Hot List (It's Been Forever!)

BOOKS

1. Memory Wall by Anthony Doerr. A collection of short stories revolving around the different characters' memories. The thread that connects all the stories is the fact that memories disappear as each day passes. The story that really stuck with me was the title story about an elderly woman who has her brain drilled into so her memories could be recorded on tapes that she can watch when her dementia gets worse. All of the stories had me thinking about what memories I want to remember forever and how horrible it must be to have a loved one suffer from alzheimers or dementia.

2. My Horizontal Life, Are You There Vodka, Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang. I love Chelsea Handler! All her stories had me laughing and wanting to be her friend!

3. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. This was the last book in the Hunger Games series, and I had been waiting a year for it to come out! Although this series is considered "young adult" and for teen girls, I loved it. There's no vampires, werewolves, mushy love triangles, pathetic girls who need boys to rescue them.

4. The Passage by Justin Cronin. READ THIS! Although it's nearly 800 pages, once you start this huge beast you won't want to put it down. Yes, it's about killer mutant vampires, but this book is for adults and may give you nightmares!

5. Eating Animals by Jonathon Safron Foer. This non-fiction examination of our mean-consuming culture made me cry. I'm so happy I don't eat animals anymore.

MOVIES

1. The Road. Film adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy modern American classic. Love story (not in the sexual way) between father and son as they try to survive in a post-apocalyptical world. The movie is so raw and human. The movie is stripped of unnecessary dialogue so sometimes it's only the actions and emotions of the characters that's telling the story. I read this book a while ago, and my sister is reading it now for her Lit class at PBCC. After I watched the movie (which is a pretty acurate adaptation of the novel), we started discussing the main themes of the book, and I think that was the most we've talked to each other in years.

2. The Pacific. The HBO miniseries centered about three Americans who fought in the Pacific during WWII. It should come out on DVD soon, so you should Netflix it.

3. The Hurt Locker. Amazing. It deserved the Oscar for best picture and best director.

4. Away We Go. This movie came out last year, but it seems like it's always on HBO, and I watch it every time it's on. The script was co-written by one of my favorite authors (Dave Eggers) and it stars John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph. Funny, heartwarming, heartbreaking.

RANDOM

1. Arcade Fire. I love listening to Arcade Fire. Their new album "The Suburbs" is amazing. When I'm driving around with my windows down, I love playing "Wake Up" (from Funeral) and turning the volume up.

2. Skype. The existence of Skype makes me unbelievably happy. With Skype, Chris and I able to see each other and talk everyday. Every afternoon, after his classes, Chris will call my cell phone, and that lets me know he's ready to skype. I don't answer the call because it will cost money, so I just press decline and jump on the computer. We skype everyday, sometimes for as long as two hours. Every once in a while, he'll do something to skype so I can see what's open on his computer desktop, and what will be showing is his dead cadaver cut into. He always does this when I'm least expecting it. So gross!

3. Sesame seed bagels. The perfect lazy Sunday breakfast.

4. The Palm Beach County Library system. I go to the library at least once a week to get books, movies, and CDs. If the Wellington branch doesn't have the item I want, they can have it sent from another PBC branch! It's like magic!