Feeling Beachy.
Top 50 Books of All Time- well, according to the Telegraph. I always look at these lists because I like to see how many I've read. This is one of my favorites of it's type because it ranked To Kill a Mockingbird as number one.
Things about To Kill a Mockingbird and Harper Lee you may already know, but I am going to tell you anyway:
Firstly, Harper Lee, the author of TKM, is a woman and is still living.
TKM is semi-autobiographical. The story takes place in Maycomb, Alabama which was based off of Lee's hometown, Monroeville, Alabama. The former principal(a fairly old man) of the school I went to is from Monroeville, and according to him, there is really a house in town that none of the children would walk past-- He was once riding his bicycle and as he passed the house it overturned. When he looked up and saw where he was, he ran away as fast as he could, abandoning his bicycle in the street. -- and a tree with cement plastered on it.
The character Dill is based off Truman Capote, the author of In Cold Blood.
Harper Lee's father was really a lawyer, and she earned a law degree from the University of Alabama.
I am convinced that Merope Gaunt (Voldemort's mother in HP) was based off Mayella Ewell( a poor white woman in TKM, who attempts to seduce Tom Robinson (a black man)). There are many similarities there and JK Rowling has said that she loves TKM. Someone should ask her about this in an interview. Maybe I can submit it when she comes on PotterCast again. Come to think of it, there's also some Atticus-Dumbledore similarities as well, though not as striking.
The film version of TKM starring Gregory Peck is excellent (watch it here!). Though I don't think Peck looks like Atticus. His acting is wonderful and overall I like his portrayal, but he's too big, too intimidating, for Atticus in my opinion.
An interesting writing blog, Not for Robots. (Via)
Every summer since my cousins Claudia and Anita (now 24 and 26) were little, they, my mother and aunt have gone to the beach not too far from where we live for a few days. There are a several more of us now with me, my brother, Anita's two little girls and my aunt's new husband, but we cram in one condo so the working adults can split the room cost. This year Claudia was able to find a really good deal online so we'll be in a bigger place than usual (Yay! I get a bed!).
Anyway, we check in on Wednesday so I've got to pack tomorrow morning because they're breaking their drive and staying at our house tomorrow night, making it too chaotic and crowded to gather all my stuff.
I went to the library today to gather books to take to the beach. I can't take all of them because I don't have the room and there's no way I would read them all in four days.
Books I am considering taking:
Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde-- the fourth book in the Thursday Next series, which I started reading and never finished for some reason.
The Color Purple by Alice Walker-- I saw part of the movie, but I've never read it or known anyone who's read it.
Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen -- I somehow never read this one. Sacrilege!
A Blunt Instrument by Georgette Heyer -- The author was recommended to me, and I just picked one. This one is a "thriller" and detective novel, but she has also written many historical romances.
Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman -- Again, the author was recommended and I chose a book at random.
Paint it Black by Janet Fitch -- I own this one, but I'm yet to read it.
Beauty by Robin McKinley -- I've already started this one, so I'm definitely taking it. It was rather difficult to find; apparently names beginning with "Mc" throw off the alphabetizing system.
This is probably one of those things I think is hilarious that almost no one else finds even remotely amusing, but I must share it. I probably find this so hystercial partly because the first time I saw it was at one o'clock in the morning the next to last night of our Disney trip. There were two of them, this one for dishwashers and another for washing machines I haven't been able to find, and they kept repeating. It was amazing. I highly recommend watching all of the Appliance Direct videos, if only to watch this man's Oscar-worthy acting skills.
Behold one of the greatest infomercials ever.
That is such a waste of good cake.
Things about To Kill a Mockingbird and Harper Lee you may already know, but I am going to tell you anyway:
Firstly, Harper Lee, the author of TKM, is a woman and is still living.
TKM is semi-autobiographical. The story takes place in Maycomb, Alabama which was based off of Lee's hometown, Monroeville, Alabama. The former principal(a fairly old man) of the school I went to is from Monroeville, and according to him, there is really a house in town that none of the children would walk past-- He was once riding his bicycle and as he passed the house it overturned. When he looked up and saw where he was, he ran away as fast as he could, abandoning his bicycle in the street. -- and a tree with cement plastered on it.
The character Dill is based off Truman Capote, the author of In Cold Blood.
Harper Lee's father was really a lawyer, and she earned a law degree from the University of Alabama.
I am convinced that Merope Gaunt (Voldemort's mother in HP) was based off Mayella Ewell( a poor white woman in TKM, who attempts to seduce Tom Robinson (a black man)). There are many similarities there and JK Rowling has said that she loves TKM. Someone should ask her about this in an interview. Maybe I can submit it when she comes on PotterCast again. Come to think of it, there's also some Atticus-Dumbledore similarities as well, though not as striking.
The film version of TKM starring Gregory Peck is excellent (watch it here!). Though I don't think Peck looks like Atticus. His acting is wonderful and overall I like his portrayal, but he's too big, too intimidating, for Atticus in my opinion.
An interesting writing blog, Not for Robots. (Via)
Every summer since my cousins Claudia and Anita (now 24 and 26) were little, they, my mother and aunt have gone to the beach not too far from where we live for a few days. There are a several more of us now with me, my brother, Anita's two little girls and my aunt's new husband, but we cram in one condo so the working adults can split the room cost. This year Claudia was able to find a really good deal online so we'll be in a bigger place than usual (Yay! I get a bed!).
Anyway, we check in on Wednesday so I've got to pack tomorrow morning because they're breaking their drive and staying at our house tomorrow night, making it too chaotic and crowded to gather all my stuff.
I went to the library today to gather books to take to the beach. I can't take all of them because I don't have the room and there's no way I would read them all in four days.
Books I am considering taking:
Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde-- the fourth book in the Thursday Next series, which I started reading and never finished for some reason.
The Color Purple by Alice Walker-- I saw part of the movie, but I've never read it or known anyone who's read it.
Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen -- I somehow never read this one. Sacrilege!
A Blunt Instrument by Georgette Heyer -- The author was recommended to me, and I just picked one. This one is a "thriller" and detective novel, but she has also written many historical romances.
Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman -- Again, the author was recommended and I chose a book at random.
Paint it Black by Janet Fitch -- I own this one, but I'm yet to read it.
Beauty by Robin McKinley -- I've already started this one, so I'm definitely taking it. It was rather difficult to find; apparently names beginning with "Mc" throw off the alphabetizing system.
This is probably one of those things I think is hilarious that almost no one else finds even remotely amusing, but I must share it. I probably find this so hystercial partly because the first time I saw it was at one o'clock in the morning the next to last night of our Disney trip. There were two of them, this one for dishwashers and another for washing machines I haven't been able to find, and they kept repeating. It was amazing. I highly recommend watching all of the Appliance Direct videos, if only to watch this man's Oscar-worthy acting skills.
Behold one of the greatest infomercials ever.
That is such a waste of good cake.
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