Friday Link Dump: Bookish Board Games and Shirtless Vampires

Here are ten literary board games you know you want to play.
 
How well do you know the chests of The Vampire Diaries boys? I got seven out of nine right, which is just not good enough. Clearly I need to study them some more.

The new publicity images for season six of Mad Men are gorgeous. I still need to catch up on season five!

Love these vintage photos of Australian beach life and Paris fun. 

I need to eat make this Milo cheesecake. It looks amazing.

Here are some very creative (and cute) photos of Stormtrooper lego. 

On this blog
I introduced a new feature!
I reviewed The Woman in Black by Susan Hill.
I found some gorgeous typewriter-inspired products.
I talked about how addictive it is to DNF.
One of the top search terms was "Alexander Skarsgard huge cock." Unfortunately, I don't have the answer to that, but I do have this gif...

Ahem...

Search Me: Pantless Alex Pettyfer, Shirtless Ian Somerhalder and, Erm, Hagrid

This is probably a bit sad, but one of the things I love about blogging is seeing what searches people do to find my blog. I don't know why, but it amuses me no end, and makes me feel somewhat better about the random things I type into Google. So when one of my fave blogs, ...in the Attic (check it out for lots of V.C. Andrews awesomeness), recently featured a hilarious post on search term shenanigans, I thought it would be fun to do one myself.

Now, if you could guess what the number one incoming search term OF ALL TIME is for my blog, what would it be? I'll give you a hint...

Yeah. It's Hagrid. WTH?! Not that I've got anything against Hagrid - in fact, I love him, as I said the ONE TIME I mentioned him on this blog. I don't get how something I've only mentioned once - all of ten days ago - could be the most popular way people find my blog in the history of this blog. Who'd have thought Hagrid would be so dang popular?

Something that doesn't surprise me as much - and that I'm actually rather proud of - is that after Hagrid, and "Princess Bride Westley"(holla!), the most popular search term is "Ian Somerhalder Shirtless". My job here is done. I'm, like, totally contributing to the greater good of humanity. Or something. Anyhoo, I'm certain that the reason this search directs people to my blog is because of the fangirling in my review of Stefan's Diaries - but that's no reason not to post more shirtless Ian Somerhalder. Just giving the people what they want.

I was also pleasantly surprised to find that if you google "Adam Wilde", my blog comes up on the first mother lovin' page of results (as does Missie's - YAY for My Book Boyfriend). But I was rather less pleasantly surprised to discover that Adam Wilde is not just a gorgeous character in If I Stay and Where She Went - he's also a real-life gay porn star. I wonder if Gayle Forman knew this when she named him? So, er, if you came here looking for porn - sorry, this isn't the place for you. No judgement or anything. Just move along you dirty, dirty perv.

Speaking of dirty pervs, the most random award goes to the searcher looking for "pictures of Alex Pettyfer taking his pants off". Now, while I've posted a picture of Alex on the loo, I've never actually seen one of him taking his pants off. Pants-less, yes. But not in the process of taking them off. So this will have to do...

Finally, to the two people who searched "fuck yeah Mila Kunis", there's not much to say except...

Pash, Pick or Pass: Vampire Academy Guys

 

Pash, Pick or Pass is a feature/meme I've created that involves choosing, out of a group of three guys, who you'd pash (ie have a one-off, purely physical encounter with); who you'd pick for a long-term relationship; and who you'd pass on altogether. Each week I'll post new contenders, and I'd love it if everybody joins in! If you want to play, you can either state your opinion in the comments or create your own post (linking back to this blog) and pop it in the linky below. I use celebs to represent what the characters look like to me, but feel free to add your own interpretation of the guys if you create your own post (which can be on any day of the week, by the way - you don't have to do it on the same day). Here's who we're playing with this week...

The Contenders

After all the (friendly) fighting over Dimitri Belikov in my book boyfriend post last week, I thought what better way to settle it then to create the chance for everyone to pick him by playing Pash, Pick or Pass with the guys from Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series?! The only catch is, of course, you also have to choose who out of this titillating trio you'd pash and - perhaps more difficult - pass on.

Adrian Ivashkov        Dimitri Belikov        Christian Ozera

My Choices

Pash: Adrian, because he's sexy and sweet but so messed up that I couldn't deal with being in a relationship with him. That and, well, he's no Dimitri. But I'd make sure he brushes his teeth before the pash because he's a grotty smoker.

Pick: Dimitri, of course! He'd hot, smart, funny and would come in handy when I wake up in the middle of the night freaking out about robbers. Oh, and he does things "that'll make you lose control within seconds". Yes, please.

Pass: Christian. I like the way he's a bit twisted but also sensitive and caring, but he just ain't for me.

My Book Boyfriend: Dimitri Belikov

My Book Boyfriend, a meme dedicated to our many fictional loves, is hosted by Missie at The Unread Reader. This week I've chosen my second Russian book boyfriend: Dimitri Belikov from the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead.

About Dimitri

• He's a 24-year-old from Siberia with a hot Russian accent.
• He's a dhampir (half-vampire), meaning he has super-strength and fast reflexes but doesn't need to drink blood to survive. Dimitri is described as looking like "a god" when he fights (natch).
• He works as a teacher at St Vladimir's Academy and personally coaches Rose, the feisty heroine of the series. They really enjoy getting hot and sweaty together. Ahem.
• He's the strong, silent type and sticks to his principles, but his calm exterior masks a fierce passion underneath. Ahem.
• He's mega tall - over six foot - and has brown eyes, tanned skin and shoulder-length brown hair. Google image search "Dimitri Belikov" and you'll see that Ben Barnes is a fan favourite for Dimitri, but personally I always pictured him looking more like Ian Somerhalder.

Swoon-worthy Quotes
 

"'You are so beautiful, it hurts sometimes.'"

"'Roza. I did want you. I still do. I wish we could be together... If I let myself love you, I won't throw myself in front of her. I'll throw myself in front of you.'"

"There was a tremulous note in his voice. 'You're strong—you're so, so strong. It's why I love you.'" 

"'Wait until next time,' he warned. 'I'll do things that'll make you lose control within seconds.'"

"It was sweet and wonderful at the same time. When I looked into his eyes, I could see without a doubt that he loved me more than anyone else in the world, that I was his salvation, the same way that he was mine."

Review: The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries, Vol. 1: Origins

Whew. Is that a long title or what? I didn't even include the author in my post heading - mainly because I'm not quite sure who wrote it. The cover says "based on the novels by L. J. Smith and the TV series by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec", and  there's no other mention of who the author is. I'm not sure if this means L. J. Smith wrote it, but I'm assuming she didn't, because it's a total departure from her original Vampire Diaries books.

Stefan's Diaries is, as the name suggests, told from the perspective of Stefan Salvatore. It's a prequel to the TV show (which is based on L. J. Smith's books), telling more of the story that viewers have seen only glimpses of in flashback scenes. We see Stefan and his brother, Damon, meet the vampire Katherine; each fall in love with her; become vampires themselves; and end up hating each other (no spoiler alert is necessary because knowing that is kinda the whole motive for reading the book).

I picked this book up after experiencing major VD withdrawals (ahem, no pun intended) due to the show being on hiatus, and it definitely gave me the fix I needed (although I would have preferred a bit more Damon, but I'm biased). I loved the flashback episodes on TV, so it was a delight for me to be able to discover the whole back story in detail. The writing was adequate with only a few groan-worthy moments (actually less than I was expecting!), and even though I knew exactly where the story was going, I was excited to find out how everything would fall into place.

Being totally obsessed with the TV show, it's hard for me to say whether this would appeal to those who haven't seen it, because, to me, that was the whole appeal. It'd definitely be confusing if you've only read L. J. Smith's original Vampire Diaries books, because in those, the back story of the brothers is completely different (they're alive in the 1600s, not the 1800s, and are from Italy, not Mystic Falls, and, er, Damon is kinda evil from the start). If you are a fan of the TV show, however, I would say it's definitely worth a read. I totally want to rewatch the show from the beginning now, with all this knowledge of the characters' history and headspaces. Like I need an excuse.

Rating: 3/5.

Talking Points

• Although the writer attempted to go all olde worlde with the language, it was really jarring for the characters to refer to everyone - including people they'd just met and their elders - by their first names. I might be wrong (but I don't think I am), but that's a MODERN thing.
• While we're on the subject, I also thought Katherine's character was a tad modern. I get that she's supposed to be a free-spirited, strong-willed vampire chick, but all the flirting/touching/swimming/running/skin-baring she does in public would have been just a bit more scandalous than it's shown to be.
• I'd like to know more about Katherine's interactions with Damon. We get the full picture of how she got Stefan to fall in love with her, and how he turned against her, but we still don't understand exactly what she said or, ahem, did with Damon. She told Stefan that she treated him like a brother, but given Damon's feelings for her, I somehow don't think that's true. Damon's Diaries, anyone? *Wishful thinking*
• (Minor spoiler alert) It was interesting that the writer introduced the crow at the end, and its apparent connection to Damon. The crow appeared in L. J. Smith's original books, as well as in the pilot episode of the show, but has since disappeared from the series without a mention. I wonder if they'll explain more about the connection in the other two volumes of Stefan's Diaries.
• Which brings me to the fact that, yes, this is part one of a trilogy. When I first started reading it I thought that, while this book really appealed to me, I didn't really see the point of turning it into a trilogy, because the back story/love triangle is pretty much totally explained in this one. However, after finishing it - and reading the preview of the next book - I'm kind of curious to read the rest. It might be interesting to see exactly how Stefan found his way back to his humanity, Damon lost his, and they totally lost each other. And, of course, how they discovered the rumours about Katherine's whereabouts and what drove their return to Mystic Falls (assuming all that is covered in the books, of course).

Eye Candy
What the characters looked like was a bit of a no-brainer for this one, seeing as, y'know, it's based on the TV show that I'm just slightly addicted to. I even had the flashback episodes as a visual references for the old timey clothes. Not gonna lie, though - I pictured Stefan and Damon's modern hair. Their old timey hair just sucks.

Damon knows the trick to covering bad hair days...

...he never leaves home without a hat.

Otherwise people laugh at him. Oh Damon, don't look so concerned - you only have to wait 250 years for the GHD.

In the meantime, be grateful that your hair still looks better than Stefan's.

Hoorah for GHDs and hair gel!

Wait a minute, I don't remember a reference to Damon shirtless. *rereading*

Did someone say Damon shirtless?

Why, yes, I believe I did.

I think we need that from another angle. You know, for accuracy purposes. Or something.

So THAT'S what he'd look like sleeping.

OK, I'm done now.

Bookish Fun: Hot Guys Reading Books

I love this site. It's a Tumblr devoted entirely to images of hot guys reading books. What could be better than that? OK, so some of the guys aren't exactly what I'd call hot, but even their looks are somewhat improved thanks to the books they're holding. I think they're onto something... so I went on an intensive Google image search for further evidence. Let me tell you, it was hard work. Ahem. Look what I found!

 

Excuse me while I go wipe the drool off my keyboard...