My co-workers and I sometimes (discreetly, of course!) laugh at the new romance titles that cross our fiction desk. _What the Librarian Did_ by Karina Bliss is no exception. But it's not the title as much as the tagline: "She's got a secret that's long overdue."

The even funnier thing is I picked it up when I got to my desk in the back and started reading it and (so far!) it's not that bad!:)

 Now about those librarian stereotypes...those of us who work in the field rarely dress like the woman on the cover and some of us may be just as likely as the guy on the cover to sport tattoos (discreetly, of course!)

I'm trying to think of any other profession that has such a stuffy reputation and I'm coming up empty...from what I've seen it's one that's pretty false!

Listening to "Superstar" right on my MP3 player...it's funny how even though you know you put certain songs on your player, shuffle can still catch you by surprise. Karen Carpenter's voice has a certain haunting sound in some of her songs, but you have to wonder sometimes: was it always there or is it her tragic death that makes us think of those songs that way?

Her brother Richard has released (what seems like) endless compilations of their material (repeating the same classic songs over and over again for what some cynics--and sometimes I have to wonder-say is monetary reason).

All I can say for sure is the only Carpenters collection you really need is The Singles: 1969-1973. It contains all of their material from the height of their popularity and when both of them were at their best...amazing stuff!!!

Food like this makes me so nervous...even just looking at picture of it does. KFC's newest "sandwich" is supposed to debut tomorrow (Monday the 12th) from what I hear.

I have never been able to eat crap like this without feeling like a food whore immediately afterward...maybe like people who have one night stands feel the morning after?

Don't get me wrong...just because I call it "crap" doesn't mean I don't want some of it  (well not this necessarily, but I do have a weakness for other junk like Ben and Jerry's, Red Robin burgers...the list goes on!) ...part of the pleasure in denying yourself something is in how much you want it in the first place.

Here's more info:



http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36179954/

I've already briefly mentioned seeing this zombie anthology and buying it in the bookstore but now that I've actually started reading it...wow! I'm only on the fourth story in the collection, but one of them ("What Maisie Knew" by John Connolly) just blew me away. It would make a great movie (if done tastefully since there are some parts in it that could go horribly wrong on film if not handled right by the director!)

"What Maisie Knew" is also the name of a Henry James novel so I was even more intrigued by this story (though the two aren't related at all I would love to know if the author is a James fan.) The thing those new to this genre may be surprised to discover about zombie short fiction is just how good it often is, how well-written and full of emotion (or more times than not a despair that lifts off the page and into your heart and mind.)

Connolly's tale reminds me a little of a modern day truly twisted O. Henry piece, only I seriously doubt O. Henry could ever have conceived of something so dark. Without giving too much away, I will say that "What Maisie Knew" gives new meaning to He Had It Coming and will make you look at ethics and "reanimates" (okay, zombies) together in a way you wouldn't have thought possible.

from the vaults...a surprisingly good television soundtrack from way before Grey's Anatomy came along and made it a respectable thing:)


Have you ever been in a mood where you wanted to listen to beautiful, sad music just so you could feel? Not the "drink yourself in beer, my dog ran away, my wife left me" mood that you find in some country music (the kind that gives a perfectly respectable form of music its bad reputation among music purists), but the more understated, sophisticated, yet simple sounds of soft blues and jazz?
 
CROSSING JORDAN is a surprising treat, in part, because the music was recorded specifically for CROSSING JORDAN--in the same studio, with the same musicians for all the singers who contribute (except for "Black Coffee" a Rosemary Clooney standard perfect for the mood of this soundtrack.) "I Want to Be Your Man" by Sam Phillips (who also appears on another track) opens and "Black Coffee" closes an impressively together work and reminds you of the days when soundtracks (especially film) had a connection. Nowadays, films and tv shows pull anything off the music shelves and throw in on their albums. Not here!

Every song on here is gorgeous and the real treat is the star of CROSSING JORDAN Jill Hennessy. If you've watched the show, you know this girl has talent! If you don't watch the show (catch it in re-runs on A&E), then you're in for two good songs by an actress who can actually sing ("You're Innocent When You Dream" is haunting.)

Other stand-out songs: "Buckets of Rain" by Vic Chestnut
"Hang Down Your Head" by Lucinda Williams
"The Wind Cries Mary" Cassandra Wilson
"Pale Blue Eyes" Joe Henry

So find a quiet corner, dim the lights, sit back in your chair or bed and just FEEL!