Wait, don't throw out your ticket just yet...

Yeah, we lost last night, too. So much for opening a restaurant or buying a villa wherever it is people have villas...

Before you throw out your losing Powerball ticket or cash it in for the $4 or whatever you might have won (and if so, congratulations), here are some tips on how exactly to read that ticket, courtesy of someecards:

The truth about shampoo purchases?

As usual, I'm an outlier. But that should be a surprise to no one.

I have far too many shampoos in my shower, although I'm not as particular about what they smell like. I have my good luck shampoo, which I use on important days (don't judge), I have my clarifying shampoo, and just a whole lot of others. I like options.

Book Review: "Gone, Gone, Gone" by Hannah Moskowitz

Wow, Hannah Moskowitz, you just knocked me for an emotional loop with this one.

It's October 2002. Just as the Washington, DC area is beginning to recover from the 9/11 terrorist attacks the previous year, random people start getting shot and killed by the Beltway Snipers. As I remember all to well, people run to and from their cars, crouch down when putting gas in their cars, and parents fear for the safety of their children while at school. This is the backdrop for the burgeoning relationship between high school students Craig and Lio.

Both boys are emotionally fragile in their own ways. Craig is so hurt by his breakup with ex-boyfriend Cody that he has adopted a large menagerie of stray animals, which he feels he can relate to better than humans. When a break-in at his house allows all the animals to escape, Craig is focused on finding all of his pets and is determined not to let the fear of the snipers interfere with this task.

Lio, who moved from New York following 9/11 and his parents' separation, is dealing with the guilt of surviving childhood leukemia while his twin brother did not. The terror being inflicted by the snipers has truly shaken him, and while he doesn't want to let his guard down by falling for Craig, he cannot help himself. Craig is afraid to care for someone else and becomes afraid he could lose Lio, so he cannot help but to push him away.

Gone, Gone, Gone is a beautifully tender and sincere story of friendship that turns to romance, but that romance is wracked by fear, doubt, and emotional uncertainty. Hannah Moskowitz so perfectly captured the angst of young love, feeling like all you want to do is be with a person, yet so many issues keep getting in the way. All of the characters are drawn so vividly, I could almost picture the story unfolding in my head.

Reading this book made me wish that things were different when I was this age, in terms of being more accepting of your sexuality. But at the same time, I'm so happy that we live in a society where, in general, this story could be a true one, and the fact that these boys are gay is an afterthought. I also once again find myself marveling at the amazing talent in the YA genre right now, that we've moved so far beyond the books that existed when I was younger.

I'm not sure where I heard of this book—I'm fairly certain it was a recommendation from one of two amazing YA authors I've read this year—but I feel so lucky to have found it. Thank you, Hannah Moskowitz, for making me feel hopeful, happy, and sad simultaneously. This is a keeper.

"Don't Give Up...Don't Ever Give Up!"

It's Jimmy V Week on ESPN, dedicated to the memory and inspiration of the late college basketball coach Jim Valvano, who led North Carolina State to an amazing last-second victory in the 1983 NCAA Tournament. He was well-known for running up and down the court following NC State's win, looking for someone to hug.

Valvano died of cancer in 1993, shortly after starting The V Foundation for Cancer Research, which ESPN has embraced as its leading charity over the years, and it recently committed a $1 million donation.

Jim Valvano was a man of great courage and strength, and perhaps he is best known for the emotional and inspirational speech he delivered at the 1993 ESPY Awards, when he was presented with the Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award. I saw it again on ESPN last night and, as always, it made me cry, it made me think, and it made me grateful.

"To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special."

He closed his speech with the words,

"Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever. I thank you and God bless you all."

As I think about Valvano's words, I think of all the people that have been lost to cancer in my life, those struggling with the disease right now, those fortunate enough to survive their fight and live to teach others, and all of those whose lives have been touched by this disease. Following Jimmy V's example is never easy, especially in times of struggle, but I promise you, it can be done.

If you are looking for a good cry, here's his speech. I send my strength and prayers and hope to those currently struggling with this disease, and send my love to those who are worried, who are grieving, and those we've lost.

Book Review: "Die a Stranger" by Steve Hamilton

While reading Steve Hamilton's ninth mystery featuring Michigan ex-cop Alex McKnight, all I kept thinking was, "Why isn't Steve Hamilton more of a household name?" Having read every one of his books, I always walk away immensely satisfied by the depth of his characters, the complexity with which he imbues every plotline, and the emotions he touches on. That's a rare feat.

Alex McKnight lives in the small Upper Peninsula town of Paradise. Constantly living with the reminder of being shot as a policeman while his partner was killed (Alex has a bullet lodged just near his heart), he is a fiercely loyal friend and unsuccessful former private investigator who can't seem to stay out of trouble, or trouble just seems to find him.

Vinnie LeBlanc is one of Alex's closest friends. Maybe even his best friend. The two have gotten into some scrapes before, but both have saved each other from danger in the past. When Vinnie mysteriously disappears the night after his mother dies, Alex knows this isn't just grief-related sadness or the need to get away; he knows Vinnie is in trouble. And despite the entreaties of law enforcement and the distrust of Vinnie's own family and reservation numbers, Alex is determined to find Vinnie and help him.

With the help of someone from Vinnie's past, Alex discovers his disappearance is tied to an incident at an isolated airport that left five people dead. But the dangers they uncover—and the ramifications of their actions—leave Alex, Vinnie, and everyone they know in harm's way, and there aren't many solutions left.

What I loved about this book, as I do all of Steve Hamilton's books, is the perfect balance between action, suspense, and introspection. It's not all car chases, gunplay and fistfights, nor is it all brooding and reflection. Alex McKnight is a fantastic character I've really come to enjoy over the years, and I feel that way about the other recurring characters in this series—Vinnie, Jackie, even Chief Maven. I really think the series would make an excellent television show, because I'd want to spend more time with it than simply seeing a movie every now and again.

If you like this genre, pick up a Steve Hamilton book. Any one in the series would do, as would his two other stand-alone novels. And maybe you'll help me in my quest to make him the household name he deserves to be.

Cool cover song of the week...

This week's cover song is the Indigo Girls' 1993 cover of I Don't Want to Talk About It, which they recorded for the soundtrack to Philadelphia. I'm a huge fan of this song, and this version in particular, but then again, I think the Indigo Girls can do no wrong. (Don't you?)

As an aside, when this version of the song was released, my friend Gayle and I would sing it in the car constantly, even matching Amy and Emily's harmonies. What can I say?

While Rod Stewart's version of the song seems to be the most ubiquitous, I learned that the song was written by Danny Whitten, whose band, Crazy Horse, first released it in 1971. And since then, the song has been covered by a diverse group of artists including Rita Coolidge, Everything But the Girl, and even UK X-Factor winner Joe McElderry. (The things you learn from Wikipedia...)

Take a listen and let me know what you think. Previous cover songs can be found here, here, and here.

Movie Review: "Silver Linings Playbook"

In many of his movie roles, Bradley Cooper tends to portray self-confident, sometimes cocky characters, who appear (at least on the surface) to have control over their lives, with a gleam in their eyes as they get whatever they want. While his performances are always captivating (and of course, he's very nice to look at), you can't help but wonder how much of that confidence is Cooper's own and how much of that is his acting.

To watch Cooper play a character at the opposite end of that spectrum proves how strong of an actor he really is. In the terrifically funny and poignant Silver Linings Playbook, Cooper plays Pat Solitano, Jr., a former history teacher who was recently released from a mental hospital (against doctor's orders) by his mother (Jacki Weaver), much to the surprise and disbelief of his brusque father (Robert De Niro).

Pat has had a run of bad luck, being hospitalized as part of a plea bargain after an incident that cost him his job, his marriage, his house, and his freedom. But now he is determined to change his life and live more positively—he exercises rigorously, tries to find the silver lining in every situation, and he is determined to make himself over into a better person, so he can rekindle his marriage and move out of his parents' home. His parents want Pat to get control over his illness and not try to reopen old wounds, plus his superstitious bookie father wants him to watch all of the Philadelphia Eagles' games at home, since he has determined Pat brings the team good luck when he's present during games.

When Pat meets the equally troubled and recently widowed Tiffany (an incendiary, emotional Jennifer Lawrence), he is completely thrown for a loop by her manic mood swings and her desire to be his friend, which keeps him off balance. Tiffany promises to help him secretly get into contact with his estranged wife if he agrees to be her partner in a dance competition. But keeping his end of the bargain is tougher (and sometimes more enjoyable) than he thought, and it causes ripples among his family as well.

This is a movie about regaining your confidence and finding the positive in the challenges you face, never easy tasks. Pat talks a lot about trying to be his "best self," and in doing so, comes to the realization that the things he thinks he wants aren't always the things that he really wants, nor are they always best for him.

Based on a terrific book by Matthew Quick, Silver Linings Playbook skillfully skirts the line between humorous (even hysterically funny at times), poignant, and introspective. David O. Russell, whose last movie was the brooding-but-uplifting The Fighter, brings some of the quirkiness of his earlier movies (Flirting with Disaster, Spanking the Monkey, even I Heart Huckabees), but he never pushes too hard to manipulate your emotions.

Jennifer Lawrence is once again a revelation in this movie; at times explosive and emotional, at times a confident anchor, I found myself saying, "Wow," a few times during her scenes. Bradley Cooper showed a lot of depth and vulnerability in his performance, and I found myself rooting for his character even while he was making a mess of things. It was fun to see Robert De Niro smile every now and again, although at times he slipped into typical De Niro-isms (which still isn't bad). Chris Tucker (Rush Hour) has a recurring and amusing role as one of Pat's friends from the mental hospital.

As we head into the heavy and serious movies released for Oscar consideration, Silver Linings Playbook is definitely a lighter alternative. But don't mistake its lightness for lack of substance or appeal—this is a very enjoyable, well-acted movie that makes you feel while it's making you laugh, and I hope to see it get some recognition come Oscar time.