Still Here...With Birthday Books

This has been a crazy couple of months!  I apologize for my long-winded absence.  It's the same old tired excuses--if it's not work, it's getting a bad head cold; if it's not a head cold, it's pulling something in my neck that's been niggling at me off & on for a few months (I applied heat to it last night and appear to be cured at least temporarily...wish I had thought to do that earlier!); and if it's none of the above, it's the randomness of life throwing things at you.  *Sigh*  But never fear...for I come bearing news most bookish :)

So...my progress of the past couple of weeks is thus: I finished The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, successfully catching me up with the rest of the world on the Millennium series.  A good end to the trilogy, though The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo remains my favourite of the three.  I've only reviewed Life Itself by Roger Ebert and have a few other reviews in the wings, so please bear with me.  I'm starting a new book today: Pygmalion, the play by George Bernard Shaw that was adapted into a movie and then later into another, more recognizable (and pronounceable) movie My Fair Lady.

And now for the birthday book loot.  My family knows me so well and got me some lovely books for me birthday (sorry...transformed into Eliza Doolittle for a second there).  And wouldn't you know it?  Some of them are for the reading challenges I'm participating in ;)

Coraline- Neil Gaiman--I liked the movie and heard all good things about the graphic novel.

On the Origin of Species- Charles Darwin--I went with the Penguin Classic cover (because it's coooool)

Persuasion- Jane Austen--I'm making this my next foray into Austen.  Can't wait!  I went with the Penguin Classics hardcover edition.  Lovely green leaves on the cover.

Cloud Atlas- David Mitchell--Have no idea what I'm getting into with this one but sounds interesting

Contact- Carl Sagan--The movie is highly underrated and so perceptive about the state of the universe and its inhabitants...you know, besides us.  Fascinating subject matter.

Last Night at Twisted River- John Irving--I loved Garp and Owen Meany, liked Cider House Rules, and am coming back for more Irving.

Shades of Grey and The Eyre Affair- Jasper Fforde--I see these on so many book blogs, curiosity kil...made the cat go out and buy the books :D

And...drumroll please...

Sense & Sensibility- Jane Austen
YES!  Am awaiting my order of the pretty pretty Penguin Classics hardcover edition.

The Count of Monte Cristo- Alexandre Dumas
Unfortunately the Barnes & Noble leatherbound edition isn't for sale in Canada :(   But I have the Everyman unabridged (thank goodness) one on order.  Now I can actually read the entire story!


I also got a few DVDs: 

Tangled--I think this is the best Disney "princess" movie released in ages...so fun!

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street--Ahhh....Johnny Depp.  Let's just say I pause this one a lot to enjoy the view ;)

Inception--Twisted, tangled awesomeness

Panic Room--This is one of the smartest thrillers I've ever seen.


I will try my best to get a review or two up over the weekend and get back on some kind of track.  I also hope to go back through all the posts in my Google Reader to catch up on what you've all been reading.  Wow...that'll take a while.  Must get busy...This will take a record-breaking amount of coffee.  Almost as much as Stieg Larsson's characters drink...anyone else notice that they all seem to consume "coffee and sandwiches" wherever they are?

Happy reading :)