Thursday! (i.e. Booking Through)

Who is your favorite female lead character? And why? (And yes, of course, you can name more than one . . . I always have trouble narrowing down these things to one name, why should I force you to?)

Well, I've always been partial to Hermione. She's so smart, funny, and manages to keep Harry and Ron in line (and prevent them from failing their classes).

Another character that struck me was Anna from My Sister's Keeper (by Jodi Picoult). Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match so she could be a bone marrow donor for her older sister Kate, who suffers from leukemia. As a teenager, Kate sues her parents for medical independence so she can decide for herself whether to be a donor to Kate. Kate's life hangs in the balance as the court case proceeds. This was a compelling read and Anna's strength in the face of an impossible situation impressed me.

And finally, I have to add that I love Sabriel from the Abhorsen books by Garth Nix. She is just plain awesome, always kicking some Dead Hand and necromancer butt with her bells. (If that sounds at all intriguing, read the books.

Wednesday!

I'm continuing a theme this week. I'm too tired after work and dinner out with friends to write anything cohesive, so I'm doing a photo montage of Rusty's tricks instead.



Rusty is demonstrating the basic Sit technique. The cuteness in his eyes that makes it impossible to deny him anything comes extra.



Lie Down. The difference between this and Sit sometimes gets confusing, but once he figures it out, he does it so eagerly.



He's gotten really good at Wait. He gets so intent on resisting the treat that he will back away as you bring it closer to his nose. Up until he hears the magic word: Okay. Then he'll snatch it up in a second.

Okay, I promise something book-related tomorrow. After I run to stop Rusty, who's chewing up the carpet over the in the corner right now.

Tuesday!

I don't have anything book-related to blog about, so I'm going to take eva's advice and post pictures of my puppy.

This is puppy graduation. After 8 weeks of classes, Rusty is proficient in Sit, Stay, Leave It, Wait, Lay Down, and loose-leash walking (but the loose-leash walking is still kind of iffy).

I don't like to be that mom who brags about how her kid is smarter than all the other kids, but my puppy is pretty darn smart. He picked everything up really quickly. And it only took 4 tries to get this picture!

See, doesn't he look scholarly?











It wouldn't be graduation night without a kegger, would it? My naughty husband wanted to make sure Rusty didn't miss out on that all important graduation experience.




Don't forget to enter my fantabulous giveaway for my copy of Firefly Lane. I've got lots of entries, WILL YOU BE THE ONE???

Monday!

I added the exclamation mark to my title so I can convince myself that Mondays are a good thing. Actually, today wasn't too bad as Mondays go, I started the new job, which I had been looking forward to. I have a million names to memorize and a million tasks to learn, but I like challenges.

Speaking of challenges, I'm looking at the pathetic number of books I've read this month. 7 so far. I really thought I was a reader, but it seems I'm not as productive as I thought. And I really do read in all my spare minutes! Except when I'm blogging of course. Guess I'll have to kick it up a notch.

Don't forget to enter my fantabulous giveaway for my copy of Firefly Lane.

Firefly Lane: Want To Win My Copy?

Author: Kristin Hannah
Challenge: None
Rating: 3/5

In 1974, Kate is the uncoolest of the uncool 8th graders. Her new neighbor across the street, Tully, however, seems to have it all together. She has the new clothes and freedom that Kate longs for. One night, however, Kate happens to be a listening ear for Tully and a friendship is born. Tully is constantly driven by a need to prove herself, and early in life, she sets her mind on being the greatest reporter in America. Kate is supposed to be right by her side, but Kate's dreams lead her towards getting married and starting a family. So although they go to college together, work their first jobs together, and both get involved with the same man, Kate ends up with a life of domestic bliss, while Tully works 17 hour days and becomes a celebrity.

This book is about the friendship between the two main characters, and there is a supporting cast, but they fade out compared to the amount of words spent on Kate and Tully. Hannah does a good job of setting the scene for the story, I liked the references to all of the music, clothes, haircuts, and celebrities of each era.

It was fun to watch the characters as they grow and change. A large part of this book revolved around the fact both Tully and Kate were jealous of what the other one had in life, even as they remain friends. Tully, never married, is jealous of Kate' s family while Kate, exhausted by the daily grind, sometimes wishes she had the money and fame that Tully has. Still, they manage to stay friends even though Tully is pretty ruthless and betrays Kate for a news story more than once.

Even at the end of the book, though, I didn't feel like I had much insight into the characters. They had this love triangle thing going on for most of the book, but it was kind of just there. Never explored fully, never really resolved fully. And Tully never does seem to learn how to really be a good friend to Kate. She kind of does what she thinks would be good, without ever really taking Kate's feelings into consideration.

If you are into this type of book, make sure to bring some hankies for the ending.

Now, would you like to have my copy of Firefly Lane? Leave a comment below, and I'll enter you into a drawing. Just enter by Friday, 2/29. Post a link on your blog (and let me know that you did) for an extra entry. Ready? Set. Go!

Weekend Fiction Break: Snatch

Spotted Snatch peeking around my shoulder just earlier this morning but couldn’t quite get at him to grab and shake some sense into him. Have tried my best to warn Sitsit and Coffee about danger from Snatch, but I sense that they don’t understand me. Snatch shows his ugly head and I know left alone he’ll sneak into their beds and strangle them so I try grabbing him. He is quick, so I chase him. Sitsit and Coffee have seen Snatch too, but they just sound playful.

Getting more paranoid. He’s not there when I’m eating and drinking, but when I’m in bed resting I see him in front of me, tall and white. He wraps himself around my face and I can’t talk or breathe. He makes this low menacing sound and that’s how I know Sitsit and Coffee are in danger. Struggle to talk and then Snatch disappears. I look around the room to see where he has gone, but everything smells normal. He disappears so quickly I can never see where he goes to.

Snatch winks at me and then tries to disappear but this time I see him and I grab. He winks again so I follow but he keeps out of my reach. I grab and spin. I have nothing but a single hair. I taste the hair in my mouth, but Snatch found some way to smell exactly like me. I keep looking, though. He likes to sneak up from the back.

Sitsit and Coffee are home now and they are sitting on the No No. I am talking to them but they don’t smell playful. So instead I am chewing and smelling. There is another smell by the No No. Snatch. I’m chasing him as fast as I have ever run before, and I clamp down. I have him in my mouth, so I shake him to make sure he stays away from Sitsit and Coffee. It hurts me to clamp down. I don’t know why. I hear Sitsit and Coffee making the playful noise again and I drop Snatch to look up. They are squeezing their eyes shut and shaking. I watch them carefully, but they don’t seem to understand that I’ve saved the day again from Snatch. Then Sitsit puts food in my dish and I eat. We go outside to walk. I don’t see Snatch.

It's Finally Friday

Today was the last day at work, so I finished up the odds and ends at work, we had Dino's for lunch, and then I went over with my boss a few last minute things. Then I turned in my keys and went home. It is so nice outside that Rusty and I got to take a little walk! (For reference, really nice means its 26 degrees and sunny).

Last night the husband and I watched 3:10 to Yuma, a western starring Christian Bale and Russell Crowe. I really enjoyed watching those two amazing actors take center stage. For a western, there was a lot of psychological warfare going on, as opposed to shoot-em-up action. I loved a lot of things about this movie, but at the same time, I really couldn't completely get into this movie. Everyone has a genre or two they just can't get into, and I guess westerns are mine. I don't like how grim they are, I don't get the motivations (it always seems to be about some weird honor code, being really manly and drinking lots of whiskey) and I hate how every always dies!! (Believe me I'm not giving anything away about the movie). I tried watching Tombstone, The Cowboys, and Legends of the Fall with my husband, but during each movie, I sat there the whole time, saying things like "Sweetie, why are they doing that? I don't get it! He wouldn't have died if he would have done this... Okay, I don't get why those guys are enemies!"

My favorite genre is and will probably always be SF. I think a lot of people feel the same way about SF as I do about westerns, so I have decided. I can not like westerns. And that can be just fine.