Double-Stacked Bookshelves

It's upon us!  The A-Z Blogging Challenge has officially commenced and for the next month (minus Sundays), bloggers from around the world will be joining together for a whirlwind of blogging fun!  This is my fourth year participating in the event and my chosen topic for this year will be Music .  Be prepared for a lot of random tunes...random facts...random lyrics...and general random awesomeness! Without further ado... A is for..."Always" and "Audience of One" "Always" - Bon Jovi   My love for Bon Jovi is rooted deep within my soul and was planted when Cross Road was released in 1994.  That album is a freakin' gem and no song got to my like "Always".  I played that thing on repeat...constantly.  Give me a power ballad any day!  * Fun fact :  the song was written for a movie ( Romeo is Bleeding ), originally, but shelved because the band hated the film.    "Audience of One" - Rise Against   From t...

Happy Friday, fellow A-Zers!  I'm glad this week is over...it sure felt like it went on forever.  Anywho...today presents us the letter V and I'm bringing you:  Kurt Vonnegut! Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007) An American writer, Vonnegut is known for his blend of satire, humor, and science fiction.  Very active in the American Civil Liberties Union and considered a critical pacifist intellectual, he was known for his believe in humanist ideals.  A soldier and POW during World War II, Kurt Vonnegut utilized his experiences to help shape his work.  An advocate for anti-authoritarianism, he incorporates much of himself into his work.  There is a deep cynicism and wild leaps of imagination that run rampant throughout.  He also utilizes the idea of determinism, perhaps best seen in Slaughterhouse Five .  In addition to his writing, Vonnegut became quite a popular artist and a political activist.  He's a wonderful writer, though many have...

Oh boy, we're on to the letter O.  Today is all about:  George Orwell. George Orwell (1903-1950) The first thing I ever read written by George Orwell, the pen name for Eric Arthur Blair, was Animal Farm in the 9th grade.  I'll admit that it was rough at the time.  But looking back I can now list this book as one of my favorites.  Especially after learning about the historical aspects that are represented in the book; it's so much more rewarding when you understand the background (this wasn't planned out very well considering we didn't cover this portion of history in Global Studies until after reading the book for English).  Regardless, Orwell is a magnificent writer.  An English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic, Orwell focused much of his writing on social injustice, the support of democratic socialism, and the opposition of totalitarianism.  Because of his work, Orwell is considered one of the 50 greatest British writers...

"...by the time i got to the interview I was sweating my roommate's BO out of the suit.  The stench of every drink and every cigarette she'd had the last time she wore it filled the high-end office in which I interviewed.  Between the suit, its booze cloud, and my thick virgin eyebrows, I was deemed unfit to answer phones in plain view.  I was turning out to be college educated and unemployable in even the most basic way" (69). Oh man is Tina Fey a funny lady.  Bossypants , Fey's first autobiography, is quite hilarious.  I had been wanting to read this book for a while now and finally did over a week long Mexican vacation...the perfect place to get some much needed reading done along with some much needed sun on my pasty, white Oregon skin! Bossypants explains the trials and tribulations of Fey's life.  From her childhood mishaps to certain mishaps in college, from her portrayals of Sarah Palin and other SNL episodes to the birth of her daughter.  ...

Though I'm not a big fan of Sarah Palin, or her politics, I was mildly surprised and, at times, impressed with her book Going Rogue:  An American Life .  She does have a lot of good things to say about big government, the hands-off approach to governing, energy research, environmental issues, and life in general.  Though at times a bit preachy for my tastes (I disagree with some of her fundamental principles), but overall she explains herself well...golly's and all. It's hard to determine how truthful she is being in regards to everything she discusses.  I was impressed with a lot of what she's done for Alaska through her policies and certain laws.  I think the part that I was most leary about was her recollection of the presidential campaign and how she was treated by "Headquarters."    According to Palin, she was pretty much given a gag-order...keep your mouth shut and we'll feed you your lines.  I can see this being true.  I mean, s...