Teaser Tuesdays - 2/10

Teaser Tuesdays: Grab your current read.Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

My Teaser sentences:

Bobby: I rushed out of there and I drove around until I could find a liquor store and a drugstore open and I got all this champagne and the oil and finally I started back to the motel and -- I --could not -- find -- it. I looked for over three hours.

From the libretto of "Company," the musical I'm currently working on. Book by George Furth, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

You guys? I don't have time to read. I PROMISE that as of March 1st I'll be done with this show and will actually start reading and posting real "Teaser Tuesdays" posts again. Sorry. :)

The Last Concert

I VERY rarely check MySpace anymore. (Haven't you heard? Facebook is the only way to go!) This morning, I felt like I may have been neglecting poor MySpace, so I logged in. Much to my surprise, others are still using it, including an artist and friend over at the UNT College of Music. He had written a new blog entry, and it really spoke to me. I felt the need to share it with you, my loyal readers (all dozen or so of you). Read, and enjoy:

The last concert....


Friday night I did something I have done many times- I sang a concert. I greeted members of the audience,congratulated my colleagues, and drove home. I took off my tux, put my studs and cuff links in the jewelry box, and dressed for bed.

Some years ago as I did that, I began to muse on how often most men wear a tuxedo. Maybe two or three times-the senior prom, their wedding, weddings of friends and family. But it is something I do several times a year. I actually have something of a
ritual. I take the tux to the cleaners, so I won't have to think about it next time. I put the score back on the shelf. I make a folder for the program, reviews, etc. and put it in the "Performances" file cabinet drawer.

As I thought about singing concerts, though, it occurred to me that one day I will do
it for the last time. One last time I will greet the audience, congratulate my
colleagues, drive home, and take off my tux. Will I know it's the last time? If I do, will it make a difference in how I sing? Will I be a weepy mess, or will I give the performance of a lifetime?

At that moment I softly voiced a prayer that I would not live to see the day when I wasn't singing. Of course,that would mean that I will die with SOMETHING left unsung. But perhaps that is for the best. I have known singers who stopped singing with many years left in their lives. True, they found satisfaction in other things. They taught,traveled, spent time with hobbies they had neglected during their singing
careers. They enjoyed time with their children and grandchildren, making up for
lost time.

But I want to sing. I want to sing until the end. Let me die onstage just like Leonard Warren, and I will die happy. I would die doing what I love to do.

If I do get to choose the time and place of my "last concert", I imagine it will be at my church. I will close with "Give me Jesus"...

"Oh when I come to die, Give me Jesus..."

But God only knows...

I know how he feels.

Teaser Tuesday - 1/13

Teaser Tuesdays: Grab your current read.Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

My Teaser sentences:

Bobby: Amy...marry me.

(pause. "Bobby Baby" underscoring)

Amy: Huh?

From the libretto of "Company," the musical I'm currently working on. Book by George Furth, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

I know. Lame that I used another "Company" Teaser Tuesday...but it's the only thing I have time to read right now. Plus, perhaps if I tease you all with lines from the show, you'll be interested enough to come see it! :)

Teaser Tuesday - 1/6

Teaser Tuesdays: Grab your current read.Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

My Teaser sentences:

Paul: Amy, after all these years, don't you know we fit?

Amy: The higher you go, the harder you hurt when you fall.

From the libretto of "Company," the musical I'm currently working on. Book by George Furth, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

Teaser Tuesdays - 12/30

Teaser Tuesdays: Grab your current read.Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

My Teaser sentences:

I stand up, turn off my office light, and walk down to the subway, trying to put Dex out of my head. But as I wait on the subway platform, my mind returns to our kiss in the elevator. -- From Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

Teaser Tuesdays - 12/23

Teaser Tuesdays: Grab your current read.Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

My Teaser sentences:

Look up common, and immediately following the word you'll find the endings -er, -est. These entries show how to form the comparative and superlative forms of the adjective. -- From Who's (oops!) Whose Grammar Book Is This Anyway? by C. Edward Good

Teaser Tuesdays 12/16

Teaser Tuesdays: Grab your current read.Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

My Teaser sentences:

And now the psychiatrist asked her a lengthy series of questions relating to Regan's psychological history. When at last he had finished, he seemed disturbed. -- From The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

Thoughts on the Twilight saga, Part I

***Okay I'm just going to tell you NOW that I neither have the time nor the energy to research the HTML coding necessary to hide spoilers from this post. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. Perhaps I will search it out at a later date, but for now, just stop reading RIGHT NOW if you don't want to have any of these books spoiled for you.***

Don't try to scroll down as far as you can before you see that I'm totally serious about the above disclaimer. Go. Go NOW.






Okay so in an earlier blog entry, I made mention that I was finally entering the Realm of the Twihards by finally giving in to reading the megahit young adult novel, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. Now, the reason you haven't heard about it again since then is because, true to fashion, I became sucked in and had to read all four books before I could even think about posting my opinions, thoughts, and ramblings on the book.

Now, I'm not going to go into extreme detail about each of these books because frankly, I don't have the time, and I'm also not getting paid to do so. You'll either read the books or you won't, and I doubt my "reviews" will influence you in one way or the other. With that being said, I highly recommend reading at least the first book, even if you're totally not interested in them. Simply so that you won't feel like a complete noob when others around you are discussing this phenomenon.

Book 1 - Twilight:
I'm not gonna lie. I LOVED this book. Loved. Still love. Will continue to love. It took a chapter or two for the hook to really grab me by the jaw and pull, but it happened. I finished this book in one day, and it took staying up until 2am on a work night to accomplish this feat. The lack of sleep was worth it to me because I was completely sold. Team Edward -- right here.

Let me just pause for a moment and give you a little backstory on my fascination with vampires. It might aid in your understanding of the schoolgirl babblings you're about to be subject to with regards to Edward Cullen. When I was a freshman in college, my best friend **InsertFunnyBlogPseudonymHere** and I decided to start reading the Anne Rice "Vampire Chronicles," beginning with Interview with the Vampire. We would discuss the hotness of gorgeous undead men with alabaster skin pinning us up against a wall and -- oh my -- biting our necks. Yes, we chose to ignore the slight fact that it would probably leave us dead or undead (which is to say, immortal). It was our world and we lived in it; don't judge. We both have a thing for vampires. It's just the way of it.

So, back to the book. The character of Bella is almost obnoxiously Mary Sue with her Joan-of-Arc-Complex, her adorable klutziness, and the fact that even though she is completely oblivious to it and oh-so-plain, every boy in her new school wants to go out with her. However, I love her. I love how stubborn she is, and I love the way Meyers writes the feelings that Bella has for Edward Cullen. I could relate to it, honestly. I was able to recall with vivid feelings and colors how it felt to be that close to a gorgeous guy for the first time, the aching moments before a first kiss, the frustration of trying to know what he was thinking, etc.

Speaking of Edward, the resident angsty 100-year-old teenage vampire, I must say that I love him. I love him throughout all four books. I've gotten into discussions on a (non-Twilight related) message board that I frequent about the general consensus that Edward is "creepy" or "a stalker" or "is too protective and territorial of Bella." Um, dudes? He's a vampire. In what universe, fictional or otherwise, did you expect to read about a normal, healthy relationship between a teenager and a vampire? Just sayin'.

I love the way Stephenie Meyer writes the restraint used by both Bella and Edward to control their baser, primal urges. Several have acclaimed this book for its "message of abstinence," but I don't think it's so much a moral issues as an "Edward will crush her like an aluminum can if he lets himself lose control" issue. The moments leading up to these rare, passionate moments though are brilliant. Brilliant and HOT. So much so that while I was reading late one night, I almost woke up Operaboy.

Meyer has a lot of potential as an author, but I must be honest here and say that I think she should thank her lucky stars EVERY DAY that this book became the phenomenon that it did, and that she had a publisher who was willing to take a chance on her. She is not the Next Great Author by any means; she seems to ignore the basic plot structure (exposition, climax, denoument (sp?), you know all that stuff we learned in high school), and she can beat a dead horse like nobody's business (Edward Cullen is so beautiful. His skin is so perfect. His eyes smolder. His skin sparkles. Yes, we get it!!!). However, her story is written in such a way that even grown women I know have not been able to put this book down.

She certainly made a believer out of me. I love it. Even after reading all four books in the saga, I will still say that Twilight is my favorite.

Okay I have work to do, so stay tuned for Parts II, III, and IV.

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays: Grab your current read.Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

My Teaser sentences:

It was harder not to speak to him because I was the one who wanted to speak. Instead, after a brief hesitation, I shook my head. -- From The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Movies: Prince Caspian

Susan Pevensie: Why didn't I see Aslan?
Lucy Pevensie: Maybe you weren't really looking for him.

Last night, Operaboy and I watched "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian." I don't know why I waited so long to see this movie.

Much like it's predecessor, "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe," this movie humbled me and brought me to tears with it's symoblic representation of God's love. Normally, I don't like when movies or books throw blatant symbolism in my face, but with C.S. Lewis, it's done so tastefully that I don't mind how obvious it is. He intended it to be an allegory, and I'm fine with that.

I'm not going to summarize the movie here, because a) most people have likely already seen it, and b) nearly everyone I know has read the books. However, I will say that this movie is beautifully done. There is just enough action to make it exciting, but the violence is understated enough even for small children to be able to handle.

I'm happy that they used the same 4 actors for the Pevensie children, and that even the younger ones were still good actors even out of their "I'm young and cute, so people are bound to like me" stages.

I love that Eddie Izzard was the voice of Reepicheep, the mouse with an inflated sense of bravado.

What I love best about this movie, though, was the simple and true faith of Lucy Pevensie. It never occurs to her to doubt that Aslan will always come through, and that he's always there whether or not we actually see him or feel his presence in a physical way. Her lines, delivered with the innocence and simplicity of a child but loaded with the faith of a mature, God-fearing woman, touched my heart and reminded me that it's not really so hard after all.

I highly recommend these movies for your personal collection. I'm hoping to own them all very soon.

Survey Love

From the thought-provoking Smash.

Name: OperaWife

What book are you reading now? Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (finally)

What are your favorite books? Well I obviously can't get enough of the Harry Potter (Rowling) series, like any normal human being that I would associate with. I also have recently enjoyed The Exorcist (Blatty), The Mark of the Lion series (Rivers), Something Borrowed (Giffin) as well as Something Blue and Baby Proof by the same author (very easy reads), Nineteen Minutes (Picoult), and Digital Fortress (Brown). I'm always looking for something new, though, and I can't wait to read the rest of the Twilight series.

What foreign languages do you read? Um, none.

What 's the funniest book you ever read? Me Talk Pretty One Day (Sedaris)

What books have changed the way you look at the world or the way you live your life? Definitely the Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers, specifically An Echo in the Darkness

What books have affirmed what you believe about life or the way you look at things? See above.

What are some of the scariest books you've ever read? I read The Stand (King) a long time ago, and reading The Exorcist the other night didn't exactly give me rosy meadow dreams.

About how many books do you think you have you read in your life? I wouldn't begin to try to count.

About how many books do you own? Not a terribly large amount...maybe 50-75? If I know I'm not going to re-read it, I usually donate it.

How many books per month do you usually borrow from the library? I don't go to the library.

How much would you say you've paid in library fines in your life? Oh, probably upwards of $100....

Do you read in bed? Every night

Do you ever read while walking or driving? I've read while walking. I don't recommend it.

OK, let's get real. Where is the strangest place you've read a book? In the bathtub?

Do you listen to audio books? I never have, but I'm willing to give it a shot.

Has anyone ever read aloud to you or you to them? Yes and yes. I don't necessarily prefer it. It keeps me from completely immersing myself in the story.

Tell us more. What book was the most difficult to read? Anything by Jane Austen. I love love love her work, but man those are a tough read.

Do you read every word of a book, or skip parts that don't hold your interest? Every word, but I usually miss a lot the first time through, because I'm reading so fast. I always re-read a book immediately to catch all I missed. I just get so excited!

What books do you keep intending to read but put off? I want to read more Austen, but see a question or two above. I also keep telling my mom I'll read the Left Behind series, but I'm not really all that interested.

Do you buy new or used books, paperbacks or hardbacks, leather or collector's items? All of the above.

How do you feel about writing in books, dog earing, etc? I'm really trying to stop dog-earing. I never write in books (besides textbooks, but everyone does that).

What is the first book you remember reading? I think it was a Sesame St book

Do you lend your books? I won't anymore. A certain someone in Boston STILL has 3 of my HP books....

Ever had to hire Large Louis to get it back for you? I'm about to.

What were your favorite books when you were a child? Babysitter's Club, all the way. Wombat Stew, when I was very small. I have a copy now. :)

What children's books do you most enjoy as an adult? Harry Potter and the Twilight series, but really those are "young adult."

Do you ever read the ending first? no freaking way!!

Did you ever agree to read the book somebody was pushing on you if they would read one for you in exchange? I haven't, but I can see it happening...

What were the books? n/a

Have you ever read a book more than once? Oh my goodness, yes!

What frequently recommended books have you been unable to finish? Flags of Our Fathers. It's not that it isn't interesting...it's just not that compelling.

I give up.

I want to read the book.

I've seriously been avoiding this craze like the plague, just as I did the Harry Potter craze years and years ago. I'm nothing if not going against what is trendy or popular, so when everyone started into the Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen craze, I backed off and said "No, thanks." I'll catch up later, right?

Well the only thing is, I have some friends, whose opinions and intelligence I greatly respect, who swear by the addictiveness (is that a word) of these books and the entertainment value of them. And now, there's a movie coming out in a few weeks based on Book 1, and as I'm ALWAYS one to read the book first (both because I hate spoilers and because the book is almost always better anyway), I must get my hands on a copy.

So hear I am, less than 2 weeks from the opening of the movie, begging my friends for a copy.

I never wanted it to be this way. Because you see, there is another problem....

It frightens me how easily the dormant screaming 13-year-old girl inside me rears her ugly head about pretty little things such as these:

Yum, right?