When you wish you had a 2x4...

Ok, so I've just started reading Confessions of a Shopaholic and I'm loving it so far. It's a hilarious novel about this girl who tries so hard to be financially aware, but she fails miserably...

However, while I was reading this I was CRINGING with some of her actions!! I was sitting there like, "what are you doing?!" That just got me thinking about times when you're reading a book or watching a movie and you're inches from jumping out of your seat because you're just like "what are you doing?!" For example, the movie "Family Stone" or "Meet the Parents" or some other movie like that, you're sitting there, almost in pain, thinking "Oh my God... what ARE you doing?" 

Aside from the part of this book that makes me cringe and jump out of my seat, I'm enjoying it! It's definitely a guilty pleasure... sort of like Gossip Girls and such... It's a cute novel and I can't stop reading it so far!!! :)

Book #5: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

This book was interesting... VERY quick. And I really cannot wait to see the movie! But, it was SO short! I don't understand how something this tiny can become a huge motion picture.

Since the book was sort of short, I'm having a hard time trying to figure out what the entire message was behind it? When I hear people talk about the movie, they're like "that's the way life should be..." But, I found it kind of frustrating because here is this man who is 50 years old but looks 16 and he can't get any respect. Is that what the message is? That people don't treat the elderly with respect? 

But then where does the age in birth come from? I mean, why was he born as an old, wise man but as he grew up his knowledge dwindled?

Was there a meaning behind this? 

OR! Was it supposed to be as if younger people THINK they know everything there is to know about life. They think they are older and superior to the rest of society, but they truly don't have adequate respect for their elders.

Another idea I had with him getting younger as the years passed by was that we treat the elderly sometimes as helpless children. If you look at a retirement home, yes, we are helping them live happy lives, but they are also being treated as incompetent individuals, in a way. I'm not trying to talk smack about retirement homes, but I feel like when people visit the elderly they get that certain feeling of necessity with treating these individuals as if they were children. Am I way far off on this? 

Book #4 The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Ok, so I thought that this book was really really really good! I seriously couldn't put it down! 

The description McCarthy used throughout his novel was so detailed, it felt like you were there. However, he kept it vague enough where you were guessing about what had actually led up to "burning of the Earth" that led to everyone's disappearance and their wandering homelessness. You also wondered if they were actually human or if the other "bad creatures" were actually human. It was a very interesting book that I couldn't put down.

However -- don't read this if you want to read the book and haven't yet!!--

what was the point? Someone wanna help me out? I mean they walk around this desolate Earth, which we NEVER find out what actually happened to, and try to survive off of each other. The boy pisses me off sometimes because he's just a selfish child that thinks he knows what he's talking about but he really has no clue. The father has a great disposition when it comes to this novel. He's VERY noble to his son and he does everything in his power to push him on. However, his care lessens more and more as they get closer to the shore. I wonder if this is supposed to show the child's maturity and the fact that the father can rest at ease after a certain point of raising his son. 

However, back to my main question... what the--- haha! I mean I was SO intrigued by this book and I finished reading it like, "wait a sec, there has to be a section missing." I mean, what happened to the Earth? Where is EVERYONE? Why are there "bad creatures." How long have they been wandering? What does it mean that they are the ones that "carry the fire"? I mean i have SO many unanswered questions that it's kind of ridiculous!! haha..

Other than those few things... I truly enjoyed the book. I thought it was very interesting and very intriguing... just slightly disappointing...

Philosophy or Art History

Public question:

I have to pick a "western cultures" class for next term because its part of the university's core academic program. So I can either do Philosophy (Classical) or Art History (1-3). The thing is once, I start the sequences I can't interrupt them and I have to take 3 of them. For example I can't take 2 art history classes and 1 philosophy class, or some other combo like that...

So what do you think?

Philosophy or Art History??? 

Book #3: Lifeguard by James Patterson

This was a good book. It kept me wanting to read to the end. However, it was a typical James Patterson, murder-mystery. I enjoyed it particularly because it was set in a place in Florida where I have a timeshare. So, when the author was referring to certain roads to landmarks, I knew what he was referring to. It was kind of entertaining. I also found it interesting because the FBI agent in the novel was an art major, and I'm currently contemplating whether to take a Philosophy or Art History class next term...and I'm leaning toward the Art History... but it was just interesting to hear about these missing pieces of art in the novel and how they were cherished, and blah blah blah...

But, this book was nothing special... just a regular James Patterson...