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Jul

Question Friday: Tea Edition

My apologies to all the coffee drinkers. Sweet tea: delight OR abomination? Iced tea: lemon, peach, OR unsweetened? Earl Grey OR English Breakfast? Orange Spice OR Blackberry Sage? Order of preference: Green, white, herbal, black tea? Scones with your tea: sweet OR savory? What, in your opinion, is the BEST tea EVER?

Jul

Fall Books

Jessica

Hey, you know what I don’t love? Hives. Swollen eyes and itchy red skin and a non-working A/C. Thank God for fans, thunderstorms, and Benadryl. But I promised a post about the fall books I’m looking forward to most, right? Here goes. These are books I’ve been waiting for FOREVER and they are almost here! The Treasure Map of Boys by E. Lockhart (releases today!) Third book in the adventures of Ruby Oliver, after The Boyfriend List and The Boy Book. I want Roo to be my best friend. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (official release August 1, but in stock!) Paranormal romance in which a girl falls in love with a boy who must become a wolf every winter. I keep hearing it described as "haunting," "tender," "lyrical," and other lovely adjectives. Ruined by Paula Morris (official release August 1, but in stock!) New Orleans. Ghosts. A character named Lisette. WANT. Lipstick Apology by Jennifer Jabaley (August 6)...

Jul

Favorite Books of 2009 (So Far)

Jessica

(inspired byrobinellen) One of my 30×30 goals is to read 100 books this year. I’m well on my way—Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink is book 55. (And I’m really, really enjoying it, btw.) I’ve read almost exclusively YA, focusing on newish releases, and I feel like it’s given me a good sense of the market and of my own taste. As the year goes on, I find myself reading more and more analytically and critically and learning so much. These are my favorite books so far: Top 10 Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers Fade by Lisa McMann The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell The Forest of Hands & Teeth by Carrie Ryan The Season by Sarah MacLean Skinned by Robin Wasserman Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter by R.J. Anderson Sea Change by Aimee Friedman Eyes Like Stars by Lisa...

Jul

Alone

Jessica

So I was sort of dreading these 12 days when Steve’s away at Sundance. I’ve never wanted to be the girl who can’t function without her boyfriend or husband, the girl who doesn’t know how to be alone. Too many of my friends were serial monogamists in high school, jumping from boy to boy, good friends only for the brief periods of singledom in-between. So S and I–we’re not the attached-at-the-hip type. I just don’t believe that one person can be everything you need. I have always made it a point to schedule nights out with friends and to let my besties know their friendships are as important to me as my relationship. I don’t mind when he goes out to network with the theatre crowd on his own, because frankly sometimes I’d much rather be home with a good book. When he’s at rehearsals, I embrace the time to write. That...

Jul

Saturday 6: Books & Life & Stuff

Jessica

1. Steve is off at Sundance Play Labs for the next two weeks. He’s networking like crazy and meeting all sorts of cool talented peeps. Sitting in on rehearsals and soaking up inspiration. Right about now they’re having a Native American blessing ceremony for the workshop participants. I’m so jealous! He’s twittering his adventures at www.twitter.com/playwrightsteve. 2. I had my bestest girl friends over last night. It was the first time I’ve had a group over to the new house, though they had each seen it individually, in various states of unpacking. We ate takeout Chinese. I made blueberry boy bait and lemon-poppyseed cupcakes with lemon icing for dessert. We helped Liz decide what to wear to a wedding today. And then we sat around and drank pinot grigio and talked about books and jobs and TV shows (apparently I should totally be watching So You Think You Can Dance). It was...

Question Friday: Tea Edition

Fall Books

Favorite Books of 2009 (So Far)

Alone

Saturday 6: Books & Life & Stuff

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