Hey y'all

So, I took a little break there, didn't I? It wasn't really a planned thing but you know, it happens. I've been meaning to post something about all the books I've read for a while but then I got overwhelmed by life and such. You aren't getting the full blown deal like I normally do, mostly because I have a lot of books to tell you about. So, here goes.


My Name is Will: A Novel of Sex, Drugs, and Shakespeare by Jess Winfield: Two guys named Will. One is Will Shakespeare pre-fame. The other is Willie Greenberg Ph.D. student. How do these two intersect? Read the book and find out.


Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling: Nice fables that I will read to my children someday, if I ever have them.


Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle: Three interlocking stores; two of which are told by two of my fave YA writers. Fun and fast read.


Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk: One of the most awesome things about my book club is that we read such a wide variety of things. I am still trying to figure out who was real and who was in the imagination of the unnamed narrator.


Paper Towns by John Green: Green's third book. Adored it but I still like Alaska better.


Mansfield Park by Jane Austen: Has possibly the most wretched character ever written in Aunt Norris. I suggest watching the 1999 film.


Emma by Jane Austen: Loved the book but was often annoyed by Emma herself.

Every Boy's Got One by Meg Cabot: Final installment of the "Boy Series" that is loosely based on Meg's own elopement.


Boy Meets Girl by Meg Cabot: Meg gives the reader a fun, cute romance.


The Boy Next Door by Meg Cabot: First in the "Boy Series". These are stories told via email and memo. Adorable.


Books Read in 2008:


My Name is Will: A Novel of Sex, Drugs, and Shakespeare by Jess Winfield
Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
Paper Towns by John Green
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Emma by Jane Austen
The Boy Next Door by Meg Cabot

Boy Meets Girl by Meg Cabot
The Boy Next Door by Meg Cabot
Size 14 Is Not Fat Either by Meg Cabot
Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot
Thumbsucker: A Novel by Walter Kirn
The Off Season by Catherine Murdock
Dairy Queen by Catherine Murdock
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
The Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Queen of Babble Gets Hitched by Meg Cabot
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
Love Walked In by Marisa de Los Santos
Belong to Me by Marisa de Los Santos
Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips
Queen of Swords by Sara Donati
Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Airhead by Meg Cabot
Meridon by Philippa Gregory
The Favored Child by Philippa Gregory
Wideacre by Philippa Gregory
Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson
Into the Wild by John Krakauer
Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
River Secrets by Shannon Hale
The House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III
Feed by M.T. Anderson
Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade by Diana Gabaldon
The Attack by Yasmina Khadra
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
She Went All the Way by Meg Cabot
Dramarama by E. Lockhart
Rebel Angels by Libba Bray
Princess Mia by Meg Cabot
Pants on Fire by Meg Cabot
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
Fly on the Wall by E. Lockhart
Stowaway by Karen Hesse
The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart.
Spike: Asylum by Brian Lynch and Franco Urru

For the first time ever...

I am sad I couldn't make it to the ALA Annual meeting. Because if I had made it to ALA, I would have stood in line all day just to meet John Green and have him tell me I am made of awesome. Of course, I probably would have acted like a crazy stalker and made him uncomfortable but I would have gotten a picture and it would have been my screen saver and I most likely would have asked to meet me for a beer. Alas, none of that happened. Maybe next year. Beth, do you think we could handle that?



I am however, off to Bloomington for the first time since I moved to STL. I can hardly believe it's been 2.5 years since I have been to that beloved, home of Meg Cabot and the Indiana Hoosiers, town. I am so excited that I just don't know what to do first. Nicks? Kilroys? Upstairs? Blue Bird? Rockits? Samira? The Lion? DO YOU SEE MY DILEMMA?!?!?!

I hope you all have a very fun and safe July 4th.

It's June and I've got stuff to say

So, after my long hiatus I am back. I have so much to tell you all. First, I had a lovely little trip to my old SoInd stomping grounds over Memorial Day Weekend. It was so nice to see my old pals. Not to much to talk about there. Lots o' beer was drank and I got to grill meat products at Robyn's new house.

I came back to the Lou ready to veg and relax for the rest of the week. And that is pretty much exactly what I did. I read some more of The Cider House Rules and watched several films and started a new tv series. So, let me tell you all about that stuff.

I finished watching the first season of How I Met Your Mother. I know I am late to the party on this one but that show is great. I sometimes wish they would utilize Alyson Hannigan more often but how can I not love a show where Wesley has horrible hair, is a lech and works as a weatherman?

I also watched some good (and bad) movies. The first movie I watched was called Bedrooms and Hallways. This movie is basically a Brit rom/com about gay men. And it was awesome. The movie was made in 2000 and stars Vorenus (aka Kevin McKidd) as Leo a gay man who falls for the straight Marc Antony (aka James Purefoy). It was a very funny, sweet, and a tad sad movie. The movie also stars Hugo Weaving and Tom Hollander. I really liked it. Plus, it so seems like a funny precursor to the hoyay of Rome.

I also went to the movies and saw Hot Fuzz. Beth already told you all this movie was good and she was right. I loved the movie. I think I may have a lil Simon Pegg crush. Especially when he hires people like Martin Freeman to talk for like three lines. The movie is just the right mix of farce, spoof, and honoring of the cop movie genre.

The bad movie I watched was Strangers with Candy. I'll admit that I never really got into this tv show even though I have much love for Stephen Colbert. I'll even admit that the sole reason I netflixed this flick was to see some Chris Pratt action. Anyway, I found the movie to not be that funny. It could have been but for some reason it felt flat to me. Sigh. Anyway, I can't like everything, can I?

Just so you don't think I spent my entire vacation in my apartment watching television and movies, you should all know that I had a good time hanging out with my pal Jody and her two girls one day and my sister and my nephews another day. My sister is even under the deluded impression that I would be willing to watch all three of my nephews at once for a fee. To that I say, the fee will be large and followed by another vacation.

I also went to a wine tasting event. My suggestion to you, if you ever go to a wine tasting event, either pick white or red wines to taste and stick to it. The mixing of red and white wines made my stomach hurt.