Wrapping Up June

Seven by Anthony Bruno. The cover says this book is written from the screenplay, and I could tell. It was very matter-of-fact, with clear images. There was a lot of emotional distance, and at times I found it hard to keep the characters separate, since the cops referred to everyone by their last names. It's pretty disturbing, because the vivid imagery doesn't stop when the cops reach the crime scene. A serial killer is out to show the evils of the seven sins, and commits murders by forcing a man to eat until he "pops" (gluttony), cutting off a beautiful woman's nose and giving her the option to live and be ugly, or kill herself with pills (pride), etc. It's very interesting, and the ending was a surprise to me, despite vaguely remembering seeing the movie years ago. Definitely an entertaining read.

Liner Notes by Emily Franklin. I first read this book after high school graduation, when I was determined to road trip around the country for a year (or forever). It seemed like a good time to read it again before passing it along to a new owner.
     Laney has graduated from her master's program in California and is about to start a job on the east coast. She opts to forgo the easy out of flying home, and decides to road trip across the country, listening to mix tapes from her past. In a change of plans, her mother decides to come along. Once her mother spots the box of tapes, she won't let up until Laney shares her history with her mother. We're along for the ride, which is mostly told in past stories via the tapes (the book includes the playlists). The "now" of the book isn't as present, but it's not as important. I feel like the end is a little rushed, but at the same time I like seeing how everything plays out, and a fast forward is necessary to keep the book concise.

Small Steps by Louis Sachar. Armpit is an African-American teenager who has a criminal record due to a misunderstanding. Despite having spent time in a detention facility, he's a good kid trying to get back on the right track by taking summer school classes in order to graduate on time and working for a landscaping company. His only friend is Ginny, his white, ten-year-old neighbor who has cerebral palsy. When X-Ray, a friend from juvie, comes to Armpit with a money-making scheme, he finds himself agreeing even though he doesn't want to. This gets him involved with scalping, counterfeit tickets, and the affection of the current big pop star. I always appreciate Sachar's dry humor, and this book definitely delivers.
     Also - I didn't realize this was the 2nd part of Holes, which I haven't read, so I think credit should be given for this book being able to stand alone!

The Average American Male by Chad Kultgen. Read on the nook. A coworker recommended this book after declaring I was "screwed up, in a good way." This book is definitely screwed up. I'm not sure I'd recommend it to anyone unless I really knew their personality - even guys! Overall it reminded me of a book by Tucker Max, except realistic and not told by a cocky narrator.
     Kultgen's writing style blew my mind. It's so straight-forward and plain, but it worked perfectly with the plotline and really stood out as unique. The book is exactly what the title presents - an average man, his thoughts and daily actions. There were many funny parts that made me actually laugh out loud. I always love a book that doesn't have a happy ending, and this one definitely didn't because it was very realistic. The ending made me a little depressed, but the whole book was so honest that any other ending would have been a cop-out.
     It was interesting to read because I felt like I related to a lot of what was said. I identify with males more than females, usually, and most of my short stories have a male point of view, so it was cool to read this and realize I wasn't far off the mark. At the same time, it was a little depressing to learn that the "average" male actually thinks the way I thought he did, haha. Though the narrator was unnamed, I kept referring to him in my head by one of my male friend's name! I guess I'll recommend the book to him...

The Lie by Chad Kultgen. Read on the nook. I didn't like this as much as The Average American Male. While TAAM seemed honest and somewhat innovative, I felt like Kultgen was just trying to push the limit in The Lie. I liked that it was told from the points of view of three characters, and each one had a distinctly different voice, so I was never confused about who was narrating. However, the entire plot line seemed a little over the top. It took a long time to get to the point, and I suppose the backstory was necessary to give the ending more punch, but after the concise writing in TAAM, it seemed a bit long-winded. There wasn't as much humor in this book as TAAM, it was based more on anger. Like TAAM, the ending was depressingly real.
     While I did honestly think the writing and story of TAAM was higher..."quality" isn't exactly the word to use here, considering the subject matter, but it was better, I think what I disliked the most about The Lie was the fact that people like Heather, Brett, and Kyle actually exist and these things happen to them. So I didn't like reading it as much as Kultgen's debut, but overall I disliked it because it was real. I'm not sure if that will make sense to anyone who hasn't read the book, but I'm trying to stress that it was the subject matter more than the book itself, I suppose.

Cranberry Queen by Kathleen DeMarco. This book starts with a family tragedy changing Diana's life, and, like Diana herself, it doesn't recover. After being unable to cope with her newly fragmented life, Diana leaves home without knowing where she's going. She finds herself in a beautiful landscape with strangers who are willing to take her in. There are many opportunities for a great story to evolve, but instead too many characters are introduced that cannot be kept straight, and everyone's lives and problems are only dealt with in a superficial manner. As a result, I can't really remember the point of the story, or the resolution, which was given to the reader in a jumbled chapter that made it hard to discern how much time had passed.

Men, Women & Children by Chad Kultgen. A loaner from a coworker. Started on my lunch break, finished after work. The characters were more developed in this book, and I feel like I got to know them instead of just their strange quirks. Initially, there were too many characters to keep track of, but some stopped having their own narrative sections, and as I got to know them, they were fairly easy to keep apart. Kultgen continued to use first and last names well into the novel though, as well as clarifying when people were related, so I think he realized there would be a problem juggling so many characters. This book definitely had more going for it story-wise, instead of just playing for the shock value. I thought the ending was pretty abrupt, with no real resolution wrapping everything up like he did in his previous two novels. However, I can't really summarize the story, because it was more of a glimpse into a handful of people's lives. I have to say I liked this more than The Lie, yet not as much as The Average American Male.

Shadows of Doubt

I know I just posted about my plans for travel, but you have to realize that I've been thinking about that for almost a month now. A month is a lot of time to doubt yourself. While sitting at my desk, driving home from work, going out or staying in at night, snuggling beneath the covers as I drifted off, I would be incredibly, intoxicatingly excited about my plans.

But in the mornings? Oh god. Doubts slapped me in the face as my alarm rang, peered over my shoulder as I brushed my teeth in the mirror, twisted my stomach so much that I didn't want coffee. (I repeat: didn't. want. coffee.)

I would freak out about what I was doing:
1) Giving up my lease? But I have such a cute house! And I decorated it and got all settled! Not to mention I'll have to change my address again! Whatever the world record for moves in a two year period - I'm going to beat it.

2) Willingly being unemployed? I started babysitting when I was 15, and since then, I've always had a job. Ok, there was that month-long period in DC, but I was actively looking! Now? No job, no income, no resumes being sent, no interviews. Can I handle that and still feel like a productive, adult-type person?

3) Traveling? I used to be so anxious about things going wrong that I would mentally envision a trip before I took it. I had to know how everything would go, and what could possibly go wrong. I had to be completely prepared, and even then I would get that heavy feeling in my gut that I've forgotten my brush or deodorant... things I could easily buy when I arrive. But I freak!

4) Traveling alone? It's one thing to have the above-mentioned worries when you're with someone who will hold your hand, calm you down, and politely look away as you shotgun five espresso shots. But to go it alone?

I know I'm making the right choices:
1) Yes, it's a lovely home and I made it so cozy everyone complimented it. But was I going to live there forever? No. Isn't it better that I get out while I can, saving rent money since I don't have an income anymore? One month's rent can accomplish a lotta travel! Yes, physically moving and changing addresses is a pain, but I'm lucky to have found such a great place to live in the first place, and even luckier that I didn't buy a house like I had initially planned!

2) If I've never been unemployed, then it's something new to try! Leaving such an amazing job makes me feel like I need time to decompress, anyway. I'm young, not tied down, and have the resources to travel - being unemployed is just the catalyst I needed to take this opportunity. Plus, it's not like I'm going to be a worthless bump on a log! I'll be traveling, seeing friends, taking tons of photographs and having so much time to write. I can make creativity my job for these five months.

3) I'm actually excited to travel now. I've grown up and come to realize that whatever happens, happens, and I have the ability to make the best of it. I'm not eager about being strip-searched at the airports, but the journey is only half the fun, and the experience will outweigh it all.

4) Alone! I won't be totally alone, since I'll be visiting tons of people. But why would I want to be with someone else, when now I'll only have to listen to my own whims? I'll be able to see all the friends and relatives I want, without worrying that someone is tired of traveling or wants to do this or that. I get to be totally selfish, and that's always a good thing. I'm going to learn so much about myself, doing this alone.

The bottom line is that this is absolutely what I want to do with my life right now. There are so many signs pointing to it being the right thing that I'm incredibly excited to see what will happen and what the future holds. Yes, it's scary to give up all I've ever known and try something else, but hey! What are life savings for? LIVING! And I'm gonna!

Sippable Story, with a twist! - Guest Post #3

Today's story is a little different than normal - enjoy!



- - -
Tara Tyler writes fun poetry and prose and sometimes useful bits of advice at taratylertalks.blogspot.com.


Submit your own Sippable Story or limerick, or poem, or... be creative!
The guidelines are simple.

the Hardest Part

The downside to having such an awesome plan of attack once unemployment hits?

Waiting.


I don't know if it comes across in my blog, but I'm horribly impatient. Even if I know I need to wait for something: the water to boil, the tape to rewind, the light to turn green (ok, just kidding on that one - I'm an impeccable driver), it's incredibly hard for me to do so. It's not even that I'm one of those people who want it ALL and want it NOW! I just get excited and want the fun to start.

I emailed a friend I plan to visit on this trip, asking her what dates she had open, and if she knew of cool places to hit in California, where I would drive up the coast after seeing her.

She responded with a novel-length email (well, we did attend the same MFA program) of great suggestions. Then a shorter, follow-up email suggesting she come with, since she has time off.

Now we're sending long emails back and forth every other day with route suggestions, places we want to see, things we've heard about. And I'm ready to go Right Now.

Forget that I have to pack up my home and put it all in storage, save the things I'll need for the next six months. Forget I need to buy a new laptop and some luggage and some clothes that can be balled up and washed in sinks without wrinkling or smelling. Forget that I have to, oh, you know, finish my job first.

I'm trying to keep busy, I really am. But the moments where I space out and daydream about what's to come are getting greater in number, and the moments where I am a productive, both-feet-firmly-on-the-ground citizen are floating away on the breeze.

My Own Adventure

After getting notice that our branch of the company was being closed down, a coworker said "It's like going to high school with the same people for twenty years, then being given a diploma and kicked out." I haven't been here for that long, but even my four meager years were enough for me to get attached to my coworkers. There's another reason that statement resonated with me, though - it is like finishing high school! This is the exact chance I've been wanting, while I've moaned and groaned about my loss of hope and optimism. This is my second high school graduation! (No, college is not a second high school graduation. College graduation is serious bidness.)

Any time I thought about a job search, I'd drown in anxiety attacks and depression. Will I find another great place to work? Will I fit in? Will I like the people? Will I be a competent worker? Hell, rewind - Is my resume strong enough? Can I make a good impression during the interview? Will I have to *gulp* wear business clothes?

Then I would think, I am only 25. I am still so young. (Eighteen-year-olds, please refrain from commenting on this post.) And I would think about traveling, and I would remember all those dreams I had so long ago after my real high school graduation. And a feeling of peace would come over me.

Without getting too personal or too sappy, someone recently came into my life who helped me remember all my dreams from when I was younger. And when I waved them off as if they weren't possible anymore, he questioned why and pushed me to realize that I can do whatever the hell I want and, more importantly, I only have one life in which to do that.

My gut feeling is how I know I'm making the right choices. I used to want stability, to wake up every morning and know exactly where I'm going, what I'd be doing all day, and for many days following. But now, I want to be a nomad. I want to go wherever I want, whenever I want. I don't want to wake up in the same place every morning and sit at the same desk every day.

So once I complete my last day of work, I am not going to be sending out resumes, going on interviews, or waiting for callbacks. I am going to travel. From August to December, I'm going to road trip around the US and venture over to merry old England. I don't have an exact itinerary yet, but I'm not really planning one. Mostly, I'm thinking of where I'd like to go, who I'd like to see, and starting from there.

As for after December? You'll find out soon.


*Special thanks go out to: MDT for inspiring me; my landlord for letting me out of my lease; my savings account for always being there for me; and, oh yes, my amazing parents for not thinking I'm insane for doing this, and for letting me use their house as a landing pad between travels.

Sippable Stories - The Long Wait

Allison wrote this, and Allison blogs at Allison Writes. Allison's blog is her bio.

Read Thus Far

If my pickin's look a little slim, it's only because I'm also working my way through two nonfiction books. I started at the beginning of the month, and am only halfway through one (which employs math and business-speak) and maybe a fourth into the other (which uses beautiful yet dense language). Fingers crossed I finish them this month, especially since they're both loaners.


Not Dead and Not for Sale by Scott Weiland and David Ritz (ghostwriter). Read on the nook. It's strange to call a book about rock and roll and drug addictions "fluffy," but that's exactly what this book was to me. I was expecting some big secrets, or even deep revelations like Weiland's ex-wife's book, Fall to Pieces (which I reviewed last month). Instead it just seemed like fast-forwarding through an episode of Behind the Music. It was well-written, the photographs were interesting, and it was enlightening to learn the stories behind the songs. Besides that, I wouldn't recommend this book except to hardcore fans.

The Mailroom: Hollywood History from the Bottom Up by David Rensin. Very inspirational book with a lot of fantastic stories. Many were funny, some were intimidating, and some were a little scary - can people really be so vicious and hold grudges? But it was a revealing study of how hard the truly-driven people work to get to the top, and it affected me greatly.
     There were many memorable stories, but my favorite quote came from Sam Haskell:
          "I believe, philosophywise, in the following: We spend the first couple of decades
          of our lives trying to figure out who the hell we are. Some people never find out.
          They keep searching and searching and searching. Or they'll be different people
          with everyone. Never any consistent presentation of who they are. But if we can
          realize by our mid-twenties who we are, we have to ask ourselves this question:
          Do we like who we are? If the answer is yes, then we should spend the rest of
          our lives maintaining who we are."
     It should be obvious from some of my recent posts, but that quote was exactly what I needed to read. It resonated with me and keeps echoing in my head, and I'm thankful it did - it's helping me shape my life and realize this is exactly the time I need to go for whatever I'm passionate about.

The One-Week Job Project by Sean Aiken. This book was just as inspirational (for me) as The Mailroom. Sean was 25, a college graduate, and had spent a year traveling post-graduation. He still had no clue what he wanted to do for a career. He got an idea to try a job a week for a year, hoping one of them would stick. He set up a website for employers to find him and started working in Canada, though he eventually came into the U.S. to work as well. Any wages the employers would typically pay for the position were donated to charity - he raised over $20,000! Jobs included innkeeper, research assistant, tattooist, radio DJ, mayor, bartender, and more. Some jobs had just a write-up, outlining the salary, duties, and what Sean learned. Others had more in-depth stories, profiles of those he worked with, or lessons. He also treated it like a diary, addressing relationships with family, friends, and girlfriends and how they were affected by the project.
     There are so many great quotes that had me nodding and taking notes. A lot of blurbs and reviews said this book is great for kids as they graduate, but I think it's great for any age. There's a lot of inspiration to be found here, including the idea that you don't have to have a career in life - you can have many, you can jump around and find what you like - just be happy and have passion.

          "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do
          than by the ones you did do." - Mark Twain

     "Young people need to realize that finding a career is not an easy thing to do. The
     expectation that I should be able to just hop into something that makes me feel good
     and that gives me the kind of money that I want is unrealistic. Finding your true career
     passion takes a lot of work." - Eric, motivational speaker from Generation Why

          "My message is, don't beat yourself up worrying that you don't know what you want
          to do with your life. It's okay not to know. But at the same time, it's not okay to do
          nothing about it."

     "During the year, many people told me that they had fallen into their career. That it
     wasn't a conscious choice but rather the path of least resistance. Initially, they
     accepted the position. After a while, they got used to it. Soon it was 'the way things
     are.' Eventually, it becomes 'the way they've always been.'"

          "When you're young, try and stay as light as possible. ... And by 'light,' I mean
          unencumbered. It's a lot easier to make choices when you don't have a huge car
          payment, a family to support, or expensive habits. When you're light you can
          make economic choices very rapidly."

     "I see life as if it were one continuous trail. There's no use thinking about what you
     should have done or what would have happened if you had chosen another trail.
     The best you can do is cope with the conditions in front of you. And if you're lucky,
     you've come well enough prepared." - Rob, a Hawaiian park ranger

          "If we start to focus so much on the long term, it causes us to neglect the present."

     "I want them [HS grads] to understand that they don't need to have all the answers. That planning is good, but life can deal some unexpected surprises, both good and bad, to change even the best-laid plans. That even if they know where they're headed, they'll have to clock a lot of hours to get there. ...if circumstance should thwart their goal, that doesn't mean it won't lead to an alternate path that works for them. And that they're defined not just by what they do, but by who they are."

Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway. I originally thought this would just be an entertaining book about a high school girl who breaks up with her boyfriend, then becomes famous after he writes a song about her. On one level, I was right. The book was full of song lyrics, concerts, and backstage parties. It was fun to live vicariously through Audrey, but it was also amusing because she was so witty. I quickly realized that I was more invested in the book than I had thought when the drama escalated. Benway created some amazing, realistic characters that really drew me in, and I have to admit that the climax made me tear up a little. It's a very powerful book about remaining true to yourself despite the circumstances, and I really enjoyed reading it.

Like the Red Panda by Andrea Seigel. Despite being about teenage suicide, this book was actually really funny. Stella, the main character, is a witty seventeen year old who has a firm grip on life. She's not depressed or attention-seeking, she's just not thrilled with living. The book is Stella's own account of what happens during the last two weeks of her life, which includes the last few days of senior year, before she's meant to go to Princeton. I was curious to see how new and changed relationships throughout the story might make Stella change her mind. The characters are all interesting and realistic and definitely made the book. Stella herself is realistic, but the way she relates to and plays off others was the best part.
     There were many great quotes, my favorite being: "You don't ever know how happy you are until you remember how sad you once were and vice versa. Nothing is anything until I decide to hold nothing next to something, and declare that I see a difference."
     The ending was a little lackluster for me. I don't think it was meant to be open-ended - I think the author knows what happens, but it's presented in this drab way that made me wonder. I didn't need any gruesome details, but Stella had been very frank with us the entire book, so I thought it was strange the ending kind of trailed off. I realize this is Stella's account of what happened, so we can't expect her to keep narrating, but I wish the ending had been more definite.

Adventure Reader

I recently read The One-Week Job Project by Sean Aiken (and will post my review Thursday). It was the perfect time for me to do so, after getting news of my company shutting down and having my future wide open. I've always wanted to do something like what Sean did: explore as many different jobs as possible, hoping one will jump out and grab you. (Sean's website implies he's a motivational speaker now, which was actually one of the jobs he tested.)


Though the subject matter was different, Sean's book made me think of another inspirational favorite: Scratch Beginnings by Adam Shepard (reviewed here). Adam set out with nothing in an attempt to prove it is possible to overcome poverty - and he did. He's gotten a lot of flak on the project, mostly because he's a white boy with a college degree, even though he didn't use his degree or family connections to get a job or assistance.


Sean Aiken is a white boy with a college degree, too, and he used the Internet and media to promote his project, get job offers, and find places to stay during his year-long project. However, when the media attention became too much, Sean was able to realize he was losing sight of his goal and re-focus. Adam's media explosion didn't happen until after he self-published his book (or maybe even until a traditional publisher bought it). [[I mention the Internet/publicity aspects to illustrate that, despite big things resulting from these adventures, they weren't necessarily influenced by the media and are therefore attainable adventures.]]

As much as I love these books and plan to re-read them whenever I need a kick in the butt, I want more!

Do you know of any other books like these two? Better yet - do you know of
any books like these (or even news stories) starring girls?

Sippable Stories - Guest Post #2!

- - -
Callie Leuck enjoys fiction, coffee, and swing dancing. She is currently daylighting as a proposal writer for an IT company in northern Virginia and moonlighting as a science-medical writing grad student. Callie keeps a blog at http://callieleuck.blogspot.com/ which she remembers to feed slightly more often than her fish, Frankie II.

Don't forget - you can submit your own Sippable Story! Check out the guidelines.

I'm losing my mind

While on my "Let's Keep Allison Sane!" road trip, I visited
Central State Hospital in Milledgeville, Georgia.

Ironic, huh? You know how I do.


The buildings were beautiful Southern structures on acres of lush green grass.



In some sections, the roof had rotted away.


Orbs in pictures mean ghosts, right? Not sun flares, no.


This one reminds me of the Tower of Terror.

We explored from mid-morning to mid-afternoon, hot Southern sun burning our skin despite liberal applications of sunscreen. I love being scared, yet I have never been so creeped out in broad daylight. Because of structural damage, I only ventured into a few hallways, but I wish I could have explored them all; besides the stories lurking in the corners, the interior was at least twenty degrees cooler than the shade.

I became completely obsessed with:

Doors








Windows





Texture





And the shoe inexplicably on the "PANT" shelf:


For some incredible pictures that will blow your mind, check out
the Kingston Lounge's photo essay about the insane asylum.

Sippable Stories - Guest Post!

Today's story comes from a friend and former classmate of mine, Chris Eaton, who says "I am a graduate of the University of Memphis and a high school English teacher. Writing is a passion of mine that has, unfortunately, been forced to take a back seat recently. This story (although I am not entirely sure it can properly be called that) is basically my feelings of a seemingly unimportant 5 or 10 seconds that happened not long ago. But this is what it meant to me."





Follow Chris on Twitter @chriseaton.

Don't forget you can submit your own Sippable Story - read about it HERE!