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Title: The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Pages: 214

Time spent on the “to read” shelf: 4 or 5 months I think.

Days spent reading it: 4 days.

Why I read it: The Catcher in the Rye is an American classic and very controversial. I honestly wanted to see what was so controversial. Also, it was one of those “classics” that I did not read while in high school. In researching about it later I read that in 1981 it was the most censored book in US high schools and the second most taught book in high schools. It was one of the 10 most challenged books in 2005, but it came off the list in 2006. Those are some fun facts for you.

Brief review:
This book frankly annoyed me. The writing has very repetitive and had many aggravating sayings in it. The word “really” is used almost as much as the curse words that are prevalent throughout the book (one reason it is often censored–I would guess that gd appears 2-3 times a page at minimum, sometimes significantly more). And I assure you, both appear more than they need to, I really mean it.

Holden Caulfield is the main character. He is the epitome of teenage angst. His world is utterly pessimistic. He sees only the bad in everything except his sister and his deceased younger brother. He is bright, but is failing out of school. He is obsessed with sex, but cannot develop a relationship with a girl. He is active and pursues all the pleasure trappings that a big city have, but has no defining meaning to his life.

The book covers three days between him being kicked out of school and his untimely return home. Holden is depressed, hates everyone, exaggerates EVERYTHING (annoyingly so), and seems to have few people skills. In short, he is the perfect anti-hero and irritating enough that I did not like him one bit while reading this book.

I suppose this book speaks to the hearts of some disaffected youth, but they would have to be interested in drudging through 200 pages of dribble in order to find the voic
1 GB XD MEMORY | bcmushrooms

Difficult to put down, the story stayed with me even after the book was closed. The basic string of the plot: a young man, Jacob, so overcome with grief that he runs away with the circus. Sounds like a cliche, right? Yet Gruen creates a rich world full of gritty people with lives that figuratively walk a tight rope. The traveling circus was a roller coaster of success and disappointment – Gruen brings to light the many fascinating facets of this unusual lifestyle.

Cliches abound and the plot a little predictable, but it did not distract from the interesting tale. I would have liked to have seen a little more depth form the main characters. And there were a few unbelievable aspects – leaving an Ivy League education in the final hours, knowing what their family sacrificed to provide it, just to try and forget their grief? It would have been very disrespectful and irresponsible to do so. But, without this selfish act the story would not have moved forward… My favorite aspect was the animals. I cringed at the cruelty, which I am sure was common place for circuses, but was uplifted by the triumphant pachyderm. Even the common dog was spotlight worthy. Overall, a well told tale about grief and love wrapped up in a childhood fantasy.
3 In 1 USB | lamoillecountyplanning

I’m always apprehensive of carpet cleaners that you buy, rather than rent. Those red, box-looking cleaners do the best job, but I’m sure they’re $800 if you want to buy one. You just can’t beat the suction they provide.
This one is a close second, though. I really like the following:

1. Lots of brushes that scrub the carpet thoroughly – you can see them spinning!
2. Good vaccuum pump that sucks up the majority of the water, leaving the carpet only slightly damp afterwards.
3. Lightweight, easy to maneuver
4. Attachments do a good job as well – there’s a hand-held, spinning-brush scrubber for stairs.

The only thing I don’t like about this cleaner is the complexity of its design:

1. The “catch tank” is a pain in the ass. The seal around it is very persnickety, and if you don’t have it sealed just right, it won’t suck up the water from the carpet.
2. The storage of the hand-held upholstery cleaner is a pain; it fits onto the back of the unit like a Chinese puzzle

All in all, I’d pick this carpet cleaner over any other I’ve tried.
Dilators #1 by Jules | consciouscontact