Confessions.

I have been too busy indulging in the following guilty pleasures to blog…

1. Listening to Justin Bieber. Gah. I hated this guy on principle when I first heard him sing the opening notes of the We Are the World remake. BUT THEN. He hooked me with that song Baby. Damn Ludacris. Yes, I know. I’m like a freaking 16-year old stuck in a 30-year old’s body.

2. Reading Lisa Kleypas romance novels. I’ve always enjoyed a romance novel here and there but rarely read books consistently in the genre. Mostly because there are SO MANY books to choose from and it’s hard to wade through all of the titles to figure out what’s good and what’s a bust. Thanks to the influence of Sarah and Ceci, I found Lisa Kleypas and totally devoured her 3 contemporaries in the past week. It’s times like these when I wish I had an e-reader so I could just download another book to read instead of ordering them online or going to the bookstore. But I love the feeling of a real book in my hands. So torn.

ANYWAY.

Rob and I went to Vancouver last weekend and had SO MUCH FUN. Also ATE TOO MUCH.

Quick pic…

Can I be an honorary Canadian? More later.

I don’t read a lot of non-fiction. What can I say? I prefer “escaping” into the books I read. But as you know, I’m a huge Disneyland fan and I just *had* to read Mouse Tales: A Behind the Ears Look at Disneyland by David Koenig. It’s a quick and fun read filled with everything from the history of the park to hilarious insider gossip and even to the darker side of lawsuits and accidents. I have a tendency to romanticize all things Disney and even this book can’t tarnish the magic. Highly recommended for any Disney fan.

I missed a couple days. Oops. I was out all day on Saturday and was too exhausted yesterday to get in front of the computer.

So… I’ve actually been reading books! Last year was a total fail in that area but I’m off to a good start this year. YAY. One of the books I’ve read is Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris. It’s the first book in the Sookie Stackhouse series. I wasn’t sure if I’d like this book (I favor light! and happy! type books) but I really, really did. I thought it was a satisfying combination of vampire fantasy, romance, humor (Bubba!) and suspense. Sookie is a slightly ditzy but engaging and spunky main character and she’s surrounded by a colorful cast of Southerners (including vampires) in Bon Temps. There’s one central plot in this book that drives the story forward and keeps you guessing until the end (at least it did for me… or maybe I just didn’t catch any of the clues). If you’re looking for a quick and easy read, I highly recommend this book. I received the first 3 books as a gift so I’m excited to get started on the second one.

This book also makes me want to check out True Blood again. I watched the first 2 or 3 (?) episodes a year ago at a friend’s house but since I didn’t have HBO, I never finished the first season. Still don’t but maybe I’ll rent the DVDs when I have time…

Second. I’m finally caught up with Gossip Girl. WTF is up with all the partner-swapping?!? GRRR.

Third. Another WTF to tonight’s episode of 90210. Silver is a whole new brand of kerrrazy.

Fourth. I just LOVE the tagline for the new Fast and Furious movie. NEW MODEL. ORIGINAL PARTS. Hehe, that is awesome.

Now. I started this part of the entry waaaaayyyyy back in November and never finished it. Oopsie. I had already written half of it so I figure better late than never.

So I finally finished the last 2 books in the Twilight series. Some thoughts (possible spoilers)…

Eclipse
I think this might be my favorite of the 4 books. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I ended up enjoying this book. I still don’t like Bella much (I just do not find her relatable) and I’m not a huge fan of love triangles in general but this book was different. In New Moon, I was irritated by her relationship with Jacob. How she could manipulate and use him the way she did. I didn’t feel that here. There was something more. There was a real push and pull in her feelings for Edward and Jacob. I saw that in her stubborn intent to face immortality (because she knew how it felt to live without Edward) but also in her reciprocation of Jacob’s kiss (a reminder of the human life she was leaving behind). But what I’m most happy about is that she made a choice. A final one at that. (There’s nothing worse than a waffling character – I’m looking at you, Joey Potter).

Apart from the love triangle, there was much more happening with the other characters, which is probably why I liked this book so much — discovering Rosalie and Jasper’s pasts, learning about the werewolves as individuals and as a pack (imprinting, how the pack developed over the years), and the joint effort between the vampires and the werewolves to fight Victoria and the newborns. All good stuff.

Also, remember how I said that Jacob was possibly my favorite character in an earlier blog entry? Yeah, I take that back. Still like him but he got on my nerves in this book.

Breaking Dawn
After liking Eclipse so much, I was disappointed in the final book. My memory is a little hazy now but the beginning (wedding/honeymoon) and end (the battle, Jacob/Renesmee) were just too perfect. Bella made her choice but never experienced any of the consequences of making that decision. Instead, she gets everything she ever wanted… to be a vampire, Edward as her husband, Jacob as part of her family, a newborn baby, etc. Ehhh. Everything felt forced, almost unrelated to the previous three. The series should have ended with Eclipse.

Random: I just realized that Twilight is on its way to me from Netflix. It should be here tomorrow. I may not be a huge fan of the books but the movie exists on a whole different level (mostly because of Robert Pattinson). Hee. I’m excited to watch it.

Anyway, I finished New Moon over the weekend and I liked it about the same as Twilight.

Emma hit the nail on the head in her comment to my previous entry — it’s been so hard to get through this series because the writing isn’t so great. This was definitely more noticeable in New Moon.

But I did understand Bella more in this second installment. Which is an improvement. Unfortunately, I still don’t really like her. I found her to be reckless and selfish. And it completely bothers me that she’s so nonchalant about becoming a vampire. Cause I don’t feel like she’s taking it seriously or that she’s really weighed the pros and cons. Interestingly, I liked Edward much more in this book — maybe because compared to Bella, he was like the voice of reason. I also really liked learning more about Jacob (he might just be my favorite character) though I still don’t understand why the vampires and the werewolves are enemies. Did I miss something?

I’ve gotten this far so I want to read the rest of the series… but I’ll have to find a generous friend to loan Eclipse and Breaking Dawn to me. Only the hardcovers are available and I’m CHEAP. Anyone?

Gosh, I haven’t done a book update in ages. I swear I’ve been reading!

So I got sucked into the Twilight series. People at work kept talking about it and I felt out of the loop. I read the first book when I got back from Kaua’i so it’s been a good 2+ weeks since I finished it and I honestly haven’t felt inspired to blog about it. I think that says something. I liked it… but didn’t love it. And I wanted to. I really did.

Edward and Bella’s relationship was sweet but I think it was too much, too soon. Their lives started to revolve around each other so quickly and I didn’t even feel like I had a handle on who they are individually. It’s hard to root for a couple when you don’t have any feelings for either of them outside of that relationship. The action at the end kept me reading, though, and I was sufficiently intrigued enough to purchase New Moon (which I haven’t started yet). I might even try to watch the movie (if I can find anyone who wants to go)! I don’t follow Twilight fandom but it seems like people either love or hate Robert Pattinson’s casting as Edward. While he’ll always be Cedric Diggory to me (HP!), I can totally see him as a vampire as well. Should be interesting.

After Twilight, I read Eat Pray Love. Erm, how do I explain my thoughts? I liked it and didn’t like it at the same time. Really. It took me awhile to get through the first 25 pages or so because I found Liz to be slightly unlikable — I know she went through a huge, emotional and messy divorce but there were times when she was crying non-stop that I wanted to reach out through the pages, shake her, and tell her to snap out of it. And sometimes her journey came across as self-absorbed and arrogant instead of reflective and insightful. I don’t know. Maybe I’m just too young. Or maybe I haven’t lived enough so I don’t “get” it. Fortunately, she has a really fun (and funny), easy writing style that made the book easy to read. And I’m a sucker for a book about travel (I would LOVE to be able to take a year off and travel the world — so jealous). I just wish the ending wasn’t so neatly packaged.

I also read The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares. It totally sounded like a book I would enjoy… a story about sisters and the boy they grew up with at their summer house… but sadly, the characters drove me nuts. I was so frustrated and annoyed by their choices, their lack of communication, their passiveness. Ack. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series is far better than this book. :/

I’ve read other chick-lit books but they’re more the forgettable kind. Not worth highlighting here. Hop over to GoodReads to see what else I’ve been reading. I have no idea how to direct link to my profile (is that even possible?) so let me know if you’re on there and be my friend!

In my excitement about food in my last entry, I forgot to mention that I also went to see Wicked while I was in LA. Finally! I found out about a 50% discount for all Tuesday through Thursday shows in January and February so when I realized we’d be in town during the week, I jumped at the chance to go. And just as I expected, I LOVED it. Glinda was my absolute favorite — Megan Hilty played her to perfection. Caissie Levy as Elphaba was also solid. But sadly, I thought Kristoffer Cusick as Fiyero was a *tad* disappointing. His voice just wasn’t quite as powerful as the 2 leading ladies and he also wasn’t a very good dancer. Maybe he had an “off” night because he seems to be a really popular Fiyero (I was doing a search on reviews of the musical a few days ago). But whatever, it was an excellent show — definitely one that I could watch many, many times (if I could afford it ).

I thought I would share a few of my favorite songs from Wicked…

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Defying Gravity
For Good

I’m also reading the book at the moment… I do not love it nearly as much as the musical. It started off sloooow, and then picked up when Elphaba and Glinda went to college, and now it’s slowing down a bit again. I’m about halfway through so I’ll be sure to write some thoughts when I’m done.

Now I’m off to watch America’s Best Dance Crew. YAY. I love dance-related reality shows.

I’ve been in a “post-Potter state of depression” (tm Sarah) since finishing the last book. It seems so silly but I’m incredibly sad. It’s been a great ride for me… I didn’t start reading the books until the summer of 2001, right after college graduation. I was a “late bloomer,” as they say, hehe. One of my college roommates recommended them to me after she read the first 4 books during our senior year. I remember wondering why in the world she was reading children’s books. Little did I know. Fast forward to the summer when I had no job (no full-time job anyway) and lots of free time to do nothing. It sounds fun but doing nothing all day gets old pretty quickly. I used to pick up books from the Borders across the street regularly and one day, I finally broke down and bought the first HP book. After reading the first few pages, I was hooked. And I raced through the next 3 books that same week.

The HP world has been a part of my life since then. That’s 6 years of re-reading the series, speculation and discussion, impatient anticipation for the next installments and midnight release parties. It just doesn’t seem real that Harry’s story is over. Well, at least there’s always the last 2 movies! They’re not nearly as good as the books but I love them just the same.

I feel so lucky to have been a part of the HP phenomenon. As soon as I got home with Deathly Hallows, I knew that millions of people around the world were doing the exact same thing I was. I find that freaking incredible, you know? Anyway, I sat down to type up my thoughts on DH and I’ve totally went off on a random tangent, lol.

Here goes.

I loved it. But you knew that. It was an absolutely engaging story from beginning to end…

Things I Didn’t Care For
1. Draco’s story. It was a little disappointing. I’ve always found him to be a fascinating character. I never thought he was actually evil… he was certainly taught to be but I don’t believe that he shared the same conviction as his parents. After HBP, I felt like he was going to make a choice for one side or the other. Or at least he had the set up to do so. But nothing really happened to him. He’s not entirely good but not entirely evil. Meh.
2. Ginny. I used to like her just fine but the H/H shipper in me has developed irrational hate. Sorry. :/ Plus, I kinda think she’s a little *too* perfect.
3. Snape’s redemption. Now don’t get me wrong, I actually really loved his backstory but I think it came too late for me to feel bad for him or to really dwell on the impact of his sacrifices.
4. Inter-house unity theme being dropped at the end. That was an important thread running through the book and it was seemingly squashed in the epilogue. UGH.
5. Aaahhh, the epilogue. Yeah, I could have done without it. I would have at least liked to find out what the other characters were up to (Luna, Dean, the Professors at Hogwarts, the other Weasleys, etc). Plus, I feel like the final chapter was so intense and powerful that the epilogue just felt tacked on. It just didn’t pack the same emotional punch. For me, anyway. I guess I’ll have to settle for JKR’s post-HP interviews like this one to find out what happened to everyone.

Deaths
1. Hedwig. UGH. Stab to the heart right from the start. (I rhymed!)
2. Dobby. *sob* I’ve always been a bit indifferent to Dobby (he was so annoying in CoS though I loved his devotion to Harry). But OMG… his death made me unbelievably sad. And Harry burying him just about killed me.
3. Fred. I had a feeling one of the Weasleys was going to die. I just wish it wasn’t one of the twins. :/ Percy would have been okay. Oh, just kidding.
4. The 3 above were the ones that really pained me… the deaths of Mad-Eye, Tonks, and Lupin, while still sad, didn’t really affect me the same as the others. I guess I almost expected their deaths. Maybe not the exact characters, per say, but I knew going in that there would be a fair amount of deaths in DH. Plus, I just don’t really have the same emotional connection to them. Well, maybe Lupin. He’s a big reason why I love PoA so much.
5. Snape. I think he’s an absolutely intriguing character. And I love him for that. But I can’t reconcile his actions with his motivations. I know he was working with Dumbledore because of his love for Lily but it just doesn’t seem enough to explain away the horrible things he’s done and how he’s made Harry feel during the series. I’m not surprised by his death, though, and I think it was necessary for his sacrifices to really mean anything.
6. The Baddies — Wormtail, Bellatrix, and Voldemort. Their deaths were just a matter of time so nothing unexpected there. I did like the circumstances surrounding each of their deaths, though. Very appropriate for each of them. Sounds horrible but it’s true.

Moments/Things I Loved
1. Anything Harry-related. He’s my favorite character in the series and he was seriously inspirational in this book.
2. Dudley thanking Harry for saving his life.
3. Neville’s always kind of flown under the radar for me until these last few books… he’s really become a brave, confident young man and I’m so glad he had the chance to play an important role in the battle. I loved when he pulled Gryffindor’s sword out of the Sorting Hat and then killed Nagini. I do have to admit that a small part of me wanted him to finish off Bellatrix. Molly killing her was just as sweet, though,
4. Potterwatch! That was awesome.
5. Snape’s relationship with Dumbledore.
6. Kreacher making treacle tart for Harry and later, rallying the house elves for the Battle. YAY Kreacher!
7. Pansy Parkinson pointing out Harry when Voldemort demands his surrender and all the other houses come to his defense.
8. The Marauders (+ Lily) walking with Harry to face Voldemort. This gave me chills.
9. Narcissa covering up for Harry after asking about Draco.

But probably my favorite moment was the following…
Hermione had taken his hand again and was gripping it tightly. He could not look at her, but returned the pressure, now taking deep, sharp gulps of the night air, trying to steady himself, trying to regain control. He should have brought something to give them, but he had not thought of it, and every plant in the graveyard was leafless and frozen. But Hermione raised her wand, moved it in a circle through the air, and a wreath of Christmas roses blossomed before them. Harry caught it and laid it on his parents’ grave.

As soon as he stood up he wanted to leave: He did not think he could stand another moment there. He put his arm around Hermione’s shoulders and she put hers around his waist, and they turned in silence and walked away through the snow, past Dumbledore’s mother and sister, back toward the dark church and the out-of-sight kissing gate.

Yes, it’s shippy — SORRY! I love them so.

I think I’m going to do a re-read.

That was me after picking up Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows last night. I’m wearing my Harry Potter track jacket (it’s similar to his triwizard robes in the GoF movie) and my Gryffindor scarf. HEE. But uhhh, please excuse my greasy face. My friends and I checked out the midnight release party but there wasn’t anything going on that captured our attention so we came back to my apartment and played Harry Potter Scene It? until about 11:15 when we went back to Borders to get in line to buy the book. SQUEE. The line went super fast and Rob and I were home by 12:30. (We live right across the street from Borders). Of, course, I cracked the book open right away.

And I finished it tonight. But don’t worry, no spoilers here… I’m going to wait a bit to let the finality of the series sink in and then I’ll post my thoughts. Maybe tomorrow.

For now, an HP meme courtesy of Sarah…

Favorite Book: Goblet of Fire. I just love the Triwizard tournament and the Yule Ball. Prisoner of Azkaban is a *very* close second.
Favorite Character: Harry. I can’t help it. ILUFFHIMSO.
Favorite Movie: Prisoner of Azakaban. So far, it’s been my favorite interpretation.
Favorite Spell: Expecto Patronum. The idea of your happy thoughts acting as a a protector against dementors is just so hopeful.
Favorite Couple: Harry and Hermione. I know it’s not canon. But their relationship touches me just the same.
Favorite Magical Building: Hogwarts.
Favorite Magical Creature: House-elves.
Favorite Non-Human Character: Hedwig!
Favorite Scene: This isn’t fair… there’s so many! Off the top of my head… all the Time-Turning scenes and learning about the Marauders in PoA, St. Mungo’s and Dumbledore’s Army in OotP, the Yule Ball in GoF… I’m sure there’s tons more.
Favorite Family: Well, the Weasleys, of course!
Favorite Class: Charms.
Favorite Movie Scene: Again, I have a few… when the trio first meet on the Hogwarts Express in SS, the Gryffindor boys eating candy in their tower on their first night back at Hogwarts in PoA, Harry asking Cho to the Yule Ball in GoF, and all the Dumbledore’s Army scenes in OotP.
Favorite HP website: Don’t really have one. Though I do always go to The Leaky Cauldron for news… it’s too bad the site layout is awful and loads so slowly.
Favorite House: Gryffindor!
Favorite Bad-Guy: Draco Malfoy.
Favorite room in Hogwarts: Gryffindor Common Room.
Favorite Teacher: Professor McGonagall.
Favorite Ministry Employee: Kingsley Shacklebolt. Or Tonks.
Favorite Ministry Department: Department of Magical Games and Sports? Or maybe the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
Favorite Magical Transportation: Apparition.