to read the two books associated with the ACUHO-I conference i attended in New Orleans.
Zeitoun, by Dave Eggers, was the Book Club Book and was a fascinating breeze of a documentary.
Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses was not so much of a breeze, but a good text.
the 3rd book is Outcasts United by Warren St. John. this one is the annual Buckeye Book Community book that all the incoming first year students at Ohio State will be reading.
the office where Bern works, First Year Experience, hosts this book program and i always enjoy the perk of participating the copy provided by my department. 'tis a good read. 
so, these 3 books put me into delayed gratification mode.
but, these are the books that i was either reading before these three were issued, or have snuck my way into in the meantime...


Bossypants by Tina Fey - this was a b-day gift from kelly. fellow book and tina fey lover.
i simply couldn't help reading this one. 
if you are someone who likes to read, and you have a sense of humor, then: 
1. we should really hang out, and
2. read the back cover of the book. it includes reviews such as
    - "Totally worth it." -The Trees. 
so clearly i had to start reading this one. 
Nurture Shock - on the current culture of parenting. i was sucked in at Barnes and Noble. 
this and Bossypants are the books on my nightstand. it's like a Freakonomics about kids. 
Harry Potter 3 - anth and i are sorely behind on our project. the project was me reading the books out loud to him, 10 pages at a time, at bedtime.  though the delay was for a good detour. anth has instead been reading the appropriate level book to us at night before bed. (i did not include a link for this book. if you need a reference to what Harry Potter is, you are beyond my help.)
Tarnished: True Tales of Innocence Lost - my dear friend and college roommie has her essay Baptism in this one. clearly, couldn't wait to start that one. eternally proud. you should buy it and read it. (you're welcome, joy.)
Gifts of Imperfection as you may have noted, i am not perfect. this book is about embracing that fact and setting more realistic expectations. 
Leadership and Self Deception this is one bern enjoyed during his MBA program. i tend to trust his judgment so i'm giving it a whirl.
Resonant Leadership this one was recommended to me by my colleague Lance Ginn, and i've finally resurfaced it and plunked into it. i'm clearly on a bit of a leadership kick. i've been doing the same job for a while. it's fun to consider a new spin. 
Taking Flight... by Kelly Rae Roberts - loved her art. then her blog. now her book. this is a good one for those thinking about making a business of their craftiness.
Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson - i am trying to, but i don't. (photography. not that kind of exposure. sheesh.)


these ones i have my eye on next:
House Rules by Jodi Picoult - her usual brilliance. this time on Asperger's syndrome.
Driving With Dead People: A Memior by Monica Holloway - another casualty of Barnes and Noble meandering. it sounds super cheery.
An Exact Replica of a Figment of my Imagination by Elizabeth McCracken - i read an excerpt from this in Oprah Magazine. the cover describes it as "this is the happiest story in the world with the saddest ending." an expecting mom loses her baby in the 9th month. it sounds heartwrenching but was well written so i grabbed it when i saw it at Borders. 
The Art of Racing In The Rain by Garth Stein - everyone tells me it's amazing. 
i also really want to read The Help, One Day, and The Hunger Games. but i don't own those and i am living in a library at this point, so those will have to wait.



also, because this blog is usually about small children, i try not to be too crass. 
but, recently, my friend kelly who is a bit more bold about these things posted about a genius, book related, bumper sticker she saw on her blog.
i have decided that linking to swear words is acceptable. 
when hilarious. 
(clearly i should heed the "a" portion of this bumper sticker's advice.)


oh yeah. . .
the boys. 
how a blog about my two boys' antics just became a host to my reading list, i'm not quite sure. 
um. oops. 
currently, benny loves Diary of a Worm and Diary of a Spider, a la kelly. 
anth has been reading through The Adventures of Frog and Toad from Phil and a collection of Berenstain Bears stories we grabbed him, as well as a few of my favorite childhood books that my mom sent home with me last week.
there. 
now this post is clearly all about the boys. 
i feel much better. 


oh, and did i mention that i took three books to California for vacation and instead read my mom's copy of Second Glance by Jodi Picoult while i was there?
and that i recently downloaded three free iBooks?
and that i just started trying to make a book of the first year of mysavvyboys posts on blurb
i'm a mess.
and the cycle continues. 

there are worse vices.

1 comment:

  1. I currently have both One Day AND The Help, should you ever want to borrow, if you ever finish your library... haha

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