Double-Stacked Bookshelves

Well hello, Wednesday.  We meet again.  Wednesday means it's time for another installation of "Why I Love", a meme hosted by Alexis at Reflections of a Bookaholic . It's really difficult for me to choose a favorite villain , this week's topic for Why I Love Wednesday.  I haven't read much recently that has a really good villain, which is quite sad.  However, I have come across several villains in the past.  I've written about one , but have decided to go another route this time.  Instead of discussing a villain that I love, I'm going with one that I despise. My choice for favorite villain is...Dolores Umbridge.  Not because I like her or because she's my favorite anything, but because she is so incredibly horrible.  Maybe more horrible than Voldemort.  Maybe.  I just reread the entire Harry Potter series and it reminded me of how much I hate Umbridge.  She's completely evil and takes so much pleasure in her lofty position and...

Midway through the week and it's time for an installation of Why I Love Wednesday, a meme hosted by Alexis from Reflections of a Bookaholic .  Today's topic is Favorite Childhood Series .  And, like many women my age, my favorite childhood series is, hands down, The Babysitters Club . I loved, loved, loved The Babysitters Club .  I wanted to be a part of that club so badly.  I wanted to start my own Oregon chapter and conquer the needs of frazzled parents in a fun, timely, and enthusiastic manner.  Instead I contented myself with reading about the exploits of Stacey, Mary Anne, Claudia, Kristy, Dawn, Jessi, Mallory, and Logan and the town of Stoneybrook.  My favorite character was always Claudia because she was an artist.  I also really liked Dawn because she was earthy and crunchy (a very Northwest trait).  The issues that the series dealt with were spot on for me as a child/young teen and I really connected with these characters. My love ...

I swore I wouldn't read this book.  Alas... Today's teaser comes from Seth Grahame-Smith's Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter .  And now for your reading please: "Abe couldn't help but smile.  Here was a strange little man with a strange way of seeing things.  Only the second living man he'd ever met who knew the truth of vampires.  He drank to excess and spoke in an irritating, high-pitched voice.  It was hard not to like him" (126) Ah the overabundance of vampire novels lately...

I realize that I have been virtually non-existent in my posting this past month.  Honestly, I have no excuses; I had plenty of downtime.  However, I chose to do something else (or nothing else) instead of catching my lovely readers up on my reviews, Why I Loves, and Teaser Tuesdays.  It's tragic and I apologize.  I feel like a failure in the blog-o-sphere, but I'm going to remedy this and soon!  Regardless of my tired excuses, here's a quick update on what's been going on with me in the PNW and what's going to be going on with the blog: What's up with me:  Summer term came to an end with excellent results.   I reread the Harry Potter books and fell in love with Hogwarts all over again :)  I had an interview at my Alma Mater for a position in administration.  I was offered the position.  I informed the community college I work for that I would be unavailable to teach courses in the Fall because of the new position I had a...