Officious Seeing Eye Bitch

I finished Rebel Angels by Libba Bray. It was fun. I liked that the girls each struggle with their own personal issues and its not all about the adventure. Its a quick fun read with some darker tones that give it a bit more lasting power in my head. I think the third book comes out next month.



I also went ahead and borrowed the BBC series Fingersmith. They stayed so true to the story, and I appreciate that. The casting was quite good too.

Everything is Illuminated did not stick so closely to the story, In fact, I'm still aggravated that they changed the grandfather's story. Its the most moving part of the book! Read the book if you are at all inclined. It will make you giggle in between making you sob.

The dog though was hysterical and perfect. Alex was wonderfully cast as well.

Why did it take me so long to watch Brokeback Mountain? I adored it! Beautiful and heartbreaking and perfect. I need to stop avoiding movies just because I find the hype overwhelming. Somedays its much deserved.

Blood Diamond was good. I thought the love story in it was unbelievable and unnecessary, but the main story was well told and important. It was hard to watch in some parts but not unbearable.

I promise that I have been crafting! Its just that its dark when I leave for work and dark again when I get home which makes for miserable picture taking. That plus a horrible never ending cold that didn't help. I will manage some pictures this weekend.

Hee!

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it may be necessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye." — Miss Piggy

Long weekend of reading

I finished Eclipse over the weekend. Its the third book from Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. Its 600+ pages but a super fast read. Its chock full of vampires and other super natural creatures and lots of excitement and romance. Can't wait until the next one comes out!

I was also listening to The Greatest Generation Speaks on cd until the cds got so scratchy that my player spit them back out. So I'm reserving it on tape from the library this time so hopefully I can hear the last half of it. Its really good and makes me teary eyed which can be hazardous since I usually listen to books on tape while driving, cooking or crafting.

I like the little kid clowns

Pretty cute.

Thieves and Rats

Its seriously cold in my apartment. This is made even more obvious by my cat stalking me waiting for me to stay put so she can curl up on me. Luckily, she noticed that the computer was turned on and now she's curled up on the monitor - leaving my hands free for typing.

I just cranked up the heat and put a pot of tea onto boil. That should help.

I finished a great book this morning. Fingersmith by Sarah Waters is similiar to a Dickens tale - with interesting characters from different class levels and twisty turny plot lines. I was seriously hooked on the story. And after ranting last night about why in the heck are they making dumb-looking movies like the one coming out based on The Chipmunks cartoon when there are good books out there just waiting to be turned into amazing movies, I found out this morning that the BBC already has done it. Its already on my Netflix queue.

I also just finished listening to Mrs. Frisby & the Rats of NIMH on tape. So good! And I adore listening to books where accents are involved. I know this story, and yet I couldn't help getting nervous when poor Mrs. Frisby had to go visit the owl. Such a great children's story!

Now I've got my hands on the third book of Stephenie Meyer's vampire series, Eclipse. If I'm not careful I could while away my whole weekend under a blanket, sipping tea, and reading. (Doesn't that sound marvelous?) But I have things to do! I've promised a cake for a good friend's 30th birthday (and I already feel baked out after turkey day) and I'm determined to make our own Xmas cards this year. Busy busy busy!

Sucked into YA books

I'm really loving teen books lately. First the Stephenie Meyer vampire books, and now A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Gray- a series about English girls at a boarding school who discover sorcery. So good! At first I was mad when I got to the end, thiking that it finished up pretty abruptly. Then I looked it up and realized that its the first of a series. Now I love it.

I'm listed as #1 one for both the 3rd vampire book and for the second sorcery book. They're both enormous and I'm sure they will come in all at once. Decisions shall have to be made. (Not to mention the 500+ page book I'm reading at the moment. I may have to start researching some less tome-like novels to pick up).

Someone glancing at this blog lately would probably think I'm 13 years old and not in my late twenties. Mentally, they may be right.

I just finished Rosie Little's Cautionary Tales for Girls.

First page of the book reads, "These are not, I should say from the outset, tales written for the benefit of good and well-behaved girls who always stick to the path when they go to Grandma's. Skipping along in their gingham frills - baskets of scones, jam and clotted cream upon their arms - what need can these girls have for caution? Rather, these are tales for gilrs who have boots as stout as their hearts, and who are prepared to firmly lace them up (boots and hearts both) and step out into the wilds in search of what they desire. And since it cannot be expected that stout-booted, stout-hearted girls will grow up without misfortune or miscalculation of some kind, they require a reminder, from time to time, about the dangers that lurk both in dark forests and in the crevices of one's own imagining - Rosie Little"

The best part of the book in my opinion. Besides the second story (a great one about a woman who finds herself inadvertantly collecting elephants), the stories just fell really flat for me.

But what a terrific opener! And it was really beautifully bound. Just not so great a read.