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Twilight and NyQuil: "Better" Is a Relative Term

I was kind of surprised that I finished the first Twilight book, but I've refused to read any more in the series. Friends have said that the other books are better than the first, but I've already lost five hours of my life to that misogynistic book. (If I EVER see a family member with any of Meyer's drivel in their hands, I shall steal it, burn it, jump gleefully on the ashes, and replace it with something by Tamora Pierce.) There's an over-the-counter medication called NyQuil. I take it when I have a cold. It's a green syrup that tastes bitter and sickly sweet all at the same time. Difficult to drink, but I do it because it suppresses my coughs and makes me drowsy enough to sleep at night. Last night, I noticed that the new bottle said NyQuil had an improved taste. I raised an eyebrow, because there's a lot of room for improvement. I drank it, and their strategy was to make it even more sickly sweet than before. Proof positive that better-than-awful can

The Blue Sword

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The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley One of the preparation exercises for NaNoWriMo is to write a list of things that I love about books I've read. I love adventures, magic, characters who transcend expectations, a good romance, moral dilemmas, gender reversals or disguises, vibrant and original worlds, true friendships, pets, and a juicy misunderstanding or three. The Blue Sword has all of these and more. The story takes place in a world where an empire reaches into lands and cultures its people don't quite understand. Newly-orphaned Angharad, nicknamed Harry, is brought to a desert outpost by her brother to live with relatives. She looks toward the distant mountains and wonders what's out there, but she lives a quiet life among those of her own culture until the day the king of the Free Hillfolk -- the native inhabitants of the desert -- comes to the outpost to warn the army of an impending invasion from the north. Corlath, the king, rides away from the meeting disguste

Howdy!

Trina (noun) 1. a peculiar species of California Hufflepuff with mottled fur and a predisposition for stoutness about the middle. 2. a person who manages to suffer from both an inferiority complex and delusions of grandeur. 3. a proud anti-snob. Strengths: Intelligent. Loyal. Optimistic. Independent. Understanding. Makes yummy desserts. Weaknesses: Touchy. Distractable. Gutless. Tactless. Slothful. Depressed. Special Skills: Can pinpoint the location of Ghirardelli's milk chocolate if it's within a half-mile radius. Can identify all of the constellations in the Northern Hemisphere. Weapons: Sarcasm. Disarming goofiness. Excellent recall for trivia. Above-average IQ. (If all else fails, there's always the blue eyes and southwest dimple.) Objects of Adoration: music, Fry and Laurie, Trivial Pursuit, QI, books, family, friends, home theatricals, BBC, PBS, movies, art, American Tribal belly dance