Friday Reads & Recommends

I read The Fault In Our Stars because I always do what the rest of the internet does. Also I like John Green. Everyone's already given their two cents about this book, so I'll just say that while I agreed with the main criticism of the book (SUPER precocious rings-false-ish dialogue from one character) that's kind of John Green's THING and I happen to really LIKE that thing and I can only hope to make a reader care about my characters the way John Green makes you care about his. (For the record, Tiny Cooper is my favorite John Green character, no one will surpass him, the end, Amen.)

I also read Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me by Mindy Kaling aaaand, eh. Parts of it were cute. Most of the time I was all, really? You're 32 and you're writing what amounts to your memoirs? But she's funny on Twitter and the topics of her best tweets are the topics of her best chapters: best friends. I wanted to love her book, but mostly I just thought it would be awesome to be her friend. Which is probably a better thing to say about someone in the long run.

My Kindle just downloaded Amy Welborn's new book (I always forget when I preorder things!) and I'm half excited to read it, half dreading it because I will probably cry and I'm just not into crying books these days. (THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, I AM LOOKING AT YOU.)

(I thought my Kindle Fire was dead, but Phillip figured out how to fix it. On tonight's list of recommends: husbands who are handy with electronicky things.)

Oh you guys, as I'm writing this Emma is lounging across Phillip and gazing me adoringly. Like, if you looked up Gazes Adoringly in the dictionary you would see Emma and me. I LOVE THIS BABY!

I also wanted to send you guys Ursula's way - Ursula is my fantastic fabulous neighbor and she could really use some support from the interwebs. Today she wrote about the similarities between being pregnant and having cancer: "5. Timing: Apparently, both of us will be rid of our tumors in about 7 months. I get to take mine home." Oh, Ursula. I need to bring you some cookies.

In other news, Ye Ye gave the kids ten dollar bills in red envelopes for Chinese New Year. Today I wanted to go to BabiesRUs to buy Emma some crib bedding and I told them they could buy a toy (or whatever they wanted) with their Chinese New Year money. WHAT A PROCESS. Of course the toys at BabiesRUs are pretty, you know, BABYISH, and eventually I suggested Molly pick out a dress instead ("I WANT A DWESS! A PINK DWESS!") but Jack found toy cars that change color under hot or cold water. AAAAAND that is what my kids have been doing all afternoon: standing on stepstools in front of the bathroom sink, dunking cars in cups of water and making a giant mess. Cars that change color gets a big fat recommend tonight. Wahoo!