Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Published:Published September 1st 2008 by HarperTeen (first published September 1st 2006)

From Goodreads:
What do you want from me?" he asks. What I want from every person in my life, I want to tell him. More.

Abandoned by her mother on Jellicoe Road when she was eleven, Taylor Markham, now seventeen, is finally being confronted with her past. But as the reluctant leader of her boarding school dorm, there isn't a lot of time for introspection. And while Hannah, the closest adult Taylor has to family, has disappeared, Jonah Griggs is back in town, moody stares and all.

In this absorbing story by Melina Marchetta, nothing is as it seems and every clue leads to more questions as Taylor tries to work out the connection between her mother dumping her, Hannah finding her then and her sudden departure now, a mysterious stranger who once whispered something in her ear, a boy in her dreams, five kids who lived on Jellicoe Road eighteen years ago, and the maddening and magnetic Jonah Griggs, who knows her better than she thinks he does. If Taylor can put together the pieces of her past, she might just be able to change her future.

Last week I touched on the fact that I'd finally gotten around to reading some of the books that everyone has sworn to me are must reads, and while so many books don't live up to the hype, I don't think anyone can deny the perfection of this book. I don't think most people even know what to say or remember how to speak after reading it. So you were all right. It is that good.

The story starts out with an accident that happened years ago. It's part of an unfinished book that Taylor Markham is reading. Taylor is an orphaned, permanent resident of a boarding school on the Jellicoe Road and the book is a work in progress of Hannah's, the woman who has helped raise her. As Taylor's story is being told, Taylor herself is reading a story set in her own school over eighteen years ago.

"My father took one hundred and thirty-two minutes to die.

I counted.

It happened on the Jellicoe Road. The prettiest road I’d ever seen, where trees made breezy canopies like a tunnel to Shangri-La. We were going to the ocean, hundreds of miles away, because I wanted to see the ocean and my father said that it was about time the four of us made that journey. I remember asking, 'What’s the difference between a trip and a journey?' and my father said, 'Narnie, my love, when we get there, you’ll understand,' and that was the last thing he ever said."

The Jellicoe boarding school residents, the local kids (Townies) and the boys of a neighboring military school (Cadets) are engaged in a mock war against each other. The surrounding territory is divided up into zones and for years the three factions have been fueding over territory. Though it's all basically just a game, it is a long standing tradition and everyone must play it. Taylor is the school's newest leader, and it is her job to help organize acts of subterfuge against the opposition to gain "territory" and strength. As she is playing the game, she is also reading about the game as it was played eighteen years ago by the children in Hannah's story.

Taylor doesn't remember much before she was taken in by Hannah and the school. With a vague recollection of her past, a present tangled in the make believe of a mock war and a future that is still undecided, Hannah is the only permanent, real thing in Taylor's life. But she leaves unexpectedly, leaving Taylor and the story behind. As the game goes on, more of Taylor's past is revealed, and the people in Hannah's story prove to be more than fiction.

With so many stories being told, I can admit that I was a bit confused at first but I had to keep reading. I had to know what happened! The mystery and suspense was killing me but I didn't get to learn anything until Taylor herself learned it. It's such a marvelous puzzle. I was forced to take my time and be patient since I wouldn't be allowed to see the big picture until Taylor saw it herself. It completely binds the reader to the story, and you can't not read it. I felt that as Taylor's story grew, I was growing along with it. Very rarely do I finish a book and immediately want to reread it. Most of the time I need a break from the story when it's over but I didn't want to give this one up. I suspect that each reread (and there will be many) will reveal something new.

While it wasn't a sad story, some of the things that happened were. You're involved with not only Taylor but with the five children who survived the accident in Hannah's story which gets a little heavy. It wasn't until the very end that I fully understood what had happened. That epilogue just about killed me and I bawled like a baby.

The writing was outstanding and I loved that the characters were real. They didn't feel contrived or written as one would think a teenager would act or speak. She didn't try to stereotype them; she just let them be. I don't want my YA stories to read like they were written by adults trying to see things from a younger person's perspective, nor do I want to feel like I'm reading a kid's story. I want them to simply read and tell the story. Marchetta's writing makes sure that nothing stands in the way of that. If it's good, you shouldn't be able to make any distinction as to what genre it fits in. A good book is a good book.

I can easily dub this book as the best one I've read this year and the book I've had the hardest time breaking away from. If you haven't read it, well, you just have to.

On My Wishlist (3)

"On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It's also an event that you can join in with too - Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more click here."

This is such a fun meme. We're all wishing away for books, why not share what we pine for with other! Unfortunately, sharing your wishlist ends up increasing mine and thus keeping me locked in a never ending cycle of book-want but it's still fun!

The Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyes

Expected publication: July 7th 2011 by Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated (first published July 8th 2010)

From Goodreads:
It is 1960. When Jennifer Stirling wakes up in the hospital, she can remember nothing-not the tragic car accident that put her there, not her husband, not even who she is. She feels like a stranger in her own life until she stumbles upon an impassioned letter, signed simply "B", asking her to leave her husband.

Years later, in 2003, a journalist named Ellie discovers the same enigmatic letter in a forgotten file in her newspaper's archives. She becomes obsessed by the story and hopeful that it can resurrect her faltering career. Perhaps if these lovers had a happy ending she will find one to her own complicated love life, too. Ellie's search will rewrite history and help her see the truth about her own modern romance.

It seems like I have been waiting for this book longer than just about anything. I first saw it mentioned at Bookalicious Ramblings wayyyyy back and now it's finally almost here!

The Education of Bet by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Published April 18th 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (first published July 12th 2010)

From Goodreads:
When Will and Bet were four, tragic circumstances brought them to the same house, to be raised by a wealthy gentleman as brother and sister. Now sixteen, they’ve both enjoyed a privileged upbringing thus far. But not all is well in their household. Because she’s a girl, Bet’s world is contained within the walls of their grand home, her education limited to the rudiments of reading, writing, arithmetic, and sewing. Will’s world is much larger. He is allowed—forced, in his case—to go to school. Neither is happy.

So Bet comes up with a plan and persuades Will to give it a try: They’ll switch places. She’ll go to school as Will. Will can live as he chooses. But once Bet gets to school, she soon realizes living as a boy is going to be much more difficult than she imagined.

This one has been on my wishlist for awhile. Kristi @ The Story Siren just posted that it came out in paperback last week and now I'll have to renew my stalking until I find it.

Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson #2)by Darynda Jones

Expected publication: August 16th 2011 by St. Martin's Press

From Goodreads:
Charley Davidson, Grim Reaper Extraordinaire, is back in this sexy, suspenseful novel of supernatural shenanigans.

When Charley is rudely awakened in the middle of the night by her best friend who tells her to get dressed quickly and tosses clothes out of the closet at her, she can’t help but wonder what Cookie’s up to. Leather scrunch boots with a floral miniskirt? Together? Seriously? Cookie explains that a friend of hers named Mimi disappeared five days earlier and that she just got a text from her setting up a meet at a coffee shop downtown. They show up at the coffee shop, but no Mimi. But Charley finds a message on the bathroom wall. Mimi left a clue, a woman’s name. Mimi’s husband explains that his wife had been acting strange since she found out an old friend of hers from high school had been found murdered a couple weeks prior. The same woman Mimi had named in her message.

Meanwhile, Reyes Alexander Farrow (otherwise known as the Son of Satan. Yes. Literally) has left his corporeal body and is haunting Charley. He’s left his body because he’s being tortured by demons who want to lure Charley closer. But Reyes can’t let that happen. Because if the demons get to Charley, they’ll have a portal to heaven. And if they have a portal to heaven…well, let’s just say it wouldn’t be pretty. Can Charley handle hot nights with Reyes and even hotter days tracking down a missing woman? Will Cookie ever get a true fashion sense? And is there enough coffee and chocolate in the world to fuel them as they do? Here is your signpost for the most hilarious read of the summer: Second Grave On The Left.

Just finished First Grave on the Right and it was one of the best times you can have reading!

What's on your Wishlist? Hmmmmm?

First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones

     First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones
     Published February 1st 2011 by St. Martin's Press

     More at:
     Goodreads
     Website

     First Line: I'd been having the same dream for the past month- the one where a dark stranger materialized out of smoke and shadows to play doctor with me.

     It’s a given that someone would have to be a bit of a bad-ass to rock a name like Charley Davidson. In fact, it might pay to be the ultimate bad-ass, the Angel of Death, The Grim Reaper. That’s The with a capital “T”, as in the one and only. And while ushering the dearly departed into the beyond may be a full time job, it doesn’t pay the bills, and Charley has honed her unique “talent” of communing with the dead to make a profitable career out of being a private investigator.

     When the ghosts of three attorneys reveal their connection to a recent string of murders and missing persons, Charley finds she has her hands full on both planes of existence. But as if the mystery of a triple homicide wasn't enough, another perplexity has surfaced, one that is much, much harder to explain. A ghostly presence, shrouded in darkness deep enough to terrify the Grim Reaper herself, has haunted Charley since birth. He has appeared to her only a handful of times in the past but now he has begun to invade her dreams…and her bed. When the revelation strikes Charley that her otherworldly visitor may have a connection to someone from her past, she begins to fear that there are worse things than even Death.

"As I trudged the fifty or so feet across the alley and into the rear entrance of my dad's bar, I contemplated possibilities for why all three lawyers might have stayed behind instead of crossing over. My calculations- allowing for a 12 percent margin of error, based on the radius of the corresponding confidence interval and the surgeon general's warning- concluded that they probably didn't stay behind for the tacos."

I'm so so glad that I read this book in the privacy of my own home, away from the prying eyes and ears of the general populace so that I could guffaw and cackle at it like a raving idiot. I swear, every last sentence is funny when you have someone as awesome as Charley narrating. She's sassy, sarcastic, abrasive and at times unashamedly crass. It's OK however, because she's got the brains and balls (oops, I mean ovaries- Beam Me Up and Scotty- she named them) to back it up. Not to mention she's Death...so you couldn't really argue with her if you wanted to. Plus, she's competent and good at her job, both of them, which warrants a certain amount of respect. I literally laughed from beginning to end of this book and you couldn't have pried it out of my hands with a scythe.

There's a well rounded cast of live characters throughout to cushion the fact that well, she's really dealing with dead people so the morbidity of her situation never really catches on. Due to the nature of her job, her relationships with the living are always a little strained since she can solve crimes with inside information that it's just not possible to obtain and it makes for some incredibly funny dialogue. Then there's her own personal love ghost with his dream invasions and well, it's just HOT.

Just loved it. It brings to mind Stephanie Plum if she was smarter and more capable but Charley's antics are equally as hilarious. Book 2, Second Grave on the Left will join us this August but for now, if you've read this one (and only if you've read the book because the story contains SPOILERS) and need a fix, Darynda has written a short story for Heroes and Heartbreakers: For I Have Sinned

“We really should get some X-rays,” the EMT said to Uncle Bob as I lounged on the stretcher.
     Ambulances were cool. “You just want to fondle my extraneous body parts,” I said to the EMT as I picked up a silver gadget that looked disturbingly like an alien orifice probe, broke it, then promptly put it back, hoping it wouldn’t leave someone’s life hanging in the balance because the EMT couldn’t alien-probe his orifices.

*Quotes for taken from an ARC of First Grave on the Right and may differ in the finished copy- though I sincerely hope not.

Dear Final Episode of Season 2 and the entire season 3 of BBC's Robin Hood

WARNING: This rant contains spoilers. If you haven't finished watching the series or you plan to watch the series, don't read this.

I just finished the BBC's television series Robin Hood on Netflix. I started watching it with the soul purpose of furthering my Richard Armitage education by seeing him half naked in Season 2 (for which I am very thankful). Let's take a moment to fantasize about him appreciate his fine acting skills.

Season 1 and I fell instantly in love. It was action packed, suspenseful, funny, the music was great and the fight scenes were hell yeah. I adored the little actor, Jonas Armstrong, who played Robin. His was a very different portrayal of Robin Hood than the brooding bore played by other actors. And he's just so adorable:

Anyway, the plot was pretty basic. Each episode the Sheriff of Nottingham and Sir Guy of Gisborne (Richard Armitage) would do something awful to the poor people and Robin and his crew would show up to try to save the day. It would then progress to either Robin or one of his men getting caught, put in the dungeon, escaping or being rescued with Robin Hood performing impossible feats to bring it all about. Everyone would get food, the Sheriff's latest scheme would fail and he'd throw a fit. Guy would brood and Maid Marian would deny her love for Robin. Simple, but good stuff. I think one of its big selling points for me was that it was just so funny- something very unexpected.

So we went on like this for the first season, and continued with more of the same in season 2 and I was hooked. So, we get to the end of season 2, and Robin and his crew, get this, go off to the Holy Land to save King Richard from the Sheriff and Guy who have come all that way to kill him. I know, I know. It was just an excuse to burn a different set of scenery since they'd already burned all of England. The Sheriff and Guy have dragged Marian along because she's been so mischievous, she tried to kill the sheriff, Guy lurves her and they know it will annoy Robin Hood. ANYWAY, big fight scene, King Richard gets shot with an arrow, Guy moves in to finish him off, Marian intervenes, tells Guy she never loved him, (even though he got half naked and I don't believe for one sec that she'd pick skinny Robin over The Armitage), he goes all if-I-can't-have-you-no-one-can and kills her. He KILLS HER. So we end the second season with there now being NO POSSIBILITY of a happy, fairytale ending and we've still got an entire season left to go. Fail.

At this point, I have no desire to watch Season 3. You killed off Marian. Robin Hood and Maid Marian. That's TWO THINGS THAT GO TOGETHER. Not Robin Hood and Ursula the Sea Witch. Not Robin Hood and Juliet. Not Robin Hood and Some Random Person Named Kate That They Throw In To Finish Out The Show. ROBIN HOOD AND MARIAN. Damn you.

But I watch the first episode of season 3 anyway. I've invested this much and up until the final episode of season 2, I was totally in love with the show. And the episode sucked, but I watched the next one, and it sucked. So what to do now? I'm mildly interested to see how the series ends, but no longer entertained enough to watch another season...so I skipped to the end and watched the two part series finale.

WHICH WAS SHIT.

GUY AND ROBIN WOULD NEVER BE FRIENDS. WTF!? I'll admit that back in season one I was secretly hoping that Guy would turn out to be good. I even held on to this hope for a while in season two but WHEN THE BAD GUY KILLS YOUR WIFE, YOU DO NOT BECOME FRIENDS. Ah the wonders of television. So, final episode, storm the castle, kill the sheriff, fight to the death, Guy dies, more bullshit, bullshit, bullshit and then they kill off Robin Hood. I started tearing up when he and Marian (as ghosts) saw each other again, but then they cut to a scene actually showing Robin DIE which killed any good feeling that was left and I threw the remote.

So there it is.

Why? Well, I guess it all had to happen because you could only rewrite and replay the same scenario for so many episodes, the story got old and actors moved on. Jonas Armstrong (Robin) left the show (by dying) which pretty much nipped it in the bud right there. I still maintain that he left because he was rapidly going bald and the makeup department was having a time keeping his messy hair spray painted on. Dear heart, you would have looked just as adorable with a shaved head and we might have been able to continue on. Ah vanity.

All in all, I'm glad I watched it. It was fun while it lasted and well, Armitage. I'll say though, my favorite character was the Sheriff of Nottingham, hands down. He was such a gooooood bad guy. He was evil for the sake of being evil, unapologetic, single minded, crazy and cruel. If you're gonna be the bad guy, be good at it. I hate when the bad guy unbelievably and uncharacteristically changes tunes midway and turns good. Don't screw with a good character just for some ridiculous idea that everyone has to see the light and do something redeeming- which they didn't and get points for that.

Now what the hell do I watch?

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
Published:June 1st 2009 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

From Goodreads:

"Don't worry, Anna. I'll tell her, okay? Just let me think about the best way to do it."
"Okay."
"Promise me? Promise you won't say anything?"
"Don't worry." I laughed. "It's our secret, right?"

According to her best friend Frankie, twenty days in Zanzibar Bay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy every day, there's a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there's something she hasn't told Frankie—-she's already had that kind of romance, and it was with Frankie's older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.

Beautifully written and emotionally honest, this is a debut novel that explores what it truly means to love someone and what it means to grieve, and ultimately, how to make the most of every single moment this world has to offer.

     Ok, so recently, I've read some really good books. I mean really good, and we'll talk about all of them in days to come but I just want to say that the ones I've read are ones that everyone has said you simply MUST read when exploring the YA genre. Not the latest new release, or upcoming title or what-not, but the ones that if you don't read them, you'll always be missing a little piece of yourself and you will never even know it. This is one of those books.

     I'm utterly amazed at Ms. Ockler's skill. Her writing is sharp, witty, and her capacity for capturing the raw and abrasive nature of grief, majestic. This story is no picnic. Despite it's flippant title and seemingly harmless storyline of two girls playing a silly summer game, the story hurts from beginning to end. That said, it's not one to depress the hell out of you as in reading it, you heal along with the story.

     Anna has loved Matt, her "best-friend-that's-a-boy" for years. Since her tenth birthday, she has blown out the candles on her cake with the same wish every time and this time, it came true. Matt kissed her. The love and romance that followed was all anyone could ever wish for. It was perfect, save for the fact that they have been keeping their relationship a secret from Matt's sister Frankie, Anna's best friend, until the time is right to break it to her that the trio has split into something more. But before they can bring their relationship to light, Matt dies and in the aftermath that follows, Anna can't bring herself to add any more emotion to a devastated friend and her family. The story is her struggle with Matt's loss, in secret, with no one ever knowing that she has lost the love of her life and it's absolutely heart breaking.

     “When someone you love dies, people ask you how you’re doing, but they don’t really want to know. They seek affirmation that you’re okay, that you appreciate their concern, that life goes on and so can they. Secretly they wonder when the statute of limitations on asking expires (it’s three months, by the way. Written or unwritten, that’s about all the time it takes for people to forget the one thing that you never will).”

     You probably remember this past September when that idiot made his attack on Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak, he added Twenty Boy Summer to his challenge list for having "drunken teens also end up on the beach, where they use their condoms to have sex". Which in hindsight, worked out perfectly for thinking members of the populous and equaled heightened press for these "banned" books, increasing the number of people reading them. It's true, boys and sex are topics of conversation between the two teenage girls in the book. There is a party where alcohol is served and yes, there is a very mellow sex scene involving two responsible people practicing safe sex. Dear Lord in heaven someone do something now! These things are so alien and unheard of that they must be evil! Unless you live under a rock, this very thing has gone on longer than all of us combined (and I'm quite old so the number adds up quick) and you might as well get upset at a six year old being ecstatic over getting a puppy, the thrill that comes with riding a roller coaster, people crying at weddings or taking pride in getting a diploma- people of almost any age, are gonna do it :). These are things that just are and Ockler manages to tackle it expertly. For some reason, sex scenes in YA are still considered taboo by those too prudish (or just not proficient enough) to write it and I'm rather proud of her, not only for writing it, but for writing it in the context in which it should be taken.

     “The whole idea of losing one’s virginity is kind of ridiculous. To lose something implies carelessness. A mistake that you can fix simply by recovering the lost object, like your cell phone or your glasses. Virginity is more like shedding something that losing it. As in, “Don’t worry, Mom. You can call off the helicopters and police dogs. Turns out- get this- I didn’t actually lose my virginity. I just cast it off somewhere between here and Monterey. Can you believe it? It could be anywhere by now, what with all that wind.”
     I imagine some kids happening upon the cast-off virginity on the shore. They’d have to close down the beach and put up a sign. Danger! Wild virginity found here! Swim at your own risk!”

I'll read this book again. And again.

Waiting on Wednesday (14) Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart by Sarah MacLean

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, in which we share the book that we are anxiously waiting to be released.

Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart by Sarah MacLean

Publisher: Avon
Date: April 26, 2011

From Goodreads:

She lives for passion

Bold, impulsive, and a magnet for trouble, Juliana Fiori is no simpering English miss. She refuses to play by society's rules: she speaks her mind, cares nothing for the approval of the ton, and can throw a punch with remarkable accuracy. Her scandalous nature makes her a favorite subject of London's most practiced gossips...and precisely the kind of woman the Duke of Leighton wants far far away from him.

He swears by reputation.

Scandal is the last thing Simon Pearson has room for in his well-ordered world. The Duke of Disdain is too focused on keeping his title untainted and his secrets unknown. But when he discovers Juliana hiding in his carriage late one evening--risking everything he holds dear--he swears to teach the reckless beauty a lesson in propriety.

She has other plans, however; she wants two weeks to prove that even an unflappable duke is not above passion.

It's no secret that I am an insane fangirl when it comes to Sarah MacLean. Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake has become one of my all time favorite books and the book I recommend most to people when they say they want something fun to read. I adored Nine Rules to Break's sequel and I'm on the edge of my seat, just waiting for Eleven Scandals to get to the book store. You must must must read her books!

Miz MacLean's Blog

My Book Thoughts (love for) on Miz MacLean's books:
Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake
Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord
The Season This is a YA novel!

Two years ago today...

April 5, 2009 3:15 PM "Start at the beginning....and when you get to the end- stop."

A few hundred posts, a couple of thousands of comments and two years later, I'm grateful to still be a part of such a wonderful community of book lovers. So many of you have shared your book thoughts here and have introduced me to works that I never would have discovered without you.

Thank you.

I think I'll spend it at the book store.

No, it's not a book review, just more prattle...

When I think about Pride and Prejudice and Austen's writing in general, I'm reminded that one of the things I love most is the politely constrained emotions and affections that her heroes and heroines have for each other. There is no wild romance, no unfettered passion, just simple admissions of love and the realist in me can appreciate that. Everything is neat and tidy and to quote Anne Hathaway as Jane Austen in Becoming Jane "My characters shall have, after a little trouble, all that they desire."

To me, the BBC miniseries production of Pride and Prejudice is performed and portrayed just as my dear friend Jane would have wished it. I think of the adaptations out there, this one is the most true to form. As far as capturing the tone and spirit in which the story was written, I feel it's right on. The final declaration scene, where he asks Lizzy one last time and she wholeheartedly accepts, actually reads something like this:

"If you will thank me," he replied, "let it be for yourself alone. That the wish of giving happiness to you might add force to the other inducements which led me on, I shall not attempt to deny. But your family owe me nothing. Much as I respect them, I believe I thought only of you."

Elizabeth was too much embarrassed to say a word. After a short pause, her companion added, "You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject for ever."

And Collin Firth as Mr. Darcy did this scene justice



But...

It is not my favorite. I much prefer the more recent, 2005 Focus Features production starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen and for reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with the book (Sorry Jane!). This film, perhaps, is the complete opposite of what Jane wrote. It's gritty and passionate and much more emotional. I'm normally a staunch advocate for a movie being as true to the book as possible. I can admit to being one of those that shouts at the screen and screams "That is NOT what happened!" And I get plenty of opportunities to do that as so many movie adaptations of books result in epic fails.

But...

In this case, when Darcy says to Lizzy, "You must know. Surely you must know it was all for you..." said breathless and full of hope by a man standing to once again be rejected by the woman he loves- I just, well, I can't help myself. It gets me every time and I can't tell you how much I wish those words were actually in the book. These emotions may have been a bit too much for Austen's comfort level, but as a woman, I bet she too would have melted.



A very talented artist on Etsy with a smallish shop called Vintage Chick Designs has created this little number (as well as other Austen inspired pieces) that I just simply covet and I just had to share it with you.



I would like to note that this post has little point. I'm just bored...and shopping.

Ode To Netflix...and other assorted nonsense

"Oh freddled gruntbuggly
thy micturations are to me
As plurdled gabbleblotchits on a lurgid bee.

Oh wait. That's Vogon poetry and that doesn't at all convey the extent of my love for Netflix.

I have never been a big TV watcher. In the past I would get hooked on the odd program now and again but I've never been a die hard TV fan and I'm not one for background noise (or any noise at all) so I don't just keep the TV on to keep it on. Recently though, I've need to unwind a bit and one can only watch movie adaptations of Jane Austen's books 4,165,344 times before you need to take at least one day off before you watch again, so I started browsing through the Instant Queue movie options on Netflix and now I'm addicted.

First, I watched North and South, a BBC mini series of Elizabeth Gaskell's book by the same title. It is romantic, beautiful, poetic, heartbreaking and it introduced me to Richard Armitage.

Take a moment to catch your breath and I'll continue.

Now. I've only watched North and South 4,165,344 times and I even bought the DVD set and have as of yet managed not to lick the cover. I've shown great restraint.

Next, Netflix introduced me to various other BBC miniseries and Masterpiece Classic productions, some so so, some wonderful. I found a miniseries of one of Ms. Gaskell's other titles Wives and Daughters which is another lovely and romantic work. Ms. Gaskell, you and I must become better acquainted. I believe we can be friends.

Then there were various others, Daniel Deronda and such and I finally watched The Young Victoria perhaps one of the most beautiful and real love stories of all time and I never even knew it existed.

Then, my beloved whose Netflix account is the one being subjected to all of my female nonsense, secure in his own manhood, he placed Downton Abbey in the instant queue for me and I fell head over heels in love. It's a Masterpiece theater original series that just completed season one. Season Two isn't scheduled to be released until Winter of 2012. That's torture in its purest form right there. This is an AMAZING show. It details the lives of the gentry and servants on a prosperous English estate prior to World War I. Watch this.

And while all of these shows have been wonderful and provided the escape that I've needed, they were lacking in the one thing that made me fall in love with Netflix in the first place, Richard Armitage. So I placed all three seasons of BBC's Robin Hood in instant queue and I found this:

THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is Richard Armitage as the villainous Sir Guy of Gisborne and you are very welcome.

Here is a link to Netflix to make the process your heart is going through at the moment easier: Netflix: Where You Can Stalk Richard Armitage For As Little As $14.99 A Month. Run along now.