Didn't get the word play of the title until I was writing out my notes

After what feels like a millennium, I have read The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde and I totally get the hype now. Oscar Wilde's play focuses on two men who independently of the other have invented alternate personas that allow them to cut loose without (hopefully) any repercussions. One of the men has created Ernest who is by all rights a scoundrel and his creator has finally decided to do away with him so that he can settle down and get married. The problem is that his friend (the other deceitful man) has decided to take on the mantle of Ernest so that he can win the heart of a girl that he's just met. (I recommend reading this in one sitting because otherwise you're liable to get confused.) Wilde uses word play and absolutely ridiculous circumstances to discuss the folly of youth and poke fun at the whims and fancies of people who believe they are really truly in love even if they don't truly know the other person. For instance, the two women of the play are determined that they will only marry someone named Ernest but as it turns out no one is named Ernest there is a bit of a kerfuffle. After all is said and done, no one comes out on top and everyone is depicted as foolish and unimpressive. It was thoroughly amusing and I guess now I'll have to see the movie that was based on it. :-P If you haven't read it yourself and you'd like a quick, fun read this will do just the trick. 9/10

And yes the title of this post is true. I was staring at the book's title and then it hit me: "Oh because it's about two men proclaiming to be Ernest and they do it will all earnestness."  *facepalm*

Source: wobcp.org

What's Up Next: The Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson

What I'm Currently Reading: The Portable Nineteenth-Century African American Women Writers

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Crossover done right!

At first, it might be difficult to conceive how two vastly different genres (especially two so well-known!) could merge so beautifully. However, as the author has shown it is not only possible but a BRILLIANT idea. As a big fan of the Star Wars franchise and its novelizations, I was blown away by how well the Bard's style was used to re-imagine this epic story. For a Shakespeare novice, it might be a little jarring at first but you get so caught up in the storyline that I don't think that will be a major issue. Star Wars newbies should probably start with the first in the series, William Shakespeare's Star Wars, in order to understand the cast of characters and storyline more fully. All in all, William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back was fantastic and I HIGHLY anticipate William Shakespeare's The Jedi Doth Return due out this summer!

I seem to be caught in an endless loop of either starting a series in the middle and/or having to wait for the last of the series to come out. I want to break that cycle but unfortunately that time is not yet upon us. I'm going to be reading two books by Ben H. Winters back to back (I hope): The Last Policeman and Countdown City. These books follow a detective by the name of Hank Palace who seems to be the only policeman still interested in upholding the letter of the law and this is because the world is on the verge of ending. Seriously there's only a few months left before an asteroid destroys all life as we know it. It's no wonder that he's the only one still on the job. Hard questions come up in light of the impending doom of the planet which only causes the plot to thicken further. DUN DUN DUN

Proving that cats are indeed hilarious

If you want a book that is BURSTING at the seams with funny then you're in luck because How to Make Your Cat an Internet Celebrity is just the book for you. This book is an entrepreneur's dream how-to manual giving step-by-step instructions on how to utilize the gifts of that pesky cat that up until now only slept and destroyed villainous toilet paper rolls. Instead of bemoaning the fact that your cat seems to think her water bowl is possessed by a demon catch her (on tape!) giving it distrustful looks before knocking it flying with a paw. If your cat looks fetching in an ascot (meow!) make sure to grab footage of him strutting his stuff while looking extraordinarily stylish. This book has every tip for making a mint by harnessing the hidden talents of the feline in your life. (Also, the pictures and captions are FANTASTIC.)

Is it any wonder that I don't want the laughter to stop here? Next up is William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back by Ian Doescher. Now I know what you're thinking: Why aren't you starting with the first in the series? Well, that's because...I have no good reason. However, this is the way it's happened to work out and if I enjoy it (signs point to yes) I'll be taking a look at William Shakespeare's Star Wars. Merging two vastly popular worlds is an incredibly clever and possibly risky endeavor especially these two which seem completely incongruous. Setup as if it's just another Shakespearean play except with a cast of characters sci-fi aficionados are more than familiar with, The Empire Striketh Back, has high hopes for becoming a cult phenomenon. We shall see...