Sumi, The first four books of The Vampire Diaries are completely different from the newest one (they were also written about twenty years ago and it feels like the author didn't bother brushing up on them before continuing the series last year).

In my opinion, they're worth reading, especially if you're watching the tv series and want to see all the differences between the books and the show. (I read them growing up and loved them!)

Just avoid the newer books like the plague!

"A red mark meant, if I die before I finish my work, publish this 'as is,' blue meant publish but edit first, and so on."

Wow, so there will likely be a flood of new Salinger stuff? That's amazing.

And will make me think of him as being like Tupac.

Probably the only time that will happen, Jesse.

Right??

“For Esmé — With Love and Squalor,”

Oh, that's probably the source of the character name Esme Squalor from A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Yes, that's me. I know my Lemony Snickett, but not so much about Salinger.

Well, I guess it's time to Emily Dickinson it up.

Interesting.

Well, the bright spot in an otherwise shitty day is that the sequel to "e" is out ... "e2". That's pretty much the only good thing to happen to me today, other than actually getting out for a "lunch" break.

I can't believe you haven't read Catcher, Hec. I thought you were standards guy.

Me, I hated it.

I read the summaries of Vampire Diaries on Wikipedia. Crack! And I'm pretty sure the CW series is not going there.

I can't believe you haven't read Catcher, Hec. I thought you were standards guy.

I suspect it's one of those books you need to read by a certain age for it really resonate.

Catcher did nothing for me. But I read it late. I have a feeling you have to be in a certain pretty narrow window to really connect with it.

Or maybe that's just what I tell myself.

ETA: X-post vindication!