My type of book

This is a photo from Guyana.  I'm sure you're jumping wildly about with excitement thinking, "Hot dog!  She's going to tell a story from that trip she took where she didn't tell us any stories?  She's finally thought of one?  And she's going to share it and show us that she loves her blog readers just as much/more than she loves her facebook friends, even though she usually dislikes facebook and loves Google, thereby we infer that she should love her (Google-powered) blog readers extra-much and eschew her facebook friends?  This is that time?"

Uh, no.  You should probably stop over-thinking things.  I still don't have Guyana stories.  And why would you use the expression "hot dog"?  That seems a little outdated.  Not like I'm judging you, I'm just pointing that out.

Now that it's established that this story doesn't actually relate to Guyana (except to say: this picture was taken in Guyana), allow me to continue.

This is a photograph of my brother and I, reading.  Is this unusual?  Indeed, it is not.  We tend to read all the time.  Stop light?  Time to read!  Family gathering gone long?  Book!  Airport?  Bound and printed is how I like my material, thanks.

So anyhow, we read.  The whole family, really.  My younger sister has a love/hate relationship with reading (I know, WHAT?  I just stop at the love/ and pretend that the slash is part of the word.  Oh me?  I have a loveslash relationship with reading.  You?) but recently I got her hooked on The Mysterious Benedict Society books, and she's nearly done with the four books (three plus the prequel) and she only started the series on Friday.  It makes me so proud.

Anyhow, the book she was reading in Guyana was some book published by Reader's Digest a while ago about the human body.  Seemed like a book I'd probably not rather read, though my brother and I both read books of my choosing while in Guyana, and they weren't exactly a laugh a minute.  I thought her book seemed sort of boring, she thought my books were boring.  Figure that.  You can't really see in the photo (see?  the picture actually has a purpose) but we're both reading books that you may not have perused yet.  Mine is called Just My Type, and his is called The Elegant Universe.

I have to go on record as saying that Just My Type was a quicker read than The Elegant Universe.  Just My Type was a book about fonts, and it was very well written.  The author went through the history of fonts ever since Gutenberg made them popular, and it even has a section on the interrobang.  My favorite ever.  The Elegant Universe is about the string theory, which I find quite interesting, however... it gets a little long.

Confession time.  I'm still not finished reading The Elegant Universe.  I got it out from the library around Easter time, but didn't have time to read it, so I returned it and got it out again before Guyana.  Seeing as my brother didn't think to bring a book (WHAT?) on the trip, I lent him mine, and I read my other book--the font book--and he read the string theory one.  He didn't finish it either.  But I still intend to finish it.  It really is a good book.  Honestly.  I actually laughed out loud in one part.

I'm such a nerd.

But anyhow, that's sort of my whole point in this story.  I sometimes weird myself out.  Here's the thing:  I (sadly) fall prey to reading Karen Kingsbury/Beverly Lewis/pick a Christian author and I've probably read a book by him/her thing.  But I've been trying to read more informative books and less pointlessness recently.  Not that I think there's something wrong with Christian fiction (I'm... not one of those people.  I understand that Philippians 4:8 says "whatsoever things are true," but I still read fiction, even in light of that), but sometimes I take stock of my life and think, "Hm.  I don't have a lot of education, but I do read.  So I should educate myself via words.  That much I can do."  So I read things like The Elegant Universe.

But I don't always like reading books like The Elegant Universe.  I get halfway through and think, "Brian.  Oh, Brian.  WHY ARE YOU ONLY NOW GETTING TO THE PART ABOUT STRING THEORY!?"  (May I just interject that this would be a perfect place for an interrobang?  Do you see why I miss it so much?  Seriously, I cannot believe that it didn't take!  It sorrows me!)  Because seriously, the author (Brian, in case you somehow missed that, and thought I fondly gave the actual book a name) spends the whole first half of the book discussing either the theory of general relativity or quantum mechanics.  I understand why he had to lay so much groundwork, but after a while it got to the point where I just wished he'd, well, get to the point.  So anyhow, when I'm halfway through such books, and furrowing my brow and making solemn promises to myself that no child of mine will ever have the name Brian I think what am I doing?

And then I get all guilty.  Am I reading nerdy books because I actually am tired of Karen Kingsbury and cohorts?  Or do I just like to read smart books because it's a nifty conversation starter?  Or do I just really like to learn things?  Am I being pretentious?  Does Brian Greene really have to go into so much detail?

Sorry.  That last question clearly isn't in relation to most books.

I just have to evaluate my motives every once in a while.  I've pretty much decided that I actually want to read the books, and I'm not just being pretentious.  Because I've tried having conversations about nerdy things, and it never works, and then I just feel awkward.  Actually, I take that back.  I have a cousin who actually understands the string theory.  I was talking to him about it, and I was like, "Sweet!  Give me the condensed version!  It'll save me from finishing the book I started!"  And... as it turns out, he doesn't have a condensed version.  It was rather lengthy, and just as we got to the actual string theory part (which is to say, he laid the groundwork, the part I've actually gotten through in the book I'm reading)... our conversation got cut off.

And he lives many hours away from me.

So now I have to finish my book.

Ugh.

Thing is, technically I could just read the wikipedia article about it and call it a day.  But... I'm obsessive.  I can't not finish a book I've started.  Actually, I've actually been able to not finish books in recent years, which I count as being a very grown-up thing to do, but it sort of hurts me.  And at this point I think I'll probably go crazy if I don't finish this book.  I've been working hard on it.

How did I start this topic?  Oh yes.  I saw the book on my dresser (conveniently under my stack of Bible, Kindle, and journal) and furrowed my eyebrows at it.  And figured that I would talk about it (a lot) in my blog, and maybe that would count as reading a few pages or something.

Doesn't usually work that way.  Sorrow.

In other news, I must disclaimer this message.  Thing is, these books are interesting.  I have learned a lot thus far in The Elegant Universe, and I learned a lot while reading Just My Type (the author is from England, so he talks a lot about the fonts they use on signs around London and stuff, and he would have photos of said signs in the book, and I would feel well-traveled because I'd seen those very signs.  Even though every person who's been to London or traveled even a few miles on the M1 has seen those signs, which technically makes it way less cool that I've seen them.  Though let's be honest.  It was cool that I'd seen those signs), but I must admit that neither author is a Christian.  The science book teaches evolution like it's a fact.  Scientists.  Pfft.  The font book casually references typographers traveling about with girlfriends.  Sinners.  Pfft.

Problems I didn't have with Karen Kingsbury, bless her heart.  (And I'm really not trying to pick on her.  She's just well known, thereby an easy reference point.)

Maybe the moral of the story is that I should finally buckle down and read Darby's synopsis.  My mother had read it by the time she was my age.  Virtuous woman.

Food for thought.

Suddenly I realize that I didn't have a point with this rather lengthy post.  So I'll make a point.

.

Haha, get it?  Periods are points.

I... need more sleep.

Some days I can't read.

I was reading an article about Microsoft and Barnes and Noble and their partnership, and for some reason, when I read about the "MS-powered tablet," I thought, "Now why are they suddenly talking about Multiple Sclerosis medication?"

And no, I can't find the article I was reading.  I just put a link for one from Fast Company, since I follow them on Pulse and knew right where to find an article about it.

And this, my friends, is why I shouldn't be allowed to stay up late.  Because when I do, I apparently confuse Microsoft with a terrible disease.

Some signs I'm getting older

1) I really like cooked mushrooms. I used to hate them.
2) When someone called my office yesterday to say that her husband has passed away, I can this close to crying. It was so sad!
3) I realized I don't like the Disney channel any more.
4) I actually take the time to weigh my options about things.
5) Also, I don't just read everything with words. I just pick the ones that I deem worth my time.
6) I sleep all the time (nothing new, I'm just stating a fact).
7) And (drum roll, please) I even eat raw mushrooms. And (mostly) like them. Ipes!

Lent

So, I think Lent is crazy. If you wanted to give something up to one-up your flesh or whatever (still not sure I understand Lent, truth be told) then you should do it at any time. Like I decided caffeine was bad for me, and stopped taking it. Done and done. My sister gave up gluten for Lent last year, my best friend went off Chipotle, and last year I gave up nothing. This year, for some reason, I got sucked into the whole Lenten celebration (oops, Lent is supposed to be sad), and have given up... cheese.

Why cheese? Well, as I was explaining to someone the other day, I don't have a lot of vices to speak of. I don't spend a lot of money using a bank card of any sort (someone suggested that I use only cash during Lent). I don't drink or smoke, I don't drink coffee or any such habitual drink (no caffeine, remember?). I can't give up "worldly music" because they play it at work, and I don't think I could convince them to not turn on the radio for the next month and a half. If I didn't hold a job, it would make sense for me to not read fiction during Lent, but truth be told, I rarely get time to read these days, so it wouldn't feel like I was actually giving something up. Ditto movies, I don't even have time to watch them, nor the inclination, nor the ability. So that left me with... cheese.

But again, why cheese? Well, in my family, cheese is a big deal. Not that we gather round and give thanks to the brilliant men who first figured out how to make cheese delicious, but rather that we eat it a lot. Eggs, casseroles, spaghetti, macaroni, quesadillas, pretty much everything we make in a jiffy has cheese involved. Meals without cheese take more time, because they require actual planning involving flavour not derived from cheese.

So fare thee well, cheese, I shall devour thee once again come Easter.

Oh, the best part of Lent this year? My two best friends are giving up pop and going out to eat, respectively. I think we'll all be a little worse for the wear by the time it's all over. Huzzah to strength in numbers!

'Tis done!

When I decided, a few months into reading the Bible this past time, that I wanted to read through the whole thing in a year, I figured I'd get close.  Maybe get there, maybe not.  But, to my eternal surprise, I managed to read the Bible very quickly.  In fact, I finished reading the Bible today.  I can't do math very well, but I think August to April is nine months.  Which is cool.

Did I like it?  Yeah.  Would I have been able to do that my first time through?  Uh, no.  As I was flying through some portions of the Bible (I think I read all the minor prophets in a week) I realized that I was only able to do that because I've gone over these Books before, and studied them out.  Not just the minor prophets, either.  While I was reading through books like Hebrews and Revelation sometimes I would pause and think "if I hadn't heard this explained a hundred and seven times, I would have no idea what was going on."

But it worked.  Very well.  Even if I never attempt such a feat again, I'm totally going to read the early history books (Kings, Chronicles, Ezra, etc.) as close to the prophets as I can (especially Jeremiah and Isaiah).  I've always sort of been weirded out when people talk about reading the Bible "as a novel," but I think I finally understand what they're trying to say.  They're not comparing it to a novel, but rather treating its readability as a novel.  For my part, I usually forget all the history stuff by the time I've gotten to the prophets, thereby making it difficult to remember things like who Uzziah was or why Jotham was important.

And don't even get me started on all the different names of Jehoiachin/Jechoniah/Coniah.  If those are the proper names, anyhow.  But it's rather confusing to me.  But this time, thanks to the fact that there was only about a month between those two sections, I managed to remember most of what I'd read in the history books.  And it made the prophets so much more enjoyable!

Anyhow, truth be told, I'm not sure I'll ever have enough time to do this again.  The only reason I was able to do this was because I set a goal to read at least five chapters a day (there's that whole three-a-day and five-on-Lord's Day thing that I couldn't follow all the way because I started multiple months into my year, so I figured five a day might do it) but I started bringing my full-sized Bible to my nanny job (once I realized I could no longer read my small Bible, which was sorrowful) and usually sat around in the mornings and drank a cup of coffee and read the Bible for a while.  That was cool.  And at night times I would read my Bible before and after getting ready for bed.  Usually two or three chapters when I first went up to my room to get ready for bed, and two or three more right before I went to sleep.  That way I wasn't bogging myself down with a bunch of chapters, and I was always ready to pick up where I'd left off 45 minutes prior, or however long it might have been.

Anyhow, I'm not sure why I'm blathering on about this, but since I've long given up the days of excitedly telling my family when I finished the Bible each time, yet I still get that rush of hopefulness that tells me that each time I finish reading the Bible the Lord's coming is SO much closer, I always feel like blathering.  And now I have a place to do so!

Funny story.  The first time I finished reading through the Bible by myself I was maybe nine or ten, and I was SO excited, and I went out into the hallway that connected all the bedrooms, and a few of my sisters were standing around talking, and I told them that I'd finished the Bible for the first time ALL BY MYSELF!  At this point one of my sisters looked at me and said "So have we.  Many more times than you."  And that was the last time I celebrated that joyous event with my family.  But I still get excited, and the Lord and I throw a party.  Mostly because He did such an amazing job on the Bible.  Every time I read it, no matter how quickly I may go through it, I find so many cool and new things to think about and learn.  What an amazing book!

Mega magazine pressures

I enjoy reading magazines, because of their ability to have current-type articles without the pressure of the constant updates of newspapers (which usually make you play hide-and-seek with their articles anyhow, what does that even mean, “continued on C4,” anyhow?) and internet resources. But magazines are very difficult for me to read, which means that I’m very picky about what magazines I read.

Words are basically amazing, as I’ve said before. I appreciate that words have a direct effect on me, and recognize their sway over me. So what’s the deal with magazines? Well, it’s like this.

When I read, I like to concentrate on what I’m reading. I like to start at point A and read all the way until the conclusion of the piece, presumably point Z. But in a magazine, there are little pictures, sidebars, timelines, sometimes they make you switch to entirely different pages to finish reading what you’ve started (sometimes it upsets me that they make you pay to read something that makes you play hide-and-seek with pieces of their magazine), and often they have corresponding inset boxes, just in case you need little extras on what you’re reading.

When I read magazines I have to either read straight through the entire article and go back to read the extras later (which is difficult, because my word radar knows I’m skipping over sections and yells at me), or I can look through the article first, read all the extra things, study the pictures, and then flip back and start the main text of the article once I’m finished reading all the bells and whistles. But when I do that, most of the time I have no idea what the side boxes are even talking about, seeing as I generally haven’t read the main article first, which usually directly relate to the extras.

It’s a tough call, which is usually why I have to skip magazines altogether. I make an exception for kid’s magazines (like Highlights, Cricket, Muse, or Ranger Rick) and Christianity Today and Reader’s Digest. Sometimes, if I have time and feel like proofreading, I’ll read Time.

Wow, that basically killed my whole point. That’s kind of a lot of magazines, more than I thought I read. Goes to show how little I realize about myself.

Actually, I know a lot of people who read a lot more magazines than that, if you’d believe it. But hey, if you don’t have time to read a book, and feel comfortable having to mentally skip all over pages like that, then magazines are as good as the next thing.

Till I get old and forgetful, however, I think my disdain for skipping around from box to box will insure many a tense magazine-reading sessions. I hope I'm a very happy old person, that's all I can say.

Technological pressures (or, lack thereof)

I've pretty much decided that I'm not going to post on the weekends, obviously. But also, there's no way I'm going to feel obliged to post on a regular basis at all. For one, I find it difficult to check my email every day, and all those social networking sites? Not so much. Of course, I use that word "all" fairly liberally, because I only belong to one, but I do go for weeks at a time without logging on to it.

Which is ironic, because this is a time period where I will have more time then I ever will again in my whole life. Well, that's presuming the Lord comes before I get old and have lots of time again. But for now, I have a bunch of time, but I don't use it for computer-related things. Which I'm OK with. I semi-recently decided it would be cool to read through the Bible in a year (I usually just read and see how long it takes) but I decided that since I do have all this time, I should read more than I usually do. But since I don't have any sort of inkling regarding how much I have to read to complete the Bible in a year, I just sort of read random amounts at a time. I know that if you're doing the traditional in-a-year thing, you're supposed to read three chapters a day, and five on Sunday, but since I began reading the Bible this time in August, and didn't decide to finish it in twelve months until February or something, well, I have no idea how much that sets me behind. Every once in a while I'm like "according to the page numbers, I have X amount of pages left, so that means..." but since I'm bad at math, well, I never get any farther than that.

Which is a terrible thing to say, I know. I mean, it would be appalling if somebody were like "I never really learned how to read well, so I just don't read, or maybe I've forgotten how to read by now" so it's awful to use my lame-o math excuse. But I am fairly bad at math, no joke. Which is why I have my "gmail goggles" feature turned on where on late nights, I have to do math questions before I can send my emails. I have it on the easiest level, but it's something, right?