I <3 Coffee.

Starbucks Review - Sugar-free Caramel Syrup and Honey Almond Bar

nobody@vox.com(rebekah) — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 09:02:17 -0400

Rachel and I went to WallMerStarbs Sunday morning, mostly to see the barista board, but partially because we like to Starb together.

We had decided the night before to try the sugar-free caramel syrup and the new honey almond bar. We love bees and honey, so we figured it would be rude.

The sugar-free caramel syrup is AWESOME and delicious, and I get it all the time now. But the honey almond bar wasn't nearly as impressive. Part of the problem was that we had each eaten about 20 cupcakes the night before, and were kind of caked out. But another part of the problem was that the cake part of the bar was not that good. The honey almond topping was RUDE, and the graham cracker-ish crust was delicious, but the majority of the bar was bland cake. Boring.

I highly recommend the sugar-free caramel syrup, especially in a venti sugar-free caramel nonfat extra hot latte, but the honey almond bar, meh, not so much.

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Book Review - The IHOP Papers

nobody@vox.com(rebekah) — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 08:53:58 -0400

The IHOP Papers

Ali Liebegott

I LOVED this book. Linnea recommended it, and it was amazing. I loved reading about San Francisco, and the love triangles that formed there. I also liked that the main character cuts and smokes a lot.

Three out of three, for ruling.

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Book Review - Him Her Him Again the End of Him

nobody@vox.com(rebekah) — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 08:51:14 -0400

Him Her Him Again The End of Him

Patricia Marx

I was expecting to like this one way, way more than I did. It was good, but I skimmed the last half, because the writing style and narrator were really starting to get annoying.

Also, dude, stop being obsessed with a complete lame-ass for like ten years. What a bunghole. They are all bungholes, but at least the first half of the book was funny.

One out of three, because damn, STFU already.

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Book Review - Eat Pray Love

nobody@vox.com(rebekah) — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 14:20:57 -0400

Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia

Elizabeth Gilbert

Everyone needs to read this book, now. I loved it so much that I can see it being one of those books I buy and give as gifts to people.

Everything about it was uberruling and awesome, especially since she made Connecticut jokes because she is from here. RULING.

I'm not even going to say any more about it, because that might ruin it. I really enjoyed reading it, though, and had to make myself not read it in one sitting because I wanted to really enjoy it.

Four out of three Starbucks logos.

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Movie Review - Knocked Up

nobody@vox.com(rebekah) — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 14:13:53 -0400

Gestation - fetus growing

Friday night, Linnea and I went to see Knocked Up. We had both heard that Pirates sucked, so we skipped it, and chose Seth Rogen over Johnny Depp.

I keep reading that people thought it was hilarious and awesome and blah blah, and it wasn't BAD, but it wasn't nearly as funny as I had expected. Mostly all of the funny scenes are in the trailer, and the rest of the movie is basically a chick flick, full of relationship angst. Marshall from How I Met Your Mother is in it, though, which is kind of cool.

It was cute, and I am glad we picked it over Pirates, but I'd recommend renting this one.

Two out of three Starbucks logos, for Paul Rudd and Seth Rogan basically making out for two hours, but also for not being nearly as funny as those two can be.

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Product Review - Orange Mocha Frappucino and Orange Coffee Cake

nobody@vox.com(rebekah) — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 15:21:33 -0400

Seattle

Last night, I went to Hamden Starbs (HamStarbs? Eww, ham.) with Stef, and tried both the Orange Mocha Frappucino and a new low-fat orange coffee cake.

The Frappucino was delicious. It was refreshing, and had just the right amount of orange flavor (that is, not too much). I could still taste the coffee and chocolate, and all three worked together nicely. The dumbass baristo gave me whipped cream even though I specifically said "no whip," but since it had chocolate sauce and orange, uh, stuff drizzled on it, I took it anyway.

The coffee cake, on the other hand, blew. I was excited to see a new low-fat coffee cake, and since I enjoy all citrus fruits, I thought it would be tasty. I was wrong. It had this weird creme layer that was gross, and there were candied orange chunks throughout. Yuck! I basically ended up picking out all the orange bits and taking the creme layers out, and then it was edible. The topping was rude, but I would not get the coffee cake just for that alone.

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Book Review - Self Storage

nobody@vox.com(rebekah) — Mon, 21 May 2007 09:53:41 -0400

Self Storage: A Novel

Gayle Brandeis

This book pretty much ruled. I wanted to slap the husband the entire time, but the kids didn't annoy me (except for how the author wrote in baby talk, which pisses me off, but that's the author's fault, not the character's), and the main character ruled.

The best parts were any scenes at the blue house with Julia. I also really liked the main character's BFF, Pia.

This one gets three out of three Starbucks logos. It was a great book.

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Book Review - The Insufficiency of Maps

nobody@vox.com(rebekah) — Mon, 21 May 2007 09:19:19 -0400

The Insufficiency of Maps: A Novel

Nora Pierce

This book was a quick read, and I liked the insight into Native American culture, because it was a different perspective than the one normally given. However, when I finished the book, I felt like I had missed the entire point of it. I couldn't tell how time was passing, which is a major annoyance of mine. Also, there were only a couple clues as to what year/years it might be, which was annoying as well.

But, it held my interest throughout, and it was interesting, so I give it two out of three Starbucks logos.

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Movie Review: Shrek the Third

nobody@vox.com(rebekah) — Sat, 19 May 2007 19:02:35 -0400

So last night, Linnea and I went to see the new Shrek movie. It was good, but I liked it less than the others. It was really short, though, and Justin Timberlake was in it, which I liked. Plus, I like any movie where a fat redhead with funny ears and ugly skin can get married, and in this new movie, have a family.

There were a LOT of kids in the theater, though. Like, a LOT. I realize that this is an animated movie, but it is not something I'd bring a kid under 11 to. The four year old (or possibly younger) next to me was cute, but asked questions the ENTIRE time. "Why did he say THAT, MOOOOMMMMMM?" "Did he DIE, Mommmmm?" And I know the adult jokes in the movie are supposed to go over kids' heads, but if I were a nine-year-old sitting there with my mom or dad, I'd be mortified to hear some of that stuff, because I'd totally Get It, and would be embarrassed.

The movie was cute, though, so it gets three out of three Starbucks logos.

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Book Review - The Passion of Alice

nobody@vox.com(rebekah) — Thu, 17 May 2007 10:03:12 -0400

The Passion of Alice

Stephanie Grant

I love books about eating disorders more than I love books about beautiful, popular, rich teenagers, and that is really saying something, because I love books about beautiful, popular, rich teenagers a LOT. (When the two are combined, OMG. I will always love any book where a beautiful, popular, rich teenager also has an eating disorder.)

This book ruled. I finished it during my unscheduled days off last week, and it was awesome. Three out of three Starbucks logos, for RULING!, even though the ending wasn't what I'd hoped for (I really wanted her to die).

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