Deadline: August 1

Since I’ll be moving to New Orleans within the next month, I obviously have a to-do list that is overwhelming at times. However, since I get bored easily (doesn’t everyone of  our generation?), I am giving myself a few more to-do’s before my birthday–August 1st. I’ll be turning 23 in about a month and a half and though it’s no milestone age, I like birthdays and I want to recognize it.  Here’s the plan:

1. Girl’s day with my little sister. My sister turned 16 (today!) and I have yet to get her a gift because I decided that instead of getting her something I would like or I’m guessing she would like, I would just go do something with her. Spending time together is very underrated these days and I think it should be rectified. Shopping + pedicures + good food in Nashville? I think this is a great birthday celebration for her and I only hope she will tolerate being with her (woefully less cool) older sister for a day.

2. Apartment decorating. I will admit that I am the world’s worst interior designer, and the worst part is that I don’t even notice. I really want to do something about this in the new apartment and I will enlist whatever artsy friends I have in helping me. Oh yeah–I don’t have much money either, so this will be a thrifty interior design effort. All the more need for creative juices.

3. Learn to be smarter about grocery shopping. This is a hard one. I love grocery shopping and specialty foods (think Whole Foods). Also, I’m kind of a health nut and this sometimes means more expenses as well. But, I am positive that there are some things I can do to cut the spending without compromising my preference for healthy food. I will not eat ramen throughout grad school. That’s all.

4. Read a new Faulkner book. These are not exactly ‘beach reads’, but I love Faulkner. It’s hard to read, but it is worth the mental somersaults to understand (even on a basic level) the themes and ideas in his books. I would also love to reread some of my favorites which include Absalom! Absalom! and The Wild Palms (also published as If I Forget Thee Jerusalem).

5. Run a 5 or 10k?? This is totally dependent upon where I’ll be in July. As of now, I have plans to visit family in Tennessee at some point, stay in Mississippi with friends part of the time, and move to New Orleans near the end of the month. Dates are not set yet so I can’t plan this very well. But I would LOVE to have a reason to stay motivated to run this summer.  I know there are a lot of July 4th runs so maybe I could do one of them!

 

Okay, five goals + moving to a new state sounds like enough ambitiousness before August 1st. Oh yeah, and I have other plans too like finishing my June classes, going rafting, celebrating finishing my undergrad degree, and soaking in Oxford life while I can. I love summer.

Summer reading list

So, I’ve been seeing summer reading lists on various blogs I follow lately. I know I haven’t been keeping up with this blog, but in an effort to revive it, I want to start with a summer reading list. Soon, I believe I’ll be receiving a few reading assignments to complete before the first semester of my Master’s program, but until then, I’m going to be reading various novels and non-fiction books for entertainment only. Below are some I’ve read recently and some I’m currently reading or looking forward to.

A Confederacy of Dunces, John Kennedy Toole

This book can be described many ways, but hilarious is a good start. It describes a grotesque, over-educated, under-socialized man who lives with his mother in 1960s New Orleans and his adventures with other unique characters of the city. It’s been funny to me especially since I will be moving to New Orleans in July. I’m thoroughly enjoying this book. (Bonus: I recently took the GRE, and I will tell you that this book is FULL of GRE vocab. haha. Read if you are currently studying for this).

The Island Beneath the Sea (In Spanish, La Isla bajo el mar), Isabelle Allende

I’m also reading this Isabel Allende book simultaneously. I like to read two books at a time so that I can switch according to my mood. This book is another Allende masterpiece. In the past, I’ve read Daughter of Fortune (Hija de la Fortuna) and City of the Beasts (La Ciudad de las Bestias). I love historical literature, and although these do not qualify as that exactly, they always satisfy my desire to read about different regions of Latin America through the eyes of her diverse characters. The Island Beneath the Sea is set in 18th century Haiti and encompasses several different social classes and cultural traditions. I always read her books in English because they are most easily found in English in Mississippi, but since I read Spanish quite well, I think my next task should be to read one in its original language. It would probably be all the more intriguing.

The next two books are ones I read during the past semester in what little free time I had. They were lifesavers when I was deep within thesis writing.

The Help, Kathryn Stockett

I think everyone I know has read this book recently or is about to read it. It’s a beautiful story about a young white girl from Mississippi in the 1960s who wants to be a writer and the unlikely relationship she forms with black housemaids in Jackson, Mississippi while trying to compile their stories for a book. A must-read–especially for Mississippians.

Death in the Andes (Lituma en los Andes), Mario Vargas LLosa

Another great example of Latin American literature, this novel tells the story of two Peruvian officials who investigate various eccentric characters in the Peruvian Andes to determine the cause of mysterious disappearances and deaths in the area. I enjoyed reading about Andean myths and beliefs about spirits in the mountains, and also the threads of a love story told by one of the main characters. This is a complex story and its full meaning is not perceived easily, but it is one of those books that keeps you thinking for a few days.

The next couple books are on my list to hopefully read this month or in July, along with a few Faulkner novels I would like to reread.

In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan

I loved The Omnivore’s Dilemna when I read it about three years ago. I enjoy reading about other people’s eating philosophies, as I have been actively searching my own the last few years. It’s a work in progress, but Pollan’s approach to analyzing the food industry and the health problems caused by overly processed food products resonates with some of my own beliefs.

The Hunger Games, Susan Collins

I’ve been wanting to read this for awhile. I keep hearing great things about it. Although it’s categorized as young lit and follows teenagers, friends have told me it was not your average teenage reading. I’m intrigued.

These are just a few of my choices as of recently. If I had more time, I would have about 100 more suggestions. As it is, this should keep us busy for a few weeks.

Hopefully you’ll hear from me more often now that it’s summer. Happy pool/beach reading!