Space Station Mir

27. Eligible: A Modern Retelling of Pride and Prejudice by Curtis Sittenfeld Initial Thoughts 1. Holy short chapters 2. Cincinnati--how appropriate 3. Sittenfeld's read P&P  at least as many times as I have (>I can count) because Austen is in the language even with no obvious parallels. Spoilers 4. I love Lizzy/Darcy hate sex. 5. Finally, the answer to the real mystery of P&P --what IS the deal with Mary? Reflections 6. The most difficult part of updating Pride & Prejudice is the tectonic shift in Western social values. Although many social taboos from Austen's day no longer persist, Sittenfeld triumphantly substitutes the few modern taboos left in a way that requires no suspension of disbelief. 7. I've read all of Sittenfeld's published work, and for the most part, her writing and storytelling continue to mature. Her first book, Prep , still deeply affects me. So, one of my favorite authors updating the work of one of my oth...

23. Paper Towns by John Green My first John Green book. I wasn't blown out of my mind, but this book does what it's meant to do. Although it's accused of being an archetypal "manic pixie dream girl" story, I think it actually is meant to (and does) split that myth apart. Margo Roth Spiegelman and her crazy adventures is a persona, a paper girl. Instead of feeding into it, Green shows, in a lighthearted way, how dangerous it can be for a young man to put a young woman on a pedestal. 24. The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler (audiobook) As promised, the story centers around a corgi. This is a deep character study, and also a quirky story, that will hit the spot for those into that sort of thing and predisposed to sympathize with quiet, socially anxious characters (as I certainly am). 25. Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok This had been on my list for a while, and I'm really glad I picked it up. Although many of my friends (and my family) come from ...

1. I added three bags of trash to my KonMari purge this weekend. Clothes, books, and papers were more straightforward, but I've really hit a snag in komono --I have so much random junk, it's hard to separate into clear categories. So far, I've gotten through linens, CDs/DVDs, and old school binders (which probably fits in papers or sentimental items, but whatever). I had saved an entire binder of college admissions information, applications, records, and acceptance/rejection letters. Reminds me how organized I can get. 2. Jean Kwok, who wrote Girl in Translation , started following me on Twitter, and now I'm too nervous to write a review of her book. I mean, I liked it, but I feel like I can't criticize it because what if she reads it? The flip side of bloggers (and everyone) having closer access to authors...(Ms. Kwok, if you're reading this, I really did like your book. I promise. I would even read the next one.) 3. I also got to cross Girl in Translation ...