Movie Talk

The other day I was reading GalleyCat and they mentioned five films were coming out soon [as in before the year ends] that were literary adaptations, and it had me thinking:  do I want to see any of them and, more importantly, do I like it when a book becomes a film.

Let me take the second one first.  My gut response would be of course I don't like the movie version, the book as the original and more comprehensive format is always better.  That said and to throw a spanner in the works, if I've never read the book, then the movie would be pretty good to me - right?  This happened with The Town.  Loved the movie and will think about reading the book [Prince of Thieves by Chuck Hogan], but I'm not sure I will.  However, what if I have read it, then what do I think?

The perfect answer to that would be found in Stieg Larsson Millennium trilogy, which I recently devoured, and then watched the Swedish adaption of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire.  I thought it was pretty good, really good.  It didn't follow every nuance found in the book, that would have been impossible and still be a watchable length of time.  The parts chosen to focus on were really very well done and the characters were well developed, and I'm personally waiting with baited breath to watch the final flick: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.

That was one side of the issue, there is another.  The first book to film that came to mind when pondering these questions was Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell [book and movie].  I love that film and bought the book when I was older, because I was sure there would be even more meat to it.  However, I didn't enjoy the book, or at least don't remember liking it and I must not have because I didn't keep it to reread again - which is a habit of mine.

So, do I like it when a book becomes a film?

Sometimes.
 

The first question was easier to answer - yes, I'd like to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 by JK Rowling [11/19],  Tangled [based on the Grimm Brothers‘ fairy tale, Rapunzel.  11/24], The Tempest byWilliam Shakespeare [12/10], The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader [12/10], and Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift‘s classic [12/22]. 
 
Some of these I'd like to see more than others, but I guess the issue of making a movie from a book doesn't bother me all that much - until it's done poorly, then I'm sure it will bug me to no end!

Take a Moment and Say...

thank you, to those who served and are serving today, as well as those in their families.  The sacrifice they all make on our behalf is huge.

Hump Day Reflections

Ooo, baby, it's getting cold outside - best not forget the hat and scarf!  Wrap that long strip of sumptuousness around your neck, bundle it up to your chin, and if there's any extra, let it dangle down you back to warm your backside.

Also, remember the goggles, skiing without them couldcause snowblindness and I'd hate to see you in a full body cast!

Maybe you should think of some socks, thick ones, at the very least.

Thank you Matthew Herrick as taken by Rick Day via Dude Flesh for warming things up!

Book and Book Accessory Talk

The Bas Bleu catalog, Holiday issue, arrived and I've dog-earred so many page corners, I thought to share a few of them here.  Remember, these books can also be Chanukah, birthday, Mother's or Father's day pressies, any holiday, or a it's for me day because books are great all year round!

Here we go:

The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise by Julia Stuart
Balthazar Jones--protagonist of this charming novel--has a most interesting address: He lives in the Tower of London. A Beefeater assigned to guard the former royal palace and prison, Balthazar spends his days leading tours, directing visitors to the lavatory, and chasing down pickpockets. But when the Queen decides to relocate her royal menagerie from the London Zoo to the Tower, Balthazar, by way of owning the world's oldest living tortoise, is tapped as the animals' caretaker. His wife, Hebe, is none too thrilled at the prospect of bringing yet more peculiar creatures into their little "neighborhood."

The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer
Imagine yourself a traveler in fourteenth-century England.  All the sights, sounds, tastes, pungent smells, pleasures, and perils of journeying through the countryside, villages, towns, and cities of England are revealed as you resolve the basic issues of all travelers:  Where to stay?  What will it cost?  What can you expect for your money?  Where and what to eat?  What to see and do for entertainment?  And perhaps most important, how to avoid illnesses and highwaymen?

Lost to Time by Martin W. Sandler
As Pulitzer Prize-winning author Virginius Dabney wrote, "If you mean to be a historical figure--a Longfellow, a Homer, or a Vergil." As Dabney points out, Paul Revere, Odysseus, and Aeneas "all took this precaution."

But what about the bona fide VIPs whom no one wrote about? What about the blunders and tragedies downplayed or covered up by the press or the government? What about "the most famous person you've never heard of "? Not to worry, gentle reader, those stories are gathered here at last!

And if you thought it was just books they offer, you'd be wrong!

Stirring Mouse cards [8 cards/envelopes]
Not a creature was stirring, huh? Our adorably droll Stirring Mouse Cards beg to differ! A wonderful illustration of a diligent little mouse hunched over a hand-mixer--below the phrase "Maybe there was a creature stirring after all"--makes a witty retort to Clement C. Moore's classic line from "The Night before Christmas." The lime green vintage stovetop and bright red can of flour add subtly festive color to these original, recycled-paper holiday cards, which open to read "Enjoy every morsel of the Season!"

Nacy Drew 80th Anniversary T-shirt
No matter how many decades you've been a fan of Nancy Drew, you'll want to celebrate the amateur sleuth's enduring popularity via this snappy T-shirt marking her eightieth anniversary. A portrait of the fictional detective--deep in the contemplation of clues, of course--and "Nancy Drew: 80 years and still has the answers" appear in blue on the front of the loose-fit, ladies-cut, heather gray T-shirt. Printed, also in blue, on the back of the shirt is a little magnifying-glass icon and a short excerpt from Nancy's Mysterious Letter: "Do act mysterious, it always keeps them coming back for more!"

La Boheme Envirosax Bags [set of 5 bags]
We just love these designer reusable bags for carrying around books, bringing home groceries, consolidating all your carry-on gear when flying… schlepping just about anything from point A to point B (and doing so with substantial style)! The 100% polyester bags are super-strong (each holds forty-four pounds) and ultra-light (1.4 ounces apiece). Washable and waterproof, each 19½"x16½" La Boheme Envirosax Bag--dazzlingly decorated with abstract patterns--rolls up to a compact 4"x1½", and snaps shut. Our set of five (one each of the designs shown) fits in a compact 6"x8" pouch, so the whole toting system is supremely portable!

I told you there was all sorts of goodness in the catalog!  I could go on, trust me, but I won't.  I suggest you visit Bas Bleu, maybe request a catalog, and even think about joining their Bas Bleu Society - offers fab discounts and free shipping!

By the way, the descriptions are all Bas Bleu's!

Naughty Thought for Monday

Oh dear.  I love watching kids flicks - Sleeping Beauty, Up, and Despicable Me to name but a few - and I'm looking forward to the Dorothy of Oz.

However, just looked through some of the first screen shots via Summertime Entertainment, and, well, is it me or does the Emerald City look like it's made of um, green, Shrek-like, willies?

It's wrong, I know, but I can't help it!  There it is - big, green, towering, penises!

Remember, Remember, the Fifth of November!

Originally posted November 5, 2007

November 5th is Bonfire night, a British celebration remembering the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. A group of English Roman Catholics organized and came up with a plan to destroy tyrannical rule by King James I of England and the Protestant Aristocracy. Guy Fawkes was the man chosen to blow up the Palace of Westminster [or the Houses of Parliament] but he was caught before this happened. After being tortured, he and other conspirators were found guilty of treason, they were hung, drawn and quartered. Apparently Fawkes escaped the hanging by getting free and jumping from the scaffolding and broke his neck. After that, he was still drawn and quartered.

It's not all doom and gloom for Guy Fawkes. He is credited with being “the only man to ever enter parliament with honourable intentions.” In 2002 he was 30th in the “100 Greatest Britons” and on the list of the 50 greatest people from Yorkshire.

Recently the festivities have made their way into popular culture beyond the British Isles. Two examples are a movie and book. The beginning of the movie V for Vendetta has an old rhyme that is often used to recall this incident. The full poem isn’t normally used, just the first bit, and sometime the second. When you read it you'll know why, it’s very inflammatory and no longer has a purpose. The cutie, who grew up knowing the first two verses, never knew the last until we saw it noted at a Tower of London exhibition. So here it is in it’s entirety:

Remember, remember the fifth of November,
Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes,'twas his intent
to blow up the King and the Parliament.
Three score barrels of powder below,
Poor old England to overthrow:
By God's providence he was catch'd
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, make the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!
Hip hip hoorah!

A penny loaf to feed the Pope.
A farthing o' cheese to choke him.
A pint of beer to rinse it down.
A faggot of sticks to burn him.
Burn him in a tub of tar.
Burn him like a blazing star.
Burn his body from his head.
Then we'll say ol' Pope is dead.
Hip hip hoorah!
Hip hip hoorah!

There's another appearance of the Guy Fawkes Day celebrations found in the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. A muggle weatherman is reporting shooting stars are being seen all over Britain, and speculates some people are celebrating Bonfire Night a week early. Instead, it’s the wizarding world celebrating the disappearance of Lord Voldemort. And don’t forget Albus Dumbledor’s pet phoenix is called Fawkes.

So how does one celebrate Bonfire Night? Well, on the Fifth of November, once the sun has sunk, the bonfires, big and small, are lit in fields up and down the country. The guy is on the pyre before it’s set on fire and everyone stands around watching it burn. In northern England, Yorkshire, they have baked potatoes, parkin [a ginger cake with black treacle, or molasses], toffee apples, roasted chestnuts, beer and much more are all consumed in the cold damp air, long in to the night.

The “guy” plays a big part in the celebrations. Up until recent times, kids used to take the days leading up to Bonfire Night and make an effigy of Guy Fawkes, carry or wheel him around the neighborhood, knock on doors or ask people walking around for “a penny for the guy.” They’d spout off what they knew about the Gunpowder Plot, maybe sing a rhyme, and be rewarded with money. They used to spend it on fireworks but later it went toward sweets during the night.

Yes, we’ll be having a fire in the backyard with friends, a few pints, and some Oatmeal Parkin.

This month we give thanks and celebrate with our family, why not expand it further and immerse yourself in history, plots of murder, treason and more. Make some parkin, a cup of tea, and watch V for Vendetta.

Enjoy your Bonfire Night!

It's All About Tattoos!

The research I've been doing is all about tattoos.  Because I don't have any or know anyone who does, I find it a unique experience to create a character who does have them.  For me, one question needs to be answered:

What do they have inked for posterity on their bodies?

I think it's an interesting point to flesh out to show the reader more deeply of who that character really is.  I'm doing it now and have done it before.  In My Angel the hero is a retired drummer wearing plenty of ink and this is how the heroine, an angel, views them:

"There were drumsticks around his wrists, a variety of naked women and skulls, a sun rising above a horizon around his hip, and others she couldn’t quite decipher. The words Hit Man written across his chest she knew was his nickname and assumed it was because of being a drummer, not because he was a Mafioso wannabe. Some were in color and others black. It was an interesting mix and she’d have to ask him what they represented to him, but specifically why a sunrise. That was the most moving piece she could see."

Everything that hero had done in life was there in particular tattooed pieces and that's what I seek now for the hero in Missing in Paradise.  I know who he is, but I want the reader to know him as well.  So, I've been searching through tattoo shops for samples, and found nothing that suited my man.  My solution is to design it myself and then I have something to detail and explore further for the reader.

Wish me luck.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, the heroine in My Angel doesn't have any tattoos and then, well, it's one of those twists I so enjoy adding to a story.

Hump Day Reflections

The hero I'm working with right now was a professional surfer who eventually turned to paddle surfing.  You can either paddle along a coastline's calm waters beyond the break or slip in and ride a few waves.  I've watched both and it looks very fun, even talked to a few people who have done it, and been warned:  it tests your balance.

So, who's paddling around?  Laird Hamilton!

Gorgeous, unfortunately he looks nothing like my hero!

Book and eBook Talk

The holiday season is in session!

After the kids are back in school the days gain momentum until we collapse on New Years day. Buried between all the festivities is actually plenty of time to read and I do, big time. However, there is something I've noticed about my reading choices during this time. Actually, missing all year round, but I specifically noticed the lack of a particular type of book/ebook during the holidays and am not sad.

Holiday-centric reads.

Yesterday I picked up my copy of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving and illustrated by Will Moses and thoroughly enjoyed it. Returning it to my shelves, I noticed a few other Halloween reads, and sat down to read them all again - it is why we keep them, isn't it?

Anyway, when the last one was put back I noticed I have twenty-five [25!] specific holiday reads on the children picture book shelves [the pop-ups are on a separate shelving unit downstairs and it houses close to ten more], and none on the shelves holding my fiction books [mystery, romance, etc]. Because I couldn't believe I had no holiday specific reads, I went to my ebook library, and found ... none. Zilch. The big goose egg!

Why is that?

Why do I obviously enjoy reading picture and pop-up books for such holidays as May Day, Valentine's Day and Easter, and yet not in fiction?

I'm not sure why, but I can honestly say this is the time of year I dedicate to clearing the TBR pile.  Could be I want to start the new year with a fresh slate.  Maybe, although I always find something or three to pick up.  Truthly, for me, a holiday specific read in novel length would be too much, and feel a little too sweet and written to suit a theme rather than the h/h.

What I'll do is enjoy my reads and leave the holiday stuff to those who like them.  Don't worry, I'll be fine, devouring my holiday inspired picture and pop-up books - those I'll keep enjoying, be they the holiday or not.

In case you're wondering, the pop-up above is the finale in Niroot Puttapipat "The Night Before Christmas" - love this one!

Naughty Thought for Monday

Does anyone really want to know about the "secret sex life of truffles"?

Well, scientists and the Telegraph [newspaper in the UK] think we do, and now I'm not sure I can enjoy a confectionary gem filled with truffles without thinking about how these masses procreate.

Honestly, I wish I didn't know.  Let the truffles do their thing in private, the way they obviously want it, and be happy with the results.

Happy Halloween!

Is this the year I buy a signed poster of 'Girls Night Out' by Will Moses?

I already own a copy of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" which Washington Irving wrote and Moses illustrated and I love it!  In fact, I'll read and enjoy it again later today, after sunset - should make it even more spooky.  Moses' Sleepy Hollow led me to purchase his "The Night Before Christmas" and "Silent Night".  There's something about his style, folk art, that suits the stories he's chosen to illustrate, but also his standalone pieces - hence wanting 'Girls Night Out'.

Who knows, maybe after indulging in the one for you [trick or treaters] and one for me style of handing out candy, I'll press that buy button on a Chocolate high.

'Girls Night Out' is good fun!

Have You Ever...

Have you ever watched a wedding video [of which you'd attended the wedding] with the people whose wedding it was and thought:  Oh my, did I really do that?

I'm not a bad person, nor someone you shouldn't take out in public for fear of what they might do, but I watched a wedding video and was shocked by my behavior.  What I saw wasn't a shock because I had seen photos of the two incidents, but there was something about watching it play out before me that was the surprise.

What did I do?



Honestly, it wasn't that bad, but I am embarassed to know people will watch that video and see my bad behavior.  Okay, enough delaying, here it is:  there were two incidents during the wedding when I was caught drinking a Coke.  Throw back the head and get every last drop straight Coke from the delightful bright red can.  The first sighting was in the church itself.  I must have realized what I'd carried in with me and had no time to ditch it, so hid it under the seat, but drank from it during the ceremony [a long one if I remember correctly] and was caught on video multiple times.  The second one was during the vast amount of photos, outside the church, in the attached cemetary.  That one I don't feel too bad over because I had a companion, an ederly woman, who was trying to hide the fact she was smoking, and we both were both caught ducking behind gravestones to hide our sins.

I think the videographer should've edited the footage a bit better, there was no need to have those moments left for generations to come to view.

Am I ashamed at my younger self's antics?  Kind of, but it was Coke!

Movie Talk!

Recently we've watched Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Revolver and there were a few similarities that struck me - not that I realized that at the time I placed them in our Netflix queue.

Both were older flicks, if 2005 should be considered old.  Both were unexpected gems, although the former starts Jason Statham which makes it a thumbs up for me [although his having hair seemed odd, I like him bald].  Both were pseudo violent and yet mentally entertaining with great plots.  Basically, the cutie and I agreed, they were both great movies and worth the time spent watching them.

Ray Liotta plays a bad guy in Revolver and it was, possibly, my favorite character of the year!  Honestly, freaky funny-violent villan, that was who he played and did it so well.  Val Kilmer was the surprise for me as a gay private investigator in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.


Snatch is here waiting for us to watch, although I think The Girl Who Played with Fire might be next.  The Steig Larsson books were great and the first flick [Swedish] was good, so why not go with what's entertaining?

Hump Day Reflections

Yesterday I wrote about Current WIP Stuff [for Missing] and offered a smallish picture of Ivan Scannell [picture by David Vance] as it had some part to play in the heroes character development.  Today being hump day, Wednesday, I thought I'd share the three photos I found that are, well, nothing short of inspiring.

Enjoy!

Current WIP Stuff

What do they mean?

These pictures of a Southern California beach, stand up paddle boarder, and Universal Studios showcase some big aspects found in my current work in progress, Missing in Paradise.

There's always plots racing through my head begging for attention, but the one I'm working on sits front and center until the fini is written.  One of the things I do before I delve into the meat of the writing [as in write it all out and then go back, layer by layer, and work through the various strands] is collect images to represent qualities of the person, place, or thing involved.  It's a good way to remember all the nooks that come to mind.  Not all of them stay and some may end up in another story - I won't force something into place merely because I liked it, readers would be able to recognize that and I'm sure wouldn't be happy.

So, want a few hints on the main characters themselves?

Okay, I can share a bit.



Now I'm sure you can guess, but I'll say it anyway, these pics are for the hero. A gentleman called Ivan Scannell [photo taken by David Vance], a rather naked Tommy Lee, and a grammy.



And these pictures highlight the heroine. There's Giada De Laurentiis, Padma Lakshmi, and a studio audience.

Fun times!

Naughty Thought for Monday

There I was doing research for a contemporary short I'm working on while watching my favorite football [British football] team beat another and this was an image that popped up.  Can't tell you why, but considering I'm going for a mamogram and sonogram tomorrow, it seemed appropriate to share here today.

A boobie pin chusion.

Thank you Craftastrophe.

Want a Kindle? What about eBooks?

If the answer was yes, then you should enter the Samhellion Spook-a-palooza!

It's on now through the 31st, so go here, and start playing!

Put Your Thinking Caps On, It's Contest Time!

There you are sipping whatever you fancy while sitting face-to-face with your favorite author, dead or alive.  Fabulous!  So exciting!  You and so-and-so are enjoying the moment.  You're both relaxed and laughing, and it dawns on you that you could slip in that one question you always wanted to know the answer to - what is it?

What do you want to know and who do you want to know it from?

Tell me in the comments, be creative, and have fun doing it!  Ask as many as you want, as long as they're different authors - we all have more than one we'd die to know something from and here's you chance to ask.  Everyone will go into a bowl and I'll have the cutie pull a name on Saturday [October 23].  Don't forget to make sure I have a way to reach you if you're the winner by putting a contact addy in with your question.

Up for grabs is a box stuffed full of goodies from this September's Authors After Dark event waiting to find a new home, so start asking those questions! 

Friday Funny!

I had a flat tire on I-75 yesterday, so I pulled over, got out of the car and opened my trunk.

I took out my cardboard men, unfolded them and stood them at the rear of my car facing oncoming traffic. They look so lifelike you wouldn't believe it!

Just as I had hoped, cars started slowing down looking at the men which made it much safer for me to work on the side of the road!

People honked and waved, and it wasn't long before one of Florida 's Finest pulled up behind me.

He wanted to know what the heck I was doing, so I calmly explained that I was changing my flat. He told me he could see that, but demanded to know what the heck my cardboard men were doing standing at the rear of my car.

I couldn't believe he didn't know....SO I told him....

Well DUH....I explained to the angry trooper....

They're my Emergency Flashers!!!!

I GO TO COURT IN JULY!!!

Tee he he, S did it again - knee slapping good fun!  Thanks darlin'!

Are you kidding me?

I like art.

Besides being of visual interest, it's an expression of someones creativity, unique viewpoint, and should be celebrated. And yet there is no guarantee everyone will like the same thing. For this shocked rant let's think of a painting like a book. Loads of people enjoyed Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series and I'm just not interested enough to pick one up - might some day if they're in ebook. Actually, if someone had given me a copy of the first one, I would bet that book would be sitting on one of my shelves, gathering dust.

However.

If that signed 1st edition was worth $300m, it wouldn't be consigned to oblivion!

Did you guys hear about this?

Someone had what might be an original unfinished Michelangelo sitting behind their couch for the last 27 years after a stray tennis ball knocked it off the wall.*

Are you kidding me?

Even if you don't like the thing, sell it, or donate it to someone who might - don't let it sit behind a couch getting dirty and risk damage.  Even if it isn't a Michelangelo, the painting was someones hard work, appreciate it!

*=details and picture from Telegraph.co.uk

eBook Talk!

Sometimes I buy something to read based on the cover or becauase it's by an author I enjoy - yes, I can be that shallow in my reading choices.  Sometimes, although very rarely, I buy something to read based on the title - right now, I can only think of one, but I'm willing to admit I might have chosen others by this way.  And then there are those times when it all combines into one purchase.

Let me back up a bit.  Not too long ago a friend of mine emailed me and said she'd been published.  I was thrilled for her and immediately demanded an excerpt to place here on my Hot Thoughts blog then rushed over to her publisher to buy the ebook.  It sat on my cybershelf for about a month, maybe two, because life was seriously hectic and I wanted to give it my full attention.  Then, when I had a break, I promised myself to carve out the time to read it and here's what I thought of Best Little Spin Wash in Texas by April Morelock.

Two words:  Simply Delightful!

That's what is still sitting with me when I remember Morelock debut ebook.  The story has a great twist to it, which I personally enjoy, wonderfully well fleshed out characters - both major and minor, the sex was hot and fun, yes fun!, and the pace is what makes Best Little Spin Wash in Texas work perfectly.

Trust me when I say I will never look at a laundromat the same way.  Oh wait, did I mention John St. James is the perfect man, not just physically - although he is most definitely hotter than hot, but also in respect to the minor characters they come across?  And did I tell you all that Molly Timmons is one smart lady who goes after what she wants, I mean really goes all out for happines?  Well, I'm not going to give anything away, but I will strongly suggest you read Morelock's little treasure and then join me in begging April for the next book.

Buy eBook at Loose-Id, All Romance, Amazon, Fictionwise and Sony Reader Store

The Research Lover is Researched

Technically, I wasn't the one being researched, my family was and apparently still is, and I found it somewhat disconcerting.

Let me explain.

My sister is the keeper of the family tree and works hard to unearth new information.  Recently she received a phone call from someone wanting to interview her about our Great-grandfather and his brother, a murder victim whose case remains unsolved.

When my grandmother and her sister were alive they were contacted over the years by a few writers who wanted to "solve" the mystery, and add unimpeachable tidbits from family members to make it more acceptable.  Doing those interviews never turned out well and bothered the two greatly.  I remember my grammy crying after one particular book was released, full of salcious asides to make it more media worthy.  Newspapers wrote articles, invaded their privacy further, and in the end both ladies weren't pleased to have shared their memories of a difficult childhood.

Yes, I love research, and want to know all the information I can digest before writing a book with the subject involved, so I understand when someone wants to delve in deeper.  However, this was personal, and we're done with the speculations that have involved our long past family members being written and exploited to help sell more books.

Sisters response to the request:  no.

Please allow me to introduce you to...

Diablita, otherwise known as Lily!

You've seen my sister's pug before as a hula chick and in her mardi gras beads, but now she's ready for Halloween - no, really, she's thrilled to be dressed up like the Devil, can't you tell?

Do Book/eBook Awards Mean Anything To You?

As an author, I love receiving them, but as a reader, Book/eBook Awards don't encourage me to pick it over any other.

There, I said it, but does that make me a horrible person for not immediately rushing out to read that "award winning" book/ebook?

Good lord no! Remember those books you were told in school were good and you had to read them only there was no joy?  For me Jean-Paul Sartre [The Age of Reason] and Ernest Hemingway [Old Man and the Sea] were truly difficult to finish and I never wanted to explore the authors further.  Obviously they weren't bad authors or even bad books, it was all me, and the teacher in regards to the latter.

Why am I even talking about book awards and reading?  Today the Nobel Prize for Literature was awarded and Mario Vargas Llosa won, Congratulations!, but he was not the one I found people were thinking would win. Curiosity had me clicking over to the prize site and looking through the list to see if any of the winners had been pleasure reads for me and I was surprised to see there were quite a few authors I'd picked up because the book sounded like a good read.

I may have read Alexandr Solzhenitsyn first as a requirement, but I fell into the picture he painted in One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. Fascinating and kept me watching this author until his death, and obviously beyond. Boris Pasternak wrote Doctor Zhivago and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.  In fact I still have the book on my shelves. Probably the one author on the Nobel list I have read the most of is George Bernard Shaw and my favorite play he wrote is Major Barbara.

To throw a twist into how I view book/ebook awards as a reader and their making me want to read something, last year I asked for and recieved Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, the Man Booker Prize winner.  I only heard about the book because it won this award, however, it was the story itself that had me putting it on my Christmas wishlist.

Book Talk!

As I always do, while to the left I check out the two local independent bookstores bestseller lists, and enjoy the different choices book buyers make.  Let's see what's hot where.

In Town Center Bookstore near PO and Coffee Cafes
1.  Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
2.  The Girl Who Fell from the Sky by Heidi Durrow
3.  Star Island by Carl Hiasson
4.  First Contact:  Or It's Later Than You Think by Evan Manderay
5.  One Day by David Nicholls
6.  A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore
7.  The Girl Who Played With Fire by Steig Larsson
8.  The Secrets of Eden: A Novel by Chris Bohjalian
9.  The Spellmans Strike Again by Lisa Lutz
10. Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann

Bookshop on Street Paralelling Beach
1.  Brave Donatella and the Jasmine Thief by Caroline McAlister
2.  Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
3.  Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
4.  Broken Colors by Michele Zackheim
5.  Little Bird of Heaven by Joyce Carol Oates
6.  A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore
7.  Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
8.  Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel by Jeannette Walls
9.  Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion by Gregory Boyle
10. OC Review 2010: Creative Process Issue

It's interesting to find these lists where format means nothing and neither does age.  There's a mix of kids and literary offerings here along with a couple of non-fiction.  Always interesting to read what people in this small town are reading and which bookstore they frequent.

Who have I spent the past 2 weeks with - every day?

Please meet Tashi, my mom's overweight kitty, and she thinks she's a seal - a sweet pudgy seal looking for shell fish to break open on her tummy.  Each day she spends a great deal of time on her back, paws up, and belly exposed, but don't go in for the tickle or you may lose a hand.

Don't get me wrong, she can be lovely, especially when she goes to her toy basket and choses the one that suits her at that given time.

One thing she does that I feel horrible laughing at, mainly because I can tell she doesn't enjoy being the but of the joke, is when she walks and suddenly decides to fall down and roll onto her back - I always think I should get her a "I've fallen and can't get up" device.

Anyway, Tashi has been my constant companion while visiting to the left of us.

How to End a Day...

I went to a new to me Mexican food restaurant in my home town last night and thoroughly enjoyed it.

The night was beautiful, the margaritas [on the rocks] were lovely, and they had taquitos!  Okay, they weren't potato-filled, but the waitress said they were playing around with doing those - YES!

We sat near the open fire pit [see the orange flames poking above the hedge?] and chatted about books, travel, and family.  I found out more about the new senior center from my auntie and it is doubles as a community center, as does the High Schools swimming pool.  So cool!  We also discovered my sister could donate the extra books she has to the senior center, even better.

As the sun set over Catalina [a scene which I've seen a multitude of times and totally appreciate which is why it shows up in And She Scores!], I walked down to the steps leading down to the beach - yes, there are houses on the beach - to take a picture.  Gorgeous colors.

Actually, now that I think about it, And She Scores! is rather timely.

It was not only written while I was here on the left, it is set here, and much of what I do and see is in the contemporary erotic romance.  The hero is a professional football player about to play a pre-season game [ok, in reality the season is in full gear now, so slightly off timewise, but not horribly] and the heroine adores taquitos!  HA!

The best bit, all proceeds go to the American Heart Association!

So, to answer that often asked question, yes real life does occasionally show up in my books.