Bon March

So, we're about halfway through March already; how did that happen?  I have been crazy busy lately, mainly because of my new job, and some philanthropic activities that have taken up some time.  I really love the new job so far, though starting with a new organization and in a new role (not just for me, but also for the organization) means that there's a learning curve that just takes some time to master.  I work with some great people who are very supportive, so I'm excited about it all.  I'm taking InDesign training all this week since I'll be working on some design-related projects moving forward, and it's actually pretty enjoyable, for an all-day training session.

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I just finished reading Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? and John Irving's Until I Find You.  You might know Mindy as Kelly Kapoor from The Office, and Is Everyone Hanging Out... ? is a book of essays about her life.  Mindy writes like she's your best friend who's writing you random e-mails at 3:00am when she can't sleep, and I mean that in a good way.  The essays are autobiographical and funny, and more than anything, reading them just makes you want to hang out with Mindy.  I blew through this book and would recommend it as a quick and entertaining read.

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I'm glad that I read these two book at the same time, because as light-hearted as Mindy's essays are (see, I'm even calling her by her first name--friends already!), Irving's Until I Find You was just as heavy.  I think I've said this before, but John Irving can be an acquired taste.  I started out with his best-sellers, which are, of course, generally the better-written and more widely-appreciated selections (A Prayer for Owen Meany, The World According to Garp, The Cider House Rules, and A Widow for One Year were all great, in my opinion).  My last Irving novel was A Son of the Circus, and the only thing these two novels have in common are extended periods of time spent in Amsterdam's red light district.  I just couldn't wait to finish this one; I really liked the ending, the beginning was okay, and I hated the middle. Jack Burns, the protagonist, just endures so many terrible situations that are a bit graphic at times, and it just made me sad for his character. Jack does find redemption in the end, but there was a large portion in the middle that just seemed unnecessary to the story.  I'm glad I read it, but I wouldn't recommend it as an intro to Irving.

Not sure what I'm reading next, as I've downloaded several new books on my Kindle and have yet to make a decision.  Hopefully I'll be back before the end of March!