A long time ago (we used to be friends)

I'm so neglectful! Actually, that isn't totally true. I've been meaning to post for ages (at least a month, right?), but have been so consumed with other things that I haven't. Some days its hard enough to post on my own personal blog that to do anything other than cut and paste is painful. That's not to say that I haven't been doing interesting things, no, rather I've been busy with reading, trips to NYC/DC, and, wait for it, taking up ballet again!

If there is anytime you need to feel old, take a ballet class filled with eleven-year-olds. Because, as I had to explain to one of them after they asked my age, the reason why I am good is because I have been dancing for longer than they have been alive. Sad, isn't it?

But not all is lost. In honor of banned book week, I have read a Gossip Girl book (by Cecily Von Ziegesar. It was Because I'm Worth It. Not exactly my sort of book, but that's probably because there is very little in the characters that I can identify with. It was somewhat the same with The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants in that I couldn't identify with Bridget because our personalities are not at all alike. So, about halfway through my GG book, I did want to put it aside because, to me, it seemed quite pointless. However, I am glad that I read at least one from the series for the experience and now I know what they are like should an unsuspecting parent of a ten-year-old ask me about them. Next on the list is Patiently Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.

In the unchallened book arena (or at least it didn't make the top ten list at ALA) is Stephanie Meyer's Twilight. I know, I know. Everyone and there mother has already read this book, and isn't it about time that I discovered vampire love? Perhaps not. I took this book with me over the weekend to my brother's house and I attempted to use it as a shield to stop my cousin from talking to me (because he talks for hours straight). It didn't work and I'm not sure if it was because of him, or the very fact of the very wordiness of the book, but by page 12, I wanted to toss it across the room. Don't worry, I did get into it, and enjoyed it by the end.

Perhaps I shouldn't go on about wordiness considering how wordy I tend to be! Then again, I have no editor and do not write books.

Through work, I attended the WebSearch University in DC a couple weeks ago and learned much about internet searching (and came away wanting to erase all traces of me online, a.k.a.: facebook/myspace-go away scary stalker people!). I also just received my professional librarian certificate finally. It only took about a year.

I was on a smoewhat fantasy kick this past week when I did my ILL shopping, so, in brief, I read: Poison Study and Magic Study by Maria Snyder. The first one I liked quite a lot, the second one was not nearly exciting so was sort of "meh". Decoy Princess and Princess at Sea by Dawn Cook. I would not recommend reading the second one before the first because of something big that happens in the end of the second that changes ones opinion of a certain character. And, lastly, Mystic and Rider, The Thirteen House, and Dark Moon Defender by Sharon Shinn. And, ok, there were other books in between those, like Ophelia by Lisa M. Klein, which I really loved, but now I can't remember them all!

This month's trend seems more for YA/historical fiction. It's amazing how these things go in circles!