Spinning is so much cooler than not spinning.

I think I went a little overboard with my birthday spending Thursday (oops....NOT).

I've been slowly re-building my Little House book collection from years ago. That meant ordering a copy of "Laura: The Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder" by Donald Zochert, which thankfully I did via the Amazon marketplace (I completely skipped "The Rose Years" the time around because I am NOT fond of Rose Wilder Lane) a few years ago. I regretted tossing away my old copy which I oddly found at a Wal-mart in the 1990's

But let's skip that, it took me several months but I finally have all of my favorite "Little House" books in the full-color illustrated editions From "By the Shores of Silver Lake" to "The First Four Years". But I have yet to re-own any of the first 3 books in any form.

Personally, I find that no one can call themselves proper "Little House"/Laura Ingalls Wilder fans if they don't own or have read (by library or by owning) or coveted (sadly, not everyone can find or afford it) "Pioneer Girl". It took me a while but I got it for my birthday (ha!) eventually in 2015 (I think) but to keep it short but sweet I LOVED IT!! STILL DO!!

But I admit "Pioneer Girl Perspectives" disappointed me a bit. It took me months to finish and my eyes glazed over so many times. But I did enjoy the pictured in this book and the whole bit about Rose Wilder Lane and her yellow journalism ( in "The Strange Case of the Bloody Benders")! Ha!! But I will continue to buy the "Pioneer Girl" books as I find them/released.

This post started off as a birthday shopping post but evolved into a Laura Ingalls Wilder book post, ha, whoopsie!

It is National Book Week. Grab the closest book to you. Turn to page 56. Copy the 5th sentence as your status. Don't mention the book. (Post these rules as well.)



But this was London, and echoing up and down the narrow lane were the sounds of clattering hooves and rumbling wagons and bellowing street peddlers.

There are some years that I really love my birthday and today (Tuesday) was one of them. :) I'm afraid to total the amount of money that I spent today!


The day started badly, as I could not get to sleep no matter how hard I tried . Thankfully I do think I managed to get some sleep. But once it started it got 100% better. At first I was against going to Wal-Mart before we went out to eat at the Cracker Barrel but I'm glad I did. In addition to the $170(!) I received throughout the day. And so with a larger amount of money than I expected I bought a couple of essentials (jewelry cleaner, shampoo new earbuds) plus a few things I couldn't resist (The Runaways on DVD, a paperback Breaking Dawn (don't judge me! lol)), The Vampire Archives; Vol.1: Bloodsuckers ((dude! Popsy by Stephen King, creeped me out!!)) with a preface by Neil Gaiman, and an $25 iTunes gift card). Mom gave me this uber-cute birthday card. It has a picture of a white fancy-cut poodle wearing a tiara sitting on a fancy dog bed (or is that a chair?) and it says on the front "The best thing about birthdays?". Inside it says: "On your birthday you get to be the queen." The whole thing tickled me to no end, and it still does Inside was money from mom and a $10 gift card to McDonald's to get frappes or smoothies or whatever I want.

Then after a birthday lunch, we hauled tail to Bed Bath and Beyond. I looked for a decent pillow sham to match my bedding but I didn't see anything that stood out but I did get Wild Wild West and Batman Begins on DVD. Then finally Books-A-Million! I spent a small fortune there but all of it was thanks for the $100 bill my Aunt gave me.

-The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
-Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Graphic Novel
-Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, 2011 calendar (Hey! they didn't have a Harry Potter calendar)
-Steamed: A Steampunk Romance by Katie MacAlister
-Android Karenina by Leo Tolstoy and Ben H. Winters

Then I toddled over to TJ Maxx right next door (where I bought my pink and green Nautica comforter last year) and they had this gorgeous pink and green paisley pillowsham with ties on the side for $13. (again thanks to Auntie B)


And..then... the mall! which was practically right next door to BAM! Went to Belk to pick up a lipstick or two,
I needed a new tube of Black Honey as the one I currently had was about 2 years old if not older. In the long run I got the Clinique free gift set (Yay!) which made my day (Nearly, heh, Truthly it was Mom's card that made my day.) Ans then on to Bath and Beauty Works got this gorgeous little purple reusable shopping bag along with a small bottle of "Vampire Blood", no really! LOL actually it was hand sanitized labeled as "vampire blood" (they're already stocking the Halloween stuff out I see!) but its really a plum scent/ And a small tube of Japanese Cherry Blossom anti-bacterial hand lotion (I have there perfume and I saw this and said what the hell.)


And one last stop before I left the mall. Victoria secret! I went there to pick up some of their lovely undies but alas their stock of high-leg briefs were disturbingly low, even more so when they didn't have any of the pairs I wanted in my size, but I settled on a lovely Pear Glace-scented body lotion. Yummy.

Nothing much else happened after that other than slipping of to McDonald's on the way home for a Mixed Berry smoothie and medium fries. But what a lovely thing it was to be "Queen for a day". heh

I gotta remind myself to buy copies of the first 4 books of the Vampire Chronicles (and Pandora, I'll just ignore the part where Lestat is still, for a lack of a better word, comatose and just focus on Pandora's origin (She's my third favorite female VC character)

#1 Jesse Reeves
#2 Gabrielle de Lioncourt ( I wish Anne had written a book about her. She really is quite fascinating in her own way. )
#3 Pandora (of course)
#4 The Twins

Of course after book 4 (The Tale of the Body Thief) it (the VC) allll goes downhill. Starting with Memnoch the Devil (with the only exception being, of course, Pandora)


And I'll make that copy of Queen of the Damned (book 3) the movie cover *grins* Don't hate me but I feel QotD portrayed Lestat better that Tom Cruise ever could!!!

But to be fair IwtV was from Louis' point-of-view, and The Vampire Lestat and everything afterwards was from Lestat's PoV So therefore Stuart played the better Lestat, screw the haircolor. It's all about the attitude!

So yesterday I picked up a new book that I must admit just by the title alone had me in stitches. With all these "vampire romance" books floating around these days (due to True Blood and the Twilight series no doubt). I see that this particular craze has washed out people's perception of what vampires should really be.


But I'm not talking about vampires here when I talk about the book I mention earlier in this entry. No, I'm talking about something (monsters) that a person would never think to attach to romance novel. In a word? Zombies. No, I'm not talking about zombie-slaying couples (even though it's hot as hell, especially when Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet did it near the end of P&P&Z). I'm talking about couples where at least one of them is a zombie! The book's name (well anthology really) "My Zombie Valentine" I had to buy it. And now that I'm finished with "Jane Bites Back" and "Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters" is on hold temporarily I thought I'd tackle Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (well the more recent edition that had 30% more zombie mayhem. I've read the original version. Now I finally have the chance to conquer the deluxe version) The book is so yummy looking. Then I'll attack "My Zombie Valentine" before moving on to finish SSSM.


Also it occurred to me that I think I should very much like steampunk romances should they ever be as popular as vampire romance. I've a feeling that a change is in the air and soon, well hopefully, that steampunk romances should soon overtake romance section in bookstores. Maybe even (again I'm hoping because I love the concept) outnumbering vampire romances altogether (although I should be very put out if Stephenie Meyer ever writes one) Stick to your cannibalistic mermaids (called siryns or sirens of all things *eyeroll*) or your blood sucking fairies but keep you distance from what I hope may be the next hot thing in romance novels.


Now that I think on it I thin a steampunk retelling of Pride and Prejudice, either on page or on screen may be the boost it needs to give the genre a lift! (No I'm not counting Android Karenina or SSSM as SP because for the most part SSSM isn't and AK isn't even released yet!


I know there's a good number of steampunk novels already but how many of theme are genuine romance novels? Hmmm? I hope the idea/genre catches on quick!


A few random links (yes I'm bored):

Steampunk Wiki entry

Brassgoggles blog

Welcome to Steampunk

The case for Steampunk Romance

Steampunk & Cyberpunk Romances: Call For Submissions

Interview with Katie MacAlister, Author of STEAMED

Steampunk Needs a Shot of—Wait for It—Romance


A small list of "steampunk"-ish movies I've seen (* marking the ones which leave no room for doubt):

Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Atlantis: The Lost Empire*
Wild Wild West*
Brothers Grimm
Sleepy Hollow
Stardust (Come on it's got a flying pirate ship...that collects lightening bolts to sell!)
Van Helsing*
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen*
Tin Man (SciFi mini-series)
Back to the Future 3 (to an extent)

I just realized something. I'm addicted to collecting paperback Stephen King short story collection. As you might be able to tell my newest? "Just After Sunset". I guess the appeal of them is being able to read an entire King story in a matter of minutes instead of hours or days, heh. Yeah I'm a lazy reader these days. Hah! With that said though my favorite short story, so far, and it's not a King but written by Neil Gaiman. Well actually two I can't chose one or the other 'cause I love them both, and they are

"Nicholas was..." (and it's a drabble! exactly 100 words long ((that is if you don't count the title and I don't know of a person who ever has) only Gaiman could perfect the art of a drabble!) and "Chivalry" As you may of may not know I've been a sucker for knights and King Arthur stories ever since I learned to read. I've never read a single book on the subject but I do my research when I feel the whim for it. And I think it's a small part of why I love SG-1 Seasons 9 and 10 so much. The Quest for the Grail! Hee! (Adria=Mordred doncha know?!)


Also have I ever told anyone that my favorite Indiana Jones movie is "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade"? (I snore though Temple of Doom, only when it doesn't scare the PANTS off of me that is. I Love "Indiana Jones and The Crystal Skull" Even though I titter my way through it as I can't get SG-1 off my mind as I watch it) I can't really explain my fascination with the subject other than I love my knights in shining armor...or perhaps it's the mythology of it all. Hmmm

My Jane Austen and other Austen-ish or based on Austen books. (counting multiple copies) And I will get to most if not all of these books one day.

Northanger Abbey (unread)
Pride and Prejudice (Enriched Classic)
Pride and Prejudice (2005 movie cover)
Sense and Sensibility (unread)


Not by Jane or "collaborations":

Mr. Darcy Vampyre (unread)
Me and Mr. Darcy
Darcy's Story (unread)
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters (reading)
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Deluxe Edition in hardcover Have it on pre-order and it includes 30% more zombie mayhem. sooo it's unread. For now. Does this really count as a second copy though? I mean it's the same but it's got MORE and cooler stuff in it
Pride and Prejudice (it's shipping to me from...somewhere it's taking it's sweetass time! And yes copy of Pride and Prejudice #3. I guess you can tell I love this story zombified or not heh)

Reading "The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown now (if you know what happens don't tell me). I've got a theory about who Mal'akh really is I wonder if it's as transparent to everybody else as it is for me.


ETA: Never mind. I think my theory has just been blown to bits. (I'm on chapter 57)


ETA2: I'm at the end of chapter 57. I dunno what to think. I want to believe my theory is right. But I'm constantly teeter-tottering between "It's not him" and "Yes it is". Gah!

Expanded from my facebook:


I finally had a great topic for hand-written journal entry, then I lost all train of thought. Gah! Hint: Girl Geeks and how I am and am not one.(Also I feel that you don't have to be tech-minded in any major form to be a geek, there are several types of geek) Instead I will make a list of books which bring out my inner geek (this includes books I've not yet finished reading) In no particular order, of course:

-The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane (When I was younger my inner baby-geek had a thirst for stories of the Salem Witch trials)


-The Princess Bride (Book and Movie, Fairy Tale Geek is I. I have three version of DVD. All have varying special features and no two are exactly alike, hence the three copies)

-Cinderella stories/movies (Ever After, Disney, Ella Enchanted, etc.)

-I read 'The Scarlet Letter' and 'The Three Musketeers' for fun...in High School. (okay I admit T3M took me a few years but I did get it read.)

-I am a total geek for nearly anything Star Wars (with a few pointed exceptions)

-Stardust (book and movie, Again my Fairy Tale Geek Shines though yet again....damnit I kinda made a pun there didn't I?)

Fairy Tale-ish movies (Enchanted, The Brother Grimm, The Princess Bride, Stardust, A Knight's Tale, Penelope)

- I'm a minor Jane Austen geek, I've yet to read anything past 'Pride & Prejudice', and 'Pride & Prejudice & Zombies'. Although I do have a few movie adation of her work
(Clueless, Emma (Paltrow version which I just honestly bought for Ewan McGregor), Pride & Prejudice (2005), Sense & Sensibility (1995, yum Col. Brandon), Bridget Jones' Diary, and Becoming Jane a movie based on the book (not entirely truthful but I love it just the same.)

-Vampires. I've been a vampire geek since the early 90's (Gary Oldman's Dracula. Yum!). I am VERY specific to which vampires I read about though. You won't catch me reading and Anne Rice novel past "Queen of the Damned" (the only exception being Pandora. Anne Rice just lost her marbles where Lestat was concerned past that/). I loath the Twilight books, adore Betsy the Vampire Queen (the more recent book are notoriously hard to find these days though), intrigued by True Blood (I've only seen season 1 so far) drool over Stuart Townsend's Lestat and scoff at Tom Cruise's. And not to mention Eli (from Let the Right One In) could kick Claudia's ass.Moonlight has also become a much loved favorite as well.

-In fact I love most movies (or tv series people scoff at, hate or roll their eyes at (Marie Antoinette, Queen of the Damned, Penelope,Becoming Jane, The Brothers Grimm, Tank Girl Pride & Prejudice (2005), Hancock, King Arthur, Night Stalker (2005))

-Disney (nuff's said really but my favorites are probably not everyone else's favorites. WALL-E, Lilo & Stitch, Cinderella, Cinderella 3: A Twist in Time,Mulan, The Lion King, The Lion King ½, The Emperor's New Groove, National Treasure, National Treasure 2: The Book of Secrets, Pocahontas, both version of The Parent Trap (non of the originals sequels) The Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, Enchanted,as you can see I have rather eclectic tastes and not too many of them Princess movies.)

To tell the truth I could honestly go on and on and on and ON all night about the many different categories (SciFi, historical, fantasy, etc. etc.) that I geekify about. And its so very tempting to dive into even move but if I did so I could be here off and on for days telling you what and why but chances are most of you know what they are so I'll leave it at that, for now at least. Maybe at some point in the future I'll elaborate more but for now my hands are tire from all the painting and typing , lol.

taken from someone or another

1. Do you snack while you read? If so, favourite reading snack?
I really try not too unless I'm really hungry. I hate having anything stain or grease up my pages. I also hate rolled spines and folded corners.

2. Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
HELL YES, IT HORRIFIES ME!

You will not see me EVER write in a book unless in just inside the cover to mark ownership. Usually in as *small as I can stand* handwriting.

3. How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Laying the book flat open?
See Answer #1. I either use a bookmark, spare piece of paper or whatever else I have laying around. I refuse to abuse!

4. Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?
Fiction. Only on the rarest occasion n will you catch me reading a book that is non-fiction. In fact the only non-fiction book you will see on my bookshelves, at any given time is The Diary of Anne Frank. I do though like diction based on actually people or events the "Little House" series has been a mainstay for as long as I've known how to read.

5. Hard copy or audio books?
Hard copy. Audiobooks are an absolute last resort for me. (unless something comes in Audio only, then I will consider it.)

6. Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point?
Any given point. Books can wait. Potty breaks can't. Twilight I find myself putting down several times a page. I find myself wanting to finish Angels & Demons to refresh my memory before I go see the movie.

7. If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away? Write it down to look it up later? Just try to infer what it means from the rest of the sentence, and keep going?

Most of the time, without vanity, I'll check it out an Answers.com. They have been most helpful in the past. In fact, despite the fact that I only have a High School degree, I've been told I have a collegiate vocabulary.

8. What are you currently reading?

Seriously? Too many books to really count but I'll give it a shot

Angels & Demons by Dan Brown
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Darcy's Story by Janet Alymer
Great Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe
Transformers: The Veiled Threat by Alan Dean Foster

And those are just the books I can remember


9. What is the last book you bought?
Transformers: The Veiled Threat by Alan Dean Foster

10. Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can read more than one at a time?
See the Answer to #8 I'm a multi-tasking reader.

11. Do you like re-reading books?
Yes. That's why I can't bear to part with any of my books.


What can I say when it comes to my books most of the time I'm all:

Hands off the precious!