05 February 2012

Fame and Procrastination

This past week has really reminded me of something that I'd pretty much forgotten about since college. I really don't like being told what to read and when to have it read by.

A few months ago I was chosen to be involved with a program at work. This means I am sent books to read and am responsible for giving my feedback on them by a certain date. I read the first book back in the beginning of December and it just came out this past week. The first book is called Defending Jacob and was written by William Landay. It was just released this last Tuesday it's exciting to finally be able to talk about it. It's a fascinating book and as I am quoted on every display in all 700+ stores, "Defending Jacob is excactly the sort of book you can't help but want to talk about once you've finished. It is a well-written, deeply haunting tale of family and tragedy that lingers with you."

This is the hardest part about reading an interesting book two solid months before its release date. There is no one to talk to about it with. I'm glad it's finally out and I'm glad it's finally something I can talk about.

What I wasn't expecting was that my quote would be so widely used both internally and externally. They used my quote in the official press release and on Friday I got an email that my quote had been picked up and used in a few articles. Finally! My big break!

Which brings me to this past week. And the book I've been told to read that I've been avoiding quite skillfully.

The next book I've been asked to read is non-fiction. I always have the best of intentions when it comes to reading non-fiction. There are so many things, ideas, events, histories that I'm interested in knowing more about. But I rarely sit down and make myself finish them. I'm awful that way. And this non-fiction book is about a topic that fascinates me and is certainly interesting and presented in a very readable manner. But there's also this childish, rebellious, procrastinator in me who refuses to sit down and just read this book. I only have a few days left to submit my comments so it's going to have to happen sooner than later.

I almost think it's driving my husband more crazy that I haven't finished than it is me. He keeps finding me picking up another book and wondering what I'm doing with it. On Thursday, we had a rare day off together and went to see Hugo at the Living Room Theaters (Amazing!) and since we were right next to Powell's we decided to get some coffee and wander around. I ended up with two new (out of print) books that I am super excited to read. (One is the hardcover of David Levithan's Marly's Ghost...which appears to be another of his Valentine's Day projects! and was illustrated by David Selznick.)

Thus far I've been disciplined enough not to read either of them until I finish my homework.

Which I will do.

By the end of my weekend.

I swear.

I've also been inspired to start another little side project (blog/twitterish). More details when it's ready to launch...which will likely be in the next two weeks.

I will probably reflect more on the John Green Experience another time. For now I will simply say it was everything I wanted it to be (aside from the fantasy where John Green and I became BFFs and started writing books together) plus screaming and hysterical teenage girls.



From "my" display

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