bookaddict88 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
bookaddict88) wrote2008-04-14 06:22 pm
bookaddict88) wrote2008-04-14 06:22 pm
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Ahh! How can it be mid-April already!
I'm so not ready for it to be this late in the semester. I have WAY too much to do before summer!
And I just realized that my best friend's birthday is in two weeks, and I have no clue what I'm doing for her yet. And I can't find something last minute, because of this whole living half way across the country from each other thing. Her birthday gift for me last year was perfect, and I don't want mine to be lame!
Also, I have no clue what I'm doing this summer. My original plan was to try to work at a Christian summer camp, though I hadn't actually gotten around to applying yet. But over Spring Break/Easter (which were only four days apart this year), those plans changed. My mom was applying to go on a mission trip to North Africa, to help teach at a summer school there. Long story short, it turns out that God seems to be calling to go on that trip too. Over the space of two weeks, everything just worked out perfectly so I could go too. It wasn't what I had planned, but who am I to say "no" when I feel God leading me to do something? And it should be a really interesting trip. I've never been to Africa at all, and to go and teach kids there (which I love doing) should be fun.
The problem is, what am I going to do the rest of the summer? I can't work at the summer camp, because I'll be out of the country for two weeks during the summer. I think I may end up working for my mom again, because of the flexibility, but it's not my ideal job and it doesn't pay all that well. On the bright side, we're going on a family vacation to New York, Boston, and Toronto or Montreal in August! I'm so excited! Out of those cities, I've only been to New York before, and that only for a couple of days. So hurray!
Switching gears entirely, those books I was so excited about came in (and I ended up pre-ordering The King's Shield, The Princess Bride, and a couple of other books with my gift card -- which I didn't use the first time around due to a stupid mistake -- and I should get them all in July). I read Pratchett's Guards! Guards! first. It was fun, but not as good as I was expecting. I still plan on reading more of his books, though.
Then this last week/weekend, I read Bujold's Young Miles. I ABSOLUTELY loved it! While I love fantasy, I don't usually read science fiction. But the Vorkosigan books and Bujold had been mentioned repeatedly onathanarel , ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
sounis , and sartorias 's blog, and recommendations from those places rarely go wrong. So since I was buying books anyway, and I wanted to try something new, I bought Young Miles (the omnibus volume containing Warrior's Apprentice, "The Mountains of Mourning", and The Vor Gamee). I zoomed through the book, despite all my schoolwork, and whenever I was forced to stop reading because I had to go somewhere, my mind would keep drifting back to the book and the characters even when I was away. In fact, I'm still somewhat stuck in the book! The last book that stuck with me like this was sartorias 's The Fox (which I was actually stuck in a bit more, but the fact that I was stuck in Young Miles at all says something about the book). Anyway, why did I love Young Miles? It wasn't the setting, because as I said before, I'm not hugely into space opera or science fiction in general. The characters were a HUGE part. They were really well-developed, and there were so many I liked! (I especially love Miles...) Other than that, the story was fast-paced, and I appreciated the humor (I laughed more at this book than at Guards! Guards!, though granted, this book was longer) as well as the more serious themes. I REALLY want to read the rest of the series, but I'll have to wait until summer or I'm not going to get any schoolwork done! I've already been warned that once I get into the larger story arc, I'll have an even harder time stopping reading, so I'll wait. Plus, if I wait, I can check out the next books from the library, saving money.
And finally, I have to brag about my sister! She's a senior in high school, and got into all 8 colleges she applied to! (I'm the oldest sibling, and I got into all the schools I applied to as well, so I feel sorry for my younger siblings who have to live up to us!). I think her top choice school at the moment is UCLA, though she's also considering UNC Chapel Hill. She didn't even apply to my school. She said she'd never want to live in Texas...
Now I'm off to go eat dinner. Oh, speaking of food, I've had horrible luck with cooking lately. I burned my hand on the oven while trying to bake (pre-made) orange rolls, and then soon after cut myself while cutting chicken. Yeah, I'm not a cook...
Also, I have no clue what I'm doing this summer. My original plan was to try to work at a Christian summer camp, though I hadn't actually gotten around to applying yet. But over Spring Break/Easter (which were only four days apart this year), those plans changed. My mom was applying to go on a mission trip to North Africa, to help teach at a summer school there. Long story short, it turns out that God seems to be calling to go on that trip too. Over the space of two weeks, everything just worked out perfectly so I could go too. It wasn't what I had planned, but who am I to say "no" when I feel God leading me to do something? And it should be a really interesting trip. I've never been to Africa at all, and to go and teach kids there (which I love doing) should be fun.
The problem is, what am I going to do the rest of the summer? I can't work at the summer camp, because I'll be out of the country for two weeks during the summer. I think I may end up working for my mom again, because of the flexibility, but it's not my ideal job and it doesn't pay all that well. On the bright side, we're going on a family vacation to New York, Boston, and Toronto or Montreal in August! I'm so excited! Out of those cities, I've only been to New York before, and that only for a couple of days. So hurray!
Switching gears entirely, those books I was so excited about came in (and I ended up pre-ordering The King's Shield, The Princess Bride, and a couple of other books with my gift card -- which I didn't use the first time around due to a stupid mistake -- and I should get them all in July). I read Pratchett's Guards! Guards! first. It was fun, but not as good as I was expecting. I still plan on reading more of his books, though.
, and a couple of other books with my gift card -- which I didn't use the first time around due to a stupid mistake -- and I should get them all in July). I read Pratchett's Then this last week/weekend, I read Bujold's Young Miles. I ABSOLUTELY loved it! While I love fantasy, I don't usually read science fiction. But the Vorkosigan books and Bujold had been mentioned repeatedly on
athanarel , sounis , and sartorias 's blog, and recommendations from those places rarely go wrong. So since I was buying books anyway, and I wanted to try something new, I bought Young Miles (the omnibus volume containing Warrior's Apprentice, "The Mountains of Mourning", and The Vor Gamee). I zoomed through the book, despite all my schoolwork, and whenever I was forced to stop reading because I had to go somewhere, my mind would keep drifting back to the book and the characters even when I was away. In fact, I'm still somewhat stuck in the book! The last book that stuck with me like this was 
, "The Mountains of Mourning", and 
e). I zoomed through the book, despite all my schoolwork, and whenever I was forced to stop reading because I had to go somewhere, my mind would keep drifting back to the book and the characters even when I was away. In fact, I'm still somewhat stuck in the book! The last book that stuck with me like this was sartorias 's The Fox (which I was actually stuck in a bit more, but the fact that I was stuck in Young Miles at all says something about the book). Anyway, why did I love Young Miles? It wasn't the setting, because as I said before, I'm not hugely into space opera or science fiction in general. The characters were a HUGE part. They were really well-developed, and there were so many I liked! (I especially love Miles...) Other than that, the story was fast-paced, and I appreciated the humor (I laughed more at this book than at Guards! Guards!, though granted, this book was longer) as well as the more serious themes. I REALLY want to read the rest of the series, but I'll have to wait until summer or I'm not going to get any schoolwork done! I've already been warned that once I get into the larger story arc, I'll have an even harder time stopping reading, so I'll wait. Plus, if I wait, I can check out the next books from the library, saving money.
(which I was actually stuck in a bit more, but the fact that I was stuck in Young Miles at all says something about the book). Anyway, why did I love Young Miles? It wasn't the setting, because as I said before, I'm not hugely into space opera or science fiction in general. The characters were a HUGE part. They were really well-developed, and there were so many I liked! (I especially love Miles...) Other than that, the story was fast-paced, and I appreciated the humor (I laughed more at this book than at Guards! Guards!, though granted, this book was longer) as well as the more serious themes. I REALLY want to read the rest of the series, but I'll have to wait until summer or I'm not going to get any schoolwork done! I've already been warned that once I get into the larger story arc, I'll have an even harder time stopping reading, so I'll wait. Plus, if I wait, I can check out the next books from the library, saving money.And finally, I have to brag about my sister! She's a senior in high school, and got into all 8 colleges she applied to! (I'm the oldest sibling, and I got into all the schools I applied to as well, so I feel sorry for my younger siblings who have to live up to us!). I think her top choice school at the moment is UCLA, though she's also considering UNC Chapel Hill. She didn't even apply to my school. She said she'd never want to live in Texas...
Now I'm off to go eat dinner. Oh, speaking of food, I've had horrible luck with cooking lately. I burned my hand on the oven while trying to bake (pre-made) orange rolls, and then soon after cut myself while cutting chicken. Yeah, I'm not a cook...
no subject
Sticks with the Pratchett, they get better the know the characters. I read them in order (and didn't like the early books much). The witches' books are may favorites.
no subject
Actually, the first witch book is one of the ones I ordered off of Amazon that should be coming in around July (it's coming in so late because it's with the pre-ordered book). Someone else recommended that arc to me.
I'm not sure yet if I'm going to read the books exactly in order, but I'll at least read the individual arcs in order.
no subject
And your travel plans sound really exciting! Now all you have to do is cross the toll bridge of final papers and exams before having all that summer fun. ;-)
no subject
Argh don't remind me about the final papers and exams! (Which of course, I should be working on/studying for now...)