This article takes an amusing look at the bestselling books of 1907 and asks if they were any higher quality than today's?
Plus, Stephanie Plum's creator is writing a graphic novel. (That's graphic as in cartoons, not graphic as in . . . you know.)
And here's an interesting low-tech concept in the Age of E-Books.
(Got these off The Reader's Advisor Online.)
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
A Gripping, Yet Poignant Look at Reviewer Cliches
Okay, I promise on my word of honor that I will try my very, very best not to use any of these dreadful cliches in any future review I write for this blog.
Yes, it's hard to write reviews without endlessly repeating certain overused words and expressions. You find yourself thinking, "Did I call the last one 'thrilling' or 'enthralling'?" And "Just how many times can I describe an author as 'promising' or 'inspiring'?" (Assuming I can remember what words I used before--no guarantees there.)
Anyhow, take a look at these Top 20 Most Annoying Book Reviewer Cliches. You could say it's an unflinching, fully realized tour de force (and a rollicking one at that).
Yes, it's hard to write reviews without endlessly repeating certain overused words and expressions. You find yourself thinking, "Did I call the last one 'thrilling' or 'enthralling'?" And "Just how many times can I describe an author as 'promising' or 'inspiring'?" (Assuming I can remember what words I used before--no guarantees there.)
Anyhow, take a look at these Top 20 Most Annoying Book Reviewer Cliches. You could say it's an unflinching, fully realized tour de force (and a rollicking one at that).
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Bizarre Book News
Imagine our court system if judges actually heard suits brought by disgruntled authors against those who write bad reviews of their work. Ridiculous? Not in Russia, where on April 23 a federal court issued an unprecedented ruling, ordering a newspaper journalist to pay damages of US$1,000 to a writer unhappy with a book review the newspaper ran.
The author claimed the review caused he and his family "severe mental suffering" and damaged his professional reputation. He stated that after reading the book review, he experienced chest pains, headache and elevated blood pressure. (Okay, that last part I can relate with, but really now. $1,000 for a bad review? Apparently, Russians aren't familiar with the principle that there's no such thing as bad publicity.)
The writer had sought US$150,000. Both parties say they will appeal.
Unbelievable. I don't know Russian law, but if you ask me, that author was lucky to get a penny--or would it be a kopek? Clearly, their tort laws differ from ours if a bad review can be the basis of some kind of emotional injury claim.
On an unrelated note, this woman claims she was inspired by Agatha Christie--but not in a good way.
It's a strange world out there . . .
The author claimed the review caused he and his family "severe mental suffering" and damaged his professional reputation. He stated that after reading the book review, he experienced chest pains, headache and elevated blood pressure. (Okay, that last part I can relate with, but really now. $1,000 for a bad review? Apparently, Russians aren't familiar with the principle that there's no such thing as bad publicity.)
The writer had sought US$150,000. Both parties say they will appeal.
Unbelievable. I don't know Russian law, but if you ask me, that author was lucky to get a penny--or would it be a kopek? Clearly, their tort laws differ from ours if a bad review can be the basis of some kind of emotional injury claim.
On an unrelated note, this woman claims she was inspired by Agatha Christie--but not in a good way.
It's a strange world out there . . .
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Learning 'The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death'
Review: THE MYSTIC ARTS OF ERASING ALL SIGNS OF DEATH (Ballantine Books 2009)
Author, Charlie Huston
THE MYSTIC ARTS OF ERASING ALL SIGNS OF DEATH is a title so long I thought I'd forget it after reading it once, but I didn't. Somehow I was able to remember all those words. And it sounded interesting . . . so . . .
It's the story of Webster Fillmore Goodhue (otherwise known as Web) who is an LA slacker with issues who likes to sleep a lot and is spending his days doing so at the home of (what we are led to believe is) his one last friend in the world. Why? Because like I said, Web has issues. Big issues. Issues that make him want to sleep and, I guess, keep house now and then because he mentions doing that, too. So, anyway . . .
Web is the son of a stoner mom in Oregon and a disaffected screenwriter in LA--both of whom he keeps at a distance, for reasons that are revealed later. But first . . . did I mention his friend was a tattoo artist who does body piercing? No? Well, it doesn't really matter.
What matters is that the tattoo artist has to have his various types of hazardous medical waste disposed of by a huge person named Po Sin. Po Sin offers Web a job. Not disposing of hazardous waste, actually, but cleaning up scenes where death has occurred.Thus, the name of the book. (Which echoes a theme in the book that relates to Web's issues. How clever. I'm not being sarcastic here. It's really very clever.) Web helps clean up messy scenes of death. You know, like crime scenes and such.
Or messy suicides, and Web ends up working on just such a scene, when he meets a woman. A woman who will eventually lead to (what else but) trouble.
Charlie Huston has an unusual edgy style. He doesn't use quotes. Instead, he puts long dashes in front of the dialogue. Sort of like this (and I'm totally making this up here):
--How's it going.
I didn't care, but it seemed like the thing to ask.
--Fine, fine. How are you?
Like he gave a shit. He didn't care any more about how I was than I did about him.
--I'm doing great.
What a crock. I felt lower than whale shit, but I didn't feel like going into all that with a guy who didn't really give a shit about me to begin with.
Yeah, kind of like that with those kinds of four-letter words (just a warning to those who are put off by them, which I'm not). Huston's writing is filled with edgy banter (real banter, not that silly conversation I just wrote) interlaced with Web's unvarnished thoughts in all their cynical glory (kind of like I just wrote). And I should mention here that involves all sorts of gross descriptions of various types of death and such, but that's to be expected when someone's working a job that involves scraping people's brains off the walls--I mean, am I right?
It's the kind of writing that sucked me right in from page one and kept me going. So when I first picked up the book, I didn't stop reading until page 49--I zipped those first 49 like they were nothing. Highly unusual for me to read so many pages right off the bat.
The only place where things seem to slow a bit is when you get to the "big explanation" stage. You know, the part where the protagonist is figuring out what's really going on. But by then, you're so far into the book, it hardly matters and you keep going because you want to find out how this thing ends. And see if Web solves his big issues.
And let's just say the ending is satisfying and not quite what I expected. Which is a huge compliment from this reader.
Author, Charlie Huston
THE MYSTIC ARTS OF ERASING ALL SIGNS OF DEATH is a title so long I thought I'd forget it after reading it once, but I didn't. Somehow I was able to remember all those words. And it sounded interesting . . . so . . .
It's the story of Webster Fillmore Goodhue (otherwise known as Web) who is an LA slacker with issues who likes to sleep a lot and is spending his days doing so at the home of (what we are led to believe is) his one last friend in the world. Why? Because like I said, Web has issues. Big issues. Issues that make him want to sleep and, I guess, keep house now and then because he mentions doing that, too. So, anyway . . .
Web is the son of a stoner mom in Oregon and a disaffected screenwriter in LA--both of whom he keeps at a distance, for reasons that are revealed later. But first . . . did I mention his friend was a tattoo artist who does body piercing? No? Well, it doesn't really matter.
What matters is that the tattoo artist has to have his various types of hazardous medical waste disposed of by a huge person named Po Sin. Po Sin offers Web a job. Not disposing of hazardous waste, actually, but cleaning up scenes where death has occurred.Thus, the name of the book. (Which echoes a theme in the book that relates to Web's issues. How clever. I'm not being sarcastic here. It's really very clever.) Web helps clean up messy scenes of death. You know, like crime scenes and such.
Or messy suicides, and Web ends up working on just such a scene, when he meets a woman. A woman who will eventually lead to (what else but) trouble.
Charlie Huston has an unusual edgy style. He doesn't use quotes. Instead, he puts long dashes in front of the dialogue. Sort of like this (and I'm totally making this up here):
--How's it going.
I didn't care, but it seemed like the thing to ask.
--Fine, fine. How are you?
Like he gave a shit. He didn't care any more about how I was than I did about him.
--I'm doing great.
What a crock. I felt lower than whale shit, but I didn't feel like going into all that with a guy who didn't really give a shit about me to begin with.
Yeah, kind of like that with those kinds of four-letter words (just a warning to those who are put off by them, which I'm not). Huston's writing is filled with edgy banter (real banter, not that silly conversation I just wrote) interlaced with Web's unvarnished thoughts in all their cynical glory (kind of like I just wrote). And I should mention here that involves all sorts of gross descriptions of various types of death and such, but that's to be expected when someone's working a job that involves scraping people's brains off the walls--I mean, am I right?
It's the kind of writing that sucked me right in from page one and kept me going. So when I first picked up the book, I didn't stop reading until page 49--I zipped those first 49 like they were nothing. Highly unusual for me to read so many pages right off the bat.
The only place where things seem to slow a bit is when you get to the "big explanation" stage. You know, the part where the protagonist is figuring out what's really going on. But by then, you're so far into the book, it hardly matters and you keep going because you want to find out how this thing ends. And see if Web solves his big issues.
And let's just say the ending is satisfying and not quite what I expected. Which is a huge compliment from this reader.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
'The Da Vinci Code' Cracked
Okay, I'll admit it--I'm not usually a big huge fan of Dave Barry. However . . . he does have his moments. Such as this hilarious send up of THE DA VINCI CODE.
Now, if he could have just thrown in an albino and some professorial type, he'd have absolutely nailed it. (But this is close enough.)
Now, if he could have just thrown in an albino and some professorial type, he'd have absolutely nailed it. (But this is close enough.)
Singleton Hippie Art, The Story Teller
The Storyteller(c) Singleton 2009I lifted the tatteredpaper,folded, unfolded,a thousand timesin this life,and touched the fadedsunshine....ran my fingers overthe colorsas softashand~me~downjeans....Three tables awayI saw the blue, blue eyescome to life...a firefly flickering...dancing...And then whenhe ambled over,barefooted,andleaned over me,making sun shadowswith skinny arms and legs...I
Saturday, May 16, 2009
'Easy Money' Proves to be Anything But
Review: EASY MONEY (St. Martin's Paperbacks 2000)
Author, Jenny Siler
EASY MONEY is what the main character of this book is looking to make, but her assignment as courier this time is anything but easy. Allie Kerry (the heroine of our story) normally runs various deliveries for her shady friend, Joey, a former lover--she got involved with this whole business through her dad and his friend, Cyrus (nothing like keeping business in the family).
Anyway, a simple assignment (easy money, as she frequently repeats, as if trying to convince herself) to pick up a package goes all wrong--Al's contact (she goes by "Al," too) ends up dead in a seedy bar and she's got this disc--something that others seem willing to kill for. So she takes off, looking to find out what it is she's got.
What follows is a cross-country journey from Seattle to the Florida Keys (Allie's home)--one packed with suspense, more dead bodies and some fascinating characters. Before you know it, Al's been set up for the murders. Now she has both thugs and cops to contend with.
So Allie keeps running, crossing the ever-changing landscape which gets richly described (perhaps a bit too rich at times), along with thoughts of her past and trying to figure out just what the hell's going on.
But (as the Amazon review put it) "fancy-pants prose aside," this book is highly readable. Al's such a strong, unconventional character. She totes enough guns to overload a metal detector (no less than three). And she ain't afraid to use those babies.
The story is told in first person, present tense, which bothered me until I realized it made it much easier to figure out which parts were about the past versus the present. Because Jenny Siler likes to play with narrative that way--one of her endearing traits as a writer (to me).
Plus there was this one question that occurred to me after I'd finished the book. It seemed like a plot hole--one I'd missed because I was so caught up in Allie's desperate situation and the huge climactic ending, so suspenseful I couldn't read through it fast enough. But to say what that plot hole is would be telling, right?
So, all I can say is, read the book for yourself. Does it leave you wondering--what about . . . ? About something I can't tell you.
Besides, as I always say, these stories are really about the ride, the journey. And when Raymond Chandler was asked who killed the chauffeur in The Big Sleep during the film's production, he said he didn't know. And I say the answer is, "Who cares?"
Author, Jenny Siler
EASY MONEY is what the main character of this book is looking to make, but her assignment as courier this time is anything but easy. Allie Kerry (the heroine of our story) normally runs various deliveries for her shady friend, Joey, a former lover--she got involved with this whole business through her dad and his friend, Cyrus (nothing like keeping business in the family).
Anyway, a simple assignment (easy money, as she frequently repeats, as if trying to convince herself) to pick up a package goes all wrong--Al's contact (she goes by "Al," too) ends up dead in a seedy bar and she's got this disc--something that others seem willing to kill for. So she takes off, looking to find out what it is she's got.
What follows is a cross-country journey from Seattle to the Florida Keys (Allie's home)--one packed with suspense, more dead bodies and some fascinating characters. Before you know it, Al's been set up for the murders. Now she has both thugs and cops to contend with.
So Allie keeps running, crossing the ever-changing landscape which gets richly described (perhaps a bit too rich at times), along with thoughts of her past and trying to figure out just what the hell's going on.
But (as the Amazon review put it) "fancy-pants prose aside," this book is highly readable. Al's such a strong, unconventional character. She totes enough guns to overload a metal detector (no less than three). And she ain't afraid to use those babies.
The story is told in first person, present tense, which bothered me until I realized it made it much easier to figure out which parts were about the past versus the present. Because Jenny Siler likes to play with narrative that way--one of her endearing traits as a writer (to me).
Plus there was this one question that occurred to me after I'd finished the book. It seemed like a plot hole--one I'd missed because I was so caught up in Allie's desperate situation and the huge climactic ending, so suspenseful I couldn't read through it fast enough. But to say what that plot hole is would be telling, right?
So, all I can say is, read the book for yourself. Does it leave you wondering--what about . . . ? About something I can't tell you.
Besides, as I always say, these stories are really about the ride, the journey. And when Raymond Chandler was asked who killed the chauffeur in The Big Sleep during the film's production, he said he didn't know. And I say the answer is, "Who cares?"
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