Posts (page 2)

I have not watched television in about three years. Not to say that I never sat down in front of the TV, but when I did it was mostly for a SpongeBob SquarePants marathon.

Thanks to the beauty of Hulu.com (and unemployment), I'm currently hooked on a couple of new series and a few old favorites.

Glee - It's like High School Musical, but with bitter, dysfunctional adults and sex! Yay!

Community - There's not much plot, but I love Joel McHale and Chevy Chase.

Ugly Betty - The new season hasn't actually started yet, but I spent most of the summer catching up on the first three seasons. Yes, I have no life.

The Office - How can you not <3 The Office?

Modern Family - The pilot made me giggle enough to check out the rest of the season.

Cougar Town - I didn't exactly love this, but I'm willing to give it a few more viewings.

For fixing the Amazon link. I missed it. 

The Amazon book search still isn't working? What the hell? That sucks, Vox.

Anyway, I didn't even try to read this book to my son at bedtime. He didn't much care for the first two, so I just read this one on my own.

While it's certainly true that the three child protagonists of these books are met with a near unrelenting series of unfortunate events, I'm enjoying these books. I enjoy the writing style and the fact that the author isn't afraid to kill off a character here and there adds for a good bit of drama. Meant for children, the books are an easy read and sometimes I just need a break from trying to slog through The Brothers Karamazov (will I EVER finish???)...

I think if my son was just a wee bit older, he would be enjoying these books, too.

This thriller is a bit unbelievable, but a fun read none the less. I felt like the editing left a little to be desired. There were several typos and I prefer a cleaner, tighter narrative style - this book had lots and lots and lots of recaps and reiterations. But all in all, it was a solid international, political thriller. Very much in the same vein as some of Dan Brown's work with secret groups and conspiracy theories galore.

It was the September selection for my new book club. It turns out it was recommended to one of the group members by her dentist. Which makes sense. In a way.

I went to my first book club meeting today and I enjoyed it. One of the reasons I like book clubs is because it gets you to read books you ordinarily wouldn't - like this one.

The October selection is Amy Tan's Saving Fish from Drowning. I love Amy Tan, so I'm really looking forward to it.

The full title of the book is This Year I Will...: How to Finally Change a Habit, Keep a Resolution, or Make a Dream Come True.

It's a good read for a self-help book. It takes a very life coach-oriented approach as opposed to a talk-therapy approach. Which makes sense, since M.J. Ryan is a life coach.

Lots of good strategies to effect real change, not just talk about it. Good stuff.

And took pictures! That I will post here! At some point! Possibly even soon!

View from the Ferris Wheel

Crazy Copter

Coolest Ride EVER!!!

Am I the only one the Amazon book search isn't working for? Hmm...

My son is a sandwich guy. Nothing fancy for him. But when he left his regular lunch box at school, I jumped at the chance to pack his long-neglected bento box.

(I hope the other kids don't make fun of him. I figure it's still okay to be cutesy in kindergarten, right?)

I kept it pretty simple. He's got a car-shaped boiled egg* on a bed of romaine lettuce and some crab and octopus mini hot dogs. I had to cut them by hand because I've lost my wiener cutters. Boo! There's some ranch dressing in the yellow bear bottle and some honey mustard in the square bottle. I tucked a little plastic spoon in as well, although I'm sure he'll use his fingers - which reminds me that I forgot the napkin. Whoops!

8.27.09 Bento

8.27.09 Bento

I wasn't sure if that would be enough, so I put in some grapes and pretzels, too. And then I still wasn't sure that would be enough so I tossed a pack of fruit snacks in at the very end.

* It was supposed to be a fish-shaped boiled egg, to go with the crabs and octopi, but my son ate that one right away, leaving the car for lunch.

This is the 2009 selection for One Maryland One Book. It is also the September selection for the book club I'm joining. I haven't actually been to a meeting yet, so I'm not sure if I'm going to like it. But they meet at my local library (which is within walking distances), so I thought I would give it a shot.

I enjoyed the book, which is set in 1850 on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. I always enjoy reading books with local settings. It's one of the reasons I love Anne Tyler so much (plus, she's just fabulous).

The book's main character is a young runaway slave who has dreams of the future after a head injury. I think McBride does a good job of seeing our present through the filter of 19th century slavery. I wouldn't say it's a happy ending, but McBride does a good job of weaving a dozen characters together in an artful conclusion.

I'm looking forward to discussing the book with others and getting their take on it.

The Vox Amazon search function isn't working, so no cover shot. Lame.