But you don't have to take my word for it....

Butterfly in the sky.... God, didn't you love "Reading Rainbow"? It was one of my very favorite shows growing up. The episode about New York City at night? Awesome! The one where LeVar takes us to the set of "Star Trek: The Next Generation"? Unforgettable! I always wanted to be one of those lucky kids who got to spend a few seconds talking about a book they loved.

Now the last few weeks have been sometimes stressful, sometimes fun but super busy, so haven't had much to talk about. So when that happens I'm just gonna do a BYDHTTMWFI (see blog post title) about the things I'm into lately. Bottom line: They're all cool.

Books

The Raven Boys. I'm a huge fan of supernatural TV shows, but for some reason supernatural/fantasy books are a really hard sell (Harry Potter excluded): weird names, silly-sounding places, dumb powers. But Maggie Stiefvater's "The Raven Boys" -- about a group of boys searching for a lost Welsh king in Virginia, of all places -- is great. Love the characters (Adam, a book version of Matt Saracen = swoon), intrigued by the Welsh mythology, liked the prose. Now I have to wait for the next book. Argh.

When the Game Was Ours. I generally knew Magic Johnson and Larry Bird are basketball icons but never knew much else about them. This book tracks not only their careers but also their rivalry -- and how it made each of them a better player. Loved this book. Loved.

Movies

Pitch Perfect. Go see this movie. It's like a cappella meets Bring It On. The story is run-of-the-mill: Anna Kendrick (my love for her knows no bounds) is an alterna-girl who joins a ragtag a cappella group seeking glory. But it's exactly what I wanted: cute and fun and musical. Though, warning, it's gross in parts. Now I wish I could sing. It is a-ca-awesome.

The Art of the Steal. Fascinating documentary about the Barnes art collection that was outside Philly (kicking myself I never saw it when I lived there) and now is in a new home in the Philadelphia Museum of Art -- despite the fact that the original owner explicitly said his collection should never leave its home or be part of the museum. Ever. Interesting because of its look at art and who owns it and how it's acquired-- the politics behind it. I must say, I'm conflicted about going to see the collection at some point. On one hand, it's amazing art. On the other, well, just watch the movie....

TV

Bomb Girls. A Canadian show on the Reelz channel about women working in a Canadian munitions factory while the boys fight in World War II? Sold. Duh. The clothes! The hair! The drama! It's like "Homefront" (an old fave) without Jeff (Kyle Chandler) and Ginger, a.k.a. The Best Couple Ever.

Downton Abbey. This third season? Trumps the second season by far. Squeee!

Hope you check these out. But you don't have to take my word for it....