Since I have been sick, in bed, dirtying tissue after flimsy tissue...I retreated to some books I checked out from my local library.  This week, I spent the days finishing Glamorama by Brett Easton Ellis. I have never read any of his novels before, but I have seen the film version of American Psycho. I think this book was NOT the right thing to read while hopped up on stimulant decongestants and such...its quite violent and sexually explicit, while, like American Psycho, has a very dark humor running throughout.

But it certainly wasn't upbeat or enlightening! Good think I am not suffering from depression or fear of an upcoming operation or such...I think I'd be in the emotional doghouse after such an engrossing yet terrifying book!

Of course, I was discontent with the ending - or non-ending as it were...but that's kind of "the thing" these days, it seems. Yeah, yeah, I know that book is 5 years old but its from the LIBRARY and I've always wanted to read it...and with the bedrest and all, Ihad the opportunity.

I remember devouring two books - somewhat interrelated - years ago when I was home from work for 5 days with a bad case of the flu. I couldn't move out of my bed, I was so feverish and cold and full of aching stiffness all over. I could barely brethe due to congestion in my nose and lungs, and my eyes were swollen up , as well (pretty picture, huh?!). I happened to have, on my nightstand, a copy of a "cutout" (publisher's promotional copy) of Mark Leyner's My Cousin, My Gastroenterologist that I received back in college when I worked at the student radio station. Well, having nothing better do do while curled fetally in my bed, shivering, wheezing, I picked it up and somehow managed to read, lying on my side book held inches from my face. Somehow I think I convinced a friend to pick up the "sequel", Et Tu, Babe? which also was read, either during the same bout of sickness or during a spell of bronchitits...I don't remember the details.

Anyway...I was just thinking that for some reason I ended up reading all of these deliberately shallow, slightly misogynistic, sociopathic, confusing, cyberpunk, postmodern "hipster" novels when I probably should have been looking as something more "positive" and "healing". Oh well...I did devour them voraciously, even though they all left pits in my stomach! Maybe the negative energy they imbued scared the germs away!