It's cold.

It's cold. Just another autumn morning. The streets are quiet - the city is just beginning to wake up. Passing the bakery on the corner, she reminds herself to pick up some fresh bread on her way back home, but right now, she must not forget she is on a mission.

The door jingles - the only sound that breaks the calm in the simple coffee shop. He wonders if she will show up again. He had needed some peace last week - too many worries waiting for him at the office. Avoiding this he had entered the coffee shop across from his apartment building - a place he usually ignored. And that is when he saw her for the first time. Her long brown hair, her hand brushing her bangs out of her eyes - such an automatic movement. Those brown eyes searching for an open table by the window. Her stone colored bag, the one with all the pockets - for her pens, her notebook. He watched her write for hours from behind his wrinkled copy of The Stranger. Would she come again today?

Pulling her scarf a little tighter she crosses the street, mentally checking off what part of the story she will revise today, what part she will try tackling. Everyday is exciting - her dedication is paying off. And for just a moment she lets herself think that maybe, after all these years, she has finally become a writer...


He spots her through the steamy window. Watches as she waits for the crosswalk light to change. He shudders at the thought of another day at the office, under the harsh fluorescent lights.

Heat greets her as she opens the door. "Oh excuse me," she moves out of the way as a young man in a trench coat pushes his way outside. Hasn't she seen him before?

NaNo WriMo 2010

It's that time of year again! November is National Novel Writing Month - which gives me a reason to really try to hunker down and write. It may not be a novel in the end, but at least I will have written everyday for a whole month, right?

September/October Catch-up

1. Commencement by J Courtney Sullivan
Rating: C+
Friend Loan

Technically a C+ means above average right? Following a group of friends who met their freshmen year at Smith College - it was a nice story about friendship. But the characters were predictable and one dimensional. Was it really necessary to hit all the women's college stereotypes? An overenthusiastic hippie/activist, a girl who realized she was a lesbian, a southern belle who sleeps with her professor and a lapsed Catholic/party girl...It was an easy read, but I wasn't invested. The only thing that I actually enjoyed while reading this was that it made me appreciate all the great friends I've accumulated throughout the years.

2.  The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Rating: A+
Friend Loan/NYPL Loan

After commencement, this book was a treat. While I couldn't keep the four girls straight in the last book, every character in this book stood out and carved a place into my heart. As much as I wanted to slow down and prolong finishing this book, I couldn't put it down for more than a minute - it was that good. I will even go as far as to say that it is now one of my favorites. I don't even know what to say about it without diminishing how great it is...why is it that it's always harder to write about books I love? Why do negative thoughts form so concisely while positive reviews get caught in my brain?
I loved it, that's all you need to know. You'll love it too - give it a try!


3. and 4.  The Beach House by Jane Green; Rating: A
Dune Road by Jane Green; Rating: B
NYPL Loans


I shouldn't have read them one right after the other. I really enjoyed reading The Beach House. It was inspiring and fun. A light read full of surprises. Unfortunately, when I read Dune Road it felt entirely too similar. As if, Jane Green couldn't come up with any other characters so she recycled them in this book and just changed some of the details around. However, if I had spaced a few books in between them, I think I would have liked both equally.

5. How to Knit a Love Story by Rachael Herron
Rating: A+
NYPL Loan

Well, like my mom observed: Once the leaves start changing, I exchange my beach reads for cozy fall/winter reads. And I am glad I chose this knitting/Darcy-Lizzie-esque love story. Each character brought a different rich layer to the table. It also didn't hurt that every few pages there seemed to be a passionate encounter to keep you warm against the newly crisp autumn air ;)

6. The Wedding Girl by Madeleine Wickham
Rating:B -
NYPL Loan

I find it a bit odd that I like Sophie Kinsella more than I like Madeleine Wickham considering that they are the same person. Nothing too great, but nothing too terrible either.

7. The Sleeping Beauty Proposal by Sarah Strohmeyer
Rating: B -
NYPL Loan

One of the books that I was planning to read (on my Shelfari) and it was good. But again, nothing too special. Just a normal read.

8. Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos
Rating: A
Personal Library

It started off a bit slow, but I wanted to power through it because it is a book that I own, so I really wanted to love it. Well, I'm glad I did because it was amazing. Another book that I wished was longer. I don't care that some of the things that happened were a teeny bit far fetched - I still love it and recommend it.

9. A Match Made on Madison by Dee Davis
Rating: B -
NYPL Loan

It was enjoyable enough. Fun storyline and interesting characters. But I didn't like the style of writing and I felt like the author kind of assumed that you were a dumbass. She continually explained jokes or comments - which I did not like. I am indifferent to it, I would neither recommend it nor disapprove if someone were to read it.

Fuku vs. Zafa

Book: The Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz


Rating: B-


Review: It look a long time for me to get into the story line. For whatever reason I just couldn't connect or relate to a Dominican family in New Jersey. Even though they were vulnerable and sad, I didn't like that the characters had no redemptive qualities. They all had messed up lives, and it kind of stayed that way. I'm sure there is an exception to this rule, maybe with Lola, but even then, there wasn't something that stood out as that great - just kind of mediocre. I'm not saying that reading the book was torturous, but it did go slower than I thought and the whole time it felt like I was just willing it to be over.

When Diaz started talking about fuku and zafa, it got me thinking about how every culture has their version of bad luck. Some that are long in tradition and have been around for centuries, and some that we create within our lives just because of our own superstitious natures.

The Greeks have the evil eye. Italians wear horn-shaped pendants to ward off bad spirits. Native Americans have dream catchers. Thespians wish you to "break a leg." We're all guilty of it. Even my own grandmother warns me with "advice" like: Don't laugh to hard because you'll end up crying.

Maybe this kind of stuff does exist and we should throw the salt over our shoulder and make sure to knock on wood - but maybe it is just our imagination, or one of those chicken and egg scenarios. You are cursed because you think you are cursed or You think you're cursed, because you are cursed.

Do any of you have examples of weird everyday superstitions that you find interesting?

fill in the blanks Fridays

Ever since I started reading  The World Is My Oyster I've wanted to pick up her weekly "fill-in-the-blanks Fridays" tradition. Obviously I've waited a long time to actually do it - but better late than never, right?

If you would like to participate, please link up to the fill in the blanks guru, Lauren's blog: the little things we do

1.   When I get a day to myself I like to   If it is a weekend day: sleep late, cuddle in my bed while reading a good book, lazily make breakfast, go for a walk, visit the library or a museum and run fun errands that I don't have time to do during the week. If it is during the week and I have a night to myself: Make an elaborately messy dinner and lay on the couch watching my favorite TV shows or a movie.   

2.  High school was....     unforgettable.  I met some of my best friends when I was there and even though my school was wildly conservative - I find that I actually did a lot of thinking and formed a lot of my (wildly liberal) opinions about the world and life that still hold true today.

3.  A little dream I have is    to fix up my recently moved into apartment with art and knickknacks that really bring out mine and my roommate's personalities. I want anyone and everyone to feel at home when they come over.  

4.  A big dream I have is    to write a book. So many times I've sat down, determined to start my journey as a writer - but self doubt and nerves quickly set in and before I know it I'm off doing something else.    

5.  If I could drive any car my pick would be  umm...I don't really like driving so one that would make the ride as pleasurable as possible. With good tunes and great friends.

6.  A time that I felt really and truly beautiful was    this morning when I looked in the mirror? Hahaha just kidding...I feel really comfortable and beautiful when I get dressed up for a fancy party.  But I also feel vulnerably beautiful when I wake up in the morning - no make up and bed head  

7.  Tomorrow I will....   sleep late, clean my apartment, maybe see my mom and take a walk around my neighborhood....