#1. Read 50 books (2/50)

This weekend I finished 2 great books that I've been reading on and off for the past month or so. Although the books and the authors/main characters/narrators are completely different, I can see some of my qualities in both Koren Zailckas and Sarah MacDonald.

Smashed is a very dark story of Koren, a girl who starts binge drinking in her early teens and the habit continued and escalates through her college years and into early adulthood.

At Florida State I totally knew this girl, well lots of these girls. Not this exact girl or these exact set of circumstances, but pretty, accomplished young women that most parents would be proud to call their daughters. They shared the common bond that they are all completely disturbed or hurt and are drinking and self medicating to escape some unknown, internal dark force.

A really good book, an easy read for sure.

It makes me think of the Robbin Williams quote, "Being a functioning alcoholic is like being a paraplegic lap-dancer. You can do it, just not as well as the others."

Holy Cow, on the other hand is much more light hearted, find-your-self, feel good tail of Sarah MacDonald. An Australian transplant who follows her love to India and finds her self with quite a bit of extra time on her hands. Since I am still on my India/middle eastern kick this was right up my ally!!

In the beginning Sarah is quick to judge the proverbial Indian book by it's poverty stricken, slum dwelling, idol worshiping cover. As the story progresses and Sarah travels across the subcontinent and back learning about the different religions, faiths, beliefs, cultures and people of India and she learns to love the eclectic & eccentric land.