Jamie's comments (member since Sep 11, 2008)

Jamie's comments from the College Students! group.

Wow! Awesome news everyone!!
Lori..don't you feel like a huge weight is lifted off your shoulder right now?!

Aw! I hope you get the job SBG! Keep us updated!!

Thanks for sharing that Matthew!

Annashu wrote: "Kimberly, I also really like the Owl City song. They remind me of The Postal Service. If you aren't familiar with them I would highly suggest their song "Sleeping in"

In general though I like jus..."

That's exactly what I thought of! I researched the hell out of them wondering if it was a side project or something! I think that's why I love them so much..because they remind me of Postal Service and I want new Postal Service stuff!

Kimberly wrote: "Lately I've been hooked on this group called "Owl City" anyone else heard of them? This link should let you listen to one of their songs, "Fireflies."

They're a bit different, but I love the music..."

I like them! My boyfriend and I have been obsessed with them lately!

I'd prefer for people to make wishlists because of what Tami said and also sometimes I have books on my to read list that I already have and I haven't put them on my own list. If someone has a profile that is private, maybe they could make their profile public just for the Secret Santa thing or they could post their wishlist on here. The idea of doing a Secret Santa where you pick a book is interesting but I'd agree with what has already been said about it. However, maybe at some point if people want to do a swap like that it could be organized.

Also, can people start sending me your addresses?

I'd love to discuss the idea of lightness and weight with people. From what I understood, it seemed to be that lightness was more like just accepting a life without ultimate meaning and living moment by moment. The weight/heaviness seemed to be an inability to accept the lightness of being..those characters were attaching so much meaning and importance to things in life. I definitely saw that in the character of Tereza. I also thought Sabina was the epitome of the "lightness".

I feel as though I am more of a "heavy" character like Tereza (everything is disgustingly significant to me) even though I feel like I try to be alot like Sabina..not tied down or in shackles about too much in life. She really just, like you said Sara, let too much affect her. It's funny because in some ways I have that "Sabina" spirit in me and I used to be more like that..but ever since college I became more like Tereza. I don't know if it has something to do with my mother dying or what.

I feel like in the end that none of them really ever came to deal or have a solution for the "unbearable lightness of being." And did anyone notice that Sabina was the only one living by the end of the novel?

I kept getting confused sometimes by Tereza's dreams being in there. I would read and be like..what?! And then realize it was a dream.

I was also thinking about how sexuality was portrayed in the book through different characters. It seems like every character had a different idea about sex, love, fidelity, betrayal.

Ahh..another question..I just feel like I have so much to say about this book. What did you all think about the discussion of fortuity, chance, and coincidence? It seemed like both Tereza and Tomas always came back to the events that brought them together. I kept getting annoyed everytime it would talk about Tomas plucking her up from the basket or whatever. lol. We get it already!

Just finished it! I really enjoyed it as well. Definitely different from what I thought it would be. I thought there was a good balance of philosophy and "story". It was so thought provoking even though I didn't agree with every conclusion he came to.

I was also really surprised, Kayla, that he didn't go further with that as well.

Some of my favorite lines:

"Love is the longing for the half of ourselves we have lost."

"We can never know what to want, because, living only one life, we can neither compare it with our previous lives nor perfect it in our lives to come."

"We all need someone to look at us. we can be divided into four categories according to the kind of look we wish to live under. the first category longs for the look of an infinite number of anonymous eyes, in other words, for the look of the public. the second category is made up of people who have a vital need to be looked at by many known eyes. they are the tireless hosts of cocktail parties and dinners. they are happier than the people in the first category, who, when they lose their public, have the feeling that the lights have gone out in the room of their lives. this happens to nearly all of them sooner or later. people in the second category, on the other hand, can always come up with the eyes they need. then there is the third category, the category of people who need to be constantly before the eyes of the person they love. their situation is as dangerous as the situation of people in the first category. one day the eyes of their beloved will close, and the room will go dark. and finally there is the fourth category, the rarest, the category of people who live in the imaginary eyes of those who are not present. they are the dreamers."

Question for this week:


If you could be any age again for one week, what age would you be?

I'll have to check his work out! I feel like that does happen sometimes..an author will write a book and I just wish I was best friends with a certain character. Glad I'm not the only one! haha

If it is a small group at first, you could have every member choose a book (within your requirements) to be the selection of the month. They can be in charge of the discussion, help people find places to get the books for cheap, etc.

Or you could do something similar to what we do..everybody could nominate a book and then everyone could vote for one other than their own nomination. Or you could just pick. You have to be careful because, from what I've noticed here, there are just certain books that are going to be great discussion books and others, while they may be really great books, just don't generate alot of discussion.

Some good books for our group: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Time Traveler's Wife, The Book Thief, Water For Elephants




I would say as far as getting it started..think about how you are going to be gain interest (advertising and promoting it), how long do you want the meetings to last, what format are the meetings going to take, what time are you going to meet, what day, are there going to be snacks or a theme etc.

This is a great resource that I've used:

http://www.readinggroupguides.com/conten...

You can register your book group on there.

Here's a good place to start:

http://www.readinggroupguides.com/roundt...

Welcome Matt!

Welcome Beth and Matthew!

Hmm..good topic! I'm on my way out the door but I'll think about it a little bit!

I wish we would have had a book club at my college! So that's awesome you are doing it!

I agree with Emily about being mildly worried about this discussion. We normally don't have a problem because we are all pretty respectful of each others opinions..so I don't think there will be a problem. However, I just want to caution everybody to think about what they wrote before you post it and read it a few times just to make sure you aren't being nasty or disrespectful. I know I have to do that sometimes when I respond when I'm angry about something that was said. (Not that I think we will have a problem.) We can disagree but it doesn't have to get nasty. I just figured I'd reiterate as this is a very touchy issue.

Anyways..great discussion so far!

I think that how I feel about abortion differ socially and personally. What I mean by this is that for ME..I would never have an abortion. I don't believe in it for ME. As far as society goes, I would never push my beliefs on anyone else and never tell someone else what they should do.

I am against it after the first trimester as well. And Emily..I am SO with you about the legal vs. illegal debate. Making it illegal will be worse..because people WILL still do it & will be extremely unsafe.

I thought what you said was really important, Emily. I think it would be wise to also focus on how to keep women out of those situations. All of those things you listed would be so beneficial to women and perhaps abortion wouldn't even be an option to alot of those women if they knew they would have support or be covered health care wise.

I also have to say what makes me really mad when it comes to abortion is when it is used by people (mostly young teenagers) who have them over and over again. Just because the option to have an abortion is there, it shouldn't mean that you cease to practice safe sex. It isn't a license to be reckless and to act like there aren't consequences. I remember knowing trashy girls in my high school who had multiple abortions just because they were too irresponsible and they felt like it was no big deal. There are people who can't have kids who would die just to be able to become pregnant. It kind of seems like a slap in the face when someone just carelessly has sex without taking any responsibility. I think that's where the free birth control and condoms and comprehensive sex education would really help out.

coffee

What movie have you watched over and over again?

Survivor.

Morning person or night owl?

This isn't really exciting news..haha but it does make me want to jump for joy!!

So..my boyfriend and I (about a month ago) decided we were going to challenge ourselves not to eat fast food for a whole 30 days. (It was one of my challenges on the 101 Things in 1001 days challenge)..and today I accomplished that!! I'm not saying I'm a fast food addict..but I can't wait to get some fast food today!! lol I have to smell it every day at work and I just want Chic-fil-a SOO bad!!

A random thing..during the month that I stopped eating fast food..you would think I would be really healthy and what not..NOPE..I got so sick during that month..I had a UTI, sinus infection, some weird thing with my neck and back, and then a cold and thennn the flu..and I NEVER get sick. lol

I had trouble with it in the beginning as well..it got more interesting the further I got. Feel better!!

That sounds pretty fair. Although..the problem that happens is that despite the size of the group..there is just the same 50 or so people that contribute. However, we could do that..but maybe if there aren't many nominations..we could open it up to others who did nominate.

Any thoughts?

I'll be gone until tomorrow but I'll be back to check so don't think I'm ignoring anyone :)