16. Memoirs of a Geisha

Finally - FINALLY - finished Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. It took me about 115 pages to begin to enjoy the story. And then, when I got to the end, the first line of the Acknowledgements from the author reads, "Although the character of Sayuri and her story are completely invented..." I read the book actually thinking it was a memoir, silly me. So it was a little startling to find out that it was complete fiction (read: James Frey). The story was okay. Not sure I could recommend it, unless you are a real history buff - there's more history than story, I thought. One thing I must appreciate is how much research and work the author must have done to put this novel together. That much is undeniable.

Weekly Weigh-In

Didn't weigh in last week, was on the road to Arkansas. So today's weigh-in: 0 pounds lost. To goal: 5.2 pounds. I'm not disappointed, though - after these past two weeks, including two birthdays (two, count them, TWO cupcakes at Taya's bash), I fully expected to step on the scale and have gained 5 pounds. No gaining, I can take that.

I'm currently reading Memoirs of a Geisha. I've been reading this book for about a month now, and it's not drawing me in. I started it because I've heard people rave about it, but I can't seem to get invested in the story. I'm plugging away at it, though, thinking that at some point it will get really good. It's seriously hindering my book reading goal. I have to move faster than this if I'm going to reach my goal. Dang you, Memoirs, DANG YOU.

15. Conversations with the Fat Girl

Finished this one, by Liza Palmer. What's with the new trend of chick-lit about overweight "loser" girls finding their dream man and deciding their body is A-OK with them? This kind of reminds me of Jennifer Weiner's work, but I actually preferred it to Weiner.

Friday weigh-in: Down 5.2 pounds. To goal, 5.2. To be fair, I weighed in earlier on Friday, and that tends to make me lighter than normal. I don't anticipate much weight loss for this upcoming week!

Late Friday Weigh-in

Last week's weight loss: -2.4 pounds. To goal: 10.4 pounds

14. My Life in Orange: Growing Up with the Guru

Finished this one on Saturday. Author is Tim Guest, a London-based journalist. It's a memoir of his experience growing up as sannyasin, a group of people who wore only orange and lived in various communes of the infamous Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. Very sad to see how it tore apart his family and life, but it's a worthy memoir. I enjoyed it as a true story.