Not Yet a Vet…dot net

Since the semester ended and summer began, I can safely say that I’ve done a whole lot of nothin’.  Actually, that’s not entirely accurate.  I’ve done a whole lot of reading and not much else.  I went to my local library to get a new card.  I’ve moved since my first card was issued.  The circulation desk is staffed with some wonderful people and they had everything sorted out in no time.

My favorite thing to do at the library is play a game I like to call “Library Roulette.”  I walk rather aimlessly between shelves and look for book spines that catch my eye.  After about 3 minutes, I try to think of an author whose books are in my section.  That makes me focus a bit more on the titles and ultimately leads to my choosing a book.  I generally repeat this process two more times (I always seem to check out 3 books at once) and on more than one occasion, a librarian has to come over and ask if I need help finding something.  It’s all part of the game.

In my first round of Library Roulette, I was near the teen fiction section and decided to look for Garth Nix.  When Sabriel caught my eye, I new I had to read it again.  Once is just not enough for a story like that.  I turned around and found myself facing the adult sci-fi/fantasy section and The White Mare (Jules Watson) just about jumped off the shelf at me.  At last, I wandered through some rotating shelves of classics and Shakespeare caught my eye.  I spun the shelf while thinking about high school and my eyes settled on Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle.  And so began my summer reading.

I started with The Jungle, which was probably a poor stepping stone in the long run.  Since it is written using 1900s diction and grammar, it was very difficult for me to kick into my speed reading state of mind.  Nevertheless, I finally get to check it off my reading bucket list.

My next conquest was The White Mare.  It’s beautiful blue cover is what caught my eye on the shelf.  It’s a historical fiction set around 80AD in Scotland around the time when the Romans were invading to expand their empire.  I was amazed at how Watson was able to weave together a plotline with several threads, the development of multiple characters, and the intricate rites of the Scottish civilizations.  While it was a bit violent at times, I really had a hard time putting the book down.  I enjoyed it so much that I broke one of my library rules and went back to get the sequel, The Dawn Stag, before reading Sabriel.

I blame my intense thirst for literature for the fact that I’ve done almost nothing with the first two weeks of summer vacation.  I’m still waiting to hear back from my old clinic to see if they can use another assistant.  I’ve come to terms with the fact that I probably can’t sit at home and read all summer and I’d probably go nuts if I tried.

OK, time to tackle that office before I lose my edge!