Places you enjoy being.

Go to your happy place. A saying I have heard before, but have never really undertood what it meant. As simple as the concept is, visit a comforting situation in your mind to gain a certain feeling, it doesn’t resonate with me. Yes there are things in my life that make me happy, but they don’t make me feel like I am in a “happy place.” Most likely because I am a contrary bastard who just doesn’t like the way that saying sounds. When I envision a happy place I think of physical locations. Places that I enjoy being.

Works of literature you suggest others burn.

Who knew that you guys loved to read so much? I think it’s very telling that there are people I am friends with through different areas of my life who enjoy reading the same stuff. It’s as if I like hanging out with a certain type. Preposterous. While I will be making my way though those books post haste, there is a flipside to the literary discussion. There are certain books you’ve read that you simply hated and wish you hadn’t. As previously stated, most of my reading is on books where I’m trying to teach myself a marketable skill, plus I rarely finish a book I don’t enjoy. So this will be my first list where I won’t actually have 5 things:

1. “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens – This is the most boring book I have ever picked up in my life. Labels on the back of bathroom items provide a more engaging read. Seriously. I have read many a cleaner bottle while in the bathroom with no magazines. There is nothing good I can say about this book other than I did well on the test my freshman year of high school. It’s too drawn out for my tastes.
2. “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens – See reasons above. Maybe it’s because I just don’t care for his writing style. By the way, who is it that determines that a book is a “classic” book? Is there a secret commission that meets every few years? What does a contemporary author have to do in order for their work to be considered a classic? Why am I asking rhetorical questions that I won’t ever know the answer to?

That’s it. That’s all I’ve got, though I am looking forward to seeing what books are listed (especially by my friends who are librarians). Pretty anticlimactic. In lieu of listing 3 additional choices I will say that I accidentally left out a book (series really) that is one of my favorites. “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” and the subsequent books by Douglas Adams are British comedy gems that I can’t get enough of. Also, I have decided to give my blog a more personal, whimsical feel by including random musings in my posts since I can. Plus it’s a way to entertain myself when I am forcing myself to write (like today). This new section shall be called Nuggets of Knowledge. Anyhow, list 5 works of literature you suggest others should burn.

NUGGET OF KNOWLEDGE:
My great grandmother gave birth to 19 children. Seriously. That is sheer insanity. There was a set of triplets (that died as infants) and two sets of twins (one set died as infants) but other than that they were all one at a time. That blows my mind.

Works of literature you suggest others read.

In my list of things that will make me judge you even if they shouldn’t I left out something that was thankfully brought to my attention by several commenters. Few things irritate me more than when people unabashedly admit that they don’t read. Now I am not talking about someone saying they don’t have time to read as much as they would like, but I mean the people who look you square in the eyes, and almost wear their ignorance as a badge of courage. “I don’t read books!” Really? Well first, that’s just sad and I am afraid that you will no longer be welcome in my presence, secondly what would possess any adult to openly say that in public? Do you think that I’ll be so mesmerized by your dumbassery that I will overlook any other character flaws you may have? In no way do I consider myself to be the ultimate authority on what is and isn’t good literature since I read the equivalent of a top 40 radio station. However, I do recognize that reading is fundamental as the PSAs so graciously told us. Plus books make for good conversation starters when you are in certain social situations (think Christmas party with the neighbors who don’t drink).

When my niece was 9 years old she told me that she didn’t like to read and I forbade her from ever saying it again. My reason was that even if it’s something you don’t enjoy doing, don’t tell people that because it will just make you look stupid. With that said, I am not the most avid reader of books. Most of the ones I read have to do with something I am trying to accomplish. Examples include several books on web design, books on graphic design, and books that deal with mastering different techniques in different computer programs I am teaching myself. Not much of my time is spent reading books for pure enjoyment. On the Road by Jack Kerouac was the last book I started reading for my enjoyment, and it’s proven difficult for me to read because it is on my computer rather than a hard copy. When I am on my computer my mind tends to wander and I try to do multiple things at once. What was this post about? Oh yeah, books I suggest you read: