Arts: Page 434

Portland, How Do I Love Thee? Oh, crap, I’ve lost track of the number of ways

ArtsBlog

Do you like books? How about movies? Magic? Neil Gaiman? Yes? If not, what’s your problem? If so, well, go see Stardust. Obviously I’ll elaborate about this in review form soon, but for now, I simply gush. I came up northwards last night for a screening in Tigard (Tigard! When was the last time you had a good reason to go to Tigard?), at which I met up with a Portland-based movie-critic friend, gleefully sat in the media personnel section of the theater, missed my friend Lolly winning a book and giggled ferociously at the best parts of the movie. If only I could do that every week. Continue reading →

Two-thirds? Around there.

BlogBooks

I thought it was such a good idea to blog reading Deathly Hallows. I thought it’d be all this, that and the other thing every hundred pages or so. I CAN’T TEAR MYSELF AWAY. Not to do other work that needs doing. Not for the complicated project. Not to clean the house for the friend that’s coming tomorrow. I did make dinner, and then I ate too much of it (downright decadent homemade mac & cheese, if you were curious). Even now, the book is calling. Things are happening. Darkness and strife. Excitement and downtime. Continue reading →

100 pages

BlogBooks

I keep getting up to refer to the end of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. If I don’t stop this, I’ll never get anywhere. Though I did have to get up the first time simply because Rowling is not holding back, here; this is a dense, dark, straight-to-it sort of book, no fussing around or dawdling at the beginning. Like I said, no spoilers here, but I did get a little choked up two or three times already. Back I go. The boyfriend has been pressed into service as a coffee maker and another cup awaits. Continue reading →

The Eve of Potterdammerung

BlogBooks

It’s 10:30 on Friday. I should be out and about, but no; I’m in the middle of a project too absurd to even go into. I keep being tempted by the Harry Potter parties — it’s the last book! I’ve never gone to a midnight party, despite my obsessiveness! — but sometimes it just works out that once you’re in for the night, working on a stupid project and sipping Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine (which you swiped from your boyfriend, if you’re me), you’re in for good. But Books Without Borders is just blocks away … But if I go alone, I’ll feel … old. Continue reading →