Busy busy busy.
Even though I have a lot to do and I'm actually pretty stressed out, I have been in a good mood lately. I decided that part of my frustration lately has been not doing anything that I find relaxing and instead concentrating completely on the work that I'm supposed to do, so I took up some hobbies and have been doing personal reading whether I really believe I have the time to or not.
For example, I've now been doing puzzles religiously and I bought (and spent more than I should have on them, unfortunately) a box of 120 different colored Crayolas and a few coloring books. It helps me wind down and feel like I'm accomplishing little goals (like coloring in a page, or finishing a puzzle, and even though they don't amount to much, I have been upset lately because I feel like I'm doing a lot of work and not really accomplishing much at the same time).
For pleasure reading I've been reading a lot of 18th and 19th century gothic novels. Our reading of Northanger Abbey in ENG 199 got me really interested in the subject so I've been enjoying that a lot. I've also been doing research on Australian history - anyone that knows me knows why that's an important subject to me. I'm enjoying that also. I feel like I'm rapidly learning things. I'm enjoying my classes, but I feel like the actual facts that I'm retaining in all of them are really few, so this "suppliment" , I guess, to my classes are really helping me feel like I'm doing something important.
Books that I'm reading right now?
Captain Cook by Alistair MacLean - a brief biography (sort of) about Captain Cook, who was really the first person to chart Australia. I'm nearly finished with this one. I expected it to be dry, but it's actually really fun. The author's voice is really vibrant and alive, but because of the date it was published I know I'm going to have to pick up a more recent book on the subject soon.
The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe - part of my Gothic novel thing I have going on. I'm not far into this yet, but I knew I had to read it because it's mentioned so frequently in Northanger Abbey.
The Young Desire It by Kenneth "Seaforth" Mackenzie - a classic bit of gay Australian literature. It's about a young boy that goes to a boarding school and has a teacher fall in love with him (about a ten year age gap between them). It's remarkable because the homosexual in the story isn't really cast in a negative light - and for it's publication date of 1937 (and in Australia, which had always been behind the rest of the western world until around the 70s or 80s) it's even more shocking. I'm about 2/3rds done with it, and it's really interesting. I like it. I wish I had my own copy of it, but I got this one out through interlibrary loan for my annotated bibliiography project and just decided to keep reading it.
The Monk by Matthew Lewis - another Gothic thingie. This one is about a monk that goes around committing incest and raping people!
The Castle of Otronto by Horace Walpole - more Gothic. Technically the first Gothic novel. It's very short so I'm going through it quickly. It's actually very gory!
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen - as I've mentioned and which must be finished by tonight along with the criticism in the back of my Norton Critical Edition.
What Becomes You by Aaron Raz Link & Hilda Raz - a book about a gay, female-to-male transsexual for ENG 266. It's fantastic. I can't wait to continue to discuss it tomorrow in class.
What's next?
Pamela by Samuel Richardson
Melmoth The Wanderer by Charles Robert Maturin
Sense And Sensibility by Jane Austen
Voss by Patrick White
The Old English Baron by Clara Reeve
The Castle of Wolfenbach by Eliza Parsons
The Mysterious Warning: A German Tale by Eliza Parsons
And I have a couple more Gothic novels to pick up at the library tonight that just came in on interlibrary loan, which is very exciting. As you can see, I've been keeping myself very busy with my books. Of course, there are other books that I dip into now and then (for example, my beloved cat books! The Warriors series by Erin Hunter) but that's really just for fun and obviously doesn't have any serious academic interest attached to them.
Move night tonight right after Math. Ma Vie En Rose. I've heard excellent things about it, so I'm very excited.
For example, I've now been doing puzzles religiously and I bought (and spent more than I should have on them, unfortunately) a box of 120 different colored Crayolas and a few coloring books. It helps me wind down and feel like I'm accomplishing little goals (like coloring in a page, or finishing a puzzle, and even though they don't amount to much, I have been upset lately because I feel like I'm doing a lot of work and not really accomplishing much at the same time).
For pleasure reading I've been reading a lot of 18th and 19th century gothic novels. Our reading of Northanger Abbey in ENG 199 got me really interested in the subject so I've been enjoying that a lot. I've also been doing research on Australian history - anyone that knows me knows why that's an important subject to me. I'm enjoying that also. I feel like I'm rapidly learning things. I'm enjoying my classes, but I feel like the actual facts that I'm retaining in all of them are really few, so this "suppliment" , I guess, to my classes are really helping me feel like I'm doing something important.
Books that I'm reading right now?
Captain Cook by Alistair MacLean - a brief biography (sort of) about Captain Cook, who was really the first person to chart Australia. I'm nearly finished with this one. I expected it to be dry, but it's actually really fun. The author's voice is really vibrant and alive, but because of the date it was published I know I'm going to have to pick up a more recent book on the subject soon.
The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe - part of my Gothic novel thing I have going on. I'm not far into this yet, but I knew I had to read it because it's mentioned so frequently in Northanger Abbey.
The Young Desire It by Kenneth "Seaforth" Mackenzie - a classic bit of gay Australian literature. It's about a young boy that goes to a boarding school and has a teacher fall in love with him (about a ten year age gap between them). It's remarkable because the homosexual in the story isn't really cast in a negative light - and for it's publication date of 1937 (and in Australia, which had always been behind the rest of the western world until around the 70s or 80s) it's even more shocking. I'm about 2/3rds done with it, and it's really interesting. I like it. I wish I had my own copy of it, but I got this one out through interlibrary loan for my annotated bibliiography project and just decided to keep reading it.
The Monk by Matthew Lewis - another Gothic thingie. This one is about a monk that goes around committing incest and raping people!
The Castle of Otronto by Horace Walpole - more Gothic. Technically the first Gothic novel. It's very short so I'm going through it quickly. It's actually very gory!
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen - as I've mentioned and which must be finished by tonight along with the criticism in the back of my Norton Critical Edition.
What Becomes You by Aaron Raz Link & Hilda Raz - a book about a gay, female-to-male transsexual for ENG 266. It's fantastic. I can't wait to continue to discuss it tomorrow in class.
What's next?
Pamela by Samuel Richardson
Melmoth The Wanderer by Charles Robert Maturin
Sense And Sensibility by Jane Austen
Voss by Patrick White
The Old English Baron by Clara Reeve
The Castle of Wolfenbach by Eliza Parsons
The Mysterious Warning: A German Tale by Eliza Parsons
And I have a couple more Gothic novels to pick up at the library tonight that just came in on interlibrary loan, which is very exciting. As you can see, I've been keeping myself very busy with my books. Of course, there are other books that I dip into now and then (for example, my beloved cat books! The Warriors series by Erin Hunter) but that's really just for fun and obviously doesn't have any serious academic interest attached to them.
Move night tonight right after Math. Ma Vie En Rose. I've heard excellent things about it, so I'm very excited.