tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48122973267402430522024-02-19T23:19:43.421-08:00Apprentice Writerwhere a budding comedy writer marks milestones on the road to dropping the 'apprentice' portion of her nameM.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07498466631016466048noreply@blogger.comBlogger337125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812297326740243052.post-69960835465773444252012-11-09T11:53:00.003-08:002012-11-09T11:53:58.450-08:00HiatusIt occurred to Apprentice Writer today that she has not stopped in here in a long time. <br />
<br />
This is because she is currently ensconced in a hugely intensive course of study and barely has time to shower, much less wax poetic (or some such) over books and movies. <br />
<br />
Please bear with her as she becomes more educated, and hopefully, more employeable.M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07498466631016466048noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812297326740243052.post-82506556632152457862012-10-03T19:51:00.002-07:002012-10-09T08:48:08.459-07:00Top 10 Older Books Not to be ForgottenBridget of "The Broke and the Bookish" hosted a Top 10 Tuesday with this topic. Apprentice Writer interpreted "older" somewhat loosely; here her picks:<br />
<br />
<br />
1. <u>Shades of Grey</u>, Jasper Fforde<br />
Wildly creative novel of a world where the class system is organized according to ability to see colour. Readers may be more familiar with the author's equally creative Tuesday Next series or Nursery Crimes series, but though this first of a series has it's moments, it is more thoughtful and less comedic than the other two.<br />
<br />
2. <u>The Crystal Cave</u>, Mary Stewart<br />
The first in a trilogy about the most famous wizard of all, Merlin, and his relationship with King Arthur. I read this as a teenager and the author's lovely writing and compelling voice had a huge impact on me.<br />
<br />
3. <u>The Chrysalids</u>, John Wyndham<br />
Read this in middle school. Was my first taste of dystopia, a genre I still enjoy.<br />
<br />
4<u>. White Oleander</u>, Janet Fitch<br />
Loved this novel that asks some hard questions about mother-daughter relationships and how parenthood is really defined. Great book club read.<br />
<br />
5. <u>A Fine Balance</u>, Rohinton Mistry<br />
A beautifully written, gut-wrenching novel about living under dictatorship and why the caste system must be dismantled.<br />
<br />
6. <u>A Suitable Boy</u>, Vikram Seth<br />
The antidote to the previous novel, also set in India, much easier to read by virtue of taking place post-dictator and with middle-class characters rather than those on the fringes. Though I think it's important for people to inform themselves of hard realities (such as described in AFB, above) I also think it's important to realize that in such complex societies such as India, it's not all misery all the time. ASB demonstrates this very enjoyably.<br />
<br />
7. <u>Foundation</u>, Isaac Asimov<br />
My first science fiction title, many years ago, and I loved it. Now reading with my boy, after he accepted the idea of absorbing an Asimov novel in book form after seeing the Hollywoodization of another Asimov title (I, Robot).<br />
<br />
8. <u>Life of Pi</u>, Yann Martel<br />
Was blown away by this most unusual tale. When the big reveal happened at the end, I went straight back to the start to look for the clues I'd missed.<br />
<br />
9. <u>One Hundred Years of Solitude</u>, Gabriel Garcia Marquez<br />
First novel I ever read set in South America. Was swallowed up by the world, which seemed so exotic to my teenaged self.<br />
<br />
10. <u>The Poisonwood Bible</u>, Barbara Kingsolver<br />
Powerful story about the very different ways members of a family react to moving to Africa.<br />
<br />
There you have it, Gentle Reader. Agree/disagree? What would go on your top ten not to be forgotten list?M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07498466631016466048noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812297326740243052.post-41006889449218873732012-10-02T19:31:00.003-07:002012-10-02T19:31:33.070-07:00Pleasures of ReadingEveryone knows you are supposed to read to your children to foster all kinds of good brain / education / learning attitude type things. <br />
<br />
So, sure, Apprentice Writer read to her children, when they were little and not so little.<br />
<br />
What very many people don't know, however, is the exquisite delight of having your children read to you. <br />
<br />
Apprentice Writer has developed the habit of having junior apprentice writers #1 & #2 read to her from the breakfast bar as she goes about cooking the family dinner. In this way, she is re-reading the Harry Potter books, and, at long last, the great classic 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. <br />
<br />
It is so much fun to rediscover an old favorite through new, youthful eyes, and to be able to interpret a tale with a teenager! Highly recommended.M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07498466631016466048noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812297326740243052.post-57205246550626354142012-08-27T21:41:00.002-07:002012-08-27T21:41:16.207-07:00Summer PopcornApprentice Writer has been having more of a retrospective than progressive reading summer this year. Since she has been doing more rereading of old favourites than new reading of unknown novels, she hasn't much in the way of book reviews to offer. Instead, here some minimalist summer popcorn reviews.<br />
<br />
SUMMER LAUGHS (the good kind)<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;">Wild Target</span> <br />
One word: Yes!<br />
More: Emily Blunt is one of Apprentice Writer's favourite actors, and she is in top form here as a petty criminal who gets in over her head. Rupert Grint channeling Ron Weasly as a muggle petty criminal, Bill Nighy as a prissy master assassin, and Rupert Everett as an art-loving antagonist are all just icing on the cake. <br />
<br />
(Off topic question: How does Bill Nighy always get paired up with romantic interests so much younger than him? It's like it's written into his contracts or something. Look at "The Girl in the Cafe" and even the Pirates of the Caribbean films as cases in point.)<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;">Brave</span><br />
One word: Scenic.<br />
More: The latest in the so-called Princess movies has quite possibly the best-looking animation AW has ever seen, though she was only able to understand what was being said due to her children's frequent viewing of the Shrek movies. There are many funny bits, a great re-do of a key scene from Tarzan, and the most feminist ending of any Disney princess movie.<br />
<br />
SUMMER LAUGHS (the unintended kind)<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;">Cowboys Vs. Aliens</span><br />
One word: Please.<br />
More: MILD SPOILER WARNING!<br />
Granted, the title makes it clear from the start that strict scientific realism should not be expected. AW can accept that. What she can't accept is when a fantastical/futuristic type story's own internal logic is flagrantly abused. There is a scene when characters summarize what they know of the aliens' potential weaknesses, which boil down to: they see better at night than day. This observation is made during the day (i.e. when the humans are at an advantage). Do they use this and attack? No, they wait till night, when they hold celebrations with huge bonfires - apparently, to make it easier for the aliens to find them. Very funny. But this wasn't supposed to be a funny movie.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;">Columbiana</span><br />
One word: Non-credibility.<br />
More: Zoe Saldana, to put it charitably, is slender. The kind of slender that non-charitable individuals might call borderline anorexic. This figure makes the cat-burgler parts of the movie seem believable, but the climactic mano-a-mano fight scene with someone much taller who outweighs her by fifty odd pounds ridonkulous. Yes, AW realizes that slighter people can do amazing things against larger opponents if they are quick enough and have proper training - but not, she thinks, if the opponents are just as quick and have the same training. It looked like a Ryan Lochte/Ye Shiwen situation all over again. But the non-intentional humour came in when the protagonist disregarded the wise advice of Kate Beckinsale's vampire character from the otherwise dreadful movie "Van Helsing", who observes: "If you're going to kill someone, kill them. Don't' stand around taking about it."<br />
<br />
SUMMER FRUSTRATION<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;">London Boulevard / Drive</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><br /></span>
One word: Argh!<br />
More: Colin Ferrel and Ryan Gosling's characters have more than a little in common with one another. They are both struggling to do what they consider the right and moral thing, against heavy odds. They can both be very frightening if they consider the situation justified. They are both of such calibre and strong nerves that strangers can recognize their quality in very short order. Why, then, does it ultimately take so little to bring them down? AW was practically beside herself, yelling "ARE YOU KIDDING ME???" at her television screen at key moments in each film, unbelieving that Ferrel's character didn't take steps against something so basic, and that Gosling's character (who was fully aware of a particular character's modus operandi) put himself so actively in the way of risk. The frustration was so intense it compromised AW's appreciation for two such strong performances, given that the choices were the depressing conclusion that the characters could have avoided certain situations, or the equally depressing conclusion that the message of both films ultimately was that evil will weigh you down no matter what. <br />
AW figures both actors owe her a great comedic performance right about now. Another "Crazy Stupid Love" and a bit less intense "In Bruges" will do nicely, thanks very much. <br />
<br />
What about you, Gentle Reader? Seen any of these films?<br />
<br />M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07498466631016466048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812297326740243052.post-89763333006979066992012-07-26T20:11:00.002-07:002012-07-26T20:11:28.629-07:00Quote of the Day: WRITING"You're not a writer!"<br />
<br />
"Yes, yes I am a writer."<br />
<br />
"<b>Blogging is not writing. It's graffiti with punctuation</b>."<br />
<br />
(Doctor character to independent journalist-type character, in <i>Contagion</i>)M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07498466631016466048noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812297326740243052.post-76535065385544399492012-06-27T10:42:00.002-07:002012-06-27T15:43:43.173-07:00Popcorn Reviews: CRAZY, STUPID LOVE & THE CHANGE-UPApprentice Writer is fascinated by the phenomenon of identical twin movies. You know, the ones thAT seem to share the same DNA in terms of logline yet seem worlds apart in execution. Examples previously reviewed in this space were the drudging <i>No Strings Attached</i> vs. the unexpectedly entertaining <i>Friends With Benefits</i>. <br />
<br />
Today's Installments: In one corner, <i>The Change Up</i>. In the other <i>Crazy Stupid Love</i>.<br />
<br />
Both involve a devoted husband/father figure suddenly plucked out of his regular role (one by body-switching magic, the other by spouse who chooses to separate) and plunged into the role of free-to-look-at-other-women bachelor (one by landing inside the form of single best friend, the other by being taken under the wing of mega ladies man). It is no doubt clear to the Gentle Reader which one Apprentice Writer liked and which one she loathed. <br />
<br />
The problem was not casting, given that she likes all four male leads. She has no clue whether Jason Bateman or Steve Carell actually are dads in real life, but she completely accepted them in those roles. She is also very fond of Ryan Reynolds and Ryan Gosling, and no, it's not just because they are fellow Canucks. It's because she thought RR did a great job in <i>The Proposal</i> and RG did a great job in any movie she's ever seen him in. <br />
<br />
The problem also wasn't premise, because she is willing in the case of books and movies to accept story-based paranormal phenomena (although, it must be said, the method by which the body change occurs is stultifyingly juvenile and if AW had taken this as an indication of the quality of the film as a whole and stopped watching at that point she would have saved herself time and grief).<br />
<br />
The problem was lack of good story, lack of good dialogue, lack of charm, and most importantly, lack of any sort of likability of any of the characters - all of which <i>CSL</i> had in abundance. Apprentice Writer predicts that the scene between Emma Stone's character Hannah and Ryan Gosling's character Jacob (if you've seen the movie - you know the one) will become as iconic as Meg Ryan's in <i>When Harry Met Sally</i>.<br />
<br />
The only part of <i>TCU</i> which AW liked was the following instruction from bachelor character to dad character about to embark on the singles scene and trying to make himself look good: "This is called hair product. Too little and you look like a pedophile. Too much and you look Persian." This made AW howl, because she is married to a Persian man. Though he is innocent of gel excess, she has been to many a party where other Persian men were guilty. This cracked her up, not just because it was true, but at the indication that the Persian community (at least, in Los Angeles) is so sizeable and certain habits so well-known that Hollywood believes the joke will have meaning for mainstream audiences.<br />
<br />
The only part of <i>CSL</i> that AW didn't like was the speech ending scene (just like she didn't like speech ending in <i>Scent of a Woman</i>), because of the sermonizing speech, because there was absolutely no reason for the babysitter and her parents to be at that graduation, and because of the squick factor of how things ended between the son and the sitter. But she loved that things did not end in black and white for the married couple, and that the bachelor character didn't try to justify himself to the dad or go overboard in trying to be convincing about character change. It made sense for his character, and it was good for the movie. It is, perhaps, significant that even Mr. Apprentice Writer recently quoted the movie during a mutual shopping trip when he urged AW to "...Be better than the Gap!" which made her laugh.<br />
<br />
Altogether, AW is left with the certainty she will watch <i>CSL</i> repeatedly, and with the question: which movie developed the concept first, and which one piggybacked? Was the original conceiver rewarded with the superior film, or did the hijacker actually do a better job with the pirated premise?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07498466631016466048noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812297326740243052.post-62144506725432694712012-06-13T21:15:00.001-07:002012-06-13T21:15:16.622-07:00Insults of NoteEver since Monty Python's Flying Circus famous insult culminating in "...and furthermore you smell of elderberries!", it has become a mark of honour to come up with a noteworthy insult. <br />
<br />
Apprentice Writer would like to nominate one:<br />
<i><b><br /></b></i><br />
<i><b>"The problem is, your head has the proportions of a styrofoam peanut."</b></i><br />
<br />
Ryan Gosling's cool bachelor character to Steve Carrell's uncool divorced dad character during sunglasses shopping, in <i>Crazy Stupid Love.</i>M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07498466631016466048noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812297326740243052.post-64257547060988194042012-06-04T14:00:00.004-07:002012-06-04T14:00:49.899-07:00Of Love & RaptorsOne of those great real-life-but-sounds-like-a-movie stories:<br />
<br />
Falcons need help with their love life. <br />
<br />
Just ask Dr. Jane Goodall, of the unimpeachable wildlife knowledge credentials. One of the many books she write talked in part about the alarming plummet in raptor populations worldwide due to pesticide etc. use, and how tremendously difficult it is to help falcon pairs with their dating life so as to increase chances of breeding. The very funny scene in recent animated movie "Rio" when the macaw pair didn't take to each other and got some help from scientists to set the mood, with a disco ball and Lionel Richie's "Say You, Say Me", is apparently not all that far from the truth.<br />
<br />
It turns out some falcon couples can manage just fine by themselves, after all - if they have a secret weapon. That secret weapon is choice of real estate. Turns out, "location, location, location" is just as important for our feathered friends as it is for us.<br />
<br />
A falcon pair decided to nest, of all places, on a concrete windowsill of mega-publisher Harlequin's corporate headquarters in Toronto. Not romantic, say you? Think again, say the pair. They've now produced chicks Blaze, Amorata, and Mira and have a twitter & live cam following #harlequinfalcons. <br />
<br />
Love conquers all, as Harlequin's unofficial motto may always have been, including - or maybe especially - for species hovering at extinction.M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07498466631016466048noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812297326740243052.post-48033878432099849592012-06-01T08:57:00.001-07:002012-06-01T08:57:18.494-07:00Tweet of the DaySeen at Twitter:<br />
<br />
"Let's have a moment of silence for all those people stuck in traffic on the way to the gym to ride stationary bicycles."<br />
Unknown<br />
<br />
This delights Apprentice Writer as much as a newspaper photo she once saw of a large building in background with "GYM" sign, and in foreground a staircase going up to it (empty) as well as an escalator (full of people carrying their workout duffle bags).M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07498466631016466048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812297326740243052.post-21350080067314790862012-05-08T08:03:00.000-07:002012-05-08T08:03:02.582-07:00Quote of the Day<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">"I know what you're thinking. It makes a crunching sound. And the answer is no."</span></i><br />
<br />
Anne Hathaway's character Emma, in "One Day"<br />
<br />
Ha!<br />
For the curious: Emma is anticipating just-good-friend Dexter's suggestion after they've just discovered the French beach they're lazing on is a nudist one.M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07498466631016466048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812297326740243052.post-77976655004163092112012-04-14T13:29:00.008-07:002012-04-15T19:04:41.439-07:001 or More Popcorn ReviewsThere hasn't been any popcorn around here for awhile. Time for a new batch of movie reactions, minimal or more according to the Gentle Reader's preference.<div><br /></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#ff0000;">Conan the Barbarian:</span></b> </div><div><i>One</i>: Urgh.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>More</i>: Apprentice Writer thought that any update of the Arnold Schwarzenegger atrocity would have to be an improvement. She thought wrong. </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3366ff;"><b>Blue Valentine</b></span></div><div><i>One</i>: *sniffle*</div><div><br /></div><div><i>More:</i> So, so sad! So, so well-acted! Every moment onscreen for Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams both is utterly believable, and utterly tragic, in this story of an everyday blue-collar couple struggling to be a family. The bewilderment and emotional pain of wife, husband, and child is so clear and so heartbreakingly everyday AW almost couldn't bear watching. She had to self-medicate with a feel-good fluffy movie immediately after.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#cc33cc;"><b>Bridesmaids</b></span></div><div><i>One:</i> Girl-Self-Empowerment</div><div><br /></div><div><i>More: </i> AW approached this warily, feeling mistrustful of the mega-accolades surrounding this female-centric comedy. Happily she did end up liking it, though she could have done without the toilet humour that seems to have made up a large part of what audiences apparently felt made the film noteworthy. She liked Kristen Wiig as the protagonist, Rose Byrne as the stealth villain, and Melissa McCarthy as the ultimate girl-self-empowerer. The character she liked best, though, was Chris O'Dowd as the police officer. This was a surprise given how much AW loathed and despised his character in "The Crimson Petal and the White". An indication of his talent as an actor, and Ms. Wiig's talent in screenwriting. </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#009900;"><b>Sherlock Holmes, Game of Shadows</b></span></div><div><i>One</i>: Hurray!</div><div><br /></div><div><i>More:</i> Not quite as hugely entertaining as the original, perhaps because of ginormous expectations to live up to, but still roaring good fun. </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#ff6600;"><b>Our Idiot Brother</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><i>One</i>: Warm-and-fuzzy.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>More:</i> Paul Rudd goes both out of character (who knew the ultimate clean-cut guy could do grunge and shleppy?) and at the same time stays even more intensively in character (the ultimate good guy who deserves happiness and to get the girl) in this comedy about family (as opposed, it should be noted, to "family comedy"). AW had some genuine laughs that outweighed the too-rushed-and-therefore-unsatisfying resolution.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;"><b>No Strings Attached / Friends with Benefits</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><i>One:</i> Snooze / Laugh</div><div><br /></div><div><i>More: </i> Two movies with the exact same premise hit the market at the same time: what are the chances? AW is interested in who stole from whom creatively purely to figure out whether the very clear loser/winner demarcation corresponds to creator/copycat roles. NSA suffers from complete lack of chemistry between the leads and complete lack of charm in the story, whereas FWB has both, and a funny little self-satirical story-in-story as icing on the cake.</div><div><br /></div><div>What say you, Gentle Reader? Agree? Disagree? Share your popcorn views.</div><div><br /></div>M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07498466631016466048noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812297326740243052.post-64028378105761238292012-04-02T07:27:00.001-07:002012-04-04T20:00:48.633-07:00REVIEW: The Singles<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiedMFIznpcorziu-7oWdbtxqnLhzi6p9SbGZ9w0F9oSK0FgyQrMT8byYbtiRFMu4hbppqtprwSFJbuARKfGnBsI01F0tF9S9OT1KgLW6qJz4y2Zb8jXEZXKLp3nnr24aF8JzeAG_kPrLDU/s1600/singles.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 265px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiedMFIznpcorziu-7oWdbtxqnLhzi6p9SbGZ9w0F9oSK0FgyQrMT8byYbtiRFMu4hbppqtprwSFJbuARKfGnBsI01F0tF9S9OT1KgLW6qJz4y2Zb8jXEZXKLp3nnr24aF8JzeAG_kPrLDU/s400/singles.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726235125799249138" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc9933;"><b>THE SINGLES</b></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc9933;"><b>by Meredith Goldstein</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc9933;"><b>Mainstream Women's Fiction</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc9933;"><b>April 2012</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Premise</span></b></i>: A wedding causes five single invitees to evaluate their lives.</div><div><br /></div><div><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Cover:</span></b></i> Title - Simple, direct, effective. Art - Very pretty and reflective of content, with the gold metallic lettering cleverly calling to mind the rings (i.e., life partners) that the novel protagonists don't have. The theme of social pressure for people to couple up literally forms the centre of attention.</div><div><br /></div><div>Overall, well done and attractive.</div><div><br /></div><div><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">First Sentence Test:</span></b></i> "Twenty-nine-year-old bride-to-be Beth Eleanor Evans, a slender, freckled, strawberry blonde whom people called Bee because of her initials, stood in front of the whiteboard she'd purchased that day at the Target off Route 103."</div><div>Did this make AW want to read on? <b> No </b></div><div><br /></div><div><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">What Works:</span></b></i> Weddings seem like a hot topic right now, fascinating to far more people than just those intending to tie the knot in the near future if the multitude of wedding reality shows and are any indication. This novel, and the earlier "Girls in White Dresses", seems to ride the wave. </div><div><br /></div><div>Why? Why are weddings intriguing for people not directly participating? As a person who was, yes, sucked into regular viewing of one or two of those shows, please allow Apprentice Writer to voice her theory: it's the expanding effect weddings have on the psychology of onlookers. No one (at least, not in this novel) remains within their regular emotional parameters prior and during the wedding. Their highs get higher and their lows lower, and it can be tremendously addictive entertainment to have a window on what happens under those circumstances. As such, AW was sold on the premise of this book.</div><div><br /></div><div>She enjoyed the ensemble approach, with events looked at through the eyes of multiple characters rather than just one point of view. AW also liked how each POV character had clear strengths and weaknesses; there were none who skewed heavily to the "good" or "evil" side. AW would like to think that this realistic and balanced approach has something to do with the author's background as a newspaper etiquette and advice giver, a perspective that would tend to encourage the view that a) we all have our personal issues to work through, and b) one need not ever given up on anyone completely. This is how the characters come across, and AW appreciated it.</div><div><br /></div><div><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">What Doesn't:</span></b></i> AW received an Advance Readers Copy, and therefore has no way of knowing how much of the manuscript that finally went to print may have changed and improved. That being said, the authorial style and voice didn't always entirely flow for her. Run-on sentences (as from first page, above) were not uncommon, as was a tendency to repetition: "She was blinded just a few seconds later by a vicious, almost blinding fluorescent light." </div><div><br /></div><div>AW disliked the biological reality descriptions included in some scenes for two reasons; it seemed to her that the point could have been gotten across without going into as much detail, and also, it seemed to underline how the choices of some characters kept them at what seemed like a high school/college level rather than people moving on and establishing themselves in their professional lives. It is true that often, individuals may be moving forward in some parts of their lives while feeling as though they are stuck in others. This is a common and relatable phenomenon for many if not most readers. But characters such as the woman who accepts and swallows an unknown pill from a near stranger and then (against advice) drinks steadily without eating gets no sympathy when things start going wrong. </div><div><br /></div><div><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Overall:</span></b></i> A slice-of-life novel about people trying to find their post-college groove and figure out the age old question of how or even whether to find a partner that manages to make the reader, whether single or partnered, feel their status is valid.</div>M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07498466631016466048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812297326740243052.post-1509011413347204452012-03-14T11:05:00.007-07:002012-03-31T18:17:45.180-07:00Review: BELIEVE IT OR NOT<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZF1iEkbkmH1WjchyphenhyphenRv_CbGY1EjDasicJFLLrJRkj11Qc484BF6xnM-TO77_IJp4AVV8Og2t58pWvi5xhACUvoClFSRCwJbN78HM6rn38MhDGxwcFmPENouRW6fAG7hS3RthG6BtR4DPY7/s1600/fenske.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 95px; height: 156px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZF1iEkbkmH1WjchyphenhyphenRv_CbGY1EjDasicJFLLrJRkj11Qc484BF6xnM-TO77_IJp4AVV8Og2t58pWvi5xhACUvoClFSRCwJbN78HM6rn38MhDGxwcFmPENouRW6fAG7hS3RthG6BtR4DPY7/s400/fenske.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726235326229305138" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);font-size:130%;" ><b>BELIEVE IT OR NOT</b></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);font-size:130%;" ><b>Tawna Fenske</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><b>Contemporary Romance</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><b>Sourcebooks, March 2012</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Premise:</span></b></i> Non-believer accountant agrees to run her mother's psychic business while she is in hospital, meets neighbour who runs a bar with male exotic entertainment.</div><div><br /></div><div><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Cover:</span></b></i> Title - Belief (what it's based on, how it changes) is the theme for the whole story, so this title makes a lot of sense. Art - Dreadful. Apprentice Writer hoped the cover would change from the Advanced Reader Copy she received, but judging from the Goodread listing it didn't. Blurry background beachy boardwalk has nothing to do with anything, foreground couple look like they spend too much time in a subpar tanning salon, and the tarot card in the woman's hand looks badly photoshopped. AW's unsolicited advice to the author: insist that future covers be done by artist responsible for fellow Sourcebook Author Amy Thomas' debut, which was one of the best ever by this publisher.</div><div><br /></div><div><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">What Works:</span></b></i> AW liked the premise, which promised much potential in the form of a straight-laced, super pragmatic character who moved across a continent to get away from her new age, paranormal-open upbringing being forced to masquerade as a psychic or risk seeing her mother go bankrupt. Equally promising was the conflict between modern day heroine and hero who makes a living by having men get naked. As novel building goes, the author came up with a great pair of sources for narrative tension.</div><div><br /></div><div>AW also really liked the hero. Amiable and believable as he strove to build up his business, look out for his naive ex-brother-in-law, and work through some issues leftover from marital breakup. He also got all the best lines:</div><div><br /></div><div><i>"You don't understand,"she slurred. "Psychics don't exist." </i></div><div><i>"Oh. Okay. Well, then, you're a pleasant figment of my imagination." </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>and:</div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>"Chris is a normal guy. A safe guy. A wholesome, healthy guy," (she said). </i></div><div><i>"You make him sound like a salad."</i></div><div><br /></div><div><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">What Doesn't:</span></b></i> Often in romantic-comedy type stories, the secondary characters are exaggeratedly one-dimensional. This serves a purpose for the sub genre, and AW accepts this. Even so, she had some trouble with how often and persistently both the hero's dates and his exotic dancers were shown as stupid.</div><div><br /></div><div>She also struggled with some of the heroine's behaviour. AW couldn't quite buy the straight laced accountant heroine drunkenly falling off tables and smacking the dancers on their behinds. Especially when it felt like she was judgemental about the hero's dates having a specific pair of physical assets. It made the former out of character, or the latter hypocritical; either way, it distanced this reader from the protagonist.</div><div><br /></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><b>What AW Changed her Mind About:</b></span></i> AW is not fond of popular culture references in novels. Partly because half of the time she is unfamiliar with it and then spends the rest of the story irked that she's missing something, partly because of how often they make the book seem passé. Her favourite illustration of the latter is a character who wished for a relationship as romantic and committed as Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston.</div><div><br /></div><div>So when the many glam rock band names and song titles started and kept on coming, she was not impressed. However she warmed up to them more as it because clear that rather than mood-setting window dressing, they were a integral part of the plot.</div><div><br /></div><div>One of the criticisms of the romance genre is that it relies too much on stereotypes. There is some truth to this, and fans of the genre will laughingly talk about favourite and least favourite</div><div>tropes. AW's view is that she gets impatient with seeing the same situations over and over, but adores it when an author manages to tweak it in a new way. One overused standbys involves the heroine stumbling or starting to fall and the hero saving her. AW is DYING for a heroine to catch a stumbling hero, for once, or for the hero to try and actually miss.</div><div><br /></div><div>So the Gentle Reader can imagine that when this heroine is - wait for it! - saved from a fall by the hero, it was not a high point. However, when the heroine had been in the same type of situation three times by page 40, AW decided this met the criteria of successful stereotype tweak and it moved from "Doesn't Work" to "Works". </div><div><br /></div><div><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Overall:</span></b></i> Breezy and lighthearted, this is an example of the kind of story usually described as "romp" with the term "hijinks ensue" attached. If the reader usually enjoys that type of story, including exaggerated secondary characters and physical comedy, then this is a good choice.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07498466631016466048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812297326740243052.post-89260182883016091092012-02-12T17:44:00.000-08:002012-02-13T11:24:16.417-08:00Review: PARIS, MY SWEET<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqm-8z_m6hbAIsEGjrrl-EDJdcUe0bZGT3NbHngu-UOmo5YHPLPTsUBcwKv5dgyzTdeenH1ixZd9UEEB_B_xoGcLj0hm5z3yVijwXRQKZ6U2vjaT0UMHg95FA-eFJtyE3V9JRee6JiOgPU/s1600/pms.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 180px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqm-8z_m6hbAIsEGjrrl-EDJdcUe0bZGT3NbHngu-UOmo5YHPLPTsUBcwKv5dgyzTdeenH1ixZd9UEEB_B_xoGcLj0hm5z3yVijwXRQKZ6U2vjaT0UMHg95FA-eFJtyE3V9JRee6JiOgPU/s400/pms.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708643053995392178" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" class="Apple-style-span" >PARIS, MY SWEET: </span><div><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" class="Apple-style-span" >A YEAR IN THE CITY OF LIGHT (AND DARK CHOCOLATE)</span><div style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br />Amy Thomas</span></div><div style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br />Travel Memoir</span></div><div style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br />Sourcebooks, February 2012</span></div><div><br /></div><div><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Premise:</span></b></i> Writer lands dream job in Paris and tracks down elite bakers and chocolate artisans in her spare time while musing on mid-thirties single life.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Cover:</span></b></i> Title - Apt and amusing, gives a clear idea of what to expect from content. Art - the cartoony graphics of birds-eye-view of a Paris city map is highy appealing in coloration and retroish style that calls to mind the haute wrapping the equally haute edibles get wrapped in. <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Perhaps the best cover Apprentice Writer has seen from this publisher to date</span>. Well done, Sourcebooks art department!<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">First Sentence Test:</span></b></i> Did "I guess you could say my story began with a bicycle and some bonbons " make this reader want to continue?<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"> YES!</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">What Works:</span></span> Like many others, advertising writer Amy Thomas was in possession of a full-on Paris crush. Unlike many others, she was handed a fairy-tale opportunity not only to live there for a year, but to work in an elegant flagship store on one of the most upscale streets. The reader immediately engages with her as she leaps at the chanc.e,happily putting herself in the author's shoes and looking forward to exploring the glittering city like no mere tourist can.<br /><br />Paris has a way of making one's passions rise to the surface. For Carrie Bradshaw, another transplanted New York single girl (referenced in the text), it was designer boutiques for couture clothes. For others, it might be masterpieces in art museums, exquisite restaurant meals produced by a country that raises food preparation to a kind a religion, or city squares and architectural monuments that played a part in history.<br /><br />For the author, it is all about sweets. Architecture, "regular" food and fashion are all mentioned but only in passing, as a distant backdrop to the real focus. Carrying on a habit developed in New York, she tirelessly seeks out and samples the city's best in baked goods and sweet treats. The pleasure she derives, the care with which she identifies ingredients and painstakingly developed baking techniques, the way she shows how love of exquisitely prepared food translates to the bigger picture of love of life and intensifying relationships with family and friends, all inspired AW to go on a mini sweet neighborhood exploration trip of her own.<br /><br />There has a storm of recent headlines about a Food Network celebrity whose cooking involves large portions with much fat, salt, and sugar. After being diagnosed with diabetes the celebrity struck a deal to endorse a brand of diabetes medication. This seeming encouragement to eat in an unhealthy way and then profit financially from resulting poor health translated to bad optics for the celebrity.Hence the question:<br /><br />Is this sweet-obsessed book a wolf in sheeps clothing, luring readers into self-destructive behavior by literally sugarcoating damaging consequences? AW is happy to report a clear "No". Yes, the author is open about her particular tastebud weakness. But throughout her time in Paris, she lives in a sixth floor walkup, travels everywhere by bicycle, and is frequently satisfied with a single, sublime bite (in contrast to the super-size portions on offer in much of North American fast food culture). Choosing tiny portions has at least as much to do astronomical prices in Paris as with self control, but the message is clear and much repeated in the text: <span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-weight: bold;">if you want to taste all the best that bakers and chocolatiers have to offer, you must be willing to exercise a lot and know when enough is enough.</span><br /><br />There comes a point when the honeymoon phase wears off and a some tough realities set in, both in terms of how extraordinarily difficult it is for a foreigner to crack the nut of French aloofness, and for an ongoinginly single career girl to respond sincerely and graciously to friends moving on to milestones of marriage and children. Though the author's thoughts on the impossibility of having it all aren't revolutionary, AW found them refreshing. Both in terms of her honesty, and because of her low tolerance for travel memoirs that make it seem automatic for people to go to another country and before you can say "Sacre bleu!" be surrounded by newfound friends-for-life, eating delicious food one has cooked oneself for the very first time while laughingly having the best time ever, and for good measure, stumbling upon the impossibly good-looking love of one's life (AW is looking at you, Julia Roberts in 'Eat, Pray,Love'). Newsflash: that's NOT how it happens (unless you are a Disney cartoon princess, or Julia Roberts).<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">What Doesn't:</span></span> Fact 1: The author's sweet-based writing background (as opposed to her professional writing background) is in the blogosphere, where writing occurs in bite-sized (Ha!), frequent, of-the-minute snippets. Most of the time, blogposts are not really intended to stand the test of time and transcend the actual moment they are written in.<br /><br /></div><div>Fact 2: The food services industry is precarious, the restaurant and cafe business even more so. New places open and close all the time, often with a tragically short interval between the two.<br /><br />These two facts combined to create a weakness: it seemed that the author didn't attempt to amplify her blog style into a more big picture style that would lend itself to longer-lasting impact, such as by emphasizing the occasions when she spoke with the actual bakers about their career and passions, the provenance of the ingredients, the process of recipe invention, etc. Those occasions where among the most enjoyable of the book. But they seemed to take a backseat to emphasizing specific business names and street addresses both in Paris and New York. The inevitable result is that the book would have an unneccesarily shortened shelf life, as the amount of attention paid to helping the reader find specific places means it grows ever more quickly out of date as the business close or move.<br /><br />Think this is a petty criticism? Consider: between describing chef, bakery name, and street address in the text, plus at each end-of-chapter summary, plus city lists at end of book, some businesses details are mentioned three times. Four, if you count the illustrated maps. This struck AW as <span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-weight: bold;">overkill.</span><br /><br />She was also surprised by the seeming disconnect between the author's admiration for chef talent (e.g. the anecdote about industrial made croissant dough taking half an hour to prepare in contrast to one boulanger's investment of thirty-four hours for a single batch) coupled with the lengths to which she would go to obtain the end products, on the one hand, and the lack of mention of her own baking attempts. Sure, some people are better at tasting and describing than they are at producing themselves. It simply seemed that since it would be natural for someone with such a pronounced passion to give it a whirl themselves, it would be worth a bit of explanation as to why it didn't happen in this case.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Overall:</span></b></i> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">A charming, easy-to-read weekend book jaunt to inspire one's own neighbourhood search for most delectable mouthfuls.</span><br style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><br />AW notes this is the second enjoyable travel memoir set in France she has reviewed for this publisher; if this is a trend, she welcomes it.<br /></div></div>M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07498466631016466048noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812297326740243052.post-25467159975881618592012-02-09T19:47:00.000-08:002012-02-09T20:35:11.780-08:00Cover Art Snark & Author Self-Mockery: Woot!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ1uoxmk-l7Syn_vNcn-FqCXER2As83a7rw5CwhA0DEyIPoB_BEx4fjQsXHV2V3ds6nQxY7UXnspeYWhijYxDxh1ZMXnz4tmFL5nloMH37VibNodQaLBLDv_7a7RFoUq4f96uvQUtpF2m8/s1600/scifi.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 277px; height: 80px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ1uoxmk-l7Syn_vNcn-FqCXER2As83a7rw5CwhA0DEyIPoB_BEx4fjQsXHV2V3ds6nQxY7UXnspeYWhijYxDxh1ZMXnz4tmFL5nloMH37VibNodQaLBLDv_7a7RFoUq4f96uvQUtpF2m8/s400/scifi.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707360032694145714" /></a><br />Apprentice Writer appreciates people who don't take themselves too seriously. She flat out adores readers who like a genre but can recognize the over-the-top elements in it. She got a does of both from the lovely and talented <a href="http://sgwordy.blogspot.com">Scientist Gone Wordy</a>, who made AW snort tea at breakfast with a link to author Jim C. Hines' reflectionss on urban fantasy/scifi cover art.<div><br /></div><div>He doesn't just opine. He conducts research. </div><div><br /></div><div>That's right. He tries to<a href="http://jimchines.com/2012/01/strike-a-pose/"> </a><a href="http://jimchines.com/2012/01/striking-a-pose/">recreate cover poses</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Bravo to Mrs. Hines for having a spouse with the chutzpah to post the far-from-pretty results.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07498466631016466048noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812297326740243052.post-29584084760343433142012-01-12T11:38:00.000-08:002012-01-12T12:58:07.233-08:00Notable QuotesFrom "Wicked Appetite", Janet Evanovich, 2010, p. 1<div><br /></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#cc33cc;">"I graduated (from culinary arts school) in the top ninety-three percent of my class, and I would have graduated higher, but I flunked in gravy. My gravy had lumps in it, and that pretty much sums up my life so far. Not that it's been all bad; more that it hasn't been entirely smooth."</span></i></div><div><br /></div><div>Apprentice Writer thinks this is an excellent little bit of opening characterization. The summary skillfully depicts the protagonist as "Average Girl Next Door", with neither an especially privileged nor deprived background. The choice of gravy, of all the thousands of potential foodstuffs available, is a brilliant metaphor to reinforce the Everywoman concept. Compared to flunking, say, escargots (denotes haute cuisine) or casseroles (denotes cooking on a budget), gravy seems both middle of the road and bland. Certainly not representative of paranormal excitement or forbidden men thrill, precisely what our cupcake-baking, gravy-failing Girl Next Door is about to run into. So with this opening paragraph, the author has set the stage for upcoming dramatic tension and collision of very different worlds. </div><div><br /></div><div>Even funnier than the gravy is "....in the top 93%". This means that only 7% of the whole class had worse marks than she did - not exactly the kind of thing one usually highlights. Gotta love a heroine with the chutzpah to draw attention to such scores.</div><div><br /></div><div>Well done!</div>M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07498466631016466048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812297326740243052.post-6383452266776117022012-01-02T21:22:00.000-08:002012-01-02T21:25:31.389-08:002012<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5X1AcQ9YVq1NckDo6J-NxZ1kNQidlXUBhAXtH-K0fJ24zm9gybcld2xRiusbyhgFtf5Gg-hpoe2bGsDCLgSeVRLooqkDE811jZFk-QNpb_Fh8tv8Z3JBlY_2WIhJVkOGLhIqI1-0hOZNH/s1600/2cat.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5X1AcQ9YVq1NckDo6J-NxZ1kNQidlXUBhAXtH-K0fJ24zm9gybcld2xRiusbyhgFtf5Gg-hpoe2bGsDCLgSeVRLooqkDE811jZFk-QNpb_Fh8tv8Z3JBlY_2WIhJVkOGLhIqI1-0hOZNH/s400/2cat.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693272146039452082" border="0" /></a>Happy New Year, Gentle Reader. May you not be eaten.M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07498466631016466048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812297326740243052.post-89432641986424402842011-12-21T08:34:00.000-08:002011-12-21T10:00:28.274-08:0012 Days of Christmas - Redux<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpkCqXCyaGyDpo-TLvLGI_svs6E6_4HQZy4mTDpzXkR1wW2y0jSUG6G-2I9uUf_r7d1sQTtD-Og7v_z1FisZNCZ942LUcqtCwFInL2Dc9x8BzcBzBMCIX1SeMz0_8TP3yBux_3Fy9rdJyN/s1600/pear.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 188px; height: 269px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpkCqXCyaGyDpo-TLvLGI_svs6E6_4HQZy4mTDpzXkR1wW2y0jSUG6G-2I9uUf_r7d1sQTtD-Og7v_z1FisZNCZ942LUcqtCwFInL2Dc9x8BzcBzBMCIX1SeMz0_8TP3yBux_3Fy9rdJyN/s400/pear.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688630066419089410" border="0" /></a><br />In this corner of the world, it is currently impossible to avoid game fowl attached to fruit crops. Sometimes, this alternates with spinning dreidel type music; Apprentice Writer has yet to hear any Divali or Kwanzaa music on the radio. Partridge-bearing pear trees dominate.<br /><br />They also beg the question: what kind of person really thinks it's a good idea to prove his true love with a hen that speaks French or men in a hop/skip/jump competition?<br /><br />Today, alternate suggestions from a trio of Canadians.<br /><br />From <span style="font-weight: bold;">Antonia Zerbisias</span>, columnist with the <span style="font-style: italic;">Toronto Star</span> :<br /><br />"On the 12th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,<br />A penthouse apartment,<br />A driver and a Beamer,<br />10 Botox treatments,<br />9 spa vacations,<br />8 maids a-cleaning,<br />7 Prada outfits,<br />6 Manohlo Blahniks,<br />more closet space,<br />4 Cartier watches,<br />3 French dinners,<br />2 Hermes scarves,<br />And a pug in a purse Gucci!"<br /><br />If Antonia's tastes are too elevated, there is always <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bob & Doug McKenzie</span> (aka Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas of SCTV):<br /><br />"On the 12th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,<br />twelve dozen doughnuts,<br />...<br />8 comic books<br />7 packs of smokes<br />6 packs of 2-4's<br />5 golden tuques<br />4 pounds of back bacon<br />3 French toast<br />2 turtlenecks<br />and a beer in a tree!"<br /><br />In Apprentice Writer's house, that would be a root beer.<br /><br />If this is the season for the Gentle Reader to celebrate: many happy returns, and AW wishes you your preferred gifts, feathers included or not.M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07498466631016466048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812297326740243052.post-59776773371313214652011-12-07T12:31:00.000-08:002011-12-07T13:13:45.283-08:00Book Activists Unite!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj88vVpLMWdgVWhfJToHesbiECOlIfjmc2ho9j-eeIXk6saxNfzLkoQdWXWFuXc4KNbY_4tKngsmedvpucJV7M-MwuUhscXRUK8gwlg8ghXmC_x7npi8pXRqsAnsPSy9S1HSaobh6OfuwjH/s1600/-tiny-library-win.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj88vVpLMWdgVWhfJToHesbiECOlIfjmc2ho9j-eeIXk6saxNfzLkoQdWXWFuXc4KNbY_4tKngsmedvpucJV7M-MwuUhscXRUK8gwlg8ghXmC_x7npi8pXRqsAnsPSy9S1HSaobh6OfuwjH/s400/-tiny-library-win.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683492002671280290" border="0" /></a><br />There are two kinds of people in world: those who are passionate about books, and everyone else.<br /><br />Of the passionate group, there are also two kinds: those who pull back with glum sigh when bookdom is threatened, and those who take up (symbolic) arms in defence.<br /><br />Mr. Bill Wrigley of Toronto is an engineer and bridge builder by profession, who appears to hold the motto, "When the going gets tough, the tough get building!"<br /><br />In an early instance of toughness, he regarded his wife's 3000+ mysteries and apparently concluded that a bookshelf probably wouldn't do. Rather than harping on her to dissolve the collection, he built her a reading room with such features as secret doors and a button on one volume's spine which ignites the fireplace when pressed.<br /><br />Apprentice Writer would have adored Mr. Wrigley for that alone. But!<br /><br />He has now gone on to new heights of heroism. How, the Gentle Reader may ask?<br /><br />Toronto currently has a mayor who won the election by promising to "Stop the Gravytrain" (i.e. eliminate wasteful spending at city hall). Once elected, he found there was surprisingly little actual gravy on the train. In order to fulfill election promises, he has embarked on an in-depth examination of city expenditure with a view to cutting/selling. <br /><br />One of the culling candidates is the city library service, with some branches projected for outright closure and others "merely" looking at limitations like weekend closures (when user numbers have traditionally been highest). When literary giant Margaret Atwood protested, the mayor famously stated that he would probably not recognize her on the street.<br /><br />Many Torontonians responded by forming unfavorable conclusions about a holder of Canadian public office who didn't know who Margaret Atwood is. Mr. Wrigley did something much more useful: he built a Little Free Library on his street.<br /><br />It is open 24/7, operates on the principle of take one, leave one, and is carefully stocked with items that appeal to various age groups. It had its grand opening celebration this past weekend.<br /><br />Mr. Wrigley considered inviting Margaret Atwood but decided he didn't want to make political statements. <br /><br />Bravo, Mr. Wrigley, for this gem of an example of "Deeds, not Words", and for making your neighborhood more interactive and neighborhoody. Apprentice Writer hopes that in future there will be friendly competitions of who can build the most architecturally interesting Little Free Library in their town.M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07498466631016466048noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812297326740243052.post-22086068558673347482011-11-22T10:48:00.000-08:002011-11-22T11:16:46.201-08:00"And now a pause for jocularity...."<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Bv1E_dc2vkSTYSoKyv7hkBfcPLKITjnDlPV2TSKaisPw91V-l95D7Dqw2lZzrPUyaBHWP5f32klGjxRai7MwBHdalVGRngO83H2PbLJWMsK0x76Wfj3h8HIxUdHzuuykZAqmK-_YWu0d/s1600/qs.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 263px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Bv1E_dc2vkSTYSoKyv7hkBfcPLKITjnDlPV2TSKaisPw91V-l95D7Dqw2lZzrPUyaBHWP5f32klGjxRai7MwBHdalVGRngO83H2PbLJWMsK0x76Wfj3h8HIxUdHzuuykZAqmK-_YWu0d/s400/qs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677899339995473954" border="0" /></a><br />Apprentice Writer is deep in the throes (this will shortly strike the Gentle Reader as funny) of new-and-improving her query.<br /><br />A query, for those who may not live in the book world, is a brief letter an aspiring author addresses to a literary agent. It is supposed to entice the agent to read the first pages of a manuscript and then hopefully sign the writer on as a client before going on to sell that manuscript to a publisher on the writer's behalf.<br /><br />New-and-improving her query currently involves working through the archives of the blog <span style="font-weight: bold;">Query Shark</span> by literary agent Janet Reid. Ms. Reid routinely eviscerates (her word) the queries voluntarily sent in by hopefuls such as AW. Witnessing the dismemberment is in equal parts terrifying and educational; AW is in awe of the hapless writers who dare present their work for the shark and all the blogosphere to see.<br /><br />Tucked in among the earnest efforts is the occasional spoof. AW came across one today that made her laugh so much she wanted to share. <a href="http://queryshark.blogspot.com/2008/08/and-now-pause-for-jocularity.html"> Enjoy.</a>M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07498466631016466048noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812297326740243052.post-33067440306934893092011-11-16T11:48:00.001-08:002011-11-16T11:53:08.464-08:00Notable Quotes: 'Huh?' Edition<span style="font-style: italic;">"Classical musicians were the rock stars of their day, much like the rock stars of today are the notaries public of tomorrow."</span><br /><br />Anyone care to explain to Apprentice Writer what, exactly, this means?<br /><br />In case it's helpful: it was taken from today's Groupon email attempting to entice AW with the featured deal of the day. For the curious: AW chose not to take advantage of it.M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07498466631016466048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812297326740243052.post-33373786024129960172011-11-11T19:50:00.000-08:002011-11-12T21:40:24.103-08:00Book Launch: SAINT SANGUINUS<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKu_cMmFNbUK_dl8RDXvjA8nJC8gsVUM1o54jQieVIcnm87vY0rT5JqELUKow9g-Y0LFUCpNveKlMuh2WMKiHblBvJDJ9-Y3DG0SMATgMtNT8pOF0Zaif474Uzcpm9DTttSLzMrN-sUTEu/s1600/Saint_Sanguinus_cover_Book_Blowout_event.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKu_cMmFNbUK_dl8RDXvjA8nJC8gsVUM1o54jQieVIcnm87vY0rT5JqELUKow9g-Y0LFUCpNveKlMuh2WMKiHblBvJDJ9-Y3DG0SMATgMtNT8pOF0Zaif474Uzcpm9DTttSLzMrN-sUTEu/s400/Saint_Sanguinus_cover_Book_Blowout_event.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673593676716444034" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI94ayQX83XnDnEvM6gpOxd8xx3pMzVMJegmoq1kQc-GNO1GFsZc6am0oSs-R15O0LxdghccxdVk3Bgir72CY_4Iu01MlI-PwWif4qE-3wlFEoNFgQiMWSoOOi2HnEtFrncMXNnYWnbRHW/s1600/juli.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI94ayQX83XnDnEvM6gpOxd8xx3pMzVMJegmoq1kQc-GNO1GFsZc6am0oSs-R15O0LxdghccxdVk3Bgir72CY_4Iu01MlI-PwWif4qE-3wlFEoNFgQiMWSoOOi2HnEtFrncMXNnYWnbRHW/s400/juli.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673215406655028610" border="0" /></a><br />The absotively, posilutely best thing about the interwebs is discovering like-minded friends in far-off places.<br /><br />Today is launch day for <span style="font-weight: bold;">SAINT SANGUINUS,</span><br />the debut novel of Apprentice Writer's online amiga Julia Phillips Smith. AW is delighted to introduce this brand-spanking new author, and have the chance to pick her newly professional writerly brain.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Congratulations, Julia! First things first: the cover. Did you have input regarding art or title?</span><br /><br />One of the pluses - or minuses depending on your point of view - of self-publishing is the amount of creative control an author has over the finished product. In traditional publishing one can fill out a style sheet and suggest things, but it's really the marketing department that has the final say as to cover art and title of the book. An author has to trust that it's in the best interests of everyone involved to produce the best cover possible, with the catchiest, stop-em-in-their tracks title, ever.<br /><br />With self-publishing, it's important to pay attention to other covers currently in the marketplace. Does your genre tend to feature a hero brandishing a weapon? Does your genre currently trend toward blue covers, or red, or orange? What do the covers of the top sellers in your genre look like?<br /><br />Unless you're someone with graphic design skills, I wouldn't recommend designing your own cover. Hiring a professional to do your story justice - a story into which you've likely poured your heart and soul - will result in the wonderful moment when you first gaze upon a dream come true.<br /><br />As for my title, I followed the time-honored convention of naming a superhero origin story after the title character.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">The title certainly is memorable! </span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">What comes to you first: hero? Heroine? Ending? One-liners?</span><br /><br />For me, stories always come in a vision-like flash. I'll be minding my own business, and then wham! I'm deep in the midst of a dramatic sequence unfolding in my mind's eye, and I haven't the slightest clue what's going on. Who is he? Why are they doing that to him? What's going on here?<br /><br />Then I have to sort out what's what, almost like stumbling into a playground fight and listening to everyone's 'He started it!'<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">I can honestly say no character has ever come to me in quite that way.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">What's your favorite scene in 'Saint Sanguinus'?</span><br /><br />My favorite scene comes toward the end, during the big set piece. Hero in jeopardy, deep in the Black Moment - my favorite! If it was a film, it would be the part I obsessively watch over and over again. Not that I'm prone to doing that *cough, cough*<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Heh. </span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">What's a typical writing day look like for you?</span><br />Once upon a time, I didn't have a typical writing day. I wrote in creative bursts.<br /><br />But over the years I've definitely developed a writing routine. Mon-Fri I work at my day job. So during the week I wait until evening to climb into the creativity cockpit. I'm a night owl by nature, so writing from 8:30-12:30 or sometimes 2:00am works best for me. That's when I'm really on. Even on the weekends, when theoretically I could write at any time, I still do my best writing between 8:00 pm and 2:00 am.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">I love the image of climbing into the creativity cockpit.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">How does your family feel about you being an author?</span><br /><br />I come from a creative background, so I've always had 100% support. No need to explain why I need to hibernate and ignore the garden, for example. Even my dog seems to encourage my scheduled time at the computer.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">My garden and children don't seem to operate that way.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Your best writing habit?</span><br /><br />This has evolved directly from participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month - taking place right now! www.nanowrimo.org). I followed one character exclusively during the writing marathon, realizing it took too much mental rearranging to go back and forth between points of view. I then followed the heroine's POV exclusively. This helped me to realize that immersing myself wholly into the character is vital, and it's a new way of working that I'm now applying to all my stories.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">I've never tried that technique before. Perhaps I should experiment!</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Worst writing vice?</span><br /><br />Trying to tune into the revisions channel in my head. For the longest time, I thought it was a matter of finely tuning the same invisible dial that brought me to the story in the first place. Finally, it dawned on me that there is no revisions channel, at least not like the Generating A New Story channel that runs 24/7 in my mind.<br /><br />Instead I had to get my own shiny revisions toolkit from the Put On Your Big Girl Panties store and just get on with it.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Social Networking: wolf in sheep's clothing or blessing in disguise?</span><br /><br />Social networking is an immense, globally available, free marketing tool no writer should leave out of his or her press kit.<br /><br />As a longtime blogger, I have online friendships with people all over the world. Think of attempting to spread word-of-mouth promo in countries like Australia, England, Denmark, Israel and all across the US by traditional means. This is already accomplished for me, because I have blog friends in all those places.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Nightstand Inspection! What was the last ____ you read?</span><br /><br />Contemporary: The Christmas Baby Bump, by Lynne Marshall<br />Historical: Heiress in Love, by Christina Brooke<br />UF/Paranormal/Fantasy: The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, by Leanna Renee Hieber<br />Mystery/Suspense/Thriller: Spring Break, by Kayla Perrin<br />Memoir/Non-Fiction: The Supernatural Companions, by Nicholas Knight<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">That's quite the diverse lineup.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Who is your writing idol and why?</span><br /><br />Jo Beverly. She takes the time to place the reader squarely in the time and place of her historical romances, without ever slowing the pace of her stories. She never lets modern sensibilities intrude upon the historical tale she's telling. She manages to address the unromantic truths of her historic time periods without losing the shine of her happily ever after. Plus, she's a master of dialogue that carries the rhythms of real speakers, while still managing to weave story momentum within it.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Wow. I hope I write stories like Jo Beverly when I grow up. Just, like, in contemporary times and with comedy instead of historical drama and stuff.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Which literary character do you wish you'd thought of first?</span><br /><br />Quentin Tarantino's The Bride from the "Kill Bill" series. But I'm glad he did think of such a kick-ass heroine.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">You betray your roots by your choice of ultimate character from cinema instead of printed page!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Best piece of advice for aspiring writers?</span><br /><br />The biggest thing - when you hit the point when you leave behind the infatuation stage with your own raw talent and now face the cliff-climbing phase of perfecting your craft - once you get to the top of that cliff, you will be like The Bride. You will kick ass yourself. Keep going.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">I'm somewhere on that cliff now too. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">How much tech know-how should one have to self-publish? Should a person like Apprentice Writer who barely manages to log on to Twitter or Facebook simply exclude that road to publication?</span><br /><br />No, you don't have to exclude it. But you will have to be willing to pay other people to do the various aspects for you.<br /><br />Self-publishing means wearing many hats, but it doesn't mean you will do every job yourself. I've hired my own little project team to prepare SAINT SANGUINUS for publication, including a graphic designer for the cover, a producer for the book trailer, a copy editor/proofreader for the manuscript and a formatter for the e-book prep.<br /><br />Each book will require its own creative/technical team. Skimping on these aspects will produce an inferior product going out to readers, and I personally don't want to have my name on that.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">A true co-operative effort. Anything else you'd like to share with AW's readers?</span><br /><br />There was a time in my life when following my dreams seemed to have turned into a colossal joke. In embracing my artistic aspirations, I had a film degree but no way to pursue that field, because unforeseen health issues made working for free - in order to collect film credits - a complete impossibility.<br /><br />Obviously, even through truly soul-crushing times, I managed somehow to hold onto my original dreams. Even though I tried to keep them at arms' length, they hid in little places deep inside of me. I kept working at telling stories by learning to write novels instead of making films.<br /><br />In my personal life, my husband and I managed to climb out of the financial pit in which we'd languished. The health issues continued, but over time we've learned not only how to live with them, but flourish despite them. Suddenly, planets alligned or something, because things started falling into place at a rapid rate this year.<br /><br />So what I'd like to share with your readers is this. Life really does kick you in the gut sometimes. The dark part of "...it's always darkest before the dawn..." can choke you into unconsciousness. But take it from me.<br /><br />DON'T give up. NEVER give up.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Thanks Julia, for showing your story so honestly. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Gentle Readers, you can purchase SAINT SANGUINUS from Amazon from 18 November.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Visit Julia at</span> <a href="http://juliaphillipssmith.com/">www.juliaphillipssmith.com</a> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">to learn more.</span>M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07498466631016466048noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812297326740243052.post-89921171678934539452011-10-20T10:21:00.000-07:002011-10-28T10:36:54.859-07:00Review: EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT LOVE I LEARNED FROM ROMANCE NOVELS<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0vCpdyr_HuINRgOnjM_Ly55Fc12U2vsj4WJuM15kLakKpuxQ1etkeG_ijHl4_elE7MlGltYbKsIzNSTEijnFRfT9ZFt39AOhDVS3VypS86B_Knq7eu-yKgTQZT_RbHoloQphz6gLiwmB/s1600/sb.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 95px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0vCpdyr_HuINRgOnjM_Ly55Fc12U2vsj4WJuM15kLakKpuxQ1etkeG_ijHl4_elE7MlGltYbKsIzNSTEijnFRfT9ZFt39AOhDVS3VypS86B_Knq7eu-yKgTQZT_RbHoloQphz6gLiwmB/s400/sb.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659319389518354386" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT LOVE<br />I LEARNED FROM ROMANCE NOVELS</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">Sarah Wendell</span></span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;"><br />Non-Fiction</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;"><br />Sourcebooks, October 2011</span> <span style="font-size:130%;"> <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Premise: </span></span> Blogger and devotee of the much-maligned genre draws helpful real-life insights about personal growth and relationships from the books, their authors, and their fans.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"> <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Cover: </span></span> In a book with an already high tongue-in-cheek factor, the cover may be the tongue-in-cheekiest of all. The iconic clinch-cover image is obscured by what looks like brown paper wrapping, a clear and sassy nod to the perception that the genre is merely "chick porn" (hence reference to delivery method of X-rated material in the days before internet and the author's name looking handwritten, as in a postal address). It made Apprentice Writer laugh, which is a great way to begin a relationship with a book before the first page is even read.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"> <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >What Works:</span></span> A lot.<br /><br />The author's trademark funny, breezy, low-key conversational style, familiar to legions of her website and twitter followers, translates seamlessly to the printed non-fiction page. New readers should be aware that this style sometimes includes expressions that may not be suitable at work, or with kids reading along. On the other hand, it provides learning opportunties for new vocabulary - AW, for example, had not come across the terms "giddypants" or "crapmonkeys" before.<br /><br />Another appealling aspect is that the author does not set herself up as the one with all the expertise. She shares her views (sometimes vehemently; witness "giddypants" and "crapmonkeys") however for every personal opinion stated she seeks out those of others as well, and in so doing, gives equal measure to those crafting the tales and those consuming them. This is a refreshing reminder that the book community is composed not just of writers influencing readers through their work but equally of readers influencing writers through their reactions to and discussions about that work.<br /><br />When Sarah Wendell sends out a query into the blogosphere or twitterverse, she really truly (to use the technical term) listens to the responses that boomerang back, and incorporates them into a more expanded understanding of whatever the issue may be. This collaborative attitude permeates the whole book, and is encapsulated in the dedication to "...the fabulous readers who have come to Smart Bitches over the years to talk romance novels, celebrate the excellence, and bemoan the bizarre."<br /><br />This willingness to explore said bizarre is also a plus, of the book and the site. If the internet is to be believed (and why in the world shouldn't it?) (Just kidding. Kind of.) that vast army of romance novel afficionados that singlehandedly drives the lion's share of profits of the mass-market publishing industry can roughly be divided into two camps: those who believe it is "mean" to mention anything critical about a romance novel (meaning reviews are all rainbows and roses), and those who believe in mentioning aspects that could be improved (meaning reviews run the gamut between all out raves and full on evisceration. AW, the Gentle Reader may have guessed, leans toward the side that says all types of honest reviews are legitimate so long as this doesn't cross the line into personal slights or attacks on the author.<br /><br />AW loved the mix of analysis and jokes/gentle teasing about certain common features, such as:<br /><br />"...4..A romance heroine doesn't just stand by her man, she stands up to him!....5. A romance hero must always be willing to rush into a burning building to save a basket of kittens."<br /><br />"...Reading romances and taking them literally is definitely not the path to everlasting happiness. There are some crazy over-the-top plots that would never fly in the real world...For any (real-life) men who may be reading this...if you like a girl, I suggest asking her out on a date, in preference to threatening to turn her ecologically sound tourism location into a strip mall."<br /><br />AW's favorite parts were pseudo-scientific lists and tables. The list of best heros of all time, for example (who's #1? P&P's Mr. Darcy, of course) should provide endless room for debate on correctness of numeration and inclusion, the suggested newbie shopping list of ten iconic novels to start a romance collection that spans most subgenres and which AW imagines was Holy-Melting-Eyebrows-Batman difficult to keep so brief for a passionate lover (ha!) of the genre, the step by step guide to looking like a romance hero ("Step 1: Acquire a mullet. Step 5: Ensure that the wind is buffeting your manly chestular landscape in as flattering a manner as possible.").<br /><br />Perhaps the most educational (albeit snortworthy) aspect for people who think that all romance is of the Harlequin Presents type (i.e. with a title along the lines of "The Latvian Tycoon Playboy Sheikh Billionaire's Virgin Pregnant Secretary Mistress Bride") is the graph "Which Romance Are You?" which illustrates how diverse the genre really is. It puts specific questions to each of 9 subgenres. In this way, one learns that the answer to the question "How Do You Like Your Steak?" is "Mooing" in Western and "Hairy in Paranormal, the answer to the question "What is Your Favorite Dessert?" is "whipped cream" for erotica and "anything on fire" for romantic suspense, and the answer for "What is Your Favorite Holiday?" is "Boss's Day" for Harlequin Presents and "Talk Like a Pirate Day" for Historical.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">What Doesn't:</span></span> Not so much a criticism as a desire for a specific point's greater emphasis of a or repetition (not, AW grants you, the usual type of request).<br /><br />The author mentions early on how the life lessons explored are taken from more more recent decades, and may not be contained in quite the same way (or at all) in some older examples of the genre. This is so true, and significant, that AW almost feels like it should be tacked onto the bottom of each page of this book as a warning message. As in: "This is old-skool romance! May contain the opposite of messages like "We Know Who We are, and We Know Our Own Worth", "We Know How to Solve Problems", and especially "Happy Endings Take Work"! Content may be hazardous to feminist sentiments, the concept of men and women being equal partners, the expectation that men NOT solve every problem with might-makes-right, and the idea that women need to do more than just look pretty and blush on cue!"<br /><br />Failing such distinction between what was then and what is now could lead readers newly willing to give the genre a try to feel like all their preconceived notions were well-founded. AW can certainly remember a couple of earlier-published works that ended up being thrown against a wall from the time that she had newly discovered the genre. Luckily for her, she simultaneously came across some other volumes with much more positive underlying messages (plus great writing) so continued exploring rather than giving up on the genre.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"> <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Things AW Wishes Had Been Included: </span></span><br />1. The author's husband's reaction. Not just because a person detailing all the great things they've learned about love just BEGS for a statement from that person's spouse. Not just because it would be nod to the Great Romance Debate on novels told only from the heroine's point of view vs. inclusion of the hero's point of view. But because this particular spouse once did a book review on his wife's site and as AW recalls he was just as funny as she.<br /><br />2. A stepback cover. As AW may have mentioned (one or two dozen times), she loathes stepback covers because she has yet to see one that she didn't think was snarkworthy to the highest degree. It would have been a lot of fun to see a parody.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Overall:</span></span> Strikes a good balance between thoughtful and entertaining. Readers already familiar with the author will not be disappointed, while those for whom this is new territory might well rethink a preconceived or perhaps outdated notion or two, and, who knows? Even pick up one of the myriad books mentioned, see if it clicks for them, and whether they can draw a worthwhile life lesson from it themselves.M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07498466631016466048noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812297326740243052.post-5845295182099055912011-10-14T10:53:00.000-07:002011-10-14T11:13:15.612-07:00Health Promotion: INCENTIVE MUCH?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipX4S7u3OCz1ubYHe8TJMGqcgmctak1SyxssUlDhv0FJg66iavMMuand7BOCv1-PvV3p9YxCmWKN8RGe_EJbjBg5N-d0f2UD0x2VzfsbNxm5wNQlZ29bSlB5p9DktPOFjKccOIcwF89YDP/s1600/fs.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 80px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipX4S7u3OCz1ubYHe8TJMGqcgmctak1SyxssUlDhv0FJg66iavMMuand7BOCv1-PvV3p9YxCmWKN8RGe_EJbjBg5N-d0f2UD0x2VzfsbNxm5wNQlZ29bSlB5p9DktPOFjKccOIcwF89YDP/s400/fs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663408552029755122" border="0" /></a><br />Usually, Apprentice Writer's Health Promotion posts take the form of something funny to create an immune-system boosting effect. Today, it will take the form of something humiliating to create an aerobic-encouraging effect.<br /><br />See this gentleman? <span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">He is 100</span>. And COMPETING IN THE TORONTO MARATHON.<br /><br />That's right, the 'Turbanned Tornado', Mr. Fauja Singh, is not satisfied to sit on his sofa, reminiscing about days of yore and dispensing wise advice. Instead he has set a goal to achieve world records in a slew of running distances, and will most likely succeed as there are - surprise, surprise (not) - no existing world records for many of them for an individual of his age.<br /><br />Apprentice Writer must confess that her admiration for Mr. Singh is, sadly, not entirely pure. It is tainted by disgruntlement. Because all the excuses she regularly applies as to why she is too busy to exercise pretty much expire of shame in the face of such just-do-it-ness.<br /><br />AW is left with one question: <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">why in the world doesn't Mr. Singh have a Nike endorsement deal????</span>M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07498466631016466048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4812297326740243052.post-30046234319347572732011-10-07T10:53:00.000-07:002011-10-07T14:40:38.064-07:00Review: THE ROSE GARDEN<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaF7sKgaIQZ48fLVU4ztUDGcraP0_DoknvX-9KGyiPBvSe5K_YrrlBKARxm537Wq3lSN2BmQYbaR_96tIz1RNcp9BdzFgsVWyyui6Yjf4t7HyrS-keVakYYCXE0ZLiVlRsrfbtcnILabMb/s1600/rose.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 262px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaF7sKgaIQZ48fLVU4ztUDGcraP0_DoknvX-9KGyiPBvSe5K_YrrlBKARxm537Wq3lSN2BmQYbaR_96tIz1RNcp9BdzFgsVWyyui6Yjf4t7HyrS-keVakYYCXE0ZLiVlRsrfbtcnILabMb/s400/rose.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658213328663468594" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">THE ROSE GARDEN</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;"><br />Susanna Kearsley</span></span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Timetravel</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;"><br />Sourcebooks, October 2011</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Premise:</span></span> Grieving contemporary woman returns to childhood Cornwall home and begins travelling back in time to an era of smugglers and uprisings.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Cover</span></span>: Title - very pretty, but held more significance for the contemporary portion of the story than the historical. Would have liked it if a title had been found that was equally significant to both time periods.<br />Art - Lovely, and much more eye-catching and also fitting than the art on the ARC Apprentice Writer received, which put her in mind of a story of a brave cancer survivor or some such. This one shows a titular rose, colors that recall the sepia tints of old daguerrotypes, and features hair (in a style which could be historical or contemporary) as the central element - so right for the story. Very well done.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">What Works:</span></span> The author has above average writing skill and an engaging style which draws the reader into the story, an effect which is further enhanced by use of first person and sympathy the reader feels for the protagonist from the first page as she talks of how bereft she is following the death of her beloved older sister.<br /><br />The choice to have the protagonist keep going back and forth between time periods, as opposed to leaping close to the start and spending the bulk of the story in the past/future, with a final leap back to own time at the end, created a great contrast between typical daily life challenges of average people now (setting up a new business, keeping on old one viable, negotiating dating life) and typical life challenges then (having to be watchful of local law enforcement due to no recourse to higher authority, political choices that can mean swift and bloody death no matter which side one comes down on, gender inequality that placed any female without male protectors with enough muscle and in close enough proximity at risk, the sheer labor and difficulty associated with tasks of daily life).<br /><br />Finally, a great strength of this book is the historical love interest. How Apprentice Writer adored him, his relationship to his brother and best friend, the way he chooses to deal with economic and political reality of the time, but most of all, how he responds to a woman with modern sensibilities. He was swoonworthy, and AW would have been happy to read more about his backstory and what happens next to him. He gives Jamie Fraser (of the mega timetravel hit "Outlander) - who is #2 on the list of best romantic heros of all times, as compiled by fellow Sourcebooks author Sarah Wendell ("Everything I Know About Love I Learned from Romanc Novels" review to come shortly), a run for his money. If anything, Daniel Butler comes out ahead, considering Jamie's unfortunate disciplinary episode (cue groaning of the "Outlander" faithful).<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">What Doesn't:</span></span> In AW's view, if you going to write a timetravel, then do the reader the courtesy of not treating the actual timetravel element like a trivial afterthought. In this case, the explanations of where and to whom it happened were tepid and unconvincing (because the conditions for both should have affected many, many more people than it did) while the explanation of why it happened at some times and not others was never given. The fact that the protagonist seemed to show such little curiosity about the mechanics of the thing gave this reader an ever dimmer opninion about her intelligence. It also made her WILD that in contrast to, say, Henry of "The Time Traveller's Wife" who cannot take anything with him from the old place (including clothes) when he shifts, the protagonist here could, but never thought to do so. You can bet your sweet petticoat that AW would have taken care to have a supply of toothpaste/brush, dental floss, aspirin, swiss army knife, and feminine hygiene products with her at times.<br /><br />Apart from the personal grooming aspect, AW was very surprised at how the protagonist never thought of the possibility of some small gift for the two historical men who literally risk their lives for her, given that having other people of their time seeing her appear or disappear would brand them as associates of a witch. There is a whole subtheme of capacity to create fire (in the form of skill to strike a spark), thus symbolizing access to light, life-giving warmth, capacity to eat, and feeling of security - all of which the hero and his best friend continually bestow on the heroine. The hero even shows special interest in the future invention of matches. But does the heroine think to slip a lousy book of matches for him in her jeans pocket, or some small modern kitchen gadget in recognition of her adopted brother's culinary interest? Not at all. This willingness of the heroine to accept all the tangible and intangible gifts offered to her by these men without any notion of return created an uncomfortable sense of imbalance, all the more peculiar considering the extravagant gift she bestows on some secondary characters in the contemporary time.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Overall:</span></span> The single word previous reviewers seem to apply most often to this novel is "haunting"; AW would agree with that, as well as the "well-written" description. The story is more about the psychology and emotion of the person going back and forth in time rather than the action-adventure (such as found in "Outlander") or the modern time luxuries/olden time privations angle (such as found in "Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict"). From this perspective, the feelings and actions of the cast of characters was (with exception mentioned above) convincing and satisfying.M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07498466631016466048noreply@blogger.com0