Roof Beam Reader

Indie Lit Awards 2011 - Update

2011-06-03T14:25:00.000-05:00

They're Back - Are You Getting Excited!?

As you may know, I will be participating in the 2011 Indie Lit Awards, as a Voting Member on the GLBTQ Panel. From time-to-time, I will be sharing information about these awards, including updates on the nomination timeline and process, and how you can get involved.

What are the ILAs?:

The Independent Literary Awards (ILAs) are awards given by literary bloggers*. All judges and panelists for theses awards are completely independent and do not receive compensation for reviews nor their work on the award board. The Independent Literary Awards is currently in its second year and will be presenting the winners for the 2011 calendar year in March of 2012.

What Genres Are Considered?:

Biography/Memoir
GLBTQ
Literary Fiction
Mystery
Non-Fiction
Poetry
Speculative Fiction

How Does This Work?:

Titles are collected via nominations by literary bloggers in each of the above listed categories. To see the nomination lists or to add a title to them, please see the specific genre page. (Nominations are open September through December.)
Nominated titles will be tallied and the top 5 nominated titles from each category will be placed on a Short List.
Short List titles will be read and voted on by the Director and Voting Members of each category.
The top 2 titles from the Short List will be considered Finalists.
The winners from each category will be chosen by the Director and Voting Members of each category from the Finalist titles.

Important Nomination Information for YOU:

You must be a literary blogger; and a link to your blog must be provided so we can verify this. (You may not be the author, publisher, or publicist of the book you are nominating).
Books nominated must have a 2011 release date.
You may nominate a book that has already been listed (the books with the most nominations will be what we add to the Long List).
You may nominate books in more than one genre, but only one per genre.
Nominations are open midnight PST September 1, 2011 – 11:59 PST December 31, 2011.
Follow Us on Twitter (@indielitawards @RoofBeamReader)

Check out the ILA website for more information and to see which books won in each of last year's categories. You can also find author interviews from last year's nominees/winners as well.

*Lit bloggers write about books and literary related items. They are the fastest growing form of publicity in the literary world, though most are still independently run and do not receive compensation for their reviews or recommendations.

Updates & Upcoming Author Events at RBR.net

2011-05-16T18:04:00.004-05:00

Hi, Folks!

I just wanted to update you all on some exciting events coming up soon here at RBR.net!

May:

RBR.net featured on Scene of the Blog meme at Kittling: Books. (Wednesday, May 18th)
Guest Post by author Renee Ahdieh in anticipation of the release of her first novel, Fanfare (Revolution, 2011). (Wednesday, May 25th)
RBR.net featured on When I'm Not Reading meme at The Unread Reader. (Date TBD)
Armchair BEA (Book Expo America) (May 23rd-27th)

June:

Blog Tour for The Circle Cast with Author Alex Epstein.
Interview with Donovan O'Malley, author of Lemon Gulch and Our Yank, both of which will be reviewed soon here at RBR.net!

Also, I received an exciting e-mail today from K.B. Dixon, author of The Ingram Interview (Review Found Here)! He dropped me a line to let me know that The Ingram Interview has been selected as a finalist for the National Indie Excellence Book Award in the Literary Fiction category. Many congratulations to you, Ken - it was a fantastic book and the honor is well-deserved!

Lastly, don't forget the upcoming Blog Bash (June 22-26) as well as my giveaway with Shannon Silver of One Thousand Paintings - we will be giving away three books from three differeng genres, and accompanying each book will be an original painting inspired by that work (painted by Shannon Silver).

Exciting Stuff! Thanks for all of your continued interest and support.

Happy Reading!

Review: The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan

2011-05-13T15:28:00.000-05:00

The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan

Final Verdict: 3.25 out of 4.0

YTD: 26

Plot/Story:

3 – Plot/Story is interesting & believable.

Rick Riordan’s The Throne of Fire is an incredibly fantastic follow-up to Book 1 of his Egyptian mythology series, The Kane Chronicles. Once again, Sadie and Carter Kane narrate us to the end of the world and back again – poor kids! Just when the Kane family feel like their greatest threat – Set – has been muted, a new danger arises. The Lord of Chaos, Apophis, is beginning to awaken, and without the Lord of Ma’at around (Ra, the Sun God, lost in a deep sleep deep in the Duat), Chaos may manage to take over and destroy the world. The Kanes find themselves not only in a race against time to find and awaken King Ra, but also to save their friend Zia from a magician-induced coma and find a cure for their ailing apprentice Walt. With so much going on – with so many foes, and so few allies – most of whom are unprepared, there seems to be little hope that Sadie and Carter can triumph again – but help is found in unexpected places, new gods rise to the challenges and grave sacrifices are made to aid the Kanes in their quest.

Characterization:

3 – Characters well developed.

Sadie and Carter, the main characters, are just as well developed as in the first book – which is good and bad. They are written well in general, which of course is a good thing, but a bit more growth and development would have been welcome, as I like to watch characters grow (not just in age, but in maturity and roundedness) in a series. The auxiliary characters, however, are much more developed and just down-right fun to read than in the book’s predecessor. Some of the new gods, such as Bes, are given near-equal page time as the magicians, which adds another layer of intrigue and interest to the story. Old gods and magicians, like Bast, Anubis, and Desjardins are back and better than ever – truly more developed and connected with the story. The newest evil, Vladimir Menshikov, the third most powerful wizard in the world, adds an element of mystery and empathy to the overall story – another added layer to the overall story, which makes it more than just a YA fantasy, but a psychological examination as well.

Prose/Style:

3 – Satisfactory Prose/Style, conducive to the Story.

As with The Lost Hero, I found the prose and style concurrent with the mood and reading level of the book, as well as the subject matter; however, once again, like with The Lost Hero, there were numerous proof reading errors. I am highly frustrated by this, as Riordan is a major author and these mythology series’ are hits – his publisher (Disney/Hyperion) needs to be more responsible with their final editing reviews before publication – I wonder if the same people are responsible because, if so, I would strongly encourage Mr. Riordan to choose new proofreaders. Five or six major errors (like missing or incorrect words) in a publication marketed and anticipated at this magnitude is unacceptable. That being said, six (or so) errors in a book of this length is not exactly distracting, even if it is irritating to someone as ridiculously meticulous as this particular reader. The pace is great, the dual narration works well again, though it is not always easy to distinguish which character is speaking when, even though each chapter has an identified narrator (sometimes I realized I mixed up narrators – thinking Carter was speaking, until little comments about the hotness of Anubis or Walt were dropped in). In total, though, the language level is appropriate, the structure is appealing, and the prose is fluid and progresses at a great pace.

Additional Elements: Setting, Symbols/Motifs, Resolution, etc.

4 – Additional elements improve and advance the story.

Once again, what is so great about these Riordan mythology series’ is their ability to teach as well as entertain. By the end of the book, you find you have learned so much about Egyptian (or Roman, or Greek, whatever the case may be) mythology and history without even knowing it, because you were having such a great time reading the story and engaging with the characters’ adventures! I find Riordan to have an advantage over many writers in this regard – he does his research and incorporates the mythologies into modern culture seamlessly, with a style that is appealing to contemporary readers. The larger issues and topics, too, such as the importance of loyalty to family and friends or the need to work with people we do not necessarily like in order to overcome larger problems are well presented and woven into the stories so as to guide and teach without preaching to or overburdening the reader with glaring didactic motives.

Suggested Reading for:

Age Level: YA+

Interest: Fantasy, Mythology, Action/Adventure, Magic, History, Family/Friendship

Review: Our Lady of the Flowers by Jean Genet

2011-05-11T00:01:00.000-05:00

Our Lady of the Flowers by Jean Genet

Final Verdict: 3.0 out of 4.0

YTD: 25

Plot/Story:

3 – Plot/Story is interesting & believable.

Our Lady of the Flowers is existentialism for gay French drag queens. Seriously. The story is narrated by one of its characters, who is retelling the story of his life from prison, except that he is creating the characters and situations in his head (for the most part), and then transplanting personalities he meets in prison to recreate people from his own life. The reader doesn’t really know who the narrator is, except that he’s interacted with these less-than-laudable characters in incredibly intimate ways and possibly his connection to those people is what landed him behind bars. There is a very real pain and longing in this narrator, which comes across in the way he tells his story and by his choice of characters (recreating his mother, for instance, or retelling the story of his first “love”). It was difficult for me to understand the purpose, though, other than a stark portrait of the life of French homosexuals in the 1940s which aided the narrator in adding a certain “spice” to his dull time in prison – much of what he is writing seems to be for his own purpose, to entertain him and to “assist” him. Jean-Paul Sartre called this an “epic of masturbation” for good reason. It is, of course, also about transgression as means to freedom and trans-valuation of morals as means for expression.

Characterization:

3 – Characters well developed.

Darling Daintyfoot, a masculine gay pimp. Divine, his drag queen lover. Our Lady of the Flowers, a thief and murderer. This makes up the core trio of Genet’s story. There is also, of course, the book’s narrator (who does refer to himself as Jean – so we are to assume that the book is at least semi-autobiographical). The reader spends the greatest amount of time with Jean in prison, as he writes his story and comments on the things happening around him, and with Divine – as he (she) seems to be playing the party of betrayed/scorned lover. The two have clear similarities, including doubts about self-image and sensitivity to jealousies. Darling and Our Lady of the Flowers (A.K.A. Danie, A.K.A. Maurice) have distinct personalities as well. Darling is clearly self-absorbed and a bit oblivious. Our Lady is naïve but dangerous. They both seem to be incredible lovers, so though Divine wants to leave their little ménage-a-troise, he (she) can’t seem to pull herself away. Of course, if Jean’s descriptions of the characters, their physical beauties and prowess, and their actions are realistic in anyway, it’s almost hard to blame poor, silly little Divine.

Prose/Style:

3 – Satisfactory Prose/Style, conducive to the Story.

The language and prose were perhaps the strongest elements of the book. There is an oxymoronic beauty to this story – it is a rather crude, bare tale, but it is told so beautifully, so ethereally, that you almost forget about what exactly it is you’re reading, because it reads so well. That being said, the style leaves a bit to be desired. Although the language is gorgeous and though Genet has a clear mastery of prose, the loftiness (“floweriness”) of it, coupled with the fact that there are no chapter breaks whatsoever, often made it feel as if I were swimming through Jell-O, rather than water. There was fluidity, but also a thickness that became almost oppressive at times and forced me to take many breaks.

Additional Elements: Setting, Symbols/Motifs, Resolution, etc.

3 – Additional elements are present and cohesive to the Story.

This “inside-look” at the periphery of French society was certainly interesting and ground-breaking. Never, before this book, had there been such a blatant presentation of gay culture and lifestyle in literature (and thereby, in society). What Genet does with inversion of principals (death as erotic; betrayal a virtue; murder as sexual virility and attraction) is interesting in and of itself, but particularly as a means to an end, the end being liberation and freedom for gays and lesbians. There is a deep fear and sadness woven through this story, spoken softly at times but more often only implied – a fear for one’s physical safety, sadness over one’s lack of legal right. Much of what Genet writes in this book, much of what the French homosexual population was battling in the 1940s is what American culture struggles with now, so for a modern reader it certainly rings true and remains current and effective.

Suggested Reading for:

Age Level: Adult

Interest: Literature, French Literature, GLBT Lit

Notable Quotes:

"My heart's in my hand, and my hand is pierced, and my hand's in the bag, and the bag is shut, and my heart is caught."

"The despondency that follows makes me feel somewhat like a shipwrecked man who spies a sail, sees himself saved, and suddenly remembers that the lens of his spyglass has a flaw, a blurred spot -- the sail he has seen."

Top 10 Dudes I Wanna Wallop!

2011-05-10T10:42:00.002-05:00

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This week's theme is: Top 10 Biggest Jerks in Literature.

I have linked to my reviews, when available - click on the book title to go to that review.

1. Javert from Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

----This guy is savage. He hounds poor Jean Valjean relentlessly, simply because Jean "appears" to be "the type" associated with criminality, and of course because young Jean escaped from prison after being sentenced to hard labor for simply stealing one loaf of bread to feed his family. Javert has a bit of a moral crisis, eventually, but for much of this very long book, he's a big fat jerk.

2. Humbert Humbert from Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

----So well spoken. Such grandeur of dreams, romance, and emotion. Such a twisted, despicable little bugger! This isn't even about the fact that he essentially kidnaps a 13 year old girl to take as his lover - that speaks for itself. But the way he justifies and lauds it, my goodness. If he weren't so pompous about it maybe, well, no... he's just 100% nincompoop.

3. Esteban Trueba from The House of the Spirits by Isabell Allende

----Classic traditional father and husband. Abusive, totalitarian, and with an ego that could crush a rhinoceros. Still, at times, you're almost rooting for the guy. He definitely loved his family and worked incredibly hard. If only he could have been, you know, not violent.

4. Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.

----What can I say? Women (and some men, perhaps?) swoon over this guy - and it's not saying much for those who do (sorry). This guy is the epitome of grouchy, conniving, and dangerous. He's a real "bad boy," but not the semi-cutesy type you'd actually bring home to meet the parents. At least, I hope not!

5. Bill Sikes from Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

----Total punk. The guys isn't exactly Einstein, so he uses brute force to get what he wants. He's a bit of a sociopath - with no concern for anyone else's well-being or feelings. If it gets in the way of his end goal (money, riches) he eliminates it. No woman or child is safe.

6. Alphonso from The Color Purple by Alice Walker

----Oh, this guy! Impregnating your own step-daugther and forcing her to have and raise the child? Beating your children and leaving them destitute. Lying to them their whole lives about who their parents really are. Need I go on?

7. M. de Metz from Under the Poppy by Kathe Koja

----The mastermind behind the evil forces of this incredible puppet show. There were a couple other "bad guys" from this book who I wanted to choose, but the truth is that M. de Metz, big daddy, is the brains behind the operation, and the one ultimately responsible for Rupert & Istvan's misery (as well as Benjamin's).

8. Tomas from The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

----I have a serious problem with adulterers. Male or female, I find adulterers - particularly unrepentant, compulsive ones like Tomas- totally jerky and loathsome. Tomas is also a bit of a coward and thinks more highly of himself than he should, which irks me. Only think highly of yourself if you have good reason for it. ;)

9. Severus Snape from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

----Come on! How could I not? Sure, Snape kind of has a few good reasons to be such a tool, but he is still a tool. He's cruel, he's sneaky, he takes pleasure in others' misfortunes. Still, I love the guy - he's a jerk I can justify being proud of!

10. Dorian Gray from The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

----The charmer. There's always gotta be one in the bunch, right? The jerk who uses his incredible good looks to get what he wants and to use others for his own purposes. He goes a bit nuts (not helped any by the opium) but that doesn't excuse his jerkish nature.

2011-05-09T19:58:00.001-05:00

It is time to announce the winner of my "Spring Blog Carnival" Blog Hop Giveaway!

First, thank you all so much - new and old followers- for stopping by and making this Hop such an enormous success. I have about 100 new subscribers and there were 274 Individual Entries in my Giveaway (after removing duplicates/invalid entries). WOW!!

To my new followers, thanks for climbing aboard - I hope you will stick around!

To my old followers, you know I love y'all! Way to rock the book blog-o-sphere hardcore.

Congratulations To:

#78 Debora from Brazil (@eyelashwishes)

She won a book priced below $20 from The Book Depository!

Debora has responded to my e-mail and her book has been ordered. She chose to receive a copy of Warped by Maurissa Guibord!

Thanks Everyone! And Stay Tuned for THIS Big Event, Coming Soon:

All Giveaways in the Blog Bash will be valued at $100 or more!

R.A.K. (Random Acts of Kindness)

2011-05-06T20:51:00.000-05:00

I have been waiting and waiting for May to get here because, though I signed up for the last couple R.A.K.'s, I wasn't really sure what I was supposed to be doing & I hadn't received anything from other R.A.K'ers, so it was kind of on the back-burner. I got some instruction, though, and now I'm all signed up for the month of May, with plans to send out a few R.A.K. book gifts before month-end!

If you want to join in on the fun, head on over to Book Soulmates and sign-up (don't forget to put together a wish list for yourself). This comes at a perfect time, just after the book blogging community's #LoveFest on Twitter!

Here's My Wishlist!

RULES:
Sign up each month that you'd like to participate.

Show off your participation by grabbing the RAK button.

Create a wish list (on Amazon, Goodreads, or your blog etc) and post it in the Google doc located in each R.A.K post for the month.

If you choose to do a R.A.K for someone, check out their wish list and contact that blogger for their address.

At the end of the month, SHOW US YOUR R.A.K!

The Man Behind the (Blog) Mask

2011-05-04T10:58:00.000-05:00

As part of The All Male Review Challenge, Logan is featuring some of her male book blogger friends in a new interview feature: The Man Behind the (Blog) Mask. Each blogger answered the same 7 questions so that we can all get to know them a bit better. According to Logan, "the men of the book blogging community are interesting, charming, funny, witty, and some of the best all around bloggers!"

You might be interested to know that her guest today was, yours truly, Roof Beam Reader!

Go Check it Out! Please leave her love for organizing all of this and for being so kind as to feature me.

The Post

Spring Blog Carnival!

2011-05-01T07:34:00.002-05:00

May 1st to May 8th

Hosted By:
Candace's Book Blog
Reading Angel
Pure Imagination
The Book Swarm

Last month's "Easter Eggstravaganza" was a huge success, so THANK YOU and, to show my gratitude, we are doing it again!

One Lucky Follower Will Win:

$20 Gift Certificate to Amazon.com or

Book(s) valued up to $20 from The Book Depository

If I reach 1,000 blog followers by the end of the Carnival, I will increase the prize to $25 and add a second $15 prize as well!

This Giveaway is open to anyone living anywhere Amazon.com or The Book Depository ships.

Rules:

1. Be 13+ (with parents permission to enter if under 13).

2. Be a follower of this blog.

3. Fill out THIS FORM.

4. Winner will need to respond to my e-mail within 48 hours or new winner will be selected.

That's it!

In addition to the giveaways hosted at each participating blog, there are also "Booths" you can visit, in keeping with the Carnival theme. Please check them out & have fun!

May 1st-
Reading Angel: Haunted House
Reading Teen: Fortune Tellers Booth

May 2nd-
Candace’s Book Blog: Food Court
The Mod Podge Bookshelf: House of Mirrors

May 3rd-
The Book Swarm: Roller Coaster
Actin’ Up With Books: Karaoke Booth

May 4th-
Pure Imagination: Kissing Booth
Lovely Lit: Once Upon a Time Booth

May 5th-
Awesomesauce Books: Gaming Booth
Books R Us: Medieval Booth

May 6th-
Extreme Reader Book Reviews: Guessing Booth
Colloquium: Cotton Candy Booth

May 7th-
The Minding Spot: Teacups Booth
Miss Remmers Review: It’s a Bad World Booth

Friday at the Hop! And Updates.

2011-04-29T15:57:00.000-05:00

This Week's Question From the Book Blogger Hop:

"Summer is coming quickly - what 2011 summer release are you are most looking forward to?"

Well, this book is coming out in May, so I'm not sure if it technically qualifies as a "Summer" release, but the book I'm most looking forward to right now is The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan. It actually comes out May 3rd, so I'm getting stoked!

This is Book 2 in the Kane Chronicles series, a YA series about ancient Egyptian mythology. I'm also eagerly anticipating his October release, Son of Neptune, which is Book 2 in the Heroes of Olympus series, a spin off of the hit Percy Jackson and the Olympians series about ancient Greek (& now Roman) mythology.

Thanks for stopping by! Some things to keep in mind:

May 1st - May 8th is the Spring Blog Carnival! Come back for Giveaways Galore!

The Indie Lit Awards are Coming!

Eggstravaganza Winner & New Giveaway Info!

2011-04-26T17:48:00.001-05:00

It is time to announce the winner of my "Easter Eggstravaganza" Blog Hop Giveaway!

First, thank you all so much - new and old followers- for stopping by and making this Hop such an enormous success. I have more than 100 new subscribers and there were 329 Individual Entries in my Giveaway (after removing duplicates/invalid entries). WOW!!

To my new followers, thanks for climbing aboard - I hope you will stick around! To my old followers, you know I love ya'll! Way to rock the book blog-o-sphere hardcore.

Congratulations To:

#231 Megan from Reading Away the Days

Megan has chosen to receive a copy of Wither by Lauren DeStefano.

Thanks Everyone! And Stay Tuned for THIS Big Event, Coming Soon:

May 1st to May 8th

Hosted By:
Candace's Book Blog
Reading Angel
Pure Imagination
The Book Swarm

Review: The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens

2011-04-25T08:28:00.001-05:00

The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens
Final Verdict: 3.75 out of 4.0

YTD: 24

Plot/Story:
3 – Plot/Story is interesting & believable.

The Emerald Atlas is Book One in a new and exciting series by John Stephens, called The Books of Beginning. This is where Lord of the Rings meets Harry Potter – a realistic everyday world, where orphaned siblings are suddenly thrust into a coexisting world of magic and magical beings. Kate, Michael, and Emma are the “P” children. They were swept away from their parents by a mysterious man when young and, for ten years, spent their lives being shuffled around from orphanage to orphanage. When the trio is kicked out of the “Edgar Allan Poe Home for Hopeless and Incorrigible Orphans,” they are sent to Cambridge Falls, a village whose sole orphanage is run by the strange and allusive Dr. Stanislaus Pym, his housekeeper Miss Sallow, and the servant-of-sorts, Abraham. Immediately, the children are off exploring the expansive home and their curiosity soon leads to trouble – the kids discover a large green book with mysterious powers, which has them whipping back and forth through time, eventually into the hands of the evil Countess, whom they – with the help of a magician, dwarfs, giants, and townsfolk, must defeat, or be doomed forever. Along the way, the kids learn more about each other, themselves, their long lost parents, and their own important, cosmic destinies.

Characterization:
4 – Characters extraordinarily developed.

As a writer for various television series’, such as Gilmore Girls and The O.C., Stephens clearly has experience writing and developing characters, young and old. That talent and experience shine through in The Emerald Atlas. The three siblings are interesting to watch because they are each unique and independent, but also function together as a family unit. Sibling rivalry rears its ugly head on more than one occasion, at times leading one or another of the characters into dubious territory. Kate, the older sister, feels responsible for her younger siblings, and her actions are largely based on the need to protect them. Michael, the middle child, is intelligent, bookish, and, well, a know-it-all. This can be exasperating, but also comes in handy (sometimes reading books really can save your life!). Emma, the youngest, is clearly the youngest – she is bold, precocious, and loves attention. She also looks up to her brother and sister, modeling her own behavior after them, though she would rather die than admit this. Watching the three interact with each other, as well as with other characters (particularly when they are separated from one another) is interesting and allows room for character growth and development, which readers and fans of this book can only hope is taken advantage of in later installments. The secondary and tertiary characters, too, are interesting – from Gabriel the giant and Wallace the dwarf, to the Countess and the nameless monsters who serve her, good and bad characters are given equal time and attention, which makes the overall conflict stimulating and workable.

Prose/Style:

4 – Extraordinary Prose/Style, enhancing the Story.

Another clear talent for Stephens is his ability to construct and deliver a story in an effective way. The prose is highly attractive – it is challenging and complex, more so than others which this book might be compared to (A Series of Unfortunate Events or Percy Jackson and the Olympians, for instance). Though this book will likely be marketed to a similar audience, it is equally attractive to more experienced readers. The dialogue and description are well developed as well. There were some grammatical issues, but my copy of the book is an Advanced Reader’s Copy, so it is likely these will (or have) disappeared in the final stages of editing, and they do not detract from the overall effectiveness of the delivery. While the story is interesting and exciting, it is almost too fast-paced and large in scope. So much is covered in this first book, it is hard at times to catch one’s breath. Also, though plenty of time is spent with each of the three children (singly and together), the creative range and pace at times do a disservice to their deeper story and growth. Despite this one minor complaint, the plot is solid, engaging, and incredibly interesting, and the prose is appropriate to the story itself and helps to progress it without any choppiness or confusion, so it is a solid effort overall.

Additional Elements: Setting, Symbols/Motifs, Resolution, etc.
4 – Additional elements are present and cohesive to the Story.

While this is a great fantasy novel, it is more as well. The book pays homage to many of the greatest fantasy novels of all time, whether subtly or overtly. At times, I was reminded of The Chronicles of Narnia, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Percy Jackson, The Kane Chronicles, Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and even The Dark is Rising. Now, whether or not the author actually ever read any of these books (it would be hard to imagine a genre author not being intimately familiar with his predecessors), their concepts are certainly there – but in a way which makes it impossible to claim any simple re-working of old plots. Some of the best elements of each – such as family, the nature and purpose of magic, responsibility, growth and discovery, and coming-of-age, are present here and work together intricately and seamlessly. I also thoroughly enjoyed the mystery aspect of the book (as a Poe fan, the “Poe House” and another Poe reference in Dr. Pym make me tingle), something not always at the forefront of fantasy novels – but which add another level of intrigue here. The sibling rivalry is also something present in a few of The Emerald Atlas’s predecessors, but Stephens does such a remarkable job of writing it, one wonders if he has a background in child psychology (or perhaps it’s simply all that screenwriting experience). These additional elements, done so well, add layers of complexity and interest to the traditional fantasy plot and make for one fantastic read.

Suggested Reading for:
Age Level: Young Adult +

Interest: Fantasy, Magic, Family

Review: Stick by Andrew Smith

2011-04-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

Stick by Andrew Smith
Final Verdict: 3.75 out of 4.0

YTD: 23

Plot/Story:
4 – Plot/Story is interesting/believable and impactful

Andrew Smith’s Stick is a powerful story about love and brotherhood. Not since Brothers by Ted van Lieshout has there been such a touching, personal, and believable story about the bond between teenage brothers. Stark (Stick) and his elder brother Bosten both have their individual burdens to bear, but they also must both fight the same battle against an abusive father and an unkind, dispassionate mother. The main character, Stick, was born with a facial disfigurement, which has left him scarred physically and emotionally for most of his life. It has caused him to believe that he is a disappointment to his parents (possibly true) and an embarrassment to his brother. Just as Stick is coming-of-age, learning who he is (including how to handle himself around girls and women), he finds out that his brother, his idol, is gay. Stick handles the revelation well, standing by his brother despite his own doubts and confusions, but the boys’ parents are not as understanding. The fall out at home is too much, and both boys take off, separately – Bosten disappearing, and Stick gone to search for him. Each of the brothers is forced to deal with distinct horrors while on the road, alone, both hoping to finally find a home, which turns out simply to be each other.

Characterization:
4 – Characters extraordinarily developed.

Andrew Smith’s characters are simply beautiful, even the horrid ones. Characterization and character development are clearly strengths for this writer. Stick and Bosten are impressively wrought: their weaknesses are at times frustrating, as they should be, and their strengths shine through. The way they develop simultaneously independent of one another, as well as together as a pair, adds a great level of complexity and interest to the story as a whole. The minor characters, such as the boys’ friends, Emily, the Twins, Aunt Dahlia, Mr. and Mrs. McClellan, Paul and even the tertiary characters like Willie and the Truck Driver all have unique personalities and interact with the boys in genuine ways, so as to advance the plot fluidly and with purpose. Little if anything seems out of place, all of the characters seem necessary and unquestionably purposeful to the story.

Prose/Style:
4 – Extraordinary Prose/Style, enhancing the Story.

The second great strength for this book (and writer) is the prose –it is fluid, interesting, and meaningful. There is much creative liberty taken with the book’s form and structure, which can sometimes be irritating (and which, admittedly, caused doubts in this reader at first); however, the structure breaks and style choices ultimately served the larger purpose of reflecting the mood of the story and its main character. It was nearly impossible to put this book down, largely because the story was so interesting and the characters were endearing, but also because the prose progressed the story and its characters masterfully, from day-to-day, scene-to-scene. The dialogue was well-written, the description was simple but effective, appropriate for the genre.

Additional Elements: Setting, Symbols/Motifs, Resolution, etc.
3 – Additional elements are present and cohesive to the Story.

Two weaker spots in the story, for me, include the deeper, darker revelation about the nature of Bosten’s relationship with his and Stick’s father, and the book’s final resolution. The former turns out to fit into a stereotypical “explanation” cliché, played out often in stories of this kind; however, in Stick, it is, at least, more subtle and not an all-encompassing “why” to Bosten’s state of being. The latter issue, the resolution, is not a disappointment in terms of vision, but more so in execution. The descent to which Bosten falls, after leaving home, seems quite far in such a short time, and for one with such strength of character. Also, his return to “home,” given where he ended up, seemed almost easy or simple. Either of these parts of the resolution could work, I think, given more time – the ending just felt a bit rushed, though it did not dissuade from the overall quality of the book, nor was it a disappointment in general; in fact, where the boys ultimately end up was a great and welcome relief, appropriate to their natures and journeys. The larger themes of family, independence, fear, self-empowerment, and growth are all well-executed and come about in realistic fashion.

Suggested Reading for:
Age Level: High School +

Interest: Dysfunctional Families, Brothers, Friendship, Coming-of-Age, Gay Youth, Drug Culture

Notable Quotes:

“’It’s better, I think, to have a “best friend” than a girlfriend,’ Dahlia said. ‘Girlfriends are your friends because they’re girls. But best friends are people you can share everything with and not be afraid they’ll leave you with less.’”

*Note – This review pertains to an Advanced Reader’s Copy, graciously sent to me by Andrew’s publisher at Feiwel and Friends, and imprint of Macmillan, at Andrew’s request. The book will be available to all on October11th, 2011.

Review: The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone

2011-04-23T11:22:00.000-05:00

The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone
Final Verdict: 4.0 out of 4.0

YTD: 22

Plot/Story:
4 – Plot/Story is interesting/believable and impactful (socially, academically, etc.)

The Agony and the Ecstasy is a biographical novel of the life of Michelangelo. The story begins when Michelangelo is a young apprentice and ends with his death at 89. All in all, the book is put together brilliantly. Michelangelo was tormented throughout his life – never left to satisfy himself as he was always at the mercy of political and religious leaders’ desires. The reader is afforded an intimate look at how difficult and dangerous Michelangelo’s days were – Popes, Cardinals, and Political leaders were assassinated regularly; even Michelangelo’s own life was threatened on more than one occasion. Michelangelo was forced to create at the whim of various Popes for the majority of his life, under threat of being thrown in prison if he were to deny his services to the Vatican. Not only is the political atmosphere interesting to witness, but so are the personal relationships Michelangelo has with his family and friends, as well as other artists. Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Martin Luther, and Machiavelli are all alive and working during Michelangelo’s days (Donatello had died not too many years before), so much of what they are doing, and their works in relation to Michelangelo’s, is included. Stone gives modern day readers an incredible look at what it was like to live during the Reformation and Renaissance, for the artist and for the everyman.

Characterization:
4 – Characters extraordinarily developed.

There are so many characters in this book, it is almost ridiculous. Of course, the book is nearly 800 pages long and spans nearly 80 years of Michelangelo’s life, so this is appropriate. It was difficult, though, to connect with characters other than Michelangelo. There are certain people, like Topolino family – stone cutters who tend to be more a family to Michelangelo than his own biological one is- as well as Tommaso and Il Magnifico who are written very well, even beautifully, and who truly demonstrate the good nature possible in humanity. They are also written (as are some of Michelangelo’s masters) with a clarity of inspiration and impact on Michelangelo’s life and works, so that hundreds of pages (decades of time) after they are no longer in Michelangelo’s life, their presence is still felt in his creation. Conversely, there are the rotten apples as well – such as the irritating Popes (some better than others, but almost all a nuisance and dictator to Michelangelo) and the disgusting Aretino of Venice, who spends his life earning money by blackmailing others. The different people and portions of Italy, too, become characters. There are the Florentines – lusty, artistic, and wealthy; the Romans – dangerous, dark, self-involved; the Carrara – interdependent, suspicious, isolated; the Bolognese – joyous, hearty, uncultured. As Michelangelo travels and interacts with these different people, their cultures come to life and these too have lasting impact on Michelangelo’s works and methods. The only complaint would be that Michelangelo is truly the only character in the book to be cared about which, while granting the fact that this is a biographical novel of Michelangelo, is still somewhat disappointing given the number of characters involved.

Prose/Style:
4 – Extraordinary Prose/Style, enhancing the Story.

It was surprising to find a few grammatical errors in the book, particularly as this is not a first edition and the book was a #1 NYT Bestseller, but one cannot fault the author for items which should have been caught during the editing process. Those tiny complaints aside, Stone is a powerful and entertaining writer. His prose and language are both intelligent, yet fluid. It would be easy to imagine a book of this length, which takes place 500 years ago, being incredibly difficult to read. Fortunately, this was not the case. Stone uses many Italian words and phrases for emphasis, but translates these words into English immediately following their use (in dialogue or description). This is incredibly effective, as it allows the reader to stay in period and to learn something, but also allows the reader to continue the story without confusion or without stops to search for a word’s meaning. He is also adept at dialogue in general, as well as in timing/transitioning from prose to poetics. There are moments where the general prose breaks off into a poem, a letter, or a list – and these moments are seamless and natural. The chapters, too, are an appropriate length and seem to be pre-planned, so that the right amount of information is covered in the correct amount of time (and this information is also cohesive with the present time/situation in the story). It was not as vividly written as Lust for Life, which at times seemed to read like one was watching a film; but, it was appropriate to the time and mood of Michelangelo’s life and work. Michelangelo was much less emotionally extroverted than Vincent van Gogh, and his works were more soulful than passionate, so the prose followed appropriately.

Additional Elements: Setting, Symbols/Motifs, Resolution, etc.
4 – Additional elements improve and advance the story.

What is most appealing about this novel is that it was written with the help 495 of Michelangelo’s personal letters (all translated from Italian for the author to create this book specifically), as well as his contracts and professional records. This is the same method which Stone used to write his brilliant book, Lust for Life, a biographical novel of Vincent van Gogh, and it works again here, just as well. It took 6 years from the start of research to the completion of the book, and Stone spent many of those years living and researching in Italy, specifically in the various cities where Michelangelo spent much of his time and which were therefore important to his life story. This incredibly detailed study resulted in a brilliant work that is both factual and creative – much of the dialogue had to be recreated, of course, and specific happenings in Michelangelo’s travels and studies were also necessarily created by Stone. With so much historical fact, though, and so much based on Michelangelo’s own letters, coupled with the extensive research that Stone did, the book ends up reading as if it were written by a first-hand observer of Michelangelo’s life. Stone was careful not to take liberties too far, as well; for example, he wrote in the important decades-long relationship between Michelangelo and Tomasso, including the “scandal” that was invented by a jealous fan and known blackmailer of information (contemporary readers should think of a 1500s-era Rita Skeeter) over their relationship; however, he left the nature of that relationship largely open to interpretation, which seems appropriate as there is not much firm evidence to support either opinion (lovers or just master/apprentice).

Suggested Reading for:
Age Level: High School+

Interest: Art History, Michelangelo, Renaissance, Italian History, Catholic History

Notable Quotes:

For what is an artist in this world but a servant, a lackey for the rich and powerful? Before we even begin to work, to feed this craving of ours, we must find a patron, a rich man of affairs, or a merchant, or a prince or... a Pope. We must bow, fawn, kiss hands to be able to do the things we must do or die.

“Still, it is true: people who are jealous of talent want to destroy it in others”

"Listen, my friend: it's easy to get used to the expensive, the soft, the comfortable. Once you're addicted, it's so easy to become a sycophant, to trim the sails of your judgment in order to be kept on. The next step is to change your work to please those in power, and that is death to the sculptor."

“He knew that many artists traveled from court to court, patron to patron, for the most part well housed, fed and entertained; be he also knew he would not be content to do so. He promised himself that one day soon he must become his own man, inside his own walls”

"Art has a magic quality: the more minds that digest it, the longer it lives."

“Humanism … what did it mean? … “we are giving the world back to man, and man back to him. Man shall no longer be vile, but noble…. Without a free, vigorous and creative mind, man is but an animal and he will die like an animal, without any shred of a soul. We return to man his arts, his literature, his sciences, his independence to think and feel as an individual, not to be bound to dogma like a slave, to rot in his chains”

BBH, Follow Friday, & A Giveaway!

2011-04-22T10:54:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Crazy-for-Books.

Before getting to this week's question, I wanted to let you all know that there is a massive Giveaway Hop going on right now! I am offering my followers a chance to win $20 to spend at Amazon.com or The Book Depository! Want to enter? Go HERE.

Now, back to The Hop. This week's question was:

"If you find a book you love, do you hunt down other books by the same author?"

Answer:

Absolutely! There are a few authors whose work I own in entirety (J.K. Rowling, J.D. Salinger, Dennis Cooper) and others that I am slowly buying my way through (Kurt Vonnegut, Orson Scott Card, Mark Twain, William S. Burroughs). Fortunately, I have been lucky so far in that I've fallen in love with authors whose works have yet to disappoint me - I keep buying their books and loving them! Now, there are some authors whose books I've loved but haven't compelled me to rush out and buy another one, let alone all. I think something special has to happen in that first read to make me want to go out and get the second - and if I like the second as much, I know where it's all going to lead: more, more, more!

Q. What is on your current playlist right now?

Hm. That's kind of a tough question, because I listen to my music a bit randomly. I have a 6-CD Changer in my car, so I tend to swap those in and out pretty regularly, and I always have my iTunes/Pandora on "Shuffle." If I had to choose the five songs I've been listening to most regularly lately, though, I would say:

1. "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele
2. "Fix You" by Cold Play
3. "Uprising" by Muse
4. "Today" by Joshua Radin
5. "One for You, One for Me" by Bright Eyes

Thanks for Visiting!

Don't forget to visit THIS POST for my "Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza" Giveaway: $20 to spend on books!

Hoppy Easter Giveaway Hop!

2011-04-20T00:01:00.004-05:00

Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Blog Hop

April 20th to 25th

Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer

& Once Upon a Twilight

I've had some major giveaways recently, and there are two more big ones coming up in May and June, so this time around I wanted to give myself a break. You still get to reap the benefits, though!

One Lucky Follower Will Win:

$20 Gift Certificate to Amazon.com or

Book(s) valued up to $20 from The Book Depository

This Giveaway is open to anyone living anywhere Amazon.com or The Book Depository ships.

Rules:

1. Be 13+ (with parents permission to enter if under legal age).

2. Be a follower of this blog.

3. Fill out ~~THIS FORM~~. CLOSED.

4. Winner will need to respond to my e-mail within 48 hours or new winner will be selected.

That's it!

You can get +2 entries for also following me on Twitter: @RoofBeamReader

You can also "Like" Roof Beam Reader on Facebook: Here.

GOOD LUCK!

CARRY ON HOPPING:

Rewind! Top 10 Favorite Book Quotes

2011-04-19T08:55:00.003-05:00

The Broke and the Bookish, hosts of this weekly meme, have decided to rewind and allow us to go back through the list of weekly topics to either redo one or complete one we might have missed.

The topic I chose is one which I don't think I caught on the first go-round:

"Top 10 Favorite Book Quotes"

This is going to be tougher than I originally thought. How does one judge a "favorite" quote? Is it by the quotes relative impact on that moment in the story? Is it by its overall profundity? Do I measure it by humorousness? By truthfulness? How about I just go with the flow and see what comes up? No, too much freedom there. Here's what I will do! I'll go back through my own reviews and include my favorite quotes from those books, of the ones I wrote down.

1. "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." - F. Scott Fitzgerald (The Great Gatsby)

2. "Don't ever tell anybody anything, if you do, you start missing everybody." - J.D. Salinger (The Catcher in the Rye)

3. "We accept the love we think we deserve." - Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

4. “Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” - J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)

5. “What good are the laws where Money is king, / where the poor are always wrong, / and even the mockers who scoff at the times / will sell the truth for a song? / The courts are an auction where justice is sold; / the judge who presides bangs a gavel of gold.” - Petronius (The Satyricon)

6. “I will accept any rules that you feel necessary to your freedom. I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.” - Robert Heinlein (The Moon is a Harsh Mistress)

7. “They tell you to do your thing but they don't mean it. They don't want you to do your thing, not unless it happens to be their thing, too." - Robert Cormier (The Chocolate War)

8. “There is a drowsy state, between sleeping and waking, when you dream more in five minutes with your eyes half open, and yourself half conscious of everything that is passing around you, than you would in five nights with your eyes fast closed, and your senses wrapt in perfect unconsciousness. At such time, a mortal knows just enough of what his mind is doing, to form some glimmering conception of its mighty powers, its bounding from earth and spurning time and space, when freed from the restraint of its corporeal associate.” - Charles Dickens (Oliver Twist)

9. "Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark. In the hopeless swamps of the not quite, the not yet, and the not at all, do not let the hero in your soul perish and leave only frustration for the life you deserved, but never have been able to reach. The world you desire can be won, it exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours." - Ayn Rand (Atlas Shrugged) *hate to give props to this book/author, but the quote is excellent.

10. "Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta." - Vladimir Nabokov (Lolita)

Review: So You Want to be a Wizard by Diane Duane

2011-04-17T10:20:00.001-05:00

So You Want to be a Wizard by Diane Duane
Final Verdict: 3.5 out of 4.0

YTD: 21

Plot/Story:
3 – Plot/Story is interesting & believable.

So You Want to be a Wizard is the first book in Diane Duane’s Young Wizards series. The story tells the tale of two young outcasts, Nita (Juanita) and Kit (Christopher) who each separately stumble across the manual of Wizardry and soon take “the Oath” to become Wizards themselves. In Diane Duane’s world, Wizardry and magic is not an easy or safe thing to get involved with. Nita & Kit concoct a daring spell on their first attempt and, in the process, bring through the dimensions a being named “Fred”, who turns out to be a “white hole” or star-gone-supernova. The two young wizards soon search for guidance, of which they find very little, in an attempt to learn more of the mysterious Wizarding world where plants, trees, and animals talk and where, when things go missing, you sometimes have to travel through different dimensions to find them.

Characterization:
3 – Characters well developed.

Kit and Juanita are the most prominent characters in the book, being the primary ones, so much time is spent on developing their personalities and talents – watching them grow as wizards. More could have been done, in my opinion, to distinguish the two from each other, particularly as they are both on this interesting journey together and there is much opportunity to see how they will react to different situations. They both seem to react to everything in the same way, though. True, we do see that Kit has a talent for mechanical magic, whereas Nita’s talent is with nature/life magic. It is possible that these traits, and more of their own personalities, might continue to develop in future books – which is one of the benefits of a series, but in a 400-page introductory fantasy book, there could have been more. That being said, many of the minor characters were written extraordinarily well. Fred, for instance, has a charming and endearing personality – a regular old fashioned “sidekick” function, except, of course, that he is a Star. The same can be said for other secondary and tertiary characters, such as Nita’s tree, Kit’s car, the “Starsnuffer” villain, and the two male Wizard guides (a couple?) and their grouchy pet bird. Overall, there was enough to make for an enjoyable story, and to make one want to get to know more about these folks, so moving on in the series is definitely encouraged by the characterization here.

Prose/Style:
4 – Extraordinary Prose/Style, enhancing the Story.

I was impressed by the level of language and craft in this book. For some reason, I continue to be surprised when a young adult novel, particularly of the fantasy/science-fiction genres, is written with nearly adult sophistication. This is definitely a book whose style and vocabulary will push younger readers to grow, and which will satisfy more practiced readers as well. I was caught off-guard a number of times by the vocabulary, in particular, as well as the overall flow of the story. I was put-off, at times, by the chapter lengths – which sometimes went as much as 60 pages (to me, a lot in any book – but particularly in this genre). Overall, though, Duane demonstrated a clear ability – and she seemed to have fun with it, too. Smart and entertaining.

Additional Elements: Setting, Symbols/Motifs, Resolution, etc.
4 – Additional elements improve and advance the story.

One of the most interesting aspects of this YA fantasy novel is how adult it feels. The language is not simple, nor is the concept. There is a sense of the scientific, here, as if Duane studied alchemy and physics in order to get the mechanics of dimension-travel and spell-casting correct (or at least plausible). This adds an interesting element to the fantasy element – something almost Madeleine L’Engle-like.

Suggested Reading for:
Age Level: 12+

Interest: Fantasy, Magic, Friendship, Nature, Coming-of-Age, Independence

Notable Quotes:

"Reading one book is like eating one potato chip."

"NO!" he cried from somewhere behind the trees, wild, furious, terrified. But Nita felt no fear. It was as it had been in the beginning- all of his "NOs" had never been able to stop Life's I Am.”

“(Dear Artificer,) it said in a bemused delight, (I've blown my quanta and gone to the Good Place!)”

“All around her trees and stones and flesh and metal burned with the power that burned her, self-awareness, which death can seem to stop but can never keep from happening, no matter how hard it tires.”

Review: Lysistrata by Aristophanes

2011-04-16T13:33:00.000-05:00

Lysistrata by Aristophanes
Final Verdict: 3.5 out of 4.0

YTD: 19

Plot/Story:
3 – Plot/Story is interesting & believable.

How did I miss this one? It had been sitting on my shelf and “TBR” list for far too long. Lysistrata is one of the original “dramadies” – a mixture of dramatic and comedic elements, though this one leans toward the comedic. Still, some of the themes Aristophanes tackles, such as War, Power, and Gender are serious, and have severe implications. Fortunately, Aristophanes writes his main character, Lysistrata, and her gang of women to be witty, sarcastic, and rather crude – which is a lot of fun. The story itself is about a decision that the women of Greece make, to withhold sex from their husbands and lovers, until they finally write a peace treaty and put an end to all of the wars.

Characterization:
3 – Characters well developed.

I sometimes have a difficult time analyzing characterization and character development in plays, because oftentimes the story itself is the character, and plays tend to be so short that there isn’t much time for any development. What makes Aristophanes’ characters great, though, is that they are all distinguishable from one another, and they serve a purpose. There is Lysistrata, the leader and “ideas” woman, driving the sexual battle. Then, there are those surrounding her – the beautiful girl-child who represents Peace, the right-hand warrior, who is hot-headed and ready to strike any man at the slightest provocation. The men, too, are well drawn – fully engorged and all. There is the husband who comes crawling to the women’s camp, in agony over his lack of “relief.” Also, the captain of the men’s army, who stands toe-to-toe with Lysistrata as his men cower and run away. So, though the story is short and moves quickly, there is still clarity of roles and purpose.

Prose/Style:
4 – Extraordinary Prose/Style, enhancing the Story.

Let’s face it. Aristophanes was a brilliant writer. In general, he had a mastery of poetics and prose, so that his language flowed smoothly, his dialogue and description worked, and his scenes are set up in a way that is conducive to the plot (without ever being in the foreground – because, as happens with plays – the story and characters are and should be at the forefront). He is also hilarious – his bawdy humor and tantalizing puns rival Ovid – I was at times reminded of Ovid’s The Art of Love which is, itself, a description of a type of sexual/gender battle.

Additional Elements: Setting, Symbols/Motifs, Resolution, etc.
4 – Additional elements improve and advance the story.

Aristophanes is really engaged in multiple conversations here, but all to the same end: communication. He is clearly denouncing the senseless, continuous wars. And he is addressing the issue of gender roles and subjectification of women. I also think he is saying something about the art of humor itself – he is pointing out two very real problems of Greek culture and politics, but he does so by laughing at it. Of course, this is the modus operandi of the greatest satirists – to call serious attention to problems by magnifying the problem to a grotesque and then making fun of it. As with some of the other greats (Wilde, Vonnegut, Shakespeare), it works – perfectly.

Suggested Reading for:
Age Level: Adult

Interest: Ancient Greece, Gender Roles, Gender Politics, Sexuality, Politics, War, Satire

Notable Quotes:

“It should not prejudice my voice that I'm not born a man, if I say something advantageous to the present situation. For I'm taxed too, and as a toll provide men for the nation.”

“When the soldier returns from the wars, even though he has white hair, he very soon finds a young wife. But a woman has only one summer; if she does not make hay while the sun shines, no one will afterwards have anything to say to her, and she spends her days consulting oracles that never send her a husband.”

Review: Queer by William S. Burroughs

2011-04-15T12:11:00.004-05:00

Queer by William S. Burroughs
Final Verdict: 3.5 out of 4.0

YTD: 20

Plot/Story:
3 – Plot/Story is interesting & believable.

William S. Burroughs’s Queer is a story about American expatriates, living in Mexico during the 1960s. Most of the ex-pats are male, and most seem to be homosexual or to have homosexual “tendencies.” What is interesting about Queer is that it was one of Burroughs's earlier works, but one of his last published. The reason for this is that the book is “overtly” homosexual. Upon reading, though, and particularly for one familiar with Burroughs’s work, it is quickly realized that this is one of Burroughs’s tamer novels. Yes, it addresses homosexuality head-on, as opposed to via the abstract imagery and language employed in his other books; still, when one compares this to, say, Naked Lunch or The Wild Boys, it almost seems bland. It surprises me, then, that Burroughs managed to get his other, more daring and dangerous works published, while this one sat shelved for decades.

Characterization:
4 – Characters extraordinarily developed.

I was impressed with Burroughs’s characterization in Queer, particular with that of the main character, William Lee, and his love interest, Eugene Allerton. There are minor characters, too, who play important supporting roles, and all of these are written in a way so as to be distinguishable and individually important – this includes every character from the nameless taxi drivers to the bar tenders, to the “working-boy” locals and the “king” of the Mexican city’s American-Gay community. What Burroughs does so well is to allow you to empathize with a rather bizarre main character who is on an even stranger kind of journey (drug-induced romanticism). The reader sees William for what he is, all the while William is putting on a show for the people around him, trying to hide his pain and jealousy and, particularly, how much he wants to be wanted.

Prose/Style:
4 – Extraordinary Prose/Style, enhancing the Story.

As always, I adored the style of the book and Burroughs’s prose. He is a brilliant writer – it becomes impossible for me not to finish his books in one or two sittings, because the pages just turn and turn. Particular strengths in this book, I think, are the dialogue and the chapter breaks. The dialogue develops and flows naturally, so it is easy to imagine yourself in the room with these people, engaging in the conversation or simply overhearing it from the bar. It helps, too, that the description (characterization as well as setting) is so vivid and clear. The chapters are typically brief – they are much like individual scenes which progress William’s story – physically and temporally.

Additional Elements: Setting, Symbols/Motifs, Resolution, etc.
3 – Additional elements are present and cohesive to the Story.

Reading Queer in retrospect, after reading his later works, is almost eerie. There is this nascent, fetus-like Burroughs element to the writing. The story subtly hints at some of Burroughs’s later terrors – McCarthyism and the Red Scare, invasion of privacy, social crucifixions, political over-reaching. There are small glimpses, through William Lee of these fears – perhaps this group is made of the early refugees, the one who sense the change coming, aren’t quite sure what it is, but know they have to get out to stay free and safe. This book certainly forecasts Naked Lunch in many ways – and the brilliance of Burroughs is revealed further, knowing that decades before his socio-political rants against government brutality and regimentation, he had written one small little book that had already been projecting it all. Also, it was interesting to see a softer-side to Burroughs. This is the first of his books that I recall addressing the issue of “love.” William has some clear yearning and need for companionship and the story here is very much about him trying to find it – sort of finding it – losing it, and dealing with that loss. Incredibly touching.

Suggested Reading for:
Age Level: Adult

Interest: Homosexuality, Drug Culture, Mexico, South America, 1960s American Politics

Notable Quotes:

William S. Burroughs on Queer: “I glance at the manuscript of Queer and feel I simply can’t read it. My past was a poisoned river from which one was fortunate to escape, and by which one feels immediately threatened, years after the events recorded. –Painful to an extent I find it difficult to read, let alone write about. Every word and gesture sets the teeth on edge.”

Graphic Novel Panel Added to the BBP Conference!

2011-04-14T19:43:00.001-05:00

SO EXCITED! Come join us!

Graphic Novel Panel for the Book Bloggers and Publishers Online Conference
David Dabel and Derek Ruiz from Sea-Lion-Books http://sealionbooks.com/
Friday Night - April 15 - 7:15pm EST
Find out more at http://bbpcon.blogspot.com

Visit BBP 2011 at: http://bbp2011.ning.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

Thank You!

2011-04-12T10:14:00.000-05:00

Dear Readers:

I just wanted to take a moment to say "thank you" for your willingness to visit my blog, to subscribe, engage, and even simply "hover" around. I just reached my benchmark goal of 600+ Blog Followers and 1300+ Twitter Followers - and I am stunned, humbled, and overjoyed!

In May of 2008, I completed my graduate study in English (M.A.) with an emphasis in American Literature. For a brief time, I taught reading - which wasn't for me- and then moved on to work in the Student Affairs office at a private University. As the months rolled on, though, I realized that I needed to do something to keep myself engaged with the literary community. I wrote (and continue to write) critical essays freelance, but I realized my real passion - what was missing - was reading and discussing books, in depth. The seminars were done, the classrooms were gone, so where and how could I accomplish this, aside from going back to school?

It began with brief "read and respond" posts on web-journal sites, like Xanga and LiveJournal. Slowly, I developed my posts into something similar to the old-fashioned Book Review. I would include a Summary of the book, a "Good" points section, a "Bad" points section, and my overall "Verdict" of the book.

The turning point came after moving all of my material off of public journals, to a personal website I called Austere Adam. After some time, I realized I had to sit down and think about why I was doing this. What do I want to gain from it? What am I trying to accomplish? Where do I hope this will take me? These questions allowed me to develop Roof Beam Reader - a personality, a company, a purpose. My engagement on Twitter skyrocketed as I began to promote my writing and reviews and to meet other similar-minded folk (whether we agreed on particular books or not) who were also trying to find that "something" in their own lives, through their reading and writing.

Today, I have a tediously self-developed 4-Point, 4-Category system for rating all of my reading material. I work seriously and diligently to be fair and professional in all that I do - whether it be writing a review, hosting a challenge or giveaway, promoting authors, etc. Eventually, my goal is to break into the Publishing world - to become a professional Editor/Proofreader, bringing my own ethic to the "established" field and gaining experience which I can use to continue to progress my personal work here at RBR.net.

It has been an incredibly fulfilling journey so far, and I have many, many of you to thank for helping me and encouraging me along the way. I remember, nearly a year ago, when I re-imagined Austere Adam into RBR.net - I was my only follower. Still, I continued plugging-away at it: I wrote when I thought no one was reading or listening; I stayed up late after work to finish reviews; I journeyed through the book-blogging world and introduced myself to other bloggers through comments; I took serious note of what I liked in other blogs, to learn and grow myself. The result? A year of spiritual and intellectual growth, coupled with good old-fashioned giddy fun!

I would thank you all individually, if I could, but I hope it is enough that I am sharing this all with you now. I hope it is enough to know that, if you are reading this, my "thank you" is meant for you - and I mean it sincerely.

All the Best,

Adam

The Final Hour & Wrap-Up (Read-a-Thon)

2011-04-10T09:39:00.002-05:00

It's the final minutes of Dewey's 24-Hour Read-a-Thon, and to close it out, they've asked for us to complete the below survey. Here goes:

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?

I would say, hours 19-24. :)

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?

Well, I certainly blazed through Lysistrata. I'm also really enjoying So You Want to be a Wizard.

3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?

Plan ahead! That's the only thing I could do to make it better. To be fair, I didn't know I was participating until a few hours in, so no harm no foul. I tried. :)

4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?

I picked some good books.

5. How many books did you read?

I completed two books, I'm about 100 pages into a third, and I read 35 pages out of the book I was reading prior to the start of the challenge (and am still 600 pages from finishing).

6. What were the names of the books you read?

Lysistrta and Queer were completed. I'm 100 pages into So You Want to be a Wizard and will probably finish it today. I also read a couple chapters of The Agony and the Ecstasy.

7. Which book did you enjoy most?

Queer. It was a much softer side of Burroughs - unexpected, but still as good as he always is.

8. Which did you enjoy least?

N/A - They're all good!

9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?

N/A - I was not a cheerleader, but they were great!

10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?

I will definitely participate in the next read-a-thon! I'll be reading and might offer to host a mini-challenge as well, those were so much fun.

Book Title Challenge (24-Hour Read-a-thon)

2011-04-09T20:35:00.003-05:00

Kate from Midnight Book Girl wants you to make sentences out of book titles! What can you come up with? Prize is a $15 gift certificate from Amazon or Book Depository!

Here's what I came up with:

"We disappear, beloved, far from the madding crowd."

Romantic, right?!

It's like a line from a poem or something! Haha. This was a fun one. :)

We Disappear by Scott Heim

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

Mid-Event Survey! 24-Hour Read-a-Thon

2011-04-09T18:06:00.001-05:00

Mid-Event Survey:

1. What are you reading right now?

-- Queer by William S. Burroughs and The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone

2. How many books have you read so far?

-- I've completed one book and took a bite out of another.

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?

-- Queer and possibly So You Want to be a Wizard.

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?

-- Well, I got a late start, so no - it hasn't been free. Unfortunately. Next time around, I'll plan ahead.

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?

-- Yes, runs to Jamba Juice and Corner Bakery for lunch, plus a stop at the sports shop to buy a Frisbee because, of course, this is the nicest day of the year so far.

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?

-- How man participants there are, and all the fun, varied events and challenges! There has been some great interactive activity out there - so many good times!

7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?

-- I will plan for it - my day will be clear, I won't have any interruptions, and I will have my reading list ahead of time.

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?

-- Hah - see above. :)

9. Are you getting tired yet?

-- NO WAY!

10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered?

--Uhm, I would say, stock up on snacks and favorite drinks ahead of time - and plan your day so that you have a few "breaks" in there. You need to get up and get out a bit - or, at least, you should. Honestly, 24 hours of non-stop reading isn't a good idea.

Dewey's Read-a-Thon 2011 Check-In

2011-04-09T16:04:00.003-05:00

We're at the 10-hour check-point for the 24-Hour Read-a-Thon. How did that happen?!

I'm seriously lagging behind - I'm working away at The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone, but I know I won't get through it today, and I want to have something completed to add to the overall "master list" for this challenge - so I'm moving on to a couple of very short works.

~~I'm starting Lysistrata by Aristophanes right now.~~

~~Next up is Queer by William S. Burroughs~~

If I manage to get through both of those, I will start So You Want to be a Wizard by Diane Duane.

After those three are done, I'll go back to Agony and the Ecstasy. Phew. How are you all doing!?

Dewey's Read-a-Thon 2011

2011-04-09T11:41:00.001-05:00

Okay, Leeswammes and Allie over at A Literary Odyssey have convinced me to participate in this year's Read-a-Thon, hosted over at Dewey's Read-a-Thon! We're 5 hours in already, I don't have a plan, and I know other distractions will come up, but I'm still going to do my best.

I'm currently reading The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone, which is about 800 pages long. So, my goal for the read-a-thon is to get as near to the end of it as possible. I'm currently on page 200. Let's see what happens.

Challenge Kick-Off Questions:

1)Where are you reading from today?
2)Three random facts about me…
3)How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
4)Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?
5)If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time?

My Answers:

1) I'm reading from home - trying to keep distractions at bay, though I know that won't happen, because I was a late jumper-on-board, so things were not planned accordingly.

2) Three random facts: I was born on Easter Sunday. My favorite holiday is Independence Day. I have never had the opportunity to travel outside the USA.

3) I have one book in my TBR pile (for now), but that book is 800 pages long.

4) My main goal is to read as much of The Agony and the Ecstasy as possible. It would be great to finish it this weekend - not that I'm anxious to be done, it's a beautiful book. Loving it so far.

5) Sorry, I'm a newbie.

Book Bloggers & Publishers Online Conference

2011-04-07T20:47:00.000-05:00

So, the Book Bloggers & Publishers Online Conference is coming up very soon and boy am I excited!

As the icon indicates, the Conference will take place from April 13-17th, with various panels and events happening throughout each day. Some of the panels I'm most looking forward to are:

The Legal Side of Blogging with Author/Lawyer Caridad Piniero 9pm EST

Usage of copyrighted material on blogs.
Disclosures - Content Warnings
E-piracy - What if you are accused?

Publishers Take on Reviews 4pm EST

What do publishers look for in a written review?
Are they interested in where they are posted?
What formats are available?

Reviews: Who We Write Them for and Where We Post Them 6pm EST

Why good and bad reviews are necessary
Who are you reviewing for?
Places you can post reviews online and why you may or may not want to

I'm also very excited about getting to engage with professionals in the industry, as well as with other experienced and/or novice bloggers, to share best practices, talk about what works and doesn't work - and just generally enjoy my time talking about what I love the most - books!

Review: Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

2011-04-04T20:22:00.003-05:00

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Final Verdict: 3.75 out of 4.0

YTD: 18

Plot/Story:
4 – Plot/Story is interesting/believable and impactful

Let’s take a moment to talk about true artistry, shall we? What Vladimir Nabokov does with Lolita is pure, unadulterated (heh heh) genius. The story is about a middle-aged man, Humbert Humbert, who falls madly in love and ravenously in lust with a twelve-year-old girl. Dolores (Lolita, to Humbert) is daughter to the woman who owns the house wherein Mr. Humbert lodges for a time, while wandering from place to place (which we soon discover is typical of him). Humbert has moved from France to the USA, after a lifetime of scholarly work and writing, and after being unable to shake the memory of and desire for his young first love, lost, Annabel. Devious, dirty, old Humbert establishes a plan to get rid of the troublesome mother, so that he may have Lolita all to himself – even going so far as to fantasize about a possible Lolita the second (who would be Humbert’s granddaughter, and future love). These plans falling into and out of action – and the many stumbling blocks and detours along the way – are the actions which drive this brilliant story forward.

Characterization:
4 – Characters extraordinarily developed.

It goes without saying that Mr. Humbert is a troubled man – but he is also brilliant and eerily endearing. Here is an anti-hero who one knows should be despised, yet you find yourself, at times, self-consciously rooting for him. Therein is the genius of Nabokov. His style and prose, his mastery of language and how to use it against his readers, coupled with his skill at characterization and knowledge of human psychology, all becomes irresistible. Lolita, too, is created with precision and great forethought. She is no victim (though she is). She garners little sympathy from the reader, though she may deserve it in general, and specifically at times. Still, one becomes convinced by Nabokov that, while Humbert knows what he is doing is wrong – as do you – you wonder if their relationship was meant to be, you wonder if it could work, after all. While the majority of the time is spent with these two characters, which are drawn effectively and flawlessly, there are also some minor characters which are written equally well - well enough to complement our two primaries. The nosy neighbors, the other nymphets (including Annabel), and Humbert’s “brothers” – often appearing much more devious than Humbert himself. Even Humbert’s demons – the phantoms of his mind, hunting him down as he and his Lolita roam from place to place – are extraordinary characters in themselves and add much to Humbert’s character. Finally, Humbert’s last mistress, Lolita’s innocent & injured husband, and Clare the villain are all drawn to serve Humbert & Lolita’s major story, but each have personalities and individualities of their own, which makes the story plausible, rounded, and interesting in a more rounded way.

Prose/Style:
4 – Extraordinary Prose/Style, enhancing the Story.

John Updike said of Nabokov’s ability, “Nabokov writes prose the only way it should be written, that is, ecstatically.” I find it impossible to disagree. The prose is beautifully fluid and, at times, overwhelmingly enthusiastic. It almost oozes across the page, like a lover’s bacchanalian walk towards the bedroom: as she looks back at you over her shoulder while stumbling forward – slightly clumsy, but unarguably riveting, you know that you cannot resist. You must follow. It is some of the most enveloping and inescapable prose I have ever read. There was also quite a bit of French, typically in descriptions or inner-monologue, which was distracting to me because my knowledge of French is extremely limited; however, it was important to see it there, as an essential piece of Humbert – it just became a piece which I needed to learn to acknowledge, then skip over. Nabokov was a master of language, so the structure was complex, yet the beauty of the prose made it easy to follow. The vocabulary is appropriately challenging while the plot-line remains straightforward. Ultimately, there is a fine balance between the challenging aspects and the zones of comfort, which matches the nature of the story impeccably.

Additional Elements: Setting, Symbols/Motifs, Resolution, etc.

3 – Additional elements are present and cohesive to the Story.

Vanity Fair magazine called Lolita, “the only convincing love story of our century.” While you cannot entirely argue that this is not a love story, I do insist that too much stress has been put on the idea of “love,” by readers of Lolita. Certainly, Humbert himself was convinced that he was madly en amorado for little Lolita and, in the years he is with her (and the few following their separation), the reader is witness to a staunch loyalty to her – but is this the loyalty of a true love, or of a lost pet who has eyes only for his master, because he knows that is how it should be (and because he hasn’t been sufficiently distracted, yet). I tend to lean more toward the latter, even after the self-sacrifice and mental break at the end. Still, the traveling life, the expensive gifts, the cheap motels – even the way Humbert describes his need to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit in order to take Lolita’s temperature – all work brilliantly to tug at the reader’s heartstrings, and perhaps that is the sad, scary love story, after all.

Suggested Reading for:
Age Level: Adult

Interest: Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology, Pederasty, Family, Sexuality

Notable Quotes:

“Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta.”

“You have to be an artist and a madman, a creature of infinite melancholy, with a bubble of hot poison in your loins and a super-voluptuous flame aglow in your subtle spine (oh, how you have to cringe and hide!), in order to discern at once, by ineffable signs—the slightly feline outline of a cheekbone, the slenderness of a downy limb, and other indices which despair and shame and tears of tenderness forbid me to tabulate—the deadly little demon among the wholesome children; she stands unrecognized by them and unconscious herself of her fantastic power.”

“All at once we were madly, clumsily, shamelessly, agonizingly in love with each other; hopelessly, I should add, because that frenzy of mutual possession might have been assuaged only by our actually imbibing and assimilating every particle of each other's soul and flesh; but there we were, unable even to mate as slum children would have so easily found an opportunity to do so.”

“We had been everywhere. We had really seen nothing. And I catch myself thinking today that our long journey had only defiled with a sinuous trail of slime the lovely, trustful, dreamy, enormous country that by then, in retrospect, was no more to us than a collection of dog-eared maps, ruined tour books, old tires, and her sobs in the night — every night, every night — the moment I feigned sleep.”

“Oh, my Lolita, I have only words to play with!”

Indie Lit Awards 2011

2011-04-03T14:14:00.002-05:00

They're Back - Are You Getting Excited!?

What are the ILAs?:

Titles are collected via nominations by literary bloggers in each of the above listed categories. To see the nomination lists or to add a title to them, please see the specific genre page. (Nominations are open September through December.)
Nominated titles will be tallied and the top 5 nominated titles from each category will be placed on a Short List.
Short List titles will be read and voted on by the Director and Voting Members of each category.
The top 2 titles from the Short List will be considered Finalists.
The winners from each category will be chosen by the Director and Voting Members of each category from the Finalist titles.

Important Nomination Information for YOU:

You must be a literary blogger; and a link to your blog must be provided so we can verify this. (You may not be the author, publisher, or publicist of the book you are nominating).
Books nominated must have a 2011 release date.
You may nominate a book that has already been listed (the books with the most nominations will be what we add to the Long List).
You may nominate books in more than one genre, but only one per genre.
Nominations are open midnight PST September 1, 2011 – 11:59 PST December 31, 2011.
Follow Us on Twitter (@indielitawards @RoofBeamReader)

Check out the ILA website for more information and to see which books won in each of last year's categories. You can also find author interviews from last year's nominees/winners as well.

Purple Birthday

2011-04-02T21:03:00.007-05:00

Hi, Readers -

This is a non-bookish post. I just wanted to share the three amazing paintings my sister made me for my birthday (tomorrow, but we celebrated today). She asked what I wanted, so I requested a painting(s) with a purple theme, and this is what she came up with. LOVE THEM ALL. Thanks, Shannon!!

"Out for a Ride" by Shannon Silver

"Iris" by Shannon Silver

"Just a Tree" by Shannon Silver

I'm always impressed by what she comes up with. Last year, she made me this, which I completely love (yellow birds are a personal symbol, as you may be able to tell by my blog design):

"Yellow Bird" by Shannon Silver

The most incredible part is 1) there is pretty much no artistic talent in my family (that I know of) and 2) she has no formal training - she just learns things on her own and does it. IT'S CRAZY. Definitely easy to see who has the talent in my family! :)

Thanks, Sis!

My sister and brother-in-law.

You can find my sister's artwork and artistic journey on her blog: One Thousand Paintings.

Saturdays, Uncensored! The Freedom Edition

2011-04-01T15:40:00.001-05:00

"There is nothing more frightening than active ignorance." - Goethe

Hello, Folks!

Welcome to the first April 2011 edition of Saturdays, Uncensored! As you probably know (or could guess by the title), this is a semi-monthly or bi-weekly, or sometime-present posting dedicated to exposing on-going issues with censorship and book banning. It also brings to the forefront many books, now considered to be "classics" or "canonical," which faced strong opposition upon publication and beyond.

I am posting a day early this week because my birthday is on Sunday (wee!) and I will be spending the day with family tomorrow. I apologize if this confused anyone - I know when I see a post titled with the wrong day, I typically spend the rest of the day in total befuddlement, but you're okay!

This week, I happen to be reading one oft-challenged classic novel, Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. I am absolutely loving the book so far, so I thought I would pay homage to its presence and power by dedicating this post to three important pieces of classic literature which faced intense scrutiny.

1. Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman

In 1881, Leaves of Grass was withdrawn from publication in Boston, MA. The District Attorney at the time threatened to prosecute Whitman and his publisher for the presence of explicit language in some of the poems. Soon after, Leaves of Grass was published in Pennsylvania. Of course, the collection had undergone scrutiny since its earliest editions in 1855 (Whitman expanded the volume for decades, continuously re-publishing it with updates) because of its overtly pro-sexuality stance, its exaltation of the physical body and, bizarrely, its innovation in form (free verse with rhythmic structure).

My experience with Leaves of Grass was one I will never forget. It was my first critical experience with American poetry of any kind (I had read some American poetry here and there - Dickinson, Plath, Sandburg, Frost and Poe, but nothing in-depth) and it was, in a way, life-changing. It sounds cliched, but as one who devotes so much time and energy to reading and to self-improvement through engagement with the written word, a discovery like Whitman's poetry is an almost once-in-a-lifetime event and it did give me a new appreciation for poetry in general. Of course, it also appealed to me on a personal and spiritual level. Some of my favorites: "Pioneers! O Pioneers!", "Song of Myself" and "O Captain! My Captain!"

2. The Rights of Man and The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine

There is nothing more amusing to me than when a pioneer of freedom, a champion for human rights, has his (or her) writing censored or banned on the basis of political or anti-nationalist subversion. What is particularly intriguing about Paine is that he was fist indicted for treason in England (1792) for The Rights of Man, which defended the French Revolution (which, technically, the English Monarchy should have been happy about). The fear, of course, was that English readers would read The Rights of Man and do to their own Monarchy what the French people did to theirs. Ironically, many of the greatest writers to come out of the period were inspired by the French Revolution and, ultimately, let down by its overall failure. I suppose the English Monarchy's fear may have been somewhat well-founded.

The Rights of Man was banned due to its argument for Deism in opposition to Christianity. It also argued against Atheism, which one would assume might please the Christian Monarchs; however, surprisingly, it only further angered the powers that be. I suppose this was because the argument against Atheism was supported by Paine's belief that there were multiple Gods. He was hoping to restore a type of Classical Roman theology to the people and politics of his time, which would challenge the Crown, of course, because the Monarchy and its line of succession was (and is) supposedly determined by God.

Follow Friday & Book Blogger Hop

2011-03-24T22:07:00.005-05:00

This is my first time at the "Follow My Book Blog" Hop. Don't Be too Harsh! ;)

Q. Inspired by the inane Twitter trend of #100factsaboutme, give us five BOOK RELATED silly facts about you.

1. Although I'm a practiced reader and multi-tasker, and although I can read rather quickly, I do not enjoy reading more than one book at a time. As an English major in college and an American Literature student in Graduate School, I got a lifetime's practice in reading (nay, excavating) multiple books at once - I don't need to do it anymore!

2. I have a very serious book-buying and book-hording, and book scavenging problem. Honestly. I'm not saying that to sound cutesy-bookish. I have a 5'x5' storage unit, filled with books. I have a spare closet filled with books. I have bookcases of varying sizes, filled with books. I have books on top of my DVD cabinets, and I have books in my drawers and file cabinets at work. I'm not sure, if I stopped now, that I would ever even manage to read all the books I own, in my lifetime. And, hopefully, I have quite a while yet to live.

3. My favorite literary indulgences are Classics and Literary Fiction - I enjoy heavy-hitters the most, as the challenging ones tend to be the most entertaining and fulfilling for me; however, I am not ashamed to admit that I will indulge in a little YA, Fantasy, or other genre-fiction from time-to-time. No shame here!

4. I cannot read sitting up, unless I absolutely have to (like at work). I need to be either laying down (front or back) or lounging/reclining. Something about reading while sitting up just reminds me of studying for exams, and it takes all the fun out of it. Tense - that's what it is, tense reading. Yuck.
5. I will probably never buy an e-reader, although I wouldn't mind being gifted one someday, to try it out. I'm a serious bibliophile, as already mentioned, so I have a real "thing" for old-fashioned, printed books. I can't even get into audio books, except for, perhaps, poetry - because that's often best out-loud anyway. I love E.A. Poe on audio book, for instance.

"If you could physically put yourself into a book or series…which one would it be and why?" The easy "go-to" answer for me here would be, of course, Harry Potter. BUT! Yes, I think I might actually have a surprise twist for ya'll. The series I might really want to be a part of is The Lost Years of Merlin by T.A. Barron. I think it would be such a trip to grow up with Merlin - to live in his time, learn what he learns, know the "real" him and get involved with the advent of magic - the magic that inspired later series' like Harry Potter and so many others. I'm so excited to hear that T.A. Barron has a new series coming out (there are three from him on Merlin already) AND that The Lost Years of Merlin is going to be coming to the movies soon. WOOT!

Review: The Ingram Interview by K.B. Dixon

2011-03-21T10:00:00.007-05:00

The Ingram Interview by K.B. Dixon
Final Verdict: 3.5 out of 4.0

YTD: 16

Plot/Story:
3 – Plot/Story is interesting & believable.

Meet Daniel Ingram, retired English professor: despondent, eccentric, and in the midst of writing his memoir, after being kicked out of his current home (a retirement facility) for depressing the other residents. The story itself is the process of Daniel writing his story, so the reader witnesses him interviewing himself (at least, this is what I eventually concluded – as the interviewer is never identified) as he moves out of the retirement center to live, briefly, with an ex-student and attempts to reconcile with his ex-wife so as to find a more permanent place to live. Daniel recently suffered a medical shock, which seems to have jolted his sense of self and needled at that pesky morality issue, wherein Daniel realizes that it may be “now or never”. Surprisingly, that is about the extent of his revelation and, while he mentions his family and other past failures, he has little regret in life and, instead, seems focused on just getting his story written and moving onward – to a new retirement facility, to new people, to new experiences. He is a people watcher, an outsider, and finds little importance in life, outside of what he is doing in each moment. Still, there are moments where he seems genuinely proud of and hopeful for certain people and things – it’s a strange, cold type of non-emotional emotion. Daniel clearly feels things, worries about things, and thinks about quite a lot – but he uses all of that to one end: writing.

Characterization:
3 – Characters well developed.

There is only one main character in the book, and that is Daniel Ingram – interviewer and interviewee. The other characters are present only in relation to Daniel’s interactions with them and opinions of them. Still, though Daniel seems emotionally detached, we are able to learn quite a bit about him – about his fears and ideals- just by what questions are asked and how he responds to them. One of my favorite moments is when the Interviewer mentions the nice weather, and Daniel rants about the inanity of mediocrity – how, even when it comes to weather, there should be some kind of substance (so a beautiful, clear day – 72 and sunny- is worthless – give him 48 degrees any day!). There is something about life in that answer – Daniel wants to feel something – he wants to (or does) appreciate the less-than or more-than average. Another favorite moment is the end of the book, where Daniel’s fears and recovery are finally addressed head-on, and that beautifully moving admission is quickly followed by a comment on somebody’s shoes, and how those shoes speak to the man’s personality. It’s kind of brilliant.

Prose/Style:
4 – Extraordinary Prose/Style, enhancing the Story.

The self-interview as style was unique and interesting. Many writers I know employ this device when creating stories, but few –if any- that I can think of have actually turned the process itself into the actual story. I honestly had an incredibly fun time reading this book (and read it in two sittings of 60-pages each) because of the style – it was interesting and new and reminded me of something I would do for myself, either in preparation for writing a short story or other creating writing piece, or simply as a self-evaluation for blogging purposes or job interviews, etc. It was also amusing to keep up with Daniel’s thought process, which was ever changing – in the course of a chapter, the questions would range from topics like burglary in the retirement center to the artistic value of a certain movie, to the nature of Daniel’s relationship with his son. This style reminded me of how quickly our own thoughts race through our heads – how we can be sitting in a room, staring out the window, and in the hour that passes, a thousand thoughts about a thousand topics and memories will have passed, and these little thoughts are what we are made of and these moments of reflection are how we grow as individuals.

Additional Elements: Setting, Symbols/Motifs, Resolution, etc.
4 – Additional elements improve and advance the story.

What I find so attractive about this book is that it there is a very real human spirituality to it. The themes and style remind me of something Mitch Albom would write, if he were more focused on the human element, rather than the religious. Dixon is allowing the reader to take a look at a man, aging and coming to terms with that mortality, but not grasping at any straws – not looking for any type of relief, but just living to the best of his ability, through the last of his days. The narrator, Daniel Ingram, still has to struggle with accepting mortality and the fact that the “better days” are over, but he uses that struggle as another life event – another learning experience, another writing process. This type of spirituality – the intellectual pursuit of life through life – it resonated with me in a way that similar topics, addressed through religious revelations and explanations never could.

Suggested Reading for:
Age Level: Adult

Interest: Aging, Writing, Elder-Care, Death and Dying, Artistry, Metafiction

Notable Quotes:

“Dan Noakes. He has a weakness for taffy-colored shoes.”

“In thirty years I have never been able to look out on a meadow filled with grazing cattle and not first think – ah, a field of swaying bovines.”

“He has an excellent reputation, Dr. Nesbitt – you just have to ignore the fact that for some reason he thought it would be a good idea to do something interesting with his mustache.”

“Who is Everyman? Where did he go to school? What sort of jobs did he have before he ended up with this one? He used to be one way, now he’s another. Does he know why?”

Somewhere Over the Sun by Adi Alsaid :: Author Interview & Giveaway!

2011-03-20T10:00:00.103-05:00

Hello, Readers!

I would like you all to meet Adi Alsaid, author of Somewhere Over the Sun. Adi has graciously agreed to stop by and answer a few interview questions, to help my readers get to know him. He has also provided me with one extra copy of his book, to be given to a lucky RBR.net reader!

All you need to do to be eligible to win a copy is 1) be a follower of RBR.net and 2) leave a comment below, engaging with this interview post and letting me know you want to be entered. Better leave an e-mail address where you can be contacted, too!

Thanks, Adi, for stopping by and introducing yourself, and for allowing my readers a chance at winning a copy of your new book.

About the Book:

Alan, a spirited young writer with a wandering imagination has discovered that the stories he writes are suddenly coming to life. At the suggestion of his loving father, Alan embarks on a quixotic journey to visit friends and use his new found gift to write them all happier lives. There are a few limitations to his power; he can't cure diseases, he can't summon pots of gold, and headaches accompany each reality-infused story he lives out, but the appreciative and optimistic Alan is not deterred from creating fantastical characters and storylines to give his friends more literary lives.

About the Author:

Adi Alsaid graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a degree in Marketing, but spent the majority of his time there reading and writing fiction. Somewhere Over the Sun is his debut novel and was written in Monterey, CA. He was born and raised in Mexico City to Israeli parents whose love and support made this book possible. Adi is usually unsure of how long he will remain at any given address, but chances are he is living somewhere in the northwestern hemisphere. He hopes this book brings his readers even a sentence's worth of happiness.

Aside from reading and writing, Adi is a huge fan of cooking and eating, watching and playing basketball, and listening to music and singing (despite his clear inability to do so).

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1. We’re here today to spread the word about your new book Somewhere Over the Sun – so tell us about it: Where did it come from? What’s it about? And why do you think people should read it?

The story’s about Alan, a young, imaginative writer who discovers that the stories he writes are suddenly coming to life. Fueled by Alan’s desire to spread joy as far as it’ll go and encouraged by his loving father, Alan goes on a trip to visit friends and write them happier more literary lives using his new-found ability to turn fiction into reality.

It came, as most of my story ideas do, inexplicably and in the middle of the night. I was about to fall asleep and a sentence-long thought forced me to wake up and turn the computer back on so that I could write the thought down before it died. I typed out the sentence, then forget about it for a few months until it turned into an outline and my journey as a professional writer began. More on that later.

I wrote in my author bio that I hope the book brings readers even a sentence’s worth of happiness, and I want people to read my book because I truly believe that there’s at least a morsel-sized smile for everyone within its pages. Obviously, I’m a bit biased, but so far reviews and reader reactions have confirmed this. I tried to bring life out of the mundane, find happiness where it might go overlooked and I think readers will enjoy seeing Alan’s happy-go-lucky ways of turning fiction into reality.

2. We all come from someplace and we all have life experiences, similar and different to others, but how do these things – where you’re from and what you’ve done- impact the things you write and the way you write them?

Oh boy. Huge question. I doubt there’s a way for me to fully answer this, much less succinctly, but I’ll give it a shot (I apologize in advance for any rambling). Fiction is definitely rooted in life. And even with my natural proclivity to have a colorful imagination, I doubt I’d write anything of interest if it weren’t for the life I’ve lead and continue to live.

That life has affected my writing is a certainty. The question of how is impossible to answer in any all-encompassing way, so here’s just a tiny list of all the ways my life has influenced my writing. If I try to expand upon these, we might be here forever, so I hope these nuggets of myself and my writing are sufficient, even without context: I am a happy person. I grew up in Mexico City, but because I attended an international school called the American School Foundation, I found a home in the English language.

In high school, the way to gain love’s affection that most made sense to me was through words and I failed more than once; in college and since I have succeeded. I’ve moved around a lot and am good at goodbyes. I’ve lived in central California. I cook for the same reason that I write: because once I found out I could, found out that I had the ability to learn and the ability to create something literary delicious or literally delicious, why would I not? (more on that here)

3. Can you tell us about how you came to the realization that you are a writer – the moment when you knew that it wasn’t just a hobby, something you did well, but that it was what you were going to do with your life?

That moment wasn’t a hardheaded, heart-chasing “this is my life’s calling” kind of moment. It came out of surrounding circumstances that kind of forced me into the moment. When I was about to graduate from UNLV with a Business Marketing degree, I had a job in my sights which would pay me to travel and set up fundraising call centers for universities. I was good at fundraising and I love to travel, so it seemed like a great fit. I figured that I’d work for the year my visa made me eligible for and afterward I’d either get sponsored for a more permanent visa or I’d cross that bridge when I got there. Turns out, the company wasn’t very keen on hiring me for just a year, and neither was anyone else so I found myself about to graduate with no fall back option. I didn’t want to go back home to Mexico. And then I remembered that little sentence that I had written down in the middle of the night a few months before. I emailed a friend from high school, asked her if she thought I could make a book out of it and before she had said yes, I began planning my getaway to the California coast to write.

It didn’t even fully hit me until after the book was written and I had moved back to Las Vegas that this was now my career. I have a friend who would introduce me to all his film friends as, Adi, the writer and that’s when it started to sink in.

I always knew I was a writer. But until I was in the thick of it, I didn’t realize I would ever be a writer, if that distinction is clear.

4. Now that you’ve told us how you knew you were going to be a writer, can you share with us some of your biggest literary influences – books or authors? Which writers and works have inspired you and influenced your own style, and why?

In a guest post I wrote (found here) titled “You Are What You Read”, I talked about a file I have saved in my computer of quotations and passages from books that I’ve picked up along the way. I think these snippets, as well as all the song lyrics I’ve memorized along the way, lines from movies, have become a part of me. Even
if I’m misinterpreting them or misunderstanding them, they’re there, shaping the way I see the world simply because they’re offering their opinion.

I read tons of R.L Stine when I was a kid, so I’m sure he influenced me somehow. Probably by leading me to Stephen King, who in turn led me to pretty much everything else. It’s interesting I never became a horror writer. I’ve been reading Bill Watterson of Calvin and Hobbes for ages, and if he hasn’t influenced my writing or general life outlook at all, then he’s at least influenced my physical aspect (Calvin and Hobbes sit quietly at the base of a tree on my leg, forever contemplative).

I once tried to write a story specifically trying to imitate Vonnegut’s style, and I’m sure there’s bits of him in my writing that I’ll never shake free. Bob Dylan and Charlie Kauffman, Palahniuk, John Darnielle, Hemingway. Here’s a list of a few more: Influences.

5. Finally, now that your first book has been written and is being published, what would you say you have learned from the whole process, start-to-finish? Was there anything unexpected or particularly challenging?

Most importantly, I think, is that I found out that I could. Before I wrote Somewhere Over the Sun, I specialized in not finishing short stories. I even had the idea to one day release them in a collection called Never-ending Stories.

I realize now how little I knew about the book publishing process. Even when I was writing the book and researching what to do after it was written, I was pretty clueless. I’ve learned how long it takes to wait on agent responses, I’ve learned that self-publishing companies sometimes stop caring about you after you’ve made your payment, I’ve learned that a publishing contract is not enough for a Special Talents Visa (the immigration lawyer practically laughed at me, “You’re 23? You want a visa because you wrote a book? Did you win a Nobel Prize yet? No? Not gonna happen then.”), I’ve learned that social media sites are crucial for authors’ marketing efforts, but that without positive word of mouth it’s hard to get anywhere. And that even with some positive word of mouth, you still have to do some yelling to be heard.

Thanks for helping me yell, Adam.
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Thank you again, Adi, for stopping by and allowing my readers a chance to meet you and learn about your new book!

Readers, remember, if you would like a chance to win a free copy of Adi's book, Somewhere Over the Sun, simply leave a comment with your e-mail address and engage with this post (any simple comments like "Please enter me" will not be considered).

Review: Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper

2011-03-19T13:10:00.003-05:00

Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper
Final Verdict: 3.0 out of 4.0

YTD: 15

Plot/Story:
3 – Plot/Story is interesting & believable.

Simon, Jane, and Barnabas Drew are on a summer trip with their parents, visiting their mysterious uncle in Trewissick, a small and ancient village, just outside the limits of Cornwall, England. It is fabled that Cornwall is the land of that once and future King, Arthur Pendragon. After discovering an ancient map in the attic of the “Grey House,” which their parents have rented for the holiday, the kids are soon sucked into events beyond their years and beyond their control. As the children are quick to discover, the village is rife with members of the “Dark” – forces who seek to find the Holy Grail and use its power for evil. The Drew siblings, with a little help and protection from their Uncle Merry (who the reader will discover is more than he appears) and dog Rufus, must learn to read the map, understand its clues, and find the Grail before the Dark can get to it.

Characterization:
2 – Characters slightly developed.

Though I enjoyed this book overall, the biggest complaint I have is its lack of character development, depth, or description. The reader spends most of his time with the three Drew children, but I for one never really got a grasp on each of their individual personalities, or even the simple things – like what they look like (aside from Barney’s light-colored hair) or how old they are. Even by the end of the book, I honestly felt like I had to create their images and personalities almost entirely in my head. The mysterious Uncle Merry, too, only gets a decent description in the last few pages, though he’s had many “on page” moments. The parents are nearly entirely on the periphery, as they tend to be in many of these YA Fantasy books, where the kids are the heroes, and while I felt I had a small understanding of the father, there wasn’t much for the mother (who, as an artist, could have been a wonderful opportunity). Bill Hoover Jr. and Mr. and Miss Withers were okay, as was Hastings and Mrs. Palk. Still, these were characters who were all, in some way, antagonistic toward the main characters, and only as effective as in relation to the Drew children, who were sadly under-developed.

Prose/Style:
4 – Extraordinary Prose/Style, enhancing the Story.

Fortunately, though the book lacked depth and growth in its characters, it was very well written. The prose is engaging and a bit challenging (in a good way); more so than, say, the Chronicles of Narnia series, which is likely written for the same age group and for readers of similar interests. Dialogue is spot on, too, and Cooper does a nice job of linking characters’ thoughts or dialogue with facial expressions, body movements, etc. When Rufus the dog is scared or angry, for instance, it is described both in the physical manifestations, as well as the sounds and actions the dog makes. There is a bit more “telling” than showing, where human characters are involved, but not so much so as to be distracting or to detract from the enjoyment of the plot in action.

Additional Elements: Setting, Symbols/Motifs, Resolution, etc.
3 – Additional elements are present and cohesive to the Story.

What completely surprised me about this book, because it was not hinted at in the book’s description, was that the crux of the fantasy element and good v. evil power struggle in this book is the Arthurian legend. This is something I am fascinated with in general – the legend of Merlin and Arthur, the quest for the Holy Grail and its disappearance, etc. So, when I discovered that this is where the book was leading, the plot became suddenly much more interesting and enjoyable. Having this legend as the driving force for the story also added a deeper level of meaning for the fantasy itself – battles between good and evil, with supernatural elements, magical beings, ancient languages and all, can be and often are very interesting motivators for a fantasy plot, but when those elements are interwoven with another ancient legend, and those specific elements of the legend start to play out in the new story’s plot (which takes place centuries later) – it’s a different kind of magic. It reminds me of what Riordan does with his new mythology series’ (Percy Jackson, The Kane Chronicles, etc.) – using modern places and events + contemporary storytelling to retell the ancient Greek and Egyptian myths. Cooper is doing the same with the Arthurian Legend, and it’s groovy.

Suggested Reading for:
Age Level: Young Adult +

Interest: Fantasy, Mystery, Young Heroes, Arthurian Legend, Celtic Mythology, History of the Holy Grail

Must Read in This Lifetime

2011-03-18T19:56:00.003-05:00

Welcome to St. Patrick's Day Weekend - at the Hops!

This week's question for the Literary Blog Hop is:

What one literary work must you read before you die?

Now, as Christina pointed out in her original reply over at The Blue Bookcase, this question could have two potential interpretations: First, which book would I recommend to you all, as a "must read" before you die; or, Second, which book do I have plans to read, eventually, before my reading-time expires? So, let me answer both!

The book I would recommend to everyone is Lust for Life by Irving Stone. You can read my full review for the book right here but, in brief, I recommend the book based on it's historical accuracy, it's intimate look at the life of an artistic icon, and Stone's beautiful prose and fluid language.

Summary:

Irving Stone's Lust for Life is a fictional memoir - a novelization of the life of Vincent van Gogh. The novel is based on the many letters (approximately 700) written between Vincent van Gogh and his younger brother, Theo. Stone takes an author’s creative license and invents dialogue, situations, etc.; still, many of the characters, places, and events are based on events which really happened and which were described in the brothers’ letters. The novel spans approximately ten years, from the time van Gogh leaves home to become a missionary, up to his death in Auvers-sur-Oise. Stone appropriately captures van Gogh’s temperament, as well as his passion for art, though never quite having been accepted as an artist in his lifetime, by critics or peers.

And, as to the book that I must read before I die, I think I will have to go with James Joyce. No, not Ulysses, which seems to be a staple for all of us bookish folk who really want to join the elite (whether or not we actually end up understanding the book). I do plan to read Ulysses someday, and I've tried twice already, but the one I really, really want to be sure to read is the sorta companion piece, Finnegan's Wake. This one is also a chunkster, and also ridiculously difficult to read, so I'm told, but it sounds so much more interesting to me. Here are a couple of summaries:

"The book is, in one sense, the story of a publican in Chapelizod (near Dublin), his wife, and their three children; but Mr. Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker, Mrs. Anna Livia Plurabelle, and Kevin, Jerry, and Isabel are every family of mankind. The motive idea of the novel, inspired by the 18th-century Italian philosopher Giambattista Vico, is that history is cyclic; to demonstrate this the book begins with the end of a sentence left unfinished on the last page. Languages merge: Anna Livia has "vlossyhair"--wlosy being Polish for "hair"; "a bad of wind" blows--bad being Persian for "wind." Characters from literature and history appear and merge and disappear. On another level, the protagonists are the city of Dublin and the River Liffey standing as representatives of the history of Ireland and, by extension, of all human history. As he had in his earlier work Ulysses, Joyce drew upon an encyclopedic range of literary works. His strange polyglot idiom of puns and portmanteau words is intended to convey not only the relationship between the conscious and the unconscious but also the interweaving of Irish language and mythology with the languages and mythologies of many other cultures." -- The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature

"Follows a man's thoughts and dreams during a single night. It is also a book that participates in the re-reading of Irish history that was part of the revival of the early 20th century." - Amazon.com

This week's question from the Book Blogger Hop is:

"Do you read only one book at a time, or do you have several going at once?"

To be honest, I have a very difficult time reading more than one book at a time. Ever since finishing graduate school, where reading multiple books at once was not optional, I have been reluctant to try juggling my literature in that way. I find I can enjoy books much more deeply and fully if I devote all of my literary energy to them singly. Whenever I divide my attention between books, even keeping one at work and one at home, I am essentially asking my brain to keep separate comprehension compartments active, simultaneously. I don't like doing that, because it seems to do a disservice to my enjoyment of the books, and it also hinders my ability to review each book accurately in in-depth. The only exception might be if I'm re-reading a book or books (like the Harry Potter series), which I can do without really being distracted from another, first-time read.

Note: Come back on Sunday, March 20th for an author Interview and Giveaway!

If You Were A Book.....

2011-03-18T12:28:00.001-05:00

You Are a Hardcover Book

When it comes to reading, you tend to stick to old and modern classics. You are picky about what you read.

You probably anticipate certain books' releases, and you snatch them up the moment they're available.

You have been building a library of books that mean a lot to you. You carefully consider every book before deciding to add it to your collection.

You believe that if a book is worth reading, it's worth paying more to have it in hardcover.

Are You a Hardcover Book or a Paperback Book?

You Are Mystery

You are a natural problem solver. You like figuring out the best way to do something.

You are very intuitive. You are good at picking up on people's moods and predicting the future.

You can't help but being a bit of a detective and a snoop. You always want to know what's going on.

And while you may have the scoop on everyone you know, you're not a gossip. You're a pro at keeping secrets.

What Kind of Book Are You?

Your Blogging Type is Logical and Principled

You like to voice your well thought out opinions on your blog.

And if someone doesn't what you write, you really don't care!

Serious and blunt, sometimes people take your blog the wrong way.

But you're a true and loyal friend to those who truly get you.

What's Your Blogging Personality?

You Are a Sonnet

There's no way we would write a whole sonnet for you
So you'll have to just believe that our love is true

You are a romantic at heart with a beautiful spirit
You should embrace who you are and never fear it

What Type of Poem Are You?

Note: Come back tomorrow (Sunday, March 20th) for an author Interview and Giveaway!

Review: Who is Mark Twain? by Mark Twain

2011-03-16T20:09:00.001-05:00

Who is Mark Twain? By Mark Twain
Final Verdict: 3.75 out of 4.0

YTD: 14

Plot/Story:
4 – Plot/Story is interesting/believable and impacful

Who is Mark Twain? is a collection of short stories, essays and letters, published posthumously by Twain’s editors. It encompasses a wide range of political, social, and educational ideals, as well as some insight into Twain’s personal and family life, as well as funny anecdotes about his journey from San Francisco nobody to over-night sensation. As usual, I connected strongly with Twain’s pieces – I tend to be aligned well with his philosophical points of view (when he praises the U.S. Journalists for being irreverent, except where actual reverence is due, as opposed to foreign presses which pay reverence to pretty much everything, I about shouted with joy), but I did disagree with him in one respect: he completely bashes Jane Austen, in the short essay “Jane Austen.” Now, I had heard that Twain wasn’t a fan, and it’s not hard to imagine why – when you compare Twain’s world and work to Austen’s, it’s almost polar-opposite – almost. Twain touches on Austen’s satire and parody, but only briefly – and in a way which indicates that Twain didn’t think Austen really knew what she was doing, and her later critics made it appear as if she was being satirical when, in fact, she really believed what she was writing. Now, I don’t know how far Twain went to familiarize himself with Austen’s works or personal writings – he mentions two books, which he tried to read repeatedly, but couldn’t get into. That’s fine and dandy, but I do think Twain was off on this one, because Jane Austen was a brilliant comedienne who, I believe, truly knew what she was doing and saying.

Characterization:
3 – Characters well developed.

This section really only applies to those works of short fiction in this collection – the essays and letters due have characters, because Twain tends to respond to everything with a story. Still, his characters really shine in stories like “A Group of Servants,” “The Undertaker’s Tale,” and “The Snow-Shovelers” (which was also a brilliant statement on politics and ethics hypocrisy). Some of the strongest characterization, in my opinion, is found in two stories whose main characters are animals: “The Jungle Discusses Man” and “Telegraph Dog.” Here, Twain uses animals in human situations to discuss human nature – which was fascinating (and the first, “Jungle” reminded me of a twisted retelling or foreshadowing of The Lion King, actually).

Prose/Style:
3 – Satisfactory Prose/Style, conducive to the Story.

Twain’s prose is fluid and easy to follow. Whether he is writing a fictional story, a letter to an editor, or a biographical letter to a friend, his language is effortless and his ability with puns and world-play is uncontested (the only class of writers I can compare him to are Shakespeare, Swift, and Vonnegut). I adore the satirists, but they have to be brilliant if they are going to get it right, and Twain definitely gets it right (most of the time). Reading his pieces is like conversing with a charming old friend, who just wants to catch up after the years, chat about how things have been going, and tell you how completely wrong you are about everything, but all the while offering you candy and cigarettes, fluffing your pillow and refilling your drink. He cares deeply about people, and he cares about giving the proper kind of respect to the people who have earned it. All of this, the sentiment of his convictions and virtues, comes across in the tone of the language, and through the undercurrent of the words – the actual words often saying the opposite of what Twain really means.

Additional Elements: Setting, Symbols/Motifs, Resolution, etc.
4 – Additional elements improve and advance the story.

What I enjoy so much about Twain is the way he tackles difficult issues, be they politics, religion, education, or social ideals, boldly and confidently, but with a reassuring and refreshing sense of whimsy and fun, as if to say “there’s no reason to be bothered about any of this, really.” He is serious, but calm – he can put the “smack down” on anybody he finds in the wrong, and he does in quite a few instances in this collection, but one gets the feeling that Twain finds all arguing in general, rather silly – he just wants to live a good life, and to encourage that in others, and he gets most dangerous and powerful when he is writing against any attack on people’s rights to happiness and well-being. He pokes-fun at people in a brilliantly endearing way, but he does the same to himself, which makes the reader comfortable in knowing that, at the very least, Twain is a man who can take an honest look at himself and criticize where critique is due.

Suggested Reading for:
Age Level: High School and above

Interest: Satire, Non-Fiction, Memoir, Auto-biography, Short Story, Politics, History

Notable Quotes:

“I asked the British Government to tell me what head I came under. . . . Now you will never believe it, but I give you my honor that this – this, which you see before you- was actually taxed as a Gas Works.” - Twain discussing taxes imposed upon his published fiction in England, before copyright laws.

“It seemed to sort of recognize me as one of the Friendly Powers – not on a large scale, of course – not like Russia and China and those, but on a – well, on a secondary scale – New Jersey.”

Review: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

2011-03-14T00:00:00.008-05:00

Book Review Template
Final Verdict: 1.75 out of 4.0

YTD: 13

Plot/Story:
1 – Unbelievable Plot/Story.

I must preface this review by stating that, having read Ayn Rand’s “About the Author” section, prior to reading this book, I commenced this monster with the complete knowledge that Ayn Rand was a liar and a hypocrite. In her “About the Author” section, she states: “I had a difficult struggle, earning my living at odd jobs, until I could make a financial success of my writing. No one helped me, nor did I think at any time that it was anyone’s duty to help me.” The premise of the book expands on this, in essence demonizing any personal, unselfish acts of altruism or charity, and calling for the overthrow of any government which enacts social welfare programs for the needy, underprivileged, or even mentally/physically disabled. Yet, Ayn Rand herself cashed-in on Social Security (welfare) benefits and was a recipient of Medicare and public aid later in life, when she became afflicted with lung cancer. She reaped the benefits of these services, however, under another name – and through a legal agency.

This introduction is all by way of saying: you cannot take Ayn Rand’s philosophical stance, expounded nauseatingly transparently in Atlas Shrugged, seriously whatsoever; so, naturally, you cannot take the plot seriously either. Still, though I could not agree with the philosophy or so-called morality of the book’s message, I will still review it as a whole, objectively, by viewing it objectively – in a way which, ironically, Ayn Rand, mother of Objectivism, could not view anything in any way whatsoever.

Essentially, the book tells the story of the “human elites” – the small group of men (and one woman) who have reached the pinnacle of human achievement and who, after bearing the burden of society’s injustices for so long, disappear and leave the world to collapse without them. To me, reading the book was a bizarre experience – one which I am grateful for, in a way, in that it exposed me to a type of thinking and belief system which is completely antithetical to my own: it was like Superman being trapped inside the mind of Lex Luthor; it was like Harry Potter being trapped inside the mind of Voldemort. The book is disguised as a type of dystopian murder-mystery, wherein a group of “Freedom Fighters” attempt to overthrow and undermine the atavistic government. The government is supposedly turning the inventors, the big businessmen, the corporate geniuses into slaves – demanding that they become servile to the working class.

Characterization:
2 – Characters slightly developed.

This section, too, almost received the lowest possible rating; the only saving grace for Rand’s characters is that 1) they are clearly (if disgustingly) imagined and 2) I have read worse characterization. Still, all of the characters in this book are absurd grotesques of the virtues and vices of Rand’s mind. The heroes and champions all share the same motives, characteristics, instincts, and supposed laudable qualities – like selfishness, lack of emotional feeling, and assumption that sexual acts are only merited when they happen as the result of the meeting of two “worthy” minds. The villains, too, are the same person with different names. They are all portrayed as soft, bumbling, lecherous, and needy. Any character who believes in kindness toward or charity for their fellow man is a fool and a danger to society. Any character who believes that thousands may die, should they not prove their “right” to life by inventing something or by running a business, is thereby deemed moral and good. It’s an absurd romp-through a tops-turvy la-la-land of philosophical horror, and it is no wonder that Ayn Rand conceitedly snipes at Aristotle in her afterword, because Aristotle, had he read her work, would likely lambast her to no end, and possibly encourage the natives to slip some hemlock in her wine.

Prose/Style:
2 – Prose/Style in need of Development but works.

Oh, where to begin. Fortunately, Ayn Rand is not difficult to read because she writes rather pedestrianly. She has no mastery of prose or language whatsoever, which is perhaps why she later admitted to never being able to amass her riches as a writer. She comes across as a peculiar confluence of Harlequin romance writer meeting undergraduate Philosophy major. At any given time, you may be reading about the heated love-making of two powerful beings, scenes lacking any depth or connection whatsoever and which make you wonder whether Rand ever got any (I sure wouldn’t go near it). Then, inexplicably, the writing becomes that of an essayist who is determined to beat his theory into your head and gives you that same beating over and over and over, in different forms but of the same message (Making money is life’s highest goal and having money is life’s highest achievement). When it gets really strange is when the pounding of that message gets muddled up with the oddly numerous instances of sexual passion – and, also weirdly, that the beating tends to manifest itself in every man brutally dominating, physically and sexually, the one primary female character – she gets it rough from three different men, and loves it every time. What, exactly, is this supposed to tell us about Ms. Rand’s philosophy, I wonder?

Additional Elements: Setting, Symbols/Motifs, Resolution, etc.
2 – Additional elements are present but do not develop the Story.

The reading experience, well, it was awful, horrible, terrible – and enlightening. That people like Ayn Rand exist in the world is something which I would gladly deny or ignore but, if there is one thing to praise about this book, it is that it forces one’s eyes –and mind- open to the possibility of true evil. And it does so unsparingly, not with the touch of an angel's fingertips on your eyelids, but with a cold iron wrench. You can see, I am pulling no punches, and for a book whose final sentence -after 1200 pages of ideological, polarized and supposedly didactic “story-telling” is as follows, you can, I hope, understand why: “He raised his hand and over the desolate earth he traced in space the sign of the dollar.” Seriously?

The book discusses morality in a fringe, whacked-out way, only made possible by the twisted mind of a sociopath. What is “good” and what is “evil” is reversed, and all binaries are eliminated, so that the world, apparently, can only exist in “actuals” – in clear black and white, either or. Indeed, the “middle-ground” world in which we truly live is laughed at, scoffed at as if mediation, moderation, or compromise is simply an attempt by menials to refuse responsibility or real action. Instead, Rand’s heroes claim total and complete philosophical, economic, and intellectual right in all they believe, simply because they believe it and put it into action – and it is that principal, “action,” in addition to the glory of wealth and private property, which stands as a beacon for what is holy and moral.

Now, to be fair and objective, there were moments of this book that I enjoyed - the swashbuckling ending, for instance, which felt like something straight out of the A-Team - that was fun! I also appreciated Rand's point that hard work will and should pay off, and that every person should have a meaningful purpose in life, a driving force or goal which inspires and fulfills them. But, where she loses me is when she jumps off from that point into the abyss of selfishness, stating that the only real goals worth having are the ones that are financially rewarding, and which deny any admittance of charity. She says, even in romantic relationships and friendships, that giving for the sake of giving - just being generous- is an act of immorality. Sorry, but not in my book.

It is incredible to read about a type of America wherein people have only emotions or intellect, but not both; an American where people are either superficial and selfish businessmen or wholly altruistic, giving, selfless mystics, but never elements of each. It is even more incredible to learn of an author who would put the formers – the greed, the selfishness, the amassed wealth without concern for the needy, on higher moral ground than the selfless servants of man. Rand scolds the likes of Plato, Aristotle, and even Jesus Christ, in favor of complete and total Capitalist might. It is not hard to see why this book would be a favorite amongst college students, those impressionable youths who are breaking free from their parents, throwing off rules, and heading out to conquer the world – but it is horrifying to think that some of them might actually believe that Rand’s is an acceptable or just way of doing it.

Suggested Reading for:
Age Level: Adults

Interest: Sociopathic Capitalism, Criminal Negligence of Thought, Antipathy, Pseudo-philosophy, anti-altruism, whack-a-doodle world views

Notable Quotes:

“The Utopia of Greed” (Title of Part Three, Chapter Two)

-The one quote, in my opinion, which sums up this entire sham of a novel.

"Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplacable spark. In the hopeless swamps of the not quite, the not yet, and the not at all, do not let the hero in your soul perish and leave only frustration for the life you deserved, but never have been able to reach. The world you desire can be won, it exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours."

2011 TBR Pile Challenge - Check Point #1

2011-03-13T11:08:00.003-05:00

The 2011 TBR Pile Challenge - Check Point #1

Congratulations! For all of you troopers still pounding away at your TBR piles (and there are a lot of you - I've been traveling through your blogs this weekend), you are now 25% of the way! Well, that is to say, we're 25% of the way through the calendar year, but that doesn't necessarily mean you're 25% of the way through your lists. If you're not - what's the matter with you, slacker?! Just kidding!

Even if you've only made your way through one book on the list so far, that's one book you hadn't read last year, and maybe wouldn't have even gotten to this year, so way to go!

This Check Point does not come with a giveaway, largely because I just did a HUGE giveaway last month, and because I have two giveaways coming up soon, which coincide with two author interviews that I'm doing. The next Check Point, though, which will be mid-year, is going to have a SLAMMING Giveaway, with prizes valued at at least $100. Can you feel the bookish love?!

So, how is everyone progressing, anyway? Where are you in your lists? Which books have been good? Which have been bad? How are your reviews coming along - easier to write than you imagined? Harder?

My List So Far:

01. The Optimist's Daughter by Eudora Welty
02. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
03. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
04. ~~The City of Ember~~ ~~by Jeanne DuPrau~~ (Complete: 1/12/2011)
05. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
06. Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow
07. The Garden of Eden by Ernest Hemingway
08. Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
09. It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini (Complete: 1/7/2011)
10. The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone
11. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
12. Hocus Pocus by Kurt Vonnegut (Completed 2/25/2011)

Completed: 4 out of 12

Saturday, Uncensored - Anti-Family Fantasy Series'

2011-03-12T10:47:00.001-06:00

Hello, Hello!

Welcome to another week of Saturdays, Uncensored!

As you can see, I have been busy chugging away at Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, so I haven't had a review posted in a couple of weeks - but I should be finished with the super-chunky Rand "novel" (I'll explain why that's in quotes when it comes time to review the book - you won't want to miss it) in the next few days, so be on the look-out for that!

Also, I have two author interviews with coinciding giveaways coming up in the next few weeks. I'm very excited to introduce you to these two authors and their works. One interview is complete, I'm just waiting on the books to get to me so I can be prepared to send one out to a lucky reader. The other interview should be completed in the coming days, and I'll have that up soon after too.

Now, onto this week's Saturdays, Uncensored! As always, the spotlight is on censorship and book banning, here at RBR.net. Did you know*:

67% of reported challenges are happening either in the classroom or in school libraries?
17% of reported challenges occur because the book depicts homosexuality and/or are "anti-family" or anti-Christianity?

Taking these numbers into consideration, here are this week's featured books:

1. His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman
This was the second-most challenged book(s) in 2008. Can anyone guess why? The first book in the series, The Golden Compass was published in 1995 - so why did it take 13 years for the challenges to surface en-mass? Well, the movie adaptation hit the big screen in 2007 - spurring an increased scrutiny on the subject matter, and plenty of new vitriol from religious (Christian) leaders over a movie based on books that you better believe they have never read. Now, to be fair, many believe the His Dark Materials trilogy to be the atheist's answer to C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia series - but do we see atheist or anti-religious groups calling for a ban on Lewis or picketing the movie premiers? No. In this golden age of reason, where has rationality and free-thought gone?

"In an epic trilogy, Philip Pullman unlocks the door to a world parallel to our own, but with a mysterious slant all its own. Dæmons and winged creatures live side by side with humans, and a mysterious entity called Dust just might have the power to unite the universes--if it isn't destroyed first." -Amazon.com

2. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
This series was the most challenged in 2001 & 2002, and the second-most challenged in 2003. It then suddenly disappears from the Top 10 lists, beginning in 2004 and continuing to-date. Why? One can only speculate - but the primary reasons are probably 1) Many of the complainants actually picked up the books, read them, and fell in love and 2) Those who didn't read the books (but maybe saw the movies?) realized that, hey, here's a not-so-terrifying series that's actually getting millions of people to read - let's chill out!

The top reasons for challenges, took, were occult/satanism (which becomes ridiculous whenever anybody actually bothers to read the book), anti-family (again, absurd, considering how much time is spent on the idea of family and how necessary and important it is) and anti-religion (oops - they celebrate Christmas in this book?!). Just goes to show ya - it might be important to actually read books before deciding that you have a problem with 'em, eh?

"'J.K.Rowling has woken up a whole generation to reading' The Times 'The Harry Potter books are that rare thing, a series of stories adored by parents and children alike' Daily Telegraph 'The most remarkable publishing sensation for a generation ... the story is told with such momentum, imagination and irrepressible humour that it can captivate both adults and children' Sunday Express 'Hooray for Harry Potter ... [Harry's] adventures are as funny as Roald Dahl's stories and as vivid as Narnia books - and adults seem to enjoy them as much as their children' Daily Mail" - From Amazon.com

*Information reported by the American Library Association

10 Must-Read Duos from Literature

2011-03-08T09:23:00.002-06:00

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This week's topic:

Top Ten Dynamic Duos

These are the BFFs, partners in crime, powerful couples, and general groups of awesome people that I just can't get out of my head!

1. Harold and Maude - from Harold and Maude

A teenage boy with serious death and suicide fetishes meets a 79-year-old Jewish woman and survivor of the Holocaust. Maude is a firm believer that the proper time to die is at age 80, so she spends her last days teaching Harold the joys of music and of living life to its fools - no rules and no regrets. Harold decides he'll marry Maude, and Maude decides that not even Harold is enough to change her mind about what happens when one turns 80. If you haven't yet read this play or seen the movie, your life is incomplete.

2. Bean and Petra - from The Ender's Shadow series

These two brilliant kids are original cast members of Orson Scott Card's brilliant science fiction novel, Ender's Game. The Ender's Game series and the Shadow series (about Bean) are both ingenuous, particularly as the stem from one source and go on to complement each other in different time-lines. The great thing about this duo, though, is that the reader gets to watch them come together first by force, then out of necessity, and then, finally, from desire to be together.

3. Robinson Crusoe and Friday - from Robinson Crusoe

This is a book I didn't expect to enjoy - but the interesting and honest relationship between Robinson and Friday, who become "acquainted" while both are castaways on a deserted island, is fascinating to watch. While I was annoyed by Robinson's acts of converting Friday to Christianity (after all, there were cannibals around - focus!), I loved watching the two form a seriously strong friendship, which ultimately saves their lives (multiple times), gets them off the island, and keeps them together even after their escape.

4. Mannie and Mike - from The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

I'm fairly confident that this will be my only human/non-human duo listed, but who knows? Mannie is an engineer, living on one of the Moon's colonies, and he is responsible for maintenance on the Moon's supercomputer, Mike. What no one knows, though, is that Mike has developed a significant sentience, and Mannie has become his one and only friend. The two are soon drawn into a glorious rebellion, pitting the lunar colonies against Planet Earth. Mannie and Mike, unlikely heroes, become the leaders of a new free world.

5. Rupert and Istvan - from Under the Poppy

This is my all-time favorite couple in a book, so I had to choose them as a superb dynamic duo. Well, no, I didn't have to - there are great couples from literature who I wouldn't consider a "duo" (particularly those from Victorian lit, for instance) but these two really complement one another - they stand equally, they have their own beliefs, passions, and opinions, yet they work as a partnership. They face dangerous perils, they are torn apart and somehow manage to find each other again. I'm not one for much romance with my fiction, but this one is impossible to deny.

6. Charles Ryder and Sebastian Flyte - from
Brideshead Revisited

There is almost no relationship, to me, as fun (and sad) to watch, as that of Charles and Sebastian, from Evelyn Waugh's masterpiece Brideshead Revisited. The first half of the book is devoted to their budding friendship and, ultimately, love. While Sebastian eventually flees the rigid dogmas and aristocracy of home, to become a charity case in a monastery abroad, Charles continues to hold onto that life and those memories as long as possible -even going so far as to nearly marry Sebastian's younger sister, though she was only a second prize (calling his love for Sebastian "the forerunner").

7. Celie and Shug from The Color Purple

Celie has strong friendships and relationships throughout the book - she gains strength and sanity from a decades-long epistolary relationship with her sister, Nettie, who is living in Africa; she also gains a strong friend and role model in Sofia, an incredibly independent, confident woman. But it is her friendship and eventual romantic relationship with Shug which saves Celie's life. Shug helps Celie to learn and to grow as an independent woman, even helping Celie find a profession (seamstress) which can keep her occupied and bring her an income of her own.

8. Ralph and Piggy - from Lord of the Flies

What can be said about this tragic duo? They are the two voices of reason in a world gone terribly wrong. Despite the breakdown of social order that occurs when a group of schoolboys becomes stranded on a deserted island, after their plane crashes, Ralph and Piggy remain sane and attempt to keep peace. They are an unequal pair, Ralph much more the leader and Piggy the follower; however, they are important to one another - particularly as more and more of their own small group is lead off into anarchy.

9. Neely and Anne - from Valley of the Dolls

One of the most destructive friendships on records - both Neely and Anne (with their friend Jennifer) are involved in the film and theater super-world of the 1970s. They become entangled with drugs, love affairs, and petty jealousies. Through it all, Neely and Anne remain friends - Anne even takes charge of Neely's life when it has spiraled out of control, getting her the help and rehabilitation that she needs. It is not an admirable world nor are there many admirable people living in it, but the strength of their friendship is astounding.

10. Sirius Black and James Potter - from the Harry Potter series

Even though we only learn about their friendship through flashbacks, memory sharing, "pensieve" dips, and other journeys only possible in the wonderful world of Harry Potter; still, their story is a friendship of the ages - two young men, destined for greatness and glory, cut short by the evils of the world. They stood together, right up to the end, and when James was gone, Sirius made it his life's mission to find and protect James's son. What's a better representative of manly-love than that?

Wow! This week's topic was so much fun!
What do you think of my picks? What are YOUR favorite duos?

Musing Monday

2011-03-06T10:33:00.000-06:00

This is the first time I’ve participated in the Musing Monday meme. I tend to stick to just one or two mass-memes that often ask great questions (like The Literary Blog Hop hosted by The Blue Bookcase), but since I’m currently reading the massive Atlas Shrugged, my blog will likely be without actual book reviews for another week or two, but I want to stay engaged.

The question from this week’s Musing Monday is:
What book(s) are you most excited about right now?

Interestingly enough, the book I’m most excited about reading is one I posted about just a few days ago, in response to another question ("Which books did you HAVE to buy, yet still haven’t read?"). I am most looking forward to reading Who is Mark Twain? by Mark Twain. I brought the book out over the weekend, and I’ve placed it on my desk for two reasons: 1) to encourage me to progress through Atlas Shrugged as quickly as possible, knowing that something delightful is “on-deck” and 2) to make sure I actually remember to choose that book next, rather than being side-tracked or distracted by one of the other hundreds of books which lay about my study.

So – what about you? Do you have any good books coming up soon? Any that are on pre-order, or due to be released that you just know you’ll get your hands on at the earliest opportunity?

*Side-note: To the winners of the Literary Giveaway Hop, I have e-mailed each of you – but in case you missed it, your packages are due to ship out on 3/15/2011.

Also, I have two author interviews coming up soon here at RBR.net – each with a giveaway of their intriguing books, so stay tuned for those!