Writing

Book Challenge: Crying, Residing, and Young Adult

What's On the Bookshelf?

Day Two of the 30 Day Book Challenge! Which will probably only take 10 days, if I keep answering three questions a go.

Four: Book that Made You Cry

As I said yesterday, I rarely cry when reading books. But Band of Brothers nearly brought me to tears when I read it two years ago. If I hadn’t had to run out immediately after finishing, I would have cried. The ending was perfect, hit me right in the gut.

And you know, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Five: Book You Wish You Could Live In

I would live in the 44 Scotland Street series. The books are funny, warm and make me happy. I’d visit Big Lou’s cafe for my cappuccinos everyday and talk with Angus about painting, and Big Lou about whatever it is she happens to be reading at the time. And sneeze a lot because I’m allergic to dogs (sorry Cyril).

But what’s this? Not Harry Potter? Not the world of Patrick O’Brian’s masterful historical fiction novels?

Well, Harry Potter would be fun, but to be frank, I think I’d be a rubbish witch. That, and there are enough threats in the Muggle world, I really don’t want to have to worry about Lord Voldemort as well!

And for O’Brian’s? I like indoor plumbing. I like being able to attend University. I like being a modern girl. While I’d love to go to recitals with Jack and Stephen, I wouldn’t like to live there.

Six: Favorite Young Adult Book

Easily Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. I love the characters, the humor, the setting. As I’ve grown up, I’ve gotten more out of the story, including more enjoyment. When I have children (a long time from now), I look forward to sharing this book with them.

Howl’s Moving Castle is one of those books that I consider a ‘comfort book.’ Reading the book, revisiting the characters, laughing, smiling–I love it. If I’m in a bad mood, or feeling stressed, I just pick up this book, read it, and I feel better immediately. You can’t beat that.

Book Challenge: Love, Loathe and Laughter

What's On the Bookshelf?

Day one of the 30 Book Challenge. I’m not particularly tied to doing 30 individual posts, so I thought I’d do three at a time, or however many I feel like.

One: Favorite Book

Confession time. I don’t have a favorite book. There isn’t One Book to Rule Them All. It really depends on the genre, the day, and what I’ve been reading lately.

So, favorite book I’ve read this summer? Probably Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia by Michael Korda.

Other favorite books: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, Over to You by Roald Dahl, The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien and the 44 Scotland Street series by Alexander McCall Smith.

Two: Least Favorite Book

Surprisingly, this is an easy one for me to answer. It’s easily The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenger. You can read my reasons. To summarize: The romance struck me as creepy, the blind acceptance of determinism, and lack of morality and logistics.

Three: Book that Makes You Laugh Out Loud

It takes a really special book to make me laugh out loud. It takes an even more special book to make me cry. That rarely happens when reading.

But back to the laughter. There are a couple of books that have reduced me to stitches. Closing Time by Joseph Heller (the sequel to Catch-22) had me giggling at the Kafka jokes most of all.

The most out-loud guffaws I’ve had while reading has been in my rereading of the 44 Scotland Street books. This reading has been closer. My favorite has been a comment on the length of modern sentences versus Proustian ones.

30 Posts on Books.

What's On the Bookshelf?

So, this is supposed to be a 30 day challenge. As those who read my 30 Days of Writing posts last year know, I don’t post anything on time. Instead of doing this as 30 consecutive posts, I’ll come back to the list. I may even combine some of the topics. And I don’t think I’ll answer them in order! And I’ll probably skip a whole mess of them! Woohoo!

I found the challenge on the Storytelling Nomad blog.

Day 1: Favourite book
Day 2: Least favourite book
Day 3: Book that makes you laugh out loud
Day 4: Book that makes you cry
Day 5: Book you wish you could live in
Day 6: Favorite young adult book
Day 7: Book that you can quote/recite
Day 8: Book that scares you
Day 9: Book that makes you sick
Day 10: Book that changed your life
Day 11: Book from your favorite author
Day 12: Book that is most like your life
Day 13: Book whose main character is most like you
Day 14: Book whose main character you want to marry
Day 15: First “chapter book” you can remember reading as a child
Day 16: Longest book you’ve read
Day 17: Shortest book you’ve read
Day 18: Book you’re most embarrassed to say you like
Day 19: Book that turned you on
Day 20: Book you’ve read the most number of times
Day 21: Favorite picture book from childhood
Day 22: Book you plan to read next
Day 23: Book you tell people you’ve read, but haven’t (or haven’t actually finished)
Day 24: Book that contains your favorite scene
Day 25: Favorite book you read in school
Day 26: Favorite nonfiction book
Day 27: Favorite fiction book
Day 28: Last book you read
Day 29: Book you’re currently reading
Day 30: Favorite coffee table book

Weekend’s Reading

The Twirl and Swirl of Letters

Well, I have a bit on my plate this weekend, reading wise. My current goal is to finish reading Seven Pillars of Wisdom before August 16. Why August 16? It would make sense if that were the book’s due date back at the library (it isn’t, I think its actually due on the 15th, but I have one more renewal). It’s Lawrence’s birthday. And given how close the day is, and how much I have left of the book, I’ll probably finish it either just before or on the day. I’m thoroughly enjoying the book, though I do find parts a bit dry and somehow managed to miss the entirety of the capturing of Akaba. I know I read the words, I think it just failed to process. Rather like how I managed to miss Helm’s Deep every time I read The Two Towers.

That, or I just was preoccupied by how a traditional Beduin feast is prepared. A sheep pyramid on a bed of rice drenched in hot gravy. Fascinating stuff.
Also up for reading:
The Complaints by Ian Rankin. Never read any of his books, figured I probably should, as I’ve wanted to for a couple of years now. And if I should randomly run into him on the street, I might have something intelligent to say.
And a biography of Gertrude Bell, because I’m not ready to leave the Arabia state of mind. And what little I’ve read about Bell is absolutely fascinating, so I want to read more about her.
Also on the entertainment list: the original Planet of the Apes and Bridge on the River Kwai must be watched. Interestingly, both based on books by Pierre Boulle…
And writing, naturally.

Outlining. More like guidelining.

The Twirl and Swirl of Letters

I am a proclaimed pantser. No plot, no problem is my motto. But I think I may have just been converted to this newfangled thing called an ‘outline.’

Lately I’ve been trying my hand at outlining a story. I sat down, merrily plugging in the acts and plot points, figuring out what was to happen when. After a couple of hours of work, I was satisfied. I hit print, so I’d have a copy of the outline for my writing by hand.

You should see my outline. Its covered in scribbles, Xs and notes. Reworkings of events. But its been incredibly helpful, keeping me on target. I’m the sort of person who doesn’t write out one crappy draft (NaNoWriMo excepted). If the beginning doesn’t work, I’ll rewrite it until it does. I think I wrote the opening scene six or seven times, and realized that it would work better if I cut it the first four pages entirely, jumping straight into the action. Once I figured this out, I could move forward. The same has worked for later scenes, reworking until it fits.

I worried that outlining would take the spontaneity out of writing. It hasn’t. If anything, I’ve found that its encouraged the unexpected, in terms of conversation, and character development. Because I know where I am going, I can take my time getting there.

I am going to need a machete to clear out the unessential stuff, but I won’t know what’s essential until I’m done. For now, I’m enjoying the ride, map in hand.

Not actually the plot of the story.

Original Art: T. E. Lawrence Edition

Sheer Art Attack
T. E. Lawrence

T. E. Lawrence, by BCW

So, I broke out my paintbrushes this weekend, and decided to paint T. E. Lawrence. Why? Well, he’s my current historical research interest. I just finished Michael Korda’s biography of him, Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia. That man was pretty fascinating. Even the stuff he did after Arabia. Enlisted in the RAF (and Army, and RAF again), developed marine craft for rescuing downed pilots, and kept up correspondence with some of the era’s greatest minds.

So yes. Will soon be reading Seven Pillars of Wisdom, just taking a mini-Lawrence break for the time being.

I’ve decided that I’m just going to combine Sheer Art Attack with this blog, it’ll be easier to me to maintain.

Back to the painting: It has a few issues. Lawrence’s shoulders are too narrow (well, the guy was 5’5″ and at one point during the Arabia campaign weighed 80 pounds, so…) and his jaw is too square. In the painting, his eyes are actually blue.