Livejournal, you are failing me with the entertainment this Sunday night. I can only assume that everyone is staring wide-eyed at their screens, willing Big Bang to magically start early. I mean, that's what I've been doing. It's like Christmas Eve around here. Twas the nigh before Big Bang.." come on someone, write that.

I am re-reading Margaret Trudeau's autobiography, the one published in '79. I was in love with it when I was younger, but reading it now, I can't imagine I understood even half of it at the time. It's absolutely fascinating. In a few sentences, she's a young bourgeoisie-rejected, wanna-be hippie from Vancouver going through a quarter-life crisis when she's suddenly courted and sought-after by the coolest Prime Minister of Canada. It's like less-pretentious Beat, wherein the lead character is actually human and constantly questions whether she should be doing what she is. It's completely realistic and very relate-able. Aside from, well, you know. How she marries the Prime Minister. And then after all that, she falls in with the bad kids, Ron Wood and Mick Jagger.

I slept at the Shire, at the beach, last night, and drank a lot. It was a very good time, but we all almost froze to death afterwards. It's much too cold for June. Earlier on Saturday I drove to Truro and went to a flea market with my father and step-mother, and then we drove to Parrsboro (reminded me of you, andi_horton) and around Advocate Harbour (which reminded me of shirethief and our adventures with Australian!Brad). It was very relaxing, and very pretty.

I've also been moving more and more of my things into my new place. Pictures will come shortly, precious. I can't move in there until there is internet. It might kill me.

Okay, so I read the whole of the Graveyard Book without realizing that Silas was a vampire. Oh god, I am STUPID. Seriously, I'm sitting here *headdesk*ing all over the place.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT I THOUGHT. THAT HE WAS SOME SORT OF WEIRD, LIKE, I DUNNO! GUARDIAN OF HELL OR LIKE, FELLOWSHIP OF THE DEAD I DUNNO.

Vampire. Who knew? EVERYONE WITH HALF A BRAIN (and not me)!.

1. Rewatching Buffy season seven with the brothers. "It eats you starting with your bottom." Enough said.

2. Had a really bad day today. Highlights include: being told by someone that he can't stand living with me, my car not starting and having no-holds-barred honesty yelling matches with a coworker who used to be a friend. Buffy makes it better.

3. Is it really bad for you to lie on your back with your laptop on your chest or stomach? Like, am I getting fried like a microwaves or anything? Because it kinda feels like it.

4. I refuse to watch the Pete Wentz pee roulette thing. Refuse. Disgusting. This kinda gives me hope, because I was recently at the point of "it's Pete Wentz, I'll back anything he does". Good to know I still have my free will.

5. I have, however, played Hotel 626. JFC!

6. I recently read Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book, and would like to add me extreme appreciation to the pile. Not only did I enjoy this book immensely, but I would have killed for this book when I was younger. Everything about it appeals to 9-year-old Virginia, most of all Liza Hempstock. Considering two of my favorite books as a child were Magic for Marigold and The Witch of Blackbird Pond, I know my copy would have been very dogeared. I have so much I want to say about these books themes and undertones, but I haven't been in school for over a year now and feel like I couldn't say them correctly.

7. While we're on the subject, am I the ONLY child that read Magic for Marigold? I have yet to find a single other person who's read it, young or old.

8. I'm going to see Fleetwood Mac in exactly one week.

So, has anyone else read the Artemis Fowl books? Because, erm, they're kinda awesome. And by awesome I mean, ridiculously well-written children's books with adult concepts and hints. They're about moral greys and corporate hierarchy, and the title character is a boy who is a very threatening bad guy, and he's twelve years old. Some of the funniest parts are Artemis vs. his shrink.

If you haven't read these books, just. Artemis Fowl is a twelve year old super genius whose father goes missing, and so he heads up his criminal empire. It's real world, but it's an au where fairies are real and living underground. And? It's all surprisingly non-cartoonish.

Just, you know, saying. That these books are worth a look at.

Other things that I read that were not as good as this series: Inkheart and The Thief Lord (though both decent), The Magic Treehouse and Twilight.

What? I worked at a daycare for the summer; there was limited reading selection.

Two pictures from a new Ed Westwick photoshoot. I'm assuming there will soon be more from the same shoot? IN ANY EVENT, hey there beautiful. I mean, usually, I see pictures of him and think, wow. I want to have lots and lots of dirty sex with that man. But I saw these and thought, hey, wanna grab some coffee and maybe go see some ballet? We can be totally hip.

My kingdom for icons of those.

PS: Just finished Eclipse, from the Twilight book series, and it was my favorite of the current three. ( I wasn't gonna write thoughts, but I guess now I am? )

I am insane, since I got up at 6:30am so that I could workout before work, mostly because I'm INSANE? I hope I have the initiative to keep this up. It'd be pretty awesome if I did. ♥ I couldn't sleep last night, though, it was awful. I have to quit drinking so much caffeine during the day.

There wasn't anything exciting bandom or fandom-wise when I woke up this morning. Sadface. I guess I'm gonna have to make my own fun.

Oh, and I bought the third Twilight book last night, so I'm gonna read that. I didn't like the second one, so I'm hoping I like this one better. I need my self-indulgent, shakily-written teen fiction to at least have a story I like.

Poll #1175474 oh, English lit.
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 21

Which fictional English name is more befitting an proper English gentleman?

seriously, ahaha. ♥ I love names.

So, as momst of you know, from January until now I kinda feel into this downward school spiral. I kind of bottomed out and was failing out of school, for which there is absolutely no reason besides that I wasn't a) going to class and b) reading any of the material. To pass school you have to do at least one of the two. Anyways, for the last week or so I've been kicking my own ass, and I managed a B+ on the paper proposal, which is awesome. So I feel pretty confident that for that class at least, I can write a decent paper.

Oddly, I have never read The Handmaid's Tale, which is required reading in women's lit, so I need to find a copy of that. Anyone have an extra copy laying around? It's extremely strange that I've never read this before, since I've read tons of Atwood, and this one seems to be the staple.

Favorite Rolling Stones song, go. I used to say that my three favorites were Beast of Burden, Don't Stop and Monkey Man, but one day I told this to Shannon, and she blinked and went, "that's unfortunate", so mostly I keep quiet about it now. (Kidding, kidding, AM I HOT ENOUGH, AM I ROUGH ENOUGH?)

Oh, right, so yesterday I read Twilight.

See, the thing is, it's just what it's supposed to be: teen fiction. It's surface-written, and clumsy. It's a bit cliched and it's very predictable.

But that's not to say that I didn't enjoy it. I did. Very much.

See, occasionally, I get these fits of wanting to write something that people will like. Not something good, but something that people will like. Like say, perhaps, a story about a fat, unpopular girl that ends up with the gorgeous high school jock and then they live happily ever after. That's basically the kind of indulgence this is; perfect, gorgeous, dangerous, passionate vampire falls in love with the clumsy every-woman. We love it, we lap it up. It's fantasy fuel. And really, there's nothing wrong with that.

( And also... )

I know a fun game we can all play!

Tell me things about the following:

1. James Joyce's "The Dead".

2. Katherine Mansfield's "The Doll's House".

3. William Faulkner's "A Rose For Emily".

I feel like I should definitely already know these things, considering that I currently hold an English degree, but alas, they escaped me.

Tell me extra bonus things about how much you love Jane Eyre or LOATHE Rochester, just for fun. We can talk about themes and motifs and whatnot. We can also discuss the differences between Erye Affair!Rochester and plain-old-cross-dressing!Rochester.

Also, has anyone else read Wide Sargasso Sea, because I LOVE it. (It's a mid-sixties-written book that kinda absolves Antionette Bertha! in the Attic.)

Good morning, friendslist! And hello to my fifty trillion new friends from the bandom friending meme. I'm psyched about all y'all.

This morning I got up voluntarily at seven. I don't even have class. What? NO IDEA. I've gotta go to the elementary school to teach guitar to a music class, but that's not until noon. I'm kinda excited about this; I will be bringing the G chord to a new generation. Well, realistically, it'll be more like E-minors all around. But, hey! Take what you can get.

I have a midterm tomorrow and I haven't read any of the source material besides James Joyce's The Dead. Honestly, I like Joyce's short stories better than his novels. In any event, I've got to first find out the pieces I've missed, read them, and invent some sort of commentary that will allow me to eloquently write a good answer for the essay question.

For some inexplicable reason, I've started reading my youngest brother's copy of Inkheart, which I like. I think I might have already told you this. Oh, well.

And now, some old fic recs for your morning. Things you've probably read before, but might wanna read again, I dunno.

& There Should Be A Name For Something Like This by SkoosiePants, PG-13 (I'd say), Brendon/Spencer. Hypothetically speaking...

& Mister, I Don't Believe In You by lazenby, R. Pete/Patrick. Hooker!au, in which Patrick is a hooker and Pete wants to write a novel about him. Because Pete is an author. Duh. 4 parts. YES.

& The Trials and Tribulations of a Lack of Education by formerlydf, NC-17, girl!Brendon/Jon. For some reason, Brendon in this reads more like an OFC, but it's still awesome and it still works, and there needs to be 324872342355 more fics about Jon Walker teaching people how good it is to get off.

Today I will go to my fathers and throw some wood around, and then later go and drink some rum with my friends. It's been a while since I last had rum. (Like, a week and a half, oy.)

I was looking through old papers and things, and I found a ticket that my stepfather got for "driving without a valid permit". According to the date on it, he was thirteen at the time. In searching further, I found his report card from the same year, which reads "Alan is all-hearted. She does a good work", and is from his 'Reading' teacher (Sister Helen). I love old papers.

I had the best sleep of life last night, and that's because I got to play musical beds since none of my brothers were home. I chose Johnny's bed (which, larebear, I am ready to argue is more "like the ocean!" than Jamie's) and it was soooo heavenly comfortable. I also started reading Inkheart, because it was on his bedside table. I think I will continue to read it, it's cute and the kid's name is Meggie.

Well, well, well, gooooood morning, Neville Longbottom. You are lookin' sharp.

Also, fellow literature people? Henry Tilney > everybody. (Including Edward "I Keep My Real, Crazy Wife Locked In The Attick" Rochester.)

So, hey, twitchy_giraffe, I just finished reading A Complicated Kindness on your recommendation, and I liked it a lot. But truthfully, I have no idea what to do with it. It's kinda... well, emo, but relate-to-able, I guess. Very, very much so, so that you're lying there after you're finished going, "wow, that was melodramatic, and me lying here thinking about it is melodramatic", but you can't actually do anything about it, so you have to just lie there, being melodramatic all over the place.

I haven't posted in 24 hours, which was what I was going for. It was a self-imposed 24 hour refraining from posting in my lj. I was almost overdosing. I swear that my eyes are going to fall out of my head, because before I went to class this morning, I hadn't been out of the house since Monday and I had barely stood up from my computer chair during that entire time. I was definitely flist checking though, so I guess it doesn't really count.

Last night I sat down with Max, and we each had a guitar, and we wrote a song. It's called Downpour, and it's kinda sappy, but it has a chord progression that I like, and Max added some really neat guitar fills that I think make what would otherwise be a regular old pop song a bit more modern and interesting. Sometimes talking to Max is such a relief from this life I'm currently living. He's got ideas and optimism, and he's so thoughtful. He thinks everything through, he doesn't judge me for my sudden infatuations in anything, he's just curious about them, asks me questions. He reads books about religion and books about drugs and books about skate sharpening all in the same week and gives each of them the same amount of consideration. And he will sit down with me for two hours and write a song, playing it over and over until we're sick of it, so that I will have something I can call my own for this show on the 31st.

I want to find the "In the Tub" scene from Big Fish, but it's not on youtube. The song just popped up on my random, and I really like it.

I Feel Just Like A Child by Devendra Banhart reminds me of two summers ago at the commune, because we listened to it a lot. Zack was obsessed, and he used to play it on repeat.

Last night I dreamed that Rizzo from Grease was a doctor at Seattle Grace, and somebody was pregnant and they thought it was her, but Alex Karev was the Kenickie in the situation. And then Spencer Smith came to my town to take classes at MtA and he asked me who could best teach him where the good drum classes were, so I called Luke Patterson and they became best friends.

As soon as I can get my money together, I'm going to get my "We Are Stardust, We Are Golden" tattoo. But I have to decide what font I want, and where to get it. I wish there was a conceivable way that I could get it on my wrist, but it's probably gonna be too big, so I'll have to put one or two of my stars on my wrist (I'm getting seven tiny star tattoos altogether over the course of my life). I was thinking about putting the words on my neck, but then I remembered that somebody already did that, and I don't wanna step on their groove (I'm lookin' at you, push_over).

- The Last Buccaneer, an article from Rolling Stone Magazine featuring Johnny Depp. It's from... last year, I think, but I hadn't read it before. Topics include Jack's ambiguous sexuality and Hunter S. Thompson. "I went along on his book tour for The Proud Highway. He had dubbed me his road manager and head of security. He'd introduce me to people as 'Ray.' And they would be like, 'It's Johnny Depp.' And he would say, 'No, his name is Ray.'" ♥!

- How adorable are Neil Gaiman and his daughter?

Right, so, it has come to my recent attention that I should write an entry that has nothing to do with the fact that I have recently been watching hours and hours of a certain tv show.

Alright then, this I can do. Books! Books are not tv. HA!

American Gods is awesome. I mean, sure, I'll give you that Neil Gaiman doesn't always have perfect flow. Sure, sometimes he lacks a certain fluidity... but I think that it works for him, and that his ideas (as brilliant and wonderful as they are) are conveyed perfectly in this style. His knack for humour is another thing I love. Sam is hysterical, especially in that bit during which Mister Town and Mister... whatever he was, came to her door to ask her about Shadow. Hahahaha, "Otherwise, you'll have to introduce me to your friends Mister Thumbscrews and Mister Pentothal?"

Ok, so my sociology of religion prof would LOVE this book, and I told him he should read it. I dunno if he will though, because I couldn't figure out how best to explain it to him. But I want him to read it! But I'm afraid if I tell him again, he'll think I'm one of those crazy stalker students, like larebear. (I kid, I kid. He likes you.)

So, keeping with the Gaiman, has anyone read Smoke and Mirrors? I really wanted to buy it, but it's not for sale around here. I briefly flipped through it, and some of the short stories seemed to have interesting concepts. Anyone got the inside scoop? Fill me in.



Also, not book related, I bought some hillarious Valentines. They're Star Wars, and they're brilliant. They say fun things, such as the one of Emperor Palpatine which says "Together we can rule the galaxy!", C3PO's "To a splendid counterpart" and Yoda's "My trusted ally, you are". Classic. Classy. Classic and classy.