Depression/anxiety is no fun.
Regardless of the medication, the positive self-talk, the loving family, all all of that other stuff, it can still knock a person on her ass. Despite how fabulous it is.
I’m here, crawling out of a hole, and will be writing more–in fact, I’m planning on posting one today!!
peace out, bitches.
xo
Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
After reading this, I seriously don’t know if I can watch the movie, despite my major love for J Law. I just don’t know how the movie will be able to translate the steely demeanor of Dominika, her relationship with the American CIA agents, the trauma of her training, not to mention the scenes that were fraught with, “Is this it?”
I read the book after reading a not-so-great review of the movie, which stated that the book was much better (when isn’t it, really?) and my library happened to have the digital version available. 3 days later, it was finished, and I’m so ready for the next installment.
The Body Library by Jeff Noon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
After the events in A Man of Shadows, John Nyqvist, private eye, finds himself if Storyville–a place where the story is everything.
And I mean EVERYTHING. (You’ll see what I mean about 2 chapters in…)
Like the first Nyquist book, what sounds like a straightforward “crime that must be solved” story, is something completely different, but not. Drawing from great literary works, pulp detective stories, and even Norse mythology, Noon pulls the reader into a world that is lush, confusing, and an ode to the written word.
It does take about half of the book to get to the meat of the story, but the language is so beautiful, you won’t mind the meandering road you travel until you get there.
Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley.com for an honest and unbiased review.
A Man of Shadows by Jeff Noon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I stumbled upon Jeff Noon’s Vurt at a local library when I was living in Houston. Intrigued by the cyberpunk world, I read it, and its second, Pollen.
I wasn’t super impressed.
So, I didn’t bother with the 3rd book, Automated Alice, and promptly forgot about Jeff Noon and his books.
Then, I got a book from my “wish list” on Netgalley.com, called The Body Library, and I immediately started reading it. Something told me that this was a second, so I did some digging, and yep, it’s the second of the “John Nyquist” books by Jeff Noon.
Long story longer, I bought this one, and tried to power through it quickly so I could get to the other. Worth it.
A Man of Shadows carries Noon’s signature weirdness when it comes to world building: Dayzone–where it’s never night, Nocturna–where it’s never day, and the ever-encroaching Dusk–which according to the stories, is full of monsters, demons, and mist. The year is 1959, and the time? Depends on who you ask and which timeline they’re following, because there’s a ton of them. Experts are predicting a time crash, people are getting time sick, and amidst it all, there’s a serial killer on the loose, named Quicksilver, who somehow murders without being seen.
Confused yet?
It takes a while for the story to get going, and ends up being a sci-fi-crime noir-dystopian-fantasy unlike anything I’ve read. The main guy, Nyquist, is a broken PI, and his character isn’t fully-fleshed out, but you get more of a sense of why is is who he is towards the end.
So read this for the trippy world-building and the twisty-turny mystery, not the rich and storied people in it.
Should I stay, or should I go?
That is the question of the month. I’m, of course, speaking of the “principalship debacle of 2018” and me not getting the job. In the week since the announcement (and the 2 weeks since I knew I wasn’t getting it) the question most asked by teachers in my building, “You’re staying next year, right?????” And I’m all…
(Ahhh, “Good Luck, Charlie”, I miss ya.)
So far, that’s my plan, but I’m keeping it quiet that I did apply to another building and I actually have an interview next week. I’m lucky, and I appreciate that I’m in a really great spot–I have a job, unlike another person that I work with who doesn’t.
While my first inclination after this all shook down was this:
I was hurt. Angry. Wanted to make people suffer.
I’ve calmed down, so I’m not wanting to leave out of spite, but for my own personal-growth reasons–being able to learn under a different leadership style, experiencing a different community and set of stakeholders, being at a school with a different focus…all of these things will help me be a better school leader of my own school someday.
But. The BIG BUT.
I do love the people I work with, and I love the kids, the families, the comfort of it. I think the new person and I will really get along well, and she could use my support next year because I KNOW THE SCHOOL.
Decision time might be upon me soon, and I’m really not sure what way to go. How do I leave a place that I adore, into the unknown? How do I stay in a place that isn’t mine?
Questions for the ages, I guess.
…may make you stronger, but it still sucks balls.
I didn’t get the job.
What job?
Principal of my school. I’ve only been there 2 years, but I was being “groomed” for the position, but due to a variety of reasons, some I believe, some I think are BS, I didn’t get it.
How does it feel? It fucking sucks.
I feel betrayed. Sad. Angry. Like a loser.
But you know what? I know I’m good at my job. I know that there are people in my building that love me. And I know that I’m going to make one hell of a school principal one day–if that’s the direction I end up going in the end. So for now, I think about where I’m going. Do I stay? Under a principal that I didn’t get to choose, working in a building that I co-ran for the past two years, seeing the hard work that I put in maybe disappear? Maybe not.
So for now, I polish my resume, get updated letters, and reach out to my contacts. This is just the universe’s way of telling me that this wasn’t the right time.
#zen
xo, peach out bitches
The Hookah Girl: And Other True Stories by Marguerite Dabaie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This graphic novel by Palestinian-American author, Marguerite Dabaie is deceptively simple, but gives readers a realistic, light-hearted, honest, and real glimpse into the lives of Middle-Eastern families. Dabaie doesn’t pull any punches when she refers to prejudices that those of Middle-Eastern descent, even while poking fun at her own cultures’ quirks. Part-textbook (for the information) part-art installment, I highly recommend this for anyone looking for an insight into a different culture.
Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Battledoors: The Golden Slate by Brian Wilkinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
If you’ve been reading my reviews, you know that I am truly a sucker for books about books, books that are “love notes” to books, and so on. This is no exception! Battledore: The Golden Slate, is the first book of the series, and it ends in a cliffhanger that definitely made me say, “GAH!”
Unlike Wilkenson’s other book that I’ve reviewed, Paramnesia, the character development is strong from the beginning of the book, and he doesn’t rely on pop culture references to describe characters or situations. Owen, one of the “main” main characters, stumbles upon a “Battledoor” and corresponding hornbooks in an old bookstore that he and his friends have stumbled across in their quest to escape a sociopath of a bully. (The Battledoor is described as an old type of book and I will forgive Wilkenson for his fake definition of it, lol.)
The Battledoor is activated and thus begins a “Choose Your Own Adventure Book” involving Owen, his friends, and the bullies that drove them to the bookstore in the first place. As someone who grew up reading the Choose books, this was definitely a nostalgic treat. However, the updated storyline, the positively evil villain (named Vellum, how perfect is that?) and a world that is amazing and awful at the same time draws in the reader and keeps the action going until the completely unsatisifying cliffhanger of an ending that will make even reluctant readers clamoring for the next installment.
I don’t talk about my job much…I love it, and I think it loves me back, but I’d like to maintain some sort of anonymity here. But, it’s no secret that I’m in education–I’m a current Assistant Principal, after being in the classroom for 16 years, working in curriculum for the district for 2 years, and this is my 2nd year in my current building.
One of the draws to my school was the fact that they are a Leader in Me school, which follows the 7 Habits of Effective People by Steven R. Covey. Now, if you haven’t noticed, I’m not a big fan of the whole religious aspect of…well…anything. And Covey has used a great deal of his LDS learnings to guide his habits, but you know what, they’re good stuff! (The habits, not the LDS teachings, I have some issues with those, but that’s a post for another time.)
One of the habits, numero quattro, to be exact, is to think “Win-Win”. When you think this way, you’re looking to find a 3rd solution, one that both parties can live with. Because in a compromise, both people usually have to give something up and one, if not both people are left feeling let down. In a win-win, the solution is something that’s new, both parties have a say in it, and it takes courage, to speak up for yourself.
I swear, I’ll have an actual post soon!
Spoonbenders by Daryl Gregory
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was one of those surprising gems that I found while pursuing the “available now” lists on my local library’s online offerings.
Part family “dramedy,” part sci-fi, part mob story, part love story, this tells the story of an fairly dysfunctional family with some amazing gifts, and how they use them to save the world.
Algul Siento 