Dani -- that's too bad. I don't like Lackey enough to want to read bad Lackey.

Also, I'm currently reading Title A thousand years over a hot stove : a history of American women told through food, recipes, and remembrances by Laura Schenone -- it's very interesting.

I'm reading a book right now ( Stolen ) by Kelley Armstrong which is about the worlds only female werewolf and her Pack. They discover that they are not the only supernatural beings (that witches, vampires, demons really do exist) and that an organization has been rounding them up to study them. Here's an exchange between the werewolf (who has been captured) and the doctor studying them:

"Some sort of military connection?" I asked.

"Military?" She followed my gaze to the guards. "Using supernatural beings to build the perfect weapon? Intriguing idea."

"Not really," I said. "They did it on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. A sub-par season. I slept through half the episodes.

Think the half she didn't sleep through were the Oz episodes? It's interesting that the author is acknowledging that the premise of her book isn't totally original, giving props to the series.

This might be common knowledge, but I'm going to err on the side of TMI and copy an email I rec'd this AM here:

Fellow Book Lovers:

A friend who is hoping to buy a bookstore just told me about one of the websites for independent book stores. It includes lists of what's selling best in independent book stores, which is probably closer to what you and I like read than the NY Times' or other best seller lists. Here's the link:

[link]

Happy Reading, S-

A sub-par season. I slept through half the episodes.

Heh. And hey! I have fond memories of S4, looking back.

Oh! I have to share this story that one of the women in my writing class told last night -- I can picture Kat doing something like this.

J. is a 3rd-grade teacher. In conjunction with all the NCAA basketball tournament betting pools, etc., J. asked each of her 30 students to choose 2 poems they like (somehow she added 4 so the field would be 64). She then set up brackets for....yes, you guessed it -- a POETRY DEATHMATCH!!! Although she didn't call it a deathmatch, what with the 8-year-old students.

The names of the students who selected a given poem were NOT on the paper with the poem; that way the kids couldn't make the vote a popularity contest based on the "cool kids."

She said that by the "sweet 16" round, the classroom was like a sports bar, with the kids yelling and cheering and rooting for their favorite poem.

The winner? Shel Silverstein's "Peanut-Butter Sandwich."

She said that by the "sweet 16" round, the classroom was like a sports bar, with the kids yelling and cheering and rooting for their favorite poem.

ROCK.

Hey, ita (et al.): I was just at the library and picked up a Val McDermid book, Star Struck. The description on the inside flap starts like this:

Bodyguarding had never made it to Manchester PI Kate Brannigan's wish list... [blah blah]...the fast-talking, computer-loving, white-collar-crime expert has to swallow her pride and slip into something more glam than her Thai boxing kit.

For some reason, I thought of you.

I am reading Hemingway short stories. I think teh only Hemingway I've ever read is For Whom the Bell Tolls and I don't really remember it.

Since my bookclub seems to be on a recent books only leaning right now, I am taking the opportunity to look at some older works I have on my TBR shelves.

I get a lot of shit for it, but I've always liked Hemingway. I should re-read what I have here and/or read other stuff.

Jesse -- skip To Have and Have Not. Although it's got some good prose fillips, the plot is dull and the thesis of the novel is kind of shitty and irritatingly self-righteous. I read the other day that The Sun Also Rises is generally considered his best novel; I read it in high school but don't remember a whole lot. Probably due a reread, but not till after I get through the 15 or so volumes on the floor beside my bed.