On the Pile

Confessions is good for the soul, right? Too bad it won't do much for my bank account. I really meant to pick up a couple of gossips mags and get out. But between the door and the magazines lay my greatest weakness: paperbacks.

All things considered, I think I showed remarkable restraint by walking out with only two paperbacks and two magazines (US---which will not give up on Nick & Jess---and People---which can't tell Jennifer Aniston from her body double). I can honestly say that fashion and "women's" magazines hold very little appeal for me anymore. Why would I want to hunt through hundred of advertisements for two little articles on clothes that I can't afford or exercise programs I won't follow anyway and that are the exact same as the program they published last year and I didn't follow?

Added to the pile this week:

Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
Time and again, I've seen stories about people trying to ban this book from schools and libraries. I want to see for myself what all the fuss is about.

Best American Short Stories, 2005 ed. by Michael Chabon
I love these "Best" collections, even if they are really just the literary world's equivalent of the high school yearbook (i.e., it's usually full of the popular kids and rarely includes any truly surprising or challenging stories). But I occasionally find a new author or just get to enjoy a story by some of my favorites. And I just really admire people who can write short stories, because they are so much more difficult to write than full novels.

I've also been using the library request to full advantage. I've gotten interested in ayurveda, so I recently picked up Perfect Health: The Complete Mind/Body Guide by Deepak Chopra and Ayurveda: A Life of Balance by Maya Tiwari.


P.S. While typing this, I'm listening to the new Martina McBride album Timeless and loving it. Especially her cover of "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden." I may be playing that repeatedly today. Apologies to my work neighbors!