tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73636171364229903522024-03-13T19:54:58.099-07:00Reading the BricksThere are books and bricks and books that could easily function as bricks.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613555994015659052noreply@blogger.comBlogger105125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363617136422990352.post-66756632011168351812015-05-16T07:45:00.000-07:002015-05-16T07:45:00.421-07:00#Minithon Time!! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Good morning, Minithoners! How are you? Ready? I need coffee. In fact, I'm scheduling this post because odds are I'm still crawling out of bed and not fit for human consumption/interaction <i>quite yet.</i><br />
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BUT NO MATTER! It's the Minithon! What are you reading? What are you <i>eating</i>?? I went to Trader Joe's and walked out with a not-very-mini amount of food, but at least I should manage to stay fed for a few days. I bought an entire chicken for roasting. When is that going to happen? Ehhhhhh. Soon. Here's what I intend to eat some of today!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Like I wasn't going to get the MINI PIES. Pfffft. It's not my first day, Trader Joe's.</td></tr>
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Those cookies that are front and center? They were in the endcap on the register, and the guy who rang me up watched my entire thought process of, "do-de-do-de-do...what are THOSE..." ::picks up box, eyes light up, throws in cart:: They're made better because of the ridiculous name. I bet they'll go really well with the half-pint of Ben & Jerry's that's in my freezer right now! Breakfast, anyone?<br />
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Oh wait books! Okay. Well, it's still Friday night here but I have 40 pages left of Diana Gabaldon's <i>A Breath of Snow and Ashes,* </i>so assuming I finish that tonight, I'll be starting the next book for the Minithon. There is at least one child in it, and even more important it's set in the gestational age of these United States, and there ain't much smaller than things gestating, so I'm covered there.<br />
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I'll also want to knit or spin at some point and I've got the <i>Neverwhere</i> adaptation queued up to start, which is only 3.75 hours and thus an abridgement of the original. Easy.<br />
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The clock is ticking, people! Get on Twitter and let's do this thing! (If you feel like blogging about it, here's a linky! If you're <i>micro-blogging - </i> that is, joining us via social media - leave a note in the comments and make sure to use #Minithon!)<br />
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OH! One more thing. If you do post, feel free to just update it for the end. We're easy around here like Saturday morning, when you're not even expected to get up for church or brunch. </div>
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* Now you know why I haven't been book-blogging since January. This series is so big you guys, but it's a candy floss reading kind of year so far. More on that later, after coffee and the Minithon. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613555994015659052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363617136422990352.post-27646493043711784562015-05-11T18:08:00.001-07:002015-05-11T18:09:14.305-07:00It's #MINITHON Time Again! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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YOU GUYS I have decided that joining challenges is just not a thing I am good at. I get all excited and post one post (::<i>cough</i>::) and then I wander off, fully intending to actually blog about my reading but I DON'T and it's just a disaster.<br />
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So, to reinvigorate my blogging - the reading has taken a hit as well, but a much smaller one - let's have a Minithon this <span style="font-size: large;">Saturday the 16th</span>, shall we? I miss your faces. Or at least, your snarky comments.<br />
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If you're here after I've been away from the blog this long, you most likely already know the rules but a little recap can't hurt!<br />
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<b>Accepted and Agreed-upon Minithon Guidelines are as follows:</b><br />
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1) Mini-everything! Mini snacks, mini naps, mini discussions (aka tweets, hashtag #minithon), and of course, some justification of why your reading material falls into the category of "miniature," the sillier the better.<br />
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2) Just 8 hours, beginning to end. We will begin at 8am Pacific time (that's 4pm UK, Laura!). And when we end at 4pm PT, everyone can breathe a sigh of relief at a job well done. <br />
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3) Two posts: one at the beginning-ish and one at the end! I'll be queueing mine up on Friday night because 8am on a California Saturday is for coffee, not for blogging.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613555994015659052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363617136422990352.post-48245011645260266252015-01-01T18:25:00.001-08:002017-08-23T02:18:06.163-07:00Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon<br />
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This is BOOK TWO of the Outlander series. If you care about spoilers and have not read book one [or if you have only seen the show (whyhaveyounotseentheshowjustlookathim)], you've been warned.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dragonfly-Amber-Outlander-Diana-Gabaldon/dp/0440215625/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420165940&sr=8-1&keywords=dragonfly+in+amber" target="_blank">Amazon Link</a></td></tr>
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I first read Outlander on the longest. planeride. ever. back in 2003, but somehow I didn't realize it was a series because I was in my "punk rock journalist" phase and wasn't reading books (that didn't last long, Music is loud.). So back when book 6? 7? came out, I read the whole extant series. Now that the show is happening and there's a new book out, I'm revisiting over the holidays.<br />
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Here is how you feel when you finish Outlander:<br />
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And here is what happens when you start chapter 1 of DiA:<br />
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Then you go to Goodreads or Amazon or Diana Gabaldon's website and check to see if somehow the publishers are calling any old follow-up a sequel these days, and <i>what is the language coming to?</i> But no, this is definitely book 2.<br />
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If you'd asked me before I started this re-read, I'd have said that one of the strengths of the Outlander series is how Gabaldon avoids the trap of having her characters interact with Famous People from the Past at every available opportunity. By-and-large, that's still true as far as I remember, but I had forgotten this book.<br />
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Errrrone be famous in here. It's like one of those movies with the poster full of Name Brand Actors, and I'm really glad that Gabaldon shifted away after this book. There are dukes and duchesses and Ladies of the Court, two kings (or rather, a Real King and a Boy Who Would Be King), a bunch of Highlander chieftains, and probably some other famous characters I didn't recognize. And all of them looooove Jamie and Claire. Which is fine but you have to be willing to take your disbelief and put it on a slow ship to somewhere Far Far Away (Madagascar? Sierra Leone? Rio?). I like fantasy and time travel so I am very experienced at this particular trick. Plus Jamie is an idealized man and Claire is, of course, all of us ladies who deserve an ideal husband, so of <i>course</i> everyone would simply adore them both.<br />
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This is the book where the Frasers try to change history so that the massacre at Culloden doesn't happen, and I'm a little embarrassed to say that as much of an Anglophile as I am, approximately 98.7% of my knowledge of Scottish history comes from these books; Austen, Bronte, Dickens, Gaskell, and Hardy have all failed me in this regard and should be properly ashamed of themselves. Needless to say, those of us acquainted with the Rules of Time Travel know that there are fixed points in history that have to happen, and apparently Culloden was one of them. Something something about being able to change little things but not major events, blah blah.<br />
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Most of the book is spent at the court of whichever Louis was king at that point - I've returned the book so I can't look it up - and we get some interesting observations about What Life Was Like Back Then. Mostly cold and smelly, it would seem. We also meet Fergus, who is one of my favorite characters; I have a thing for plucky orphans.<br />
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The story is crafted well enough that by the end, you've mostly forgotten the WTF moment at the beginning, so when it comes around again at the end, it's a bit of a shock. - quite the clever little device.<br />
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Outlander is great fluffy fun with a main course of Historical Fiction, and I'm thoroughly enjoying the whole thing. It is worth noting, however, that no one in these books gets the plague or sails down the river in a punt wearing a boater, so the Jury of Me is still out on whether Connie Willis still wins everything.<br />
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Just kidding. Of course Connie Willis wins everything. But the new show of Outlander has some pretty great knits in it, and also kilts.<br />
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8 out of 11 Highlanders in Full Regalia<br />
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I should also mention that I'm participating in the <u><a href="http://cannonballread.com/" target="_blank">Cannonball Read 7</a></u>'s Full Cannon for 2015, wherein I intend to read and blog about 52 books. For those of you coming over here from there, a few notes:<br />
- the alphabet tags are for the first letter of the title and the author's last name, respectively.<br />
- I use my own rating system, which shifts around somewhat but always goes to 11.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613555994015659052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363617136422990352.post-6705635352861547592014-11-22T07:30:00.000-08:002014-11-22T15:44:52.468-08:00It Is Time! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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WELCOME TO 8AM, my lovelies. Actually you're in the future; it's 12:39am as of this writing and I've been staying up FAR too late drinking (according to Minithon tradition), although this time I have a valid excuse as my German cousins are in town and there was a Gathering.<br />
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If I'm late to the Twitter, it's because I'm currently typing this with one eye firmly held shut. Rest assured I will arrive shortly with a silo of coffee and many apologies.<br />
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SNACKS! I went to Trader Joe's (bless) and picked up a multitude of mini-foods, which I fully intend to consume later:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mini carrots are for HEALTH.</td></tr>
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And my reading plan is to drink a shitload of coffee, then finish the audiobook of Gaskell's <i>Wives & Daughters</i> (of which I have less than a chapter left - a miniature amount), then to dive into the audiobook of <i>The Hobbit (</i>hobbits! Dwarves! They're all small and I am generally more appropriate and sensitive I swear<i>). </i>I've got some mid-grade children's books (mini-people!) for if I want to turn actual pages.<br />
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Turning actual pages takes effort, you guys. Minithons are not about effort, they are about <i>indulgence </i>and <strike style="font-style: italic;">excuses</strike><i> reasons </i>to eat and read whatever we want<i>.</i> Just put the literature in my ear holes and let's have no more about it. I turned down Queen Croissants because they have to proof overnight.<br />
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What are your plans? Link them below!<br />
(We've got some newcomers this time around, and welcome! Usually we'll link our initial Minithon posts, then edit that post with an update at the end and point it out in the comments below.)<br />
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And now if you'll excuse me, it's 1:01am and there is a pillow that needs to meet my face.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>UPDATE! </b></span><br />
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Darlings, it is (nearly) finished. We started off beautifully and late (thank you all for not calling me at 8am) and then we dicked around on Twitter for awhile like usual and I read all your posts and then I settled down to the last 21 minutes of Gaskell's <i>Wives & Daughters</i> which is one of my absolute favorites but was cut one chapter short by Mrs. Gaskell's literally and literarily untimely death. Listening to the final chapter is always hard for me, because Mrs. Gibson does go on and on and I wish she wouldn't quite so much so that the story could have an ending instead. But of course that's not how things actually work, and I'm always left with a<br />
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feeling. It's so good, though. And you should listen to the audiobook because it is narrated by Prunella Scales of Fawlty Towers fame and she is an utterly delightful narrator.<br />
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Then I started the audiobook of <i>The Hobbit</i> and I am very close to 2 hours in, which means I did the actual activity of reading for more than 25% of the Minithon, which is a personal best! Go me!<br />
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I also ate half of the puff pastries, all of the chicken pot pie bites (super-delicious), and am about to reward myself with a mini-ice cream cone and then probably continue to listen to <i>The Hobbit</i> and knit for the rest of the day because I can and not because there's some rule telling me I should.<br />
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Minithons are the best, even when we have to share a hashtag with some sorority doing weird face-painting stuff for no discernible reason.<br />
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So, tell me! How did you fare? Upon what did you snack? WHEN DO WE DO THIS AGAIN? (I'm thinking April.)<br />
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Well for those of you who are, IT IS TIME! Break out your comfy pajamas, kids, because it's time for a </div>
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Yes indeed. As announced last week on Twitter, this Saturday, November 22, will be what is by my count our FOURTH miniature readathon. In January, we will have been doing these for <i>two years</i>. </div>
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Look on our dedication to tiny snacks, talking about books on social media, small things in books, generally dancing around the idea of reading in any actual capacity, AND TREMBLE you 24-hour readathons with your prizes and your cheerleaders. We need none of you, for that is Too Much Effort.</div>
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We haven't done one of these for awhile because the one we planned for June went down in a fiery ball of OITNB Season 2 Release Weekend flames (see above re. too much effort...). But as far as I am aware, this weekend there are no major media events and in most of the northern hemisphere things seem to be getting rather chilly outside, so it's the perfect time to curl up with your book on your lap and your phone in your hand and tweet (#minithon) about how much you're really going to start reading any moment now.</div>
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<b>Accepted Minithon Guidelines are as follows: </b></div>
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1) Mini-everything! Mini snacks, mini naps, mini discussions (aka <i>tweets</i>), and of course, some justification of why your reading material falls into the category of "miniature," the sillier the better.</div>
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2) Just 8 hours, beginning to end. We will begin at <b>8am Pacific</b> time (that's 4pm UK, Laura!). And when we end at 4pm PT, everyone can breathe a sigh of relief at a job well done. </div>
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3) Let's keep it to only 2 posts this time around - one introductory and one to close out the 'thon - so as to leave us plenty of time for... <i>reading</i>. <a href="http://www.reading-rambo.com/2014/11/minithons-readathon-for-unmotivated.html" target="_blank"><u>Alice</u></a> has ironically proven herself the most motivated of us all and gotten a head start! </div>
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See you at 8am on Saturday, lovers! </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613555994015659052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363617136422990352.post-3274137376585133842014-08-04T20:32:00.001-07:002014-08-05T10:05:01.364-07:00How to Build a Girl: In Which We Should All Be Kind... Later<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
It's 2:17am PST on Monday morning and there are 2962 people ahead of me in the internet queue to buy tickets to see Benedict Cumberbatch in Hamlet next fall. Not coincidentally, 2962 is the number of people I currently hate. It's up substantially from an hour ago but down from 10 minutes ago, when the number was 3045.<br />
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I really like sleep, so this evening before bed I was having second thoughts about this plan to rise at 1:55, buy tickets, and fall back into bed. I texted Megs to make sure I wasn't being crazy:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the end, this was a sound plan.</td></tr>
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Anyway, let's talk about other British Things We Love, shall we? Like Caitlin Moran and her delightful novel - which you can <a href="http://www.odysseybks.com/book/9780062335975"><u>pre-order here</u></a>! - wherein we spend most of this section learning about Johanna's deflowering, her adorable relationship with Krissi, and that Caitlin proooobably suffers from cystitis much like her heroine.<br />
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In time-honored teenaged tradition, Johanna amplifies her sex life before it's an actual Sex Life. But for her, once she actually has sex - a thing that is actually at issue as to when that happens because apparently I am not up on my British slang for making out and doing it (not ONCE has the word "snog" been used) - she is ready to do it all the time, forever and always. A sensible biological impulse, I suppose, but one that clearly amuses all of the adults in the room.<br />
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(This post is taking forever. It turns out that I have the focus of a particularly manic squirrel on crack at 3:01am, and there are still 2315 people on my I Hate You All list.)<br />
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Johanna's attempts to learn more about sex are hilariously true and so, so cringe-worthy. In the days before Internet porn, brought up in a strictly religious household in a small town with one high school, I learned about sex by piecemeal. I built my own dubious library of knowledge based on Jean Auel and Jilly Cooper, with a fair bit of VC Andrews and Danielle Steele thrown in. Needless to say, reality did not match my imagination the first few times around. Perhaps if I'd had this book, I might have been better prepared for the "wait, what are you doing? Does that go there? Am I supposed to cuddle you now? Is it normal for you to fall asleep so qui-... okay I'm going to just lay here then. Can I reach my book?" realities of the relations between men and women.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LTGKbtrqbBY/U-BKbNzQTzI/AAAAAAAAB-8/EoKH6b-ymNc/s1600/Parks+and+Rec+-+Lower+Expectations.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LTGKbtrqbBY/U-BKbNzQTzI/AAAAAAAAB-8/EoKH6b-ymNc/s1600/Parks+and+Rec+-+Lower+Expectations.gif" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Please remember it's 3:45am and there are still 1564 people I hate.</td></tr>
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You can order this book <u><a href="http://www.odysseybks.com/book/9780062335975" target="_blank">here from Odyssey Books</a></u>, employer of the fabulous and ever-patient-with-me <a href="http://asthecrowefliesandreads.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><u>Emily Crowe</u></a>, who is our hostess!<br />
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EDIT: 5:15am - I no longer hate anyone and am now in possession of an email that says I have tickets. Feeling pretty damned smug right about now.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613555994015659052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363617136422990352.post-143840119601520912014-08-03T15:53:00.002-07:002014-08-04T20:31:46.567-07:00How to Build a Girl - In Which We Do Not Have Nits<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last week I had a case of the Serious Mean Reds and couldn't function beyond Work/Come Home and Watch <i>Merlin -</i> a show which has managed to keep my attention despite 1) the use of the words "okay" and "wotcha" in Camelot, 2) the costumers use of zippers and bare shoulders, and 3) the writers completely ignoring Actual Pre-Medieval Behavior Guidelines whenever it suits them.<br />
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So this week I owe you two posts, and two posts you shall have!<br />
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Okay but for serious, first you need to <u><a href="http://www.odysseybks.com/book/9780062335975" target="_blank">pre-order this book</a></u> because it is amazing. And then go thank <a href="http://asthecrowefliesandreads.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><u>Emily</u></a> for the GIF-Fest that this readalong has become.<br />
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We begin with Johanna on a plane for the first time, and this whole sequence is adorable. She recognizes a thing that never fails to surprise me, too: it's always sunny above the clouds. This is the kind of "every cloud has a silver lining" cliche that should make me crazy, but doesn't <i>because it's true</i>. Awwww.<br />
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And then she falls in Teenaged Love with a Celebrity, which is surely the worst kind of love ever and paradoxically doesn't only happen to teenagers, as evidenced by the Victorian-lass-worthy swooning I did earlier this year over a person I will never, ever meet in real life (probably for the best...). Anyway. Back to Johanna, who is at least of a proper age for this kind of thing.<br />
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This book is mostly hilarious "oh god, I remember that bit of being a teenager...::cringe::", but it's peppered with heartbreaking moments that feel familiar and... not... all at once. Johanna carefully brings her father a glass of Guinness from Ireland - one of those pre-2001 things that will absolutely confuse younger readers - and his reaction is merely, "Christ, that's flat." Christ, I would like to flatten YOU, sir. Do you not see the gesture she is trying to make? The approval she is trying to win? That she lost her father the day he fell off that building, and now she's lost her mother to post-partum depression and she's struggling in a family raised by ghosts and being a teenager is just. so. awful. already <i>you are making it worse</i> and giving me italics?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I slap you! </td></tr>
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And then, everything that Johanna feared comes to pass. Her father's benefits are being reduced, and... oh my heart. Oh, Johanna. This cannot be your fault. Caitlin couches her extremely pointed, very cogent remarks about poverty behind an extra layer of novelization - John Kite's remarks in a magazine article - but they are powerful, nonetheless. And how will Lupin ever discover who killed Laura Palmer? Spoiler: he won't. But neither will we, so you dodged that one, kid.<br />
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And now, Johanna, we need to have a sit-down discussion about your Drink of Choice. Don't worry, it'll be quick:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iqBNp8gAq6E/U9673dwhh6I/AAAAAAAAB94/524UfK1R6mo/s1600/No+Honey.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iqBNp8gAq6E/U9673dwhh6I/AAAAAAAAB94/524UfK1R6mo/s1600/No+Honey.gif" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Class dismissed.</td></tr>
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How you made it onto your train after a bottle of MD 20/20, <i>five gins</i>, and whatever else came afterward will be a matter of cognitive dissonance forever more. Was it one of those magical nights when you can drink everything in sight and not get shitfaced? Because I've had those. They're fantastic and you can't plan them or trust that they'll ever happen again. The one thing you can trust is that they will assuredly <i>not</i> be those nights in your 30s and you've waited for 3 months for all of your friends with babies to have babysitters on the same night and you finally get together. Nope.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613555994015659052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363617136422990352.post-40619700571312723972014-07-21T18:12:00.001-07:002014-07-21T18:12:21.120-07:00How to Build a Girl: In Which We All Wanted to be Dolly Wilde<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Aaaaaand we're off! Not in quite the same way as the first section - AHEM - but moving along plot-wise. Get your minds out of the hairbrush and deodorant-filled gutter.<br />
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SO! Johanna Morrigan is dead, long live Dolly Wilde! Let us pause for a moment and fondly recall 1992, when we were in our early teens and the third wave of feminism was - I say in retrospect - just getting off the ground. Grrrrls were rioting, grunge was happening, and my mother was Distinctly Unhappy with the amount of Angry Lady Singers caterwauling from my bedroom. It was an abrupt shift from the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Rodgers & Hammerstein that were previously issuing from the CD boombox I got for my birthday. I had just begged for my first set of <i>pointe </i>shoes and was fantasizing about choreographing a full ballet to <i>Little Earthquakes</i>.<br />
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What I'm trying to say is that it's hard for me to stop relating for long enough to have a coherent thought about this book.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have maybe a lot of feelings about 1992.</td></tr>
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I love Johanna and her Dolly Wilde persona. I love how she likes music whose creators she could probably take in a fight, her vulnerable relationship with her father, and her initial terror and then love of a mosh pit. I love that she thinks Smashing Pumpkins are too mopey. I laughed hysterically at her opinion of band security, having talked myself backstage a few times and thought the same thing.<br />
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So, in conclusion,<br />
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and if you're beginning to feel the same way too, you can pre-order it right here from <u><a href="http://www.odysseybks.com/book/9780062335975" target="_blank">Odyssey Books</a></u>, which is where our lovely host <u><a href="http://asthecrowefliesandreads.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Emily</a></u> works! Thanks for putting this shindig together, madam!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N1oTENy3K8o/U8228zHb08I/AAAAAAAAB78/WpyhEhgGV0M/s1600/Koala+Hug.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N1oTENy3K8o/U8228zHb08I/AAAAAAAAB78/WpyhEhgGV0M/s1600/Koala+Hug.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I luf you.</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613555994015659052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363617136422990352.post-553397190741779912014-07-14T18:54:00.002-07:002014-07-14T18:54:51.467-07:00How to Build a Girl: In Which it Takes 28 Words<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Remember last week when we didn't know about Johanna's preferred masturbatory equipment?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e-s1F5E-Bz0/U8ROKQGy96I/AAAAAAAAB4s/dWoziCUrcsQ/s1600/girl-waving-hairbrush.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e-s1F5E-Bz0/U8ROKQGy96I/AAAAAAAAB4s/dWoziCUrcsQ/s1600/girl-waving-hairbrush.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was a tenser, yet simpler time.</td></tr>
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Actually, Johanna's self-exploration is something I'm a little envious of. I grew up in a very religious household and believed with every fiber and nerve ending of my being that Jesus was watching me <i>all the time</i>, so needless to say I didn't discover the finer points of - well, anything really - until after I left home.</div>
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But with that one exception, Johanna is speaking my language. She lives in a world where most of her information is gathered from books. She researches things like Spiritual Midwifery. She is pragmatic and hopelessly naive and mixed up and more than a little in love with Gilbert Blythe. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BppbWKZ4pbw/U8R02HMZ3lI/AAAAAAAAB48/l25a8O_-O40/s1600/HJ+-+AoGG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BppbWKZ4pbw/U8R02HMZ3lI/AAAAAAAAB48/l25a8O_-O40/s1600/HJ+-+AoGG.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can start by removing that shirt...</td></tr>
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<div>
And woven in between those moments of hilarious contradiction that is a byword for adolescence, there are moments of gut-piercing truth about the pressures of growing up in an unstable home: </div>
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In later years, I can always recognize someone else who received this shot of fear at an early age... Children raised on cortisol. Children who think too fast. (41)</blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SCl-sKRa1o8/U8SHR-Av_SI/AAAAAAAAB5M/v10JGFcpzl4/s1600/Sad+Leo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SCl-sKRa1o8/U8SHR-Av_SI/AAAAAAAAB5M/v10JGFcpzl4/s1600/Sad+Leo.gif" height="141" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">That is all I have to say publicly about that. </span></td></tr>
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<div>
Because I've read the back of the book, I know that this is all leading up to Johanna's transformation into the Self that she thinks she wants to be. And because she is an odd bird, I am very much looking forward to seeing what that Self is. </div>
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You should most definitely preorder this book from <u><a href="http://www.odysseybks.com/book/9780062335975" target="_blank">this handy link right here</a></u>! Thanks to <u><a href="http://asthecrowefliesandreads.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Emily</a></u> for hosting this online shindig - once we meet up in the Caribbean, </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613555994015659052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363617136422990352.post-41099420672745541272014-07-07T19:49:00.000-07:002014-07-07T19:53:59.634-07:00How to Build A Girl: In Which We Introduce Ourselves<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://31.media.tumblr.com/efdae7e7a5f080491230ddf336a205cd/tumblr_mghozxHaiU1rrx588o1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://31.media.tumblr.com/efdae7e7a5f080491230ddf336a205cd/tumblr_mghozxHaiU1rrx588o1_500.gif" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sup?</td></tr>
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There's an embarrassing amount of internet dust on this blog. I haven't posted since <i>Bleak House</i>; how did THAT happen?!? I don't know what to say about <i>The Goldfinch</i> and <i>Frog Music</i>, you guys. And I read along with Lady Audley's Secret (mostly), but I just... didn't post.<br />
<br />
Well, if there's any book that can make me want to blog again, it'll be the new one by Caitlin Moran that you can <a href="http://www.odysseybks.com/book/9780062335975" target="_blank"><u>preorder from Odyssey Books right here</u></a>. And huge thanks to <a href="http://asthecrowefliesandreads.blogspot.com/2014/07/caitlin-moran-readalong-introductory.html#links" target="_blank"><u>Emily</u></a> for hosting this online shindig!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/91WHiKqrPcL._SL1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/91WHiKqrPcL._SL1500_.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wanted those Docs so bad when I was in high school.</td></tr>
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I've written about Caitlin on this blog <a href="http://readingthebricks.blogspot.com/2013/02/how-to-be-woman-caitlin-moran.html" target="_blank"><u>before</u></a>. In fact, I bought <i>How to Be A Woman</i> new with <i>actual dollars</i> at <i>full price </i>and not bookstore credit because I liked it and her and her Twitter feed that much. Her writing makes me want to stand up on the train where all the Silicon Valley techies are dicking around with Snapchat on their phones and say, "THIS is what feminism is! Sister Suffragette, I support you! ALAS FOR MRS. PANKHURST HAS BEEN CLAPPED IN IRONS AGAIN!" </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vq-YdxVtz1Y/U7tYnqsNxdI/AAAAAAAAB38/B-qyg_CqHyA/s1600/tumblr_lpjh6fg85z1qcm4cio1_400.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vq-YdxVtz1Y/U7tYnqsNxdI/AAAAAAAAB38/B-qyg_CqHyA/s1600/tumblr_lpjh6fg85z1qcm4cio1_400.gif" height="196" width="320" /></a></div>
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and then I would read sections of it out loud - or <i>declaim it from memory</i> - until they're all laughing and have also learned something, just like on Sesame Street but with feminism and wanking. </div>
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ANYWAY. A bit about me to begin: </div>
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- By day and sometimes by night I'm an executive assistant at a Silicon Valley start-up you've never heard of because we do investment banking... stuff. Bankers need startups too. Apparently.</div>
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- I like books and read them a lot. I like knitting and spinning and I do those things a lot too. I have serious opinions about the State of Handcrafts in this Country.</div>
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- Feminism, man, I swear to god. The more I think about it, the more I want to be independently wealthy so I can become a modern-day Alice Paul. She probably knitted, right? </div>
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Okay, Cat-lin. Here we go. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wf3zQ8puJRI/U7tdDu9KAOI/AAAAAAAAB4I/LLoVd4VUMzw/s1600/RuPaul+-+Dont+F+It+Up.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wf3zQ8puJRI/U7tdDu9KAOI/AAAAAAAAB4I/LLoVd4VUMzw/s1600/RuPaul+-+Dont+F+It+Up.gif" height="220" width="320" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613555994015659052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363617136422990352.post-47665227920687433282014-03-18T20:10:00.002-07:002014-03-18T20:10:34.713-07:00BleakAlong - Post the Finalmente<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GSimfp-UTec/UvE_fQ47VII/AAAAAAAABw4/Ozl741s3a6k/s1600/bleak+house1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GSimfp-UTec/UvE_fQ47VII/AAAAAAAABw4/Ozl741s3a6k/s1600/bleak+house1.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
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Every time we finish a readalong, The Doors "This is the End" plays in my head the whole time I'm writing my final post. It's very distracting, especially because for most of my young life I was pretty sure that Val Kilmer <i>was</i> Jim Morrison and that is a very handsome movie poster, I tell you what. Have I mentioned this before? Possibly.<br />
<br />
Anyway. Part of the reason I was behind most of the readalong is that I was listening to the audiobook, which is approximately 548 hours long. I enjoy audiobooks immensely because they allow me to pursue two hobbies at once (reading and knitting, or reading and spinning, or reading and eating...), but they do slow down my Goodreads challenge. Last night I went to bed with 3 chapters (two hours!) left, so I gave in and read the last ~50 pages in the paperback that Amanda sent me for our Secret Santa, and I am SO glad I did because the afterword to this edition is <i>delightful</i>. Elizabeth McCracken is a Dickens fangirl whose first sentence to her afterword apologizes to the reader for encountering an afterword at all following roughly 1000 pages of novel.<br />
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Not to mention that the <a href="http://elizabethmccracken.com/" target="_blank">splash page</a> on her website is delightful.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wsMJkUsNJGw/UykELjo2GvI/AAAAAAAABzM/XUWQri7i4VA/s1600/giphy-2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wsMJkUsNJGw/UykELjo2GvI/AAAAAAAABzM/XUWQri7i4VA/s1600/giphy-2.gif" height="176" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salute the McCracken.</td></tr>
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How are we feeling now that mostly everyone we didn't like ::cough Skimpole cough:: and a few people we did - POOR JO - are dead?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1rOH71_RUXc/UFaBxS6x0gI/AAAAAAAABXk/J_-ge-3F_No/s1600/Arsenic+and+Old+Lace+Really.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1rOH71_RUXc/UFaBxS6x0gI/AAAAAAAABXk/J_-ge-3F_No/s1600/Arsenic+and+Old+Lace+Really.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They had <strike>nothing</strike> to do with it.</td></tr>
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I had a shouty moment when Esther turned Woodcourt down and I was prepared to be Very Upset Indeed, but Jarndyce made the right decision - some might say unlike Dickens himself later in life - and while I dislike the idea that Esther was his to reward Woodcourt with, I support the final outcome of Esther being happy and loved for who she is.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U3BVCVpQ0HE/UykGzk2LFaI/AAAAAAAABzY/xngLms65_EM/s1600/tumblr_mipcmqew8n1r7ex9oo1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U3BVCVpQ0HE/UykGzk2LFaI/AAAAAAAABzY/xngLms65_EM/s1600/tumblr_mipcmqew8n1r7ex9oo1_500.gif" height="144" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You know who never calls Esther "Dame Durden"? Woodcourt.</td></tr>
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We're gonna circle back to the birdcage theme for a second - remember that one from way back when? - to just mention that Miss Flyte names all her birds and probably has to recite them in order every night like Arya Stark, and with all the Ashes and Penitences and Wards in Jarndyces, she has a bird named Spinach. Bless you, Miss Flyte.<br />
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And bless YOU, Charles Dickens, on behalf of all the Volumnias of the world, with our spare little drops and feeble prismatic twinkling. You rapscallion, you brimstone bogtrotter, you brilliant and ginormous tool.<br />
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It's not your fault that sometimes in my head I get you mixed up with Charles Darwin.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613555994015659052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363617136422990352.post-27367963132907153582014-03-04T13:16:00.001-08:002014-03-04T13:16:52.142-08:00BleakAlong - Post the Fifth: There Be Italics Ahead<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Against all odds, the Oscars Movie Party on Saturday, the Oscars themselves on Sunday, and a dear friend's breakup today which necessitated an hour-and-a-half phone call to get all the details and express an appropriate amount of "what the fuck is that guy's problem?!?," I have <i>caught up on Bleak House</i> you guys.<br />
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And boy am I glad I did, because what the what is going on right now? NICE WORK ALICE in choosing where we've been ending up.<br />
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Until the fateful lack of clocks warning Tulkinghorn about his impending doom,<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2pjqSbq87zQ/UxVh2VTttpI/AAAAAAAAByM/Cw2Ot8JfEaI/s1600/Cogsworth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2pjqSbq87zQ/UxVh2VTttpI/AAAAAAAAByM/Cw2Ot8JfEaI/s1600/Cogsworth.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">way to go, pal...</td></tr>
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I spent most of this week's chapters thinking about who in this story are the villains and who are the heroes. Which ones are the worst/best, respectively? This ended up being mostly made up of a list of Who I Like Best in descending order. Dickens is doing an admirable job of directing our attention toward Ada and Richard, who at the outset seem to be the heroes of the piece. Ada is obviously the ingenue and Richard (can I call him Dick? Yes let's do) is the person who<strike> thinks he</strike> loves her so he must be the hero, right?<br />
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No. Primarily because <strike>we</strike> I don't like Ada in any role except Esther's darling and that Dick is... pigheaded and stupid, shall we say. I submit to you instead that the true heroes of the piece are Esther and Alan (Allan? I'm listening to the audiobook). While I know in my Tumblr-addled soul that Esther and Ada need to end up together, I was pleased by Alan comforting Esther about her looks <i>when no one has done that yet</i> areyoufuckingkiddingme?!?<br />
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Villain: Harold Skimpole.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QBRk-pPT-nQ/UxVmOlLehXI/AAAAAAAAByY/ppu1X0XmeqM/s1600/Hiddleston+Villain.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QBRk-pPT-nQ/UxVmOlLehXI/AAAAAAAAByY/ppu1X0XmeqM/s1600/Hiddleston+Villain.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For I am such a child, don't you see. AND CHILDREN CAN'T BE TRUSTED.</td></tr>
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Lord he's just <i>so</i> awful and managed to snow everyone into believing him and I'm screaming internally like Leo at the Oscars (don't get me started but also Glenn Close and Gary Oldman have also not won Oscars so a little perspective please tumblr). Arrrggghhhhh.<br />
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And then there's Jo and I couldn't help but picture Dickens chuckling to himself about how affecting this death scene will be and how the ladies would just cry <i>buckets</i> of tears over poor Jo and his caaaaaa-*sniffle*-aaart.<br />
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There's a lot of death in this book, you guys. At least Lady Dedlock's secret is safe! Who shot Tulkinghorn? It definitely wasn't me, although I did harbor a suspicion that Tulkinghorn had a <i>frisson</i> for our Lady.<br />
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Poor Esther. I want to shake her and yell that NOTHING in this book is her fault and WHERE ARE THE ACTUAL ADULTS this book is peopled by children much like Frozen (<i>also</i> don't get me started). And then I will stride around London and Chesney Wold and administer slaps. To <i>everyone</i>. Asking Esther to marry you, indeed. BAH.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613555994015659052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363617136422990352.post-65388272607129682762014-02-24T21:14:00.000-08:002014-02-24T21:14:11.340-08:00BleakAlong - Post the Fourth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well well well. Here we are in week FOUR, which if you all recall was originally when we were supposed to be <i>completely finished </i>with this amazing Bleak House readalong.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qV8Sj2AjK5k/UwwWiZxmBTI/AAAAAAAABx4/Q640IQRz2_8/s1600/Hiddleston+Laughing.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qV8Sj2AjK5k/UwwWiZxmBTI/AAAAAAAABx4/Q640IQRz2_8/s1600/Hiddleston+Laughing.gif" height="209" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I have a few things I'd like to discuss. Firstly, as much as I like Charley and want her to have a good life, I'm really supremely unhappy that it was Esther who got the ugly end of whatever mysterious illness they both came down with. Did she really deserve that, Dickens? No she did not. So why does it happen to her? I don't think necessarily that Dickens would have been on board with our working "so Woodcourt wouldn't love her and she would be free to live with Ada for the rest of her life" theory. But you never know.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GUd2fwhvXo0/UwwRQYj1XAI/AAAAAAAABxY/N2AOcUm3G6A/s1600/scrubs.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GUd2fwhvXo0/UwwRQYj1XAI/AAAAAAAABxY/N2AOcUm3G6A/s1600/scrubs.gif" height="263" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Also, 1850's germ theory: the era of We Haven't <i>Quite</i> Figured This Out, Have We?)</span></span></td></tr>
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And then Boythorn is super-awesome and offers Esther his house to rattle around in, which is not at all a plot device to get Esther closer to Lady Dedlock, nosiree. It's just him being cheerful and nice and not at all creepy like the other jolly fat guy who likes animals.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HzQjxTB0BBQ/UwwWHeXV_YI/AAAAAAAABxw/i6tgdru-gz4/s1600/Santas+a+Robot.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HzQjxTB0BBQ/UwwWHeXV_YI/AAAAAAAABxw/i6tgdru-gz4/s1600/Santas+a+Robot.gif" height="145" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plot twist!</td></tr>
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So last week I was really behind and missed the spontaneous combustion bit, and Alice and I discussed it yesterday and there's the moment where Guppy and Weevil <i>nee</i> Jobling are falling all over themselves to get out of Krook's room, and I couldn't stop picturing them as these two:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vbg5U-HHuGk/UwwUFFzgioI/AAAAAAAABxk/jV6UkcscyMI/s1600/iCDrsvt.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vbg5U-HHuGk/UwwUFFzgioI/AAAAAAAABxk/jV6UkcscyMI/s1600/iCDrsvt.gif" height="160" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guppy and Jobling, respectively.</td></tr>
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which led to a conversation about dream casting for Bleak House. Shall we have at it to cover up that I'm STILL<span style="font-size: x-small;"> three chapters behind</span>? YES LET'S DO.<br />
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Who would you cast?!?<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613555994015659052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363617136422990352.post-31875160311985183052014-02-18T05:00:00.000-08:002014-02-18T05:00:02.086-08:00BleakAlong: Post the Second-and-Third<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I can't even believe you guys are still reading this book. I mean, the characters are all bland and the story is boring. Also<a href="http://themollyweather.wordpress.com/pick-me-ups-put-me-downs/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Lolita needed to go further into the "juicy stuff."</a><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XZJjp9AI0Pk/UvkpJLSTK7I/AAAAAAAABxE/qvZ7rFO8u6Y/s1600/Megan+Fox+-+Bitch+Get+Out.gif" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XZJjp9AI0Pk/UvkpJLSTK7I/AAAAAAAABxE/qvZ7rFO8u6Y/s1600/Megan+Fox+-+Bitch+Get+Out.gif" height="164" width="320" /></a></div>
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Can we talk about the SUPREMELY DISMAL parenting going on in this book? I am fairly sure that it's on purpose, given Dickens's first examples of motherhood are 1) the horrible godmother/aunt 2) Mrs. Jellyby and 3) Mrs. Pardiggle.<br />
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And then we have Mr. Turveydrop, whose deportment is the envy of us all I am sure, but sir,<br />
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Although while he's a trial to everyone around him and will expect Caddy and Prince to wait on him hand and foot until he expires in a cloud of lavender water, he's not as emotionally manipulative as the horrid Mrs. Jellyby being snide and ridiculous and so dismissive of her daughter and the things she wants. PARENTING, you guys. I know it's not easy but seriously, get your shit together. And you, Rick. Yeesh.<br />
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Mrs Rachel from back-in-the-day is Mrs. Chadband? Ugh he is so gross and his utterly nonsensical "sermons" give me the giggles.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"When this young heathen now among us - who is now, my friends, asleep..."</blockquote>
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Hah. But I love how Dickens just throws the detail of the Chadbands in as if it's not important - she just walks up in the middle of an unrelated chapter and is all, "hey, remember me? I made your childhood a living hell. Also I married a guy you don't yet know you hate. Peace."<br />
<br />
I'm sure <i>that</i> won't come back around later. Anyway, the bird imagery continues, have you noticed? And Hortense comes in and begs Esther for a job but does it in a very interesting manner. The kind of manner where she promises to do anything... she's very hot-blooded being from France, you know... she'll take care of Esther better than anyone could ever...<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613555994015659052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363617136422990352.post-65416796712459000372014-02-07T05:00:00.000-08:002014-02-07T05:00:11.286-08:00The Girl who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There - Catherynne M. Valente<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sometimes you finish a book that was ohhhhhkay and you feel like all the good books were written in the past, and you're so woebegone that you ignore the somewhat glaring inconsistency that by definition ALL published books were written in the past.<br />
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<br />
"Books today," you think, "are just not what they used to be. I'm going to go back to classics and books with dragons on the covers.*"<br />
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And then you feel very smug with yourself and pick up this slim novel by Catherynne M. Valente, promising yourself that it's nothing but Brontes and Dickens and Collins after this because at least they weren't writing to be able to sell movie rights. This is when Valente - who is a year younger than you, what have you been doing with your life?!? - takes you by your smug nose and teaches an object lesson in Creative Writing.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
Chapter 1: Exuent in a Rowboat, Pursued by Crows</blockquote>
Valente's imagination should be a national treasure. Her work is full of the details that make Oz and Wonderland such indelible places.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Once upon a time, a girl named September had a secret."</blockquote>
This is the second book in the The Girl Who series, which I'm sure has a better, more proper name but who cares about that. The point is, in theory you've already read the first book or at least heard its title, which is <i>The Girl who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making.</i> Thus it is not a spoiler to tell you that September's secret is that she has been to Fairyland before, and it's not much of a spoiler to tell you that - much like the rest of us would if <i>we</i> had been September - she spent a large portion of her time thinking about how to get back.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Now, secrets are delicate things. They can fill you up with sweetness and leave you like a cat who has found a particularly fat sparrow to eat and did not get clawed or bitten even once while she was about it."</blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zrbbgRpQzSI/Uu6294a8j-I/AAAAAAAABvs/pEaPmwtIBXo/s1600/High+Five+Cat.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zrbbgRpQzSI/Uu6294a8j-I/AAAAAAAABvs/pEaPmwtIBXo/s1600/High+Five+Cat.gif" height="204" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice job, Puss.</td></tr>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
But they can also get stuck inside you, and very slowly boil up your bones for their bitter soup. So we may be very glad that September had the better of her secret...</blockquote>
Those are some Trufax <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(TM)</span>, you guys, and it's only page 1. Observe page 180, if you please:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Wit laughed, which for a crow is a loud, rough sound. Crows look down a bit on birds that make pretty, trilling sounds. <i>Pandering to humans</i>, they say. <i>Just shameless</i>.</blockquote>
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I gobbled this book up and ordered the third one from the library, tout de suite.<br />
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10.5 out of 11 Mazes that wouldn't be caught dead without a minotaur. It's not done!<br />
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*Can we please have a moment of silence for Anne McCaffrey, without whom I would probably not be here - either as a writer or as a reader of books. Pern is a much beloved mark on my soul, and if the future doesn't bring me a fire lizard then <i>what, </i>I ask you,<i> is science even for?</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613555994015659052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363617136422990352.post-10551363497963043892014-02-04T05:00:00.000-08:002014-02-04T11:29:07.788-08:00BleakAlong: Post the First<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, here we are in the first week of the #BleakAlong and I've managed to make it through ALL the reading!<br />
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This will not last, so I intend to celebrate while I can.<br />
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Okay, so far this book is about contrasts, yes? There's the excruciatingly obvious Mrs. Pardiggle vs. Mrs. Jellyby, whose husbands should <i>absolutely</i> have dinner together, Esther. And then there's Chetney Wold vs. Bleak House, and the different areas of London, and how the Chancery differs from the real world...<br />
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But there are some things I HAVE to talk to you about: are we established and all on board that Esther and Ada are as queer as a three-dollar bill? Poor Mr. Guppy and his awkward proposal.<br />
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<span id="goog_1277874517"></span>
GOOD; more on that later.<br />
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But first I want to talk about the wallpapers in this book. Ada's bedroom at Bleak House is full of flowered things - the wallpaper, the upholstery, everything. Is it because she is Virgin in this tale, Mr. Dickens? No need to whack us over the head with that one. Then there's Esther's room, with the hard working people on the walls, making hay and whatnot, because she'll be the housekeeper you see. Without any training I might add - Dickens, that's a stretch. But the description of the sitting room is what made me sit up (hah) and take notice. It's papered with <b>birds</b>. Birds, who represent freedom and innocence, but whose song - <i>like the birds of the mad old lady at Crook's shop</i> - is silenced, in the case of this room, forever.. Is this a hint to us that the Jarndyce judgement will never come down, or that it might not be everything it's cracked up to be once Chancery has its way?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close readings are the best.</td></tr>
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Are you as weirded out by Boythorn as I am? Alice pointed out that <i>Bleak House</i> predates <i>The Woman in White</i>, but it doesn't change the fact that I met Count Fosco first and therefore will never again fully trust a giant, overblown man who has a strange way with the beasts of the field. And I submit to you, my friends, that Wilkie thought there was something creepy about it too, which could be why the two characters resemble each other.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The exception that proves the rule.</td></tr>
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There's so much <i>stuff</i> in here, you guys! We could do a week per chapter and I'd STILL fill up 2 pages of notes.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613555994015659052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363617136422990352.post-75038319849602504082014-01-11T07:50:00.000-08:002014-01-11T17:57:29.426-08:00MINI-EVERYTHING<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Welcome, one and all, to our celebration-lette of everything we love about spending the whole day in our pajamas <strike>tweeting</strike> reading and eating large amounts of tiny foods! Except it's not the <i>whole</i> day because that's too taxing, so let's just do 8 hours, shall we? Everyone gets one nap. Maybe two.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P75byvAcvGs/UtBvScDxpgI/AAAAAAAABt4/TORDSGC8w8g/s1600/Sleeping+Kitten.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P75byvAcvGs/UtBvScDxpgI/AAAAAAAABt4/TORDSGC8w8g/s1600/Sleeping+Kitten.gif" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Okay, three. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
SO, what are you eating? Show me your minifoods! Here's what I've got so far:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2806/11879262446_59e0e7786d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2806/11879262446_59e0e7786d.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plus some mini-carrots but who cares about vegetables on Minithon Day?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Except that it's 8am on a Saturday after I put in a Very Serious Week at work, so my food right now consists of a cup of coffee - the size of which has absolutely zero to do with smallness.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/Nl7nQn4.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/Nl7nQn4.gif" height="149" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">Caffeinate first. Eat later. Everyone lives.</span></td></tr>
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And then there are my books! To be frank, I've been tearing my way through Scott Lynch's Gentleman Bastards series and it's difficult to come up with a way in which these ~700 page books about an orphan-turned-master-thief are mini. What's that you ask? Was he a <strike>child</strike> mini-human when the series began?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pmz49wfxA_o/UOiza37ZUOI/AAAAAAAABes/fWLVqKNPmm0/s1600/Success.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pmz49wfxA_o/UOiza37ZUOI/AAAAAAAABes/fWLVqKNPmm0/s1600/Success.gif" height="168" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nailed it.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>UPDATE THE FIRST:</b></span><br />
<br />
We made it through the first tradition of the Minithon, which is spending the first 1-2 hours talking on the internet about how we're not reading yet and (for those of us in earlier time zones) sucking down caffeine until our humanity emerges.<br />
<br />
I got up from my chair about an hour ago to grab some crackers and chocolate-covered toffee popcorn (damn you Trader Joes...) and put my flannel sheets in the wash to keep myself from napping, which turned out to be a genius move. I'm <strike>prissy</strike> civilized about where I sleep, so no napping in a bed without sheets or on the couch for me unless shit is DIRE.<br />
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Round about 10am CA time, I poured myself some more coffee and a bowl of cereal, then settled down to <i>Republic of Thieves</i> by Scott Lynch (book 3 of the Gentlemen Bastards series). Back in 2010, I charged through the first book, <i>The Lies of Locke Lamora</i>, like a knight winning a joust, not knowing that it was going to be a series. Imagine my delight when, four years later, I discovered that TWO MORE BOOKS had been published and I'd forgotten enough of the details to make a re-read of book 1 a requirement.<br />
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So, that's what I'm doing right now. I've got about 150 pages to go, so I may not get anything else started this 'Thon, but that's juuuust fine with me.<br />
<br />
What are you gals up to? What have you eaten? I'm considering going downstairs to heat the oven and eat some of those mini chicken tamalitos...<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>UPDATE THE SECOND: </b></span><br />
<br />
We are finished with the Third Ever Minithon and I'm the LAST person to update because directly after my first update I did indeed make chicken tamalitos and some other mini-foods and then took a shower and then made my bed because my sheets were dry and crashed. the. fuck. out.<br />
<br />
Now I am up and make-upped and my BFF will be here shortly and we're going to meet our other BFF for dinner on a gift certificate so today, over all, will be a Banner Day.<br />
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Thank you ALL for joining me in this best of excuses to read and eat all day! Let's do it again in the summer, ok?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SuGovtUMl2k/UtH2RkqckTI/AAAAAAAABuY/LdeefbDC3nE/s1600/Bruce-Banner-Tony-Stark-dr-bruce-banner-31351427-245-245.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SuGovtUMl2k/UtH2RkqckTI/AAAAAAAABuY/LdeefbDC3nE/s1600/Bruce-Banner-Tony-Stark-dr-bruce-banner-31351427-245-245.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Any time, Bruce.</td></tr>
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<script src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/autolink.php?mode=standard&owner=Tikabelle&postid=10Jan2014d" type="text/javascript"></script>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613555994015659052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363617136422990352.post-33665877155253825502013-12-31T12:10:00.000-08:002013-12-31T12:11:10.359-08:00Auld Lang Syne, the 2013 Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;">2012 was an emotional clusterfuck, but it brought me some serious Character Building moments, not to mention YOU, my beloved book blogging friends.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nsruqRQdhzA/UsMQoWD3hcI/AAAAAAAABrA/mTYHyHIIbIM/s1600/ch890719.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="201" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nsruqRQdhzA/UsMQoWD3hcI/AAAAAAAABrA/mTYHyHIIbIM/s640/ch890719.gif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love not camping.</td></tr>
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My friend <u><a href="http://www.betterthanyarn.com/" target="_blank">Jasmin</a></u> chooses words every year to focus her ambitions, and I've been joining her in this endeavor since 2009. She's a very skilled knitter (and mother and friend), so usually our words have to do with our mutual textile obsession and are then expanded into the rest of our lives. 2012's emotional rollercoaster meant that I hadn't knitted for almost a year, so for 2013 I had just one word: Heal. I've done a lot of that, as well as a lot of growing. Now, in 2014, I'm ready for some new words, and those are: </div>
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Do What Scares You. </div>
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For textiles, this means tackling the projects I've avoided - sweaters because I'm afraid they won't fit, finishing big projects because what if they turn out awful? (they're never awful), trading/selling the stashed yarn I no longer have a taste for, and learning to spin with more regularity, intention, and control. </div>
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In life, this means being bolder about my choices.</div>
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But it's still 2013 for 12 more hours! Did I do awesome stuff this year? Yes. I went to some swanky parties, moved into what promises to be an awesome living situation, traveled a bunch, got <i>much</i> better at my job, and lived pretty excellently. Is it time for a photo montage? I THINK SO. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7JFaLrvUlUQ/UsMTU3BhFAI/AAAAAAAABrM/7S1--jPIK1w/s1600/Wine+Drinking+2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7JFaLrvUlUQ/UsMTU3BhFAI/AAAAAAAABrM/7S1--jPIK1w/s320/Wine+Drinking+2013.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My mom and I honored her mother's passing appropriately.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lvU6v4UG7Sg/UsMTof9HWRI/AAAAAAAABrc/_Vn8-vsGCdg/s1600/Megs+and+Tika+2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lvU6v4UG7Sg/UsMTof9HWRI/AAAAAAAABrc/_Vn8-vsGCdg/s320/Megs+and+Tika+2013.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Megs and I hung out TWICE! (Alice and KAO and I hung out too, but there are no pictures of us?!?)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kgPo5ImbUiw/UsMTU5GSwmI/AAAAAAAABrQ/2L1bUlgDiME/s1600/Family+in+Chicago+2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kgPo5ImbUiw/UsMTU5GSwmI/AAAAAAAABrQ/2L1bUlgDiME/s320/Family+in+Chicago+2013.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My brothers and I (plus Heather!) visited my Grandma Alicia twice as well.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pNdYEo-cY0w/UsMY76mcW6I/AAAAAAAABsg/V60J85P96tk/s1600/photo-6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pNdYEo-cY0w/UsMY76mcW6I/AAAAAAAABsg/V60J85P96tk/s320/photo-6.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I spent quality Tweedle Hunting time withe the Best Nieces</td></tr>
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And then there were the BOOKISH things! The formation of the GIF Admiration Society, two utterly delightful Minithons that led up to Dewey's 24-hour Readathon in October, and innumerable hilarious discussions about books, authors, shipping, and Life-in-General via gChat. ANOTHER MONTAGE:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qqAMxdBK3Uc/UsMbUwYbNCI/AAAAAAAABtI/lxNqSMnByD0/s1600/photo-7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qqAMxdBK3Uc/UsMbUwYbNCI/AAAAAAAABtI/lxNqSMnByD0/s320/photo-7.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long live the Potteralong.</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CgEmf0PbEoI/UsMZM9tQ8zI/AAAAAAAABsw/lqz4U4RUmds/s1600/photo-5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CgEmf0PbEoI/UsMZM9tQ8zI/AAAAAAAABsw/lqz4U4RUmds/s320/photo-5.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">I kissed a handsome man.</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o0gZSx2DXzI/UsMZMXI1e8I/AAAAAAAABso/O9uHSBXGV-I/s1600/photo-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o0gZSx2DXzI/UsMZMXI1e8I/AAAAAAAABso/O9uHSBXGV-I/s320/photo-3.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Rainbow Rowell is adorable.</td></tr>
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AND:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O-UQXc6OPnI/UsMb3XKjkAI/AAAAAAAABtU/3Nl2k86MrHk/s1600/2013+Book+Stats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="127" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O-UQXc6OPnI/UsMb3XKjkAI/AAAAAAAABtU/3Nl2k86MrHk/s400/2013+Book+Stats.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zsVLCC7csYg/UsMdsq9_1LI/AAAAAAAABtg/hqgN03ZAIWg/s1600/goooooooal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="143" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zsVLCC7csYg/UsMdsq9_1LI/AAAAAAAABtg/hqgN03ZAIWg/s200/goooooooal.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></td></tr>
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Let's do this, 2014.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613555994015659052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363617136422990352.post-51222008186820045352013-12-30T12:52:00.002-08:002014-01-03T12:43:03.824-08:00(On January 11) It Will Be That Time AgainIt has been a YEAR since our first Minithon! Can you believe that? Obviously we're going to celebrate in accepted GIF Admiration Society style: with another Minithon.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5Kr7BzzJNFY/Ue8KObJyZ-I/AAAAAAAABhg/GcOIKlEiLiw/s1600/MiniThon+No+Date.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="234" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5Kr7BzzJNFY/Ue8KObJyZ-I/AAAAAAAABhg/GcOIKlEiLiw/s320/MiniThon+No+Date.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Standard "rules" apply:<br />
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1) Books (and snacks) should have the theme of "mini." What does that mean to you? Be ready to tell us! The more of a stretch the better, especially since we're going to be reading all day and that's the only kind of stretching we're into.<br />
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2) Hashtag #minithon on Twitter, which none of us will be on because we will be reading, right? Right.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LQVRHK_Rsoc/Uec2kEQkJHI/AAAAAAAABhM/xt6rJzkryL0/s1600/Who+Smug.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LQVRHK_Rsoc/Uec2kEQkJHI/AAAAAAAABhM/xt6rJzkryL0/s1600/Who+Smug.gif" /></a></div>
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<br />
3) Plan for a starting, mid-thon, and wrap-up post. Unless we decide to bail on the mid-thon one because we were all ignoring "rule" #2 and napping because mini-snacks go down so easily.<br />
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So grab your mini-themed books, your threadbare excuses, and your mini-snacks; we're a go on Saturday January 11 at 8:00am*, Pacific time for eight WHOLE HOURS. Is there anything I've missed?<br />
Sign up here!
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*Megs and I are the only people in this glorious California time zone and most of you have been agitating for an earlier start time because you want us to be undercaffeinated, you <i>selfish things</i>. What time is good for you? [edit: starting at 8am since no one complained. Whew!]Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613555994015659052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363617136422990352.post-84950912724257436192013-12-27T13:00:00.000-08:002013-12-27T13:00:01.875-08:00The Bone Season - Samantha Shannon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Cd6lXHSzhw/Ur3Y6ZEdrZI/AAAAAAAABqQ/1BSHROCZULQ/s1600/Shannon+-+Bone+Season.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Cd6lXHSzhw/Ur3Y6ZEdrZI/AAAAAAAABqQ/1BSHROCZULQ/s1600/Shannon+-+Bone+Season.jpeg" /></a></div>
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So you all know I have A Thing about debut authors and how their books are generally... <a href="http://readingthebricks.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-sleepy-hollow-family-almanac-kris.html" target="_blank">not so great</a>. That's not to say that they won't get better, of course, and if your first novel is the best thing you ever produce and your name is neither Harper Lee or Margaret Mitchell, I'm going to be pretty sad for you.<br />
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Maybe the thing that irritates me the most about these debuts is the superlatives that are used on the dust jackets. If someone's first work is stunning, gorgeous, groundbreaking, and phenomenal; where do they go from there? That's a lot of pressure! Especially when people are calling you the next JK Rowling because you're young, English, blonde, and (to be fair) a pretty talented wordsmith at 23.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SdkluMrLqAw/Ur3n1Nun9VI/AAAAAAAABqg/BjLZ945y7eM/s1600/Sherlock+Eyebrow.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="177" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SdkluMrLqAw/Ur3n1Nun9VI/AAAAAAAABqg/BjLZ945y7eM/s200/Sherlock+Eyebrow.gif" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Correlation vs. causation, my dear Watson.</td></tr>
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Now, don't get me wrong: <i>The Bone Season</i> is a grand ol' time and I not only enjoyed it thoroughly, I also look forward to reading more of Ms. Shannon's work while I weep in the corner about how I've done nothing with my life and young whippersnappers are published authors. But she's no JK, and <i>The Bone Season</i> is not "the next Harry Potter," so kindly ignore all that stupid hype.<br />
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The world Shannon has created is a kind of neo-Victorian clairvoyant <i>Brave New World</i> (although that's also one of my favorite books so y'know - also not the next Aldous Huxley, yadda yadda). It's got a whiff of <i>Neverwhere</i> about it, as well as some <i>Soylent Green</i>.<br />
<br />
Paige is a clairvoyant in a London that diverged from ours around 200 years ago, when Edward VII went crazy at a dinner table, killed 5 people, and thus unleashed the clairvoyant curse on some of the population. The government operates as something of a junta, and most voyants have either joined the underground crime syndicate or sold out to the government for safety and work as terriers, sniffing out the illegal voyants. And of course Paige's strain of voyancy is special if not unique, and of course she doesn't know <i>exactly</i> how to use it. Clearly she needs a mentor.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vq78UwWBLHs/Ur3pKdY6j6I/AAAAAAAABqs/SWypd7mWb9g/s1600/miyagi-o.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vq78UwWBLHs/Ur3pKdY6j6I/AAAAAAAABqs/SWypd7mWb9g/s320/miyagi-o.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You could just use honey, Mr. Miyagi, but whatevs.</td></tr>
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There are twists and turns and Shannon does an excellent job of doling out information in just the right doses to intrigue her readers. There are some inconsistencies, and the pacing isn't super-refined. But I expect that she'll develop into a pretty phenomenal author if she can avoid the trap of writing novels in order to make movies, and it's all pretty engaging, especially if you threw it into you library request list without knowing anything about it except a vague feeling of "I heard this was good and maybe saw it on my goodreads feed."<br />
<br />
7.5 out of 11 Ribbons for Dangling from in a Circus Act that No One WatchesAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613555994015659052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363617136422990352.post-22545898635104138862013-12-02T04:30:00.000-08:002013-12-02T21:43:13.189-08:00Missives from MexicoHellooooo! After seventeen only somewhat grueling hours of travel, I arrived in Cancun, Mexico, where my life was ROUGH, let me tell you.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5AJ3swZtr28/Up1p3nTQh-I/AAAAAAAABpc/M95M4LS9Qps/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5AJ3swZtr28/Up1p3nTQh-I/AAAAAAAABpc/M95M4LS9Qps/s320/photo+1.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So rough.</td></tr>
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I had a bit of a family emergency in the days before I arrived and ended up taking a quick 4-day trip to rural Illinois, where my grandmother was suffering from septicemia (/shudder). Thank goodness we're not living in a post-antibiotic world... yet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UYrVqAiRzLY/Up1qCRC-IVI/AAAAAAAABps/JX-W4qZ2XMk/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UYrVqAiRzLY/Up1qCRC-IVI/AAAAAAAABps/JX-W4qZ2XMk/s320/photo+3.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My brother and I are genetically incapable of taking a normal picture, but Grandma is doing fine! </td></tr>
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<br />
ANYWAY. I got home at 11:30pm on Monday and left again for work at 9am on Tuesday, so there wasn't a lot of time for the languid "what shall I take to read?" decisions I had been anticipating. So instead of making a decision, I just threw all of the library books I'd checked out to "test" into my suitcase and figured I'd sort it out when I got here:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0MrptCPpoIY/Up1p9TOvVtI/AAAAAAAABpk/eVozViua2D0/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0MrptCPpoIY/Up1p9TOvVtI/AAAAAAAABpk/eVozViua2D0/s320/photo+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
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It's moments like this that make me grateful that international flights often allow one free checked bag. No carrying 25# of books across four time zones for this girl! But I did manage to do quite a bit of knitting and listening to the third James Herriott book during my layovers, as well as to start and finish the utterly delightful <i>The River of No Return</i> by the Bee Ridgway.<br />
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Like <a href="http://www.booksidoneread.com/" target="_blank">Raych</a>, I was somewhat disdainful of the idea that I could thoroughly enjoy a time travel book that didn't involve the plague or the Blitz. But this book was wonderful.<br />
<br />
So, Nick is a lordling fighting for Wellington in Spain, and in the heat of battle gets jumped forward to 2003, where he is picked up by The Guild, whose job it is to monitor people who jump from one time into another. He spends 10 years settling in to rural Vermont on the Guild's dime, then gets a summons from his Alderwoman, who has some revelations for him.<br />
<br />
Then there's Julia, who grew up (in 1815) with her craggy grandfather, the Earl of Dorchester. But he passes away, leaving her in the hands of his successor, who is a total dick and also probably nuts.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TE1MF_uGESI/Up1uf4PRYdI/AAAAAAAABp4/XQSWhigm264/s1600/Sound+of+Music+-+What.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="140" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TE1MF_uGESI/Up1uf4PRYdI/AAAAAAAABp4/XQSWhigm264/s320/Sound+of+Music+-+What.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Captain is pretty sure this is a terrible idea.</td></tr>
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There are funny bits and surprising bits and a few naughty bits and the cover is gorgeous. Some of the characters that you think are for comic relief aren't, and the other way 'round. Ridgway leads the reader by the nose from one revelation to the next, and there were moments where I said, "HAH!" out loud in the airport or on the beach, then looked around furtively to see if anyone noticed.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://31.media.tumblr.com/a034cf07dde9c888d305a77825ce3a1c/tumblr_mkom23XNxy1r4zr2vo1_r1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="172" src="http://31.media.tumblr.com/a034cf07dde9c888d305a77825ce3a1c/tumblr_mkom23XNxy1r4zr2vo1_r1_500.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few people noticed.</td></tr>
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<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />
The story spins out gorgeously. And it deals with cultural changes that we avid readers of historical fiction aren't always exposed to; I found myself thinking more carefully about my own assumptions and prejudices, and how they may seem absurd 200 years from now.<br />
<br />
Good books make you think, regardless of what genre they get filed under.<br />
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I jumped straight from this to a Georgette Heyer and I'm disappointed in the Heyer because there's no time travel. That's how delightful this was.<br />
<br />
10 out of 11 Secret Cupolas on Top of the Mansion<br />
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(Since I know you're all curious, I read 5.5 of the 12 books I took with me. /brushes off shoulders)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613555994015659052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363617136422990352.post-55578742348387200492013-11-14T05:00:00.000-08:002013-11-14T05:00:08.064-08:00The Divergent Series - Veronica Roth<br />
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Have we talked about these books before? I feel like I did, but it may have been in gchat and goodreads status updates.<br />
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Lately it seems that a lot of books that I don't think are super-great are being turned into movies. There are lots of reasons for this, not the least of which is that teenagers aren't generally known for their nuanced taste but <i>are</i> known for disposable income and getting obsessed with seeing movies in the theater multiple times.<br />
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The Veronica Roth trilogy has been touted as the "next Hunger Games," among other things, which I suppose is better than being the next Twilight.<br />
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I've read all three of these series, and I am here to tell you in no uncertain terms that none of them stands up to some of the other, lesser-known YA authors available (thinking of you, Catherynne Valente and Rainbow Rowell). The first Hunger Games was interesting, but it lost me in book 2, aka The Hunger Games 2: In Case You Missed It The First Time, Now With Better Press! In the Divergent series, I liked book 2 better than book 1, but the third book spent approximately 400 pages talking about how segregating people based on genetics is not a good way to structure a society, which if you paid even the least bit of attention to the History of the 20th Century, you ALREADY KNOW.<br />
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The hashtag for Allegiant was full of sobbing and hand-wringing and OMG'ing, so being easily peer-pressured I slogged on to the end and while yes, there was a moment that made my eyes prickle and I was impressed a bit by The Choice Roth Made, it wasn't worth the whole 1500 pages to get there.<br />
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Most of what I got out of the series was that I'd like to zip-line off of the Sears Tower, please.<br />
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Let's not discuss Twilight. Or Bella.<br />
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4.5 of 11 Absurd Post-Apocalyptic Premises, plus one for avoiding the Love Triangle Trap.<br />
Total: 5.5.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613555994015659052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363617136422990352.post-85747340913799318962013-10-12T10:25:00.002-07:002013-10-12T20:56:28.821-07:00READATHONNNN!After a year of training, it's finally upon me! Dewey's October 24-hour Readathon. I feel very <strike>fit</strike> ready for this. And I'm only five hours late.<br />
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But Tika, you may ask, what kind of training can one really do in order to read and eat delicious snacks all day? And also, doesn't that sound like... pretty much any weekend for you?<br />
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Well, dear readers, the training regimen for these kinds of things is more rigorous than you may think. I had a salad for lunch yesterday, and if that's not extreme self restraint, I don't know what is when there's chicken bruschetta pizza on the menu. I can neither confirm nor deny whether said salad had bleu cheese and bacon on it, but I can confirm that I'm neither a monk nor a nun.<br />
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Training for a readathon requires me to visit my wheelhouse, which is aggregating finger foods. I've collected snacks in the form of loads of Kenyan tea (hand-carried halfway around the world to me by my co-worker - who is actually from Kenya - because he knows how much I love tea), Honeycrisp apples (the Cadbury mini-eggs of the apple world), smoked gouda cheese, popcorn, and "Uncured Hot Salami," whose title never fails to make me alternately giggle and think, "ew. Uncured?" Whoever is in charge of naming things at that company clearly needs a vacation but the salami is delicious.<br />
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I've also put in a couple of excellent days with the GIF Admiration Society's own MiniReadathons, which most of you will probably recognize as "stuff you have participated in" because everyone who reads this is pretty much my social media buddy, <u><a href="http://readingthebricks.blogspot.com/2013/10/in-which-i-am-not-dead-nor-disappeared.html" target="_blank">as previously noted</a></u>. Those of you who made it to #427 on the readers sign-up list,<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Adorable baby courtesy of Raych! Hi Raych!)</td></tr>
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I am very impressed by you.<br />
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As for your second question, what exactly did you think training was? My brother informed me that 24 hours was a long time to read and that he would probably fall asleep at least 4 times. I gleefully informed him that I will probably only fall asleep ONCE, and that is what training gets you, my friends: fewer naps on a Saturday.<br />
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Wanna see what I'm reading?<br />
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I've also got the audiobook for <i>All Things Bright and Beautiful</i> by James Herriot on deck for when I need a break from reading with my <i>eyes</i> and want to knit or maybe even take a walk. Being prepared to consume literature in all contingencies is important in these situations.<br />
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<b>UPDATE! </b><br />
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Let's see. Today I have consumed an inordinate amount of chocolate, crackers, apples, posole, and cheese. I finished <i>Black Sun Rising</i> around noon and now it's 8pm and I've taken two naps (100% more than I planned but only half of what my brother would have taken so I'mma call that a win), read the introduction and first <strike>several</strike> <strike>few</strike> okay three chapters of <i>Dracula</i>, tweeted a whole bunch, and now I think I'm going to listen to some James Herriot and knit for awhile.<br />
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Or maybe I'll play some video games and drink some wine. #readathonAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613555994015659052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363617136422990352.post-65140284949467193122013-10-09T16:39:00.001-07:002013-10-09T16:40:24.927-07:00In Which I am Not Dead nor Disappeared<div>
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It's been awhile? I guess? Somehow this always happens to me in the fall. I've been reading and doing stuff but I haven't really had anything to SAY about it. Plus I talk to most of you via social media pretty much every day, so it's no like you MISSED me or anything. </div>
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Y'anyway. In the last couple of weeks, my library queue has shrunk and I am left only with the Ambitious Non-fiction on my nightstand. I have every intention of reading it because Reza Aslan is an incredibly amazing historian and also a quite engaging writer. But every time I look at it, I get intimidated and think of him just mentioning in that interview with Fox News how he can't help but imagine that the interviewer did not read his book. </div>
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So instead I combed my shelves for some comfortable sci-fi I haven't read in awhile, and since I finished C.S. Friedman's latest trilogy recently, I picked up the first book in her Coldfire trilogy (sensing a theme here, Friedman...), <i>Black Sun Rising</i>. There are several sci-fi/fantasy series that get an extra point from me because I've been reading them since I was a teenager, and this is one of them. It takes place in the far distant future after Terrans took to the stars, colonized a planet at the far edge of the galaxy, ran into some serious trouble because said planet is prone to serious earthquakes and those earthquakes let loose rivers of fae that manifest the strongest emotions of the people around them. So while you're happy, that's fantastic, but the moment you have a nightmare or are afraid, the planet will try to eat you. </div>
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In other news, this post should be subtitled "But I Do Succumb to Peer Pressure," because Alice has been BADGERING me for over a week via gchat about joining this Saturday's readathon. She even invoked the California contingent and told me that Megs had already joined.</div>
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Which, by way of this post, I am doing. </div>
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I am compelled to point out at this juncture that it was roughly this time last year that the GIF Admiration Society coalesced and decided that a whole 24 hours was FAR too many for us, and that we needed to establish a shorter period of time to work up to participating in the Dewey madness. Since then, we have done two mini-thons - complete with mini-snacks and the mini-theme - with varying degrees of success depending on what your measurement is (a plethora of snacks planned and consumed: success! reporting on said snacks to Twitter and other social media: success! reading of actual books: varying). </div>
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Saturday's readathon probably starts waaaaay too early for me and there's definitely no way I'm going to be able to stay up for 24 hours straight - much less read for that long without going crazy - so my current plan is to set my alarm for a somewhat reasonable hour of a Saturday morning, read and eat until I need to do something else, then knit and listen to an audiobook and maybe take a walk, then probably meet a couple of girlfriends for sangria margaritas. Then I'll come home and stare at my book in confusion before giving up and eating more food. </div>
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I'm anticipating a lot of success in the first two categories, is what I'm saying. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15613555994015659052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363617136422990352.post-87161754588648137982013-08-21T13:29:00.001-07:002013-08-21T14:26:57.315-07:00Eleanor and Park - Rainbow Rowell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I read this entirely in one day during the Mini Readathon at the beginning of July (it was great, we'll do another one, hurrah for permission to read and eat all day!). My justification for this being "mini" was that it is about teenagers, who are basically mini-humans in mind if not in body. And while, <i>yes</i>, that is technically true, oh lord.<br />
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Ladies, you know how sometimes you're like, "WHY am I sobbing at this? What is going ON? How do I FEEL SO MUCH RIGHT NOW?!?" and then two days later your least favorite aunt comes to visit and you're like, "oh. Maybe I won't die alone and pathetic and be eaten by wild dogs after all. Bring me the chocolate and ibuprofen, feline companion!" </div>
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Those first few days of feeeeeeels are not the ideal time to read <i>Eleanor & Park,</i> people,<i> </i>because <i>Eleanor & Park </i>is a book about... </div>
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Ok, here's the thing. I got into a Twitter discussion with Rainbow Rowell last night about the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary, and I said that the Ramona books are ABOUT Ramona, but Judy Blume's books are ABOUT growing up, and that is why Ramona sticks with us ladies of a certain age: because she is a real kid with a real range of kid problems. She's also the reason I can't look at a crop of Shirley Temple curls without wanting to <i>boing</i> them.</div>
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Which brings me back to <i>Eleanor & Park</i>, and what this book is ABOUT. The title characters are complete, which I really liked and which is surprisingly rare for most books - I was going to say YA books, but let's be honest: characterization is not currently in style in fiction, is it? </div>
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But Eleanor and Park are not only well-defined and realized, they're also genuine teenagers. They do stupid shit, they think stupid things, they get stuff wrong, they're just trying to survive being teens, which is - as you may remember - HARD ENOUGH. But wrapped in all of this is Eleanor's family, which is broke and broken in a way that made me uncomfortable because I grew up poor and broken but not the same kind, so I empathized but also felt weird about my empathy because the shit that happened to me when I was a kid is <i>nothing</i> compared to what she is going through. Empathy is an odd thing.<br />
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So, Tika, <i>what is this book about</i>? You got all excitable about telling us and then went off on a tangent.<br />
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Well, my dear reader, first of all you cannot be surprised that such a thing would happen. And secondly, <i>Eleanor & Park</i> is a book about growing up and first love and whimsy and the awkwardness of being a teenager and parenting and preconceived notions and a definite hint of pride and prejudice (the emotions, not the book). It made my heart sore, and soar, and I had to stop a few times to ugly cry - sometimes for Eleanor and sometimes for Park.<br />
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It's a book teachers of high school students should read to remind them of what it's like to <i>be</i> the beings they're trying to connect to, and that's about the highest praise I can think of.<br />
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10.5 of 11 Mix Tapes from the Radio<br />
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