Jul 20, 2009

Reading, Writing and......Harry Potter?

I don't think those would pass as the core classes at a school ... although they SHOULD!

No, this is what my weekend consisted of, in no particular order....

Aside from the usual grocery shopping (pay day Friday and all), errand running, finally having my daughter come back home and all the other completely boring things we accomplished over the weekend, I couldn't help but treat myself to a few of my favorite things. (Why yes...I did just sing that as I wrote the words. Don't lie, you know you did too!!!)

So I read 1 & 1/4 books. The first one I adored!!! Couldn't put it down. It was a murder mystery - and since I am incredibly impatient and can't stand NOT knowing who done it - I could not put down until the mystery had been solved. (Name of book to come later...how is THAT for a mystery!!!) The second one, the one I am having a hard time getting into, is the first in the "Sookie Stackhouse" series by Charlaine Harris, Dead Until Dark. (It's the series they based the show True Blood upon) I'm only 1/4 of the way into it, so I am sure I just haven't given it enough time, but I am having a rough time getting it to hold my attention. Has anyone else read this book? Did you have the same problem at first? Does it get better?

After an incredibly entertaining dream about parallel realities and the house I grew up in, (which incidentally my father posted the link to it that afternoon because it is now for rent! OMG WHAT did they do to my bedroom!!!) my mind once again began to swarm with ideas about a novel I had previously thought up. After spending two hours in bed writing the entire back story and then another hour or so online coming up with names to every character, then editing the prologue a bit AND writing the first page of the first chapter I am super excited to say I have a new novel in progress!!! Which is really good actually considering a really need a break from the first one.

And of course...on opening weekend...who could leave out Harry Potter! I knew my husband wanted to kinda see it, and I assumed my kids would enjoy it too. (Why I assumed a 4, 6, and 8 year old would enjoy a 2 1/2 hour movie is beyond me!) So I had this ingenious thought to go to the 11:25 showing on Sunday morning. It would be before noon -aka CHEEPER - and I figured who is going to want to go to an 11:25 am showing on a Sunday...that's Church time!! (um yeah....I just confessed to not going to Church didn't I....CRAP!) So at 11:10am we loaded the car up and hurried our butts to the theater. Shouldn't be a problem...right!?!? WRONG. We ended up sitting in the VERY FIRST row. The only one available with 5 seats. So as we craned our necks to watch the 2 1/2 hour movie I also took the time to make sure everyone's popcorn was refilled, drinks were shared properly, and each child stopped squirming in annoying ways as my husband enjoyed the movie. So with one squiggly/bored 4 year old in my lap, I was able to watch about 2/3rds of the entire movie, surprisingly without a neck ache! (Thank Goodness I saw the opening show a few days prior!)

And that was my weekend! How was yours? Exciting I hope!

***Read MORE about my new Story HERE!!!***

14 comments:

Alone in Holy Land said...

I am a big fan of Charlaine Harris's "Southern Vamp" series, I've read them twice. And that was befero I saw Ture Blood. I liked the books from the beginning, I even remember that I loved the way the first book opens. I remember imagining all the noise in Sookie's head, at then, everything going quiet...But this is just me...I've read all 9 books and I liked some of them more than the others.
I hope you'll continue reading them and start enjoying them as much as I did...
I cannot wait to see Harry Potter. I liked the books and the movies and as a wedding anniversary as asked my husband to take me to the movies.It didn't happen yet, as we didn't find a babysitter for maya, our daughter, but I am still hopeful...

Sherrinda Ketchersid said...

Goodness, my weekend was not as eventful as yours. I should have bought groceries, but couldn't bring myself to fight the crowds. I cleaned and edited 4 chapters and critiqued several chapters for my sister-in-law. I did go see HP with the fam Friday night and loved it! Oh...and I started Dead Until Dark, but couldn't finish it. It is rare I don't finish a book, but that was one. Let me know if it gets better. :(

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Most of my weekend involved getting my kids ready for camp! But I did see (and love) the Harry Potter movie. I insisted we all arrive at the theater 45 minutes early (I'm so Type A) and so the kids were incredibly bored during that period. And then there were 20 minutes of previews! I think they were about to kill me. But we had great seats. :)

Elizabeth
Mystery Writing is Murder

Unknown said...

AinHL - I hope I get more into...that way I can convince Sherrinda to read more.

Elizabeth...I was there about um... 3 hours early for the premier. I'm with you on the Type A thing :)

Katie Ganshert said...

You are going to be shocked...but I wasn't a fan of the sixth movie. I know!! What's that about? I LOVED the fifth movie. I had such high hopes for the sixth...and while there were definitely parts I liked, overall, it just didn't do it for me.

HEre's why I think:

So far, my two least fav HP movies have been the 4th and 6th. Which books are my favorite? The 4th and 6th. I think I adore these books so much that htere is no way the movies could live up to them.

Did you love it? Is something wrong with me? :)

And CONGRATS on the book progress!!! That's awesome!

Unknown said...

Katie - The 5th is still my favorite movie too...Mostly for the colors and such...weird I know...BUT it was my least favorite book! (Until I read it again...then I liked it a bit more) The 6th and the 7th are my favorite books. So I kinda had low expectations for the movie...knowing they couldn't do it justice, and so I thought it was better than I hoped.

Plus it was pretty funny!

The actors all say the 7th is their favorite and JK Rowlings favorite so far...so I'm intrigued.

Jessica Nelson said...

Haven't read Stackhouse, so good luck. :-)
You had a fun weekend. Congrats on starting a new story! That's always fun!

Jody Hedlund said...

Sounds like another adventure for Mary Poppins! Your life is never dull! :)

Misa Ramirez said...

Harry Potter v. Church. I probably would have made the same choice. Love Harry and all the movies.

Weekend was reuniting with husband and kids who'd just returned from a visit to California. Very Mary Poppinish. =)

Unknown said...

Thanks Jessica!

Jody..I haven't decided if the lack of dullness is a good thing or a bad thing. It surely isn't as exciting when it all happens!

Misa that does sound like a wonderful weekend. A tad more exciting than mine :)

Tara McClendon said...

Congrats on the new WIP. We opted for a late showing of HP, which worked out well as the two-year old fell asleep about an hour into the film.

N A Sharpe said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
N A Sharpe said...

Glad to hear about your new WIP!

We went earlier in the week to see the Harry Potter movie. Actually had tickets for the midnight premiere along with my son, nieces and a bunch of their other cousins and friends. Dramatic moment when one of them dropped their ticket (which of course was permanently lost to a sold out show.) I volunteerd my ticket so the teen group all got to see the movie together then my son and I went back Friday to see it. I really liked it although several scenes were quite different from the book...

Nancy, from Realms of Thought…

Drew said...

All I know is that I have like a drug addiction to True Blood. Sorry to hear the books are hard to get into.