there’s nothing like watching a vampire series to restore your equilibrium — or what’s left of it after another busy week.

every night, while waiting for sleep to overcome my wayward thoughts i would watch a couple of episodes of The Vampire Diaries (you know, that other popular vampire series on TV?). at first, it was out of curiosity, but after the first episode “i got bitten” (pun intended).

while fans of the Twilight series may have the advantage in terms of number and intensity, i think that in terms of pacing and plot, The Vampire Diaries is actually better (of course, the fact that it’s TV series may account for that). some of its characters have more depth and compelling qualities aside from their obvious physical attributes. Vampire Diaries has its own share of absurdities though, and i sometimes wish the producers had opted to prioritize talent over looks when they chose the cast (here, even the non-vampire characters look good). still, most of the main cast are doing a decent job — especially nina dobrev (Elena/Katherine), paul wesley (as the brooding, conflicted Stefan Salvatore) and ian somerhalder (as the dangerous Damon Salvatore).

The first season of The Vampire Diaries (22 episodes) ended about a couple of weeks ago. CBS had also recently announced that a second season for this series is in the works.

hmm… i don’t know why i’ve been reading and watching a lot of supernatural books and DVDs lately. truth to tell, i’m still a little hung up on Angelology. i think i might reread the whole book again this weekend. well, as soon as i’ve caught up on my sleep, that is.

for a number reasons, i haven’t had much time to read lately. truth to tell, there hasn’t been that much reading material that could tempt me beyond a cursory run-through. that is, until i came across danielle trussoni’s gripping Angelology.

after reading a favorable TIME review of this novel, i decided to dig up some more. at the end of 3 reviews, my gut instinct kicked in. i knew i had to read this book. (i had this type of reaction several times in the past and it hasn’t failed me yet.)

i made a few phone and online inquiries and quickly learned that local bookstores have run out of copies of Angelology, which was released only in March 2010. after a more thorough and patient search, i finally managed to find an unsold copy (which was ready for pick-up the next day).

i started reading Angelology on my way home and didn’t stop until 5:45am. (i showed up for work bleary-eyed and yawning.) despite the book’s minor drawbacks, the tale simply held me enthralled. i guess the reason why this story resonates with me can be traced to one of my favorite X-files episodes (All Souls), which dealt with the concept of nephilim (lit. “fallen ones”).

my verdict? i liked it! more importantly, i couldn’t put it down. Angelology is described as a supernatural thriller in the tradition of Dan Brown, although i think it’s more in the style of Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose. think of a gripping, multilayered gothic tale with biblical roots and tinged with intrigues and conspiracies. at its core, it tells of a centuries-old struggle between nephilim, the hybrid offspring of rebellious angels and human women, and a secret group of humans who study and oppose the nephilim (angelologists).

so if you have an abiding interest in angels (and not just the good kind) and don’t mind reading lengthy text on art, history, Greek mythology, various biblical texts, etc., Angelology shouldn’t be a challenge. if you’re a catholic, it’ll probably be easier to digest this premise (although Ms. Trussoni also makes liberal references to Jewish and Muslim religious texts to substantiate her point). at any rate, you will learn a lot of things about how humans have viewed angels throughout the past centuries.

i am currently re-reading parts of this book. for some reason, i keep going back to the scene where one of the characters (a nun) conducted a “summoning” ceremony. i am also fervently hoping that Ms. Trussoni will soon continue this tale with a worthy sequel.

and here’s an interesting fact, the film rights to this book have already been purchased. so i guess we can expect a movie based on Angelology in the next few years.

*sigh* sometimes i feel like i’m literally blogging in the dark. i’ve been toiling at this for years, without any clear blueprint or goal — at times it feels like i’m doing something right, other times i feel like i’m just doing this out of habit.

so, instead of burdening my noggin in search of something interesting to write about, today i’m turning my sights to other blogs and/or websites. taking my cue from The Times, i am bookmarking several interesting blogs/sites that would be worthwhile to visit.

folks at Times Online recently recommended several notable blogs, including — to a lot of people’s surprise — gwyneth paltrow’s GOOP (which i like to visit every and then). notwithstanding the initial derision that it had received, The Times noted that the celebrity-maintained site featured useful content and well-regarded celebrity contributors.

some of the blogs cited by The Times are those maintained by pelayo zapico (fashion, urban lifestyle), pippa brooks (fashion trends, London club scene, among other things), gabi gregg (fashion tips for the plus size group), and disneyroller girl (amusing take on lifestyle, pop culture).

if you’re the type to drool over fabulous clothes, shoes, accessories, etc., from a girl who seems to have it all, you might also want to visit SeaofShoes (this site was recommended to me by Pseudoshrink a few months ago).

to inject a little hard-edged spice to this list, i am also including michael yon’s highly regarded military blog, which is chockful of amazing frontline images and maps as well as gripping dispatches of what goes on in the war front.

i expect this list will get longer anytime soon. for now, i am adding these sites to my blogroll.

the word’s out — Dreamworks has just greenlighted a sequel for How to Train Your Dragon, and it’s set to hit the theaters by 2013 (yayy!).

uhh, 2013? it’s a bit of stretch to imagine that far right now, but considering that this series (featuring Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III and his charmingly named pals and their draconian pets) comprises 8 books (thus far), i suppose Dreamworks can take its time. with a potentially lucrative franchise in its hands, the studio is in a happy place right now. hopefully, it will nurture this series well and maintain its deft touch.

anyways, here’s a funny clip featuring various sporting events in the isle of Berk, involving both burly Vikings and playful dragons…

The series includes the following books: How to Train Your Dragon (2003), How to Be a Pirate (2004), How to Speak Dragonese (2005), How to Cheat a Dragon’s Curse (2006), How to Twist a Dragon’s Tale (2007), A Hero’s Guide to Deadly Dragons (2008), How to Ride a Dragon’s Storm (2008), and How to Break a Dragon’s Heart (2009). This series is authored by Cressida Cowell.