Grandiose shopping in Toronto

VIA «Multicultural shopping centre in Toronto»

Green sculpture in Sydney

VIA «In the supermarket centre there was a green emptiness»

Katie appeared to have forgone any makeup and had her hair scraped up into a messy top bun.
The mother–of-one perused the show section of the store enjoying a some alone time retail therapy.
Katie had taken centre stage the night before as her husband Tom Cruise was honoured by the Simon Wiesenthal Centre.
Polished and preened to casual and comfy: Katie looked stunning on Thursday night at an event honouring her husband while she opted for comfort yesterday
The 32-year-old actress looked stunning in the black dress with green sash, which she teamed with black sandals, as she posed with Cruise outside the event.
However, it was inside the event that Holmes really stood out from the crowd, as she glowed while applauding the honorees at the ceremony.
The couple were also accompanied by Cruise's 16-year-old adopted son Connor as the Mission: Impossible actor was presented with the Humanitarian Award - the highest honour bestowed by the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, a Jewish rights organisation which also educates people about the Nazi Holocaust.
Too much choice? The 32-year-old actress looked at shoes and enjoyed some alone time in the Barneys store in Beverly Hills
Cruise, who played a German military officer who planned an assassination of Adolf Hitler in the 2008 film Valkyrie, was honoured for his support of the organisation throughout his life.
Absent from the ceremony was the couple's five-year-old daughter Suri, who is perhaps too young for such an occasion.
Late night? The mother-of-one appeared tired as she made her way around the store. The night before she had joined Tom at a party
Despite reports that she and her husband are planning to have more children, Holmes recently insisted that she is happy with the size of her family.
She also said that Cruise and ex-wife Nicole Kidman's adopted children Connor and 18-year-old Isabella get on incredibly well with Suri.

Red carpet royalty: Katie was looking picture perfect at the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Annual National Tribute Dinner on Thursday evening
She said: 'They're great kids, a great brother and a great sister to Suri, and she's a great sister to them. It's not, "This is stepmotherhood and this is motherhood".
'I'm not worried about it (having another baby). She's got really good friends and great cousins, so I feel happy about it.
'We have a really busy household, and it's really fun and fulfilling. There's always something going on.'
source: dailymail

VIA Dressed down day? Katie Holmes opts for casual comfort shopping day

What Writing Ten Novels in Nine Years Has Taught Me

1) I’ve learned that I only have 2 hands. Writing a book takes as long as it takes, regardless of how long my editor or agent may think it should actually take me; I believe they have learned to deal with this. I will not drive back to school to deliver a forgotten book or PE bag. My children have learned to deal with it. I thought I’d be on the NYT list after my first book. I’ve learned to deal with it. I can only work as hard or as fast as my two hands will allow me. This will only change if I somehow manage to clone myself. I’m still learning how to deal with that.

2) I’ve learned that frozen vegetables are OK, regardless of what my mother thinks. Same goes for ordering gifts online and making cakes out of a box.

3) I’ve learned that there will be times when I will see my gift as a blessing and adore every word that flies from my fingertips. There will also be times when I will view this very same gift with derision, calling every word drivel, and every page a waste of a good tree. From this, I’ve learned that writing is a lot like the stock market: there will always be ups and downs, and you have to be in it for the long haul to be able to reap any benefits.

4) I’ve learned that crying is a good thing. If I’m doing that while writing an emotional scene, then I’m doing it right. Laughing is good, too, as long as it’s supposed to be funny.

5) I’ve learned that sitting with bad posture for extended lengths of time while absorbed in writing a novel can seriously damage your back. And the prospect of having needles inserted into spine to relieve pain can actually be a welcome thought.

6) I’ve learned that there are mean people out there; people who apparently have nothing better to do than write inane or bad reviews on Amazon or elsewhere; I’ve also learned that they are wonderful and generous people out there who take the time to write and let me know how much they’ve enjoyed my books; I’ve learned that good friends, fans and family are a nice buffer between me and the mean people and to try and spend more time with them. Voodoo dolls help, too.

7) I’ve learned that grocery shopping is overrated. My ability to concentrate on the manuscript at hand is indirectly proportional to how stocked my pantry is. Procrastinating by snacking is one of my favorite activities. So is shopping online. My husband is threatening to enroll me in a three-step program for the latter. I simply tell him that I don’t have time—I’m too busy procrastinating and shopping!

8) I’ve learned that my writing is not a hobby. It’s a calling and something I feel compelled to do. If I ever devote this kind of time, money and energy to a hobby, I want somebody to shoot me or have me committed.

9) I’ve learned that summer vacation is as much for me as it is for my children if not more so. I’ve learned that they live in a veritable country club for most of the year (with a personal maid, chauffeur, chef, social planner and personal secretary) and that she needs a break. I’ve learned to turn a deaf ear to their plea for lounging by the pool all day and put them to work. My daughter will be updating my database for my mailing list this summer and my son will become more acquainted with the washing machine and vacuum cleaner. There will also be the nirvana of all mothers: Summer Camp.

10) I’ve learned that the word ‘no’ is actually a word I can become comfortable with saying. I can almost say that I have at times enjoyed the feeling of it rolling off my tongue.

11) I have learned that no matter how many times it happens, I’m always touched by the kind words in a fan letter.

12) I’ve learned that despite good sales, good reviews, kind fan mail and awards, there will still be times when I look down at the page I’ve just written and say to myself, “this sucks.”

13) I’ve learned that with every novel, I’ve learned something new. Gained more confidence. Gotten better. Found new ways to express myself or tell a story. But it has never, ever become easier. Like my father used to tell me, if it were easy, everybody would be doing it.

14) I’ve learned that despite all the ups and downs, there is nothing in my life that I would change. Except, maybe, the size of my hips and the annoying habit my family has of needing to be fed every day.

15) I’ve learned that blogging on a virtual tour is hard work! Trying to say something new and different for each blog leads one to make a list of lessons learned in the hopes that she might enlighten others and even maybe be a little bit entertaining.

Thank you, Karen! Check back tomorrow for my review of Karen's latest novel, The Lost Hours.

Pump Up Your Book Promotion

“We take books to the virtual level!”

www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.com

Oh, how I miss going to Target with my mom, list in hand, and purchasing exactly seven folders and several brightly colored pens. School supplies shopping was like Christmas when I was a kid, nothing made me happier than buying the supplies and going home to figure out exactly how I would utilize all of them. Now, of course, things are different. Instead of school supplies shopping I have to go book shopping, and as much as I love books it's a really a pain to shell out the money for them all at once. I still find some solace in office supplies though, and these are my favorites.

1. Pens. I don't use pencils anymore because they basically erase themselves once the pages have been rubbing together. I write in my books (as do most people I know) and it is important that my notes stay. I know this is kind of an obvious one, but I use pens more than anything else. I also have several red pens for editing my papers. I used to use brightly colored pens to write in my books so that I would be able to find my notes easier, but this became a hassle because colored pens seem to run out of ink faster than black ones. I also get most of my pens for free (by which I mean I take them from tables at fairs or a I pilfer them from front desks) and most free pens are black.

2. Post-it Notes. I use Post-it notes differently from most people I know, so here are the two ways I see people using them. The first is like me, I just use them like bookmarks. I use one large Post-it to mark my place in the book, and I use smaller ones to divide my reading into sections. I can't sit and read one book for four hours (usually) so I divide it up into thirty page sections. I read faster if I can see that I'm getting close to the end of the section, so it saves me time and gives my brain a rest. Other people I know use Post-its in lieu of or in addition to writing in their books. Sometimes you have a great idea, but there is only so much room in the margin of books which is where the Post-its come in. This probably makes passages easier to locate and helps when making points in class. I don't do it because I summarize my thoughts at the end of chapters where there is usually lots of room.

3. File Folders. I get a lot of papers as an English major and most of the time I only need them once. I like to keep everything until the end of the semester but I don't like carrying it all around, so I use file folders for all of my classes. When I have to print out an essay and read it for class I put it in my backpack for the day, and then when I come home I put it in the file folder. I also use file folders to document any submissions I've made to literary magazines, progress towards my degree, and information for programs I'm interested in.

4. Stapler. I'm kind of being hypocritical here because I do not have a stapler, but I vow to purchase one this weekend since I'm telling all of you that you need one. It is embarrassing to turn in papers that are not stapled. I've always been a paper clip kind of girl, but so far that has not worked for me. I NEED a stapler. It's not working to use the one at my job because I always forget or run out of time. Once a teacher actually made fun of me for not having a stapler. Even one of those mini-staplers. A girl in one of my classes has one in her backpack that she lets me use and I am grateful to her every day. So, I will be buying a stapler.

5. Planner. When I say planner I mean planner, not tiny little thing that only has room to write down Lunch with Mackenzie, because that is literally all you will do that day. You might have to buy an ugly planner, I'm not so fond of mine, but it gets the job done. Unless you have an amazing memory you really need a planner. I divide large tasks up into small ones and do a little every day. Chances are, if you write it down in your planner and you look at it, you will do it. I also write in parentheses after the task how long I think it will take to get done. This can either be incredibly daunting or comforting. Usually it is comforting. Write down fun things in your planner too! You'll look at it more.

Brooklyn, 12, was not so bashful however and braved the rainy weather with a bare face.
The comical scenes had shades of the days when the late Michael Jackson's children Prince, Paris and Blanket used to go out in public with scarves covering their faces.
Spidey style: Cruz Beckham was also wearing a face-covering hoodie as left the Volcom store with his mother and brothers this week
The jackets also have a full-face zip and mesh lining in the hood, allowing the wearer to see through them - so the boys weren't in danger of tripping down the steps of the Soho shop as they left.
And Cruz's top almost made him look like Spider Man, with its web-style detail on the side and Spidey-style eyes on the face.
It's a Volcom Boys 2-7 Action Team Slim Youth Jacket and sells for around £40.
The Californian clothing company is a huge favourite with celebrities and hip hop stars, including Ashlee Simpson, Black Eyed Pea singer Fergie, Megan Fox and Avril Lavigne - as well as little boys wanting to look like superheroes.
I'm a big kid now: Older brother Brooklyn was clearly too mature for those kind of shenanigans as he left the shop with his pregnant mother Victoria
Pregnant Victoria, 37, meanwhile covered her baby bump in a loose black top and a gigantic black handbag for the spree, while wearing killer black suede Louboutin ankle boots, black leggings and a black leather jacket.
In disguise: The late Michael Jackson with Paris, left, and Prince, right, in 2002 when they used to go out with scarves over their faces
source: dailymail

VIA Who goes there? Victoria Beckham's sons disguise themselves with face-covering hoodies

My book buying ban is finally over! I bought quite a few books over the weekend though, so now I'm starting to think I shouldn't buy any more books until school gets out. To be fair I only bought four books though, my mom came to visit and bought me some books while we were shopping. So I really didn't do that bad on my first weekend back to book buying. Here is what I ended up with:

1. An American Childhood

by Annie Dillard. I just finished Teaching a Stone to Talk: Expeditions and Encounters

and was really impressed by Dillard's writing.
2. So when I saw An American Childhood and Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard on the buy 2 get 1 free table I couldn't pass it up. My mom got the third book.
3. Missouri

by Christine Wunnicke was on a display for GLBT books. I thought it looked interesting because it was a western about two gay men in Missouri. We'll see how I like it.
4. My friend Katherine told me I might enjoy Essays of E.B. White

, so I decided to get that when I saw it in the essays section.
5. Unfamiliar Fishes

by Sarah Vowell. I've heard so much about Sarah Vowell I thought I might as well give her a shot even though I originally planned on listening to her audio. My copy has two book jackets, I assume by mistake. Anyone else ever get a book with two book jackets on it?
6. After I picked up Unfamiliar Fishes I saw The Wordy Shipmates

as a bargain book, so I got that too.
7. The previous six books I got when I was with my mom. Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea

by Barbara Demick I got on my own. Kim's review at Sophisticated Dorkiness has had me wanting this book for a long time. In fact, Kim influenced me to want several books during my book buying ban.
8. Annabel has been all over the blogosphere since it came out in January and I think it sounds like a fantastic fiction book.
9. Not pictured, I also got And Hell Followed With It: Life and Death in a Kansas Tornado

, which I also heard of from Kim and The Only Dance in Iowa: A History of Six-Player Girls' Basketball

.

So apparently I pretty much caught up for not getting any books for one month. I think I should probably read ten more books before I can go book shopping again! Did you get any books this week?

I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you make a purchase using one of my links I will earn a small percentage which will then go back into this blog.

Bumps ahead: A rep for the actress has denied the claims by US publications that she is expecting
'She's not pregnant and this photo looks doctored,' Ina Treciokas told E! News on Monday.
The 32-year-old's slightly protruding belly was obvious beneath her tight-fitting top and jeans as she browsed the shoe department of Barney's New York in Beverly Hills.
Mail Online has spoken to the picture agency Xposure who confirm that the pictures were not altered in any way.
'We never doctor pictures to make anyone look fat, thin, pregnant, and so on. We have not doctored these pictures,' Xposure's David Taylor says.
Only child: Katie and Tom dote on daughter Suri, five
Pregnancy: Katie pictured with Tom Cruise while she was pregnant with Suri in 2006

Katie has struggled to revive her acting career since marrying Tom, pictured with her last week
source:dailymail

VIA I'm not pregnant! Katie Holmes denies reports she is expecting baby number two

It always happens..I have all these wonderful plans for the long weekend. I have a stack of books on my bedside, just waiting to be read. Instead...I spent the entire weekend in bed, sick. My hubby and nine year old son had symptoms of a cold earlier in the week. My hubby had gone out the night before his symptoms appeared and I blamed it on a hangover (sorry baby!). Ok, I can admit it...I was wrong. Unless hangovers are contagious, he really was sick that day.

Ok, back to me :). The symptoms started Friday while I was at work. Tingly nose, itchy throat. We'd done a lot of cleaning around the office so I assumed that my allergies were just reacting. At lunch that day, I took my son to his school's Open House. I put on a happy face, but my head was throbbing. Luckily the powers that be decided to close the office early that day in honor of the Labor Day weekend.

I get home around 3:30 and I can barely see to drive, my headache is so bad. The normal allergy/sinus meds weren't kicking in. I drank some coffee, and that seemed to alleviate the pain for the time being.

Hubby and I had plans to take our nine year old to the mall to do some final back to school shopping. I was able to get through that relatively easily, but by the time we got home it hit me. I lost all energy and crashed.

I woke up the next morning at 6 am, thanks to our three year old son. That's when the coughing began. I coughed so much I thought my ribs would crack. The coughing lasted all weekend, and finally, after an entire 3 day weekend of drinking the all-powerful, cure-all Robitussin, I'm finally starting to feel normal again.

The downside of the meds was waking up, wide awake, at 3 am. I got a lot of quality reading done in those early hours! I finished Inside Out Girl

, Sweetsmoke

, and Chelsea Cain's newest, Sweetheart

. I've started Woman of a Thousand Secrets

and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

(for the Sci-Fi Lit class I'm taking). Look for my reviews of these books (ok maybe not Frankenstein) later this week.

Ok, this was meant to be a short little message explaining my absence but as usual I started rambling :). I hope everyone has a good week, and I'm sending out a special prayer to all those affected by Gustav. Also, there's still time to enter the giveaway for a Tess Gerritsen book!

My choice — Advanced Direct Security

VIA «Your house trusts Advanced Direct Security»

I know I usually post Sunday Salons much earlier than this, but I put off today's post for a special reason. If you've been following my Sunday Salon posts for the past few weeks then you know I just got back from a trip to New York City. I wanted to let you all know about my trip to this fabulous city, but I couldn't very well do that without pictures, could I? Which is why I had to wait until I got back to Iowa City to post this.

The two main pilgrimages I made during my trip to NYC were the Strand Bookstore and the New York Public Library. Strand was the first place I went and I managed to spend less than $100 there which was actually pretty amazing. I just kept reminding myself that I had many more places to go to. In case you don't know, Strand Books is famous for its 18 miles of books. That thought scare my parents, but it's actually just a three floor bookstore. Don't get me wrong, it's big, but I mean, it's not that big. I got some amazing deals on books while I was there though. I highly recommend stopping at the Strand if you're ever in NYC.

I was also pretty jazzed to get this awesome bag while I was there. I think I'm going to use it for my used bookstore shopping from now on.

From left to right we've got the heroic Dante, Emily Bronte, Herman Mellville, Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Homer, and Oscar Wilde. Oh yeah... and I might have gotten something for someone else too. But you'll have to keep reading to find out about that.

The New York Public Library was fabulous and beautiful, although it was quite strange to have my bag searched before entering a library.

I got an awesome children's book at the library amongst a few other things. I actually bought three children's books while I was in New York so you can look forward to those during some upcoming Children's Book Thursdays! And now about that hint I had earlier... I got a Strand bag for one reader. It looks like this:

It doesn't matter to me if you have been to Strand or not, you can fool people if you please! The bag is brown with a green logo, I know it's kind of hard to tell in the picture. All you have to do to win the bag is leave a comment, but if you don't want to win the bag and do leave a comment please let me know. I also ask that everyone who enters the contest is a follower of English Major's Junk Food. You can become a follower by clicking Follow in the upper right hand column of this page. Oh yeah, this is open internationally.

In case you missed some of posts this week here is a quick list: Emma Volume 3, Author Interview with Alexandra Bracken, The Creation of Eve (my favorite book so far in 2010!), and Deep Bookish Questions.

So Thursday marked my last month as a teenager. Yes, I am turning twenty. Most people aren't that excited about their 20th birthday, and I guess I'm not really either. To make things a little more exciting I've decided to do a self challenge. I've never read a lot of YA books, even when I was a teenager. I mentioned during National Novel Writing Month that this was the reason I decided to write a YA novel. When I was in high school it was the cool thing to not read YA books, but to read literature books. Sometimes I regret not reading more YA, but the truth is that I really had trouble finding YA books that interested me.

So yesterday I did some shopping, virtually and physically, and found four YA books that I would like to give a shot. The first I've already started. It's The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner. I also ordered the first three books in the Luxe series by Anna Godbersen, Sorcery and Cecelia, or the Enchanted Pot by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer, and A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray. Most of these are historical fiction, which to be honest I wasn't very interested in when I was in my early to mid teens. I was really interested in Kurt Vonnegut and Jack Kerouac at the time. The turning point in my reading habits was actually when I read Jane Eyre, although it wasn't an immediate change. It's taken me awhile to really become a historical fiction reader, although I've always enjoyed books set in the past.

So basically this is just a way for me to relax, read some books that I probably wouldn't read otherwise, and enjoy my last few days as a teenager. I'll be posting the reviews to these books as well as something adolescent every Saturday until January 9, which is the day before my birthday.

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins was so exactly what I was hoping for. It delivered on everything I could possibly asked for. I had really high hopes for this one, and I'm glad to say that it more than met them.

Lola is one of the quirkiest characters I've ever met. I've used that word before — quirky — but I'm not sure it's every truly fit someone the way it fits Lola. I might just have to go take it back from every other person I've ever called quirky. Lola expresses her thoughts, emotions, and herself through her wardrobe. And honestly — (given her crazy costumes) it's a good thing that she lives in San Francisco: P But oh, did I love Lola. Clothes are not something I've ever been passionate about, and I hate shopping for them. If I'm lucky enough to find something that I really like, I've been known to buy it in a least two colors. For every day clothes, I almost always choose comfortable over fashionable, and I have no problem going to the store in the middle of the afternoon in my giant over-sized fleece pajama pants if I'm cold. So I loved the chance to live vicariously through Lola's outfits. She's crazy, but I loved it!

I also loved that, although her family is unconventional, Lola has a loving family who is interested in her life and actually pays attention. They have a weekly meal with her boyfriend, making sure that he's a part of their life too, because he's important to their daughter and although her dads can be rather overprotective, it's so nice to read about parents who actually care about their kids enough to make them a priority.

As for the boys — Initially, I liked them both. Lola is dating Max, an older rocker dude when the story begins, but then Cricket moves back in next door, and she's definitely got some 'unresolveds' with that boy. In the beginning, the only problem I had with Max was their age difference. A few years isn't a big deal once everyone is out of high school, but someone in their 20s should probably stay far away from high school juniors... (and by probably, I mean just do it.) But other than that, he seemed like a great guy, at least until Cricket moved back and then it seemed like, from nowhere — suddenly Max is actually a sleaze ball.

This is the only part of the story that I was disappointed with. I wish that Perkins had done more to make Max obviously a flawed character from the beginning, because I felt like he had an abrupt personality shift as soon as Cricket showed up, to make it more obvious and easier for Lola that she needed to dump the jerk-face and move on to the awesome out her bedroom window. That underlying edge of yuck needed to have been there from the beginning and I just didn't feel it.

But Cricket. Le sigh. I really liked Cricket. He's goofy and funny and kind of a little bit awkward. But he's definitely attracted to Lola. That's something that's clear right from the beginning. And whether she wants it or not, Lola definitely still feels it too. And I loved watching their relationship change and grow and progress. Cricket was my favorite character. And not because of the 'swoon' stuff, but just because he's awesome, and (aside from the whole — awesomely talented inventor thing) he feels like someone I could know, someone I would hang out with, someone I could be friends with.

The secondary cast in this book is also awesome. From awesome best friend of Lola, to the hateful but perhaps misunderstood twin sister of Cricket, to the unconventional family (two dads [one of whom is actually also an uncle] and an occasional appearance of the biological mom) to a certain reappearing couple from a previous book, the supporting characters in this story really gave it the depth and umph it needed to be awesome. Seriously — this is a book I'm going to buy and reread. It's a book that just begs to have the favorite scenes read over and over again, and it's one I definitely look forward to keeping on my shelves. It's another one that I can see being added to that selection of comfort reads.

*Disclaimer — Borrowed a copy from Around the World Tours.

At first glance, the site looks like an empty hill on the city's east side -- a bald spot surrounded by a slum, a new university and a shopping mall scheduled to open soon.

But then, a low structure becomes visible -- Puruchuco, an Incan palace with a 16th-century burial ground, and untold numbers of priceless artifacts buried within.

Just 10 percent of the 75-hectare (190-acre) complex has been explored, but that small slice held more than 2,000 mummies and some 100 artifacts in gold, silver and copper.

"The entire Puruchuco hill has monuments, cemeteries, pre-Hispanic mausoleums that have never been explored because of a lack of funding," said archaeologist Clide Valladolid, the director of a small museum at the site.

The problem is that as the Peruvian economy has boomed in recent years -- registering average annual GDP growth of 6.4 percent in the decade to 2013 -- Lima, a city of more than nine million people, has expanded voraciously, with rich and poor alike snapping up real estate.

Puruchuco sits right in the growing capital's path.

Authorities want to extend Javier Prado Avenue, one of the city's main arteries, to link it up with Carretera Central, the highway to the Andean region and the main route to the capital for food and other products from the country's interior.

Originally, the idea was to split Puruchuco in two and build the road straight through it -- a plan that initially got a green light from authorities.

But then the culture ministry intervened, asking for construction to be halted.

With a little creative engineering, planners came up with a system of two three-lane tunnels, each 45 meters (150 feet) long, that will pass through the narrowest part of the hill.

Work on the $8.9 million project began last August using non-disruptive digging techniques and no explosives, and is due to be completed in June.

"It was the engineering equivalent of heart surgery to avoid one of the cemeteries on the upper part of the hill," said engineer Onerio Robles, who designed the project.

"When we had defined the route and begun excavating, we found a mummy a meter away from the tunnel's path and had to recalculate everything."

An archaeologist at the Universidad Mayor de San Marcos had warned in 2010 that there was a pre-Inca palace hidden in that part of the hill.

Puruchuco means "feather helmet" in the Quechua language.

The complex is named for a headpiece on display at the site museum. Crowned with brightly colored feathers, it was worn by the curaca, or ruler, who lived in the palace.

More than five centuries ago, Puruchuco was an important administrative and religious center where the curaca led rituals.

Today, the palace has been painstakingly reconstructed and is open for visits.

Authorities have promised to expand the site museum, opening the largest collection of mummies in the country and a laboratory to study them.

Valladolid, the museum's director, wants to bring back 2,000 mummies that were discovered at Puruchuco in 2000 during a separate construction project -- a road through a slum that had sprung up atop the largest burial ground.

Some of the mummies' bones had been broken with sharp swords in combat -- apparently an early battle with the Spanish conquistadors, who descended on the area in 1532 and made Lima the capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru.

One of the mummies' skulls was pierced by a musket ball -- it is believed to be the first person killed by gunfire in the Americas.

Many more discoveries are likely lurking in the hill, said Valladolid.

"In the lower part of Puruchuco, called Huaquerones, there are three pyramids with ramps and cemeteries. We need to fence them off to stop squatters from moving in," she said.

Author: Roberto Cortijo | Source: AFP [March 21, 2015]

Book Blogger Appreciation Week (BBAW) is just a little over a month away! Have you nominated your favorite blogs yet? The deadline is August 15th, so nominate now!

I created my blog in March of 2008, and unfortunately I didn't learn about BBAW until it was over. This year, a little meme was created to spread the excitement about BBAW.

1) What has been one of the highlights of blogging for you?

Without a doubt, I'd say the community. I've met a number of amazing people since creating my blog. This includes other bloggers, but also authors and publicists as well. It was wonderful to know that there were other people out there who appreciated reading as much as I do.

2) What blogger has helped you out with your blog by answering questions, linking to you, or inspiring you?

Where do I begin? Well, the first blogger I followed was Becky from No More Grumpy Bookseller. She and I both reviewed for Bookbitch and she was definitely an inspiration to me. She gives the best book recommendations and has introduced me to a bunch of "new to me" authors. My book collection has grown tremendously since I started following her blog.

In addition to Becky, there are dozens upon dozens of other bloggers who have helped me improve my blog and my blogging experience. Here are just a few:

• Kathy from Bermudaonion's Weblog-Kathy was one of the first to comment on my blog. She's the commenting queen!
  

• Beth from Beth Fish Reads-We both swear we are long-lost twins, separated by time and space.
  

• Julie from Booking Mama-Her blog has introduced me to a wealth of great books for my boys.
  

• Trish from Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'?-Trish offers the best suggestions when it comes to improving and enhancing a blog. In addition, she was my roomie at BEA, and I truly enjoyed the time we spent together and the conversations we had.
  

• Amy from My Friend Amy-Another blogger that offers great advice when it comes to books and blogging. She alleviated my nervousness about attending BEA for the first time always has the best responses/solutions when drama pops up in the blogging world. She and I don't always have the same opinion, but hers is one I definitely value.
  

• Swapna from S. Krishna's Books-Swapna is one fast reader! She inspires me to read more!
  

• Dawn from She is Too Fond of Books-Dawn is an amazing monther and woman. I love when she features receipes on her blog. I always try them out. They aren't always a hit, but the experience is unforgettable. Dawn also inspired me to join the Game On Challenge, an experience that forever changed me and my eating lifestyle.
  

• Stephanie from Stephanie's Written Word-Stephanie is a brave and strong woman, an inspiration to us all!
  

• Michelle, aka Galleysmith- Michelle gave me the great idea to create my Virginia is for Lovers feature. She also supported my Supernatural addiction by lending me two seasons-worth of DVDs :). Michelle is a true bibliophile--her book shopping extravaganzas relieve the guilt I have after buying a few books.

3) What one question do you have about BBAW that someone who participated last year could answer?

Short, easy answer: How on earth do you only select one blog to nominate from each category!?

This week Suey asked Geekers to share their plans for this weekend's 24 Hour Read-A-Thon...and a few of you took on the challenge.

Molly (The Restless Reader) will be experiencing her first Read-A-Thon. She writes: "Instead of worrying about the number of pages read, my overall goal is to just enjoy the experience."

You might want to amble over to Charlie's house (Life Happens) if you are looking for something good to eat. She plans on: "Food? Snacks? ALWAYS. I prefer lots of these things. I may get a cheese/grape/strawberry plate I spied at the store the other day. It's light and good for you...or I may get Easy Cheese and Chicken in a Biscuits...we'll see how it turns out. The less crumbs on the books the better."

Melydia isn't planning on participating in the Read-A-Thon this year, but she has a strategy anyway. Check out her post on Utter Randomonium for some good advice.

Melanie from Cynical Optimism is mixing a book festival and shopping at the farmer's market into her day of reading. She writes: "The Southern Festival of Books runs Friday-Sunday. Saturday specifically i intend to see Harold Ford at 10, the authors of American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us at 12, Brian Yansky and Paolo Bacigalupi at 2:30, then at 3 Dr Bill Bass and author Jon Jefferson are talking about their book!" Check out her blog for some live posts about the festival on Saturday.

There were nine other responses to this week's Weekly Geek's post - and they are all great...so check out the links on this post.

Whatever you're planning for this autumn weekend, I hope it is wonderful...and that you find some great books along the way!

I moved into my townhouse with three bookshelves and they were completely full right away, so I knew a new bookshelf was in my future eventually. I finally got sick of all the random stacks of books around the house towards the end of last semester and yesterday I bought the bookshelf. It's the biggest bookshelf I've got so far. Apparently I've become more realistic about my growing library. I'm amazed by how many of the books I own I've purchased since I started blogging. Apparently I just didn't know what books to buy before my blog and now I'm constantly bombarded with books I want to read plus I find ones on my own. Book blogging has definitely changed the way I approach shopping in a bookstore-- but that is a post for a different day.

The bottom shelf is games and children's books, two things that didn't really have a home in my house so it makes sense for them to go on a fairly empty bookshelf. Above that is about two shelves of unread books. Just by looking at my bookshelves it seems like I'm finishing one shelf of books for every shelf of new books, which means I'll never get past that one bookshelf worth of books I haven't read. I'm pretty okay with this ratio right now, obviously I would like to read more books than I'm taking in. The worst part is that I have two shelves of books that I've owned for a long time but still haven't read. When I look at the books I think I want to get to them someday, but I don't want to read them as much as the new books I bought in the last year. I should probably get rid of some of the books I haven't read but I honestly think getting rid of books is a humongous pain in the butt.

The second shelf from the top houses literary magazines which were previously under my coffee table. This collection is only going to get bigger in 2011 because I not only have a subscription to The Believer (my second year with it) but I have one to McSweeney's as well. The very top shelf has some beer bottles from Germany on it. Not much to do with books, I just thought they were pretty.

Have any of you gotten a new bookshelf recently? Do you need one? Are the stacks of books taking over your house?

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The pair are in Sydney where tonight they will attend the premiere for their new film Water For Elephants.
A little upstaged? Witherspoon and Pattinson smile for the cameras next to the elephant before looking at it in bemusement
Pattinson, dressed casually in jeans and a brown shirt, and Witherspoon, who wrapped up in skinny jeans and a thick woollen polo neck jumper, were joined by the film's director Francis Lawrence but were then surprised as they were joined by a mystery guest - an Indian elephant.
Their new friend left them in giggles as she had a little accident on the pavement.
You do it: Witherspoon gives Pattinson some more biscuits to keep the elephant happy
Despite working with an elephant while making the film, Pattinson seemed reluctant to feed the guest star, as Witherspoon handed him some biscuits.
And despite shying away, the Twilight star claimed that working with animals was one of the main reasons he took the role in the film, which is based on the book by Sara Gruen.
Speaking at the press conference he said: 'Francis Lawrence said he wanted to have a meeting and he took me out to the elephant sanctuary where Tai [who plays Rosie the elephant] lives and I saw her doing a handstand and stayed there for about four hours playing catch with her.
You're at the wrong end: Witherspoon and onlookers laugh as Pattinson gets a surprise
'I would literally throw a ball and she would catch it in her trunk and throw it back to me, and I was like, "OK, even if this movie is the worst movie ever made, I get to work with this elephant for three or four months. I'm definitely doing it".'
Witherspoon also spoke about her 'incredible experience' preparing for her role in the film in which she plays circus performer Marlena.
She said: 'I got to train with Ty the elephant for three months. I went to circus school to learn how to do trapeze and acrobatics. It was a unique experience but it was also daunting and scary.'
Chic and simple: Reese looked casual but glamorous in skinny blue jeans, Louboutin heels and a black polo neck jumper
The pair flew straight to Sydney from London where they had attended the premiere in Westfield Shopping Centre in west London.
They also found time to make an appearance on the Graham Norton Show where they both admitted they had fallen in love with Ty.
Witherspoon said: 'She is amazing, thoughtful and communicative', while Pattinson added: 'I genuinely thought we had a real bond, a little something going on.'
A giggle with Graham: Witherspoon and Pattinson burst out laughing as they were interviewed by Norton for his weekly chat show
source: dailymail

VIA Who invited the elephant? Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon upstaged by wrinkly star at Sydney premiere

Hello blogging world! I am officially back in my own house in Iowa City. I'm still not freshened up from my trip, there is laundry and unpacking to do, but I couldn't wait another day to write a blog post. I had every intention of posting more while I was absent, but if I'm being totally honest I loved the break from blogging. I think I really needed it. And now I'm back to bombard with you with pictures from my trip. Jason and I hit up four countries and five cities in seventeen days. It was crazy.

We landed in Amsterdam first, and that was the only place I blogged from. It was also my favorite place we visited. I loved biking around the city and how Amsterdam is a city yet really feels more like a small town.

Favorite Amsterdam moment: Absolutely everything was closed on New Year's Day, so we ended up renting bikes and just riding around all day. It was frustrating at the time because none of our plans worked out, but now that I know we got to do everything we wanted (pretty much) I look back on that day with a great fondness.

From Amsterdam we took a short day trip to Brussels where there is a comic strip museum. Count me excited! Brussels also has a ton of amazing food and was probably the best food we had over the course of our trip.

Favorite Brussels moment: My mouth is still watering over the mulled wine and scalloped potatoes with ham and cheese. What a delicious snack. The comic strip museum was a lot of fun as well, although their gift shop was a huge letdown. Their English selection was one shelf. So yeah, the food wins.

Our next stop was Berlin, which is must say is one of the strangest cities I have ever visited. There is so much street art and punk culture there, which I really loved, but I found that the people were very abrupt. Not rude, just a little harsh. The way Berlin exists today is also about as old as I am, which was weird. You can really see the history of WWII and Communism there, which only makes the city feel harsher.

Favorite Berlin moment: I really loved this particular section of the Berlin Wall, but it's not my favorite moment. I'd have to say the best thing we did in Berlin was visit this bar called Kaufbar. You could buy the vintage furniture in there and they played awesome music. It was a very relaxing environment and felt more like a normal coffeeshop in the United States than a bar.

We took a day trip to Prague from Berlin. All we really had time for was a tour of the city and then some time at bars that evening. This is where we met one thousand Australians because they are all on summer holiday right now. I've met one Australian my whole life and I go to Europe and meet all of them. Crazy.

Favorite Prague moment: We stayed a night in Prague and after having a crazy day where we tried to see everything it was really nice to wake up the next morning and just wander around. Prague is a really beautiful place and the train ride there was even more beautiful.

Our final stop was Munich. We were getting fairly tired at this point but we still did quite a bit. We visited Hofbrauhaus, Dachau, Neuschwanstein, and did some shopping. They love their beer in Munich, so it was a pretty fun place to turn 21 for an American.

Favorite Munich moment: Even though it's not in Munich, the best day we had was my birthday (at least I think it was the best day). I was super hungover but visiting Neuschwanstein was so much fun. Pictures really don't do justice to the beauty of the snow covered forest on the walk up to the castle. It was a fairy tale birthday.

So that's my trip in a tiny nutshell. I had an amazing time and got just the break I needed. Jason and I are already talking about where we want to visit next!

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Yes, you read it right. I was injured by a book. I got up this morning and went to look out the window. It's pretty cold here and we're expecting snow, so I wanted to see if we'd gotten any overnight. I was walking back through my room and saw that my three year old, Justin, was awake and standing in the hallway. I started to walk toward him to tell him that he didn't have to get up yet (it was barely 7 am!) and that's when it happened. One of his books was on the floor and I slid on it and fell. Fractured my first two toes. I've been ordered by the ER docs to keep it elevated, don't walk on it, and ice it. I've been given some pretty hefty pain meds, too, which prevent me from driving. So much for my weekend shopping plans.

Instead I'll spend it in bed, ankle propped up on pillows, catching up on the shows I've Tivo-ed, the two LOST DVDs I got from Netflix, and a few books!