Books & Books

Book Club is meeting at AmyRuth's to discuss The Help tonight (you know how I like to have themed outings), and I absolutely cannot wait! This novel was so provocative, I have to put it on the same short list as Wench, another group favorite from a couple months past. I already know there will be a lot for us to talk about and debate.

This month's book selection is quite a departure: The Piano Teacher, by Janice Y.K. Lee. The setting is Hong Kong pre- and post- WW2. I just started it last night and it seems promising thus far. I hope it doesn't disappoint. Either way, the food we'll eat for this discussion will be sure to please all our palates. I'm already doing the recon on venues, hehe.

Recently discarded on my own time was James Patterson's Sundays at Tiffany's, a fluff piece that doesn't deserve shelf space in my personal library--it was donated within an hour of my finishing it. This was one book that really did deserve to be in the bargain bin at B&N. James Patterson will not be getting a second chance outta me!

My Fortune Cookie

I can't help it: I had to post my fortune cookie saying. Although its packaging is rather banal, the depth of the message resounds.

"Many a false step is made by standing still."

This couldn't be further from the truth, and I must keep this message at the forefront of my mind whenever I feel myself becoming complacent in accomplishing my goals (which I have been as of late--thanks, trashy reality TV!). I guess this is just the universe telling me to snap out of it!

Book Club

A recent jaunt with a couple of the Book Club ladies at Lady Mendl's for afternoon tea.

The March book for Book Club was Skinny Dip, which was funny and witty, but not the greatest read; good entertainment, but not enthused to pick up another of the author's books any time soon,

This month, we are reading The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, which is showing a lot of promise thus far.

Spring Cleaning

It's almost spring, and that means it's "spring cleaning" time! I've out my closet on a diet and refuse to buy myself anything--unless it's something super spectacular, of course. Everyday when I get home from work I go through my dresser drawers, closets and sweater shelves to see what I can donate. Last week I filled 4 Hefty trash bags full of clothing, although beautiful, that I will never even miss. Just last night I filled yet another one, well on my way to purging myself of everything unnecessary. Not only do I do this new exercise at night, I do it whenever I'm getting dressed to go somewhere: If I don't like how I look when I'm trying things on, I put those things in the bag. This not only cleanses my wardrobe, it gives me a sense of relief and purification. I suggest every clothes horse to do this and see how it makes her feel.

My edited closets thank me, and so does my bank account!

February Book

wench \'wench\ n. from Middle English "wenchel," 1 a: a girl, maid, young woman; a female child.

This is the title of my book club's February selection by Dolen Perkins-Valdez. Wench is Perkins-Valdez's daring debut novel. Provocative, insightful, endearing and courageous, this is one of the best debuts I've ever read, if not the best. Wench follows the stories of four slave women who are mistresses to their white slaveholders, but Lizzie is the protagonist with/through whom most of this book is revealed. I'm not going to delve too much into the meat of this lovely novel because I don't want to disclose too much and spoil it. As you can tell, I've already read it; this was such an entertaining and compelling story that I breezed through it in two days! I can hardly wait to discuss this with the rest of the group (I already know Racquel loved it, too).

My Daily Love Horoscope

Today my love horoscope is so accurate, I had to post it here. Real talk, it's so accurate, I almost don't want to post it...here it is anyway:

"This is a time period, Libra, where things of a romantic nature are not always as they seem, so you want to pay special attention to what is happening in your romantic experiences. This is a time where whether you are single or attached, illusions and delusions can wear the mask of true inspiration, so thread your way among them to the truth and don't fall for the first fantasy that comes to mind. Romantic possibilities may evaporate as quickly as they appear, and that is for the best -- better to let them go than seize on what will not support you. Yes, you will know which opportunities to forgo, and which ones to pay attention to, so pay attention to the universal signs and you will be more than happy you did."

10 To Do in 2010

Not a resolutions list, but a list of things I want to accomplish by year end (in no particular order):

1) Get professional headshots
2) Get a casting agent in order to launch my career as an extra
3) Become fluent in either French or Spanish
4) Lose even more weight
5) Invest more money into securing a positive financial future for myself (2009 was a good start)
6) Donate clothes to the less fortunate
7) Control my spending
8) Gain more upper body strength
9) Show my mom that I really do appreciate her
10) Advance my professional career

January Book

I just tallied the votes for the January book, and the winner is What Is the What, by Dave Eggers. I heard it's an excellent book, and have high hopes for it after having read his first novel (A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius) several years back.

After my mini-rant on Bitter Is the New Black, I completely forgot to mention how much I loved A Father's Law, the newly published work of Richard Wright. This book/manuscript lingered in my mind long after I finished reading. The characters were so real I felt like I could sink my teeth into them, their problems so poignant that I couldn't help but contemplate them as if they were my own. This is surely a book I will revisit from time to time in the future. I highly recommend this treasure of a book.

Getting it all in in 2010

Happy new year, folks!

A lot happened in 2009: good, great, and bad. It was tiring, educational, challenging, fun, sad, exciting; 2009 taxed all of my emotions. However, I accomplished what I needed to spiritually, financially and professionally; I've tied up all the loose ends that needed tying, and gotten rid of all the toxic/negative/unnecessary/life-sucking people in my life (voluntarily and involuntarily--people who know me well know what I'm talking about). I'm glad it's all over and am ready to dive into this new year with both feet perfectly arched, haha! Wide awake, I am receptive to what the universe has to tell me; my heart and mind are open to new challenges and experiences, new love, new friends, more great books, lots of fabulous outings and pictures as I continue to explore my new host city, strengthening bonds with my family and close friends, and any new opportunities thrown my way.

So I have two mottos I'm following:
"I'm getting it all in in 2010" and "Better choices in men in 2010." I plan to follow both to the letter. ;)

V

PS: Bitter is the New Black was one of the suckiest, most annoying books I've ever read, and that's saying a lot. This book gave the chick-lit genre a bad name (and girls from Chicago--please believe, we're not all like that). I'm now reading My Cousin Rachel, by Daphne DuMaurier. I have to have something more intellectual to get that drivel out of my head.

North River & the December Book

North River, my book club's November book, did not disappoint. It was raw and gritty, yet soft and sweet at the same time. The protagonist's experiences and thoughts on love, forgiveness, acceptance, and compassion were beautiful. The use of New York's Lower East Side, the Meatpacking District, and Little Italy as characters was palpable: I saw the North River and felt the wind coming off it, smelled its brackishness. I could smell and taste Angela's simple Italian meals; I lived vicariously through Carlito's experiences on his first train ride, his first hot dog, his first plate of spaghetti, his trip to Coney Island. I recognized Pete Hamill's understanding of and love for New York in how he was able to capture its ugliness, beauty, prejudice, and senses of unity/community in little ways and big. Overall, this was a very well-written novel, not rushed, but not drawn out unnecessarily; descriptive yet to the point--just like New York. Kudos to Hamill.

The December book is going to be quite a departure from the more serious and "heavy" books we've been reading; it's called Bitter is the New Black: Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smartass, Or, Why You Should Never Carry a Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office
This should be nice and light reading for the holiday month. i hope we all enjoy it. Happy reading!

*** PS: I just finished reading Peony in Love, by Lisa See--much better than Shanghai Girls, but still not as good as Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. I also happened upon A Father's Law, by the legendary Richard Wright, in the Bargain Books section of B&N. I can't wait to sink my teeth into it.

Sonia

Haiku

we are sudden stars

you and i exploding in

our blue black skins

Written by Sonia Sanchez

October & November Books

The October book for the online book club followers was Fortune's Rocks, by Anita Shreve. We'll be discussing it in person next week, and I can't wait--I am so loving this book! Apologies for the late post.

The November book is North River, by Pete Hamill.

Details about both books can be viewed by clicking the titles in the side navigation. Happy reading!

My Last Day @ 30

As my 30th year in this world comes to an end, I've been doing a lot of introspection at The Sanctuary. This has been a tumultuous, unpredictable, exciting, heart-breaking and heart-mending year. On this last day, I am filled with a melancholic happiness--as much of an oxymoron as that is: for having said goodbye to things and people (one person in particular) and places that have occupied special places in my heart for a very long time, I feel a great loss; meanwhile I feel utter contentment for what my life has become as a result. Playing "catch up" after moving to New York didn't take as long as I was dreadfully expecting; I'm proud to say I am making up for lost time and catching up to where I believe I should be rather quickly.

30 has definitely been a wake-up call for me in more ways than one. The universe showed me the signs and told me I needed to get my life in order by the time I reached 30, the "I am officially a grown-up" year, and I obediently listened, no matter how deleterious I felt this new journey might be. As Oprah said once, "Always continue the climb. It is possible for you to do whatever you choose, if you first get to know who you are and are willing to work with a power that is greater than ourselves to do it." That is exactly what I have done and strive to do for the rest of my life; I believe I am the better for it and will continue to improve from 31 on.

Forgot Again!!!

The September book is Gentlemen and Players, by Joanne Harris.
So far, I'm really liking how twisted and sinister it is... :)

Backlog of Books

I've received complaints from people following my book club selections online. I apologize for my slippage. Here's what we have read over the past few months:

Midnight's Children: A Novel, Salman Rushdie
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Diaz (highly recommended and loved by all)
Shanghai Girls, Lisa See

And we have just started reading our August choice, Sag Harbor, by Colson Whitehead.
And for those who aren't very observant, I DO update the "Books I've Recently Read" section on the right navigation of this page. This list includes what I read outside of the book club selections, as well.

Happy reading to all of my online members!

Friday's Child

Friday's child.....Hard luck is her brother
Friday's child.....Her sister's misery
Friday's child.....Her daddy they call hard times
Friday's child.....That's me

Friday's child.....Born a little ugly
Friday's child.... Good looks passed her by..oh
Friday's child.....Makes something look like nothing
Friday's child.....Am I..ya

Friday's child.....Never climbed no mountain
Friday's child.....She ain't even gonna tray..oh
Friday's child.....Whom they'll forget to bury
Friday's child.....Am I

Things Come Together

As I prepare for my move and bring all the things from my former life in Miami to my new grown-up life in NYC, it's come to my realization that even though things can completely fall apart, there's always a way to bring them back together. It's not like this is a newsflash, or something I just learned: this is just something that I'm experiencing in a whole new way.

On the outside, I always look like everything is fine and dandy; I never really want people to think otherwise--it's no one's business but my own. However, there are instances when I feel that sharing my experiences and circumstances with others might help those who feel like things have fallen apart for them. So, I will share this:

My life was a wreck and it was all my fault. I screwed things up horribly and have been suffering the consequences silently for a long time. Only by taking a few steps back am I able to say that things are now coming up roses. Yes, they are still seedlings, but I can already smell their sweet scent. Because of the life I've led, no one can truly understand how nervous/excited/happy/scared I am to ride this new wave; none of it matters though, I am jumping in and savoring the splash.

Remember

Remember
by Christina Rosetti

Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you plann'd:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.

Oh, Canada!

I was watching commercials for the first time in quite a while, and saw a Canadian tourism ad that bothered the crap out of me. It was of a man filming the melting of a beautiful ice cap; off-screen you hear the man whooping and cheering as he watches. Does he, not to mention the ignoramuses who approved this commercial, not realize that he was filming the destruction of out planet?!? That melting ice caps and glaciers are a sign of all the stress and damage the human race has inflicted on the Earth? How is this a good advertisement for anything, let alone stand for a tourist attraction?

People can be really stupid sometimes.

Walking for Me & You

Saturday morning, after a late night flight from Vegas, I participated in the Revlon Run/Walk Against Cancer 5K that I wrote about a couple of weeks ago. I again, want to thank everyone for their show of support through their words of encouragement and their donations.

I didn't think that I would get emotional, but seeing the huge turnout of people (men, women, and children of all ages and backgrounds, totaling over 40,000 people) enthusiastically walking and running from Times Square through Central Park was so moving. As my mom and I walked together, we noticed that on some people's backs were homemade signs saying things such as: "I'm a Survivor: 13 Years," "In Memory of...," "In Support of...", and I couldn't help but think of all the women in my life or women with whom I've come in contact over the years, who have all been affected by breast cancer. As I walked and looked at groups of women crying, holding hands in solidarity, hugging each other and reaching out to one another, I got more and more choked up. I began thinking of my grandmother who died and I almost lost it right there on 7th Avenue; my aunt who is a survivor with both of her breasts removed and never batted an eyelash, and all of my friends' mothers who have been diagnosed and/or treated for breast cancer. I walked for them, the memory of them, and in support of them and every woman out there. I am considered a high risk candidate for breast cancer, so I was walking for myself, too.

Listening to Ciara, Jessicas Alba and Biel, Jennifer Connelly and Jimmy Fallon all speak on the subject and how they've been affected by cancer in women, made me want to get up there and speak on it, too! While I was watching them, a group of women came and stood by me, all with t-shirts that read: "Can't We At Least Get Early Detection?" I went up to them and told them that I liked their shirts; their response was to hug me. Again, I almost burst into tears--they were all already crying. But you could see the strength in their eyes and feel the determination in their hearts to make a difference.

If we could all be strong together, what a difference we could really make.