Happy Together

Saturday evening I moved to the next book in my queue, The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. While I do think that women's books about life-changes (see also Eat, Pray, Love) are the equivalent to the red Porsche of men's mid-life crisis, I have moved through chapters "January" and "February" fairly quickly.

In "Getting Started", Ms. Rubin gives us her Twelve Commandments for the year which are short, direct, and items I could see myself using as a mantra (excluding #11 No Calculation). [Note: although, I think she means it another way, a year without math? Wouldn't be prudent.] Her "Secrets of Adulthood" list is actually quite good as well. And so the author jumps into the experiment, devoting herself to one goal each month. In January, she pursues more vitality and in February, she wants to "Remember Love."

Thus far, she has been honest about her progress and lack thereof. I also liked that while her life is pretty satisfying currently, she admits that at some point in the future, it may not be, and this book is a method to create mindful actions and habits for times of adversity.

Running Down a Dream

It was a warm sunny day, a gift for February. Though the morning was filled with obligatory weekend tasks, I saved some time for a long slow run and an afternoon on the sofa to finish Great Expectations. With 10% remaining (Kindle math), I knew that I wanted to finish the novel in one read. I suspect that I must have read the text during some part of my education, but I have no recollection of study, and the story found its way to surprise me. I moved through Pip's story as if riding on a boat, tossed this way and then that with either sadness or frustration with his character. In the end, the lesson was there and I was touched by Pip's love for his friend Herbert, his benefactor who will remain nameless in the event you have not read the novel, and for Joe. (I was less moved by his love for Estella - boy falls for girl who doesn't fall for boy - that happens all the time.)

A near closing quote that stuck with me said by Pip to Biddy, "I have forgotten nothing in my life that ever had a foremost place there, and little that ever had any place there."

At some point we all have great expectations. If we are lucky, we get to see where they lead.

We Built this City

My current schedule leaves my Thursday mornings pressed for time. Today's book note is taken from B.S. Johnson's The Unfortunates a.k.a. a novel in a box. My UK edition has 27 sections with only the requirement that the first and last sections be read in that order and the other sections to be randomly read. Alternatively, if the reader has issues with random chaos, they may be permitted to be read in the order in which they were received. (Such reader should also check career choice to ensure they avoid physics.)

The novel begins: "But I know this city!" which feels appropriate to a lover of large cities around the world.

In Pursuit of 0

I am still slugging my way through Great Expectations although last night it was competing with a Kellogg School of Management case study. Interesting to note that both readings had a focus on logistics.

News events are also garnering my attention: New Zealand quake, Libya, and (I will admit it) London Fashion Week. I think it is my subconscious attempt to find qi - a balance between the positive and the negative. This condition is also not so commonly known as the Neutron Effect.

[Note: Please forgive author's attempt at science humor but she felt positive it would not have a negative effect.]

No Loss of Words

I spent some time this weekend with a few members of the GBC. Conversation usually follows a similar pattern: happiness status, life updates, and then books/articles. I ended up in a discussion or two about marriages and partnerships which may have subconsciously triggered my interest today in this NY Times book review on Joyce Carol Oates' book, A Widow's Story: A Memoir released last week by Ecco. A bit of additional inquiry led me to this PBS Newshour link and interview with Ms. Oates. Loss leads us to explore our identity. I admire anyone who is willing to share the experience.

Fine Form For Friday

Friday felt like a photo.

Fridays call for dancing.

This is the Sardana Dance Statue from Montjuic Parc, Barcelona.

It is worth the hike for the view.

From Fission to Fusion

The only update from last night's GBC meeting I can pass along is that Little Bee by Chris Cleve was a bit of a sad tale. (I have not read the book but if this strong group of wo/men with all their histories, say it is sad, readers trust them.) The next read planned is The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho. The Publisher's Weekly review on Amazon describes it as an "another uncanny fusion of philosophy, religious miracle and moral parable." This should make an interesting discussion after a glass of reading water.

Not a List-less Valentine

It was shortly after Groundhog Day that I realized I would be due a Valentine's Day posting. My first thought: I am not the one to write a post this year on the heart day. Then I had a glass of reading water and a deep ponder. My conclusion after the second glass of reading water: of course, I am the one to write a post on the day of love. At some point in my life like most of you, I have been through all the stages: in love, loved and lost, had and not loved, not had, had too much, and cannot remember/want to forget [insert name]. So wherever you are today, this post is to you with love from my bookshelves.

• For the hopeless romantics who believe in true love: The Princess Bride by William Goldman paired with "True Love Will Never Fade" by Mark Knopfler and a glass of Champagne
• For the hopeless romantics who believe in true love and lost it: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare paired with "Romeo & Juliet" by Dire Straits and a Gin Martini (three olives)
• For the recently single: Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner paired with "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?" by Moby and a shot of Tequila
• For the one who needs a good laugh instead of a good cry: Bleachy-Haired Honky Bitch: Tales from a Bad Neighborhood by Hollis Gillespie paired with "Harper Valley P.T.A." by Jeannie C. Riley and a Vodka Tonic
• For the avoider of love through work: The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger paired with "The Power" by Snap! and a Cosmo
• For those in an unfulfilled relationship: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert paired with "Irreplaceable" by Beyonce and a Stella
• For the single and happy: Lipstick Jungle by Candace Bushnell paired with "Never Stop" by The Bad Plus and a 30 year old whiskey (neat)
• For the one sitting this round out with good friends: Divine Secrets of Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells paired with "You've Got a Friend" by Carole King/James Taylor and a pitcher of margaritas
• For the self reflective: Various works from Rumi paired with "Rain, Rain, Beautiful Rain" by The Notre Dame Glee Club and a cup of Assam Tea
• For the happily coupled: Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris paired with "Business Time" by Flight of the Conchords and a bottle of Cabernet

Happy Valentine's Day wherever you are.

Change Your Mind?

There have been at least half a dozen distinct times in my life that I have felt I needed to make a change. In college after a break-up, I had my stylist cut my hair into a $15 pixie/bob. (I not-so-affectionately refer to this as my boy-cut, and it was not flattering.) Last spring, I wanted time in France. This month, I have wanted to change the blog background. (Not as dramatic as Paris, but let's hope it comes off a bit better than my $15 do.)

In the event you are curious, there are over 116,000 books on change available at Amazon which means I am not the only one thinking about it. Business books, cookbooks, memoirs, SciFi, and a host of other reference books are available. I tend to go with my gut on these things and see where it leads.

Snows Poetic

With the weather in parts of the South a wintry white, it seemed appropriate to go to the bookshelf for Snow by Orphan Pamuk. This book follows our main character Ka as he returns to Turkey after having been exiled for 12 years. He rediscovers writing, reunites with an old friend, and explores the challenge of teen suicide in the city of Kars. This book will fall around you like a heavy snow, leaving you cold in some places and warm in others. I group it in my beautifully sad novels.

Kindle - Location, Location, Location

Thanks are due to my friend Lora for sharing yesterday's big news in the electronic reading world via Twitter feed. I know that GBC K1m and I both share excitement that real page numbers will finally enter the Kindle world. While Amazon has a nice spin in their user guide that:

Locations are the digital answer to page numbers. Since you can change the text size on Kindle, the page numbers would change too, but with locations, you can be confident that you return to the same place every time regardless of the text size you prefer. [Note: Kindle's User Guide does not have page numbers either so this quote could not be properly referenced.]

While I salute the engineer's logic who developed this methodology, if s/he thinks that I can remember I finished last night's book at "Locations 5840-55," s/he gave me too much credit (and I am a numbers gal). So thank you Amazon, and thank you to the hundreds of people who actually used the user feedback email address to prompt the change.

Other items which I think could be improved:

1) Allowing the dictionary to be used on one-half of a hyphenated word (half, e.g.), particularly for those of us reading old Victorian novels

2) Beginning a book on the front cover rather than "Chapter 1". I am, after all, a traditionalist with books and I do like to read all the notes at the beginning. I also want a view of the cover, albeit electronic greyscale.

Not Your Easter Bonnet

Some of my favorite evenings are dinner parties. The combination of an eclectic crowd, a nice meal, bottles of reading water, and conversation ranging from the intensely geeky to the best of current events reminded me of some of our best GBC evenings. One of the highlights of last night's event was the discovery of a new book genre: "bonnet books." (These Amish romances gained their nickname due to the frequency of young women in bonnets on the front cover.) A search this morning led me to articles in Time, WSJ, and Newsweek which explored the more recent popularity growth and highlighted one of the genre's leading writers, Cindy Woodsmall. With my interest in the odd and unusual, my curiosity is piqued; I may just have to add one of these titles to my list.

Just That the Time Was Wrong...or Right?

Did you ever pick up a book intending to give it to someone else and then never seeing the person and/or deciding that the Universe intended that the book might perhaps instead be meant for you?

No. Just me? I mean, just my friend?

And so it is with The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun by Gretchen Rubin. The note to the reader ends with "Whenever you read this, and wherever you are, you are in the right place to begin." Perhaps it is the combination of lack of sleep, excessive caffeine, and endorphin high from my morning yoga sun salutations, but this statement resonated with me. I have long been a fan of Wordsworth's "To begin, begin" and Rubin's statement combines the right amount of philosophy and action that appeals to an engineer.

So the book will stay on my, rather my friend's shelf and be queued up for the next read.

Followed by a Moon Shadow

I have had a few days this winter where I felt as if I was trapped in Groundhog Day. In the film, Bill Murray lives the worst day of his life over and over and over again. Despite the dreary synopsis, it is a hopeful comedy for any of you who haven't seen it (meaning those of you born in the 80s). Our protagonist Phil questions why he could not have re-lived the amazing day in the Virgin Islands rather than the cold Punxsutawney in which he now appears to be destined. (It is never the great ones which repeat.) The film is filled with nice one-liners and one of the better performances by Andie McDowell (especially compared to the other film where she quotes weather - "is it raining?").

And so when I have these days that run into weeks and I feel stuck in a place that "can't spell espresso or cappuccino," I think of the film and the concept of bettering oneself each day. Oh, and I always drink to world peace.