The Nerdy Nook

A Man Called Ove

Ove is a crotchety older man. Every morning, very early, he walks around the neighborhood, making sure nothing is out of place, or has been stolen. Ove hates when people do not follow the rules, like parking vehicles in the residential area. He makes coffee for himself, and coffee for his wife every morning. Ove has a strict schedule, one he keeps to religiously.

Letters for Lucardo Vol. 2: Fortunate Beasts

Edward and his lover Lucardo return in the second volume of the graphic novel series Letters for Lucardo. For those of you who haven’t read the first graphic novel, see the quick summary below:

Ed and Lucardo find out they are attracted to each other one day, as Ed is writing letters. Their passion is interrupted, and they hastily break apart. As Ed and Lucardo become lovers, the only thing standing in their way is Lucardo’s father: a man who doesn’t like that his vampire son is dating someone who is beneath him in society. As a wealthy household, Lucardo’s father would rather Lucardo date someone worthy of his station.

Lucardo defends Ed, and continues to defy his father. The first novel ends with Ed leaving to find work as a scribe elsewhere, due to Lucardo’s father’s suggestion that he would be doing right by his lover.

this is how it always is

Claude is like any little kid: He likes peanut butter sandwiches, his family, and wearing beautiful fairy wings for dress up.

Claude also wears a dress, and wants to be a girl when he grows up.

Claude’s parents, Pen and Rosie, want what’s best for their child. They let Claude wear a dress, and be who he is. His four older brothers don’t mind, because Claude is Claude.

Maus I: My Father Bleeds History

Art Spiegleman’s Pulitzer Prize winning 1992 graphic novel Maus is divided into two parts: the first starting with his father’s experiences during World War II, and the beginning of the horrible journey to Auschwitz, and the second taking place mostly in the Auschwitz concentration camp, and how he survived and escaped the camp.

LotR: Return of the King

The final installment of this classic high fantasy tale, our heroes are on the last leg of their journey. Pippin and Gandalf arrive in Minis Tirith, the White City. This is one of my favorite parts in the film, because the white city stands out against the oncoming darkness like a white beacon of hope. I love how Shadowfax runs through the days and nights with great haste, taking them to see the Steward of Gondor, who resides in Minis Tirith.

#weekendcoffeeshare June-July Edition (Family Vacation: Oh Canada!) Part 1

Welcome back! Grab a cup of coffee, relax, and away we go! This post covers my family trip into Canada, as well as our journey to Flathead, Montana.

Burn

In the second installment of the Witchbane series, Seth Tanner and his now boyfriend Evan Malone are on their way to Pittsburgh, to save more of the victims of crazy killers. During pit stops, they are confronting their feelings for one another, and figuring out whether or not their relationship will remain intact now that fighting for Evan’s life is over.

Center of Gravity: Nook Island

When you’re with the one you love, every day should feel like an adventure.

Rob is an accountant. He’s a straight-laced, by-the-book kind of guy. When he hooks up with a younger guy who’s in his 20’s at a bar, Rob does his best to forget about the guy, chalking it up to an experience he probably won’t have ever again.

Alex is a fly-by-night kind of guy, working at a moving service for all kinds of people. When he happens to get a job where he’s helping Rob move his parent’s stuff out of their old house–learning that both of Rob’s folks passed away–they bump into each other. Awkwardness and sexual tension ensues. As Alex and Rob make a connection with one other as they move stuff out of Rob’s parents house, they long to be closer to one another.

Blinded by the Light

I saw this film a few nights ago with Rory. We originally wanted to go see Detective Pikachu, but we ended up going to see Blinded by the Light instead.This was a film I was interested in, and Rory thought it looked good, too.

With a ’90s feel to the cinema, we meandered through the light traffic of movie-goers to our spot, pop and popcorn in hand. I liked the feel of the theater, one that was updated but nostalgic at the same time.

When we got to our reclining seats, I knew only a little of the plot: Javed, a teenager living in the small British town Luton in the late ’80s, feels out of place among nationalist Brits who don’t like having Pakistani immigrants around. Jay is teased, and at one point in the film, spit on by a boy who graffiti-ed the words PAKI SCUM on a nearby wall. The racial slur and the British boy’s message is clear: racism is alive and well in the ’80s in Luton.

The LOtR: The Two Towers

The second film in The Lord of the Rings trilogy covers a lot of ground, especially considering that the second book is 447 pages long. I’ve been watching the films after reading the books, and boy does Peter Jackson outdo himself. The score soundtrack, the acting, and the scenery of New Zealand brings the books to life. I’ve seen the films many times over, but after reading The Two Towers, as well as The Fellowship of the Ring, I appreciate how the films compliment the original source material.

#weekendcoffeeshare May-June Edition

Got a cup of coffee? Alright. Let’s do this!

MAY

May 24th – 26th

Besides working a ton, I had a great time at my friend’s birthday party. Heather is a really sweet girl, and her family is just as nice. My friend, Alex, is also a really nice person. I got to meet both of them for the first time when I went down to visit Rory in the cities. We went bowling–I actually bowled pretty well, considering all the years I haven’t actually bowled. The next day, we went swimming. Because I was the first one up the next day, because I was really tired and went straight to bed once we got home, I got to hang out with Heather’s mom and watch a bit of Downtown Abbey. I had a wonderful time hanging out with my friends and boyfriend!

The Lion King 2019

I saw the new version of The Lion King with a friend. She and I, as well as a woman with her two kids, were the only ones in the theater. I loved the beautiful CGI animals, as well as the return of James Earl Jones as the voice of Mufasa. The kids who voiced Simba and Nala did a really good job, and their singing voices were really good, too. There were some things I preferred from the original version of The Lion King, and there were some touches that I appreciated from the 2019 version.

A Visit from the Goon Squad

This is one of those books I’ve had since my first or second year in college. I remember buying it at the bookstore, and recall starting the novel, but never finishing it. When my mind gets bored of one page, I’ll jump around, sneaking peeks into future pages of books. This is a bad habit I’ve broken myself of by using Audible. Audible keeps me engaged, and focused, on what I’m reading. Books can be slow at times, like moments in The Lord of the Rings.

A Visit from the Goon Squad is about Bennie Salazar and his assistant, Sasha. Bennie works in the music industry, doing his best to put good music out there. Sasha is his receptionist, and also part of his brain behind the operation.

Witchbane

When Seth Tanner’s younger brother is murdered during a ghost sighting gone awry, Seth finds himself in the hospital. Under suicide watch, Seth is considered to be a little off his rocker, because he keeps mentioning that he and his brother met something supernatural that night. Two years later, with his parents dead, and with only some money, Seth finds himself using his parents fifth-wheeler as a home, with his truck and Hayabusa as his form of transportation. During those two years, Seth has trained and fought with supernatural beings, working as a hunter against things that go bump in the night.

light-bulb trees

the trees glow with light-bulbs
swinging down from their branches
shimmering with fresh dew,
the electricity snapping like twigs.
pumpkin spices
fill the autumnal air
as old bulbs break and
twinkle to the ground
the shards litter a carpet
of their red, yellow, and orange pieces
on the concrete floor,
creating a kaleidoscope pathway
for urban morning strollers.

M.B.B.
7/17/19

photo credit: shutterstock.com