Books & Books

Okay, so a while back Borders went out of business here in Bakersfield... it was horrible. I love Borders! That was harder than coping with losing Mervyns! Anyway, while Borders was going out of business, everything in the book store steadily became dirt-cheap. First I bought some art books... then I went back and bought a couple more. Then when everything was like 85% off, I went and attacked all the novels. I ended up buying 13 books for $20. Great deal, right? WRONG. I WANT BORDERS BACK. (but yes, I do love being able to pay less for things I want...)

 ANYWAY... I didn't touch any of the books I bought (except the art ones... occasionally). No, they sat and collected dust. Why? Because I didn't find the time to sit down and get lost in a book. I was busy with school and work. However, now that I'm taking a break from school, and I have a descent job that I only have to devote 13 hours a week to, I decided to finally pick up one of those books.

The first one I've picked up is called "The Story Sisters" by Alice Hoffman. It's about these three sisters, and when the book starts the oldest one, I believe is only 13 or 14. They are very young. These three sisters have their own made-up world and language that only they know about. As the book progresses, the girls all get distinct personalities and their world becomes more detailed and extravagant. The oldest girl, Elv, decides to face her fears that separate the "Human world" from the "Arnish world" (their made-up world). She ends up becoming completely fearless and decides to try everything to build her immunity to humanity.

Long story short, she starts sleeping around, gets tattoos, starts smoking and gets involved with drugs. Bummer. Elv alienates herself from her family and everyone around her. No one understands her and her sisters gradually become strangers to her. I'm at a point in the book where things can either keep spiraling down into a burning heap of sadness and anguish or where the situation can be completely turned around.

I'm so curious to see what happens... I can't tell you exactly what's going on, because some of you may want to read the book. It's written very well, very captivating. But it's at such a depressing part in the book, I kind of don't even want to bother... It brings me down. I don't like being down... screw gravity! My only real peeve with the book is that occasionally the f-bomb will come into play. Honestly, it could do without it. But, it is about teenage girls... which I have come to rediscover have very limited, uneducated vocabulary.

My old digital arts teacher, Daniel Binsfeld, asked me to help teach some of his current students some tips and tricks for photoshop. So I've been helping out High School students all week. It's fun, except for when they talk. If they were all a bunch of mutes, it would be perfect.

So getting back to the subject of my book that I'm reading... I'll definitely have to reblog and let you guys know if it gets happier or not. Then I'm sure I'll be on to the next book, and I'll post about that one as well. Maybe when I'm done helping Daniel's students I can write a post about that too... It's interesting and I'm sure that by the end of next week I'll have a couple good stories to tell. So until then, see ya!