So, those rumors circulating on the web that pancreatic cancer took Patrick Swayze’s life were not true. Thank god. We weren’t quite ready to lose the man who taught us the power of dance at a summer resort in the Poconos.

Swayze has been a part of our happily-ever-after fantasies ever since he worked that pottery wheel in Ghost (and definitely did a much better job with the ghost love story than those fools on Grey’s Anatomy) and we’ll be celebrating his life tonight by popping some 94% fat free Kettle Korn and hanging out with him, Whoopi, Demi and our DVD player.

I’ve officially been re-bitten by the travel bug. During the school year my traveling urges go into a slight hibernation as I am far too busy getting my study on to dream of far off places and the trips I’d like to take. There are times, though, when my studies get too boring and I find myself planning imaginary trips to London, England or Walt Disney World (yes, this is fact. Unfortunately).

Since I don’t have the money to jet-set around the world, I’ve found books set in exotic and foreign destinations are the best way to whet my traveling appetite. They allow me to leave my home without getting out of bed, and cost a fraction of the price of a ticket to Italy. And “Left Bank” by Kate Muir allows me to do all of that while also enjoying a little steamy romance.

The book is set in Paris, France, one of the most desired travel spots on the planet and also one of my top 5 cities. Ever.

Paris is famous for having the River Seine run right through, separating the city into the Right Bank and, you guessed it, the Left Bank. The Left Bank is notorious for playing host to the rich, powerful, snobby and of course, as most Europeans, extremely well-dressed. Read More »

If you’ve caught any of my Saturday Reads you already know that I whole-heartedly LOVE books. And it just so happens that some of my most-loved reads are, in fact, love stories. I’m always amazed when I read a book about love and the emotions on the page completely echo the emotions I’ve felt in my heart.

I think love stories are the best example of the power of words; they strike a chord and tug at your heartstrings. As I’ve said before, the mark of a great book is one that can make you FEEL simply with words. So here is my list of the best love stories ever to be published.

1.Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

It’s a classic for a reason! Jane Austen’s timeless masterpiece about Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy continues to captivate readers almost two centuries after its publication. It is also a great read for anyone interested in history and the society of the era as that is a major player in the novel. It’s a logical love story, but touching and, again, classic!

2. PS, I Love You by Cecilia Ahern

Even though I’m sure everyone has seen the movie, the book is great as well! It is quite different from the movie, making it a worthwhile read regardless. This book is unique because it explores a relationship and love that defies even death. Holly learns to move after her husband, Gerry, dies, but realizes that she will always love him and he will always love her, too. It’s not only heartfelt, but teaches an important lesson that just because a relationship ends, the love may not die off. Read More »

I don’t know anyone personally that doesn’t like the movie, Amelie. Saying so, I know, is a big neon invitation for everyone to chime in and say how much they hate its whimsy and sticky-sweetness, but I’m going to say it anyway. Because I think that liking Amelie says a lot about the person who likes it; that they are romantic and willing to suspend disbelief and cynicism for two hours of richness, love, and exuberance.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you are an assh*le if you don’t like Amelie; some people have called it racist for idealizing Paris and leaving out ethnic minorities. Others have just found it too saccharine and boring.

Personally, I think it does a movie a disservice to take it too literally. Almost every film ever made is idealized, and it’s that idealized, dreamlike quality that makes Amelie so beautiful and singular.

If you haven’t seen it, Amelie is a French film that came out in 2001 and was directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, who also did Delicatessen, A Very Long Engagement, and City of Lost Children. Amelie (the beautiful Audrey Tautou) is a waitress in Montmartre who does a good deed and feels so good about it that she starts doing good deeds all over Paris. Along the way, she meets a man named Nino and falls in love. Read More »

I can sit down and watch just about any movie and as such, I’ve seen a great many films in my life. More than I could even begin to count. I’ve seen masterpieces and pieces of sh*t, and out of every single movie I’ve ever seen in my life, Before Sunset is my absolute favorite.

It’s not a perfect film; indeed, many people would be bored by what is essentially an hour-and-a-half long conversation. Some would even say that basing a film on just two people talking is pretentious and anti-climactic. I believe, however, that Before Sunset is a deeply moving, real, and thought-provoking film about relationships and connections and even just being human.

It’s the sequel to 1995’s Before Sunrise in which the two main characters, Jesse and Celine, meet on a train and then spend one night together in Vienna. Talking. All night. Before Sunrise is a masterpiece in its own right, and, in that both films are directed by indie auteur Richard Linklater, they are both firmly films of and by their generation. Read More »

As an English major, I was always under the impression that literary and popular fiction were genres that were fairly at odds with each other (and, coincidentally, you are supposed to like the former and scoff at the latter. My personal tastes tend to run the opposite way). It’s rare that a book can fit into both categories without the help of Oprah, but oh how I’ve found one.

Audrey Niffeneggar’s novel The Time Traveler’s Wife has gained a lot of popularity since it’s 2004 release, making a permanent home in women’s book clubs worldwide because of its earnest and heartbreaking love story. But it’s really so much more than it’s blurb would suggest; it’s also a painstakingly precise, exquisitely written book.

The story is told from the perspectives of Henry and Clare DeTamble, a married couple who have to deal with the complications that have arisen in their lives from Henry’s Chrono-displacement disorder, an ailment that forces Henry to travel through time against his will.

Time travel is usually one of my least favorite genres because it leaves me with too many questions after I’m done watching or reading. Why didn’t the terminator just kill Sarah Conner as a baby? Shouldn’t Marty McFly have known that he was going to succeed at getting his parents back together because if they hadn’t then he wouldn’t be alive to go back to the future in the first place (or even time travel in the first place because Marty essentially tells Doc he would later make the time machine work in Back the Future II?) Stuff like that. I realize that there is a certain amount of suspended belief that one has to assume in entertainment, but it’s still annoying. Read More »