A Bibliophile's Life For Me

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

2009-08-11T14:17:00.001-07:00

Gosh. It has been SO long since I've read this book. Someone donated a copy of the British text and I've been reading it when I haven't been reading Dracula: The Un-Dead by Dacre Stoker and Ian Holt (stay tuned for a review).

Honestly, every time I start a Harry Potter book, it's like the first time again. I get sucked in by the magic and the wonder of the world that J.K. Rowling created. I had forgotten how much Hermione reminded me of my sister when she was younger. It's funny to look and see how she has found her own Ron.

I'm also reminded of how well Rowling writes despicable characters! Oh how I loathe the Dursleys! I get so angry with their mistreatment of Harry and their praising of Dudley. When Mr. Dursley takes them to the Island I want to scream at him just to let Harry go! What does he care?!?! Ugh. Don't even get me started with Dolores Umbridge! I'm sure I'll have plenty to say about her when I get around to Order of the Phoenix.

One of my favorite things is that Rowling incorporates real life magician Nicholas Flamel into the story as well. I have been fascinated by Flamel and his wife Perenelle for a long time and it always makes me happy to see his name in print (be sure to check out Michael Scott's wonderful Alchemyst series as well. Nicholas and Perenelle are main characters in those books!)

Well, I'm on to Chamber of Secrets now! I can't wait until Prisoner of Azkaban!!

Harry Potter Reading Challenge

2009-07-22T09:08:00.001-07:00

I am participating in the Harry Potter Reading Challenge. I will begin rereading HPSS on the 1st of August. This sounds like a lot of fun! I haven't reread the whole series in ages!

You can get more information here!

You should sign up too!

Vampire Diaries

2009-07-15T12:54:00.000-07:00

So, I'm sure some of you have heard that The CW (home of Gossip Girl and 90210) has picked up The Vampire Diaries as a tv show to air this fall. I am, sadly to say, not very happy with this. Now, I must preface this by saying I will definitely watch at least the first episode. I plan on trying it to see how it is before I pass judgement.

HOWEVER.

As I look at the pictures of the beautiful people that they've cast - the knock-off Gossip Girl/90210 cast I just fail to have hope for this. I feel like it's going to be either a total rip-off of Twilight or it will be Gossip Girl with teeth. This is sad for me as this series is one of my favorites. This series, I'm fairly sure, helped develop my love for the supernatural. I was vampire obsessed after reading these books and went on to discover Anne Rice, Laurell K. Hamilton, even Bram Stoker because of it!

L.J. Smith shaped who I was in high school. My fiance and I were talking about this series the other night and I told him that I probably read these books a million times. I'm not joking about that number either. I would read the entire series, beginning to end, and then start it all over again when I'd finished.

I was quite obsessed with tarot cards and fortune telling when I was in high school and I had so many people question me about it that I eventually hid it away behind a mask. After I read these books I felt like I could be more open with my fascination with the supernatural and I made some great friends because of it. Bonnie was my hero. Of course I loved Elena and Stefan and Damon and Meredith; but Bonnie was the one I wanted to be so badly I could taste it. I wanted her red curls and her heart-shaped face. I wanted to have a latent psychic gene!

When I read that the CW was changing Bonnie somewhat I'm afraid I was near tears. I can only hope they haven't taken away her eternal optimism, her charm, her joyfulness. I hope they haven't turned her into Meredith. The actress resembles what I always thought Meredith would look like. I will sorely miss Bonnie if they've done away with her.

There are other things that irk me. Elena's newly discovered brother. The casting of Damon. Changing the town's name. There is no Meredith.

As I said, I will give it a try. I'm not expecting to like it but I'm hoping that I will be pleasantly surprised. If you haven't yet, read the books. They've combined the four books into two omnibus' and I think they're selling for about $8 each at most chain bookstores. It is well worth it.

Anya Bast Contest!

2009-04-28T11:16:00.000-07:00

Grand Prize: $100 GC to Amazon.comRunner Up: $25 GC to B&N and a box of surprise paperbacks and other goodies (like chocolate, bath goodies, ect). This is going to be a NICE prize!Runner Up: $25 GC to B&N and a box of surprise paperbacks and other goodies. (same as above)
Plus chances to win books (almost) every day for a month!
Go to http://www.anyabast.com/blog/ for details on how to enter.

Go!!! Enter!!!

Spring Cleaning

2009-01-27T12:38:00.000-08:00

So, started a bit of spring cleaning yesterday. It is all still sitting exactly where it was when I began. Oh well. I'd have done more today but unfortunately have been covering for a sick colleague.

I realized there are six years of School Library Journals under my desk that haven't been used since... well, since the month that they were received in the year they were released! They are thickly grimed with dust and cobwebs and who knows what sort of creepy crawlies have been living upon the paper. It's ridiculous. I really need to get better organized this year!!

I currently have plans to cook Shells Florentine when I get home. I found the recipe on a card a week or so ago, bought the ingredients and promptly forgot all about it! It's a little complicated so I've been putting it off. Honestly I should probably put it off until the weekend but it's so difficult to cook on the weekends when my soon-to-be stepson is over. He is a finicky eater so it's easier for us to just go out so we can all have something we enjoy. So, I'm trying it tonight.

Storytime tomorrow! This will be the first time since the Abraham Lincoln exhibit opened that I will finally have my room back. I feel so much more comfortable when I have the meeting room and I can be as loud as I want to be when I'm reading a story. When I'm out here in the middle of the library I go into Librarian mode and I don't want to disturb anyone so I tend to talk quieter than I normally would. Of course, that means less expression when I'm reading to the kids and that doesn't keep their attention as long.

I had this HORRIFIC dream last night about cats who shed their eyeballs and new ones grew in! It was unbelievably GROSS.

I then had a dream about Brendan Fraser and Jon Hamm. Now, that dream was NOT unbelievably gross.

Ok, well, since I've been completely random I think it's time to sign off. Have a great day!