Science (non) Fiction

I’ve finally finished Jodi Picoult’s The Pact: A Love Story. Now I love Jodi Picoult’s books with a fierce fangirl love, but this was not my favorite of the ones I’ve read so far. I wrote a few of my thoughts here, but I thought I’d explain here a little more why I was troubled by the book. The Pact is about a pair of teenage lovers, and what looks like a failed suicide pact at the beginning of the book becomes something much more complicated about the couple. The story jumps back and forth between the present (the months following the death of one of the teens) and the past (follows the development of their relationship from infants through dating). And while I did find the story compelling, and there were some of the characterestic twists Jodi is known for, I had a lot of trouble dealing with the way that the ‘love story’ aspect of the book was handled. I found the two lovers relationship very troubling, and I felt like their relationship was sometimes glorified in the book, to the point that one of the adult characters actually says something about being jealous of how much they needed each other, when I don’t really think that’s what love is about. And maybe that’s part of what she was trying to get across with the book (that their relationship WAS troubled and codependent and look where it led them), but I just thought there could have been more said about how unhealthy their relationship was, instead of painting it in some kind of romantic terms. So, I’m glad I read it (good insights into teen relationships/suicide), but not my favorite of her books.
This continues my book-a-week pattern, which is awesome - I’m hoping to finish up Circle of Quiet this week, and I started the first little bit of 33 Swoons (from Kari’s list ) last night, to get the intense emotions of The Pact out of my mind.

I finished Carolyn Parkhurst’s Lost and Found over the weekend, which keeps me on track (for now at least) for reading about a book a week (3 so far in 2007). I updated my list to include my opinion of the book (very good). My plan is to finish up both The Pact and A Circle of Quiet this weekend.
Also on tap for this weekend is my lab’s yearly retreat to the mountains of Virginia an hour north of Winston. Unfortunately, there are too many things going on this time of year, so I’m actually going up after everyone else on Saturday morning (they’re all leaving Friday afternoon), but that’s ok because I’m going to see Sandra McCracken play at the Garage!!!!! Yay! Friday night, 9pm, The Garage, Winston Salem. Everyone should come!
In other news, I’m getting my hair cut tomorrow. I’m thinking about changing things up - any ideas from y’all? I don’t really want to change just to have something different, but I’m getting a little tired of how it is now… we’ll see, I’m sure Cheryl will come up with something amazing that I would have never thought of.

We had an incredible confession this week in church - they’re always good, but there are times when one of them will just hit me with exactly what I need to hear at exactly the right time. This is one of those. It’s adapted from a book of old Puritan prayers (that Hunter seems to be favoring right now), and while the language can be somewhat complicated, there is something amazing about speaking the same words that believers have spoken for centuries (or at least close to that long), and about confessing the same things about the existence and attributes of God and our status in relation to Him.

O Thou That Hearest Prayer,

Teach me to pray.

I confess that in religious exercises the language of my lips and the feelings of my heart have not always agreed, that I have frequently taken carelessly upon my tongue a name never pronounced above without reverence and humility, that I have often desire things which would have injured me, that I have depreciated some of my chief mercies, that I have erred both on the side of my hopes and also of my fears, that I am unfit to choose for myself, for it is not in me to direct my steps.

Let your Spirit help my weaknesses, for I know not what to pray for as I ought.

Let Him produce in me wise desires by which I may ask right things, then I shall know you hear me.

May I never be too demanding for earthly blessings, by always refer them to your fatherly goodness, for you know what I need before I ask.

May I never think I prosper unless my soul prospers, or that I am rich unless rich toward you, or that I am wise unless wise unto salvation.

May I seek first your kingdom and its righteousness.

May I value things in relation to eternity.

May my spiritual welfare be my chief concern.

May I be poor, afflicted, despised and have your blessing, rather than be successful in my work, or have more than my heart can wish, or be admired by my fellow-men, if these things make me forget you.

May I regard the world as dreams, lies, vanities, troubling of spirit, and desire to depart from it. And may I seek my happiness in your favor, image, presence, service.

Amen.

~ Adapted from Valley of Vision

Blatantly stolen from Adriene, but I thought it was interesting, and fairly perceptive, for an internet quiz

Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence

You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well. An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly. You are also good at remembering information and convicing someone of your point of view. A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary. You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator.

How about you?

I finished book #2 for the year (Garlic and Sapphires) - see my list to the right for my brief thoughts (basically, it was awesome and yummy ). I’m still reading The Pact (it’s not the happiest book, so I find myself kinda avoiding it sometimes), and I’ll probably start another one tonight - maybe A Circle of Quiet (Madeline L’Engle), which I bought at Edward McKays this weekend with Alisa and the girls. I’ve always wanted to read more of her non-fiction, I just never got around to it, so I’m excited to start reading this 4-part series about her life. I still need more non-fictions suggestions, so I’m open to suggestions! What are your favorites? Theology? Science? Film?
I got to spend a few hours with my brother this week - he actually came all the way up to Winston (we were going to meet halfway between Charlotte and here, but he beat me out of church), and we had some lunch and saw ‘The Good Shepher’, Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie’s new movie about the beginnings of the CIA. It was well-done I thought, but very confusing for me - I tried to pay attention, but still ended up not quite grasping the ending. It might help to see it again (and maybe on the small screen where you can stop and rewind if you miss something), but this seems to be a trend in the movies I see with Matthew (see: The Fountain). I think next time we’ll go with a brainless comedy, ok Macks?

So I haven’t really posted in a while, mostly cause I feel kinda … scattered? about what to write for now. Things have been really busy in the lab and elsewhere since the holidays, which has pushed me right back into the hectic schedule I was doing before Christmas. Which is fine, it just means less time for reflective blogging, so y’all are going to get the abbreviated version of my thoughts

Christmas at home was great - lots of time with family, including my maternal grandmother, who stayed for about 2 weeks. We made (and ate) a lot of yummy food, attempted a HUGE puzzle (that was abandoned), watched a few movies, read a LOT. So it was very relaxing and restful. Got some great stuff, including some lovely sheets that are on my bed right now and some cool new music.

Since then:
I’ve started back to work. Work is…ok. My boss and I had a random conversation yesterday about my graduation timeframe, and I think we both agree that May is too early to get everything done, but that we’re both aiming for roughly this coming fall - so that’s good, and scary at the same time. I’ve got a departmental seminar to give, a possible talk at a large meeting, and a thesis committee meeting, all of which will happen in February. Not. cool. But the committee meeting at least does have to happen so we can figure out what they want to see me finish before I graduate, since that’s what I need to be focused on to finish up here.
I still need to get some teaching experience before I get a ‘real’ job, but I’m leaning a lot more towards taking a semester or two off after I graduate and teaching as an adjunct prof at one of the close-by colleges. I just can’t see myself being able to maintain my research load, while doing a good job at teaching and maintaining a healthy, sane personal life, so I think that might be the best, if not most time-efficient, solution. Plus it means I might not have to pick up and leave Winston quite so soon
Other, less important things - I’m gearing up for training for the Cooper River Bridge March 31st - I had initially wanted to run the whole thing (after running about 1/2-2/3 of it last year), but with my knee being wierd still, I’m just hoping to do at least what I did last year. So far, so good. And I’m really looking forward to that weekend - Becky found a great house that holds a ton of people, so we’ll be able to really spread out and enjoy ourselves!
I sold a bunch of my books (ones that I won’t evey re-read really) to Edward McKays last night (LOVE EdMcKays!) - I got $40 store credit, of which I quickly spent $25 on some CDs (CC’s Share the Well, Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash) and Edith Hamilton’s Mythology, of which I’ve read parts, but now I can read the whole thing (my high school obsession with mythology rears it’s ugly head!).
Speaking of reading, I’ve been reading a lot since Christmastime - I read at least a couple books over the holiday week break at home, and I’ve been making an effort to read more in the evenings rather than watching stupid tv that just happens to be on at the time. I read Dogs of Babel, and I’ve now moved on to reading several books at the same time (which is probably not the best way to get through things, but I get bored reading only one book sometimes, especially non-fiction). I’m still working on Freddy and Fredericka and The Pact, but I’m really absorbed in Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl (thank you Kari!), who was the New York Times restaurant critic in the 1990s (I think the 90s) - she has really great stories about the lengths she had to go to to write her reviews. I should be finishing at least one or two of those this weekend…

I’m hanging out with some friends this weekend, celebrating Alisa’s birthday with dinner out tonight (at Bianca’s, yum!) and casual girl-time tomorrow - should be a lot of fun! So Happy Birthday Alisa - hope this year in NC proves to be even better than the last!

I’ve added a link to the right in the ‘Lists’ category of books that I’ve read in 2007 (following the lead of several friends, too numerous to list right now). I feel like I read quite a bit, but not always the best stuff, and not always in the best way. So this year I’m going to try to: 1) keep track of the books I read, and my thoughts about said books, 2) request suggestions/opinions on books you’ve read or think I should read, and 3) be more efficient about reading, having books planned out a bit more so that I’m never stuck in that ‘don’t have anything good to read so end up watching dumb tv’ phase

So your opinions/ideas are solicited - I’m specifically looking for good non-fiction, as that will probably be the leaner side of my reading - I’m working on Freddy and Fredericka by Mark Helprin right now (very interesting and quirky, full of British humor that I don’t quite get all the time) and The Pact by Jodi Picoult (cause I promised Beth I’d read it so she’d have someone to talk to about it). I’ve got several on deck, cause I found some good deals on used books, including several from Kari’s book list, which I’m really excited about. So check out my progress from time to time, and feel free to leave ideas for me to try!