The Amazing Race All-Stars,Top Design and A.I. voting begins

The Amazing Race All Stars edition started last Sunday,which brings back great teams from past seasons like Unchenna and Joyce and the Coalminer couple,David and Mary(Yah!). But,it also has folks that I couldn't stand,like the Beauty Queens and Rob & Amber(Boo!). The first leg of the race had teams going to Ecuador and most of the struggle was in finding the right airline. I was worried that Dustin and Kandace would resort to their usual line cutting tricks but they didn't get the chance.

Since I've only watched a few seasons of TAR,a good number of the teams are unfamilar to me such as the couple who got eliminated,John Vito and Jill. I do like Kevin & Drew from season 1;those guys are very New York and hopefully will give Rob and Amber a run for their money:




The challenge this week for Top Design was to create a living/work space for interior design students,using items bought at garage sales. The prize for the winner was first pick of a carpenter to work with for the rest of the competition. Carisa clashed with the person she had selected,particularly over a large rolling desk for the room that didn't work out and since she won the challenge,I don't think she'll work with that gal again. It was a good room even tho it didn't have enough of the storage space the client wanted.




Felica got dismissed for her take on colorful,which consisted of a grannie looking afghan and necktie fabric pasted to the wall. Speaking of Granny,Michael has such little old lady taste;the colors he used to create a"bright,happy"room looked exactly the way Judge Jonathan Adler described them-"Grape and banana"!



Ryan really deserved to be kicked to the curb,not only for his room which looked like something from the set of a bad indie movie,but his whole attitude. When he went before the judges to discuss his design,he sneered at those who would use fabric swatches and paint chips(key tools of the trade)and answered the question"do you really want to be a designer?" by saying"Only if I can make my own rules!".

Dude,if you want to be an avant garde artist,be an artist. A good portion of interior design work is creating a look and feel that's pleasing to your clients. If you want to just take off and do your own thing,there's a place for that. Just not in a field where people would actually have to live everyday in the environment you put together straight from your weirdy brain. Not everyone lives in a Tim Burton world,buddy boy!

The voting began on American Idol and the girls wowed the crowd this week while the boys went to sleep. Gentlemen,you need to step up and bring your A game here! That goes for you,too,Chris Sligh and Sanjaya. I'll give Sanjaya abit of a break,due to his age but only so far:



It was hard to chose from the ladies who was best but Lakisha Jones ended the night on a high note with her take on"And I Am Telling You". Simon was right,she totally threw down the gauntlet:



Four contestants were knocked off this week and Vote for The Worst is doing it's best because Antonella should've been sent home for that godawful rendition of "I Don't Want to Miss A Thing" and Alaina's version of "Brass in Pocket" was a complete and utter trainwreck. She didn't have the voice or the attitude to carry that song off at all. Song choice is important,people. Here's a direct compare and contrast for your listening pleasure:

Alaina's Attempt



The Way Brass in Pocket is Supposed to Sound



Musical AI guests for this season were announced and we're getting the likes of Diana Ross,Gwen Stefani,Barry Gibb and Tony Bennett to help the contestants out. No Abba,as some had hoped due to a chance remark by Simon during an audition. That would have been cool. Speaking of Simon,his quips are really in top form this time. Telling Amy Krebs that she had"the personality of a candle" would be too harsh if it wasn't a teeny bit true. Ryan Seacrest's wardrobe choices are getting as weird as Paula's. That night when the guys sang,I looked at him and said"Justin from Ugly Betty called-he wants his vest back."

Random Notes:

Heroes: Now that Peter is getting in control of his abilities,he's becoming a force to be reckoned with. I hope that Claude will return for some more tutoring sessions because as guest star Stan Lee(in his usual quirky cameo) would say"With great power comes great responsibility." Simone found that out the hard way. I was watching this episode with my mom and this scene had us both saying at the same time"Cool!"



I really hope Mohinder catches on that his new partner is not all that he seems. Dude,the two of you meet up with a lady with UberEars who tells you that she first had headaches when her powers first started and the next day,she's dead meat on the floor and your buddy"Zane" is in desparate need of Excedrin. Connect the dots,la la la! We may get some answers out of Mr. Bennet next week with Matt and friends raiding the family homestead.

The Riches:I've been seeing promos for this show for awhile now(mainly because I'm still watching Dirt,why I am for the life of me,I really can't say)and may not bothering getting into The Black Donnellys since both show will be sharing the same timeslot. Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver star as the driving force of a con artist family who may have bitten off more than they can chew by stepping into the wealthy home and life of a dead man who had moved into a new neighborhood before his demise.

Here's the newest one-see for yourself and decide if Monday nights at ten should be spend at NBC or F/X this March:

Ain't no party like a RHCB party!

This morning,I went to a preview of summer titles for kids at Random House. The higlight of this soiree was getting to meet Robin Brande,whose first YA novel,Evolution,Me and Other Freaks of Nature,will be out this August. She was the one who got me an invite to this shindig and my thanks to her. It was quite an experience,especially since it was the first time I've ever been in a major publishing house(or any publishing house,for that matter!).




So,what was it like,you may ask? It was interesting and actually fun. Basically,the editors from each imprint presented the new and revived books(such as a Hilary Knight title long out of print called The Circus is Coming)and even tho they had prepared speeches,you could see the gleam in their eyes and hear the pride in their voices as they talked about the books. It's not every day that you can see someone who truly loves what they do in action,let alone a whole roomful of them.



We also had plenty of laughs,thanks to the current scrotum controversy. If you haven't heard this one,hold on to your hats,folks. The newest Newberry award-winning book,The Higher Power of Lucky,has some librarians refusing to stock it,fearing the wrath of irate parents. Seems that in the first chapter,the main character(a ten year old girl)overhears a neighbor tell someone that his dog was bitten in the scrotum. The girl then wonders what "scrotum" means. That's it.

One librarian was actually qouted as saying this book must of had a "Howard Stern" influence. Unless there was a mention of Butt Bongo,I don't think so. Maybe it's me but since when is proper terminology a bad thing for kids to know about? Not to mention that most of us have had that same experience when we were young. Plus,no one reported any complaints from parents and The Higher Power of Lucky has been out since November! First they pick on the gay penguins and now,it's open season on dog scrotums. Does PETA know about this?


The Higher Power of Lucky is not an RH title but they are carrying the audio edition,which was a welcome surprise in our gift bags at the end of the presentation. Robin was the closing act and she was great;she told a really amazing story from her life that lead to the writing of the book(I'm sure she has it on her blog,so go there to find out. I can't do that tale justice). We got to meet for a few minutes after her talk and she signed my reader's copy. Really nice to meet an internet friend without worrying about Chris Hanson from Dateline NBC showing up. I'm kidding,I swear! It was cool to meet her and if she comes to your town on her book tour,make it a point to see her and get your hands on her book. I started reading it on the way home and it's a real page turner.




If you click the title link above,you'll see the official Biblegrrl website for Evolution,Me and Other Freaks of Nature. I did grab up a few other cool books,like this one written by Michael Scott(I know it's not by Steve Carell from The Office but I can't help picturing him trying to pass this off as his in a book store)called The Alchemyst:The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel. This is book one of a series of six that already has been pre-sold in about thirty countries to date. Could this be the next Harry Potter? We shall see.

This was a great experience and my only regret is that I didn't get to compliment one of the Golden Books editors on his tie. He had the game board from Operation on it. I didn't know they made those. Too cool for school,seriously.

Oscar,Oscar,who's getting an Oscar? My money's on...

Oscar night will soon be upon us,in all it's glory and hype,and for many folks,this is the Pop Culture Superbowl of Cinema. There are plenty of betting pools out there for this occasion but this year is a rather tricky one to gauge the odds. Here to give any gamblers some tips(plus a chance to shoot my mouth off),are the Lady T Official Oscar predictions for 2007. Fasten your seatbelts because hopefully it'll be a bumpy night.

SURE BETS:

The only safe money you could place on any Oscar nominees this year would be for Forest Whitaker as Best Actor,Helen Mirren as Best Actress and Jennifer Hudson for Best Supporting Actress. Whitaker is going to get the gold mainly because this is his year;much like Julia Roberts winning one for Erin Brockovich or Denzel Washington for Training Day,the stars have aligned in all the right places and it's a done deal. I didn't see The Last King of Scotland but Whitaker's paid plenty of dues and it's nice to see a solid character actor get some props:



Mirren's been practically annointed by most of the major awards show. That woman's got a monopoly on playing royals,I swear! She does deserve the respect,however. Jennifer Hudson is scheduled to perform at the Oscars(along with Beyonce and Anika Noni Rose)and it'll be great to hear her sing as well as get her award:



Other noms with a strong shot at winning are Pan's Labyrinth for Best Foreign Film(I've found in that catagory that the one film you've heard most about usually wins.)and Best Makeup,An Inconvenient Truth for Best Documentary(If Gore had campaigned as hard for the presidency as he has for this flick,we might not have needed a recount) and Cars for Best Animated Feature.




TOO CLOSE TO TELL:

I would've put Eddie Murphy in the Sure Bet column but it's hard to tell at this point what his chances are. He won the Golden Globe,which is a good sign in his favor,but with a sure fire piece of crap like Norbit coming out just before the ceremony almost gurantees to sink him. However,Norbit made a huge opening box office($33 million) that's astounding for this time of year. So, will he or won't he?

He's up against Alan Arkin,Jackie Earle Haley,Djimon Hounou and Marky Mark. Arkin could get a Little Miss Sunshine buzz but a win is iffy. Blood Diamond and Little Children really aren't getting much love so those fellas have slim chances and Wahlberg was decent in The Departed but it's not a real strong showcase for him. So,Eddie has the best shot and if I had to pick someone,he'd be it. But,you can truly say that it's anyone game here.

Best Song is a real puzzler;Dreamgirls dominates the catagory but all of the tunes up for it are not the signature pieces the show's known for. My best guess is that Patience has the best chance of winning from the three. It's a pretty positive number and a group sing-a-long,which keeps folks from picking between Beyonce and Jennifer Hudson. Give a listen:



Of course,they may go for the safest choice which is Our Town from Cars. Really wish that this catagory had more gutsy choices,like this infamous South Park ditty:



THE BIG MAGILLA:

That would be Best Picture. Tough call but my instincts are saying that it's Little Miss Sunshine. Let's look at the other films up against it. The Departed is a great thriller and there's no question in my mind that Martin Scorsese will get Best Director for it. It used to be that Best Director and Best Picture wins went hand in hand but that's been shot to hell more than once. The Departed is a worthy nominee but it doesn't resonate as a winner.



The Queen has gotten much love from critics and good word of mouth from audiences but this is a British film about the British way of life and it's mixed feelings towards the monarchy. I don't think that many folks will truly connect with this film due to that and feel that Mirren getting an award will more than satisfy any recognization due to it.

Clint Eastwood is a smart and sophiscated filmmaker but Letters From Iwo Jima has a very History Channel vibe to it. I would rather see that than his earlier release this year,Flags of Our Fathers,but not by much. Babel does have some Hollywood love for it but it's pretty much this year's Crash and after the reception Crash got after swiping the award away from Brokeback Mountain(which it did,in my opinion),voters may not be inclined to go that route again.

Which leaves Little Miss Sunshine standing tall and in the lead. It has the best of both worlds,a heartfelt family film with strong indy sensibilities and no sap factor whatsoever. Also,this key scene in the film has the feel of a classic(if you didn't see LMS,don't watch this clip because it will ruin the show for you. You have been warned):



Okay,that's my two cents on this topic. Come Monday morning,I hope to be both right and wrong about the winners and losers on Oscar night. If you have any picks or predictions,please feel free to share!

Take a sidetrip into Mark Twain country with Finn

One of the trickiest things to do with a novel is to take up the threads of a classic story and weave them into an original design of your own that not only exhibits your talents well but pays a respectful tribute to the one who has gone before. Sometimes you get a wonderful surprise like Ahab's Wife or a "why did they even bother" clunker such as the infamous Scarlett.



Happily,Jon Clinch's Finn is best suited to stand along side of Ahab's Wife and the likes of The Wide Sargasso Sea,with well earned pride. The Finn of the title is the father of Huck Finn,one of Mark Twain's most famous creations(next to Tom Sawyer) and the story not only slips into the timeframe of his appearances in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn but fills in some backstory as well. Finn is the drunken black sheep son of The Judge,whose harsh disclipines and vicious bigotry have driven more than one wedge between them yet in many ways,they are sadly alike.

One of the straws that nearly breaks the camel's back is Mary,a young slave girl handed over to Finn as thanks for preventing a riverboat hijacking. Mary is held in captivity by Finn at first but eventually their relationship develops into something more intimate. The Judge barges in on them one night and demands that his son give up her,which he promises to do but that vow is as honored as much as any of the other lies Finn's told over the years.

The only one of his family that bothers to have anything to do with Finn is his brother Will,who is as bound to The Judge as much as Finn is not. The timeline of the plot skips back and forth,between the days before Huck was born,and into some pretty scary places such as a nasty late night raid on a cabin by Finn and a fellow drinker with more than whiskey on his mind.




Jon Clinch doesn't whitewash the true nature of "Pap" Finn,but rather makes him a more understandable,if not pathetic and somewhat sympathic,obstacle to himself and others. At times,it's almost as if Clinch is channeling Mark Twain;he takes up the reins of Twain's literary nuances with the ease of one who seems to have been doing so all of his life.

Finn is a heartfelt journey into the essence of what is considered by many to be the Great American Novel and gives us a compelling read that makes for a splendid bookend to that tale. If you would like to know more about this book or it's author,please click the title link above to visit the official Finn website.

It's one of the best interactive book sites I've ever seen that does more than just promotes the book;there are sections with info on Huck Finn,Mark Twain and a few quizzes to test your word power(the Mark Twain qoutes game is particularly fun,I've done decently on it). Clinch also has a blog called The Horsehair Couch that has some interesting insights on having your first novel published. Don't wait until this book has gathered up the heaps of praise that it deserves,go get it today!

The Departed: Top notch thriller or a collection of Martin Scorsese's Greatest Hits?

I watched The Departed on DVD this weekend and had such a good time that my only regret was not seeing this movie on the big screen. Since it's a big Oscar contender this year,with five noms under it's belt,I was hoping to see if I could gauge it's chances of winning better after seeing it.

However,I also read EW's Oscar prediction issue as well and one of the features has voter insider buzz(given anonymously by folks in the biz),which doesn't bode well for The Departed. One of the participants called TD"a tv movie with a great cast" and another said it was"s Scorsese leftovers taken out of the refrigerator and put into the microwave.''

Pretty harsh there,guys. You could say that's just their opinion and what does it matter but I suspect that they're not the only Oscar voters with that mindset. Let's examine The Departed thru glimpses at Scorsese's other films and see if any of their arguments have merit.

Sidekicks: Many of the best known Scorese films have memorable supporting roles,such as Cathy Moriaty's Vicki LaMotta in Raging Bull(which landed her a Best Supporting actress nom),Daniel Day Lewis in Gangs of New York as Bill The Butcher or even Robert DeNiro in Mean Streets. Mark Walhberg is up for Best Supporting Actor in The Departed and while he does a great job,I don't know why he was selected. Especially over Jack Nicholson,who plays his part low-key(for Nicholson,that is)in the same movie. Not to mention that Wahlberg's barely onscreen for most of the film.

Nothing against Marky Mark but a supporting role in a Scorsese flick is a pretty sweet deal for any actor looking to strut their stuff. Joe Pesci made his movie bones in films like Goodfellas and is a prime example of this:



The Beatdown: Any good Scorsese film has a couple of really memorable beatdown scenes(even Age of Innocence,only it's done without phyiscal bloodshed)that make you stop and watch the movie if it's on TV,even if it's only for five minutes. The Departed does have a few,with DiCaprio taking on a couple of guys shaking down a convience store owner,which had me going "whoa!":



Not bad,but let's look a few other classic Scorsese smackdowns,like this one from Casino,where Joe Pesci settles a dispute over a pen:



The opening scene from Gangs of New York,which sets the tone of the film nicely:



And no discussion of Scorsese fight scenes would be complete without a look at Raging Bull,which sets the standard for all others to follow:





The Love Interest

Some would say that men get the best roles in a Scorsese film but let's not count the ladies out just yet. From the previously mentioned Cathy Moriaty to a pre-Sopranos Lorraine Bracco in Goodfellas down to Sharon Stone's memorable turn in Casino,strong women have not been sight unseen. Vera Farmiga joins their ranks as Madolyn,a shrink who winds up romancing both men who mirror each other in more ways than one. She does a nice job of it:



One of my favorite Scorsese films has the toughest gals in it,The Age of Innocence. Winona Ryder recieved a Best Supporting Actress nom that year for her role as May Welland(one of her top performances as an actress on film,in my opinion)and Michelle Pfieffer really should've been nominated as well for her work in AOI. You may think this is some artsy PBS version of a Lifetime channel movie but you would be seriously mistaken. This story has more cutthroats than any pirate movie with or without Johnny Depp:



So,is The Departed a retread or what? While it is loosely based on the Hong Kong film"Infernal Affairs" and does take a page or two from the usual Scorsese film playbook,this is a film that can stand firmly on it's own two feet. It's well worth the watching and should hopefully get Marty that Best Director Oscar that's been long overdue to him. I don't think it'll get Best Picture but it does deserve to be right up there with the rest of the usual suspects for 2006.

Pop Culture Tag

I was tagged by Robin Brande to reveal five little known facts about myself. It's a blog game and while I did confess abit on her blog(which is amongst my links,so check it out by all means),I figured that I could share some pop culture related lesser known factoids here as well. So,here for your amusement,are my Five:

1) I like this damn Backstreet Boys video! The song's catchy and I'm a sucker for horror movie monsters,especially the old school ones. Take a look:



Also,I did buy a cassingle of Britney Spears'"Baby,Hit Me One More Time". Yes, it was for me.




2) I have a small collection of popcorn bags. The kind that are mini movie posters. I've eaten the popcorn and saved the bag. Some of ones I have are:The Relic,Titanic(with the original summer release date on it),Beavis and Butthead:The Movie and Little Women(Winona Ryder version). Recently,I used a Superman Returns bag to make a small college that's framed. It's the centerpiece of a Superman display in my room.



3)There's a huge Vanity Fair movie poster,signed by Reese Witherspoon,over my dresser.I entered a VM film related contest,hoping to get the Grand Prize of a trip for two to England. Instead,several months later(long after I forgot all about the contest),I recieved this in the mail. Since I like Reese,I just hung up it up on the wall.

Then,I read Kevin Smith's Silent Bob Speaks,where he mentions that he despises Reese(she was rude to one of his friends)and that he refers to her as "Greasey Reesey". For some reason,I've had an irrational fear of Kevin Smith coming to my house and discovering that poster. The odds on that are as good as my finding a pot of gold on my doorstep but still....




4) I own DVD sets that I've either never watched or only half seen. For example,I have a collection of Ed Wood movies and have only watched two of them(Bride of the Monster and Plan 9). I also have the second half of the Forsyte Saga,unviewed and a set of Indy Jones flicks in the same status. I have seen all three of the Indiana Jones films before but have never cracked open one of the DVDs since I bought the set. Also have a few movies on DVD that have never been viewed,like Ripley's Game and Love Actually(which is really shocking due to the fact that Colin Firth is in LA and I love me some Firth in the worst way!).




5) I once showed an author a bad drawing I made in one of his books. I have this habit of always putting my full name and the date I bought/recieved a book on the front inside cover(I don't do this for ARCs). Occasionally,I've added a little sketch along with this(all my Harry Potter books have one)and when I met Christopher Golden at Horrorfind and asked him to sign my copy of Pretty Maids All in a Row,he saw my attempt at drawing Freyja's Strand(a magic necklace that Drusilla wants in the story).

He was cool about it,I'll say that for him. Someday,I hope to have James Marsters sign this book as well and I just pray that he doesn't find my artwork too heinous.


So,that's all,folks! Guess I should tag someone else but if anyone wants to volunteer and unlock their vaults,feel free.

Grammy Night,American Idol in Hollywood and Top Design gets beachy

This week's Top Design challenge was a team effort,with a group of three creating and building a beach cabana based on a popular resort locale:Miami,Tahiti and St. Tropez. Michael managed to work well with others this time out and Team Tahiti put together quite a swanky shack. It was very much in the right style without being too obivious but I do agree with the judges that it needed a roof. They did intend to put one up but decided at the last minute that the open framework on top was more pleasing to the eye. Maybe so,but for someone like me who burns easily in the sun,a little shade is always welcome.





Erik,who won immunity during the last round, was on Team Miami with Elizabeth and the two of them dominated the design and color choice. Too bad Matt didn't speak up more because the judges hated the colors("it looks like paint that you buy on sale" quipped Judge Kelly)and while they appreciated the indoor/outdoor approach,it really sunk the team. Personally,I would've added some Cuban style to the design. Miami has a prominant Cuban community and if you wanted to break away from the usual pastel hues(which Elizabeth did),that would have been the way to go.



Team St. Tropez had the most feuding and fussing. It started off with Ryan insisting on doing the furniture shopping(certain tasks were assigned to one team member only)despite the fact that Carisa's a set decorator and clearly the most qualified person to do that. She was stuck with buying the fabrics and while her palette was too dark for the beach,Ryan's furniture was worse. It didn't click with the structure designed by Goil at all and looked very cluttered.

Ryan thinks that he's more creative than Carisa but this is a guy who created a little girl's bedroom that was a giant pink catwalk! The catwalk was not a bad idea but it was like a huge freeway and that easel he made was crap. I've seen a good number of artist's easels in my life and can assuredly say that a few planks of wood slapped together does not an easel make!

Team Tahiti won and Elizabeth was dismissed,due to her colors that were more suited to Pee-Wee's Playhouse than a beach house. Ryan is on my "must-go" list,along with Michael(who may get a reprieve for good behavior-we shall see). I really like Carisa so far. She had a good grasp on the concept and in another team challenge,may get a better chance to shine.






The Grammy awards were given out on Sunday and while there weren't too many surprises,I do have a few questions. For example,why have Prince come onstage just to introduce Beyonce? What a waste! Why couldn't anyone find an excuse to let Jennifer Hudson sing? She was already there to present and had on a great dress to boot. Guess Beyonce didn't want direct compare and contrast that night.

The Dixie Chicks cleaned up nicely(really thought that Mary J. Blige was going to have more of a sweep but she did pretty well there)and I was glad to hear that Lewis Black won Best Comedy Album. Saw Hillary Duff on the E! Red Carpet pre-show and her outfit practically screamed disco whore. Looks like Ryan Seacrest agreed with me:



American Idol has finally selected their Top 24 and voting will begin next week. Who are some of the front-runners here? Let's take a look:

Sanjaya auditioned with his sister,who didn't make the the next to last Hollywood cut. Simon thought he was way better than her and while I think she wasn't half bad,her baby brother does have a sweet set of pipes on him:



Chris Sligh aced his audition with "Kiss from a Rose" and in Hollywood,he and his whole group put on the best performance during the group sing. Rudy Cardenas joined Chris in the T24 as well:



Lakisha Jones is a mom with a three year old girl and can sing like nobody's business:



Melinda Doolittle's been a backup singer for awhile but she will be getting her moment in the spotlight here:



And now for the one that I hope gets the boot first:Antonella. She went into Hollywood week with her BFF Amanada and the two of them undermined a much more talented singer,Baylie Brown, with their antics. Amanda got cut before the T24 culling but Antonella will be on the stage show next week. She must be stopped as soon as possible,people. She took Baylie's spot,in my opinion:



Random Notes:

Heroes: Sylar teaming up with Mohinder to hunt down more super powered folks is dangerous in more ways than one. Not surprised that Clare's Firestarter mom would not only hit Nathan up for hush money but cheat Clare out of her full share of the hundred grand there:



Clare's other mother is totally losing her marbles;remember that bit in the Men In Black movie where Will Smith asks Tommy Lee"How many times have you flashy-thinged that poor woman?". That could easily be rephrased to inquire about the number of times Mrs. B has had a visit from the Haitian Sensation.

Ugly Betty: Anyone else not too shocked at Mother Meade's fessing up to killing Fey? I suspected her from The Lyin',The Witch and The Wardrobe episode. And just as Walter is finally getting out of the picture,Henry's old girlfriend has to show up and delay the ment-to-be romance between Betty and Henry. I still have hope for those two crazy kids to hook up:

Valentine's Day is for book lovers

Completing the last,yet not the least,list of romantic pop culture picks,we arrive at books. I decided to use the old wedding adage of "something old,something new,something borrowed,something blue" as my layout. I don't intend to go in exactly that order(logic and love don't always mix)but if you're caught in a nasty ice storm like I am at the moment,these titles should keep your heart and mind warm.




In the "Something New" catagory,we have a debut novel:The Perfectly True Tales of a Perfect Size 12 by Robin Gold. The story takes place during a Fourth of July weekend as Deliah White joins her friend Sofia for her family's annual celebration to unwind from the stress of competing for a top producer position on the popular show Domestic Bliss with archrival Margo Hart.

Unfortunately,Margo decides to accept Sofia's invite at the last minute and even tho a truce is declared,sneak attacks are launched against Deliah in more ways than one.One of those ways involves Jack,a cousin of Sofia's who has an eye for Deliah and their budding romances hits a few bumps,thanks to Margo. As the title indicates,Deliah is not a skinny minnie but she's not overconcerned with that fact and is even quite proud of it at times which is nicely refreshing. Perfectly True Tales is a perfectly charming read for any day of the year and hopefully we'll see more from Robin Gold very soon.





For "Something Old",The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger is one book that I'm sure will be heralded as a classic someday. Thanks to Robin Brande's Tuesday Book Club,I have been rereading this delightfully bittersweet story of Henry DeTamble,who was born with the power to time travel within his own lifetime,and Clare Abshire,the girl he meets up with during his travels who becomes the love of his life.

This romance is indeed rocky;Henry has no control over his abilities,which occur spontaneously,and causes health/emotional probelms for Henry. The story is told in such a realistic way that you wouldn't be surprised if this was truly happening to someone,somewhere. A film version of TTW is being made as we speak but this is one book you'll want to read before the movie,to really enjoy it all the more.



Thanks to Booksfree,my "Something Borrowed" is "Angel With Attitude" by Michelle Rowen,which I devoured in one sitting. The angel of the title is Valerie Grace,who finds herself yanked out of Heaven and landing on earth in a very Darryl Hannah Splash style. She's determined to reclaim her ethereal home but the quest for a missing Key to Heaven that's fallen into very wrong hands,plus Nathaniel,a wickedly handsome Tempter Demon,on her heels,keep her hopping away from that goal.

Rowen peppers her tale with loads of fun characters like Reggie,a fellow whose jealous witch girlfriend turns him into a literal rat,a bratty little girl psychic and a friendly demon who writes romance novels for a living. Rowen's first book was Bitten and Smitten(which will have a sequel entitled Fanged and Fabulous out this summer)and ever since that book,I've added her to my list of paranormal writers to keep track of. AWA is one tasty truffle of a book that won't make you feel guilty for gulping it down with gusto.



As for "Something Blue",well...we all have our own idea of what is sexy and I find old school sagas of strong women keeping family dynasties together rather steamy,in a Masterpiece Theater/Ugly Betty kind of way. Penny Vincenzi keeps this wonderful tradition alive and well,particularly in this first half of the Spoils of Time trilogy(yep,this is a trilogy,ladies-swooning starts now!). We start our story with Celia,who marries Olivier Lytton,a humble beginnings sort of man who creates a major publishing house in England that Celia eventually becomes a key player in.


There's plenty of romantic intrigue amongst the many characters in this soap opera setting but none of them come across as cardboard cutouts. You get just as involved with their comings and goings as you would any other multi-faceted and well plotted show on television. The other two books in this series(Something Dangerous,Into Temptation) are available in the US in paperback and other Vincenzi titles are arriving here as well,like Sheer Abandon due this May. If you're looking for a luxurious book to sink into,Penny has plenty for you to chose from.

Have a Happy Valentine's Day and whatever you're doing today,enjoy it to the fullest!

Maureen Dowd is shocked,shocked!,to find chick lit in bookstores

I do read the NYT online but I don't have a subscription to the Times Select(pesky thing,budgets)but fortunately,the good folks at Galleycat found a blog which has kindly reprinted Maureen Dowd's Sunday piece about her latest trip to the bookstore.

Seems that it's been awhile since she did her own book buying:

" I was cruising through Borders, looking for a copy of “Nostromo.”

Suddenly I was swimming in pink. I turned frantically from display table to display table, but I couldn’t find a novel without a pink cover. I was accosted by a sisterhood of cartoon women, sexy string beans in minis and stilettos, fashionably dashing about book covers with the requisite urban props — lattes, books, purses, shopping bags, guns and, most critically, a diamond ring.

Was it a Valentine’s Day special?

No, I realized with growing alarm, chick lit was no longer a niche. It had staged a coup of the literature shelves. Hot babes had shimmied into the grizzled old boys’ club, the land of Conrad, Faulkner and Maugham. The store was possessed with the devil spawn of “The Devil Wears Prada.” The blood-red high heel ending in a devil’s pitchfork on the cover of the Lauren Weisberger best seller might as well be driving a stake through the heart of the classics.

I even found Sylvia Plath’s “The Bell Jar” with chick-lit pretty-in-pink lettering."




The horror,the horror! Maureen felt that she had discovered uncharted territory lurking on bookstore shelves. She brought"three dozen" of these strange new books(image the luxury of being able to buy that many books at one time...*sigh*..)and went home to explore this vast new region of women's literature:



"Giving the books an even more interchangeable feeling is the bachelorette party of log-rolling blurbs by chick-lit authors. Jennifer “Good in Bed” Weiner blurbs Sarah Mlynowski’s “Me vs. Me” and Karen McCullah Lutz’s “The Bachelorette Party.” Lauren Weisberger blurbs Emily “Something Borrowed” Giffin.

I took home three dozen of the working women romances. They can lull you into a hypnotic state with their simple life lessons — one heroine emulated Doris Day, another Audrey Hepburn, one was the spitting image of Carolyn Bessette, another Charlize Theron — but they’re a long way from Becky Sharp and Elizabeth Bennet. They’re all chick and no lit.

Please do not confuse these books with the love-and-marriage of Jane Austen. These are more like multicultural Harlequin romances. They’re Cinderella bodice rippers — Manolo trippers — girls with long legs, long shiny hair and sparkling eyes stumbling through life, eating potato skins loaded with bacon bits and melted swiss, drinking cocktails, looking for the right man and dispensing nuggets of hard-won wisdom, like, “Any guy who can watch you hurl Cheez Doodles is a keeper,” and, “You can’t puke in wicker. It leaks.”




You can read this entire little ditty by clicking the title link above,but I must throw in a qoute from Maureen's good buddy,Leon Wieseltier,an editor at The New Republic about this chick lit coup:

"In the 19th century in America, people often linked the reading of novels with women. Women were creatures of sensibility, and men were creatures of action. But now, Leon suggested, American fiction seems to be undergoing a certain re-feminization.

“These books do not seem particularly demanding in the manner of real novels,” Leon said. “And when we’re at war and the country is under threat, they seem a little insular. America’s reading women could do a lot worse than to put down ‘Will Francine Get Her Guy?’ and pick up ‘The Red Badge of Courage.’ ”


Way to condescend,Leon! I,for one,read The Red Badge of Courage in high school and guess what? It was boring then and it's still boring now! That's just my opinion but hey,the funny thing about a democracy is that we get to have our own opinions about things and not let folks who think they're the sole arbiters of intellectual thought bully us into thinking and reading what they deem proper.





Also,Leon,you might want to do some pop culture history research there. See,it's usually in times of strife and social turmoil that escapist entertainment is most in demand;the musicials of the 1930s,screwball comedies that lingered on thru the early 1940s when the US was getting into WWII,the sci-fi horror films in the 1950s. Before you say"Yes,but those are films,not books!",check out some of the best selling titles during the 1960s-sure,folks were reading Howl and In Cold Blood but plenty of others were devouring Valley of the Dolls and James Bond adventures. Gee,wasn't there a war around that time period,too?


Maureen,you're rather late to the party,dear. Reading this piece is like turning on a music show on MTV and hearing the host declare"Hey, did you know there's this new sound called hip-hop?" Most of us in the know would respond"And where have you been for the past decade,dude?" I think Hall and Oates can put this in the proper context for you,Maureen:





Snobbery is a sad thing to see,really-it severely limits your mental horizons. Also,I wouldn't freak out about a Sylvia Path cover that has pink lettering. It's one of those visual gimmicks by the marketing people that are meant to catch your eye and by your reaction,it worked like a charm. You've had books published ,Maureen,with less than subtle artwork on the front cover,geez! They should put copies of The Bell Jar in Hot Topic,with a cover like that. Bet it would just fly off the shelves there,mark my words.

Shame that we still have to debate this subject yet again,but perhaps some of the authors mentioned in the Dowd article will get a boost in sales,thanks to this exposure. That would be a sweet slice of literary justice there.

This Valentine's Day,discover that Love Is a Mix Tape

One of the most romantic and heartbreaking books I've ever read is Rob Sheffield's Love is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss,One Song at a time. Sheffield's a writer for Rolling Stone and has appeared on alot of those MTV/VH1 countdown shows,giving his mocking take on pop music hits. He's almost like a character out of a Nick Hornby novel,a passionate music fanboy who expresses his emotions best thru the making of mix tapes for friends and family.


Rob met up with Renee in the late 1980's and married her in 1991. Renee was his soul mate and polar opposite in many ways but the two of them shared an intense love for music. Renee was outgoing,hip and very much her own person. She was also a writer who did interviews with bands like L7:



The two of them hooked up together thru mutual appreciation of Big Star(Rob's first mix tape to Renee was really just a copy of their albums Sister Lovers and Radio City) and later on,they both fell in love with Pavement:





Unfortunately,like the David Bowie song,Rob and Renee only had five years together. Renee died suddenly,of a pulmonary embolism at the age of thirty-one. Part of the process of grieving for Rob was going over the many mix tapes the two of them made during their relationship. He also spent time going thru the motions of living his life alone,feeling like a faker by still wearing his wedding ring,eavesdropping on couples in public places to catch the rhythms of married people's conversations that he could no longer have with Renee and missed so much.

This may sound like a too sad to read book,but it's not at all. Sheffield doesn't shy away from the pain he went thru and still has alittle of,in his heart. His experiences as a widower are relatable,even to those who haven't experienced that kind of loss and even to those who have in different circumstances. I talked about LIAMT with my mother,who was married for nearly forty years and has been a widow for about four years this coming May. She totally agreed with the title,that love is a mix tape"it doesn't always run on the same groove."

Sheffield also talks about mix tapes and the many reasons folks put one together;to party with,take a road trip,impress a new friend/lover and do chores with. There's plenty of reminisces about the early 1990's,the trends and the impact of bands like Nirvana. The death of Kurt Cobain resonated on that generation strongly and Sheffield's take on "Heart Shaped Box" is interesting. HSB always stuck me as a damn strange song with morbid lyrics but Rob saw it as a young husband talking about his fears of being married and so devoted to one person. Certainly a new way to rethink that tune for me:



Love is a Mix Tape is a great love song to life and having the love of your life,even for a brief moment in time. It's also full of good memories and a touching tribute to a lady I wish that I had had the chance to have met. If you would like to know more about Rob's book,please click the title link above and check out the official LIAMT website. This is not only a wonderful read for Valentine's Day,it's one of the best books of the year. And like any decent mix tape,here's a finale song that hopefully wraps this review up well:

Video shopping for Valentine's Day viewing

Continuting my theme of romance based pop culture delights,we head on over to movies. Romance films get a really bad rap for sentimental storylines, overdone acting and weird premises like falling in love with dead(or nearly dead)people. These movies,however,are my own personal picks and may strike some as a tad weird or sappy but hey,we all have different takes on affairs of the heart-why else do they make boxes of assorted chocolates for?




CROSSING DELANCEY

This movie just came out on DVD and if you have not seen this yet,please do so. You won't regret it. Amy Irving stars as Isabelle,an upscale bookstore clerk hoping to be the love of a snooty writer's life but her grandmother has other ideas. She consults a local matchmaker(played with cackling glee by Sylvia Miles)who arranges a date between Isabel and Sam( Peter Riegart),the neighborhood pickle man.

Isabelle finds the whole notion of matchmaking to be absurd but goes along with it to please her Bubbie,who turns out to have a good eye for a decent man. The movie is a sweet low key but charming film(based on a stage play)that doesn't wrap up the plot in a neat little bow but gives you a good idea of where it's going. A sweetheart of a sleeper film.



NOTTING HILL

Julia Roberts is the current queen of the romantic movie scene and while Pretty Woman gets tons of kudos,I prefer this quirky flick instead. Hugh Grant is one of the few big name actors in the world who can pull off a regular guy type of role believably and his stint here as travel bookstore owner William Thatcher is so endearing. Roberts does a nice job of playing someone like herself not as a send-up or a cartoon but as a real person,just a "girl,standing in front of a boy,asking him to love her."







TRUE ROMANCE

A movie written by Quentin Tarantino,directed by Tony Scott,with a plot about a comic book store clerk and a hooker on the run with a cache of stolen drugs may not sound like a film to snuggle with your honey on the sofa to watch but,trust me,this is a love story for the ages. Clarence(Christian Slater)and Alabama(Patrica Arquette)are the sweetest couple you'll ever want to meet. They hook up at a Sonny Chiba double feature and instantly connect. Even with all the gunplay and major league showdown action,the love between those two is the real heart of the story.



LOVE AT FIRST BITE

This vampire comedy from the late 70's is fun for many reasons; Artie Johnson is a brillantly demented Renfield,most of the jokes are still snappy and this is the first vampire romance I've ever seen that doesn't end with the leading man getting staked for his troubles. George Hamilton and Susan St James make for a lovely couple and Richard Benjamin as a modern day Van Helsing rocks as the third wheel.

A word of warning to those who have already seen this movie;for some reason on the DVD,the song"I love the nightlife" that plays in the key dance scene between Hamilton and St. James has been replaced by a generic tune. Why,I don't know-the song can be heard on the original trailer for LAFB,which is a bonus feature. My advice is to mute the sound during that scene and have your IPod or CD player play the song instead.




CASABLANCA

Gotta represent the old school and there's no better example than Casablanca. Bogart,Bergman,"The Germans wore grey,you wore blue",As Time Goes By,"I'm shocked,shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!",the "hill of beans" speech,....is there really a need for me to go on?



Casablanca is the perfect pic for a Movie Night with your significant other but I would be alittle more flexible on the rules than Lorelai is with Luke:

Heroes,Super Bowl commericials and Top Design has a playdate

This week's Top Design began with a revelation from John,who told the group that he's been testy due to a testosterone shot given to him by his doctor. Seems that John is HIV positive(has been for 13 years)and got the injection before coming on the show to keep his energy up. All of this contributed to his earlier beef with Michael and while he wasn't apologizing for that,he didn't wish Michael any ill will.

After that,we got down to the next challenge which was to create/design a bedroom for a client based on a written description of the person. It wasn't until the designs were drawn and shopping done for the room that the twist came into play. All of the clients were 10 year old kids. The designers were given alittle more money to help make their rooms more kid friendly,with Goil and Elizabeth getting a $100 more due to their win on the first show.



The winning room was created by Erik,whose client was a big pirate fan. That room was awesome-I call it the Goonies' Lair. Carissa put together a nice outdoorsy room with ropes to climb and Goil put most of the furniture on wheels,which was cool. Erik recieved immunity for the next challenge and impressed the judges quite a bit.




John's room,unfortunately,was only half done at best and his reasons for it turning out the way it did won him the title of "Mayor of Excuses Village" from Jonathan Adler. John wasn't able to get the hardwood floor he wanted and then his carpenter went overbudget so that he couldn't get the lino for the floor either.



John had to go but Michael's room was much worse,in my opinion. He not only put together such a bland space(with an old lady pillow saying"home,sweet home")but his client was an avid reader and he gives her only one bookshelf! A bookshelf that's pratically hitting the ceiling,which would be hard for an adult to reach,let alone a ten year old girl. The judges hated it,saying it looked like something from an "assisted living facility". Actually,I've seen rooms in old age rooms that look a thousand times better than that.

While many of us didn't watch the Super Bowl,most of us checked out the ads. One of the biggest controversies to date came from this Snickers ad,which has two guys in a garage chomping on a candy bar Lady and Tramp Style and then freaking out about it. It's been pulled off the air,due to protests. I don't what to make of this commericial-it's supposed to be funny but it leaves a bitter taste of "You know what homophobia really says about you" on my mental palate. Judge for yourselves,folks:



Carlos Mencia did a couple of spots for Bud Light,one of which was not shown in certain parts of the country. This one is pretty amusing and would easily make a segment of Mind of Mencia:



My favorite is this Snapple ad,which gets right to the point:



On Heroes,we now know who Clare's daddy is(which should halt the Clare/Peter shippers dead in their tracks. Then again,maybe not),Nathan and that Jessica doesn't take to therapy very well:



With Niki's release from prison and Jessica trapping her meeker self inside the mirror ,there is going to be some nasty trouble ahead. Sylar nearly wasted Mrs. Bennett,who is too trusting of strangers. The minute some weird guy even mentioned my teenage daughter,he'd be out the door faster than the speed of light. Peter's lessons with Claude are very instructive,altho I think throwing a guy off the roof is abit much. Not that Peter's first lesson is a barrel of laughs either:




Random Notes:

The Sarah Silverman Program: Silverman's show debuted on Comedy Central last week and if you loved Jesus is Magic,you'll adore this. My sister has instantly become a Sarah Silverman fan and wishes that Cookie Party(a made up TV show featured on the first episode)was real so she could vote for vanilla haystacks as well:



Gilmore Girls: Okay,I haven't been watching the show lately,due to American Idol being on Tuesdays but I have been keeping up with what's been happening,thanks to recaps from TWOP and YouTube. I must say this,Christopher is a jerk. A total jackass whiner baby. Lorelai writes a beautiful character reference for Luke to get visitation rights to see his daughter(Anna is a bitch for treating him like an annoyance-hello,you didn't let the man know he had a kid in the first place!)and Christopher reacts like a jealous teenager.

Here is Lorelai's letter:



And this is Christopher's reaction:



With Christopher not showing up at the hospital to comfort Lorelai and Rory during Richard's surgery,it's only a matter of time before he backs his bags,mark my words.Good riddance to him,I say!

Ugly Betty: Talk about your drama bombs going off left and right! Alexis Meade certainly made a splash at Fashion Week. Poor Daniel,finding your dead brother is not dead AND a woman,plus finding her attractive to boot is quite alot to swallow in one day. Your dad being arrested for murder on top of that is a hell of a kicker:

Love Songs...nothing but love songs!

With Valentine's Day just around the bend, I thought it would be fun to put together a few lists of LRG recommended V-Day pop culture romantic picks. These are suggestions not neccessarily for a night of le amour(if I'm spelling that right,all my french lessons were courtesy of Pepe Le Pew),these could do just fine for staying in and eating a whole box of chocolates in your jammies.


Since the old cliche of "Music is the food of love" still holds strong,let's crank up the jukebox to get some appropiate theme songs for the occasion:

GYM CLASS HEROES/"CUPID'S CHOKEHOLD"

I've never listened to this band before(love the name,btw)but this new song of theirs is all over the place. It's a catchy little number about the bliss of new found love. There are two versions of this video but this is the one that I first saw on Fuse and the dancing cupids are too cute for words:



EWAN MCGREGOR & NICOLE KIDMAN/"COME WHAT MAY"

If it was possible to wear out a CD,my copy of the Moulin Rouge soundtrack took a serious beating with the multiple times that I played this song. Why it didn't win Best Song at the Oscars that year is a mystery to me:



AMBER BENSON/"UNDER YOUR SPELL"

One of the highlights of the musical BTVS episode "Once more,with feeling" is Amber Benson's Tara declaring her devotion to Alyson Hannigan's Willow. AH sang very little herself in OMWF(she begged Joss Whedon to have her not sing more than needed). AB did have a CD of this tune,plus a couple of other songs,available with a special edition Tara figure for sale online to raise money for a film project. It's shame that someone hasn't signed her up for a recording contract,her pipes are amazing:



JAMES MARSTERS/ "REST IN PEACE"

I couldn't think about OMWF and not mention James Marsters as Spike doing his Billy Idol ballad bit here. Marsters has a band called Ghost of the Robot and an album entitled "Mad Brilliant". Let me tell you,the man can sing. I may be a besotted little fangirl but I know good music when I hear it:



NO DOUBT/"EX-GIRLFRIEND"

Here's a dose of red hot break-up blues pepper to clense your palate of sugary songs. The quiet fury in Gwen's tone as she lashes out in sultry style is like the porridge that Goldilocks chose:



BANGLES/"ETERNAL FLAME"

The best Susanna Hoffs vocal,ever. I so wanted to be her once upon a time. This is one of my favorite Bangles tunes,right after their cover of "Hazy Shade of Winter":



Well,that's all for now. Please feel free to list some of your favorite love,or anti-love,songs. Share the love,people,share the love!

A Whedonless Wonder Woman movie is in our future

The other day,Joss Whedon announced on his website that he is no longer involved with the Wonder Woman movie still in development. According to him,it was just a case of "I had a take on the film that, well, nobody liked,"... "We just saw different movies, and at the price range this kind of movie hangs in, that's never gonna work,... "Non-sympatico. It happens all the time."

This comes on the heels of a spec script for a WW film being bought up by Warner Brothers who claim that they only did so to prevent any plagarism probelms in the future. The spec script is set in the 1940s(Whedon was planning a modern day version)and while the producers say they're not interested in an old school WW story,the two screenwriters Matthew Jennison and Brent Strickland may get some more work from this.



While I am disappointed in this news,all hope is not lost here. Joss is moving on to other projects such as a thiller called Goners and putting out a "season 8" series of Buffy comics. Also, it seems that the WB still wants to make a Wonder Woman film ,which is good,but without proper focus we could get another Catwoman type of pic,which is very bad.

Here are some helpful hints for the producers,who I hope are willing to listen:

First and foremost: GET THE RIGHT DIRECTOR! That's going to be key,guys. Trust me on this-X Men 3 was lucky to have skated by with a weak script and most of the original cast members onbroad. Since you don't have a previous film to fall back on, you need a person who gets the comic book lore and who can write strong female characters. A tall order,to be sure,but not impossible.

My top pick would be Rob Thomas(not the musician,the writer/creator of Veronica Mars). He knows how to put together a smart story that keeps folks eager for more and has a good eye for casting. Joss Whedon and Kevin Smith have both done cameos on VM,which is a ringing endorsement,if you ask me. Plus,his ear for dialogue is finely honed-take a listen:



If Rob's not available,please look inhouse-Smallville has a pool of great writer/directors such as Steven DeKnight,Jeph Loeb and Greg Beeman. Or see if any of the fellas from Heroes need some work this summer.

Next,CAST AN UNKNOWN ACTRESS AS THE LEAD! It works for Superman and if you need a celeb,just make him/her the villian. Villian roles are fun for big name actors,just look at Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor or Jack Nicholson as the Joker. Also,if you can get Lynda Carter a small part or a nice cameo appearance,that would be sweet. Lynda has plenty of fans out there who would go on opening day just to catch a glimpse of her in an WW movie. Bonus points if someone can convince Debra Winger to be in it as well. She was the first Wonder Girl,after all:






Most importantly,DO NOT MESS WITH THE ORIGIN OF WONDER WOMAN! Whether you want to go with a present day or a classic WWII plot,please don't stray from who and what Wonder Woman is. A major flaw in the Catwoman movie was in changing everything about the character from her name to her costume. Some actresses may balk at the traditional WW outfit but it's up to you to show them that Wonder Woman can kick serious ass and lay a major league smack down even in those stars spangled shorts:



Just keep to the basics;her name is Diana Prince aka Princess Diana,she comes from Paradise Island(or Themyscira,that's fine)and she's on a mission that involves Major Steve Trevor. You can't go wrong there or am I speaking too soon?

Well,with any luck,this'll be a win-win situation-the studio gets a bit film and the audience gets a fun time at the movies. One last thing to suggest;maybe find a way to throw in a good bullets and bracelets bit like this:



And of,course, no Wonder Woman movie would feel right without the spin:

Anatomy of a Boyfriend gives you a lesson in Young Love 101

Daria Snadowsky,the author of Anatomy of a Boyfriend,has Judy Blume listed as one of the folks to whom she's dedicated her first novel to and it's clear from her writing that Blume was a wonderful influence on her. The story is told from the
p.o.v. of Dominque Baylor,a 17 year old girl getting ready for college who has honed her intellect but not her romantic IQ. When she takes up her best friend Amy's offer of going to a high school track meet,Dom unexpectedly runs into Wesley who becomes her first love.

Wesley's a nice guy who is just as inexperienced as Dom and it takes awhile for their relationship to really take off. When it does, the road to love hits a few bumps on the way. Dom's parents become concerned about her devotion to Wes,especially when Dom wants to switch colleges to be in the same school as him. Dom gets flustered when Wes doesn't seem as into her as she is to him and she also worries about him having feelings for a childhood female friend who he liked enough to name his dog after.

One of the strong points of the novel is the realistic take on first love. Dom's behavior is atypical yet not overly dramatized to juice up the plot. The relationship she has with her parents is very well portrayed;she does get into some friction with them over her romance but the lines of communication are never shut off and the love between them is solid. One of the best moments in the book comes from an unexpected revelation from Dom's dad that helps to heal not only the breach between them but helps Dom become abit more mature.

Speaking of mature,AOAB is very frank about how physically intimate Dom and Wes go. Safe sex is practiced and the responsibilites and awkwardness of physical discovery are realistically portrayed without glossing over the details. This is territory that was first explored in Judy Blume's Forever and further expanded on here in a thoughtful and nonjudgmental way.

Anatomy of a Boyfriend is a great debut from an author who I hope we'll be seeing more of in the future. If you would like to know more about her or AOAB,please click the title link above to check out her official website. This is a great Valentine's Day read for the soon to be college bound girl or those looking to recall those days again.

Some Anti-Super Bowl viewing suggestions

Super Bowl Sunday is upon us this weekend and while you may want to check out the halftime show to see what Prince does(that should be worth a look), you may also want a little TV fest time of your own. Here to help as always are some DVD suggestions for your viewing pleasure:


Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets

With the announcement of the onsale date of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows(July 21),plus the anticipation of the next HP movie this summer,this is a great time to immerse/reimmerse yourself in Potter lore. Why Chamber of Secrets? Well,it's just before all the kids hit the teen years with a vengeance,Kenneth Bragnagh is hilarious as Professor Lockhart and scenes like this,where Harry gets to speak Parselmouth:



And,of course,Dobby. Dobby has a bigger role in the other HP books but his debut in COS is a hoot and a half. One of the best parts of the movie is when Dobby gets his walking papers from the House of Malfoy:



Aqua Teen Hunger Force,Volume One

After that Mooninites scare in Boston(what in the blue hell were the marketing people thinking of,planting those litebrites in tunnels and under bridges? Stupid to the 10th power!),you may be curious about the whole ATHF series. The best way to introduce yourself to it is with the first DVD set that features "Mayhem of the Mooninites"(a good title for what happened a few days ago)amongst other goofy gems:



Sparkle

With the recent success of Dreamgirls,this 1976 musical drama about a trio of female singers has been reborn on DVD. Starring Irene Cara,Lonette McKee and Dwan Smith as Sister and the Sisters,a group that goes from rags to riches with some hints of Diana Ross and the Supremes is a cult classic. I've been waiting to see this one for awhile(it's on a rather long wait at Netflix,last time I checked)but if you can get ahold of this one,I think you're in for a treat:



84 Charing Cross Road

There's plenty of chick flicks that'll be on this weekend and a couple in theaters right now but this movie has the advantage of being both sweetly romantic(in a platonic sense)and brilliantly bookish. It's the true story of Helene Hanff,a NYC writer who had a hankering for old school Brit lit (which was pricey and tricky to get locally) and took to having a long distrance relationship with a used & rare bookstore in England that started in post WWII years and sadly ended during the 1970s,when the shop was forced to close. Helene saved most of her letters to and from the store,particularly the ones from Frank Noel,a pivotal part of Marks and co.

84 CCR was not only a book but a stage play as well,which caught the attention of Anne Bancroft who brings alot of personal pizazz in her portrayal of Helene:



Well,whatever you watch this weekend-have fun!

The Top Chef winner,Top Design and more American Idol auditions

The big Top Chef showdown began with Ilan and Marcel having to select two former contestants as sous chefs to help them make the five course dinner that would determine the winner. Marcel picked Sam and Mike(a big mistake in hindsight)while Ilan went with Betty and Elia(what a shocker). Ilan's menu was made up of spanish dishes(again,what a shocker!)while Marcel gambled on a special vinaigrette drop held together by sugar to wow the crowd.

Unfortunately,Marcel's vinaigrette ball didn't bounce and along with a few other mishaps in the kitchen,got some points shaved off of him. On the other hand,he did impress a good number of the guests,inclduing his idol Wylie Defrense,with alot of the meal. One of the big probelms was that the fish for the third course was not brought to the restaurant where Marcel's dinner was being served and not discovered until it was too late. Sam did step up and help Marcel put together a decent substitute that was even considered better than the original concept. I really wish Mia had been picked instead of Mike;she damn well would've remembered the fish!



All of this lead to Ilan being the winner. As you can see,this made Elia and Betty very happy indeed. Elia also got another chance to slam Marcel when she and Betty were questioned by the judges after the meal,with Elia insisting that Ilan"has to win" based on taste alone. The judges got her to admit that she didn't sample anything from Marcel's menu and therefore,couldn't really make that claim. Elia then went on to say that Marcel wasn't capable of running a kitchen(like she was any better at it!). I swear,Elia acted more like Ilan's girlfriend than his cooking buddy,in my opinion.

Oh,well-atleast it's all over. Marcel may not have won but he doesn't have to worry about running into TC season one winner Harold in a dark alley. Seems a certain person called Harold a"boring motherfucker" during one of the "Dirty Dishes" on air spots played during the premiere of Top Design. Smooth move,Ilan! Marcel my man,this note's for you:







Top Design started off with a Project Runway like challenge:to design an "inner sanctum" for a mystery celebrity guest judge(Alexis Arquette)based on five objects from that person's home. The winners of this challenge were Goil and Elizabeth,who seemed to work well together to create a very imaginative room. Alexis even tried out the swing(I thought the chalkboard wall was pretty cool). Too bad that the competive bitchery hit the ground running with John and Michael. Michael had the nerve to say"I'm a designer,I don't know about painting." Are you kidding me? That's like a nurse saying"I don't know about giving shots."



Two contestants were sent home and first to depart were Heather and Lisa. While I totally dug the chinese wedding bed,it wound up overwhelming the room rather than enhancing it. Todd Oldham comes across as a pretty nice host and it looks like I have a new show to watch. Hopefully,this will clense my palate after that sorry season of Top Chef.

American Idol continue their round of auditions,stopping in Birmingham,where they meet a lady who lived up to her name more than her supposed age:



Olivia Newton-John joined the judges in LA,where this young woman not only got on her knees but dragged her mom in to help make her case:



One of the better auditions came from Chris Sligh,who has an interesting goal in life and can actually sing. He does justice to one of my favorite songs"Kiss From A Rose". Give him a listen:



Random Notes:

Heroes: Not only do we get George Takei as Hiro's dad,Nip/Tuck fans will recognize Clare's birth mom as Jessalyn Gilsig aka Gina(Wilbur's mother who coined the charming endearment of "asshole" for Christian). Turns out that Clare's mother is a firestarter,perhaps even a twisted firestarter:




Glad to see Peter team up with Claude;someone needs to help him deal with his powers,unlike his big brother Nathan"Mr. I Am In Denial" there! I really dislike Nathan,you just know he'd rather see Peter locked away somewhere so that his precious political career isn't threatened. Also, how foolish was it of Mr. Bennet to readily accept that Sylar was dead? Hello,Helen Keller could tell that he was faking it! So insanely not smart there.

Smallville: Last week's episode where the Martian Manhunter helped Clark escape the mind games of a Phantom Zone bodysnatcher was well written and hope we see more of the man from Mars soon. Tonight,the show revvs up some early Valentine's Day drama as Lois gets the love bug and zaps Clark with it,thanks to a Red K lipstick lined kiss. This trailer comes with a "director's cut" clip that I hope makes it into the final cut. How can Clark resist a gal with a strong appreciation for Whitesnake?