Once again, it's been a whole week without a post. While we do still have a working computer in the house, I have barely used it in the last 8 days. I got to thinking about a book series I read as a child. Little House on the Prairie, by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I have the yellow boxed set, with well loved corners and broken spines. I want to say this was one of the first chapter book sets I read as a child, but then again, I have no idea for certain. They just stick with me more. I know they are large print and have 1.5 inch margins all the way around the page, but there are 8 books in the set. While I know most of the stories, it was comforting to read them all again. And thus began my reading frenzy of the week. I knew the books weren't going anywhere, yet I still chain-read them...sometimes into the wee hours of the morning.
On a reading break side trip, we went to Target for a few things, and I browsed the book section, waiting for Pete to finish browsing the electronics. For the past 6 months, I have noticed a lot of facebook flair about the book Twilight and its characters. Not really that interested, I never pursued the book at all. Until four days ago when I was standing in front of it at Target. It was just there, on the best sellers rack, so I figured, "hey, why not, I'm just about done with the Little House books. I could use another book to read this summer. I like books." It sat on the kitchen table, among the other things we purchased, forgotten as we went about birthday celebrations. (Happy Birthday honey!) Once I was done with Laura, ready to put that box set away for a few years (wanting to read her daughter Rose's books again, next) I was tidying up and figured, hey, I may as well get started on this one. It was late, I was tired, and within the first 3 pages of Twilight, I was confused. So I put it down and went to bed. The next morning I got up and tried again. And didn't stop until I had to go to an appointment. So I took it with. Frustratingly everyone was on time. I barely had a chance to read in the waiting room. On another note, my hearing is just fine, no middle ear problems, but if you don't talk towards me, I'll never hear you. Or if you mumble. Like so many people do nowadays. Once back home, I started up again and found myself grinning and laughing throughout the first 2/3's of the plot. For the last 1/3, I was gasping and yelling, "No!" aloud to the book. I have never done that. I shook with anger at Dolores Umbridge, I shed a tear at the death of Dumbledore and Hedwig... but I've never been so into a book that I spoke in response to it while I was reading. Harry Potter books brought on a frenzy of reading and caught up emotions, but this was just different. When I got to the end and saw there was another book being written, I flipped to the front to see the publishing year. 2005! What!? This amazing and wondrous book has been out for 3 years and I JUST found it!? I ran to the internet and careful to avoid spoilers, found out the fourth is being published next month. Fourth! I must have the other two! Two days ago, we swung by Barnes and Noble and I filled my basket with diamonds. Books. I couldn't wait to get home and begin. But we had other plans at Dave and Busters for the evening.
On a side note/bunny trail, this week is the airing of the last 10 episodes of Avatar: The Last Airbender, our FAVORITE show. That we've waited since November for. This is also adding to the feeling of frantic, excited frenzy. They are playing the whole second half of the final season in one week. On one hand, it seems like we're drowning in episodes, having waited for so long, but then, we've waited for such a time that if we had to wait another 10 weeks for the conclusion, it may drive some people crazy.
But, back to the Twilight series. I'm glad I didn't read anything on anybody's blog that gave the books away, so I won't do it either, just in case. But two nights ago, once we got home, watched Avatar and had a snack, I dove in. And didn't come up for air until 4:30. AM. I had to sleep, but didn't want to. I didn't feel tired. Apparently I was, but woke up at 10, and continued on. I finished New Moon around 1 and started in on Eclipse during lunch. Chain-reading. Again, for both the second and third books, I was "argh" ing and "No!" "Don't do that!" "I can't believe this!" I completed Eclipse last night around midnight. So, over the course of 4 days, I read all three Twilight books. My mind was exhausted. I'm so glad that I put my name down at B&N for a copy of Breaking Dawn, the fourth book.
For the first 4 days, I was just happily content re-reading books from my childhood, the last 4 days, I've been exceedingly excited about Avatar and even more bouncy about the new books I've just found. Yesterday, I felt like The Joker; constantly grinning... the last time I was that wound up was when I would pack my stuff to hop a plane to see Pete while we were states apart, once every 6 weeks for a year. (Nothing compares to the emotions and wound-up-ed-ness of him coming back from Iraq.) I know it's not the same emotions, backed by the same reasons, I'm just trying to compare it to something.
As a result, today I am coming down off of the book-high. Totally blah. But that's to be expected. No one's life is as exciting or wonderful to read about as fictional stories are. I sort of felt this way after finishing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I needed down time to process everything that had happened. With HP, I felt a tiny bit more closure at the end of each book, as it does naturally occur at the end of a school term, but Stephanie Miller just tortures you by brining that book's plot to somewhat of a closing but leaves much open for the next one. I suppose that's how you bring people back to buy your next one. I still love the stories though. :)
I'll cut it off here, I could probably ramble on for a while, but I won't. Lots to do around here after a week with my nose in a book. I think we'll be seeing the new Batman movie in a few days, so I'll post about that a little bit later.
Oh, and I have been working on a few crafty things over the last few weeks (well not this past week..) that I'll get to photographing and sharing soon.
