Netflix for Books

Brian asked me if I saw Don's tweet about BookSwim and at the mention of "books" I was instantly intrigued. Don described it as Netflix for books. Well, I love books and I love Netflix so this has to be awesome, right? Well, maybe a little awesome.

BookSwim allows you to borrow books that are delivered right to your door. If you purchase one of BookSwim's standard packages, you do not have to pay shipping. You can get 3 books per month for $23.95, 5 books for $29.95, 7 for $35.95 and 11 for $59.95 a month. If you just want one book a month, you can pay $9.99 but you will have to cough up $3.99 for shipping. Considering that a new hardback novel can cost more than the lowest price plan, this is a great deal if you frequently buy new books. For me, however, this is too expensive.

Despite being an avid reader, I rarely buy hardbacks new. I am lucky enough to have a wonderful public library system that is able to get new books very quickly. Half-Price Books is another great source for new and old books. If you do not have a strong library or a good used bookstore around, BookSwim might be a good option for you.

Another plus for BookSwim is that they have textbooks. If you're a student like me, this could end up being a great deal. Unfortunately my current $100+ textbook isn't at BookSwim yet.

For now, BookSwim isn't a good value for me. I will definitely keep checking them out to see if they change their price plans. Do any of you use BookSwim? Tell us about your experience.

Happy Easter!

It's National Poetry Month!

Here it is, National Poetry Month, and I almost forgot about it. Fear not, I have a poem for you.

Today I give you one of my favorite poems, "Letter With No Address" by Poet Laureate, Donald Hall. This poem can be found in Without, a collection of poems Hall released after his wife, poet Jane Kenyon, died of leukemia. "Letter With No Address", like every other poem in Without, was written for Jane.

LETTER WITH NO ADDRESS
by Donald Hall

Your daffodils rose up
and collapsed in their yellow
bodies on the hillside
garden above the bricks
you laid out in sand, squatting
with pants pegged and face
masked like a beekeeper’s
against the black flies.
Buttercups circle the planks
of the old wellhead
this May while your silken
gardener’s body withers or moulds
in the Proctor graveyard.
I drive and talk to you crying
and come back to this house
to talk to your photographs.

At five A.M., when I walk outside,
mist lies thick on hayfields.
By eight the air is clear,
cool, sunny with the pale yellow
light of mid-May. Kearsarge
rises huge and distinct,
each birch and balsam visible.
To the west the waters
of Eagle Pond waver
and flash through popples just
leafing out.

Always the weather,
writing its book of the world,
returns you to me. Ordinary days were best,
when we worked over poems
in our separate rooms.
I remember watching you gaze
out the January window
into the garden of snow
and ice, your face rapt
as you imagined burgundy lilies.

Your presence in this house
is almost as enormous
and painful as your absence.

I stole this from another blog...

And I enjoy making lists

10 THINGS YOU CURRENTLY WANT:


1. a really good book

2. something new to listen to

3. Seinfeld to be on Netflix

4. something sweet

5. graduation to get here

6. summer vacation

7. a winning lottery ticket

8. a farm

9. a pig

10. my current class to be over

9 MUSICIANS/BANDS YOU LOVE (IN NO ORDER):

1. New Order

2. U2

3. The Smiths

4. Joy Division

5. Weezer

6. The Doors

7. The Replacements/Paul Westerberg
8. David Bowie

9. Manic Street Preachers

8 THINGS YOU DO EVERYDAY:

1. brush my teeth

2. check email

3. wash my face

4. get kisses from my dogs

5. complain

6. read something

7. clean

8. work on something

7 THINGS YOU ENJOY:

1. books about music

2. singing in my car

3. a clean house

4. my pets

5. walking

6. driving

7. learning new things

6 THINGS THAT WILL ALWAYS WIN YOUR HEART:

1. humor

2. my dogs

3. a good song

4. intelligence

5. a good book

6. a tear jerker movie

5 FAVORITES: MOVIE, SONG, BOOK, FOOD, SEASON:

1. The Royal Tenenbaums

2. Age of Consent (New Order)

3. On the Road (Jack Kerouac)

4. Pizza

5. Autumn

4 SMELLS OR SCENTS YOU ENJOY:

1. rain

2. cake

3. fruit

4. the inside of a new car

3 PLACES YOU WANT TO GO:

1. England

2. Russia

3. Alaska

2 FAVORITE HOLIDAYS:

1. Halloween

2. Thanksgiving

1 PERSON YOU’D MARRY ON THE SPOT:

1. Already married him (...oh, and Spock from the new Star Trek movie)

What's with all the Barbie bashing?

Growing up, I was never very interested in baby dolls. I remember playing with the little dolls that came in boxes with different outfits. I confess, I just liked those dolls for all the little clothes. Baby dolls just didn't do it for me. I didn't have fun carrying them around, pretending to feed them, and who wants to change a diaper for fun? I didn't understand the appeal of baby dolls but Barbie made a lot of sense to me.

I got my first Barbie when I was about 4 as a bribe. I really, really wanted one. It just so happened that I had a nasty habit of biting my nails. My mom offered to get me my first Barbie if I would quit biting my nails. Easy enough. I got my doll and, to this day, I'm not a nail-biter.

I had all kinds of Barbie dolls but never any Ken dolls. My Barbie's boyfriends were much better than Ken. They were more attractive, had better jobs, treated her better than Ken ever could, and were all imaginary, of course. (Side note: Did Ken even have a job??) My Barbie also had several different jobs, depending on what held my interest at the time. Sometimes she was a musician, other times she was a detective or a doctor. Again, all imaginary. That's what Barbie is all about, right? Imagination? So, what's with all the articles and art projects putting real measurements and standards on a toy? Yes, a life-sized Barbie would be pretty scary but just about any toy would be equally frightening in real proportions. Take a deep breath. Barbie is just a toy.

Why is Barbie a great toy for girls?


Growing up, I never dreamed of my wedding day or of the children I was going to have. Lots of my friends did, but neither of those events held my interest. I never even wanted the bridal Barbies. Barbie dolls have been made in the image of rock stars, astronauts, doctors, teachers, and many other careers. She traveled and had houses in different places. Barbie was black, Asian, Native American, and embraced a multitude of diversity that goes beyond the blonde-blue eyed doll. And if I wanted my Barbie to have a baby, I folded up one of her clothes and stuck it under her shirt. Voila! Barbie's a mom. Barbie could do and be anything from your imagination.

Eating Disorders and Self-Esteem

Some of you know the horror of eating disorders from personal experience. Waking up every day, constantly tortured by what you put (or don't) put in your mouth is a nightmare for millions of women. Even if we're not starving ourselves, women find other forms of torture in the name of beauty. Plucking brows, waxing various body parts, high heels, plastic surgery...the list goes on and on. Are we really blaming this on a doll?

But, I hear some of you saying, Barbie will make our daughters grow up to think that this is how they should look! Do we really believe that? I believe that girls and women are smarter than this. I resent the fears that a toy will cause us to develop anorexia or self-esteem issues. This fear sends the message that girls and women are not bright enough to understand the difference between a toy and reality. I never played with Barbie dolls under the guise that I would look like her when I grew up and I bet none of my Barbie-playing readers thought they would either. If anything, Barbie is a blank slate; a vehicle for imagination. Please, give our daughters some credit.

Bring it back! Discontinued foods that need to come back

Close your eyes and get ready to salivate with me because here is a list of foods and drinks I miss. Do you remember any of these?


New York Seltzer Water

I was drinking bottled water before it was cool. I remember these from the 80s when I was a kid. The lemon-lime variety was my favorite. They came in little glass bottles and the label was fun to peel off. I think they are still around in some places and if they ever come back to my grocery stores I will be in heaven.


Wendy's Pitas

Oh, that Wendy is a tricky one. She lured me to the Student Union every day at lunch for a Greek Pita then took them away from me. Wendy's had a few assorted pitas and they were all delicious. The pita bread was always thick and warm, the lettuce fresh. I remember making a mess with these. Lettuce all over the place but it was worth it. Can I start a petition for Wendy's to bring these back?


Zantigo

This restaurant is still around in Minnesota, which does me no good. I remember going there with my mom and dad way back when. Taco Bell replaced them in my town and Mexican food just hasn't been the same since. Zantigo had a special taste that I just haven't been able to find any place else. If I'm ever in Minnesota, this is my first stop! I can't even go to their website; it hurts too much.


Cafeteria Cookies

Only my high school friends will know what I'm talking about. The lovely lunch ladies at my old high school (Go Bobcats!) liked the food quick and greasy and so did I. The cookies were big and soft. In fact, I don't think they were cooked all the way but who doesn't like cookie dough. When I substituted at my high school several years ago I made sure to buy one of these before I left for the day.



Nestle Crunch Bars-White Chocolate!

Are you guys noticing a theme? I seem to really miss junk food. I haven't had one of these since I was a kid and I'm not sure when they went away but they were so good. It was a Nestle Crunch bar in white chocolate form. Everything is better when it's white chocolate.







Your turn! What tasty food and drinks do you wish they'd bring back?



Great Make-Up Deals at CVS Today!

CVS was full of 75% off make-up today! Usually the colors/shades no one really wants it what is on sale. Not today! My local CVS had an assortment of colors, shades, and brands 75% off. If you have some coupons you might be able to do even better. Take a look at what I got. Click the image to enlarge.