by its cover- twins

By Its Cover is independent book review column. Selections are mostly made based on the book's cover. I'm testing the old saying in my quest to find new favorite authors and books.

Twins: A Novel by Marcy Dermansky

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


This is an ugly story about pretty girls: blond, blue-eyed, tall. It has many of the 'first novel' faults: it's messy and at times painfully redundant. In a book titled Twins I don't know why Ms. Dermansky felt the need to reminds that the girls were identical twins on nearly every other page. We get it.

I didn't find any part of the book funny, which bummed me out as promises of humor prompted me to select this tome from my library's shelves. There were comical bits...but in the completely farcical way i.e., "there's no earthly way situations/people like this could be allowed to exist."

It had moments where I could see the style that the author was going for. I could see what she was trying to do. But as most of them came late in the book...almost too late for me, she fell woefully short.

The idea of the necessity for separation from those who are supposed to care for/about us so we can learn to truly care for ourselves as individuals does strike home for me. It's a painful lesson no matter what the circumstances. But the overall story of Twins, the obsession and the clinging, led to me barely caring whether any one in this story got themselves sorted or not.



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zephyr- living

i'm here
in a way. trying to
figure out
what to do with
what i have.

breathe- emotional intervention

I'd been immensely stressed and feeling rather low. The semester's almost over so there's that stress. One of the papers in particular is pure anxiety. Then I found out I need more classes than I'd previously thought. So I may need another semester at community college. That was crushing in the moment. I was ready to be done. Then there's trying to figure out post-community college stuff and career stuff. For some reason, call me childish, the idea of a career makes me cringe inside.

I went to a different place for breakfast and walking back to the bus stop, I saw the little smiley. And despite the cloudy weather, and despite not actually having any of my problems solved, I paused and smiled. Then I let the businessman walk by, took out my camera and took the picture.

I don't know who put the little smiley there. But thank you.
:)

hi D ho

spt 3.3- inclass, a photo by becca.elpy on Flickr.

i'm alive
and 25
not super happy
but i'm working
on it.

classin' it up

I have not mentioned that I'm back in school and loving it. Ok, that last part isn't exactly true. This semester has been tough for reasons that I can't fully express. Usually by now I'm into it, I have a class or two that I really like and too many projects due to contemplate how much I don't enjoy the others. Such isn't really the case this semester. I even skipped class yesterday for the first time ever. But I'm pushing through.

Among the classes on the slate for this term is Digital Photography 1. We've had three projects so far and I've done well on them. I think I'm feeling more confident with my camera. I'm loving my zoom lens. I'm learning to see things photographically, imagine in my mind what settings would suit situations I find myself in. Yet, I wonder...

The post picture shot was intentional. I like it. I like when photography fails like that...fails to focus, focus sharply. But what is it? What about that photo draws me in? What is it (in my opinion) that sharp focus would kill? A concern of mine upon registering for this class was that learning technique would make me obsessive and rigid. Still finding joy in a shot like the one above shows that it hasn't, that maybe it can't. That makes me happy.