Clash of the Titans

My husband said to me the day after we watched this movie, “I’m so glad we watched those 4 or 5 movies yesterday.” It was a bit difficult to get through Clash of the Titans without seeing scenes that looked like bits of other great fantasy films. I think the only original part was the fight with Medusa. It was well thought out, precise and I couldn’t recall any other movie it resembled.

Spoilers! I disliked the ending. I find this with a lot of action movies. A group of people (usually men) go on a mission/quest to save a people (or a woman) and all of them die except for the hero. Why? Yes, I understand some losses; it can serve as an emotional plot device to help push the heroes forward. But seriously? They all died? It’s annoying and utterly predictable. Spoilers End

Clash of the Titans wasn’t a bad movie. It just wasn’t particularly good. I’m glad that I didn’t pay to see it in 3D or even in the theatre. It was a decent rental if you’re in the mood for an action movie. Just don’t expect anything original.

Book Sites: Goodreads, Librarything, Shelfari, Etc

Which of these bookish sites do you like and why? I’ve seen bloggers with different accounts on these sites, their widgets on their blogs, but why do you use them? It just seems like extra work to me. This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is asking for the top ten bookish sites. I don’t use these sites. I shop on amazon.ca and chapters.indigo.ca. (I really like online shopping.) I have a profile on the Chapters website, but I haven’t used it in ages. I don’t think I can really afford the time. Maybe I don’t understand the purpose of these sites if you already have a blog. I know they can help you keep track of the books you own and read, but I have an excel spreadsheet for that. I’ve had it for years, long before I even started blogging. So explain me, why do you use these websites?


* I know I’ve done a bad job with the weekly Top Ten when I can’t even get one on my list.

"Pregnancy discrimination is on the rise" from Feminist Philosophers

I saw this post the other day and it scared me.  In case you haven't read it here already, I'm going to have a baby, really soon.  I don't live in the UK, but I can see how this could happen anywhere.

Pregnancy discrimination is on the rise « Feminist Philosophers

How To Survive A Horror Movie: All The Skills to Dodge The Kills

I was in the mood for something fun and something that wasn’t going to make me think too much. Pure entertainment. That’s what I got from Seth Grahame-Smith’s “meta-fictional” book, How To Survive A Horror Movie. What do you do if you suddenly realize you’re stuck in a horror movie? This book is your guide.

How To Survive A Horror Movie goes through how to identify if you’re in a horror movie (having this books is one of the signs). It then proceeds to help the reader discover what kind of horror movie they are in, then it gives you instruction on how to survive. The book is written as though it is speaking to someone who is in a horror movie, all escape methods are about being in the horror movie. The book is hilarious. My favourite part comes at the end, when Grahame-Smith tells you the only way to defeat the biggest bad guy of all horror movies. I also really like the selection of movies to watch at the back. Some of the movies I’ve seen, some I haven’t, but this book makes me want to see them all. The art was also a lot of fun.  I don’t think the book would have been the same without it.

This book is for anyone who loves horror movies or even for anyone who just wants a good laugh.

True Blood Covers From Entertainment Weekly

Some more fantastic True Blood pics thanks to Stargazing.

What’s The Meaning Of This?!

This week The Literary Blog Hop over at The Blue Bookcase wants to know: Should literature have a social, political, or any other type of agenda? Does having a clear agenda enhance or detract from its literary value?

I’m going to try to keep my answer simple this week: It depends on the author. The example of what an author shouldn’t do that Connie gives is excellent. Even though it’s from a book I really enjoyed, Jane Eyre, Brontë’s stopping the story to push her agenda takes away from the work. I also liked the examples Connie gives of how a social/political agenda works in literature. Like 1984, I think The Handmaid’s Tale as well as Margaret Atwood’s other dystopian works, Oryx and Crake and The Year Of The Flood have agendas or are at least commentaries on social issues. I believe H. G. Wells’ The Time Machine falls into the same category. The Eloi and Morlocks are how he saw the evolution of the class system. I’d like to use a literary example that isn’t dystopian or science-fiction, but none come to mind right now*.

What books do you think do a good or bad job at presenting a social or political issue?

* I blame the baby brain for any lack of mental function right now. After the baby is born, I’ll be blaming lack of sleep.

Everyday is a Blog-iday!

Check out a blog started by two of my friends at the office.  Every day is a holiday!  Celebrate with us.  Click the link below to check out the office whiteboard.

Everyday is a Blog-iday!

Wither

Lauren DeStefano’s first novel, Wither was fantastic. I couldn’t resist reading about Rhine, wondering what was going to happen to her next. The story was full of urgency. The beginning was incredible. DeStefano didn’t ease into her story. She started with action, fear and consequence. We learn about Rhine and her past as she moves through the present and worries about the future. In the world of Wither women only live until 20 and men until 25. This has spawned the acceptance of human trafficking, teenage pregnancy (it’s pretty much expected) experimentation on children and slavery. Orphans are bought and sold. Up until the beginning of this novel, Rhine was lucky.

I don’t think I would have picked this up if I didn’t read the review from The Lost Entwife. Then I kept seeing it reviewed on many other book blogs. I stopped reading too much about what other people were saying when I knew I would read it. The topic was just too interesting. The plausibility of that future was too eerie. If something like this happened, would we degenerate to this degree? Wither really grabs onto a large part of what I like about dystopian fiction; the possibility of something bad propelling the human race into a darkness it might have trouble escaping.

Wither is the first book in DeStefano’s trilogy. The last trilogy I read, I was able to reach out and grab each book in succession. The next book in DeStefano’s series isn’t expected until February 2012. I was worried that I would be left hanging, wanting more, unsatisfied with the ending. That wasn’t the case. The ending was great. It really completed this part of Rhine’s story. You know there’s room for more, but if the story ended with Wither without the guarantee of another book, it would be okay. You’d still be left wanting to know more, like so many other books, but the end of Wither felt like an ending, not like a direct enticement to buy the next book… and that’s probably the best enticement of all. The Chemical Garden

I won’t go on too much more. I don’t want to ruin the book for anyone who’s considering reading it. If you are thinking about it, or it’s on your “to-be-read” list, read it. It has pretty much everything I want in a novel. A good plot. Character development. Action and excitement. A bit of love. A bit of hate. Good. Evil. Complex characters that you start out loving/hating and then change your mind about by the end. If you like Young Adult fantasy, science-fiction or dystopia, I think you’ll like Wither.

Other Reviews:

The Lost Entwife

Writing From The Tub

One Book At A Time

The Broke and The Bookish

Indigo

If you've reviewed this book, let me know and I'd be happy to add your link.

Me + Books = Love

This week is the one year Blogoversary of The Broke and The Bookish. In honour of this day they are asking us: what are the Top Ten Reasons I Love Being A Book Blogger/A Bookish Person.

I decided to separate the lists because the reasons I love blogging are not the same as the reasons I love being a bookish (book obsessed) person. So, 1-5 are the top five reasons I enjoy being a book blogger; 6-10 are five reasons I love books (I limited myself on this one). In no particular order….

Blogging
1. I love talking about books.
2. I’ve internet-met so many great people, whose blogs I frequent just because I want to know what they’re up to. (I also want to know what they’re reading.)
3. I can say whatever I want on my blog and I don’t have to worry that I’ll hurt anyone’s feelings when discussing a book (because I don’t lie about books).
4. Blogs have let me discover books I probably would never have read.
5. I hope that my blog is a good way to let other people know about fantastic books.

Booking
6. I love to escape into a book.
7. Books are pretty.
8. Books are cheaper than shoes.
9. My bookshelves make me look smart.
10. Books give me variety and I enjoy variety.

I’m sure that when I start reading other lists, I’m going to come across all sorts of reasons that apply to me, but I didn’t think of adding or they made the cutting room floor.

CanadianBookshelf.com: Discover Canadian Books, Book Reviews, Book Lists & more

John Mutford posted this link on his blog and I couldn't help but click.  If you want to learn more about great Canadian Books and authors, click below.

CanadianBookshelf.com: Discover Canadian Books, Book Reviews, Book Lists & more

A Poor Boy’s Piano, by Susan D. Rogers

Can music mask pain? That’s what I’m left wondering after reading Susan D. Rogers’, A Poor Boy’s Piano (via the blog, Quick Brown Fox.) It was an interesting short story. Printed from the website, it was only four pages. There was a lot packed into that limited amount of words. The plot arched and the main character seemed to learn or at least remember something good. I really like the description of Vancouver and felt that I got a little taste of the city’s personality and its inhabitants (this was probably written pre-riots).

I wanted to rave about this story. I don’t know why. Is it the blog it came from, the picture and description of the author, was it the title? I’m not sure. I liked the story. At first, I felt as though I should feel sorry for the main character, then I realized I might hate him. Was the ending supposed to make us feel sorry for him? Maybe. It was a sad, sweet ending, but perhaps it was too sweet. Without it, though, it might seem like he didn’t learn anything. I don’t want to give too much away for those who want to read the story. I think it’s a decent read; worth the time I’ve spent with it. I am curious how others react. It feels like some people might love it and others hate it.

Thanks to John Mutford for hosting Short Story Monday.

The Every-Growing Stack

This week, Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books wants to know how many books are in your tbr (To Be Read) pile.

If I actually piled the books together, it wouldn’t be quite as big as Jennifer’s but it would still be pretty tall. I have just over 150 books waiting to be read. That’s not including the online wishlists I have. At the rate I read books, it would take me at least three to four years to get through all of those books, assuming I didn’t buy any more. This does not include books my husband owns and I want to read. If we did that, there would be at least another 50 books to add to the pile, if not closer to 100. He owns more books than I do, but I’m not interested in reading all of them, otherwise, that’d be hundreds added to my list.

I started keeping what I’ve called my shortlist on my dresser. It’s a stack of five or six books. They’re the books I want to read next. Does it always work out that way? No. When I take a book off the pile, another takes its place. That book has ended up being the next book I read, while I ignore the five other books that have been sitting there for the past weeks or month.

How many books are waiting for you?

The Sweet Stuff: The Top Ten “Awww” Moments in Books

The Broke and The Bookish want to know this week, what are the Top Ten "Awww" Moments In Books (those cute lines, charming actions, kisses, or any other sentimental moment that made you say "AWWW!"

The only way to explain the “Aww” moment is to include spoilers. They’re kept to a sentence or two, but you’ve been warned. So here are my top six in no particular order.

1. When Peeta gave Katniss the pearl in Catching Fire.

2. When Luke gave Becky back the Denny and George scarf in Confessions of a Shopaholic.

3. When Gabriel hides June Beans in Rhine’s meal trays in Wither.

4. The final time Clare sees Henry when she’s an old lady at the end of The Time Traveler’s Wife.

5. When Harry, Ron, Hermione & Ginny are all sitting together in the Gryffindor common room in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and you think, this is how it should always be.

6. When Eric has Sookie’s driveway re-graveled at the end of Club Dead. I know it doesn’t seem like much, but I thought it was so thoughtful.

This one was difficult for me. I guess I don’t read a lot of sweet books. I’m sure there will be a few I’ll see as I look through the lists this week and wonder why I didn’t think of it, but this list was definitely one of the shorter ones for me.

What are your favourite sweet moments?

Babies and Blogs

I reached over 10 000 page views today.  According to my Blogger stats page, that happened sometime between 3 and 4pm.  Between 3 and 4pm today, I was very busy at work, trying not to let my Braxton Hicks show to my co-workers.  I know on some blogs there are giveaways, but I can't afford one right now.  I'm about 3 weeks from the birth of my second baby.  I can hear my husband trying to get the first down for the night.  Maybe after things settle down, I'll do something big, maybe by 20 000 page views, but for now, it's babies first.

So, if I happen to stop posting sometime soon and I don't come back for a few weeks, you'll know why.  Babies take up a lot of time and energy, especially in the beginning and I imagine it'll be even crazier this time since I'll have my gorgeous, energetic toddler too!

I'm going to try and get some pre-scheduled posts worked out, just so the blog isn't just sitting here.  I've been trying to get this done for some time now, but that's one thing I always seem to run out of, time.  I'm so tired these days too, that it I don't have it mostly written by 9pm, there's not point in me bothering because the post will just be blabbering.

This post seems to be a bit of blabbering.  In sum:  I've reached over 10 000 pageviews.  I'm going to have a baby sometime between now and July 6th.  I'm tired.  Good night.

X-Men: First Class

The latest Marvel film to be released, X-Men: First Class was fantastic. I wasn’t sure about seeing it because I knew there were going to be several comic inaccuracies, but none of them really mattered. I’m sorry if any comic fans out there are upset about that, but it’s true. Marvel needed to get people excited the X-Men again and this movie did that. James McAvoy (Professor X) and Michael Fassbender (Magneto) were awesome (and much hotter than I expected). They really brought Charles and Erik’s friendship to life. They showed how two people could work together, support each other and then part.

My favourite parts (and I hope this doesn’t give anything away) were the cameos. I’m not going to say who, but there were a couple familiar faces making an appearance in the movie. It was so exciting and surprising. I love the unexpected, even if it’s just a momentary glimpse or tip of the hat type thing.

I could go on talking about the effects, the action and the dialogue, but you can see all those things for yourself. If you haven’t yet, go see X-Men: First Class. Right now, it’s sitting at 87% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and it definitely deserves it.

Word of the Week!

I couldn’t let another week pass without posting the Word of the Week. The reason there haven’t been any posts is because I haven’t come across any new words. I’m hoping that one of the books I’ll be reading next will change that. Instead, this week I wanted to post about a word I see all the time. I know what it means contextually, but I didn’t know if I could define it.

Harbinger: Originally it meant a person that is sent in advance to provide lodging.
Now, it means a person or thing that foreshadows the coming of something or someone. A herald.
I frequently see this word in the context of something negative: “harbinger of death”. After reading the actual definition, I think it could be used positively: “harbinger of life” and whatever other good thing you want announced before it arrived.

Though I have no story/blog/article to attribute it to, that’s my word of the week!

The Gospel According to Harry Potter(and a mini-review based on memory ofThe Gospel According To The Simpsons)

I read The Gospel According To The Simpsons way back in 2005. It was at least a year before I started blogging. It was a great book and left an impression on me that has lasted all these years. The Gospel According To The Simpsons wasn’t a book about Christianity, it was a book about the way religion was (is) being portrayed on one of the most popular and long-lasting shows on television. It included essays discussing different aspects of not just Christianity and the Christian characters, but also Judaism and Hinduism, with even a tentative look at Islam and an examination of why that religion hasn’t ever made a larger appearance on the show. It was a book of interesting theological and religious discussion. At the time, I watched The Simpsons a lot. I had also just read The Simpsons and Philosophy so this seemed like a natural book to pick up. I enjoyed it immensely and recommended it to not just Simpsons fans, but also people who are interested in theology and religion in pop culture.

Then came . I should have looked more closely at what the book contained (like having a different author, though from the same publisher). I just assumed (my fault) that the book was going to be an analytical look at a widely popular book series and religion. It’s not. It’s all religion, all the time. I admit, I appreciate and encourage what the author is doing. The Gospel According to Harry PotterConnie Neal wrote The Gospel According to Harry Potter as a response to the Christian and right-wing fundamentalists that are constantly trying to ban Harry Potter because they think it’s connect to the Occult, Black Magic, etc. I’m sure I don’t need to rehash these arguments. Instead of looking at the books looking for the bad, she looks for the good (Christian) aspects of them, often likening Harry to Jesus.Harry Potter

While I appreciate her intent, as well as her clear writing style, I could only handle so much. It’s well written and if I was more like Neal, I might enjoy this book. She’s doing a good thing and I hesitate to say anything bad about it. It’s just not what I expected and ended up not being my cup of tea. In fact, it’s coffee. The Gospel According to Harry Potter has become one of the rare books I couldn’t finish. Again, not because it was bad, but because of the subject matter. I really think there are people out there who would really like this book, I’m just not one of them.

I Don’t Want To Know: What Influences Your Reading From The Literary Blog Hop

This week, Meagan at the Blue Bookcase asks and answers her own question: “What other outside influences affect your reading experience? Do you think these influences enhance or detract from the experience?” Meagan goes on to describe how she came to watch the movie The Secret Garden then read the book. This changed her experience reading the book and enjoying it as it was intended.

I try to never watch the movie before reading the book. Most times, if I’ve seen the movie, I don’t end up reading the book, even if I’m told how amazing it is. I’m not going to read a book if I know the ending. It takes away from the experience for me. I like to be surprised. I like to not know who’s going to end up together, die or be the villain. I hate knowing the ending, whether it’s a book or movie. Someone ruined the endings of The Sixth Sense and Fight Club for me. So I haven’t actually watched either of those movies, even though I know they’re great and I haven’t read Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club either. I’ve been told that reading/watching Fight Club more than once let’s you pick up on new things you didn’t notice the first time, but I didn’t get a first time and now I think I’m bitter.

The only exception to this rule (and I’m not excluding future exceptions) is Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone. I watched this movie before I read the book. My husband (then boyfriend) had the books, but they were so overly hyped, that I didn’t bother with them. Then I saw the movie with him and loved it! So I read the books and I happily jumped onto the Harry Potter bandwagon. The movie did influence my reading of the books, however. Though I tried, I had a really difficult time not imagining the actors as I read the books. It was different if I was reading about a character that I hadn’t seen in a movie yet, but I think I will always imagine Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter.

Honestly, hype influences how I read a book too. I go in expecting them to be great, but initially I’m resistant. I didn’t read Harry Potter when it first came out because of the hype. It took me ages to read The Hunger Games trilogy for the same reason. Hype, I think, falls into the “Others’ Opinions” category. Harry Potter and The Hunger Games had positive opinions, but when I was a teenager, I was against reading Margaret Atwood. I had some friends who had read Cat’s Eye, The Edible Woman and The Handmaid’s Tale in high school. Somehow I missed all those classes and never read one of her books. These friends of mine hated them. They couldn’t stop talking about how bad they were. So I never picked one up. It was only until I was assigned The Handmaid’s Tale in University that I realized what I was missing. Now, Atwood is one of my favourite authors.

I think that you should try as best you can not to let outside influences detract from your reading of a book. I can’t really think of any that have enhanced my reading experience, except that a good recommendation can often lead me to a book that I otherwise would not have picked up.

I also thought about non-bookish outside influences, like culture, history and personal experiences. There’s also noise, quiet, mood, etc. Then I looked at how long this post was and decided to just say, I try to be in as much of a cocoon as possible when reading, so that I get the full experience of the story and I try to be objective. Does this always happen? No.

Do you let outside influences get to your when reading?

What Red Read: Overreacting parents and YA fiction

So I was over at What Red Read and saw the post below.  Apparently there are some people up in arms about YA books.  They're too dark and disturbing, etc.  Some parent freaked out because they looked at a table or shelf of YA books and they were all the same.  I'm going to guess that she looked at a shelf of YA fantasy/paranormal books and saw all the vampire/supernatural -esque stuff.  Firstly, I'm so tired of people grouping YA in one big category.  You don't have to get YA titles like Twilight.  You can get Pretty Little Liars, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants or even some Sweet Valley High. 

Red mentions reading a lot of Stephen King and Alexander Dumas at around 13.  I started reading Stephen King around 13 or 14.  I also read a lot of "adult" books at that age.

See what else Red and others have had to say, click below.

What Red Read: Overreacting parents and YA fiction: "The interwebs, at least the book section of it, seems to be up-in-arms over a recent WSJ piece Darkness Too Visible by Meghan Cox Gurdon ab..."

Read it and weep: Couple struggles with 350,000 book collection

From The Toronto Star, there's a couple who have 350,000 books!!  They were saving the books from being burned, which is great and would have been my instinct too, but now it's overwhelming them.  If you live in Saskatchewan, please help them.  Click the link below for the full article.

TheStar Read it and weep: Couple struggles with 350,000 book collection

E-Reader Emissions

Another great post from Brenna at Literary Musings.  (Click below for original post.)

Remember also that people are always upgrading to newest gadget.  Kobo has a new touch screen ereader being offered at Chapters/Indigo.  So, I wonder, how much non-recyclable waste is being created.



Literary Musings: E-Reader Emissions: "Yet another reason to shop at secondhand bookstores. Via Slate"

It’d Be A Nice Place To Visit, But I Wouldn’t Want To Live There

This week’s Top Ten from The Broke and The Bookish: Top Ten Settings In Books (All those real or imagined locations/worlds you loved reading about OR settings you think would be perfect in a book). So, not all these places are where I’d actually like to live, but it would be interesting to see them the way I imagine. Some of them are easier to visit than others. These settings, I think, are all places that really contribute to the story; they have their own character or personality. So, in no particular order, my Top Ten Settings in Books.

1. Panem, from The Hunger Games Trilogy. I’d only like to go here if I had no risk of getting hurt. Each district seems to have its own personality. The Capitol sounds like a crazily over-indulgent city.

2. The English village Samantha Sweeting ran away to in The Undomestic Goddess. I don’t remember the name of it and I can’t seem to find it on the interweb, but it sounds just lovely. This village let Samantha find herself.

3. Staples. Yup, that’s right, Staples. That big box store with all the office supplies. Staples is the setting for Douglas Coupland’s, The Gum Thief. I adored this book. Making the emotional turmoil of the two main characters take place while they work at their job at Staples is just brilliant!

4. Bon Temps from the Sookie Stackhouse Series. It’s just so hot and mysterious.

5. Middle Earth. Do I really need to explain this one?

6. Narnia. Do I need to explain this one too?

7. Mid-World is the world of Roland, the last Gunslinger from Stephen King’s Dark Tower series. I wouldn’t want to live there since it’s falling apart, but I’d have liked to see it in its prime. Now, the strangest, scariest, deadliest things happen there.

8. Faerûn is the world of Forgotten Realms. It’s all magic and legend. There is good and evil, but still the possibility of change.

9. The Cottage that Mikael Blonkvist lived in during The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (minus the serial killer). It just seemed like a good place to read and write and get away from what’s bothering you.

10. Ancient Greece, which is the setting of so many stories. I was thinking particularly The Penelopiad, from Penelope’s point of view. Atwood’s take on it is interesting.

Where would you like to see?

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader

I loved The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader! It was so exciting. I hope I don’t make anyone mad, but it was so much more exciting than the first two. Every where they went there was a new adventure. Each little adventure brought them to the end of their big adventure, which I thought was a great ending. This easily is my favourite book of the series so far.

I really liked the addition of the annoying Eustace to the crew. It was sad to see Peter and Susan go, but they’re “too old” for Narnia now. I also think that the departure of the older siblings give Edmund and Lucy the chance to grow. Edmund took on much more of a leadership role. Lucy was still the caring, sweet girl she was in the previous books, but she was also a budding tween/teen with those sorts of insecurities (though those terms may not have been used in Lewis’ time, I think we can see those aspects of her personality coming out). Leaving out the older Pevensies also allowed us to include the insufferable Eustace Clarence Shrubb. Eustace added a bit of the Edward “outcast” element from the first book. Though he didn’t go off and join forces with the White Witch, he was so much more of a pain. Eustace complained about everything, yet thought he was a nice person. I really enjoyed his character growth in this novel.

I don’t want to give anything away, but it’s difficult to talk about my favourite bits without doing so. If anyone comments and has questions, or wants to share their favourite parts, then I’ll talk more about it. If you haven’t read this series yet, I’d encourage you to do so. It’s fun and exciting. Even if it’s written for a younger audience, an adult can appreciate the world that C. S. Lewis created.

Other Reviews

All Consuming Books

If you’ve reviewed this book (or any other on my blog), let me know and I’ll add your link.



A Weekend For Sharing

I didn’t know if I’d have time participate in a Hop this weekend, but I couldn’t resist Jennifer’s prompt: “Share your favorite post from the last month and tell us why it’s close to your heart!”  There are two posts I want to share, not necessarily because they’re close to my heart. (If that were the case it would be The Dark Tower all the way!)

The first one I want to share is simply informative, Say It Right! I found a list at Literary Musings about how to properly pronounce many author’s names that are frequently said wrong. If you’re a fan of Salman Rushdie, Khaled Hosseini or Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, you should definitely take a look… and save a copy. Who knows when you might meet one of these excellent authors and you don’t want to be embarrassed.

The other post I want to share is a review I did of the short story, Ponies by Kij Johnson. This story won the Nebula Award this year. I’ve been sharing it with as many people as I can. It’s technically science fiction, but I think it definitely has literary merit. Ponies really highlights current issues in our culture, in a scary way. It’s only 3 pages when printed and you can get it for free online. I hope you enjoy the review and especially Johnson’s story.

What are you sharing this weekend?

** Update ** Sorry to all the blogs I couldn't comment on today (Saturday).  Blogger just kept kicking me off.  I couldn't even post anonymously!  Hope you had a  good Hop!

For Your Viewing Pleasure...

So Yummy...

Say It Right!

I found this list at Literary Musings a few days ago.  I think it’s awesome.  I've often had my own name mispronounced, so I can see how helpful a list like this would be.  via Buzzfeed.  Enjoy!