New Toys? And Days 2&3 Through the Lens.

A brief glimpse at D.C. through the lens:

 

 

 

Today my dad spent the majority of the day in his office. He felt a bit guilty for bringing me out here on a whim and then having to work so much so he gave me $60 for some shopping money.

I, of course, refused to accept his offer. However, upon seeing that he was not going to back down from his donation, I gratefully accepted the money and went along my merry way.

During my aimless trek about the city, a familiar friend caught my eye- a Barnes & Noble! Giving into temptation, I proceeded to spend the succeeding three hours immersed in vast amounts of literature.

Since I am, by nature, a creature of habit, I immediately took off toward the "Music" section of the store. Not the audio/CD department mind you (their collections in stock are usually a bit over priced), but the book section. Biographies tend to be my forte when it comes to reading, especially those about musicians and artists. I have always been attracted to them. My last three reads prior to my current "What Should I Do with my Life?" by Po Bronson have all been biographies and autobiographies about fascinating beings from Pattie Boyd to Edie Sedgwick (a long time and absolute favorite) and Andy Warhol to Dylan (hmm, fancying a pattern here are we? 1960's much?).

After heavily debating on whether or not to purchase a new biography in print on the life of Marley (that is of Bob), I decided to first peruse the store for more finds.

I'm ecstatic to say that I walked out of the establishment with three new books of entirely different genres in hand (all, of course, a New York Times Bestseller- is it bad that I hold that title in such high esteem? My theory on the matter is that reading a book is a commitment, more than watching a movie or playing a board game. It is something that you put a lot of your time and self into so I figure it needs to be something good, something substantial. I view the situation as something similar to going to the theaters and watching a really horrible movie. Nobody wants to finish a 400 word novel and think after the fact, "Well there is a week of my life that I'll never get back again").

That aside, my first purchase is called "The World in Six Songs" by Daniel J. Levitin. The subject is "your brain on music" as if it were a drug, and it explains the psychological effects that different types of music has on our psyches- a subtle compromise for the slightly more expensive Bob Marley biography.

The second book I walked away with delved into my young adult fiction crave- "Little Bee" by Chris Cleave. Though the title and cover graphics both contain the "cutesy" factor, I have come to believe with the help of many a book review that this one in particular has much more to offer than what meets the eye.

My last book was bought, in part, due to the fact that I had several more hours to kill before my dad and I were to be reunited. You see, I am one of those persons who become quite anxious when reading two books simultaneously. Since I was not entirely finished with my current read that was tucked away ever so mockingly at that moment in the depths of my dad's apartment, and also knowing that I had much time to kill with little to do, I bought a quick read- something that I could put down and pick back up fairly easily with little to no mental affliction, and that is Chelsea Handler's "Are you there, vodka? It's me, Chelsea."

The impulsive buy was a result of a good friend who was reading this exact same book about this time last year, and while reading it she simply couldn't stop laughing. Always meaning to borrow it afterward, over the proceeding year the idea was lost in the midst of life's interruptions. Today, I stumbled upon it by happenstance and immediately grabbed it with zero hesitation.

Four chapters in, I can truly say that this girl is a talented, intoxicating writer. She's hilarious! Her personal anecdotes are clearly a stretch, but that in no way negates her style. For a pleasurable, relaxing read, it's definitely worth the time.
  

And with all that said, I am ever so slightly regretting (but not really) to declare, "Goodnight internet," and "Hello books."

I hope that everyone has a great night! I know I will!