Thursday, May 03, 2007

Reading material

Thanks so much for all of your lovely comments. I'm very excited at the prospect of finally getting to focus on my own work -- even though I'm not sure exactly what that will be. So, yeah, it's not like I get to sit back and rest for the summer -- next step: comprehensive exams -- but I'll have a little more control over the pace and content of things. And I definitely have plans to spend more time doing fun things like knitting, sewing, and reading things I don't have to read. And look -- part of my celebratory thrift shopping the other day included book gathering!


(Now that I look at this stack of books, I wonder how many other people would be looking forward to doing some recreational reading on murder, Degrassi, murder, and knitting. Anyone else? or just me?) From top to bottom: Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets, from Value Village; Growing Up Degrassi from the library; The Last Dance: Murder in Canada and Feminism and the Politics of Difference from a used bookstore (J. Westcott Books, at the recommendation of The Daily Protagitron); Under the Bridge: The True Story of the Murder of Reena Virk from that corner of the Faubourg that sells discounted new books; and The Friday Night Knitting Club, sent by the publisher to be "reviewed."

Below the books is evidence of mid-paper-writing shopping: brand-new fabric destined for kitchen curtains and a new dress. And to the left, celebration Twizzlers -- which clearly resemble last week's package of paper-writing Twizzlers, and are equally necessary.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Funny. My own preference is for paper-writing (and celebratory) Goldfish crackers.

Homicide! I've never read the book, despite my deep deep love for the TV show. Have you watched it?

lori said...

twizzlers! I once had a job at winners, which was besides a zellers. On my break I remember walking over to the zellers to get some twizzlers.

your reading sounds a lot more interesting than some of the reading that I do. lately organic chemistry has been my reading topic of necessity.

normanack said...

Oh, what better celebration than books and fabric? Wonderful!

It's way too audacious for me to offer advice, but here goes anyway. I got through the coursework and exams, but fizzled out after a chapter and a half of the dissertation because I was frightened to death that my thoughts and writing weren't worthy. Don't fall into that trap. There ain't nobody out there who can think your thoughts as well as you can. And it's clear that you write well. Write and enjoy!

Protagitron said...

Degrassi! I remember CBC playing reruns of the old series back in the early 00's, and me watching it convinced that high school would be like that. Since I didn't get pregnant, drive drunk, or style my hair with an industrial drum of Aquanet, it never happened.
New Degrassi just does not stack up. The previews they were just running had one of them turn to stripping to finance... something. Neither Caitlin nor Stephanie Kaye would have done a thing like that.

Chris said...

Eclectic reading material is the best. :)

Anonymous said...

Sounds like your weekend will be heaven. Myself, I'm picking my Aunty up from her cruise ship - she's been to Numea - and then I'm off to the Sunshine Coast. What better way to celebrate the long weekend than a dip at Noosa? Hurrah for Labour Day, and Happy Friday!

Anonymous said...

I read homicide/serial killers and I collect yarns (I seldom knit and dreamt that I'll have all the time to knit someday).

Nicola said...

It's funny how much better it makes you feel when you get the coursework out of the way. Despite really having to get going on my thesis now I feel much more happy about that than the essays I've already handed in (even though those were much shorter of course). Maybe it is the feeling of having control over writing and topic (and being able to schedule things to include knitting/fun time!)

Anonymous said...

i'm a bit late on the congrats... :)

i'm just finishing myself. (but not yet done the class work... i have class saturday and sunday this week)

but congrats nonetheless!

and oh, how i miss degrassi. i remember the kids of degrassi street right on up. now that i'm in the states, i think i was a bit behind in finding out about the next generation... but it's also not as important(?) or timely(?) now that i'm a little bit more "grown up"
i do find it all fascinating and entertaining that spike and snake and joey and caitlin all show up in the next generation (in larger or smaller roles...)

Mia said...

Yes, but this reading is fun reading. Reading for class can be a bit of a drag even if the material is interesting.

Laiane said...

I have a number of books on forensics and death in general. I have a lot of books on knitting, too, and cute cat pictures. Indeed, eclecticism is the best.

xtina said...

I, for one, would be down with all those books. Not down with Twizzers, however.

Andrea said...

Now I'm very interested to read Under the Bridge. I'm determined to hop on the bus tonight and go to Value Village, rain or not!

Anonymous said...

A media studies book about DeGrassi? I need to see if it is at my library. My summer reading is semi-dictated by the summer reading for my job, which I pretty much designed so it's kind of my summer reading choices anyway. Ahem. The list includes: The Genius Factory, Never Let Me Go, Garbageland, and a second reading of If He Hollers, Let Him Go.

Anonymous said...

I loved Homicide (the book) so much - I literally couldn't put it down. If you enjoy it, and I think you will, the same writer created a TV series called The Wire that's equally engrossing.

Dr. Steph said...

Nice reading list. Congrats on finishing the course work. It'll be fun to pursue your own interests more intently.