Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving, readers!!! Today is a wonderful holiday, a day to stop and think about all the people who surround you, the love between family, the camaraderie of friendships. Today is the day to be grateful for the roofs over our heads and for the bountiful food many will find on their tables tonight. Today, think about the beautiful things life has given you, the places you have been lucky enough to see, activities you've gotten to do, and be thankful for them. Think, too, on people and places you have lost over the years, and be thankful you were able to enjoy them once.

One of the things I am thankful for this year is my Avid Reader blog. If my loving, generous parents hadn't surprised me with an iPad a few months ago for my birthday, this blog probably would have remained just as a future idea. I am thankful that I have this opportunity to grow by doing what I love: sharing my experiences with books with everyone who wants to hear. I love working on my posts and am so thankful that my family and friends have been extremely supportive of my efforts. Thank you to all my readers!

The Holiday Season has been hectic, with my sisters and cousins coming down for the big Turkey Day. It's wonderful to have the family together! It has, however, made it difficult to read as much as I usually do. Being with my sister, though, there is never a book far behind! I introduced her to A Song of Ice and Fire series, and she reads all the time while we hang out. It's awesome having a sister who loves books as much as I do! We literally cannot leave the house together without our books, and she often reads outloud while I drive (or vice versa).

My book is perfect for the holidays, meant to be read slowly but carefully; when I do find time to pick it up, I feel invested in the story but in no hurry to finish for the sake of finishing. A few people at FIU have asked me about Against the Day, "what's it about?" I find myself hard pressed to think of a suitable answer. For one thing, there is a crazy web of characters, each connected in some way or another, however distant the connection may be (and as the novel progresses, these distances are getting smaller and smaller). There are explorers, scientists, anarchist bombers, outlaws looking for redemption, sons looking for revenge...and on top of it all, the recurrent double-refracting optical illusions. But one simple phrase that can explain what the novel is about? Maybe something like "It's about the first half of the twentieth century and about all types of people just trying to make it through."

I have never minded a "slow" book, and in many ways Against the Day can be considered slow. With not much in the way of traditional plot elements, ATD seems made up instead of a bunch of smaller plot-lines. I only wish I can one day re-read this novel, catch all the things I missed. When I can, I have been using the Pynchon Wiki: Against the Day (http://pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page) I found online to accompany my readings, but I know many puns, allusions, and subtler undercurrents have been missed, anyways. I hope you have a beautful Thanksgiving, surrounded by love!