I have the right to destroy myself

2008, Books in Bed, Fiction /

No this isn’t a direct quote from the birthday girl, or any other teen in the house. I have the right to destroy myself is the title of the book I chose to read after attempting Darkmans. Ha. I went from one really weird book to another.

Thank goodness “I have the right…” was much shorter, much easier to read, and much more interesting. Also, the “message board member” in me is tempted to put “trigger” in the subject line, not because I’m going to write anything really triggering here but because the book could totally trigger self-harmers.

But it is interesting. Is there one “thing” – persona, spirit, angel from hell – who wanders around helping those who have decided to kill themselves? Some common “thing” guiding us, like a guardian angel, because we do have the right to make that choice and when we decide, we should have help.

It’s interesting, isn’t it?

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Daily Dose of Cupcakes

4 Comments / Family Funk, Holidays, Kid Talk, Memories /

Happy 18th Birthday

The birthday girl came home from an all-nighter to change clothes and get her stuff before heading to school to take a math test. We nudged her into the kitchen to check out her cupcakes and she giggled.

And then she said… “How did you know I love chocolate cupcakes with white icing?”

Errr I have been this child’s mother for 18 full years and I have baked her so many batches of cupcakes for birthdays and other events that it would be impossible for me to NOT know that this is the only kind of cupcake that Michelle likes.

Kids are clueless.

Taking cupcakes to school when you're in college


And then she grabbed a cupcake to take with her to school, as I knew she would.














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Darkmans

3 Comments / 2008, Books in Bed, Don't Read This, Fiction /

It was bound to happen, I should not be surprised. I should have known it was going to happen when my library did not have Darkmans even though it made the Booker short list. I should have known it was going to be like this when the thing came really quickly – all the way from Alabama via ILL. I should have known.

Darkmans. Sucks.

I tried, I swear I did. I get that it’s supposed to be weird and quirky and Gravity’s Rainbow-like (which in case you don’t remember, I never finished either because GR sucked the life out of me after 100 pages.) It’s far easier to read than Gravity’s Rainbow and for that reason alone, I attempted to stick with it. But as I started Part 2 I started thinking about just how old I am (Michelle will be 18 tomorrow, which makes me much older than dirt) and just how many books are on the shelf that I’m aching to read and the fact that I dislike every single character in the book – except maybe the lurchers (aka dogs).

So. I closed Darkmans. Gave it a little sigh. Put it back in the library bag. Today I’ll send it back home to Alabama. (I’d like to meet someone from Alabama who likes this book… I can’t see it.)

I have one more book two more books to read from last year’s Booker short list… and one is the book that won the prize. I’ll probably hate it, but at least I’ll know why it beat out Darkmans. (shudder)

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links for 2008-02-07

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See mom, I told you

5 Comments / Family Funk, Holidays, Kid Talk /

A few days ago my mom called to see if Michelle wanted anything special for her 18th birthday or if she should “just add money to her CD”. I told her to just add the money to the CD because Michelle can afford to buy anything she wants or needs… and she really would appreciate money added to the CD (most often referred to around here as the “Michelle’s down payment for a house when she’s 25 fund”.)

Sure enough, Michelle proved that she can, and sometimes does, buy herself whatever she wants.

This mandolin was purchased by Michelle during her break between classes today – without touching her savings at all.

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Fan Boy and Goth Girl

1 Comment / 2008, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Comics & Graphic Novels, Favorites, Fiction, Young Adult /

I ran upstairs and stole the audio version of The Astonishing Adventures of Fan Boy and Goth Girl from Prince J’s room since he wasn’t here to listen to it (though his cd player was coming on every afternoon and playing disc 2 over and over and over again.)

I’m so glad I trudged the stairs and braved the messy room to get it. Fantastic YA. Really great story. Great characters. About 10xs better than King Dork, (and there are an awful lot of similarities between the two stories.)

Please tell me there will be a sequel.

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