What I've been up to...

It's no secret I haven't been blogging regularly.  It seems that when I finish with the stress of a day at school (which seems to be getting worse), I just want to come home and bum around.  I immediately change into pajamas and am lucky if I muster up the energy to do a sink full of dishes.  I have been busy this winter (can I really call it winter?!) though.  Aside from interviewing for a potential job opportunity, reading and netflixing (and by the way the new Skins comes out on netflix in January!!!), decorating, and watching football and snow, I've been busy pursuing my new hobbies!

I finished my second puzzle ever in my life (the first was done at the age of maybe 10 or 11?!).  I was pretty darn proud of myself.

    [I was missing a few pieces :(  But the puzzle was made of of tiny smaller pictures. Do they call that a mosaic?]

I've been reading a ton!  Here are some of my recent reads...

I thoroughly enjoyed Of Mice and Men!  It was a super quick read (only 200 pages).  I watched the movie this summer for a class, and I wish I wouldn't.  I would have enjoyed the element of surprise.  I can't wait to read more by John Steinbeck though.

Ham on Rye was an interesting read.  I didn't really know what the book was going to be about.  It basically chronicles the life of a boy.  I enjoyed it, but I doubt I would read it again.  I think there is another Charles Bukowski book on my list.

    
Can you believe I haven't read these classics?!  I enjoyed Catcher in the Rye a lot.  I think it would have been great to read it as a teenager.  It is totally relate-able and easy to read.

  
The Bell Jar is probably my favorite book so far.  It's actually been compared as a female version of Catcher in the Rye.  I am super interested in the life of Sylvia Plath and hope to read more works by her in the future.  The novel is based on her life and experiences as a college-aged girl dealing with depression.  

Brave New World was ok.  I guess it was a bit too sci-fi for me.  I don't really get into those type books as much as I do novels about peoples' lives.  I'm glad to mark these classics off my list though. 


I've discovered that I can request books from the bigger Raleigh library to my tiny Raleigh library near my house.  I can return all books there too!  I started just requesting books online and pick them up!  I love it.  Here are some books on my lineup that I'm looking forward to reading over the holidays:

• The Great Gatsby
• 1984
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (super excited about this one!)
• The Big Sleep

I'll also be studying for my 5th Praxis teaching test.  I'm sure I've mentioned before that these are tests required for teachers in NC to teach particular subjects or populations of students.  My potential job position requires that I take and pass another Praxis before I could be offered a position.  Disheartening, but it'll do.  Next test is January 15 which will be here sooner than I know! (Waiting for the results on February 15 will be the hardest part!).