So that Blog every day in April thing, not really working for me I guess. But I am READING at least one blog every day in April, that’s another way to look at the situation, don’t you agree? Yes, I am pushing it. My big order of Library books is in, so you should expect my Library Log to start fill up with Upper Elementary Books that I want to read in order to book talk them to the kids (lie! it will fill up with upper elementary books because I WANT to read them.) I finally got my hands on “Rapunzel’s Revenge” by one of my favorite Upper Elem/YA writers, Shannon Hale. It was really funny, and well drawn. I think I should focus more on Graphic Novels, I am only starting to get into that, which is odd since I love online comics so much. So any recommendations for Graphic Novel Reading will be greatly appreciated. I think I want to try out “Fables” next, as I keep hearing good things about that, and we all know I love my twisted fairy tales, be they twisted in fluffy funny ways, or twisted…as in twisted.
I very happily read “Wintergirls” the new book by Laurie Halse Anderson. I was talking to my friend, a fellow YCP English major, her being a HS English Teacher, and me taking the Librarian route, who told me she loves Anderson’s books that are…not…”Speak-like” like Prom, which I did read, and “Twisted” (didn’t get to yet) but didn’t really like “Speak”, and would not be very interested in “Wintergirls.” I am the opposite type of reader. I don’t mind the dark, uncomfortable, the misery. “Speak” was one of my favorite books, not one of my favorite YA books, favorite books overall. I think it is because it didn’t just tell a story, it took you somewhere authentic, and really awful, but left you with hope.

“Wintergirls” does the same thing. It wasn’t “Speak” for me, as the ending just came together too well, but overall, watching the downward spiral of this young girl, and to see through her own eyes and her warped perceptions about her weight, you can see why so many young girls get “Eating Disorders.” Often we look at them from our end and think “Can’t they see how insane it is, How can they think that 80lbs looks good? I just don’t get how you could force yourself to not eat…” But being inside Lia’s head makes you understand things from their point of view. The sense of power and well being she gets from seeing the scale go down, or putting things past her family. You have to catch yourself at times, and remember that Lia’s trumphs are actually distructive, the power of Anderson’s writing makes you almost believe Lia’s twisted view of the situation.

I did some things with my eating that, while not anything that would kil me like Lia, bordered on the unhealthy. I have been told by several people that they thought I was EDNOS due to my inconsistant eating, and how I dropped 30lbs in not the best way. I did see myself in Lia to a lesser extent, I could see what I was doing at that time, but only now looking back do I realise that my lack of eating, and exercising multiple times a day, and my pattern eating of only rice kripsies and mandrine oranges for a year, and getting dizzy at work because I had not eaten anything other than a rice cake for a couple days…was…bad. At the time I was so thrilled by seeing the scale drop, that nothing else really mattered. I’m just lucky that I got so stressed by senior year of college and lost the willpower to get skinny, which counteracted the 3 years of unhealthy near disordered eating.   I still lack eating skills, not eating all day then eating Jelly Beans for dinner or something strange. I think I need a nutrionist actually…

Laurie talking about what a “Wintergirl” is:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/mBR84KI4N5BRO