No writing yesterday. Family stuff, all day.
I'm wondering more and more if this ms isn't ready to be written yet. I can get a good day of writing in here and there, but I can't get any momentum going. This is worrisome.
Well, I think today I'm going to try a new tack. And if that doesn't get the ball rolling to where I'm able to at least feel like I have a grip on it, or can move forward without stalling out more than I'm actually moving forward, then I'll have to set this ms aside and pick up one of my other projects. I'm not going to beat myself up over this and make it into a hated chore. I've got enough hated chores, like scooping the cat litter and weedeating.
I'm wondering more and more if this ms isn't ready to be written yet. I can get a good day of writing in here and there, but I can't get any momentum going. This is worrisome.
Well, I think today I'm going to try a new tack. And if that doesn't get the ball rolling to where I'm able to at least feel like I have a grip on it, or can move forward without stalling out more than I'm actually moving forward, then I'll have to set this ms aside and pick up one of my other projects. I'm not going to beat myself up over this and make it into a hated chore. I've got enough hated chores, like scooping the cat litter and weedeating.
I was answering someone's post the other day (can't remember who) about WHY do you write YA?
A lot of people end up saying it's because they still feel 17 in their mind or something. But I'm afraid that isn't my reason. I definitely feel 26 and I *like* 26! (It's a hip 26, I hope, but hip is timeless. You can be hip at 12 or at 60 if you've got it.)
Sometimes I feel like my reasons are poser-y. Like:
--I write YA because it's what the friend who encouraged me to submit was writing.
--I write YA because I love the books and the market seems really creative and not divided on genre lines as much as adult work.
--I write YA because the children's writing community is just awesome! And I'm not sure where most of the adult writers are even hanging out.
But today I was playing the remade Final Fantasy IV. It's SO fun, so far. I love the updates, but it also takes me back to how much I loved this game the first time I ever played it, when I was 11 or so. I loved FF IV so much, I made comics, fan fiction, plans for my own games, board games, a recipe book with invented ingredients AND a Final Fantasy newspaper. Yes, I was obsessed.
Everything was like that in the magical time period of youth, up through the teen years. Whether it was Final Fantasy IV, Elfquest comics, X-Men, The Mists of Avalon, Xanth, The Nightmare Before Christmas, anime... Everything I loved was read and re-read, watched and re-watched, played and re-played, ripped off and absorbed into my own worlds, and generally subject to a level of adoration and obsession like nothing in adulthood has ever quite compelled.
I know I'm not the only one! You can see that adoration shining in the eyes of Harry Potter and Twilight fans and hear it in the fan letters some of you have posted.
Yes, I realized, that is why I write YA. Not because I feel 17, thank goodness, because 17 is kind of stressful, but because I'm not sure art ever meant so much to me as during those years, and I yearn to stay a part of that connection.
A lot of people end up saying it's because they still feel 17 in their mind or something. But I'm afraid that isn't my reason. I definitely feel 26 and I *like* 26! (It's a hip 26, I hope, but hip is timeless. You can be hip at 12 or at 60 if you've got it.)
Sometimes I feel like my reasons are poser-y. Like:
--I write YA because it's what the friend who encouraged me to submit was writing.
--I write YA because I love the books and the market seems really creative and not divided on genre lines as much as adult work.
--I write YA because the children's writing community is just awesome! And I'm not sure where most of the adult writers are even hanging out.
But today I was playing the remade Final Fantasy IV. It's SO fun, so far. I love the updates, but it also takes me back to how much I loved this game the first time I ever played it, when I was 11 or so. I loved FF IV so much, I made comics, fan fiction, plans for my own games, board games, a recipe book with invented ingredients AND a Final Fantasy newspaper. Yes, I was obsessed.
Everything was like that in the magical time period of youth, up through the teen years. Whether it was Final Fantasy IV, Elfquest comics, X-Men, The Mists of Avalon, Xanth, The Nightmare Before Christmas, anime... Everything I loved was read and re-read, watched and re-watched, played and re-played, ripped off and absorbed into my own worlds, and generally subject to a level of adoration and obsession like nothing in adulthood has ever quite compelled.
I know I'm not the only one! You can see that adoration shining in the eyes of Harry Potter and Twilight fans and hear it in the fan letters some of you have posted.
Yes, I realized, that is why I write YA. Not because I feel 17, thank goodness, because 17 is kind of stressful, but because I'm not sure art ever meant so much to me as during those years, and I yearn to stay a part of that connection.
After fully utilizing my final chance at tweaking STANZA, I'm spending the rest of this week preparing for my Whispering Woods Picture Book Workshop/Retreat. Making LOTS of copies (handouts), reviewing my talks, packing dozens of picture books, gathering writing instruction books to share, letting the nuns know how many of us will be there for meals, etc. BOY, is my office a mess. This is one of those times I would reeeeally appreciate more space in my little writing cubby (approx 6' x 9'). As long as everything's in its place, I'm good. But yowser, that is definitely not how I'd describe it now.
Note to possible drop-ins: Please don't.
And, in the minor annoyances department, I have to ask: Oh, Sally Hanson, why for the love of Pete won't you manufacture a brush that reaches the bottom of the bottle? Urgh. I don't want to throw this much away. Green up, Sal.
Note to possible drop-ins: Please don't.
And, in the minor annoyances department, I have to ask: Oh, Sally Hanson, why for the love of Pete won't you manufacture a brush that reaches the bottom of the bottle? Urgh. I don't want to throw this much away. Green up, Sal.
For days I’ve been battling ants that are determined to take over my hummingbird feeders. The sugar water draws them in. If ants can think, their brains are saying, “Yummy, yummy, my favorite food.”
I’ve spread Vaseline on the windows around the suction cups that hold the feeder to the glass. That works for about two seconds before a brave, adventuresome ant finds a small path through the sticky mess and once again dines on sugar water. So I spread the Vaseline again, hoping to cover up that one tiny entrance. Ah! Good! It worked. For another two seconds. Then an ant, to prove that it’s smarter than I am, marches right through the barrier.
Okay, this clearly isn’t working, so I go on the Internet to see what other people do about the ant problem. I get conflicting advice. Use Vaseline or Vicks Vapor Rub. (Tried that, doesn’t work.) Don’t use Vaseline because the bird may rub against it and then can’t groom itself and might die. Oh! Great! Now I’m a bird killer. Other suggestions are bay leaves, terro liquid, and olive oil. None of them sound much better, and they’re all meant for feeders hanging under trees, which mine are not.
There is an answer somewhere. I just haven’t found it yet. I will keep on, though, because I have to prove to those ants that I’m as smart as they
are. Or until the ants’ tummies are so full they can’t drink another drop.
In the meantime, I see a parallel to my writing career and to life in general: persistence. Those little insects, barely bigger than a grain of sand, are persistent. They have a goal, and they will sacrifice anything to reach that goal. Now I don’t recommend being that drastic. I don’t want to end up drowned like most of the ants do. But if I want something badly enough I can set my goals and do everything possible (legally) to reach those goals. Think of the ants. They let nothing stand in their way. I should not let bumps in the road that steer me off course detour me, either. If my goals are worthwhile then give them my best efforts. I may not always succeed, but at least I’ve tried, and I can learn from each experience and choose another road to follow, one that perhaps is better than the previous one.
Who would have thought that those pesky ants could teach me a lesson? Persistence. They have it. I want it. At the moment the ants are winning.
By the way, if anyone has a good solution to keeping ants away from feeders, please let me know.
I’ve spread Vaseline on the windows around the suction cups that hold the feeder to the glass. That works for about two seconds before a brave, adventuresome ant finds a small path through the sticky mess and once again dines on sugar water. So I spread the Vaseline again, hoping to cover up that one tiny entrance. Ah! Good! It worked. For another two seconds. Then an ant, to prove that it’s smarter than I am, marches right through the barrier.
Okay, this clearly isn’t working, so I go on the Internet to see what other people do about the ant problem. I get conflicting advice. Use Vaseline or Vicks Vapor Rub. (Tried that, doesn’t work.) Don’t use Vaseline because the bird may rub against it and then can’t groom itself and might die. Oh! Great! Now I’m a bird killer. Other suggestions are bay leaves, terro liquid, and olive oil. None of them sound much better, and they’re all meant for feeders hanging under trees, which mine are not.
There is an answer somewhere. I just haven’t found it yet. I will keep on, though, because I have to prove to those ants that I’m as smart as they
are. Or until the ants’ tummies are so full they can’t drink another drop.
In the meantime, I see a parallel to my writing career and to life in general: persistence. Those little insects, barely bigger than a grain of sand, are persistent. They have a goal, and they will sacrifice anything to reach that goal. Now I don’t recommend being that drastic. I don’t want to end up drowned like most of the ants do. But if I want something badly enough I can set my goals and do everything possible (legally) to reach those goals. Think of the ants. They let nothing stand in their way. I should not let bumps in the road that steer me off course detour me, either. If my goals are worthwhile then give them my best efforts. I may not always succeed, but at least I’ve tried, and I can learn from each experience and choose another road to follow, one that perhaps is better than the previous one.
Who would have thought that those pesky ants could teach me a lesson? Persistence. They have it. I want it. At the moment the ants are winning.
By the way, if anyone has a good solution to keeping ants away from feeders, please let me know.
- Mood:
curious
On Sunday, ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
docstymie brought home a box of these:
Yesterday they were ripe enough. So I did this:
It is scrumbellyumptious. And half gone now.
Last night we drove over to the amphitheater to meet friends where we saw Demi Lovato. (Because that's what you do when you ask your kids to sit through concerts they don't like. It's a trade-off. Besides, it's fun to go somewhere where your ears are pierced for 4 hours straight with pre-pubescent estrogen-filled screeching. Isn't it? And besides, it's good research. For reals.)
And AVRIL!!!! ACK--it's insane how pretty and talented and sassy she is. I was very sad to see that Avril Lavigne was the **opening act** for The Jonas Bros. though. How does that even happen? She's like... so much huge-er than that. Isn't she? No? Sigh...
But they were fine, too.
I have to admit I didn't really get the appeal of the Jonas Brothers until I saw them live. They're high energy and for a boy band they sound okay, and well... remembering what it's like to be a tween girl, I must say Hellooooo Joe. I did not know you before, but I think I want to know you now. Your music, I mean. I like your voice. No, not voice. Your guitar. Really. Okay, your hair. It's your hair I like. Your bangs. I like your bangs.
And your brothers are swell too.
I guess.
I must admit it was fun to re inhabit the world of the tween. My new business partner (can I call her that? Because talking about my "agent" makes me feel kindof pretentious) thinks I have a middle grade novel in me. Says I'm like a 12 year old girl stuck in a woman body. Hmmmmm.
I think my old lady self needs a piece of pie. And a nap.
Happy Wednesday, all.
(And if you haven't seen it, De posted a lovely photo essay yesterday. Ahhh....)
docstymie brought home a box of these:
Yesterday they were ripe enough. So I did this:
It is scrumbellyumptious. And half gone now.
Last night we drove over to the amphitheater to meet friends where we saw Demi Lovato. (Because that's what you do when you ask your kids to sit through concerts they don't like. It's a trade-off. Besides, it's fun to go somewhere where your ears are pierced for 4 hours straight with pre-pubescent estrogen-filled screeching. Isn't it? And besides, it's good research. For reals.)
And AVRIL!!!! ACK--it's insane how pretty and talented and sassy she is. I was very sad to see that Avril Lavigne was the **opening act** for The Jonas Bros. though. How does that even happen? She's like... so much huge-er than that. Isn't she? No? Sigh...
But they were fine, too.
I have to admit I didn't really get the appeal of the Jonas Brothers until I saw them live. They're high energy and for a boy band they sound okay, and well... remembering what it's like to be a tween girl, I must say Hellooooo Joe. I did not know you before, but I think I want to know you now. Your music, I mean. I like your voice. No, not voice. Your guitar. Really. Okay, your hair. It's your hair I like. Your bangs. I like your bangs.
And your brothers are swell too.
I guess.
I must admit it was fun to re inhabit the world of the tween. My new business partner (can I call her that? Because talking about my "agent" makes me feel kindof pretentious) thinks I have a middle grade novel in me. Says I'm like a 12 year old girl stuck in a woman body. Hmmmmm.
I think my old lady self needs a piece of pie. And a nap.
Happy Wednesday, all.
(And if you haven't seen it, De posted a lovely photo essay yesterday. Ahhh....)
- Location:the kitchen table
- Music:Avril, of course
Have a favorite YA mystery or thriller? Now you can share it with dozens of librarians and maybe hundreds of kids. In October, I’ll be speaking to librarians from Oregon and Washington at a two-state conference.
My topic? Mysteries and Thrillers: The Gateway Drug for Reluctant Readers.
I will admit, though, that I have not actually thought this topic through, except that I do believe a mystery or thriller can draw in kids who otherwise might shy away from reading.
Got any thoughts on the topic? Got a favorite book you would like me to share with librarians? Let me know.
My topic? Mysteries and Thrillers: The Gateway Drug for Reluctant Readers.
I will admit, though, that I have not actually thought this topic through, except that I do believe a mystery or thriller can draw in kids who otherwise might shy away from reading.
Got any thoughts on the topic? Got a favorite book you would like me to share with librarians? Let me know.
Can this possibly be true?
I'm toying with a new story? Not only a new one--but not a YA?
Not a single word has been written, only bits and pieces of a very rough synopsis. But you know that feeling you get when when a New Story hits you and it's all you can think about? When you can't carry on a coherent conversation with anyone because your rapid-fire mental plotting distracts you from even the simplest chitchat?
I'm molding Reynolds Wrap around my skull before I head off to work. The Voices promise me this'll work.
I'm toying with a new story? Not only a new one--but not a YA?
Not a single word has been written, only bits and pieces of a very rough synopsis. But you know that feeling you get when when a New Story hits you and it's all you can think about? When you can't carry on a coherent conversation with anyone because your rapid-fire mental plotting distracts you from even the simplest chitchat?
I'm molding Reynolds Wrap around my skull before I head off to work. The Voices promise me this'll work.
I've had to find myself new biking routes this summer because many of my regular routes have been impassible due to the flood. And because it's been so difficult to bike this summer, I've been jogging more. I've been switching off -- biking one-two days in a row, then jogging the next day.
Today I biked through City Park for the first time since the flood. Actually I biked TO City Park a week ago, but the sandbags were still up and I didn't want to climb over the wall of sandbags with my bike. But I knew they'd been removing sandbags so I tried again today (actually, I tried again yesterday, but was blocked by a HUGE tree over the Clear Creek trail...we'd had a pretty strong storm the morning before. I saw other cyclists climbing over the tree with their bikes, but I'm pretty short. This tree trunk/branches etc. were chest high on me. And there was no going around them. The other cyclists also told me there were two other trees over the trail further on (though you could go around those). I decided it wasn't worth it, so I turned around and rode with them to the north).
But the Clear Creek trail was clear today, so I was able to get to City Park. You see a lot more of the river riding along Rocky Shore Dr. now...some of the trees/bushes along the way must've been swept away by floodwaters. And riding through the Normandy Dr. area is a little upsetting. I used to ride through there almost every day...and I'd see the same people: the lady on her adult-sized tricycle (it never mattered when I rode through there...8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 4:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m., that lady was always out on her tricycle. And we always greeted each other. But I never knew her name), the old guy with the dog, the jogger with the tattoos , the four Red-hatters who walked. But I didn't see any of those people today. It was very quiet in that neighborhood this morning. The only people I saw were the somber group of people who were cleaning out one of the houses and the guy who was power-washing his house. There was a lot of muck on the road...lots of garbage piled by the road. I have a musician friend who lives in this neighborhood...I hope she's okay. None of us in our little music group have heard from her since the flood.
The park was awfully quiet, too. The only people I saw were the three guys who were operating the little bulldozers. It was eerily quiet...made worse by the fact there was no wind. Not a leaf twitched. I rode past the Better Homes and Gardens house. Okay, I don't know if that backyard ever WAS featured in Better Homes and Gardens, but it could've been...it was one of the most beautiful backyards in all of Iowa City. Not anymore. All those beautiful flowers, shrubs etc. are gone.
I was surprised there was still standing water in the park today. But not surprised about the mud. There was one spot I almost turned back, but I plowed on through...and then I was able to keep going. On that trail, anyway...one of the other trails is completely washed out. The whole park is full of piles of sand, silt etc. There's very little grass anywhere...the trees look really sad growing out of the silt. It all looks like the bottom of a dry riverbed...which I guess is exactly what it is.
The Bocce courts are still underwater. I never even learned to play Bocce.
The sandbags are still up behind Hancher Auditorium and the trail is blocked there, so that's as far as I was able to go. On my way home, I saw the trail behind Taco Bell was open. I was a little surprised because the river is still pretty high, but as long as it was open, I decided to give it a try. I ended up turning back, though, because there was just too much mud. And there was a section where the trail was literally dropping into the river.
It was a beautiful morning for a ride...cooler and less humid than it's been...sunny...but I sure picked a sad ride for such a beautiful day. I don't think I'll be riding that way again for a while.
Today I biked through City Park for the first time since the flood. Actually I biked TO City Park a week ago, but the sandbags were still up and I didn't want to climb over the wall of sandbags with my bike. But I knew they'd been removing sandbags so I tried again today (actually, I tried again yesterday, but was blocked by a HUGE tree over the Clear Creek trail...we'd had a pretty strong storm the morning before. I saw other cyclists climbing over the tree with their bikes, but I'm pretty short. This tree trunk/branches etc. were chest high on me. And there was no going around them. The other cyclists also told me there were two other trees over the trail further on (though you could go around those). I decided it wasn't worth it, so I turned around and rode with them to the north).
But the Clear Creek trail was clear today, so I was able to get to City Park. You see a lot more of the river riding along Rocky Shore Dr. now...some of the trees/bushes along the way must've been swept away by floodwaters. And riding through the Normandy Dr. area is a little upsetting. I used to ride through there almost every day...and I'd see the same people: the lady on her adult-sized tricycle (it never mattered when I rode through there...8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 4:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m., that lady was always out on her tricycle. And we always greeted each other. But I never knew her name), the old guy with the dog, the jogger with the tattoos , the four Red-hatters who walked. But I didn't see any of those people today. It was very quiet in that neighborhood this morning. The only people I saw were the somber group of people who were cleaning out one of the houses and the guy who was power-washing his house. There was a lot of muck on the road...lots of garbage piled by the road. I have a musician friend who lives in this neighborhood...I hope she's okay. None of us in our little music group have heard from her since the flood.
The park was awfully quiet, too. The only people I saw were the three guys who were operating the little bulldozers. It was eerily quiet...made worse by the fact there was no wind. Not a leaf twitched. I rode past the Better Homes and Gardens house. Okay, I don't know if that backyard ever WAS featured in Better Homes and Gardens, but it could've been...it was one of the most beautiful backyards in all of Iowa City. Not anymore. All those beautiful flowers, shrubs etc. are gone.
I was surprised there was still standing water in the park today. But not surprised about the mud. There was one spot I almost turned back, but I plowed on through...and then I was able to keep going. On that trail, anyway...one of the other trails is completely washed out. The whole park is full of piles of sand, silt etc. There's very little grass anywhere...the trees look really sad growing out of the silt. It all looks like the bottom of a dry riverbed...which I guess is exactly what it is.
The Bocce courts are still underwater. I never even learned to play Bocce.
The sandbags are still up behind Hancher Auditorium and the trail is blocked there, so that's as far as I was able to go. On my way home, I saw the trail behind Taco Bell was open. I was a little surprised because the river is still pretty high, but as long as it was open, I decided to give it a try. I ended up turning back, though, because there was just too much mud. And there was a section where the trail was literally dropping into the river.
It was a beautiful morning for a ride...cooler and less humid than it's been...sunny...but I sure picked a sad ride for such a beautiful day. I don't think I'll be riding that way again for a while.
Today marks the one year anniversary of our arrival in the States from Israel. Exactly.
It's a milestone... for all of us...Haim with his work, Ivry learning English and adjusting to life in America and the children at the JCC. (Jewish community center)
In the course of a year, Haim and I deepened our family relationships as we adjust to America from a tiny little kibbutz out in the middle of nowhere..
As far as writing and teaching goes...
1. I've been accepted as a national workshop presenter for teachers.
2. My coauthor and I have a manuscript under discussion on English language learners with two educational publishers.
3. I'm pumping up the freelance writing business with the addition of a new blog for mentoring new teachers - http://newteacherresourcecenter.blogspot.c
4. I'm enjoying the freelance life and working with a writer's coach who has taught me to believe in myself and to focus on my goals even when the going does get tough. (and it does)
Just a year ago, I sat in an air-conditionless Israeli EFL classroom wondering how and when I would return to the classroom. Now, I'm not so sure.
I’m stealing this from Sara Hantz.
:)
The Big Read, an initiative by the National Endowment for the Arts, has estimated that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they’ve printed. How do you do?
1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you LOVE.
I cheated because I’m lazy and just bolded the books I’ve read and skipped the other steps. (If you see italics, they're Sara's.) Fun!
1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
- Location:Day Off Land
Tip of the Day: Don't forget the sunscreen!
For some reason my TBR pile has been full of dark books lately. Don't get me wrong -- they've been good but man, they don't make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, and there's not a laugh to be had:
MADAPPLE (death, poison, craziness)
THE HOST (loss of human existence)
STREAMS OF BABEL (terrorists, death, poison, illness)
SHIFT (missing persons, evil father)
BAD GIRLS CLUB (abuse, violence, depression)
Thank goodness I had CONFESSIONS OF A TRIPLE SHOT BETTY in there!
But as I pack for a mini vacation this weekend, I MUST get away from the melancholy books that I am in the midst of. I need something FUN to read by the pool.
And this, my friends, is why the lighter books, the less literary, the FUN books of the teen world are necessary. DIVERSITY, PEOPLE! We preach it in America for everything all the time EXCEPT in what we do for entertainment it seems. Certain books are seen as meritless because there aren't "lessons" and the prose isn't at perfect pitch and length.
But sometimes all a reader NEEDS is something light, fun, transportive, and uplifting. Doom and gloom only goes so far -- and if you really need that much of it, you can keep CNN on 24 hours a day.
So I've picked up HOW TO SALSA IN A SARI and plan to grab some other fun titles.
The book I just revised for an interested editor is much more light than many other books I've written -- and I love it! The ed and my agent like the high concept of it. And let me tell you, it was no easier to revise than any of the more serious books I've written. If anything, it was harder bc I had to make the character more likable while still having her fun attitude.
What are some of your favorite LIGHT, FUN YA novels? Meg Cabot, Lauren Barnholdt, and Jennifer Lynn Barnes are some authors who do it for me.
Deena, Miss Recently Repped
P.S. Em, did you know a sequel to BAD KITTY is coming out? YAY!
For some reason my TBR pile has been full of dark books lately. Don't get me wrong -- they've been good but man, they don't make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, and there's not a laugh to be had:
MADAPPLE (death, poison, craziness)
THE HOST (loss of human existence)
STREAMS OF BABEL (terrorists, death, poison, illness)
SHIFT (missing persons, evil father)
BAD GIRLS CLUB (abuse, violence, depression)
Thank goodness I had CONFESSIONS OF A TRIPLE SHOT BETTY in there!
But as I pack for a mini vacation this weekend, I MUST get away from the melancholy books that I am in the midst of. I need something FUN to read by the pool.
And this, my friends, is why the lighter books, the less literary, the FUN books of the teen world are necessary. DIVERSITY, PEOPLE! We preach it in America for everything all the time EXCEPT in what we do for entertainment it seems. Certain books are seen as meritless because there aren't "lessons" and the prose isn't at perfect pitch and length.
But sometimes all a reader NEEDS is something light, fun, transportive, and uplifting. Doom and gloom only goes so far -- and if you really need that much of it, you can keep CNN on 24 hours a day.
So I've picked up HOW TO SALSA IN A SARI and plan to grab some other fun titles.
The book I just revised for an interested editor is much more light than many other books I've written -- and I love it! The ed and my agent like the high concept of it. And let me tell you, it was no easier to revise than any of the more serious books I've written. If anything, it was harder bc I had to make the character more likable while still having her fun attitude.
What are some of your favorite LIGHT, FUN YA novels? Meg Cabot, Lauren Barnholdt, and Jennifer Lynn Barnes are some authors who do it for me.
Deena, Miss Recently Repped
P.S. Em, did you know a sequel to BAD KITTY is coming out? YAY!
My next book, DEAD GIRL WALKING, should start showing up in stores in a month. And here's a review I just found out about!
http://bookluver-carol.blogspot.com/2008/0
 |
Meet my second cousin (or is that first cousin once removed) - K! He's my cousin and her husband's 19 day old adorable and sweet son! Yesterday, C and I drove out to visit K3 (yes, all three of their names start with the letter K). We also were able to visit with K2's (daddy's) mum who is visiting from Australia and my auntie (K1's (mommy's) mom. Whew. Confused yet? ;) C and I took turns
All in all a very fun day indeed!
Now, I must get my words in! Here I go!
I'm still waking up (ie drinking coffee), so I'm allowing myself this meme indulgence. E. Lockhart? Will you play? Anyone else? I blame janetgurtler for this one. ;) (A real post coming later.)
Subject: 37 ODD Things about me
1. Do you like blue cheese? Yes. I know I've talked about my dairy allergy often, but soft cheeses are the one dairy thing that I can have without any adverse affects.
2. Have you ever smoked? Tried it. Blech!
3. Do you own a gun? No.
4. What flavor Kool Aid was your favorite? Red. (What flavor was that? LOL)
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? No. (Dentist appointments are another story, however.)
6. What do you think of hot dogs? YUM! Bob and I spent a lot of time searching for the perfect hot dog when we lived in the Albany, NY area. Can't find a decent dog here in Silicon Valley. :(
7. Favorite Christmas movie? ELF and LOVE, ACTUALLY
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Coffee - sweet elixir of life!
9. Can you do push ups? Nope.
10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? I have to pick one???? ACK! My engagement ring, then.
11. Favorite hobby? Reading. And does shopping count? ;)
12. Do you have A.D.D.? I don't think so. I can't multitask. I am very focused when I'm on task.
13. Do you wear glasses/contacts? Contacts and glasses. Um, not at the same time, though. I'm blind, but not that blind! ;)
14. Middle name? Michiko. Named after the then princess of Japan.
15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment? I don't want to do laundry. I wonder if I can convince Bob we should go out for dinner. I need more coffee.
16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? coffee, water, wine.
17. Current worry? Will I ever sell my novel?
18. Current hate right now? Hubby's work schedule.
19. Favorite place to be? With my family.
20. How did you bring in the new year. At home, with C. (Bob was on business travel. See number 18.)
21. Where would you like to go? My top three travel destination wish list: Tuscany (we're going this fall), Paris, and Greece.
22. Name three people who will complete this? I have no clue. I wonder if anyone will read this far!
23. Do you own slippers? Yes, pink Uggs for winter only.
24. What shirt are you wearing? Oversize blue t-shirt from Austin's BOOK PEOPLE with "Keep Austin Weird" on the back. (Thanks Cyn!)
25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? No. Cotton please.
26. Can you whistle? Yes, but I don't. I don't like the sound of whistling.
27. Favorite color? I like to say purple, but I think it's pink.
28. Would you be a pirate? I get violently ill on boats.
29. What songs do you sing in the shower? Whatever earworm Bob has evilly put into my head that morning.
30. Favorite Girl's Name? My daughter's.
31. Favorite boy's name? Conner.
32. What's in your pocket right now? I don't have any pockets right now, but even when I do, I don't put anything in them. Oh, unless I'm going for a walk - then my house key and my iPhone.
33. Last thing that made you laugh? Lynn. She always makes me laugh.
34. What vehicle do you drive? Honda CR-V.
35. Worst injury you've ever had? Sprained ankle, on crutches in college for a week.
36. Do you love where you live? Yes, I do. I never ever ever want to leave!
37. How many TVs do you have in your house? Two.
Your turn!
janetgurtler for this one. ;) (A real post coming later.)Subject: 37 ODD Things about me
1. Do you like blue cheese? Yes. I know I've talked about my dairy allergy often, but soft cheeses are the one dairy thing that I can have without any adverse affects.
2. Have you ever smoked? Tried it. Blech!
3. Do you own a gun? No.
4. What flavor Kool Aid was your favorite? Red. (What flavor was that? LOL)
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? No. (Dentist appointments are another story, however.)
6. What do you think of hot dogs? YUM! Bob and I spent a lot of time searching for the perfect hot dog when we lived in the Albany, NY area. Can't find a decent dog here in Silicon Valley. :(
7. Favorite Christmas movie? ELF and LOVE, ACTUALLY
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Coffee - sweet elixir of life!
9. Can you do push ups? Nope.
10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? I have to pick one???? ACK! My engagement ring, then.
11. Favorite hobby? Reading. And does shopping count? ;)
12. Do you have A.D.D.? I don't think so. I can't multitask. I am very focused when I'm on task.
13. Do you wear glasses/contacts? Contacts and glasses. Um, not at the same time, though. I'm blind, but not that blind! ;)
14. Middle name? Michiko. Named after the then princess of Japan.
15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment? I don't want to do laundry. I wonder if I can convince Bob we should go out for dinner. I need more coffee.
16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? coffee, water, wine.
17. Current worry? Will I ever sell my novel?
18. Current hate right now? Hubby's work schedule.
19. Favorite place to be? With my family.
20. How did you bring in the new year. At home, with C. (Bob was on business travel. See number 18.)
21. Where would you like to go? My top three travel destination wish list: Tuscany (we're going this fall), Paris, and Greece.
22. Name three people who will complete this? I have no clue. I wonder if anyone will read this far!
23. Do you own slippers? Yes, pink Uggs for winter only.
24. What shirt are you wearing? Oversize blue t-shirt from Austin's BOOK PEOPLE with "Keep Austin Weird" on the back. (Thanks Cyn!)
25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? No. Cotton please.
26. Can you whistle? Yes, but I don't. I don't like the sound of whistling.
27. Favorite color? I like to say purple, but I think it's pink.
28. Would you be a pirate? I get violently ill on boats.
29. What songs do you sing in the shower? Whatever earworm Bob has evilly put into my head that morning.
30. Favorite Girl's Name? My daughter's.
31. Favorite boy's name? Conner.
32. What's in your pocket right now? I don't have any pockets right now, but even when I do, I don't put anything in them. Oh, unless I'm going for a walk - then my house key and my iPhone.
33. Last thing that made you laugh? Lynn. She always makes me laugh.
34. What vehicle do you drive? Honda CR-V.
35. Worst injury you've ever had? Sprained ankle, on crutches in college for a week.
36. Do you love where you live? Yes, I do. I never ever ever want to leave!
37. How many TVs do you have in your house? Two.
Your turn!
So I got this email:
===
Dear Mrs. Henry,
A pleasant day to you!
My name is [Redacted], a Marketing Services Representative from BookWhirl.com. We understand that you are an established author and we know how hard it is to promote awareness about your work to the public. Here at BookWhirl.com, we can help you achieve and attain the goal that you want the most for your book.
I am pleased to introduce you to BookWhirl.com.
BookWhirl.com is one of the many world-class companies who offer Marketing Services to result driven authors like you. We currently have three services that we offer, namely the Web Design, E-Mail Advertisement Campaign, and Online Directory Listing Marketing Services.
Our services are priced at a very low rate but are still at par with the industry’s standards, making them very affordable to people like you. Take Marketing Services with another company for example. A Single Advertisement sent via e-mail to five million recipients would cost you at around $8000. Here at BookWhirl.com, the same advertisement could be sent to the same number of recipients at only $2359.02.
By the way, you may refer to the attached digital copy of our brochure for more information.
If your schedule permits, I would like to have an audience with you over the phone to discuss our different Marketing Services that can help you promote your book. Kindly provide me with the best time to contact you and at what phone number. Otherwise, you can always visit us online during your free time at www.BookWhirl.com.
====
When I replied that it sounded like they sold spam, and that most, if not all, of the authors appeared to be self-published, they replied:
==
Thank you for replying this e-mail and I appreciate you opinion. But, I just want to inform you that we are not a spam, because if we are, you wouldn’t be able to read this e-mail for the first place. Our services are legitimate, as you can check our website, we do have bookshelves were books of our authors were being featured and we believe that they are happy seeing those. We have the author’s corner were one of our authors are being featured every month, that means there were a lot of authors who avail and currently enjoying our services right now.
Actually, majority of our authors are published authors. But, they still decided to work with us because they strongly believe that bookwhirl.com is a big help to them. We are not only helping self-published authors, but also to traditional authors and also published authors online.
Mrs. Henry, we are here to help people particularly authors like you. We don’t have the intentions of pulling out money out of your pocket. Bookwhirl.com is here to meet the satisfaction that our clients are expecting from us.
==
Couple of thoughts:
- How many odd grammatical errors can you find? Put your favorite in the comments feature.
- Try clicking on the links of the book they feature, The Abolutionist (despite its nice cover, self-pubbed). Every link I tried gave me a 404 error.
- Think twice, or even five million times before you decide something like this is worth it.
===
Dear Mrs. Henry,
A pleasant day to you!
My name is [Redacted], a Marketing Services Representative from BookWhirl.com. We understand that you are an established author and we know how hard it is to promote awareness about your work to the public. Here at BookWhirl.com, we can help you achieve and attain the goal that you want the most for your book.
I am pleased to introduce you to BookWhirl.com.
BookWhirl.com is one of the many world-class companies who offer Marketing Services to result driven authors like you. We currently have three services that we offer, namely the Web Design, E-Mail Advertisement Campaign, and Online Directory Listing Marketing Services.
Our services are priced at a very low rate but are still at par with the industry’s standards, making them very affordable to people like you. Take Marketing Services with another company for example. A Single Advertisement sent via e-mail to five million recipients would cost you at around $8000. Here at BookWhirl.com, the same advertisement could be sent to the same number of recipients at only $2359.02.
By the way, you may refer to the attached digital copy of our brochure for more information.
If your schedule permits, I would like to have an audience with you over the phone to discuss our different Marketing Services that can help you promote your book. Kindly provide me with the best time to contact you and at what phone number. Otherwise, you can always visit us online during your free time at www.BookWhirl.com.
====
When I replied that it sounded like they sold spam, and that most, if not all, of the authors appeared to be self-published, they replied:
==
Thank you for replying this e-mail and I appreciate you opinion. But, I just want to inform you that we are not a spam, because if we are, you wouldn’t be able to read this e-mail for the first place. Our services are legitimate, as you can check our website, we do have bookshelves were books of our authors were being featured and we believe that they are happy seeing those. We have the author’s corner were one of our authors are being featured every month, that means there were a lot of authors who avail and currently enjoying our services right now.
Actually, majority of our authors are published authors. But, they still decided to work with us because they strongly believe that bookwhirl.com is a big help to them. We are not only helping self-published authors, but also to traditional authors and also published authors online.
Mrs. Henry, we are here to help people particularly authors like you. We don’t have the intentions of pulling out money out of your pocket. Bookwhirl.com is here to meet the satisfaction that our clients are expecting from us.
==
Couple of thoughts:
- How many odd grammatical errors can you find? Put your favorite in the comments feature.
- Try clicking on the links of the book they feature, The Abolutionist (despite its nice cover, self-pubbed). Every link I tried gave me a 404 error.
- Think twice, or even five million times before you decide something like this is worth it.
Everyone, welcome our special picnic guest for today, Smokey Bear!
This tireless ursine has been working steadily since 1944, raising public awareness to protect the nation's forests. He especially wanted to be here today, after we received a letter from my penpal, Jean, who lives in Santa Cruz, California.
Apparently there are 1700 fires burning in California right now -- two of them within a 20-mile radius of Jean's home. They have been on mandatory water rationing for the last 3 years, while experiencing their 6th year of drought. The fire department simply does not have the men, equipment, or the water, to fight all these fires, and it's still early in the season. Jean lives with constant smoke and has to wash the ash from her garden lettuce. Every day she thinks: "I sure hope we survive this."
Though extremely arid conditions, lightning, and changing weather patterns may contribute to wildfires, nine out of ten are caused by humans. That's why continuing efforts to educate Americans about safe practices indoors and outdoors is critical. Smokey Bear is the longest running public service ad campaign in American history, and it has reduced the number of acres lost to fires annually from 22 million to 4 million.
Smokey's 1944 debut poster, illustrated by Albert Staehle
More great Smokey posters here.
Am I saying his name wrong? Not now, but I had been my entire life! The official name for the mascot was and always has been "Smokey Bear." But in 1952, the writing team of Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins wrote a song about Smokey, and added "the" to keep the song's rhythm. Confusion has reigned ever since.
Did you know there was a living symbol of Smokey? Back in 1950, a black bear cub was rescued from a raging fire in the Capitan Mountains of New Mexico, which destroyed 17,000 acres. The cub was originally called Hotfoot Teddy (his paws and hind legs were burned), but he was later renamed after the mascot. He lived at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., for 26 years, and is now buried at the Smokey Bear Historical Park.
Ever since the public found out about the real-life Smokey, the character has been a big part of American pop culture. He has appeared in cartoons, comic strips, and books, and has been on the radio and TV for the Ad Council. In 1994, Smokey was honored with his own postage stamp, and today he even has his own zip code: 20252. The best part of Smokey merchandising is that because of the Smokey Bear Act of 1952, all royalties go to continuing education on forest fire prevention.
On August 9th, Smokey Bear will be 64 years old. His original slogan, "Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires," was changed in 2001 to "Only You Can Prevent Wildfires." Visit his website to learn more about fire safety, take the Smokey pledge, or use Google Earth to see the wildfires burning today. There is also a wonderful example of one of Smokey's television ads, circa 1960's, here. To share Smokey's story with children, check out this book:
HOT FOOT TEDDY: THE TRUE STORY OF SMOKEY BEAR
by Sue Houser (M.T. Publishing, 2007), all ages, 40 pp.
(Portion of the proceeds benefits Smokey Bear Forest Fire Prevention Program)
Hopeful thoughts, prayers and hugs to you, Jean, and all those currently being threatened by wildfires. And thanks, Smokey, for continuing to be a strong and powerful presence in public service advertising!
SMOKEY'S CONSERVATION PLEDGE:I give my pledge as an American to save and faithfully to defend from waste the natural resources of my country -- its soil and minerals, in forests, waters and wildlife.
- Mood:
hopeful
Do you have any idea how scary it is to be responsible for keeping a child's balloon snail safe in a house full of cats?
Pushing my cart late this afternoon through a crowded WINCO (cheapest food prices ever), I eavesdropped shamelessly on the conversation between two produce guys. They were discussing The Jabberwocky. One knew a little, the other a lot (more than I did). His explanation included the word "denote" and a brilliant comparison to Snoop Dog's use of nonsense words.
I shouldn't have been surprised. Was I not once a grocery checker myself? And my "boxboy" was Isaac Shamsud-Din, a muralist whose work now hangs in several museums, but who at that time needed to eat.
I shouldn't have been surprised. Was I not once a grocery checker myself? And my "boxboy" was Isaac Shamsud-Din, a muralist whose work now hangs in several museums, but who at that time needed to eat.
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amjenkins : (no subject) [+0] - lalam : Is she critic proof? [+0]
- fabulousfrock : YA <3 [+3]
- jillsbooks : Whispering Woods [+4]
- beverlyjean : Lessons I Learned from the Ants [+0]
- thatgirlygirl : Yesterday [+13]
- aprilhenry : Have a favorite YA mystery or thriller? [+5]
- onegrapeshy : ...You Know You Got It--! [+8]
- eluper : For All You Font Geeks Out There... [+0]
- dorihbutler : Biking after the flood [+0]
- happyingreen : So many things in one year [+2]
- jessicaburkhart : Fun book meme [+0]
- author2author : Light Books Deserve Love, Too (or Un-Scaring Yourself Through Books) [+1]
- lindajsingleton : Review for DEAD GIRL WALKING!!! [+6]
- d_michiko_f : Awwwwww! [+13]
- d_michiko_f : 37 Odd Things [+0]
- aprilhenry : When is spam not spam? When you pay $2359.02 to send it [+6]
- jamarattigan : remember: only you can prevent wildfires! [+6]
- lillpluta : (no subject) [+10]
- aprilhenry : A little joy in an unexpected place [+2]