The Prince of Mist
If you’re expecting The Prince of Mist to be anything like Shadow of the Wind or Angel’s Game, change your expectations before you start reading. This is not a book in this series and the writing is completely different from the series. It’s a YA novel – a scary YA novel with a clown. A very evil clown. It’s not the best scary YA novel I’ve ever read nor is it the worst YA novel I’ve read (scary or otherwise). It was good. I enjoyed it. I read it straight through last night and was glad. The use of the home videos was brilliant. The scary doggone clown pretty brilliant, too. I’d read another YA novel by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. He’s not out of his element, though his forward explaining that this book is YA was trying a little too hard. I kept picturing Neil Gaiman adding some sort of explanation to the front of his YA/kids books. It’s just not necessary and if I was a teen, I’d probably wonder what the heck the guy’s problem was….
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Blue Plate Special
I was really pleasantly surprised by Blue Plate Special. I reserved it purely because it was a Cybils shortlist book and I knew nothing about it. The first few pages, I wasn’t sure what I was getting to – three different characters, set in slightly different time periods, in slightly different places. All of the girls were about the same age 16-18. All of them were in difficult situations, related to their relationships with their mothers – and with guys.
There were two big surprises for me, both of which really made me love the book. First, it has a Gainesville story line and I had no idea! Gainesville, Cedar Key, Ocala all mentioned in part of the story and I’m a sucker for books that talk about places I’ve lived (and loved.) Second surprise… I won’t tell you. You need to read the book to see how all of these girls’ stories come together. Brilliant work.
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Jane Slayre
I loved Jane Slayre – a lot more than I liked Pride & Prejudice & Zombies. Maybe because I liked Jane Eyre more than I liked Pride & Prejudice? Or maybe because it was about zombies and vampires and werewolves and not just zombies? I don’t know, but I liked it – a lot. I didn’t want to put it down. I think Charlotte Bronte would have been amused by it.
WTH is a Chick Flick?
TW and I were in the bedroom reading. TW’s mom was in the family room watching TV. The kids were in their rooms doing whatever it is that kids do on a lazy Sunday morning. RJ wandered into the family room and TW and I eavesdropped on this conversation:
TW’s Mom: Rebecca, can you find me a good chick flick to watch?
RJ: A chick flick? Sure! What do you like?
(RJ wanders over to the cabinet with the movies….)
TW’s Mom: I don’t like violence, so a chick flick would be great.
RJ: Have you seen Lion King?
TW’s Mom: No, I haven’t seen that.
RJ: (Rambling about how great Lion King is…) How about Aristocats, have you seen that?
TW’s Mom: No, I haven’t seen that.
RJ: (Rambling about how great Aristocats is…) Or Lady & the Tramp?
TW’s Mom: No, I don’t think I’ve seen that either.
(TW and I are laughing our asses off….)
Elly (yelling from Prince J’s room): The Sisterhood of the Traveling pants is a great chick flick, it’s a light romance!
TW’s Mom: Sisterhood of what?
Elly: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
TW’s Mom: Rebecca a chick flick is a movie that girls want to watch but boys usually do not.
RJ: Oh! Like Twilight. Would you like to watch Twilight.
TW’s Mom: Some mumbled response that TW and I could not hear because we were laughing our asses off.
Elly (now in the family room, trying to take control of the situation): We should watch Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, it’s a great chick flick. You’ll love it.
TW’s Mom: We’ll watch Lion King first and that Pants thing second.
(TW’s mom’s phone rings…. She answers and says “I can’t talk right now, I’m watching a chick flick with Rebecca…”)
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Wintergirls
I did not want to read Wintergirls and for a long time I thought I was going to get away with not reading it – or just put down my foot and say “No. I’m not reading any more books like Wintergirls.”
Hah. No. That’s not what happened.
It kept calling to me and I don’t think it’s just because I’m a stickler for reading all of the Cybils short list books. Then again, I don’t really understand the call so it could have been something as simple as that in which case I should never vow to read the Cybils again because…
Damn it, I’m tired of this story. I’m tired of it because it is real. Because there’s a little bit of wintergirl in every woman or girl I’ve ever met. Because I have four daughters all of whom have experienced some tiny (or not so tiny) bit of this story.
Laurie Halse Anderson is a brilliant writer and storyteller but I’d really like it if she didn’t have to tell these particular stories anymore.
BlogHer Food 10 – Sessions
Sassymonkey mentioned recently that she needed to start thinking about which sessions she was going to attend at BlogHer Food 10. Huh. People actually plan their sessions – I’d kind of forgotten that. So, I decided I’d give it a try and see what happens.
Here’s what I think I’m attending:
Day 1:
Vocation – New to Food Blogging? How Do You Stand Out In a Crowded Food Blogosphere?
Day 2:
Voice – Food Diplomats and Cuisine Ambassadors
Voice – The Value of Building Community
I’m looking forward to it the entire event.
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Maybe This Time
I stayed up way too late reading Maybe This Time. I could not put it down – this might just be my favorite Jennifer Crusie book…. It’s certainly my favorite solo book. Agnes and the Hitman is probably still my favorite… Crusie fans have to read this one immediately. Non-Crusie fans, what are you waiting for? Read this one and then go back and read everything else she’s written – you’re in for a lot of fun. A wee bit longer post here.
The Mayor Denied the Permits
Remember earlier in the week when I was fretting about our Starbucks being closed for more than a week? Well today, we went in for our last day before the closure and TW started bugging the store manager about the closure:
TW: You didn’t check with us before you decided to close the store. We do not approve.
Me: Yea, you should clear these things with me ahead of time, I am the Mayor after all. (The Foursquare Mayor, and he knows this.)
Manager: We’re not closing.
Me & TW: What?????
Manager: Nope, we’re not closing. The Mayor did not approve the permits.
Hahahaha. The Glenview Mayor and the Foursquare Mayor both working to keep Glenview’s best Starbucks open.
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