How many books read in 2009?
114, counting rereads. Also currently working on The Omnivore's Dilemma. I just started it today though, so there's no way it'll get finished by midnight.

Fiction/Non-Fiction ratio?
So, it looks like... 55:2. Yeah, I read like 4 non-fiction books this year. I read textbooks! But not cover-to-cover, so they don't count, and I didn't really read any ethnographies. Also, I didn't put into account Alison Bechdel's Fun Home because I don't know what it counts as. It's...non-fiction?? I'm not really sure.

Male/Female authors?
29:55. Wow, I apparently read a lot more female authors this year, huh.

Favourite book read??
Okay, so, A Game of Thrones was super excellent, as was The Hunger Games. I also loved Ash and Oracle Bones and Bastard Out of Carolina. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was also quite good... THIS IS DIFFICULT FOR ME, OKAY??

Least favourite?
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society sounded really awesome in theory, and was kind of poor in execution. Also, Her Fearful Symmetry was not good. You know what else I didn't like very much? Graceling, but at least it's a better alternative than Twilight.

Oldest book read?
It appears to be The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner.

Newest?
Possibly Ash by Malinda Lo.. I bought it only a week or two after it came out.

Longest book title?
Um. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol. 1: The Pox Party. By MT Anderson.

Shortest title?
Ash by Malinda Lo.

How many re-reads?
24. Less than I had anticipated. I generally reread when I'm home for weekends or short breaks because it's not long enough of a time that I can go to the library.

Most books read by one author this year?
7, I think. I read all the Narnia books.

Any in translation?
I think only two? English by Wang Gang and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.

And how many of this year’s books were from the library?
52. I do get most of my reading material from the library, but, um, bought a lot of books this year also, so... Yeah.

Thanksgiving was lovely! I ate way less food than usually though. I've developed this thing where I'm hungry, like, every two hours, but I don't eat very much. It's actually way annoying. In any case, we had half of China over at our house, consuming food and singing karaoke. I think the two pies I made, as well as the turkey, were the only traditional Thanksgiving dishes around. But in any case, it was good. Jenny and I watched Bolt. All the college students sat around and talked about Lady Gaga. Fun times.

fireworkfiasco put up a meme. And since I just really enjoy memes... =D

( OH LOOK, PERSONAL INFORMATION GALORE. )

* I really have to thank my friend Lenna for re-introducing me to my favorite sandwich here at school. I was kind of obsessed with it my first year, but ate it one too many times, and have kind of avoided it ever since. But the other day Lenna told me about how magical it is on 12 grain bread instead of on a batard, and I got one for lunch today, AND IT WAS LIKE MAGIC IN MY MOUTH. Oh, meltdown, never change.

To make your own - cook some slices of cold-cut turkey in a pan and melt a little Swiss cheese on top. Put in between two slices of 12 grain bread with guacamole, onions, tomatoes, and lettuce. LIFE CHANGING, NO JOKE. For a full Mount Holyoke experience, wash down with Vitamin Water and a little plastic baggie of baby carrots.

* E is kind of an amazing girl. I've had a really, really awesome week. And I'm really happy and not stressed at all about her (which is so nice). I can't, oh man, I'm so incoherent. Anyway, we are going to a Boston Choral Society concert next Sunday and she doesn't really know Boston at all, so I think I'm going to take her around the Common and walk along Newbury and maybe, if we have time, Quincy Market. I'd really like to take her to the aquarium but (1) Julia doesn't work there anymore and (2) it's far away from Copley, which is where the concert is.

* I have this wine I have to make into sangria and that I keep forgetting about. I really need to drink it before it goes bad. I know. My life is full of difficulty. Also, right now I'm drinking some Apple & Eve juice called Dragon Fruit Yumberry. Can someone explain that one to me? What the fuck does that even mean?

* Oh my god, oh my god, it is almost Thanksgiving. I have to find a job so I can pay rent in half a year. GOOD LORD, AHHHHHH.

Dear Yuletide Santa,

Happy Festivus season! I'm so happy it's that time of year again. Also, I apologize heartily. I'm sometimes bad on specifics and get pretty "whatever you want". I know it works for some people and doesn't for others and I hope you're one of the latter rather than the former. For your sake. Anyway, I'd like to say thank you! I'm so excited for my Yuletide fic and I hope it's too much of a trial for you. And I'm grateful for it, whatever it is that you're writing.

Here are request-specific elaborations:

(1) Like I said, I really love Chrestomanci. I love DWJ's canon and I'd love anything you could possibly come up with. And yes, I didn't love Witch Week, so preferably not that book. But Cat and Christopher are absolutely darling. Christopher has always been my favorite character, but I've often preferred fics from Cat's point-of-view. But please don't feel like this limits you. I would really read anything.

(2) Oh. My. God. First off, I'm crying inside that they canceled the show. Secondly, HOW MUCH DID THE 13TH EPISODE KILL YOU?!?!?! The characters that intrigue me the most are definitely Adelle and Topher. And I'm really dying to see how they develop that intimacy and delicateness in their relationship in that apocalypse world. I really see romantic potential there. If that squicks you, don't worry about it. Background or...god, anything, about either of them is good too.

(3) I kind of take back what I said on my request form. I mean, not exactly. I still really enjoy Peeta and would totally be thrilled to receive something Peeta-centric. It'd actually be refreshing after reading two books from Katniss's POV. But I'm super interested in their relationship and District 13 and auuuuuugh, really, anything. Anything is fine.

(4) Okay. Um. I really like it when girls kiss. And I love fairy tale retellings. Ergo, gay fairy tale = perfect. Seriously, have all the leeway you want. Straight fairy tale retelling, gay fairy tale retelling, whatever. Go to town. =)

Thank you, Santa!

Man, it's been a while, huh? Sorry, dudes. I've been back at school, getting into the swing of senior year (eww), dealing with people again. I think I came from China fully realizing that (1) I honestly like being a hermit, which leads me to (2) I'm setting a goal for myself that by age 35, I will be living in a farmhouse in Vermont. Haha, we'll see how that one goes.

irishmizzy did a 9 Things That Make You Happy meme, which seemed like fun. So I am going to do that now. =D

( What? 9 Things? But I like a lot of things! )

Hey friends! I am here, in China, chilling. I still have about a month left, and boy, it's something. I've discovered that in public, no one in China does anything that demonstrates regard for others (for example -- parking one's car in front of the apartment dumpster), but secretly they're all teddy bears and are hospitable to the point of ingratiating. Also, I really enjoy living by myself (more or less, you know, I have roommates and stuff) and buying my own groceries and whatnot. Bars are fun, but I can't stay for longer than two hours generally. Oh, and it's HOT. It's hot and humid and some days you walk out at 8 AM for work and as soon as you open the front door, heat hits you in the face.

Everything is cheap here! I bought breakfast this morning for a dollar (steamed dumplings and noodles to put in my lunchbox) and groceries at the farmer's market probably cost us about three.

I've been reading a bunch and watching HIMYM which I bought all four seasons of for TWENTY DOLLARS. Yes, friends, TWENTY BUCKS. Seven seasons of Gilmore Girls or The West Wing would have been around $50, which I was willing to spend, but would have found difficult to transport unbeknownst to customs. I got both my roommates into HIMYM, which is totally delightful. I've forgotten how cute it is to watch it with people who've never seen it before. Last night, Melanie was all, "CAN WE WATCH THE NEXT DISC NOW???" and I was like, "...We should go to sleep." But S1 HIMYM! Pure joy! I can't wait for the gems of S2 -- Robin Sparkles, Swarley, etc.

I brought eight books with me to China, including George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series (CHLOE, I HOPE YOU TAKE NOTE). Ahaha, guys, I thought it would last me the whole time but it has not. Mostly because I tore through the first book on the plane ride over. THEY ARE SO GOOD, YOU GUYS. I was so doubtful I was going to enjoy them (I got over my thing for epic fantasy in middle school), but then I started reading and couldn't stop. I got my roommate Taylor into them too. I didn't have the fourth one with me so I hunted it down last weekend in Shanghai and paid an exorbitant amount of money for it just because I wanted to read it so badly. I-I'm a crazy person for books. BUT THE FIFTH ONE HASN'T EVEN BEEN FINISHED, WTF?!

On the plus side, HBO is filming the pilot! Sean Bean as Ned Stark! I'm really looking forward to the show, which apparently was pitched as "the Sopranos in Middle Earth". LOLZ. You bet I'll be watching for all the incest-y, fratricide-y gloriousness.

How's summer, everyone? I miss home. And well-spoken English. And Facebook.

I'm in China and posting shit on my Tumblr, if you're interested in following my adventures. =)

I guess I promised I'd do a real entry ages ago, but then that didn't happen, and I'm still not going to talk about television because finales were last month and reaction posts are rather old hat now. So instead the summer drudges on, with no new episodes to look forward to (seriously - who thought of that idea?? "I KNOW, IT'S SUMMER. LET'S NOT SHOW NEW THINGS." IT WAS THE LAMEST IDEA EVER, EXECUTIVE DUDE).

Um, my girlfriend and I broke up after two months. Which in hindsight is not very long, but it seemed long at the time since it was fraught with emotional tension/intensity. I'm dealing with it, which is to say that it sucks but it sucks less a little bit every day. I'm spending a lot of time asking myself, "Why?" though because she didn't really give me any concrete reasons when it happened, so my brain feels like it's running on overdrive. I plan on asking her when I see her in a week or so for coffee, but dwelling isn't good and I'm the type of person who needs answers. I don't really think I'm going to get closure from her at this time though, but hopefully at least pressing her to think about it will be enough for the time?

My method for dealing with this break-up seems to be practicing a lot of guitar in my room, which is actually kind of nice. I'm teaching myself, so the going is slow, but I am dedicated? Or at least until my fingerpads start throbbing so much I can't put them on the strings anymore.

Anyway, so aside from that shit happening, I am preparing to go to China for my internship. But that also nearly got pulled out from under me (IT'S BEEN A STRESSFUL MONTH, GUYS). Basically the university I was supposed to be going to postponed the internship because they're afraid of swine flu. But thanks to shady family connections and some nifty networking, the internship has now switched universities and I am still going to do the same thing, but in a nicer place. Yay, exciting! I'm really looking forward to it.

Otherwise life is humdrum. Seeing friends while at home, trying to avoid my parents. Same old story. Every time I come back it becomes increasingly clear that my number one priority post-graduation has to be GET MY OWN PLACE because I cannot live long-term with my parents ever again. Huzzah, recession!

In conclusion: rain has turned Boston into a drizzle-land of doom. Seriously, what the hell? Also, I miss The OC.

In lieu of a real update (which is forthcoming, I swear, with thoughts on, but not limited to: The Office, Bones, HIMYM, and Dollhouse), I decided to give all of you a taste of what it's like for me to be working alum reunions during Senior Week as a cleaner. SPOILER ALERT: It's awesome.

( A Day in the Life of a MHC Reunion Worker )

You wish you had my life. Actually, it's been worse previously. Day one I had trash duty, which meant that I collected all the disgusting bags of trash accumulated on Move Out Day. And the other three days I've been scrubbing and cleaning rooms. Hey. I am pretty baller at de-lofting beds now. Just saying.

Haha. I suck at this post everyday business. Okay, let's try again.

Friday:

* Alexa and Maggie met Nicole and they really liked her. Also, we saw a tarted-up cow statue at Bart's Ice Cream in Amherst. I didn't think cows could be that slutty, really.

Saturday:

* I got to play Guitar Hero! For the first time in a while too, guys. I don't know. My guitar-playing skills have deteriorated significantly. Also, I saw Tanner at Smith, my co-counselor from this summer. That was really nice. And SUSHI DINNER. Yum.

Sunday:

* Things are just good, guys. GEEZ. Seriously? OH. kindness_says made me super happy today. I love you, K. <3

Stolen from chibirhm.

1. Post about something that made you happy today even if it's just a small thing.
2. Do this everyday for eight days without fail.
3. Tag eight of your friends to do the same.

* Today was devastatingly beautiful outside and I had English class in the amphitheater. The only thing that would have made it better would have been discussing Marie Howe instead of Sam Shepard, because I'll take gorgeous poetry over creepy plays any day.

* I spent a lovely evening with Nicole and Chloe, and I was very, very glad to see Nicole after not being to see her yesterday (yeah, whatever, I'm a lamer). And I'm glad that the play is over because, you know, we can actually hold hands in public now.

* Tomorrow is Friday. ALSO, I actually enjoyed both episodes of The Office tonight. I haven't watched Parks & Recs yet, but I will.

Okay, I know that was three things, but today turned out pretty well. Also, do this of your own will (but if you do, I'll enjoy reading it!) if you'd like.

Ugh, cold rain is the worst. Well, I take that back. Snow would be worse. But rain put off Opening Day for the Red Sox! And I am annoyed about that.

So. God, this is embarrassing, but um. So I'm seeing this girl. And she's pretty neat. And I would say more stuff, but, um, yeah. Her suitemate's on my f-list (hey there, Chloe!) so I feel particularly awkward about it. Her name's Nicole and I like her a lot and she's...great. Okay, I'm now a puddle of idiocy. We're going to stop there.

Annnd...I was going to talk about the Bechdel Test because of annakovsky's LJ entry today, but I have to run, and... Great, now all this entry will consist of is me being a rambling moron. I love it. Perfect.

I've spent the past few days, or just today in particular, wanting something that I can't even articulate. It got bad towards the end of rehearsal, when I was just lying on a bench listening to Girlyman's The Shape I Found You In, and not thinking about anything in particular. I went into this weird half-asleep state and I felt really centered, but really disconnected at the same time. And I feel really overly emotional at the moment, but not in a way that is either bad nor good, just a little overwhelmed (once again -- neither bad nor good).

Um. In other, more tangible, news. I'm playing a queer Asian woman in a one-act that's going up this weekend. This isn't typecasting at all, guys. And I actually didn't mean that bitterly or in any way annoyed, I just think it's kind of funny. And weird. Because I haven't done theatre since high school and doing it here is really, really different, and I think part of the reason I felt disconnected as described above is that I feel disconnected from the theatre realm here. But I don't feel like there's a need in me to be there... I'm rambling.

Basically, well, I dropped a cappella for the semester. And I don't know if I'll go back in the fall. It depends. But I guess it's sort of this journey to fill that kind of void in my life, when I used to constantly have rehearsal, and after this weekend I won't be and for the first time in a long time I'll have free weeknights...and that's strange to me, somehow. Like I'm not doing enough (well, maybe I can finally catch up on homework that I fail at completing).

God, this entry has a lot more Feelings involved than usual. I think it's just the mood I'm in, really. Hey, hey, let's move on to happier things!

I'M GOING TO CHINA FOR THE SUMMER. That's right! I got this internship to teach English at a university in Fujian. I'm really psyched! It's been three years since the last time I went, and I've never been to that province. I think it'll be really rewarding and enjoyable, not to mention that I will eat awesome food.

I'm reading Tarot again. I did for a little bit in the fall, but it kind of fell by the wayside, and I started again recently. My readings are a lot clearer now, some of them really precise and creepy. I'm slowly memorizing the cards, one by one. It'll take me a while, but I'll get there eventually. And, I don't know, it's fun!

Also, I wish I could sleep normal hours like normal people instead of being some kind of crazy person who only functions at night and then walks around all zombie-like during the day. Wtf?

Ugh, I wish I had real things to say. Friends, spring is here(?). I want to lie on the green and read poetry and snuggle. I want to go on midnight adventures with people I love and sing the Indigo Girls real loud. I want to take walks when everything is perfectly still and quiet and write. Spring makes me feel things.

I wish New England weather would cooperate with spring break. Like, students have a week off! Let's make the weather super-warm and enjoyable! But, not at all. Except on Wednesday, kind of.

So, spring break has been pretty uneventful. I saw my little brother's school musical last Friday night, which was Meet Me in St. Louis AKA the most plotless musical to ever grace the stage. It was both terrible and amazing, but mostly only amazing in its terribleness. My brother was pretty decent though! Only a few wincing moments. He was the main love interest, which made me spaz out in the middle of one scene, when I thought he and the girl would have to kiss and I could not have handled that. Mostly my godsister and I just sat around trying to see how many more scenes were in Act II and how much longer it'd be.

I had dinner with my godfamily, and my godmother launched into a tirade about how Mike Mulligan and the Steam Shovel reinforced the patriarchy, which, admittedly, the steam shovel is female and is named Mary Anne, but, I mean, IT'S A STEAM SHOVEL. Also, I really like the book's illustrations. Apparently Ora has really strong feelings re: children's literature? And I would like to point out that this woman is like my second mother. Is there any surprise to the fact that I turned out super-feminist?

On Thursday I saw moireach and annakovsky and other cool folks. We grabbed dinner, which was pretty amazing. I got kind of lost though, having never been to the Haymarket T station, and had to get my bearings. Luckily, this was easily done by the fact that you can see the wharf. And now I can go back and get annoyed with Erika for making me walk to the North End from, like, I don't even remember where this summer.

Afterwards, I dropped in on kindness_says since I was already in the city. At first K was all, "Ugh, I have to do homework. Why are you here?" the way she is, but then as it turns out it was a good thing I showed up. She had to compile a play for her Theatre Ensemble class, but...no one else in her group could write remotely realistic dialogue. Also, one of them wrote "making love" in a stage direction, and I just shuddered. What -- ew -- I HATE that term.

Anyway, there was a lot of stressing about how K wanted to rewrite the script basically (also add on another half of it because it wasn't nearly long enough), but she didn't want to be slaughtered by her group, and eventually we did it. It took eleven hours. Which, I guess, considering that it's the length of a television sitcom, was pretty good. By the time I came home around noon-ish on Friday, I was totally functioning as a zombie. Zero sleep = awesome.

BUT, UM. WAIT. HOLD UP. THE OFFICE. ( I mean, I don't read spoilers anymore for this show, so maybe my freaking out is needless. )

Wow, I had a lot more to say about the show than I thought. And mostly writing that just made me sad. IS THAT NORMAL FOR ME TO CARE ABOUT TELEVISION THAT MUCH??

So like three days ago I realized that I hadn't made a public post in well over a week, and felt bad and started complaining about the weather, but I think I got super sidetracked or something because I never finished it. It could probably be condensed down to, "Blah blah blah I hate snow why did it snow wtf it's cold why isn't it spring" etc, etc.

BUT really, this entry is to celebrate spring break! I'm coming home to Boston, so fellow Bostonians, if you want to hang out this next week, drop me a line. I'm so excited to go home and sleep and eat and not think about work (after I finish my paper on M. Butterfly).

I must pack now because my bus leaves in a little under an hour and a half and my room is a mess. Okay, substantial post coming soon, I swear!

Also, I gave in and got a Twitter.

Friend me? Or whatever it's called on there.

Hey guys.

So there's this artist. Her name's Vienna Teng and she's basically the most amazing artist in the entire world (like, practically). Her lyrics are poetry. Her melodies are stunning. I love seeing her live. Basically, she's awesome.

Anyway, her new album is being released April 7th, but, uh, it's already released in Europe and I ripped it off YouTube. BUT I FEEL OKAY because I've already pre-ordered her album, have actually physically purchased all her other ones, and pay to see her live like twice a year for the past three years.

You should buy the album.

Here are my three favorite tracks off Inland Territory:

vienna teng -- antebellum

i know the border lines we drew between us
keep the weapons down,
keep the wounded safe.
i know our antebellum innocence
was never meant to see the light of our armistice day.

vienna teng -- stray italian greyhound

this stray italian greyhound
these inconvenient fireworks
this ice-cream-covered screaming hyperactive thought
god i just want to lay down
these colors make my eyes hurt
this feeling calls for everything that i am
not

PS. This song was written after she attended an Obama rally and, yeah, but it pretty much works about everything.

vienna teng -- st. stephen's cross

she was there the night the wall came down.
she faded into that newborn crowd
like a warning of what could be lost.
through the perforated night she ran,
her fingers slipping from his hand,
and she breathed in freedom
before daylight tread.

Go listen. I urge you.