Nitwit! Oddment! Blubber! Tweak!

I have been very remiss lately, so I will give you a few odds and ends to tide you over until I think of something deep, profound, and/or interesting to say. Now, in just a few words, what's been happening, hot stuff; what's been shakin', bacon, in my life:

1. Antiquing=shopping at really expensive thrift stores. I recently spent a day in Richmond antiquing. A fun time, but probably not worth driving all the way to Richmond for. Especially since I go to thrift stores for the really cheap clothes, and antique stores have a lot of really fancy dishes. I am not going to buy a bunch of really fancy dishes. What would I do with them? But I did by a very pretty necklace with Calla lilies on it and a little glass turtle named Bradley. I named him that after I bought him. That was not his name before. I don't think. Here is Bradley, hanging out with my necklace! You can't tell from the picture how pretty it is, but it is very nice.


2. Miss Lavendar belongs in the loony bin. I just listened to the audio book of Anne of Avonlea, and I must say that the romantic subplot of Miss Lavendar and Mr. Irving, which did seem rather romantic to the younger me, is just plain creepy at this point in my life. Sigh. I really am maturing. Honestly, someone else go back and read this. She's crazy and it's weird!!!

3. Hairspray is a very good movie to work out to. The theme song from the Corny Collins show especially inspires me to get up and get moving. After all, who needs to read and write when you can dance and sing?

4. After a while, one can get sick of eating salad. We are currently trying to use up a monster bag of spinach, and I'm a little weary of so many greens.

5. IHOP makes good pancakes, but the service is lousy. I think this one is self-explanatory.

6. Catching Fire comes out this week! WooT! Now that this milestone has been reached, I'm that much closer to getting the third book in the Hunger Games trilogy! What's going to happen?!?!?!?!?!

7. Boys in the YSA Branch feel awkward and uncomfortable (and make fun of you a lot) when you sit around in giggly groups and talk about how excited you are for New Moon. And how it's too bad that the guy who plays Jacob is only 17, because he's sure cute! Team Jacob rulez! See, look, he's adorable! And he works out. Ahem.


8. That is all. But I think that was pretty good!

more book stuff

I stole this from another blog. Good times.

What author do you own the most books by?
Robin McKinley, probably. Or John Bellairs. Ooh, or Lloyd Alexander. No, wait. Who wrote Girl Talk? Does co-ownership count?

What book do you own the most copies of?
Wuthering Heights. I only own 2. And I swear, one was an accidental purchase. On the bright side, I didn't pay more than 50 cents for either one!

What fictional character are you secretly in love with?
So, so many. First literary crush: Dickon from The Secret Garden. Most recent literary crush: Peeta from The Hunger Games and Catching Fire.

Other notable crushes: Capt. Wentworth, Persuasion; Gilbert Blythe, Anne of Green Gables; Art Mumby, Larklight; Howl, Howl's Moving Castle; Matt Cruse, Airborn; Luka, Dragon Slippers; The Beast, Beauty; Peder, Princess Academy; Eugenides, The Queen's Thief series

What book have you read more than any other?
Probably Beauty, by Robin McKinley. Or the Blue Sword, by Robin McKinley. Or one of the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggles.

What was your favorite book when you were ten years old?
Well, when I was 9, it was Caddie Woodlawn.

What is the worst book you’ve read in the past year?
That I actually finished? Hands down, Beast, by Donna Jo Napoli. Won't be fooled again, Donna Jo!

What is the best book you’ve read in the past year?
Too hard! In the past month, Beautiful Creatures.

What is the most difficult book you’ve ever read?
Native Son by Richard Wright. It's brutal and wears you down.

Do you prefer the French or the Russians?
I cannot honestly say that I've widely read French or Russian authors. But I a little bit speak French, so the French have it!

Shakespeare, Milton or Chaucer?
Shakespeare

Austen or Eliot?
Austen, although I have loved several George Eliot books. However, I've never been struck with the desire to reread any Eliot.

What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?
I don't really feel the lack in my life, but when someone needs help with book recommendations, I have a hard time with anything adult. If it's for teens or kids, I'm much more likely to have at least heard of it.

What is your favorite novel?
This is like asking which kid I like best! I can't pick favorites!

What is your favorite play?
Into the Woods

What is your favorite poem?
Goblin Market by Christina Rosetti

What is your favorite essay?
Living Like Weasels. A Classic!

What is your favorite short story?
The Most Dangerous Game. Eek!

What is your favorite non-fiction?
Er, I don't read a lot of non-fiction. But I recently read Life's That Way by Jim Beaver and cried like a baby. Yes, Jim Beaver who plays Bobby in Supernatural. It was fantastic.

What is your favorite graphic novel?
I am so not the person to ask about this. But maybe The Arrival, by Shaun Tan. Honestly, it's not saying much. I have read very few graphic novels.

What is your favorite science fiction?
For many years, I would have said Ender's Game, but if I can count Steampunk, I will pick Larklight. Or, more traditionally, maybe The Hunger Games.

Memoir?
See non-fiction.

Favorite History/Historical Novel?
The Book Thief, by Marcus Zuzak

Favorite mystery or noir?
The Enola Holmes books by Nancy Springer. Take that, Sherlock!

Favorite romance?
I don't read things that are strictly romances, but i sure loved Impossible by Nancy Werlin. Swoon!

Favorite teen book?
All my favorite books are teen books!

Who is your favorite writer?
I used to always say Robin McKinley. Lately, though, I'm more into Shannon Hale and Megan Whalen Turner.

Who is the most over rated writer alive today?
Well, most seems a little harsh. But I'll say whoever writes those darn "Luxe" books. Those made me irrationally angry.

What are you reading right now?
I'm about to start Extras by Scott Westerfeld.

What book do you wish someone wrote so you could read it?
The third Hunger Games book! Or my book, so I'll know what happens and what I should write. Although that does seem a bit circular and confusing.

Which book do you irrationally cringe away from reading, despite seeing only positive reviews? Honestly?
For a long time, The Da Vinci Code. Still haven't read it, but I've heard bad things about it now, so I have an excuse.

If you could bring three characters to life for a social event (afternoon tea, a night of clubbing, perhaps a world cruise), who would they be and what would the event be?
Dickon (what, he can tame animals!), Eugenides (I stole this from another blogger), and Greg Heffley. We'd probably just hang out. See who can amuse me the most.

You are told you can’t die until you read the most boring novel on the planet. While this immortality is great for awhile, eventually you realize it’s past time to die. Which book would you expect to get you a nice grave?
The Old man and the Sea. But I've already read that. So another Hemingway?

Come on, we’ve all been there. Which book have you pretended, or at least hinted, that you’ve read, when in fact you’ve been nowhere near it?
Tess of the Durbevilles. I've seen the movie! Doesn't that count?

As an addition to the last question, has there been a book that you really thought you had read, only to realise when you read a review about it/go to ‘reread’ it that you haven’t? Which book?
Hmm...nothing springs to mind.

You’re interviewing for the post of Official Book Advisor to some VIP (who’s not a big reader). What’s the first book you’d recommend and why? (If you feel like you’d have to know the person, go ahead and personalize the VIP.)
The Hunger Games. We'll read it together!

A good fairy comes and grants you one wish: you will have perfect reading comprehension in the foreign language of your choice. Which language do you go with?
Latin. Just kidding, French. Then at least I'd have some French skills.

A mischievious fairy comes and says that you must choose one book that you will reread once a year for the rest of your life (you can read other books as well). Which book would you pick?
Wow, if they were really mischievous, they wouldn't let me pick my own. I'll go with The Polar Express. I already read that once a year, and it's great!

That good fairy is back for one final visit. Now, she’s granting you your dream library! Describe it. Is everything leatherbound? Is it full of first edition hardcovers? Pristine trade paperbacks? Perhaps a few favourite authors have inscribed their works? Go ahead—let your imagination run free.
Well, it's totally got those rolling ladders and squashy armchairs. And window seats. And tons of cool books. All the series have matching covers and formats. Quite a few are nice hard backs, although most are light and easily transportable. And there are Tiffany lamps!

My new digs

As requested, here are some pictures and info about my new living situation. I'm living in a townhouse in Greenbrier with a girl named Jandy. I really, really like the place, and I love living in Greenbrier. It's quite a commute to work now (about 25-30 minutes) but it's so completely and totally worth it. I am not meant for the small town life! But I'm not too bothered by the small room life, as you'll see. My new bedroom is much smaller than the one I had at Ron and Deena's. Here's a few pictures.





Luckily, there's still room for my totally boss Zefron cut-out!

Heres's the bathroom that I share with Jandy. That's kinda awkward sometimes, since we each have a door into the latrinay from our rooms, and sometimes I can't tell when she's in there. D'oh!


Here's the kitchen. I have half a fridge and lots of cupboard space. It's odd to have so much room. I certainly don't have enough food to fill it all.



This here is the living room. I love our little living room. It's a very cozy and peaceful room. I really like sitting in there and reading or watching the telly.



Here's our little back yard. As you can see, it has a nice little garden in it. Which I am not involved in at all. Except I sometimes eat the vegables from it.


Here's the front of the house. Fun fact: There is no cell phone reception in my parking space!!!


One of my favorite things about the place is the lovely view. It's a really nice pond with geese in it!


So, anywho, there you go. It's also within a short distance of some excellent shopping, including a Barnes and Noble, a Target, and a mall. In Suffolk, there's only a Walmart. Ew. I much prefer civilization, thank you very much!

Some things never change

I just realized today that I've been blogging for more than a year! Shocking! Who knew I would last this long? Certainly not me. I thought I might get bored and quit after a while. And honestly, certain events almost convinced me to quit. But I think we all know how devastated some of you would be to be deprived of my genius. So, I persevered! And this somewhat crazy post is the result.

Here are some things that never change:

1. Pioneer Day is awesome no matter what, but it would be infinitely more enjoyable if I were in Utah and got the day off. As it is, I'm a wee bit bitter against Mom and Dad for their taunting. So rude! I feel like I may need to make some cheesy potatoes this weekend to celebrate my heritage.

2. The Utah state song is super catchy.

3. Some people are just lame. I'm not talking about people who like golf, knit tea cozies, or read about quantum physics for fun. I'm not even talking about people who invade your personal space (something that should be impossible while you're protected behind a reference desk) while telling you about nano technology and it's potential to fight Lyme disease. Those people are just different. And as we all know, it takes all types to make the world. But other people are mean, for no real reason at all. And that's not cool. I wish this one would change.

4. Sometimes I really wish I was a spy. Or that I had crazy ninja skills. Or both.

5. Humidity was created to test and try man. I am failing.

6. Jacob is better than Edward (but Jasper trumps all).

7. When people mention chocolate covered cinnamon bears, my mouth waters, and I curse the expense of having large quantities of CCCB shipped to VA.

8. Blogging is therapeutic. For example, right now I'm so relaxed that I could fall right asleep. Of course, that might be because I'm freakin' tired.

9. You guys are the best.

I gotta get back to Hogwarts!

Post coming soon on my new living arrangements, I promise. But for now, I just want to say how excited I am for Half-Blood Prince. Opens in less than 2 hours! Of course, I won't be seeing it that soon, but that's not the point! The point is, when Deathly Hallows came out 2 years ago, I wasn't sure if I'd ever feel that Harry Potter excitement again. And now I do! It's not quite at the fever pitch it was then, but still, it's pretty darn close. Even if the movie disappoints in every other way, I will always love it for giving me back that lovin', Harry Potter feelin'. Plus, it really does look like a super fun film. Here, if I have done this correctly, is the super excellent trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnooUEuyn_M

Well, a link to it anyway. Dag, I just can't figure that darn thing out.

Anywho, my other main past time lately has been watching "A Very Potter Musical," the fan made Harry Potter Musical. It's about the funniest thing I've ever seen, although there is a bit of swears and a few slightly off-colour jokes. I'm British, y'all. Do you see how I spelled "colour?" It never ceases to amaze me 1) how much people love Harry Potter, and 2) how creative they are! So here's the first little bit of "A Very Potter Musical." As far as I know, there is one swear in this section, said by Ron (how could you, Ron?!?!?). But it's honestly a super catchy song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmwM_AKeMCk

In conclusion, HARRY POTTER RULES!!!!!! That is all.

Mystery solved!

I know y'all were wondering, so here it is, the reason we've gone private: apparently, since I have written about the library in this blog, people could use it to sue the city! I'm not joking. It seems like I am, because the whole thing is a teensy bit crazy, but I'm totally not. That is what they told me at work. After "happening" across my blog by chance. Ha! Lies! All lies! Probably, anyway. It seems like it would be pretty tricky to come across the darn thing by chance. But, they say that it could reflect poorly on the city. I see their point. The fact the creepy old guys say inappropriate things to nice young librarians does reflect poorly on the city. That's what they meant, right? Right? Not that it would reflect poorly on the city to have a nice young librarian be opposed to her treatment by creepy old guys and mention it on her blog, right? RIGHT?!?!?!

Anywho, so we are now private and can discuss what we want! I can't imagine that anything will change. But, if you know people who love and read this blog whom I have not invited, let me know. My only request is that they not live in my town. You know how things get back to the city.

This is not the blog you've been waiting for

Alas, no time at present for the ever intriguing, "Why My Blog Is Now Private" post. Just a fun and hilarious YouTube video to tide you over.

For all the fans/haters of Twilight and Buffy the Vampire slayer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZwM3GvaTRM