tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2404995589888685292024-03-13T00:11:29.190-04:00Falling Into WordsLesley (aka Upper West Side Writer)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09086716263168976826noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240499558988868529.post-84514773347653810012009-09-21T11:38:00.003-04:002009-09-21T11:45:01.043-04:00Update on BBAW Giveaways (+ Updates in General)<span style="font-family:times new roman;">I'm sorry for the radio silence for the past week; my computer, which has prevented me from posting as much as I'd like for <i>weeks</i>, took a turn for the worse. In other words, regular updates may slow for a while, but I'll do my best to update at least twice a week until my computer is healthy again. For instance, I have a couple of reviews coming soon. (One of the nice side effects of not being about to blog means that I've been reading more!)<br /><br />And in giveaway news, all my Book Blogger Appreciation Week giveaways ended last night! I'm going to pick the winners and post about it (hopefully) tomorrow. Good luck to everyone who entered!</span>Lesley (aka Upper West Side Writer)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09086716263168976826noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240499558988868529.post-57429821380549211142009-09-15T00:12:00.000-04:002009-09-15T00:38:45.025-04:00BBAW Guest Interview: Lisa of "Lit and Life"<span style="font-family:times new roman;">As a rather new blogger--I was but a twinkle in a blogger's eye last year, so to speak--I was both excited and apprehensive about participating in Book Blogger Appreciation Week. I certainly wanted to express my gratitude for all of the blogs--the dozens upon dozens--that I love to read and that make my day a little brighter. But I'm so new to the game; what could <i>I</i> have to contribute? I was particularly concerned about the BBAW interviews, where participating bloggers are paired to interview each other. I loved the concept, but felt I simply lacked the experience to have anything to say.<br /><br />In a stroke of luck, for my BBAW interview, I was paired with Lisa of </span><a href="http://litandlife.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Lit and Life</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">. Lisa, like me, is a newcomer to the book blogger world. We get each other. We remember what it's like to be new because we <i>are</i> new. My anxiety went away, and in the process, I learned about the author of a blog I will certainly be following from now on!<br /><br />----------<br /><br />And here is Lisa in all her glory:<br /><br /><b>1. An oldie but a good: what is your favorite book and why?</b><br /><br /><i>Pride and Prejudice</i>; I love the dialogue between Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy.<br /><br /><b>2. I see that you like flea marketing (and I can relate!); do you look for books there as well?</b><br /><br />The only books I look for at flea markets are old children's books, which I collect. I'm pretty picking about buying used books; it's terrible to say but I don't like them once their pages are yellowed.<br /><br /><b>3. Since you love both cooking and reading, what is your cookbook collection like?</b><br /><br />I do have a fairly big cookbook collection but don't use them as much as I should. I'm pretty prone to freelancing when I cook.<br /><br /><b>4. What is your favorite movie adaptation of a book?</b><br /><br />That's a tough one! I love movies but I'm not always happy with adaptations of books I like. I do really like the most recent adaptation of <i>Pride and Prejudice</i> but mostly for the scene at the end in the field!<br /><br /><b>5. Do your husband and children share your love of reading?</b><br /><br />All of the guys in my house like to read but none of them read as much as I do. My daughter really doesn't like to read which makes me so sad. I keep trying to find her that book that will really grab her and turn her into a reader.<br /><br /><b>6. What have been the highlights of blogging for you? Any negatives?</b><br /><br />I have been happily surprised with the sense of community in the book blogging world. I really feel like I'm making friends, even if that makes my family laugh at me. The only negative is that I've become somewhat addicted to reading blogs now--which makes my TBR list grow daily but cuts into my reading time.<br /><br /><b>7. What criteria do you use when reviewing books? </b><br /><br />I like to start my actual review with the things I liked about a book. I've been lucky since I started blogging in May and haven't picked up anything yet that I've had a hard time doing this. Next I'll get into what I didn't like about the book. But I always try to end on a positive note--even if it were just to say that maybe this just wasn't the right book for me or that it wasn't the right time for me to read it.<br /><br /><b>8. On your blog, you list the top five books you've read this year; why those five?</b><br /><br /><i>The Help</i>, <i>City of Thieves</i> and <i>The Housekeeper and The Professor</i> all had wonderful characters first and foremost. <i>The Mighty Queens of Freeville</i> was such a positive book and made me laugh. <i>People of the Book</i> has this fabulous looks back into history. And I felt like all of them were really well written.<br /><br /><b>9. How do you choose your quotes of the day come from?</b><br /><br />I've used several sources for my quotes. Sometimes I just starting going down a list until I find something I like. Sometimes I'm looking for something particular. I started with the idea to only use book related quotes but that went by the wayside one day when I found a really funny quote I wanted to use. My sister even sent me the one about the grandfather.<br /><br /><b>10. Do you have any plans for your blog looking forward?</b><br /><br />I'm hoping to get my very computer-savvy son to help me put together a header and go to a three-column format. I love when I can figure out how to change or add something new on it. After the first of the year, I'm toying with the idea of hosting a challenge.<br /><br />----------<br /><br />Again, please check out Lisa's blog at <a href="http://litandlife.blogspot.com/">Lit and Life</a>, as she truly has a wonderful writing style!<br /><br /></span>Lesley (aka Upper West Side Writer)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09086716263168976826noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240499558988868529.post-8048910523781022472009-09-14T22:23:00.000-04:002009-09-14T22:29:05.181-04:00BBAW Giveaway: Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell (Friday)<center><br /><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/fourandtwentyblackbirds/outliers-malcolm-gladwell-hardcover.jpg" /></center><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">In support of Book Blogger Appreciation Week, I will be hosting five giveaways: one for each day of BBAW. Though I will be posting them all on Monday, they will each represent one of the BBAW days, and will run until Sunday. <strong>For Friday's giveaway: <i>Outliers: The Story of Success</i> by Malcolm Gladwell.</strong> Here's a description:<br /><br /></span><blockquote><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;">From the author of <em>Blink</em> and <em>The Tipping Point</em>, a new book that asks: why are people successful? For centuries, humankind has grappled with this question, searching for the secret to accomplishing great things. This book takes us on a journey to show us what makes an overachiever. It reveals that we pay more attention to what successful people are like, and little attention to where successful people are from.</span></blockquote><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><b style="FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">The Rules</b><br /><br />1. The contest will run until midnight EST on <b style="FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">September 20th</b>.<br />2. This giveaway is limited to the United States and Canada only.<br />3. To enter, just leave a comment with your e-mail address so that I can contact you if you win.<br />4. For additional entries, you can:<br /></span><blockquote style="font-family:times new roman;"><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;">+1 Follow my blog<br />+1 Subscribe by reader<br />+1 Subscribe by e-mail<br />+3 Post on your blog about this contest (either sidebar or post is<br />fine; include the link in your comment) </span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></p></blockquote><p></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">5. Please post a separate comment for each entry.<br /><br />Good luck! </span><br /></p>Lesley (aka Upper West Side Writer)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09086716263168976826noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240499558988868529.post-5781937034026202162009-09-14T22:16:00.000-04:002009-09-14T22:20:30.982-04:00BBAW Giveaway: The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand (Thursday)<center><br /><img src="http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/fourandtwentyblackbirds/castaways.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></center><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">In support of Book Blogger Appreciation Week, I will be hosting five giveaways: one for each day of BBAW. Though I will be posting them all on Monday, they will each represent one of the BBAW days, and will run until Sunday. <strong>For Thursday's giveaway: <i>The Castaways</i> by Elin Hilderbrand.</strong> Here's a description:<br /><br /></span><blockquote><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;">Greg and Tess MacAvoy are one of four prominent Nantucket couples who count each other as best friends. As pillars of their close-knit community, the MacAvoys, Kapenashes, Drakes, and Wheelers are important to their friends and neighbors, and especially to each other. But just before the beginning of another idyllic summer, Greg and Tess are killed when their boat capsizes during an anniversary sail. As the warm weather approaches and the island mourns their loss, nothing can prepare the MacAvoy's closest friends for what will be revealed.<br /><br />Once again, Hilderbrand masterfully weaves an intense tale of love and loyalty set against the backdrop of endless summer island life.</span></blockquote><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><b style="FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">The Rules</b><br /><br />1. The contest will run until midnight EST on <b style="FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">September 20th</b>.<br />2. This giveaway is limited to the United States and Canada only.<br />3. To enter, just leave a comment with your e-mail address so that I can contact you if you win.<br />4. For additional entries, you can:<br /></span><blockquote style="font-family:times new roman;"><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;">+1 Follow my blog<br />+1 Subscribe by reader<br />+1 Subscribe by e-mail<br />+3 Post on your blog about this contest (either sidebar or post is<br />fine; include the link in your comment) </span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></p></blockquote><p></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">5. Please post a separate comment for each entry.<br /><br />Good luck! </span><br /></p>Lesley (aka Upper West Side Writer)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09086716263168976826noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240499558988868529.post-57793641368687422962009-09-14T22:05:00.000-04:002009-09-14T22:11:14.499-04:00BBAW Giveaway: My Name Is Will by Jess Winfield (Wednesday)<center><br /><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/fourandtwentyblackbirds/MyNameisWill.jpg" /></center><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">In support of Book Blogger Appreciation Week, I will be hosting five giveaways: one for each day of BBAW. Though I will be posting them all on Monday, they will each represent one of the BBAW days, and will run until Sunday. <strong>For Wednesday's giveaway: <i>My Name Is Will</i> by Jess Winfield.</strong> Here's a description:<br /><br /></span><blockquote><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;">Willie Shakespeare Greenberg is not living up to his name. It's 1986, and instead of finishing his thesis on the Bard, this grad student is saying "yes" to drugs, bedding coeds, and delivering a giant psychedelic mushroom to a mysterious collector. Meanwhile (or rather, back in 1582), would-be playwright William Shakespeare is an eighteen-year-old Latin teacher whose world is turned upside down when a stranger entrusts him with a sacred relic from Rome, drawing him into an underground network of Catholic dissidents.</span></blockquote><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><b style="FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">The Rules</b><br /><br />1. The contest will run until midnight EST on <b style="FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">September 20th</b>.<br />2. This giveaway is limited to the United States and Canada only.<br />3. To enter, just leave a comment with your e-mail address so that I can contact you if you win.<br />4. For additional entries, you can:<br /></span><blockquote style="font-family:times new roman;"><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;">+1 Follow my blog<br />+1 Subscribe by reader<br />+1 Subscribe by e-mail<br />+3 Post on your blog about this contest (either sidebar or post is<br />fine; include the link in your comment) </span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></p></blockquote><p></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">5. Please post a separate comment for each entry.<br /><br />Good luck! </span><br /></p>Lesley (aka Upper West Side Writer)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09086716263168976826noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240499558988868529.post-57238820568261960722009-09-14T21:09:00.000-04:002009-09-14T22:05:17.927-04:00BBAW Giveaway: BoneMan's Daughters by Ted Dekker (Tuesday)<center><br /><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/fourandtwentyblackbirds/bonemans-daughters-250.jpg" /></center><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">In support of Book Blogger Appreciation Week, I will be hosting five giveaways: one for each day of BBAW. Though I will be posting them all on Monday, they will each represent one of the BBAW days, and will run until Sunday. <strong>For Tuesday's giveaway: <i>BoneMan's Daughters</i> by Ted Dekker.</strong> Here's a description:<br /><br /></span><blockquote><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;">They call him BoneMan, a serial killer who's abducted six young women. He's the perfect father looking for the perfect daughter, and when his victims fail to meet his lofty expectations, he kills them by breaking their bones and leaving them to die.<br /><br />Intelligence officer Ryan Evans, on the other hand, has lost all hope of ever being the perfect father. His daughter and wife have written him out of their lives.<br /><br />Everything changes when BoneMan takes Ryan's estranged daughter, Bethany, as his seventh victim. Ryan goes after BoneMan on his own.<br /><br />But the FBI sees it differently. New evidence points to the suspicion that Ryan is BoneMan. Now the hunter is the hunted, and in the end, only one father will stand.</span></blockquote><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><b style="FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">The Rules</b><br /><br />1. The contest will run until midnight EST on <b style="FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">September 20th</b>.<br />2. This giveaway is limited to the United States and Canada only.<br />3. To enter, just leave a comment with your e-mail address so that I can contact you if you win.<br />4. For additional entries, you can:<br /></span><blockquote style="font-family:times new roman;"><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;">+1 Follow my blog<br />+1 Subscribe by reader<br />+1 Subscribe by e-mail<br />+3 Post on your blog about this contest (either sidebar or post is<br />fine; include the link in your comment) </span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></p></blockquote><p></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">5. Please post a separate comment for each entry.<br /><br />Good luck! </span><br /></p>Lesley (aka Upper West Side Writer)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09086716263168976826noreply@blogger.com60tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240499558988868529.post-84996120492448985902009-09-14T20:30:00.000-04:002009-09-14T21:53:07.321-04:00BBAW Giveaway: Hollywood Is Like High School With Money by Zoey Dean (Monday)<center><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/fourandtwentyblackbirds/hollywood.jpg" /></span></center><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">In support of Book Blogger Appreciation Week, I will be hosting five giveaways: one for each day of BBAW. Though I will be posting them all on Monday, they will each represent one of the BBAW days, and will run until Sunday. <strong>For Monday's giveaway: <i>Hollywood Is Like High School With Money</i> by Zoey Dean.</strong> Here's a description:<br /><br /></span><blockquote><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;">Twenty-four-year old Taylor Henning has just landed her dream job as an assistant at a major movie studio. But when her catty coworkers trick her into almost getting fired, she realizes that the old saying "Hollywood is like school with money" just may be true. The thing is, Taylor wasn't exactly a social butterfly in high school--how is she supposed to do any better the second time around?<br /><br />That's when she meets her boss's popular sixteen-year-old daughter Quinn, and has an epiphany: maybe this teenager can teach her how to use her queen bee tactics to succeed in the Hollywood popularity contest. Quinn comes up with a plan to teach Taylor one lesson a week--everything from "Fake it 'til you make it" to "It's *never* your fault"--and soon Taylor finds herself winning the war against rival assistant Kylie. Until, that is, she's directed to steal Kylie's boyfriend, and something happens that's not in the game plan: Taylor falls for the guy. Now she must do the impossible--harness her inner mean girl while staying true to herself.</span></blockquote><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><b style="FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">The Rules</b><br /><br />1. The contest will run until midnight EST on <b style="FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">September 20th</b>.<br />2. This giveaway is limited to the United States and Canada only.<br />3. To enter, just leave a comment with your e-mail address so that I can contact you if you win.<br />4. For additional entries, you can:<br /></span><blockquote style="font-family:times new roman;"><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;">+1 Follow my blog<br />+1 Subscribe by reader<br />+1 Subscribe by e-mail<br />+3 Post on your blog about this contest (either sidebar or post is<br />fine; include the link in your comment) </span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></p></blockquote><p></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">5. Please post a separate comment for each entry.<br /><br />Good luck! </span><br /></p>Lesley (aka Upper West Side Writer)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09086716263168976826noreply@blogger.com55tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240499558988868529.post-59765027753719159672009-09-14T17:08:00.001-04:002009-09-21T11:47:25.259-04:00It's Monday! What are you reading? (September 14, 2009)<center><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/fourandtwentyblackbirds/on_mondays.jpg" /></span></center><p><br /><a href="http://j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com/2009/03/new-weekly-event.html"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">It's Monday! What are you reading?</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> is a weekly event hosted by </span><a href="http://j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">J. Kaye's Book Blog</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">; participants discuss what they read the previous week and what the plan to read in the coming week.<br /><br />I'm just going to stop apologizing for reading slowly; apparently I'm just slow! Hopefully my quality will make up for it. :^)<br /><br /><b>Last week's action:</b><br /><br />*<i>Friends Like These</i> by Danny Wallace<br /><br /><b>Perusing now:</b><br /><br />*<i>Friends Like These</i> by Danny Wallace (almost done!)<br /><br /><b>Stay tuned for:</b><br /><br />*<i>Benny & Shrimp</i> by Katarina Mazetti<br />*<i>Everything Sucks</i> by Hannah Friedman<br />*<i>Deconstructing Sammy</i> by Matt Birkbeck<br /></p></span>Lesley (aka Upper West Side Writer)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09086716263168976826noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240499558988868529.post-48858686713676077812009-09-11T12:50:00.000-04:002009-09-11T12:58:38.369-04:00Giveaway: The Blue Pen by Lisa Rusczyk<center><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/fourandtwentyblackbirds/BPen.jpg" /></span></center><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">I recently read and really enjoyed </span><i style="FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">The Blue Pen</i><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> by isa Rusczyk; you can read my review </span><a style="FONT-FAMILY: times new roman" href="http://fallingintowords.blogspot.com/2009/08/book-review-blue-pen-by-lisa-rusczyk.html">here</a> <span style="font-family:times new roman;">and my interview with Ms. Rusczyk </span><a href="http://fallingintowords.blogspot.com/2009/09/guest-interview-lisa-rusczyk-author-of.html"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">here</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Now, thanks to Lisa, I have five .PDF copies of </span><i style="FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">The Blue Pen</i><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> to give away to my readers.</span><br /><br /><b style="FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">The Rules</b><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">1. The contest will run until midnight EST on </span><b style="FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">September 30th</b><span style="font-family:times new roman;">.</span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">2. To enter, just leave a comment with your e-mail address so that I can contact you if you win.</span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">3. For additional entries, you can:</span><br /><blockquote style="font-family:times new roman;"><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;">+1 Follow my blog</span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">+1 Subscribe by reader</span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">+1 Subscribe by e-mail</span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">+3 Post on your blog about this contest (either sidebar or post is</span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">fine; include the link in your comment)</span> </p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;">4. Please post a separate comment for each entry.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Good luck!</span><br /></p>Lesley (aka Upper West Side Writer)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09086716263168976826noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240499558988868529.post-77568151342084876392009-09-11T11:59:00.000-04:002009-09-11T12:51:38.672-04:00Guest Interview: Lisa Rusczyk, author of The Blue Pen<center><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/fourandtwentyblackbirds/BPen.jpg" /></span></center><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">A couple of weeks ago, </span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><a href="http://fallingintowords.blogspot.com/2009/08/book-review-blue-pen-by-lisa-rusczyk.html">I had the privilege of reviewing</a></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> <i>The Blue Pen</i> by Lisa Rusczyk. I found it very compelling, and a great read that I couldn't put it down. For that reason, I am honored that Ms. Rusczyk agreed to an interview here on <em>Falling Into Words</em>. I hope you will enjoy her responses as much as I did!<br /><br />---------- </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><b>How would you describe The Blue Pen thematically?</b><br /><br />The story explores elements of the paranormal in relation to symptoms of mental illness. It also plays out Cleo's family drama. Parker is a catalyst to bring Cleo full circle in her life experiences.<br /><br /><b>As you mentioned, there are touches of the occult in several places which sometimes converge with mental illness. How did that plot element come about? Was it something you were already interested in, or did Cleo's story take you there?</b><br /><br />It's definitely something I have a personal interest in. I'm fascinated with the similarities between symptoms of mental illness and the paranormal. It was intended as the main theme of the book from the beginning. I wanted to write something that a reader might relate to on either side of the coin.<br /><br /><b>I found Cleo to be incredibly dynamic and mesmerizing. What was her inspiration?</b><br /><br />Cleo just popped out of the pen. I don't know where she came from. She started out being a bit more crass, but as I wrote her character, she mellowed and I altered her earlier attitude.<br /><br /><b>The other main character, Parker, is a journalist. Have you worked in the field? I found the tension between "good" and "bad" journalists very interesting.</b><br /><br />I've never worked as a journalist. I have a pretty bad job history, actually! Mainly I've worked as a sound tech and waitress, but now I freelance write and do proofreading/programming for my brother's company.<br /><br /><b>How much of the settings and characters are inspired by your own life?</b><br /><br />The characters don't feel like they come from anyone I know, but the setting of the Beacon could be any number of dark punk clubs I played in during my punk rock playing years. Also, in the past I had a tendency to overindulge in drinking, so writing about it seemed natural. I spent every summer until I was sixteen in Philadelphia, so that is why I chose to put Cleo there. It's a great city, and I could see it supporting a place like the Beacon.<br /><br /><b>I can typically pinpoint the moments in my life that instigate large changes. Was there any such moment for you in relation to creating The Blue Pen?</b><br /><br />I wrote the novel over a five year period when I lived in Phoenix, Arizona and was married. I spent seven years in the desert and it changed me quite a bit. When my husband left me, I became more determined to see one of my books get published. That doesn't have to do with creating it, but it did push me to work as hard as I could to make my career dreams come true. As far as creating it, I can't think of a particular moment, just long nights in the computer room typing away madly.<br /><br /><b>Who are your influences, both literary and non-literary? Which ones played a role in The Blue Pen?</b><br /><br />I'm usually influenced by whatever I'm reading at the time, or TV shows and movies that fuel my imagination. Oddly, I think music influences me the most in writing. Music has so much mood and feeling in it that I am greatly inspired by it and often feel moved to write certain ways during or after hearing certain songs or albums. I listened to a lot of Radiohead while writing The Blue Pen.<br /><br /><b>Do you typically write in a linear fashion, or out of order where inspiration takes you?</b><br /><br />I write in linear fashion, but plot a step ahead in my mind. I don't outline, but rather have a rough direction of where I want the books to go.<br /><br /><b>Outside of reading and writing, what are your hobbies?</b><br /><br />I write and play music, though not as much as I used to. I also occasionally indulge in massive amounts of time loss due to playing MMORPGs, online gaming. I can't do that right now because I have dial-up, but soon I'll have satellite Internet and the gaming may begin again! I also love to snuggle up with the boyfriend with some Star Trek.<br /><br /><b>Lastly, if you can, tell us a bit about where you're going from here.</b><br /><br />I have three more novels coming out with my publisher, two in an urban fantasy series called Sam the Night Person and Full Moon in December, and a young adult fantasy called A Dream of the Past. I'm working on a middle grade fantasy novel about cats mainly these days, a sequel to A Dream of the Past, and a book about twins with mental illness.<br /><br />---------- </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Thank you, Lisa, for taking the time to metaphorically sit down with me. Again, I posted my review of The Blue Pen a couple of weeks ago, and I urge everyone to check it out! </span>Lesley (aka Upper West Side Writer)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09086716263168976826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240499558988868529.post-69224023515155586052009-09-10T11:51:00.000-04:002009-09-10T11:56:33.257-04:00Giveaway: Playing House by Fredrica Wagman<center><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/fourandtwentyblackbirds/wagman.jpg" border="0" /></span></center><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">I recently read and <i>loved</i> </span><i style="font-family: times new roman;">Playing House</i><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> by Fredrica Wagman; you can read my review </span><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://fallingintowords.blogspot.com/2009/09/book-review-playing-house-by-fredrica.html">here</a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Now, thanks to Julie and the good people at FSB Associates, I have two copies of </span><i style="font-family: times new roman;">Playing House</i><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> to give away to my readers.</span><br /><br /><b style="font-family: times new roman;">The Rules</b><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">1. The contest will run until midnight EST on </span><b style="font-family: times new roman;">September 30th</b><span style="font-family:times new roman;">.</span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">2. Unfortunately, this giveaway is limited to the United States only, and no P.O. Box addresses can be accepted.</span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">3. To enter, just leave a comment with your e-mail address so that I can contact you if you win.</span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">4. For additional entries, you can:</span><br /><blockquote style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;">+1 Follow my blog</span><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;">+1 Subscribe by reader</span><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;">+1 Subscribe by e-mail</span><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;">+3 Post on your blog about this contest (either sidebar or post is</span><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;">fine; include the link in your comment)</span><br /></span></blockquote><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">5. Please post a separate comment for each entry.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Good luck!</span><br /></span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"></p>Lesley (aka Upper West Side Writer)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09086716263168976826noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240499558988868529.post-14583366826886437902009-09-10T11:28:00.000-04:002009-09-10T11:36:17.381-04:00Booking Through Thursday (September 10, 2009)<center><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"><img src="http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/fourandtwentyblackbirds/btt2.jpg" border="0" /></span></center><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><a href="http://btt2.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Booking Through Thursday</span></a></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"> is a weekly event that poses a new book-related each week. Here is this week's question: </span><p style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"><b>What’s the most informative book you’ve read recently?</b><br /><br />I'd probably have to go with <i>The Link</i> by Colin Tudge, at least if we're going at the question from a purely fact-based knowledge tilt. I certainly learned a great deal about evolution and all the global changes that affect it. Though not the most scientifically rigorous book, for someone without a scientific background (like me!), the book was perfect.<br /><br />But, on the other hand, I always feel that I learn an enormous amount from great works of fiction, even if it is harder to put my finger on exactly <i>what</i> I learned. Every one of my favorite books has changed me in some way. I do think I would be a different person, if only slightly different, had I never read certain book.<br /><br />In other words, I think it's hard to say!<br /></span></p>Lesley (aka Upper West Side Writer)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09086716263168976826noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240499558988868529.post-36176309309594208492009-09-09T20:59:00.000-04:002009-09-10T00:04:25.948-04:00Book Review: Playing House by Fredrica Wagman<center><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/fourandtwentyblackbirds/wagman.jpg" /></span></center><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">That the central theme of <i>Playing House</i> is incest could--and, I suspect, often does--repel the potential reader away. Looking at the book from a traditionally moralistic standpoint, this is the literary equivalent of an amusement park's house of horrors. However, taking the wrappings of <i>Playing House</i> and using them to judge the true heart of the book would be a mistake. Doing so would allow the potential reader to miss what is a nuanced and delicate examination of the things we need and what that need does to us.<br /><br />The plot, though so potentially shocking, is rather straightforward. <i>Playing House</i>'s nameless narrator has a childhood love affair with her brother from which she never recovers. After the affair ends, she begins to spin out of control mentally, brilliantly reflected in Fredrica Wagman's frantic, frenetic, stream-of-consciousness writing style. The narrator wants her brother yet is also angry and wishes to escape his influence. Everything that happens to her or is done by her post-affair is a direct result of the gravitational pull of her brother.<br /><br />Interestingly, the narrator looks back at her relationship with her brother not with disgust or even confusion but rather with a mixture of nostalgia and resignation. She says of her sister, a sibling eclipsed in the narrator's mind by the brother, that she was "chasing smoke," and the same is true of the narrator. She has created in her brother the ideal man, yet he is the man she cannot have. In spite of this, or because of it, she seeks him everywhere. In light of an absent father, vacant mother and an older sister she never really knows, her brother becomes her entire family, her only guidepost platonically <i>and</i> romantically. For her, he is the only one who can give and who can take away.<br /><br />Thus, the conflict of <i>Playing House</i> is an internal one. At the opening, the narrator is torn between her incestuous relationship with her brother and her socially acceptable relationship with her husband. But there is no simple dichotomy. Onto the normal, churchly love of a husband and wife, the narrator tries to impose perverse freakishness. Onto her incestuous relationship, normal domesticity. The rules by which the rest of us make sense of our lives don't apply to the narrator. She cannot accept church-sanctioned love because she is already a member of a cult of personality. But can members of such cults ever come out okay?<br /><br /><i>Playing House</i> is frequently difficult; Wagman does an excellent job of not allowing the reader the luxury of labelling right and wrong. This is one of the harder reads I've tackled recently, not only for the subject matter but also because of the beautiful but dizzying prose. In the end, though, the narrator's failings and agonies are truly universal; as she asks herself, "Why didn't I ever live what I had, why were the dreams always better than the things I had?"<br /></span>Lesley (aka Upper West Side Writer)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09086716263168976826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240499558988868529.post-90413739608500023612009-09-07T21:32:00.000-04:002009-09-07T21:35:11.364-04:00It's Monday! What are you reading? (September 7, 2009)<center><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/fourandtwentyblackbirds/on_mondays.jpg" border="0" /></span></center><p><br /><br /><a href="http://j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com/2009/03/new-weekly-event.html"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">It's Monday! What are you reading?</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> is a weekly event hosted by </span><a href="http://j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">J. Kaye's Book Blog</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">; participants discuss what they read the previous week and what the plan to read in the coming week.<br /><br />Last week was slow--<i>again</i>! But I have a couple of reviews coming up, so hopefully that will help make up for it. :^)<br /><br /><b>Last week's action:</b><br /><br />*<i>Playing House</i> by Fredrica Wagman<br /><br /><b>Perusing now:</b><br /><br />*<i>Friends Like These</i> by Danny Wallace<br /><br /><b>Stay tuned for:</b><br /><br />*<i>Benny & Shrimp</i> by Katarina Mazetti<br />*<i>Everything Sucks</i> by Hannah Friedman<br /></p></span>Lesley (aka Upper West Side Writer)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09086716263168976826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240499558988868529.post-54303102716639566732009-09-06T18:24:00.000-04:002009-09-06T19:55:12.026-04:00Sunday Salon (September 6, 2009)As this is my wedding anniversary, the only thing I'll be reading is the dinner menu at wd~50. Food + husband (+, I suppose, reading) = heaven!<br /><br />But I do have a big week coming up: at least two big reviews, more giveaways, an author interview and more. Do check back for more fun!Lesley (aka Upper West Side Writer)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09086716263168976826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240499558988868529.post-71274675704776670622009-09-03T23:28:00.000-04:002009-09-03T23:39:52.211-04:00Booking Through Thursday (September 3, 2009)<center><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><img src="http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/fourandtwentyblackbirds/btt2.jpg" border="0" /></span></center><br /><br /><a href="http://btt2.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Booking Through Thursday</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> is a weekly event that poses a new book-related each week. Here is this week's question: </span><p style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><b>What’s the biggest book you’ve read recently?<br />(Feel free to think “big” as size, or as popularity, or in any other way you care to interpret.)</b><br /><br />In pure, physical heft, I'd have to say <i>East of Eden</i> by John Steinbeck is my Sears Tower. But the book's span, its intrigues through generations, its twists and turns: they all made it so that <i>East of Eden</i> was over far too soon. For me, this is an example of the ideal book: long enough to get deep into, interesting enough to fall completely into, and weighty enough to feel nice and snug under the arm.<br /><br />On the other hand, <i>Herzog</i> by Saul Bellow, which is about half the length of <i>East of Eden</i>, took me almost twice as long to read. I just couldn't connect to the central character, and each page felt as though I was slogging through mud. (Don't get me wrong, I think Bellow is a great author; I just hated <i>this</i> book.) I find it interesting how--at least for me--the length in pages has very little in common with the length in experience.<br /></span></p>Lesley (aka Upper West Side Writer)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09086716263168976826noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240499558988868529.post-61093707279281831162009-09-03T19:28:00.000-04:002009-09-03T23:25:43.379-04:00August Giveaways: And The Winners Are...<span style="font-family:times new roman;">Amd now to (somewhat belatedly) announce the winners of my group of giveaways which ended early this week. With the help of random.org, here goes!<br /><br /><b>Winner of <i>Bobbi Brown Living Beauty</i> and <i>How Not To Look Old</i>:</b><br /><br />4 - Barbara<br /><br /><b>Winners of <i>Julie & Julia</i> by Julie Powell:</b><br /><br />3 - TZel<br />12 - bingo<br />20 - tea </span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">47 - Carol<br />48 - The Mini-Maker<br /><br /><b>Winners of <i>The Impostor's Daughter</i> by Laurie Sandell:</b><br /><br />15 - ky2here<br />31 - danosor<br />33 - wanda<br />52 - Erica G<br />80 - Renee<br /><br /><b>Winners of <i>The Link</i> by Colin Tudge:</b><br /><br />2 - wanda<br />6 - I Heart Book Gossip<br />14 - etirv<br />24 - JaniceH<br />26 - Marybeth I. </span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Winners have until Tuesday, September 8th to claim their books or I'll move on to the next contestant. Thanks for the great response to my first set of giveaways!</span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span>Lesley (aka Upper West Side Writer)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09086716263168976826noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240499558988868529.post-89332913969619918482009-08-31T11:56:00.000-04:002009-08-31T11:56:00.368-04:00Reminder: Last day for giveaways!<span style="font-family:times new roman;">Contests, like all good things, must come to an end. If you'd like a chance to win <em>Julie & Julia</em> by Julie Powell, <em>The Impostor's Daughter</em> by Laurie Sandell or the set of <em>Bobbi Brown Living Beauty </em>and<em> How Not To Look Old</em>, you have until midnight EST to enter. Everyone interested in <em>The Link</em> by Colin Tudge has a bit of a reprieve; that giveaway will end tomorrow, September 1st at midnight EST.</span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Good luck to everyone who has entered, and I will announce the winners a little later this week!</span>Lesley (aka Upper West Side Writer)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09086716263168976826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240499558988868529.post-44144452490384205812009-08-31T08:49:00.000-04:002009-08-31T08:50:13.282-04:00It's Monday! What are you reading? (August 31, 2009)<center><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/fourandtwentyblackbirds/on_mondays.jpg" border="0" /></span></center><p><br /><br /><a href="http://j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com/2009/03/new-weekly-event.html"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">It's Monday! What are you reading?</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> is a weekly event hosted by </span><a href="http://j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">J. Kaye's Book Blog</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">; participants discuss what they read the previous week and what the plan to read in the coming week.<br /><br />Last week was slow, and no excuses about that. However, the upcoming weeks are shaping up to be interesting; I have a number of review books on deck, and they all seem pretty varied in type and intended audience. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;">But between a dentist appointment with sedation that will conk me out for all of tomorrow, an appearance by my husband on the Today Show on Wednesday and our one-year anniversary on Sunday, I expect my amount of reading this week will match my amount of reading last week.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><b>Last week's action:</b><br /><br />*Nothing finished--shame on me!<br /><br /><b>Perusing now:</b><br /><br />*<i>Playing House</i> by Fredrica Wagman (and the end is within spitting distance, as my grandmother would say)<br /><br /><b>Stay tuned for:</b><br /><br />*<i>Benny & Shrimp</i> by Katarina Mazetti<br />*<i>Everything Sucks</i> by Hannah Friedman<br />*<i>Friends Like These</i> by Danny Wallace<br /></p></span>Lesley (aka Upper West Side Writer)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09086716263168976826noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240499558988868529.post-731065157503397452009-08-30T23:38:00.000-04:002009-08-30T23:56:41.442-04:00Sunday Salon (August 30, 2009)<span style="font-family:times new roman;">For the second week in a row, I feel obliged to make excuses for my small reading amount. I had a dental appointment on Wednesday, and because I'm a huge wimp when it comes to dentists, I requested a sedative. I still don't remember anything between 9:00AM and 6:00PM that day. Saturday was spent preparing for an interview today (yes, on a Sunday) for an editorial internship which labor laws apparently precluded me from taking. In the words of Liz Lemon: blargh.<br /><br />However, the book I did find time to read--<i>Playing House</i> by Fredrica Wagman--is just absolutely amazing. Wagman writes in flowing yet abrupt sentences that blend into impressionistic paragraphs, and even though it's difficult to keep up with her, I am able to immerse myself in her words and let go of the front of my mind that is always wondering, "What next?"<br /><br />That "What next?" is something which constantly nags me, no matter which reading direction I go. I wonder, are other people experience this? Does anyone else feel the gravitational pull that an unread book can possess even as you are enjoying the book in your hands? The power that books have is incredible: one can spur our imagination while its brother tantalizes us.<br /><br />Sometimes it's nice have a lot of new review books. It helps to prevent my wandering literary eye.</span>Lesley (aka Upper West Side Writer)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09086716263168976826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240499558988868529.post-9152931812725162202009-08-29T13:35:00.000-04:002009-08-29T14:04:47.375-04:00Weekly Geeks (August 29, 2009)<span style="font-family:times new roman;"><br /><a href="http://www.weeklygeeks.com">Weekly Geeks</a> is a weekly event that presents a theme (such as "redecorate your blog week" or "organize your challenges" week or "catch up on your reviews" week) each week. Here is this week's theme:<br /><br /><b>Last year, I saw a movie, I think it was called Definitely, Maybe, that got me to thinking. In this movie, one of the girls was on a quest to find a particular copy of Jane Eyre, I forget now the specific reason why. But in the process of her search, she ended up with this massive collection of Jane Eyre books, from all sorts of places and years and styles. She had a shelf that went all the way around her room, filled with these wonderful Jane Eyre books.<br /><br />It made me wish I had a collection like hers, a collection of one particular title, in all it's various versions.<br /><br />So, Weekly Geeksters, tell us, do you have a collection, (or are you starting a collection,) of one particular book title? If so, what's your story? Why that book, and how many do you have, and what editions are they? Share pictures and give us all the details.<br /><br />Or perhaps you dream about starting such a collection. What title would it be and what would it take for you to get motivated to start collecting?<br /><br />Or maybe it's the works of a particular author you collect (or want to collect) instead a certain book title?</b><br /><br />Unfortunately, I'm not in a place where such a project would be at all fiscally responsible, but it is certainly something of which I dream with fondness. I would fall into the class of those wanting to collect early editions of their favorite books, regardless of author, but which in my case tend to come from a few authors. Unfortunately, these authors are ones such as Ernest Hemingway, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Milan Kundera, who are all hugely sought after for obvious reasons. In other words, I would need a rather large cash reserve to do establish my collection as I envision it.<br /><br />However, thanks to some wonderfully beautiful gifts from my husband, I'm inching along the way. I have a first edition and first printing of <i>The Unbearable Lightness of Being</i> by Milan Kundera, and I have a first edition and early printing of <i>One Hundred Years of Solitude</i> by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I also snagged a first edition of <i>Chronicle of a Death Foretold</i> by Garcia Marquez.<br /><br />But all of this doesn't touch on the books I have multiple copies of through sheer accident. Off of the top of my head, I know I have paperback and hardcover versions of <i>Atonement</i> by Ian McEwan, <i>The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night-Time</i> by Mark Haddon, <i>The Corrections</i> by Jonathan Franzen and <i>Underworld</i> by Don DeLillo. These books aren't particularly important to me, but I get rather excited at library sales. In my defense, I <i>would</i> love to convert my entire book collection to hardcover editions. Still, in the process I losing sight of both my limited book budget and, even more pressing, the limited space in my Manhattan apartment. Not that the realization of any of that will cure me, of course. I'm sure others share my syndrome, right? I can't be the only inanimate object version of the crazy cat lady, right? </span>Lesley (aka Upper West Side Writer)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09086716263168976826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240499558988868529.post-42393487824744955212009-08-28T22:58:00.000-04:002009-08-29T10:36:55.336-04:00Book Review: The Blue Pen by Lisa Rusczyk<center><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/fourandtwentyblackbirds/BPen.jpg" border="0" /></span></center><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">In <i>The Blue Pen</i>, Lisa Rusczyk explores an unlikely relationship with a chance beginning that ultimately leads to significant personal revelations. Parker is a star journalist, relentless in his pursuit of a story. Cleo is a middle-aged homeless women who happens to appear one morning in the backseat of Parker's car. Something Cleo says spurs Parker to find her--and her story. But Cleo's story is more unusual than Parker could have ever anticipated.<br /><br />In most books that revolve around two characters locked in a head-to-head encounter, be it hostile or friendly, one character is more fleshed out and shines brighter than the other. In <i>The Blue Pen</i>, where Parker and Cleo make up the story's dichotomy, Cleo becomes the foreground figure as Parker provides the background necessary for the story to unfold. The reader gets glimpses into Parker's work and personal life, as well as some sense of his personal taste, but I found Parker to be the conduit for Cleo's story rather than a significant player in it.<br /><br />And indeed, the heart of the story for me and what really kept me turning the pages was Cleo's story and how Rusczyk portrayed it. Cleo's ending point is clear from the first two pages--she is a homeless drunk--but as Cleo tells Parker the beginning of her story, she reveals a canyon between her ending and her beginning. From beginning to end, Cleo's life takes sharp turns, and I was always anxious to see what would be around the next corner.<br /><br />I found Cleo's story and the development of her character to be where the merit and interest of <i>The Blue Pen</i> lie. I genuinely felt for Cleo, and more importantly, I was desperate to see where her story ended. Rusczyk is an extremely talented storyteller; she knows how to hook and pull along the reader, to give him enough of a taste so that he wants more. More authors should be this way.<br /><br />However, Rusczyk's writing is not without flaws. There are places in the book where I feel the phrasing is inelegant as compared to the whole, and this occurs often enough to have become a minor distraction to me. Specifically I am referring to passages describing bodily functions or foul odors; these sections are not superfluous to the story, but I felt that the presentation caused me to feel offense toward to the wrong things. Similarly, but less bothersome, I felt Rusczyk relied on similes quite a bit, and that these similes were sometimes rather clunky. In contract, her straightforward passages conveyed the same amount of information in a more artful manner.<br /><br />I certainly don't wish to overstate either of these shortcomings. Believe me, I would not have lasted ten pages if I thought Rusczyk's writing were not generally good. But every author has room for improvement, and these are areas that I hope Rusczyk will focus on; I sense that she has the writing talent to match her storytelling ability.<br /><br />In short, <i>The Blue Pen</i> is an extremely enjoyable and well-told read, and I would particularly recommend it to those readers who enjoy suspense novels but are looking for something with a bit of a unique twist. Beyond that, anyone looking for a great gather-round-the-campfire story can definitely find it here!<br /></span>Lesley (aka Upper West Side Writer)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09086716263168976826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240499558988868529.post-31840618256134960382009-08-27T18:17:00.000-04:002009-08-27T18:29:14.056-04:00Booking Through Thursday (August 27, 2009)<center><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><img src="http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/fourandtwentyblackbirds/btt2.jpg" border="0" /></span></center><br /><br /><a href="http://btt2.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Booking Through Thursday</span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> is a weekly event that poses a new book-related each week. Here is this week's question: </span><p style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><b>What’s the lightest, most “fluff” kind of book you’ve read recently?</b><br /><br />This question is really a toughie for me. I don't know if I'm just pretentious in my choice of books--which I sincerely hope is not the case!--or if it's that the only books I view as fluffy are the ones that I don't like, and since I never finish books that I'm not liking by the fiftieth page or so, there's little likelihood of finding the fluff. If forced to pick, I'd go with <i>The Impostor's Daughter</i> by Laurie Sandell. The book was very good, but it <i>was</i> extremely easy, light, fun reading, even in the places where the material became darker.<br /><br />I suppose that, at the end of the day, I'm reluctant to make distinctions between light and heavy books because the words carry an inherent judgment to them. A "light" book <i>can</i> be meaningful and affect the reader deeply, just as a "heavy" book can simply be a wolf in sheep's clothing. (On that point, <i>Tropic of Capricorn</i> by Henry Miller comes to mind.) But maybe that's just me!<br /></span></p>Lesley (aka Upper West Side Writer)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09086716263168976826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240499558988868529.post-10593143942586956012009-08-25T21:30:00.000-04:002009-08-25T21:30:15.299-04:00Book Review: I Used To Know That by Caroline Taggart, I Before E (Except After C) by Judy Parkinson, My Grammar and I by Caroline Taggart / J.A. Wines<center><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/fourandtwentyblackbirds/i_used_to_know_that_cov.jpg" border="0" /> <img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/fourandtwentyblackbirds/ibeforeecov.jpg" border="0" /> <img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/fourandtwentyblackbirds/my_grammar_and_i_cov.jpg" border="0" /></span></center><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">For those who fondly remember their school days (as well as those who don't remember anything about them at all), Reader's Digest has produced three books with a whiff of childhood: <i>I Used To Know That: Stuff You Forgot From School</i> by Caroline Taggart, <i>I Before E (Except After C): Old-School Ways To Remember Stuff</i> by Judy Parkinson and <i>My Grammar and I...Or Should That Be Me?</i> by Caroline Taggart and J. A. Wines.<br /><br />If, like me, you go ga-ga over anything trivia-related, <i>I Used To Know That: Stuff You Forgot From School</i> is a sure-fire winner. As the title suggests, the book covers basic information that we all learned in school, from the names of Greek gods to the Pythagorean theorem. Yes, the information is all readily found via a Google search, but it is the arrangement of the information and the conciseness of presentation that are at the heart of the book's usefulness.<br /><br />But having said that, in the end, <i>I Used To Know That</i> is more about entertainment than information anyway. If you <i>need</i> to know who wrote <i>Moby Dick</i>, you probably <i>will</i> go to Google rather than to the chapter on literature. On the other hand, if you like seeing how much you remember from your school days (and, more likely than not, the much larger amount that you forgot!), Taggart's book fits like a glove.<br /><br />Similar to <i>I Used To Know That</i>, <i>I Before E (Except After C): Old-School Ways To Remember Stuff</i> recalls information--this time in the form of memory-helping mnemonics--that you may have learned in school. The major difference, at least for me, is that this book is <i>not</i> a practical guide to remembering information; the acronyms, rhymes and other mnemonics given are harder to remember than the information they are supposed to recall.<br /><br />However, helpful memory tips don't seem to be Parkinson's actual aim. In her foreword, she notes that she compiled a group of "quirky and amusing ways that people have devised to remember tidbits of information." Unless you are made of drastically different stuff that I am, "Sally Made Henry Eat Onions" won't ring any bells for you. (It's an mnemonic for the acronym for the five Great Lakes, incidentally.) But precisely because these mnemonics are so completely absurd--seriously, the number of letters in each word of "I sighted Thomas's rights" will help you remember the year America was founded?--<i>I Before E (Except After C)</i> is good geeky fun.<br /><br />Now for the one slight clunker in the bunch: <i>My Grammar and I...Or Should That Be Me?</i> is a grammar primer and reference, much like Shrunk & White's classic <i>The Elements of Style</i>. Unfortunately, when your book can be compared to the paragon of English style guides, your book is also facing enormously stiff competition. Even more unfortunately, Taggart and Wines write in a very clear and economical manner; normally this would recommend the book, but in this case, it means there is little to differentiate it from <i>The Elements of Style</i>. To be fair, this book <i>is</i> a well-written grammar guide, and if you don't own anything similar, <i>My Grammar and I...Or Should That Be Me?</i> is a perfectly good choice. However, Taggart and Wines introduce nothing new, and there is no need to double up on books about grammar.<br /><br />Last but not least, a note about the books' cover material and design: I normally don't factor the aesthetics of a book into my judgment of its quality, but these books present a special case. The subject matter is a throwback to grammar school, and so, in a brilliant move, is the books' design: the covers recall the classic composition book, and the material has that same matte gloss that laminated school library books have. These touches are like the cherry on a sundae, and the substantive material of the books is truly enhanced through them.<br /></span>Lesley (aka Upper West Side Writer)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09086716263168976826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240499558988868529.post-70316256927724495822009-08-25T21:21:00.001-04:002009-08-25T21:26:49.976-04:00Teaser Tuesdays (August 25, 2009)<center face="times new roman"><br /><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp280/fourandtwentyblackbirds/teasertuesdays3.jpg" border="0" /></center><b style="FONT-FAMILY: times new roman"><br />Teaser Tuesdays</b><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of </span><a style="FONT-FAMILY: times new roman" href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/">Should Be Reading</a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:</span> <blockquote style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">* Grab your current read<br /><br />* Open to a random page<br /><br />* Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page<br /><br />* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)<br /><br />* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!</span></blockquote><b style="FONT-FAMILY: times new roman"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">My Teaser:</span></b> <blockquote style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">The violin teacher didn't understand why I didn't hold the violin correctly anymore, why I stared at him blankly when he asked me to take the bow in hand and begin my exercises and I couldn't. That it was over and I went blank and it meant nothing to me, more than nothing, it didn't exist and I could only stare at him.</span></blockquote><span style="font-family:times new roman;">From </span><i style="FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Playing House</i><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> by Fredrica Wagman, pg. 68<br /></span>Lesley (aka Upper West Side Writer)http://www.blogger.com/profile/09086716263168976826noreply@blogger.com0