They say he changes when the sun goes down.

I read Shiver by m_stiefvater and I really liked it. It's like Twilight if Edward were a werewolf and Bella had friends and purpose and actually acted as a protagonist in her own life and oh yeah, they actually had sex. So...not so much like Twilight after all, I guess. It was a fun Y/A time and Maggie Stiefvater is a lovely person. Her last name is pronounced "Steve Otter," by the way. How I picture Steve Otter, below:



The book starts with Grace's memory of being dragged from her backward swing by a pack of wolves, which had the effect of dislodging a memory I'd misplaced. I was attacked by a wild dog when I was about six. It dragged me away. I had a bite print on my foot for the longest time. I say I misplaced the memory because it wasn't as if it were so traumatizing that I repressed it. Even at the time, I wasn't scared. [At first I was like, "Oh no!" but then I was like, "This is a story." And a good one.] But I hadn't thought about it in years until I read the book.

Now I'm reading Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow and watching Das weiße Band nervously because I know what Michael Haneke is capable of. I'm also planning to watch The Hurt Locker today (and maybe go Christmas shopping later), so apparently I'm also planning to have the most stressful day possible. Maybe I'll go see Antichrist, too. Or wrestle a bear. Play Operation. On a high wire. That's part of a Rube Goldberg device.

But first, a conversation that pretty much sums up my experience with Avatar:

My Mother Talks To Her (Male) Employee, A Play in 1 Act--

[This employee went to see Avatar with another male employee. They are not a couple.]

Employee: Usually [he] and I talk the whole time during movies [Editor's Note: Ugh], but we didn't say a word.
My mom: Did you hold hands?
Employee: No, but it was so pretty that I wanted to.