"the great gatsby" / 24 before 25

after being a bit behind, i finally finished my 4th book while on our honeymoon.

for my 4th book of my 24th year i picked the great gatsby (you can get your own copy here).

my friend carmella and i decided that we want to see the movie when it comes out, so i decided to re-read the book on vacation. i had read the book in early-high school, because the great gatsby is pretty much part of every literature curriculum imaginable. but before reading it again now, i probably couldn't have told you what it was about. when i was really young, i loved reading. i could devour books like nobody's business. but once i was hit with so much required reading (i always took AP english classes), i got bored with reading, probably because it was no longer a pleasure but a requirement. i'll admit i used cliffs notes a time or two.

it was much more fun to read the book this time around without having to always be conscious about metaphors, symbolism, hidden meanings, etc. plus since the movie is coming out, i was always picturing leonardo dicaprio, which ain't a bad way to go :)

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"the night circus" / 24 before 25

so i got a little behind on my reading goal because of the wedding, but i finished my 3rd book!

i had seen this book all over the top sellers lists for kindle, so i decided to give it a go.

the night circus is such a multi-faceted book, but not in a confusing or annoying way. there are multiple story lines that weave throughout the book, but all are tied back to this magical traveling circus that is only open in the dead of night. the way erin morgenstern writes about the circus really makes you wish that you could visit it! it's more than just your typical circus, this place really is enchanted.

you get to follow the creators as well as the performers of the circus from before it's conception. there are two special people (i won't give it away, but maybe they're on the cover..?) to whom the circus means something much more than a spectacle or show. you'll have to read to find out, but i would guess that anyone would enjoy this book. it's an easy read, but not a brainless one.

let me know if you read the night circus! on the my next book..

"drinking closer to home" / 24 before 25

i finished the 2nd book of my 24th year!

randy got me a samsung tablet 2 for valentine's day, which i use as an e-reader. i wanted to get a cheepy book to start with, so i picked "drinking closer to home" by jessica anya blau.

click here to get your own copy on amazon!

this book is about a family whose mother has an unexpected heart attack. the chapters alternate between present day as three grown children return home to be with their mother in her time of need, and the past. i hope you're not getting the idea that this is some sulky book about a family who is recounting all the precious moments they've had with their mother - because this isn't that book. louise (the mother) and buzzy (father) were not your traditional parents, unless your idea of tradition is telling your two daughters that they are responsible for raising their younger brother and employing your husband to grow weed plants in the backyard.

this book was an easy read, and had some very funny stories in it. though i doubt this will show up on the new york times best seller list, i wasn't disappointed in it.

keep your eye out for my next read!

"the fault in our stars" / 24 before 25

one of the items on my 24 before 25 list is:

2. read 12 books

i finished my first one during my trip to toronto!

the first book i read was "the fault in our stars" by john green. you can find your own copy on amazon.

i had heard some hype about this book, and danielle from sometimes sweet, which is one of my favorite blogs, even posted about reading it at one point.

without giving too much away, this book is the love story of a young couple who are both struggling in different ways with having or having had cancer. even with their ailments, they are still able to have some parentally-supervised adventures and even some intimate moments ;)

i had told my friend veronica that i was reading this book, and i told her that i would let her borrow it when i was finished. veronica is an avid reader and has read the hunger games books and the girl with the dragon tattoo series. for some reason, i kept thinking "what would veronica think" while i was going through this book. and to be honest, reading it with that mind-set made me view the book as pretty juvenile. or at least the first half of it was juvenile, in my opinion. obviously the subject matter is pretty mature - i mean, how can a book about people with cancer be juvenile? i just felt the way it was written and the way that the characters' relationships were developed made it a young-adult book. being a full-fledged adult, i don't know that i enjoyed those aspects so much. keep in mind, the main characters are 16 and 17 years old, so it's not like the writing didn't suit their situations, but think about the hunger games series - those are teenagers, and i didn't feel as though those books were juvenile by any means.

that being said, i definitely enjoyed the last portion of the book much more than the first half. it's kind of a double-edged sword, because the last half of the book is only meaningful because of the history you get from the first half, but if i could have inherently known the backstory and only read the last half of the book, i probably would have. i finished the book while on a plane, and i swear i almost burst out in sobs because the end is so sad and endearing. the end of the book was worth getting through the first part of it, for sure.

i would classify this book as an easy read but with more depth than your typical pleasure book. so if that's what you're looking for, i would recommend this book to you.

so what's going to be my next book? you'll have to check back and find out :)

fast obsession: crosswords

hello all!

the other day i was at marshall's department store with randy and our friend, and i came across this huge-ass book of crossword puzzles. being an english major, i love crosswords because they put my brain to work and are so rewarding once you finish a puzzle. however, i usually become very discouraged because most of them are just a little too advanced for me.

i took a chance though and politely asked randy to splurge the $4 for this book of 350 crossword puzzles. and boy, am i glad i got it! it's only been a couple of days, but it is so much fun! it's even been something nice for randy and i to do together right before bed. it's relaxing and the teamwork makes both of us feel stronger as a couple.

i couldn't find the book i got on line anywhere (since it was $4 and at marshall's, it's probably a piece of ancient history), but i did find some others i would totally be interested in trying out:

i am an avid reader of perezhilton.com, so anything celebrity-related is right up my alley! find this crossword book here.

if you're into the whole 'green' movement, you NEED this puzzle!

the cover of this crossword book looks so relaxing! the new york times is infamous for their crosswords, and this is just one of many great collections of them.









there are crosswords for kids, cats, cars, movies, tv.. almost anything you can imagine!

have fun solving! and until next time..

<3 alaina