I soooo want to see this movie

The other day, I lamented that it's been at least six months since a movie has come out which I've deemed "theater-worthy" (meaning I have to see it in the theater, rather than waiting for the DVD). At least now I know the drought will end by May 1.

From dress to (Christmas tree) skirt

I sent a couple tweets about this awhile ago, but didn't get around to posting the pictures until now (Sorry!)

I couldn't find my usual Christmas tree skirt this year, and it was one I've been wanting to replace anyway (so I didn't look too hard), so I decided to make a new one.






Lil Girl had this dress which she wore for Christmas a couple years ago, and I hated to get rid of it because it's such a pretty dress. The thing I really liked about it was the way the tulle underskirt peeked out from under the overskirt.
















I decided one way to keep it out in the open & enjoy it would be to turn it into the tree skirt. I removed the bodice and hemmed waist back up.
















Then I slid it under the tree.

Voila!

A wonderful time was had by all

We had a great holiday party for my writers group today. It's such fun to get together with these gals (and if you know me and my hermit-y ways, you know that's something, coming from me.) We had a lot of good laughs, ate wonderful food and drank some great tea. Our gift exchange was a lot of fun, too. Here are a few pictures I took at the party.

If Mozart Were a Kid Today

Sad but true...

Wall-E Waffle

Wall-E Waffle, originally uploaded by mdesive.

Lil Girl got creative with her breakfast this morning. After I shot a few pictures with the phone and the nice camera, she said ';I'd like to *eat* my creation now." :)

My past life

I clicked through from The Write Life of Andrea & Corrina to this quiz, and this is what it told me:

I don't know how you feel about it, but you were female in your last earthly incarnation.You were born somewhere in the territory of modern Mexico around the year 1050. Your profession was that of a medic, surgeon or herbalist.

Your brief psychological profile in your past life: You had the mind of a scientist, always seeking new explanations. Your environment often misunderstood you, but respected your knowledge.

The lesson that your last past life brought to your present incarnation: Magic is everywhere around you, even in the most usual, most ordinary situations. Your lesson is to understand this magic and to help other people to see it, too. You are a magician!

This is very weird. Take out "Mexico" and replace "Scotland" but other than that, you've got Morgan, the heroine of my work in progress. I do think magic is everywhere around us, but the profile doesn't apply to me nearly as much as it does to Morgan. I'm a little freaked out, frankly.

R.I.P Mars Phoenix

I've been following the Mars Phoenix Lander on Twitter for a couple months. It was cool to find out what was going on on Mars, but winter is setting in, and the Phoenix tweeted its last today (the binary means "triumph," according to Wired). Feeling loss over a far distant robot seems odd, but at least there are still other missions to follow.

I voted today...

I voted today..., originally uploaded by mdesive.

...how about you?

Did you vote yet?

Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet? Did you vote yet?

Well???? Did ya? What are you waiting for???

Make your vote count!

Darn, I never saw a ghost there!

But then, I was usually there when it was full of people...and I was usually more focused on vampires (there were a pair of velvet curtains there that I wanted to steal and make into something like Armand's robe in Interview with a Vampire. Oh, how I used to drool over those curtains. I wonder if they're still there...)



"At great personal risk to himself, brave local photographer John Thompson of T.J.’s Photo and Camera, entered the Eagle Theatre and snapped random shots hoping to catch one of the wandering spirits that haunt the historic Chadron landmark. Who is this specter that wanders the aisles and spooks the help?" - Chadrad.com

Is the Eagle Theatre Haunted?

Someday, I really should do a Haunted Theatre Tour. Anybody want to come with me?

In case you're attacked by zombies today

This is very important information for Halloween.

Happy Halloween!

It's almost Halloween!

Here's The Shining dressed up in a "feel-good movie" costume.

You can't say that, it's gibberish!

A friend of mine sent me this video today. Somehow, I've never seen this one, but I love love love it - it's got Shakespeare, Rowan Atkinson AND Hugh Laurie all at the same time.

If All Movies Had Cell Phones

Found via Electrolicious

Today's pirate

see more puppies

Some library humor

Some library hunor, originally uploaded by mdesive.

This is a sign that was used over the summer to showcase certain topical books the library owns. It now graces an office, with a new humorous twist.

Rowan Atkinson does Shakespeare

I haven't seen this in years, but was showing Little Girl some Mr. Bean videos on YouTube and remembered it. Lucky me, somebody has posted it!



I've never been a huge fan of Mr. Bean, mostly because I like just about everything else Rowan Atkinson has done better. I find Mr. Bean kind of sad. It always bums me out when something awful happens to his car or his bear. I find it much easier to laugh at Lord Blackadder (bonus Shakespeare reference in this clip)



or Inspector Fowler.



But tonight I realized that Little Girl had no idea who Mr. Bean is, so I had to acquaint her with him. Rest assured, I haven't been depriving her of Rowan Atkinson all these years. She recognized him: "Oh, that's the guy from Rat Race and Scooby Doo!" she says. But of course I had to avoid any clips featuring mishaps with the car or bear - we don't need any uneccessary tears shed (hers or mine).

(P.S. There's another bonus on the Blackadder link: You'll get to see that Hugh Laurie is actually a) British and 2) a comedian. All you House fans need to experience that.)

lolpirate of the day

more lol celebs!

WooHoo!

WooHoo!, originally uploaded by mdesive.

You might be shopping in Nebraska if...

You might be shopping in Nebraska if..., originally uploaded by mdesive.

Gah! I forgot!

Banned Books Week is almost over and I didn't post anything. Bad me! Slap on the hand!

Anyway, go out there and live dangerously - READ A BANNED BOOK!

Check out the list of the 10 Most Challenged Books of 2007

Don't Vote...

...unless you care.

What day IS it???

What day IS it???, originally uploaded by mdesive.

I just noticed my calendar says today is Sept. 30th. It also says tomorrow is Sept. 30th.

One more pirate thing...

Google Pirate, originally uploaded by mdesive.

I wish I'd seen this on Friday. Oh well, my Google page has been rectified now. Arrrr!!!

Pirate-y sunglasses

Pirate-y sunglasses, originally uploaded by mdesive.

Who needs an eye patch when you've got these? Arrrrr!!!

This is the one and only time in my life I've bought sunglasses because I wanted them, instead of when I was desperate because I'd lost or broken my other pair. :-)

more animals

Arrrrrr, Matey! It's Talk Like a Pirate Day!

(Thanks to Rebecca Ryan for the link to the video)

Come on over!

Today I'm guest blogging at my friend Cheryl St. John's blog, From the Heart, about one of my guilty pleasures.

Hi, my name is Mary and...

I'm posting this video mostly to remind myself that I really need to try an "unplugged" night of my own. I know I've posted about it before...but I'm still such a techno-addict that the idea of a whole EVENING without it makes me break out in a cold sweat.

Library car commercial

Little Girl says "Actually, beauty is something without brains: STU-PID!" :-D

"...wearing your pageant sash and your Tina Fey glasses!"

Wednesday morning when ABC ran the promo for Charlie Gibson's interview with Sarah Palin, I told my husband "Tina Fey totally needs to play her on Saturday Night Live." He pointed out Fey isn't on SNL anymore, but I told him that didn't matter. Thankfully, the SNL gods heard me. :)

Just in case you live under a rock (and if you do, how did you get to THIS blog?) and missed it, here is last night's SNL opening sketch:




Love it! Tina Fey is my hero! :)

Um.....okay... :-)

Your 80s Theme Song Is:

Little Red Corvette by Prince

What's Your 80s Theme Song?

Men in kilts

Pretty hot, but some of these make me ask, at what point does it stop being a kilt and become a skirt?

"Some creepy guy"

Which president is this (2), originally uploaded by Travelin' Librarian.

Last Wednesday I stepped out of Murphy's Irish Pub in Rapid City, after a few drinks, to wait for my dad to pick me up from my sis-in-law-to-be's bachelorette party. Eight hours of driving followed by three beers and a shot of something yummy but inebriating had taken its toll and I was more than ready for bed.

I was about to head for the corner to wait, but noticed a creepy guy in a long coat standing there, so I decided to stick close to the door I'd come out of. I stood there several minutes, watching people go by, checking my e-mail on my phone ("Addict!" I hear hubby saying), and wishing I was already in bed. I glanced at the creepy guy. He hadn't moved. People came and went. I checked my e-mail again. I checked what time I had called Dad. It had only been about five minutes. I wished again that I was in bed. I glanced at the creepy guy. And finally, I remembered...

Rapid City has statues of presidents on the street corners downtown. The "creepy guy" was Millard Fillmore (I think...I'm not totally sure WHO it is). So, I smacked myself on the head and twittered it. ("Addict!" hubby mutters)

I think I'm lost

I think I'm lost, originally uploaded by mdesive.

I was browsing the maps at a gas station in Mitchell SD and found the usual South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska selection, but also one for the Greater Middle East. Now that'd be a loooooong drive.

Little streams

Little streams, originally uploaded by mdesive.

One bonus (if there is one) of being drenched at Mt. Rushmore is seeing the little streams and waterfalls I've never seen before. You could stand still and just listen to all the water gurgling and bubbling its way down the mountain.

The hardest part of the drive

The hardest part of the drive, originally uploaded by mdesive.

We're so close, yet there's so much nothing yet to cross

Beemer

Beemer, originally uploaded by mdesive.

I have nothing interesting to say about Beemer...

Our first "stop"

Our first "stop", originally uploaded by mdesive.

Goodbye, West Point. Hello, road construction.

It's Hooper-dooper!

It's Hooper-dooper!, originally uploaded by mdesive.

Heading out!

Heading out!, originally uploaded by mdesive.

Road trip!

RWA Conference on The Today Show

Why does the media always sound so surprised that romance sells well? This looks a lot like the segment they do EVERY year. They always take the tack of "Wow! Romance actually sells? Why?" rather than "Hey, look a romance conference. How cool!" or at least something other than bemused surprise.

Follow me!

I'm loving Twitter (when it works...sometimes it gets overwhelmed and then I'm sad)

Here's an explanation of Twitter. Once you've watched it, check out my "tweets" and I hope you'll follow me. :-)

Turning on the lamp

I love this scene from The Big Bang Theory. This episode was on tonight.

LOLCandidate

see Obama pictures

Romance Q&A: Victoria Alexander

Here's a great interview with my friend Victoria Alexander in a recent Library Journal. Wish I could be at RWA in San Francisco to hear her speech this summer, but alas, it's not to be.

Romance Q&A: Victoria Alexander - 6/15/2008 - Library Journal: "With The Perfect Wife (LJ 2/15/08), a reprint of a 1996 title, hitting No. 1 on the New York Times's best sellers list and Seduction of a Proper Gentleman, the eagerly awaited finale to her 'Last Man Standing' series, due in September (see review, p. 50), Victoria Alexander is quickly becoming a favorite among romance fans. See what this 2008 Romance Writers of America® conference keynote speaker has to say about the romance market and her plans for the future."

A tease

I pasted the entire text of my WIP into Wordle, and this is the result. It's Morgan's story, so I think this came out soooo well!

Romance Trash Talk

This is hilarious!


Thanks to Cheryl St. John for the link!

Harry Potter "prequel" online

J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter "prequel" written on a note card is online at Waterstone's. Click on "Authors" then "J.K.Rowling" to get to the card (and don't forget it has two sides!).

Cool little story about James and Sirius...the bad thing is, it made me want MORE! Oooh, Rowling is e-vil.

BANGHEADDESKBANGHEADDESKBANGHEADDESK!

(Click on the picture for a larger, readable version)

Gee, if only there was someplace you could get books you wouldn't have to keep, that you could take back so other people could read them, and it'd be cool if they were free, too...hmmm...somebody should invent such a place...and they could call it....A LIBRARY!!!!

Oh, this makes my head hurt.

Book Rental Fail

You know it's a slow news day in Chadron when...

...they're reporting that I'm sleep-deprived and in the closet, eight hours away in Omaha.

Oh well, now the world will know why I'm crabby this week. And I will learn not to say clever things to Genell that make her say "Hey, can I interview you?" ;-)

I really am thankful that I'm nothing worse than sleep-deprived. Other people have suffered damage to their homes or even lost their children in the last few days. I'm sure they're losing more sleep than I am.

Memorial Day in the 21st Century

The hubby was downstairs on the patio barbecuing some meat and texted me "Will u toss down the foil?" So, I stepped out on the deck and sent him the text "Heads up" just before I dropped it.

No, he didn't catch it.

Don't forget your towel today!

Because "any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is is clearly a man to be reckoned with." - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Empty Orange Case

You have new Picture Mail!, originally uploaded by mdesive.

Oh...kay....

Homemade dogga treats

Homemade dogga treats, originally uploaded by mdesive.

I made these using Rachael Ray's Peanut-Carob Isabooscotti recipe (with some little tweaks - no carob sauce, smooth instead of chunky pb and I cut them up much smaller than the recipe called for)

Happy May Day!

Happy May Day!, originally uploaded by mdesive.

This was waiting for us when we got home today. I'm glad somebody still keeps this tradition (and I know who you are!) ;)

It's RSS Awareness Day!

And yes, I'm an RSS feed addict...I crammed so much stuff in my reader, I made it useless. Now that I've basically cleaned it out and started over, I'm trying to employ better habits so that it remains a tool and not just another time-sink. Still, I don't think nearly enough sites employ RSS - for instance, I have yet to find a single news source in my old college town that provides a feed, and they should. Oh, they should! I've had to create my own feeds for them from a Google search, and it's still not what I think it should be. Oh, well, off my soap box now to let you learn just what RSS is. Here's some info with a nifty video which explains it all!

Choices, choices

Choices, choices, originally uploaded by mdesive.

I ended up eating both eventually, but I ate the chocolate first.

This post is mostly just a test of blogging from my phone via Flickr - if you're reading this on my blog, it worked!

Recently Read

Last night I finally finished Black Ships by Jo Graham. I enjoyed this one, though it took me about three months to finish it. It was like a nice ramble, without any deeply compelling reason to reach the end. I'm not sure why. When I finished, I felt like I'd been on a long journey, just as the characters in the book had. Overall, reading this book was pleasant, but lacking something.

This was an Early Reviewers book from LibraryThing.

Hey, that's my job title!

Okay, so only a couple of the words in this title are in mine, but if you get rid of "temporary part-time libraries North-West" and "business unit administration".... :P

The Plain English Campaign claims this is the World's Longest Job Title: temporary part-time libraries North-West inter-library loan business unit administration assistant.

Football!

(4/13/08 Update - The "official" picture of Dan) ;-)

Every once in awhile, it does seem like I have a life! :) Friday, Dan won tickets to Saturday's Omaha Beef football game. The Beef are Omaha's indoor arena football team, and I've never been to a game even though it's something we've talked about doing (talked about as in one of us says "We should go to a Beef game some time" and the other one says "Yes, we should!" and the conversation ends there). So, Saturday night Dan, Ashley, our friend Sam, and I headed downtown. I think Ashley had the most fun. Before we ever got through the front door of the civic center, she'd been through two bounce houses, gotten a crown made of balloons and had her face painted. Once we got inside, we eventually made it to the Party Box, which is behind one end zone.

I've been curious about arena football, but never really understood the draw until last night. I mean, I know we don't have an NFL team, but we do have the Huskers nearby. How much football do you need, even in Nebraska? (No, I didn't just get struck by lightning). And in the cities where they do have NFL teams, why would you want to watch arena football?

I get it now. This is football in a pro-wrestling atmosphere, and it's FUN!. I think it was the most fun football game I've ever been to. There is practically nothing dividing the fans from the players - just a half wall with padding on top. Even in high school, there was usually a good yard or two between the stands and the field. Even "good" seats at a Husker game made me wish I had a telephoto lens. When we got to the Beef game and sat down, I was a little worried when I realized it was end zone/wall/me. The goalposts were IN the Party Box - we were sitting under them! It was a crazy party atmosphere - every time-out seemed to bring some new goofy event onto the field - boxing with giant gloves, grown men doing the Chicken Dance, the "Rump Roasters" doing some other goofy dances. At the end of the game, fans are allowed out on the field and get to talk to the players and get autographs.

Part of Dan's prize was to be the honorary coach for the mascot game at halftime. Basically, he just had to go out on the field and be interviewed about his contest entry for the Unofficial Mascot of 1620 The Zone (Hopefully, I can get him to blog about what exactly the contest was and what he said - his entry had something to do with The Stain). Then the mascots played a quick game of football, which was hilarious. We also each got t-shirts, and how cool is it that they say "More Cowbell!" I LOVE IT! (Ironically, when we got home Christopher Walken was hosting Saturday Night Live, but there was no mention of cowbell that I saw. Oh well.) I've posted a few pictures at Flickr, but I'll post more as I go through them. I took well over 1000 pictures last night (no, that's not a typo).

Recently Read...

I no longer have to live in fear of people discussing Harry Potter! I finished reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows last week, and I think it was the best of the series.

I had meant to hold out for the paperback, as I did for the other six (they don't hurt you when you doze off and let go of the book - Hey, I'm a mom, I'm tired and I'm usually reading at the end of the evening when I'm even more tired). But spoilers kept creeping up on me and I was getting way too good at changing the channel on the TV or radio whenever I even heard the name Harry Potter uttered. So, I finally asked to borrow my mom-in-law's copy. Even that came at the price of an unintentional spoiler (I didn't take it well. I think I screamed "Shut Up!" at her - whoops, sorry!).

It took me about three weeks to get through the first half, reading at my normal rate of a couple chapters every few nights. Then I hit the half-way point and my reading pace picked up. I read the second half in a week, the last third in an evening (I would have finished it the night before, but even a dragon on a rampage through Gringott's couldn't keep my eyes open - see above). My house certainly showed the effects of that week of reading.

The final evening, I did almost nothing but read, stopping only to reluctantly eat dinner (good thing the hubby is the cook). My daughter complained, and I'm surprised she doesn't resent Harry Potter now, but she doesn't seem to. In fact, I caught her picking up the book a couple of the few times I actually put it down. It was odd to see a seven-year-old reading a book that thick. Unfortunately, she had usually chosen a spot ahead of where I was reading, which resulted in a panicked "Don't tell me ANYTHING you just read!"

The only problem with finishing Deathly Hallows is that now I have a big urge to go back and re-read the whole series from my new perspective. What clues were there, who do I see differently knowing how things turn out for them? And there's one character I'm intensely curious about - he was mentioned several times, but was he ever actually DESCRIBED until the last book when we found out who he really was? Were there clues to who he might be that flew right over my head? Hmmm....I scratched one book off my reading list, but put six back on. Oh, well...

Currently reading: Black Ships by Jo Graham - an Early Reviewers copy from LibraryThing.

Sigh....but could I do it???

I pop into Ariel Meadow Stallings' Electrolicious blog from time to time and she's got a great idea in today's post. She says "one night a week, I am going to completely unplug from anything with a screen. This means no internet, no sidekick, no watching dvds."

It's a great idea. I think I'm going to try it. I just have to figure out which night works best for me, and my family. It will probably have to be a family thing, or what's the point? Someone else will have the TV or whatever on & my effort will be lost. So maybe the title above should be "But could WE do it?"

I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

What Mary Means

You are confident, self assured, and capable. You are not easily intimidated. You master any and all skills easily. You don't have to work hard for what you want. You make your life out to be exactly how you want it. And you'll knock down anyone who gets in your way! You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something. You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense. You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun. You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in. You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising. You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Scary!

I shudder to think of it...

Imagine a World Without Apple, Bloggers, Google or Dell - New York Times

;-)

'Meanest mom on planet' sells son's car

I only have one comment for this: GO MOM!!!

'Meanest mom on planet' sells son's car - CNN.com

I need to file this away to show my daughter when she starts driving.

WooHoo!

Yay! Bill O'Boyle is the 2007 DII Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year. Go Eagles!

Reading for 2008

I'm not posting my resolutions, since they mostly all hinge off one thing: STOP PROCRASTINATING. The details I'll keep to myself for now. Instead, I've decided to post my provisional reading list for the year.

Most of my reading for the first part of 2008 involves finishing books I've already started reading. Most of the ones I haven't started were Christmas gifts (or bought with gift cards I received as gifts).

These are in no particular order, since I never know which one I'm going to feel like reading by the time I finish one, but I'll break them into sections:

Library books which need to be finished ASAP:
The Now Habit by Neil Fiore - how ironic is it that I've procrastinated on reading this one?
Body Language by Julius Fast - recommended by a writer friend. It's been good, but keeps getting interrupted by other things (like Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince)

Books I've started and which must be finished (tagged "Reading List 2008" in LibraryThing):
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Philosophy : Fear and Trembling in Sunnydale by James B. South - I've popped around in the essays in this book, but I'm going to finally just read it straight through.
Close-up Photography by Michael Freeman - I like playing with the macro setting on my camera, so this looked like a good choice. Luckily, it was already on my husband's shelf.
The Conversation Begins : Mothers and Daughters Talk about Living Feminism by Christina Looper Baker and Christina Baker Kline - Another book of essays I need to finish.
Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life by Alison Weir - I sat down and read the first chapter one day, but I've put off reading the whole book until some others were finished.
I Thought It Was Just Me: Women Reclaiming Power and Courage in a Culture of Shame by Brené Brown - got this ARC for free a couple months ago and also read the first chapter, but put it aside for another day.
John Adams by David G. McCullough - I've now been reading this book for seven years! I don't know why I don't just sit down and finish it. Luckily, I've absorbed and retained it well enough that I don't have to go back each time I pick it up again. This year I WILL just finish the darn thing!
The Joy of Writing Sex by Elizabeth Benedict - Nearly done with this one, but just haven't gone back to finish it yet. Yes, it has a pretty blunt title, but it's mostly addressing the issue of "When you can say anything, what DO you say" in love scenes.
The Key : How to Write Damn Good Fiction using the Power of Myth by James N. Frey - Mostly based on Joseph Campbell's Hero of a Thousand Faces, but boiled down to the basics for the purposes of plotting.
Nikon D40/D40x Digital Field Guide by David D. Busch - so I can understand all the little do-dads on my camera. Using it on Auto is fine, but it feels a bit like driving a Ferrari in second gear.
Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls by Mary Pipher - I keep putting this one down because it's a bit depressing and scary, but I feel it's something I should read as the mother of a girl.
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King - Given to me by a writer friend, and I just never have finished it for some reason, despite the fact that I'm not far from the end.
Spunk & Bite: A Writer's Guide to Bold, Contemporary Style by Arthur Plotnik - Looks like a good read, but I've been saving it for another day. Need to get it read!
To Kill an Eagle : IndianVviews on the Death of Crazy Horse by Edward Kadlecek - Borrowed from my brother many years ago. I need to buy my own copy and give his back. :)
Women Who Run with the Wolves : Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype by Clarissa Pinkola Estés - Another book I've been poking around in, in sort of a random way. I need to just read it straight through.

Not started yet:
Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University: 91 Days to Beat Debt and Build Wealth!
Financial Peace Revisited by Dave Ramsey
The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness by Dave Ramsey - These three were a gift from my parents, one of my brothers, and his girlfriend. I know we need it, and I know we need to read it soon.
Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass - Friends have been telling me for years that I need to read this. I finally bought it the other day.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling - Haven't got this one yet, but I need to read it before I encounter any more spoilers!