Hodge Podge-ination

So!  April has not been treating me well.  Between the ER on Friday and stupid stuff that went down today, April 2011 and I are NOT FRIENDS.  In order to cheer myself up, here are good things that are going on in my life right now.

1.  I finished the Hunger Games trilogy yesterday.  It was wonderful, and while I was sad that it ended, I felt like I got the closure I needed after an intense saga like that.

2.  Also reading related, I started a brand new book by one of my favorite authors -- Sarah Addison Allen.  Her newest book is called "The Peach Keeper."  I started it yesterday evening at work, had to force myself to put it down so I could get some sleep, and am more than half way through it already.  Her book "The Girl who Chased the Moon" is still my favorite, but this is good.  SAA's books are the PERFECT books for escaping and day dreaming. 

3.  I sent off the Chickies and Bunnies that I made for my Aunt's granddaughters yesterday.  They magically arrived today, and I got an email saying she loves them.  HOORAY!

4.  The Knit Purl Gurl's March Madness contest is still going on!  And I'm still hoping my name gets drawn for some of Lion Brand's Cotton Bamboo Yarn!  Cross your fingers for me, and then head over to The Knit Purl Gurl's blog and enter one or all of her many March Madness contests!

5.  I'm wearing my super cute new skirt today :)  

 

Ok, that's all I've got.

Updated! Books!

I've updated my Listal 2011 Books Read list.  Click here for the link.

I also updated my Goodreads list.  Which means my Goodreads 2011 Challenge has been updated.  I've read 5 of 40 book goal.  That's 12% people.  Click here for my Goodreads page. 

Both have been updated because I started (yesterday at 11:15am) and finished (tonight at 10:15pm) that wonderful sequel to "84, Charing Cross Road", "The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street."

Wonderful.  I felt every emotion right along with Miss Hanff (the author), that when she got on her plane to leave London and head back to New York, I almost cried right along with her.  Wonderful, I say.

NEW WORD!

Remember that time I told you about the most amazing book I've ever read?  Well, I got it's sequel from the library a few days ago!  "The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street."  After waiting about 3 weeks for it to come in from my hold request, I had to finish the book I was already reading (One Day by David Nicholls, WONDERFUL, and it had an interesting, irregular structure, which is a characteristic I LOVE in books), but I finally started it.  In "84 Charing Cross Road", one of the two letter writers dreams of going to London, but each time she plans a trip, a random obstacle jumps in her way.  Before she can make it, her pen pal passes away suddenly.  The sequel is her first hand account of her finally making it to London.  I'm 20 pages in, and it's also amazing.  I don't generally like non-fic, but this reads so, well, perfectly, that it's ok.  It's like I'm simply sitting in my lazy-boy, hearing Helene Hanff narrate this story to me in person. 

BUT!  The new word, comes from brunch today.  I had an excellent brunch at place called Over Easy with my director, and I was telling her about my new book.  After hearing my description of "84 Charing Cross Road", she exclaimed "YOU CAN USE ONE OF MY FAVORITE WORDS FOR THAT BOOK!"  Obviously, I got very excited.  "84 Charing Cross Road" is an Epistolary Novel.  An epistolary is a book made up entirely of documents, generally letters, as is the case here.  But apparently diary entries or newspaper clippings count also.  My director said "I can credit my English Major with that one."

So, there you go. 

And here are some pictures I took today at rehearsal.  You can see the skyline out the window.  It's pretty cool.  Of course, the one day I remember my camera, it's overcast and ugly out.  There's also some cool stuff in the building that I took pictures of. 

How To Open A Book & Blanket #2

Saw this picture here today.  Love it. 

Also, progress made on wedding blanket #2 for BFF Sarah.  This picture is already out of date b/c I've made more progress since it was taken.  In this picture, it's big enough to cover my lap and a little more. 

Someday...

I will have this...

Found here.

In which I've finished the best...

Recently, I came across a movie on my Instant Netflix and was completely overwhelmed with its awesomeness.  84 Charing Cross Road.  It turned out to be based off of a "book".  I use quotes, because the book consists of letters written back and forth between a New York TV screen writer bibliophile (middle aged woman) and a used bookseller in London.  The letters start in 1949 and span 20 years.  The movie was scripted and made using the letters, and I'd say that at least 80% of the narration and spoken words are straight from the letters.  That's less than 20% added filler.  It was just brilliant. 

So for any book lover, movie lover, script lover, letter lover, word lover, or lover, this is the movie & book combo for you. 

The book itself was, hands down, the single most charming and enchanting published piece of literature I've ever read.  I came home from rehearsal today with a terrible migraine and extremely frustrated, and over the course of an hour, I was cheered exponentially.  And I finished it.  So.  Go check this stuff out. 

PS-The movie, made in 1985, stars Anne Bancroft and a very young looking Anthony Hopkins.  Both are wonderful. 

2011 Books

I've created my list website for the books I read in 2011.  Here it is.  I've also added the link over to the left. 

It's a measly list so far, but never fear!  Goal of 40 book sin 2011, hear I come!

picture found here

2011 Books: 1

The House on Tradd Street by Karen White

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


not the highest quality of literature, but what a wonderful story!!!



View all my reviews

33 Books in 2010.

For the last 2 years, I've kept a website with a list of the books I read each year.  This year, I read 33.  Not nearly as much as I would have liked, but my knitting/crocheting obsession takes up a lot of time around November/December.

Here is my list from 2010.
And my list from 2009. 

Good news is I read more in 2010 than in 2009. 

My goal for 2011?  Even more!  Let's see...30 in 2009, 33 in 2010.  How about 40 in 2011?  Done!

One of the things I learned this year, is to stop reading books that I'm not enjoying.  I used to feel obliged to finish a book once I'd started.  But I've realized that I read for pleasure, for escape, for fun, for thrill, for learning.  What's the point in reading something that I'm not having fun reading?  No point.  So, in 2010, I think there were probably 5 or so books that I started, didn't finish, and therefore did not put on the list.  And I feel a lot less guilty about not finishing a book now that I frequent the Uptown Branch of the Chicago Public Library!

And my favorites of 2010?  There's a few (in the order in which I read them):
2.  The Shadow of the Wind -- by Carlos Ruiz Zafron
3.  The Forgotten Garden -- by Kate Morton
5.  The Gurnsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society -- by Ann Shaffer & Annie Borrows
16, 17, 18.  The Millennium Trilogy -- by Stieg Larsson
28.  Juliet -- Anne Fortier
30, 31, 32.  three novels by Sarah Addison Allen
33.  The Distant Hours -- by Kate Morton

One of my other reading plans for 2011?  Try to read other books by authors that I already love!

What did you read and love in 2010?

Keeping You

Originally found here. 

Headed up to Roger's Park to watch Eat, Pray, Love with Mikey and Wych-a!  A wonderful, life changing book; hopefully the movie compares!

Truer words are rarely spoken:

Harry Potter Titles According to Draco Malfoy

Harry Potter Titles According to Draco Malfoy. Hilarious. 

HP Books according to Draco Malfoy

• Draco Malfoy and the Rejected Handshake
• Draco Malfoy and the Better-than-Potter’s Broomstick
• Draco Malfoy and Hagrid’s Bloody Chicken
• Draco Malfoy and the Year His Father Would Hear About
• Draco Malfoy and the Inquisitorial Squad
• Draco Malfoy and the Vanishing Cabinet
• Draco Malfoy and the Year He Realized He Had Been a Douchebag

...Readers...

The Girl...

This summer, I devoured The Millennium Trilogy.  That is, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," "The Girl who Played with Fire," and "The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest."  Holy Cow they were amazing.  All three of them.  And one of my favorite things in life is adaptations...any type.  Books into movies, movies into plays, books into musicals into movies into plays into books again.  Even if they're terrible, I want to see/read/watch all iterations ("Time Traveler's Wife," for example.  One of my top 5 fave books, was dying to see the movie, loved the movie, but it was a terrible adaptation.  Still love both.)

So the original (meaning Swedish) movie of book #1 was on Instant Netflix this summer, and I made old roommate Claire watch it with me.  It was FABULOUS.  One of the best adaptations of a book into a movie.  I was dying all summer to see the original of book #2, but I didn't get around to it.  It became available on Instant Netflix last week, and I've been watching it (in pieces because of various things going on around the apartment), and it is not even close to being as good as the first.  I'm a little disappointed.  I'll let you know what I think when I finally finish it.  And regardless, I'll be seeing original movie #3.  In all honesty, I'll see American movies 1-3 also. 


In other news, the show I'm currently working on is going to be featured on the WGN Midday News tomorrow!  Baller!  I'm not  needed or called for the filming, but I'm invited.  I'm DEFINITELY going, because how cool will it be to see how news and stuff is filmed!

Right now the Colts are playing the Eagles on CBS.  I got home in time to see the second half.  But because my brain is so thoroughly theatre-ized, when I texted my dad to say I was able to watch the second half, I almost said "I got home at intermission and will get to watch act 2!"  Oops!

book worm

I came across this on one of the blogs I read, and I loved it.  Check out this book worm quote/picture.