Spot On Article About Readers

So, I’m sure a few people noticed my blogging fail.  Totally hit the publish button instead of the preview button.  Opps.  Ok so here’s the finished post.

I recently read an article titled “Why Readers, Scientifically, Are The Best People To Fall In Love With” and I would say it hits the nail on the head.

I sent this article to my fiance and told him he made a good choice with me, since it’s scientifically proven that readers are the best people to fall in love with.   He thinks it sounds biased, but I totally agree with it.   Or maybe I’m biased. Haha.  I’ll let you be the judge.

The first quote that stood out is as follows:

“Readers, like voicemail leavers and card writers, are now a dying breed, their numbers decreasing with every GIF list and online tabloid.

The worst part about this looming extinction is that readers are proven to be nicer and smarter than the average human, and maybe the only people worth falling in love with on this shallow hell on earth.”

I think we are a dying breed and I see how this busy world can find “more” entertaining things to do than read books.  I use the term “more” entertaining loosely as I think that reading is entertaining, but not everyone thinks so.  And again, I’m probably being biased, but we are the nicer and smarter people.

Onto the next quote:

“It’s no surprise that readers are better people.  Having experienced someone else’s life through abstract eyes, they’ve learned what it’s like to leave their bodies and see the world through other frames of reference.

They have access to hundreds of souls, and the collected wisdom of all them.  They have seen things you’ll never understand and have experienced deaths of people you’ll never know.

They’ve learned what it’s like to be a woman, and a man.  They know what it’s like to watch someone suffer.  They are wise beyond their years.”

I totally agree with this section of the article, but would also add that sometimes I really relate to the characters in the books I read.  I know how they feel because I’ve gone through it myself.  Like losing a parent for instance.  Anytime a parent passes away in a book you’ll see me crying like a baby.

And the final quote:

“If you’re still looking for someone to complete you, to fill the void of your singly-healed heart, look for the breed that’s dying out.  You will find them in coffee shops, parks and subways.

You will see them with backpacks, shoulder bags and suitcases.  They will be inquisitive and soulful, and you will know by the first few minutes of talking to them.”

The only reply I have to this is…readers rock and you need to fall in love with them!  I’m trying to convince my fiancé to do a guest post about his perspective on this article.

Take a look at the article and let me know what you think about it as a reader and/or non-reader.  I would love to get some other opinions on it.

25 Birthday Goals

Holy crap!!! Am I really 25 now! Not quite sure I’m ready to be a quarter of a century, but I am ready to update my birthday goals.

So, here are my 25 Birthday Goals updated from my 24 Birthday Goals (in no particular order):

  1. Pay off car
  2. Get toned
  3. Get tan
  4. Try sushi
  5. Get a new computer
  6. Travel
  7. Hike to upper Yosemite falls
  8. Read all Mary Higgins Clark books 
  9. Run a full marathon (Running a half Marathon in November)
  10. Get my CPCU
  11. Move up in my career at work
  12. Finish my book
  13. Start my retail business
  14. Obtain more clients for my consulting services
  15. Pay off my student loans
  16. Save money for future use
  17. Buy a house
  18. Get married
  19. Get my Ph.D
  20. Have children
  21. Teach entrepreneurship at a university
  22. Save up enough money to pay for my youngest sister’s college tuition
  23. Expand my philanthropy for my Alma Mater Woodbury University and other non-profit organizations
  24. Create a scholarship fund for students who have lost a parent from prescription drug addiction
  25. New Goal: Write more blog posts this year

An update will follow next year when I turn 26.  Yikes!

As a side note, can you imagine how long this post will get when I turn 50.

Couldn’t Help Myself…

So, I couldn’t help myself when I saw these.  I just had to share them!  Not sure how many of you are Ryan Gosling fans, but I am.  I like to imagine he is actually saying this to me…

Book Readers Have Skills

The act of reading is a skill that everyone learns how to do in grade school.  We learn our ABCs in Kindergarden and our parents read us books, so that one day we can read on our own.

But I want to talk about a different set of skills that book readers have.

Reading While Walking:

It takes skill to read a book while walking.  When I’m reading while walking there will always be a chance I run into the following:

  • A pole
  • A parked car
  • A person
  • A tree
  • Any static object that may be in my walking path

To keep from running into any of the things I listed above, book readers have to develop a sense of situational awareness.  For me, I read while making my way to and from the train.  I’m primarily walking through a parking lot (which doesn’t have a lot of cars driving around in it at one time) and I’ve pretty much memorized the path I take, so I know where those static objects will be.  The only thing I need to worry about is looking up every once in a while to make sure I don’t plow through someone.  I’m essentially still aware of what is around me even though I’m reading.  I say that’s a skill.

Working Out & Reading:

I can say that I have yet to master this skill, but I see a lot of people doing it at the gym.  To read a book while you’re working up a sweat and trying to focus on toning those abs, takes real skill.  I tried it a few times, but I can’t seem to focus on the reading part.  I guess just doing a slow walk on the treadmill would work for me, but I have to do much more than a walk (considering the things I eat sometimes).  I really do envy the people that can do this because they probably get more reading done than I do.

Reading While Taking Care of Children:

Thanks to one of my followers I believe that reading while taking care of children is an ongoing skill.  I don’t have the honor of developing this skill yet because I have no children of my own, but this is a skill nonetheless.  I’m not sure if someone can read while taking care of a child at the same time, but I believe that finding the time to read is a skill.  With everything it takes to raise a child, taking even that 30 minutes to read is a skill.  This is also an opportunity to teach children to read…which is also a skill.

Cooking While Reading:

Yes, cooking while reading is a skill.  You have to keep from burning your food in the process of reading your book.  There’s also the chance of food splattering onto the book or all over you.  Essentially, this is the skill of multi-tasking.   This is like talking on the phone while cooking, but it has more of a difficulty level to it.

Reading in the Tub:

I think the main skill we develop while reading in the tub is not dropping our book in the water.  I have done this a few times, but practice makes perfect right?  It’s also about keeping your hands dry so that you can turn the pages.  If a book reader can do those things, reading in the tub is really relaxing.  I usually like to bring along a glass of wine and light some candles too.

What do you think of these skills?  Do you agree or disagree?  Are there any other skills you think book readers have?

My Favorite Authors

I have exactly two favorite authors.  These are the authors I really want to meet one day and are my idols when it comes to writing.

Nicholas Sparks:

I’ve been reading his books for years now.  The first I ever read was A Bend in the Road.  After that book, it didn’t take me long to read all of the books he’s ever written and now I have to wait for new ones to come out.  Not that I’m complaining.  I get really excited when I find out that Nicholas Sparks is releasing a new novel.  His latest one is The Longest Ride, which I’ve already read.  You can check out my review on this book here.

One reason why I love his books so much is because of the emotional impact they have on me.  Some of his novels had be bawling…literally.  Many of the them are about love and romance, but some are about family.  The Notebook is what many people know him by and is about your first true love and the impact it has on your life.  The Last Song was about love, but also about losing a family member.  Both of these books were made into films, among others.

I really enjoy reading his website as well.  It includes information on his books, movies, and upcoming events.  Hopefully he’s going to have a book signing in my area soon.  His site also includes advice for writers.   I like reading his thoughts and his advice on being and becoming a writer.

Nicholas Sparks is the type of author I strive to be like.  I’m working towards creating a novel or novels that give my readers the type of emotional response that his books have on me.

Nicholas Sparks

Mary Higgins Clark:

Mary Higgins Clark is my favorite suspense novelist.  She has written so many books and is a great storyteller.  A goal of mine is to read all of the books she has written.  You will see the ones I haven’t read on My Reading List.  She is known as the Queen of Suspense and each novel I read of hers proves that.

While I don’t think I will ever write a suspense novel, Mary Higgins Clark is a writer I look up to.  She is very successful in her genre and continues to write novels that make the best sellers list.  It’s amazing how she can create a story that involves things like kidnapping and murder, while not making it too gruesome.  She writes in a way that leaves your mind to imagine exactly what a scene might look like.  That’s important to me when it comes to suspense novels.

Do you have a favorite author or authors?  Let me know who they are in the comments.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day Book Lovers

I found this in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.  I think it’s pretty funny and spot on, but us book lovers want all of our books to fit.

My Favorite Places to Read

Although I like to read pretty much anywhere, I do have a few places that make reading more enjoyable and relaxing.

Here are my top three:

1. Sitting by a Fire

Ok, I don’t have a fireplace, but if I’m somewhere that has one the first thing I want to do is read.  It’s the perfect place to bundle up with some hot chocolate and get lost in a book.

2. At the Park…When the Weather is Nice

There’s nothing like sitting on a bench or laying a blanket out on some grass with a book in hand, but only when the weather’s nice.  You won’t see me if it’s too windy, if it’s rainy, cold, or snowing (not that it snows in California).

3. Curled Up in Bed or On the Couch

The place I do most of my reading is in my bed or on my couch.  I like to snuggle up with a glass of wine and a blanket while reading a great book.

Tell me where you like to read in the comments.

Problems That Book Readers Have

My fellow book readers can hopefully relate to some  “book reader problems” I have on occasion.  When I vent to my boyfriend he just nods and listens (he’s a great listener), but doesn’t understand because he doesn’t read books.

So, I wanted to share my top five book reader problems.

1.  Not Enough Room In My Purse

I like to carry around one or sometimes several different books to read.  This causes a problem when they all don’t fit in my purse.

2. Not Enough Room On My Book Shelf

I have no more book shelf space and haven’t been able to buy anymore books.  My dream is to one day have a library like Belle in Beauty & The Beast.  That was an entire room and will definitely solve the problem (maybe).

3. Hard Cover v.s. Soft Cover

I’m the type that loves getting books as gifts.  Now, I’m a hard core soft cover book lover (say that ten times fast).  Don’t get me wrong, I’m very grateful when I receive a hard cover book, but soft covers are much easier to carry around.

4. Having to Stop Reading When Iv’e Reached the Best Part of the Book

The worst thing about getting to the best part of a book, and I mean the part that has me crying or biting my lip in suspense, is when the train is at my stop.  That means I have to put my book away and get off.

5. Diminished Listening Skills

I don’t know about you, but when I’m so caught up in a book, people around me tend to be…non-existent.  Essentially, when I’m reading a really good book, I don’t listen to others very well.  I’m in my own little world.

Let me know what your book reader problems are.  

I would love to read some of your stories. 

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Student Spotlight: Jacob Fuertes

Every student has a story.  Even a campus as small as Woodbury University has a diverse background with students from different countries and cities.  Some students are from Italy while others grew up five minutes away.  The point is everyone is different, but everyone also has the same thing in common…they are working towards their education.

I want to put the spotlight on current students with differing backgrounds.  My first interview is with Jacob Fuertes, a Woodbury University graphic design student.  I met Jacob in February of 2012 when I was interviewing him for a position with the Woodbury University Phon-A-Thon.  I instantly knew that he would be a great addition to the team with his great work ethic and energetic personality.

The Pacoima native is currently in his second year of the graphic design program at Woodbury University and he agreed to answer a few of my questions about being a college student.

Q: What do you like most about Woodbury University?

What I like about Woodbury University would have to be the size of the campus.  The reason for that is a student fresh out of high school it’s easier to cope with the transfer from high school to college due to the size and not becoming overwhelmed.

Q: Do you work? If so, tell me about your job(s)?

Due to my hectic class hours it became hard for me to find a job out side of school. However, I was lucky enough to find a wonderful job on campus with the Phon-A-Thon with great people!=)

Q: What is it like being a full-time student and working?

Well at times it can become very overwhelming, for me the days would begin to blend together, but thanks to the support of family and loved ones it made it easier to keep a leveled head.

Q: What are your plans after graduation?

After graduation I know most of my classmates will continue on with there education, but for me that is the moment I start my life as a true adult. Meaning finding work and leaving my mark in the world every where I go.

Q: What is your most memorable moment at Woodbury?

The most memorable would be my first day at Woodbury because I remember I was running late and was scared of making a bad impression the first day. So like a freshman I was running all over campus not knowing where the classroom was until I ran into a student from SOAR and he pointed me to right direction.

Q: What was you favorite class and why?

So far I would say Digital Practice.  The reason for that is because it gave me an idea of the different programs that I would be using in my major.  Plus we had a really cool teacher (Brian Herbberts).

Q: What are the goals you have from now until graduation?

My goals is to keep my grade point average up because with that I receive a grant from the school. Also to make great friends and making those connections that might come in handy in the future.

Q: Where do you want to be in 10 years?

Hmm in 10yrs. I hope I have a great job and a house of my own, but honestly I’m not completely sure.  When I get there I’ll let you know=)

Q: What advice do you have for incoming college students?

My only advise would be hit the ground running, give 100% of your effort and you will get 100% in return. Keep in mind no one can make it in life with out an education!! Also if money is tight try to finish general ed. or classes at community colleges, but do it a month before summer break so you the best chance in getting in.
Jacob is an amazing student and I am really glad I had the chance to work with him in the spring.  I truly believe that he will do great things in the future and during his time at Woodbury. 🙂
Please let me know about your college experience or if you would like to be interviewed for my blog.  Thank you again Jacob!!!