Monday, July 27, 2015

The Dog Days of Summer

Nothing beats the dog days of summer, right?  Out of respect for me and all the members of my tribe on this important time of year, You-Know-Who has turned over the keys to the computer with no struggle.  I have a vague memory of an ankle nip, and perhaps a snarl or two, but that might have happened at another time.  

YKW has had her big nose stuck in another book.  Does that surprise you?  Sure, she sits outside to read, but spends more time swatting at things than turning pages.  And she is constantly and annoyingly calling my name.  Geeze Louise.  I have scents to diagnose and neighbors to visit.  This is my time of year - the "dog days" - she needs to let me celebrate.

Anywho (I heard someone use that expression on the TV last week) YKW has had the good sense to read a Chet and Bernie book during these fabulous days of all things dog.  This one is called The Sound and the Furry.  Apparently that means something to her and maybe to you.  The furry part speaks to me since most of the members of my nation are.  We've talked about this before.  Bernie is a D-list PI.  Without Chet riding shotgun in their topless car, crimes would not be solved.  

This crime takes place in the bayou where there are lots of great smells for Chet to track.  He loves the salt water and what else?  Oh, the shrimp.  Yeah. the shrimp.  So, there is fight between two families going all the way back to something called a civil war.  The humans have the same trouble I have. They can't always remember why they are fighting. The worst people in each family are the vicious, boat gunning grannies who do all sorts of finger waving when they speed past each other on the water.  One of fighting families is in law enforcement, just like Chet and Bernie, except they wear uniforms and Bernie says they are crooked.  Chet and I have both seen crooked trees, never crooked people, but I will trust Bernie on this one and hope that if we meet them they do not topple over on me.  Shrimp.  Stolen.  Thousands.  Lost income.  Better watch out.  Those words pop up in all the conversations Chet and Bernie have, but just when Bernie gets to the interesting parts, Chet see a Cheeto under a desk to rescue or catch a whiff of beef jerky.  It must be found.  
So, read this book along with us if you want a tail wagging good time.  Tail wagging.  That's a trick I have been trying to teach YKW.  It's a losing battle. Oh, and if you don't already have a dog in your home, what are you waiting for?

YKW thanks you for stopping by.
With licks and wags from your friend
GB the Dog
aka Mrs. George Burns

Monday, July 20, 2015

Watchman and Writers



Yesterday I read this book.  Today I mourn the loss of Scout and Atticus.  Today I am angry at the publishing company that clearly saw a money grab, taking advantage of a respected writer and all the readers who were and continue to be charmed and informed by To Kill a Mockingbird.

I will not go into the details of my disgrunteledness since there are plenty of people who will read and respect this work. I will not tarnish it further with my opinions.  My watchman has been set.

Instead, how about a few words about “Writers I Have Known”?  Oops – gotta confess that this topic was inspired by “Watchman” when a character articulated something I have never been able to.  Simply put (and I paraphrase here) some people “write”, others are “writers”. Makes sense to me.   I write.  I string words together and say things.  I end my ideas with a . giving little thought to the continuity of what I offer. My consciousness is raised every time I learn that someone has read one of my posts and I for a while I try to do better.

  Writers toil.  They hover over each word until, when joined together, those words form sentences – paragraphs – impact.  They concern themselves with an overall body of work that will bear their names and influence, inspire, provoke...

Writers are my rock stars, my movie idols, my brushes with fame, and for the most part, those brushes have been much more than I ever expected.  Mike Perry, Tom Maltman, Sally Goldenbaum, T Greenwood, Steve Head are just a few of the writers I have had the good fortune of working with over the years. They are keenly and sincerely aware of how important their readers are, and never fail to acknowledge that.  Their relationship with me always begins selflessly with what they can do for me, what they can do to promote reading, literacy, libraries and independent bookstores. 

You know what else? They answer emails from readers, respond to readers’ Facebook posts and Skype with book discussion groups.  Just last month Tom Maltman Skyped with a Manitowoc group.  Of course there are others who always begin the discussion with what I can do for them.  Where will I place their book in the store?  When will I feature it on my blog or on Facebook?  And they do it with aggression.  Oh well...they are the minority.

Watching local people write and self publish has been another treat for me.  They generously share their enthusiasm as projects grow and come to fruition.   Their joy is always tempered with humility – such a nice combination. 

My life is good – thanks to fine friends, a silly dog,  and the opportunities that come along with bookselling.  

Gotta go – there’s a book calling.  Actually, I have returned to Chet and Bernie,
The Sound and the Furry.  I think I might have already read this one.  Still fun, though.

As for the Great Hemingway Project, well, that might be a lost cause.  Every year I dream up a little scheme.  Two year ago it was writing a haiku a day for a year.  The result? Eighteen.  Pathetic.  Haiku.  Then Hemingway happened.  Little success there either. Next idea?  This I am sure I will stick to.  Each time I have plans to so something fun - dinner with friends, art show... whatever, I am going to invite Johnny Depp to join me.  How's that?   Please do not steal this idea from me.  I don't want him to have to make choices.  

Thanks for stopping by.





Monday, July 13, 2015

Twenty Most Hated books

A British blogger recently ran a survey asking her readers to send her a list of their most hated books along with commentary on why they chose the books they did.  From the submissions, she curated a list of 124 titles that received multiple votes, although I don't know how many votes constituted "multiple".  Right - you have already deduced that this was not a scientific survey, nor was it part of a masters thesis or doctoral dissertation.  At least I hope it wasn't. Then again, if this was a major piece of a dissertation, I'm boarding the next plane to England to work on my PhD.

Back to the subject at hand.  I have great respect for British readers who placed Fifty Shades of GreyGone Girl and Twilight. at the top of the list.  Think about it. An entire island of readers shares my opinion. 

 I was feeling rather smug until The Catcher in the Rye showed up as #4.  What the heck?  Too crude? Dialogue too common?  England doesn't have confused teens or hookers?  Readers attempted to justify their feelings about this book, but those made about as much sense as the choice itself.  Basically 0.  Nada,  Big fat goose egg.

The remainder of the list baffles as well, taking an ugly turn to include many classics and standards. First, including the four already mentioned, the blogger goes on to name the seven additional books that made her top 11 list.  11!  Who does that?  Top 10, top 50...but top 11.  Oh those Brits. They have kindly shared Shakespeare, the Beatles and Colin Firth with us so perhaps we need to look the other way when it comes to their list making skills.

The next seven (in the top 11).... 

  • The Great Gatsby - too decadent for the tea and crumpet set?
  • Eat, Pray, Love - too indulgent?  I wouldn't disagree.
  • Lovely Bones - I guess they like their crickets on grass playing fields and not on corpses.
  • Heart of Darkness - come on, Joseph Conrad? - give him another try, Beefeaters. 
  • The Awakening - maybe Kate Chopin's short stories would be less challenging
  • Catch 22 - hmmmmm
  • The DaVinci Code - no Masons in England?  Yup...denial!


As for the rest of the list, I say "Shame on you, British readers."  Look at these titles:
Wuthering Heights
Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man
 Moby Dick (OK, they got that one right)
The Red Badge of Courage 
 The Life of Pi (whaaaat?????, I see you doing cartwheels, Mary S.)
 As I Lay Dying
 Casual Vacancy (by the Queen of all things Potter-isn't that akin to British blasphemy?)
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime (have they not heard of the award winning play based on the book - and the young English actor who recently won a Tony for his role in the adaptation?) 
The Shack (such godless heathens).

I wonder what all those disappointed readers are doing with the books they purchased and hated?  Donating is always an option, but my experience has been that when someone hates a book, they have no belief what-so-ever that anyone else could possibly enjoy it. To spare others the pain, the books are pitched in hopes that the small gesture will rid the world on the unnecessary verbiage contained between the covers.  All will be right with the world.  And, for the trash to treasure set, there's always this option.....


Monday, July 6, 2015

Reconstructing Amelia

The reviews are, in general, miserable.  The comparisons to Gone Girl - incorrect and disconcerting.  Stylistically inconsistent.  Yet, I like it.  The first fifty or so pages had me begging for relief, or a razor blade (to slice pages) but in time, that changed.  This has all the earmarks of a first novel, and for that I will forgive the author and blame her editor.

Drawn out, inconsequential narratives opening the book violated the first lesson presented in all Creative Writing 101 courses - "Show, don't tell".  And, in time, that began to happen.  The author allowed characters to speak; she let them reveal themselves through believable dialogue along with some internal commentary.  Her characters are sharply defined and she gives us enough reason to suspect each one that I wanted to read to the end.

What's more, the outcome is logical.  Sure, the plot is predicated upon secrets and the frightening, underground life that some teens live.  But as Amelia's pained life unfolds, it is easy to see how the pieces fit together.  Amelia jumps from atop a fancy pants private school building.  Or does she?  That become the issue at hand, that and the fact that her mom, a professional, single mom, is riddled with guilt over her parenting skills.  My strongest gripe with the book is just that - why is the working single mom so often villainized? 

As I consider the book as a whole, I think readers' negative  perceptions are caused not by the book itself, but by the marketing.  It is not a second Gone Girl and for that I am grateful.  The only similarly is that  they are both suspenseful.  Also, Reconstructing Amelia  has been marketed to adults, when it really is more suited to a young adult audience.  Books written for the YA set seldom satisfy adult reading needs in the same way that a book like The Road would - YA novels are simply substantively lighter.  Nothing wrong with that but so often these days publishers attempt to cross market books and that just doesn't work.

Here's my snarky thought for the day : Hey, all you people who had to film the fireworks with your smatphones or tablets - I hope you enjoy watching the blurry substandard amazing light show that you could have seen live had you put your devices down.  Wow.  It seems that devices have taken control of us. Shouldn't it be the other way around?

Thanks for stopping by.