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Marisa Matarazzo at Book Soup tomorrow.
When we were sent an early copy of Marisa Matarazzo’s first book Drenched: Stories of Love and Other Deliriums, the title, the naked woman swimming on the cover and the gimmicky Valentine’s Day release date made us a little dubious of its contents. Would it be a Harlequin-eque bodice ripper? Or another innocuous but banal attempt at chick lit?

But what the LA-based Matarazzo has given readers doesn’t fall easily into either category. While these interconnected short stories are tinged with the excitement of lust-love, the book is also permeated by heartbreak and melancholy, too. There is much bodice-ripping per se (a lot of bed hopping and shedding of clothes), but many of the characters or situations are fantastical--that’s where the “deliriums” part of the title comes in--that sometimes they’re more interesting than the sex.

In the short story, “Fisty Pinions,” we meet Ashlyn Aschenbecher, the girl with the glass ashtrays for breasts. She wasn’t born that way, she just chose to tape two ashtrays to her chests with mounting tape. Ronnie Scartoon, a girl from high school, has been in love with Ashlyn forever. They go on a date, and Ronnie isn’t bothered about her date’s enhancements one bit.

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Quentin Tarantino is in person tonight at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood for a double-feature of his films: Pulp Fiction at 6 pm, followed by Inglorious Basterds. There’s a moderated discussion following each film with director Tarantino. Tickets are $11 and student/senior are $9. more ›

Over the last week, the L.A. Bike Working Group has been releasing their vision of how the city should be connected for cyclists. It's a plan in opposition of the Los Angeles' current and official draft master plan for biking, which since the beginning has been steeped in controversy. more ›

Tonight local blues-infused indie rock duo Rumspringa (LAist Review, #2) will be taking on the second night of their free residency at the Bootleg Theater. LA-based alternative rockers the Useless Keys will be gracing the Echo once more. And, lastly, bicoastal electro-pop singer-songwriter Guy Fantastico will be performing at the Silver Lake Lounge with LA-based indie pop outfit HAIM. But we strongly suggest heading over to Spaceland to catch the second night of Eagle Rock-bred indie rock outfit Princeton's (LAist Interview) month-long residency. more ›

Murray Charged With Involuntary Manslaughter in Jackson's Death

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Murray this morning/TMZ

As expected, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office has formally filed charges in Superior Court against 56-year-old Conrad Murray, the doctor who administered a fatal dose of propofol to popstar Michael Jackson last summer, reports LA Now. The complaint implicates Murray for acting “without due caution and circumspection," thereby playing a key role in the singer's death. The charges are the result of a 7-month homicide investigation that focused intently on the role the Nevada and Texas-based cardiologist with financial woes played in Jackson's care and ultimate demise. Murray, who turned himself in as pre-arranged this morning, was spotted by TMZ photographers leisurely reading the morning paper in an L.A. cafe prior to his arrest.

There's no question about it. Hugo's Restaurant (you may know them for their taco stands) has some of the best mac and cheese in town (fusilli in a creamy combination of Cheddar, Gorgonzola, and Parmesan cheese baked crispy for $12.95). So when they introduced a vegan mac and cheese special ($7.50) for the month of February, it had to be tried. more ›

Gentlemen (and ladies) you've got less than a week now to shop for something sweet for your sweetheart. Perhaps your beloved is all about cupcakes; in that case, hie thee to Crumbs to get their Valentine's Day flavors. But if you're thinking chocolate, for crying out loud, skip the drugstore aisles (we've warned you!) and consider some of these local confections to help you pour some sugar on this Hallmark holiday. more ›

7 Reasons to Love L.A.

       

There are thousands of stories to tell in Los Angeles, but sometimes a picture says so much more. Thanks to our LAist Featured Photos Pool on Flickr, here are 7 moments worth taking a second look at in our 7 Reasons to Love L.A. series. more ›

Weather Check: Rain Expected Tomorrow, Snow Levels to Drop

weather-storm-5.jpg The rain is headed back and the National Weather Service is expecting it to hit the Los Angeles area beginning tomorrow, persisting through the night. That could mean another half to one-inch in the coastal and valley areas and up to 1.5 inches in the foothills and lower elevations of the mountains, which means more concern for mudslide prone areas. At higher elevations, snow levels are expected to drop drastically between 3,500 to 4,000 feet tomorrow afternoon and then as low as 2,000 feet overnight. That means the Grapevine could be facing a possible closure in addition to some snowball fights on the Antelope Valley floor. There's also a slight chance of rain on Friday. Otherwise, expect clear skies with highs in 60s and lows in the upper 40s throughout the week.

One annoyed neighbor's humorous attempt to educate neighbors on letting dogs relieve themselves on their lawn makes for good camera fodder. And this isn't the first time we've seen this type of "activism" in Sherman Oaks. A few years ago, complimentary "shit bags" appeared on one side street. more ›

o lease 10 city parking garages for 50 years or not? That is one of the current big financial questions, which the LA Times explores today. At issue is the $212-million budget shortfall that officials want to solve mostly with money from the reserve fund... more ›

Michael Jackson's physician, Conrad Murray, is expected to be charged today in L.A. in a criminal case in conjunction with the music star's sudden death last summer, according to LA Now. Initially speculation indicated Murray, 56, would be arrested and charged late last week, however the specifics of how the action would play out were uncertain. more ›

Forgive me for I have been an awful Louisianan. Never mind that I haven’t lived there since I was eight nor that the last time I’ve visited has been my dad’s funeral 13 years ago in my childhood town of Zachary, about 20 miles away from Baton Rouge and 100 miles from New Orleans. But the worst of my sins was that I didn’t believe in the Saints in this Super Bowl. more ›

After seven weeks as King of the World, Avatar was knocked from its perch by the maudlin Dear John. The phony love story brought in an obscene $32.4M in its debut weekend to best the Pocahontas rip-off ($23.6M | $630M). From Paris With Love disappointed in its first frame ($8.1M) while Edge of Darkness collapsed in week two ($7M | $29M). The Tooth Fairy -- to America's eternal shame -- is holding up well ($6.5M | $34.3M) more ›

  • A Gold Line train and a car collided this morning in Highland Park, but thankfully no one was injured.
  • A Delta baggage handler was questioned and released at LAX yesterday morning after he allegedly ran from a security screener and returning barefoot to pick up his belongings.
  • The David Beckham soccer academy was quietly shut down in December, and the superstar is looking to create another program that isn't affiliated with a sole location, like the now defunct one in Carson.
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