Lots of book quotes!

Okay, I'm reading a book of quotes--what else am I going to have? :) Plus, a quote from Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo. Hope you like them as much as I do...

There is nothing quite as painful as a truly awkward silence. If you have fallen in love and you tell the object of your affection how you feel and she simply stares at you, the air is still and empty, that's awkward. Perhaps you finally get up the nerve to ask your boss for a raise and after you muster the courage to blurt out your request he lets it just hang there in the open air. That can be an awkward silence as well. But for some reason both those examples pale in comparison to the kind of uncomfortable silence a person might experience when trapped in the stomach of a colossal earth snake, miles under the ground, where there is nothing but total darkness and the sound of your own self taking your final hot breaths of musty, stale air, after you've just received news that the one person who you believe could save you because he is so big and powerful is hiding out in the pocket of a friend as a...toothpick.
--Obert Skye from Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo


If you've ever had your rude parts sniffed by two thousand tiny nostrils, you will know how he felt.
--Daren King from Mouse Noses on Toast


Without much accuracy, with strangely little love at all, your family will decide for you exactly who you are, and they'll keep nudging, coaxing, poking you until you've changed into that very simple shape.
--Allan Gurganus


Properly to see things you need to talk about them.
--Henry James


Savoring non-relatedness. Put the emphasis on savoring.
--Susan Sontag


What is straight? A line can be straight, or a street, but the human heart, oh, no, it's curved like a road through mountains!
--Tennessee Williams

I did it!

My personal challenge for my vacation was to finish reading Inkdeath, Evil Genius, Full Frontal Feminism, and Breaking Dawn.

Challenge accomplished. :)

I'm especially glad to have finished Full Frontal Feminism because I had been "reading" it for over a year. It was a great book, I just set it down and got distracted by other things (from the library, of course). And I'm glad I finished Breaking Dawn. I was delaying because I was unhappy with how the book was progressing.

Yay, me!

It's the last day of my vacation, so I'll have to see what I can finish today, then update on my vacation challenge (to see how many books I could read on vacation). I think I had an unfair advantage in that my power was off, but hey...it's not like I'm really competing against anyone. :)

A very short short story

Discovered while reading The Naughty Bits edited by Jack Murnighan.

"This Condition" by Lydia Davis

In this condition: stirred not only by men but by women, fat and thin, naked and clothed, by teenagers and children in latency; by animals such as horses and dogs; by certain vegetables such as carrots, zucchinis and cucumbers; by certain fruits such as melons, grapefruits and kiwis; by certain plant parts such as petals, sepals, stamens and pistils, by the bare arm of a wooden chair, a round vase holding flowers, a little hot sunlight, a plate of pudding, a person entering a tunnel in the distance, a puddle of water, a hand alighting on a smooth stone, a hand alighting on a bare shoulder, a naked tree limb; by anything curved, bare and shining, as the limb or bole of a tree; by any touch, as the touch of a stranger handling money; by anything round and freely hanging, as tassels on a curtain, chestnut burrs on a twig in spring, a wet tea bag on its string; by anything glowing, as a hot coal; anything soft or slow, as a cat rising from a chair, anything smooth and dry, as a stone, or warm and glistening; anything sliding, anything sliding back and forth; anything sliding in and out with an oiled surface, as certain machine parts; anything of a certain shape, like the state of Florida; anything pounding, anything stroking, anything bolt upright, anything horizontal and gaping, as a certain sea anemone; anything warm, anything wet, anything wet and red, anything turned red, as the sun at evening; anything wet and pink; anything long and straight with a blunt end, as a pestle; anything coming out of anything else, as a snail from its shell, as a snail’s horns from its head; anything opening; any stream of water running, any stream running, any stream spurting, any stream spouting, any cry, any soft cry, any grunt; anything going into anything else, as a hand searching in a purse; anything clutching, anything grasping; anything rising, anything tightening or filling, as a sail; anything dripping, anything hardening, anything softening.

reading 2008 in review

Woo-hoo! I beat my total last year!

2008 total: 1151

380 manga
233 graphic novels
204 picture books
131 young adult fiction
62 youth fiction
47 adult non fiction
42 comics
31 adult fiction
18 youth non ficiton
3 young adult non fiction

My most reading-est month was July with 119 books and my least reading-est month was November with 58 books. I was a busy girl...

Compare to 2007 & 2006...

2007 total: 1118
433 manga
269 picture books
158 graphic novels
79 young adult fiction
68 adult non fiction
60 youth fiction
38 adult fiction
10 youth non fiction
2 young adult non fiction
1 zine

2006 total: 263
85 graphic novels
84 manga
34 adult fiction
20 young adult fiction
18 youth fiction
11 picture books
10 adult non fiction

books i've read december 2008

12.1.08

• The Robe of Skulls by Vivian French (Y)
• One Hundred Young Americans by Michael Franzini (A-NF)

12.2.08

• Bleach #7 by Tite Kubo (M)
• Bleach #8 by Tite Kubo (M)
• Bleach #9 by Tite Kubo (M)

12.3.08

• Vunce Upon a Time by J. Otto Seibold & Siobhan Vivian (PB)
• Pierre in Love by Sara Pennypacker & Petra Mathers (PB)
• Meet Wild Boars by Meg Rosoff & Sophie Blackall (PB)
• Our Library by Eve Bunting & Maggie Smith (PB)
• A Kitten Tale by Eric Rohmann (PB)
• Inubaka: Crazy for Dogs #1 by Yukiya Sakuragi (M)
• Honey and Clover #1 by Chica Umino (M)

12.4.08

• Wet Moon, Volume 1: Feeble Wanderings by Ross Campbell (GN)
• The Good Witch of the West #1 by Haruhiko Momokawa & Noriko Ogiwara (M)
• The Best of Dinosaur Comics 2003-2005 A.D.: Your Whole Family Is Made Out of Meat by Ryan North (GN)

12.6.08

• The Cat That Changed My Life: 50 Cats Talk Candidly About How They Became Who They Are by Bruce Eric Kaplan (A)
• Yozakura Quartet #1 by Suzuhito Yasuda (M)
• Berkeley's Barn Owl Dance by Tera Johnson & Tania Howells (PB)
• Revelations by Melissa de la Cruz (YA)
• Love*Com #8 by Aya Nakahara (M)

12.7.08

• Empire (Groundwork Guide) by James Laxer (YA-NF)

12.8.08

• Salt Water Taffy: The Seaside Adventures of Jack and Benny volume 1: "The Legend of Old Salty" by Matthew Loux (GN)
• Seamore, the Very Forgetful Porpoise by J. Otto Seibold & Darcie Edgemon (PB)
• The Wallflower #17 by Tomoko Hayakawa (M)
• Love Attack #2 by Shizuru Seino (M)

12.11.08

• The Scrambled States of America Talent Show by Laurie Keller (PB)
• I'm the Best Artist in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry (PB)
• Wuv Bunnies from Outers Pace by David Elliott & Ethan Long (Y)
• The Lump of Coal by Lemony Snicket & Brett Helquist (PB)
• The Uglified Ducky by Willy Claflin & James Stimson (PB)
• Baby Dragon by Amy Ehrlich & Will Hillenbrand (PB)
• Nobody Notices Minerva by Wednesday Kirwan (PB)
• Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett (PB)
• Kitchen Princess #1 by Natsumi Ando & Miyuki Kobayashi (M)
• Who's Got Game? Poppy or the Snake? by Toni Morrison, Slade Morrison, & Pascal Lamaitre (GN)
• The Wolves Are Back by Jean Craighead George & Wendell Minor (Y-NF)

12.13.08

• Lap Dancing for Mommy: Tender Stories of Disgust, Blame and Inspiration by Erika Lopez (GN)
• Against Happiness by Eric G. Wilson (A-NF)
• Stuff White People Like: The Definitive Guide to the Unique Taste of Millions by Christian Lander (A)
• Dark Horse: New Recruits edited by Michael Carriglitto (GN)
• The Grave Robber's Daughter by Richard Sala (GN)
• Tough Love: High School Confidential by Abby Denson (GN)
• Oliver Nocturne: The Sunlight Slayers by Kevin Emerson (Y)

12.14.08

• Pornography (Goundwork Guide) by Debbie Nathan (YA-NF)
• Kitchen Princess #2 by Natsumi Ando & Miyuki Kobayashi (M)
• B.P.R.D.: Plague of Frogs by Mike Mignola & Guy Davis (GN)
• B.P.R.D.: The Soul of Venice and Other Stories by Mignola, Cunther, Oeming, Augustyn, Davis, Johns, Kolins, Harris, Pollina, & Stewart (GN)
• Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke (Y)

12.15.08

• Jumpy Jack & Googly by Meg Rosoff & Sophie Blackall (PB)
• Madam President by Lane Smith (PB)
• Who's Got Game? The Lion or the Mouse? by Toni Morrison, Slade Morrison, & Pascal Lemaitre (GN)
• Who's Got Game? The Ant or the Grasshopper? by Toni Morrison, Slade Morrison, & Pascal Lemaitre (GN)
• Tyrannosaurus Drip by Julia Donaldson & David Roberts (PB)
• La Corda d'Oro #3 by Yuki Kure (M)
• La Corda d'Oro #4 by Yuki Kure (M)
• B.P.R.D.: The Dead by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, & Guy Davis (GN)

12.16.08

• B.P.R.D.: The Black Flame by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, & Guy Davis (GN)
• B.P.R.D.: The Universal Machine by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, & Guy Davis (GN)
• The Fire Eternal by Chris D'Lacey (Y)

12.17.08

• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (YA)

12.18.08

• My Heavenly Hockey Club #3 by Ai Morinaga (M)
• Kitchen Princess #3 by Natsumi Ando & Miyuki Kobayashi (M)
• Kitchen Princess #4 by Natsumi Ando & Miyuki Kobayashi (M)
• The Book of Mean People by Toni Morrison, Slade Morrison, & Pascal Lemaitre (PB)
• Louse, the Adventures of a Chicken by Kate DiCamillo & Harry Bliss (PB)

12.19.08

• A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle (YA)

12.23.08

• Humpty Dumpty Climbs Again by Dave Horowitz (PB)
  
• Chickenhare: The House of Klaus by Chris Grine (GN)
• Gear School by Adam Gallardo, Nuria Peris, & Sergio Sandoval (GN)
• Abe Sapien: The Drowning by Mike Mignola & Jason Shaw Alexander (GN)
• Love, Splat by Rob Scotton (PB)
• Katie Loves the Kittens by John Himmelman (PB)
• Chester's Back! by Melanie Watt (PB)
• Oil (Groundwork Guide) by James Laxer (YA-NF)
• Dorothy of Oz #1 by Son Hee-Joon (M)
• Satisfaction Guaranteed #5 by Ryo Saenagi (M)

12.25.08

• Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks (YA)

12.27.08

• Theodosia and the Staff of Osiris by R.L. LaFevers (Y)
• Platinum Garden #5 by Maki Fujita (M)

12.28.08

• Potatoe Joe by Keith Baker (PB)
• Stella, Unleashed: Notes from the Doghouse by Linda Ashman & Paul Meisel (PB)
• The Adventures of Max and Pinky: Best Buds by Maxwell Eaton III (PB)
• That Book Woman by Heather Henson & David Small (PB)
• It's Moving Day! by Pamela Hickman & Geraldo Valerio (PB)
• Splat the Cat by Rob Scotton (PB)
• Russell the Sheep by Rob Scotton (PB)
• Bleach #10 by Tite Kubo (M)
• High School Debut #4 by Kazune Kawahara (M)
• Kitchen Princess #5 by Natsumi Ando & Miyuki Kobayashi (M)
• Kitchen Princess #6 by Natsumi Ando & Miyuki Kobayashi (M)
• Kitchen Princess #7 by Natsumi Ando & Miyuki Kobayashi (M)
• De:Tales: Stories from Urban Brazil by Fabio Moon & Gabriel Ba (GN)
• Jack of Fables: Americana by Bill Willingham, Matthew Sturges, Russ Braun, Tony Akins, Andrew Pepoy, & Steve Leialoha (GN)
• Mad Night by Richard Sala (GN)

12.29.08

• Chickens to the Rescue by John Himmelman (PB)
• An Artist's America by Michael Albert (Y-NF)
• Ookpik: The Travels of a Snowy Owl by Bruce Hiscock (Y-NF)
• When the Wolves Returned: Restoring Nature's Balance in Yellowstone by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent, Dan Hartman, & Cassie Hartman (Y-NF)
• The Planet Gods: Myths & Facts About the Solar System by Jacqueline Mitton & Christina Balit (Y-NF)
• Boo, Bunny! by Kathryn O. Galbraith & Jeff Mack (PB)
• Full Frontal Feminism by Jessica Valenti (A-NF)
• True Lies: The Book of Bad Advice by Mariko Tamaki (A-NF)
• 666: The Number of the Beast (YA)

12.30.08

• Jung: A Very Short Introduction by Anthony Stevens (A-NF)
• The Adventures of Max and Pinky: The Mystery by Maxwell Eaton III (PB)
• The Pet Dragon: A Story About Adventure, Friendship, and Chinese Characters by Christoph Niemann (PB)
• Imaginary Menagerie: A Book of Curious Creatures by Julie Larios & Julie Paschkis (PB)
• Indian Tales: A Barefoot Collection by Shenaaz Nanji & Christopher Corr (Y)
• Sea Queens: Women Pirates Around the World by Jane Yolen & Christine Joy Pratt (Y-NF)
• B.P.R.D.: Garden of Souls by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, & Guy Davis (GN)
• Oliver Nocturne: Blood Ties by Kevin Emerson (Y)
• The Funeral Director's Son by Coleen Murtagh Paratore (Y)

12.31.08

• Cycler by Lauren McLaughlin (YA)

12.08 total: 113

9 youth fiction; 5 adult non fiction; 25 manga; 35 picture books; 22 graphic novels; 2 adult fiction; 6 young adult fiction; 3 young adult non fiction; 6 youth non fiction