Carol Callicotte

Author

Leaving a Book Unfinished June 26, 2009

Filed under: Books,fantasy,Reading — A French American Life @ 3:08 pm
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It’s been a good week. It’s amazing what I can accomplish when I cut myself off from the internet. But here’s what I want to talk about: putting books down. Do you do it? Up until now, I haven’t been able to. Once I start a book, I can’t not finish it. It’s a compulsive habit, I know. And more than once I’ve dragged my feet through a novel just in order to finish it. I don’t know why – part of me wonders what I might miss out on, I suppose, and part of me doesn’t want to leave something unfinished, loose threads and all. But I’ve come to the enlightened conclusion that there are far too many great books out there for me to waste my precious time with the ones that just aren’t speaking to me.

So I have a new rule. It’s a 100 page rule – which is still quite generous, I think. If, after 100 pages, I still don’t care about the characters, or the writing grates on me, or (choose your demon), I will put that book down and leave it unfinished.

I’ve tried it once already, and wow, was it liberating!

How about you? What do you do when you don’t like a book? Finish it anyway? Throw it across the room? Use it for kindling? Toilet paper?

GoodOmens-Hard-2006 Currently Reading: I’ve actually nearly finished GOOD OMENS, which is absolutely not a book I would throw across the room or sacrifice to any vile purpose. Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett together, writing about the apocalypse – what more could a girl ask for?

 

Excavated from the Archives June 19, 2009

Filed under: Completely Off Topic,Funny stuff — A French American Life @ 6:01 pm
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Long ago, in another lifetime, I wanted to be a medical doctor. I got my degree in Microbiology, minored in Chemistry, and took the MCATs – the Medical College Admission Tests, abhorred by all pre-med students. It should have been a sign to me that after a nine hour day (Ten? Eleven? I can’t remember) of testing, I didn’t rush out to celebrate my accomplishment with pizza and beer, I didn’t zone out in front of the TV, and I certainly didn’t look up the answers to questions I’d been unsure of. No, I stayed up late, composing a poem. I make no claims to being a poet, but it’s obvious to me that the urge to write has long been a part of me. Disclaimer: this poem kind of sucks, but I’m still fond of it.

ODE TO THE MCAT

Oh, obstacle of obstacles,

Oh test of tests

As each day passes

I love you less.

What are you measuring?

What is it you ask?

What sick, devious mind,

Invented this task?

“Yawing moment,” “feed water,”

“Lift coefficient,” “ketones,”

When I hear these words

I cannot suppress my groans.

You twist, you taunt,

You tease, you scare.

The mere mention of you

Makes me rip out my hair.

What about my GPA?

And all my other stats?

What more do I have to prove

With the MCATs?

What I’ve learned over years

I review for weeks.

Those pre-med students you hear of?

I’m one of those geeks.

Then test day arrives

I’m up with the sun

Who am I kidding?

I’ve been up since one.

Take your seats, don’t talk,

Don’t eat, don’t smoke

The tension’s so thick

I think I might choke.

One day in a lifetime

Of hard work and strife

Will be the determiner

Of the course of your life.

My mind grows weary

As the clock ticks away

I can think of one billion ways

I’d rather spend my day.

Then it’s all over

Should I cry or laugh?

And what was the right answer

To that one about the giraffe?

Did I do well enough?

Only time will tell.

Never again do I want

To go through this hell!