You should've apologized to my horse.

So I watched The Three Musketeers on DVD today as it came out Tuesday. "was it 40 or 400?" "just the 40. it was an off day."

Awesome special features with extended scenes and interviews on set with the actors and crew.

The awesomeness demands a sequel - especially since Orlando is headed to France to start a war - and he travels by ship but no pirates in sight.

But it's one of those movies that needs a sequel because of the ending or lack there of. But then I'm not sure of its ratings or viewer numbers which would answer the question of would there be any interest in a sequel if it were made in the first place? But this one needs it! You know? Just like I Am Number Four.

Major cliffhanger.

Sequel in the works? No idea. Though the novel is offically published. And I own it. Sitting on the shelves in front of me.

Now I just need the motivation to read it.

And about 20 others sitting right next to it.

I'll stick to the editing in the meantime. Made a lot of progress tonight was proud. I find it relaxing, but then again I'm a nerd. But it gives me a chance to use my English major skills.

Cause you know knowing things about classical literature quirks, rhyming structures, grammatical trends, or being able to name the author or title doesn't help me at all at my day job.

A Library Service Associate who knows things about literature? What is the world coming to?

Sequels, that's where I was going.

Know what does have a sequel? and a third installment this upcoming summer? Men In Black. "This definitely rates about a 9.0 on my weird-shit-o-meter." Apparently I'm way behind cause I had no idea they were bringing it back. Wasn't the second one a disaster? I mean I love Rosario Dawson but she's the only thing I remember from the entire movie. And I don't even remember how she was involved in the plot it's been so long. She was probably the killer monster or something.

There are a lot of good movies coming out this summer aside from that you've got The Avengers. The Dark Knight Rises. The new GI Joe. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Bourne Legacy. That should be especially good as it ended the way it ended.

But enough about all that. I was actually productive today. Well semi-productive. The majority of my work I can't do until Monday.

Today was good though. Flew by pretty quickly, though I was expecting a weirder day aside from being the "in charge but not actually in charge" person cause I had worked there the longest out of the employees that weren't at lunch during that hour. Which never happens ever cause I still consider myself a new employee even though I've been there almost 2 years. Though I still am pretty much the youngest of the bunch.

Of course that's when all the killer reference questions came in. But no, I was waiting for bizarre crazy stuff cause this morning I made every single light. And that never happens. So something was off.

Falling asleep as I write. I've been staring at this screen for too long, even my cat thinks I'm overduing it. He's konked out next to me about an hour ago. How do you spell overduing? or is it overdueing? or is it even a word at all? Like I said, sleep is near. And nearer. and nearer. and nearer. I don't think nearer's a word either.

You know what's a weird word? Fork. Sorry Drew reference there. That would've been a good one on nitrous. But I probably would have laughed and then he would have sliced my tongue off.

yes i realize this post went absolutely nowhere.

nearer and nearer. Okay, I'm out of here. Have a good one!

"Americano" Lady Gaga

Happy Christmas, War is Over

Today was pretty much a rollercoaster ride.

It was an early morning, in an extremely overheated computer lab, so I felt sick and like I was going to pass out for a good chunk of the day. After lunch I was okay, just nervous for this afternoon.

This afternoon I met up with my uncle to talk about insurance stuff. Turns out, wasn't as hard as I'd thought it would be. And apparently, our insurance is awesome. This coming from an insurance man. So he would know. And he was fantastic, I went in clueless and he explained everything in words that I could actually understand. It's like a weight off my mind.

All I have to do is fill in the rest of the paperwork and I'm gold, huzzah!

I've started saying that a lot lately. It's either "do this and you're gold" or "you're golden". No idea why I'm bringing it back, I haven't said it since college. Maybe it's that gold star thing in my head again. In one of my sociology classes we had this assignment, it was in the syllabus but the professor had never brought it up in class. When we showed up that day, she asked if any of us had done it. I raised my hand, along with a select few and her response was, "Stars! Golden stars!" and that was it, we moved on. I think it was like a 2 page paper so it wasn't a big deal, but still. Amusing.

Apparently when I say things like that it makes me sound smart. I'm not smart. Well, I mean, not like genius smart, though a certain person claims to think I am just because I had/have a high GPA. But see, once you're in college and you're taking the upper level courses you know what you're doing and you know what the professors want so if you're able to BS - which is basically what English majors do for a living - then you're golden.

It's like Sensei once said, she wouldn't respect me if I couldn't ramble for a page.

Speaking of gold stars, I totally dropped my nametag three times on the way to work this morning, and of course that only happens when there are puddles everywhere. Didn't even realize the third time until Cabin Fever brought it to me during our computer training seminar thing.

So that was pretty much my day, got to talk to Grams for a while which was cool. She's always excited when I go and visit, and I get to see her again soon because our family pitch tournament is on the 23rd, woohoo! I'm picking her up and driving her over because the Cool Aunt has way too much on her plate for that night. AND though she rarely asks for help, she did in this case so I'm TAKING the invitation and RUNNING with it!

It's like trying to pay for food with my family. It's war. I paid for sushi last time, I was sneaky and left my debit card on the table for easy access when she brought the check. This time I don't even get the option because in the invite e-mail she specifically says she's buying and I have no choice in that matter. Geez. Flashbacks to when I was living with Grams. The two of them, when the check came, man they were devious. Plus, you throw in my mother along with them? It was highly amusing, and at that time in life I was broke so I went with it.

Alright, the countdown has began, and now that that whole alphabet fiasco or fun-tastic (or whatever you want to call it) is over, I figured I'd treat you guys to some excellent Christmas music. None of that crappy overplayed stuff...okay, well some, but these are the versions that aren't as crappy as the crappy ones that are constantly playing over and over. Not that classics are crappy. Cause, I mean, they're not. If they were total crap then they wouldn't be playing. And then they wouldn't be classics. And then I wouldn't know them. I'm getting rambly again, make it stop.

Okay, nutshell, Christmas Music until Christmas Day that isn't crap.

How's that? I'll call it:

Non-crappy Christmas Music: Day One.

That title is likely to change by Day Two.

Here we go.

Pat a Pan - Mannheim Steamroller

Nebraska Band of awesomeness. I grew up listening to their Christmas CD's on repeat around the holidays. This was my favorite, though it makes me sad every time. It's amazing how much emotion you can convey in a song with no words.

Auld Lange Syne - The Lonesome Travelers

yes i'm aware it's 2011. go with it. only video i could find of this version. it's fantastic if you take the time to listen to it. i could never play like that, ever.

Happy Christmas (War is Over) - Maroon 5

my sister is obsessive over this band, and now I understand why. they're fantastic. i had to buy a bunch of their stuff off itunes, i'm totally hooked.

I figured with this one it was good timing.
President Obama's Speech from CNN.com
"You have lived through the fires of war, and you will be remembered for it, and honored for it - always." -Obama 2011

"I've been cheated, been mistreated, when will I be loved?"

Surprise visits from two supervisors today both claiming to check out the relatively new paint job. One - who shall be known as the "Master Chef" (I have no idea about her culinary talents but right before they offered me the permanent job she asked if I was ready to join the Master Chef Challenge. I asked if they brought fire extinguishers. Then they gave me the job instead) - the other who I refer to as Cabin Fever. Because she gets Cabin Fever when she spends too much time in her office and comes to help at the desk. She's also the one who told me to say I "worship snakes" when asked out by a creeper or get annoyed with telemarketers.

Both were amusing as always. One actually did check out the paint job, the other and myself thought about moving the Young Adult area as it's quickly running out of space and no one knows it exists. But where would you move it to really? That's why I'm excited for my blueprint grad school assignment.

I actually enjoyed today a lot, despite the mass amount of stress brought on by certain patrons. But it's just the usual really - patron upset about holds so I spent hours on the phone and looking for a missing book, and of course the jam-handed children running and messing with everything. The joys of the library. For some reason I keep coming back. But I enjoy it.

If there was no conflict or stress then the job would be boring and that's not what I'm looking for in life. I enjoy the variety of people and problems that come across my desk. Keeps me on my toes. The joys of public service.

Speaking of joys, have I mentioned how much I love working with my trainee? I haven't thought up a suitable nickname yet, but she's fantastic. Catches on quickly but asks when she needs something. Plus she's highly amusing and we get along well.

I feel special, they trust me alone with a trainee. For a whole day. Until Superwoman shows up to cover for me going to lunch. If you call 4-5 lunch. Supper? or do you say "Dinner"? In our house it was always Dinner at noon and Supper at night. There was no such thing as lunch. "Lunch" started when I went to a dorm high school when it was on a physical schedule. I should move on before I start talking about projects from college about language and linguistics.

That was pretty much my day. Other than coming home to watch NCIS. Oh my god, you know when you're watching something and you recognize the character's voice but their face is completely different? Duuuude. Guest-starring Charlie's freaking Angel herself, Cheryl Ladd. Although I didn't know that at first, I just picked up on it when she was hitting on Ducky and there was something about her voice. Yelled out "Kris Munroe!" when I figured it out - just adds to my neighbors probable on-going tally on my crazy sudden outbursts about completely random things. But she looks soooo different. But it's not like plastic surgery different. She's got a few years difference between now and the 70's plus brown hair. That's what threw me off.
Not that I should put much stock in hair color, I mean, look who's talking really. I don't even remember my natural color. We attempted to dye it back senior year of high school when I did "Arsenic and Old Lace" yeah, took forever and didn't last long. I was back to red as soon as the play was over.

Overall I'd give the episode a 7/10 purely because of Charlie's freakin' Angel. She was really the only thing I'll take away from it. I was hoping for a more Halloween theme - they usually have some good ones, have you seen "Murder 2.0" from season six? Duuuude, attempted to watch that at night in the dark once and couldn't do it. Still can't. AND I KNOW WHO DID IT!

Alright, that's enough of my ramblings for the night. Thank you for putting up with them night after night. Afterall, it's almost been a year now. Wow. Should probably do something to celebrate that, huh?

Throwback Tuesday

"Bye Bye Love" Everly Brothers


"When Will I Be Loved" The Everly Brothers


OUT!

You know you're a librarian when:

- You know what LA2 and LA3 stand for and the difference between those and librarians.

- You pull out your datebook to see what hours you're working and reach for a bindery slip when you notice it's falling apart.

- You flip to the back of a hymnal in church to see if anyone's made a note about the water damage.

- Your bookshelves are immaculate, books edged to the front and all organized by dewey decimal system or author's last name.

- You go to a bookstore and have a compulsive need to rearrange and organize things.

- Your friends come to you with literature questions.

- Your personal email password is the name of your favorite novel's protagonist.

- You read a great review and immediately check to see if it's "on order".

- You know the Dewey Decimal system by heart.

- If you don't know it by heart you can visual it in your mind and know exactly which shelf to lead patrons to when they ask for a certain item.

- You have nightmares about jam-handed children destroying your recently cleaned jP area that took two days to get through.

- You agreed with at least five of these statements.

Now I'm having flashbacks to my Creative Nonfiction class.

“It's the largest secret society in America -- bigger than the Mafia --- millions of men and women and they know each other only by their elegant syntax and grammar, their excellent word choice --- and their use of the pronoun ‘whom.’” – Tim Russell

You may be an English Major if:

If you spend a lot of time trying to wax poetic to the opposite sex… you may be an English major.
- Lots of guys know that if they turn to poetry, women will flock to them. Who could resist someone who walks up to you and says, “Your eyes are much like the color of my cat’s litter box once it needs changing…”?

If you’ve ever used big and important-sounding words without even realizing it… you may be an English major.
- It is accurate that we as English majors are accustomed to the prodigious amount of vocabulary due to our ability of being perspicacious. Intermittently, it is just scabrous to desist.

If you stay up at night reading poetry until 3 in the morning … you may be an English major.
- Mostly for me this is due to an assignment to read a poem and analyze its meaning. I imagine that most poets enjoy being mysterious and secretly take pride in everyone trying to analyze their work just to get nothing out of it. Maybe their poems mean absolutely nothing and writing them is only a ploy to make people think they know things that they actually don’t. “I've written some poetry I don't understand myself.” - Carl Sandburg

If you use Shakespeare’s words as a guide to your life… you may be an English major.
- The Fool says in King Lear, “Mark it, nuncle: Have more than thou showest, Speak less than thou knowest, Lend less than thou owest, Ride more than thou goest, Learn more than thou trowest, Set less than thou throwest; Leave thy drink and thy whore, And keep in-a-door, And thou shalt have more Than two tens to a score,” (King Lear, Act 1, Scene 4).
- We had this poster in college that said, "They say it's kind of a cult. The followers stay up all night. The men wear makeup. And someone is always setting something on fire. So who is this hero they worship? That would be the long-haired guy with the earring."

If you are constantly correcting people’s grammar in a public setting… you may be an English major.
- People may think of you as a snob, but as much as it bothers these people when you correct them, there is a difference between “who” and “whom.”

If you have an unusual urge to correct those that ask “Can I help you?”… you may be an English major.
- There is a difference between “can” and “may.” You would assume that if the asker is a sales clerk , then he or she would be part of the “can” help variety.
- This is much like in writing when people use “your” instead of “you’re.” “Your stupid!” “My stupid what?” There is also a big difference between defusing a bomb and diffusing it.

If you secretly despise popular novels just because of their popularity (such as Moby Dick)… you may be an English major…or you may have taken an Ashby class.
- Not that there’s really any difference for those of you that haven’t taken one. You’ll just have to trust us.

If you despise math and science and all that they represent… you may be an English major.
- Who cares about statistics? Poetry is never about statistics, and let’s face it, any writing about math is just plain boring.

If you take a road-trip across the country claiming to be Jack Kerouac’s “Dean Moriarty” from his novel On the Road… you may be an English major.
- Who wouldn’t want to drive across the country with a protagonist fixated on drugs, women, and intellectualism?

If you ever feel the need to have a pen name… you may be an English major.
- It is said that when writing under an alias, one is able to speak more freely about their true point of view… or maybe they just want to be referred to as “Armand Hammer,” “Chris P. Bacon,” or “Marsha Mellow.”

If you use the phrase, “of course,” quite frequently… you may be an English major.
- “We were English majors, of course --- I say, ‘of course,’ because that's a phrase that, of course, English majors use often, especially when saying extremely questionable things. But that goes without saying.” – Dave Barry

If you tend to take punctuation into your own hands… you may be an English major.
- We all have our own unique writing styles. Punctuation is a big part of that. Look at Emily Dickinson, she never used anything but a dash and look how far she got.

“As an English major, one is naturally in a good mood most of the time — a good knowledge of English is salubrious — you are transported by words, such as exultant and beatific and felicity — you amble or perambulate or trip lightly or gallivant and felicitous phrases tumble through your consciousness — ‘how sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank, here we will sit, and let the sounds of music creep in our ears.’” – Garrison Keillor

True or False:

All English majors love poetry.
- False, some of us hate it with a passion. We only read and write it if it’s assigned and then avoid it like the plague.

All English majors will write poetry.
- False, many of us have been holding in all our anxiety and rage about the constant reading of poetry and all things romantic that once we graduate we enjoy writing about explosions and shooting things.

All English majors only hang out with other English majors because of literacy issues.
- False, we have other friends as well . It’s not our fault if some of them can’t keep up with our being precocious and all.

All English majors are romantics at heart.
- False, many of us, due to extensive research in this area, become cynical… and scary.

All English majors constantly have their noses in a book.
- False, clearly not all of the English majors in the world can fit all their noses into a single book.

All English majors constantly quote Shakespeare and use his works as a guide to our lives.
- True, one can learn so much from the mighty Shakespeare, even things like finances. Feste says in Twelfth Night, “These wise men who give fools money get themselves a good report--after fourteen years’ purchase,” (Twelfth Night, Act 4, Scene 1).

All English majors are easy to pick on.
- This may be true at times, but you must beware when you pick on an English major. They might write something about you that people will be reading all over the world even hundreds of years from now. There would be nowhere to hide for you or any of your offspring.

I guess she’s an X-Box and I’m more an Atari

But the way you play your game ain’t fair.

True dat.

The writer monkey has struck again - keeping this semi-short so I can get back to that while the muse is still here.

I’m in a quandary. A Sophie’s Choice sort of situation. Sort of. I mean, I might be in one. It depends. There are two things that I might have to choose between. And it’s hard to choose between two things that mean a lot to you, you know? And it’s like Sophie’s Choice – except that Sophie’s Choice is long and depressing and then longer and more depressing and then you think it’s over but it’s actually not cause you’re only 2 hours in and haven’t even gotten to the part where she has to make the freaking choice let alone know what she’s freaking choosing about so you stick with it even though it gets even longer and even more depressing. Then! After she makes the choice it’s too painful to watch the rest of the movie – which is at least another half an hour long – so you change the channel and put on a comedy just to get those awful thoughts out of your head. Sorry Mom, I refuse to watch it ever again. Just no.

See, rambling, writer monkey, moving on.

SQUARE!

But this is a whole Might situation, maybe I won’t have to choose because you know there are other people out there who are smarter and qualified and all that… but still, it’s there, looming in the background. Now it just depends on what the Library Goddess has to say. After that it’s Superwoman and then me. But I have a few days to get it all figured out.

SQUARE!

You know how hard it is to be in 3 places at once? Today I was on the phone on the second floor while helping a patron on the first floor and checking other patrons out at the desk. I find that I’ve changed a lot since I’ve started working there just because it’s so hectic all the time and if I don’t know what I’m doing I have enough acting ability to pretend like I do. It’s like the me vs. qualified people thing again. I’m a Professional BS-er which really is just another term for “English Major”. I’m owning up to it. Before I was just a nerdy loner chick who ate lunch in her car. Oh don’t awww me, it’s better than the cliché lunch tray in the bathroom thing.

But it’s best if you seem confident in what you’re doing and remain positive, especially about the new system - it just makes us look bad if you bash it in front of the patrons. I use the words “quirks” as in “we’re still figuring out its quirks”, “wonky” as in “since we switched over the self-checks have been a bit wonky” and “we’re working on it” as in “we’re working on it” – well, “they’re working on it” a lot but it seems better than just bashing it and hoping to go back. Cause we’re not going back. I spend the majority of my downtown just figuring out shortcuts and doing random searches to see how best to navigate the catalog, but I’m a nerd like that.

And somebody! I ain’t mentioning names! Has branded me “Koha Whisperer” and 1-800’s me whenever there’s a problem. So I have to at least know a little bit about what I’m explaining. One of these days I’m just gonna write a handbook, print it off, highlight stuff and hang it around the desks. Then I can just walk by, point to a piece of paper and continue shelving.

But I like being the expert, it makes me feel useful, especially since I’m lowest on the food chain there. I don’t think I’ve ever been the expert on anything relevant to daily life. I mean other than movies, TV, music or anything Drew Barrymore. Which was daily life before I got the job. Jobs.

SQUARE!

So, remember how yesterday I ended with the whole gonna finish that freaking puzzle thing? And then of course I didn't finish the freaking puzzle, I watched a movie instead - my motivation can only last so long which is why I'm typing so fast in hopes that I'll keep working on that damn apartment story after posting this, where was I?
Oh right, well I'm glad I didn't finish it cause this morning I woke up and Carter had destroyed the whole freaking thing. Like there are pieces of it all over my living room. So yeah, either he's taking out his rage/energy on tiny chunks of cardboard because they're a stationary target or he's some sort of cosmic judge saying that I've taken too long to put together a "simple" 300 piece puzzle and now as punishment for putting it off I get total annihilation instead. Thanks dude.
Or maybe he just knows me well enough that he knows I'll keep putting it off and putting it off and eventually get tired of it being in the way so I'll put it back in the box and throw it in the corner anyway. So really, he could be saving me hassle in the future. Or he's a punk.
It's an either/or situation.

It's not actually.

I already know he's a punk. Much like my work friends already know I'm crazy. There's no either/or involved in that.
..
....
.....
....
..
At least he's a cute punk. A big, fat, lazy, sleeps on my stomach, cute punk.

SQUARE!

Songs of the day:

“Imagine” Glee version

This scene still makes me cry.

“Forget You” Glee version

Totally have been neglecting my Gwyneth’s One Name Campaign thing as in “that’s so Gwyneth!” - will have to start using that again. It’s pretty much the equivalent of Wicked Awesome.
Everyone can use some Gwyneth in their life. Especially now that school is starting again and all that. People are in this sort of mood. Like somber mood. Gonna shake them up with some Gwyneth. Maybe that'll be my slogan for the campaign. "Shake up your day with some Gwyneth." She does have a multi-million dollar music deal on the table. She will soon be gracing our radios - and my ipod - huzzah!



ps-if you have no idea what the squares mean go here: My Life in Closed Captions: Circles, Squares and Ugly Women, Oh My!

I got Spocked.

He "live long and prosper"-d me then walked out.

I keep these notes in my cellphone and date each one. I was reading them on my break, last year on this day it was, "Her life is what great tragic novels are made of." I wish I could remember who I was talking about. Yesterday's was "Well, that's something to scrapbook." Which can work in really any situation, bad or good. Although it would probably seem more amusing in a bad one. Last year yesterday's was from a lit class in college. "I hear something." "It's my heart beating." I was kind of an English nerd and was friends with fellow English nerds. We had a lot of fun with literature.

It was brought to my attention this weekend that mis-matched socks are now fashionable. Which sucks. Because that means I have to find matching socks. I've never been into the whole fashion thing. I grew up wearing tear-aways and a backwards Titans hat. Which suspiciously went missing by the way... I suspect foul play *cough*Mom*cough* but have yet to prove it.

Alright, song for tonight is an old favorite. I mean, it's not too old...actually it's been like 10 years. So, recently old. Yes, recently old. I'm going with that.
Uncle Kracker's "Follow Me"

Used to sing this song with my softball teammates between games. Fun times.

Tomorrow is split shift and play practice. BTW - it was a good thing I left my phone on last night since I did get a call this morning from work. Anyway, play practice is going to have to be some sort of hardcore tomorrow. Going over all the songs - no skipping - saying lines with their faces out of the book. They'll be mad about both those things but I'm starting a countdown. May 12th. 17 Days. We're soooooo not ready.


Okay, I'm gonna crash. Well, make supper and then crash. Long day tomorrow.
Have a good one.

This is a week of my favorite things Day Four: Books

PREPARE FOR A MASSIVE POST and sadly I went through and cut a bunch of stuff...and it's still massive.
Birthday cake at a staff meeting, hooray my day is made!
Was going to head home tonight but the weather has changed my plans.
Looks like you're stuck with me for yet another favorites post.
Quote of the day comes from Sketch - "I want a bagel damn it can't you tell i'm hungry and yes it's lame but that's how you are when you're all whoooo." yeah, not gonna explain that one, other than to say it's not the bagel that she's talking about me being all whoooo over.

This time we'll go with books. Writing's in my blood, my grandpa's a published author (posthumous), my aunts have published books on teaching, and I just love to write. If I could it's what I would do all day...if I wasn't blocked, which I have been a lot lately. that's why you're stuck with me on here and not on physical pages.

So, since I'm a librarian and I'm around books all day I'm expanding my list from 5 favorites to 7 instead. The irony about being a librarian is that I haven't read a single one of these books since I started working there. It's like I'm around them all day the last thing I want to do when I go home is read a book. Which is kind of funny in a weird way.

Anyway, on with the list.
All-time favorites:
7. Harry Potter series - J.K. Rowling
Gotta say I started these before she was big time with the movies and everything and I was hooked. I read each of them in like a day, maybe hours. Mass hysteria but they were just soooo good. And so different from other books at the time which I think is why they became so popular. Aside from her writing style and her characters which are also fantastic. I was hooked.

6. When You Are Engulfed in Flames - David Sedaris
This might be the funniest book I've ever read. I read the entire thing at a craft show and there were many points at which I was physically laughing so loud that I needed to like step back and contain myself so the people around me didn't think I was some psycho just randomly laughing. Highly recommended if you like nonfiction.
"Itch in da scrubs, go giddit!"

5. The Book Thief - Marcus Zuzak
Read this one for an adolescent lit class in college and fell in love with it. It's narrated by Death which totally stuck out to me so you know everyone is going to die. Which is fine, until you meet the characters and want them to somehow just triumph and live forever. It's basically a German take on the whole nazi killing jews thing. And it follows the story of this little girl who's adopted into a German family. I think it was also cool to be reading it for a class and having that debate aspect where you could get others opinions on it too. Our class consensus was a thumbs up.

4. The Westing Game - Ellen Raskin
Another favorite from my childhood, we read this in 8th grade for an English class. I love it because it was the first murder mystery I ever read. So it all took off from there. I was hooked from page one and wanted to read it all the way through but we were supposed to read it in section so we could talk in class. I soooo wanted to know who did it!! And I've recommended it to many people over the years. Gotta love it.

3. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
Yet another from that adolescent lit class and I think this was the class's favorite. I don't remember anybody not liking it (not like Twilight or Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, sorry ZH not so much for me) and I think it was the most fun I had in that class just because everyone loved it and wanted to talk about it. Although the Twilight love it or hate it debate was fun as well.
I've recommended this book to literally everyone who's asked for a recommendation. Which is a lot because I work in a library...two actually. And I'm stoked for the movie. But the problem with recommending it is that those that I recommend it to also read the next two which they love as well but I haven't yet since I started working soon after college. I know, I know. They're on my list.

2. Runaway Jury - John Grisham
I loved this book! I read this one summer during high school and couldn't put it down. So many twists and turns and the movie was great as well but it was totally different than the book since it was on guns instead of cigarettes. Soooo good! Totally recommend this one who likes fiction on like the court system or lawyers or just good vs. evil. It's fantastic.

1. Women's Murder Club series - James Patterson
"In margaritas veritas. I'm in." Big surprise here. Not really. Look at the tattoo to the right. Lindsay Boxer the detective, Cindy Thomas the reporter, Claire Washburn the ME and Jill Bernhardt the lawyer. All different crime aspects covered so when you put them all together and drown them in margaritas you get what we call the Women's Murder Club.
"So, this outfit have a name?"
..."We're sort of a murder club."
"Lindsay's deputized us."
"The margarita posse."
...."Homicide chicks. That's who we are. That's what we do."
The books that lead to the show...that got cut off too early but the books are still going so it's okay. Actually 10th Reunion comes out soon. If you look at my bookshelves one of the first thing you'll notice (aside from that they're organized yes i'm a librarian get over it) is that these are the only books with tabs in them. Cause I'm a nerd. And I can't really explain the tab system just that it's there and it helps me keep track because sometimes I'll just pick one up and start from a random tab and know exactly what's going on. I love them. I love them. And I love them. And yes, I always recommend James Patterson to anyone looking for a good mystery writer as well.

Books I've read for class and loved:
Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian - Sherman Alexie this was another adolescent lit class special and we all really liked it. It was really funny and the artwork was a nice touch along with the humor.
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen which is basically a rite of passage for an English major. Classic, I did a project on it for my final portfolio because I find her fascinating, yes I'm a nerd. But I loved doing it because I got to come up with musical playlists for each character and I even made a board game for the thing and what else, oh wrote updated versions of the scenes and all that stuff. So much fun. Also a good story, Pride Prejudice and Zombies...or the first half which is all I got finished before I started working.
Great Expectations - Charles Dickens another one for an English major this was for British Lit 2 or 3 I can't remember, I think I took them out of order, but I love this one just because of the crazy old lady who wears the wedding dress every day and acts like she's not crazy. Which she is. And I said that repeatedly in a presentation and everyone loved me. hahaha...another fun English presentation was on Mary Robinson.
Me: "She got paid to be a mistress, I love it!"
Dr. Ashby: "You know, there's a word for that..."
Class: "Ohhhhh!!!"
The Illiad and the Odessey - Homer Thurber class and really, reading anything with Thurber was great because even if you didn't like the book he made you see it in a different perspective so you didn't hate it. did that make sense? not really. But there are really classics that deserve to be classics. A classmate and I did a presentation on the Illiad with sock puppets. Oh yeah. Sock puppets. It was awesome.
Bridge to Teribithia - Katherine Paterson More grade school fun, I cried. and that's all I got.
Anything Shakespeare but especially As You Like It and Twelfth Night
we read As You Like It in high school for English 9 I think and I fell in love with his style and his language and just everything. And Twelfth Night I love just because of all the drama and the back and forth and the mistaken identity and mostly because of yet another presentation for yet another Thurber class (Shakespeare, it was my favorite class of his) where he put us into groups and we had to present each play in a unique way. Our group got Twelfth Night so we divided up the scenes and presented them in like a Whose Line is it Anyway kind of thing with a censored scene (I was the Censored Seductress with the name tag to prove it) an E-True Shakespearian story, a soap opera called 'Days of our Night', silent acting, one segment with the crocodile hunter that we called 'Malvolio Hunter', a scene where I got interrogated in a prison cell while Anna sang in rhyme it was hilarious and I had to keep a straight face, and then the final scene was Mystery Date where all the identities were revealed.

Books I loved growing up and for fun throughout school:
You Belong to Me - Mary Higgins ClarkRead this one I think the same summer I read Runaway Jury. I loved it because I loved the song and I thought it was cool to murder people and tie it to something like that. Not that I'm going to go out and do that but it was still a clever way to tell a story.
All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten - Robert Fulghum
Yet another from a summer in high school. I remember reading this one outside on a swing, he's hilarious and this is probably his best work. So if you're looking for good and short nonfiction go for Robert Fulghum.
Princess Bride - William Goldman senior year of high school, class trip to chicago I read it on the plane. I loved the movie so I read the book and there are so many more things in it with the zoo of death and all that, definitely worth reading if you liked the movie.
Carrie - Stephen King yeah, yeah name sake and all that. I read it in grade school and I think it was my first actual adult novel. scared the crap out of me but I was hooked.
Little Girl Lost - Drew Barrymore more high school fun. discovered this book and wrote a report on it. I love Drew, which I'm sure you've picked up since post one, so reading this book was like the best thing ever. Cause she wrote it. It tells all of her life story - up til checking herself into rehab (not for the first time) and doesn't leave out any of the gory details.
Politically Correct Bedtime Stories - James Finn Garner ask the BFF and she'll tell you she only keeps me around for reading her fairy tales in voices.
Julie and Julia - Julie Powell read it during down town of camping with the family, loved it. totally different from the movie which was also good. i attempted her second one "Cleaving" but again, that was after I started working for the library.
The DaVinci Code - Dan Brown read this one and wrote a paper on it for a college class, also totally different from the movie but it's still fantastic. i couldn't put it down.
Heat Wave/Naked Heat - Richard CastleI'm a Castle junkie so when these actually came out to go along with the show I was all over them. Oh crap. That breaks my streak of not finishing anything since I started working, damn. I liked saying that. Oh well, it was worth it. Heat Wave is definitely the best of the two but there are so many more jokes you get if you watch the show.


Holy toast this post is getting long. Well, if you're still around I'll give you the highlights to my favorite plays...which I'm aware aren't books but they're still literature so whatever. I'll make it short.

Favorite Plays:
Arsenic and Old Lace - Joseph Kesselring We had the joy of putting this on my senior year of high school. I played Elaine the minister's daughter who's the fiance to the main character. Soooo much fun!
"There's something about calling for a girl at a parsonage that discourages any man who doesn't embroider."

"For a minister's daughter you sure you a lot about life. Where'd you learn it?"
"In the choir loft."
"I'll explain that to you some time, darling-the close connection between eroticism and religion."
"Religion never gets as high as the choir loft."

The Playboy of the Western World - J.M. Synge oh the joy of Modern and Post-Modern Drama, I loved that class. This was a highlight because this dude comes into town claiming to have murdered his father and everyone loves him. They celebrate him as a hero. Then, when his father shows up not dead they turn their backs on him. Hilarious.

Arcadia - Tom Stoppard such clever writing, two storylines happening at once even though they're decades apart. everything weaves together in the end, stick with it.

On the Verge or The Georgraphy of Yearning - Eric Overmyer my favorite play I read throughout college. These three women take a trip through a jungle and are simultaneously traveling through time as they travel farther and farther through the jungle. "Terra Incognita!" Each character is different and it's just sooo funny.

"Yes, Mary, there are two sorts of people in the world. There are cannibals-and there are lunch."

"Little sasquatch has gone for more snowballs, no doubt!" *hit by snowball* "Ahhh!"
"Baby yeti may have yeti croonies, I think prudence dictates we move on."

"Why is there evil in the world, Alexandra?"
"To thicken the plot." Alex is my hero.

"Alex I believe verse is your province."

"Hang ten. Shoot the pipeline. Curl the Big Kahuna!" Again, Alex is my hero.

"So, when's the shindig?"
"Shindig?"
"I think she means the the authentic suburban charred meat festival you promised us."
"Ah, yes. The bar-be-cue."
and yes, I did write a report on this one as well but it was more focused on the language and how it changes throughout the novel.

Tartuffe - Moliere another presentation where a friend and myself acted out a scene, well two scenes that we combined, for a grade. We got an A it was fantastic. I still remember some of my lines.
"What of Tartuffe then, what of your father's plan?"
"I'll kill myself, if I'm forced to marry that man."
or
"Not Tartuffe! You know I think him-"
"Tartuffe's your cup of tea, and you shall drink him."
"I've always told you everything, and relied-"
"No, you deserve to be tartuffifed."
basically her father wants her to marry this awful man Tartuffe when she's in love with someone else.

here's a bonus if you're still reading.
Books I've read for class that I will never read again aka classics that are overrated:
Moby Dick - Herman Melville no normal person cares how many dimensions a boat has or a whale has. i mean maybe some people but we don't need to read about it in detail in a novel. just no.
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley sorry SuperHumann, loved the discussion with you but the novel was a little like, um...whoa. gross.
Books I've started since working at the library and love so far but still haven't finished them:
Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger Yes this may be the most well-loved novel by serial killers everywhere but screw statistics, it's excellent.
Novel Destinations - Shannon McKenna Schmidt this is cool because it's nonfiction about all the different locations in famous novels
Slaugherhouse-Five - Kurt Vonnegut Kilgore Trout. Need I say more? Even Prentiss is a fan.
You're a Horrible Person, But I Like You: The Believer Book of Advice a gift from my sister, ha! But it's fantastic, people write to celebrities for advice and it publishes their answers.



Okay, more add-ins.
TV - Wipeout, I love the commentary and the big red balls. Hilarious.
And then World's Dumbest, I've already posted a clip from this. I love it, it's where celebrities careers go to die but seriously, it's fantastic. Celebrities do commentary on these stupid clips that people send in and they make lists like the top 20 world's dumbest criminals or 20 world's dumbest brawlers or 20 world's dumbest commercials just that kind of stuff. It's fantastic.
Music - Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (remake classics), Johnny Cash growing up I listened to him all the time my dad is a big fan, Theory of a Deadman I've already posted a song of there's a while ago but everything they do is just epic and awesome. And Saving Abel is also another good band you can jam out to. Plus Stop Making Friends aka Pauley Perrette is freaking awesome. Listen to their song "Fear" and tell me what you think. And um, hello, Glee cast soundtracks? They're all I listen to lately, that show has the best remakes. My most recent favorite is "Don't you want me baby" or "She's not there" but all time it's probably the "Time Warp" (already posted) or "Forget You" (also already posted) with Gwyneth Paltrow (okay I remember typing that name lately so maybe that one's in there) she's got a voice man, I'm stoked she's making a reappearance. I'm a total soundtracks junkie, Glee, Moulin Rouge, Calamity Jane, Oklahoma, Music and Lyrics, Rent, NCIS, Hairspray, Avenue Q, Grease 1&2 (oh, another for the movies post), Coyote Ugly (this is the role for maria bello, i can't even listen to her british accent in mummy 3), Chicago, Mamma Mia (minus pierce brosnan), Rocky Horror, Sister Act, Wedding Singer, Walk the Line even Whip It had a kickass soundtrack, which was Drew's mix tape for the world. Oh crap Whip It! It's derby and it's Drew how did I forget that one? There's a poster on the wall in front of me for crying in the sun. Good thing I'm taking the time to edit these things, otherwise the remainder of the week would be These are a few of my favorite things...that I failed to mention earlier in the week. Which, actually...wouldn't be so bad. I'm still debating what I'm going to do for the rest of the week. Besides hobbies. Or like...yeah no just hobbies. Wow. gonna have to be creative.