help me save my brain from waste this holiday season

Erase / Rewind

how 'bout the Bible sweetie...

Erase / Rewind

Lol...twilight. :P
Its supposed to be awesome.

Im not much of a reader, but davinci code is really good too. You probably read it already tho.

You could volunteer at your local shelter,library, things like that.

God and the State BY Bakunin

Things Fall Apart (Chinua Achebe) - set in Africa I don't know when. I don't even remember this ever having much of a plot, just a description of time going on from a third person account of one man's life. An awesome book, though.
Tortilla Curtain (forgot the author) - a pertinent novel set in L.A. in the present day about immigration and cultural clashing, among other things.
Little Scarlet (forgot the author) - a good detective novel set also in L.A., right after the Watts riots.
The Eagle of the Ninth (forgot) - a book set in Roman Britain about a centurion who has to go into Celtic territory to retrieve his legion's standard (the eagle of the ninth)
Siddhartha (forgot) - a trippy little book speculating about the life of the Buddha, albeit in an orthodox manner, before he was Buddha and still gautama.
1984 (George Orwell) - a book about a repressive totalitarian dystopia. One of my favorites.
Brave New World (Aldous Huxley) - often compared to 1984, but the totalitarian repression in this book is less forceful and more ingenious. Killing you with pleasure, you could say.
Caucasia (Danzi Senna) - awesome book about a biracial girl and her unique life and problems with identity, written from the first person and set from the 60s onward. If you pick one, make it this one. Now that I think about it, I can see some parallels with the life of Mr. Obama.

there are tons more novels I could recommend, but these come to mind at the moment. I would recommend some sci-fi, but I get the feeling you're not into it. maybe I'm stereotyping seeing as you're a girl. Just in case you are: "The Forever War" and "Starship Troopers." More than just war books and material for crappy movies, these two are often compared and have different and definite things to say about society, just like 1984 and Brave New World.

As for non-fiction, I would recommend:

Team of Rivals by Doris Goodwin about Abraham Lincoln and the men that would come together to form his cabinet. A long read, but interesting if you're into US history and current politics (Obama says he loves this book).

The "N" Word. I forgot the author. A fascinating study into the history of racism, especially against blacks, and how it's been ever present in the US, perpetuated by literature, politics, art and "science" since even before it was officially started.

Again, there are tons more that I can't recall at this particular moment.

And a short story: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," by F. Scott Fitzgerald is very quick (within minutes) and a good read. Obviously it's the inspiration behind the film. Reading it will give you a background if you ever want to see.

^lol I made myself sound like a wannabe dictator with my descriptions of 1984 and Brave New World. Quite the contrary I must say.......

stalin is my hero

edit : lol

for fun read ~~~~

Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas. This guy is brilliant... his plots are so complex and clever. It's amazing how everything ties together, this is the ultimate book for revenge and vengeance. Count of Monte Cristo is the epitome of revenge.

East of Eden by John. Steinbeck. I am a pretty big Steinbeck fan, this guy fascinates me and his stuff is well over my head. But I still enjoy reading his stuff, his classics like "grapes of wrath," and "Of Mice and Men" were really good reads in high school. But I read East of Eden on my own and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Rebecca by Daphen Du Maurier. Complex plot, slow start. But the twist is HUGE. The ultimate book with twist.

Speaking of twist, have you read Kite Runner? That book is SICK. There's a huge twist at the end... Then another HUGE twist on top of that... good book.

Catch 22 is pretty funny... My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult is bit of a chick lit but really sad and poignant.

I would recommend CS Lewis but I know you wouldn't like it lol. I plan to read some of his stuff over break, it's deep but so simply worded. I recommend you to challenge yourself and read Case for Christ by Lee Strobel. It will challenge you. I wasn't always a Christian, nor did I grow up in a Christian home. But of course, no pressure

candide