Tag: Reading

Flashing again

So earlier this year, when I wrote The Secret Life of Sleeping Beauty, it reminded me how much I love the short form. Sure, selling it to the Unidentified Funny Objects anthology didn’t hurt either. But the writing and the love came first. And I wondered:

Why did I stop?

Um. I don’t know. Because I can write longer forms and the short forms without my head exploding. So that’s not the issue. Since there doesn’t seem to be a reason, I’ve jumped back onto the short bandwagon with both feet (and a cliché or two in my pocket).

I decided to take In a Flash: Short-shorts, Micro-memoir and Prose Poetry from The Loft Literary Center. (Note: They have a great selection of online classes, so you don’t even need to be local to the Twin Cities to take a class.)

Some ideas really lend themselves to the short form. Maybe they just fit better there, or it’s an idea you want to have a fling with, but don’t want to marry (so to speak).

Sometimes it’s what we don’t know that truly makes the story–how many blanks we need to fill in. Because filling in the blanks can be fun. The ad below is an example of this less is more genius.

Yes, I know I’m not helping my “George Clooney doesn’t live in my blog” cause (see posts here and here), but I can’t help myself.

WWI Read: Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle

Highclere Castle
Highclere Castle (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Book # 5 in the War Through the Generations WWI reading challenge: Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle.

I was on the fence about whether or not I wanted to read this one. I knew it wouldn’t really have anything to do with Downton Abbey. What tipped the balance? This review on Amazon:

 … did not think the book would be 3/4 about war war war and her nursing abilities.

And I was all: Sold! Because that’s exactly what I wanted to read about. This is also why authors shouldn’t sweat the negative reviews. That being said, there’s controversy in some of the other reviews about how sanitized this version of Lady Almina’s life happens to be.

I suspect there might be some truth to this. The narrative is fairly scandal free, the author glossing over the fact Lady Almina remarries in the same year Lord Carnarvon dies and only briefly mentions the court case she becomes involved in (see Wikipedia for more info).

However, I did enjoy learning more about what went into running a private hospital during WWI and the problems encountered. Although in Lady Almina’s case, she solved a great many of these problems by throwing money at them–which seems to have been her SOP. Also fascinating was the time the narrative spent on the Earl’s interest (more like an obsession) in Egyptology. I hadn’t realized he was Howard Carter’s backer, and that together they discovered Tutankhamen’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings.

Was the read worth it? From my point of view, yes. If you already know a bit about WWI, you won’t learn a lot here. And of course, the narrative doesn’t contain swoon-worthy scenes between Matthew and Mary or one liners delivered by Dame Maggie Smith. However, it is an interesting look at a certain strata of British society before, during, and after the war.

And just because the book doesn’t have any Maggie Smith doesn’t mean this blog post will go without. Enjoy.

Unidentified Funny Objects Table of Contents Reveal

Look at this! It’s the Unidentified Funny Objects Table of Contents reveal! Twenty nine stories will make up this 80,000 word anthology.

Even the titles have me cracking up.“The Velveteen Golem” by David Sklar? I can’t wait to read all the other stories in the anthology. It’s not too far away. Click through to pre-order your copy in paperback or e-format.

Blogging as part of Classics Carnival: Why Pride and Prejudice is not a love story

Pride and Prejudice

My guest blog post is up at Book Angel Booktopia. Go read why Pride and Prejudice is not a love story.

No, really. Go see why. I’m not going to tell you about it here.

Mid-year-ish Reading Recap

I meant to write this one up at the end of June or beginning of July, but it has been a whirlwind of activity around here: horse camp, the Betsy-Tacy convention. I’m almost never this much of a social butterfly. July has been one hot, busy month, but totally worth it. In fact, I almost don’t know what to do with myself this weekend.

On to the reading (and watching) challenges!

Fifty/Fifty Me challenge

The challenge here is to read fifty books and watch fifty movies during 2012. Where I’m at:

  • Books: 52
  • Movies: 12

Yes, try not to laugh at that. All I can say is if I’m awake enough in the evenings to enjoy entertainment of some sort, I’m almost always going to reach for a book rather than fire up a movie. That’s just how I roll.

If you want to see what I’ve been reading, check out my Pinterest board. It has a list (minus the seven I read for the Rita contest and can’t disclose) of what I’ve read so far this year.

If you want to see the (limited) number of movies I’ve watched, look here.

War Through the Generations WWI reading challenge

I’ve made my goal! And by mid-year! However, I do hope to read a few more WWI books (at the very least).

To End All Wars by Adam Hochschild (review here)

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

Fantastic middle grade novel that should appeal to adults as well. One of my favorite constructs–the story within a story. This one is on audio as well and would make a good summer road trip book.

The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West

I discovered this one thanks to a Facebook post. Yes! Facebook! Good for something.

A Duty to the Dead by Charles Todd

WWI mystery. If you like the Maisie Dobbs series, this is a good choice for historical/WWI mysteries.

That’s it! I hope everyone else is keeping on track with their reading/watching challenges so far this year. Hey, there’s still plenty of time to make your goals.

Writing vortex and must-read writing blog

If you’ve ever read Little Women, you’ll know that Jo March falls into writing vortexes. Well, I’m here to tell you that they exist–because that’s where I’ve been for the past few weeks, and in particular, this last week or so. I’m enjoying my time there. It’s been a while since I’ve ended up in a vortex so whirlwind-y with words and characters.

I’ll be back at some point to blog about all our summer adventures. There’s Girl Scout troop horse camp coming up and then the Betsy-Tacy Convention. July looks jammed packed with fun.

In the meantime, for you writers out there, I want to introduce you to a must-read blog:

The Bane of Your Resistance

Not only is the name epic–a play on author and creativity coach Rosanne Bane’s last name–but the website is as well. So many applicable strategies and tactics for whatever writing challenge you happen to be facing.

Even better? Rosanne has written a book on brain science and writing. Some of you know that if it’s a brain book, I’m all over that. Ditto for the writing books. So, brain science and writing? Together at last? It’s going to be Christmas in August.

Around the Writer’s Block: Using Brain Science to Solve Writer’s Resistance comes out on August 2nd, and yes, I’ve already pre-ordered. I’m also hoping to attend the launch as well.

Enjoy! I’ll be back once this vortex settles a bit.

Betsy, Tacy, Tib … and me!

Remember way back in May when I waxed nostalgic about Betsy-Tacy books over at Jennifer Hubbard’s blog?

Well, one thing led to another (as things are wont to do) and I will be on the author panel and signing books on July 21, 2012 at the Betsy-Tacy Convention in my hometown of Mankato, Minnesota.

Am I excited? Completely. Is Kyra, who will be going with me? Also completely. We will, of course, need new outfits befitting such an event.

It just goes to show you: You never know where your writing might take you. In my case, it’s taking me back home–and I couldn’t be happier.

In which I wax nostalgic about Betsy-Tacy books

I’m over at Jennifer Hubbard’s blog, waxing nostalgic about the Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace.

Jennifer is a 2009 Deb and the author of The Secret Year and Try Not to Breathe.

Booking it eternally

From Booking Through Thursday:

What book took you the longest to read, and do you feel it was the content or just the length that made it so?

Wow, I haven’t booked for a while, and this is a fun question.

The first really long book I read was Gone With The Wind. I was maybe twelve at the time and I remember taking at least one break part way through to read a few shorter novels. Because the book is long, and Scarlett, kind of annoying. I’m really not all that wild about Rhett either.

In college, I booked through both Anna Karenina (long) and War and Peace (longer) relatively quickly. Maybe because there was going to be a test. Tolstoy fun fact: the man did know how to write a short story. Really.

More recently, I read the first two books in the fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin. I’m still tired from that. I read these on Kindle and I was all:

29%? How can I still be at 29%? I’ve been reading for hours.

Will I continue the series? Maybe. When I’m in the mood for epic fantasy and don’t mind seeing all my favorite characters killed off. I think it’s this last bit that keeps me away. Not that I think authors should never kill off their characters. It’s that I don’t trust Martin. I don’t want to get attached to anyone in the series, so I keep all the characters at arm’s length–which is no way to read a book.

As I mentioned, epic fantasy is a mood read for me. Now I need to add epic fantasy where I don’t mind all my favorite characters dying and the books are really, really long, kind of like the literary equivalent of running a marathon. 

That’s a very specific sort of mood. It may be a while before I pick up book three.

Reading recap for March: Fifty/Fifty update

I have been reading, but haven’t been updating or writing reviews recently. Uh. Clearly. Here’s what I have for March in the Fifty/Fifty challenge:

Books

  1. Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley (William C. Morris Debut Award and the Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature)
  2. Sapphique (Incarceron) by Catherine Fisher (The sequel to Incarceron–read that first)
  3. The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West (WWI Challenge book)
  4. Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai (a middle grade novel in verse–wonderful)
  5. Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King (Love A.S. King)
  6. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (Cute!)
  7. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan by Rick Riordan (About time I read this)

Movies

None. Surprise! But now that I’ve caught up on Downton Abbey, I plan on watching some. Honest.