Slowing Down

Just finished Sabriel by Garth Nix last night. I am very impressed. It's an awesome story, with a great lead character (Sabriel feels herself unworthy to her task, but muddles through well enough--even better than well enough; is determined to accomplish her goal--what she will do after that, she's not sure; and she has emotions as well. It often seems that female characters, in order to make them 'strong', are denied their emotions. Not the case with Sabriel), and plenty of action. I didn't fall asleep at all while I read last night. (Falling asleep while reading, mind you, has nothing to do with whether or not I'm enjoying the book, sometimes I just fall asleep.) Sabriel and her father, Abhorsen, can travel into Death and the Dead can travel into Life. Her job is to banish the Dead from the land, but first she has to find her father. She has been raised south of the Wall, away from the Old Kingdom, where things are a little more normal. In her journey to find her father, she encounters the Dead (some of them still give me shivers), Mogget (a trapped-spirit-thing in the shape of a cat who is very sarcastic), and Touchstone (who was once a figurehead on a ship. Sabriel released him). Your typical quest fantasy book, with its own twist, but so originally and beautifully told, so rich in images that it's impossible not to picture what's happening, that it makes it a little different. I'm looking forward to reading Abhorsen and Lirael. I really am a fantasy nerd. I was just a little late in coming to it.
In the process of reading The Swan Kingdom by Zoe Marriott and not more than 20 pages into it at this point. It's a retelling/version/inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's story, "The Wild Swans" and I'm curious to see how it will turn out. Alexandra is a princess with three older brothers, but is 'homely' as her father calls her, while her brothes are handsome and intelligent. She shares a link to the earth with her mother and her father frowns upon such a connection. That is where I am currently. She's just turned 15 and things are supposedly going to change.
Turning to what's alread out on dvd, I've been sucked into Veronica Mars, and I almost begrudingly admit that I'm impressed by it. I was never into Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys when I was younger and I don't read mysteries, so I didn't think I would enjoy the show. But it's so ... so ... pop-culture-y and clever and witty that it's impossible to resist. The main characters are likeable and well-developed (even obnoxious, snotty Logan) and at least the first season's season-long mystery was interesting (though I have to say, I was completely surprised at who did it; there didn't seem to be much connecting the victim & murderer). I'm only 3 episodes in to season 2 and I think I'll enjoy it as much.
As for the Big Screen, saw Forgetting Sarah Marshall last week because I love Jason Segel (Marshall on How I Met Your Mother, which is a fantastic show) and it promised to be a cute/funny movie. It leans more towards raunchy-funny, but funny nonetheless. And sweet. And made me want to go back to Hawaii. Peter is dumped by tv-show star girlfriend Sarah Marshall (played by Kristen Bell) and attempts (and fails) to get over her. His friend encourages him to take a vacation, get away from the apartment Sarah and Peter shared, and work on moving on with his life. Peter decides to go to Hawaii because Sarah always liked it and he went, only to find that Sarah is staying at the same hotel with her new boyfriend .... O, poor Peter. He stays, hooks up with the cute customer service girl (Mila Kunis, yay That 70s Show cast member!), and Sarah wants him back. Much hijinx ensue in the meantime, including Paul Rudd as a stoner surf instructor, and a rock-puppet-opera about Dracula. That's right. Rock. Puppet. Opera. Dracula. Fun, if you like stupid/romantic comedies. On the slate tonight: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Please, please, please let there be a brief Sean Connery cameo. Review will be up later.
I am, as always, your slacking librarian.