All Families Are Psychotic (by Douglas Coupland)

Damnit, this placeholder has been here so long, I forget what I had to say about it. I remember that I really really enjoyed it though.

Journal Quote of the Day

"Also, maybe I wasn't reading carefully enough, but I don't quite get the connection between Starbuck and coffee. First of all, it's pretty distracting having a character named 'Starbuck' around; the whole time I was trying not to think about espressos and Cylons. For that matter, 'Ahab' is weird too. Subconsciously, you expect the characters to realize Ahab is a monomaniacal nut. I mean, he's called 'Captain Ahab' -- isn't that a bit of a giveaway?"

From Montykins.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (by J.K. Rowling)

Placeholder.

Something Blue (by Emily Giffin)

For some reason, I have been reading nothing but fluff lately. I spent the weekend packing and re-reading Harry Potter (the countdown continues) and Mercedes Lackey. Then I went to the bookstore and picked up Something Blue and next thing I knew, I had finished it!

This is the sequel to Something Borrowed, and Giffin takes the villain of the first book and turns her into the protaganist of the second book. It's cheesy, but it totally works. I don't know if it's stress or hormones or what, but I totally cried my way through the last fifty pages. If you're into chicklit, check out this series. I think you'd have to read both to get the full effect, but Something Blue is better than Something Borrowed. Fluffy goodness.

Little Children (by Tom Perotta)

I read this one for the book group. I usually try to read it the week before the meeting, but I picked it up one day and got engrossed, and then was halfway done by the time I was able to put it down. It's a quick read that way! I enjoyed it overall, but am currently letting my thoughts marinate for the discussion, and have not really formulated many yet.

14 Days Left

Until the sixth Harry Potter book finally comes out. I have a counter on my desktop, and the other night I even dreamed that I got an advance copy of the book. The suspense is actually killing me. Why do I love the Potter so? I don't know. Everyone at my work has seen my desktop counter and thinks I am a giant nerd. Which is okay, because they usually see me reading the classics. At least now they know I'm not a book snob!

The God of Small Things (by Arundhati Roy)

I got this book on the collective recommendation of my book club. (I joined fairly recently, circa Carter Beats the Devil, and as you can see, they read a lot of books before that, some of which I've read, most of which I haven't.) "Just go read it!" said the book group. Without warning me that it's basically "in how many horrible, tragic ways can someone's life be ruined? Let's find out!" I had to sit in my car and cry for ten minutes when this book was over.

It is, however, a beautiful book, if you don't mind a little tragedy. The writing is inventive and rich, the descriptions are vivid and haunting, the word choices are perfect and playful. It deserves all the praise it got; it's one of those books that flabbergast you. How could anyone write it?