The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper- I liked it a lot. I hadn't ever really read an adventure story before, but I liked it. American romanticism. It always amused me when more than one person was described as being the best or the most powerful or something. Cooper is not shy with the superlatives. Can I just take a minute to rant about the movie? I really like the movie, and Daniel-Day Lewis is completely and utterly yummy, but the plot after the first 20 mintues has virtually nothing to do with the book. At all. I think if you took a survey of people who had seen the movie and asked them what the most important plot thing was, they would answer the Nathaniel/Cora/Duncan love triangle or the romance between DDL and Cora. (If these names ring no bells, think Daniel-Day Lewis, Madeline Stowe and blond British soldier guy) Didn't happen. Not in the book. DIDN'T HAPPEN! NOT IN THE BOOK! Duncan and DDL's character get along, and even admire one another, Duncan is in love with Alice, not Cora (if a love triangle had to be had why not at least choose the right sister?), Duncan and Alice don't die, and I could go on and on. I gotta give props to the screenwriter for having the boldfaced audacity to call the movie by the same name as the book.

Nimisha's Ship by Anne McCaffrey- I adore Anne McCaffrey. This time around was no exception. I'm all about sci-fi, and I like the satisfaction that comes from reading an entire book in one day.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte- I LOVED it! Like, psychotically so. It is now one of my favorite books. While I was reading it I got so excited for the next thing to happen (Mr. Rochester! What are you doing ? Oh!) that I got all squirmy, and I could hardly keep still. I kept making little gasps and Sam (I was reading this at work) was like "what is your problem?" It doesn't happen that often that a book engrosses me to such an extent, and the other books that did that to me, Pride and Prejudice and Song of Solomon are my other favorite books. You just gotta admire an author who has that power in her words. Anyway, I'm all about dark, foreboding manors, and gothic romanticism. Bring it on!

The Princess Bride by William Goldman- This puzzled me. The Princess Bride is my favorite movie, and I can quote it from memory, and I distinctly remember Peter Falk reading to Fred Savage "by S. Morgenstern" Well, it turns out the S. Morgenstern's version was completely out of print, so William Goldman decided to do something, and when he finally got his hands on a copy, he was shocked to find that it was like a kabillion pages long, so he edited out some details ( ie the inventory of all of Buttercup's hats) and actually he explains all of this in the preface. The book is HILARIOUS! It's slightly darker and more cynical than the movie, and really, really awesome. I sent my copy to Bing when he was a sad little Chinese student at Middlebury last summer, and I have yet to get it back. *ahem* A quick read, and totally worth your time.

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller- Really freakin' awesome! This is not an especially original comment, as I think most people who read it are blown away. And it's soooo funny and soooo sad at the same time. I really wonder how Joseph Heller could keep it all straight in his head. My favorite chapter is about Major Major Major Major. I'm not stuttering as I type- that's really his name. He was promoted by an IBM machine with a sense of humor. Alas, my copy is not with me so I can't cite my favorite quotes (and damn are there a lot) but I will do this sometime before I die. It's just one of those books you have to read to be a well-rounded member of society. And to do crossword puzzles.

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole- Eenhh. The book had been highly recommended, and every reviewer said it was the funniest thing they had read in years. I remain unconvinced. Some parts were funny, but mostly I sensed that I was supposed to be amused, and I just wasn't. The main character is a selfish asshole, and I know that was the point because he was an antihero but almost every character in the book really got on my nerves, and after a while, I just really didn't care what happened to any of them.

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen- I thought it was completely charming, and it really was delightful to read after Confederacy of Dunces. Wow, I just kinda talked like Jane Austen, didn't I? I don't normally use the word delightful. Anyway, it's a very cute little book with typic Austen humor, and I had a big smile on my face the whole time I was reading it. It's kinda cool that she managed to both satirize and write a hommage to gothic romance novels.

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy- I loved it. It's a book that makes you want to go swashbuckle, and in my experience those are few and far between. A romance/adventure/intrigue/suspense book, and in a grand classic romantic sort of way, and not at all corny as I may make it sound. And it's funny. On a sidenote, I saw the musical which is very enjoyable (the lead who played Percy in the production that I saw had more charisma than he knew what to do with) but they completely changed the ending. Oh, and I really like the old movie with Ashley Howard (they changed stuff too but not to the same degree). A quick read, because you can't, you won't and you don't stop reading until the end. :)

1984 by George Orwell- not exactly of the same genre as my other fluffier summer reading. I liked it nonetheless and I liked feeling all intellectually proud of myself for reading it. Even though I knew there just couldn't be a happy ending, I kept hoping that he'd find a way... I might have been the only person who while reading it laughed during the scene with the rats, but it was because I kept imagining the people expecting me to be afraid and being a little concerted when I started calling the rats "my cute little fuzzyheads!" :) Another one of those books that are required to be a cultured member of society. I recognize the quality and the goodness and stuff, but in my heart I'm about reading for pleasure, pure and simple.

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen- Damn, she's just so good! The book is a little bit of a departure because the heroine, Fanny, is not in the least spunky and immediately likeable. Fanny is the archetypal good girl, but sometimes you just wish she would stop being so accomodating and develop a backbone! Still, Austen pulls it off well, and really truly I couldn't predict the end. No, that's not quite true, as the idea of what is supposed to happen is pretty clear, but even 2 chapters from the end I was still in suspense about the resolution. What can I say? It's why Austen is so well thought of. No argument from me.

Acorna's People by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Scarborough- I like the Acorna series, but not as much as some of her other ones. I don't think of myself as a purist, but I do prefer the books that Anne M. writes by herself. Hopefully things will get more interesting now that Acorna is more or less an adult. There's not that much to say, because you know if you like sci-fi or not.

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris- Tiff gave it to me for my birthday, and it's really one of the best presents I've ever gotten. I LOVED IT! It was so hilarious. I read it on a sidetrip the program took in Alsace, and there was a fair amount of time spent on a bus, so I brought the book to amuse me. I laughed so long and hard, that everybody on the bus wanted to know what I was reading, and I've loaned the books to friends now, because it's a book that needs to be read. Actually, on the trip, I might have been the only one who looked forward to getting on the bus because I wanted to get back to my reading. It's especially funny to read all the stuff about France and French and the French while in France, because it's all true! You must read this book! You won't be disappointed.

The Tower and the Hive by Anne McCaffrey- I really like the Talent series. Who wouldn't want powers like that? It's hard to believe, though, that after all the ass they've whupped, there are still beings out there who believe they can mess with the Raven/Lyon clan. Will they never learn?

Orgeuil et Prejuges by Jane Austen- Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite books ever, so when I saw it in a store, I had to buy it, and also I was interested to see how Austen translates. My verdict is that it works well on the level of the story and plot, but on the level of the language, it's just so much better in English. Her dialogues are lively and enchanting because the language she uses is novel and atypical. Meaning, no one talks like that. In French, though, probably due to the fact that there just aren't as many words in the French language, the dialogues and diction just seem more ordinary. The part where Darcy and Lizzy start being all mushy is still really exciting, and I didn't want to put the book down, yet again. I still recommend the English version, though.

Un Cadavre Dans La Bibliotheque by Agatha Christie- The title means "a corpse in the library" but I'm not sure if that's the precise English title. Agatha Christie is better in English. The translation just didn't feel normal or natural. I got this book a while ago (probably this particular Agatha Chrisie because of the library connection) but I never got around to reading it until now. I feel proud to write the snobby comment that, as far as the level of language is concerned, it was too elementary. Heh heh. Everything should be seen/read in the language it was written. This is my conclusion.

Lady Susan / The Watsons / Sanditon by Jane Austen- The three works are all published together because they are unfinished, except Lady Susan. According to the Jane Austen scholar who wrote the preface, Lady Susan is the most unsatisfactory of the three, but I don't agree. It's a big departure from her usual works (I think she wrote it when she was 20) but I really liked it! Lady Susan is the original Bitch! She's so cool! I don't know if you're supposed to be rooting for her or not (I suspect not- she's rather immoral) but I thought she was awesome! The Watsons and Sanditon were to be novels, but they were never completed, and even though I knew that, I was getting into the story, and then it ends abruptly after a couple of chapters, and I was like "Aack! But what happens now?" *sigh* I guess I'll never know.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle- I liked it. Did you know that Sherlock was a cocaine addict? Yep. The book has 12 cases of Holmes, so it's a quick read. I liked feeling intellectually superior to Watson sometimes. "Oh really now, Watson" I'd say to myself, "it's not as complicated as all that..." Some of the stories are really quite randomass, though. You know, Holmes never ever said "It's elementary, my dear Watson" in any of the stories. I wonder if that's kind of like how there has never actually been a viking found with a hat with the horns, and it's just a rumor that it as well-known as the thing itself. Huh.

Histoire d'un voyage faict en la terre du Bresil by Jean de Lery- I read this book as part of my 16th century lit class, but hey, it counts, right? Lery was an ethnograph before they existed. He goes to Brazil to visit "the savages" and he's really religious, so he's serving god too. It's good, and interesting but not something you'd read for pleasure under normal circumstances. And it's in Old French which is a little weird to get used to. "était" (normal imparfait) was "estoit." Ick ick. It wasn't amusing per se, but I laughed nonetheless because he described EVERYTHING in such meticulous detail that you had to laugh because he really apparently thought the readers would care what fish he ate on the journey and how their innards ressembled (or not) those of European fish.

Le Fantome de l'opera by Gaston Leroux- I LOVED it! This book rocks hard. It is so well written that the fact that I knew the story and had the soundtrack in both English and German and had seen the show (though of course with some changes) made no difference in how I got wrapped up in the story. It's really suspenseful at times, and as I would be reading it, I would start to shake my foot with nervous energy. And, there are parts that are genuinely creepy, and if I read them right before going to bed, I could quite easily freak myself out. Awesome. You can just tell that Leroux had a smile on his face the whole time he was writing it, and his enjoyment of his story is contagious. And some parts are really funny because he doesn't hesistate to poke fun at his characters, especially lovesick Raoul being pouty or melodramatic. I want to share some of my favortie quotes - (about the Phantom) "Il était la, comme le plus naturel des convives, sauf qu'il ne mangeait ni ne buvait." Translation: He was there like the most natural party guest, except he was neither eating nor drinking. (said by Christine)- "On ne revient pas s'enfermer dans un tombeau avec un cadavre qui vous aime!" Translation: You just don't go back to shut yourself up with a cadaver who loves you! Highly recommended, especially in French, if doable.

Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe- A very enjoyable book. Defoe never stops to catch his breath. It's 300 some pages and the narrative just keeps going and going with out so much as a demarkation to mark chapters. It was written in 1683 or something, and I imagine most proper people were shocked when they read it, because Moll is quite the little sinner. I enjoyed the parts when she's sinning, but when she repents her life of sin about 40 pages from the end, I found it much less interesting. It's amusing, and at times witty, and I thouroughly enjoy the old language that uses words like "forsooth." I don't even think I know what forsooth means, but I like it.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling- I sometimes dislike to do something just because it's popular, but truly, this time the bandwagon is there for a reason. And I quite enjoyed jumping on to it. The book was just a pleasure to read (total time needed: one day) and it's funny and very well told. And I'm happy that now I understand what everyone's talking about. If you are one of the .03% of the literate world who has not already read it, I do recommend it. Oh, and I always knew how to pronounce the name Hermione, thank you very much.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling- Kids' stuff, but I like it. I feel all commercialized and trendy, but the books really are fun to read. Again, total time needed, one day. And, not predictable either. Although, duh, I know Harry's not going to be expelled and that everythings going to be fine, it's never obvious how. And so much more interesting than my homework.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling- Total time needed, one day. You realize of course that these days for the Harry Potter books were consecutive and that I got no work done unitl the books were finished. I now firmly believe that they are an instrument of evil (Lord Voldemort, maybe) sent to earth to prevent me from doing work. At least it's a fun way screw myself over by not doing work!

Le Misanthrope by Molière- This was for my lit class, but I liked it a lot. I'm always very impressed by his rhyming skills. Les pauvres. The main characters end up unhappy and alone at the end, but this qualifies as a comedy somehow. Just to reassure y'all, now that's it's read, I am caught up on work and no longer screwed.

The Longest Day by Cornelius Ryan- I love this book, and I think this was my 4th rereading, but that didn't matter. Ryan interviewed a gazillion people about DDay (that wasn't very clear, was it? The book is about DDay) and did insane amounts of research, and then put it all together using facts, documents, and a lot of anecdotes. Damn impressive. Sometimes a little starry-eyed about the honor/ glory thing, but there are parts that nearly bring me to tears every time. Excellent. My favorite guy is Werner Plukat, the German whose job is too sit in a bunker on the beach with binoculars, and tell them when the invasion fleet gets there. If you are at all interested in the history of WW2, it really is an amazing book. (Not a bad movie adaptation, either)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling- I continue to be impressed. The book is long, but never feels it and truly, reading it is its own reward, which is not always the case. Excellent, and I of course adore the British talk. I think I am going to call people "brainless gits" from now on, too. Even though I just knew that who we thought the bad guy was was not the bad guy (I'm not talking about Lord Voldemort, of course), I still did not have it all figured out, which makes me like it even more. Oh, and I totally called the Hermione / Krum thing, thank you very much.

Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver- Thank you Abby! Abby gave me the book for my birthday, and I finally read it and it is very, very good. It's one of the best told "You can't go home again, but then again, did you ever leave?" books that I remember reading. She tells the stories from two perspectives, and just when you thought you knew what was going on... I swear, she must have taken a lot of psychology classes. She's incredibly good at story telling and the town and the people are incredibly alive. Read the book. It's excellent.

La clinique de crime by Ngaio Marsh- I really like Ngaio Marsh, but not as much in French. Read her in English. I kinda liked the murderer, and I was kind of annoyed it ended up being him. Just goes to show you. I'm not sure what it shows you, but it does show you something.

The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje- This book is beautiful. It's different than the movie, but I would call the movie a faithful adaptation. The Love story between the patient and Katharine is slightly less central, and Kip and the others play a much larger role. Kip especially. There's all this stuff about him and how he got to be a bomb diffuserthat I really loved. The patient is much more impressive in the book, somehow, in terms of what he knew, and more mysterious. I can't really be objective because it's all just so beautifully told that it makes me mushy. Read it.

Les enfants du siècle by Francois-Olivier Rousseau- OK, I am slightly obsessed with George Sand and her friend circle and life and stuff most of it being due to my love for the movie Impromptu. So, I hear about this movie with Juliette Binoche playing Sand called Les enfants du siècle but it's gone before I can see it in the theaters, but then I see this book in the Fnac, and I think 'Great! The book the movie was based on.' Umm, no, the book based on the movie. Not literature, per se. Very interesting though, nonetheless, but I suggest having a George Sand obsession before bothering to read it.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien- I read it for school in the 6th grade. Why did for-school-reading go downhill after? Anyway, I was determined to reread it before the movies came out, and I think I enjoyed it more than I did the first time. It went quicker, definitely.

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien- All these are being classed together because The Lord of the Rings is technically not a trilogy but just one bigass book. I reread it in less than a week, and I got so into it that I was reading all the time. Like when I had a minute to wait for a bus, I'd whip out my book. I was wondering how they were going to make the movies because so many things happen, but then I figured that at least half of the books are just them marching or camping or freezing their asses off or starving, and that shouldn't take long to portray. I can't wait. I was shocked to discover that I knew people who had never read it. Ever. That's not allowed It's, like, required or something. So, if you are one of those people, first have shame, and then get your ass in gear!

Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence- Very different from Tolkien. It was the first book of Lawrence that I had read, and I like his style. I find his little narrative venting moments funny. Like, when there's a comment about there's plenty of fish in the sea, but then he goes off and says 'well, yeah, ther's a lot of fish but they're mostly mackerel so if you're not mackerel or you don't like mackerel, well, tough cookies, there just aren't a lot of good fish.' Umm, that's not a quote or anything, but it's what he means. You tell 'em boy! I must say though, that when the keeper is speaking the dialect I found it incredibly hard to understand. Cuz I'm a Yank, probably. I can easily see why it caused quite the scandal when it was published. I like scandalous books. :)

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver- I bought this book because I liked Animal Dreams so much, and now I want to read all of her stuff. She is so damn good. It's about the family of a Baptist minister who accompany him to Africa as missionaries right before the end of colonialism. Different chapters are told by different daughters. It's so damn good. And, 'God, the U.S. govt by way of the CIA can be incredibly sketchy' seems to be one of her themes. Umm, but it's more literary when she says it. And she has supporting arguments and stuff. Read it. It's amazing.

Pü der Bär by A.A. Milne- Winnie-the-Pooh in German. My first German book was a pleasure to read. Piglet's name is Ferkel and Eeyore's is I-Ah, and that took a little getting used to, but the pleasure was the same. The charm transcends the language. :)

High Fidelity by Nick Hornby- OH MY GOD! This book was soooooooo good! I laughed so hard, so loud, everybody in the U-Bahn thought I was crazy. I still snigger when I think about the things in the book that especially cracked me up. The movie and the book are both perfect! I read it in a day opting to do nothing else, including homework or study for a test. I made the right choice. The book made me so happy and warm and fuzzy inside that I walked around grinning like an idiot. And, the next day I promptly bought all the other things he's written. READ IT!!!! So hilarious!

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë- I really liked the book, but then again I am nearly always a sucker for torrid romances. I am all about Gilbert Markham, especially in the Masterpiece Theater (a very faithful adaptation) when he's portrayed by the yummy Toby Stephens. The part in the middle is not as interesting as the beginning or end, but good enough that I kept going. I wonder why Anne is not as famous as her sisters, because it really is very good, but I guess not so Gothic. I do wish though, that Helen had less self-possession as would just come out and kick Huntington's teeth in. Oh well.

Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby- The book is autobiographical, and details his obsession, no, stronger, his all-consuming obsession (Ack! No thesarus! No stronger word springing to mind!) with soccer and Arsenal, especially. It's a different kind of book from High Fidelity, but it's a credit to his talent that me being a not crazed football fan, or me not being British did little to diminish my appreciation for the book. I will say, though, that there was some stuff that I didn't get because I'm not British, stuff he would reference, but that I had never heard of. No matter. Still liked it, and it made me laugh. He's just so damn good at what he does. Kinda reminded me of David Sedaris. Addendum: I saw the movie which stars Colin Firth. I liked the book better. Hornby explains his obsession and makes you understand in a way that the character based on him doesn't do (and it would have been very odd for the chracter to do so, anyway) so you gotta wonder when watching the movie why the girlfriend puts up with all his shit. The only plausible reason is that Colin Firth is a hottie, but even so I thought the movie might have shown SOME scenes when he wasn't being a complete schmuck. Just a thought.

The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon- Damn! This book, which I have been meaning to read for as long as Tiffany has been my roommate, is a big ol' mind trip, so the adjective "mindblowing" is accurate in both senses of the word. I plan on reading it, like, at least 8 more times in the near future in the hope of someday understanding. Everything's symbolic, I know that much. :) It sort of reminded me of Catch-22, in how I had to keep flipping back to remind myself what he was refering to, because it's hard to retain everything. Pynchon makes you work in that he makes you think, but the book is still pleasure reading, and at times really, really funny. Makes me wonder if Pynchon is paranoid in real life. Ummm, I`m kinda babbling, so to sum up, it's really, really, really good, and you have to read it.

Sara, die kleine Prinzessin by Frances Hodgson Burnett- (The Little Princess, to those of you with no clue what I´m talking about) What a book. I was improving my german reading comprehension and smiling at the same time. I don't even know how many times I watched the Wonderworks version as a kid. The book is one big nostaligic sigh to my childhood. Just as charming as in English.

Naked by David Sedaris- I love him. It is official. I laughed my ass off. I think I prefer Me Talk Pretty One Day (see above) because of all the relevant to my life stuff about France, but Naked does not disappoint. I will now buy anything he has ever written. Excellent.

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk- Wow. I'm impressed that someone managed to make a movie that stuck by the book (as crazy as you'd think) so faithfully. I had seen the movie many times before I read the book, so I was mentally comparing it with the movie instead of the other way around, but I really did like it. Damn. Someone should give Chuck a hug.

Where the Girls Are: Growing up Female with the Mass Media by Susan J. Douglas- If Patti White has not read this book I will eat whatever tasty hat you have to offer me. It's a really interesting book and a really good read. She has a very entertainging style. She was a baby boomer, so some of the references go right over my head because they were before my time. I especially liked her analysis of Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie and their differences. The whole book enuciates so clearly the mixed messages in the media, the origin of and backlash against the woman's movement, and how far it has come. Coolness. I want to give it to my dad as a present. Heh.

About a Boy by Nick Hornby- HOLY SHIT! This book is absolutely amazing. I read it twice in two days. No book, even my favorites, has ever made me do that before. It is so good. Damn. It's about a weird little kid named Marcus who is having a hard time with, well, life and is so much older than Will, a 36 year old manchild who never has had to grow up, and their unusual friendship. Some parts made me laugh out loud, and some parts are so thoughtful, and in the end I felt warm and fuzzy on the inside. As I was going to bed, I picked up the book thinking "OK, this will be the next book I'll read", but I had no intention to read it right then and there, but I did and went to sleep a little before 4 after being to entirely sucked in. A must read. Oh, and as Srah (<-- not a typo) reminded me, there's a mention of Grenoble that is a total shout-out to us.

Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding- Loved it! I laughed and laughed. It didn't matter that I had seen the movie first, because the two stand on their own. I think the movie did a good job of making new adventures, but keeping Bridget Bridget. Daniel is more Wickhamy in the movie, but Mark Darcy is more Darcyesque in the book. A very fun read.

Miss Wyoming by Douglas Coupland- Loved it! I didn't want to put it down, so I didn't. I read it from 1130 until about 330 a.m. I had never read anything by him before, but now I plan to read all his books. Ummm, it's a little hard to sum up, but it's about an ex-beauty queen turned actress and a burned-out movie producer and how their lives parallel and then cross and it's really damn good. Very recommended.

Speaking with the Angel by a whole bunch of people because it is a collection of short stories- It's edited by Nick Hornby, and his short story "NippleJesus" is my favorite. Colin Firth's story is excellent! As if I needed another reason to love Colin Firth. I liked Helen Fielding's story a lot, and there's this really funny one about a mime that cracked me up that's by John O'Farrell, who I've never heard of. I mean whom. And I liked Patrick Marber's story a lot, too, not that I have any idea who he is. I don't know why but I find reading colections of short stories oddly unsatisfying, even though I liked almost all of them. Anyone know what I mean? Proceeds from the book sales goes to charity, so buy it if you're interested. I, personally, think "NippleJesus" makes it worth it. Heh. NippleJesus.

Die Dreigroschen Oper by Bertolt Brecht- (Threepenny Opera) I like Brecht. He sure knew what he was doing, and what he was doing was screwing with normal theatrical conventions. You've possible heard about Mac the Knife? This is his story. I also appreciated that it wasn't too hard to read, or boring for that matter. Oh, and there's characters named Molly and Lucy. How cool is that? Far better-than-average classwork reading.

Der Aufstand der Fischer von St. Barbara by Anna Seghers- (The Revolt of the Fishermen from St. Barbara) Anyone remember Santa Barbara the soap opera? I do. It was my sister's favorite. It has nothing to do with this book, except to possibly set up a juxtaposition- Santa Barbara was entertaining, this book was not. At all. Remotely. It's, like, a hundred and twenty pages of confusing, depressing, clinical boredom. I know it was good for me to read an actual German book, but that doens't mean I have to like it.

Fidelio by Ludwig van Beethoven- It's an opera, not a book, but I read it and you can't stop me from putting it on my book page. So there. A hugely entertaining read. Alas, the opera production was saw of it was not hugely entertaining. The opera should be a spectacle, and the production was modern/minimalist. Their voices were amazing, but still. I liked Don Pizarro, the villian, best. The second he comes on stage, it's like 'Oh, he's CLEARLY evil.' And he is, too. All throughout the performance, Erika and I kept doing the Mr. Burns finger gesture thing, because that's how clearly evil this dude is, even if the other characters don't always seem to know. Don Pizarro was the only one who had stage presence, and who filled the stage with his character. The others had lovely voices but just stood there. I mean, come on, people, you're professionals and you never learned about stage presence? Anyway, read it, listen to it, but only see it if it's not the modern minimalist version. Oh, and I gotta ask, what was up with the trees? (They came, they went, they were anything other than the sedentary trees we all know and understand.)

Der aufhaltsame Aufstieg des Arturo Ui by Bertolt Brecht- I read the play and I liked it a lot. Then my teacher explained it was all an allegory about Hitler, and I was like, d'oh! I should have caught on. That makes the play even better. And then , I saw the play at the Brecht Theater in Berlin, and all I have to say is holy shit. The actor who plays Ui (Hitler) is astoundingly, breathtakingly talented. I have never seen anything more impressive than what he does with his voice and with his body. It was incredible. His name is Martin Wuttke, and he deserves fame and riches for his talent. The energy he exerts during a performance is mindboggling. And this is ME saying that, people. I swear, he must not talk during the day to save up his voice. Learn German so you can read the play and then see him in it. Seriously.

Ab Heute Heißt Du Sara by Volker Ludwig and Detlef Michel- It's a play, but I read it, so it counts. It's OK to read, but seeing it was better. Umm, right, to sum up, being Jewish during Nazi Germany = no fun at all.

Linie 1 by Volker Ludwig- Same guy who wrote the play above for the same theater company in Berlin (Grips Theater). It's a musical that's been performed worldwide to great success about Berlin and one U-Bahn line in particular. Fun to see, not that fun to read. Oh, and something that may clear something up that confused me while I was reading is that Bambi is a guy. Alles klar?

Barrel Fever by David Sedaris- I heart David Sedaris. I like his stories, I love love love his essays. The most consistently funny author I've read. The SantaLand Diaries are the best, and the store employee described in the last paragraph is my hero. I worked retail, I hear ya! You go!

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers- It's a wonderful, wonderful book that I'm very glad Tiffany lent to me. Dave Eggers is very brave for sharing what he does. Wow. A quote on the book cover that I think hits it right on the money is that he uses his writing to look at something truly horrible (the death of his parents) the way one looks at a solar eclispe using that paper doohicky. Umm, ok, so the original quote had more elegance, but really, the book is touching and funny and honest and you really, really should read it.

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding- I laughed my ass off. I think I liked it better than the first book. The Colin Firth thing and the phone calls with Magda crack me up whenever I think about them. Too funny. I love any diary entries when she's drunk. Bessfren. Hee! If you liked the first one you'll like this one, too. Everyone catch all the Persuasion references? (Umm, the chapter named Persuasion being one of the less subtle ones. And, there's a dog named Emma. Woo! Jane Austen!) It's made me start to reread Pride and Prejudice. *happy sigh* I love good books. :)

How to Be Good by Nick Hornby- I love Nick Hornby. This book cracked me up, although I still like About a Boy and High Fidelity better. "Is it possible to want to get a divorce because your husband doesn't want to be mean to Ginger Spice? I rather think it is." Hee! (Umm, that quote is from memory- probably not exact.) This time around the narrative voice is a woman, and that took a little getting used to because normally Nick Hornby seems to be writing himself, but he pulls it off quite well. Oh, and the daughter is named Molly. :) How to Be Good is funny and touching about a serious subject (divorce and the disintegration of family) and did not disappoint, although I'm not sure I get what he's trying to do right at the end. I can't wait for his next book.

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson- This book rocks. It was amazing. I initially heard of it because Shakin quoted it on his web page, and now I see why. Holy shit, how much research did he have to do to write that? Y.T. and Hiro are too cool. It all comes together so nicely... wow. Highly recommended. I'm gonna read all his stuff from now on. If only he wasn't a homicidal mutant... Hee!

The Hottest State by Ethan Hawke- That's right. THAT Ethan Hawke. I love him so I bought the book. I wasn't expecting all that much, but it's actually a pretty good book. A love/lust story that's very compelling and believable. I really wanted to know what was going on with Sarah, and I like his writing style- it really suited the material. A very promising first book.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen- I reread this book all the time, and I never, ever get tired of it. Her language is beautifully crafted, and the story is just so satisfying. Everything works out how it should be. God, I love this book.

Les liaisons dangeureuses by Chloderos de Laclos- (Dangerous Liaisons) First of all, check out the words "liaisons." Whoa. I was at least 3/4 of the way through the book before I notice that second "i". Weird. It's a great book. It took me for-frickin'-ever to get through and the story certainly does take it's time. It's written exclusively in letters back and forth, and the movie adaptors did a great job of whittling it down to a manageable plot and keeping the essence in tact. The end is different, though. Keanu Reeves' character (Danceny) cracked me up with his moodswings from the heights of happiness to the depths of despair. Hee hee. Save the drama for your mama, boy. Valmont and Merteuil are just so... wicked. Damn. It's a highly entertainging read and psychological character study, but you'll need to devote a bit of time to it.