Task #5: Read an entire book in a week

Task #1: Read a book in its entirity (without skipping any chapters or pages) in one week (must be at least 150 pages).

Well, dear readers (all two of you), I have often been deemed an overachiever by my friends and family. I often try to deny any such accusations, but today, I have proven them all true. My book of choice is Dave Egger's "What is the What." I bought it today and did not look at the page count. 535 pages. I have until 11:59 PM on Thursday to complete it. I am about 26 1/2 pages in, after an hour or two. I have my work cut out for me. I picked this task for this week because it will most likely be the least-grad-school-filled week for the rest of the year (except maybe the end of December, which I'm saving for the more difficult,complex tasks). I should not have much homework due this week. Watch all my professors decide to assign a paper a piece due next Thursday. Lovely.

Anyway, I chose this seemingly overwhelming book on purpose (even though I was oblivious to its length). I could have chosen a 150-pager out of the teen fiction section, but what would I have achieved by that other than getting frustrated by realizing the crap that teenagers are being enticed by nowadays? If I see another vampire-teenage-romance, I might vomit. Seriously. Old-school vampires are the only way to go. (Interestingly enough, I'm currently listening to the original cast recording of Dracula the Musical. Thanks to my friend Creaves for introducing me to it.) Moving on from my vampire rant...

Of the 26 1/2 pages that I've read of "What is the What," all of them have been intense, emotional, and incredibly poignant. The novel is based on the true story of a Sudanese man who was a refugee as a result of the wars in Sudan. Because he could not remember all of the facts and conversations that took place in his childhood, the book was deemed a novel, although most of it is indeed factual. The book opens with the main character, Valentino, being robbed. He is beaten and wakes up later to find himself bound by a telephone cord, his mouth taped shut by packing tape. "My voice and movements are restricted by the things I own" (Eggers, 26). That sentence really speaks to me. I am intrigued by this book and will write a review once I finish it by next Thursday.

So, my quest for getting out of the ol' comfort zone has begun! Pop open the champagne (or the Pringles, for those of you who are more conservative)!

Note: I know this task is technically #5 on the original list. Since I'm completing the tasks out of order, I will enumerate each one in the order I complete it. So, this week's task is now #1. Also, my weeks are going to be Friday-Thursday, to get a jump start with the weekend. I will have to double-up tasks one week since I have already lost the first week of January.