Controversial teenage novel wins World Fantasy award
I'm going to have to agree with Margo Lanagan here: life is not always sweet, pretty, and innocent, and it does more harm than good to obsessively shield and protect children because they "can't handle it."
That, and I love love loved the book.
Margo Lanagan's blog
Official World Fantasy Awards site
Hee. Library research, as only "The Onion" can do it.
Protagonist Scrolls Intensely Through Microfilm
We no longer have a microfilm reader at my branch, but I remember this happening once or twice before our remodel. Honestly, I'm glad the reader is gone, as it terrified me, and I had no idea how to use it. It was bigger than me, and most probably older than me, which did nothing to improve my feelings.
The submissions (all nine pages of them) for the Unshelved annual Pimp My Bookcart competition are in!
"Baa Baa Book Sheep" by Melbourne Beach Public Library is my personal favorite:
Some year I will be organized enough to suggest this as an activity for the teen summer reading program or the newly-formed Teen Advisory Groups. But not this year, obviously.
Mr Lush and I adopted a retired racing greyhound from Greyhound Pets of America. He is a sweetie, with a very shiny black coat. He desperately needs to be fattened up, so we'll have to give him lots of treats. :)
I haz a squeeky cow.
Like many other people of a certain age, I was introduced to Anne through the miniseries which aired on PBS in 1986. I liked the miniseries an awful lot, but I was thrilled beyond words with the book; it was love at first read.
And now there is a final volume in the Saga of Anne: The Blythes are Quoted! Unlike last year's Before Green Gables, this one was actually written by L.M. Montgomery herself. I will have to acquire it in the very near future.
All About Anne (of Green Gables)
Official Anne of Green Gables site
Pumpkin Eaters
I find this to be hilariously accurate, given my youth spent in Germany and Belgium, and my college years in Germany and France. My brother had a very firm grasp of Fasching, which involves dressing up and parties, but not begging for candy; he was rather shaky on the whole concept of Halloween until we moved back to the US.
And via the Inkwell Bookstore blog, here are a slew of literary masks and costumes. Happy Halloween!
An NPR broadcast featuring several interviews with Sendak: Looking Back On 'Wild Things' With Maurice Sendak
The sort of infamous Newsweek interview where Sendak says what he really thinks (and I tend to agree with him): ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ Let the Wild Rumpus Start!
Here's my Wild Things poster I bought a few years ago in New York, and have in my library:
I had a different post all lined up for today, but then had to rearrange things a bit because Cake Wrecks (possibly the best blog ever) has more pictures of wrecky Twilight cakes.
Muahahahaha!!!
The Twilight Zone
And here's Jen's original Twilight post: The Twilight of Our Discontent
Second Annual Viscous Giraffe Awareness Day
Double-blind university studies have proven that viscous giraffes only become a serious problem when people are uninformed about their potential to wreak havoc. Don't let your friends suffer the consequences - only you can prevent the proliferation of heinous viscous giraffe incidents!
Do your part to spread the word, and help us prevent this sticky problem from gumming things up!
Only through this heightened awareness will we spread better awareness of the problem of which we need to be more aware. Thank you for doing your part.
Don't let gelatinous camelopards catch you unawares!!
More information can be found here.
(Not valid in Papua New Guinea, Zimbabwe, or Staten Island)
I saw this at the grocery store yesterday, and just couldn't resist taking a picture. I originally posted this to Twitter, but my picture got eaten. :(
This day is called the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian:'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispin's day.'
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day: then shall our names.
Familiar in his mouth as household words
Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember'd.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.
(4, iii)
Henry V’s Greatest Victory Is Besieged by Academia
ETA:
Om Prakash Makhija is an aspiring junior artist in 1970s Bollywood. He's convinced that he could be a star some day, if only he could get his big break (and perhaps change his name, as his best friend Pappu advises). He's also hopelessly in love with Shanti, the heroine of the moment. Through a series of remarkable coincidences, Om manages to not only meet Shanti, but to become her friend.
And then he finds out some truths that hurt, and other truths that are deadly.
Cut to today: Om Kapoor is the son of Rajesh Kapoor; both of them are top stars. Om is a spoiled brat, and not nearly as important as he thinks he is. But suddenly, Om realizes that he might have more to offer than anyone, including himself, ever suspected.
"For some love stories one lifetime is not enough..."
I love this movie. It's utterly over the top, but somehow, despite all of the excess, the story is told in a remarkably effective way. Farah Khan, the director, has been a top choreographer for many many years, and it shows in the songs--they are absolutely fantastic! My very favorite song tells the ENTIRE PLOT, including massive spoilers, so here's my second favorite song:
Official movie site
