7.24.2011

TSS - Boders, Boo AND a dnf




The Life

I know that I was not the only one who felt the sadness brought by the closing of Borders.  It hit me pretty hard the last go around since the Borders that they opted to close in my area was the one that I had been going to since college.  There were tons of memories relived during that time.  I met dates up there, I studied up there, I ran to the comfort of the bookshelves when I was fighting.  That Borders was a place that I could escape to when I needed to escape.  It was often a solitary experience. Over ten years of memories while I went through my most defining years.

And now they're closing the last one in our area.  

The only other bookstores that we have around here are Barnes N' Noble and Books A Million (doesn't B&N OWN BAM?), and although I enjoy the ambiance of B&N I have to admit that OUR B&N is a wee bit pretentious.  (Are all of them like that?)  D is not a reader.  In fact, prior to meeting me, I don't think that she had read a book in YEARS.  Since we've been together, she doesn't get through many books, but she attempts them. (1) D feels intimidated by B&N but has always felt safe in Borders.  It's interesting and something that I would never consider since I feel at home within the walls of any bookstore.  Now I know that she will only be traipsing into a bookstore as a favor to me and will do her perusing on amazon.com for her bookish needs, little as they are.  

The Blog

Reviews here on RTTN from the past two weeks:



The Books

This week, I DIDN'T finish

I picked up The Anthropology of an American Girl on a whim.  And no, it wasn't the insinuation of the author being a contemporary Jane Austen OR finding out that it initially was self-published but formed such a loyal and LARGE following that a well-established publishing house picked it up.  I merely picked it up because (a) I thought the title was pretty cool, (b) I dug the cover, and (c) it was a lengthy book that chronicled the life of a school girl from her senior year in high school through her college years (what I deemed my most formative years for me personally).  

I was STOKED man.  I knew this would be my favorite summer read.  (As most of you know I've been chomping down heavily on young adult titles; I kinda figured this would satiate that need whilst giving me something more 'literary' -groan, hate the implications in this sentence, but *shrug* oh well- to read).

And IF by literary you are really looking for something (a) pedantic and (b) trite with a bit of (c) f-bombs being dropped in the rather suspicious way that at a sweet middle schooler might test out the profanity waters THEN perhaps this book is for you.

AoaAG is over 500 pages in length; I read 90 before I finally gave up.  Giving up meant I was trapped in the truck while D drove us around thrifting sans a book.  THAT'S how much I disliked it.  I had nothing else to read!  (Thank ye gods for Hanging with Friends - also, anyone wanna play?- which kept me occupied in between stops).  

I wish I could give you guys an example but upon arriving home, I put the sucker up on PBS and immediately got rid of it.  Has anyone else read this book and have a different reaction?


This up and coming week, I plan on reading

I have NO clue - *dagger eyes to AoaAG*  I'm kinda gun shy now. (And yes, overly dramatic and indecisive!) 

Also, I logged in 13 this week.  I think I'm gonna break my 100 mile goal BEFORE the summer ends.  *fist pump* YES!

(Anyone have favorite working out music?)

4 comments:

  1. That's interesting that you feel so strongly about Border's since I always got so frustrated there. Books were never in the section I assumed they were in, the sales people were sales people rather than book people, and... I love my indie bookstore, which rocks. I hope you find a bookstore that works for you!

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  2. Oooh that book sounds really good!! And congrats on the 13 miles :D I was sad about Borders too :( I didn't like my Borders here very much, but the fact that all of those people were loosing jobs was so sad :( And just the fact that a BOOKSTORE chain was closing :(

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  3. I prefer the way Barnes and Noble is set up. I can always find what I am looking for. But I liked the "laid-back" vibe of Borders...and the coupons. I think that is why i went as much as I did! But I am still sad to be losing it. There were a few great people who worked at ours and I will miss talking to them when I go in.

    I usually listen to crazy hardcore stuff when I work out. I like some "death" metal (keeps me energized), as well as bands like Disturbed, Metallica, Nightwish, and In This Moment. I also LOVE listening to Muse when I'm at the gym.

    I have also been known to crank Backstreet Boys. What can I say, I don't discriminate! ;)

    And I am so bummed I missed you in Orlando!

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  4. I know I'm not wild about our local Chapters (the big box bookstore in my area -- it's a Canadian thing) but I would be sad to see them go out of business. I love my local indie, but they steadfastly refuse to carry very much in mass market paperback, so if I want a quick vacation romance or fantasy that I can't get at the library it's Chapters for me. Plus they do employ a lot of book-loving people, and I'd hate to see them jobless. And I was thinking about that -- my husband, before he was my husband, would meet me at the Chapters for coffee and book browsing, and we always bought a little something for each other even though neither of us could afford it. I would be sad to see those memories go.

    Re: workout music... um. I am going to admit right now that I am very partial to Lady Gaga, P!nk and Gwen Stefani, myself. Well, and 90s dance music, which always gets my pulse up because I used to listen to it on the way to playing soccer games. It gets me in a kicking-ass frame of mind, even when the ass that needs kicking is my own, to start exercising...

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