CGHS Library

Merry Christmas

At the End of the Day

I personally thought this list of TOP TEN MOST ANNOYING PHRASES was amusing.  Apparently, Oxford researchers keep track of overused buzzwords in a database called the Oxford University Corpus.  

Absolutely.

Even though, with all due respect, Oxford Researchers, I was shamed to learn that at this moment in time, I tend to use these phrases myself 24/7, even though I shouldn't of.  It's a nightmare.

I really should try to speak better.  After all, it's not rocket science.

If you are curious, here is the actual list of annoying and overused phrases.

1 - At the end of the day
2 - Fairly unique
3 - I personally
4 - At this moment in time
5 - With all due respect
6 - Absolutely
7 - It's a nightmare
8 - Shouldn't of
9 - 24/7
10 - It's not rocket science

More details may be found on Wired's fairly unique blog. 

Yes, I think I'm funny.  -mh

Big Fat Manifesto

I was intrigued by the opening paragraph of Susan Vaught's new novel, Big Fat Manifesto. (I have to admit that I was also intrigued by the title.) Here it is:

I am so sick of reading books and articles about fat girls written by skinny women. Or worse yet, skinny guys. Tell me, what in the name of all that's creamy and chocolate do skinny guys know about being a fat girl?

Meet Jamie Caracterra. She's fat. She's also a journalist, a friend, and a senior, and she's trying to win the National Merit Scholarship so that she can afford to go to college, since her parents can't pay for it, and her grades and SAT scores aren't the greatest. In order to put together a portfolio, she begins a weekly column for the school newspaper (of which she is features editor) where she rants about being fat, the stereotypes and challenges facing fat people, and, eventually, her boyfriend's choice to have bariatric surgery. Writing the column becomes an outlet for Jamie to vent about just about everything.

Taken from:  Estella's Revenge blog

I Love You, Beth Cooper

Denis Cooverman — valedictorian, debate team captain, nerd extraordinaire — uses the occasion of his high school graduation speech to tell the head cheerleader, “I love you, Beth Cooper.” In one of Doyle’s too few subversions of the genre, Beth is touched by Denis’s sincerity. Unfortunately, her violent boyfriend, Kevin, on furlough from the Army, is not. Denis, Beth and assorted friends spend the novel trying to stay out of the homicidal Kevin’s grasp, as an evening of unlikely romance unfolds.

Watch for the movie in the summer of 2009.

-I Love You, Beth Cooper by Larry Doyle

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow

Blessed—or cursed—with an ability to understand animals, the Lass has always felt estranged from her family, who struggle to make a living in the windswept north. So when an isbjorn (polar bear) seeks her out and promises that her family will be provided for if she accompanies him to his castle, she doesn’t hesitate. But the great white bear is not what he seems, nor is his castle. Slowly the Lass unravels the mystery of the bear’s enchantment and the spell connecting him with the strange symbols carved in the castle’s icy walls. But on a journey to a place where the four winds fear to travel, the true horror of the bear’s spell is revealed, and the Lass’s courage—and love—will be tested.

-Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George

Him Her Him Again the End of Him

You know that friend of yours who has been inexplicably, miserably, annoyingly hung up on the wrong guy for years — or has it been a decade? You know who I mean: she's smart, funny and attractive. Lots of men — even desirable ones — fall for her, although she never seems to like any of them. Or else, just when she begins to notice their existence, he steps back into the picture, pulling her focus away once more. She's the friend to whom you had to issue a ban on ever mentioning his name in your presence again, and then broke it repeatedly because she seemed so desperately in need of advice (which she promptly ignored). Well, she's the heroine of a very funny novel, "Him Her Him Again the End of Him" by the former "Saturday Night Live" writer Patricia Marx. Unfortunately, he's in here, too.

-Him Her Him Again The End of Him by Patricia Marx

Wildwood Dancing

There are many mysteries within the wildwood. Jena and her sisters share the biggest of all, a fantastic secret that enables them to escape the confines of their everyday life in rural Transylvania. They have kept it hidden for nine long years.

When their father falls ill and must leave their forest home over the winter, Jena and her oldest sister Tati are left in charge. All goes well until a tragic accident allows their over bearing cousin Cezar to take control. The appearance of a mysterious young man in a black coat divides sister from sister, and suddenly Jena finds herself fighting to save all she holds dear. With her constant companion Gogu by her side, she must venture to realms dark and perilous in her quest to preserve, not just those she loves, but her own independence as well.

-WILDWOOD DANCING by Juliet Marillier

Singin' in the Rain

I recently rediscovered Gene Kelly while watching Singin' in the Rain.  Wow.  Has anybody ever danced so well?  Don't forget to take a gander at Donald O'Connor.  Yes, Debbie Reynolds is in there too.  True, the beginning is kind of cheesy, but give it a chance.  The movie is lots of fun and perfect for the winter doldrums.

New Fantasy

With her silver skin and silver hair, fifteen-year-old Princess Avielle of Rhia resembles her Dredonian great-great grandmother who practiced evil magic. Everyone in Rhia expects Avielle to turn evil, too. Shunned by those around her, she feels unloved and unable to love others. In addition, she fears that Rhia will go to war with Dredonia, which suffers under the rule of evil wizard-priests: the Brethren of the Black Cloaks. They have placed impossible demands upon Rhia, but the king and queen have refused to acquiesce. One terrible night, the Brethren attack, killing the royal family and hundreds of others. Only Avielle escapes. She must keep her identity secret to avoid death from the enemy. While hiding among the common people, she learns that she has a magical gift for weaving. But will this gift, rooted in her Dredonian blood, lead Avielle to the same evil that possessed her great-great grandmother? Or will it help her free her people from further attacks?

-AVIELLE OF RHIA by Dia Calhoun

Chicken Soup

If you are in need of a little encouragement and everybody you know is so wrapped up in their own problems that talking to them is pretty much a waste of breath, try the CHICKEN SOUP books in the library.  These books are chock full of inspirational stories and quotes that deal with real issues.

"Sometimes if you want to be a winner, you have to be willing to bear the scars from the fight.

Petra Salvaje

"Patterning your life around other's opinions is nothing more than slavery."

Lawana Blackwell