The "Stuff of Legend" Leather Bound Hardcover Limited Edition

There are certain comic books that I will recommend others to read, no matter what their preferences are. "Stuff of Legend" by Mike Raicht and Brian Smith with illustrations by Charles Paul Wilson III is at the top of my list, every single time. 

As most of you know, WWII is my favorite time period, especially in New York City. This book starts off in Park Slope, Brooklyn in 1944 with a boy whose father is fighting in the war. The boy is suddenly kidnapped by the terrifying Boogeyman and his toys decide to go off into the Dark realm of the closet to get him back. Once the toys reach the this realm, they are turned into actual forms of themselves-such as the teddy bear Max is now a real bear, the toy solider now a man. But they are not the only toys who have ventured off into the darkness, and these other toys' intentions are motivated by scorn and bitterness.

Every person that I have suggested "Stuff of Legend" to has also fallen in love with the characters, the compelling story and the breathtaking art. I had the honor of doing a book club with Mike Raicht and Paul Wilson at a Midtown Comic Book club a while back, and they are two of the nicest and most talented guys in the industry. They have a passion and sincerity about their work that is unparalleled.

Lucky for you, a stunning leather-bound hardcover limited edition consisting of the first two volumes is available to buy online for $49.99. This book is worth every single penny, I give it a Bookishbelle A++ for quality of the cover, pages, and of course- story. 

"As Allied forces fight the enemy on Europe's war-torn beaches, another battle begins in a child's bedroom in Brooklyn when the nightmarish Boogeyman snatches a boy and takes him to the realm of The Dark. The child's playthings, led by the toy soldier known as the Colonel, band together to stage a daring rescue. On their perilous mission they will confront the boy's bitter and forgotten toys, as well as betrayal in their own ranks. The Stuff of Legend is a haunting and ultimately redemptive tale of loyalty, camaraderie, and perseverance. 

 This hardcover collection brings together the first two volumes of the New York Times bestselling graphic novel The Stuff of Legend (The Dark and The Jungle) in one beautiful, 260-page edition. The book also contains never-before-printed character sketches and artwork by series artist and Russ Manning Award nominee, Charles Paul Wilson III."

I cannot recommend this book enough and I hope to hear that MANY of you check it out as soon as possible! Also, show the creators some love! Follow writers Mike @MikeRaicht, Brian @YourPalSmitty , and illustrator Charles @cpwilsoniii as well as the 'Stuff of Legend' Facebook page!

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“And once you live a good story, you get a taste for a kind of meaning in life, and you can't go back to being normal."

Hello guys! This late Sunday afternoon I’m sitting on a train back to the city after spending the weekend with my family in Jersey. One of the main reasons I visited was because one of my favorite people Angela (@angelaplz) was also visiting the area. You might know Angela as my soccer loving, often yelling, science briantic best friend from college. She lives back in upstate Jersey now so haven’t been able to see each other for nearly six months.

Angela and I spent Saturday catching up on all the drama and events we’ve missed as well as lunch and coffee with my mom before settling down to do our favorite pastime: picking a weird ass movie on Netflix and yell things at the television. Somehow we always end up watching strange films such as “Four Faced Liar” which turned out to be about lesbians or “Timer” which is about injecting a device into your arm to detect when you’ll meet your soul mate.  This weekend’s pick was “Reality Bites” with Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, and Steve Zahn. For a film set in the 90s about post college misfit and finding true love, it won positive reviews from both of us.

Saturday night my family visited my other favorite female, my cousin Kim (@NotAKennedy) and her dad, my Uncle Ray. Uncle Ray and my dad are best friends and we all have the best pizza nights. This particular one included a story about my parents accidentally visiting a ship owned by a cult (“Only dumbass white people join cults.” –Kim) and then watching “How To Train Your Dragon” on Telemundo. It was a very successful night indeed.

 

Currently:

Reading: “Story of a Million Years” by David Huddle. I found this book for a dollar at Book Off, a store run by Asians in Midtown where I find the best and cheapest movies and novels. The story featured a group of characters and explored how the actions of each other affected one another over decades. A simple and quick read, but no less profound and enjoyable. The title of this post is a quote from the book.

Listening To: Christmas Piano Jazz on Spotify. I mean, what else is there to say? It’s perfect.

Watching: “Gossip Girl” season one. I had never watched this show but I read the books when they first started coming out years ago. I stopped reading because the characters are very catty and eventually there was no one left to sleep with one they’ve fucked everyone they know. I wanted to give the show a shot however because I heard the New York location shots are beautiful and they indeed are. I’m admittedly addicted now but we’ll see how long I can stomach the petty drama

Wanting To: Find my center. I’m feeling very lost right now. Not in an overbearing or bad way, just one of those….misplaced feelings. I did however, officially stop biting my nails which doesn’t sound like much but it’s a personal feat. From a small age I started biting them to be more like my older cousin and I never stopped, resulting in being embarrassed about them my entire life. Once I moved to the city I wanted to sop, and them I simply did. Score one for me =P

And so life goes on, much as it has been. I’m feeling restless, and am hoping for something big to come my way. If it does, you will all be the first to know. =)

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“Born This Way” Book Review & Giveaway

“Nobody is better than you, and you’re no better than anyone else.”  

            “Born This Way” by Paul Vitagliano from Quirk Books is a timeline of pictures and snippets from the 1940s to the 2000s of gay adults reflecting back at their childhoods. Not all knew at a young age that they were gay, sometimes their parents and peers knew way before they did, but all agree that they were this way from the beginning.

            The stories range from different time periods and locations from around the world recalling childhoods of both females and males who identify as gay. The stories are everywhere from sad and endearing to upbeat and reflective. I even found a tale from someone named “Perez” who greatly resembled Perez Hilton- a pleasant surprise to see a famous personality include his story in this book. Each snippet is accompanied by only a first name and the age of themselves in their childhood picture so I couldn’t find any other famous names, but maybe you can!

            Aesthetically it’s a great little book: a regular sized coffee table book to give to your friends or family to show your support or just because you love them for being who they are. Even as someone who isn’t gay I found great inspiration reading stories from people who aren’t afraid to just be themselves no matter what. And because I love my readers exactly as you are, I’m giving away this copy to one of you!

Simply enter below and spread the word!

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“Doesn’t New York Just Turn You Inside Out?”

Hello guys, I hope you are all well! Today I am sitting in the best seat in this café (a squishy chair near both a window and an outlet) feeling very much in love with my life. This is not always the case, but I’m afraid I have come down with New-York-in-the-fall-syndrome where I cannot help but be cheerful. Even Tom Hanks in ‘You’ve Got Mail’ suffered from this: “Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.” I went for a run this morning in Riverside Park (another ‘You’ve Got Mail’ connection) and I was quite overwhelmed by the crisp air, changing leaves and unique beauty that Manhattan holds.

It felt nice to have a quite morning after the chaos that was New York Comic Con this past weekend. This year’s convention was surprisingly different than previous years due to the lack of major booths and panels. Marvel had a very low-key booth compared to last year’s Helicarrier set up and San Diego Comic Con’s Iron Man 3 display this past summer. There were hardly any major panels either, just ‘The Walking Dead’, ‘Evil Dead’, ‘Carrie’ and ‘Firefly’. Marvel even did not have their big Saturday night panel, which is disappointing considering how impressive their footage shown at SDCC was. 

However, the people I saw at Comic Con more than made up for the lack of entertainment. I was able to spend most of Wednesday with Stephanie (@hellocookie) showing her Canadian self around New York City for her first time! We both enjoy the television show ‘Smash’ so I stalked the Internet and found out the crew was filming that day at the Flatiron building. Stephanie and I were able to watch Megan Hilty, as her character Ivy, film a scene. After the stalking I took her to Tiffany’s, FAO Schwarz (where we danced on the Big Piano with little kids), the New York Public Library and the stunning Disney Store in Times Square! We admittedly spent way too much money at the Disney Store hahahaha. Steph is an adorable and brilliant person to hang out with and I suggest you follow her immediately.

That night Pietro and I went to the Hasbro cocktail party where they showcased their new toys. Free drinks named after Avengers characters and delicious food complimented our perfect company: Rick and Jessica Marshall (@rickmarshall and @Jess_on_ice). Rick is my favorite journalist in this industry and Jess is complete sweetheart who quotes ‘Lord of the Rings’.  After the Hasbro party Pietro and I met up with Stephanie and her boss Bill (@BillWillingham) at the Assassin’s Creed party thrown by our dear friend Stone (@GreatWallofChin). There we took silly pictures as the game characters and hung out with some famous rapper named Prodigy in the VIP room.  It was interesting to say the least. 

The rest of the weekend went by in a flash but highlights include the Aliens party Friday night Pietro and I attended and then breakfast Sunday morning with my favorite #Fukamush crew! I spent the rest of Sunday hanging out with this marvelous group of people from all over the world and running into people I hadn’t seen in a long time. Since I never do a #FollowFriday I’ll mention them all here and you can follow at will, but I highly recommend them all: Lindsey (@tokyoacid) Sebastian (@LindsaysFaveMex) Jessy, (@H3artlessSeph) Annerys (@annerys_dc) Daniel (@Darkflight) Gregg ( @GreggTurek), Hyo (@yuidiot) Andrew (@blackdieseluk) Andrew (@BigAxC) and Miranda (@theneonindian).

Last week I also managed to squeeze in a few job interviews, but they were all at start up companies and I turned them down. Some people find that environment challenging and exciting but I prefer a more structured company so I’m looking into other options. I also STILL DO NOT HAVE A FRIDGE. Oh New York.

Matter of business: Congratulations to Justin (@Jaydee_yo) for winning a copy of 'Perks of Being a Wallflower' in my blog contest! Your book will be shipped out this afternoon! Come back to tomorrow to another book contest =D Speaking of books....

I finished reading ‘Rules of Civility’ by Amor Towles that I mentioned in my last blog post and I cannot recommend it enough. This novel turned out to be different than I what was expecting, but in a good way. It’s full of love, though not romance, human interaction and most of all: stunning New York. The books I enjoy most are ones that use this city as a character, and I never can get enough of them.

The title of this blog post is a quote from the book, one of many that I underlined while reading. This novel was full of moments and lines that struck me, however one in particular stood out:

“To even have one year when you’re presented with choices that can alter your circumstances, your character, your course- that’s by God alone. And it shouldn’t come without a price.”

That line struck a chord within me. This year my life has changed drastically, full of the very best circumstances and many not good ones. Often I have found myself focusing on the low points instead of the positive ones. And then I read that line. “And it shouldn’t come without a price.” How painfully true is that? My life has changed for the better tens times over, but shouldn’t it come with price? By god shouldn’t I have to pay a debt in return for having my dreams come true? For then all of this will be worth that much more.

And that is what I will leave you with today. Think of your hardships and your difficulties and wonder, isn’t your happiness worth this price?

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Selling My Comic Books To Move To NYC!

Alrighty guys, I'm cleaning out my comic book collection (save for my ultimate favorites) in order to fund my move to New York City. If everything goes right, I'm signing a lease this week which means I'm trying to sell my stuff ASAP.

Many people have been known to sell their beloved comic collections to make their big dreams come true, and anyone who knows me is very well aware that New York has been my dream for as long as I can remember, and now I am SO close, but not without your help.

Below is a list of all the comics I'm selling. Make an offer on the books you want and if you buy a bunch I'll give you a break. Please don't try to be too cheap okay? I'm selling this stuff for a reason and it's breaking my heart.

If you want any of these, email me at zgulliksen@gmail.com  page with the ones you want and an offer price. If you have ANY questions about anything dont hesitate to ask or tweet me (@bookishbelle). All books are in good condition but I can give you more details when you inquire about them. I also have other books signed by the authors made them out to my name that I haven't listed. If you don't care about that, let me know and I'll tell you which books I have. Will ship to Canada/UK as long as you pay for the shipping!

You don't need a paypal account! Each transaction will be paid through WePay, a much better company =) Unless you live in New York City and you can pick them up in person. Each book will come your way with a personal thank you note and something extra if you spend a lot.

Until then-> happy shopping!

BOOKS

-The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Absolute Edition Volume One: $150
         -Two huge hard covers, perfect condition except the box slipcase corner is a little squished. 

-The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume II: First Printing hardcover

-Scott Pilgrim Vs. The Universe Book 5 Foil Cover (RARE)

- The Walking Dead Volumes 1 &2 TPB 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

- Justice League New 52 Volume One Origin: Signed by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee! $50 (with COA)

-The Amazing Spider-Man Brand New Day Volume 3 hardcover (signed by Dan Slott) $25

- Star Wars Manga: A New Hope (4 books) and Empire Strikes Back (4 books) (In English from Dark Horse)

-Cable and Deadpool TPB Volumes 1 thru 7: $70

-The DC Comics Action Figure Archive Table Top HardCover


MY FAVORITES
My Black Canary comics mean the most to me: she was the first super hero I fell in love with and the first one I cosplayed as. I would not be a comic book fan if it wasn't for her.

-Black Canary Archives Volume One Hardcover
-Green Arrow/Black Canary TPB
      1.) Road to the Alter
      2.) Family Business
      3.) A League of Their Own
      4.) Enemies List

Teen Titans was my other favorite comics. These were the guys that got me into comics and I originally did not want to sell them but alas, I'm doing what I gotta do.

Showcase Presents: Teen Titans
Teen Titans: Ravager Fresh Hell
Teen Titans Spotlight: Wonder Girl
Teen Titans Deathtrap
Titans: Lockdown
Teen Titans: Year One

Teen Titans (2005)
   1.) A Kid's Game
   2.) Family Lost
   3.) Beast Boys & Girls
   4.) The Future Is Now

OTHERS

-Sandman by Neil Gaiman Volumes 1, 2, 6, 10
-Kick Ass by Mark Millar hardcover (my name signed on first page)
- Northlanders by Brian Wood Book Two and Four
- Watchmen
- The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft
- Lost At Sea by Bryan Lee O’Malley
- Mercury by Hope Larson (Bryan Lee O’Malley’s wife)


MARVEL
-The Amazing Spider-Man Brand New Day Volume 2 Hardcover
- Ultimate Spider-Man Ultimate Collection Volume 1
- The Amazing Spider-Man Red Headed Stranger Hardcover
-The Amazing Spider-Man Ultimate Collection Volume 1
-The Amazing Spider-Man Return of the Black Cat
-The Amazing Spider-Man Flying Blind Hardcover
- Deadpool volume one Secret Invasion
- Deadpool Dark Reign Hardcover
- Deadpool Dark Reign Thunderbolts
-  Deadpool Vs The Marvel Universe
-  Deadpool X Marks the Spot Hardcover
-  Deadpool Suicide Kings Hardcover
-  Wolverine Origins: Volume 5: Deadpool
-  X-Men First Class: The Wonder Years
-  X-Men First Class: Band of Brothers
-  Uncanny X-Men The Extremists
-  X-Men Deadly Genesis
-  The Vision
-  Captain America: Hail Hydra
-  Drax The Destroyer Earthfall
-  X-Men Origins
- The Incredible Hulk Prelude to Planet Hulk
- The Incredible Hulk Tempest Fugit
- Ultimate Marvel Team-Up Volume 2
-  Ultimate Fantastic Four Volume 1

DC
- The Death of Superman (first printing)
- Justice League of America The Tornado’s Path Hardcover
-  Green Lantern: Wanted: Hal Jordan Hardcover
- Birds of Prey Brightest Day End Run Hardcover
- All Star Superman Volume One Hardcover
- All Star Superman Volume One and Two (SOLD)
- Green Lantern Revenge of the Green Lanterns
- Green Lantern No Fear
-  Green Lantern The Sinestro Coprs War Volumes One and Two
-  Green Lantern The Road Back
-  Green Lantern Tales of the Sinestro Corps
- Green Lantern Rebirth
- Young Justice A League of Their Own
- Young Justice: Sins of Youth
- Justice League: Midsummer’s Nightmare
- The New Teen Titans Terra Incognito
- Teen Titans Spotlight: Cyborg 

STATUES
All are in great condition and come in original boxes

-Captain Britain Bowen 80s Bust (764/1600) $50

Diamond Select Storm Comic-Con Exclusive Bust (artists proof #8 / 500) $50

Moon Knight Bowen Designs (2357/5000) $40

Mysterio Bowen Bust (3613/4000) $40

However, if you don't see anything you want but would like to still help out a little, here's a link!

Donate

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On How I Didn't Find 50 Shades of Grey All That Bad (So Sue Me)

Alright, let's get a few things out of the way first: '50 Shades of Grey' by E.L. James as well as it's two sequels '50 Shades Darker' and '50 Shades Freed', are not good books. They are written just as awfully as everyone has been telling you. And yes, they are blatant Twilight fan fiction rip offs. The main character Ana, is a 21 year old mousey college student who has never kissed a guy before. Her low self esteem rivals Bella Swan's. Christian Grey is just as over protective and obsessively controlling as Edward Cullen. The locations are also the same (Washington State and Texas), the Grey family is much like The Cullen's and the friends surrounding the romantic pair are quite similar as well.

For crying out loud, this book was originally called "Master of the Universe" published online where James used the pseudonym "Snow Queen's Ice-dragon". Just so we are clear: these are not good books and I would never recommend them to anyone at all.

That being said, I willingly read all three books. (Stop reading now if you do not want spoilers) I started the first one after seeing women EVERYWHERE read it. In a single subway car I once saw three women reading the book. On the airport in San Diego a woman was desperately engrossed in it. And so, I downloaded my first eBook onto my iPad. I am against eBooks, but I would not be caught dead reading '50 Shades of Grey' in public.

The book started out exceptionally awful, and it took a good 40 pages into the book for me to get used to the poor writing. But once I  did, I admit that I became increasingly engrossed  with Christian Grey and Ana Steele. Christian is the adopted son of friendly socialites, himself a multi millionaire in his mid twenties. Ana is quiet, yet surprisingly resistant to Christian's over protective ways.

And yes, there is sex. God there is so much sex, but none of it was as kinky or graphic as I thought it was going to be. This book has become known for its BDSM relationship, when actually it isn't about that at all. Christian Grey was tortured as a child, and so he is too psychologically fucked up to show affection for a woman any other way. However, Ana does not give into the masochists relationship, instead putting her foot down on most kinky actions save for bondage, and the occasional rough sex. The more graphic actions are a hard limit for Ana and it doesn't get too bad at all. Christian never manages to truly coax Ana into the Dom/Sub lifestyle he was used to, instead creating a relatively normal relationship.

So why did I not just stop after the first book? Why was I compelled to buy both sequels? Mainly because the story turned out not quite I had judged it to be. I quickly grew attached to these characters, and the drama was just as plentiful as the sex scenes: murder, arson, politics, romance and suspense. I wanted to know what happened, if the villains won, and if Christain Grey would be able to hold onto his beloved Ana.

These are by no means, good books. But there is a certain allure to them that women cannot get enough of: a man who is wholeheartedly devoted to them. It's the same Twilight effect found in nearly every supermarket trashy romance novel. As a woman, the idea that a strong attractive, over possessive intellectual man could need you as much as you need him... why that feeling is addictive.

The Edward Cullens and the Christian Greys of the fictional world are appealing to women because these fictional men are so devoted to their women that they would never, ever cheat on them. Christian Grey is terrified of losing the first woman he has ever truly cared for, and so he is obsessive and controlling. Yes it's frustrating and annoying, but bottom line you know that he would do anything to protect her.  That sense of security and devotion  is perhaps anti feminist, but I am not a feminist. I am not ashamed to admit that I connected with these books because underneath a hard headed woman who does not like giving into relationships or needing ANYONE at all, I crave that sense of security that comes with knowing a man would never leave you for someone else. That is not a feeling easily found in real life.

Once again I MUST repeat, these are not good books. They started out on a fan fiction website for god's sake and every complaint about the book is accurate. The sex became SO repetitive and so often that even *I* was skipping the dirty scenes just to see if the characters would live to see another day. They are the reality tv of books: awful characters with awful dramatized plots.

But at the end of the day when you want something to read on your commute home, or sick in bed with very little cognitive abilities, these books will suit your needs. However, I am NOT recommending that you spend your money on these books. They are not worth the $10 a piece from the Apple store. However, if you borrow them from a friend, I will not judge you. If you are too arrogant to succumb to the lowest levels of fiction, well then go read 'Tale of Two Cities' next time you're sick and I hope it helps your headache.

Although, in the future if I'm craving smutty fiction, I'll look no further than Galeen Foley's collection of novels. They are well written beautiful tales of pirates, princesses, politics, and of course: sex. If these sound like books you might be interested in, I suggest you start with "Pirate Prince". That book is my favorite and the perfect introduction into that author's world.

Overall, I did not hate the 50 Shades of Grey books, so sue me. They are supermarket trashy romance novels that leaped to success because of the Twilight origins. A girl is allowed her guilty pleasures. Now excuse me while I go find myself a grey tie ;)

Ps- why should my opinion matter? I have a degree in Creative Writing and I pride myself on my fantastic opinion on books. I am also not a book snob, I recognize books for what they are: entertainment.

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Life Updates and Things

Hello guys!

Considering how busy I have been lately, it looks like I will be posting only on Sundays for now. But if  you would like more frequent updates, check Twitter (@Bookishbelle) or my Tumblr (zgulliksen.tumblr.com) for pictures about everything and nothing at all.

My work coffee mug & desk things

My new job at MoviePass is pretty amazing actually. I'm the Social Media & Events Director where I get to talk about movies all day long. I can't explain what we do JUST yet but you should be VERY excited. We launch in August but until then you should follow our Twitter (@MoviePass) and blog (blog.moviepass.com) both of which I am currently taking over. I will also be at SDCC this year to talk about it, so add me to your list of people to say hi to!

I also tried fondue for the first time with Spider writer Dan Slott. (@DanSlott) It all started because I told him that I had a dream that we went out for fondue and so we made it happen. It was quite ironic because we had it on the hottest day of the year so far, but nevertheless it was delicious. I mean, how can you say no to bread and cheese? We felt like Peggy Carter and Howard Stark =P

Currently:

Reading: Peter and the Starcatcher Annotated Script of the Broadway Play, Strangers in Paradise vol 5 by Terry Moore, and One Fifth Ave by Candice Bushnell. Okay so that last one is 100% a guilty pleasure. I need something to read on a train ride home and picked up this chick fiction at a train station bookstore that did not require a lot of thought process to get through. So far it has way too many characters that are fighting over a 20 million dollar apartment. I wish I had $20 million to fight with.

Strangers is brilliant as always, and if you haven't read this series, I suggest giving it a shot. For years I was reluctant to start it because I didn't quite like the art. Now I'm in love with not only the art but the complicated characters as well. Pick it up.

Peter is the script of the play I loved so dearly, and I was dying to get my hands on this book so I could have a mini speech Molly gives:

"And when I marry, I shall make it very clear to this person-that sentimentality is not on the calendar. He will have to lump it, or leave it. And if he should leave, I'll stay a spinster and pin my hair back and volunteer weekends as hospital. And I will love words for their own sake, like "hyacinth" and "Piccadilly" and "onyx". And I'll have a good old dog, and think what I like, and be part of a different sort of family, with friends, you know? -who understand that things are only worth what you're willing to give up for them."

My review of the book is going up on the Daily BLAM soon, so keep an eye for it.

Listening to: I made Barney's New Year's Eve Playlist from How I Met Your Mother on Spotify and it's been on repeat for a while. My favorites include "You Give Love a Bad Name" by Bon Jovi and "Sail Away"by Styx. 

Watching: This week I saw Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Brave. Although the writing for Abe was just awful, the cinematography was stunning and overall entertaining. Brave I greatly disliked though. The story was shallow and everything felt forced. This week I'm going to see Ted on Tuesday, another screening on Wednesday (which Pietro hasn't told me what it is yet) and then Spider-Man again on Thursday! I love working in the movie business. ^.^ I also have been having a Digimon: Season 1 marathon with my brother. We are amazed at how good it still is after all these years.

Wanting to: Mhmm. Get back into running shape. Start eating a more balanced diet. I'm a vegetarian, and often I don't get the nutrients and protein I need and as a result I feel lethargic and sick. So this week my goal is to eat MUCH better. I also want to do really well at my job and prove to them that I am invaluable. 

My goal this week is also to be more understanding with people. This next month will try my patience more than I'd like. In the past, when people become too much for me to handle, I simply stop talking to them. Instead, I am learning to just shut up and bear with it. Just because certain circumstances hurt me, I can't expect to be happy with everything. It's just life.

Things I Saw This Week:

Hellboy, Jersey style. As seen upon a train station garbage can

88 cent pregnancy tests, as seen at Wal-mart

That's all for now! I hope everyone is having a good afternoon, and I'll see you on Twitter!

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Sunday Updates: New Job & Roller Derby Teams

I've been up since 6:30 this morning, which is unheard of on a weekend (or any day,  really) for me. However, I am very anxious person and I'm feeling very jittery about my new job tomorrow! I view my anxiety as positive element though, and Pietro (@poni_boy) just reaffirmed this on the phone with me. He said that when I become nervous, especially in a work situation, I don't mess up- instead I perform even better than usual. So I raise my Calming Tea glass to being anxious. I thought waking up early would make me more productive, but all I did was stalk Tumblr and watch an episode of True Life on MTV. This is time I could have been snoozing.

Now for some Sunday Updates!

Currently:

Reading- This week I read "Promethea" by Alan Moore, courtesy of Kristin (@dramaqueen327). Novel wise I'm reading "False Negative" by Joespeh Koeing, a pulp fiction Hard Case story. I am LOVING it so much, however the "scandalous" cover has convinced my family I am reading "sex stories".

Listening To- This week I have been playing a Broadway Playlist that I made on Spotify that is probably driving this household bonkers considering I sing along quite loud. I also am tone deaf. Songs include "People Will Say We're in Love" from Oklahoma, "For the First Time" from Tarzan, and "On The Street Where You Live" from My Fair Lady. However, this morning I'm listening to Britney Spears' original album. Come on, "Baby More More Time" is a classic.

Watching- This week I watched The Black Dahlia  and New Year's Eve. Both movies are known for being terrible films, however I enjoyed them much more than I expected. The Black Dahlia's cinematography is stunning and was nominated for an Academy Award. However, the script was all over the place and unfulfilling. Thank goodness for 1940s culture and Scarlett Johansson. New Year's Eve was also not as bad as everyone said it was. Sure, The Ashton Kutcher/ Lea Michelle story line made me want to claw my eyes out from boredom/grossed out. But the rest of it was actually surprising and heart felt. I'm also a sucker for sentimental movies that take place in New York City.

Wanting To- Become a Roller Derby Girl. If you have been following my tweets this morning, you have seen that I'm bringing up my ridiculous dream to be a hell on wheels babe in a kick ass outfit. I wouldn't actually be good on a team though because I'm not aggressive/competitive and I have poor coordination. But I think I would look really good in weird outfit and I would very much enjoy skating around Central Park. I've talked to some girls on Twitter and I plan to start a team where we just drink milkshakes and skate on flat terrain. Super hero costumes also will be involved. Interested? Drop me a line.

New Job starts tomorrow, which is pretty surreal every time I think about it. For years and years 2012 was going to be when my whole life changed. I had three goals: graduate from college, land an awesome job in the city, and then finally move to the city. Well 2 out of those 3 have been accomplished and all I have left to do is move out of Jersey at last! Hopefully this time will come sooner than later.

That's all for now, tootles!

-Zoë 

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