The · Whinings · of · an · Insecure · Nobody

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving.  I love Thanksgiving.  It's just a happy holiday.  There's nothing like a slow-cooked ham with cornbread dressing.  Yum!

And on Black Friday.. I stay at home.  I tend to become angry when I try to drive around town on Black Friday... like really, really angry... like road rage angry. 

I just finished Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr.  I really like this author.  I really like this series.  I like all the characters.  They are all unique and they're strong, individuals.  I can sympathize with all of them.  I was a little disappointed with the ending of the book.  I hate how one of the characters is being seen as a bad guy.  It's annoying, but it's real and, in that respect, it's really great.  But I might not read the next book if it's continues on this vein because I don't think I can emotionally handle the way this character is being treated.  (Yes, I'm attached to him.)

I've also been listening to Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and Chantal Kreviazuk.  They're not really similar but I still like to shuffle their albums and listen to the mix. 

I've been reading too much manga/ manwha and watching too much anime.  It's been making me giddy and all fan-girly.  I feel bad for the family because they have to deal with all my excitement... but they're used to it, I guess.  =)

The one good thing about going out of town for the day is that I'm forced to read just one book, the book that I decide to bring with me.  This time it was The Magicians by Lev Grossman.  I started and finished it in one day.  In fact, I had to use the map light so I could finish the last few pages in the car on the way home.  There's something about this book that, even now the story is with me.  Maybe because the ending wasn't as pat and happily ever after as I usually like.  The book left me kind of subdued and a little sad, not because the ending was sad but because the way it ended wasn't one or the other (if that makes sense).

It must be love when you don't mind waking up in the middle of the night.  =)  I want another mastiff!!

My knees are really hurting, but I don't want to go to the doctors.  I'll just keep taking ibuprophen and not sit as much and hopefully, they'll get better.  I'm hoping it's a weather thing or something.

It's always so hectic Monday mornings.  I don't see it getting better until the summer.

Ever since I saw Jonathan Jackson back on GH, I've been obsessed.  I've watched General Hospital since my college days.  I watched the whole Lucky and Liz thing develop.  It was such great story telling.  I loved them and it broke my heart when JJ left the show. 

I could never get into Jacob Young's Lucky.  I always felt that they had replaced the character too soon.  JY just wasn't Lucky and the storyline was so awful.  I was happy to see him leave and I believe he makes a much better JR on AMC than he ever did as Lucky. 

When Greg Vaughn took over the role, I warmed up to him immediately.  I think he did a great job with the character.  Unfortunately, or fortunately, I didn't not read up on GV's firing and the recasting of JJ.  I just watched Tuesday's episode and was shocked.  Since then I've spent all my free time on the net rewatching old GH episodes and clips, fanvids, and recent interviews with JJ and GV.    I am so excited and thrilled and kind of nervous that JJ is back at GH.  

It's been a while since I've gotten any new music so that's what I'm doing today.  I got the latest Rise Against album.  I can't believe it's taken me this long to get it, especially since I love, love Savior.  So sad.  I also picked up Qu by Sherwood.  I had heard some of their song from their last album and didn't think much of them.  But I heard them in concert and really liked their new stuff.  I picked  up Plain Jane by Chantal Kreviazuk.  And the Uncle Kracker single, Smile because it makes me smile.

I know I'm forgetting some bands but I figure this is enough for now.  And hopefully, I'll make a list of the stuff that I want for later.  Oooh.. like Kage the Elephant, although his single is getting so overplayed and it doesn't help that it's in the opening of Borderlands.

I haven't even been really busy.  I just haven't posted much.

I think I'm finally feeling fine now.  No more aches and pains (for the most part) and I'm sleeping okay.  It's sad when those are the things that make you most happy.  And right now they are.

I gobbled up two books in two days.  Treasure Keeper by Shana Abe is part of her Drakon series.   Unfortunately, I can't remember if this is the first book I've read in her series.  I don't think so.. but who knows.  I really liked the book until the end when it seems like the female makes all the compromises to have the 'happily ever after'.  It is really disappointing.

Elfland by Freda Warrington just sucked me in.  The story takes a little time to build up but the prose is wonderful and kept me reading.  I really like her world building and I'm looking forward to the second book in the series.  It looks like her older stuff is out of print or just now being reprinted.  I'm hoping I can find some more of her books at the library.

Penny cracks me up.  She's like the daughter I never wanted but love dearly.  If I had my way, we'd do everything together.  She is so freaking spoiled.  I'm so freaking sad.  Who knew I could love a dog so much!

On another note... I am so freaking glad I am not a soccer mom.  I'd like to say the hub is a soccer dad.  hehehe

I just reread my post on The City and the City.  Geeze.. I had written that post so much better in my head.  I had thought I had written so much more than what I had and used 'excite' a little less than I did.  Oh well.

I'm still in the middle of The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch.  It's slow going but good.  I don't think I'm in the mood for the storyline but it's well written.  I'm also rereading Prophecy: Child of Earth by Elizabeth Haydon.  I really like the first three books in this series.  I stopped reading after the fourth or fifth.  I just became really disappointed, but the first three books are awesome.  And I just started Zadayi Red by Caleb Fox.  The story is different and I want something a little different.

I have The Bone Dance by Emma Bull and The City and the City by China Mieville on the way to my library for me to pick up.  I'm so excited.  I might start on one of them too.  I don't think I can wait until I finish one of my other books to start reading them.  And I just found out that the latest Elantra book is out so I must get it too!  I'm hoping I'll finish at least 2 of the books before Labor Day weekend, but who knows.  I'll be busy right up until then.  ugh

I had a wonderful time visiting with my sister-in-law.  We always end up shopping and comparing notes and cooking.  I ended up buying some long needed makeup and skin care products.  There was one funny moment at the Estee Lauder counter where the person asked me how old I was when I asked her about skin care/anti-aging creams and acne treatments.  I had to stop and try to do the math in my head.  I think I gave her a wrong age.. but it was close enough.  lol

I'm also thinking of cutting my hair.  It is long enough to donate.  I just have to figure out if I want to wait until after DragonCon.  If I wait, I'm still going to have to get some bangs.  I don't have any volume around my big round face.  =(  But I think I'm going to cut it.  I'm just tired of long hair.  It's too hot and what's the point of having it if I wear it pulled back all the time anyway? 

China Mieville has a new book out.  I'm very excited.  This author excites me.  He makes me want to write papers on his books.  That's how much he excites me. 

I haven't been doing much of anything lately.  I'm catching up on Furuba and Vampire Knight.  I've given up on Ouran.  And I'm rewatching some Korean shows.. the silly angsty with the same story and listening to their soundtracks.

This day is starting off better than yesterday.  I'm dressed!  And I'm not dressed because I have to run errands this morning...not really.

I just finished the third book in a really great juvenile/YA fantasy series called The Queen's Thief by Megan Whalen Turner.  The Thief is the first book in the series and is a Newberry Honor book.  It's cleverly written.  The hub tried to read it and thought the writing was horrible.  I had to remind him that the book is written for children.  lol  The next two books, The Queen of Attolia and The King of Attolia are written for more older children/teens because of the violence and politics in them.  I think I might make the boys read this series.  That's how much I am enjoying it.  It looks like there might be at least another book in the series.

I've been watching reruns of OTH on the soap channel.  I had forgotten how much I love the show.  Now I want to rewatch the first seasons.  I'm also going to rewatch Beautiful People, a very short lived series on ABC Family.

I had a blast at a lovely friend's house over the weekend.  Much love goes out to her!  It makes me appreciate it more to see how much she puts into everything.  Thanks.

I just wish my allergies would calm down.  ugh..  And now my asthma is acting up too.  But today I'm off to the beach.  Fun!

( The Books )

Just when I think I'm over it, I get sucked back into HP fanfiction.  Someone, please, help me! 

I'm slowly getting back into manga/manhwa.  I'm starting with Ouran High Host Club and Chocolat.  hehehe

And I really need to put a sticky by the monitor that says, "Reread posts before posting.. when tired."  Geeze..

Well, my time on facebook has ended.  It was fun while it lasted.... well, kind of fun.  It's so disturbing how people find you.. and the oddest people at that.  And most of them don't post anything so it's kind of voyeuristic.  Just odd.

So I'm back to the tried and true.  hehehe

On a totally different note, I watched 3 movies recently.  Odd, I know.  I watched One Year which was funny but now I have the urge to watch Monty Python's Life of Brian.  I also watched Star Trek which was good.  There were a few things that annoyed me but I'm trying to just let them go.  The movie was a good action movie.  And I watched the X-Files movie which was okay.  I expected something more...it was kind of like a long X-Files episode... but not really.  And somewhere during all that movie watching, I was able to get in bits and pieces of Hellboy 2 which I enjoyed.

And I have to curse my friend, Agneta, for turning me onto So You Think You Can Dance.  I love that show now!

I'm trying to survive the summer with less than 5 hours of sleep.  It's .... going...

It's been a week since we had to put Maurice down.  I'm still sad and I still miss him so.  Now I'm stuck with a pack of female pets again.  *sigh*  We received a card from the vet yesterday.  *sigh*

The boys and I agreed that we should get another male mastiff puppy.  We just have to convince the hub. 

I just finished 3 really good books, two of which are part of series that I really enjoy and the third is a start of a YA series.

Melusine by Sarah Monette is a great series.  The first  book, Melusine, is the weakest in the series.  I think it's because I was waiting for the main characters to come together and was trying to figure out where the story was heading.  The story and books are written in 1st person perspective through each of the major characters in each book.  At first I found it kind of annoying but I really like it in the rest of the books in the series.  Warning for my conservative friends, one of the main characters is gay and there is some mildly descriptive sex in the books. (Edited: Just discovered that Corambis, 4th book, is the end of the series which makes me a little sad because there's potential for more.. but in a way I like that it's not dragged out.)

Quantum Gravity is the second series that I just really like.  The first book is Keeping It Real by Justina Robson.  The series is like cyberpunk meets fantasy melded with urban fantasy.  I just really like the world she makes.  Sometimes there's so much going on that the story just flies by and I feel like I'm missing stuff but I just go with the flow and it kind of all works out in my mind.

And the third book I finished recently is Graceling by Kristina Cashore.  It's a great YA fantasy with a unique world and a great female protagonist.  I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.  Unfortunately, I'll have to wait until October.

On a different note.. but kind of similar topic....What is up with the book trailers?  Do we really need them?  Does it make you want to buy a book?  How odd?

Live journal (ie. me) swallowed my real post and I'm too lazy to rewrite it.  So on to the books!  The ones with the links are the series/books that I recommend to people.

( the books! )

I cut my finger while trying to slice a bagel.  I ended up with 4 stitches in my left index finger with part of the nail removed.  The stitches were removed today.  But I still can't really use my finger.  I can't bend it very much and the nail area is still so very, very tender.  But I'm getting better at typing w/out using it.  Although my finger has started hurting again.

My house is a freaking disaster area right now.  I've been trying to get the boys to do some stuff.. but it's still a mess.  ugh.

I had so much fun playing with technopaladin this weekend.  Now we need a few more friends to join us!

The puppies have been driving me mad because no one has been playing with them.  I try but I'm afraid my finger is going to get hurt so I haven't been doing much with them.  Something needs to be done.  Two over-100lbs stir-crazy puppies in the house is bad.  BAD.

Where did January go?  And Febuary is almost over.  Geeze.

I'm trying to do some Spring Cleaning.  I haven't really gotten as much done as I had hoped.  So very typical.

I finally got a facebook account.  Actually, I got it over the Christmas holidays.  It's so weird and disconcerting how people find you.  I've gotten friend requests from people that I don't remember. 

I recently finished two very good books.  I try not to dissect books too much when I read them.  I like to think I get what I need to get out of them.  The Reader by Bernard Schlink wasn't as depressing as I thought it was going to be considering that I was unhappily surprised to find The Painted Veil to be depressing.  It just goes to show that I shouldn't judge a book by the movie trailer.  Now I really want to see the movie which is totally different from my reaction after reading The Painted Veil.  But I will wait until the DVD comes out.

The Love We Share Without Knowing by Christopher Barzak is a book I found while browsing my library's website.  It's sad but not depressing.  It's thoughtful and quiet.  I like it.  I like to think about the different stories and characters.  I haven't returned it to the library because I hope to reread parts of it but whenever I pick it up all the stories seem too sad to read just by themselves.

I've started Night Shift by Lilith Saintcrow and Horizon by Lois McMaster Bujold.  I'm also rereading Magic Bites and Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews.  And I'm reading City of Time by Eoin McNamee which is a YA fantasy so that will go fast once I get into it.  Actually they will all be fast reads since I actually want to read them.  And then I'll start the next two books, but knowing me I'll probably start them too because I won't be able to wait until I finish one of the ones I'm reading now.

I just finished watching the American Idol results show where they butchered Jason Mraz's I'm Yours.  So sad.

I've been unusually sleepy the past few days... not tired, just really sleepy.  Hmmm....  And I think I'm getting sick.  I hate when I can smell my nose.  It usually  means a sinus infection is on it's way.

I was able to get my hands on Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs.  I enjoy this series.  I thought the ending seemed rushed, but the story concluded well.  Unlike, Anita Blake, I'm kind of enjoying the vampire politics in this series.  I also finished Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand by Carrie Vaughn.  Another book where the ending is rushed but I think it is meant to be read with the next book coming out in a month, Kitty Raises Hell, so I'm going to reserve judgement on the whole of it until I read that one.  (and, yeah, that sentence is a mess) But overall, I enjoy the story.   Now I've started Cast In Fury by Michelle Sagara.  And I'm still reading The Deed of Paksenarrion and Just Another Judgement Day.

So I haven't posted in a while.  Nothing much is going on in my life.  We're kind of busy with puppy training and science fair projects.

I'm fighting off some kind of cold.  I've been reading books here and there.  I'm annoyed with several YA authors for writing present-tense first person narratives and myself for not getting over it.  I just can't read them.  I can't get past that fact.  It just really, really annoys me.  *sigh*  Oh well.

Right now I'm reading Just Another Judgement Day by Simon R. Green.  I'm liking it so far.  I am still in the middle of The Deeds of Paksenarrion.  And I'll be starting the Men of the Otherworld.  I really like Clay.  I can't stand Elena, but I like Clay.  And I totally blame the author about that.  There were several things in Bitten that I totally made me dislike that character.  Looking back, they were probably gimmicks to bring the story to a certain place without the reader sympathizing with them.. but that's just horrible writing.  I can't let it go.  I will never like Elena and always skip her parts when she shows up in the other books.  It just annoys me.

And eventually I'll finish the latest Merry Gentry book.  I'm trying!