Book 19: Just a Geek by Wil Wheaton

I did finish this in 2013, just right at the end, and I have not gotten a chance to do a write up.

As I was reading this I was thinking how much of a geek I am.  I am not what one could consider a full fledged geek.  I don't do what most people consider geeky, but I understand geek culture to a higher degree than the average person.  This may be due to the fact that I am married to a geek, but I think I was leaning that way even before I meet him.  But back to my level of geekness.  Even if I am not up on computer games, cos-play or conventions I have my own things I geek out over that most people just don't understand- Have you seen my blog devoted to F Scott Fitzgerald?

However, I don't think you need to be a geek to appreciate this book.  It is more a book about coming to terms with ones-self.  I didn't realize how old the book was when I downloaded it (it was written in 2004).  I just wish it was a bit more current.

Book 18: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Here is another book I have been hearing about and I thought I would pick up as my bed time reading.  It took me longer to get through than I thought it would considering it is a Young Adult novel.

It is a story if a young foster German girl living in Nazi Germany.  It is also a story narrated by death, who is very busy at this time in history.  It is a good book, it is a different kind of book.  It is a tear jerk-er.  It is a book not for the younger YA audience but for those who are a bit older.  I say this only because I am not sure my preteen would be able to follow and go along with the jerkiness of the story.  It is not a smoothly narrated story instead it has weird breaks and interjections.

Definitely  worth the read.

Not sure what it up next.  I am reading some "parenting" type things right now, and of course working through my final short stories of Fitzgerald.  I may pick up a loner newer book, or try to read some DH Lawrence that I downloaded.

Short Stories 48-52: various Fitzgerald stories from 1926-1927

Presumption
The Adolescent Marriage
Your Way and Mine
The Love Boat
Jacob's Ladder

Full Reviews at Fitz. Musings

It took me forever to read these, but I finally did- whew.  I think the best of this bunch is The Adolescent Marriage, The Love Boat and Jacob's Ladder.  Presumption is good and Your Way and Mine is terrible.

Hair: Month 2

Month 2 of growing out my hair- I have been very good with not using styling products and I have only used my hair dryer twice, and only for times that I needed it.  I still have been drying my bangs, and I have had them trimmed this past month.

This month I had finished using Liggets bar shampoo and have moved on to a handmade shampoo bar from Chagrin Valley, but I will show you about that next month.  My head was getting a tad itchy, so I am applying a lime water rinse which seems to be helping. 

I still have not gotten the hang of taking pictures of the back of my head....

And in comparison-

Not sure there is much difference, but I did pull this from my files.  It was taken back in September of 2012.

So in the past year I have had some growth.

Book 17: The Gospel According to Coco Chanel: Life Lessons from the World's Most Elegant Woman by Karen Karbo

I am not sure why I even picked up this book for my tablet, but I did.  It maybe that it was on a sale and it was late at night.  I am sure I bought it for less than the $8.00 it is currently selling for.

With all that said, I liked the book and was irritated by the book.  I really enjoyed the topic and I really didn't know much about Coco Chanel and her career.  I was fascinated by her early life.  What irriteted by was the writing style of Ms. Karbo.  I always feel a tad icky when I say this, I mean who am I to criticize someones writing knowing I would be no better.  But basically, I felt the author was too wordy and was trying too hard to be clever.  It felt like a blog writer who was trying to sound like she was having a personal conversation with the reader over drinks.  She just inserted herself too much into the story for my taste.

However, for an introduction into Chanel, it was satisfactory.

Book 16: Cary Grant: A Celebration of Style by Richard Torregrossa

Ok, so there is a reason why I read a book on Cary Grant, besides the obvious answer that he is just nice to look at.  I picked up this book as research for my final project.  For class we needed to pick a celebrity to design a room for, alive or dead.  And after doing some research I ended up with Cary Grant, because of his style icon status.

I found this book very interesting, it is centered around the way Cary Grant dressed himself, and how he transformed from a poor boy from Bristol to fashion icon.  It focuses on his fashion philosophy and his over all sense of style.

Well done.

Short Stories 38-47: Just too many to list - remaining stories from 1930-1931

The Bridal Party
Two Wrongs
One Trip Abroad
Babylon Revisited
The Hotel Child
A New Leaf
Indecision
A Change of Class
Between Three and Four
Flight and Pursuit

I am not even sure where to start with this grouping of stories, some them are fantastic, like The Bridal Party, Two Wrongs, Babylon Revisited and A New Leaf.  There are Tender is the Night cluster stories: One Trip Abroad, Two Wrongs and the Hotel Child.  And there are some stories that were just written to pay the bills and lack the finesse of his great stories: Indecision, A Change Of Class, Between Three and Four and Flight and Pursuit.

Honestly I am a little surprised that there is such a wide gap in the qualities of this cluster.  But when thinking about how stressed and strained he was at this point I think it becomes clearer.  he was struggling to complete Tender, Zelda starts having melt downs, Scott is struggling with alcoholism.  It is all just one big jumble, which accounts for some of the stinkers, and the struggles can also help create the gems.

As always, I have links to Fitzgerald Musings where I write in more detail of the stories listed here.