Jan 24 2012
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Gossip Girl

Gossip Girl (ep512): Father and the Bride

it’s been SO long since I posted on Gossip Girl, but as it is soon Blair’s big day — and I really liked last night’s episode (some entire plot lines aside) — I thought it was time to jump back in!

First of all: all hail Princess B. I thoroughly enjoyed her drunken bachelorette party times, her telling-it-like-it-is to Beatrice (and she is right, they’re cut from the same cloth), and it was strangely refreshing to see a whole other side of New York — it felt authentic? I dunno, but I liked it!

The other highlight for me was the twist at the end: finding out that Dan wrote Louis’s vows for him, the vows that Blair sneakily read and now feels that Louis truly understands her. Love it. It is, of course, absolument ridiculous that Louis would send a note explaining exactly what his big secret is on his own freakin’ stationary. And what — did he rewrite Dan’s vows in his own handwriting? I guess? But the heartache this whole Dan loves Blair from afar induces is perfect, even if some of the plotting is not.

I did miss the first 5 minutes of the episode — I’m trying this thing where I turn off the power to all my electronics while I’m at work, or sleeping, but if you don’t get home in time for your shows then your PVR is…powerless — but the whole Nate versus Serena versus Tripp versus Gossip Girl thing fell flat for me. Tripp cut the brakes to a limousine after “Charlie Rhodes” ex failed to do it? Whaaa? (And a complaint from last episode: the gang manages to take Gossip Girl down, and we don’t even find out how? It’s just done?)

Also: I find the Dan Meets with His Publisher scenes ca-razy. Maybe this is how it works at Simon & Schuster NY, maybe Vanessa somehow legally obligated Dan to a multiple-book deal when she stole his manuscript (?), but if Dan didn’t like what his editors were saying, couldn’t he just ditch ‘em and find another house? Surely a NYT bestselling author could find another publisher, even in today’s wacky book business times.

Oops. I got sidetracked into the things that seem nonsensical to me, when I meant to focus on how much FUN this episode was. Beefcake French priests aside, Blair’s bachelorette was an actual party — and I look forward to the over-the-top beauteousness that her wedding will be and all the crazy shenanigans that will go down as she walks down the aisle with her two dads. Also: Georgina Sparks!

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Jan 02 2012
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resolve

12 resolutions for 2012

  1. be more like Tami Taylor in every possible way (really, I could stop here but…)
  2. read 55 books — including authors I’ve never read before, more non-fiction, more books written/published by colleagues (i.e., contemporary Canadian books), and all the usual YA brilliance
  3. hang out with my friends’ kids more frequently (’cause these kids are ridiculously charming)
  4. have dance parties once a month with DDPP
  5. follow the 23 1/2 hour plan
  6. write more — on this blog, to my bestie in a far away land, in my nearly-abandoned journal (sorry, bookie), and on my various writing projects (that one means procrastinate less)
  7. spend less than $1,000,000 a week at Starbucks
  8. be more patient and understanding — but not a pushover (see season 1 Elena Gilbert, Queen of Empathy and Badassery, for role model)
  9. eat real food — and by that I mean the old Michael Pollan ‘if your great grandmother wouldn’t recognize it as food it ain’t food’ — and prepare it myself
  10. take a real holiday — no writing, working, promoting, anything-ing (my ideal vacation, because i don’t know how to surf or do yoga)
  11. procrastinate in useful ways (e.g., clean the kitchen rather than fall into the tumblr abyss)
  12. instead of complaining about problems, try to solve them — personally, professionally, politically, across the board.

i love new year’s resolutions.

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Dec 31 2011
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Pretty Little Liars

Announcing a Pretty Little Liars Companion Book: Rosewood Confidential

Coming June 2012

I’m pleased as punch to announce Rosewood Confidential: The Unofficial Companion to Pretty Little Liars that Jen Knoch and I are writing under the alias Liv Spencer (see our past co-creations here). For those of you familiar with my episode guides for Gossip Girl and/or The Vampire Diaries, you know what to expect: an episode by episode guide to the first two seasons of the show along with cast bios, details on the making of the show, literary and cultural references, and a comparison to Sara Shepard’s original book series. And the bonus: it’s a full color extravaganza with tons of photos of the ridiculously good-looking cast!

For all the juicy details on the breakout hit TV show that has people talking, tweeting, and tuning in week after week, look no further than Rosewood Confidential, the first companion book to the dark deeds, ugly secrets, and flashy fashion of Pretty Little Liars. Rosewood Confidential features an episode guide to the first two seasons of ABC Family’s hit show, bios of the stars, and the story of how a New York Times bestselling book series by Sara Shepard became a pop culture phenomenon. It’s as thrilling as a text message from a dead girl…

It comes out June 15 but it’s available for preorder now at all the usual places like Amazon.com, and/or you could add it to your Goodreads! (Yes, we added it to our reading-it shelves even though we’re still writing it.) We’ll be doing contest giveaways in the spring and doling out review copies to PLL fan sites so be sure to check back here or drop me an email (crissycalhoun [at] gmail [dot] com) if you’re interested.

Hurrah! I hope you’re as excited as Jen and me (fused into one mind as Liv) — and only two more sleeps til Pretty Little Liars returns! Let’s celebrate by watching that MuchMusic promo again and again… (Byron’s reaction to Fitz kills me.)

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Dec 27 2011
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Lonely Tourist Crissy Calhoun, love, read, resolve

happy tuesday the 27th to you

Sometimes I am just the worst at blogging. (And by ‘sometimes’ I mean ‘most all the time.’) My poor blog feels very neglected, and for that I am sorry.

things that have happened since last we met:

I finished my Goodreads 2011 Reading Challenge to read 50 books, and as it turns out I read (a) books at work, (b) YA novels, (c) little else. If it was new year’s resolution making time (oh hey it is), I would vow to read a wider variety of books in 2012. Perhaps some for grownups as well as those for YA-loving grownups like me. On my to-read shelf at the moment I have three Canadian-authored recently-released novels, so I think that will count for something if I actually read them. (Yes, I have guilty feelings about working in Cdn publishing but being woefully poorly read when it comes to what is published by Cdn publishers. I watch a lot of TV, okay?)

It is the holiday times, and that means seeing my friends more than usual. Especially the one who doesn’t live here and comes home for the hols. That is just the best. As it turns out, I have a great deal of wonderful friends whom I love and adore a lot. This is not new, per se, but top of mind as I’ve just had an epic brunch (an annual event) and the high-quality friend times are top of mind. Also, the ones with kids tend to have kids who are really nice, charming, clever, well mannered … and I’m only a little bit biased. More procreation, excellent people!

now, what next? I have to make my annual resolutions list, and I think it will include ‘getting my act in gear in various ways so that I can go to this learn-to-surf camp next year’ (which I’ve been dreaming of going to for ages) and in all likelihood ‘stop being such a crap blogger.’ In particular, I feel I have dropped — nay, lost — the ball when it comes to Gossip Girl this season. Where have my posts been? Unwritten.

I’ve had a hankering of late to re-watch season 1 of Gossip Girl. Maybe it’s the thought of how much my dear darling Blair has gone through over the past few years — as we wait for Chuck to rise like the UES phoenix that he is — and, of course, to chart the progression of Blair and Dan’s relationship. Remember the school play in season 2? Flipping classic. Maybe that is how I should spend my remaining holiday days…parked in front of the television. Sounds not bad (and not that unusual).

But before I do that, I have to put together a little announcement for y’all. Hint: it has something to do with a TV show and an upcoming book and a pen name and a devilish anonymous texter . . . and if you have a look at my currently reading list on Goodreads you could probably figure it out.

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Nov 24 2011
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Lonely Tourist Crissy Calhoun

this & that

morning lovelies,

the question that lies before me: am I too sick to go to work? i have one of these stupid colds where my brain is half working but…? Living across the street at least makes the commitment to going in rather minimal. Bed is always only 3 minutes away.

But that is besides the point: I am here to link to a few little things —

An interview for ECW’s Books on TV site! Jen Knoch and I talk TVD, Price Peterson, and how awesome Revenge is here.

I joined Nikki Stafford’s year-long Buffy rewatch this week to talk about three excellent season 7 episodes, and you can read my rambling thoughts here.

And finally, I don’t remember ever posting about Love You to Death — Season 2 being available in various eBook formats — but guess what you guys! It is. On Kindle. At the Apple iBookstore. For yo’ Kobo. Et cetera and so on. (And the bonus for people with fancy colour-screen eReaders: all the photos are in colour, not just the pretty photo section.)

It’s the time of year where I talk to my publisher about the next installment of Love You to Death . . . so, um, you know, if you were thinking it might make an excellent holiday gift for the TVD loving person in your life, no time like the present to buy up all the copies in the universe.

Fingers crossed for season 3!

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Nov 23 2011
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Pretty Little Liars

A Random Selection of Hanna’s Excellent Lines from Pretty Little Liars

“One fake date does not a relationship make.” (to Caleb, “The Devil You Know”)

“Jenna can’t hear us. She’s blind.” (to girls, “Save the Date”)

“I need to ask you guys something, and be totally honest with me: Is one side of my face fatter than the other?” (to the girls, “Keep Your Friends Close”)

“So I was telling the patient in 212, I am not shaving that—” (to Emily as faux candy stripers)

“You’re the worst delivery guy in the history of pizza.” (to Caleb, “Picture This”)

is it January 2nd yet?

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Nov 22 2011
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read

back to the books

without the vampire diaries to write about (or my other secret, soon-to-be revealed project on my plate) i found myself with an abundance of time this past weekend. how does one feel it if not with overthinking television?

books. books. books.

i finally read the third and final Wolves of Mercy Falls book, Forever by Maggie Stiefvater (whose name I love to say with extra oomph). I had forgotten a lot of the plot details — who did what to whom and why, wolf wise — but nevertheless it carried the same charm and romance and tension and sense of the beauty of standing in the forest (whether as wolf or as human) that I loved from Shiver and Linger. As much as I love Sam and Grace, Cole and, in particular, Isabel are such unusual and well-defined voices that I found myself especially happy to be in their POV chapters. Sad the series is over. And I’d forgotten that these books make me wish I was in love — so heavy-hearted when they end. Le sigh.

What is that saying about books and their covers? I must say that I absolutely abhor the cover of Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Yuck to the max. (Sorry, cover designer whoever you are.) But I kept hearing excellent things about the book. And so I bought it and promptly removed the offending dust jacket and have begun to read it. And yes. Excellent so far.

I am not one to read the descriptions of books — fear of spoilers — so I don’t really know what kind of world I am getting into. But so far: two thumbs up for the main girl (presumably the titular daughter of smoke and bone?), two thumbs up for her bestie, and two thumbs up for setting up a mysterious and intriguing world. I’m maybe three or so chapters in; let’s hope it is excellent straight through to the end as it is the first in a series. Also, me and Vee saw Laini Taylor at a panel at Comic-Con this past July, and I remember her as clever and lovely. So hurrah for that.

And in the re-read department: The Awakening by Kate Chopin. I’m reading a beauteous edition from Melville House, part of their Art of the Novella series, and at the suggestion of Lucia (from Heroine TV and her book blog Raspberry Cordial) who is (was?) re-reading it herself after many moons. I read The Awakening in university English class, probably when I was about 19 or 20 or something — as in, what oddly feels like yesterday and a million years ago at the same time — and I remember it making an impression. The idea of this woman waking up and coming out of the fog was somehow so realistically rendered as to be incredibly powerful.

What else should I read? I’m doing one of those Goodreads reading challenges: I have to read 12 more books before January. (so please recommend short short bookies.)

Recommendations welcome!

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Oct 26 2011
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Gossip Girl

Gossip Girl: The Fasting and the Furious (ep505)

When will we find out what’s actually in that envelope? Is Louis the father? Je ne sais pas! But what we do know is that Blair’s hair is beauteous encore.

I kind of loved how in this episode Serena is jealous that Blair is the star of Dan’s novel, after thinking that she was the center of his universe — and you guys, that’s just like Gossip Girl itself! Serena was the star, the it girl, but Blair has always been the more compelling and complicated character, one who has actually evolved over the past five seasons.

And Serena was pretty shady in this episode, trying to trick Dan into turning over the film rights to Inside so she could keep her job. Personally I wish she didn’t get them in the end; while she may have been Dan’s inspiration initially but once again Serena doesn’t have to deal with the consequences of her actions. Oh, Serena.

The NY Spectator plotline didn’t make a whole world of sense, once again; must say I am looking forward to Elizabeth Hurley’s time on the UES wrapping up.

I’d say my favorite part of the episode was Blair and Eleanor sharing a mother-daughter moment (and Lily’s hilarious degree of surprise that Eleanor had solid parenting advice) — the Waldorf women always get me with their emotional moments, and as much as I feel like Eleanor does about this whole pregnancy (it’s not what I wanted for B, at least not yet), I thought their interaction had an ‘emotional truth’ that has been lacking this season.

We have to wait an extra week before “I Am Number Nine” — but when our show returns it looks like Blair is up to her old-fashioned Queen B tricks!

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Oct 24 2011
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Gossip Girl

Gossip Girl: The Jewel of Denial (ep503) & Memoirs of an Invisible Dan (ep504)

Bonjour, Upper East Siders! I thought I’d do a one-two combo post on eps 5.03 and 5.04 of Gossip Girl, because well frankly I don’t have much to say about “The Jewel of Denial.” Besides: whhaaaat? Admittedly, I watched it while on a work trip, super exhausted, but it seemed really over the top, campy, and soapy. And not in the good Gossip Girl way. Like, why were Carol and Ivy staring at each other and narrowing their eyes for, like, ever? Why did that plot line with Nate and Elizabeth Hurley exist at all? It made ZERO sense. I know Nate is not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but seriously? That crushed the realism standards of this show. I have decided to jewel-of-deny the existence of this dumb plot.

On the plus side, Blair told Dan he looked like a Muppet. And Chuck got a puppy and then cuddled with it.

Onwards — to “Memoirs of an Invisible Dan”!

First of all, I kind of love how the Inside book cover resembles Gossip Girl book covers, but more grown up and manly. Nicely played, art department. It’s always fun for me (a bookish person) when my shows have bookish plotlines, and this was extra fun — mainly because of Blair’s compliment to Dan: “it looks very well punctuated and I like the font.” If only I was bold enough to bust that out at some event where I haven’t read a single word of the book…

In true Gossip Girl fashion, the reactions to Dan’s book were more than a little over the top (really, Daniel Day Lewis cares??), but the emotional results were interesting. With the exception of Blair, Dan seems to have painted less than sympathetic portraits of all of them, including himself, and the only person who takes anything positive from that is Chuck. He doesn’t want to die alone and be discovered by the help, so he reaches out to Lily. A+ on that, Charles.

I was a little worried for Ivy/Charlie when her plotline dovetailed with Elizabeth Hurley’s, but it may actually prove interesting — what will that Diana have Ivy do? Spy? I also like the idea of an Ivy-Nate romance. Especially now that Nate’s sorted out his hair. (Anyone else feel ripped off that we didn’t actually get to see Nate-as-Derek kiss that Jonathan stand-in in the Inside reenactment?)

Looks like Louis’s new trust in Blair will be put to the test tonight, and I, for one, hope … they break up. Feels like we’ve had Louis around long enough, right? And most importantly, it looks like Blair’s hair is finally sorted out. No more bangs for Leighton Meester.

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Oct 13 2011
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Lonely Tourist Crissy Calhoun

At the Frankfurt Book Fair!

It’s the biggest buch messe in the world! I’m happily back at the Frankfurt Book Fair this year with ECW Press. Meetings galore! Publishers everywhere! Seeing Canadians I don’t see in Canada!

My German publisher is, of course, here. Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf, Hall 4.1, D148. On Saturday, I’ll be loitering around their booth from 2 to 2:30 p.m. So if you happen to be at FBF, please come say hi!

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