The Fault In Our Stars; an emotional review

Today I read an amazing book, a book that deserves to be praised with words that outshine mine, a book that has to be incredibly haunting to those with the misfortune of being touched by the subject matter, today I read The Fault In Our Stars by John Green.

I have been hearing/seeing how amazing the book is for months, months upon months. And like most good readers, and likely children of former librarians I am the type of person who always has at least 3 or 4 good books in their possession that they somehow haven't managed to schedule in and read yet. Instead I often re-read old books or seek out entirely new ones.

Everything I had heard about this book before finally picking it up and starting it was praise. So much freaking heaping praise you couldn't believe. Barnes and Noble gives it it's on little section in the store. It has two versions available in hardback (yet not available in paperback), a regular version and whatever the silver looking lining means about the deluxe version means. But anyway back to the praise, so much praise. On twitter, yes this is where late twenty somethings get everything from the news to book/movie recommendations from complete strangers who feel like friends, I follow a couple of writers whose books I love and other people in general whose lives I envy, and they are all like THE FAULT IN OUR STARS the best book of 2012, the best book ever, the BEST! And spoiler alert it's a tearjerker. It's a box of Kleenex as your constant companion tearjerker. No one ever once tried to hide the tearjerker nature of the novel from me, or as far as I can tell from the internet from anyone. Oh no those total strangers won't steer you wrong. The book also doesn't pull any punches, for the record the book jacket spells it out pretty clearly. "Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal,"

Ok so going into it you know the miracle has been used up and you are in for the beautiful sadness that remains. I devoured this book, probably the fastest I read 317 pages in a long time. I also decided to read a book that I was well, well aware was a tearjerker on my patio/balcony for all my neighbors to see. I'm not always the smartest girl in the world but I somehow couldn't resist the afternoon sun and so instead I decided to introduce myself to the neighbors by quietly sobbing for 3 hours on my balcony. At least I can hope they don't think I'm crazy and I am just really moved by Memorial Day.

I'm not going to spoil it for you. Really this book is too good to spoil. You need to read it, you need to feel like, you need to quietly sob on your metaphorical balcony. And spoiler alert unless you heart is made entirely of stone you are going to cry, probably sob. And yet you will love it and keep on reading until the end, the very very end.

P.S. This is actually classified as young adult novel. I read of lot of young adult novels, not because I  long to be a teenager again. Like gag me with a spoon if I had to go through that again, but simply after a certain grade reading level good books aren't classified by how much education you need to have achieved to understand it but rather by its subject matter. And I can say without a doubt I have read so many young adult novels that outshine "adult" novels in every way imaginable.

I am inexplicably watching Harry Potter... again

I have been watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 for like a week straight. I cannot get enough. Maybe I am just prepping for July and the final chapter of the movie. The odd thing is I haven't read the books. For an avid reader like me it was weird that I never jumped on the HP train- so many of my friends and family did. Several years ago when I was still in college- I think Laura may of just moved back to Iowa- I started reading the 1st one. I think I even got all the way to the end. But just never picked up the 2nd? The truly crazy thing is I have them all- they are cast offs or duplicate from friends and maybe a family member or two. I remember buying the 7th book just because a friend who was traveling with me finished the 6th and wanted to re-read the 7th- but we weren't near home or any libraries we could borrow from so I said I don't have that one I will just buy it and when you are done you can give it to me. Who buys the 7th book a series they have never read? Me.
So now I have them all- and about a month to kill before the the final movie is released to theatres. What say you? Should I plunge in and finally read them. If I do will you make me start over at 1- even through I am mostly sure I have read it to the finish? Or do you suggest I wait until I see the last movie?
The thing is I always see the movies. Maybe not in the theatres right away, but always eventually. I own 3 of them- weirdly 1, 6 and 7.1. I enjoy the movies and try not to ruin my real HP friend buzzes by asking any questions until the end of the film. Perhaps watching the movies is better that way- I never leave thinking about all of the things they messed up from the book. However sadly I do get caught off guard when a character dies.
So thoughts? Read or don't read?

Because my less than skilled driving isn't game enough

So I might be the person, that some people know as the person who reads things as she drives. And I stress the might be part. Because frankly I have tapered off dangerous activities while driving significantly in the last year, and I almost never do such crazy things in the winter, rain or dark. That being said, I get really bored while driving, even when it is only a 15 min jaunt to work and back. Last week I had this fun little game of counting cars in the ditch, my tallies were as follows:
Wednesday P.M.: 15
Thursday A.M.: 19
Thursday P.M.: 25
Friday A.M: 29
Friday P.M. 31

Tonight while driving home I saw a semi pull off to the side of the road, I was worried he was having trouble or a flat, but no I car pulled off in front of it, and then.... the driver gets out with a present! It was like super awesome, think of the coordination it takes to get in the right spot at the same time to exchange something on the interstate! And people think I do dangerous things! ha!

Some people might call this progress....

Again- I swear I am reading stuff, just apparently not what I post on my currently reading tab. I figure I can still count it as progress because so far I am eliminating the other books in rotation by finishing them, and I have done a pretty good job at not starting any others to replace them. So by default I am going to get to the freaking zombie book, and by god I am going to read it. I swear! I have made it up to the point of the Netherfield Ball- so I am feeling some accomplishment, but that also means I still have a Mr. Collins proposal, Rosings, Mr. Darcy proposal, Pemberly, Lydia's elopement to get through before I am even close to the end. From the drawings I have snuck a peek at their is some ninja and zombie fighting in there too.

My dad is a Librarian...

So I recently added a currently reading (1), and books I have read in '09 section to the side of my blog. I feel guilty everyday that I still have Pride and Prejudice and Zombies under the currently section. It isn't like I am not reading it - cause I am, sort of, the problem is I like to read 4 or 5 books simultaneously. Really this is a lot easier and more valuable then you think. For instance if I were to be in a job interview and get asked what was the last book I read- I could answer North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell and not have to say the Unauthorized biography of Britney Spears. See I am not evening lying- cause I am reading them all- at the same time! This comes in handy so many times you would be amazed. But it makes me feel like everyone who reads my blog thinks I am like the slowest reader ever.... because you know I am not making enough progress on the Zombie book. And really- I am a good reader. Really. My dad is a librarian! (I say this with conviction like it means something) I am hoping to make some more progress reading this weekend, I am at least halfway through 3 out of the 6 books I have in rotation currently! What I do have to admit is when a book hooks me, I rarely let anything else get in the way. I am notorious for choosing reading over sleep (and this is coming from someone who really likes sleep), I can usually knock out a 300 page book in about 16 hours- if I want to.
(1)- I thought I cleverly titled this section: What!?! I read. (As in don't be shocked I freakin read) But sometimes I look at it and think people will see What I read (As in what I am currently reading) Maybe my perceived cleverness doesn't translate over the Internet....