Intro to Reading: Blog 9

I read Let Your Life Speak:  Listening for the Voice of Vocation by Parker J. Palmer.  I read this week for 3 hours. 

This book focuses on finding one's vocation through listening to one's heart and the inner voice within.  It talks about understanding your limitations and potentials and learning to really listen.  It goes on to talk about how we often have to suffer and journey into the darkness of things before we can reach the light and be made stronger.  This only makes our relationship with God stronger and is a necessary part of life.  The book also has a segment on depression.  It talks about the meaning of depression, the author talks about what it is like for the person in depression, and what it's like to be the onlooker into another's depression and how an onlooker can sometimes only make things worse through encouragement.  The result of depression is meant to be a journey towards God.  The book also talks about leadership and community.  It tells how in order to be a good leader you can't be power hungry, rather you have to lead and serve those your leading from your heart, and that is where your power as a leader lies.  Also being a good leader means taking risks and seeing failure as a learning opportunity.  Book emphasises how community is meant to help encourage one another in their inner works to the Lord (such as meditation, journaling, silent prayer...spiritual disiciplines) and be with one another in their aloneness.  The author ends the book with a reflection: our lives are like the four seasons in that it is a never ending journey one that we can not control, thus we need to learn to let go. 

This book was very inspiring to me and really was something that I could relate with a lot at this point in my life. 

Intro to Reading: Blog 8

I continued to read from the book, Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk for 1 hour and 40 minutes. 

The next part of this book focuses on how the author’s involvement in fight club is affecting the way he carries himself and interacts with his boss and co-workers.  The author wants everyone to know that he is tough and it brings out this whole new side of his personality.  Tyler and Marla’s “relationship” develops into one that exists primarily in the bedroom; outside the bedroom they can’t even stand to be in the same room as one another.  At the end of the chapter, Marla talks more directly to the author (rather than Tyler) basically begging him to call her and even though she doesn’t say it, to love her.  This makes for an interesting twist as Tyler is the one suspected of having Marla’s affection.  The next portion of the book Tyler takes the author a step closer to hitting rock bottom, which at this point seems to be the goal.  When the author approaches Tyler about needing more soap, Tyler teaches the author how to make soap.  But through this task, he also teaches the author about a little bit of history.  He teaches the author about experiencing pain and how without sacrifice and pain, we would have nothing.  

This book is very different from anything I have read before.  There are so many different elements and little stories within this story that it is very interesting; you have to play very close attention or else you'll miss something important.  I think that it really helps to have seen the movie, because even though the book has parts that the movie doesn't and is a little different, the movie helps me to better understand the book.   This book also adds a lot of interesting ideas and perspectives on different elements of life.  I like it. 

Intro to Reading: Blog 7

I read from Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk from .5 hours. 

I read about how Tyler has a "thing" (romance) with Marla Singer, while the author dreams about her.  The author is frustrated with himeself and doesn't know how to compete.  He is wallowing in self-pity, wondering what he could of done differently and how suddenly things have changed. 

Intro to Reading: Blog 6

I am reading Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk and I read for 1.5 hours. 

Picking up where I left off, the main character arrives home from a business meeting only to discover that his single apartment in a building full of apartments has been dynamited to shreds; all that remains is the base unit of the apartment.  Still having Tyler’s number and not really knowing who else to call, the main character dials his number, they meet at a bar, and Tyler agrees to let him move in under one condition:  he hit Tyler as hard as he can.   And this is how fight club began.  It started out because these two characters wanted to know what it was like to have a couple scars and they wanted to know more about themselves.  There are several rules to fight club, but the main rule to remember is that you don’t talk about fight club.  Fight club creates an alternate reality for men of all ages and types to release their emotions in; it is a different world than the one they live in during the week.  And so begins the episode of an alternate reality (away from each man's normal life) through fight club. 

I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this book or not, but I am really liking it.  I do have to admit being able to compare it to the movie does help understand it better and allows me to go in a little deeper as a first time reader than I normally would be able to.  This book also fascinates me because I feel as if I am getting a peak into the male mind and how it opperates as oppose to the female mind.  I am also loving how the book flashes from time period to the next.  I am definitely excited to keep reading and find out how things will play out!

Intro to Reading: Blog 5

I am reading Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk and this week I read for two hours. 

The first chapter of fight club takes place on the roof top of a 190 floor building with a guy, Tyler holding a gun in the mouth of his partner in crime (who’s book the perspective is being told from).  This chapter takes place in present time and delves into the big scheme of destruction all centered around the termination of the National Museum.  Could this big plan of anarchy really be all about a girl (Marla)?  The book goes on to introduce its readers to Marla and how she entered into the main character’s life (they meet because they both go to cancer support groups because it helps Marla feel better about herself and it is freeing to the main character and allows him to sleep which is a big deal since he suffers from insomnia).  The next part of the book introduces its readers to Tyler and how he and the main character meet (they meet on a nude beach and the main character and Tyler exchange numbers after Tyler teaches him about putting forth a lot of effort just for one moment of perfection). 

I’ve seen the movie, so I am really enjoying comparing the book to the movie and experiences new pieces to the story.  There are a lot of components to the story so having it broken down into more detail has been really helpful in better understanding the story.  It’s really interesting and I am enjoying it thus far. 

Intro to Reading: Blog 4

I read for 1 hour and 35 minutes from the book, The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger.  I was able to finish the book this time.  

I starting reading at the point in the book where Andrea had reached the climax, which kept building through having to make more in more choices where she had to choose work over those important people in her life.  And then came the big decision of going to Paris in her co-worker, Emily's, place, which not only nearly destroyed her relationship with Emily, but also her boyfriend, best friend, and put additional strain on her relationship with her parents as well.  In the end, Andrea decided to go to parents in order to keep her job.  It wasn't until her boss compared herself to Andrea that Andrea came to the realization of what her actions had made her and she had to make a choice:  was she going to keep going on the path that she was on or was she going to take action to save her true self and to keep those that she loved in her life.  Andrea chose the path of relationships and self identity. 

I loved reading this book.  It was easy for me to identify with Andrea and helped remind me that although there are many important things in life, not to forget the most important ones. 

Intro to Reading: Blog 3

I read for 1 hour and 35 minutes from the book, The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger.

The next part of the book was about how Andrea learns about the difficulties of juggling her big job and her personal life.  Andrea learns more and more how demanding her job really is as she is tied to her phone and must take calls and deal with errands or crisises at all hours of the day, night, and week.  She quickly learns that all of these demands, if she wants to succeed at them and be good at her job, are pushing her further away from the people she loves (her best friend, her parents, and her boyfriend).  She struggles with going on with the job that will get her exactly where she wants or holding onto the people who are most important in her life. 

This story is interesting and even more so as I can feel it hitting the climax.  It's hard when you are caught inbetween to things that you want most.  I think you have to go back to your roots and to your beliefs; think about what is your heart or gutt telling you to do.  We have to think about in the end, what is going to make us happier:  a great job or great relationships?