Lorelei Gilmore is My BFF

I receive Mama Kat's Weekly Writing Prompts, well weekly, but I rarely act on them.

However, when I read this week's email, I knew I had to jump in with both feet.

Here's the assignment:
Share 5 Fictional Friends you'd want in real life. (Movie/Book/TV etc.)

Wow, how to narrow it down to just five?

Source: someecards.com via Megan on Pinterest

It was tough, but here is my list countdown style:

5.  Penny from the Big, Bang Theory

Source: fanpop.com via Megan on Pinterest

She drinks a LOT of wine AND has ready access to a rockin' IT department. She is a great foil to the geekiness that is Sheldon, Leonard, Raj and Wolowitz! Girls Night with Penny, Bernadette and Amy would be so much fun.

4.  Rapunzel from Tangled

Source: google.com via Megan on Pinterest

Not only does she have magic hair, she knows how to use a frying pan. She is probably my favorite Disney character ever! I could hang out in the palace and NEVER worry about security when she's around.

3.  Elnora from A Girl of the Limberlost by Indiana author Gene Stratton-Porter

Source: amazon.com via Megan on Pinterest

This is my all-time favorite book ever. Elnora is a strong young woman who overcomes a tough home life. She'd be a steadfast friend who I could count on in almost any situation, especially if I get lost in the woods! Best of all, she's from Indiana so we could get together often.

2.  Maggie from Born in Fire by Nora Roberts

Source: goodreads.com via Megan on Pinterest

Maggie is one tough Irish woman. She is artistic. She is temperamental. She is loyal. All the makings of a very good, entertaining friend. Also, she could teach me how to make glass paper weights!

And drumroll please...

1. Lorelei from Gilmore Girls

Source: imdb.com via Robin on Pinterest

Does this pick really need any reason behind it? She is just the ultimate friend. Witty dialogue, great fashion sense and a lover of junk food and movies!

But, my main reason for choosing Lorelei as my BFF (best fictional friend) is Stars Hollow and the cast of characters that call it home. Who wouldn't want to sit in Luke's and hear the town gossip from Miss Patti and Babettte before heading to the Firefly Inn to annoy Michele and sample Sookie's food, all while waiting for Kirk to do some quirky!

Source: google.com via Megan on Pinterest

This was such a fun post to ponder. If I had a sixth selection, it would have totally been either Phoebe from Friends for the pure entertainment OR Carrie from SATC for the wardrobe!

On My Doorstep

After what can only be described as an "adventurous" drive home (Baby Sister and I swore each other to secrecy), I was excited to see this waiting for me outside my garage door.

The Last Boyfriend: Book Two of the Inn BoonsBoro Trilogy (The Inn Trilogy)

Even though I have been using the Nook and Kindle apps on my iPad to read more books lately, I am still a huge believer in books. I sit in front of my computer all day, use my iPad to take notes in meetings and am forever on my iPhone.

So the last thing I want to do to unwind in the evening is to pull out my iPad to read. My eyes need the break from brightly lit screens.

Don't get me wrong, Leah over at Beyer Beware convinced me to read the sample of Fifty Shades Trilogy Bundle: Fifty Shades of Grey; Fifty Shades Darker; Fifty Shades Freed through Amazon and I ended up buying the trilogy and reading them back-to-back-to-back on my iPad.

But, I am equally excited to dive into Nora Roberts' second book in her The Inn Boonsboro Trilogy. Thanks to Amazon Prime (have you signed up for the free one-month trial yet?) this book landed at my door the day it was released with free shipping and for a good price.

Since I have my month of free 2-day shipping, I may have jumped online last night and ordered a gift for a baby shower later this week. Cross your fingers that 2-day shipping, means 2-day shipping! There also may be some toilet paper making its way to me too. How weird and random is that?

Do you use Amazon Prime? If so, what are your favorite deals?

What about Overstock? Any other good sites out there?

Please share. I have 20-plus days left with my free membership so I want to take advantage!

NOTE: There are affiliate links included in this post. Nora Roberts, E.L. James, and their publishers do not know who I am so they didn't ask me to mention them. Though, if Nora Roberts happens to read this, please know that I am a HUGE fan - have been for years...ever since I found one of your books in my grandma's shed as a teenager! 

Call These Irresistible

I am a sucker for a good trilogy or series when it comes to books.

Hook me with the first book and I guarantee that I'll read the rest...I just can't resist.

I know most genres have authors who carry characters through multiple books and I don't know about you, but I appreciate it. That's one thing I really dislike about most movies...once it's over, I don't know what happens next.

Did these two stay together and is Gammy still alive and kicking?

Source: google.com via Megan on Pinterest

I'm serious...I really want to know!

I guess that's why I like authors who stick with characters for more than one book. I tend to read a lot of romance...I'm a sucker for a happy ending. Though I am working my way through Stieg Larsson's trilogy, starting with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium Trilogy).

The Queen of the Trilogies (at least in romance) is Nora Roberts. From the "Born In" trilogy - Born in Fire (Born in Trilogy, Book 1) to the more recent "Bride Quartet" - Vision in White (The Bride Quartet, Book 1) there are only a few of her books that I have chosen not to read over the years.

Lately, I have enjoyed authors who can make me laugh out loud as I make my way through their books. The Fool's Gold series - Chasing Perfect (Fool's Gold, Book 1) - by Susan Mallery does just that. It's about a community in California that is seriously lacking men and run by some very funny, opinionated and strong women. I'm totally excited that Book 7 in this series is coming later this year...I think she can keep this series rolling for a long time.

Speaking of authors that keep a "series" or at least keeps developing her characters over the years, Susan Elizabeth Phillips is a master at this. While my favorite SEP books revolve around a fictional football team in Chicago, including This Heart of Mine and Nobody's Baby But Mine, her latest book, Call Me Irresistible: A Novel, inspired this post!

I picked up the hardcover version at my local used bookstore over the weekend and read it straight through this morning! Its main characters are the children of the antagonists from her earlier novels, Fancy Pants, First Lady and Glitter Baby. While the original books were not my favorite, I really enjoyed reacquainting myself with the characters in this setting.

My one dislike of book series...the length of time between books! Who can wait 2-3 months to find out what happens next?!?

Any suggestions on authors I should try? I'm supposed to be working my way through these books, but I'm always willing to add a few books to my list!

Note: The product links on this page are affiliate links...wanted you to be able to see what I was talking about. Look for these books in your library, local used bookstore, on Amazon or ask a friend to borrow their copy, it's your choice!

Books & a Movie: A Near Perfect Evening

One of my BFFs (Going Jane) came to visit me this week, which is a rare but awesome occurrence. After cooking for her the night before (check out my last blog post), we went out to dinner with Brat (aka Frugalista Farm Life) at Rock Bottom and made a meal from their $5 appetizers - I highly recommend their pretzels and spicy cheesy spinach dip!

Then we hit the used bookstore! If you LOVE to read - like my friends and I do - then you MUST seek out the used bookstore(s) in your area.

I'm lucky to be close to not one, but two, Half Price Books locations (HPB) and I visit them frequently. It's much more fun to go with friends who share my love of reading and such was the case this week.

As you can see, I hit the jackpot! First, I found a copy of The Pioneer Woman Cooks. Going Jane was quite jealous because she just bought her copy at full-price! I love, love, love The Pioneer Woman's blog and had been wanting to get her book for a while now.

I'm headed on vacation in a couple of weeks so I needed some good "by the pool" reads. My co-worker, LH, loaned me a copy of The Help and I'm excited to read it after two fellow bloggers (3 kids and lots of pigs and Alarm Clock Wars) said they had read and enjoyed it.

I also picked up The Prince of Nantucket because I lived just off Cape Cod for a year working for cranberry growers (I'll talk more about that another time) and usually enjoy novels set in that area, as well as The Letters because I enjoy Luanne Rice novels.  

As you can see I also grabbed a copy of Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts. I'm a HUGE Nora Roberts fan and actually already have bought, read and loaned out the first three books in her Bride Quartet (and I desperately want to pre-order the final installment). This copy is for my BFF Bathtub Mama who is looking for her own set after reading my copies! I have found her the first two at HPB. If you like Nora Roberts' earlier romance novels - then you'll love this series. They are an entertaining, easy, enjoyable read.

I also picked up some of romance novels from authors I enjoy reading - including Sandra Brown, Sara Orwig and Maureen Child. These are what I like to read when I just want to turn off my brain and relax. No deep storylines here, but I enjoy them!

The best part of the trip to HPB...notification of their upcoming Memorial Day sale! Nothing better than 20 percent off books already at half-price or less!

As if the shopping trip wasn't enough, we also stopped by the Red Box (don't you love them?) and rented a couple of movies even though it was a work night! We settled on watching Crazy Heart starring Jeff Bridges.

Usually I'm leery about movies that critics like and that win awards - I'm not always impressed, but both Going Jane and I are country music fans (she more than I) so it was a good choice. It didn't hurt that Robert Duvall and Colin Farrell (oh, he's so bad that he's so good) were in it too.

The movie was good, the company even better, so it was a great end to a great evening.