sarea | Calling All Nevilles! (and there's some stuff about books, too)

Neville! How much do you love him? He was kicking some ass in OotP, huh? Well, he's an important guy, and we need him for

triumvirate. If you're 17 or older, we'd love for you to apply! Just send:

- your fandom name/lj name
- your age
- any previous RPG experience (provide links if online)
- a short paragraph describing how OotP affected your character and how you see them fitting into the game
- a short mock journal entry that your character might make at this point in the game.

to calliope14@livejournal.com. (Zacharias Smith is available too, if he's more up your alley. MmmmHufflepuffDraco.)

Thank you, Jade, for this: Buffy: Where Are They Now?

Finished Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner. I liked it ... but not as much as I initially thought I would, if that makes sense. Right up until the last 30 pages, I was into it, but then it kind of unraveled. The ending was too pat, and like for so many books, seemed hurried. What is with that? In that way, it reminded me of The Poisonwood Bible (but I enjoyed TPB much more), where the bulk of the novel is drawn out over a number of months or even years of the characters' lives, and then the last 50 pages takes care of the next 25 years or so. It's jarring. It's not even a "25 years later" sort of thing where we rejoin the characters; instead the progression of the 25 years is attempted and glossed over. Necessary evil? Perhaps, but it doesn't make me fond of the method. GiB wasn't that ambitious, but time and situations seem to pass and resolve rather quickly toward the end.

I also read The Windflower by Laura London, which is an old school romance novel that has stayed surprisingly popular. I finally found a decently priced copy of it (usually found at $10+, and I've even seen it listed for $35!) -- I so wanted to know what all the fuss was about. And you know, it had great writing. No doubt about it. The romance itself was perhaps uniquely done at the time (a girl and a pirate ship are involved), but by the time it got to me, didn't have much of an impact. I found the character of Cat most interesting and likable, although he wasn't the hero. He rather reminded me of Draco. In any case, it was quite refreshing to read a romance novel that was written so well (in this day and age when it seems that anyone can publish something in that genre, regardless of talent).

Next up: Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon, which I promised

calliope14 I'd finish. I'm 1/3 of the way through, and I LOVED Outlander, so am not sure why I stalled on this one. And then I'm thinking I'll reread The Grapes of Wrath, because I remember I really enjoyed it, and I need to read a classic amidst all this contemporary chick lit stuff. Oooh, but I always try and plug this when I can. Dracula by Bram Stoker is one of my favorite novels of all time. No one gives it a chance because it's been so commercialized and processed, and we all think we know everything there is to know about it. But oh, when you read the story you forget all that, and like me, will probably resent what stupid vampire movies and the like have done to this classic. It is a gorgeous novel and I can't recommend it enough! Okay, that's all. :D