February 2009

Taste and enjoy your happy time

4 Comments / Coffee & Tea, Daily Dose /

When we went to the Super H Mart on Wednesday (Sorry Val!) we found all sorts of interesting things. One of the interesting things we purchased was Premium Olive Vinegar Tea.

We bough this specifically because we were amused by the English description on the front of the box:

Taste and enjoy your happy time

Huh. Olive vinegar tea = happy time? How could we resist?

Inside of the box are little single serving sleeves, just like the single serving Crystal Light sleeves, but these contain LIQUID.

When TW made the first cup, I sniffed it and… it smells like Easter!

I made myself a cup and it was like… drinking Easter!

It didn’t necessarily make me feel like I was having happy time but I like Easter pretty well so I guess I wasn’t having “unhappy” time. On the other hand, TW got the giggles. I have absolutely no idea why she got the giggles while drinking her happy time olive vinegar tea but giggle she did. Nonstop. I fell asleep and she was still giggling.

No false advertising for these folks.

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The Host

2 Comments / 2009, Books in Bed, Fiction, Sci Fi and Fantasy /

I swore I was not going to read The Host. I was sure I wasn’t going to read it. I never put it on the library list. I had no intention of buying it. Even if RJ showed up at the house with it, raving about “souls” instead of vampires, I was NOT going to read it.

But I read it.

TW found it on the shelf at the library and she read it first. Even as she read it, I swore I was not going to read it.

But I read it.

All 500 something pages of it. It was heavy.

It was also pretty darn good. Darn it.

I even liked the ending which I did not think I was going to like. Darn it.

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What I Was

1 Comment / 2009, Books in Bed, Fiction, Young Adult /

While I waited for Liz to pick out some graphic novels, I noticed What I Was sitting on the “new” YA fiction shelf. I dropped it into my book bag, sort of expecting it to be a sequel or a prequel to How I Live Now – a book I really liked.

TW started reading it and informed me that this was not a sequel or a prequel or in any way related to that book. Huh. OK. And then, she didn’t say much more about it…

So I picked it up without any real expectations and I was loving it. Super surprised by the “boy” love story.

And then… the end came and… I don’t want to screw this book up for anyone reading this who might be interested in the book… it’s well worth reading, it is. Meg Rosoff is an excellent writer and creates fantastic characters. I should just leave it at that. And if you want to discuss my thoughts (and TW’s as it turns out) about the book, I’m happy to engage via email… because again, I really don’t want to color anyone’s reading of the book.

Just read it and find out for yourself….

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Speaking of ghosts

4 Comments / Daily Dose /

I spend a lot of time turning off the electric blanket that lives on the couch in the family room. TW’s mom leaves it on and the kids leave it on. No big deal, I walk by – turn it off – keep going about my business.

But today, something very odd is happening in that end of the house.

I just found my bedroom door open. This should not happen because the dog will get in there and I do not like the dog in my room.

At the same time, I found Prince J’s bedroom door open. Prince J is not here. And his door should also never be open because the dog will get in there and he does not like the dog in his room.

And then, I noticed the electric blanket was still on, the little red light flashing away. So, I turned it off… went to the front door, took my daily snow picture, closed the door and as I passed the couch… the little red light on the electric blanket is flashing again. huh? I just turned it off. Nobody else is in that part of the house.

I turned it off again. And it’s back on again.

It’s a ghost, innit?

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Fool!

2009, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction /

Have I mentioned how much I love living in Chicagoland? No, seriously. No sarcasm intended. I love it. This little library of mine, it keeps handing me brand new books, never before checked out, by authors I would have had to wait months to get if I’d tried to reserve them in Florida.

Fool was waiting for me even before Sassymonkey got her copy (but not before Carfi had his signed copy from a Moore shindig in the bay area… which reminds me, dude… why didn’t you get ME a signed copy and send it to me, huh???)

When there is a new Moore novel in the house, several things happen… TW and I “fight” over who gets to read first… and whichever gets to read first laughs her ass off all the way through it, ticking off the other who was not able to read it first.

Also, it’s really hard to get the kitchen clean when a new Moore novel is in the house. And, it’s much easier to walk away from the computer for a “lunch break” or after only 13 hours online than it is when there are no new Moore books to be had.

So, anyway, I was first to read Fool and I was cautious. Lear? I mean really, King Lear? WTF? And why? And, this was either going to be amazingly awesome or really and truly horrible. I shouldn’t have worried at all.

Hil-freaking-arious.

There’s always a ghost.

Heh.

Here’s another problem with Christopher Moore novels – when you’ve read the latest, you know you’re going to have to wait far too long for the next one. The dude needs to work faster. Quit doing signings and promotions and stuff, just get back to work.

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Every Soul a Star

1 Comment / 2009, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Feminism, Fiction, Young Adult /

The best thing about good YA and middle grade fiction (and yes I cringe every time I type middle grade) is that it’s so darn easy to read while you are in the middle of work life crazyness.

It took me quite a bit longer to finish Every Soul a Star than it should have because of that work life crazyness, but it was good to collapse into bed or escape to the back of the house for a five minute break with this book.

Nice story. Good adult characters and kid characters. Quick, easy read and I am left wondering how they all managed once they left the campground. A sequel? Eclipse chasing somewhere else, maybe? Nah, probably not.

Good Cybils choice – not sure which book won in this category, probably not this one.

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The Magic Thief

1 Comment / 2009, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Fiction, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Young Adult /

I sure didn’t expect to finish The Magic Thief last night. The first 10 pages were pretty slow. The next 20 pages weren’t much more of a draw.

But, before I knew it, I only had 50 pages to go. Weird.

It’s not a compelling, page turner type of book. It’s a nice story with likable enough characters, and also hatable enough characters. It’s a super easy read. And quick, obviously since I picked it up late in the evening and finished it at 11pm.

Looking at the Cybils competition here – The Graveyard Book, it’s not better than that but kids may like it more because it’s an easier read. The Cabinet of Wonders, nope it’s not better than that either but again, it’s an easier read.

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More Cybils

2 Comments / 2009, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Comics & Graphic Novels, Fiction, Queer, Young Adult /

Chester’s Back was a bit of a disappointment. I just don’t get that kind of humor and I’m not sure picture age kids get it either. But then again, maybe they do and I’ve just forgotten?

The Savage was too much “book” and not enough “graphic novel”. I see now why Liz could not get into it – particularly after just finishing Rapunzel’s Revenge. Too many white pages full of text and no graphics – too “savage” of a story.

Skim was excellent and I’m glad Liz read two pages and put it down. It’s too old for her. I wish RJ would read graphic novels, I think she’d like the story quite a bit.

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