Books I Am Looking Forward to Reading - January Edition

Hello Book Junkies!

It is really cold and really wet outside...a perfect day to sink into a book with a nice glass of Moscato

cup of PG Tips tea by my side  It doesn't hurt that I've also got a crock pot full of chili and a pile of relaxing sewing to do.  I have really been thinking about this post.  It is impossible for me to know what I will be looking forward to reading ALL year long.  So, what I am going to do is make this a monthly part of the blog.  (See, this is organic...).  I have a list of books that I want to really dig into this year.  First, I want to fulfill the Reading Challenge I talked about in my last post.  Second, I have shelves of galleys and books that I meant to read once I finished grad school.  Well, no time like the present.

Not all of these books are new or forthcoming.  You can get those lists anywhere.  I assume you are reading this blog because you want an opinion.  Well, here's mine:

1.  The Unspeakable: And Other Subjects of Discussion - Meghan Daum

This book seems interesting because it is touted as one where the author, an essayist and memoirist, takes on those subjects that we are often too polite to speak about out loud.  I'm one essay in (the fabulous and searingly honest "Matricide") and so far, it's pretty good.

2.  The Ultimate Betrayal - Kimberla Lawson Roby



This is the latest entry in the Reverend Curtis Black series.  I have been reading this series from the first one (Casting the First Stone) and I can get lost in these books any time.  I am a huge Roby fan and can't wait for this one to come out in May.  This novel focuses on Rev. Black's daughter Alicia, who has shown in previous novels that she takes after her daddy in some unfortunate ways.

3.  If Beale Street Could Talk - James Baldwin



One of my reading goals is to read the lesser known novels of the African-American canon, beginning with the Harlem Renaissance.  Baldwin is one of my eternal favorites, and I picked up a copy of this novel for 50 cents at a book sale.  I am eager to see how this novel compares to his more well-known tomes.

4.  Beach Town - Mary Kay Andrews




Nobody loves a beach read more than I.  Even if I don't get to read it on a beach.  Mary Kay Andrews begins my summer reading every year.  Her writing style is easy on the brain and eyes and her characters are well-drawn.  She uses the same beach locales for her stories and they are always engaging.  Plus, she sometimes puts a great recipe at the end.  If you want to get lost in stunning descriptions of interior design, floral goodies and all things girly, this is a great and easy read for you.  This comes out in May.

5.  The Wife, The Maid and The Mistress - Ariel Lawhon




I'm a little ashamed at the lengths to which I went to get a copy of this book at the American Library Association Conference last January.  This book has been on my nightstand for months, reminding me of my shame (okay, there was light shoving involved, but no injuries).  It's a real mystery, about a judge who disappeared in the 1930's.  Widely touted on to-read lists for 2014, it is one of those historical fiction pieces that can kill a whole Sunday afternoon.

6.  Some Luck - Jane Smiley



Another galley I couldn't resist on the library discard table.  I am a fan of Jane Smiley and this is the first book in a trilogy about an American family from the 1920's to modern day.  This volume covers 1920 through the Cold War era.  If you are a fan of sweeping family sagas, this seems like a good one in which to invest some time.

7. God Help The Child - Toni Morrison


Can one ever really describe a Toni Morrison novel?  I've never been able to do it successfully, because they are always layered and have so many themes.  All I know is that the main character is named Bride.  Okay, I'm in.  Comes out in April.

8. Firebird - Misty Copeland, illustrated by Christopher Myers



So, I may or may not have placed this on my school library book order with the full intention of reading it standing up amidst the delivery detritus.  I am curious to see this book, which has gotten great advance reviews.  I am also a Christopher Myers fan, so I'm excited about this story which involves Misty talking to a young girl about reaching her dreams.

9.  Factory Man - Beth Macy



I'm not gonna lie - sometimes those "important" books about "capitalism" and "globalization" frankly make my eyes cross, even if I really want to know the content.  This book (and I'm cheating, because I'm 1/4 of the way through), reads like a novel.  Everyone, especially in the South, has or has had some piece of Bassett furniture and their stores are everywhere.  This is part sweeping family saga, historical non-fiction and underdog story.  There is also a civil rights aspect that is pretty fascinating.

10.  Clementine Hunter:  Her Life and Art - Art Shriver and Tom Whitehead


I've had this on my list for a while.  It's about a beloved person from my state who made great art.  It is published by my beloved LSU Press.  I have heard nothing but great things about it.  However, something tells me that I'm going to be mad by the end of the book.  We will see.

11.  The Last Stop on Market Street- Matt de la Pena, illustrated by Christian Robinson



In the children's book game, the illustrator is the person that makes a book sing.  Christian Robinson is one of my favorite illustrators and I look forward to all of his books.  This one sounds great, too.  A boy keeps wondering aloud why he doesn't have an iPod like everyone else and why his circumstances are different from some of his classmates.   Could be a great story time tool.  And by story time, I mean story time for ME!

12.  The Paying Guests - Sarah Waters


I guess because of my obsession with Downton Abbey, I am newly interested in the WWI era.  This novel is supposed to be a "tour de force" with a "stunning" story.  I'm invested enough that I've downloaded it rather than checked it out from the library.  It involves a mother and daughter trying to make ends meet by renting out their house.  What ensues is supposed to be more than titillating.


That's it.  Let me know if you have any "must-reads" on your list.

2015 Reading Challenge

Now, normally, I don't participate in book challenges.  I read enough, and I read what I like. That was true until I started graduate school in January 2012.  Technically, 2015 is the first year since 2011 that I am not in graduate school.  For anyone starting graduate school over 40, you are already tired.  Add to this the fact that you are told what to read, and most of it is scholarly journal literature.  This equals a temporary paralysis in your normal reading.  It is easy to get out of the habit of reading for enjoyment.  Even if you are pursuing a Master's degree in LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE (See also:  the cobbler's children have no shoes...). Therefore, I have decided that to get myself back into the habit of reading for pleasure without guilt of an assignment hanging over my head, I will participate in a reading challenge for 2015.

I searched long and hard for the perfect reading challenge.  Ambitious, but not unreasonably demanding; thorough, yet still enjoyable.  The one that I like the most came from Popsugar.com.  I love Popsugar for a lot of things, but I never thought I'd find a booklist that I like on that particular site.  I have placed the link here if you want to download and come along with me on this ride.  I'd love to hear how you're doing in the comments section.  Please post liberally.

Popsugar 2015 Reading Challenge

Along with my other book-related chatter that you'll find here, I will also be keeping you up to date on how I'm meeting this challenge.  I'll be culling my own bookshelves, both real and virtual, for most of these.  I think this will be lots of fun.

I am working on the 2015 reading list for the first quarter.  Check back here on Friday to see what I've come up with.

Happy reading!

Back to the real me. This is a book blog.

Hello readers,

At the risk of sounding like a total cliche, I have decided to kick off this new year by refocusing this blog on what it is supposed to be.  This is, from its inception, a book blog.  Yes, I still love Scandal and Downton Abbey and pretty much everything on PBS and BBC America.  However, what I am passionate about is books.  Reading them, critiquing them, recommending them, and currently, writing them.  Anyone who knows me well knows that I love, love, love books.  Set me loose in a library, book bazaar, book sale, book store or thrift shop and I am in heaven.  So, in the spirit of working in my gifts and to answer the questions I get every day ("What are you reading?  Can you recommend a book for me?"), I have decided to be a full-on book blogger.

What does this mean?, you may be wondering. Well it means that I will spend my time here focusing on reading, literacy, books and other book-related "stuff."  I am curious to see what will grow out of my desire to connect everyone with the "just-right" book, and share the joy of reading a configuration of words that makes your heart sing.

You can expect that I will post roughly twice a week.  If you follow this page on Facebook, you'll see a status update.  Please follow me if you don't.  You're really missing out!

I will let you know that I read a lot and I read widely.  I am not extra cerebral with my reading, so if you are reading this to see what my opinion of Beowulf or Finnegan's Wake is, well, you will be sorely disappointed.  I read what most 40-something people read who enjoy words and want to be challenged and entertained, and sometimes moved by a book.  I want this blog to be a discussion, so I WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS! If asked nicely, I'll also give you recommendations.

So, in this first post, I will give another cliche.  My top books of 2014.   Some of these books are not new.  Some of them are books that I've read before, but re-read this year. These are books that made me laugh, cry, and just stayed with me, long after I returned them or gave them away.  Yes, I give most fiction books away.  I'm kind of like book Lothario.  Once I've read them, I don't want them anymore and will freely pass them on for the next reader to enjoy.

Anyway, the list.  And in no particular order.

1.  We Need To Talk About Kevin - Lionel Shriver
As an educator, I hope I never, ever, ever run into Kevin Khatchadourian.  He makes me glad I never had my own kids.  I ran into a couple of him while I was practicing law. I had actually read this book a couple of years ago.  The second time was even more gripping.    This book is disturbing, but I could not put it down.  The characters were so real to me.  Kevin commits a stunning act of violence and it changes his whole family.  The book is written in letters from Kevin's mother to his father, who are not together at the time of the writing.  They have been separated because of Kevin's crime.  What we see as readers is the romance of two mismatched people who followed the script of the particular cultural time in which they came of age.  Then they had a baby.  And oh, boy!  My book club read this and we were arguing about Kevin and Eva like our grandmothers used to do with the soap operas.  The writing was superb and it was stunning in its beauty and its horror.  I wish I could write like Lionel Shriver. Kevin stayed with me for a long time.

2.  Big Little Lies - Liane Moriarty



I've been reading Liane Moriarty since What Alice Forgot, and each book just gets better and better.  She's a master storyteller. On the surface, it's a story about a group of Australian mums and the politics of their children's private school.  But it is so much deeper than that.  I am always surprised by her endings and the writing is the kind that keeps me up at night to finish.  The characters are richly drawn, the suspense is subtle, yet masterful and you will literally yell, "Aha!" when you see how it all ends.  She is a budding Maeve Binchy.

3.  Out To Lunch - Stacey Ballis



I'm not a big romance book reader and the formulaic, unrealistic escapism is not my general style.  I like my love stories to be real and for the characters to be well developed.  This is a love story on many levels - romantic love, platonic love, love between best friends, love of animals and love of life.  Apparently,  Ms. Ballis has a number of books with the food theme.  I'll be reading them on a beach or some reasonable facsimile of one this summer.  A great book with a great and unexpected ending.

4.  Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? - Roz Chast



I read this book for the same reason I read a lot of books -- I heard about it on NPR.  A graphic novel that is, well, graphic in depicting a relationship that we will all face if we are lucky.  Roz Chast chronicles the last few years of her elderly parents' lives and how, as an only child born late in her parents' childbearing lives, she has to deal with caring for them while retaining their dignity, bank account and her sanity.  I meant to just go into Barnes and Noble and read the first chapter to see if it was something that I wanted to buy.  And hour and a half later, I was sitting on the floor in the magazine section laughing and crying as I finished it. (Sorry, B&N.  I'm one of "those people.").  If you've ever looked over at a parent and realized that they are not in their 40's any longer, you will enjoy this book.  This is probably the best book that I read all year, if we're concerned about that type of thing here.

5. The Boy Who Cried Fabulous!- Lesléa Newman, Illustrated by Peter Ferguson



Okay, so as an elementary school librarian, I read a ton of children's books.  Story time is one of my greatest joys and bar none my favorite part of the job.  This book is so great.  It teaches use of adjectives, celebrating differences, being true to yourself and tolerance.  It is Shrek-like in the message that goes to kids' brains and the message the adults totally get.  Roger loves describing the world around him with his very favorite word, "Fabulous!'.  When that word is taken from him, Roger reacts in a way in which we both laugh at and cheer on.  I absolutely loved this book and my kids loved it too. Fabulous!

6.  Chestnut Street - Maeve Binchy




Reading this book was bittersweet and sad for me.  I have loved Maeve Binchy since first reading her in college and was stunned to learn of her death in the summer of 2012.  This is her last book, a collection of stories about people in a related neighborhood.  This is a hallmark style of Binchy and one that I love.  She takes the mundane and makes the best story.  See, I'm talking about her like she's still with us!  Anyway, her husband published this book through her estate, and I've heard rumors that she was like Prince, in that she had several unpublished stories and manuscripts completed at the time of her death.  So, hopefully, this isn't the last we'll hear from the great Ms. Binchy.  In this book, we learn the truth about a faraway aunt, how a mum really supports herself financially and emotionally, and how various Irish blokes and lasses handle the beds they've made to lie in.  Storytelling at its best.

7.  The Divorce Papers - Susan Rieger

The way this books is written, you will either instantly love it or hate it.  It is a novel written through emails, letters, text messages and other written communication.  In inept hands, this is a disaster.  However, Susan Rieger gives us a brilliant novel about divorce, family, love and floating along this journey of life.  A young lawyer at a white-shoe firm is tasked with handling the divorce of a long-time client.  The only problem - she's a criminal lawyer who's never done a divorce.  Hilarity ensues.

8.  Eleanor and Park - Rainbow Rowell



I was shamed into reading this book by one of my professors in library school and starting reading it with the worst attitude. I know that it's the 'cool' thing for adults to read tons of YA.  I'm not one of those adults.  I do not pine for my teenage years, which were mostly awkward.  Except for my first love.   But by page 2, I was searching for my Walkman and some old mixtapes.  In this amazing, crazy, beautiful book, it's 1986 and Asian-American Park meets new, and kind of weird, redheaded, thriftshop-outfitted Eleanor on the school bus.  We hear from both Eleanor and Park in this book, and for those of us who came of age in the 80's, the backdrop is super cool.  But it's the voices, the words, the images of those two.  If you ever had your first great love as a teenager, this book will break your heart.  It will play with your emotions.  You'll go dig up some Spandau Ballet. You'll never be the same.  I promise.

9.  Pete The Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons - by Eric Litwin, art by James Dean



Before I started working as a school librarian, I was talking to a children's public librarian about some great books for the littles.  With reverence I save for talking about God or, say, Prince, she told me with a straight face that Pete the Cat was her personal hero.  I backed away slowly, thought to myself, 'What a whackadoodle!' and politely walked away.  Then I read this book.  Pete is truly the coolest cat in the whole world.  He knows for sure, and convinces us, that buttons come and buttons go, but we need to just keep it moving.  Also, if you want instant street cred with the PreK-2 crowd, read a Pete story.  They will come delightfully unhinged!

10.  Golden Boy - Abigail Tarttelin



I can't say too much about this little gem of a book I found while browsing the shelves.  I liked the cover.  But I LOVED the book.  I can't say too much because I might give it away.  So, I'll say this: Boy, Sex, Identity, Love, Intersex, Brotherhood, Unintended Consequences.


Okay, so this was fun to write.  Later this week, I'll post about the books I'm most excited about for 2015.

Scandal Commentary - Season 3 Finale

I just watched and I'm totally speechless.  I had almost given up on my show, because the last 3-4 weeks have been, well, limp.

I have also stayed off of Facebook for the last 21 hours because I wanted NO spoilers.

This episode totally belonged to Joe Morton.  If this dude does not get an Emmy, we need to boycott. Here are all the ways that it is Eli Pope's world and we are all just living in it.  They are sort of all over the place, but so are my emotions after this episode.

1.  This took me a minute, but do y'all realize that he made Maya stab him? Enough to draw lots of blood, but not enough to injure any organs. That's what she meant in response to Liv's query as to whether their life was 'real'.  "I didn't kill him, and we all know I could have." ( I totally loved Khandi Alexander's delivery of that one sentence.)  She told Eli to bring her baby home and by getting shanked, she came right to his side.

OOOOOOHHHH - and Maya was in the hole at the end, so now she's going to be B613!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2.  He probably allowed Maya to get loose to reign Liv back in.  Think back over the whole season.  She was locked up for 22 years and that's the first time she thought of going coyote and knawing her arm off?  I don't think so.

3.  Even with a knife wound, he hobbled past SS (and we know the deal on that now, don't we), and got up in Prez's face.  GANGSTA!

4.  But Tom though!  A poisoned ring!  So very...Borgia.....

But what about the lines???  These absolutely rocked my world!

5.  To be young, gifted and Black.

6.  Daddy took care of it.

7.  You think you can take me because I'm old and injured, but you CANNOT take me.  You CANNOT take Command!

Now, for the rest of it...

8. Judging by that boatload of boxes, B613 did have a paper trail.  Sloppy....

9.  That was some super quick packing that Liv did.

10.  How are Huck and Quinn so insatiable that they have to do it in the office?  That's not comfortable AT ALL.

11.  Mellie wants a refund. Liv should have been like Whitney Houston -- "Where is your receipt?"  Mellie, this ain't Best Buy.  Declare it a loss on your 1040 and keep rolling.

12.  But did they have to kill the baby, though?  Shonda went hardcore!

13.  Since the "7:52" episode, I knew Huck's family was coming back. Query though, she went back to school and went from librarian to lawyer so that means she has a house like that.  Also, why couldn't she just have become the Librarian of Congress and come up on her other profession? (Admittedly, this is personal).

14.  Since we know that we'll see them next season, wouldn't it be totally awesome if Javi is a mini Huck in training?

15.  Guillermo Diaz also deserves an Emmy nod for that scene with Liv in her apartment.

16.  Why Jake won't leave Liv be?  She's probably like, "Damn, if I take you with me will you quit being so thirsty?"  At least cold nights won't be lonely...  And the subtle expression change on her face after she declined the call from the White House is the kind of thing that makes me believe in Kerry Washington's acting abilities again.

17. With Columbus Short's personal issues, I think we can put him on the Bye Felicia list.   But, keeping it 100, mental illness is real, and I hope he can get the help that he needs.

18.  'Cause Harrison, nobody mouths off at Command and lives to tell the tale.  'Cept Liv.

19.  Are we rid of Sally?  I surely hope so.  Leo too, for that matter.

20.  Are we all going to be in front of the TV in October when this show comes on again??  After this episode, I am back in.  Shonda went straight HAM!  I am glad.

Things to ruminate on over summer hiatus:

Mellie and Fitz's new relationship.

Where did Liv go and how is she going to re-enter the picture?

What is Eli going to do next?  I hope join forces with Maya. B613 is gonna be a bad mutha....

How is Cyrus going to get his soul back from the devil?  And will we get to see that cute little girl again?

What's going to happen to Quinn now that she's jobless and manless?

How is Huck's new/old family going to fit into the picture?

Is Abby still going to be a hater?

Please let me know what y'all think by posting in comments or on my Facebook page.

Peace out!!!

Scandal Commentary: Episode 317: Flesh and Blood

Okay Gladiators,

This week's commentary can be divided into three major categories.  The Sitters, the Ballers and The Felicia List.

The Sitters.  These people need to have one to several, and I do mean, sev-er-al seats.

1. Olivia - for your righteous indignation, hypocrisy and general annoying facial expressions and multitude of A-line coats and window shots.  How you gon' keep running your mouth when you know you made a major mistake in taking down B613? You thought nothing was gonna happen and they were gonna give you a medal? Jake hemmed you up and you still kept yelling! Shut up!!!  And get your mind right when you talk to Mellie. YOU ARE SLEEPING WITH HER HUSBAND.  You need to be meek as a lamb when you talk to her and not all up in her face.  She is going to growl at you soon, and that ish will not be pretty.   And how you gon' act shocked when your daddy killed that man in your office?  You have gone way past regular folks' office decorum in that space.  People have bumped uglies, gotten drugged and all other types of shenanigans up and through there.  You better hope your landlord doesn't charge for cleanup.

2.  Huck and Quinn.  (Most uncomfortable scene of the whole series). I knew this was bound to happen, but in a parking garage???? When y'all supposed to be eyes akimbo looking for Maya Pope? But now that Huck and Quinn have knocked boots (and I mean this literally), y'all all know that Charlie is going to have to die.

3.  Fitz - how you gon' be mad because Liv and Jake slept together?  And when somebody tells you to stay in the White House, stay in the White House!!

4.  Jake - you just HAD to let folks know that you had Biblical knowledge of Liv.  Whatevs.  And you are STILL letting her pimp you.  You need to get written up for being the WACKEST Command ever.


Now, on to the Ballers.  These people ain't got to apologize for NATHAN!!!

1. Mellie - my girl said to hell with all y'all.  I'm gettin' drunk, long hair don't care!  Y'all took my boo and my dignity.  IT'S HER TURN!!!!!!

2.  Little Jerry's girlfriend - they need to look into recruiting her for B613 b/c that chickadee takes NO prisoners.

3.  Cyrus - seems as though he's shaken back from the grief and is BACK!!!!  Sally, you thank me for getting you out of a murder charge by running against my president?  Okay.  Go on to the church...

4.  Quinn - although she kinda did need to have a seat, she straight up owned Huck!

5.  Daddy Pope - they played James Brown's "Superbad" as he walked into OPA and he is indeed, Superbad.  You took my boo, and so now I have to kill you.  Olivia, it's me or Jake..... If they made a show just about him and Maya Pope, I would stop watching Scandal and start watching it POSTHASTE!

6.  Maya Pope - she does all that devilment and don't even unbutton her coat.  Go girl!


The Felicia List.  Some of these people are literally gone or about to be gone, or they are wrong for some of their actions.

1.  Charlie - you knew from the start that Huck was Quinn's Batman.  Nice knowing you, but you gon' die.

2.  Dominic - you were about that life for a long time, but you underestimated Maya's coldness or her love for her daughter.

3.  Maya Pope - we need your backstory, because you are cold as ICE.

4.  Fitz - quit brooding like a little boy and man up ?  I don't even want to vote for you for President.

5.  Jake - do you think Eli ever chased some chick that continually pimps him and sells him out?  No, that's why you keep getting played by Liv.  SHE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU!

6.  Sally - we are all a little tired of you.

7.  Andrew - you shouldn't have shunned Mellie.  Bye-bye.

8.  Leo - I hope you got ole girl into Harvard, cause you about to be gone pecan.

The season finale is this Thursday.  We will see how this wraps itself up...

Scandal Update Episode 316 "The Fluffer"

Let me just say first off that Shonda needs to send Liv to an island for an episode or two to rewrite her character. She is getting on ALL OF OUR NERVES at this point. The ways in which she gets on my nerves are countless.

Here we go:

 1. How has Liv worked with Cyrus so long, but neither he nor Fitz knows any of her staff? Abby/Gabby was, as we say in the hood, face-cracked and on the ground.

2. Was anyone else creeped out by the fact that G/Abby went to Olivia's house, shoplifted one of her coats and then got say her lines right back to her? Liv is worried about B613, but she needs to watching the chick with the PhD (Player Haters Degree for non-Biggie fans) right under her nose . Jake from State Farm better hope he doesn't end up with a spike heel in his head. #singlewhitefemale 

3. And speaking of Jake, I cannot get over how thirsty he is for Liv! I mean, he's supposed to be B613. He really keeps the Batphone on his nightstand? And then begging like Keith Sweat to let him in her apartment. Somehow, I don't see Eli/Rowan EVER begging a woman. He literally would never EVEN.

4. Poor Mellie. But did you see/hear/feel that ghetto slap she gave Fitz??? She literally slapped the Black off him. When Mellie gets her growl on, errrybody better run, hide, DIE!!

5. Speaking of Fitz, how on earth is he going to be salty that Mellie is getting hers? Didn't we find out that she went 10 years in the desert? So, he can build a whole house in Vermont, make out in front of windows and basically do whatever with his jump-off, but Mellie is supposed to keep it mellow? Whatever man. The Tie incident was too much. He really didn't need to be that mean.

 5a. SN- Jumpoffs everywhere were yelling - Girl, get the house!!!!!

6. Speaking of the tie incident, who still wears Escada? Mellie, we need to get you a stylist quickly. Call Michelle Obama's stylist ASAP!

7. Liv's righteous indignation at Andrew made me want to jump through the TV and choke her. OH, BUT JAKE FROM STATEFARM IS GONNA DO THAT IN A MINUTE.

8. More questions for Liv - What is the point of taking down B613? What then? Why? She really thinks that there will be no consequences? Her mama already told her to step off, shake back and get some other business. Also, she still mad because her boyfriend yelled at her? Girl, pick up your thong, square your shoulders and soldier on. You are a Black woman. Get your strong back!!!

9. How shady is it that she slept with Jake from State Farm to get the phone deal done? Was it really that serious?

10. Also, are we supposed to just forget that Harrison was drugged and intel was stolen from the office the week before? We gonna just gloss all over that? We didn't even get another shirtless scene in the hospital with him in bed?  No?  Just suited and booted like normal?  Damn.

11. Huck gave Liv exactly the looks of disgust we all wanted to.

12. But back to Andrew. He went from "I Will Always Love You" to "Money, Power, Respect." I sensed an inner weakness in him. Poor Mellie. Her taste in men is worse than almost as bad as mine. 

13. I do not appreciate a man putting his hands on a woman. I will chalk it up to the drama of the moment. Liv, you done did it now. You could almost hear the needle going off the record.

14. How 'bout the chemistry between Daddy and Mama Pope. I would LOVE to see more scenes between the two of them. "I wish you would." "I'm a vengeful man." WOW!

15. Overall, this episode was pretty uneven. I did the best I could with what I had...

By popular demand, I have moved this recap to my blog. Okay, my thoughts on Thursday night's Scandal: 1. Olivia is really beginning to get on my nerves. Sixteen minutes in, she had already been extra and brand new about 7 times. Shonda needs to do some retooling of her character, because she's not even the reason I watch the show any more. 2. Do they really think B613 is going to show up as a line item on a budget ANYWHERE? C'mon man. Wasting all that paper and we are in a recession.. Holiday party, check, toner cartridges, check, assassins for the country, check. NAAAWWWW!!!!! 3. Run. Hide. Die. Daaaannnngggg! 4. So, Quinn has 2 crazy assassins jocking, huh? She lickin' faces, makin' dreams come true, leaving Huck all bent over and wanting. Even made dude break his lease. Girrrlllll........ 5. Last week: "Uh-uh Dimitri." This week: " Rockabye Baby Dimitri." 6. I'm pretty sure I'm sick of Olitz kissing and making out in front of the Oval Office windows. 7. So, nobody thought to at least vet 2 teenagers we've never seen because they live away from their parents and are in boarding school? Nobody checked their phones, looked at their Facebook pages or anything? Where are the Secret Service agents assigned to them? Tom needs to get up there and straighten it all out. 8. "Glass houses, Olivia." Wow. Face-cracked, Liv. You just got OWNED! 9. Daddy Pope is mesmerizing every time he comes on the screen. 10. For all her faults, Mellie does seem to be a caring mom. 11. Mama Pope! She even has Adnan scurried. 12. Jerry might be a sociopath. 13. Why don't these people ever sneak off to Camp David to get it on? All this woo-pitching in the White House is a bit much! Always getting caught with skirts up and pants down. Stop it! 14. Side note, when you watch it on a tablet, it says it will be shown with limited commercial interruptions. Yet every 6 minutes, the same 5 ads come on. Quit playing, ABC. 15. "You were on your knees with Uncle Andrew." That line alone is going to ensure years of talk therapy and meds. 16. "I am the Commander In Chief." I am Command. I am not your Bish!" Fitz, have sev-er-al seats, please sir. 17. How is Cyrus going to be all bum rushy? He ordered Jake to kill James. Cyrus, have a seat next to Fitz, please. But I will say that Jeff Perry won his Emmy with one word of dialogue in that scene. 18. And why do they have these heartfelt, Iago/Hamlet conversations in the Oval Office - WHICH IS SURVEILLED!!! 19. These people ain't tired of getting read up, down and sideways by Daddy Pope? First, YOU ARE A BOY. Now, YOU ARE ALONE! Come and kill me by yourself if you want to. Hmmph. Leave him alone and let him do his fake job. 20. And Jake, when you show up to kill him all alone, you might be surprised. You saddown too. 21. What do we pay you for?- Liv, you are the help. Why you acting all shocked now? 22. If I were Liv, my ardor for Fitz would have cooled after dealing with his crazy kids. Oh no, boo, ain't nobody got time for this. 22. Fitz got up out of his seat and let Olivia know she needed to have several seats as well. Scootch over Jake, make room on that sofa for your girl. 23. Fitz is gonna be real shame when he finds out why Mellie shut him down. But 10 years? And nobody thought about therapy? 24. This is why you never put your heart in a married man's hands. When it gets right down to it, you come waayy behind their wife and kids, even if that situation is not perfect. Liv, go pop some corn and a couple of corks. You got some thinking to do. 25. Kim Reliford Wannamaker - we both know that Adnan is going to have to die for that stunt she pulled with our boo. 26. Mothers are the same whether they are Georgia Ann Ashley Hicks or Maya Pope. Haven't we all heard, "Well, if that's the way you want to do that, I can't get in your way, you are a grown woman/man"? Passive-aggresiveness is a great guilting tool.