The Plaid Pladd

I was all ready to post another review of a banned book this morning until I realized that between Friday and now I have only been reading this engrossing book my mom lent me for the plane and congratulating myself on remembering so much about To Kill a Mockingbird. So that is out for now. Instead, I have decided to take you on an odyssey through my Google Reader, since my blogroll sidebar has been flitting in and out of functionality since the host transition. Also, because it’s way easier than thinking up something original. I am saving all my originality for today for the super fun times surprise group project due Thursday that has just been sprung on us. Yeah, you WISH you were in library science grad school.

Blogs By People I Know

The Adventures of Cynthia Bova!
Written by: Cynthia Bova
Who I Know From: THE 434
Updates: Whenever Bova feels like it
Mostly About: Bova’s adventures; occasional angstiness
Once Bova challenged me to some kind of dramatic blog contest, but since she is five times better at being dramatic, she was the clear winner. Unfortunately, she hasn’t really updated much since spring–at least I PRETEND to update twice a week.

inhale prepare/exhale release
Written by: The Lovely Natalie Gallagher
Who I Know From: Illustrating This Freakin’ Book I Wrote
Updates: Usually when Natalie is freaking out about something
Mostly About: complaints, rants, random quotes, art
I only get to see Natalie maybe once every two or three years since she lives in Minneapolis, which is like on the other end of nowhere from the generally snow-free places I tend to hang out. Reading her blog is therefore pretty much the only way I can still pretend that we are friends for later when I will need favors in interior design/wedding dress fashion help/illustrations/fabulousness counseling.

Always SomeThings
Written by: Deya
Who I Know From: Rice; specifically breakfast and Chicano Lit class
Updates: Regularly, until a month ago. Maybe I should leap into Nancy Drew-like action and get to the bottom of this by sending a facebook message.
Mostly About: Books! My favorite thing!
Deya’s book reviews are usually much more considered than mine, and are usually about books that adults might actually care about. However, she never has long-winded rants about how sucky grad school is, so we each have our strong points.

Typical Adventures
Written by: Caitlin Miller
Who I Know From: My sordid past aiding and abetting the WSS Mafia.
Updates: Sporadically
Mostly About: Caitlin’s life in L.A.
So far, Caitlin has mostly written about moving and decorating. I am vaguely annoyed that I have lived in my apartment for a year, and hers already looks nicer than mine. My feeble attempts at decorating ended at The Wall of Hats (for hatmergencies) and the World’s Largest Crossword (best picture ever). I am hoping that if I keep it in my Google Reader, over time her life will eventually become an action-packed rollercoaster of L.A. intrigue when she is cast for an MTV reality show and/or starts fighting crime. This may be the secret reason I follow anyone’s blog, including my own. And if not, at least I will get some decorating ideas.

Blogs Written by Strangers (or just Strange People)

Better Book Titles
Written by: Dan Wilbur
Updates: Whenevs
Mostly Covers: Book covers with the words replaced with what the title SHOULD be
Maybe it’s only funny if you were an unhappy English major/read way too much like me. My favorite lately has been Don Quixote.

Bookshelves of Doom
Written by: Leila Roy
Updates: Pretty much daily
Mostly About: Books, libraries, things vaguely related to books and libraries
Leila Roy is my hero. She is hilarious, we share similar tastes in literature, and she is a super-successful librarian sans an MLS degree. Since one of my goals in life is to end MLS snobbery, I think that’s awesome. Anyway, the book reviews are hilarious, but she also provides random tidbits of lit-related news like Harry Popper condoms in Switzerland and Archie Comics/Twilight crossovers. In fact, I feel like I should stop having a blog and we should all read hers instead.

Go Fug Yourself
Written by: Heather, Jessica, Intern George (Clooney)
Updates: Multiple Times Per Day
Mostly Covers: Ridiculous Celebrity Fashion
This probably seems like a weird thing for me to read religiously given that I am generally clueless about 1) celebrities and 2) fashion, but sometimes I need to feel better about myself. Because sometimes celebrities wear things like this.

PostSecret
Written by: Frank Warren; International secret-filled masses
Updates: Every Sunday
Mostly Covers: Postcard submitted secrets
If you haven’t heard of PostSecret, you might be legally dead.

Catalog Living
Written by: Molly Erdman
Updates: Daily
Mostly About: Gary and Elaine, two fake people who actually live in the houses and rooms pictured in catalogs.
The concept here is pretty simple: picture of ridiculous rooms found in catalogs that no one would actually live in followed by a one line explanation (attempt at explanation?) about what Gary and Elaine were thinking when they decorated this way. A good example: this or this.

Cute Overload
Written by: Meg, and some other people
Updates: Daily
Mostly About: Adorable things
I feel like this blog and my reasons for liking it are entirely self-explanatory.

Food Gawker
Written by: Mostly hungry people with good photography skills
Updates: Multiple Times Daily
Mostly About: Food
Whenever I don’t know what to make for dinner, a few minutes on Food Gawker will usually sort that out. It’s perfect for me, since I hate all cookbooks that don’t have pictures for every recipe. I just can’t get excited about making a recipe until I can see the finished product first. I know it’s judging a book by it’s cover, something I’m supposed to be wholly against, but I don’t care. Seeing a picture of how tasty it is will help me know it’s delicious.

There are more plus some webcomics, but I don’t think you’re READY for that information yet.