Tiffany's comments (member since Jan 04, 2009)

Tiffany's comments from the Gather Yourselves Together group.

I love personality profiles. I did quite a few last semester in one of my classes. I own the color code book and I love doing it with friends.

I have only made it through the first few pages, but I like it already. They seem to come from the approach that everyone is different and it's okay to be different! You just need to learn how to approach and interact with people who are different than you rather than try to change them into what you are. Seriously guys, ever since I became a Dick head (a lover of Phillip K. Dick) this has become one of the forefronts of my life. PKD put it so eloquently when he discussed people living in different realities and I think that translates directly to people's different personalities. My passion for it also comes from working with people with disabilities. I hate when people act like they should be "cured". I think you should help them become the best person they can become, which doesn't mean making them "normal". Anyway, that is only the first two pages of the book, so I'll be quiet now.

I took the quiz last night, but I was really tired and haven't read about the person I am yet. More to come soon... :)

And I promise I will be better and finish Decembers book long before December is over. And I will join in the discussion before the last day of the month too.

So, Justin Cronin's "Mary and O'Neil" it is for December. I will pick it up on Saturday.

That sounds good Walker. I think I may bestow the honor of group leader to you. Heaven knows I haven't been doing my job lately. Ha ha... But seriously, sorry guys. I am glad that everyone is still participating to the extent they can.

I am only about a third of the way through the book. But I like it. It is definitely crude and I could do without that, but I like the premise of the book. It is like no plot I have encountered before (sure, there's the fight between good and evil, although I get the feeling that neither of them are really good... anyway... the idea of the Gods of the past fighting to keep their place in the age of new Gods is new for me).

I don't actually have anything to say yet. I'm still finishing up When We Were Orphans. But I thought I would get this started so people can start posting.

I am probably the worst book club moderator in the history of online book clubs. I apologize. But, hey, at least I didn't quit.

So, guys... I know I chose Neil Gaiman, but did we ever decide on a book? I thought Meredith came up with one of his, but I can't find it in the discussions. If you remember Mer, please let us know. Or if anyone else has any suggestions. If not, I am going to just say "American Gods"

I skipped the last few comments as I have only started to read it. But I will have it finished within the next few days, I promise. (Not that anyone really cares if I do or not.)

So, sorry if I set the discussion back a little. I like the character of Christopher so far. He seems respectable, but also relatable. He struggles sometimes with being proud of his work for the attention and respect it brings him and doing it to make the world a better place. Heaven knows I enjoy being told how wonderful I am sometimes.

I bet his life isn't exactly what he imagines it to be. I love that he always is so sure of his memories (Except the episode with his mother. He admits his memory of the episode now may be partly his mothers.) He's so sure of how he presented himself to his classmates, that there must be some reason other than that he showed himself to be a bit odd to his classmates, that they knew he was odd. And he is so sure of what happened after his parents died: that he was never sad on the boat. I'm sure there's no way he is always right and everyone else is wrong. It just seems funny to me. There are memories in my life where I was so sure of what happened, and sometimes I come to find out it didn't ever happen at all! I made the whole thing up! Has that every happened to anyone else? And so maybe his narrative of what is happening in the book is not quite correct either?

Okay. November sounds delightful. That's the perfect time of year for a Neil Gaiman book anyway. Happy first day of fall everyone!

Also, I have a lot more to say, I just don't want to put all my thoughts in one post, cause I am sure you would all get bored.

How about a Neil Gaiman book? American Gods maybe.

I got into this book really fast. I finished it in a few days and I was telling all my friends that they should read it and then... I got to the end. I was sorely disappointed. I now know that there is a second and third book and hopefully the characters redeem themselves (or at least what I feel needs redeeming). It appeared to me to be a dystopian novel: It was futuristic, people were suffering because of the government, etc. It seemed the perfect, if not typical setting to have someone realize how terrible the government really is and defy it. And, Katniss nor Peeta did that. And it made me hate the ending. Hopefully Meredith is reading this right now and saying "Just wait til you read the second one Tiffany!".

I hate Katniss for stringing two men along. It's women like her that make men say such unkind things about our gender. I even thought she was falling in love with Peeta (why couldn't it just have been Peter?) And I find myself fighting with myself over who I love more, Peeta or Gale. But, now that I have started the second book and get to see a little more of how Gale feels, I love them both. I know it's dumb, but I feel like Katniss could have whispered to Peeta at some point during the hunger games that she was only pretending!

I don't know about next month's book. Quick, anyone, ideas? I'll start thinking. If I knew that the Kingkiller Chronicles Book 2 was coming out soon, I would say we should read The Name of the Wind. It's truly fantastic. How about Atlas Shrugged? Anyone up for that? Huh? Huh?

Welcome to the group Walker!

Sadly, I have not finished "Tales" yet. Happily, I have not cried once in my 7 days of my first year teaching. You guys are fantastic. Thanks for picking out the book for next month. We don't have any books for the near future (I'll check to make sure). So, let's start generating more ideas for the months to come, so everyone can get them on their libraries waiting list.

Walker, if there's anything you want to pick, you get it first, since you have never picked a book for the club.

Hmmm... I will add them to my "to reads" list. It would be interesting to find out the rest of the story. It might take me a few years though.

BTW, Meg, did you see my reply to your question about "Speaker for the Dead"? I wasn't sure where to reply: should I just reply there? Go to your profile page and respond? ???? I didn't know what to do!

I never make mistakes in typing. I just wanted too note that. Ha ha ha.

I love it! I haven't finished it yet, cause it's kind of hard, but I love quirky little short stories that could almost be considered scary.

Have any of you ever read "The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy" by Tim Burton? This book reminds me of that. It's short, weird stories that are scary, yet rad.

Also, I finished my first day as a teacher. Woot! Woot! It went really well. (In case anyone was wondering)

I assumed and hoped also that it would tell the complete story up until the time that Huw was leaving the house. Ceinwen got knocked up, didn't she? Huw was like, "Huh, I guess that makes sense that it would have happened since we had sex" but he didn't even seem to wonder about his own child! At least that's what I got from it, but I could be wrong (but I'm pretty sure I'm not).

I'll stop by Barnes and Noble today and get it. I like your decisiveness Mer.

I am fine with any of those books that Meredith chose. How about we pick the one that Meg, Chelsea, or Becca can find at their library first!

Along the same lines of the above thought, I loved Dai and Cyfartha. They went about their lives, but used fighting to answer all their problems (and friends problems too). I would not condone that in real life, but in the book I was cheering when they came in and beat up Mr. Jonas. It's funny how we can love these characters when we know their minds and hearts. Which I suppose is a good life lesson. We look at people's actions alone and judge based on that. But sometimes when we know people's minds and hearts, it makes their actions more understandable and we are able to love them despite. It's a good lesson for me anyway.

I was a little confused too Mer, and she never does come out and say what she meant that night, but it does delve deeper in their odd relationship later on.

When Huw is with Ceinwen is the only time in the book where I get annoyed with him. He says he doesn't even like her and that he would never kiss her and then one kiss later and he talks like he's in love with her! He seems smarter than to let lust cloud his intelligence.

I was also very disappointed with the Angharad, Mr. Gruffyd, Iestyn love triangle. I wonder how he felt when he realized she didn't end up having a happy life just because she had money. He should have accepted her and loved her and she would have been happy. I suppose men were like that once upon a time, but I have never met a man who really did something because it was what he thought was in the best interest of the woman he loved. I know I sure couldn't do it. If I loved someone, I would fight for them. If I felt like I wasn't good enough, I would do something to make myself good enough. Arghh! Mr. Gruffyd, what did you do?

I look at my nieces and nephews and sometimes wonder what they will be like when they grow up. They are perfect right now. They're adorable, sweet and cute. But aren't most kids? And yet, so many people turn out to be not too wonderful of people in societies eyes. Or they end up with heartbreak in their life. I loved all the Morgan boys, but as I read the part near the end where Huw got fired and his boss said "You Morgan boys were always trouble" (or something similar to that) I realized they were always in to some sort of trouble with people. And although I honor their fighting for what they believe in as noble, I'm sure a lot of people in the valley thought they were nothing short of hoodlums. If I didn't know Huw's thoughts, I probably would have thought he was a little punk for fighting at school and beating up his teacher. Even though I understand why they would've been trouble in the town, I still love them though.

This was one of those "romantic" books for me. As I read it, I wished that I lived there in that time. Which shows that it sucked me in, because as I reflected on the book after I finished, I snapped out of it and realized I could never live in a small town, at least not without a big city within 30 miles. And I don't really want to spend my life cooking and cleaning and not knowing how a map works. But as I read the book, I wanted so bad to live there with the Morgans and Mr. Gruffyd. Ahhh...

I do love and appreciate many of their ways of life however. I loved that they settled their own matters and didn't want the law in their town. Everyone that lived there was basically good. They were hard workers and found stuff to do with their time. I loved Huw. I loved reading when he would go to his brothers houses and clean and start supper while he waited for them to get home. Or if he was home from school, he would whitewash the front of the house and the barn, etc. Although I couldn't be far away from a big city, really, that life is ideal.

I loved the dialog between the characters. They said things as they were and made no excuses. The relationship between the brothers was perfect.

I really did love it. Wonderful pick Meg! I'll continue to write things as I think of them, but I think this is a good start.

Sorry, guys. I can't read any of these posts til I get to something about Huw's education being unfair. I think I already read way too much. I better get caught up fast!

Ohh Okay. Good to know. That seems to be my luck with men, so I should've known. I always like the ones who turn out to be the meanest, most abusive, whatever.

I think all of our guys have dropped out. Which brings up a good question: Are you still there Dave? We may have to choose another book for August. Any ideas?

I'm sorry Meg about this month. I feel like everyone, me included is a little lame. (except you and Mer of course. you guys rock!)

I read the snow scene today and I know what you guys mean. I am totally hooked now! I love Huw and Beth too! She is an awesome woman and the definition of a faithful wife: willing to kill those who would kill her husband!

I'm sure I'll have it finished in the next few days, but maybe we can push the discussion into August a little bit.