2012 reading list

In 2011 I decided that I didn't read enough.  I got held up reading things I didn't like (I have this awful mental block where I can't start another book until I finish the current one.  This is usually an arduous process and usually leads to me throwing some sort of tantrum) and in the fall I got a tv which, after not having cable for years, became the thing I looked forward to doing every day (letting my brain turn to mush while watching Grey's Anatomy and the entire series of Felicity).

I gave myself a goal to read 15 books in 2012.  I ended up reading 28!  I'm so impressed with myself.

Books 2012

1. Wind Up Bird Chronicles- H. Murakami

2. Little Women- L.M. Alcott 

3. Norwegian Wood- H. Murakami

4. After the Quake- H. Murakami

5. After Dark- H. Murakami

6. A Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao- J. Diaz

7.  The Broom of the System- D.F. Wallace

8.  Identical Strangers- E. Schein & P. Bernstein

9.  The Art of Eating In- C. Erway

10.  Blindness- J. Saramago

11.  A Wild Sheep Chase- H. Murakami

12.  Room- E. Donoghue

13.  Wild- C. Strayed 

14.  1Q84- H. Murakami

15.  Lolita- V. Nabokov

16.  Everything Beautiful Came After- S. Van Booey

17.  The Perks of Being a Wallflower- S. Chbosky

18.  Stranger Than Fiction- C. Palahniuk

19.  The Time Traveler's Wife- A. Niffenegger

20.  Dog On It- S. Quinn

21.  Thereby Hangs a Tail- S. Quinn

22. To Fetch a Thief- S. Quinn

23.  The Dog Who Knew Too Much- S. Quinn

24.  A Fistful of Collars- S. Quinn

25.  A Cat Was Involved- S. Quinn

26.  The Humbling- P. Roth

27.  American Pastoral- P. Roth

28.  The Psychopath Test- J. Ronson

If you can't tell, I really like Murakami.  The world that his characters live in is surreal and incredibly imaginative.  I also really liked Quinn's books.  You will like them too if you like books told from an animal's perspective.  Also, I finally read Lolita.  It confused the hell out of me.  Feeling bad for a pedofile is something I didn't think would ever happen.  

I liked so many of the books I read and would really recommend most of them.  Except Little Women.  I really hated Little Women.  

Since my commute to work is at least an hour I have plenty of time to read on the train.  After I surpassed my original goal of 15 books, I wanted to double my goal and read 30 books before the end of the year; however, sometime in early December I didn't have a free hand to hold my book, so I started listening to an episode of "This American Life" and was reminded of how much I love Ira Glass.  He's such an amazing journalist and I find his voice to be very soothing during underground rush hour traffic.  Listening to his voice drowns out my own thoughts of kicking someone for leaning against the pole so noone else can use it.  Consequently, the last 2-3 weeks has been spent catching up on TAL episodes that I've missed over the last year or so and not reading Franny and Zoey of which I am 2/3 of the way through.

Happy New Year everyone!  

My new goal is 20 books and to catch up to current TAL episodes- I'm 6 months behind...

xoxo

MK

work.sandy.montreal.music.

I totally forgot to write about this, but I have a new (old) job!  I'm working at Club Monaco again and am so glad to be back.  Anthropologie turned out to be not such a good fit for me.  Since I've been back, I started working at the SoHo location and was recently moved/promoted to the Columbus Ave store.  It's a really great place for me and will definitely help me have more exposure with corporate members.  The commute is longer than I'd like, but I'm getting a lot of reading done so I'm not complaining.

Hurricane Sandy happened.  All of the stores were closed for 2 days (the downtown stores were closed longer because they didn't have power until the end of the week) and I was really happy because the impromptu time off coincided with my annual fall-to-winter-transition sickness.  I definitely needed the extra time to rest and felt much better when I went back to work.  Aaron, Dan, and I spent some quality time hanging out and I got to crush them at Scrabble which was loads of fun.

Also, Dan and I went to Montreal shortly after the hurricane which was a nice little get away.  Dan gave me the trip for my birthday which was super sweet.  It's only 6 hours away so we opted to drive instead of fly.  I was paranoid before we left because of the major gas shortage but it all worked out well.  We stayed in this super swanky hotel in the middle of downtown so we were able to walk everywhere which was very convenient.  We saw Old Montreal, the Quebec Club Monaco (my request of course), the Notre Dame Basilica, went to a Scandinavian relaxation bath house, and did a ton of walking around.  I'd love to go back because there were a lot of things that we didn't have time to do.

In other news, I'm doing a ton of playing right now (probably too much as usual) and am feeling very run down.  I say this to myself all the time, but I'm going to try to slow down once I get through all the concerts I'm doing right now.  Last year this lead to me getting shingles which was no fun at all.  Maybe pacing myself will be my new year's resolution.  I am actually really excited that I was asked to play a viola solo in a concert in May so I've been thinking about cutting back after December is over and just focusing on that for the spring time.  We shall see.  

settling in

 My new, semi-finished room!

 

And I also got to have dinner the other day with these beauties!

next chapter

I'm currently going through an extremely calm meltdown.

On Sunday, Matt broke up with me.  I was, and am, devastated.  The person who I thought was my person is not my person anymore.  Thank Jebus that my dear roommate was home to pull me out of complete darkness.  After crying for a few hours I moved on to the angry stage where I felt very productive and desperately wanted to figure out my current, complicated living situation and move on with my life.

So, that same day I went to look at an apartment in Brooklyn (5 stops further on the same train) with Sean.  Upon entering the apt I wasn't super amazed since my current apartment is much more put together.  However, when I went into the bedroom I felt a certain sense of calm.  The room will fit my things perfectly and there's a CLOSET!!!!  For those who don't know, this is a functional, usually enclosed area where one stores their belongings such as clothing.  I haven't had a closet for the last 2 years and I can't wait to have one again.  The room has a huge front window which is super sunny which is great and it's on the FIRST FLOOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  No more 6th floor walk up!  Yippee!  I really don't want to move but once it happens I think I'll feel better about everything.  Plus, my future roommates are super sweet.  I hugged them after I looked at the place and told them that Sangria and I wanted to live there for sure.  Countdown.  12 days.

As sad as I am, I have always been a firm believer in things happening for a reason.  Matt and I aren't meant to be right now and in my heart I know that.  Matt and I have been dating on and off/good friends for 10 years.  That's not something that I would ever throw away.  No matter what, Matt and I will always be friends and I am comforted knowing that.    

facebook photo nostalgia

I'm sure that I'm not the only person who has gone back and looked at FB photos from 5+ years ago.  I did that tonight and got all smooshy and weepy inside.

Taking a jaunt down facebook memory lane reminded me of some great, impactful experiences and wonderful people.

The summer of 2006 was one of the best times of my life.  

In 2007 I was in a band!!!

moved to Canada,

and had the last Christmas with my dad,

... AND also started dating MattE again!! (2008 was a big year for me)

In 2009 I gave my first masters recital,

had so much fun with some amazing Canadian people,

and went to Colorado for the first time and cried when I had to leave,

In 2010 I took a ton of trips to NYC,

and had a fun/sad going away party when I left Canada and moved to NYC.

There are so many more things that I remembered as I looked through photos but there isn't good FB photo evidence to share with you all.  

All of the things after 2010 don't make me feel all that nostalgic since they're too recent.  Give me another year or two and I'm sure that I'll be blubbering about when I moved to NYC and when I decided to leave Club Monaco, etc.  

Damn you, facebook timeline!!!

silver beach

I love roofs!!!!!

In Manhattan, you only have roof access if you're super rich and living in a penthouse.  In Brooklyn?  Roof access is expected.  Since our apartment is on the 6th floor, it's just 17 quick steps away from the silver beach.

Plan this year:  GET.  A.  GRILL.

MattE and I had some wine and snacks yesterday.  :)

Even Sangria got to go up to the silver beach!  

nature withdrawal

Matt and I decided early last month that we wanted to see nature and where do they have the best nature?

Colorado, of course! I love Colorado.  I've posted about this before, but seriously. I LOVE COLORADO!!!  The non-pee smelling air, the sunniness, the mountains!!!!!!!  AHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

It was super fun to go out for a few days, hike in the Rockies, and visit some friends who Matt grew up with.  We stayed with our good friend, Ginny (and her amazingly adorable pup, Bear), whose beautiful and spacious apartment made Matt and I immediately loathe coming back to our tiny Brooklyn residence.  Damn you pre-war, closetless, counterless apt!!!

But, I was excited to come back to see Sangria who is, of course, the love of my life.