We are in Utah and down the street from where we are staying, there is a simply-Mac store. I have been bugging my parents about getting a Macbook for several months and they've finally caved.
But not in a way that I expected.
We went and bought my Macbook yesterday after a very long discussion about finances for it. They are not paying for it.
I used their American Express card to purchase the computer. When we get back to Iowa, we are taking out a $2000 loan, with me as a cosigner. I will be paying monthly payments of about $200 to pay back the bank and get a credit score. Because my parents have such good credit, we are getting the loan for only 5 or 6%.
This will seriously come in handy when I have a computer during college and am not paying nearly as much interest as I could be on my student loans because I will already have a credit score and, with any luck, it will be a good one, since I've promised to pay on time and get it paid off early so my parents' score doesn't go down (it's nearly perfect, which is astounding).
And if anyone cares: Macbooks are amazing. Within an hour, I was already customizing, installing and thoroughly enjoying myself. I am super happy.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Sunday, July 6, 2008
In the Woods (Tana French)
While driving for 2 days from Iowa to Utah, I sat in the backseat and digested the best-selling book In the Woods by Tana French.
It started off with a bang. There was immediate mystery. It is a book that is basically an emotional, detailed police investigation, on the scene and behind the scenes. I'd never read a book like tihs before and I was instantly intruiged when I first saw it on the shelf at Barnes and Noble. The plot was full of twists and turns and dead ends.
The plot is that in 1984 (backstory) three children went to play in the woods in Knocknaree and only one of them came out, unable to remember what had happened to his friends but being altogether terrified. In present day, a young girl, Katy Devlin, is found in the same woods at an archeological dig, murdered. The young boy, now grown up and using a different name, is put on the case with his partner, Cassie Maddox.
What I loved about the book is that there is so much background and depth to everything. There is poltiical backstory, emotional backstory and every kind of backstory you could want. And you can't guess whodunit. It's a complete surprise by the end. You'll feel completely betrayed by the text and the characters and the author. But it is a satisfying frustration with the ending. I would read this book again, with pleasure, to catch all the hints I am sure Tana French threw in along the way.
Overall, I'd give this book 8 stars out of 10. It was written with impeccable detail and had an intricate storyline. It is definitely on my own list of my 25 favorite books.
It started off with a bang. There was immediate mystery. It is a book that is basically an emotional, detailed police investigation, on the scene and behind the scenes. I'd never read a book like tihs before and I was instantly intruiged when I first saw it on the shelf at Barnes and Noble. The plot was full of twists and turns and dead ends.
The plot is that in 1984 (backstory) three children went to play in the woods in Knocknaree and only one of them came out, unable to remember what had happened to his friends but being altogether terrified. In present day, a young girl, Katy Devlin, is found in the same woods at an archeological dig, murdered. The young boy, now grown up and using a different name, is put on the case with his partner, Cassie Maddox.
What I loved about the book is that there is so much background and depth to everything. There is poltiical backstory, emotional backstory and every kind of backstory you could want. And you can't guess whodunit. It's a complete surprise by the end. You'll feel completely betrayed by the text and the characters and the author. But it is a satisfying frustration with the ending. I would read this book again, with pleasure, to catch all the hints I am sure Tana French threw in along the way.
Overall, I'd give this book 8 stars out of 10. It was written with impeccable detail and had an intricate storyline. It is definitely on my own list of my 25 favorite books.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
