Discovering TO #1 + RC3

As I wait for my coffee to finish steeping in my FP, I will write...

I just had a FANTASTIC weekend!! As you may know, I am from Toronto, but I currently reside in a small town about an hour east of Toronto. I love my job so it's completely worth living in the town, but I get a bit stir crazy sometimes, and as such, I spend most weekends in Toronto.

Despite being from Toronto, and spending most weekends here, I really haven't discovered much of the city. Even in a place with so much to do, you still tend to stick to your tried, tested, and true neighbourhoods - go to the stores there, the restaurants there, the cafes there, etc. However, I really want to take advantage of this great city, so I've decided to start to try branching out, and what's a good way to do that? Find a resto you want to go to and let that be the excuse to explore a new area. Bam!

So this weekend I discovered new areas on two ends of Queen Street. On Saturday night I rode the streetcar East to Leslieville and ate at an amazing restaurant called Queen Margherita Pizza. My girlfriend orders the Margherita Pizza at any place that serves it, as she calls it the metric for a great restaurant. If their MP is good, then the resto is good. So - when I found out there was a restaurant with the pizza in the name? I thought, we've gotta try this! Plus - it has a rave review in the Toronto Life 2011 Restaurant Guide... not a bad reason to go! It was delicious. She obv ordered the MP, I ordered a pizza called just the Vegetarian Pizza, and both were amazing!! We also started off with a re-imagined bruschetta which was amazing, and finished the night with their Tiramisu which was the best I've ever had - light and yummy! We didn't walk around Leslieville enough, but it seems like a great area with some eclectic shops and a very relaxed vibe.

On Sunday morning I rode the streetcar West on Queen to Roncesvalles, and had brunch with my bestie Rachel at Easy Restaurant. It was also highly recommended by Toronto Life and www.blogto.com, so I wanted to give it a try. My friend was a "bit late", but I was in no rush so I relaxed with a cup of coffee and a book. The serving staff were fantastic - just kept refilling my cup but never pressured me to order or asked me when my friend was coming; they just left me alone... much appreciated. When Rachel arrived, we ordered - she got the vegetarian toscada, and I got the house specialty: Huevos Divorciados. They were delicious! Mexican-inspired breakfast food... no complaints. Unfortunately I didn't walk around Ronci that much either, but I love the vibe there, too. Once again - lots of neat shops, some hipsters walking and biking around, and it didn't hurt that it was a gorgeous day... so was Saturday. Man, good weather really makes walking around a total pleasure!! Anyway, needless to say, it was a great weekend!!

And that's not all... I discovered two areas of Toronto AND finished two books. I hate getting into a reading funk, but the fun of getting out is that if you have 5 books half-finished, suddenly you feel like you're breezing through.

1. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
2. The Girls by Lori Lansens
3. Live from New York by Tom Shales & James Andrew Miller
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
5. The Divinity Gene by Matthew J. Trafford

HP7 - the seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series - was awesome!! I laughed, I cried, and I enjoyed every minute of it... especially the last 100 pages or so - I felt as though I could not stop. It really was a fantastic story, and I'm already looking forward to re-reading it sometime in the not-so-near future. The HP series can't be double-counted in the reading challenge... that just wouldn't be fair. Anyway, so I'm done the series! I can't wait for the movie, now knowing what happens... it's going to be quite the show!

Secondly, I wrapped up reading The Divinity Gene by Matthew J. Trafford - who I know personally, but haven't seen in a while. Man oh man can that man write... wow!! I think I can safely say that aside from Margaret Atwood, that is the most inventive, imaginative writing I have ever witnessed. The stories... they were so out of this world that I couldn't believe they were conceived by the human mind... but that's why I love fiction! I also love reading a book of short stories for a change. For one thing, you don't feel as guilty setting it aside for a little while, and for another, it's so nice to have so much variety in one book. I highly recommend the book and bought a copy for a friend this weekend to support Matthew, as he deserves it!

That's all for now!

Also - 4 sleeps until NYC!!!!!

rc-3: Let's get back in the groove.

rc-3:

1. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
2. The Girls by Lori Lansens
3. Live from New York by Tom Shales & James Andrew Miller

3 months into the year and have read 3/20 books. Not too impressive, to be real. I really want to step up my game, and what has helped in the past is reading Harry Potter. Something about HP really helps the RC, and conveniently I still haven't yet read the 7th book. Guess what I started reading yesterday? HP7. Let's hope Harry will get me on a roll again.

RC-2: Concluded

I just realized that Reading Challenge #2 is over. RC-3 and RC-2 overlapped a bit, so I sort of forgot where I was at, but here's the report...

My challenge was to read 8 books between September 5th and December 31st of last year. The one stipulation was that 50% of the books had to be fiction. In the end I didn't finish the challenge until February 19th, 2011, but regardless the 8 books were read, and they were:

1. HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban
2. Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger
3. HP and the Goblet of Fire
4. HP and the Order of the Phoenix
5. By Nightfall by Michael Cunningham
6. HP and the Half-Blood Prince
7. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
8. The Girls by Lori Lansens

I won't review each book, but I will say that I enjoyed them all. I will also note that 100% of them are fiction, which makes me pleased as punch! My love for fiction is back in spades!

Lastly, I'm desperate to read the final Harry Potter. I can't wait any longer.

Resolutions

MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL!

Whatever holiday you do or don't celebrate, I hope you've had a fantastic season! Mine has been filled with love, friends, family, food, gifts, and a lot of laughter (and some relaxation). I have no complaints at all!

I've been sort of too busy running around seeing friends to read much, but I did finish the 6th HP book, and I really enjoyed it! I remember finishing the book before, but I really didn't remember much of the content. I'm excited to read the 7th though, because I know I haven't read that one before. Since I wasn't able to read the 7th in time for the movie, I'm not in a huge rush to get to it, as long as I read it before the 2nd part of the 7th movie. So, before I get to HP7, I'm trying another one of the books lent to me by a woman I just met, called Bel Canto by Ann Patchett. I'm 8 pages in, and loving it already!

So, Reading Challenge #2 was to read 8 books by December 31st, and 50% had to be fiction. I've achieved one of the goals as every book I've read in this challenge has been fiction, but I don't think I'll read two books before the deadline. No matter! My plan is to let Reading Challenge #2 seamlessly lead into my next challenge...

Reading Challenge #3 (RC-3): I challenge myself to read a minimum of 20 books in 2011. There are no stipulations about fiction or non-fiction, it's just about reading 20. I was going to make it 24 (2/month), but I want to give myself some wiggle room. I very well may read 30, but 20 is a nice solid number to be proud of, so that's the goal! The final two that I read for RC-2 may be included in RC-3.

Reading Challenge #2 - Update:

1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
   
2. Franny and Zooey
3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
4. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
5. By Nightfall
6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
   

Newz

I haven't blogged in a bit, so here's a morning quickie before I hop in the shower.

The iPhone has changed my life... I'm more organized, more connected, and all around loving my new gadget. I haven't been reading as much, it's true, but I figure the novelty will wear off soon enough, and until then, I'm forcing myself to read at least twice a day, even if it's for short periods of time. Unfortunately I still won't finish the last 3 Harry Potters before Friday (the opening day of the first part of the 7th movie), but that's no matter... I'll finish them eventually. I'm about 50 pages from being done the 5th book, so I'll just push through and hopefully finish the other 2 this year.

Some of the many perks of the iPhone are the news apps - I have Thomson Reuters, New York Times (thanks to the GF), Globe & Mail, and Huffington Post all at my fingertips. I read the top articles every morning with my coffee. It's not the same as holding the papers in your hand at your breakfast table, but it's a fantastic alternative. Plus, I get MORE news, and if I like an article or want to share it, it couldn't be simpler to link to Facebook, Twitter, etc. I love it. I feel more informed, which is always a good thing! Ok - shower time!

4 down, 3 to go!!!

Harry Potter… Harry Potter… you may be sick of reading me talking about it but I’m not sick of writing about it, so either hear what I have to type, or step off...

I just finished HP4. I think it was only my second time reading it and my God was it better the second time around! I don’t know how old I was when I first read it… I couldn’t have been that young, but I think it all went over my head. It’s kind of amazing that it’s a children’s book! I mean, I get why, but it is so much more fascinating for me as an adult. All of the stuff about Voldemort rising again? Dumbledore contacting all of his allies to start preparing? My God, it’s incredible! I can’t wait to start the 5th when I get home from work. I have 1 month and 1 day to finish the last 3 books. I’m pretty sure I can do it if I focus.

Reading Challenge #2 - Update:

1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
   
2. Franny and Zooey
3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

5 more books to go by the end of 2010! ...and technically only 1 more needs to be fiction!

Santana vs. Harrison

When I was in grade 8, I would've scoffed at any cover of a Beatles song. I was into Beatles purity back then. Now though, I am impressed rather than threatened by a cover of a Beatles song that rivals the original.

This one here is a total beauty. This isn't the best recording of it, but I love watching India.Arie dancing and moving her hands. In the album version though, you've got Yo-Yo Ma on cello, so make sure you check that one out!



This makes me want to listen to India's "Acoustic Soul" album. That was such a high school jam of mine.

In other news, still working my way through HP-4, but I've come up with an official 2nd reading challenge. The last one concluded on September 5th, so from Sept. 5th-Dec. 31st my challenge is to read another 8 books with a stipulation: 50% have to be fiction. Loves it.

RC Continues

I know I said the Reading Challenge was concluded, but the truth is that I hope it's ongoing for the rest of my life. Regardless, I will continue to discuss the books that I'm reading (as I have been), how I like them, and what I'm doing to encourage/allow myself to read more.

Currently Reading:
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - I've got about 150 pages to go and I am just eating it up! How does J.K.R. do it? Her stories are so intricate and well thought out, and I love how much more substantial they get once Harry hits 4th year. Incredible! After this, 3 more to go!

Next:

• Superfreakonomics - I got so into HP that I've neglected this book, but I've got 3 more weeks before it's due back at the library, so I have to read it soon!
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - I'm obsessed with HP right now, so it's more likely that I crack this open before Superfreakonomics but I'll try to practice self control if I can. The books aren't going anywhere, but it might be hard to finish books 5, 6, and 7 before November 19th (when part 1 of the 7th movie comes out [5 weeks to go]). I'll try my best!!!
• The Old Man and the Sea - This was on sale at Indigo and I felt the urge to buy it. It looks like a quick read and it's a classic, so I was sold! Plus, I feel embarrassed as an English major that I haven't read Hemingway, so this will be my start! I'm redeeming myself post-grad.
  

HP

I just finished the 3rd Harry Potter a.k.a. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I can't believe I didn't bring the 4th one with me to Toronto because I'm desperate to start it right now. Oh well... I'll be back home in 36 hours so I can start it then.

If I didn't mention it already, I'm currently re-reading the Harry Potter series in preparation for the first installment of the 7th movie (opening in theatres in mid-November, I believe). In fact, I haven't even read the 7th book yet, which is why I started re-reading in the first place. I don't know why I never got to reading it. I guess it's because I always felt I needed to re-read the other books and was always overwhelmed by the notion. I'm committed this time though. Plus, it's a nice and easy way to get back into the world of fiction. Never mind the fact that the books are just so darn good.

They really are. J.K. Rowling doesn't get nearly enough credit for the incredible world she has created. When you're reading the books, everything seems normal about the world within them, which is a testament to Rowling's imagination and writing. I mean, what even is a dementor? Yet, it makes perfect sense in the world of Harry and Hogwarts.

Anyway... I'm enjoying every word of them and I can't wait to get on to the next. I'm now heading into the more beefy of the Harry Potter series books, too, which is nice. A little more substantial, if you will.

In the meantime, I'm going to get to reading more of Superfreakonomics. I borrowed it from the library and it's due in 2 weeks, so I've gotta focus on that, too! In fact, I think I'm going to get to that now!