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Biblio-Chicken

I am a chicken. A big, feathered chicken. More specifically, a biblio-chicken. Yes. I am afraid of books. Don’t laugh! It takes a lot of courage to fess up to my cowardice. (I do realize the ridiculousness of that statement, but I’m trying to make a point here…)

I realized my bibliophobia this week when I tried to read a book and found that I just couldn’t. The book in question is Shine by Lauren Myracle. Maybe you’ve heard of it or, if you are braver than I, have already read it.

Here’s the book blurb on Amazon:

When her best guy friend falls victim to a vicious hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover who in her small town did it. Richly atmospheric, this daring mystery mines the secrets of a tightly knit Southern community and examines the strength of will it takes to go against everyone you know in the name of justice.

Against a backdrop of poverty, clannishness, drugs, and intolerance, Myracle has crafted a harrowing coming-of-age tale couched in a deeply intelligent mystery. Smart, fearless, and compassionate, this is an unforgettable work from a beloved author.

There are some topics that I really have a hard time reading about, listening to, or watching on TV. Topics that usually revolve around someone stronger taking advantage (physically, sexually, etc.) of someone vulnerable. Shine fell into that category.

I had read good reviews of Myracle’s YA novel and picked up a copy as soon as it came out. It lingered in my TBR pile until I had to decide to either read it or return it to the library. Then it moved to my nightstand, replete with bookmark marking the first page, where it sat unread. It finally dawned on me that I couldn’t read it. It was just too much for me. Even though it may be the best book ever, I couldn’t read it. I am a biblio-chicken. And I’m not ashamed to admit it. I’m going to go read some Dr. Suess now…

2011: 07/20
CATEGORY: Books & Media
TAGS: Books
GLBT
YA
2 comments

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading?

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey. A wild literary romp filled with a wonderful array of books bound to delight all kinds of readers. Stop by and check it out!

I’m having a wonderful holiday weekend. It began with an exciting game of mini golf followed by a splendid day touring around Brooklyn and then a bbq with friends. I love a nice three-day weekend. 🙂 I hope you all had a wonderful, relaxing weekend as well.

Here’s what I’ve been reading:

Kara Goucher’s Running for Women by Kara Goucher – Filled with anecdotes, tips, and training schedules, I’m greatly enjoying the insights that Goucher offers to her readers. She’s an inspirational runner who seems to throw her heart and soul into her training and it pays off. I’ve followed her ups and downs through the many articles that have been written about her in Runner’s World. Her passion for running and girl-next-door spirit has made her an inspiration to runners, especially women, everywhere.

It Gets Better edited by Dan Savage and Terry Miller – Partners Savage and Miller took the initiative to post a YouTube video of themselves telling gay youth that “it gets better.” Their response to the recent spate of homophobic bullying and teens subsequently committing suicide set off a firestorm of similar posts by people everywhere recording their personal experiences as well. This noble effort to try and give kids hope while making more people aware of the bullying that has become an every day occurrence for some kids has since been edited into this insightful book.

Tentacles by Roland Smith – I really enjoy Smith’s writing style and eagerly jumped into this second book in his Cryptid Hunters series. His characters are smart and uniquely gifted and just happen to seek out animals largely thought to be fictitious, i.e. cryptids. A fun romp through exciting locales, Smith’s readers are treated with admirable heroes, dangerous foes, and deadly monsters. 🙂

What have you been reading lately?

2011: 07/04
CATEGORY: Healthy Running
Monday Reading Blogs
Running
TAGS: Books
GLBT
Mondays
Running
4 comments

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading?

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading is brought to you by the wonderful Sheila over at Book Journey. Stop by!

This weekend I worked, I played, I drank coffee, it was wonderful. My girlfriend and I joined the YMCA last weekend and we love it! It’s so much fun to not only have a lot more equipment (treadmills, free weights, machines, etc) at our disposal but to be around people of like mind. At the gym in our complex, where I worked out before, I was typically the one female lifting weights at all as the few women I saw there were more interested in the cardio machines. There’s nothing wrong with that at all, but I felt out of place. At the Y however, I’m a little fish in big pond. Everywhere I look there are women doing personal training or lifting free weights or using the weight machines. Now I feel like I fit in more as I’m far from the only female interested in building muscle. Yesterday after an hour or so of cardio and stretching, we walked downstairs in the complex where the gym is to a really great bagel place. I can definitely see this as our new Sunday routine! 🙂

But enough about me, let’s talk about books! Here’s what I’ve been reading:

Blameless by Gail Carriger – I’m a big fan of Carriger’s Parasol Protectorate series. I think the characters are that perfect mixture of foolish and cunning, good-natured and whiny, good and evil. While I’ve gotten burned out on vampires, werewolves and the like, Carriger manages to keep her story lines and characters fresh and fun. These are books that just don’t take themselves too seriously and I love that. I think (you heard it hear first) that it would make a perfect BBC TV series as it’s practically written for the small screen. Besides there aren’t any steampunk adaptations on TV that I know of, so it could be the first of a new trend. 🙂 Read this series, you won’t be disappointed.

Confessions of the Other Mother: Nonbiological Lesbian Moms Tell All! edited by Harlyn Aizley – Families aren’t a mom, dad and two point five children anymore. More often family is defined as those you may live with, or not, that you love and support no matter what. This is a collection of stories based on lesbian couples who decide to have children and all the delights that come with building a family.

Matched by Ally Condie – There has been a lot of hype surrounding the latest novel by Condie. Set in a dystopian world where every aspect of society is dictated by a higher organization, the protagonist, Cassia, begins to question the way things are done when she accidentally gets matched with two different boys. While I like the premise of this book I found the pace a little slow for my tastes. And there was something about the events happening in the novel that didn’t quite ring true. I think it has something to do with the fact that there really isn’t much fear in the book. Everyone just goes along with whatever the Officials tell them to do and how they should live. So, while it’s a quick read, it wasn’t my favorite read.