Is all this REALLY necessary?

Although I'm certain I come across something personally appalling and quite ridiculous on a daily basis, (and yet somehow still consider myself to be quite content and pleasant most of the time). Today I just have to ask, is it REALLY so necessary to use APA? Do colleges not realize that we've spent the last four-ten years trying to grasp standard MLA, and then one day you enroll in an education, psychology or business class and "WHAM!" they throw this at you. There are reasons people come and give special presentations and spend countless hours learning the senseless details to APA format. The education professor is not going to teach you every detail, she has recruted an APA "Specialist" and will give you a forty page example merely trying to explain the format, heading and even style requirements for beloved APA.

And, perhaps this is also why my high school teachers chose not to mess with it!

Yet, despite my grumbling, I'm grateful I spent a semester trying to learn it. At least it's not too hard to recall now that I'm proof-reading my husband's paper.

It's strange how even the little things come full-circle.

The first of many endeavors for 2009

So, I've started something of a little book club. Some days I'm not sure I'm exactly the kind of person that I'd want leading a book club, but selfishly I need some deadlines or else I will read the first 50 pages of every book in the book store (well, almost). Strangely, it doesn't really matter how well I like a book, I can always walk away from it. Book number one: The Shack by William P. Young was our first endeavor. There was a lot I liked about the book, yet I'm not entirely thrilled with their push for people to talk about it, blog about it and tell everyone they know in every form of media how great it is. I personally loved it, and that's about all I'm going to say about it here. Next on the list--- Boundaries by Cloud and Townsend. I've owned this book for a while and am excited to be reading it more thoroughly this time through. After we make it through the Boundaries book the next book to make it on the list is The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Since this book is over 500 pages, I've gotten a small head start on it and so far... I'm pretty psyched about it. The ridiculous part is---I think this a book that I would get so much more out of if I were forced to write a paper. The things I miss about college. Sigh.

And, actually, that's the end of the list. What's embarrassing is that, although I suggested the first book, I have yet to commit a work to the list for this year. Yikes! Should I look for a classic I've always wanted to read, one I've already read that I would like to skim and discuss more thoroughly, a hot new read, one already endorsed by some famous person/show etc., one with "book club" discussion questions in the back??? Presently, there are so many books on my list I do not see how I could single one lonely novel out. What about the rest? When can it be their turn? Perhaps I will pick out three and the "club" can decide the fate of my book-reading future.

Ultimately no one's losing. I'm back to reading, and perhaps I'll find myself thinking or even blogging with purpose once again. Reading's a good enough start for me.