All about ME

For a brief moment I flirted with the title "I Wanna Talk About Me" for this post... but my love for quoting things was overpowered by my dislike of Toby Keith.

The way the "profile" sections are set up doesn't allow for side commentary, so I'm going to launch into commentary over here instead and leave naked, boring, unadorned lists in my profile just like the software wants.

Some of my favorite films (in no particular order and without commentary because that could take weeks-- besides, I'm sure I'll revisit this topic)

Favorite Movies?
Star Wars (Original Trilogy, Empire Strikes Back is my favorite "Episode.")
Casablanca
Lawrence of Arabia
Duck Soup
High Society
High Noon
The Winslow Boy
Henry V (1989)
What About Bob?
Searching for Bobby Fisher
The Godfather
The Happiest Millionaire
Clueless (Shut up. It's funny.)
Clue
Citizen Kane
Hercules (1997)
12 Angry Men (1957)
Wait Until Dark
Pride and Prejudice (any and all versions, but especially the 1995)
(And many others, but I haven't got all day to do this.) ;)

Favorite Music?
I sing along with the current pop and country in the car, but the stuff I buy is showtunes and 60s/70s.

Favorite Books?
In order from most mature reader to least...

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (pere)
Get the translation Robin Buss did in 2002 for Penguin. It is so worth it. I've read half a dozen different versions of this book (most of them multiple times), and this is by far the best English language version extant. (Don't even mention any film versions. I will cut you.)

The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien
I will try to restrain myself here because I'm sure I'll rant about this at length at some later date...
If you've seen the movies and not read the book you are making a criminal mistake. Rectify it immediately, mmmkay? That is all.

Beauty by Robin McKinley
Yes, I know about Rose Daughter. It is a good book, and I know that McKinley has said it is the book she wished she could write the first time. I prefer Beauty, though-- I identify with the protagonist more (she's in love with books and reading) and I enjoy all of the allusions to classic literature. I also feel far better acquainted with the Beast in Beauty than in Rose Daughter.

I Want to Go Home! by Gordon Korman.
This book is genius. I know you think you're too grown up for it, but if you have the good fortune to come across a copy, try the first chapter before passing judgment. I re-read it about a week ago and it amused me so much that I was in a fabulous mood for the next two days. I'm thinking about putting a copy of it inside a "break glass in case of emergency" box on my wall. After all, how can life be less than great when you can read about Rudy Miller and how much he hates camp?

Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp by Mercer Mayer
A picture book with fun rhymes to memorize, accents to attempt, and incredibly detailed illustrations to accompany the intelligent heroine as she runs errands for her mama.

Drummer Hoff by Ed Emberly
If your picture-book-aged child likes rhythmic or repetitive stories, you're in for a LOT of "Again!!" requests with this one. :) We tracked it down years after I fell in love with it by calling the (amazing) elementary school librarian and saying, "It was rhyme-y, and there was a cannon... and at the end there was a page that was all reds... uhm. It was rhyme-y..." The sainted librarian knew exactly which book I was talking about. It's a very simple book, but it has real staying power. Rhyme-y!! :D