spring break: a late roundup

This spring break roundup is a bit late, given that it's Thursday (*sigh.* Where did the week go??) But here it is ...

 spring break = cookie break  :)

Reading:

• "Persuasion" by Jane Austen. I'd read "Pride and Prejudice" and "Emma" quite a few years ago, but this is my first time reading "Persuasion." Every time I read Austen, I think, why don't I read her novels more often? She has such a wickedly sharp sense of humor and her characterizations of people are perfect. Added bonus: you can watch the film adaptation afterwards!

Also borrowed from the library: "Purple Cane Road" by James Lee Burke (mystery is not really a genre I read much, but he was highly recommended by a friend)  and "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness.

Hoping to watch (guess who hurried down to the university library at the last minute to snatch up some free DVDs before spring break?):

• Once
• Lust, Caution

Baking: 
Instead of frolicking on the beach and partying until the wee hours, I'm spending some quality time with my oven. :)

• peanut butter-oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (pictured above) from The Brown Eyed Baker. I've been a longtime reader, but this is the first recipe I've tried. I added a dash of cinnamon, and substituted a chopped-up dark chocolate bar and peanut butter cups for the chocolate chips. They came out pleasingly chewy around the edges and soft and tender in the middle. And since there's oatmeal in the dough, you can eat it for breakfast, right?
• I know that pumpkin is a flavor associated with autumn, but I'm hoping to bake a batch of pumpkin muffins before spring break is over ... :)