Tuesday, February 23, 2010

A slight delay...

It has been over a week since I last wrote -- unfortunately. I have been meaning to try and update this blog on the interesting magazine articles that I have been reading, but have had some of the worst migraines of my life recently. These migraines have been so debilitating that I have not been able to spend much time on my computer, let alone updating my blog or getting much reading done. But, lucky for you, I have read a couple of interesting articles recently.

I was reading Smithsonian magazine and came across an intense article about Auschwitz. For those who don't know what Auschwitz is, it was a concentration camp during World War II. The article was predominately about the need to provide preservation for Auschwitz and the nearby Birkenau (also known as Auschwitz II). There is a slight debate taking place over whether Birkenau should be restored as most people think that these concentration camps need to be experienced or whether it should be left to vanish on its own, much like the millions of people that were killed there. The article talked about the condition of the current camp and described the human hair that is still on display for everyone to see. You can read the full article here: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/Can-Auschwitz-Be-Saved.html

I also wanted to pose this question: Do you think that historical sites, such as Auschwitz, that were home to some of the most horrendous acts in history should be preserved or left alone?

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Seriously slacking...

Horrible. That one word can be describe exactly how my book reading is going. I set a goal to read 75 book this year and I have not yet started. Some people might say I am slacking, which I would agree with. Others might say that I am still catching up on the last month's worth of Time magazines, which is also true. The fact of the matter is that I have not yet started my literary journey of 75 books this year. If I don't start soon, I get the feeling that my goal may be in serious jeopardy.

While I have been trying to catch up on reading, I seem to be experiencing extreme tiredness lately. This seems kind of awkward since I am not doing a whole lot that can wear me out. It could possibly be migraines (which I have been suffering from on a daily basis for the last four years) or it could be the intensely sharp pains that I have in my right ear. Either way, I used to be able to read even when I am tired. Now, I'm lucky to read for five minutes before falling asleep in my bed.

I am one of those people that loves to lay in bed and read. That is my sanctuary. That is my time to completely escape from the world and engross myself into a book. I've heard that there are other places people like to read: a back patio, a library, a big, comfy chair, or even in a pile of pillows and blankets in a corner. Out of sheer curiosity, where is your favorite place to read? Where is the weirdest place that you have ever read?

Friday, February 5, 2010

Tv Shows vs Books

So I recently finished watching the series "The West Wing" - if you haven't seen this show, you should definitely check it out. Now, before I started watching this show, I was not very interested in politics. But now, I have found myself learning and reading as much about politics as possible. I went through the same thing with law when I finished watching "Ally McBeal". Not only have those shows opened my eyes to how interesting both politics and law can be, but it has given me a chance to explore subjects that I never thought I would learn about. Have you ever seen a tv show that inspired you to read a certain book or learn about a certain subject?

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Simple Things

The most awesome thing in the world about reading is that it's not limited to just books, magazines and newspapers. There are so great blogs on this crazy information highway that people can read as well. One of those blogs called 1000 Awesome Things is one of the greatest blogs that I have ever read. Each weekday, Neil speaks about an awesome thing in our lives that most of the time is overlooked, such as putting potato chips on sandwiches, and the other side of the pillow. He is counting from 1000 down to the number 1 awesome thing in the world, which of course offers many different opinions. This blog is a classic read that had made me laugh, made me cry, and brought back some incredible memories. You can check out this blog through my blogroll or by going to 1000awesomethings.com.

Speaking of blogs, are there any recommendations you have for great blogs to read?

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

New Books...

I was reading an article last night in an issue of Time Magazine about two new books that are soon to be coming out. The first was from Elizabeth Gilbert, who is coming out with another memoir called "Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage". Having not yet read "Eat, Pray, Love", the article kind of gave away a piece of the ending of that book by describing what this new book is about. I will not give away that piece of information for those of you that also have not read "Eat, Pray, Love".
The author of the article seemed to think that there was too much information being conveyed in this book that the reader will eventually tire of hearing about. Since I have not read any of her work before, I guess I'll have to decide that for myself.

The second book that was mentioned was by Julie Powell, who became known for her blog and her memoir "Julie and Julia". She has recently written another book called "Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession". Not much was given about the synopsis of this book other than it involves her cheating on her husband Eric, and that her writing is almost completely opposite of Gilbert's. I have not read her blog or her first book, so I am sure I will be in a surprise when I compare their writings.

Has anyone read either of these authors before? If so, what do you think about them?