February Pink Carnation Book Club

Tardy again, but I'm working on getting back to pace. This month is the Masque of the Black Tulip. Which might be my favorite of the series. The book focuses on Miles Dorrington and Henrietta Selwick as they discover they have more than friendship between them.




Theo James and Lily Collins are the main characters Miles Dorrington and Henrietta Selwick. Several characters repeat from the Secret History of the Pink Carnation. This includes Eloise and Colin, played by Anna Kendrick and Christopher Egan. The rest of the cast can be seen in my post about the Secret History here.

As for new cast, here's the line up!

Joan Plowden-Plugge: Lucy Punch

Colin's neighbor has him in her sights but she senses some possible competition in Eloise. Well not if she has anything to say about it...


Charlotte Lansdowne: Emma Watson

One of Henrietta's best friends, the quiet and gentle Charlotte is at times the logical portion of the group. Though she's shy, Charlotte is quite capable of being her own heroine.


Penelope Deveraux: Rose Leslie

She's Hen's other best friend and is as fiery in personality as she is on the top of her head. Penelope needs her other two friends to keep her from doing anything hasty which is a full time job for Henrietta and Charlotte.


Dowager Duchess: Phyllis Logan

Charlotte's grandmother has a wary eye over her granddaughter as well as all the young bucks trying to win her hand. She's as formidable as a dragon, and would make good friends with Miss Gwen.


Marquise de Montval: Rose Byrne

This strange and exotic woman blows in from France and causes a disruption for Hen. Her interest in Miles creates friction and there is clearly something she's hiding and Hen wants to know what.


Turnip Fitzhugh: Alfred Nugent

Turnip knows the boys from school but he's not exactly one of them.  However he dabbles in fashion so he comes in the cross-hairs when someone is trying to track down the Pink Carnation.

Lord Sebastian Vaughn: Rufus Sewell

One of the elite, elder gentlemen in London society, Vaughn's quick turn of phrase can come off predatory to some.  In fact, Miles isn't keen on how Vaughn seems to be eyeing Hen...

Well here's my cast for my favorite Pink Carnation novel! Tune in soon for the next installment! That is if I can get my butt on top of things...........*sigh*

January Pink Carnation Book Club

I know it's late...you know BEYOND late, but it's better late than never to unveil my book club for this year.  I'm a huge fan of the Secret History of the Pink Carnation series by Lauren Willig.  My best friend turned me on to the series and I was immediately hooked.  I mean, who wouldn't have a think for capes and masks and knee breeches after reading Willig's captivating romances?  I became such a fan, that I even got to interview the author for this very blog.  You can read the awesome interview here.

Since Willig's series is to wrap soon with the 12th and final story, I figured what better way to celebrate the phenomenal works than my book club?!  Having gotten several friends into the series as well, I couldn't help but to ask one friend to help me with my book club plotting.  Having read the series numerous times over, I decided this year's book club to do something slightly different.  Not only would I be reading the books over again, simply as a refresher.  But, I also decided to cast the movie!  Each month, I will be presenting my picks of actors that I think would be great if the books ever got adapted.  So please enjoy my picks and give me any suggestions!

Eloise Kelly: Anna Kendrick

The struggling grad student is looking for key pieces of information for her dissertation, mainly any info regarding the Pink Carnation.  The mysterious spy is eluding her, but with the help of archives belonging to Miss Arabella Selwick-Alderly and the dashing Colin Selwick, she just might find the identity of the world's most elusive spy.

Miss Arabella Selwick-Alderly: Dame Maggie Smith

The elderly lady is kind enough to give Eloise access to her archives and an introduction to her cranky nephew Colin Selwick.  It's possible she's not only trying to help Eloise in her profession, but also in love?

Colin Selwick: Christopher Egan

The cranky heir is not fond of snoopers poking about his family business.  So when Eloise turns up, he's not exactly keen.  Maybe there's more to the dashing guy than just his prickly exterior...

Serena Selwick: Imogen Poots

Her brother Colin is protective of her and protective of the estate papers, but she warms up to Eloise quickly. Anyone who holds you hair back while vomiting is easily a quick confidant.

Amy Balcourt: Carey Mulligan

The French-British lady is tired of hearing about men saving the day and wants to dash off and rescue people on her own.  With the help of her cousin Jane Wooliston, Amy is charging ahead to unmask her hero the Purple Gentian and save the British Empire.

Edouard Balcourt: Laurent Lucas

The brother of Amy and also French-British, he spent his time growing up in France while Amy was in England.  Can he have a link to the Purple Gentian?  Amy hopes so.

Jane Wooliston: Natalie Dormer

The English lady and cousin of Amy Balcourt is ready to assist in the upcoming adventures.  Though with perhaps a more level head than that of her cousin.  Can the young lady help outwit the French in their quest for English domination?

Richard Selwick: Tom Hiddleston

The dashing rogue helps serve his country as the Purple Gentian. Rousting French prisoners and saving them from Madame Guillotine, he is the scourge of the French Empire.  But his singleness is the scourge of his mother's life.  All she wants is for her son to settle down, but he still wants adventures.

Lady Uppington: Helen Mirren

Being mother to a spy can be a vexing life, but even more so when he won't settle down and make babies. Who says a spy's mother can't have as much adventure as her son?  Just so long as it's fun.

Lord Uppington: Michael Caine

The sensible father of a spy must always remain sensible...or perhaps dash along with your son on the occasional adventure...Got to keep the romance with the Mrs alive ;)

Henrietta Selwick: Lily Collins

Trailing after her brother Richard the spy can get old. But she has enough wit and flair to be helpful, so we suppose Richard will keep her around.

Miles Dorrington: Theo James

Speaking of trailing after Richard the spy, as his best friend Miles does all he can to be helpful.  Even if sometimes he comes off rather oafish.  He lives to serve.

Geoffrey Pinchingdale-Snipe: Eddie Redmayne

As the last Musketeer in the spy trio, Geoff is easily the most sensible.  Someone has to be the brains of the operation, right?

Gwendolyn Meadows: Emma Thompson

Young female spies must never be without a chaperone.  Who would keep them from being compromised by seductive male spies? Her parasol, that's what.

Gaston Delaroche: Tom Hollander

Every story needs a villain and this Frenchie is as bad as they come.  Supposedly he owns a torture chamber...and it is just ready and waiting for England's most elusive spy, the Purple Gentian.

Well there you have it, my casting for the Pink Carnation movie. Or mini-series.  In fact, I think it would be rather perfect as a mini-series!  Stay tuned for more casting.  Hopefully, I can get them out in their normal months...Time isn't always my friend. Let me know who you would cast!

A Year in Review and What's Ahead

I can easily say that 2014 was an amazing and crazy year.  From starting on a poor note in January (that break up and hellish living situation), the year went into awesome mode.  Moving home in February was what I needed to turn things around, and even though I went back to an old job, the new faces became new friendships.  My mom got over her issues with dogs on the tiniest part, and fell in love with my pooch.  The two of them are inseparable now.  In April, I turned 25. Holy shit I'm half way to my 30s.

Sometime in the spring, I got voted in as the statistician at the place I volunteer.  Which has been a steady time commitment of inputting numbers into a computer.  Whoo.  Over the summer, I spent time with friends and worked on my book. Though I didn't finish it, the story is nearly completed.  Only 15,500 words stand between me and a completed novel.  In June, I got a new writing gig for HBO Watch and have loved giving commentary on some of my favorite tv shows and films.

In September, I got voted onto the Board of Directors at my volunteer organization and have loved this new learning experience.  I fulfilled a childhood dream of going to London in October.  My heart is still there.  Just after I got back, I got a new job which I started in November.  And December has been a whirlwind of work and volunteering.  That has been my year.  I've stuck to my resolutions from last year decently.  While my novel isn't finished and I didn't lose 10 pounds by my birthday, I did get a job more related to my field and have spent lots of time with my friends.

So here's to the past and to the future and everything in between!  With that said, here are my resolutions for the next year.  Hint: there will be some repeats from last year.  If at first you don't succeed, try try again, right?

1. Physical

I would like to be at my goal weight by the end of 2015.  That's approximately a 30 pound difference.  So I want to be half way there by July 1st.  To do this, I will be spending the entire month of January sober.  That's correct, no alcohol for the entire month of January.  If this works for me, it could go longer.  But since alcohol is such a factor for calories, this will be an important step in managing my alcohol better.  Also my mom is joining me in this so we'll be able to support each other.  We'll also be cutting our pasta intake.  Which will obviously be harder than cutting alcohol.  Seriously, pasta is so delicious.

2. Financial

With my new job came a slight pay increase (hooray).  This year I will work to save money and especially pay off my car. I'm hoping towards the end of the year I might be able to move out. But I'm not rushing it, mainly because my student loans are annoyingly present.

3. Personal

I hope to continue making time for friends and correspond with the ones that are far away.  The horrible and yet wonderful thing about life is that it just keeps going.  So much so that days and months pass by and you forget to keep up with the changes in their lives.  I'm excited to plan a summer vacation with my friend Karen. As for my novel, I'm hoping to have it finished and edited once by July 1st. I would also like to have two of my next novels plotted out.

So those are my hopes and dreams for this year. I can't wait to see what the year has ahead.

Something Scarier than Walkers...

Last Sunday's episode of the Walking Dead brought up an interesting topic that was briefly touched on in dealing with Terminus...that rape is still just as big a threat, even when there are undead walking everywhere trying to eat your face.

Courtesy of Tumblr

And that freaking says something!  When as a viewer I'm more scared of the gun toting cop giving Beth the side eye than the yard full of walkers, it shows how ingrained it is in women that we're victimized and treated like shit by society.

If there are flesh eating freaks roaming the earth, that should be my number one fear.  But I understand the notion that moral and ethical boundaries can get warped by apocalyptic circumstances.  Bad people will survive because they have an easier time doing unpleasant/ethically fucked up things.  Like the people who ran Terminus, when it was a shelter for survivors.  They were taken over by evil people who raped and killed, and psychologically damaged the original Terminus owners into becoming cannibals.  It's the extrapolated notion of "nice guys finish last," except rather it is "nice guys become zombies or are raped and murdered."

As the creepy cop made his advances, I just felt it.  The hair sticking up on the back of my neck feeling.  It's an intuition that I've had to hone as a woman because society keeps telling me not to get raped...so now I'm hyper aware of these things.  But I was vindicated by Beth's badassery.

Courtesy of Tumblr

With what happened at Terminus, the wanderers Daryl joined briefly, and now this abuse of power (which FYI is the point of rape; it's about power not sex), it really says something about people and society...that if the zombie shitstorm hit tomorrow, I would still be more scared of being raped than the undead.  Because it seems like assholes are the ones who are mostly making it through.  Well, that's pretty discouraging for a woman...

With men explaining away street harassment and female students being raped on campus with no punishment for the rapist and athletes using their girlfriends as punching bags with no jail time, is it any shock that as a woman I'm more worried about being raped than the zombies possibly trying to eat me?  Society now keeps telling me I'm not worth anything, so why would this apocalyptic society be any different?

Today I Voted For the Very First Time

I know what you're thinking: Alex, you're such a socially conscious individual; how is it that you've never voted before?

Yeah, I know.  I'm a late comer to the political foray.  And I have a reason.  It's not a particularly good reason, but it's my story.  I was raised in a very Conservative family.  At first, I didn't question anything.  Not religion, not politics, not anything.  When I finally got around to college, I realized that I had problems with organized religion.  Then I also realized I problems with Conservative points.  I wanted to talk about politics and try and learn, but I found people unwilling.  That any discussion about the differences in politics descended into yelling or judgments.  Wanting no part of that, I decided to not take part in anything political.  I didn't discuss nor take part in politics.  I didn't vote.

Eventually, through growing up some and becoming the very social justice forward person I am today, I realized that if I wanted things to change, I needed to be part of it.  While I am only one vote, it matters.  My vote and my voice matter.  So I'm proud today to say that I voted for my very first time.  That I voted for people whose beliefs mirror my own.  And that while my vote won't likely be a deciding vote, I was able to stand up for what I believe in and know I did my civic duty.  I only wish I had realized my feelings sooner.

Crushing Weight

Somehow I've been transported back to my adolescence, because I have a crush.  And not a celebrity crush (though I have plenty of those, hey Benny Cumberbatch).  But an honest to whomever-you-pray-to crush on a real guy.  It's just all so middle school.

Suddenly I feel like I need friends to work as a go between or wishing I could pass him a note: Will you go out with me?  Yes?  No?  Maybe?  Check one.

It all started when he innocently enough just stopped to talk to me about the book I was reading.  Not super dramatic or newsworthy.  Just that most associates where I work treat the security guards like pieces of furniture.  So while the conversation was common place, the fact that he stopped to talk to me at all about something not related to work...well that is downright exciting.

Then I had to make it awkward.  I'm being honest about my faux pas, because I know eventually it will be a funny story to look back on, but right now it is far too forehead slapping.  Most people have Facebook these days, though if he does I couldn't find his profile.  So having Google at one's finger tips, I searched out other social media sites.  And I found him on LinkedIn.  Viewed his profile and thought, "Yeah, he seems smart and accomplished."  I was enjoying the crush-y moment.

Then I remembered LinkedIn tells you when someone views your profile.  And usually tells you who it is.  Kill.  Me.  Now.

It felt like a brick hit me in the face.  Creeping embarrassment and wondering if he would say something invaded my thoughts every minute.  But days stretched on and the likelihood of his saying anything lessened.  Though I still expected to one day overhear him tell a coworker I was the creepy girl who stalked him on LinkedIn.

But I haven't yet.  I've talked to him two more times since then whole thing.  He remembered my name which I'm trying not to take as a sign and just that he's really good at remembering stuff.  But it's hard, guys.  Because in my mind, we're the cutest couple.  We have an adorable apartment with two dogs.  Family dinner on the weekends...as I said, the crush is so middle school.  The struggle is real.

And in a week, I won't see him again.  I got a new job and will now be working elsewhere, unable to spend my shift wondering if I'll see him or he'll ask me about what I'm reading now.  And I know I could just be super progressive (aggressive?) and add him on LinkedIn, but then I would just add to my pathetic feeling level.  Or I could be brave and ask him to get coffee before I'm gone and miss the chance.  In my head I do this and it works out nicely.  In reality, my self conscious attitude and social anxiety tell me it's a bad idea.

He also has a name that I find devastatingly attractive.  I'm one of those people who has a name pattern in my attractions.  Like I'm the main character in John Green's An Abundance of Katherines, except with boys not named Katherine...

In any case, I'm on the fence about what I should do.  Bravery in the face of dating denial has worked for me in the past.  But it has also lead me to some crash and burn moments as well.  As I said, this whole thing is just so middle school.

Finger on the Trigger

Today all around the country, women and hopefully some men will take up mattresses and pillows in solidarity.  Columbia student Emma Sulkowicz was raped on campus by a fellow student, and though other women also accused the same asshole man of assault, the university did not find him responsible.  To this day, the perpetrator remains on campus along with his victims.  This failure of the university to protect its female students has pushed Emma to push back.

She decided to carry a mattress around campus, like the one she was raped on, until the university does the right thing and expels her rapist. Since the beginning of her movement, Emma has rarely had to carry the mattress alone.  When she started the project, she said people would be allowed to help her but that no one could carry it for her, since it is her weight and burden.  But, people have been supportive from the start and helped her carry it almost completely.  Why?  Because people, especially women, are likely to understand this feeling.

Today, at a local university, I'll be carrying a pillow (didn't have a mattress to spare) with a quote from something someone said to me after my assault.  This to me combines Carrying the Weight and Project Unbreakable, two movements meant to empower survivors of sexual assault.

While I am more than happy to do this, I also am keenly aware of the problem.  That while I want to be strong and help others and raise awareness, doing events like this reminds me of what I went through.  Suddenly, I feel back at the beginning.  Back when I couldn't get through the day without crying.  Feeling like I couldn't tell people because they would blame me for what happened.  It's not odd for me or other survivors to experience PTSD.  In fact, it's something I've dealt with from the start.  It's taken me a long time to be comfortable talking about what happened to me.  But that doesn't mean I'm not still affected by triggers.  It is incredibly likely I'll be affected for the rest of my life.  For a year after my assault, if I heard anyone say his name I would flinch.

I've been lucky to be supported by friends, especially the ones I called the day after it happened.  But that doesn't mean it still doesn't hurt.  Or that it hasn't had a serious impact on my life, especially sexually.  But I'm trying to be the strong person I know I can be.  I know today I'll be helping others carry their weight.  But I also know we are unbreakable, no matter what society throws our way.