How did the weekend go so fast?

Friday night, I went home after work and basically did nothing. I re-watched Roman Holiday...it's not my favorite Audrey Hepburn film, but I like it a lot. I fell asleep before it was over--I think it was sometime around 9pm. A very exciting Friday night to be sure.

Saturday I got up early and ran some errands, including buying some books. Then I went to get an eye exam. It was getting close to two years since the last one, so I thought it might be time. My prescription hadn't changed very much, so all that squinting must be psychological? Anyway, I gotta get some new glasses soon. Afterward I met a friend to see The Eagle. This was not the most exciting movie I've seen. Which is irritating because I enjoy most things that involve ancient Britain. This was just tedious, without all the action the preview promised. I lasted all the way to 9:30pm this time before going to sleep.

Sunday morning, my BFF and I went to Chicago and ate with some of her family at Old Town Social. We went for brunch and this was the first time they were trying out a dixieland theme for the brunch. They had a full band playing dixieland music. I started with the jalapeño-cheddar cornbread and traded one for one of BFF's beignets. The cornbread was amazing and had a big kick of heat at the finish. The beignet was nice, but I'm not a huge fan of doughnut-type items in general, so while I recognize that it was tasty, it wasn't really my thing. Next up I had an egg, cheddar, and homemade bacon biscuit sandwich (there is nothing wrong with any of the ingredients I just listed, so let's just agree that it was very good...putting fast food items that are named the same to complete shame). As a side, I got fried pickles. This was the only thing that I wasn't over the moon about...which is sad, given my love of pickles. It was the dough for me. There was so much dough around the bread'n'butter slices that I couldn't truly enjoy the tangy pickle taste. The rémoulade dipping sauce made it completely worthwhile to try and eat them all though. Perusing the menu, there were a lot of things I wanted to try, but time and the size of my stomach conspired against me. I will go back though. Not only did all the food look amazing, but I couldn't even get through the book of drinks! There were at least 180 beers listed...and wine and mixed drinks and so on. I bet it's a blast on a weekend night.

After leaving the restaurant, we shopped/did errands for a while. We tried to go to a craft event we'd heard about, but the venue seemed, well, seedy. And we couldn't easily park there, so we didn't stop. We got home around 6pm, so I had time to do some laundry, eat dinner, and then watch part one of the Real Housewives of Atlanta reunion. I was really sleepy (since it kept me up until 10pm), but managed to make it through all the yelling and snide remarks.

I'm feeling pretty bad about my reading habits this month. I'm still trying to get through the Cleopatra book I bought last month, and one of the little ones I got on Saturday. I also re-read a book I've had for a long time before loaning it to BFF. I need to read more or the post at the end of the month (or just before the end of the month since the Oscars at almost the last day of the month) will be really, really short...and boring. I'm working on it people...I'm working on it!

More Oscar nominated movies have been viewed

I am currently not watching Oscar noms...I am watching the Super Bowl. I wish there were teams in it that I like though. Oh well. Since I ended up doing work during the first couple of hours, it's probably for the best. I have managed to look up and see some good looking movie previews and some ads that made me laugh out loud. Now I'm pretty much just waiting for Glee!

Friday night, instead of going out and being social, I decided to stay in because (a) I didn't feel so great and (b) the frozen tundra had gotten to me.I ended up working later than I'd planned, and then I ran into a friend while I made a stop before getting home. I did some cleaning and then decided to work on my craft project for my friend while I watched Toy Story 3. I should admit that I'm not a total fan of the Toy Story movies. I thought the first one was ok and didn't really care for the second one at all. But, I knew the premise of this last one and I thought it would be sweet. So I watched. And OMG, I cried buckets! I loved it...and generally feel it's the best of the trilogy. However, does this belong on the best picture AND best animated feature lists? No...it should only be on one of them...and frankly, maybe it goes on best picture and then Despicable Me could be on the animated one...or maybe the animated one should have four films and include Despicable Me and the best picture list should just have something else on it. Oh well. Whatever.

Saturday, another friend came by and rescued me as my windshield wipers were encased in an icy tomb and I couldn't break them free (they are now, as of 5pm today), therefore making driving an even bigger hazard than it already was. We shopped for a bit and then came back to my place and were joined by one more as we settled in to mock Eclipse. We've gotten together for each of the Twilight films...I see them in the theater, then I watch them a couple of times on my own, then I'm ready for my friends who don't like the movies or books to gather with me and bring on the witticisms. It's a very good time :) After they left, I decided to go ahead and watch Winter's Bone. This movie was a downer, but man, it was REALLY well done. I'm still rooting for The King's Speech, but if the girl who plays "Ree" wins an award, I would not be surprised. This was a harsh tale and while I wouldn't say I enjoyed it, I watched it and was surprised that it was pretty riveting.

Well, not much left in the 4th quarter, so I guess I'll go pay attention to the game now. Or maybe read while the game finishes to pass the time until Glee is on. I've really missed having new episodes every week!

Still alive on the frozen tundra

Update on the movie watching situation: it was so bad out yesterday, that no mail was in the mailbox. I have a feeling the postal service couldn't navigate the non-main roads...and I don't blame them. But, that means that Winter's Bone arrived today. So I haven't watched it...and the fact that I'm typing right now, trying to stay awake for the latest episode of Jersey Shore? Probably not going to watch it tonight. (And yes, I understand that watching Winter's Bone would be a better thing to watch, but sometimes I just need to watch some skanky trash to and feel better about myself.)

I'm not doing so great with the reading so far this month. No teen novels on the table is leading to a massive non-fiction bender. The Cleopatra book is good, but it's slow going...wow that girl is having a freaking meltdown on "I Used to Be Fat"...why did MTV think this was a good idea? I don't think that every teen is capable of doing this and it lasting. And this poor girl, could her mom be any more unsupportive? Telling her she's selfish for wanting to take care of herself? Just wow. What was I typing about? Oh yeah, the Cleopatra book. As I'm reading it, I feel like all I really knew about her was cobbled together from kid books I read about ancient Egypt when I was in the fifth grade and the HBO series Rome. These are radically different pools of information. This is a little more explanatory...which is cool. So far, despite the crazy, murderous families, Egypt was kind of the bomb for BC women's rights in the upper class.

This weekend is the Eclipse mocking...a couple of friends come over and we watch the latest in the Twilight saga (this time, it's Eclipse) and they make fun of the whole thing. Then Sunday is the Super Bowl. I'm not really happy with the match up, but it should at least be a decent game. I'm more excited for the new commercials, the movie trailers, and the new episode of Glee afterward.

Sidebar: Is it weird that every time I see the ad for the new Adam Sandler/Jennifer Aniston movie where the little girl asks if she can do an accent and says "'Ello" that I giggle?

I think that's it for now. Just trying to get into the habit of typing. Tell me some of your favorite teen books...I need something light to mix with the Cleopatra!

Oscar nominations...thoughts so far

The "raining" ice situation is out of control. And now, it is also snowing. The winds around my place have created a swirly, vortex of doom, so I'm pretty sure I'm not going outside again...possibly ever. That means I will have some extra time on my hands since I won't have to drive anywhere or scrape my car out of a triple-layer ice bubble. WIN!

I've been hosting an Oscar party for a while now...this year will be the 10th annual one...I can't decide if that means it should be super fancy or if I should class it up with Cheetos and gummi bears. I'm thinking possibly some compromise in between.

I'm hoping that I have enough time to see at least the 10 best pic noms...and maybe some more. Here's my rundown so far:

• Black Swan: Interesting film. Squicked me out in one place, but I liked it a lot...some of the visuals were just amazing...and I can't get over how hard the actresses had to work for these roles. Except Winona. Guess she just turned the crazy knob up to 11 and showed up for work. Don't think it will win.
• The Fighter: Haven't seen it yet, but I want to and hopefully will before Oscar night.
• Inception: Really great film. Has held up under repeated viewings too. Don't think it'll win though.
• The Kids Are Alright: Haven't seen it yet, but should show up in my mailbox from Netflix soon.
• The King's Speech: Right now, this is my winner. I freaking loved this movie. Colin Firth was amazing and compelling. Helena Bonham-Carter was NORMAL! I didn't think she could play that anymore. Definite hearkening back to the Merchant-Ivory days for her.
• 127 Hours: Haven't seen it yet...am thinking parts will gross me out too much.
• The Social Network: Haven't seen it yet. I am very torn about it. I really am not a fan of Facebook...and I'm more than a little annoyed that an entire film that's not a documentary was made about a website. Seems like too much. But it involved Sorkin...and people I trust really liked it. I know I'll cave eventually...just not sure if it'll happen before the Oscars.
• Toy Story 3: Haven't seen it yet, but will this weekend. I got it for Christmas but haven't had time to watch it. Knowing that it will make me cry leads me to believe that I need to be in the mood to watch. Almost there (see first paragraph and add a touch of the snow madness).
• True Grit: This was so good! It was funnier than I thought. The Coens, even when they have a weak effort for whatever reason (I'm looking at you Intolerable Cruelty), rarely fail to make something worth watching again and again. Don't think it'll win...too much comedy.
• Winter's Bone: This should be in my mailbox tomorrow...although I certainly wouldn't hold it against the postal service if they just couldn't deliver it. I think it'll be good from what I've read. Even without seeing it, I'm voting this one down too. Because of Colin Firth. Mmm...Mr. Darcy...

I've usually seen all the cartoon noms by now, but this year I'm a little slow to catch up. I own and love How to Train Your Dragon. I also own Toy Story 3 (see above). The one I've wanted to see is The Illusionist but this city is never one of the limited showing cities. Sad, but true. I loved The Triplets of Belleville so I expect great things from The Illusionist. Also, complete sadness that Despicable Me didn't get a nom...IT'S SO FLUFFY!!!!

I'm cold and going to get a blanket now. Stay warm!

The books of January 2011

So I'm still reading, but the following will be about the books that I finished reading during January. Since there's only one day left, I feel like this is a decent time to write...the one I'm reading now is long enough that I don't see myself finishing it anytime in the next two days.

This month I bought more books than anticipated, read most of them and added the others to my reading list: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Titan's Curse, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Battle of the Labyrinth, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Last Olympian - all by Rick Riordan, Long May She Reign by Ellen Emerson White, Iceland: A Novel by Betsy Tobin, Someday My Prince Will Come: True Adventures of a Wannabe Princess by Jerramy Sage Fine (bought based on the fact that I liked the title, the synopsis, and that she had a quote from Jen Lancaster), Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff, Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater, and Loser/Queen by Jodi Lynn Anderson.

The books I read this month are as follows, in the order I read them: Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived by Ralph Helfer, The Brightest Star in the Sky by Marian Keyes, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan (as stated above, all PJ&tO books are by him), Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters, P.S.--I Made This by Erica Domesek (Christmas gift from a friend), Long May She Reign by Ellen Emerson White, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Titan's Curse, Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven by Susan Jane Gilman, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Battle of the Labyrinth, Iceland: A Novel by Betsy Tobin, Torment: A Fallen Novel by Lauren Kate, Someday My Prince Will Come: True Adventures of a Wannabe Princess by Jerramy Sage Fine, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Last Olympian, and Loser/Queen by Jodi Lynn Anderson.

The Percy Jackson series started with my watching the movie on HBO one night. I was very entertained by it, but knowing that generally, the book is better (there are exceptions, but talking to friends, I knew this was not one of the exceptions), I ran out and bought the first two books. I could see why my friends prefer the books...not only is the story richer and more mythologically inclusive, it's funny! Percy Jackson is a 12-year-old boy who finds out that he's a demi-god (his dad is Poseidon) thrown into a world where he must save Olympus or doom it, based on the prophecy of an ancient Oracle. Percy and his new friends (facing more than the usual dose of teen angst about relationships, school, and dealing with their parents) have to deal with being demi-gods and fighting monsters found only in ancient Greece. Over the course of the books, the original Titans, punished by their children (the gods of Olympus), rise and try to take over once again. Will these clever teens with their Scooby gang smarts be able to save Olympus or will they fail, leaving the world in chaos? These stories are all very well done. The last one just came out in paperback last week, so read and find out for yourselves! For those like me who become attached to characters, never fear. Riordan started another series about a new group of demi-gods and I hear that all the characters from this first series are still hanging around.

When I buy a book about an animal...or see a movie about one...I go in knowing that most likely, that animal is going to die. It's how it meets its end that determines if I get really upset or actually enjoy the book. Modoc is a regal elephant, blessed with massive smarts and a loving friend and trainer. Modoc's adventures lead to tear-jerking incidents, but in this book, the ending isn't harsh and abusive. Modoc doesn't have a charmed life, but the trials do make for a stronger elephant and when united with people who truly care, Modoc thrives and is able to perform beyond normal capabilities. Modoc starts with the elephant's birth...and the birth of the man who would eventually be Modoc's caretaker (same day, and I think it was the same hour). The bond between these two is so strong that I felt like their survival was tied to one another. As their story progressed, their ups and downs were so amazing that the book was really hard to put down. They were in the circus; they traveled to India; they were in a hurricane that nearly killed them both at sea; they were separated and ill-treated. But at the end, they were simply a boy and his best friend, who just happened to be an elephant. Read this if you like stories about unusual pets and great accomplishments.

Marian Keyes is a fantastic author. The Brightest Star in the Sky is one of her more recent titles. This book was a surprise. As usual, Keyes combines the fun parts of being alive with the dark underside of what it takes to live sometimes. The story is focused on one apartment building in Ireland. The tenants all have different lives and barely connect with each other or know anything about each other. We follow each of their stories, uncovering their fears, loves, and secrets along the way. Characters who were fading into the background become the backbone of the story...sharing strengths with one another that they didn't even know they had. And the best part is, at the end, the closure to the bad parts of the stories are completely fitting, and the good parts get even better. Keyes takes you on a sometimes sad path to get to a very uplifting place. Still not my favorite one by her (that would be Angels), but definitely a good read.

P.S.--I Made This is a lot of fun. It's more looking at the pictures and finding out how to make the projects than strictly reading. There are three projects that I definitely plan to attempt: making fun, oversized rings out of clip-on earrings; making t-shirt scarves; and blinging out the heels of a pair of shoes that were completely scuffed (and thought dead to me until I saw this project). Crafty ladies, check this one out!


Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven was a hard read. As much as I want to travel, China's never been at the top of my list...and after reading this, it REALLY isn't. The author and her friend travel to China in the 80s...right after it becomes open for tourists...which is not to say that it was ready for tourists. Basically, the author gets sick, but can't do anything about it until she makes it back home because her friend goes completely bonkers. I mean get you locked up forever bonkers. It hurt to read because neither seemed to know what was happening to the other and they didn't know each other well enough to be able to discern from truly needing help to just being selfish. They were able to get out of China, relatively unscathed, with the help of some very friendly strangers, but they never spoke again...other parts of the book have a happier ending...and led to the author traveling around the world...but for the most part, I didn't dig this book all that much. Same with Iceland: A Novel. It was a lot about Norse mythology as it ties to the area...which I didn't know it did, so it was kind of odd. Fast read, but not overly engrossing.

Loser/Queen is a teen novel about a girl who's weird, has few friends, and doesn't fit in at high school. Someone decides to elevate her status through both good and bad deeds, having her take the place of the reigning popular girl. I bought this because the cover has two little knitted creatures on the cover (she sublimates her rage via knitting wee animals at the beginning of the book). I didn't expect much, but it wasn't a bad way to spend a few hours. Torment is book two of the Fallen series. It's about a relationship between a human girl and the angel who loves her and what their relationship does to the age-old battle between good an evil. The books are ok. It's nice to see another take on the supernatural that isn't simply werewolves or vampires.

Someday My Prince Will Come is a hilarious, if not completely unbelievable biography about a girl who wanted nothing more than to be a princess and spent her life trying to make it happen. England being a place pretty much at the top of the travel list, I understand her need to be there...although the princess thing isn't totally me, I get the attraction to it. I thoroughly enjoyed her story...and read (with a steady commentary of asides to my roommate about how I couldn't believe that she made all this happen) it with the hope that it would work out and she would be a princess by the end of the book. While it didn't quite go down the way either of us hoped, she does now (according to the internets) run Princess Prep in London for girls who are equally princess-obsessed. The only downside? I'm not in the age group to attend!

Last, but not least (more like the saved the best for...), is Long May She Reign. I started this series from Ellen Emerson White a long time ago...going so far as to email White about continuing the story of the main character, Meg. The first book, The President's Daughter, is about Meg's mom running for president of the United States and winning. Meg and her family have to adapt more than usual to her mom's new job and the strain it puts on all of their familial relationships and friendships. The second book, White House Autumn, is a good follow-up about how things are going with the first family and their friends. The third book, Long Live the Queen, is a departure. Meg is kidnapped by terrorists and the book focuses on the horrible strains faced by everyone in these books so far and how they try to get through the worst nightmare that any of them could...or even couldn't...imagine. That's where it stopped for a long time. White published Long May She Reign in 2007. I had given up looking for a fourth book a long time ago, but I was ecstatic to find this latest addition! And it did not disappoint! Meg is back and still trying to cope with the ordeal of book three...as are her family and friends. Meg has always pushed herself to achieve and now that college is part of her life, she's not changing that side of herself...even though she needs to learn to cut herself a bit of slack here and there. Of Meg's college friends, there is the addition of an unexpected modern-day news character. The book isn't a short one, but it's so completely engaging (and great to have Meg back in my reading life) that even being long, it still wasn't long enough. Here's hoping that White writes more and more about Meg...she's one of my favorite fictional characters to make it into print.

That's it for this month I think. I've started Cleopatra: A Life, but since it's a pretty hefty biography, I'm taking my time with it and reading other books in between. The pile of books on my nightstand (and on the floor...and in the living room...and, well, you get the picture) continues to grow and even reading the books I covered this month, I feel as though I made no dent at all. But, what I'm remembering with this little project is how much I love to read...all kinds of books...despite the heavy leanings toward young adult fiction seen in this month's list. Next month, I'll also try to cover the Oscars, so I might cut short the reading time. Seeing the movie list, I have some catching up to do!

It's coming along...

I feel like all I've done is read, but that can't be true. I seem to know too much about what's happened lately on the Real Housewives of Atlanta, Jersey Shore, Top Chef, and a couple of shows about people losing weight. So clearly I've been doing more than reading. All the TV watching led to the completion of a fairly long knitted scarf with a discernible pattern (my first true one like that) and a small cross-stitched gift for a friend's birthday.

I did a little shopping with some girlfriends last week. Gift cards are the best. Thanks, Santa! That same day, my roommate and I watched that Valentine's Day that was out last year...the one with like a billion famous people in it. It wasn't great, but at least not everyone ended up with the perfect cookie cutter romantic relationship...and Julia Roberts totally did an old school prop for Pretty Woman in the bits during the credits.

My roommate and I also watched War, Inc. with John Cusack. I can't believe I hadn't seen it! It was so very funny...very much the feel of a sequel to Gross Point Blank...you know, like if Dan Ackroyd's character actually managed to get everyone together and unionize the hit men instead watching TV a little too up-close and personal. If you're not a die-hard, ultra-right-wing conservative Republican with no sense of humor, you should really like this movie (from what I can tell, that's part of the population that would most likely skip reading my little blog anyway).

My plans for the weekend are to talk about the Hunger Games trilogy (finished well before the New Year, sorry) over dinner, go to two birthday celebrations, meet various friends over the course of two days, and hopefully make something for this week's IronCraft challenge (cup cozies are the theme). Next week I plan to purchase the last of a five-part book series (teen) because it will be out in paperback finally. Those teen books are what will make the list for the month seem so big. Short reading time, but thoroughly entertaining.

New year, new blog, new post

I realize the new year started almost two weeks ago...and I realize that I tend toward the lazy when it comes to blogging. These two things together don't really inspire confidence that I'm going to do this project. But I  am fairly committed to it. If I can't do one post a month for twelve months, then something is wrong. The "and stuff" is for when I feel like posting something that isn't about what I've read. Nick Hornby, the inspiration behind this endeavor, would occasionally write his month's piece about why he didn't read some of the books on his list. I may do that too, but I'm really going to try to cover the books...even if it's a re-read of something.

So until the first post about the books, know that I'm reading...and watching TV...and doing all the other things I like to do in my free time. I'll pop in every once in a while to put up something silly, I'm sure.