I was surfing around for some information last night and spotted a graphic I hadn’t seen before. I have a feeling this may be fan-made but I must admit I like it a whole lot more than the official movie poster. Not only is it much more natural but the colours are also warmer, more appealing.

Movie Poster


"Brighter" Movie Poster

I haven’t really given my Christmas list much thought, mostly because of the recent spending spree but cruising around the web the other day, I stumbled on a very cool gadget.

I don’t really need another clock but this Pin Clock is very cool and would go nicely in the front room where we really need a clock near the TV. It looks like more of an alarm clock but it’s darn cool…

 Found via Lifehacker and it can be purchased on-line via Amazon.

I’m trying very hard to avoid working today. Not sure what it is this week but I certainly don’t want to be here. Stuff is still getting done but at a slower than usual pace.

I was listening to a few things on YouTube while doing some filing at my desk and I stumbled on this:

Talk about memories. The first time I saw NIN was during this tour. I travelled on a Greyhound with a couple of friends to see them at the Gorge. It was spectacular. Actually, I think it was life changing. But at 15, EVERYTHING is life changing so it’s hard to say whether it really made any difference but it was pretty awesome.

So it’s not another “Twilight” post, I’m slowly weaning myself away from that, but it’s something very fun.

Saw this very funny video on John Bollwitt’s blog. It’s very funny and hubby is going to laugh pretty hard when he sees it…

Dear god, what's going on. This is beyond crazy:

The poor guy. He looked mortified. Looks like Team Edward is in the lead.

LOL

This morning Twitter was abuzz with talk of Macy's Parade Rickrolled. I couldn’t figure out what everyone was talking about until I saw the video below. If you don’t know what rickrolling is, basically it boils down to posting a link that appears to go to something else but ends up pointing you to the Rick Astley song “Never Gonna Give You Up” which was a big hit in the late 80’s. The video is pretty funny. So funny that I cried a little.

Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends. Hope you make it through today's food coma and tomorrow's shopping crazyness!

The madness continues! Looking for a special gift for that "Twilight" fanatic in the family? Something they can use and keep after-the-fact as a collectible item (seriously, this is getting a little out of hand…)? Here are two options:

Fandango, the online movie ticket site, has launched personalized gift cards and they’ve got one specifically designed for the Twilighters in the crew. Check it out below.

For the Canadians in the audience, the madness stretches across the border and Chapters is offering Twilight themes gift cards in denominations of $25, $50 and $100.


Happy shopping!

I love the holidays mostly because I love shopping. But not for everything. Books, movies, music, unique gifts – I thrive to find the perfect gift but most years, I leave it for so late I end up running around last minute for anything that’ll work. Not this year though. I’ve already started planning and though I’ve yet to make a purchase, I have a list and a plan of attack. That plan now includes my first trip to a poster sale.

The Pacific Cinémathèque is having their annual poster sale (great idea!) and I plan to be there bright and early to search the bins for the perfect gift. Who knows, maybe I’ll finally find something my sister can hang on her wall.

The sale is on December 6th and runs from 10AM to 2PM. Be sure to arrive early!

I recently added a whole whack of new music to my Zune and for the most part, I haven’t been disappointed. New Kaiser Chiefs and Keane are favourites but I’ve recently, over the last 3 days, discovered a few new things via the Zune Marketplace (which, BTW, rocks). Here’s a taste of what’s likely pounding in my ears as I’m walking around town:

Muse's Supermassive Black Hole

 Within Temptation's Somewhere

What else am I listening to? You can find out by checking out my Zune Badge in the sidebar. It's under "Listening To".

Over at Row Three, we sometimes post additional thoughts on a movie but frankly, I’m not sure the guys care much for Twilight, not to mention that my added thoughts have as much to do with the novel than with the film, so I thought I’d post a few additional ramblings here. That’s what personal blogs are for right?

After seeing one of the opening night screenings on Thursday, I decided I needed to re-read the books before a second visit to the theatre (I always knew there would be more than one). For those that argue that Bookcrossing stops individuals from buying books, here’s an example of the opposite: I Bookcrossed my books to share the goodness and, over the weekend, had to re-buy copies for my personal collection. I devoured, yet again, the story of Bella and Edward and reading it for a second time, a few things came up that I don’t recall picking up the first time around.

1. The writing isn’t spectacular but the story is well crafted – how many times did I roll my eyes at the term “crooked smile”? What is that exactly? The pages of endless descriptions of Edward’s beauty started to run together and Bella came across as a bit more needy than I remember from my original read.
2. I caught a tinge of the Meyers’ religious inclination. It wasn’t as apparent the first time around but a few references certainly suggest something is going on (lion and lamb, opening inscription). I even heard and contemplated the fact that there’s no sex in the story as a religious inclination but regardless of the reason for the omission, it makes for great page turner. It’s like the old movies when the build-up ended in a kiss – a passionate kiss but just a kiss. The build-up is key; if that doesn’t work, there goes your story.
3. As for the vampires… well, I’m not sure what to make of that. Perhaps the same thing that Anne Rice once made about why her characters are vampires: it gave her an opportunity to explore other aspects of humanity.
4. Re-reading this with the idea of first love in the back of my mind was painful. I must have tuned it out the first time but this time around, I couldn’t get past it. It brought back some less than pleasant memories. Unfortunately, my one sided romance didn’t end nearly as well.

What impressed me most reading “Twilight” is how, although I knew the story, the characters and had even seen the movie, I fell right back into it as if it were a first time. I was sucked in immediately and that’s all I could think about over the two days it took me to power through it. I’m still trying to figure that one out.

As for the second time to the theatre, a few interesting notes: (there are some very mild spoilers but none the less, be warned, ***SPOILERS AHEAD***)

1. The bad makeup wasn’t nearly as distracting as it was the first time around. Still distracting but mostly something easily overlooked.
2. Writer Melissa Rosenberg deserves some serious credit for managing to shorten the book into a fairly cohesive story while leaving out huge chunks of information. Some of the omissions will make for interesting juggling for Part 2 but overall, very good. Also worth noting that between the language that comes out of the characters is much more natural in the film than in the novel. Kudos.
3. The special effects were even more laughable (and therefore painful) the second time around. Oh yeah, they’re THAT bad. Here’s hoping they do something about that for the next one.
4. Yeah, there’s chemistry. Lots and lots of chemistry. Pattinson and Stewart lay it on thick but wow does it work. The closing shot…OK. Enough of that.

 This, this THING has taken over. I’ve passed the point of mildly obsessed to completely consumed. I feel a bit guilty that something a little more “intelligent” and less "guilty pleasure" didn’t snag my attention but there’s something particularly interesting about this. I expect a lot of what's currently floating around in my head will come out a little more in the upcoming podcast which will help me move away from the constant ideas that pop into my head and once December kicks in, other things will catch my attention but for now, it’s all about this cultural phenomenon. I’m almost interested enough to put together an essay on the topic. What for? I don’t know but I am tempted.

I’d promise there won’t be more but frankly, I’m afraid this isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

I take it back. In my last post I mentioned that I’d finished with the Twilight talk but it turns out, that’s not going to happen. This is turning into a Anne Rice sort of obsession (which will never end but will – hopefully – subside a little). I decided I wanted to re-read the book before my next trip to the theatre. That was the first mistake because it’s all I’ve been doing for a few hours. I’ll be finished tonight but the wait for lunch and devouring of a few more pages is driving me batty. Bloody hell.

This morning I read a post by critic Eric D. Snider which had me in stitches. He calls it “My Rejected 'Twilight' Screenplay” while I call it “The Funniest Thing I’ve Read in Months”.

I’m not sure what’s better, Scene 2 in which someone says “Those are the Cullens. They avoid direct sunlight, they don't eat food, they sleep in coffins in a graveyard, and holy water burns them. I think they're Canadians.” Or Scene 3 which made me spit out some coffee I was laughing so hard.

Yes, I’m a fan but I can appreciate a smart retort and this one’s pretty bang on.

 It’s been a bit weird around these parts. Mostly because I’ve become somewhat obsessive about the fact that Twilight was getting picked on by the big boys. I chalk it up to my feeling like part of the group – not as rabid as the 12-year-olds but I can relate to the gooey romance of Meyer’s story and the fact that the big bad wolves were putting it down before it even got off the ground rubbed me the wrong way.

I managed to score a ticket to one of the preview screenings last night. I did head to the mall early to see something else (Role Models was very funny) and at 6:15, there was already a large line-up for the 10:00PM screening. I decided to chance it figuring that the worse that could happen would be to sit off to the side (after all, I wasn’t looking for 15 seats with my BFFs) but to my surprise, the crowd for the 10:15 screening was that much more subdued. Not as many screaming teens, it was a mix of 20 somethings, some couples and even a few guys (like the very nice guys in front of me in line who made the hour long wait that much more enjoyable).

No screaming when we first spot Edward, nor oooooooooooooo’s when the crucial fist kiss comes to pass. There was an air of excitement and as the ladies at the A.V. Club put it, like we were all at a slumber party. It was fun, I don’t regret the late night that has left me a bit giddy and on-edge today. My thoughts on the movie? It was OK – better than my low expectations but not as good as it could have been. All the nitty gritty details are in my review. And thought it’s not cinematic masterpiece, let’s face it – few films are, it is entertaining and I had a genuinely good time seeing it. Frankly, I’m looking forward to seeing it again. Maybe later next week when the crowds have, hopefully, subsided a little.

For now, I’m putting away my “Twilight” love for at least a few months at which point, I’ll be picking up the super swanky DVD with loads of extras that fangirls will fawn over. Yes, I’m that curious, just not in a creepy way.

Until then, I’ll have to find a new mild-obsession. Suggestions being taken.

There are few people I hate but once in a while, folks do something that angers or rubs me the wrong way and such is the case here. So no, I don’t really hate this person but I do have some strong feelings that will come out below. Take a breath. Here we go.

In response to Josh Tyler’s recent article over at Cinemablend titled “Twilight Rant: They've Got It All Wrong”, I have a few words of rebuttal. My first thought was two words for you Mr. Tyler: Fuck You. But that’s a bit strong and after sitting with this at lunch, I’m a little calmer.

It’s a well written piece and accurate to a point. What rubs me the wrong way is the second to last paragraph which reads:

Not just any women; squishy, gooey, girly types who still swoon a little whenever they see book covers featuring Fabio. This movie’s audience is the Patrick Dempsey fangirl, the comfortable bodied, wine-drinking ladies who made Grey’s Anatomy a hit. They’re the love obsessed women who bought tickets to Made of Honor, and then went home to wonder why their relationships never seem to work out like the ones they see in the movies. They’re the women who believe men are secretly, well, women… and are dead wrong. Many of these women are teens, whom Summit has done a good job of courting, but most of them are just lonely, besotted, and blighted by society’s unrealistic view of romance.

I can get on board with some of the idea, of how women, and I’d venture to say men as well, are unsatisfied with the view of relationships in movies, but to rack up all of the “Twilight” fans into “squishy, gooey, girly types who still swoon a little whenever they see book covers featuring Fabio” and “the Patrick Dempsey fangirl, the comfortable bodied, wine-drinking ladies who made Grey’s Anatomy a hit” is not simply wrong, it’s down right, to me at least, insulting. I’ve never in my life read a novel with Fabio on the cover, nor do I like Patrick Dempsey and “Grey’s Anatomy”? That show is pure dribble. To assume that all fans of the book are shallow, needy women hit a nerve, not to mention that it’s down right condescending.

What bothers me most about this entire thing is that for the first time in what seems like a long time, we have a film that has a fantastical element targeted very specifically at teen girls yet folks seem determined to dole out the hate. Where were these articles when A Cinderella Story or Step Up opened? It was OK for those films to be released and target their market but it’s not OK for this one? What gives? Am I missing some piece of the puzzle?

At this point, I’m ready to stop reading the majority of the reviews from men simply because they seem more determined to insult the film’s potential audience than to speak about the film itself. And I fully realize that this isn’t any sort of review but it’s mean spirited and something I don’t appreciate. I’ll be sure to go around insulting the fanboys when the next shitty comic book movie is adapted. Oh wait – I won’t do that because I have class.

I had my Sunday completely scheduled. 10AM screening of Slumdog Millionaire at The Park, an afternoon photo walk with a friend who lives in the neighbourhood of the theatre and then an evening screening of Gomorra (a film I missed at VIFF and was very excited to see). The day went 75% as planned. Of course, the 25% error was all my fault.

Mom called me at 4:45, just as I was getting off the bus at Main Street and about to catch a Commuter bus to my 6:30 screening. Turns out, she’d made dinner. The sad part is that she told me about said dinner last week and I completely forgot. She was sad, she was angry and then she hung up on me. Standing on the corner of Main and Terminal, all in a tizzy that I’d forgotten about this, I made a split second decision. I called Dale, who I was supposed to meet at the screening and let him know that I wouldn’t make it. I called hubby to make arrangements for a pick-up at the Skytrain and I called mom back to let her know I was on my way.

On the one hand, I’m happy I made that decision and on the other, I’ve come to the conclusion that I wasn’t mean to see Gomorra. This is the second time my plans to see this have been thwarted and at this point, I’ve pretty much given up hope on seeing it before it comes on DVD some time next year. Bugger, I really wanted to see it too.

On the bright side, the first movie of the day was very enjoyable, as was my photo walk. Though the weather wasn’t all that nice, we still managed quite the trek from Main Street, up to Queen Elizabeth Park and then back. I took 200+ pictures and tested out the camera nicely. All of the pictures from my adventure have now been uploaded to Flickr.

Admission: I’m not a Dr. Who fan but I know there are many who are and for this reason, I’d like to pass along a little information.

The local Dr. Who Meetup is hosting a little get together to celebrate 45 years of the good doctor and I’m helping spread the word. Event is Sunday, November 23rd at La Fontana in Burnaby and the group will be watching the pilot of the show along with whatever else they can dig up.

So if you’re a fan and want to celebrate with other fans, be sure to head over to the Dr. Who Meetup Group site and check out all of the details of the event. You may also want to join the group to stay up to date with other Dr. Who related events!

I went to see Anvil! The Story of Anvil yesterday and it absolutely rocked. Seriously entertaining and touching too (something I didn't expect). I've posted my review but I also wanted to share this little video from a song titled "Metal on Metal". I only heard a few rifs of this in the movie but it instantly became lodged in my head. It's a great tune:

Remember Guns N' Roses? Chances are that if you hit puberty between 1987 and 1993, you're familiar with a handful of their songs. Considering the band was only really active for 6 years, they did manage to put out five albums, 3 of which are golden from first to last track.

I remember the first time I heard "November Rain". I thought Slash was a god (still sort of do) but the tune was an instant classic.

As I got a little older, I came to love some of the others, particularly "Paradise City" and the totally awesome "Welcome to the Jungle" but to this day, my all time favourite G N' R tune is a cover of a Rolling Stones classic. "Sympathy for the Devil" was fetaured on the Interview with a Vampire soundtrack and it was a perfect fit not to mention that it's a great, great tune.




If you can remember that far back, 2002 was a milestone year for the band. After nearly 9 years of working on their new studio album titled "Chinese Democracy", the band announced a North American tour which was to kick off in Vancouver. I spent $200 on 2 tickets for my sister and I. I clearly remember getting off of the Skytrain and walking towards GM Place. We left our arrival until fairly late thinking we'd miss the opening band but the show was scheduled to start in a few minutes and it didn't look like anyone had been let in. We made our way to the now closed Mavericks on the Water Front to have a few drinks and about 2 drinks in we hear the bartender announce that the concert has been cancelled. We don't believe him so we walk out the door and towards the stadium but when we saw a mass of people running towards us, we headed back into the bar. Not only had the show been cancelled, a riot had broken out.

We spent a few hours at the bar and finally headed towards the Skytrain and home before midnight. There was garbage all around and from the train we could see the broked glass of the doors. It was a total disaster.

Six years later, the band (not really the same band since Axel is the only returning member) has finally released their first single from the new album, still called "Chinese Democracy" and which also happens to be the first single. I heard this a few days back and have to admit, I was not impressed. It's not as instantly catchy as their previous work though I will admit that on a second listen it's not too bad.

The album will be released November 23 and at this point, I'm not sure I'm going to invest in it. We'll see what the other tracks sound like. If you want a sneak listen, "Chinese Democracy" is being streamed on the band's official webiste.

We picked up the MIL at the airport on Saturday. She needed a bit of a break from work and decided to come out to see us. It’s always nice to see her – she’s a super sweet lady and a very “no maintenance” house guest. It also turns out that this is the most she’s seen of either Hubby and I over the last few years since the few other times she’s come out we’ve both been insanely busy.

On Remembrance Day, we spent a big chunk of the day cruising the malls. You see, MIL decided she wanted to buy us our Christmas gifts before heading back to Calgary this weekend. Anything you *really* want is what she said. I thought she was kidding but apparently not.

I’ve been pining for a DSLR for some time but until this point, they’ve been way out of my price range and even at the current prices of $600 for an entry level camera is higher than I’m willing to pay but she insisted. I held back the first time but the second time she offered, I didn’t look back. The result, I’m now the proud owner of a Pentax K200D. Pentax is not the first brand that comes to mind for most people when you talk about DSLR cameras but I picked this one because Hubby has two AF lenses from an old Pentax and talking to the super knowledgeable staff at Kerrisdale Cameras and finding out that one of our old lenses would cost about $400 to replace, we figured this was the camera to go with.

Of course, I got home and started playing with it immediately and wow, what an experience. I haven’t used an SLR since high-school but this baby has a completely automatic setting but the pictures it takes are awesome. In the process of experimenting, I took what is, to date, my favourite picture of hubby:


Needless to say, I love, love, LOVE my new camera. I can’t wait to make even more use of it this weekend though I must admit, if I’d known today was going to be this beautiful, I would have packed it and made my way down to Coal Harbour during lunch for a few shots. Who knows, maybe tomorrow will be as nice.

As for hubby, he decided that he didn’t want anything. Yeah, he’s a bit strange that one. Eventually, we did convince him to pick something out but not exactly what I’d expected. He decided he wanted a new TV stand. He’s wanted to mount the TV since we bought it but I refuse to put holes in the wall. The result is a TV stand with a built in mount. He spent the better part of Tuesday night putting the thing together.

I must admit, I love the finished product. Makes the room look even bigger and to boot, we have room for all of the electronics without having to double stack!




So yes, we’re feeling mighty spoiled. Now that we have toys and a new stand, I can use the Christmas money I was putting aside for the new stand to good use on something else. Maybe a new carpet…

I dont' make a point to avoid them but for the most part, I don't watch too many interviews with actors/directors before films come out but I was sent a link to an interview with Robert Pattinson (who plays Edward in Twilight) and I did watch/listen to it.

It's a very good interview and I'm really impressed with the insight Pattinson gives into the character and how he plays it. I'm still not sure, as the interviewer asks, if he doesn't completely look silly in the film (vampires always tend to look a bit silly) but I am impressed by the interview.

I clearly remember working my way though the now defunct Sam the Record Man on Seymour St.. They were one of the few stores in the downtown area that I could get to that had a wicked ass back area full of indie bands not to mention, a wicked heavy metal section. I was in a phase where the heavier the music and the creepier the album cover, the better. It was also a time in my life where my TV viewing was pretty much exclusivelly Much Music (when it still played music) and so I knew what was popular - or so I thought.

Walking to the cash register and checking out the best seller wall, I spotted an album sitting at number 2 from an artist I'd never heard of. How was this possible? I know everything! How come I don't know about "The Memory of Trees" or this Enya woman? I was 16 and completely unware of anything. I bought it, listened to it for the first time on the way home and never looked back.

Oh how things change.

I was shopping with the MIL and hubby yesterday. We went into HMV to check out the latest offerings and I discovered that Enya has a new album which goes on sale tomorrow. Titled "And Winter Came...", it looks like this is a Christmas album. Frankly, I don't care. It's Enya. Consider it money already spent.

Talking to the girl at the counter yesterday I was reminded of the funny look I got from the guy behind the counter at Sam's when I bought my first Enya album (kind of like a "what's a girl in a NIN t-shirt and a spiked collar doing buing this easy listening crap?"). Now the kids don't even register that anything is out of whack. God, I felt old in that instant. Ah well, c'est la vie.

I tracked down the video for the album's first single "Trans and Winter Rains". Enjoy.

Or so we hope.

Learning something new is never easy but a wrench is thrown in when that something new has quirks.

I’m not an expert in computer technology but from my experience, Vista was a bit of a disaster. We held back upgrading our PCs at home and hubby only migrated over when he had to (for work purposes). At the office, we have 3 PCs running Vista and for the most part, they work great. It’s the compatibility that sucks the big one. My biggest issue at the office is the fact that previous versions of Outlook don’t work correctly which means for at least one computer in the office, we had to unload $300 for a copy of Office 2007.

The biggest complaints I’ve heard are that it’s slow and for those used to previous versions of Windows, hard to get used to. I can see that – the menus are different, settings are located in different places and even I’m still getting used to a few of the changes. There are a couple of nice upgrades – notably the Media Center software which allows you to connect all of your Microsoft devices together (PC, Xbox and Zune). Did the Vista release bomb? I don’t think so but I’m pretty sure the transition wasn’t as smooth as Microsoft would have liked.

So what do the geniuses at Microsoft do? They start working on a new release. I haven’t been following this too closely but Windows 7 is coming and according to Lifehacker, it’s coming very soon: by midyear 2009 and pre-bundled with PCs for the 2009 holiday shoppers.

Again, I haven’t been tracking the updates and of all I’ve seen, the coolest is the Apple-like dock menu.

I’m actually looking forward to hubby getting his hands on a test copy (being a computer tech has its perks). The thing won’t run on my little laptop but I’d love to see how it handles on our home/media PC.

When they first announced the film adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's novel, I was instantly on-board. I knew the books were best sellers but I didn't realize the reaction would be quite this overpowering. I don't think anyone did.

Immediately the fangirls started to swoon and sigh over every announcement and by the time the film make it to Comic-Con, it was out of control. Remember the fan reaction? Even funnier than that was the backlash from fanboys that felt the girls were taking over "their" turf. Suck it up boys. Girls are entititled to their own moments of crazy reaction. If it happens to surround a teen vampire love story rather than the newest comic book adaptation, so be it.

I'm looking forward to the movie and even though I don't have high expectations that it will be a great film I do expect to be entertained. More than that, it'll be cool to share in a moment with fellow women that doesn't include high-heels, shopping and drinking cosmos.

But I have limited patience for big crowds, especially those made up of screeching teenage fans. Do I make the outing on opening weekend or do I wait? What's a girl to do? I'm thinking I will make the trek, if only to take it in with other fans. That, in and of itself, should make for an interesting night out.

And for doubters that didn't think this would make any money - time to rethink the power of the teen girl market. Two weeks before the film opens and there are already sold out screenings across the US and I've already received 2 emails from Cineplex encouraging me to buy my tickets early. If that's not enough, I read a recent Fandango newsletter that had 68% of respondents saying that they will see the film more than once.

Mark my word: Twilight won't just break November Box Office Records, it will OBLITERATE them.

Now for the real question: anyone out there care to join me on opening nigh? I've got an extra ticket...

Early in my highschool days, I was introduced to Margaret Atwood by an English teacher who pushed “The Handmade’s Tale” on us. It was part of a section on Canadian Fiction and together with a book of short stories which I think was titled “Inside Stories” though I can’t find a record of it anywhere online.

I still have a feeling that if I’d started with any other of Atwood’s work, I’d never have become a reader of her work but that novel peaked my interest and over the years, I did read a number of her short stories, essays and even a number of other books (my favourites include “The Robber Bride” and “Alias Grace”) but by the late 90’s, I’d lost interest. I had a run-in with the author at an event and what happened forever tarnished my blind and youthful admiration of the woman.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve been meaning to revisit her work, particularly “Oryx and Crake” which has been sitting on my bookshelf for a few years, but whenever I think I’ll get to it, something else comes up. Aside from that, something else has become quite clear to me: Atwood is a great thinker. I don’t mean just a great storyteller but, as with many successful artists, she looks at things from outside the box. I first caught a glimpse of this after seeing her talk about religion but her most recent work has really cemented that thought for me.

Her most recent work “Payback: Debt as Metaphor and the Shadow Side of Wealth”, a non-fiction collection of speeches which the CBC has adopted into Massey Lecture Series, looks at debt not from the perspective of the people, feelings and emotions behind it rather than the money itself – or so I gather from this great interview with TIME which appeared online today.

After reading that short interview, I’ve decided to put my prejudice aside and before the end of the month, I’ll be making the trip into the bookstore to pick up my very own copy of “Payback.” It should make for an interesting read.

I'm not one to be overly political but I will say this: I am thrilled to be alive today to witness this great achievement. CNN just predicted that Barack Obama will become the first African American president of the United States.

Watching the crowds responding to the news is exhilarating. I honestly think I'm going to get a little teary.

Scratch that - I AM teary.

Twitter has pretty much been crushed by the updates. I'm calling it a night.

I don't watch a whole lot of TV but having just seen Episode 9 of "True Blood" (TB love!) and realizing there are only another 4 episodes left before the end of the season, I was reminded of a list I stumbled on a few weeks ago.

Sci-Fi Wire posted their list of  Top 10 brilliant but cancelled with "Firefly" (duh!) topping the list. Rather unsurprisingly considering my lack of consistent TV watching, I haven't seen any of the other shows on the list though I'll admit to having picked up the complete "Alien Nation" series thanks to hubby's recommendation (though we've only seen a couple of episodes) but pocking around I note that "American Gothic" is also on the list. I remember skipping through the show a few times while it was on but never settling for long enough to get pulled in. I'm thinking this is going to be my next project once "True Blood" goes on hiatus.

Also worth noting that one of the other shows I discovered and came to love that was also cancelled, "Moonlight" is no where on the list. Shameful! ;)

Shamefully, I haven't been as good on my reading over the last few years but I have picked up a few new authors who I really love including one that almost instantly jumped into my best loved of all time Juliet Marillier.

The woman is wonderfully imaginative, incorporating history into her tales of love, lore and adventure and she manages to strike just the right ballance. She's also one of the few authors I've followed from early on and as a result, have actually noticed a shift in her style and approach. You can only begin to imagine my shock and glee when reading through my RSS feeds this morning to stumble on an interview with Juliet regarding her new book. New book? I can't believe I nearly missed this!

It's titled Heir to Sevenwaters and for a short moment, I had a heart palpitation that I'd have to go back and find copies of the first three books in the Sevenwaters Trilogy to catch up but it looks like this is a stand alone novel.

Over the years, I've purchased most of my Marillier novels via the Australian Online Bookstore - mostly because the novels are released in Asutralia before anywhere else - but this time around it looks like the US release is in-line with the Australian. I've even found that occasionally, ordering online has been cheaper than walking into the bookstore. I'll have to research but I may still purchase the novel through Bob's great store.

I've also just noticed that the novels in the Sevenwater's trilogy have new covers which I *love* and considering I've Bookcrossed and released my other copies, I may need to invest in the new set...