Anybody read the new Dan Brown book yet? I haven't...I might eventually, but all the build-up hype made me back off. I don't like hype. I read all of the Harry Potter books, actually worked at a midnight release in a bookstore, but I didn't much care for the insanity there, either. I'm not one for mob mentality.

Speaking of books, those are what I'm immersing myself in today. I spent all weekend killing myself over writing articles (it paid off, but it ruined my mood) so I'm giving myself permission to do no "professional" writing today and just enjoy myself. Drink too much coffee (not that I don't do that every day anyway), read some books, do some crosswords. Stuff like that.

I'm going to be reading snippets from the hilariously wonderful book Alphabet Juice, and perhaps some of this bio of Audrey Hepburn that's largely pictures. Picture book for adults = super cool.

That's all I've got for today, kids. I'm sleepy and still recovering from the massive amount of writing I did over the weekend. 18+ articles and rewrites? That's a lot. Break time! See you tomorrow.

Alphabets and juice

There are plenty of books of lists out there, and a lot of them are pretty good. One in particular catches my attention, though, and I guess that's mostly because I'm a word nerd (seriously, you have no idea how true that statement is). "Alphabet Juice" by Roy Blount Jr. is that book -it takes the alphabet letter by letter and...juices it. Pun intended. It's a funny, smart book that's still accessible to readers who aren't even that into words.

Reading this book has made me laugh out loud on more than one occasion, and despite the weird looks I've gotten, I still enjoy it. It's a great book, a fun read, and it's divided into convenient servings (I'll try to lay off the puns soon, I promise) that make it ideal for reading in chunks. One of the best things about the book is its full title: Alphabet Juice. The Energies, Gists, and Spirits of Letters, Words, and Combinations Thereof; Their Roots, Bones, Innards, Piths, Pips, and Secret Parts, Tinctures, Tonics, and Essences; With Examples of Their Usage Foul And Savory.

Seriously? That is an awesome title. Although I'm not really a fan of the Oxford comma, personally (check out Eats, Shoots & Leaves to find out what that is -the comma deal is really a totally personal preference, but it's fun to read about anyway), that is one of the coolest and most ridiculous titles I've ever seen.

More on books 'n' stuff soon. Hopefully I'll have a review of "A Scanner Darkly" up in the next couple of days! The book creeps me out in the best/worst way possible, so I'm having to read it in stages. The one time I read it before I slept, I had weird dreams and almost fell off the couch, so I'm trying to avoid having that experience again.