A yummy all-media post

Going back to one of my favorite things to blog about - media. Yum.

Let's start with movies. In a distant time and place (okay, say for a while before spring 2007 and in Baton Rouge), I used to have a Sunday-movie tradition that got disrupted by graduation, my European tour and moving to New Orleans. I re-established it with Confessions of a Shopaholic. I haven't read the books, but I did enjoy the movie. I remember reading somewhere (EW?) a review that questioned whether big-spending would go over well with a recessed audience. But I think some of the messages of the film - don't count just on material possessions, credit cards and debt collectors are the devil - is all the more poignant because of this recession. Isla Fisher is amazing and I always love Hugh Dancy (oh yes, I do), so even though I felt like the romantic elements were a little rushed, I still believed them cause the actors are awesome at what they do. I love that Isla Fisher is such a physical comedienne, which is reminiscent of the best of Debra Messing (I've been a fan since 1998's 13 episodes of Prey, which was NOT comedy) and, even better, Lucille Ball (who I've been compared to in my dizzier, hopefully more brilliant moments).

Now let's talk t.v. I think I've come out as an American Idol fan before and if I haven't, I suppose this is my big confession. I started watching a few seasons ago and probably got hooked cause it was fun to watch with my neighbors and friends. Now I'm just hooked. The good, the bad, the ugly, I'm there. Sad to say. I am more reluctant and less enthusiastic about the early train-wreck auditions, if that does make you feel any better. Enough defense. :) So far, though this season is definitely weird, I'm entirely satisfied with the first six going through. I looooove Alexis Grace and Allison Iraheta really blew me away (she wasn't really on my radar before her performance). However, if anybody is reading this, I do hope this is heard - Megan Corkrey and Stevie Wright MUST, must, do you hear me, be wild card picks for the top 12. I'll tell you now, I don't care what happens to Megan Corkrey on this show - I will buy any c.d. she puts out. I love her voice. It's probably too early to say the word "favorite," since I haven't even seen 12 people perform and I do love some others, but... Predictions for the three picked from this last set of 12 (really, AI, confusing) are: Scott MacIntyre, Lil Rounds and let's say...Alex Wagner, but I remember liking Kendall Beard, too. Let's see what happens tonight.

[3.6: I must've had a premonition that they'd pick four contestants, rather than just three. And I was right about two of the last set of three before the wild cards. That was a pretty easy call, though.]

More t.v. Can I just say that, after catching up with all three episodes of Dollhouse so far, I am a BIG fan. No, I won't be staying in on Fridays to watch it, but YES, I will watch it. Hear that, Fox peoples? Let's have a deal here and now, between you and me. I will watch it, do not cancel it. But then, I knew I would love it, since I do love my Joss Wheadon (insert collective sigh for Firefly here). Big fan of Eliza Dushku, too (in part thanks to Joe, love you dear). This show is smart, funny, addictive. And it's slick and pretty. Has all the best elements of classic Whedon, also reminds me of Alias a bit (which is great as J.J. Abrams is another big love of mine). I think, honestly, it would've been paired better with Fringe than The Sarah Conor Chronicles (Fringe has a strong, kick-ass woman lead, too and my mamma mia! and I text throughout the episodes), but maybe the Fox folks felt that was too much science and technology and weird conspiracy for one night. I will bow to their greater knowledge of these things - provided they don't cancel either Dollhouse or Fringe. Have I revealed yet just how big of a dork I am?

Now, books. Reading this cool French girl-adventurer book called The Princetta (and the Captain, apparently). It's massive and translated and really, really good. Just finished a fun (if a bit weird with the Brit-infected "New Yorker" main character) book called Me and Mr Darcy. Not as good as Austenland, a bit too reminiscent of Bridget Jones, but fun nonetheless. Also, while I'm always a big fan of Sarah Dessen, I was blown away by Lock and Key. Even wrote the author a very personal fan letter.

And something I've been wanting to blog about for a few weeks. Let's see if you can follow this. In a distant time and place (okay, circa 1996 as far as my documents certify and in Georgia), I started reading an author named L.J. Smith. I became a BIG fan, getting involved in a massive fansite online (remember in my first blog when I talked about first engaging in an online life?) called The Night World, which was devoted to all of her books. She wrote several trilogies and a quartet of books (after two linked stand-alones) before beginning a longer series called The Night World, which was supposed to be 10 books long, the last of which, Strange Fate, would be released right before the new millinnieum (which featured in the series). However, due to mysterious illnesses and etc., the book's never been released. Now it's 9+ years later and, to my knowledge, the book's still not out. She's reappeared, writing under the name Ljane Smith and according to her website, she's still writing Strange Fate. And coolest of all, as I discovered while at my not-so-local bookstore (I was in Baton Rouge), her series' are being re-released, omnibus style!! There's lots of L.J. (as I'll always know her, short for Lisa Jane) news lately, actually. The CW is apparently creating a t.v. show from The Vampire Diaries. It has a lot to do with the success of the Twilight books and movie, almost certaintly, but these books pre-date all that and rock in their own right. As I said in my comment responding to this piece on Pretty Scary. However you get into L.J. Smith, get into her. I love these books. They predate when I was educated about writing (and judgmental) and just enjoyed books for all their cheesy potential (see: Dean Koontz). And you know what? I was a kid when I read L.J. Smith and Dean Koontz. And all these years later, I still get crazy excited about them, still enjoy their books. So that must say something... Can you tell me what? :)