In Which I Am a Very Happy Boy

This was supposed to be a review of Field Notes from a Catastrophe by Elizabeth Kolbert, but I didn't have time to write it on Thursday (which is when I'm currently typing this) and I'm supposed to go on a date on Friday, so I didn't really want to write it then. So, instead, I'm just going to brag about the fact that I'm finally going out for the first time in about three years and tell you that hopefully that review will be up on Sunday.

Oh, and wish me luck retroactively that Friday night goes well. It took me long enough to get up the nerve to even ask so I think I deserve a little luck.

-Gabe

I'm Alive!

Hey everyone!

Still not back online. In fact, my computer charger died so I couldn't use my computer even if I wanted to. I am, however, planning on spending some time in the library this week posting things that should have been posted already (i.e., my reviews of The Book Thief and A Study in Scarlet, as well as my review of the film A Clockwork Orange.) I've also just posted the July link-up for the challenge I'm hosting.

I got several comments in the last week and I simply don't have time to answer them today (I'm currently at work and have been busy since I got here three hours ago), but I might do so later this week. Thanks to everyone for being so awesome and supportive and still reading my old posts while I'm away. I miss blogging a ton and am looking forward to getting back into it, however irregular my posts may be for the time being.

I have two exciting announcements to make:

1) I reached 10,000 page views while I was away! I told you I'd do some more blogger recognition in honor of that milestone and I will, just not until probably Thursday.

2) I reached 100 followers! In the last three months I've managed to get 100 of you to admit to reading my posts. :) I know that a lot of blogs do a giveaway when they reach that number and I'm currently considering doing one of my own, I'm just trying to figure out what exactly to give away as I currently have no ARCs or anything. I'll get back to about it by next week.

In short: I'll be posting some things later this week and you might get a chance to win free stuff. I'd say that's pretty awesome.

-Gabe

8,000 Page Views!

Yesterday, I passed 8,000 hits and am already well on my way to 8,500! As I'm broke at the moment, I know that I won't be able to do a giveaway for 10,000 page hits (which will hopefully happen sometime this month or the next). I do, however, have some really awesome blogs that I follow and I like to give them shout-outs from time to time. What better time to do it than in a celebratory atmosphere?

Here are 8 blogs that I follow that definitely deserve a second look. Some of them are book blogs, some are not, but all are worth reading. In no particular order:

1) Nylon Admiral (Kayleigh): Currently hosting a weekly Harry Potter Countdown, Kayleigh's blog is always full of great reviews, fun fan art, and all-around awesome. We tend to have exactly the same opinion on pretty much everything, so she's quickly become one of my favorite bloggers. She's got great taste in books and a wonderful sense of humor.

2) A Not So Ridiculous Education (Nonners): Nonners also has a book blog that I follow, but A Not So Ridiculous Education is a unique blog that is following her progress through a book she's studying from called Omnibus I. She's a deeply religious person but she still manages to put up with me and I admire her for that. A lot of the questions she posts on this blog are thought-provoking whether you're religious or not and she's always looking for people to contribute their opinions and ideas on what she's studying. Just remember to be respectful and open-minded.

3) Bibary Bookslut (Sally): I recently discovered this blog (last month, I think?) but already it's become one that I check often. As one of the only book bloggers I've found who focuses on LGBT literature, Bibary Bookslut has introduced me to books that I never knew existed and often tackles difficult topics that really matter, regardless of your gender or sexual orientation. Enter this blog with an open mind and I think you'll like what you find. (Did NOT mean for that to rhyme.)

4) Curiosity Killed the Bookworm (Ellie): I've been following Ellie's blog for several months and I love the way she reviews books. She really takes time to explore how she feels about them and she mixes that with an honest and matter-of-fact review style. If she loved something, you'll know it; if she didn't, well, you'll know that, too. Her TBR list is also full of great reads that I'm looking forward to hearing her opinions on.

5) Two Bibliomaniacs (Erin and Evan): This couple reads books like it's their job. Their funny and insightful reviews are always fun to read and they've even got an awesome challenge going on right now. I enjoy not only the fact that they read from a variety of genres, but also that many of their reviews are joint reviews, with each of them giving a separate rating. It's two reviews for the price of one...or something like that.

6) Dead End Follies (Ben): Dead End Follies is a one-stop-shop of sorts. The guy who runs it reviews books, films, music, etc., and he discusses topics from all over the pop culture sphere. Funny, irreverent, and sometimes controversial(ish), Ben's blog never fails to disappoint. It doesn't hurt that he's also one of the few male bloggers I've found out there as well. Kind of makes me feel better to know that I'm not alone in a (sorry, ladies) sea of estrogen.

7) This Week at the Library (smellincoffee): Another of the few male book bloggers out there, This Week at the Library features reviews of books on every conceivable topic. This guy reads everything and then writes short, to-the-point reviews that leave the reader wanting more without knowing too much about what they'll be going into. (Unlike me, who drones on and on about books for seventy-five paragraphs.)

8) Conor P. Dempsey (Conor): Science fiction writer Conor P. Dempsey is funny, nerdy, and relevant all at the same time. He talks about reading, writing, technology, science fiction, film...pretty much anything he likes, really. His posts are often thoughtful and thought-provoking and are always entertaining.

If you're not on the list above, it doesn't mean that I don't enjoy your blog. It simply means that I only had eight slots to fill. :) When I hit 10,000 page views I'll be giving shout-outs to ten completely different bloggers.

So, now for some housekeeping:

-I've finally posted the link to the "Books I Should Have Read By Now" link-up. It's on the right sidebar underneath my rating system.

-Links are still accepted for this week's Wild Card Wednesday until Saturday at 11:59 PM (EST). Everyone's welcome to join!

-I'll be participating in the Spring into Summer Readathon this weekend. I'm hoping to get through four books but it'll probably be closer to two. Either way, it means more reviews for you next week!

-I'm almost finished reading Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach and am still plodding through my reread of Imajica by Clive Barker. I think Imajica will end up being a month-long project. I'm not sure what happened but I wasn't able to plow through it in two days like I was the last time I read it.

-Gabe

100th Post!

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you: my 100th blog post.

This is actually a pretty momentous occasion for me. I've mentioned before that all of my attempts at blogging in the past failed miserably, so the fact that I'm still blogging and that I've reached my hundredth post is astounding. What's even crazier is that I haven't even hit my two month blogoversary yet. Now, what that says about me is up for debate, but I'd like to think that it means I'm a dedicated blogger.

Anyway, in honor of my 100th post, I've decided to give you 100 book-related tidbits. None of the lists are in any particular order.

10 Favorite Novels
1) The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
2) The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
3) House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski
4) Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
5) A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
6) Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh
7) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
8) Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
9) Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
10) Dr. Zhivago by Boris Pasternak

10 Favorite Trilogies, Series, etc
1) Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling
2) Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
3) Discworld by Terry Pratchett
4) Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
5) The Time Quartet by Madeleine L'Engle
6) The Lady Julia Grey Series by Deanna Raybourn
7) Dante Valentine by Lilith Saintcrow
8) Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
9) Madd Adam Trilogy by Margaret Atwood
10) Redwall by Brian Jacques

10 Favorite Authors
1) Victor Hugo
2) Neil Gaiman
3) Margaret Atwood
4) Kurt Vonnegut
5) Jane Austen
6) Douglas Adams
7) David Sedaris
8) Tim O'Brien
9) Terry Pratchett
10) Deanna Raybourn

10 Favorite Book Characters
1) Severus Snape from Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling
2) Hawkeye Pierce from M*A*S*H by Richard Hooker
3) Zaphod Beeblebrox from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
4) DEATH from Discworld by Terry Pratchett
5) Charles Wallace from The Time Quartet by Madeleine L'Engle
6) Clopin Trouillefou from The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
7) Duncan Idaho from Dune by Frank Herbert
8) Skulduggery Pleasant from Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
9) Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
10) Major Major Major Major from Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

10 Favorite Book Baddies (as seen in this post)
1) Severus Snape from Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling
2) Dowd from Imajica by Clive Barker
3) Crowley from Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
4) Teatime from Hogfather (Discworld) by Terry Pratchett
5) IT from A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
6) Francis Begbie from Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh
7) Lord Havelock Vetinari from Discworld by Terry Pratchett
8) Dom Claude Frollo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
9) Inspector Javert from Les Miserable by Victor Hugo
10) Billy-Ray Sanguine from Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

10 Characters I Absolutely Despise
1) Uriah Heep from David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
2) Delores Umbridge from Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling
3) Amy Henderson from The End Is Now by Rob Stennett
4) Nurse Ratched from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
5) Jean Valjean (and Marius and Cosette) from Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
6) Bella Swan from Twilight by Stephanie Meyer (okay, I despise pretty much every character)
7) Charles Marlow from Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
8) The Man from The Road by Cormac McCarthy
9) Catherine (and Heathcliff) from Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
10) Kelly from Black Water by Joyce Carol Oates

10 Favorite Films Based on Books
1) Stardust (based on the novel by Neil Gaiman)
2) Chocolat (based on the novel by Joanne Harris)
3) The Lord of the Rings trilogy (based on the novels by J. R. R. Tolkien)
4) Trainspotting (based on the novel by Irvine Welsh)
5) A Clockwork Orange (based on the novel by Anthony Burgess)
6) M*A*S*H (based on the novel by Richard Hooker)
7) The Princess Bride (based on the novel by William Goldman)
8) Stargate (inspired by the premise of Chariots of the Gods by Erich von Däniken)
9) Apocalypse Now (based on Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness)
10) The Never-ending Story (based on the novel by Michael Ende)

10 Favorite Literary Couples
1) Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
2) Lady Julia Grey and Nicholas Brisbane from The Lady Julia Grey series by Deanna Raybourn
3) Wesley and Buttercup from The Princess Bride by William Goldman
4) Hermione and Ron from Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling
5) Yvaine and Tristan from Stardust by Neil Gaiman
6) Jody and Tommy from Bloodsucking Fiends, You Suck and Bite Me by Christopher Moore
7) Cecily, Gwendolen, Jack, and Algernon from The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
8) Winston and Julia from 1984 by George Orwell
9) Gentle and Pie 'Oh' Pah from Imajica by Clive Barker
10) Meg and Calvin from The Time Quartet by Madeleine L'Engle

10 Books that Should be Movies (as seen in this post)
1) Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
2) Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn
3) Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
4) Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
5) The History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides
6) A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
7) Hell by Robert Olen Butler
8) Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett
9) House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski
10) Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

10 Favorite On-Screen Portrayals of Book Characters
1) Severus Snape (Alan Rickman) in Harry Potter
2) Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin) in The Princess Bride
3) Francis Begbie (Robert Carlyle) in Trainspotting
4) Prince Septimus (Mark Strong) in Stardust
5) Alex (Malcolm McDowell) in A Clockwork Orange
6) R. P. McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
7) Hawkeye Pierce (Alan Alda) in M*A*S*H (television series)
8) Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder) in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
9) Duke Leto Atreides (William Hurt) in Dune (television mini-series)
10) Ruby (Renee Zellweger) in Cold Mountain