The books of November 2012

November...I had so much to do and got so little of it done. Oh well. I'm grounding myself from reading until craft projects are done. Well, I say that, but I won't be able to sleep if I actually do it. Maybe I'll read a chapter a day, before bed, so I can sleep. Just until stuff is done, then bring on the reading material! Yay!

Crafts:
Y'all know that next month will be like the mother-lode of all craft uploads, right? In the meantime, here are a couple of things I can show you. This one will be a Christmas present, but it's not someone who reads this blog, so I'm comfortable putting it up.

You said you wanted something warm...

Next up was part of a friend's birthday present. She likes books too, and coincidentally, I had a book I wanted to get her. The first time she typed this out for me I laughed really hard...now I do it too sometimes (trendsetter!):

SRSLY? I know, right?!

Movies:

As we head into Oscar season, I get more and more happy seeing things. Previews are killing me. I want to see things now! 

Wreck-It Ralph was very, very cute! Little kids like it because it's bright and colorful and has a cute little story. Adults like it because we can probably name all the video games represented when they all gather in the station. I was particularly amused that even Pong went in there. The animation is particularly noteworthy in seeing how so many of the older video game characters moved in distinct patterns...if you watch it, pay attention to that in the party at the pent house. And I squealed a little when at the end, I noticed the theme song for the Wreck-It Ralph game was written by Buckner and Garcia. Don't know who that is? Watch here! (Watching that, I kind of miss the Bandstand.)

My BFF got us free tickets to the local premiere of Skyfall. And then I went and saw it again later. It is so good. Bond is back, with a real story. He's more light-hearted, like Bond of old. But, he's still Craig, Daniel Craig. Which is a Very Good Thing (TM). Javier Bardem as the villain is one of the best casting decisions of the last decade. Well played everyone!

This year was the final installment of the Twilight series. Breakfasting Dawn II included a savory bread pudding, chocolate filled croissants, and fruit with pumpkin dip. It was great! The movie threw us for a loop because we didn't remember exactly how things went down. But, that kind of made it more awesome. I enjoyed that more humor had been injected into the storyline...specifically I'm thinking of Jacob and Chief Swan's scene together. Afterward we had Lunching Dawn II and discussed and ate more good food. A very good day.

Later that same day, I saw Lincoln. No, I don't mean THIS Lincoln. I mean the one with President Daniel Day-Lewis. Luckily I knew the story, so no surprises...except for some of the cast. It was extremely well done and if the Oscars came out today, DDL would win. So would Sally Field. They were all just amazing. I think it could've ended a little different...just with the walking in the hall...with maybe a voiceover of the speech...but I'm not a filmmaker, so it wasn't my call. (Spoiler-ish if you have never read any history ever) One lady in our viewing clapped when the proclamation passed. We were concerned that someone in 2012 didn't know slavery had been abolished. I was scared for her to find out what happened to Lincoln later on...

After Thanksgiving, I saw the new version of Red Dawn. Did it need to be made? No. Was it still entertaining? Sure. Is Thor still massively awesome? Definitely. WOLVERINES!

Books:

I bought (I say bought, but really, unless it was free, I didn't download it...all the monies are going to being Santa for my family and friends right now) a few things on the Kindle, but I can't recall them right now...I'll catalog them as I read them.

This month I read I'm Kind of a Big Deal: And Other Delusions of Adequacy by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor, Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day by Ben Loory, Recalculating by Jennifer Weiner, Adjustment Team by Phillip K. Dick, The Stockholm Octavo: A Novel by Karen Engelmann, and Size 12 and Ready to Rock: A Heather Wells Mystery by Meg Cabot.

I'm Kind of a Big Deal was another series of humorous memoirs from Wilder-Taylor. I've enjoyed the two books by her that I've read, but I might be done. They are chuckle worthy, but when I want a humorous essayist to tell me about herself, I'll probably just re-read Jen Lancaster or Laurie Notaro. I think I get their humor better. Again, it's not a bad read at all...just not totally my thing.

I've had the short story book by Ben Loory on my nightstand for a couple of years. I finally noticed it again and decided to read it...I mean, clearly I bought it because there was an octopus on the cover and I love sea monsters, but still, I also love short stories. This book did not disappoint. I enjoyed all of the short stories in here...especially the octopus one (naturally). The stories were varied in topic, but all were funny, sad, and above all entertaining. The only part I didn't like was finishing.

Recalculating is a short story from Jennifer Weiner available on the Kindle. It seemed really familiar, so either I'm very used to her writing style by now (quite possible) or the character(s) can be found in one of her other books (also quite possible). It was a quick read and a satisfying one. I didn't want a deep, complex character study. I got just enough info to make snap decisions that were correct and get a good story that wrapped up nicely. She's really good at capturing how all types of female characters think and act...this was no different.

The movie The Adjustment Bureau was loosely based on Adjustment Team. The story covers a day and takes the main character through his viewing of things he shouldn't see, through his running away, getting caught, telling someone about it, and trying to cover it up. In the movie, that's Matt Damon over a series of days trying to be with the woman he loves. The story actually made me appreciate the movie even more because the screenplay, while definitely based on this short story, is very thought out and extended beyond what little info we are given. I liked both quite a bit...the movie possibly more. It's a short read if you're interested though. And cheap on the Kindle :)

The Stockhom Octavo is kind of complicated. Set after the American and French revolutions, this story takes place in Sweden. A fortuneteller and card shark work together to save their government's and society's complete demise from the political plot (and fan collection) of a bitter woman...as foretold by their two octavo tarot card readings. This book took a little bit to read because you had to pay close attention, but it was a very good read. I don't think I learned anything about Swedish politics from back in the day (although a little about how classes and women in different classes were treated), but I did learn a bit about the card layout and the geometric and theoretical meanings of such. I thought it was really interesting.

I saved the best for last as I knew I had a stressful week coming, so as the immediacy of it all wrapped up, I knew I needed something funny. Meg Cabot has yet to disappoint. This particular episode in the Heather Wells series did explore some harsher themes than before, there were still tons of laugh out loud moments. Heather Wells is an awesome character...I highly recommend the whole series, starting with Size 12 Is Not Fat, then Size 14 Is Not Fat Either, then Big Boned, and lastly Size 12 and Ready to Rock. Then when you're done with those, read all the other non-teen Meg Cabot books. They're so fun! 

Okay, that's it for now...I gotta get some sleep. Happy holidays!

The books of October 2012

October was a fast one! It's like time passed quicker than the temperature dropped...for once anyway. I'm still working on Christmas stuff most of the time, while watching different TV series on DVD.

Crafts:
Finally! Some of the events happened so I could give some stuff away!

I gave one cross-stitch away as a belated birthday gift. This particular friend and I often swap unicorn and rainbow thoughts and concerns, so I was thrilled when I found the pattern on etsy in Nerdy Little Stitcher's store:

Brings a bad meaning to the Skittles branding campaign...

Next up was the wedding of two friends. I found a very cute pattern from Lizzie Kate that I made for them:

Nothing snarky to say...cute gift for a cute couple.

Last, but certainly not least, probably the pattern I picked out the longest time ago. This one is from the Subversive Cross Stitch site...a gift for a friend who moved away from us to remind him of what he's not actually missing:

'Nuff said.

Movies:
I only made it to one movie that wasn't on DVD in my living room. I went to see Argo. It was really, really, really well-done. I remember the hostage crisis, but since I was in elementary school, I was pretty fuzzy on the details. And even though I knew the ending, I was still on the edge of my seat, freaking out, and hoping their plans worked. If you didn't make it to the theater to see it, make sure you rent it.

Books:
I bought something else on the Kindle that I don't remember, but I also finally read something on the Kindle again, so I'm okay with the forgetting. I also bought myself an early birthday present, In the Pleasure Groove: Love, Death, and Duran Duran by John Taylor. I've not even started it and typing that made me squeal a little.

In October I read The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan, Sutton by J. R. Moehringer, High on Arrival: A Memoir by Mackenzie Phillips, Stories I Only Tell My Friends: An Autobiography by Rob Lowe, The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie by Wendy McClure, and Total Recall by Phillip K. Dick.

The Throne of Fire is the second book of the Kane Chronicles series. In case you've forgotten, it's the teen series with Egyptian mythology. It was kind of long, but still entertaining. Sadie and Carter Kane are once again pitted against evil and used as the pawns of the ancient gods in order to raise Ra the Sun God from his slumber and keep the world from falling to Chaos. It's as entertaining as the first book and  introduced new teens to their story to help with the fight. Sadie still has a crush on Anubus and their parents are still in the Underworld. Not ideal, but with a basketball-playing ape, a powerful magician-uncle, and a cat god as their protectors, it definitely keeps you interested.

Sutton was another what-if, not-totally-history-based work of fiction. As old man Sutton leaves prison, a young writer and photographer pick him for an exclusive newspaper article about his past and his newly free present. No one found quite what he expected. It was essentially the author's re-imagining of living this gentleman-robber's past through a reporter who didn't expect that the subject matter might not feel like cooperating. That he might have had his own agenda for his first days of freedom. It was very interesting to read what the old man remembered and to hear the contrasting news clips the reporter had. Nothing completely matched up, but the story kept me very hooked.

High on Arrival was a little more than I could handle. I knew Phillips had led a drug-fueled, completely screwed up life and had somehow lived to write a book about it. What I didn't count on was the incest...it wasn't just once, people. It was many, many times. If you've got a weak stomach, this is not your book.

Rob Lowe's book was my next read. As biographies, these were VERY different. Lowe was an alcoholic, but he didn't feel the need to rehash every detail of his alcoholism or his very public arrest over a sex-tape...back when sex-tapes were just. not. done. I liked his descriptions of forging friendships with the guys in The Outsiders. I also was very interested in the part about The West Wing. It was a fluffy, fast read. Nothing horrifying, nothing outstanding.

The Wilder Life is one I've had on my shelf for a while. I totally loved the Little House books when I was a kid. I remember my sister and my mom reading them to me...and then getting to read them on my own...again and again and again every summer. I don't think I've picked them up in about ten years, but reading this book makes me think that I might. Wendy McClure found the books again and they took her to a time when she loved believing that all of it was real. She set out, as an adult, to recapture some of the Little House feeling by visiting sites around America. I really enjoyed this book and her tales of trying things from the cookbooks and frontier life. I get that she had to wrap it up and share why she wrote it...that's fine. I just found that I enjoyed her adventures a little more than the self-discovery part. I also learned some things: I could churn butter while watching a TV show, but I don't want to can butter...also, end times people can be a little scary when you're camping on the wild prairie.

Total Recall was just a short story, but I've seen both movie representations now, so I figured I should give it a whirl. It's not like either movie. It was quick and definitely takes another philosophical bend if you're inclined to read it yourself. I think I'll stick to the movies though. I know I downloaded a few things by Phillip K. Dick. I hope I don't spend too much time comparing them with their movie counterparts.

Well, that's it for October. November is going to have loads of stuff: new Bond, first Christmas craft fair, last Twilight movie, the Lincoln movie, a major holiday (no, I didn't dress up for Halloween this year...I was sick...and still am), and lots of crafting.

The books of September 2012

Coming to you from my very own internets in my own apartment. Woohoo!

Apparently September was spent on my couch, cross-stitching things that I still can't show you yet and watching loads and loads of tv on dvd (and actual tv once I bought an antenna). So a little on the boring side, but everyone needs a slow month, right?

Movies:
I did abandon my couch for the big screen a few times. I went to see The Master. I really, really, REALLY liked Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood, and Magnolia, but this was not Paul Thomas Anderson's best work...at least not to me. I get the loosely hidden threads of "this could totes be scientology but it's not, so, you know, don't judge". Mostly there were just parts that weren't nice to watch. But, the actors were spot on...it was an okay story that was portrayed very well. I think I just wasn't moved by the story to care about it or any of the people. Also, making Joaquin Phoenix unattractive is never going to make you bank.

Cosmopolis is the creation of a film maker that I really love, David Cronenberg. Not totally his creation, I mean, he didn't write it...Don DeLillo did and I talked about it when I read it a few months ago. The film is just as strange as the book, but I could swear the ending was different...which is fine because it didn't start until 10pm and I was getting super sleepy. I thought the tech would be a bit more in your face, but they toned it down. Each character was about what I'd imagined when I read the book...and then I only knew that the main guy was being played by RPattz. He did a great job as this character, but really, not much more was required of him here than is required of a sparkley vampire. (Don't hate on me...I just prefer him as Cedric.) The scenes were very well played out and Paul Giamatti, as usual, stole the show with his part. This is something that you may want to rent...it's something you'll continue to think about after you've seen (or read) it.

I also saw Looper. Looper freaking rocked. It was complicated and awesome. Kurt at Mamapop already reviewed it without giving away any plot...I suggest you check it out here. It was brutal and took you places that were logical given the time travel story-line, but all of that darkness was redeemed and worth it in the end. This movie surprised me. I went in for an action film and left with the satisfaction felt usually from seeing something like Inception or Adjustment Bureau - that feeling of having seen an unexpectedly great story that sucked you in to the point where the silence at the end is almost jarring because you want more.

And, of course, I bought The Avengers on DVD. And I still love it. I've only watched it twice since I got it last week :)

Books:
I don't think I bought any books this month...maybe one or two on the Kindle. I really need to stop getting things from the library and starting using the Kindle more...I like it and now that I have internets at home, I can load it up whenever I want without leaving the couch. Perfect.

This month I read When It Happens To You: A Novel in Stories by Molly Ringwald, It's Not Me, It's You by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor, 11/22/63 by Stephen King, and The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo by Tom Reiss.

Yes, that Molly Ringwald. Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink...you know, the redhead. I took a chance with this one and I felt rewarded. She gave us a teen to rally behind while growing up and now she gives us a story about people whose lives intersect in horrible, interesting, and lovely ways. Each chapter was a different story that overlapped somehow with a different chapter and set of characters. This is a very good, if not slightly sad, read. Give it a shot if you want something slightly on the downer side.

It's Not Me, It's You is a series of short stories about the author's life. It's pretty funny...I mean, how can you wrong with a woman wearing a lamp-shade over her head on the cover? It didn't give me the laughing fits that I get from Jen Lancaster or Jenny Lawson, but it was a fun read. I have another one by her and now that I'm familiar with her style, I think I'll enjoy this other one even more.

Everyone has given 11/22/63 good reviews. I'm bandwagoning. November 22nd is my mom's birthday, so I've heard her story about Kennedy's assassination. But this take is very inventive. It's another "what if" historical alteration book. This time (unlike The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln), the story follows the main character's plot, but the plot of the assassination as it currently stands. In order to change history for the better, a man is talked into going back in time to stop the assassination of Kennedy by (a) figuring out if there really was a conspiracy and (b) killing Oswald. Along the way, he changes other people's histories, making the butterfly effects insane. This is a historical event that it makes sense to wonder about...what would've happened if Kennedy had lived? So many people have wondered about it...and this is just one possible (fictional) scenario. I feel like the main character hadn't given much thought to the "what if" because it was simply fact, which is why it worked...for most of us it's simply something that happened and is part of our past. What parts of history could know a different outcomes...even just in your head? I liked the whole story...the time travel, the lessons learned, the part every single decision and micro-particle play in history. I haven't enjoyed Stephen King in a long time, but he's back. It's a great, thought-provoking book.

Lastly, I read The Black Count. This book came out a couple of weeks ago. Long ago, I think I read something by Dumas. I couldn't tell you which book it was. And I've seen movies about his books. And I read another book based on Dumas' books. So, what I'm saying is, I was familiar. What I had no idea was that he and his father were mixed-race men. Taking the way back machine to pre-revolution France shows a very different world-view on slavery and races than I would have thought. I didn't study loads of French history, so maybe this is only a surprise for me. Anyway, turns out Dumas idolized his father and most of his writings are fictionalized versions of his life and times in some form. His father was a great general, served Napoleon, won honors and distinctions, and then was imprisoned in Naples and never regained his former status due to petty jealousy, illness, and a massive change in attitude toward those of mixed-races. It was very interesting, but not my usual fluff, so it took a bit to get through.

October will be another crazy month, but I should have some crafts that I'll be able to post and I've already seen some movie previews that look good. And, as always, there's that huge stack of books on my nightstand, each patiently awaiting its turn to be read :)

The books of August 2012

Guess what? I still haven’t signed up for internets at home. But, I possess a thumb drive, so everything is ok. And, as the Talking Heads say, “Same as it ever was.” But fingers are crossed that this will be the month I call the cable/internets people. Football starts TODAY and I don’t have the ability to watch it in my own home. Seems like a crime against nature.

Crafts:

Christmas gift crafting has been going on all month. So nothing to post right now…that’s right, no one can see his/her gift until actual gifting time. But trust me, I can see the pile of unframed items to my left and it’s only going to have more on it by the end of this week.

Movies:

I still can’t get over how many movies came out that were worth going to see in the theater this summer. Despite box office lows…and highs (AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!)…I know I’ve done my part to keep movies in production this year.

Total Recall…the new one. I thought they did a really good job updating the super cheesy Arnold version from about twenty years ago.  I rented the old one to refresh my memory and found the new one more to my liking. It was more explanatory…which I’ve lazily come to expect of films. It had a very Underworld look and feel to it since Wiseman directed. I don’t know…there are plenty of haters out there, but I ended up enjoying it.

Next up was the Norwegian film Headhunters. I noticed at Target the other day that it’s now out on DVD. Get it. Watch it. I was really blown away at how there were so many believable (and unbelievable) twists that I never truly knew who was up to what and how it would all go down. Well played, Norway. Well played. Plus, for those of you who enjoy Game of Thrones, the not unattractive Lannister brother who sleeps with his sister? Yeah, that guy is in this…no incest in the film, so, bonus!

The Bourne Legacy…what can I say about this one? Hmm. How about HURRAH FOR JEREMY RENNER? Yeah, that works. This one was so fun to watch…lots of action…and I, for one, never missed Matt Damon (this should not be a surprise for most of you). But I really, really, really hope they make more with Renner because the Pam Landy character plotline? That cannot stand. Go fix it, Renner! We heart you!

The last movie I saw in August was surprisingly not The Avengers (even though I was sorely tempted since they brought it back for Labor Day weekend). I saw Beasts of the Southern Wild. I don’t really have words to describe this movie…at least not words that make loads of sense when strung together: moving, uplifting, depressing, sad…I could go on, but maybe beautifully broken and tremendous work. It wasn’t the easiest thing I’ve ever watched, but it was very good and made you think…and cry if you’re a crier…which apparently I am.

Books:

I ordered some books for instant delivery on my Kindle when they had the big sale, but I’ve not gone back and started reading them yet. I bought A Wicked Snow by Gregg Olson and haven’t started it yet. For some reason, of all the paperbacks lined up in the store, it wanted to be bought.

Here are the books I read in August (cheating and continuing reading through September 2^nd because I really wanted to finish the one I was nearly done with at the time): The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln by Stephen Carter, The Family Corleone by Edward Falco, The Kingmaker’s Daughter by Philippa Gregory, Changeling by Philippa Gregory, and Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness.

I was so excited when I read the synopsis for The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln. I enjoy history and “what if” histories. This is the story of what would’ve happened if Lincoln had been shot, but not killed, and Johnson had been killed instead. But really? It’s not that at all. It’s the most boring story ever about a history that never happened while focusing on two law clerks. The clerks, one white male and one African-American female, spend time discovering the plot behind the impending impeachment. The storyline about the female being not only one of the first women in the legal field, but also being African-American was interesting, but if that was supposed to be the real story, it should've been more of the focus. I really didn’t want to finish it, but it was like a two-week investment of my time. I was determined. It picked up ever so slightly near the last 100 or so pages. Not worth your time. (Note: major kudos to whoever titled the book because the title really screams "Read this! It'll be great!")

I love The Godfather movies and books. LOVE them. When they had a contest a few years ago and published what happened in between the films, I was hooked! So when I kept seeing The Family Corleone at the library, I put it on my request list. While it wasn’t as bad as some other books I’ve read, I again felt ripped off. This one focuses on Sonny Corleone when he’s in his late teens. Sonny’s not my guy. I enjoyed reading some of the back-stories for the older guys and stuff, but I am never really a fan of anger because you’re an angry, entitled teen. So this one, while entertaining and following along in the tradition of the Corleones, it wasn’t my thing.

The Kingmaker’s Daughter is the last (I think?) installment of the Cousins’ War. You might remember that I liked the first one, was ok with one of the other two, and hated one of them. This one was decent. It took two sisters and had them married off to would be kings of England by their father.  All of it ended horribly, of course, but this one was a bit more believable…how the rivalry and reconciliations might have been…the horrible scheming for status at court. Philippa Gregory can definitely be hit or miss. This one was more on the hit side, but with sections of boring.

Philippa Gregory is now also writing a teen/young adult series. The first one out is called Changeling. It starts out interesting…a young monk is pulled from duty basically for doing math. The higher-ups send him as part of a mission to discover the truths among the mysteries. He ends up at a convent, looking into the devilment that’s come over the nuns. This part of the story was ok. As he solves the mysteries put before him, he receives the next part of his journey direction. So, the second part of this book had him searching out a werewolf who killed a small child long ago. This part of the book was so bland. I’ve read enough werewolf stories and there’s still new ground to cover. This didn’t do it. I’m pretty sure I won’t be reading the follow up books in this series.

Following her A Discovery of Witches, Deborah Harkness kept me spellbound once again (heh…spellbound…see what I did there?) with the follow up book, Shadow of Night. (And yes, as an 80s person, I totally can’t say the title without wanting to sing Pat Benetar’s Shadows of the Night.) Shadow picks up EXACTLY where Discovery left off. Our witch and vampire couple time travel back to Elizabethan England. The history she wove into this book was fabulous! The vampire had some very notable and notorious friends. They travel to France and to Prague and back to their own time eventually. Usually at the end of each section, there’s a chapter taking place in modern day…it’s not always labeled, so sometimes it’s a little jarring since one minute you’re discussing Doctor Faustus with Christopher Marlowe and the next you’re at Sotheby’s auction house after hours making purchases. I love the conversations with Queen Elizabeth! I feel that Harkness really did a great job weaving the history and the people into the story. Now I have to wait…probably like a year…for the next one.

So, not so many books this time, but I really did a lot of crafting…I promise!

The books of July 2012

Guess what? I still haven’t signed up for internets at home. But, I possess a thumb drive, so everything is ok.

Crafts:

I worked on a few crafty items this past month. I finished an item for a different blog, so once that’s up and live, I’ll talk about it here. The other project I worked on was a knitted dishtowel that has a frog pattern worked into it. It’s kind of hard to see, but here ya go:

I made it from the pattern and I still can't totally see it...not even when I squint.

I’m starting to think about Christmas gifts I want to make, so I may be posting less and less crafty goodness until post-holidays. Don’t want to ruin anyone’s surprise!

Movies:

There were still plenty of good movies for me to see…even after all the ones I saw last month! First up was Ted. It was offensive, crude, profane, nostalgic, heart-warming, and hilarious all at the same time. While I wouldn’t recommend it for conservative folk or children, I plan to watch it over and over again once it’s out on DVD. I know I laughed through some crucial hilarity and I need a do-over.

My groups got separated and I ended up having to see Magic Mike twice. I am not even going to apologize for it. Joe Manganiello didn’t have a large role, but he made up for in abs…and moves…and, well if you like to look at extremely pretty male bodies in motion, then this is the movie for you! If you like movies that have a small, underlying plot and an attraction story with actors who look so good you could cry (remember Out of Sight?), then this is the movie for you. If you like only foreign documentaries on stopping world atrocities, this might not be your movie…unless you’re taking a break from all that seriousness.

Dark Knight Rises. First off, watching the news the morning after the midnight opener was so sad. I don’t like for that much reality to intrude on my main escape from said reality. My heart goes out to all the victims and their families and friends. And, as much as I’ve knocked Christian Bale for his public persona in the past, I feel the need to give him mad props for going to the town and not making it about him being there, but keeping it about solace and the victims. A class move from an occasionally not so classy guy. Well done.  In the wake of all of that, the movie was pretty anti-climactic for me. It was too long and loud enough to give me a headache. Was I glad I saw it? Yes…the last 40 minutes or so made it worthwhile, but I most likely could’ve waited until it was on DVD.

And yes, I saw The Avengers again because I feel it slowly leaving our town and I won’t be able to see it again until September 25 when it comes out on DVD. Don’t judge me.

Books:

I got The Confession by John Grisham, but again, I’m mostly still reading things from my stash, my friends, or getting items from the library. The pre-order/order from Amazon came in so I have Size 12 ad Ready to Rock by Meg Cabot, Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison, Off the Menu by Stacey Ballis, I’m Kind of a Big Deal and Other Delusions of Adequacy and It’s Not Me, It’s You by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor. I got one other book, but I might be giving it as a Christmas gift, so I haven’t decided if I should list it or not.

I read some really great books this month (and had a special reaction to one in particular): The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner, Girl Walks into a Bar...: Comedy Calamities, Dating Disasters, and a Midlife Miracle by Rachel Dratch, A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, Rapture by Lauren Kate, Let’s Pretend This Never Happened: (A Mostly True Memoir) by Jenny Lawson, Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and Off the Menu by Stacey Ballis.

I’d been listening to The Red Necklace as read by Tom Hiddleston (see: reason #9 to love The Avengers; reason #5 to love Thor; reason #3 to watch a lot of British Masterpiece Theater DVDs; reason #1 to rent The Deep Blue Sea; and reason to live, mine). I realized I had become bewitched by his voice and had no idea what he’d been saying somewhere around chapter 5. The book is actually not bad, although I think I prefer his dulcet tones. The book is about a gypsy boy and his adventures and coming of age in and out of revolutionary France. I don’t really know how to describe it…it’s not totally history or adventure; it’s not totally magic or theatre; it’s not totally France or Britain; but it’s all of these things with some mystery and romance to boot. I enjoyed it.

Rachel Dratch’s book was quite funny and very, very hopeful. As a single lady of a certain age, it was nice to read a book about someone close to my age group, struggling with dating and life and still managing to fumble through and come out looking, well, not rosy, but certainly not like the dirt around the rose in the ground. Some parts made me laugh out loud and a couple of parts made me cry…she warns you about that though, so it’s ok.

A Discovery of Witches is a really, really, really great book! I couldn’t put it down…even when I realized that the last library patron had essentially booby-trapped the book for me. How, you ask? Well I envision it as he or she rubbing his or her cat over each page, individually, to capture the maximum amount dander (and occasional fur) the pages could hold…and then having the cat lick every available surface of the book at any given time until it was returned to the library and put on hold for me. The sinus and allergy reaction to this was epic. EPIC. But I had to finish it. I was so engrossed in the storyline that I wanted to get through the whole book…and once I realized it was the allergic reaction catalyst (heh…catalyst), I tried to read faster so I could be done. If you can find a clean copy, I highly recommend it. There are witches and vampires and daemons and they even hint at werewolves. It takes place mostly in Oxford, England, but ventures into the states and to France. The author took a lot of time developing these characters and she did it well. The next book in the trilogy is already out and I can’t wait to read it. I’m hoping for a dander-free copy this time.

Rapture was the last installment (I sincerely hope) of the Fallen series by Lauren Kate. In this last book, we get the full history of all of the angels and why the main two characters were cursed to live as they have been for centuries. It was a decent wrap up and I’m glad I read the series…it was kind of a lot to take in because of the curse consistently and continually messing with them for so long and you having to read about all those doomed loves over and over again. It was nice to see a conclusion, and, spoiler-ish, I wasn’t sad when it was over.

Jenny Lawson. She is a bloggess. She is, in fact, THE Bloggess. Have you ever read http://thebloggess.com? No? Stop freaking reading this and go over there now. It’s way funnier than I could ever be! And famous people send her pictures of themselves doing inane things! And giant, metal chickens, saving you from towels! GIANT. METAL. CHICKENS. (Knock, knock… for those in the know.) This book, at times had sadness, but most of it, well, my friends were on the lake in single-person paddle-boats and could hear me laughing from the dock. Out loud. I was outside, alone, laughing out loud and I couldn’t stop. Read her blog and then go buy her book. Support her. She is awesome.

Here Lies Bridget was on a summer reading list a while ago. It was a fun teen book that passed a few hours. Bridget was the meanest of the mean girls…pretty much everyone feared her. She took no responsibility for her actions or her words. Once she makes a very bad decision, she gets shown, Scrooge style, how things truly were and she can ether make amends or get out forever. 

The Night Circus. I can’t even. This might be the best book I’ve read this year…and I’m saying that in July, effectively cutting out the upcoming five months when I know I’ve got some really good things to read! It was beautifully written. Just beautiful. The level of detail may put some of you off, but it’s described that way so you can picture all of the circus elements in your head. The simple version of the plot would be two magicians compete within a circus without knowing what the game is or how it will end. That’s it, and yet it’s nowhere close to describing it properly. The night circus is ONLY open at night. Everything is black and white except for the attendees. The tents, the performers’ clothing, the props, all of it: black and white. And yet, what the circus itself is, is anything but black and white. It’s a game; it’s a lifestyle; it’s a career; it’s love; it’s death; it’s life; it’s joy; it’s sorrow; it’s youth; it’s control; it’s wild abandon. If you don’t have this book…and have not bought it by the holidays, there’s a really good chance this is what you’re getting from me. I absolutely loved it. I think my only complaint was that it ended in a way that seemed more black and white than it should’ve been…but that doesn’t change my mind.  Definitely time well spent.

And finally, I read Off the Menu. If you read the Jen Lancaster books like I told you, then you already know about Stacey Ballis. She is Lancaster’s BFF. Their blogs and madcap antics? Are hysterical. This book is very, very good. A chef’s assistant has good friends, an extremely demanding boss, a great family, and a loving doggie. The main character checks the dating site to make fun of the people they send her (since I also have been known to do this, I had no problem believing that others do it as well…don’t judge) and eventually runs across one that seems like a possibility. Their relationship plays out via email and then in person and the way her life adapts because she was open to letting him in is amazing. It was a great end of the month book…it’s positive and funny and you want to be friends with the character and her friends. If you already have The Night Circus, maybe I’ll buy you Off the Menu. At the end of the book are some awesome recipes that they talk about…some even from famous chefs! I pre-ordered the book in hopes of winning lunch with Stennifer. Sadly I did not win but maybe next release? Cross your fingers for me!

The books of June 2012

I still haven’t signed up for internets at home. Once again, it’s just me and a Word document that I will put on a thumb-drive and transfer to my blog. Not overly tech, but definitely some tech involved.

Crafts:

Finally did some crafts! Hurrah! I made one for a friend of a friend who apparently has a thing for Mexican food. 

And really? Who doesn't feel this way?

The other was for an Iron Craft challenge. I’d taken some time off from those to move and it ended up making me sad to not create things, so I made something for the red, white, and blue challenge. The only stipulation was to use two of the color choices (I used red and white), so I was able to create a cross-stitch from my favorite quote from a book I read this month, Jen Lancaster’s Jeneration X. 

Truer words never written...or cross-stitched...

Movies:

This is quickly turning into the summer of movies. I’ve seen at least one new movie every weekend, and there will be more to come! Snow White and the Huntsman looked like it would be really, really good. Charlize Theron was very believable and her costumes and the magical imagery surrounding here were amazing. Chris Hemsworth (aka Thor) was also really good…really believable. And then we see Kristen Stewart. Bless her heart. She nearly ruined the whole thing for us. It boggles the mind to think that we were supposed to take her seriously when she gave the “rousing speech”…ugh. Not so much.

My friends seem to be mixed in their reviews of Prometheus. I enjoyed it. Was it the best thing ever? No. I thought we went over this…best thing ever is the Avengers. But, as sci-fi flicks go, I thought it was a plausible storyline and gave you plenty to think about afterward…and you’re able to see the leap from it to Alien. Overall, decent job…probably not necessary to have seen it on the big screen…more than likely better to watch it and then Alien and Aliens in a row.

Rock of Ages. Eighties. Rock’n’roll cheesy goodness. This movie was so much fun that I can not wait to own it and sing along loudly in the privacy of my own home. I am no fan of Tom Cruise, but he really commits to his roles and he was perfect as the rock star. Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand were hysterical. This is very much a feel good movie and you’ll want to see it more than once.

Brave was very sweet. I mean, seriously, I think we all know Pixar’s not going to put out something crappy. It was a strong story about mothers and daughters…and bears. Very entertaining.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. I know, I know. People always say it, but the book really was better for this one. Don’t get me wrong, this movie was totally great! But what I loved about the book was how effortlessly it wove history and vampire hunting together…and made complete and utter sense. Here is was kind of like, you know who this guy is, well, here are some vampires and he’s gonna kill them. Which is fine, it was still a good story and the people playing the vampires were some of my favorite actors…and the way they did include history was good. But I think I was looking forward to bits that just weren’t included. Still, I’d see it again…and read it again, but I think I must have given the book to someone else because it hasn’t shown up in the unpacking.

On the last day of June, I saw Moonrise Kingdom. Those of you who know me well have heard me go on and on about how amazing I think Wes Anderson is. Well, he’s done it again. This movie was funny, sad, quirky, complex, simple, and normal all at the same time. This kid can tell a story and keep you completely invested in it the whole time and even when you think you know, you don’t quite know. I highly recommend this…as well as the DVD when it comes out because his movies always have extensive extras.

Books:

Not a lot of purchases this month. I bought the new Charlaine Harris and the Jenny Lawson books. Mostly I’m still reading things from my stash or getting items from the library. Oh! I did pre-order/order a stash of books from Amazon, but I won’t get them until mid-July: the new Meg Cabot, the new Stacey Ballis, a couple of chick-lit/memoir-type books, and one other one that I can’t remember right now…I’ll list them for real in July.

This month’s choices started strong and then I did something stupid…I picked up book six of a series that should’ve stopped at book three. Anyway I read: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Steig Larsson, Jeneration X: One Reluctant Adult's Attempt to Unarrest Her Arrested Development; Or, Why It's Never Too Late for Her Dumb Ass to Learn Why Froot Loops Are Not for Dinner by Jen Lancaster, A Shore Thing by Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi, Blankets by Craig Thompson, Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris, Kiss of Night by Debbie Viguié, The Song Remains the Same by Alison Winn Scotch, and An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon.

The last of the Millennium Trilogy was so good. I’d already seen the Swedish movies, but I waited for the book to come out the same size as the other two and then I moved, so it was a while before I got to it. There were definitely some differences between the book and the movie (as with the other two books) but both versions are solid story-telling. I didn’t want to put this down and I am very sad that we may never see any more of Salandar’s story. She’s kind of awesome.

I love Jen Lancaster’s blog and books. This was no exception. I laughed out loud many times while reading it. Come on! It inspired me to make the cross-stitch quote pictured above…what more persuasion do you need to read this book?! Read all of her books! Well, first finish this post and then go read her books. She is consistently entertaining.

Ah, Snooki. How I’ve missed my weekly dose of crappy, crappy television. A Shore Thing is about as close as you can get to watching an episode of Jersey Shore without having to actually watch it. Although, it’s written pretty well (yes, of course she had help) and not nearly as chaotic as watching them all self-destruct on air. It’s an extremely fluffy read…kind of perfect for the beach or something. I doubt it’s going to win a Pulitzer, but it had some funny moments. The characters aren’t meant to be her and J-Woww exactly, but you could see them represented very easily. Fun, but not necessary…or recommended really.

Blankets is a graphic novel that my friend loaned to me. I read it over a couple of hours one afternoon. It was one of the more interesting graphic novels I’ve read that wasn’t a known comic. Basically, the artist draws about his life and coming to terms with his spirituality and talent in a small town…I don’t want to spoil any plot, but y’all should know that I liked it a lot.

Deadlocked was awesome! I read recently that it’s the next to last book in the Sookie Stackhouse series. That makes me happy and sad at the same time. I love reading them, but it’s been a bit ridiculous (in a good way) for a while now.  Again, no spoilers, but I kind of felt like the end of this one had been building up throughout the series, so I’m pretty excited to see how it closes out. I’m really glad the show deviated from the books because now it’s like there are two sets of stories that I can see these people acting out in my head. Whoever does the casting for the HBO series is pretty much a genius.

Kiss of Night was a pretty standard “good” vampire versus “bad” vampire story. It seemed that it would have a follow-up book, but I haven’t looked for one. The main character went to Prague (I think…somewhere like that at least) for her grandmother’s funeral and found out that (a) there are vampires, (b) her grandmother and her grandmother’s family had been mixed up in vampire stuff for centuries, (c) there was a war coming between the good and bad vampires (all of whom seem to be named after the main Angels mentioned in the Bible…which I’m sure will come into play if there is a sequel), and (d) damsels are in distress and need to be rescued. As I said, standard. Not a bad read at all, just not overly memorable if you’re wanting a good vampire novel to, ahem, sink your teeth into…<ducks>

The Song Remains the Same was another good one from this author. The main character is one of two survivors (the other is a B actor who will become more famous because of his survival) in a plane crash. Her family rallies around her to try and help her regain her memory, which is totally gone. Not all of their stories are what they seem and the book is spent unraveling truth from lies and finding out who’s really there for her and who’s only out for himself or herself. This one’s pretty emotional, but well done.

Last, and painstakingly least, the latest of the Outlander series, An Echo in the Bone. UGH! This book is 814 long pages. Very long. In small typeface. UGH! I loved Outlander and I liked to two following it, but it has gotten completely ridiculous. The storyline is split more now as Claire’s daughter, Brianna, is in 1980s Scotland with her husband, Roger, and their two kids, Jem and Mandy.  Claire and Jamie (and Young Ian, Rollo the wolf dog, Fergus, his family, John Gray and some of his family) are in the time of the American Revolution. Standout historical character here: Benedict Arnold. These are just getting harder to follow. I could’ve sworn they were in the civil war, but apparently I forgot a chunk of storyline. Anyway, most everyone’s still alive, despite constant peril. The more interesting parts are now in the 1980s with Roger researching how the time traveling works and how they are finding more and more spots where the traveling can occur. About two-thirds through the book, Roger’s great-great-great-great…many greats…grandfather, I guess, shows up…the one he met before who was pretty dodgy. So they’re leery of him and in it, missing the real danger…the real danger that happens RIGHT AT THE VERY END OF THE DARN BOOK SO THAT YOU HAVE TO READ YET ANOTHER TOME OF CRAP! And Claire becomes super-further-entangled into past craziness with John Gray and seriously, only the last few chapters are what you need to read if you want to be caught up for book seven…which I believe is coming later this year or early next year. I read the last 150-or-so pages much more rapt than the rest of the book. It seems like it took me ages to get through the whole thing (I stopped and read the last two books I talked about after I’d started this one cause I was bored with it)…I just hope this next one is the last because if it ends with all parts of the families in epic cliffhangers again, I will be very, very angry that I’ve kept reading them. At some point, people need to catch a break. Even freaking Scottish time-travelers!

The books of May 2012

It’s taking me a while to get around to writing this one. Mostly because I moved last month and I haven’t signed up for internets yet at home. I had to compromise…a night off from watching DVDs and going through stuff for a night with just me and a Word document that I could put on a thumb-drive and transfer to my blog.

In the midst of the packing, moving, unpacking, organizing, perusing, and repacking, I went to see a few movies. I’ll talk about the last viewings first. Men in Black 3 was surprisingly entertaining. For the series, I thought it was a plausible storyline and that Josh Brolin. Holy crap! He really, really studied up on Tommy Lee Jones and did an outstanding job. Plus, you know, Emma Thompson. The woman really just can’t do wrong. Also, it was better than MIB 2…which isn’t saying much.

Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows was kind of a let down. I mean, sure, it was funny in places and it had great music. It certainly had the cheesiness I expected having been a fan of the remake TV series in the early 90s. The original, also supremely cheesy, had its moments, but I never sat down and watched the whole thing…just some of it. That said, it was not a bad movie at all. It just had the sad misfortune of following…THE AVENGERS!

I cannot say enough great things about The Avengers. I saw it more than once and I still can’t narrow it down.  I loved just about everything about it. The storyline? The actors? The dialog? The hotness of the actors? All of it was amazing…HULK SAY ALL OF THINGS ABOUT MOVIE GREAT! The only downside, if you can call it that, is I seem to have developed a massive crush on the villain. Tom Hiddleston’s Loki might be the most charming villain on the big screen.

Wait, this blog is about books, isn’t it? The stuff is supposed to be less word count-y. OK. So I did manage to buy one book because I knew that once I had the place semi in order, I wanted to read it as soon as possible, so I bought Jen Lancaster’s Jeneration X: One Reluctant Adult's Attempt to Unarrest Her Arrested Development; Or, Why It's Never Too Late for Her Dumb Ass to Learn Why Froot Loops Are Not for Dinner.

This month wasn’t a heavy reading month. The library fulfilled all of my needs…and then when I unearthed a box full of cheesy romance novels, I decided to re-read one of those to round out the month.  I read: The Balkan Escape by Steve Berry (the short story I bought on my Kindle last month), Cosmopolis by Don DeLillo, The Naked Truth: A Memoir by Danielle Staub, Hiding from My Reality: My Story of Love, Loss, and Finding the Courage Within by Taylor Armstrong, Peter and the Vampires (Volume One) by Darren Pillsbury, The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides, Unholy Night by Seth Grahame-Smith, and Hearts Aflame by Johanna Lindsey.

The Balkan Escape was a short adventure of the female lead in the Cotton Malone books by Steve Berry. It's interesting and gives the background for one of the full novels. Cassiopeia meets the Russian who appears as the kidnapped man who they have to save...I think in The Emperor's Tomb? It was actually at the end of the paperback I had read, but at the time, I didn't feel like reading it.

I checked out Cosmopolis because I saw the trailer for the movie that’s coming out…starring everyone’s favorite sparkley, angsty vampire, RPattz. I can see him in this role. The story takes place in a very tech-filled world where information and money and sex seem to be the only outcomes of any situation. Oh, and death, mostly through murder in this book. I can’t say that it’s a book I think I’ll cherish in my memory, but I think it was written to translate extremely well to film. That said, I’m looking forward to seeing how they handle those constant streams of information on the big screen.

Yes, I know. I KNOW. Shut up already. I watch the Real Housewives. I’m not overly particular about what city they need to be from either. I think Jersey and Atlanta are my favorites, but I admit to enjoying the OC and Beverly Hills too. I couldn’t watch DC; New York tends to get on my nerves (especially without Betheny); and Miami was actually too nuts for me (this from the girl who likes Jersey and Atlanta…shocking!). Having seen these shows, I was prepared to be very vocal in my dislike for these books. Danielle Staub’s book was, um, well…it just wasn’t good. It pained me to read it because I could picture her face and could almost smell the lies. I don’t know. Who knows what’s real and what isn’t. But this really seemed like a couple hundred pages to make herself seem like a better person. She did address the Cop Without A Badge book that slammed her in the past…and admitted that she was an addict and an “exotic dancer”, but she frequently bashed the other Jersey housewives without always naming them directly. It was like watching a less entertaining version of the show…based solely on the one character that you don’t really like. I had an entirely different reaction to Taylor Armstrong’s book. She also had issues out the wazoo (where exactly is the wazoo?) and she continually put herself in horrible, horrible male situations. The last one physically and emotionally abusing her so much that if she had stayed any longer, he probably would’ve ended up killing her instead of himself. It was a very sad story, but it had a slight uplift to it. She seems to have learned how to ask for help and how to cope with things she didn’t think she could. So, color me surprised, but overall it was a decent read.

Peter and the Vampires (Volume One) is a collection of Pillsbury's kids stories about Peter, his mom, his little sister, his best friend Dill, and his grandfather. There were four stories. The first, Peter and the Dead Men, was about burned zombies who live in the garden. The second was Peter and the Vampires...the vampires being two girls from Peter's class, one who is weird and has a crush on Peter. The third one is Peter and The Changeling. While Peter and Dill are watching Peter's little sister, she gets switched with a troll. The fourth one was Peter and the Swamp Monster. Peter and Dill went to a water park and ended up in the swamp and having to face a monster. These are all very cute and I'd recommend the series for tweens.

The Marriage Plot. I was on the waiting list for this book since last October. And here’s the thing...a month later, I remember that I read it, but not much else. I know that I laughed some…and I got into the story well. It was better than Middlesex, which I did not like at all, but perhaps not as good as The Virgin Suicides (loved it!). So far, Eugenides and I are having a love/hate relationship. But he’s a master at the game…he takes long enough to write the next one that I forget if I liked the last one much or not. Sorry if you were looking for an actual review of this one…I really…OH! Wait. I do remember and I did like it. It was the girl who dated the guy with schizophrenia or something and he had to take lithium and he didn’t like the religious studies guy who was crushing on his girl. The religious studies guy eventually went to India and shaved his head. It’s a good book…but not for everyone. I think there’s something about his style that both draws and repels me…hence the whole love/hate thing.

I was really excited about Unholy Night. I loved Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter! I love how he takes these known “histories” (one being historical fiction and one being real history about a real person) and slips all the supernatural stuff in like it totally belongs there. You want to slap your forehead and say, “D’oh! Of course he was a vampire hunter! Of course vamps over-run the south and the government. Totally fits! Slave as blood donors? Well duh!” And I’ll stop before I put in a big spoiler for those who haven’t read it. Suffice it to say, those two books are genius to me.  So I checked out his latest book, Unholy Night. This one was about how the three wisemen were actually three of the worst criminals and they ended up escaping certain death and escorting Jesus, Mary, and Joseph to a safe destination. There wasn’t really a lot of supernatural in this one…perhaps why I wasn’t as fond of it. There were some zombie-like things, but mostly it was soldiers and small miracles. Which, you know, is cool and all, but it didn’t translate as well as the other books. My best advice here is that if you really want to read a different take on biblical stories, please buy (don’t check it out because you’ll want to keep it on your shelf) Christopher Moore’s Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal instead. It is hysterical.

While I was unpacking, I found a box full of cheesy, milky-white-shouldered and bared-male-chested covered books. Ah, romance novels. You’re all so stupid, but we all read you anyway. My freshman year of college, a friend from home work in the public library. She was shelving in the romance section and was intrigued by the cover of Johanna Lindsey’s Hearts Aflame. She read the first chapter. She photocopied that first chapter and checked out the book. While reading the book, she sent me the photocopy and after reading the one chapter, I made a special trip to the used bookstore and got my own copy of the book. I’ve been a fan of her books ever since. They’re formulaic, but witty. And since this was the first one I’d ever read, I didn’t get the formula. I just thought, “Vikings” and “Hot”. If you’re ever in the mood for a romance novel that would never ever happen in a billion years, please check out one of hers…maybe one of the early Malory novels. The men are all handsome and brawny rogues and the women are all strong-willed, smart, and beautiful. There will be a conflict between them to keep them apart, but they’ll find ways around it…and in that case, the journey is always hot. Enjoy!