kinorkahol

I started and finished Gibson’s “The Miracle Worker.” It was very moving.

And with that, I’m on track for an average of one book a month. 1 month ago

I read Rilke’s “Letters to a Young Poet.” Maybe I read it at the wrong time, but except for a few insightful or moving paragraphs (if that) here and there, slow-going and not very moving. Maybe I’ll give Rilke’s poetry a try at a later time. 2 months ago

I read The New Yorker regularly, but hadn’t finished a book since December. When I read a great article about Nora Ephron in The New York Times, I found myself agreeing with her attitude towards life, and rushed out today to get her book “I Feel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts About Being a Woman.”

Unfortunately, though this was a very quick read, I was not impressed. I was irritated by all her mentions of the expensive lifestyle she led, but even if she had not hinted at how many expensive products or services she used, I did not find the book overly amusing (though there were some laugh-out-loud moments) or enlightening (though there were some useful lessons or examples of how to live life). I’m not sure I would have liked it had I been a certain age (much older). At times, the book did inspire me to enjoy life (and my youth more), but at other times, it felt frivolous, and so like several of the ultimately disappointing books written by smart and funny women like Tina Fey and Mindy Kahling. Though it was well-written (I did have to look up some words and references, and the flow was good), this is not a book I would recommend. 2 months ago

My goals for 2013 are to establish a more regular fitness routine. I go to dance class 1x a week, but I go swimming or yoga from 0 to 4 times a week. I would like to go swimming or to yoga at least 2 times per week, but will try to go more. 4 months ago

I took another live yoga class this weekend, and felt really calm and relaxed afterwards. 4 months ago

After trying yoga sessions online and on dvd, I took my first live yoga class today at the gym (1 hr). Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it to the Vinyasa yoga class, so I had to take the Hatha yoga class. It was definitely calming. I enjoyed learning more poses, and will probably try a Vinyasa class later this week or next week. 5 months ago

I finally finished “100 Years of Solitude” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Although it certainly had interesting moments, and although I liked the concept, I did not really like the book. 5 months ago

I exercised most days this month. I am looking forward to keeping it up! 5 months ago

Edit: 12/04/12: one more acquired.

Borders going out of business means I must use my gift cards. So:

Owned books in bold.

1. In the Land of Israel—Oz
2. A Tale of Love and Darkness—Oz
3. Love in the Time of Cholera—Garcia Marquez
4. The Great Gatsby—Fitzgerald
5. Les Miserables—Hugo
6. Pride and Prejudice—Austen
7. Gone with the Wind (somewhat favorite)—Mitchell
8. The Things They Carried—O’Brien
9. The Trial—Kafka
10. In the Heart of the Seas—Agnon
11. Ignorance—Kundera
12. The Bridge of San Luis Rey—Wilder
13. Selected Essays of Ahad Ha’am—Ahad Ha’am
14. Heart of a Dog—Bulgakov
15. The Master and Margarita—Bulgakov
16. Survival in Auschwitz – Levi
17. The Interpretation of Cultures—Geertz

I might get more Fitzgerald. 2 years ago

I finished Amos Oz’s “My Michael,” which I enjoyed. 6 months ago

I finished “The History of Love” by Nicole Kraus. It had some emotional moments and was at times difficult to read. I need more time for it to digest.

In other news, I have accomplished my goal of reading at least 1 book per month! 6 months ago

I finished Dave Eggers’ “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius.” I didn’t enjoy it as much, and definitely didn’t like the ending. 6 months ago

Ok, this might take more than one month:

Infinite Jest—DFW
A Suitable Boy—Vikram Seth
The Book Thief—Markus Zusak
The Last Lecture—Randy Pausch
My Life in France—Julia Child ??
Talk of Love: How Culture Matters—Ann Swidler ??
Uneasy Reunions: Immigration, Citizenship, and Family Life in Post-1997 Hong Kong—Nicole Newendorp
Veiled Sentiments: Honor and Poetry in a Bedouin Society—Lila Abu-Lughod
Passion, Craft, and Method in Comparative Politics—Gerardo L. Munck & Richard Snyder ??
So many other classics, like Waiting for Godot, The Sound and the Fury…
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius—Dave Eggers
Dead Souls—Gogol
Eva Luna—Allende
Sophie’s Choice—Styron
Swann’s Way—Proust
Collected Short Stories—Welty
Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath—Plath
The Tin Drum – Gunter Grass
Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie

Guide: bold means completed 3 years ago

I finished Chaim Potok’s “The Chosen.” I found it really moving. 7 months ago

I read “Bossypants” by Tina Fey. It was more enjoyable than Kaling’s book, and more funny, but still not amazing. It was certainly a quick read, though. 8 months ago

I’m considering going apple-picking in Oct. with a group of friends upstate. 8 months ago

I read “Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (and Other Concerns)” by Mindy Kaling. It was a quick read (a break in between Dubliners), but I was unimpressed. I loved one paragraph, and a few sentences here and there. I laughed occasionally. 8 months ago

I read “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” but forgot to log it here. 9 months ago

I spent a week in Montreal, Canada, and one day in Quebec City. Not bad. 9 months ago

I think I’m going to go to Strala Yoga. 10 months ago

Unfortunately, my 600-page book got recalled, so I had to choose another one. I just finished “Our Town”by Thornton Wilder.

It was ok, and not nearly as good as “The Bridge of San Luis Rey.” It is not my favorite play. 11 months ago

I have been dancing and I joined a gym today. 14 months ago

ETA: I’m pretty sure I’ve only ever been to classical music concerts…I want to go to Coachella or Austin City Limits sometime. And some random Israeli concerts. 2 years ago

I finished Elie Wiesel’s “The Sonderberg Case.” 14 months ago

I finished “Eating Animals” (by Jonathan Safran Foer) in record speed (given that I have a job). Interesting and engaging, although not always well-argued. 14 months ago

I finished “The Maples Stories” by John Updike. He is a great writer. I loved how he would play with the meanings of words. I thought he was a great character-builder as well. 14 months ago