Today I have a guestblogger, the lovely Julie, whom I met about 2 years ago at Michelle's place. I've been patiently asking (pestering the hell out of her, really) to write up a blog for me because I find her posts to be funny and and perceptive, and I figured she'd come up with some great topics, and today's blog is definitely one that I can relate to (see Jules, I told you it would be good!) She's also one heck of a poet, and maybe if I can find a way to blackmail her, she'll come back and let me post some of her "classic" odes *g*.
So without further rambling from me, heeeeeere's Jules!
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There is a show on the Discovery Channel called "MythBusters". They take an urban legend or myth (pop rocks and soda, anyone?) and recreate it to see if it's true or not. That's what I would like to do, a little myth busting. If I say to you the words Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, what do you think of? The common answer is a clean house, alphabetized spice cabinet, etc. HA! Let me bust that myth right now.
My name is Julie and I have OCD. Yes, the cleaning and hand washing are definite traits of OCD, they are only a few. Much to my family's dismay, my house is not the spotless paragon that is imagined of this neurosis. I work full-time, am a soccer, basketball, and cheerleading mom (three girls and not one could pick the same sport), have dinner on the table every night (true, four out of seven days it comes from bags with the golden arches on them but hey, I am not Superwoman), and other fun life stuff. My point being unless you come over Saturday afternoon, you will see shoes and coats thrown wherever, the occasional homework paper on the floor, and you may want to think twice about wearing white gloves when crossing the threshhold.
My major malfunction deals with order, not necessarily everyone's idea of order, just mine. It could be papers lying down that aren't stacked "correctly" (staples are my nemesis) or canisters that aren't arranged biggest to smallest. :shiver:
My biggest deal is reading books in order. I HAVE to read 1-2-3 or I get completely discombobulated. I'm not sure when it started exactly but I know it happened when a book by a little known author named Julia Quinn caught my eye and made me buy it. It was "To Sir Philip, With Love". I didn't know anything about JQ or the Bridgertons but as I was reading, I got this horrible feeling and the book stopped making sense to me. I finished it but it left me cold. I went to JQ's website and sure enough there were FOUR books before this one. I went to Amazon immediately and bought her entire back list. Usually I don't go quite that far but I couldn't make the same mistake twice by missing something.
Since then, I can't just go into a bookstore on the spur of the moment. I have to know specifically what I'm looking for. I can't just pick up a new to me author because what if I'm picking up a series already in progress. I get my books primarily by recommendations. I kid Stacy and others about putting me in the poor house with their wonderful recs but truth be told I would be sitting here crying in my beer without them. I have a firm motto: No matter what the author says, there are no stand alone books. If I keep that in mind, maybe I won't misplace any more of my loose screws.
Do you have any fun quirks that drive others crazy?
Are you a 1-2-3 reader or am I a few sandwiches short of a picnic?
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Thanx Jules, for coming out to play today. I hope you decide to come back - you are definitely welcome anytime.
Labels: guest blogger, Jules
posted by Stacy~ at 3/06/2008 05:29:00 AM
OK. I was laughing to begin with, then I read this: I have a firm motto: No matter what the author says, there are no stand alone books. That is SO amazingly Jules.
byMy son was looking over my shoulder when I opened this this a.m., and asked me what OCD is (he's a HUGE Mythbusters fan, and is dying to do the pop rocks experiment in the living room...) Anyway, I told him about your OCD, and he reminded me that Elvis had a tooth brushing OCD thing, too.
I applaud your grasping for order in a chaotic life by reading your books in order. I'm just appalled that you don't have your spices alphabetized. I expected better of you.
BTW, who is this Julia Quinn of whom you speak?
EXCELLENT post, Julie! You rock. Just like Elvis.
Awesome post, Jules! And as Michelle says, SO YOU!
byWell, generally I read in order. Unless, you know, I don't. What can I say? I do try to buy books in order and read them that way too. But, well, sometimes I pick up book #2. If I do, I'll go back and buy book #1 soon thereafter, but I don't generally sweat it (I have you to get after me if I do.) :o)
:blush: Thanks, guys.
byMichelle, I never knew that about Elvis. It does explain his pearly whites. Never fear about the spices. They aren't alphabetized but they are by size with the biggest in the back and smallest up front. Oh and all the labels are facing forward. ;o)
Kati, I promise to keep on you about reading in order only if you promise to keep me informed on the bestest books. I really do strongly depend on you all for the recs. {HUGS}
Jules, when I find a book I like that's part of a series, I often do, ok, generally do what you did with the Quinn -- I buy every other stinkin book in the series. And I've been obsessed in the past with acquiring every book an author's written, paying ridiculous prices for out of prints. Marsha Canham (in advance, stop snickering, Mary Kate. I admit I'm obsessed with her) and Liz Carlyle come to mind.
byMy mom alphabetizes her spices, Jules. I used to be like that with stuff, too. But I don't think there's anything in my life I'm rigidly organized about... Hey! I'm cured!
And, Jules, thank God I'm not the only mom whose kids are nourished by fast food on a regular basis. I actually like to think of it as brain food, and always attribute any successes they have in school to fast and prepared foods.
My theory on fast food is as long as the kids are active there's no harm in giving them something they will actually eat a couple times a week.
byI have so many odd little things that have to be a certain way--but I actually try to not let them click my brain--I'll explain that sometime.
bytable settings, newspaper reading order, shoes all facing the same direction in the entry (and my closet)books packed in our outgoing tubs--at the library--a certain way.
But I think Michelle is right, we try to grasp at order any way we can.
And I get the in order thing for books--but sometimes I read out of order--help me Marykate.
Er--I can't publish--I knowIknow, I didn't log in to google blogger--but it's Amy.
amyskf
Julie, Dad does fast food, Mom makes everyone eat salads. Unless it's Pizza night.
byHonestly, our mom's were not as busy as we are, I mean they were as busy, but in a different way. I figure if we're all sitting down together at the table (and the silver ware is in the right spot) it's all good.
Jules, my DVDs are alphabetized, and my books are in order by author and pub date.
byI think being anal retentive is adorable. At least, that's what I tell myself! LOL!
I do the same as Michelle with backlist stuff. If I find a book I love and it's the middle of the series, I immediately go to Amazon and buy all of them.
When I start to read a book and discover it’s part of a series I tend to put it down till I can get the books before it.
byAnd I totally agree there is no such thing as a stand alone in a series. When there is a series every book builds on the one before it and yes you could probably read it and know what’s going on but you would be missing out on so much! OK I’ll stop now :o)
I still have my Mom cook for me almost every night :o) Yeah I know I’m way spoiled LOL. But hey she gets home before I do and I’m literally one min from her house. What can I say I’m taking advantage of it while I can :o)
Ah, Amy, you had me then you lost me. =p How someone can read out of order is completely beyond me.
byAll papers, envelopes, books, heck everything faces the *right* way and edges must aligned which is why staples are my enemy. It takes me five minutes to get my mail stacked correctly before I can go through it.
Kati- This is where I say things are in *my* order. My DVDs are grouped by several different ways. First I separate the kids vids, my vids then his, three different shelves. Then it's by series, obviously in order. Finally it's grouped by main actor. If you want a Hanks movie, there you go. Pitt, well you have your choice. I tend to know better who's in the movie than the exact name of it.
Is it wrong that I've never read Julia Quinn?
byI have to ask this question because my eyes keep getting drawn to it; Did anyone else notice that the pic Stace put at the top is missing both the 4 and 6??
byWHAT?!?! LeeAnn, darling, where did we go wrong? First, Lisa and now Julia?? It's not wrong but definitely must be corrected. She writes wonderful historicals. Her first book is "Splendid" and Alex and Emma truely are. However, the Bridgertons, which begins with "The Duke and I", should not be missed. JQ is one of my favs.
byI will be hitting Barns and Nobel this weekend then :o) They have all of the books I want in stock.
byI’ll be getting two books from Julia Quinn and two of Lisa Kleypas’s historicals since all I’ve read by her was Sugar Daddy.
See I’m working on my education here LOL.
Julie I didn’t even notice it till you pointed it out. But I really didn’t look at the picture all that long.
Well done, Jules! :o)
byI think we all have OCDs that we may be unaware of. Mine is things in rainbow order. If things are out of color order it drives me BONKERS!
As for books, I hear ya! I TOTALLY have to read them in order. In fact, I picked up a Sari Robins and got this sick feeling there were ones that came before it...I stopped reading it pretty much immediately.
I may be a few sandwiches shy a picnic as well...;oP
So, I have to be honest, didn't read any of the post. I was interested in the picture. That looks like the "Numbers Garden" at The Ohio State University. Is it perhaps??!!!
byOMG! Are you kidding, Mollie??
byI am a Buckeye through and through but have never set foot on the campus. Stacy picked the picture so I'm not sure but would love to know the answer.
You won't be sorry, LA. Both authors are fantastic. =o)
byThanks, Rach!! Did you go back and get the first books??
Here's another question; have you ever found yourself reading a book in a series that you aren't really enjoying but have to get the following books because you have to finish what you start?
I really try not to impose my neurosis on others. It's annoying having to have things a certain way and I would hate to start someone on that path.
The exception would be reading order. Any other way is just wrong. ;p
Yup I’ve done that. I read the first book and it was pretty good but the second book didn’t really cut it but I had to read the third book to find out what happened to the third brother! I mean I couldn’t just leave the story hanging like that. That would be like watching the first two episodes of Lord of the Rings or Star Wars and not finishing the rest.
byJUles, I found myself, a little over a year ago, embracing the idea that if I didn't love one book in a series, it WAS OK for me not to keep it. Seriously, I own every single Suzanne Brockmann, and I really only reread about five of them. So I'm getting rid of them. Even though several of them are part of the Troubleshooter series and part of them are part of the Tall, Dark & Dangerous series. I'm just going to...be OK with it. Same with BDB, I think. I only like the first three, there's really no reason I should keep the other two. I did this too with Nora. I recently got rid of three, count them, three Nora books. Last time I counted I had close to 75 Nora books on my shelf. Pretty impressive that only three weren't keepers, huh?
byI know, I know, have you taught me nothing?? But keeper space is limited at my house, and some of it is being taken up by books I don't re-read.
Wow MK I applaud your ability to let go of your books, even if they aren’t keepers. I haven’t yet been able to do this. And every time I think I can, I just can’t do it LOL. I have tried, really I have but I just can’t do it. I don’t know why it’s just another one of my strange habits. See Julie you’re not alone ;o)
byLA- You are making me feel so much better. =o)
byMK- I don't know what to say. I'm speechless. ;p
I can't get rid of *anything*. Especially books. Before the next book in a series comes out, I re-read every one that came before. If it happens to be one that I'm not thrilled about, I will skim through it.
There is no way I could get rid of a series unless it was the whole series. See, I'm a compulsive giver too. ;oD
That's what I'm here for Julie LOL ;p
byThat's a picture of the numbers garden behind Dreese Labs @ OSU!!!
byWow - I don't have a book quirk like that and good thing too, I seem to read every series out of order. My OCD type thing is... I hate wearing shoes inside, or people wearing shoes inside. Maybe it's a cultural thing. And I'm a germaphobe.
Also, if I have to sit in the backseat of the car, I have to sit behind the passenger. I get really uncomfortable and unhappy anywhere else - unless we're packed in, I'm sitting in the middle because I have to, and it's a short trip.
:( I'd sign in, but I broke gmail, and eblogger isn't letting me sign in either.
julie in ohio - the 4 & 6 are on the other side of the walk way =) - and the #7 I think is flat on the grass if I remember correctly.
bywoohoo! google has revived itself - the past two comments were me :D
byThank you, Limecello. That's wonderful information. I'm a buckeye born and bred so I'm tickled pink to know that that pic is on the campus. I feel a field trip coming on. =o)
byI understand the shoes in the house bit but for me it has to do with the tracks that are left. However, I always have to have something on my feet so when I take off the shoes, I slip on the pink fuzzies (my slippers). ;o)
Stace- Thanks for letting my invade. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one who's quirky. =oD
byI ALWAYS buy the back series, and read it in order.
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