Killing Giants, Moms with Cancer, and Tom Drury

So I am very very excited to read I Kill Giants. I first read about it over at NPR, and then after I had already requested it from the library, my husband says, "So Donna has to order I Kill Giants. Immediately." because he had read it online. It came in today, so needless to say I'm pumped.

I just finished reading I'm Sorry You Feel That Way, which was an entertaining, but sometimes draggy, memoir by Diana Joseph. Good for a beach read/travel book, etc. Pulp memoir if you will.

On the list of "to read" books along with I Kill Giants, is Mom's Cancer and The Driftless Area. Both books are books I've wanted to read for a long time, particularly Mom's Cancer. The Driftless area has a great cover (both hard and soft covers), and I was reminded of it recently at one of my favorite blogs, Citizen Reader (super-duper highly recommended if you're a reader).

Also, I must read everything by Jason. Norwegian cartoonist. Just look at that art, I mean come on!

I saw Public Enemies this weekend and thought it was a solid movie, brilliantly directed by Michael Mann (as usual). The man and I enjoyed it.

I think I might watch Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog tonight.

Vikings

Read Northlanders Vol. 1 this morning. Holy shit wow, if you like Vikings, read it as soon as possible. It's incredible. Sex, violence and good writing. Like a Viking book should be.

Men of Tomorrow

Originally uploaded to Flickr on April 20, 2007 by Warm 'n Fuzzy

Tomorrow is July.

The last post on this blog is from February, and I most definitely have not done what I said I was going to do. In fact, upon last check, I have 51 items checked out and 11 Hold requests at my library. Yes I do.

I don't know what this blog is. I don't know if it's informative or fun or strange or boring. I'm thinking that, it being a personal blog, that it's all those things, depending on the day of the week and what happens to interest me on that day. I'm not famous in any circle (in fact, I don't even have a circle) so the number of people who read this is pretty small. It's not a private journal, but how well written it is will be determined by how well I happen to be writing that day, and also on how enthused I am to edit the post at the time.

I know this: I feel better when I'm writing. Even if it's shit. I feel better. So I think I'm going to write more.

I'll also be writing a more professional librarian/reader blog over at wordpress.com pretty soon, so feel free to pop over there and let me know what you think.

I still have not finished Night Work, as it's depressing and mildly sleepy, but still so different than anything else I've read, and also somewhat brilliant, so I haven't given up on it entirely. If you'd like to see what I HAVE been reading of late, my LibraryThing was recently updated. I have not written reviews there yet, but I have rated the things I've read, and each comes with recommendations from LT of course.

Bookseer is an interesting tool that doesn't always work, but works well enough.

Scott Pilgrim is the best thing ever.

I end things abruptly.

Killing 700 movies (and a thousand or so books) with one stone

I had an idea this morning about blogging...

The idea kills multiple birds with one stone. It is this: I have many many many books, like a thousand or so, in my apartment. Some are on shelves, some are in boxes, some are on tables, etc. I have not yet read the majority of these books. And so I think I will do the following. I will return all but the book I am reading to the library. I will then, once finished reading said book (Night Work by Thomas Glavinic, which is excellent so far by the way)read one book from my library at a time. Once I have finished each book, I will review it, decide whether to keep it, donate it or give it to a friend, and then move on to the next book. My husband and I also have about 700 or so DVDs. Most of these I have seen, but certainly not all of them, and I shall be doing the same with these as well.

I'm hoping for one book a week and one DVD a week. I will adjust accordingly as life is crazy the majority of the time.

I also figure this will keep me writing, which is important to me, and hopefully those reading this blog will enjoy it as well.

Ciao for now.

P.S. I also intend to break the "you can't borrow new books from the library until you are done with your own personal library" rule, for the new book by Wally Lamb and anything new by Alan Moore or Neil Gaiman.

99 Things....

THE 99 THINGS MEME
Things you’ve already done: bold
Things you want to do: italicize
Things you haven’t done and don’t want to - leave in plain font
1. Started your own blog.
obviously
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland/world.
yay!!!!!!!! January represents trip #15
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo. everyday
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris. Oh yes.

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.

15. Adopted a child. Top of the list.
16. Had food poisoning. In Spain…
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France. It’s little

20. Slept on an overnight train.
In Spain…worst train ride ever.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked.
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill.
24. Built a snow fort.
25. Held a lamb.
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Run a marathon.
28. Ridden a gondola in Venice. Assuming Venice is still there at that point.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise.
It’ll probably be a Disney cruise…ha. Although the boy and I will probably be going to Alaska and to the Antarctic as well
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors. (well, not all of them…I’m sort of a mutt)
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language.
Um, sort of. I know some Spanish, some Latin and some HTML, but I’m not totally satisfied with that.
37.Had enough money to be truly satisfied.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David in person. Really nice bum. Lots of bums in Italy.
41. Sung Karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted. If caricatures count, it’s happened at least twice…in one I’m a mermaid.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud. What crazy person has never played in the mud?!
54. Gone to a drive-in theater.
55. Been in a movie. (unless you count the amazing performance in Star Trek. It’s very limited edition)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class yup. And I really really miss it.
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served at a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies. Yum.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood. My husband does a lot of that, however.
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp.
67. Bounced a check.
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy. Greggy and my Fraggles, most notably.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten Caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job. If being laid off counts…
76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book.
81. Visited the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the newspaper.
85. Read the entire Bible. Unfortunately this has happened numerous times. Know your enemy my sister says.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had chickenpox.
89. Saved someone’s life. (not that I know of anyway)
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
Neil Gaiman, Art Speigelman, Chip Kidd, Gale Harold, Peter Kuper, Mickey Mouse and probably others I’m just not thinking of right now.
92. Joined a book club.
Book of the Month.
93. Lost a loved one.
Yes. More than one.
94. Had a baby. Maybe, baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person.

96. Swum in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a law suit. On both sides.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee. Ouch.


Okay, now it's your turn. Copy, fill out, repost.

Jane Austen is in it for the Big Bucks

This is quite possibly the funniest thing I've read on Neil Gaiman's blog. Just enjoy:

"Hello my name is Andrea bucy I have seen the movie stardust and I intend to read the book by you I was wondering if I could possible write a spinoff book that has some of the same characters and setting. But I wanted to get you permission first because if i were to get it published i don’t want someone coming after me cause i stole their ideas. I am prepared to offer you a deal if the book does sell i will offer you royalties of 60/40 50/50 or 40/60 i don’t write just for money but i realize that for some people like Jane Austen do and did go along in life and pay for many things by the money they make from their books. So i am asking you if we can maybe make a contract that says you have given me permission, only if you do give me permission, to use your ideas and work in my story and you will get credit for it.Pleas get back to me.

I'm not really sure where to start on this one. If you want to write fan fiction, you can. I don't mind. Sequels and prequels and meetings and pairings and what have you. You can put it up on the web. But you can't publish it commercially. You need to stay on the non-commercial side of the street, which means you can't sell it, not even if, like Jane Austen, you're in it for the big bucks. Otherwise bad things would happen, involving lawyers from publishers and lawyers from movie studios, and your week would be ruined. Trust me on this."

Closing tabs: Or, Cleaning Out Del.icio.us

I have lots of links labeled "postworthy" in my del.icio.us so I suppose I should put them up:

For writers who are stuck, I present to you 911 Writers' Block, a fun and informative and actually somewhat helpful site for when you're feeling the serious brain crunch.

For those who are simply bored out of their minds, I give you bifaloo.com, a panoply of games, puzzles, cartoons, etc. to help ditch your boredom and get you feeling a tad more mentally active.

Educating oneself about Steampunk is a good way to go.

The New York Times Book Review's 100 Notable Books of 2008 is up here.

A library in the Pueblo City-County Library District won't get rid of Queer As Folk, but is sending it to the main branch so as not to offend those in the smaller branch. Still censorship in my book, and if the director really thinks he doesn't own anything with more than an R rating, I guess he should become more familiar with his own catalog, as his library does own Midnight Cowboy and A Clockwork Orange...both of which were blessed with an X rating.

Speaking of movies, here's a list of movies which are supposedly better than their books...(I do in fact agree with the majority)

Here is a blog on finding free e-books...

And now I shall leave you with a quote from my friend Carina at Wheaton College in MA about the awesomeness of librarians:

carina.wheaton: wow. librarians are awesome.

me: haha, why is that?

carina.wheaton: a prof needed help citing a blog in ASA (the Am Sociological folks) format. of course the ASA manual here is nowhere to be found.

so i email barrie at assumption because i know they have ASA manuals there... and meanwhile i go on to the simmons library website and IM the librarian there

cheryl at simmons was awesome....

and barrie got back to me within like a half hour...

both with the same exact information. how cool is that?

see-- librarians are truly awesome.

and honestly i DETEST those reference questions. they're the worst. i'd rather trudge through Chem Abstracts than answer a citation question. but they did. because they rock.

put that on your blog.

Sent at 10:50 AM on Wednesday

me: haha, perhaps i shall

...and so i did :)