The Sunday Salon -- Next Week is Christmas

Hello friends!

Can you believe Christmas is next week? I cannot! For some reason December always flies by and I'm left wondering where it went. Tell me I'm not alone!

Also, this past week I returned to that thing called book blogging, and posted reviews of three books. The Talented Mr. Ripley, Mariette in Ecstasy, and The End of the Affair. I also announced a new format for the Faith and Fiction Round Table for 2012 and announced the very decreased number of books we'll be reading--4 and their titles. It's a very open format and so I'm begging you to hoping you'll join in! We also announced the 2011 INSPY winners. Some great books there!

Tis the time of year for people to put together books lists--I freaking love this time of year. I love the way people write about the books that have mattered to them in the past year, and my favorite place to find those kinds of reports is on The Millions with their Year in Reading posts. While I undoubtedly find some pretentious person apologizing for loving a book that is considered less than a masterpiece every year, I also find a delightful assortment of more obscure books or books I love being discovered and loved. It's really a great series. My favorite post so far this year was from Mark O'Connell who made me want to add every book he talked about to my wishlist. In fact his comparison of Gilead to The Tree of Life is the main reason it's on the FNFRT list for this coming year. And I've been feeling more and more that I should read Anna Karenina and his post made me want to read it almost immediately. Also, if you want to know how the Year in Reading series came to be, there's a great post at Electric Literature...it sounds a like how any blog features comes to be!

But I also love love love Hearts & Minds Bookstore's End of Year lists on the Booknotes blog. They put up a gift guide yesterday that had me adding to my wishlist like crazy. The books lean more to the nonfiction thinky side, but I am always looking for good recommendations in that area. And also The Book Smugglers' Smugglivus is always loads of fun.

In other book news of great importance, Beth Kephart has a two book deal with Philomel books which is AMAZING. I always breathe a sigh of relief knowing we'll get more of her amazing books. Also, read the lovely Christmas scene in You Are My Only, one of my top reads of the year, over at Marg's blog.

In light of the highly unnecessary The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo movie coming out, I thought this list of 11 Thoughts about Lisbeth Salander at The Rejectionist was interesting and pretty right on.

Some fashion designers sketched Katniss's "Girl on Fire" dress and uh...they are mostly horrible.

TV

So...this week I discovered that Doc Jensen is recapping American Horror Story which made my interest in the show rise about 100%. I loved his LOST recaps back in the day, and upon reading his recaps for AHS, I was similarly delighted. Can't help it, I like it when smart people make all sorts of references for me and sort of..put stories into a greater context. I'd mostly been watching the show without thinking about it, but it's nice to know (at the end of the season, lol)that I can read his recaps for more insight and interesting theories. Also...I don't know I thought these past two episodes were really strong. I really loved Violet telling off Tate and telling him he has to pay for what's he done and I loved the scene between Violet and Vivien at the end. AHS will never ever be a feel good show, but I'm curious to see how things wrap up for the season and what sort of set-up they do for season 2.

The Golden Globe nominations were announced. Whatever. I haven't seen very many films at all this year and I don't watch most of the TV shows. I do kind of hope Mireille Enos wins for The Killing though that has more to do with the fact I'm so happy such a character even exists. And of course Amy Poehler should win!

Bones was so tragically bad a couple of weeks ago. It felt like they were trying way too hard with every storyline, Hodgins and Angela getting no sleep, Booth being overprotective, Brennan being stubborn. Even the storm chasers and the magic love trailer. And I don't know...I feel like Booth was painted as being somewhat rational in his overprotective inclinations towards Brennan and like OF COURSE HE'S THIS WAY HE'S THAT KIND OF MANLY MAN and it was just ick all over the place for me because Brennan is not unreasonable and there is absolutely no reason to believe she wouldn't take care of her child and herself. And that joke at the end was so bad, with Booth telling her she needed to wear socks on their hardwood floors because she might get a splinter that I found myself seriously considering quitting the show for good YET AGAIN.

Revenge's mid-season finale actually got me interested in the show again a little bit. The problem is that Daniel is my favorite character and apparently he was killed off in the pilot, right? So every week I continue to like him and be like, CURSES!!! HE'S GOING TO DIE!!! But my friend said there's a big fake death in The Count of Monte Cristo? So fingers crossed for that! I have to admit I was confused by all that stuff that guy was saying to Emily this week about how she was in love with Daniel, because LOL I haven't seen it yet. Also Jack kinda creeps me out the way he was all into Emily and then Amanda (the real Emily) comes along and when he finds out who she is, he's all into her. It's just...not my thing.

Gossip Girl's midseason finale was both frustrating and well, parts of it were good. I'm really tired of the Chuck and Blair merry-go-around and also Blair Waldorf, frozen, unable to breathe, or make a decision for herself about what man she wants to be with let alone unable to consider the thought of being alone (quelle horreur!) is really something I NEVER wanted to see on the show. But Dan was so sweet and even if there's no reason on God's green earth anyone should think Chuck is truly a reformed man, I really doubt we're watching Dan be all kinds of perfect for it not to eventually end up somewhere good for Dan and Blair, the only reason I'm still watching this show. Sigh. Also, LOL at Gossip Girl having another "Will Chuck survive?" cliffhanger when they'll only disappoint us at the show's return and he's still alive.

AND FRIENDS! You know how I talk about The Secret Circle on here and you always ignore those parts of my posts and comment on The Vampire Diaries? Well the CW is running a marathon of The Secret Circle and you can catch up! And then we can talk about the witches togetherrrrr! Watch! Watch! Watch!

Are you planning on watching any of the new midseason shows? I'll be giving several of them a try, Alcatraz, Good Christian Belles, Touch, and also so excited that Switched at Birth is coming back January 3rd, wheeee!

Holidays!

Tomorrow is my turn for the Virtual Advent, which is exciting. I have family coming in this week as well which should be fun. I'm currently reading the most delightful British Christmas romantic comedy which is very comforting because even though everyone's lives are out of control at the moment, I know everything will turn around for the best at the end. It's what I always hope for in my own life. Tis the season.

I hope you are all having the best of times and not the worst of times! Drop me a comment and tell me how you are and what you're up to....

PS I have written this whole post in blogger's new interface. Having reached the end, I think I can officially say that I really like it.