I used to have a list on the servers at work. The servers crashed. I lost my list. Boo. So, I'm keeping it here. Suggestions are, of course, welcome.

My Shelfari

This post will be edited regularly.

( To Be Read )

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She actually seems like a decent and nice enough person here. (Well, apart from spending half the year living in Paris. Actually, scratch that, I've been to Paris and didn't like it at all. She can have it if she wants it.) I guess it's a shame, then that I can't stand the dreck she writes. Or maybe it's not a shame, because I don't subject myself to it.

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Thanks to Bookninja for the heads up about this:

Amazon.com is just a big bully. It's well known that Amazon.com sells things at a loss because they are hoping you'll purchase some of their more expensive items. Why else would they sell Blu-ray DVDs at 40% off retail? But if they want to sell things at a loss, that's their problem. Why inflict that problem onto publishers and authors? Granted, the authors mentioned in the article (King and Patterson) are best-selling authors and them losing a bit of moolah probably isn't the end of the world. But it's damned difficult to do well in writing. It's so very hard to become a bestselling author. There are thousands and thousands of struggling authors out there, and a move like this by Amazon.com is just making it more and more difficult for them to survive. Which is a shame, because they are usually the ones who (a) thoroughly enjoy writing and (b) are usually pretty darned good at it.

It may seem terribly hypocritical of me to be talking bad about Amazon.com, when I'm registered with them. And yeah, it probably is. But I can say that once the wedding is behind me, I'll probably start purchasing books and DVDs from more local retailers. And if that means paying more, so be it.

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Also thanks to Bookninja for the link to this article.

I'm reading The Beach House right now, actually. I'm about 130 pages in, and there are several things about it that are good and interesting. But several things about it that piss me off greatly. Most I'll save for the review, but this article brings up one thing about chick lit that bugs me so very much.

It's all about money. All of it. Having it and knowing were to spend it. Oh, I understand that fiction books are another form of entertainment (usually), and are therefore treated as escapism. Therefore why not dream big? After all, who would want to read a story about a single mother living in a trailer, having to work two jobs so her three kids can have clothes and food? It's not fun, it's not escapism. It's realism. And if that mother can provide for her children, and her children grow up to respect and admire their mother, then I'd say that book served its purpose. A heartwarming story of how sometimes rough situations can turn into good.

The only thing the chick lit books are doing is making those of us without (which is a lot) try to buy the things in the books and it all ends up with the foreclosure rates we have today. Or it makes those of us without, feel even more like the poverty-line-living people we are, because we can't afford to buy those fancy-schmancy things. Okay, I'm probably exaggerating, but not by much. It's all about keeping up with the Joneses, and if the Jones in question happens to be in a book, then that's okay. We have to buy that Gucci handbag or those precious shoes.

Okay, not all women read chick lit, and not all women have to go out and buy the things that are "advertised" in the books. But I'd be willing to bet that there are more women out there wanting these things so that they can hobnob with the rich and powerful just like the characters in the books they read.

But don't worry. The publishers are getting a head start with influencing the desires of women. And while Shashi's article wasn't about this same topic, and least she admits to being disgusted by it, too.

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And finally, for those of you who watched Saved By the Bell, and loved it as much as I did, Screech is writing a tell-all book about his thirteen years with the show. I will admit to being terribly interested in it, yes.

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And one library related link, because (a) it's so funny because (b) it's so damned true. Happens every time the servers go out.

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Go vote at bladdericontest, huh? We need more votes before we can move on to the next round.

Ta muchly.

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In addition to what I said yesterday, I find this article today.

The other woman on the Times Top 50 panel was Val McDermid, who won the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year award in 2006. She says that part of the problem is that “the overwhelming number of readers of crime fiction are women, but most of the people who write about crime are men. Women are still conditioned to defer. We are less likely to push ourselves into the limelight. And we are less likely to get our agents or publicists to run to the papers with every little thing we do.”

YAY for Val! Half of the four person panel was female, and yet only 26% of the top 50 authors were female. I prefer female authors who write crime fiction (suspense, thriller, murder, whatever). Oh, I read books by male authors, but if I see a suspense book by a female author, I'm more likely to pick it up. Which is why I'm going to read Cain's new one, even though I'm not anticipating much out of it. Simply because she's female.

I do read/have read some books by male authors (Ted Dekker, Tom Rob Smith, Paul Johnston, and if you want to count Jasper Fforde and Christopher Moore even though their stories are more humor than crime). But I just read more books by female authors. I'm sure that means something.

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I bet if you included make-up artists and costume designers, these numbers would go up.

Okay. Surprising? No. Aggravating? Sure. I still need to read the full article here, but I don't have the time at the moment. (Am too busy spamming my f-list.)

I'm quite pleased with myself in that I read more women authors, but then this article isn't about female authors. But that was this first thing that came into my head upon reading this little blurb.

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I wasn't overly impressed with her first book. I've just seen today that she's got a new one out in September. I'm sufficiently intrigued enough to want to read it. Like I said, I wasn't impressed with her first book.

However, I wasn't impressed with Stella Rimmington's first book, but her books have gotten better. I thoroughly enjoyed her most recent Illegal Action, even if there was a moment I wondered why the heroine was suddenly an idiot. *shrug* (I still need to write my review for it, though. As well as a review for Fearless Fourteen - which was really crap.)

All that to say that there are several books out this fall that I really want to read, and since I won't be working at the library anymore I'm going to have to either (a) go broke buying books or (b) get a library card once I get settled in down there with Kirk.

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I wanted to make some Liz icons after viewing The Silurians recently. And then this last week, I've wanted to make some Brigadier icons... for some odd reason. ;) So, here are 15 UNIT era icons, mostly Liz and the Brig and there's one of Benton. All icons are from The Silurians and The Three Doctors. Caps are my own.

You want, you take, you have, you credit.
No Hotlinking!

( Chap with the wings! Five rounds rapid! )

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Every once in a while, my older brother says something, or sends me a link that just reminds me that he may indeed be 36, but he can still be just as immature as he was when he was 12.

LOLZ!

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11 icons of Sarah Jane and Luke from The Stolen Earth. Because they were the best part about it.

You want, you take, you have, you credit.
No hotlinking!
Thanks to __kali__ for the caps.

( Read more... )

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( Cut. Obviously. )

Overall, not bad but there was a lot more stupid about it than there was good. But then it was written by RTD. *sigh* At least I'll get to watch the finale next weekend with my fiancé. EEE!!

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vandonovan: Met him at Gallifrey One 2008. Shared a room.
taraljc: Met her at Gally as well. And since I would not have gone to Gally had it not been for all the encouragement of my f-list....
spk1121: Went bowling with him. 'Twas terribly fun.
star_angel83: Friend of Kirk's. And since I would not have met her had I not already met Kirk, I put her in this category.
Most importantly, my fiancé options3000: His Tag. ♥

Alas, I don't know that many people personally on my f-list. There's one or two more that I knew before LJ, but that's not what this question is asking. My f-list seems to be populated with a great number of people from other countries, and I don't have the money yet to go meet them all. *sigh*

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Yes! I can has!

Mom bought it for me last night. When I get the pics off my camera, I'll be sure to share with those who are interested in seeing it. I'm going back out shopping tonight for undergarments and a dress for my sister, but things are coming together.

If you want to see the pic of me in the dress, comment, and I'll post a link to it when I get it uploaded. Make sure you have comment notifications turned on, because I'll be deleting my reply comments with the link so as not to tempt Kirk with my loveliness!

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We got the house!!!

So, for my birthday next week, we'll be packing up Kirk's stuff and moving it in! Whee!!!







And now I really need to go back to doing some packing!! EEEE!!!

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This made me laugh way more than it should have.


see more dog pictures

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see more crazy cat pics

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*sporfle*

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You know, I wouldn't really mind paying $3.65 a gallon for gas if it was because everyone were aware it's a nonrenewable resource, and we're being charged for taking things away from the Earth. I wouldn't mind paying a lot for gas if this were the case.

However, Bush is a dick, and has to have his grubby hand in every pie and therefore we have to pay through the nose for gas. Because he has to be in Iraq.

And just why on Earth isn't anyone doing anything about the fact that oil companies are making money hand over fist, every quarter reporting record profits? That just seems so very sick and twisted and wrong to me somehow. Why am I paying $3.65 a gallon for gas when Exxon and BP and Shell/Mobil and whoever the hell else is just lining their pockets with it. Seriously WTF?

Now, a poll. How much is gas where you are? What unit of measurement is used? (Gallon or litre)? Where are you?

Poll #1175377 Gas where you are
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

Price, Unit of Measurement, Location

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Just felt an aftershock about ten minutes ago. All the staff were in a meeting upstairs and I was surprised at how many people didn't feel it. Haven't found any news about the aftershock yet, but I'm still looking.

ETA: Linky

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