Jumping on the Bandwagon

So this...

...is a picture of my unmade bed at 3 p.m. because I've been sitting in it all day reading a book I have been unable to put down for the past 24 hours.

After hearing people rave about The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, I decided to look into it myself. And seriously, best decision ever (besides the fact that reading it might have pushed closer to the top on my list of priorities than it should have). I actually got the book as a Christmas gift (thanks, Dad!) and initially- for about the first two chapters- could not understand what all the buzz was about. It's really slow to start, but once it gets going, let me warn you- don't make any other plans for a week.

It's an extremely realistic account of two cleverly intertwined story lines that incorporates a murder mystery with a libel case and plenty of dysfunction, dynamic characters, and sick twists along the way. There were some chapters that ended on such eerie notes that I had to keep reading until I could close the book without being freaked out beyond belief (and I could actually fall asleep without the light on).

It's the kind of book that leaves you yearning to know what happens at the end, and the action never stops along the way. Entertainment Weekly called its sequel, The Girl Who Played With Fire, "A gripping, stay-up-all-night read," and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo fits this description perfectly as well.

I forgot what it was like to be so engrossed in a book, and I definitely needed a good read. Reader approved for sure- go get a copy and be prepared to plan your day around reading time :)

See you soon!
Krystin

Video Viernes: THON-Style

I guess we'll just have to make this a THON-themed week, which is A-okay by me!

According to www.thon.org, today is a TwitterTHON:

"What is TwitterTHON? THON is teaming up with AbolishCancer on Twitter in an attempt to raise more awareness about the fight against pediatric cancer. Last year, when THON had its first 'Twitterthon' with them, a sponsor agreed to pay $1 for every new follower of AbolishCancer. This ended up raising $2,500 for THON 2010! This year, AbolishCancer is hoping to raise $3,000! This means that for every new follower AbolishCancer gets that day, $1 goes to THON, with a potential of a $3,000 donation! This is great publicity for THON since they have over 42,000 followers on Twitter! To help THON 2011's total, follow AbolishCancer on Twitter THIS FRIDAY, February 4th 2011! We encourage everyone to tweet about this event on Friday and to follow AbolishCancer. FTK!

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Andy Byun at axb5138@psu.edu or Andrew Lambert at atl5061@psu.edu!"

Now to go along with my last post and Friday's video theme, please enjoy :)

Watch the video here!


See you soon!
Krystin

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I know what you're thinking. "Aren't you a few months late?" But no, it's these first few weeks of February that, to me, are even more exciting than Christmas. It's officially THON season! For those of you who are not familiar, The Penn State Dance Marathon is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, benefitting pediatric cancer. Last year, Penn State students raised over $7.8 million for the kids. Today marks 15 days until the big weekend, where we will go without sleep or sitting for 46 hours!

There are a bunch of events that always get me really excited for THON, and the first was the Road to THON dinner last Thursday. While I missed my chance to meet JoePa (who apparently was in the building), I can't complain about anything else. I am SO ready for THON weekend! To learn more or donate online, visit www.thon.org.

Emily, PRSSA's unbelievably adorable THON child, was featured in the dinner's program! (upper-right corner)

The desert was delicious and even incorporated this year's theme and logo- "Together without Limits"

See you soon!
Krystin