HUZZAH!

Guess who just finished Let's Pretend This Never Happened?  If you guessed that it was me, you'd be correct. :-)  Although to be fair, that was a pretty easy question.  The harder question is this: Do I go back to Star Trek which frankly I'm not in the mood for at the moment but have already mentioned or do I choose something completely different?  It's a question I can't answer right now because I'm at work and away from my friends books right now.  So I guess I'll be leaving you on the edge of this cliff...

<twisting mustache in a villain-y sort of way>

EDIT: In all of the excitement, I forgot to give my review.  Oops?  Well, clearly I enjoyed the book and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys quirky humor.  What do I mean by quirky humor?  Well, the author tends to talk circles around subjects and spends a LOT of time cursing.  I found it easy to move past that as she is SO DARN HILARIOUS.  The chapter about explosive diarrhea might have been my favorite.  So if that sort of thing (and taxidermied animals) isn't your cup of tea, I'd stay away.  However, if you're looking for a read that is so funny you will literally laugh out loud, then this is it.

EDIT PART 2: I know what I'm reading next (because I've already started) and it's Abraham Lincon: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith.  I chose this book for a couple of reasons: 1. Abraham Lincoln.  I have a weird fascination with him. 2. Vampires.  What more needs to be said?  3. It's been turned into a movie by Tim Burton and if you haven't seen the trailer click here.  I am VERY excited.  Hopefully, it won't take me long to get through it and I'll feel like giving Star Trek another whirl. :o)

Change of plans...

...I got a book that I pre-ordered in the mail and I've definitely been reading that instead of Star Trek.  I regret nothing.

Oh you're probably wondering which book I'm referring to, am I right?  Well, it's this one:

If you haven't at least heard of this book, then you must have been living under a rock for the last week...or you're just a sad, sad individual.  The Bloggess, aka Jenny Lawson, runs a fantastic blog which is so cracked out and lovely that I became addicted immediately.  When I found out that she had just written a book, I immediately pre-ordered it.  She's currently on tour promoting it and you can find information about that here. If you're into hilarity, taxidermy, exaggeration, and truthiness then this is just the book for you!!*  I should be done with this by the weekend and then I'll be back on track with Star Trek (unless something shinier gets my attention).

Happy Thursday!!!

*I should warn you, however, that there is a LOT of cursing in this book so if that's going to be a problem for you I wouldn't even bother.  

SAY WHAT?!

I can't believe I almost missed out on National Library Week!  For further information about the upcoming events this week click here.

Shout out to Mrs. Biegler for giving me the scoop and for sharing this amazingness which is all about Little Free Libraries (pretty much exactly what the name implies only cuter).

Can't wait for April 11th because it's all about Bookmobiles which I've always found fascinating (and it's kinda my birthday). :o)

If any of you guys hear/see anything awesome involving National Library Week please let me know and I'll be sure to include it.  HUZZAH!

I finished off Stardust on the train ride home from Manhattan and it just made me hungry for more!  I'd read Coraline and The Wolves in the Walls by Gaiman and I had assumed (that was my error) that this book would be written similarly.  Well...I was wrong.  The biggest difference is that the other two books are written for children while Stardust is most definitely for adults.  Figured that out a few pages in when there was a very graphic sex scene.  I say this because I don't want any of you guys following my blog to get a shock when you run out to read this book (run, readers, run).  However, I don't want this to deter you from this most excellent read.  It has everything: magic, love, adventure, and unicorns.  If you're in the mood for a quick fantasy read, then this is just the one for you!

On to the next book!  Full disclosure: I'm a Star Trek fan.  I generally prefer The Original Series (Kirk, Spock, Bones, etc) and I tend to stick to the books that fall within that universe.  I've read several (some written by William Shatner!) but there are SO many more out there to read.  I've decided to have a go at Star Trek: Cast No Shadow by James Swallow.  I'm not going to lie.  I picked up this book solely because Spock was on the cover.  That old saying "Don't judge a book by its cover." just doesn't hold water with me. I'm forever grabbing stuff because it catches my eye.  This particular story seems to center around the Klingons and a disastrous occurrence on one of their moons.  This explosion seems to have cause a bit of a ruckus among the Klingons (hard to believe because they're so peace loving usually) and violence is on the horizon.  What's going to happen?  Will the United Federation of Planets be able to bring peace to the lands? Why is Spock on the cover?!  I can't wait to uncover the answers to these questions!!!

Read your way to awesome!!!

Beautiful words, ugly history

I had extremely high expectations going into The Help  and I have to say that I was not at all disappointed.  I find it amazing that this was Kathryn Stockett's debut novel.  It is such a beautiful book.  As a white girl from the South, I have always had my back up about the sensitive topic of segregation.  I feel such disgust and shame that  human beings could treat other human being in such a deplorable fashion.  My mother was brought up by a black woman, Mary Lou, and I was fortunate to have met her as a small child.  (Imagine my surprise when I saw my own picture at her house!)  My mother had not only kept in touch with her but passed on pictures of me to this woman who had featured such a large role in her childhood and who she loved so strongly.  Their relationship was a positive one but just like in the book it wasn't always like that.  I once got to see Rosa Parks in Montgomery on an anniversary of her famous bus ride.  I felt like I was standing in the presence of greatness and this book kind of makes me feel something similar.  Yes, it is fiction.  However, the time period of the story and the emotions which are evoked by the narrative are very real.  These characters could have lived in Mississippi in the 1960s and these events could have unfolded just as the author describes them.  Poignant, heartbreaking, hilarious, and tense are words I would use to describe this read. GO NOW AND READ IT.

Okay, now that I've completely blown your mind I'd like to discuss what I'm going to read next: Stardust by the incomparable Neil Gaiman.  I felt like I needed something carefree and whimsical (and short because this thesis is killing me) this go around.  The basic gist of the tale is that a young man goes on a magical quest with a fallen star as his traveling companion.  Gaiman is known for his fantastical writing style and his attention to detail as well as his willingness to talk with anyone about the joys of reading and writing.  He's a pretty magnificent guy.  I can't wait to start it up (full disclosure: I started it months ago but got distracted)!!

I hope that you guys are loving this zany weather but my biggest hope is that you're all reading!!