What I've Been Reading

Lately, I've been reading a lot of books all at the same time--something that would normally bother me (because when I read, I get very into what I'm reading and so I hardly ever pause long enough to pick up another book) but I've been leaving books in my friends' bags left and right and so I'm forced to start something new and carry on where I left off when I get the book back. 

Also, the things I've been reading lately have been quite haunting and to keep my dreams from becoming one continuous nightmare, I find that it helps to switch back and forth just so that even if your dreams are horrific, at least they're of a various type of terrifying? Hahaha Not sure I'm making sense.

Anyway, alright--perhaps to reconcile my love for both fashion and literature (two things that I think go very well together but I realize that not a lot of people see it that way--although a lot of people who I know who love to write and read are secretly into fashion heeheehee), I'll be including both blogs and books on this list.

1.) Norwegian Wood | Haruki Murakami

I finished this a couple of weeks (about a month) ago, actually but haven't properly had the time to reflect on it until recently. I think this was one of my favorite Murakami books--the others that I've read (Dance Dance Dance, Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World & A Wild Sheep Chase) were also wonderful but in a different way; I found that those were haunting because you never knew what was really happening--you were constantly being thrown back and forth between reality and a sort of alternate realilty--whereas in Norwegian Wood, everything felt so real and simple and was deeply, terribly sad and yet also, deeply, terribly hopeful. This novel broke my heart. :')

2.) The Blind Assassin | Margaret Atwood

Currently reading this--and although I cannot say much about it as a whole yet, I will say this: Margaret Atwood is brilliant with her language. Every sentence is well-constructed and everything about that book--from the characters to the plot to the story within the story, down to the electric fan on the character's porch is interesting. 

3.) Olsen's Anonymous | http://olsensanonymous.blogspot.com

Alright, so here we go with the blogs. I've been a huge fan of the Olsen Twins since I was eight or nine. I remember I used to stay up with my best friend Peluchi and watch their films during sleepovers; she would always be Mary Kate (because she'd always get the cuter guy) and I would be Ashley because well, I can't really remember why. Anyway, I'm a huge fan of the way that MKA dress. They're able to pull off slouchy, comfy looks with a touch of glamour that always takes the outfit up higher. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. This blog is addictive.

4.) Fashion Toast | www.fashiontoast.com (Rumi Neely)

I've been following Rumi Neely since 2009 or 2010 (I can't remember) and I swear, that woman can dress. Another thing that I love about her blog is that her blurbs or write-ups are always funny; especially back in her earlier entries she used to cuss a little and it was nice to see that someone in the fashion world cusses. It's not all so glossy. And the wonderful thing about the clothes is that they're the perfect blend of bohemian ruggedness and polished, very chic classy sihouettes. Simple but unique and very, very elegant.

5.) Life Is Elsewhere | Milan Kundera

One of the saddest books that I've ever read. The brilliant thing about Milan Kundera is that he can write the most insightful, direct and almost "telling you what you think" type lines without ever making you feel defensive about feeling that way. I am usually turned off by works that right out tell you to "feel this" or "do that" but there is something (maybe humble or sincere?) about the way that he says these things that makes it alright, bearable. 

6.) The Reincarnations of Burned Children | David Foster-Wallace

I read this upon recommendation of my friend Sulky Ron and DF-W sure knows how to creep a brother out. There is something in the way this was written--the way words were chosen and the way that the characters were referred to not by their names but by their roles that was deeply disturbing. One of the best short stories that I've read in a long time.

7.) Stories II | Rob Cham

I got this from my good friend Carlos and haven't returned it yet, actually. Rob Cham is a local artist/writer who writes (basically) graphic flash fiction. The book is a compilation of little jokes and little narratives (sometimes terribly sad) and everything is very, very clever. I would recommend you seek him out (as I will do after writing this) and get a hold of his work. If I recall correctly, he's on Tumblr. :)

And that's it for now. :) I'll be doing one of these posts once a week; I hope you guys enjoyed this. :D Tell me in a comment below or on your blog or on a comment on Facebook what you guys are reading as well; I'd love to know!