Fairy Interesting: Once Upon a Time is BACK!

EEE! I love this show so much and I want to share that with those of you who love it too! So every Sunday I'll be posting my thoughts and comments. Beware - there will be spoilers. But I'd love if you joined the conversation!
And in case you missed the "Magic is Coming" special before the premier, here's my version :) If you don't want the recap, you can jump down to my thoughts on the season premier. I'll never know.

To Recap:

Fairy tales=Real
Magic=Real
Snow & Charming=adorable
Regina=EVIL
Rumplestiltskin=EVIL? but we love him anyway!
Gepetto & Pinocchio=stupid plot twist and why does young Pinocchio look NOTHING like older Pinocchio?
Emma=Curse breaker! Maybe?
Regina=EVIL
Emma=bounty hunter
Henry=Surprise! I'm your son and your mom and dad are fairy tale characters under an evil spell!
Emma=confused
Regina=Henry's evil adoptive mother?!
Emma=confused
Regina=maybe not so EVIL?
Regina's mother=EVIL FOR REALS
Regina=I saved Snow! I am sweet!
Snow=naive idiot
Regina's mother=EVIL FIANCE MURDERER
Mary Margaret=naive sweetheart
Emma=my son!
Mr. Gold=AH! RUMPLESTILTSKIN! Why do we love you so much!?
Ruby=Slutty Red Riding Hood?
Graham=We love you!
Regina=EVIL HUSBAND MURDERER
Graham=the huntsman! We love you!
Snow & Red=best friends
David=Charming in a coma?
Charming=farmboy? As you wish
David=not nearly as cute as Charming
Graham & Emma=adorable
Regina=EVIL SHERIFF MURDERER
Emma=Curse breaker!
Rumplestiltskin=Magic comes with a price (but we love you anyway)
Regina=EVIL
Rumplestiltskin=MAH BOOOOOOY!!!!
Snow=heartbroken and a little stupid
Dreamy/Grumpy=awwwwww
Regina=EVIL
Mr. Gold=Manipulator
Mary Margaret=Murderer? WHAT?!
Regina=EVIL
Mary Margaret=Innocent!
David=jerkface
Belle & Rumplestiltskin=Adorable!
Rumplestiltskin=Idjit
Regina=EVIL
August=the writers are trying too hard to mislead us
Pinocchio=I'm a real boy! I have red hair! I'm going to save Snow!
August=I'm a wooden boy! I have black hair! I'm going to convince Emma!
Emma=I'm so not a believer
August=Emma-wan-kenobi You're our only hope!
Regina=EVIL MURDER PLOTTER
Mad Hatter=We love you!
Regina=EVIL
Henry=nooooooo! Don't eat the apple turnover!!!!!!!!!!!!
Emily=And then I saw his face! Now I'm a believer!
Regina=MAH BOOOOOOY!!!
Charming=so much better than David
Maleficent=evil dragon
Emma=Dragon Slayer!
Jefferson=Mwahaha I'm getting back at Regina
Belle & Mr. Gold=Adorable!
Emma=naive
Henry=DEAD!??!??!?
Emma=true love's kiss
Everyone=what the hay bale just happened?!
Regina=maybe not so evil?
Mr. Gold=power hungry (but we love you anyway)
Purple=I am the smoke monster's cousin
Regina=never mind...EVIL

Okay, so now you're totally caught up and ready to go, right?

1.1 "Broken"
I have to say that the opening left me more confused than anything. It was so disconcerting that if I hadn't seen the credits rolling I would have doubted that it was the right show. And I kept waiting through the entire episode for that to come back in. Not a big fan of that move.

In Storybrooke:

The seven dwarves are pretty much the cutest thing of all time and the family hug pretty much the most awkward of all time. Henry calling David "Grandpa" earned a chuckle, but Snow was way too, well, for lack of a better word - eager. I get that she has just gotten back her memories and realizes who Emma really is, but chill for two seconds. It's a lot to take in.

On a side note, I really love the casting of Raphael Sbarge as Jiminy Cricket. He just looks like a cricket!

Mr. Gold and Belle together is still adorable, and it makes it so much more frustrating when he refuses to give up his thirst for power. It will be interesting to see how their relationship plays out over the course of the season. As long as it doesn't turn into a cycle of Belle getting mad at him, leaving, coming back, he promises to reform, yadda yadda. Having said that, I'm very excited that Emily de Ravin has a recurring role this season!

Regina is as evil as ever and every single time you think that there might be a smattering of humanity left in her she does something that counteracts it. I'd really like to see more depth in her current character. It's one thing to make her sympathetic in her back story, but I need more than an occasional "but I really love Henry" moment to get me interested. Here's hoping they flesh her out a bit more this season.

I was totally not expecting Snow and Emma to get sucked into the portal. I was waiting for that magic human chain thing - you know, Snow grabs Emma, Charming grabs Snow and everyone is safe. So that was quite a twist. And it really is impossible to tell whether Regina knows that there's anything left of Fairy Tale Land or not.

In Fairy Tale Land:

I rather liked Aurora's character, but Philip seemed a bit of a jerk. I really disliked his manhandling of Aurora and I have to say I wasn't particularly sad to see him die.

Also, the whole woman dressed in concealing clothing to make it look like a man so it's a surprise when it's revealed she's a woman? Really did not work here. Not a fan of Mulan at this point. First, I'd rather she had her own story line rather than feeling like an add-on to someone else's, but also I found it weird that she was in some sort of love triangle with Sleeping Beauty and the prince.

I DO like the twist that this is now a parallel storyline rather than a flashback and that parts of Fairy Tale Land still exist. That was exciting and different. And of course, necessary so Emma and Snow had a place to arrive.

Overall an intriguing season premier. Not quite as good as I had hoped, but not as bad as I feared. I feel like I'm withholding judgment at the moment.

How about you? Excited? Reserved? Confused? And what did you think about some of the twists and turns of this episode?

UN-censored

September 30 through October 6, 2012 is "Banned Books Week", an annual event to promote the freedom to read.  Unfortunately, certain libraries, retailers, and others in this day and age still ban or face scrutiny over the the sale, loan, and/or distribution of certain books. Information on which titles face such scrutiny can be found, here.

One of my most favorite series, the "Alice" books by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor is often challenged.  The series revolves around young Alice McKinley from her middle-schools years through high school graduation.  Apparently some people have a problem with the frank and honest way the author describes sexuality and believe the books are "unsuitable" for age group.  While I'm 31, I have read the entire series to date and actually find it to be one the tamer series that I've read.  While some of Alice's friends do engage in sexual activity, it is never explicit and their actions all have consequences that everyone, even adults could learn from.

Some picture books even face controversy.  Rachel's  favorite banned book is "In the Night Kitchen" by Maurice Sendak. It has been challenged because the main character, Mickey, is naked in a dream. Maurice Sendak has defended the book by saying that Mickey is a little boy, and little boys are often naked in their dreams. All you can see is a small drawing of a penis.  She read this story when she was very young and she didn't even notice the penis.  She says, it is a fun, magical, imaginative story and she doesn't think a sketch of a penis is anything to get offended by.

Meanwhile Rebecca was once influenced by a book banning campaign  Her favorite banned book is the Harry Potter series.  She was influenced by the movement that called the books evil and accusing them of promoting witchcraft. Once she was in college, she decided to read it because so many of her friends loved the books. She was astonished over the uproar once she actually read them.  She loves the fantasy aspect and it is clearly set up as fiction and in that world you can't be a witch or a wizard without having been born as one. If she had simply listened to the censoring voices around me she would have missed out on some of her favorite books of all time.

What about you?  Do you read banned books?  Share your favorite with us!

A Grimm Day

So, someone asked if Wombly had fallen off the face of the earth as well. He did not, however, he did get stuck up on a shelf:

Or else he would have been writing my posts for me.  EXCEPT, last week he was busy helping me move into a new room.

But once we were moved into our new space Wombly immediately wobbled over to the shelf and picked out a book and waited for me to come over and read with him.

 If you cannot tell, Wombly is holding the last book to Michael Buckley's series Sister's Grimm, A Council of Mirrors. SO, in honor of Wombly...

 Sister's Grimm, I believe, is one of those under appreciated series.
It was put out by Amulet Books (an imprint of Abrams), artwork done by Peter Ferguson (I once bought a book just because Peter Ferguson was the illustrator.)

 Sabrina and Daphne are sisters who have been orphaned. They have grown up in the foster care system and Sabrina has learned how to be sneaky in order to protect her sister as much as possible. The book begins when the sisters find out they have a relative: a grandmother who calls them lieblings (German for darlings, I believe). They find out they're related to the Brother's Grimm and are from a long line of fairy tale detectives. They now live in Ferryport Landing with their grandmother and her suspicious grouchy old man friend. AND, with a whole bunch of real to life fairy tale characters who are stuck for eternity in Ferryport Landing. Mayhem ensues. While Daphne loves meeting the fairy tale characters (especially the princesses) Sabrina is suspicious and looking for a way to escape. The journey of learning to be Grimm detectives continues through to The Inside Story:

What I loved about this book is the development of Sabrina's character. This is her lowest point. This is where she doubts herself the most and is crying everywhere. With everything that happens in this series it's an appropriate response. It added a layer of realism into the book. Anyway. I also loved the concept of this book: Sabrina and Daphne, along with Puck (who is a recurring character), fall into the book of tales and walk through the stories of Oz and the Jungle Book. I love the idea of walking through stories and I just loved how Buckley wound everything together and twisted it all up.

Wombly and I have some favorite quotes from the book, but before we get into that I want to talk about the last book real quick: The Council of Mirrors.

First off: So, when Rebecca and I went to BEA with Jenn N. I noticed that Michael Buckley was going to be signing. SO, Rebecca and I didn't know this and we were so excited. We went to the Abrams booth and repeatedly jumped up and down and fan-girls loudly and it's embarassing to think about BUT anyway. SO, at home I have the signed copy that has my name in it so you cannot steal it because I love it so much and... Ahem. Anyway. So when I unpacked my books here in my dorm I realized DOOM UPON DOOM, I had not brought Michael Buckley's book with me, so I had to run to the library and find it.

Second off: I was reading this while hanging out with a bunch of my friends. They were reading aloud bad romance novels and making fun of them (which, if you're a Down Under, you may want to wait to do such an activity) and here I was in the corner reading The Council of Mirrors and crying and trying to surreptitiously wipe away my tears. OHMYGOODNESS. It's so sad. But it ends well and is a satisfying end. AND I won't say more in case I should give anything away. BUT. You should read this series, especially if you like fairy tale re-do's, or detective stories. SO. Now onto some of my favorite quotes from The Inside Story. I would have written down favorite quotes from The Council of Mirrors as well, but I was too busy crying and trying not to garner attention.

"The words you say are insane," Puck said. "They come out of your mouth like regular words but make no sense." p. 167 (This is better in context, but it was definitely a laugh out loud moment for me. BUT, it could just be me.)

"The stained-glass shards came down like razor-sharp rainbows and there was no way to pass safely." p. 171.

"You are recollections and notions put down in words and sentences powered by a little bit of magic." p. 187

"The moon shone down on the water and its reflection danced like a ballerina." p. 191

SO, go find your own favorite quotes and moments. :) Have a good week Down Unders!

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Laydown Lowdown

It may be Fall but it feels kind of like Valentine's Day is near as there is a slew or new releases in Romance today.  Some of the highlights include the latest from best-selling author J.R. Ward, "Rapture,"  as well as "How a Lady Weds a Rogue," by Katharine Ashe.  Plus, "Immortal Surrender," by Claire Ashgrove, the paperback edition of "A Perfect Blood," by Kim Harrison with an all-new bonus chapter, and "Something Witchy This Way Comes," by H.P. Mallory.

Step on over to Science Fiction/Fantasy for "Phobos," by Steve Alten, "Earth to Hell," by Kylie Chan, "Blood Riders," by Michael P. Spradlin, "Crown Thief," by David Tallerman, and "Count to a Trillion," by John C. Wright.

March up to Mystery and discover, "Talking to the Dead," by Harry Bingham, "Season of Darkness," by Maureen Jennings, "The Code," by G.B. Joyce, and "Judgement and Wrath," by Maureen Jennings.

If you're a Twi-hard, you'll sparkle with excitement over Stephenie Meyer's,  "The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner," finally being released in paperback today along with "Breaking Dawn," being re-released with cover art from the forthcoming film, "Breaking Dawn: Part 2."  Other new releases in Young Adult include "Shadows," the follow-up to "Ashes,' by Ilsa Bick, "A Fractured Light," by Jocelyn Davies, and "The Blessed," by Tonya Hurley.

Another new release sure to be a hit this week is J.K. Rowlings first novel for adults and her firts departure from the world of her infamous "Harry Potter."  "The Casual Vacancy," hits vacates shelves on Thrusday, September 27.

 

What new reads are you looking forward to this week?  Don't forget to support your local books stores whenever possible.  Happy Reading!

We Want to Go To There !

If you haven't yet read yesterday's blog post where I reviewed "The Longest Way Home," by Andrew McCarthy, please take a minute and do so now.  As you can see, Andrew is quite the world traveler these days.  I know there are many places I'd like to visit if given the opportunity.  I also wanted to see where in the world my fellow BWOBNY colleagues would like to visit.  We once all joked about renting a RV and trekking across the country to check out San Diego Comic Con and maybe we'll still do that one day.  In the meantime, here are there other places we'd like to visit:

Alan wants to go to Scotland, England, the Bahamas, Hawaii, and Germany.

Meanwhile, Eileen wants to visit New Zealand, France, the British Isles, Greece, and the Marquesa Islands.





Like Alan, Jess B. wants to go to Germany as well.  She would love to see the house her grandmother grew up in.  Mallory also wants to visit Germany because the pictures she has seen on the region are gorgeous and she'd like to learn more about the culture. 

Jess P. would like to stay in the good old USA and would love to go to California. She'd like to visit Ray (who helped our store when it was closing)  and then go to Disneyland since he lives close by.






 

Nancy wants to check out  Italy & Norway. Italy for the food and vineyards and history and beauty. Norway for my heritage.  

The closest that I've ever been to Norway was the area at Epcot.  The Norway ride featured these evil trolls that spooked me so much as a kid that I never want to visit the country.  Be careful over there, Nancy!
  

Rachel dreams about traveling to Ireland.  She is I'm fascinated by the music, culture, folklore, food, and the landscape.

Rebecca is going to be quite busy.  She'd like to see Scotland since both sides of her family go back there and she could also meet up with one of her Twitter friends.  Plus,  she has always wanted to go to Ireland, because she has heard it's gorgeous. Finally, she would also love to visit Greece, Egypt, and Israel for various reasons including her spiritual heritage.  






Rebecca is the queen of multi-tasking so if she got the opportunity to visit all those places in a week, she could do it!  

As for me, I've wanted to go to London since I was in high school.  I'd love to see Buckingham Palace, see a Robbie Williams concert, and pretend to be Ms. Moneypenny for the day.  Then I'd like to go to Paris and see the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and and get a delicious desert at an outdoor cafe. After that, I'd like to go to Vienna and look for the Jesse to my Celine as in one of my favorite movies, Before Sunrise.  But before I do all that, I need to go to Glasgow, Scotland and visit my bestie and former Borders employee Melanie.  

Now, let's hear from our readers, where would you like to travel to?  Don't forget to check out yesterday's post where you can enter to win a copy of Andrew McCarthy's, "The Longest Way Home."   

The Longest Way Home

Almost everyone is familiar with actor Andrew McCarthy who rose to fame in the 80's film hits, "Pretty In Pink," "Weekend at Bernie's," and "St. Elmo's Fire," to name a few.  However, few people may have heard of Andrew's second career, travel writer.  When Andrew isn't acting or directing, he travels the world and writes about his travels for publications such as "National Geographic Traveler."  "The Longest Way Home," is Andrew's heartfelt memoir which focuses not on his acting career but how his love of travel helped him overcome his apprehension of settling down and marrying his fiancee without sacrificing his fiercely independent spirit.



I loved this book.  I was fortunate to receive an advance copy from the publisher, Free Press (a division of Simon & Schuster).  I couldn't put it down and I read certain passages several times to truly savor the book.  Andrew is a phenomenal storyteller.  His descriptions of his travels to places like Patagonia, the Amazon, and Mt. Kilimanjaro are vivid and make it easy to visualize these foreign sites in clear detail.  I also related to Andrew's relationship struggles.  All relationships require compromise and commitment but how do you compromise and commit without losing yourself?  Andrew did an excellent job of describing his emotions and thoughts as he tried to sort this out for himself.  Andrew may be a successful actor and a world-traveler but I, a 31 year old paralegal/book blogger was able to relate very well and I think most readers will relate to him easily as well.  This was a terrific book and I can't wait to read through Andrew's previous travel writings as linked on his website.  I recommend everyone travel to their local bookstore today and pick up a copy!

I also participated in a webchat recently with Andrew and some other bloggers from around the world.  Andrew read from his book and we were able to ask him questions via the web chat.  I asked him what places he would like to visit that he hasn't the opportunity to visit yet.  He replied Burma and the Atacama Desert and added that he really loves deserts. I then inquired as to what advise he'd give someone like me who was on a tight budget but was anxious to see the world.  He said world traveler is cheaper than you think, that it can be done with little money if you're determined and you should just go.

So today, I set off, not to any foreign city but to Ridgewood, NJ to meet Andrew McCarthy at his signing at Bookends.  Bookends is great little bookstore with lots of events.  I was lucky enough to not only get a signed copy for myself but to get one autographed copy to raffle off right here on the blog!  Please comment below and tell us where in the World would you like to visit, then follow through the Rafflecopter prompts.  Now, off to the Rafflecopter we go.  Raffle is open to US residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Andrew McCarthy and I

 

Note, I received no financial compensation for this review, webchat, author visit etc.  I simply love to promote great books and meet adorable, talented writer/actors.

Recent Favorites: The Girl of Fire and Thorns & Partials

I was all ready to do another "Underappreciated Authors" post, but I read two books recently that I absolutely adored, so I have to let y'all know about them.

The first one is The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson.

I fell in love with this book from page one. It was on special for my Nook and I'd been hearing so many good things about it, but it was even better than the hype. Here's the review I wrote for GoodReads (because I don't think I can say it better than I already did :)

This book blew me away. The best word I can use to describe it is "unexpected" - not that I didn't expect this book to be good, mind you. I had heard a lot of good things about it. What I loved is that I had no idea what was going to happen. It didn't follow so many of the usual YA molds and I adored it for that. Elisa is everything I have looked for in a YA heroine and usually don't find. The twists and turns of the plot kept me holding my breath and I loved the direction Carson took it. There is humor, there is romance, there is terror, there is magic, there is love, there is adventure.

But I think the thing that intrigued me the most was Carson's inclusion of religion as an integral part of the story. It was brilliantly done and I only wish I had thought of this idea first! So many YA novels shy away from any mention of religion or it is part of an oppressive regime or a way to control people. Carson weaves it into the narrative naturally and beautifully and Elisa's doubts and confusion about her faith echo the doubts and confusions had by lots of teenagers that grow up in families of faith.

I loved so much about this book. It is well written and beautifully told and I am extremely excited to see that it is the first of a trilogy. Though the story can stand wonderfully on its own I don't want it to be over!

And the absolute best part? The second book came out yesterday! The Crown of Embers is on shelves. Right now. Pardon me while I go buy it.

The more recent book that I read, I also snagged as a Nook promo. (I adore hard copies of books. I probably own about 2,000 books myself. Totally not even joking. But I adore my Nook too, for many different things. I love having so many books with me on the go and I've discovered authors and books I might not have picked up otherwise.

ANYHOO

Partials by Dan Wells was another book that absolutely blew me away. It's a post-apocalyptic story that is completely believable and utterly enthralling. Kira was another YA heroine that was everything I want, but usually don't find. She is strong, intelligent, fiercely loyal, and willing to risk everything to stand up for what she believes in. She's most definitely not flawed, but those flaws only make her more real and keep you rooting for her to succeed. The world building was phenomenal and, since Kira is a researcher, the amount of science feels like it should have been off-putting. It was not. It may be that I've always been intrigued by genetics, but I think it's mainly that Wells works through the science brilliantly. He keeps it at a level that an average reader can follow what is happening, but doesn't dumb it down in the slightest. I don't know how he did it.

And even though I totally called the big twist at the end, it didn't make it any less satisfying. The characters are fun and varied and well created and the story was intriguing and, I keep coming back to this word, totally believable. Read it.

So have you read any great books lately? Ones you just want to shove in all your friends' (and random strangers') hands?

Laydown Lowdown

Yikes, it's the third week in September already! Yea, for a great week of new reads! 

Young adult, best-selling authors Libba Bray and Maggie Steifvater both release new series today.  Bray's "The Diviners," is a mash-up of the 1920's and the occult while Stiefvater's "The Raven Boys," deals with a young girl torn between some mysterious boys. Other new releases in YA include, "Burn for Burn, " by Jenny Han and Siobhan Van, and "Because it is my Blood," by Gabrielle Zevin.

Migrate over to Mystery and you'll find the 24th Stone Barrington caper by Stuart Woods, "Severe Clear," as well as "Hiss and Hers," the 23rd "Agatha Raisin," mystery.  "Dead Man's Grip," by Peter James and "A Death in Valencia," by Jason Webster are also available today.

Roam over to Romance and you'll see "Indiscretion," by Margaret Allison, "How to Capture a Countess," by Karen Hawkins, and "A Season for Tending," by Catherine Woodsmall.

Skip on over to Sci-Fi/Fantasy and you'll find "Fallen Masters," by John Edward, ""Forge of Darkness," by Steven Erikson, and "Midst of Toil and Tribulation," by David Weber.

Another new release of note is "The Longest Way Home," a travel memoir by actor Andrew McCarthy.  Check back later this week for my full review plus details from his recent web chat.

That's your Laydown Lowdown for the week of September 18.  Happy Reading and remember to support your local bookstores whenever possible. 

Memories

Today marks the one year anniversary of the last day of Borders 0647, Middletown, NY.   A large group of us consisting of current and former employees reunited to spend a few final moments in the store and to remember and celebrate all the great times we had.  The meet-up looked a little like this...



Like Lou Grant treasured the staff at WJM, we truly treasured each other.  We even worked with a couple of knuckleads like Ted Baxter!  As our blog's welcome statement says, "Borders was more than a job for us - it was a way of life and a family..."  Fortunately, just like Mary and her friends, we learned that moment wasn't the end but the beginning.  We have this lovely blog and most of us meet up once a month.  I am truly blessed, as I am sure my colleagues will agree, to have made true life long friends from our time together at Borders.  Regardless, we miss our Borders days terribly.  Rebecca T., made this lovely video that makes me teary every time I watch it.



That video highlights some of the great times we had together.  I gathered up the gang on Facebook to show some more of our favorite memories with you.

Our last schedule, with our name badge remnants

Alan enjoyed the "zombies vs. unicorns" debate.  Meanwhile we all still chuckle when ever we think of Alan's closing announcements when he would put on his best "Terminator" voice and inform customers that the store would be closing soon and they better "get to the choppa..."

Jess P. has "so many awesome memories...Jenn, I always loved our GH/AMC recaps.  It was funny when customers and/or staff overheard us! Also I think it was the DVD release for 'Twilight' or 'New Moon' when we had the Twilight movie awards and all Jenn N kept saying was "sparkles!" in a sing songy voice. Finally there was the time I caught [a shoplifter] and saved close to $700 from walking out of the store....The most bittersweet moment to me was doing the final walkthrough of the store, and shutting the lights off. It was more than a store to me, it was my home away from home..." 

I remember the Twilight parties fondly as well.  We had two, one for the release of the novel "Eclipse," and another for one of the DVDs.  Corporate had sent us a packet of instructions as to what games we should lead our customers in.  The packet kept using the word sparkle, as the vampires sparkle.  For some reason, I thought of Oprah and how she'd introduce the Cullens. It'd go something like, "Let's bring out the Cullens, they SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARKLE!!"  .a' know excited she'd get that is where the sing-songy thing Jess mentions came from, lol,

My little impressions must've been a hit because Melanie's favorite moment was " Jenn's Adrienne Curry and Christopher Knight impersonation."  Melanie couldn't always catch the reality show, "My Fair Brady," so I would reenact scenes from it rather than just tell her because it was just too much fun.  

Rachel and I had some great times together too.  I was pleased to hear one of my favorite moments was hers too.  She loved, "Screaming 'MO WILLEMS YOU A WEREPANTHER' with Jenn, or any other time Jenn and I talked about 'True Blood'."  She also loved anytime our favorite customer brought us pastries, making borders party mixes and having said mixes banned from the overhead, javanilla shakes, cocoa trio sauce, RPL, staff picks. I miss it all."



I apologize to Mo Willems for calling him a werepanther but this memory occurred during the werepanther season of True Blood and we had a little misunderstanding about Mr. Willems during BEA and this joke began.  Rachel also neglected to mention that her impressions of "True Blood," characters in particular her impression of Tara Thorton could make me laugh so hard that it was hard to breathe.

Mallory, like Melanie, was with me when we first opened Borders in October 2005.  Mallory's favorite memory is singing a little song with me while we worked.  We had been instructed to tape these security tags, known as chicklets, onto CDs and DVDs.   I started singing "tape, tape, tape, tape, tape, tape you chicklet..." to the tune of "Shake Your Booty."  She also fondly remembers "info parties," which is the term the managers used when too many of us hang out by the info desk chatting.  

Rebecca T., remembers "I loved all of the release parties that we did - particularly Breaking Dawn because Claire and I were in charge and we just threw our whole selves into it and we had all the tape all over the floor and Larry went and bought a tux t-shirt on his break so he would fit in with the "prom" theme. Also, this one is for Claire Bear - 'Hey LADY!' and when we went out to the diner for break on one of our overnights. Walking up to Ruby Tuesdays for lunch and gabbing about anything and everything in the break room."  

As for me, I cherish the fact that I was a part of so many of my colleagues memories.  I loved all of those moments too.  I loved talking about soaps with Jess P.   I can still crack her up with my impression of Crystal from "All My Children."  Rachel is one of my favorite people to discuss "True Blood," with and Mallory and Melanie were there with me at the beginning.

I also love that we always made the best out of awkward situations.  Our ceiling flooded frequently but we just laughed and grabbed a pail and waited for the mall cops to come and agree, that there was indeed a leak.  As if we'd make that up.  Another time, there was an emergency evacuation of the mall due to some kind of problem with the smoke detectors.  We got everyone out, quickly and efficiently.  There was a brief moment of panic when we couldn't find Larry but before we knew it we were all safe in the parking lot and Larry was doing what did best-cracking jokes. 

With all these great memories, it's hard to believe we got any work done.  However we did and because we all bonded together so well, I think it made the work a lot easier.  We were truly a family and we worked together like a good family should, as a team.  I know we are all thankful for the wonderful times we shared and we'd like to thank all our customers who supported our store for all those years.  We miss you all and we miss it all. 

647 crew Past & Present