randomly chaotic and frequently mundane

I’ve done a lot of reading lately.  Let’s see… first I read Little Women, which somehow I’d never read before.  I thought it was a really good story, very charming.  Now I understand why so many people have said to me “You’re so Jo.”  Except that I’m not what I’d consider clumsy, and I got the impression that Jo is a bit clumsy.  I’d love to see the movie at some point and see how it compares.

Another book in the “I hadn’t read that before…” category that I read was Black Beauty.  Yes, I know it’s primarily for a younger audience than myself, but I’d never read it.  We had a copy when I was a kid, it had a lot of illustrations in it.  But the time frame was before I could read more than a couple of words.  I remember my older sister reading a few chapters to me, but that’s all.  So I finally got to read that one.  It was REALLY good.  Reading it, I kept thinking “jeez this is a great example of the need for standards as far as caring for animals.”  And apparently, that’s about what it was written for.

Chocolat was another book that I read last week.  Another really great book.  I’m actually glad we didn’t watch the movie when we got it from netflix awhile back.  It was romantic and interesting and made me want to start making chocolates professionally, LOL.  It was a good story.  I’m glad that I got the chance to read the book before watching the movie… so now I can get the movie and enjoy it.

Continuing in the books from my “they made that into a movie” bookbox, I read Angela’s Ashes.  God that was a good book.  I’ve wanted to read it for years but never had a chance.  Actually it was promos for the movie that made me want to read the book.  And like the others it’s a movie I wanted to see, but only after reading the book.  It’s a great story.  Really quite moving and interesting.

Brain, by Robin Cook was among the books I read.  It was disturbing to say the least.  Especially since it’s about somethign that people probably suspect the government of actually doing.  Not sure that I’d believe they’re doing it without some hard evidence, but I have no doubt that there’s someone out there at least considering medical experiments without the patients knowledge or consent.

Rules of Prey by John Sanford is on the list as well.  I almost thought that Davenport was gonna lose the guy in this one, seriously.  And while you know who it is, the literary tension is in seeing how the cops figure it out… this is a pretty intense one, I gotta say.  Guess why it’s called suspense/thriller.

See Jane Run by Joy Fielding was not at all what I expected… it was SO  much better.  And more disturbing.  Seriously.  I read this thinking that maybe the woman caught her husband having an affair and stabbed him or he tried to kill her or something… it’s worse.  Much worse.

I think that’s all that I read in the past week or so… there might be more.  But it was a good week for reading, that’s for certain.

Gage just dropped trou in the living room and proceeded to pee on the floor. At least he’s got what I assume is the “proper stance” for peeing standing up, but that was not something that I really wanted to have him do. He’s been scolded, his pants are back on and he cleaned up the puddle, but still… I have to say though, he’s doing pretty good. Since he started school he’s only had 2 accidents at school and since he’s started using the potty he’s only peed the bed twice. He does still have his moments though. There have been a few times that he took his pants off outside and peed outdoors. While I know that boys are equipped to do that, it’s not exactly something I’d like him to be doing.

In other news… I’ve started reading the books from my “They made that into a movie” bookbox. I started with Little Women since I’ve heard so much about it over the years but I’ve never read it. Some of the books that came in it are going to be wild released without being read because I’ve already read them. A Christmas Carol and The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, for example. I’m thinking I might read Chocolat next.

By Gregory Maguire.  I just finished it yesterday.  I think that means I’ve read all of Maguire’s books centered around classic fairy tales/stories.  I loved Wicked, although I expected to hate it.  Confessions of an Ugly StepSister was almost as good as Wicked, but not quite, and Lost was interesting if not phenomenal.  Mirror Mirror didn’t seem worth reading, to be honest.

But Son of a Witch… this was almost as good as Wicked.  It picks up where Wicked left off, and tells the story of Liir (Elphaba’s son) and his growing up and making a statement of his own.  There were some parts that seemed a little formulaic, but for the most part it was an interesting yarn and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Now I’m onto a novel by Joe Hill… who happens to be one of Stephen King’s sons.  No, I’m not expecting literary genious just because of who his parents are… but I thought it would be interesting to see his style.

He put the hood to his costume on a little while ago and was walking around with it on.  Very cute, I must say.  It fits pretty good, although it looks a little odd with his Avalanche jersey, lol.  Once I get the bottom hem on the shirt done, he can start wearing the shirt and pants to school and stuff, too.  Which will be nice.

Had a groovy chat with Rob today.  It was nice having a friend to talk to, that’s for sure.  I miss having that regularly, but I’ll take occasionally over never.

I’ve been reading this book by Jack Higgins, Dark Justice.  It’s pretty slow so far.  I’m giving it another 50 pages to grab my attention then I’m moving on.  My “They made that into a movie” bookbox arrived home about a week ago, so I’ve got some interesting stuff in there to read.  Some I’ve already read, so I’ll find places to release those.  Some I haven’t read but would really like to, like Chocolat and Little Women.

People who know me know that The Exorcist is probably my favorite movie.  Weird, I know.  I mean, most people’s favorite movie is a happy fun movie that makes them laugh or at least smile.  Or it’s a tearjerker that touches them deeply and makes them weep every time they see it.  Nope, for me it’s a horror film.  I’m a weirdo.  I remember being scared shitless by the movie when I was a kid — of all the horror films I saw as a kid it was the only one that really terrified me.

I’ve just finished the book.  I don’t know why I never read the book before now.  I know that my mom read it many years ago, and was scared by it (apparently she was reading about the knocking in the attic when the attic cover in our home started shaking because of the air flow in the house).  What a great book!  And I have to say that the movie was a pretty good translation from book to film.  Some parts were almost literally transferred to film.  I’m so glad I finally read it.

The mailman brought me 3 new books today from paperbackswap.  Hidden Prey by John Sanford, The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King and a collection of horror short stories.

I need to work on my grocery list.  Hopefully we’ll be able to go grocery shopping tonight.  I missed some sales I wanted to hit last weekend.  There was an assortment of stuff that was on sale, plus if you bought more than 1 you got $ off on the next purchase.  Things that I normally buy, like cereal and stuff that Gage likes to eat.   It’s not the end of the world of course, but it would have been nice to save the money.

Gage has been napping a lot lately.  Coupled with his insatiable appetite of late I’m thinking growth spurt.

Speaking of Gage… he got ahold of Ziggy last night while he was in bed.  I walked into the room and I could hear Ziggy purring his brains out.  It was so cool.  Ziggy usually doesn’t purr audibly when Gage has him.

I just finished reading this.  It was SO good.  I really enjoyed the story, fast paced and you didn’t know where it was going to end up.  There were things that I thought were going to happen that didn’t happen, and things that were so utterly unexpected.  It was great.

If you like a good suspense/thriller, especially one that involves secret agents, covert operations and that sort of stuff — get it, read it, enjoy it.  Seriously.

i wouldn’t do that to fellow potter fans. but i just finished deathly hallows, and oh my god was it good. i love the way she wrapped things up. there were things that i half expected, things that i didn’t expect at all (in fact something that i’d posted about the impossibility of in the past happened — though it was in a way that i don’t think anyone would have expected).

it was a great story, a great finish to the series. if rowling never writes again, i hope she considers herself very successful.

on the subject of harry potter as a whole. there are many people who ask “how can you read that drivel?” or “why would adults get so much enjoyment out of a children’s series?” or (probably the worst one) “it’s just so hyped that i hate it. i’ll never read any of the books.” well here’s why i read them…

many years ago, a friend of mine gave me a copy of harry potter and the sorcerer’s stone for christmas. we (a group of friends) had gotten together on dec. 23 to celebrate and exchange gifts. a few people had told me that i’d like the series, but i wasn’t sure. they were basing this assessment, not on my reading tastes but on my personality, which i thought odd. harry potter is firmly set in the fantasy genre, and while i have enjoyed the genre i’m not a regular disciple of it. yes, i love lord of the rings and the dragonlance series (though i’m woefully behind the times on it), but i wouldn’t say i delve into the genre regularly. after arriving back at my parents house around 2am, i found myself unable to sleep and somehow devoid of reading material, i’d forgotten to bring a book with me and having already read everything on my parents bookshelf, i turned to the book i’d received that night. why not? i thought. if it was boring it would at least put me to sleep, right? so i started reading. pages turned, minutes turned to hours, and i was completely enraptured. i read until i had finished the book. by that time, the sun was coming up, so i went to bed to get a few hours sleep. the next day (dec. 24 — christmas eve), i found myself actually venturing the crowds at the mall on a quest to purchase the next book in the series. by christmas day, i was two books deep in the world of harry potter and absolutely in love with the series.

yes, they’re light and easy to read — at least early on. they’re also well-written and successfully draw in the willing reader to a world that perhaps some of us imagined when we were kids. yeah, i’ve been made fun of for being a harry potter fan. i don’t care. i love the series. what’s more, many kid around the world love the series. the series has successfully introduced the sheer joy and magic of reading to millions of kids who might not have ever discovered it otherwise. it can be argued that any book could do that, but i don’t think so. when i was a kid, i liked to read sometimes. it wasn’t until i found a book that drew me in so completely that i felt i was a part of the story, that i began to truly LOVE it. that book was also part of a series. little house on the prairie. i remember the exact moment, if not the exact book. there was a snowstorm a bad snowstorm (in the book). blizzard, in fact. i was reading in school. something broke my concentration and i looked up. glancing out the window next to me, i remember seeing snow, so much snow that it was all i could see. and then it disappeared, leaving the bright sunny day that was the reality. THAT is the magic of harry potter my friends. it can draw you in and make you believe (if only for a little while).

i waited all day.  at about quarter after 4, i heard it.  the mail carrier put it in the mailbox.  i trembled with excitement on the walk out to the mailbox.  i restrained myself.  i didn’t rip right into it, i went through the rest of the mail first.

THEN i tore into it.  i’ only about 230 pages into it, but i’m loving it.  so excited.  can’t wait to see how it all turns out.

in the event that you live under a rock… i’m talking about the new harry potter book.

for harry potter to arrive.

it was paid for weeks ago in anticipation… and should be delivered sometime tomorrow.  in about 6 minutes, folks on the east coast will be purchasing their copies.  i’m envious.  my mail is usually delivered  between 3 and 5pm.  i’m hoping that the mail carrier delivers our route earlier than usual.  sometimes she does.  in the meantime, i’m re-reading IT.  it passes the time and i’ll be able to put it down without a second thought when the new book arrives.

i know, it’s ridiculous, but i’m excited.

the book i’m currently reading is just not doing it for me. i’ve got 5 days till Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is released, so i’ve got 5 days to read something good. i’ve got a book or two that will fit the bill, but then it will all be gone.

i do however, have about 15 credits available on paperbackswap.com, so i can grab myself a few books for reading after i’ve read, absorbed, savored and enjoyed the final Harry Potter installment.

any suggestions? seriously, suggest a book or two and tell me why you recommend it.

for the record, authors i’ve enjoyed are: stephen king, patricia cornwell, james patterson, robin cook, david morrell, j. k. rowling, margaret weiss, tracy hickman, iris johansen, jonathan kellerman, john sanford, mary higgins clark, rebecca wells, some dean koontz… yeah. so suggest something.

i’ve been doing a lot of reading lately, and it’s good.  it’s very very good.   one of the recent books was a re-read (getting geared up for Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows), but the others were all books i hadn’t read before:

Song of Susannah (Stephen King) - it was really good.  I’ve loved the Gunslinger series from the beginning and I can’t wait to get the final book in the series and  see how it ends.  I’m sure some readers were irked that it ended in a funky cliff-hanger like The Waste Lands, but it’s still really good.

Certain Prey (John Sanford) - i really loved it.  it was exciting and the ending had a few interesting twists and turns.

Ugly Duckling (Iris Johansen) - really good and exciting.  a great example of a mystery/thriller.  there were also some interesting plot twists that were completely unexpected.

The Perfect Husband (Lisa Gardner) - another exciting mystery/thriller.  this one also had the “disturbing” factor.  there were a few things at the end that i’d hoped would end a little differently, but overall it was really good.

i’ve been doing quite a bit of reading lately.  in the past week i’ve read Certain Prey (by John Sanford), Song of Susannah (Stephen King), Ugly Duckling (Iris Johansen) and re-read Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince.  partly because it’s just too hot to do a lot of unpacking, organizing, etc.  also because gage wants to be outside a lot.  i’m not going to leave him out there alone, so i take a book.  i can read and watch gage at the same time.

speaking of gage… i noticed he has a rash on his collarbone area.  it’s odd.  it reminds me vaguely of poison ivy, the way it looks when i just starts, but he’s not scratching so it’s not itching.  and poison ivy starts itching before it even appears.  i’m guessing it’s a heat thing.   i’m watching tho, just in case he starts scratching the hell out of it.  if that happens i’ll have to get some calamine or something for it.

got an offer today on my entire paperbackswap bookshelf.  so i’m taking it and clearing them all out.  that’s a good thing.  it’s 35 books out of the way and i’m getting 7 credits (so it’s a 5 for 1). i’m contemplating getting rid of some/all of my cookbooks.

i’ve started contemplating recipe contests again… what can i say, i come up with good recipes and it can be worth a good deal of money.  it’s also fun… the creating, the anticipation, etc…

speaking of recipes… try this on for size:

Spicy Margarita Shrimp

•  1 lb shrimp, peeled
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1 tbsp hot sauce
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp tequilla
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp crushed garlic

toss shrimp with lime juice, tequilla, pepper, cayenne and hot sauce.   let marinate at least 1 hour.  melt butter in a non-stick skillet, add garlic and let it cook until it becomes aromatic, then add shrimp and cook until pink.  mucho delicious.   if you wanna get cute, serve the shrimp in margarita glasses w/ a salt rim — he he.

but i’ve put up a bunch of my books on half.com. there will be more listed soon, no doubt. need to lighten the load and raise a little dough. there are also the ebay auctions if anyone’s interested.

gage is having fun today… he’s currently running around in his avalanche jersey, a pull-up and his snow boots.  and i think he wants a bath.  hopefully not in his clothes.