And my next complex initially-evil-but-I-know-you're-really-good character obsession goes to...

...Zuko, from Avatar: The Last Airbender. I was always kind of interested in seeing these episodes when John would have Nick on for Spongebob episodes, and I got more interested when I read that the "bending" styles were based on actual styles/schools of martial arts, but I didn't seriously start watching the series until this year when I caught reruns from the beginning of season 1 on NickToons.

The series is a bit like Harry Potter--directed more at kids in the earlier seasons, but as the series progresses, the protagonist and the subject matter matures. I really enjoy the character development, as almost all the characters are complex, even though some aspects of their personalities come out very rarely. That's not to say that some parts of the show aren't predictable--it is a cartoon, nominally for kids, so some of the conflicts/interactions are simplified--but usually not in such a way that it detracts from the plot. Returning to my Harry Potter comparison, I had Zuko pegged as a Snape-like character from the beginning. Someone so insistantly stubborn and evil has to be working for good in the end. Also--Rachel will laugh, remembering my Chichiri obsession--he's got a facial scar. :)


Now, is this Avatar marathon a justification for not getting enough other stuff done this week? Probably not, but between the timing of my appointments/rehearsals and prep for the shore, it sure has filled up most of the extra time. :)

Also, a big "Break a leg!" shoutout to the Uncut Pages people doing their thing in the DC Fringe. I really wish I'd been able to get there last night. Hopefully someone has recorded it and I can see it when I come visit Rachel and Becky in August.

Currently Reading: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (for school, since I'll be teaching it in Honors next year and I don't really remember it)
The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum. It's not often I read books after seeing the movie, so this is an interesting comparison.

Also, I have a BookCrossing copy of the newest Artemis Fowl book, if anyone would like to read it and pass it on to the next reader.

"Yay for addictions that aren't drug related!"--Shelly

So many exciting things are happening now! Rachel's trying to get a friend addicted to Fushigi Yuugi, Shelly's working on the next chapter of her Final Fantasy fanfic (which I will get to read and beta), I'm enjoying sleeping late, buying Firefly and realizing that it's a buy 1 TV box set, get 1 free sale, and therefore picking up the first season of Dead Like Me as well. And I've discovered that Waldenbooks is apparently the place to get the Sandman comics, which I've been meaning to read...pretty much since I knew who Neil Gaiman was. And I may be going to see Matt on Saturday, at which time I will hopefully be able to spend enough time with him to figure out what I want and what he wants, and if it's worth my time and effort.

Just finished reading: The Northern Girl, by Elizabeth Lynn. I knew this was the third Tornor book, but I expected it to be connected to the first one! Instead, this happens many many years later, and I don't actually know what the point is. Apparently the author really enjoys having characters in lesbian relationships, though.

The Magic of Recluce, by L.E. Modesitt, Jr. This was the other book from Dr. Moore I forgot the title of, which was also not what I was expecting and which I don't really know what the point was.

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, by Samantha Clarke. I'd seen this advertised on the cover of Fantasy and Science Fiction magazine practically the whole year I'd gotten it, plus a lot of people on BookCrossing had talked about it, so when I was looking for something to read on the way home for Boston, this was a perfect choice. I can see why people who aren't fantasy readers were a little confused by it, as it starts with the assumption that there is magic in England. A long book, but I liked it. It also made good use of footnotes to tell other interesting stories, a tactic used in Good Omens that I am generally fond of. :)

I also reread Blessed are the Cheesemakers...and it almost made me cry, again. If that's not the sign of a good book, I don't know what is.