More guilty pleasures - tell all books

In my defense, I very rarely read any sort of celebrity penned or true life gossipy book. Also, I got Tori Spelling's sTori Telling out of the library, so at least I didn't actually spend money to read it. That makes what I'm about to say a little better, right?

I actually kind of like Tori Spelling. I do admit to enjoying her reality show. And she seems pretty nice on it. A little air head-y at times, but someone you would enjoy hanging out with. Plus in my high school days I was a huge 90210 fan. So when I heard she'd written a book I had to give it a try.

And I read it all in one sitting.

That's right, I couldn't put it down.

The 90210 stories, how she got together with Dean (while they were both married to other people), and of course, her horrible horrible mother. Riveting. And the writing was fun and she continues to come across as likeable.

Okay, it's not War and Peace, but it was a nice way to wile away a summer afternoon.

Girls in books make bad choices

Leisure Girl is married, but even if she weren't, she would know that it's a bad idea to start pal-ing around with your ex-boyfriend and lying about it to your husband.

I spent much of the book Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin cringing as the (happily?) married main character made various horrible, car wreck-esque choices regarding her passionate (difficult? sleazy?) ex-boyfriend and sweet husband. Still, I couldn't stop reading to see how it was going to end.

I have enjoyed other books by this author although she seems to specialize in characters who are kind of awful, but you don't quite wish would be hit by a bus.

Chick mysteries = awesome

I am a fan of mysteries, and especially enjoy them when they star a spunky female protagonist (who doesn't enjoy those?). I can read about their various plucky activities and near death experiences while comfortably curled up on my couch.

I recently stumbled onto such a book with Killer Blonde by Laura Levine. It is a part of a series of books starring Jaine Austen as an occasional P.I. and solver of murders. A type of person books would have us believe exist in droves, although I personally have never met one.

The book was cute and I enjoyed the character. I am going to order some of her other books for some mindless and sleuthy summer reading.

Run, don't walk...

Okay, fine. You can totally walk, unless you're being chased by some kind of rabid dog. At which point it's your call. But however you get there, you should most definitely go to the theater to check out "Iron Man".

I know, I'm a little late to the "Iron Man rocks" band wagon, but I just managed to go see it this weekend.

I am a fan of the comic book/super hero movie genre as a whole, and "Iron Man" is the best of of those movies I have seen.

Robert Downey Junior was great and it had a fast paced story and good action (if you're into that sort of thing...which I'm generally not, but it was very entertaining in this movie).

Leisure Girl (and husband) highly recommend this one.

Friday night movie wrap-up

Leisure Girl spent Friday night in a fairly typical manner. Curled up on the couch with the lovely husband, some (bad) Chinese food, and a few movies from Netflix.

Last nights picks were August Rush and Over Her Dead Body.

August Rush: I had been waiting for this movie for ages. It had literally been on the top of my Netflix queue for months. And yet, when questioned by my husband as to why I had been so hot to see it I could only come up with "I like Keri Russell?" (And of course I do, Felicity was awesome). Still, Keri Russell's coolness was not enough to carry this fairly slow movie for me. Not much romance (which is a crime when the two leads are so cute) and a LOT of music. It was a disappointment.

Over Her Dead Body: This movie, on the other hand? Such an enjoyable surprise. My expectations were, to be honest pretty low. I don't think of Eva Longoria as particularly funny and I hadn't heard anything about this movie from when it was in the theaters. But it was funny! And it has the always adorable Paul Rudd who I would run off with in a second were my husband not sure to object. I recommend this one for some lighthearted, entertaining fun.

Why live your life when you can live theirs?

There are so many ways to escape your life. Although not particularly a video game girl, I love living an alternate life as a Sim.

I played the original Sims when it came out and now am quite a fan of Sims 2 as well as its various expansion packs.

I like the god-like quality of playing the Sims 2. You can create beautiful people, make them fall in love and have children, and then eventually kill them off when they bore you. I admit, I especially love the dressing them and doing their hair aspect, which reminds me of playing with Barbies.

Plus the Sims lets you be you, but a better version. Sim Leisure Girl is always fun and outgoing. It's much easier to get her to the gym than me, and she and her husband get to relax in hot tubs and take romantic vacations. So discover your alternate, or improved, personalities by playing Sims 2.

Gossip Girl - Guilty pleasure in any form

Gossip Girl is really everything you could ever want in terms of escapist teen themed entertainment. I was introduced first through the TV show and I must admit that it is my true love. I have since branched off into the books, however, and have found them to be also enjoyable.

Gossip Girl on TV is amazing. Fabulous characters wearing amazing clothes. It fills me with a longing to wear hair bows and plaid. Plus it is narrated by darling Kristen Bell of Veronica Mars fame. I have a special warm spot for Blair because she is so fabulous at being a bitch. So entertaining and angsty. I am planning on buying the first season when it comes out. Have you not seen this yet? Seriously? What's wrong with you?

After being obsessed with this show like I was still in high school, I of course, turned to the books. The characters are different from the show, but if you can get past that (and I can, barely) they are fun and gossipy and just generally enjoyable. Plus there's a bunch of them, so you don't have that "This was great but now there's no more!" feeling.

Both TV show and books are perfect for summer frivolity. What are you waiting for?

The internet makes TV better

Leisure Girl loves her television, so why not use the Internet to make watching television even more enjoyable? It's all about leisure multi-tasking, after all.

A few websites that make this easier:

1. My Soju: I have already blogged about the wonders of Asian television. But enjoying these wonders is all thanks to this website. Only a scant few series are available on Netflix (something that is sure to change as soon as Korean Drama fever sweeps the nation) and if you want to purchase them you can plan on spending around $150 each. Yikes. But My Soju lets you watch them for free! Magical.

2. Television Without Pity: This is perhaps my favorite internet site ever. Recaps of all your favorite shows in case you miss them and each one is filled with the snarky mocking that makes for real television enjoyment.


3. Network sites: I recently had a Tivo meltdown (shocking, I know) that painfully coincided with all of the season finales. Thank goodness you can now watch shows you missed on the network's websites.



4. Amazon: Even I can only watch so many shows. And sometimes I am just too impatient to get the series disc by disc on Netflix. Then my obsession forces my to buy whole television series on DVD. When I do this, it's usually from Amazon.

Fairytales for Grown-ups

I love discovering a new author who already has a number of books under her belt. What a nice surprise. You read something you like and then you can go back for more. Such has been my new love affair with Patricia Wrede.

I first met her when I stumbled across Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot: Being the Correspondence of Two Young Ladies of Quality Regarding Various Magical Scandals in London and the Country (Such a good title!) It was fabulous and entertaining. Her books are a mix of young adult and big people books, although for the life of me I can't tell the difference between the two. Her books are all fantasy-ish and have a fairy tale quality that I love. I have also read her Enchanted Forest Chronicles and yesterday finished my current favorite, The Raven Ring. They're all so fun and escapist. I will be returning for more this summer. You should all do the same.

The Happiest Place on Earth

Disneyland? No. Guess again.

Sephora? Well, possibly, if you have a really big gift certificate.

Bed? I can't argue with that.

But I digress. I am referring to one of my very very favorite places.

The library.

What a marvelous place the library is. Want to read this book? Sure! Take it! No charge at all, we know you'll bring it back. Such an amazing concept.

Sure there are still many (many) books that I buy. Because the library doesn't have them or I want to own them or I must read them now, now, now. But thanks to the library my Amazon bills are only equal to the GNP of a very small country and not, let's say, all of Europe.

I just feel so peaceful in a library. It's nice to be reminded that there are lots and lots of interesting books out there. And despite my irrational fear that causes me to stockpile books like the end of the world is coming, it is very unlikely that I will ever run out and have

Nothing To Read

(my personal phobia).

So let's lift our glasses and say

"To the library!"

Does reading People make me dumber?

Leisure Girl admits, she is more than a People magazine reader. She is a subscriber. And People does not come cheap. I am currently spending almost $120 a year to be caught up on celebrity gossip. But I just can't help myself.

I have tried not to subscribe, I really have. But I just end up buying it every week anyway because there is something on it that catches my eye (Britney's insane! Someone's addicted to drugs! Exclusive wedding photos). So really, by subscribing I'm saving money, right?

Every Friday I am so happy to get the mail and see People. I curl up on the couch and find out what's happening in the world. Or at least in Hollywood. Okay, I might have been totally clueless about the whole tomato/salmonella thing until I saw a sign at a restaurant, but I know who's breaking up.

Although some part of me suspects it might be wrong, I have an insatiable curiosity about famous people. You know how some people look at tabloids and say "Who cares? Who even wants to know that stuff?" The answer is - I do. People magazine is yummy and escapist and nothing but fun. I heartily recommend it.

Leisure Girl’s True Love

I am doing the Pink of Perfection June Project, where she instructed us “Somewhere in your life there is a teacher, a babysitter, a sibling, a parent, a friend, a role model, a mentor, a boss, or an aunt who deserves to be told of their charms, their gifts, and that they are an inspiration.......Write a fan letter telling them just how exquisite they are.”

I am writing, as I am sure many of us will, to Tivo.

My Darling Tivo:

It would be impossible to be a true Leisure Girl without you. Without you, I could not watch things whenever my heart desired, have up to 80 hours of recorded programming available to be watched at a moment’s notice, and be able to watch and record two shows on simultaneously. And I would have to watch commercials. What a world that would be. I don’t know if I would still have reason to live.

Tivo, we have been together many years, and time has only strengthened our bond. I recently upgraded you and you can now tape more hours and more shows. It’s the little changes that keep our relationship so fresh.

Tivo, you make my couch time magical and make it that much easier to get up in the morning. I am continually grateful for your existence.
All my love,
x0x0x0x0x0x0x
Leisure Girl

Canadian TV? Less milquetoast than you think.

Leisure Girl has already blogged about the wonder that is Korean television. Another fantastic import? Canadian teen dramas.

My personal favorite is Instant Star. It follows a girl who wins an American Idol-esque contest as she writes songs, flirts with boys, makes poor life choices. Hear her and fellow Canadians pronounce "about" as "aboot" and "sorry" as "surry".

The better known Canadian show is Degrassi, which has been on for eight or so seasons. If this show is to be believed, Canadian high school are awash is teen pregnancy, eating disorders, and various other issues of the week.

Still, the shows are fun. Fluffy and generally nice, which is my opinion of that country as a whole.

Are you salivating to watch some rowdy Canadians now? They are shown on The N, a network for teens. Go with my blessing and enjoy.

Love it like a 13 year old goth girl

Although Leisure Girl is almost 30 (should I be thinking of changing my name to Leisure Woman? So not catchy) she has an undying love for young adult fiction. When it's well written it has interesting story lines, great romance, and is fast paced. Imagine how excited she was to discover that there is a whole subculture of vampire themed YA fiction. YA fiction? Awesome. Vampire stories? Also awesome. So imagine the possibilities when the two are combined.

The very best examples of this genre are by Stephenie Meyer. Have you not read her yet? Then please stop reading this blog and get to it. You'll thank me later.

She has written the Twilight series made up of Twilight /New Moon /Eclipse and the soon to be released Breaking Dawn. They are even making Twilight into a movie. The books are amazing and un-put-down-able.





I have just recently been dabbling with a new YA vampire series which is good, although nowhere near as enjoyable. Yesterday I finished the second of the Vampire Academy books by Richelle Mead (Vampire Academy/Frostbite and the upcoming Shadow Kiss). Good action, cute boys, all in all very fun.

So what are you waiting for? This could be your summer of teenage vampires? What on Earth could be more fun than that?

Television - with Subtitles.

Leisure Girl admits that she loves television. Maybe a little too much, as it sometimes feels like it should fall into the "dirty little secret" category. So the summer months, while wonderful for beach reading and action packed movies, are often filled with television (or lack of television) blues. Thank goodness for the website My Soju which gives Leisure Girl a portal to hours (and hours) of Korean TV.

A note on Korean TV for all those skeptics out there. There TV series are one shot deals so in 16 or so episodes they cover a lot of ground, since they're not saving anything for future seasons. It more resembles a long and multi-part movie.
So if you feel ready to take a dip in the Korean TV pool this summer (and you won't regret it, Leisure Girl promises) I recommend starting out with Coffee Prince or The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince (available on the website). The site describes it as "The life of Go Eun Chan (Yoon Eun Hye) is not easy; she works many jobs to pay off debts and even gave up her feminine image. Choi Han Kyul (Gong Yoo) is the heir of a big food company, but his grandmother wants him to settle down, so she arranged many dates for him. After Eun Chan bumped into Han Kyul and was mistaken for a boy, Han Kyul decided to hire Eun Chan to be his gay lover in order to avoid the arranged dates. Desperately in need of money, Eun Chan had no choice but to accept. Han Kyul's grandmother also made Han Kyul in charge of a filthy coffee shop in danger of being bankrupt. Eun Chan begged to work at the coffee shop, and not long after, feelings start to spark, except, how would Han Kyul accept his "homosexuality"?"

And yet, that totally fails to sum up the wonderfulness. Basically, cute boys, cute couples, romantic misunderstandings that are all resolved happily (as they should be). Plus there's the enjoyable other-ness of Korean TV (weird food, even weirder clothes). All heartily recommended.

Want even more Korean fun? Eventually, you will. If so try Palace Princess Hours (available on Netflix). This one is so fabulous there are really no words. The plot synopsis is "Based on a comic book and set in modern-day Seoul, this TV drama reimagines Korea as a monarchy -- complete with a fabulous palace that's home to a gaggle of young royals. In the episodes included here, crown prince Lee Shin (Ji-hun Ju), his commoner bride-to-be (Eun-hye Yun) and the rest of the blue bloods and hangers-on get pulled into the political rivalries and romantic imbroglios of palace life. Former boy band idol Jeong-hun Kim also stars." This one has even better clothes, a great romance, and teddy bear tableaus at the end of ever episode. What more could a Leisure Girl want?

Sex (ish) and the City Movie

Leisure Girl and her miraculous sister ventured into a Santa Cruz movie theater to see the much anticipated (well, by Leisure Girl at any rate) Sex and the City movie.

The results? Mixed.

Is the movie worth seeing? Well, obviously. Are you really going to miss out on Sex and the City? Don't you want to know what happens next? Of course you do, don't be silly. And much of what made the TV show fun was there in full force. Amazingly bizarre clothes, expensive shoes, and cute boys (Leisure Girl's sister was a fan of Dante especially). But some things, sadly, seemed to be missing. The sex, for one, as well as a lot of the fun of the show.

Perhaps forty-something women in long term relationships aren't quite as voyeuristicly interesting? Weird sexual predilections are better suited to a half hour format? Hard to say.

All in all, worth seeing, but only as enjoyable as one of their slower episodes.

Teenage Palm Beach Heiresses? Yes, please.

Leisure Girl kicked off her summer on an endless California bound flight, trapped in coach . Luckily, summer was also begun with the book How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls by Zoey Dean and I was able to escape my coach reality with private jet fantasy.



The book tells the story of Megan Smith, a Yale graduate with student loans and no good job prospects. As is wont to happen in Book World, she is asked to tutor two extremely rich and more than slightly evil twin sisters. And, of course, she can only do this by passing herself off as part of the upper class society. Thank goodness there are so many people ready to give her a Cinderella makeover and lend her (just her size) couture. It's nice when things work out like that.

This book is fun and dishy with the Leisure Girl required happy ending. I recommend it for some summer fun.

In searching for more by the author I discovered that she has written the A-List series which follows a group of wealth teens in Beverly Hills. The first one is, of course, on my "To Read" list.

You've read and enjoyed the book? Take heart. In the fall the CW is airing the show "Surviving the Filthy Rich" based on it. I look forward to more Palm Beach high jinks.