and there were five

I'm stuck.  I've started 5 books.  It usually doesn't get that bad.  I just feel discombobulated (yes, that is a real word, I just double-checked it on dictionary.com).  Maybe it's the crazy weather or that I have haven't been able to hear very well for the last two weeks thanks to double ear infections or that I am distracted over this issue that I have to find an attorney (if anyone knows a great employment/discrimination lawyer please share!) or that my living room is being redone or that my sister & niece were away for way too long or one of the bazillion other things.  It's just life and if five different books is what I need right now, so be it.

One doesn't count though because it's the kind that you follow each week for a certain amount of time ("The Artist's Way").  I'm on week four and haven't been able to complete most of the suggested exercises (one would be writing for 30 minutes every day anything and everything that comes to mind).  But this is my first read-through and I wanted to get the gist of the book first, I still struggle with whether I am an artist or not anyway.  One moment I feel very inspired and art-like and then another like a wanna-be.  I am working on it.

Next up, I've started this memoir.  There's a lot going on here and interestingly enough this one is about the author and her endeavor of becoming an artist (more specifically a writer) and her journey through many obstacles including alcoholism and struggling with her identity and who she is.  These types of books are my favorite genre so I am not surprised that  I am enjoying it.  It reminds me that everyone has their own problems and their own way of dealing with them.  It normalizes my world and makes me feel less crazy.


Here is another one about France.  This woman's name kept popping up in random places over an over lately so I took it as a sign and picked "The Autobiography of Alice B. Tolkas" because was one of her most famous novels.  The only thing I knew about this author was that she had this place in Paris where she would have artists like Picasso and Cezanne hanging around with her.  This book goes into more details of it all and she is writing from her friend's point of view.  I don't usually like history and things of that nature, but this book has me captivated. 


So, the first three book I am enjoying, but "Catch-22" was the first one I had going and caused me to pick up the other four.  It is bizarre.  It is about war and I feel like it is all over the place and wacky.  I am over half way through and want to finish it because I am hoping at some point it will come together for me.  If not, I will be referring to the Cliff-Notes for some guidance and clarifications.




This is the most recent one I've started.  It was late one night and as I was getting ready to go to bed I saw it laying on the floor and couldn't resist the urge to pick it up.  I started reading it and the started to fall asleep.  Not because it was blasé, but because I was wicked tired.  I am not bored with this book.  I can't wait to see what I'll get out of it.