Princess on the Brink

So, yeah. It's been a while since the last post. The funny thing is I've been online everyday; I just haven't really felt like blogging. At any rate my last book read this year is Meg Cabot's Princess on the Brink.

Princess on the Brink picks up where we last left Princess Mia. She's going to be a junior. She's still dating Micheal and Mia's whole crew is back for the new school year. Only some shizz is about to go down like will Michael go to Japan for a year or more? And does JP really like Lilly? And Will Boris ever stop tucking his sweater into his pants?

Seriously though, this book is the first one where I literally wanted to smack Mia in the head and tell her to stop being so freaking insecure. Dude, if you don't realize that Michael loves you by now I am just not sure you are ever going to get it. Also, I did appreciate that the subject matter was a bit more mature this time around. I am anxious to read what happens in book 9: Princess Mia.

Yes, I do realize these are fictional teenagers.


Books Read in 2007:

Princess on the Brink ~ Meg Cabot
Jinx ~ Meg Cabot
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist ~ Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Queen of Babble in the Big City ~ Meg Cabot
Devilish ~ Maureen Johnson
Eclipse ~ Stephenie Meyer
New Moon ~ Stephenie Meyer
Twilight ~ Stephenie Meyer
The Key to the Golden Firebird ~ Maureen Johnson
Enna Burning ~ Shannon Hale
Fool Moon ~ Jim Butcher
Queen of Babble ~ Meg Cabot
The Goose Girl ~ Shannon Hale
The Princess Academy ~ Shannon Hale
Avalon High ~ Meg Cabot
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ~ J.K. Rowling
A Thousand Splendid Suns ~ Khaled Hosseini
The Bermudez Triangle ~ Maureen Johnson
Fray ~ Joss Whedon
The Dragonriders of Pern ~ Anne McCaffery
Embroideries ~ Marjane Satrapi
13 Little Blue Envelopes ~ Maureen Johnson
The Cider House Rules ~ John Irving
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ~J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ~ J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ~ J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ~ J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ~ J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone ~ J.K. Rowling
The Good Men: A Novel of Heresy ~ Charmaine Craig
An Abundance of Katherines ~ John Green
The Count of Monte Cristo ~ Alexandre Dumas
Looking For Alaska ~ John Green
Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest ~ Stephen Ambrose
Drinking, Smoking, and Screwing: Great Writers on Good Times ~ edited by Sara Nikles
Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood ~ Ann Brashares

A to Z cds: Day 62

So we are getting ready to enter the Led Zepplin phase of the listening project. I know this is going to sound like blasphemy to some of you but I've never really listened to Led Zepplin before. I have these discs because DiRRty thought I should have them. I've never been opposed to Led Zepplin; it's just I've never really been exposed to them either. I know that they have influenced some of my favorite bands and musicians. That's why I graciously accepted these discs in the first place. I've always wanted to be a fan and really know their music but I haven't taken the time to do so. But now, as they are reuniting it seems fitting that I should finally listen to these discs. And possibly learn to love Led Zepplin.


293. Led Zepplin I ~ Led Zepplin (last listen: never)

294. Led Zepplin II ~ Led Zepplin (last listen: never)

295. Led Zepplin III ~ Led Zepplin (last listen: never)

296. Physical Graffiti ~ Led Zepplin (last listen: never)

297. In Through the Out Door ~ Led Zepplin (last listen: never)

298. BBC Sessions ~ Led Zepplin (last lisen: never)

Okay, Led Zepplin rules. How have I never listened to these guys before? I should say that I don't think you can live in society and be completely ignorant of Zepllin so I had heard some songs, obviously Whole Lotta Love, Dazed and Confused, etc., but these guys are amazing. Man, I am dumb for not listening to these guys before now. Communication Breakdown is a genius song. Now I need to get my hands on Led Zepplin IV. I am blown away. I hope that my being blown away makes up for the fact that I have been retarded for 31 years.

The final countdown

You know they say it only takes doing something for three weeks for it to become a habit. Which is why I am more than a little nervous about the looming date of December 31. See, Brotherhood 2.0 has become a habit for me. It's like crack in the form of a vlog. I am starting to get worried about going into John and Hank withdrawal. How will I be able to see happy dances anymore? And I will no longer hear a new song every Wednesday? And I won't know when puff levels are high or when Hank is on the weather channel or when John and the Yeti get their dog.

See, I am starting to lose it. Who knew way back in January when Maire innocently sent me a link to Bro 2.0 that I would become addicted and fall into major crushes with two married brothers who are so funny and smart? See, I am a die hard fan; before we all became nerdfighters made of awesome; before in my pants; I've been there since Jan. 9. And now it's all going to end.

We only have 9 (possibly only 8 if they take off on Christmas Eve) vlogs left. It's not fair or right.

I know in my logical part of my brain that this has most likely taken over their lives in ways they did not imagine both time and popularity-wise. But damn; I really hope they can post something like twice a month to keep all of nerdfighters up-to-date with their lives.

Gods, I sound like a total stalker, don't I? Sigh. I just think those guys are made of awesome and I really wish them all the best in life. I know I will be reading Paper Towns when it's published and I will keep reading Ecogeek after Jan. 1. But is it too much to hope for a vlog update every now and then? I think not.

ETA: This is what I will miss. How can you not love this?

Jinx

Hello. My name is Jalehlabad and I am a Meg Cabot-aholic. I can't help it; I am addicted to all her books and I love them. It's a disease, y'all. And had I known about her when I was in Bloomington I would have maybe tried to get her to meet me at the new Target and discussed the pros and cons of the Target being attached to the mall (since she is a B'ton native and an IU grad). It sounds like a conversation you might have with Meg. She even agrees with me on how awesome North and South is (see previous post).

So, right; the book. Jinx is the story of Jean Honeychurch. Jean's a PK (Preacher' kid) from Iowa who lands herself in a bit of a bind. Jean aka Jinx, because of her noted bad luck, ends of moving to NYC to live with her aunt's family. This is when the real trouble begins. Because Jinx's cousin Tory thinks that the oldest granddaughters of the family are hereditary witches. And Tory's kind of magic isn't the nice kind. On top of all that, Jinx and Tory both like Zach Rosen. Is Jinx a witch or does she just have some really bad luck? You'll have to read the book to find out.

Books Read in 2007:

Jinx ~ Meg Cabot
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist ~ Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Queen of Babble in the Big City ~ Meg Cabot
Devilish ~ Maureen Johnson
Eclipse ~ Stephenie Meyer
New Moon ~ Stephenie Meyer
Twilight ~ Stephenie Meyer
The Key to the Golden Firebird ~ Maureen Johnson
Enna Burning ~ Shannon Hale
Fool Moon ~ Jim Butcher
Queen of Babble ~ Meg Cabot
The Goose Girl ~ Shannon Hale
The Princess Academy ~ Shannon Hale
Avalon High ~ Meg Cabot
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ~ J.K. Rowling
A Thousand Splendid Suns ~ Khaled Hosseini
The Bermudez Triangle ~ Maureen Johnson
Fray ~ Joss Whedon
The Dragonriders of Pern ~ Anne McCaffery
Embroideries ~ Marjane Satrapi
13 Little Blue Envelopes ~ Maureen Johnson
The Cider House Rules ~ John Irving
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ~J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ~ J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ~ J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ~ J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ~ J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone ~ J.K. Rowling
The Good Men: A Novel of Heresy ~ Charmaine Craig
An Abundance of Katherines ~ John Green
The Count of Monte Cristo ~ Alexandre Dumas
Looking For Alaska ~ John Green
Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest ~ Stephen Ambrose
Drinking, Smoking, and Screwing: Great Writers on Good Times ~ edited by Sara Nikles
Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood ~ Ann Brashares

Thanks, Santa

We had to have Christmas early this year because my sister is a nurse and she has to work on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the whole weekend before that. So, we had Christmas yesterday. Every year, my parents have this guy come dressed like Santa and he gives a present to all the kids and adults.

This year Santa brought me North and South (BBC edition) on dvd. Sweet! I scored! As I previously mentioned; I frakkin' loved this miniseries. And now I can watch it anytime I like. Santa rules!

A to Z cds: Day 61

287. So Long, So Wrong ~ Alison Krauss and Union Station (last listen: 6 months - 1 year): Whoops! I listened to these a bit out of order since this gem was technically released before New Favorite. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.

288. Live ~ Alison Krauss and Union Station (last listen: 1-3 years)

289. Lonely Runs Both Ways ~ Alison Krauss and Union Station (last listen: 0-3 months): This cd represents one of the best concerts I have ever been to. I say AK & US perform on this tour in Evansville, Indiana. It was amazing. No opening band; just these guys one the opening night of their tour playing for over two hours. Plus, we were sixth row center. I can honestly say that night was amazing. I think Squater agrees.

290. Circus ~ Lenny Kravitz (last listen: 5+ years)

291. Greatest Hits ~ Lenny Kravitz (last listen: 5+ years): I forgot how much I enjoy a little Lenny Kravitz from time to time. Plus, he is a fine looking man, especially when he rocks the dred locks.

292. Lagaan Soundtrack ~ Various artists (last listen: 0-3 months): The day after I saw this Academy Award winning film I bought the soundtrack. I loved the music and the dancing and the Bollywoodness of it all. I listen to this cd at least twice a month. Love it.

Persepolis trailer

When I read the graphic novels of Marjane Satrapi I felt like I was living her life. She really has a way of pulling the reader in. Now, they've turned what looks to be Persepolis and Persepolis 2 in a film. I cannot wait to see this. My only real complaint is all the stuff that takes place in Iran has French subtitles. Couldn't they have found people who could speak some Farsi?

**Thanks to Maire for posting this on her blog.**

Zune-a-licious

Bill and I have a funny relationship in terms of mp3 players. All the way back in 2003 (or was it 2004?), I decided to buy an mp3 player with some of my tax refund money. Bill and I talked a lot about the pros and cons of the back then ipod vs. creative vs. rio karma vs. blah, blah, blah. After a lot of thought, research and a lot of lobbying on the part of Bill, I ended up buying the Rio Karma. And I loved it. It was smaller than the back then ipod and had a ton more functionality. The only problem was that, shortly after I purchased the Karma, Rio got bought out and they stopped supporting the Karma. Then my Karma locked up probably because I dropped it on several occasions (What can I say? I am kind of a klutz). Bill helped me fix my Karma on several occasions. He was also constantly apologizing for convincing me to buy a product that while very cool, lacked the support I needed.

No matter how many times I said it wasn't his fault; he never really stopped apologizing. Finally, my Karma took a last gasp during a pretty intense lightening storm while I was in Cutesville, IN. That will teach me to leave things plugged in during storms. I never once regretted buying that Karma. I did like it better than the ipod and I loved all the cool programs that Rio had given the Karma and I never blamed Bill for convincing me to buy the Karma. I kind of liked not having an ipod and not being like everyone else. All of this leads me to this new development...

So, a few months back Bill won a free, rare, pink Zune. Since he already had a Zune (a brown one at that) he decided he was going to give this pink Zune away. I remember that post mostly because I thought it was neat that he was giving away his new, free Zune. I didn't even think that I would be considered in the running for this giveaway because I figured the Zune was going to go to his brother, Chazzbot, or to Becka.

But then he blogged a second post that said the person who he was giving to Zune to had no idea that they were getting the Zune. Which started to make me wonder because a) he said the Zune was going to a female (so that takes Chazzbot out) and b) the person didn't know (which, to me, took Becka out). So, that day I got a hold of Bill on gmail chat and told him, jokingly, that he should give me the Zune since he'd forced that headache of a Karma on me. And that's when he told me that I was getting the Zune to restore his mp3 karma. Get it? Heh. So, here it is. A free, pink Zune all for me. Can you believe it? I barely can.

The Zune is one of the things that compelled me to buy a new computer. Because what good is a shiny new Zune if I can't load anything on to it? But before I had my computer and when I was unsure exactly when I would be getting a laptop I asked Bill to load some music on the Zune for me. Boy, did he deliver. I guess my taste in music is no big secret and Bill's seen my collection. He gave me a lot of great stuff. But the best part is in the picture section he loaded Everwood pictures! How awesome is that? Very awesome, indeed. Ephram Brown is my new background until I can load a picture of my darling Bright Abbot. Heh.

I don't have any new pictures of my Zune or me with my zune but I will take some this weekend and post them for your enjoyment. I've decided to take the train to work tomorrow just so I can listen to my Zune. Whee!

To His Coy Mistress

I don't know how many, if any, of you watch the show Life. I don't know how many of you have watched the hot, brave men in Band of Brothers as I have suggested on multiple occasions. But for those of you who love Damian Lewis as much as I do, well, this is a must watch. Rowr!

Blasts from the past

You know, I really, really hate pictures of myself. I don't know why that is. However, I happen to love this picture here on the left. Maybe it's because my face is obscured by Biz cup drinking. God, I miss playing Sink the Biz. But mostly I think because the look on my face says, "Bill, I am going to frakkin' punch you." I was asking Bill if he knew where to find this picture recently and at the time he couldn't recall. It looks like he delivered.

I am not going to post all the other pictures from this night, which was a joint birthday party for Amy and me. I'll let you peruse those on your own via Bill's flickr account. But I think I am going to get a copy of this picture made. It's the only pic I have of Bill and me. It sums up our relationship pretty well, if you ask me. Heh. Just teasing, Bill; you know I love you.

Enchanted

You know, I am not ashamed to admit that I enjoy Disney films. I even wrote a paper in undergrad that compared Ariel from The Little Mermaid to Belle in Beauty and The Beast in terms of their feminist qualities. I am sad to say that my fellow red head Ariel is not so much a feminist.

That's why when two pals from work asked if I wanted to go see Enchanted on Saturday I said, "hell yeah." Seriously, I love Amy Adams. And I have one other word for you...McDreamy.

I wasn't really expecting a lot out of this film. I was pleasantly surprised to find that even though people burst out into song for no good reason (which I love) and that there were some truly illogical logistical things that happened the movie was really good. (Wow. That was a long sentence.)

Susan Saradon really can play evil very well. James Marsden did a terrific job as the dull-witted prince. I loved seeing Idina Menzel! And the little girl who played McDreamy's daughter was too cute for words.

If that was Amy Adams real singing voice, well, then the girl has some pipes. Patrick Dempsey was very sigh worthy in this flick. If I was with a guy that looked remotely like him and he owned that outfit that McDreamy wore to the ball, well...I am not going to finish that sentence.

Anyway, if this is the kind of movie you might be into, go check it out. Or wait for it to become available on cable and watch it as much as you like.

A new toy

So, this weekend I went and bought myself a shiny, new laptop. I didn't want anything fancy. Just something to do music uploading and Internet cruising, and blog posting on. I ended up buying a Toshiba Satellite A135. A store that rhymes with Mest My had this computer on sale for under $500. So, I took full advantage of that awesome price. I think I may need to add some memory to it but that is easily done with the plethora of computer nerds that I know.

So, my three year drought of no home computer has ended. Although, honestly, I am not sure how I feel about that. Alas, I have no wifi until Dec. 10 when the cable people can come out to hook me up.

I went to Bread Co. (known to you none StL folks as Panera) and downloaded Firefox and some music software (more on that later).

Anyway, that's all for now. I will hopefully be blogging soon about another new shiny toy I will be getting this week.

Big bundle of nerves

So, this weekend I am going to spend most of my time preparing for my oral presentation in Arabic class. I am so nervous, even though I am using words I know pretty well. I am really good at the writing and reading comprehension but the speaking, especially when everyone will be staring at me, is still a little bit of an issue for me. We are getting graded on the comprehension of our presentation to our peers, grammatical structure of our sentences, and pronunciation. I am really the most worried about pronouncing words because I still have this tendency to say things the way I would in Persian. And trust me, there is a difference between vowels in Arabic and in Persian, as my professor tells me on occasion. Plus, I have to make a powerpoint presentation with pictures and such because I am talking about my family and friends. Wish me some luck.

Also, if all goes well, I will have a new laptop by the end of the weekend. Yippee!

Queens and Playlists

Last week, or possibly the week before that, I read two books on my trip to and from Montreal. That's what happens when you get stuck in O'Hare International for way too many hours.

Queen of Babble in the Big City picks up not long after Queen of Babble ended. Lizzie has moved to NYC and miraculously ends up moving in with her darling boyfriend Luke. But Lizzie's life is far from perfect; she can't imagine life without Luke but she might have to when she sticks her foot in it one too many times. She's got one too many jobs and the job she loves she doesn't exactly get paid to do. Also, Lizzie's friends aren't having the best time of it either. But otherwise, things are great.

I thought this was a great follow-up to the first book. I can only hope that Meg is writing another book in this series because this one left us with quite the cliffhanger.


I also read Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (and how awesome is it that David and John Green are getting their book published? Really awesome!) Anyway, this book is the story of one night in the lives of Nick and Norah. See, Nick is a musician with this ex-girlfriend that he's still a bit hung up on. So, he asks Norah to be his "five minute" girlfriend to shake off Tris (his ex). Only Nick doesn't know that Tris and Norah are friends. Or that Norah is sort of the girl of his dreams. And Norah's a bit floored too.

I thought this book was pretty great. Cohn and Levitahn take turns writing chapters with Cohn writing Norah's chapters and Levithan writing Nick's. I liked how they made the night so long but that you got to see into the minds of both main characters and understand where they were coming from. This book has a lot of the cursing but that doesn't bother me.

Books Read in 2007:

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist ~ Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Queen of Babble in the Big City ~ Meg Cabot
Devilish ~ Maureen Johnson
Eclipse ~ Stephenie Meyer
New Moon ~ Stephenie Meyer
Twilight ~ Stephenie Meyer
The Key to the Golden Firebird ~ Maureen Johnson
Enna Burning ~ Shannon Hale
Fool Moon ~ Jim Butcher
Queen of Babble ~ Meg Cabot
The Goose Girl ~ Shannon Hale
The Princess Academy ~ Shannon Hale
Avalon High ~ Meg Cabot
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ~ J.K. Rowling
A Thousand Splendid Suns ~ Khaled Hosseini
The Bermudez Triangle ~ Maureen Johnson
Fray ~ Joss Whedon
The Dragonriders of Pern ~ Anne McCaffery
Embroideries ~ Marjane Satrapi
13 Little Blue Envelopes ~ Maureen Johnson
The Cider House Rules ~ John Irving
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ~J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ~ J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ~ J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ~ J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ~ J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone ~ J.K. Rowling
The Good Men: A Novel of Heresy ~ Charmaine Craig
An Abundance of Katherines ~ John Green
The Count of Monte Cristo ~ Alexandre Dumas
Looking For Alaska ~ John Green
Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest ~ Stephen Ambrose
Drinking, Smoking, and Screwing: Great Writers on Good Times ~ edited by Sara Nikles
Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood ~ Ann Brashares

More on the WGA strike

I always knew that I totally loved Sandra Oh. But this speech makes my love even more real! Share; it's fair!

A to Z cds: Day 60

I bet you all thought that I had forgotten about listening to all of my cds. I haven't it's just taking me a lot longer than it took good ol' GMYH. And now, on with the list...

281. Misfits ~ The Kinks (last listen: 1-3 years ago): I bought this cd because it was on one of those lists of cds that everyone should own. And honestly, I have tried to like this disc. But it's just not my thing. I apologize to Kinks fans everywhere. I can see why people like their music but I won't be getting tickets for their reuniting tour.

282. Kiss My Ass: Classic KISS Regrooved ~ Various Artists (last listen: 5+ years): I am not ashamed to say that I bought this cd basically because of the Garth Brooks cover of "Hard Luck Woman". My Garth love was fairly well documented earlier in the year. What I can say is that whoever thought that Toad the Wet Sprocket should cover Rock -N- Roll All Night is a freaking moron. How a band can take one of the most essential rock songs in the history of music and make it sound whiny and pathetic is just a travesty. Shame on you Toad the Wet Sprocket. Shame. On. You.

283. When I Look In Your Eyes ~ Diana Krall (last listen: 1-3 years): I got into Diana Krall my first year at IU because Squater was in desperate need to find her cover of Besame Mucho and then listen to it 4,000 times. In my living. Since we lived together. But I have to say that he was right. She has a killer voice. I really dig her cover of "I've Got You Under My Skin."

284. Christmas Songs ~ Diana Krall (last listen: 1 year): I got this two years ago for Christmas. Yes, I like listening to Christmas music. So, shoot me. But again, Diana does her covers with such class that you sort of forget these are Christmas songs and just hear her smooth voice.

285. Every Time You Say Goodbye ~ Alison Krauss and Union Station (last listen: 0-3 months)

286. New Favorite ~ Alison Krauss and Union Station (last listen: 0-3 months): What can I say about Alison Krauss? I love her. I love everything she does. Her voice is amazing. Her fiddle skills are superb. I saw her in concert almost three years ago and it ranks up there in the top five of all concerts I have been to. And I've been to a lot of concerts. Anyway, she can kind of do no wrong in my eyes. My pal Robyn once mentioned that she thinks Alison does too many Jesus songs but I think her tradition of one per record is fine. Her records are a reflection of who she is and even if her songs are about things I don't personally believe in I can still appreciate their beauty.

You Just Got Slapped - How I Met Your Mother

Dear Sky Gods,

Thank you for whoever came up with the idea and then the follow through of this Slapbet song. I was laughing so hard I was crying last night. You have no idea how much I love this.

Cheers,

Jalehlabad

Fuck you, Blaise.

So, an old IU pal emailed me from out of the blue today. Sam asked if I had read Blaise's new book. Of course, I hadn't because I try not to read things by blowhards who can barely deign to look upon their graduate students. Since Blaise's new book is about living in B'ton I wrongly assumed that the passage was about BCMRL (our once illustrious racquetball league). Alas, the post was actually a rip on my "narcissistic" blog. Quoting Blaise,

Personal bloggers - reflecting the geekiness of this sub-culture - go in for silly, if harmless, names and titles. Sampo; the Journal of Abundant Media; popou's Journal; Metajaleh; Thus Spake the Princess...

...Metajaleh begins: "Well, I know I haven't posted in a while. Mostly that is due to having not a lot to say...Man, I have a lot of shit to do...the rest of my life is pretty boring." in which case why bother blogging? Why, dear Metajaleh, inflict such narcissistic ramblings on the world-at-large? What desperate craving for attention is indicated by this kind of online outpouring?

You know, I wish I had answers to his questions because most likely when I wrote a post like that on my old blog it was because one of my friends commented on the fact that I hadn't posted in a while. Also, I wonder too about the parts he cut out. I deleted that blog long ago and yet it still comes back to haunt me. I notice he also chose one of the more mundane posts and not some of my old posts dealing with Mid-East politics. As for my clearly desperate craving for attention, much like I suppose Blaise would categorize this blog posting, well, isn't that what 99.9% of the social aspect of the internet is about? Isn't it about us wanting connections and attention from people. Isn't it, at least partially, about staying in touch with old friends and, on occasion, making new friends. Christ, I am no dean of the school of library and information science and I can figure that out.

I know I shouldn't let him bother me. I mean, I was at the school for two years and he wouldn't know me from Eve, even though I checked out books to him on an almost weekly basis; he could barely take the time to look at us measly library workers. But for some reason it does bother me. Who the fuck is he to pass judgment on me?

I also find it interesting that all those blogs he lists were once listed on something called the SLIS blogroll, which I did not ask to join. If I had known Blaise was going to mine my blog for his research I would have told Elijah to suck it.

I know it's mundane and narcissistic but I will be posting about my trip to Montreal soon. If you all can stand it, that is.

The Office Heroes

I am heading to Canada tomorrow morning for a conference. I won't be back until next week. So, enjoy this awesome Heroes/The Office mashup while I am gone.

Devilish

Instead of doing Arabic homework last night, I read Maureen Johnson's Devilish. This is the fourth book by Johnson I have read this year. I have to say this is my least favorite of the four books. It's not that this book was bad; in fact I found the story to be engaging but it comes down to the fact that I felt this book ended in an odd place. It seemed to me like there needed to be another chapter to sort of tie up some loose ends.

Anyway, the story. Jane goes to an all girls school. She's super smart and pretty much has it together, although she's not quite over being dumped by her ex-boyfriend. Jane's best friend, Allison, is kind of a spazz. Well, she is until one day she comes to school completely remade and has no time for Jane. Then Jane discovers that Ally's sold her soul to a demon. Can Jane help her friend defeat evil or will Ally become a demon?

Books Read in 2007:

Devilish ~ Maureen Johnson
Eclipse ~ Stephenie Meyer
New Moon ~ Stephenie Meyer
Twilight ~ Stephenie Miller
The Key to the Golden Firebird ~ Maureen Johnson
Enna Burning ~ Shannon Hale
Fool Moon ~ Jim Butcher
Queen of Babble ~ Meg Cabot
The Goose Girl ~ Shannon Hale
The Princess Academy ~ Shannon Hale
Avalon High ~ Meg Cabot
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ~ J.K. Rowling
A Thousand Splendid Suns ~ Khaled Hosseini
The Bermudez Triangle ~ Maureen Johnson
Fray ~ Joss Whedon
The Dragonriders of Pern ~ Anne McCaffery
Embroideries ~ Marjane Satrapi
13 Little Blue Envelopes ~ Maureen Johnson
The Cider House Rules ~ John Irving
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ~J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ~ J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ~ J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ~ J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ~ J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone ~ J.K. Rowling
The Good Men: A Novel of Heresy ~ Charmaine Craig
An Abundance of Katherines ~ John Green
The Count of Monte Cristo ~ Alexandre Dumas
Looking For Alaska ~ John Green
Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest ~ Stephen Ambrose
Drinking, Smoking, and Screwing: Great Writers on Good Times ~ edited by Sara Nikles
Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood ~ Ann Brashares

Standing up for Writers

Y'all know how much I love television. Hell, a good third of the posts on this blog are about telly. So, when I heard about the impending writers strike (well, back when it was impending) I was a little scared. Cos, I love me some telly.

Now that the strike is on, I have to say that much as I didn't want it to happen; I am really glad the writers are on strike. This video does a great explanation on the issues. I hope the strike doesn't last much longer but it's necessary. I think it's only fair to adequately compensate the folks who bring so much joy to my life. I am behind you writers and I am glad to see that so many others in the biz they call show are behind you too.

A to Z cds: Day 59

275. Songs in A Minor ~ Alicia Keys (last listen: 3-5 years): Didn't most girls buy this cd? Fallen is still a terrific song.

276. Devil Without A Cause ~ Kid Rock (last listen: 5+ years): All this cd reminds me of is going to the tanning beds in preparation for my sister's wedding. My sister got married the year this cd was pretty big and we had to wear these backless dresses. I didn't want to be the pale girl next to all of her super tan friends. So, I hit the tanning beds hard that summer. I would go cook myself every morning and listen to this cd. And boy did I ever get tan. I think that is the tannest I've been in my life. I look at those pictures and I am amazed. You know, the first couple of songs aren't so bad but then once you hit around song four you realize that all these songs sound the same. And they aren't all that great. Although, I still like Badwitdaba.

277. King of the Blues Guitar ~ Albert King (last listen: 3-5 years)

278. The Ultimate Collection ~ Albert King (last listen: 5+ years)

279. Born Under A Bad Sign & Other Hits ~ Albert King (last listen: 3-5 years): Albert King is the man. This guy can play the blues; he discovered Stevie Ray Vaughn. He's a musical genius and most people have no idea who he is. I love listening to him play the guitar and sing his amazingly great blues songs.

280. In Session ~ Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughn (last listen: 3-5 years): This disc is fabulous. Basically, it's Albert and Stevie on stage playing their songs and talking about how they met. I highly recommend this disc.

New Moon and Eclipse

Well, in the last four days I have read over 1,000 pages. I finished books two and three in the Twilight series. I still am enthralled by this series. I am now eagerly awaiting the fourth book due out some time in 2008. But for now I must get down to business.

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer continues pretty much where Twilight left off. New Moon leads off with a terrible occurance. Bella is unintentionally harmed and the Cullen family, including Edward, leave Forks. This is beyond painful for Bella and her heartache is palpable. However, in time she enters the world again and bonds with Jacob. Their friendship is sweet and sticky. I don't mean that in a gross way but I do mean that for Jacob it's not just friendship. He loves Bella. And I know Bella begins to have more than friendly feelings for him but life intervenes. This time Bella must save Edward. Meanwhile, some mysterious wolves are roaming the wooded areas around Forks and the reservation. Is it the wolves causing all the havoc or something much more dangerous?

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer is the third installation in this series. This portion of our saga deals with Bella's choices. Will Bella choose Edward or Jacob? Will Bella become a vampire or stay human? Will Bella live until graduation or will a roving band of vampires or the Volturi get to her first? Will Bella be able to bridge the gaps between vampire and werewolf? I think many of these questions do get answers and they might not be the answers one expects. I often found myself torn between Jacob and Edward. I also see now what some of Bill's pals meant by Edward's controlling ways. Although, I do think he was able to work through those by the end of the book. I mean, even vampires can get jealous sometimes. Can we say Angel and Spike? But now I am just left wanting more from this series. Can it please me 2008 already?

Books Read in 2007:

Eclipse ~ Stephenie Meyer
New Moon ~ Stephenie Meyer
Twilight ~ Stephenie Miller
The Key to the Golden Firebird ~ Maureen Johnson
Enna Burning ~ Shannon Hale
Fool Moon ~ Jim Butcher
Queen of Babble ~ Meg Cabot
The Goose Girl ~ Shannon Hale
The Princess Academy ~ Shannon Hale
Avalon High ~ Meg Cabot
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ~ J.K. Rowling
A Thousand Splendid Suns ~ Khaled Hosseini
The Bermudez Triangle ~ Maureen Johnson
Fray ~ Joss Whedon
The Dragonriders of Pern ~ Anne McCaffery
Embroideries ~ Marjane Satrapi
13 Little Blue Envelopes ~ Maureen Johnson
The Cider House Rules ~ John Irving
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ~J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ~ J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ~ J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ~ J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ~ J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone ~ J.K. Rowling
The Good Men: A Novel of Heresy ~ Charmaine Craig
An Abundance of Katherines ~ John Green
The Count of Monte Cristo ~ Alexandre Dumas
Looking For Alaska ~ John Green
Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest ~ Stephen Ambrose
Drinking, Smoking, and Screwing: Great Writers on Good Times ~ edited by Sara Nikles
Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood ~ Ann Brashares

Twilight

Twilight by Stephenie Miller is, quite possibly, the most kick ass ya lit I have read all year. Bill is right. This is the perfect blend of teen romance and drama. Plus, vampires! You all know how much I love stores with the vamps.

I really can't recommend this book highly enough. And honestly, this isn't really young adult literature in my mind. Even though the characters are high schoolers the story itself is much more adult skewed. I would not give this book to my niece. Or at least not until she's a few years older.

For those of you who love Buffy, this book doesn't conform to the normal vampire folklore. For example, these vamps can be in the sun; crosses don't effect them, etc. But like Buffy, you have this gorgeous vampire attracted to the life and vitality of a beautiful, human girl.

This is a romance I can get behind. I am waiting on pins and needles for the person who has book two in this three book series to return the sequel New Moon. I've even recalled the book because I cannot stand the wait.

Books Read in 2007:

Twilight ~ Stephenie Miller
The Key to the Golden Firebird ~ Maureen Johnson
Enna Burning ~ Shannon Hale
Fool Moon ~ Jim Butcher
Queen of Babble ~ Meg Cabot
The Goose Girl ~ Shannon Hale
The Princess Academy ~ Shannon Hale
Avalon High ~ Meg Cabot
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ~ J.K. Rowling
A Thousand Splendid Suns ~ Khaled Hosseini
The Bermudez Triangle ~ Maureen Johnson
Fray ~ Joss Whedon
The Dragonriders of Pern ~ Anne McCaffery
Embroideries ~ Marjane Satrapi
13 Little Blue Envelopes ~ Maureen Johnson
The Cider House Rules ~ John Irving
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ~J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ~ J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ~ J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ~ J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ~ J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone ~ J.K. Rowling
The Good Men: A Novel of Heresy ~ Charmaine Craig
An Abundance of Katherines ~ John Green
The Count of Monte Cristo ~ Alexandre Dumas
Looking For Alaska ~ John Green
Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest ~ Stephen Ambrose
Drinking, Smoking, and Screwing: Great Writers on Good Times ~ edited by Sara Nikles
Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood ~ Ann Brashares

A to Z cds: Day 58

270. Come Away With Me ~ Norah Jones (last listen: 3-5 years): I haven't listened to this cd in a while, as you can see. But her voice is still really beautiful. The songs aren't so remarkable in and of themselves; it's her voice that makes this cd so special.

271. Pearl ~ Janis Joplin (last listen: 1-3 years)

272. Greatest Hits ~ Janis Joplin (last listen: 1-3 years): There's a lot of duplication between this disc and Pearl but the differences are stunning. For example, this disc has possibly the greatest Janis song "Piece of My Heart" on it. Man, the feeling in that song is so palpable. It's great. I also really like Bye, Baby.

273. Walking Distance ~ Robert Earl Keen (last listen: 3-5 years): This cd is something I acquired after listening to Gravitational Forces. In some ways it's a much better cd since the songs tell some great stories and these are all REK originals instead of a few covers. I really like the song "Feelin' Good Again."

274. Gravitational Forces ~ Robert Earl Keen (last listen: 3-5 years): I came to REK through Squater. I really love this guy's voice and his style. Plus, he (REK not Sqauter) is good pals with Lyle Lovett. I'd have to say that the only song I really don't like on this disc is the title track. But REK's cover of "I Still Miss Someone" is one to not miss. I also love the kick off of "My Home Ain't in the Hall of Fame."

A to Z cds: Day 57

265. Masquerade ~ Wyclef Jean (last listen: 3-5 years)

266. The Preacher's Son ~ Wyclef Jean (last listen: never): I think I bought this cd out of habit. Like, well, Wyclef has a new disc I should get that. But I have never listened to it. So far, I really like Party to Damascus, which contains some actual Arabic. Although, all I can really make out is habibi which means darling.

267. Brushfire Fairytales ~ Jack Johnson (last listen: 1-3 years): I still remember the first time I heard Jack Johnson. All I could think it that this disc is something you want to listen to while sun bathing with a beer on the beach just hanging with your pals. I still think that. I know a lot of people like to criticize and say all his songs sound the same. It's a valid critique but I will still listen to all these discs. They are just so relaxing and soothing. Favorite songs: The News, Mudfootball, It's All Understood

268. On and On ~ Jack Johnson (last listen: 1-3 years): Favorite songs: Cookie Jar, Holes to Heaven, Traffic in the Sky

269. In Between Dreams ~ Jack Johnson (last listen: 6 months - 1 year): Favorite songs: Better Together, Banana Pancakes, Do You Remember

YA Lit: It's addictive

For some reason, possibly good writing, I have been on a Young Adult Literature kick for some time now. I didn't feel as though right now was a particularly good time to stop so I read some more books.


Enna Burning by Shannon Hale is the second book in her trilogy that began with The Goose Girl. Enna Burning takes place some time after The Goose Girl and although we are not given how much time I am approximating it's about 6 months to 1 year after the end of Goose Girl. This time the story is centered on Ani/Isi's best friend Enna. Enna is a forest girl. One day in the forest Enna's brother, Leifer, mysteriously learns how to control and make fire. He becomes fire. When their country Bayern becomes embroiled in a war Leifer joins the fight. He is not able to control the fire so Enna ends up teaching herself the magical language of fire. In the process she secretly begins to become something of a freedom fighter. But soon Enna, like Leifer, is unable to control the fire. Only Ani/Isi and Enna together can try to control the fire before it takes over Enna completely.

I thought this book was really well done and quite a good follow up to The Goose Girl. I thought about suggesting this work to my niece but I think I will wait until she's a bit older as there is an attempted rape scene in the book that I found a bit too graphic and disturbing for an eleven year old. I am very excited to get my hands on River Secrets.

Last night I finished Maureen Johnson's The Key to the Golden Firebird. This book centers on the three Gold sisters. When their father dies, the lives of May, Brooks, and Palmer are sent into a spiral. Their mom has to work more; they are the sometime charity cases of the Camp family and their neighbors. They make bad choices when it comes to boys. And none of them are dealing very well with the fact that their dad is dead.

I thought this book was really good. I even cried in a couple of places. One thing that bothered me though was that Palmer's story seemed to get the short shrift. I wish her family could have dealt more with some of her issues. I think this book could have used another chapter or two but over all I thought it was a fast but engrossing read.

Books Read in 2007:

The Keys to the Golden Firebird ~ Maureen Johnson
Enna Burning ~ Shannon Hale
Fool Moon ~ Jim Butcher
Queen of Babble ~ Meg Cabot
The Goose Girl ~ Shannon Hale
The Princess Academy ~ Shannon Hale
Avalon High ~ Meg Cabot
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ~ J.K. Rowling
A Thousand Splendid Suns ~ Khaled Hosseini
The Bermudez Triangle ~ Maureen Johnson
Fray ~ Joss Whedon
The Dragonriders of Pern ~ Anne McCaffery
Embroideries ~ Marjane Satrapi
13 Little Blue Envelopes ~ Maureen Johnson
The Cider House Rules ~ John Irving
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ~J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ~ J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ~ J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ~ J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ~ J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone ~ J.K. Rowling
The Good Men: A Novel of Heresy ~ Charmaine Craig
An Abundance of Katherines ~ John Green
The Count of Monte Cristo ~ Alexandre Dumas
Looking For Alaska ~ John Green
Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest ~ Stephen Ambrose
Drinking, Smoking, and Screwing: Great Writers on Good Times ~ edited by Sara Nikles
Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood ~ Ann Brashares