I mentioned yesterday that my blogging has been a wee bit sporadic as of late, and I think it shows most in the fact that this is my first Tuesday memes post since December. Oops. I've slowly been getting back into the swing of things after a really rough holiday season. Hectic travel plans, lack of enthusiasm at work, and feeling personally lost conspired to make a less than happy Shaina at the close of the year.

So far, 2015 has got me on the up-and-up. I renewed my contract at work (after asking for a few changes that will make me a lot more satisfied), and I'm beginning to ponder what comes next (another job? more school?). A couple of old college friends came to visit last weekend—it was awesome to catch up and wax nostalgic (and sometimes not-so-nostalgic) about the good ol' days, and I even managed to get a second peek at that book art exhibit with them. I've made an effort to get some exercise most days per week, which always does wonders for my mental health, and I've also read a number of very enjoyable and thought-provoking books, a surefire way to cheer me up.

Fingers crossed I can continue to ride this good wave!

As always, memes follow my life ramblings. First up we've got Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and Bookish. Today's topic is: top ten books I'd love to read with my book club/if I had a book club.

I really like how Stefani tackled this week's TTT—by offering a mix of previously read books and ones she would want to read with a group—so I'll be following her lead:



Beloved—This is my favorite book of all time, and I definitely did not get enough discussion about it in high school. This might be because almost everyone else in my class hated it. Ugh.

White Teeth—Y'all know how much I love this one. My heart broke when it went in the first round of my Book of the Year bracket. Let's talk about it! Please?

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks—I have a dearth of people in my life who have read this wonderful book and would like to talk about it.

We Need to Talk About Kevin—This was one messed-up book, you guys. It stares dead-on at really tough stuff, like sociopathy and failure to love your own children. I want to know what other people think of it.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being—OK, I think I've mentioned a few times how much I absolutely hate this book. I don't really hate books, but this one I detest. Everyone seems to love it, and I don't understand why. I just want someone to explain it to me, so I can nod and then launch into exactly why I hate it so much.




I is an Other: The Secret Life of Metaphor and How it Shapes the Way We See the World—I came across this one when I was reading On Immunity: An Inoculation. As a huge fan of idioms and other linguistic topics, I thought it sounded awesome. I would love to hear what others think about it, too!

Bird Box—This sounds all kinds of dystopian and creepy. Let's get creeped out together.

A History of the World in 100 Objects—Mostly because I think history is more fun with friends. (Does anyone actually say this? I guess I do.)

States of Denial: A New Perspective—This one seems fascinating and important. It would also probably be really hard to discuss with anyone else, but I love me a challenge.

Infinite Jest—No, I didn't just put this one on here for the hipster points. It's mostly that this book is so huge and cerebral that I'd want other people to keep me accountable for, you know, actually finishing it.


We've also got First Chapter, First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, hosted by Bibliophile by the Sea. I'm featuring the first paragraph of Wool: The Omnibus Edition by Hugh Howey:

The children were playing while Holston climbed to his death; he could hear them squealing as only happy children do. While they thundered about frantically above, Holston took his time, each step methodical and ponderous, as he wound his way around and around the spiral staircase, old boots ringing out on metal treads.

I'm really enjoying this one so far! Does this first paragraph make you want to read more?

Link me up to your memes!