A hiatus from my first love.

     I hate working in retail.  Thanksgiving was less than a week ago, and I already feel my brain turning to fuzz.  Which leads me to conclude that I will have to take a short break from reading.  I hate to do it, but I'm useless.  I can't focus.  I can't remember characters, what they did, events that have happened, etc.

     So until I can get my brain back on track, I'm taking a rest.  I just want to spend my free time relaxing, doing things that don't require thinking.  That doesn't mean that I won't be posting anything; I have some plans for Hanukkah (which starts tomorrow night) and Christmas.

     So sit back, relax, make yourself some cocoa... and come back tomorrow.

Introducing...

     My next conquest is called Sheer Abandon.  I was going to read something else, but I kind of know the author, so I want to put that on hold until I find out if I could possibly get an interview.  I'm super excited at the very thought.  I love being a nerd.

     I thought it might be nice for me to start introducing books instead of just saying "Oh by the way, this is what I'm reading now."  So here are the stats:


Title:  Sheer Abandon
Author:  Penny Vicenzi
page count:  626 (not including the extras*, which bumps it up to 639)
Publisher:  Broadway Books
Year of Publication:  2005
ISBN:  978 0 7679 2625 6

     Stand back while I crack this spine.


*reader's guide; excerpt from the author's next novel.

A reading from I Love You, Beth Cooper

I Love You Beth Cooper: A concise review.

     I Love You, Beth Cooper was a fast, easy read for me.  It took me all of three days; I looked forward to reaching its conclusion, and then felt a sense of loss when it was over.  It reads less like a book and more like a crazy, unbelievable teen movie that John Hughes would have directed.

     When Denis declares his love for Beth Cooper in his valedictory speech, he could never had predicted the calamity to come.  The night includes all the makings of a memorable graduation night:

1 dork
1 best friend of questionable sexuality
3 beautiful teenage girls
1 foolish infatuation
1 angry boyfriend
2 of angry boyfriend's cronies
1 lame party
1 wild party
2 wrecked cars
10 broken laws
2 calls to the police
1 group shower
Countless beatings
Several minors in possession of alcohol

and a bunch of other things that fall under the umbrella word "trouble".  All things considered, I Love You Beth Cooper is a riotous, coming-of-age story to which everyone can relate.  It is the journey of one young man looking for requited love.  But does he still want her once he stops dreaming of her and starts to really see her as she is?

Words I Don't Know: The nerdiliciousness ends here.

voracity (n.):  gluttony.
surreptitious (adj.):  acting in a stealthy way.
Euclid (n.):  3rd century (B.C.) Greek mathematician of Alexandria; author of Elements, which sets out the principles of geometry.
aural (adj.):  of or pertaining to an aura.
temporomandibular (adj.):  of, pertaining to, or situated near the hinge joint formed by the lower jaw and the temporal bone of the skull.
supine (adj.):  inactive, passive, or inert, esp. from indolence or indifference.
dirge (n.):  any mourning song or melody.
negritude (n.):  the historical, cultural, and social heritage considered common to blacks collectively.
pastiche (n.):  a work of art that mixes styles, materials, etc.
cudgel (n.):  a short stout stick used as a weapon.
cathartic (adj.):  purgative.
cacophony (n.):  harsh discordance of sound.
melange (n.):  a mixture; medley.
piquance (n.):  the quality of being agreeably stimulating or mentally exciting.
pulchritude (n.):  physical beauty.
fluorine (n.):  the most reactive nonmetallic element, a pale-yellow, corrosive, toxic gas that occurs combined, esp. in fluorite, cryolite, phosphate rock, and other minerals. 
epistaxis (n.):  nosebleed.
proscenium (n.):  the arch that separates a stage from the auditorium.
alacrity (n.):  cheerful readiness, promptness, or willingness.
contrite (adj.):  filled with a sense of guilt and the desire for atonement.
milieu (n.):  surroundings, esp. of a social or cultural nature.
chiaroscuro (n.):  the distribution of light and shade in a picture.
concentric (adj.):  having a common center.
mire (v.):  to involve; to entangle.
augur (v.):  to divine or predict, as from omens.
expeditious (adj.):  quick.
umbrage (n.):  offense; annoyance; displeasure.
coxswain (n.):  the helmsman of a racing shell.

inchoate (adj.):  not yet completed or fully developed.


definitions from dictionary.reference.com

Words I Don't Know: And the nerd goes on.

detente (n.):  a relaxing of tension, esp. between nations, as by negotiations or agreements.
purveyor (n.):  a person or thing that habitually provides or supplies a particular thing or quality.
replete (adj.):  stuffed or gorged with food and drink.
triage (n.):  the determination of priorities for action in an emergency.
dendritic (adj.):  of a branching form.
anterior (adj.):  pertaining to or toward the front plane of the body, equivalent to the ventral surface of quadrupeds.
hypothalamus (n.):  a region of the brain, between the thalamus and the midbrain, that functions as the main control center for the autonomic nervous system by regulating sleep cycles, body temperature, appetite, etc., and that acts as an endocrine gland by producing hormones, including the releasing factors that control the hormonal secretions of the pituitary gland. 
aficionado (n.):  an ardent devotee; fan, enthusiast.

exigency (n.):  a case or situation that demands prompt action or remedy; emergency.
exculpatory (adj.):  tending to clear from a charge of fault or guilt.
interdental (adj.):  situated between teeth.
fricative (adj.):  characterized by audible friction produced by forcing the breath through a constricted or partially obstructed passage in the vocal tract; spirantal; spirant.
sibilant (adj.):  characterized by a hissing sound.
ex tempore (adv.):  without preparation.
profundity (n.):  the quality or state of being profound; depth.
pianissimo (adv.):  very softly.
craven (adj.):  cowardly; contemptibly timid; pusillanimous*
axiom (n.):  a self-evident truth that requires no proof; a universally accepted principle or rule.
braggadocio (n.):  empty boasting; bragging.
ballast (v.):  to give steadiness to; keep steady.
vaccaphobia (n.):  fear of cows.
cantilever (n.):  A projecting structure, such as a beam, that is supported at one end and that carries a load at the other end or along its length.
epidemiology (n.):  the branch of medicine dealing with the incidence and prevalence of disease in large populations and with detection of the source and cause of epidemics of infectious disease. 
impetigo (n.):  a contagious skin disease, esp. of children, usually caused by streptococcal bacteria, marked by a superficial pustular eruption, particularly on the face.
pithy (adj.):  brief, forceful, and meaningful in expression; full of vigor, substance, or meaning; terse;  forcible.
simian (adj.):  of or pertaining to an ape or monkey.
bacchanal (n.):  a drunken and riotous celebration.
kibitz (v.):  to offer advice or criticism to as a kibitzer (busybody).
zaftig (adj.):  full-bodied; well-proportioned.
 

*Look, a former WIDK!
definitions from dictionary.reference.com

Words I Don't Know: Paranoia and phobias.

cliquetator (n.):  the dictator of a clique.
insouciance (n.):  lack of care or concern; indifference.
prophylaxis (n.):  the preventing of disease.
triangulate (adj., v.):  composed of or marked with triangles.
semaphore (n., v.):  an apparatus for conveying information by means of visual signals, as a light whose position may be changed.
sisal (n.):  a Mexican agave plant, Agave sisalana,  cultivated for its large fleshy leaves, which yield a stiff fibre used for making rope.
pusillanimous (adj.):  lacking courage or resolution; cowardly; faint-hearted; timid.
epistaxiophobia (n.):  fear of nosebleeds.
rhabdophobia (n.):  Fear of being severely punished or beaten by a rod, or of being severely criticized.
agliophobia (n.):  fear of pain.
gymnophobia (n.):  fear of nudity.
athazagoraphobia (n.):  fear of being forgotten or ignored or forgetting.
gypsum (n.):  a very common mineral, hydrated calcium sulfate, CaSO ₄ ⋅2H ₂ O, occurring in crystals and in masses, soft enough to be scratched by the fingernail: used to make plaster of Paris.
calcaneus (n.):  the largest tarsal bone, forming the prominence of the heel.
defenestration (n.):  the act of throwing a thing or esp. a person out of a window.
aubergine (n.):  a dark purplish color.

 

definitions from dictionary.reference.com except "cliquetator", which is not a real word.  phobia definitions from phobialist.com