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Hmmm....
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Ummmmm....
What Kind of Librarian Are You?
You are a children's librarian.
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Hmmm....
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Mmmm... Pumpkin Pie!
Now that my "engagement high" has kind of worn off, I'm more comfortable about planning a small wedding (well, I will be once I get to the point where I can set the date) and I'm also able to go through the motions of daily life again. I was getting sick of not being able to read.
I've been reading some good stuff lately. I finished my third Jane Austen novel, Northanger Abbey, a week or so ago. I really liked it, but I didn't think it was as good as the other two I have read, Sense an Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice. I do understand that it was her first novel, (although not the first that was published) so it was bound to not be her best. I plan on having the rest read (excepting the unfinished novels and novellas) by January so I can watch all of the new Masterpiece Theatre novel adaptations!
My reading habits lately have been flip flopping between the classics and young adult books, so I moved on to Extras, the fourth book in the Uglies "trilogy." This one doesn't specifically deal with the protagonist, Tally, although she does appear in the novel. It takes place in a Japanese city and details a new post-apocalyptic society that is obsessed with fame. I really, REALLY, like this series. I've read some of his vampire novels and while they were good, they didn't quite appeal to me as much as Twilight, etc. But this series is very inventive, and I really want to ride on a hoverboard more than ever now!
I'm now reading Henry James' Turn of the Screw. It's pretty freaky. I'm not too far into it yet to figure out whether the children are really being possessed by these ghosts, or if the governess is just plain crazy.
Next up is a reread of The Book Thief. I read it earlier in the year and loved it. I'm supposed to be reading it this time around because I get to do a book review for The Georgia Library Quarterly. I'm excited because I don't get to do too many YA things being an academic librarian, other than order teen books. If all goes well, I should be published in the winter issue.
Moving on from books...
This Saturday, I'm going to make my first pumpkin pie and yeast rolls from scratch in preparation for Thanksgiving dinner with Jon and his parents in Colorado next month. My mom is an excellent baker and should be able to show me the ropes. The Thanksgiving dinner will be prepared in Jon's new house (he closed today) which I suppose will eventually be our house. Luckily he has the same stove as my parents, so other than elevation, I shouldn't experience too many problems.
I want to dress up for Halloween this year, but I just can't think of anything free to wear. I can't justify buying a costume at this point, and the only place I plan on dressing up is work, as I've declined attending any parties with a close to 60 hour work week coming up. Maybe I can be a nerdy librarian, oh wait...
I was really hoping to go off on a tirade about this talk radio host and how much he annoyed me on my commute home Tuesday, but alas, my enthusiasm for writing has almost completely petered out (and just when it was about to get interesting.)
Maybe next time.
I've been reading some good stuff lately. I finished my third Jane Austen novel, Northanger Abbey, a week or so ago. I really liked it, but I didn't think it was as good as the other two I have read, Sense an Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice. I do understand that it was her first novel, (although not the first that was published) so it was bound to not be her best. I plan on having the rest read (excepting the unfinished novels and novellas) by January so I can watch all of the new Masterpiece Theatre novel adaptations!
My reading habits lately have been flip flopping between the classics and young adult books, so I moved on to Extras, the fourth book in the Uglies "trilogy." This one doesn't specifically deal with the protagonist, Tally, although she does appear in the novel. It takes place in a Japanese city and details a new post-apocalyptic society that is obsessed with fame. I really, REALLY, like this series. I've read some of his vampire novels and while they were good, they didn't quite appeal to me as much as Twilight, etc. But this series is very inventive, and I really want to ride on a hoverboard more than ever now!
I'm now reading Henry James' Turn of the Screw. It's pretty freaky. I'm not too far into it yet to figure out whether the children are really being possessed by these ghosts, or if the governess is just plain crazy.
Next up is a reread of The Book Thief. I read it earlier in the year and loved it. I'm supposed to be reading it this time around because I get to do a book review for The Georgia Library Quarterly. I'm excited because I don't get to do too many YA things being an academic librarian, other than order teen books. If all goes well, I should be published in the winter issue.
Moving on from books...
This Saturday, I'm going to make my first pumpkin pie and yeast rolls from scratch in preparation for Thanksgiving dinner with Jon and his parents in Colorado next month. My mom is an excellent baker and should be able to show me the ropes. The Thanksgiving dinner will be prepared in Jon's new house (he closed today) which I suppose will eventually be our house. Luckily he has the same stove as my parents, so other than elevation, I shouldn't experience too many problems.
I want to dress up for Halloween this year, but I just can't think of anything free to wear. I can't justify buying a costume at this point, and the only place I plan on dressing up is work, as I've declined attending any parties with a close to 60 hour work week coming up. Maybe I can be a nerdy librarian, oh wait...
I was really hoping to go off on a tirade about this talk radio host and how much he annoyed me on my commute home Tuesday, but alas, my enthusiasm for writing has almost completely petered out (and just when it was about to get interesting.)
Maybe next time.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Moving Right Along...
It's interesting how you're going through the motions of life when all of the sudden something comes along to completely change your routine. My life has definitely been altered for a week now.
I no longer have a boyfriend.
But I'm not single either.
No, this isn't every relationship I've ever experienced in college and graduate school, I'm actually engaged to be married.
Let me tell you how much of a surprise this was to me a week ago today when Jon proposed. We both knew that the other was the "one" and such, but he had me thinking that something like this wouldn't happen for months. I'm not going to get into how he proposed or post pictures of my (beautiful) ring, because it's private and I'll be more than willing to tell you a. if I actually know you and/or b. in person.
So, next August I should be packing up my stuff and heading out to Ft. Collins, Colorado to LIVE, not visit. I'm very excited to relocate to such a cool place with all the nature-ish stuff and proximity to other cool states with more nature-ish stuff. I'm going to be sad to leave my job, because I get along well with most people and my boss is super nice. I'm also sad to leave my family and Georgia friends, but there's always holidays, and there will be a sweet guest room (eventually) waiting for any visitors.
The wedding should be sometime next fall. It will not be in Georgia because neither of us want a large wedding, but there will be a reception type event in Georgia at some point so the hoards of parental friends can come and visit.
I'm sort of scared of wedding planning. I'm not too excited about beginning the job search again. But I am very happy about moving to Colorado and starting my life with my hubby-to-be. :)
I'll have to remember that last sentence as I spend the next few months stressing over jobs, dresses, flowers, and cake.
Although, I'm pretty cool about the cake part. Bring on the cake!
I no longer have a boyfriend.
But I'm not single either.
No, this isn't every relationship I've ever experienced in college and graduate school, I'm actually engaged to be married.
Let me tell you how much of a surprise this was to me a week ago today when Jon proposed. We both knew that the other was the "one" and such, but he had me thinking that something like this wouldn't happen for months. I'm not going to get into how he proposed or post pictures of my (beautiful) ring, because it's private and I'll be more than willing to tell you a. if I actually know you and/or b. in person.
So, next August I should be packing up my stuff and heading out to Ft. Collins, Colorado to LIVE, not visit. I'm very excited to relocate to such a cool place with all the nature-ish stuff and proximity to other cool states with more nature-ish stuff. I'm going to be sad to leave my job, because I get along well with most people and my boss is super nice. I'm also sad to leave my family and Georgia friends, but there's always holidays, and there will be a sweet guest room (eventually) waiting for any visitors.
The wedding should be sometime next fall. It will not be in Georgia because neither of us want a large wedding, but there will be a reception type event in Georgia at some point so the hoards of parental friends can come and visit.
I'm sort of scared of wedding planning. I'm not too excited about beginning the job search again. But I am very happy about moving to Colorado and starting my life with my hubby-to-be. :)
I'll have to remember that last sentence as I spend the next few months stressing over jobs, dresses, flowers, and cake.
Although, I'm pretty cool about the cake part. Bring on the cake!
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Don't Take it Personally...
I apologize for the lack of personal updates.
I'm alive and kicking, not some zombie who only reads books and posts about them.
Life is going as well as can be, but somehow is very busy.
XOXOXO,
Traci
I'm alive and kicking, not some zombie who only reads books and posts about them.
Life is going as well as can be, but somehow is very busy.
Trust that a life update will appear on this blog sometime next week after I get back from a brief Colorado visit.
XOXOXO,
Traci
Book Review: The Illustrated Dracula
Author: Bram Stoker
Illustrator: Jae Lee
Date Originally Published: 1897
Start Date: October 1st
Finish Date: October 6th
I read this novel to complete peril number 1 in the R.I.P Challenge. Up to this point, I was a Dracula virgin. I haven't even seen the Coppola or Bela Lugosi versions of the movie, because I don't watch scary movies, try as my boyfriend might to get me to watch them. I have read The Historian, though, and promised myself to try out Dracula because of my love for the former book. Well, I must say, I wasn't disappointed with the latter either.
Dracula began with Jonathan Harker's journey to Count Dracula's castle near the Carpathian Mountains, to take care of some real estate papers, as the Count had decided to purchase property in England. I love reading about this area of the world, mainly because a good chunk of my heritage descends from Eastern Europe. I've always wanted to visit the area, and even the fictional descriptions sound incredibly beautiful. Harker arrived at the castle during the night and found crazy wolves running around and a creepy, though elegant man awaiting his arrival. His rooms were nice but he was not allowed to explore the castle. He also foound that the count never ate and did not cast a shadow. He soon got the feeling that he was being held against his will at the place and started to witness crazy events like the count crawling on walls like a bug and three women who were beautiful, but liked to suck blood out of children that the count brought to them. Jonathan's imprisonment to me was, by far, the scariest part of the book.
Jonathan somehow escaped the castle. Meanwhile, a cargo ship arrived in England with no crew excepting a dead man and a "dog" who jumped ship when pulling into the dock. The real story began to weave here as Mina, Jonathan's fiancé (eventual wife) began to notice strange happenings with her friend, Lucy, as she sleepwalked at night. This brought in Drs. John Seward and Abraham Van Helsing, as well as Lucy's husband to be, Arthur Holmwood, and American Quincey Morris. These men along with Jonathan and Mina set out on a horrifying voyage to eradicate Dracula for good.
My favorite character was Renfield. I can't even imagine meeting a chap like him in real life. His love for consuming life (spiders, flies, etc.) definitely creeped me out and I found myself oddly sympathizing with him often in the book, especially when he begged for his release from the asylum. He was fascinating.
I loved the story. It had the perfect dark, Gothic feel. The diary entries, newspaper articles, and letters acted as a great medium for storytelling and I felt like I got to know most of the characters well. Stoker's writing style is absolutely beautiful. While reading the book, I didn't feel like I was hindered by some sophisticated vocabulary of the late 1800s. I was also surprised by how much the plot differed from what I thought I knew of the story.
I particularly loved this version for the illustrations. Jae Lee's illustration style was definitely made for this novel. His depictions of Dracula definitely had that whole Nosferatu thing going on, the women are sexy even though they don blood stained mouths, and the settings and backgrounds were dark and misty.
Overall, I loved this book. It will definitely be a re-read for me, perhaps each fall. Okay, so maybe I'll have to watch the Coppola movie. With my boyfriend. In daylight.
I'm going to continue with the R.I.P. Challenge, even though I've technically completed my peril requirements. I going to veer away from the challenge for my next book (Seeing Redd), but will return to Northanger Abbey.
Dracula began with Jonathan Harker's journey to Count Dracula's castle near the Carpathian Mountains, to take care of some real estate papers, as the Count had decided to purchase property in England. I love reading about this area of the world, mainly because a good chunk of my heritage descends from Eastern Europe. I've always wanted to visit the area, and even the fictional descriptions sound incredibly beautiful. Harker arrived at the castle during the night and found crazy wolves running around and a creepy, though elegant man awaiting his arrival. His rooms were nice but he was not allowed to explore the castle. He also foound that the count never ate and did not cast a shadow. He soon got the feeling that he was being held against his will at the place and started to witness crazy events like the count crawling on walls like a bug and three women who were beautiful, but liked to suck blood out of children that the count brought to them. Jonathan's imprisonment to me was, by far, the scariest part of the book.
Jonathan somehow escaped the castle. Meanwhile, a cargo ship arrived in England with no crew excepting a dead man and a "dog" who jumped ship when pulling into the dock. The real story began to weave here as Mina, Jonathan's fiancé (eventual wife) began to notice strange happenings with her friend, Lucy, as she sleepwalked at night. This brought in Drs. John Seward and Abraham Van Helsing, as well as Lucy's husband to be, Arthur Holmwood, and American Quincey Morris. These men along with Jonathan and Mina set out on a horrifying voyage to eradicate Dracula for good.
My favorite character was Renfield. I can't even imagine meeting a chap like him in real life. His love for consuming life (spiders, flies, etc.) definitely creeped me out and I found myself oddly sympathizing with him often in the book, especially when he begged for his release from the asylum. He was fascinating.
I loved the story. It had the perfect dark, Gothic feel. The diary entries, newspaper articles, and letters acted as a great medium for storytelling and I felt like I got to know most of the characters well. Stoker's writing style is absolutely beautiful. While reading the book, I didn't feel like I was hindered by some sophisticated vocabulary of the late 1800s. I was also surprised by how much the plot differed from what I thought I knew of the story.
I particularly loved this version for the illustrations. Jae Lee's illustration style was definitely made for this novel. His depictions of Dracula definitely had that whole Nosferatu thing going on, the women are sexy even though they don blood stained mouths, and the settings and backgrounds were dark and misty.
Overall, I loved this book. It will definitely be a re-read for me, perhaps each fall. Okay, so maybe I'll have to watch the Coppola movie. With my boyfriend. In daylight.
I'm going to continue with the R.I.P. Challenge, even though I've technically completed my peril requirements. I going to veer away from the challenge for my next book (Seeing Redd), but will return to Northanger Abbey.
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