I used to watch General Hospital---

Well, well, well now--last night's episode JUGHEAD was quite the trip.

A. NO JACK!! Wooot!
B. SURPRISE!! Des & Penny had a baby and they named it Charlie--after Widmore or the rockhobbit?? (BTW I suddenly have a severe distrust of Penny).
C. My biggest question is still WHAT is the smoke monster? But I am beginning to really wonder who are the GOOD guys?

I really like Richard Alpert (and not just cuz he rocks the kohl) and I like his character even more now that it is 1954 and he is gonna turn down John Locke in about ten years--that is a chewy bite isn't it? See--look; John (who recently got the compass FROM Alpert) gave the compass to Alpert so that John could NOT choose it --thus failing the test to become leader of the Others (see episode titled Cabin Fever)...well-- he is "not quite ready."

OR

Widmore?? Is he good or evil? When do we get to read the Black Rock's logbook? How about Ben? His alignment will be the opposite of Widmore. Who according to last night is an original Other. He lived in "Old Otherton" afterall. I think I trust Frank. I definitely ride with Team Faraday, especially if he keeps Charlotte from imploding (which despite her preview line of "This place is DEATH!"--I predict Red is not gonna make it to the end of the series--that is why Daniel was crying when he watched the news footage of the "found" crash site. He should have kept her at a time prior to her rapid fire jumping to the island. The writers are implying that we lost Eloise/rat because of too much successive jumping. It doesn't seem to affect Dan or Miles though....

I am curious what is gonna happen if Miles ever gets to Jacob's cabin--BTW Miles is a good guy. Neutral Chaotic does not equal Evil.

Actually, let's think about Miles here for a minute. He can talk to ghosts--he can convince them to change their behaviour...can he calm Jacob's ass down? I was just discussing w/my fellow Lostie (actually it was Carol who started this whole obsession) and we were trying to pin down who was actually dead. (I know...define dead) Claire is a conundrum, but she is w/Christian whom we know is dead, Charlie is dead-- but he talks to Hurley...Claire talks to Kate? Does that make HER dead? (I wish Kate would die--she might be interesting then)--who else is dead? Mr. Eko--but he plays chess w/Hurley...(Why do all these dead folk talk to poor Hurley? ANSWER: I think HE is s'posed to lead the Others) Is Patchy dead? Does Time travel count as Dead? Then are Milkowski and Theresa (the new coma babe) DEAD?? Her sister sure doesn't think so. Ana-Lucia is dead...BUT SHE TALKED TO HURLEY!!! (Ethan and Godwin don't count--neither do Danny & Mr. Friendly) Alex is dead, so is HotCarl and Danielle (sniff). Nikki & Paulo don't count unless we have a zombie episode...been kinda waiting for that. Is Michael dead (fingers crossed) Walt's not dead--but he talked to Hugo. Don't ya love weak logic? How about Jin...if dead peeps talk to Hurley then Jin should have said something to comfort Sun. Based on nothing but Sun's gravesite visit --I predict Jin's death is ONLY part of Jack's lie. Sun will get her boy back. (Damn I LOVE HER!)


PS--I am still chuckling over "Libby sez Hi."

EMU Harry Potter Book Club & Reading Group

I am the advisor!! we are on Facebook, we are an official student organization--FRAK from Pottercast is doing our crest--the Remus Lupins will be joining Tonks & The Aurors at our Winter Ball in March.
We ROCK!!!

In other Potter related conversational tidbits...I am reading a very interesting collection called Harry Potter & the Order of the Court. It was written by Robert S. Want and covers the RDR/Lexicon scandal. The presentation of objective facts and transcripts is welcome as is the clarifications of Fair Use and the implications for fandom. This book will become required reading Fall Term.

next weekend we don't leave the house--

The last week (month?) went by so damn fast.I taught class,we got a new president and LOST came back-- I blinked and it was Friday again--except this week instead of getting Gretchen & Chris married-- Ray turned 81. We went to Paesano's for dinner and he got Spumoni for dessert. He cracks me up. We spent most of the meal debating which comic strip was the best ever.

On Saturday Zoli had fencing (he is getting his own gear for his b-day) and Pete zipped in to Sparrow Meats & picked up the Haggis for Burns Night (see Facebook for pictures). The Haggis was definitely edible and surprisingly tasty! Next year I will make it from scratch and it will be a bit spicier. Maybe garlic. We shared a bottle of scotchy scotch (Ardbeg) w/our crazy friends and *I* was warm enough to not notice the below zero windchill when we went outside--tho Petey claims his kilt is quite warm; I noticed he was walking fast!


Moniack Mead, Highland Wineries, Moniack Castle, Inverness, Alc 14.6%, 75cl, £6.99

On Sunday the caterpiller ate through three bowls of soup and one delicious glass of Heather meade (from Scotland no less). It is called Moniak after the Inverness castle where it is brewed. click here Andy.
Carol and Rollo were so funny--eagerly waiting for us to taste this necter--but what was even funnier were all the stories Lori/Brian (aka Philippe & Simone) told us about how they became part of the Moniak Army. Apparently we now need to get to Windsor (Briar-- help???) and stock pile this precious beverage as they no longer import it to the states. It was smooth and delicious. Faintly whiskey, faintly honey, warm and brandy-ish. It very well maybe my new fave liquor. If I had to choose between a glass of Goose or a glass of Moniak---well it would be the heather meade. It is perfect.
Kinda wish I had a glass right now.

Yummy sandwich

Petey and I got lunch together today. We went to Beezy's. All my Ypsichicks are lovin' it so off we went. It's a new place in downtown Ypsi--right across the block from the DEJA VU. I skipped breakfast (shut up Matt) so I had no problem scarfing down an avocado BLT on grilled sourdough. The place was PACKED even as close to one pm as it was. I was thrilled to see Faygo in glass bottles so I also splurged on an Orange soda. It was cold and sweeeet, real cane sugar thank you very much--prices weren't bad. Pete loved his soup. My favorite thing was the BIKEYPSI flyer. They had an egg salad that sounded tasty--I'll go back.

Gertrude isn't a mutant!!!

We were beginning to worry. We expected her to start laying in Sept (she hatched in April), but nothing---UNTIL today when I went out to give her fresh water THERE IT WAS!!! OUR FIRST EGG!!! It wasn't there this morning. And she sure as hell was more interested in playing with Luna then sitting on it--so there we have it! An egg--YAY!!!

Jan '09

It is still the first month of the year and if the excitement of the last few days is any indicator of the rest of the year '09 is gonna be a HOOT! Two weeks ago I got home from teaching class; I released the beasties, hung up my coat and checked the answering machine. Gretchen had called; twice. I called her back and fully expected her question of "What are you doing next Friday?" to be an invitation to meet her for lunch. I replied that I taught in the morning but would be done about 10:30. This was met with a huge mock dramatic sigh and she said she would ask a sister...I was puzzled--why couldn't we get together?? WITH her sisters? either one?--then she explained. She needed somebody to witness HER MARRIAGE TO CHRIS!!! AHHHHH AHHHHH!!! Then she swore me to secrecy. So I couldn't tell anyone. GREAT!! I finally get to be a "Best Woman" and I don't get to do any of the goofy girlfriend shit. Had to switch on the filters on and control my enthusiasm. I had to quell my natural instincts as a Mrs. Dalloway wannabe and just stand there holding Chris' ring. Did it.

Drove up to Vassar Thursday (so as to avoid any bad traveling delays) and they were married Friday morning in a very quiet ceremony attended by their doggies and Sam & I. Got a little festive at her sister's place with a champagne toast and cake, went to Tiffany's Pub for lunch and headed home to check on the frozen pipes. yep they were still frozen.

Mostly because Hell had Frozen over (well Gretchen did get married). Our cold water feed pipes had two of our three toilets out of commission and the winter conditions continued to demand our attention...

Saturday was date night--a real date. With my "boyfriend"--you know that guy I used to date before I married the overworked doctor?? We had gotten tickets for the productions at Hilberry Theatre on Wayne State's campus back several months ago, Tom Stoppard's brilliant play Rosencrantz and Guildenstein are Dead was being performed with HAMLET. We got the tickets on the only day they staged both plays so we could see both performances back to back. What a treat!! R&G were adorable; we arrived in the 20 questions bit--about 15 minutes later than the start of the play because the driving conditions I had anticipated screwing up the wedding actually had Matty getting to us a little later than he expected. I was not about to leave the kids with a fire in the fireplace, frozen pipes and no official adult.

Considering that we left later than we wanted and the roads were so horrendous I am actually quite pleased with the results. I thoroughly enjoyed the first play (despite the chilly auditorium) and at it's conclusion we slid around the corner to The Inn on Ferry Street HUBBA HUBBA!! what a beautiful place seriously. Petey surprised me with the whole overnight stay thing which in itself seemed over the top, I mean-- we only live 40 minutes from the theatre--but he was adamant that we needed a break so I was amenable--Matt was home with the chilldwens. I really need to get a grip on this anxiety thing. I explored the Arts & Crafts antiques that adorned our spacious room and started to relax for real--Then there was a knock on the door, "Front Desk"--and there was a lovely man with THE TRAY. You know the tray they put in all romance movies? The silver ice bucket with champagne nestled into it, a dozen red long stemmed roses arranged above a box of chocolates? My boy is sooooo smooth...giggle.

LONG slow Dinner at Traffic Jam and Snug--great fun and delish food. That is such a great space. Pete's iphone finally impressed me as we sat there sipping after dinner mugs of coffee and scrolling through the text of Shakespeare's play trying to trip each other up in a silly game of "identify the speaker". Eventually we toddled back across the tundra to see Hamlet. Seriously the perfect date. except for the hazardous driving--which we mostly avoided by not driving home after Hamlet. My boy is truly clever.

The performances were strong--not spectacular, not crappy. The Ren Fair costumes were distracting, but maybe if I didn't spend so much time with costuming laurels from the SCA I would have had better suspension of disbelief. The fun at seeing both plays back to back was totally worth it. I love both plays but my obsession with deconstruction and meaning --all Waiting for Godot and signifiers..yeah..I was happiest w/ R&G.

...and when we got home...Matt had the pipes thawed!!!

Countess Cordelia Lisney

Click on the following link to get your steampunk name!!!OH! What great fun!!

Houston--we have icicles

BIG SCARY ICICLES!! Meaty manly icebergs. Icy stalagtites of dooooom. My poor gutters. Some of the worst are right outside the bathroom window. So I can scowl at them until I get so cranky that I open the previously winter proofed & gummy goo sealed window, remove the screen and whack at the chunks with an ax. The first time I had help. Pete and Matt were home and we took turns and cleared the entire area. The window bit and the bit that was causing the problem. That would be the section of roof where the skylights allow tons of heat to escape. Stupid skylights. I really dislike those skylights. When there is a full moon you can read by the reflecting glare. And they are cold. Plus, one of the motors has died so even IF it were 80F (ha ha ha --ROFLMAO--can't breathe...pant pant) sorry, lemme catch my breath--okay--so, even if it WERE warm out--we can only open one. At least not till we swap out the dead motor. Stoopid skylights-- I am sure they are heat sinks--because there is no attic in that area to be "poorly ventilated" (as all the ice dam web pages note). If they break my house I am gonna be CRABBY.

So there I was today, leaning out the bathroom window and wailing--wait is the term I want "whaling"? anyway I am sure the suburbanites were laughing as I smacked about 40lbs of ice from my poor old gutters. That's me entertaining the masses. I did not attempt the danger zone up around the peak--but lemme tell ya, we are soooo getting those wire heaty things. sigh.

Sat. morning baby Yoga

well. After having done yoga for almost ten years-- today I had a little moment of braggadocio. I attended a class at the new place and was so far ahead of the class it wasn't even funny. I guess I have to admit I am no longer a beginner. It was soooo easy. so..watered down. so...lame. And I am sorry substitute yogateacher--that series was NOT Sun Salutation. Admittedly I did have an epic failure when she got to Shoulder Stand. NOT my favorite asana and not one I do regularly. Okay--not one I have done in about three years. I sorta went all the way over into Plow and then kinda flopped over rather unceremoniously. not pretty. But the other 99% of class I was beyond confident.

My confidence matched the loveliness of the studio. Hardwood floors and floor to ceiling windows. One thing that was odd was the OM plaques every five feet. I am positive it was designed for ease of "spotting" (focusing on a spot to help you keep ones balance) but it struck me that if this were a temple or chapel of some other sort-- that those spaces would not have been decorated with crucifixes or Stars of David every five feet. It seemed disrepectful.

On Thursday I had a similar epiphany to today's class--the awesome girl (Laura? yes her name was Laura) showing me the circuit training machines said I was strong. I don't feel strong. I feel gimpy and fat. I know what it is to be strong and this ain't it. But we mustn't argue with the staff. I was very happy to find my gloves in the lost and found. They came up missing Thursday evening and I forgot to ask on Friday but there they were today..My toasty purple leather driving gloves. YAY!

HPBCARG--or The 5th House

Now we are cooking!! The Wizenmagot (the organizing members) for the Harry Potter Book Club and Reading Group met today at the Tower Inn. We (they--I ate my sandwich and smiled a lot) accomplished much. We settled on a name less cumbersome then HPBCARG...The 5th House. It was a close race with similar versions, The Lost House and The Forgotten House (as in the house that got left behind). In fact it was so close I might be wrong...it might have ended up being the The Forgotten House, but the meeting minutes will be emailed soon enough.

We have a date and room reservation for Jan 30 for the actual Book CLub meeting. We have fun stuff planned for those who appear in the Student Center that evening!! They also got officers settled and started getting our upcoming Cosplay Ball/Wizard Rock Concert organized. It was also decided to *hold* on the filmfest until closer to the release date of Film 6. But the term marathon got bandied around quite a bit. That will be a hoot.

I am proud of my darling cuttlefish...or hippogriffs or whatever Purple and orange beastie they decided on. This is going to be pure fun!

BTW-- today is Snape's b-day. Happy B-day Sevvie. I reread the epilogue of my favorite fanfic Tea With Black Dragon at lunch.

Aqua aerobics

I ordered some shoes. That is prly a good thing because today the music ROCKED. I had fun. I was again laughing, a bit more to myself, as I bobbed around in the tidal currents. Less visualization of hunky vamps and a lot more channeling of a volleyball jock today. I also kinda felt like a dolphin. That water--seriously, it is different. A.) The pool doesn't reek of chemicals. When we walked into the water park at GWL recently the chlorine hit us like a wall. The pool at TH&FC@WCC is this pleasant warm oasis. ESPECIALLY the big ole therapy pool. I named it "the mermaid pool" today. Remember the scene in Peter Pan when the merbabes beat the crap out of Wendy?? I felt langourous and sinuous as slithered through the water. This relaxation was necessary after sliding all over on icy roads in the bug. (On days like this I miss my 4WD Jeep Cherokee.) I walked in feeling pretty tense and hyped up. In about five minutes I was totally relaxed and drifting...veddy nice . Total jello brain, until I used the stairs to leave the happy place and gravity and cool air sucked the joy outta that moment. It was so weird. I prefer floating.

B.) The warm bouyant water of the therapy pool peeled off like a robe and left my poor shivery self questioning the lifeguard; his answers?-- the deck was about 80F, the big lap pool was about 83F and the therapy pool was a balmy 95F. sigh could float there forever.

I'll have my shoes next week let's see how that goes.

surreal

I joined a gym. Actually I joined a thing...The Health and Fitness Center at WCC. The place on the whole is pretty impressive, heated towels, the lockers work, the showers have doors and the membership is on sale till Feb 15. (I saved $100!) Sunday in a fit of motivation I stopped in and got a contract. I really just wanted a yoga class. I haven't taken one since Crystal moved to New York. This place is NICE, almost posh--wood grain lockers, and peeps! So far I have seen my Literacy Buddy Ele; Sam (actually Julie tipped me off to this place about two years ago). I have also caught sight of 'Nette & Krause and my "fearless leader" Russ--who isn't the Dept. Head anymore but will still crack Rocky & Bullwinkle jokes with me.

This morning I participated in an Aqua aerobics class. OMG!!! I was laughing so hard. I kept getting these bizarre visions that were spawned I am sure by the CORNY music. Now don't get me wrong I am totally going back Thursday but the music the teacher chose was GOO oooh OOFY! All patriotic marches and shit which granted is great for jumping up and down to but combined with the surprisingly buoyant salt water in the pool and the tidal current generated by my mushy and sizable classmates and the fact that I was barefoot (apparently we now wear shoes in the pool --didn't do that the last time *i* took Aqua aerobics--but that was ten years ago when I was preggers w/Izzy. C'est la vie.

Okay so imagine me treading water in this rather warm salt water womb. I am surrounded by a small herd of decidedly UNfit ladies bobbing up & down. All of whom look like they just walked out of the kitchen of a Hungarian Reform Church. They have hairsprayed coiffures (many of whom did not get WET at all--the whole time!) and those swimmy suits with the skirts attached. Honestly, what designer was doing what drug when they decided that a "swim skirt" was gonna hide 40 years of cellulite?? God Bless America starts playing and the bobbing becomes more frenzied. I of course imagine Stephen Colbert leading the class. She isn't Stephen Colbert, she isn't even Tek Jansen, BUT the nice teacher did remind me to move up to the shallow side of the pool so I didn't drown. Hmmm--that helped but the waves were still crashing around my face as the Church Ladies began their workout in earnest--often the teacher would get us all moving in a conga line (can walruses conga? YES.YES they CAN!), the water would form a whirlpool and then the NiceTeacher would direct us to all reverse direction and do the fun dance step AGAINST the current--the music changed to what I can only think of as a "cotillion song" It was some Early American down south kinda ballroom song and I immediately envision Bill (yes from Trueblood) in his Confederate soldier uniform and seems how we are doing a waltz I decide to pretend he is my dance partner and my addled brain wanders off into a daydream that has me wearing the drapery dress from Gone With the Wind and sexxyVampireBill whispering "Sookie"--then the music changed. Damn that was working for me!

Actually the whole executing various dance steps in the incredibly bouyant water was the closest I have felt like the 89 pound me I remember. The muscle memory surprised me. I felt light and graceful. I felt like ME--The rock hard abs me who was a letter winning gymnast and ballet/tap/jazz freak on weekends.

So the music changes to what can only be described as hoedown music. And yes..we are doing the frog like jump side kicky move you can imagine if you think of Stinky Pete and his XXX jug celebrating a new gold mine. Sheesh-- I couldn't help it--I kept laughing and making the lady next to me laugh and we cracked jokes about getting cowboy boots instead of pool shoes. It was good as long I kept imagining various dance partners. Then it was some kind of Coyote Ugly music and we were line dancing.

Oh holy crap. I really hope Thursday's music is different!!

Monday Moanin'

naw it wasn't that bad.

Despite the vivid awareness that at 7:40am I would much rather have been waking up to Landra cooing in the living room of the GWL & have coffee w/Fina & Tarrach-- then gulping down one cup so I could drive Z. to school. Everybody got where they needed to be and of course I got a crappy parking spot, but class started at 9 and was a rousing success. And I paid for a new term of coffee (to drink in front of 40 people who want me to teach them something).

This term should be fun. Only 40 students instead of 97. The EMU Student Organization titled The HP Book Club and Reading Group gets under way this month, with yours truly as the advisor or "Housemother" --and I have some new canon to discuss what with Tales of BB now common knowledge.

It is often odd for me to reflect upon the fact that I have been hanging around Pray-Harrold since 1985. Granted there were years when I wasn't there, but on the whole..it is kinda creepy. I wish they would build us a new building-- if the state of my 41 year old body is the same as the state of that 41 year old building...well let's just say I bought a gym pass.

Shelfari.com

I have been meaning to do this for several days. I have been distracted by a.) travel b.) loss of power c.)holidays d.) a particular Xbox game called Fable2, e.) new anime additions to my collection and f.) figuring grades from last term (praise Excel) and g.) pure decadent laziness-- but I have finally generated a list of books that I read in 2008 that particularly wrapped themselves around my spine. Pete helped with this conquest as he would nod and say "Yeah that one got under your skin." I suppose that means I babbled about it in addition to blogging about it.
SOooo w/out further padding--the '08 recommended reading list.

The most striking book I read last year was definitely All Shall Be Well; And All Shall Be Well; And All Manner of Things Shall Be Well: A painfully true novel by Tod Wodicka. If you even know WHAT the SCA is--you need to read this book. It, like Zen & The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, is a fable of obsession. A warning...

In second place was the Sonnet Lover by Carol Goodman. Mysterious and lush. The perfect mix (for me) of subject matter and craftwomanship.

Showing up third I have decided David Liss's The Coffee Trader was pretty damn good. Granted he does get brownie points for complimenting me (via a surprising email) on a glowing review I wrote.

In fourth place on the list but prly the most life changing was Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. She is my hero and as soon as I am done typing I am gonna fill up my mug and starting pawing through seed catalogs. 75% of the motivation for this new "hobby" is her doing. This book definitely altered my existence.

Speaking of the SCA, craftsmanship and food, number five on my 2008 list is an out of print book titled The History and Culture of Japanese Food by ISHIGE and Naomichi Ishige. This book was assigned to me by His Majesty Raito of Northshield as I prepared his coronation feast. The research and learning demanded for this project began with a simple joke two years ago when I announced to him (I think we may have been painting toenails or floating in an innertube) "When you crown Aesa, I am cooking your feast." Months later, after his victory-- I saw him quietly perusing the merchants at Crown Tourney and I approached him. I bowed--he grinned as if to say "I'm not wearing my hat" and I then leaned against him (cuz that is what dogs do to tell you they love you). THEN he said, "Will you still consider our feast?" HELL YEAH! but then tricky sensai that he is--he announced..."You do know sushi isn't period." At that point I was cocky and confident. I can do anything. That attitude changed quite drastically as I discovered the first of many obstacles in this quest. Not the least of which was the fact that I had to interlibrary loan the book from CMU. I haven't smashed so much learning into my thick little skull since grad school. I learned. That project was accomplished. It was not perfect. It did not look like Hauviette was in charge, but...thanks to my minions: esp, my girls Clan In gen Aeda, MyThomas and the Chiv he wrangled into serving, my darling lord husband who grilled 75 portions of salmon in the freezing rain, poor seasick preggers Carol being my moral support and DukeHardbutt washing sticky rice dishes all afternoon. That mission was accomplished.

This post is about books right???--

Books about Food apparently becasue the next one on the list is Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell. Hilarious!!! and enlightening and filled with butter and garlic! (BTW-- if any of you freaky darlings wants to set up a paypal account so I can buy awesome ingredients you go right ahead!)

Number 7 is also working my prevalent theme of medieval matter is The Voyage of the Short Serpent eeep!!! Cannibal Catholics attack Vikings. EEEP! This delicious little volume by Bernard du Boucheron and Hester Velmans just fucked with me. CRAZY!

Number Eight (Eight, Eight. Eight is great...Eight is the number we do not hate!) A series. I enjoy reading series. I wish that books never ended. If I can't get a series in toto-- I will devour all that an author has written. Case in Point? Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials. More carefully written than HP and twice as mature. The little Lyra's Oxford etc are delish little bites that extend the narrative. I am sure you are well aware that the movie SUCKED! However, in sharp contrast to the cinematic dreck-- I heartily recommend these, especially if you like sharp knives, parallel universes, hot air balloons and gorgeous evil chicks.

Number Nine (can you hear John Lennon? Number 9...Number 9?) It is true that Generally speaking-- the closer Oprah is to a book the further away I stand; but The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel by David Wroblewski is a keeper. This story is beautifully written and heart achingly honest. Despite it's designation in Oprah's Book Club as #62, these characters authentically materialize and you worry about them when you can't be in their universe.

There is a tie for my number ten spot. Two ugly, mean and petty books. The characters are selfish and vicious. They are vile and reprehensible, I love to hate them more than the baby eating catholic (#7), more than Mrs. Coulter cutting away children's daemons (#8),more than High Fructose Cornsyrup(#4). They are titled Finn and Mister B. Gone.

Let's start w/Finn because he is quite possible the sickest character I have ever encoutered. Yes dear one, this version of Huck's daddy is right up there with Thomas Harris' famous Hannibal Lecter and his far far less sympathetic nastycreep in Red Dragon. I mentioned to my friend Joe C. at work that I was reading Finn by Jon Clinch. Joe was immediately on a soapbox pontificating and pronouncing. It was fun for me to pick a renowned Twain scholar's brain I went through this juicy tome. We still haven't fully discussed the haunting white room completely--I'll get to him at Burn's Day I suppose. THAT should be a lovely drunken conversation!!
If you enjoyed Huck Finn as a naive child, the bitter adult in you may get quite a kick out of Pap Finn's gruesome truths.

'K--so I said Finn was tied for last spot on the "Books Daye thinks You should read List." If you see a little book called Mister B. Gone by Clive Barker. PICK IT UP!! that is a little joke--for you see dear reader like Inkheart and it's sequals--there is a little space time continuum thing working. Things get misplaced including your sense of reality. Characters going into and out of texts--for example fForde's The Eyre Affair, like Will & Lyra in Pullman's books. I really want to design a class around this meta-fiction concept. Barker does a stupendous job of finally creating a character that isn't one dimensionally evil. That isn't a caricature of Hell, this poor narrator is ensconced in an upside down world where "bad" behaviour is the social more and yet... you like him...

So there they are, in contrast to Andre's MILF of the year..my first annual Books I'd Like to Fuck.