Feel free to suggest new and different Amazon items for this open thread, and comment on whatever enters your mind -- so long as it bears some sort of passing familiarity with something printed.

I suppose you could think of something, write it down, and call it printed!

I know that there are lots and lots of writers in the BlogCritics e-community.

What kinds of things do you write about within and outside the blogging world?

For example, I know that our own Temple Stark is a newspaper man down in the Southwest.

I'm scrapping to the end of my first novel, a comic thriller that centers around a collegiate rugby club.

What are y'all doing out there? Any published novelists / non-fiction writers? Anybody starting out on some kind of a grandiose project?

Let's hear some war stories!

Phillip - I'd suggest How to Write, by Richard Rhodes, and On Writing, by Stephen King.

Hmm, does NaNoWriMo count? I wrote a 50,000 word novelette one November. It wasn't great.

I have just recently finished (On Writing) damn there goes that passive voice, and it is really great to read about King's passion for his craft, it makes me want to write things down. He also mentioned Strunk and White's style manual, which is very useful, I have had to use it in technical writing. NO writer should look at the style manual as rules which will stifle creativity, but as guidelines to better connect one's meaning to how it is written. A lot of people can benefit from editing.

Phillip - Those Amazon products keep looking better and better!

Yeah - NaNoWriMo definitely counts, congrats for taking it on. It sounds like a fun way to get cracking on a creative writing project.

I think writers often need permission (for whatever reason) to embark on something as grandiose as a novel. I think NaNoWriMo has caught on because it allows you to unshackle yourself from thoughts of plot and characterization and what-will-others-think-of-this-shite and lets you just have at it.

what are the worst adaptations of great books to film ever? I love the books and really hate the movies of Memoirs of an Invisible Man and Bonfire of the Vanities

I'd have to say that almost all the Stephen King movies are pale versions of their written inspirations.

There are so surely many more examples, but nowadays I usually avoid movies from great books, assuming I will be disappointed and not bothering to see them.

Bonfire's a perfect example, Eric.

I'll put my vote on 1984 -- the movie looked good but was terrible overall. Not an easy adaptation... but great book / terrible film nonetheless.

What's wrong with the movie of Bonfire? It seemed perfectly credible to me. Of course, you lose stuff for length going from a novel to film, but it seemed like a pretty good representation of the basic story.

It's a far cry from a "basic representation" to a good, let alone decent, movie Al. There may have been similar characters and plot points, but the movie missed nearly all of the chaotic attitude of 80s New York, the social/racial tensions, the wonderfully iconic characterizations, and most importantly, the scathing satire.

Granted, satire is very difficult to do well on film, but this one failed badly at it.

The film version of Ghost Story. The screenplay couldn't have covered all of the book, but they cut out the essence of the story: that the woman was no ordinary ghost, ***SPOILER ALERT*** but a centuries-old shape shifter.

Both versions of The Shining didn't do justice to the book.

On the other hand, The Lair of the White Worm may not have been that great a movie, but it was a definite improvement over Stoker's original novel.

I love Kubrick's version of The Shining (even though King hated it). Great horror flick made from just about the best pure horror novel I've ever read.

Nick - Your mention of ghosts put me onto a great example of good book/bad film: Bram Stoker's Dracula was simply awful (though visually it actually looked great).

I'd vote for Ship Troopers as the worst adaptation of book to film -- the political/philosophical story was completely lost in the abysmal special effects. They couldn't even get the main character's father into the story correctly, so they lost the poignancy of that final meeting.

Durnit! That was Starship Troopers...

Ugh, Starship Troopers the movie sucked in ways the book could only dream about. You're right.

DrPat - I've heard a number of times about how great the Heinlein novel is. What makes it so great, and what's the politics/philosophy behind it?

All I got out of the movie was that it was a bad effort (with lots and lots of EFX) at some kind of sci-fi satire.

One bright spot to the film: the scene where the troopers get tatoos ("Death from Above" or something) and then kind of all flex together always cracks me up (though I'm not sure if it's supposed to).

Oh: and Michael Ironsides. You can't really go wrong with Old Ironsides.

Impossible to list here the ways in which the film failed the book's message. But it's given me an idea for its own post to explore the novel and the puny film version of it.

I'll post the URL for the thread here when I get it finished!

Looking forward to it, DrPat!

The contrast between the movie and the book is profound. Far from being satire, Heinlein's Starship Troopers was a philosophical exploration of the moral use of force. Too bad the ideas didn't make it into the movie.

The "Memory Meme" thread deserves another go-around, and this seems like a good spot for referral.

Natalie Bennett posted on 2/22/05 this question: Which authors have you read more than ten books by?

Question: What are your favorite five authors of all time, in ranked order?

Try to keep it to just five, and try hard to rank them in order. This is hard, yes, but it should produce some interesting results... if people respond, of course.

Since no one has responded to my grandiose request, I'm going to cheat and squeeze in six under a tied for fifth loophole:

1 - Stephen King
2 - Jack Kerouac
3 - Stephen Fry
4 - John D. MacDonald
5 (tied) - Elmore Leonard
5 (tied) - Anthony Burgess

Potential to crack the Top 5? Mr. Top Five himself, Nick Hornby.

This was tough.

But as an incredibly bad 80s film (the name of which escapes me, thankfully) said:

"Are you tough?"
"Tough enough!"

I actually gave your question a lot of thought, EricB, and came to the conclusion that it was too hard to answer. Here are some writers I've enjoyed tremendously, but not in any particular order:

Norman Mailer
Thomas Wolfe
Jane Austen
Margaret Atwood
Gregory Maguire
Phillip Pullman
Connie Willis
John Steinbeck
Jim Harrison
MacDonald Harris

Those are just off the top of my head. Among the popular fiction I've read, I've enjoyed some (but not much) of Stephen King, early Anne Rice (I like the earlier vampire stuff but not the more recent), Anne Perry (the William Monk series) and J.K. Rowling.

On top of that are the countless books I've enjoyed by writers I've only read once - and I'm looking right this moment at a stack of waiting books on my floor. The list will probably be much different six months from now.

That's a really interesting list, Lisa.

I've been meaning to read Thomas Wolfe for years, party based on the fact that he was such an influence to Kerouac. I must admit that I have a tendency to buy "classics" and then let them lie on my bookshelf to gather dust (see: Dostoyevsky, D.H. Lawrence, even some Mailer...).

Looking at my own list and thinking about this kind of stuff a lot (which I have been of late) has helped me to see where I stand as a fiction writer and to understand what I enjoy in general.

It took me a number of years to understand that I'm much more of a "genre" person than a literary person. That said, I've spent the last few years trying to hone in on what area (or areas) I'm most comfortable with writing about.

Only very recently did I realize that I was thrown off-track by my childhood infatuation with Stephen King (I bought It at the CostCo when I was 12 and have been hooked ever since). King's influence led me to believe that I was best suited to be a horror or science fiction writer. But the truth is that I've always read very widely -- too widely, and not deeply enough at times -- which has left me feeling a bit transient at times in terms of finding a literary "home base."

Anyway, my recent revelation came when looking at my almost-completed novel (which has been gathering a depressing amount of dust itself the last two months or so... considering taking a week off from BlogCritics, but that's a separate issue entire), I realized that it's a mish-mash of genres: suspense story, love story, comic story, college story... and not a drop of sci fi or real horror on the list.

I then looked at my bookshelf and scanned the books I actually have read over the last few years: tons of thrillers, mysteries, spy stories, suspense, historical fiction, and non-fiction. Not a drop of sci fi or horror in the mix (save a few Steve King tomes... and he's not really a straight horror guy anymore anyway).

This all adds up to: I realized that I like to write suspense/thrillers with elements of comedy, romance, and a weird quirk or two and a dash of satire thrown in for good measure. And that mix reflected by list of favorite writers.

No one may care a hair's uncle about any of this, but it's been on my mind of late. I may polish and upgrade this to an official post at some point, but I'm still developing my thoughts/feelings.

I'd love to hear other thoughts/feelings, of course.

Yes, it's a tough question. I can pull science fiction authors from my own list, but these would be currently-writing, often re-read authors in the Sci-fi genre only -- I'd have a separate list if I include deceased writers, another for science non-fiction, another for philosophy, another for...

1. Sheri Tepper
2. David Weber
3. Connie Willis
4. Elizabeth Moon
5. Neal Stephenson

DrPat - I'd love to see your lists by category, and annotations as well if you feel like putting in the time. You're just about our resident fount of encyclopedic knowledge with regard to (especially) sci fi...

Well, my non-fiction top five would be:

1. John McPhee
2. Stephen Pinker
3. Stephen J. Gould
4. Henry Petroski
5. Mark Kurlansky

1. Daniel Dennett
2. Lin Yutang
3. Timothy Ferris
4. Michael Shermer

1. James Michener
2. Steven King
3. Bernard Malamud
4. Jean Auel
5. Fay Weldon

1. Agatha Christie
2. Tony Hillerman
3. Alexander McCall Smith
4. J.K. Rowling (it's where the Harry Potter books belong, you know)
5. Ross H Spencer

1. Bill Bryson
2. Thorne Smith
3. James Thurber
4. H. Allen Smith
5. Max Schulman

Great lists DrPat. I'll say more about it a little later.

I've only read "Space" by Michener (as a kid) and enjoyed it. I can still remember some passages from it quite clearly, in fact.

What other novels of his would your recommend, DrPat?

In no particular order

Raymond Chandler, no Dashiell Hammett, no definitely Raymond Chandler
Ernest Hemmingway
John Steinbeck gets a nod for Grapes of Wrath alone
David Sedaris geez that man makes me laugh
Jack Keroak

This will change. Its 1:30 in the morning and I can't think of all the authors I love. Yeah, this will change.

That's a pretty good list, Mat.

Partially based upon my interaction with Robert B. Parker, and partially because I want to delve into the mystery / suspence genre, I'd like very much to read Chandler and Hammett.

For Whom the Bell Tolls knocked me straight on my ass: a more powerful novel, with straight-as-an-arrow deadly prose, you won't find.

And On the Road is just about the most influential book I've ever read (for me). It prompted me to travel and to helped me to become a writer... not bad.

I love Steinbeck's style and want to read more of his stuff for sure. Sedaris I never saw what the fuss was about, but I never gave him a huge chance all the same.

Definitely read Hammett and Chandler. I just recently got into the classic detective novels and I can't seem to put these guys down. I've never really been a fan of the mystery genre. Too often the authors are more interested in keeping one plot twist ahead of the reader than actual good writing. Hammett, Chandler and even James Cain set out to write Literature that just happens to be in the mystery/crime genre. Good stuff.

I'm currently reading For Whom the Bell Tolls and yeah, its pretty much blowing my socks off.

I've only read On the Road and the Dharma Bums by Keroak but both greatly influenced my life.

Putting more thought into the list, Sedaris wouldn't last. He was added because my sleep deprived brain couldn't think of anyone else. It was one of those, lets look at the bookshelf and find someone to complete the list, kind of deals. Unfortunately, the bookshelf nearest me doesn't contain all that much. Though I will say I find Sedaris to be quite hilarious, and relate a good deal to his experiences in France.

I've only realized relatively recently that many of my favorite stories are suspense stories that also focus heavily on character. I think that's why I've developed a love for novels by guys like Robert B. Parker, John D. MacDonald, and Robert Wilson: interesting, involving stories; sharply written and highly literate; social commentary and some light life philosophy; and a good dose of humor every now and again.

After On the Road and Dharma Bums (and The Town and the City, which no one ever reads) Kerouac gets highly impenetrable to the average reader. I read Big Sur during a trip to Big Sur (which might be close to the guy who wears the tee-shirt to the concert he's going to see, so perhaps I should have taken Jon Favreau's advice to "not be that guy") and wanted to jump out of a tree after a bit. There were some beautifully lucid passages about a lost soul drowning in alcohol, but overall it was an extremely painful read.

You should check out Stephen Fry if you're looking for a smart and funny as hell author. Making History and The Hippopotamus are extraordinary reads. Revenge is pretty good too -- a retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo -- but it has its shortcomings.

I'll definitely look up Fry when I get back to the states. Right now my reading consists of the books I brought with me to France (which mostly includes the giant "important" tomes I could never bring myself to read in the states - see Les Miserables) and whatever english language books I can find at the library. The library is always fun because they have a small section of English books which consists mainly of current popular items, most of which are pretty trashy, and a scattering of classics. But since the selection is small most of it is generally checked out. So I never know what I'll find.

It's not books but along the same though process, the libraries DVD selection is insane. They have something like 900 films but on any given day there are about 5 not checked out. It is always interesting to see what I can find. It certainly eliminates the decision process, but there is always something interesting.

Is it easy enough to find movie theaters that show films with English sub-titles, Mat?

I seem to remember seeing Pulp Fiction with sub-titles at a hostel in Paris around '96 or so. Tarantino was the rage in Europe around that time.

I adored Michener's The Source, and Hawaii was also wonderful. For history-fiction of places I've lived, I enjoyed Centennial (Colorado) and The Covenant. Caravans is a novel I keep meaning to reread - it covers Cold War Afghanistan.

There isn't one of his novels I have not enjoyed; although Chesapeake and Texas were (IMHO) sub-par for Michener, they still stand head-and-shoulders above most other such novels.

Michener's Texas and Poland books are also really great reads.
In Europe I have been able to find the Penguin Classics in English just about everywhere.

What time period does Poland cover? I'd like to check that out some time. (Of course, I have about 150 books in this category at present...)

Poland opens in 1981 with the fall of Poland to the Communists (and the involvement of the local Catholic Bishop with a group of militant farmers); and closes with the same events.

In between, Michener covers seven centuries of Poland's resistance to invasion, from Tatars and Turks to Swedes, Germans and Russians. The novel also explores the Nazi era and Poland's Holocaust sites.

Hi Eric,

You asked earlier if any of us were published. I have a new travel book coming out in May, probably on the stands in April, and a new young adult novel coming out at the end of summer/early fall.

hurm...Top 5 eh?

Robert A. Heinlein (he IS the Grand Master, after all)

Neal Stephenson (from SnowCrash to the Baroque Cycle...priceless)

James Clavell

Hunter S. Thompson

and a tie...Shakespeare and Mark Twain

honourable mention for Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, Terry Pratchett, Wells and Verne...the writing duo of Larry Niven and Dr. Jerry Pournelle...

i could go on fer hours...

but can i give a shout out to Stan "the Man" Lee?

Excelsior!

Vikk & Gonzo: Thanks for keeping those couple of thought-lines rolling. I throw out so many fishing hooks on a given day, it's great to get a nice bite every now and again!

That said, I've got to get to sleep: three nights of less than six hours sleep makes me a danger to myself (and the cat, who likes to scratch the door to wake me up at 4:45 am).

In other words: I'll get back to y'all in the morn...

We have one theatre in Strasbourg that shows its movies in Version Originale which simply means the with the original language track. So I can watch any English language film with no problem. It is a more arty theatre so they don't always show the new block busters. Though I just caught The Life Aquatic there. The bigger theatres that show the blockbusters tend to dub their movies into french.

The really cool thing about French movies is they have cool retro cinemas that show lots of cool old flicks. I've seen Casablanca and Touch of Evil on the big screen. They also just ran a cool zombie festival. I caught the original Dawn of the Dead and Return of the Living Dead part II. Both dubbed in french, but their zombie movies so I didn't really need to understand what they were saying :)

Congratulations on your publications, Vikk. If you're willing to share, can you take us through your road to becoming a published author? I'm always curious to read about success stories, particularly with regard to writing!

There are so many people here who praise Stephenson up-and-down, Gonzo, that I'm really going to make it a point to check him out.

DrPat, I think you're a Stephenson guy as well: can either of you recommend a good book to start with?

My personal favorite is Cryptonomicon, but it's rather challenging as a starter - Zodiac, on the other hand, has all the "coolth" of a Stephenson novel, but not so much of the tech-bandwidth.

You'll love the main "character" of Zodiac, BTW, Eric - like almost all of Stephenson's stuff, his characters are just as likely to be tasty technology as intriguing people.

Sounds good DrPat, I'll have to check it out -- and break my pledge to delve head-first into mysteries and suspense tales only for a spell! Ah hell, I'm always breaking these stupid pledges.

You can always do as I do, and read several things at once. (Tech in the living room, Science fiction in the office, essays and philosophy in the bathroom...)

I'm already there, though with work and writing duties, the normal 4-5 is at 2-3 right now: non-fiction before bed (makes me drowsy), William Gibson / finishing my bloody novel at lunch, mystery novel for travel lulls.

For sequel-free Stephenson, there's Zodiac, which he describes as a cult classic among wastewater treatment technicians. It's got plenty of action mixed in with the philosophical exposition on the behavior of large molecules.

Probably the most action-packed is Snow Crash, the ultimate cyberpunk novel, which is easily appreciated with no need to read its distant sequel, The Diamond Age. The sequel is also great, but starts to get heavier on the philosophy and character development.

Cryptonomicon is densely packed with amusing philosophy and character development, greatly enjoyable if you like that sort of thing, and still generous with the action.

His most recent trilogy seems to be a distant prequel to Cryptonomicon, and I haven't yet finished reading it. As a die-hard fan I'm sure I will enjoy the last two volumes as much as I loved Quicksilver, but it's a lot of reading for someone who just wants to check out Stephenson's work.

For that purpose I'm veering back to Snow Crash, just for the sheer joyous abandon in its heady mix of social satire and breathless action sequences.

Your mileage may vary.

Victor -- thanks for the great info on Stephenson. I wanted to ask for more, but didn't for fear of being scolded to find out more on my own!

Hi Eric,

Sorry to be so long in getting back to you. You asked about my road to publication a few days ago, well, let me give you the first hint. It took me thirteen years to get my first book published, and it was not the first book I ever wrote. I never thought about being a writer until 1984 when I suddenly wrote, over one very long weekend, my first poem. Two years later, at the urging of a friend, I signed up for my first creative writing class at the local community college. I spent three years with that instructor. She was a very good teacher. Out of the group of students during those years, I think at least twenty of us have gone on to publish and some are on major bestseller lists.

I also became involved in writers groups. I was president of a group for about two years and we went from 77 members to 300 members. We went from one published author in the group to thirty in about five years.

I like writers who are versatile. Instead of writing in a specific genre, I tend to come up with stories and let them evolve and become what they are. That means it's a longer road. My first contract came from a completely unexpected source and was for a nonfiction travel book. My co-author and I have now written and published three travel books.

I also contracted with an e-publisher for two teen novels. The books are also offered in print format, too. For the first time in years I'm finally completely free of contractual obligations, lost my job, and suddenly find I'm deadline-free. :)

I'm trying to enjoy the freedom--at least for the moment.

BTW, accumulating large amounts of money doesn't always follow publishing a book, though I confess I do know many authors who are earning a decent living and a few who have negotiated some mighty fine contracts. My hope is that I am accumulating a certain amount of momentum so that the financial end will take a big leap in the next couple of years.

Sorry for any errors in the post above. I didn't plan to go on so long. Should have written my response ahead of time and pasted it in the comment box.

Eric, from way above -- I'm with you on Memoirs of an Invisible Man. I love that book, and try to re-read it once a year. And the movie sucked.

Sphere the movie sucked, but frankly the book wasn't all that either.

The Wizard of Oz

"Let's hear some war stories!"



I wrote a humor/satire column in an alternative weekly. 3 death threats in 12 months.

Had a screenplay optioned by an egomaniac Hollowood snake -- sorta yer baptism of fire in LaLa land. Regretted every minute of it.


Wrote (and had performed) four musical comedies by a prominent African-American theatre ensemble. Despite that long association, I was labeled a racist slave-owner by a legendary wing-nut on Blogcritics.

heh.

Wrote a couple of books for an MD. He barfed up 400,000 words at random; I turned it into readable material on women's health. Spent a year wanting to blow my brains out. I know more about hormones and breast care than any layman on earth. (Dreaded doctor was a combination of James Joyce meets Steven Hawkings) Finally declined further work because it was so horrible.

Lemmee think...

Oh yeah, America's greatest poet extraordinaire, first published at age 21, sorta a cowboy Rimbaud. Will be very famous when my death turns me into a marketing bonanza.

Just finished a novel -- which is making the rounds. Which reminds me...

Once papered an entire wall with rejection letters for short story submissions. Atlantic Monthly asked "to see more" of my work. Whoopty-fuckin' do!


Won an "I can write worse than Joe Bob Briggs" contest. He wrote me a note saying, "Please don't take my job!" -- which is one of my most treasured compliments.

Top ten writers in no particular order - couldn't limit it to five:

Charles de Lint
Dan Simmons
Robert McCammon
Geroge MacDonald Fraser
Tim Powers
F. Paul Wilson
Clark Ashton Smith
John Mortimer
Robert Heinlein
Abe Merritt

Dave

Oh and Shark - I beat you. I had my first poetry published for money at age 17 and my first paid short story at 18. Plus my desk has three completed and unsubmitted novels in it. Oh, and I haven't written a word of fiction in 10 years after turning out something like 3000 words a week for more than a decade.

Dave

Shark's Favorite Writers:

Camus

Arthur Koestler

Mark Twain

Tzara

Dickens

Robert Anton Wilson

Raphael Sabatini - **also the most underrated novelist in history. Scaramouche, The Sea Hawk, and Captain Blood are profound socio-political/philosophical novels -- mistakenly pegged as 'swashbuckler' genre stuff. Too bad. Some of the greatest historical novels ever.

**Also qualify as THE WORST 'movie adaptations' in film history.

Dave Nalle: "Oh and Shark - I beat you. I had my first poetry published for money at age 17 and my first paid short story at 18."

...But my dick is bigger.

xxoo
S

How you can recognize the genius of Sabatini and yet still think Robert Anton Wilson is even an actual writer escapes me. You are a man of many mysteries, Shark.

Dave

>>...But my dick is bigger.

xxoo
S
<<

If your dick is THAT big keep your hugs and kisses to yourself, I might get violated by accident.

Dave

Nalle: "How you can recognize the genius of Sabatini and yet still think Robert Anton Wilson is even an actual writer escapes me."

I have immaculate taste.

Well...that and really good drugs.

bigger than what?

Hmmm everyone I know who's liked Wilson has been on drugs...mostly downers. That might explain a lot.

Dave

Oh, yeah! Scaramouche had nothing to do with Star Wars Episode 6 - but it should have - just as it should have been cited in 1991's By the Sword.

Just found this thread... Great reading the coments and lists.

Here's eight favorites in no particular order:

John Stienbeck
Larry Brown
Steven King
Robert Heinlein
Larry Niven
Arthur Clark
James Clavelle

Larry Brown is the standout on this list. His stories are some of the most enjoyably disturbing works I've ever read.

Dirty Work, Big Bad Love, Joe, Facing The Music, Fay.... Lary died last year, way too young, but his novels will live forever. Do yourself a favor and check him out, in the order listed if you like.

Bennett
Raymond Chandler

there are so many to choose from
so i'll just name a few for now...


isabelle allende
christopher moore
george r.r. martin
barbara kingsolver
edward rutherfurd
gabriel garcia marquez


and a big thumbs up to both
raphael sabatini and neal stephenson

When did the Left Behind horde take over the books section? Did the rendezvous or revelation or rehabilitation or whatchamacalit happen and I didn't notice?

Items 1 to 6 are all on the same theme, methinks, in the book section

good eyes Aaman, just signed up a platoon of new members via a Christian book review site

I hope our wild ways don't shock them too much

War stories from the typing trenchs. Well it all started back in 1991 when I wrote an adaptation of Dalton Trumbo's Johnny Got His Gun for my theatre company to perform. I wrote it while watching CNN covering Gulf War 1, taped parts of their coverage and used it and classic war tunes for soundtrack and transition music. Nice and jarring. I live in a military town so it went over well. (Kingston has a fairly large active Canadian Forces Base and is home to the Royal Millitary Collage)
I've got a store front over at Lulu.com self publishing where I'm flogging some articles, a couple of books of poetry, and publishing a novel in serial form, chapter by chapter as I write it.
I've got a grand total of $8.00 in royalties stuck in pay pal because they won't release anything under $10.00.(anyone want to take mercy on me and go buy something? www.lulu.com/leapinthedark: you can download something for as cheap as $2.50)
favorites in particular order:
James Joyce
e.e. cummings
Steven Erikkson
Tolkien(of course)
Rowling
and a bunch of others

At least it's only $8 stuck!

I just found this thread and thought I'd comment on a post about authors and new projects. I have a new novel that is now available through amazon entitled Link Detonator. It's a science fiction story about time travel, just a little different from the norm. Check it out.

A simple joke does not equal satire whether funny or not. Satire has a much finer tradition.

Please if you are going to post a satire piece it needs to be given the Culture: Satire subcategory.

Also there is a place for those short almost thoughts that should not be separate posts at blogcritics. That place is the open comments thread under each section - http://www.blogcritics.org/culture / music / books etc.


Thank you. Temple

I think it's amazing (not surprising, though) that four of the Hot Five in books today are Harry Potter posts -- and the fifth is Deepak Chopra.

What it means, I'm sure I don't know. But it is interesting...

i have decided to start a % word story! if u do not no wat that is i will explain:

some 1 will start of the story with a sectence that has to be 5 words long (give or take a few)

e.g. hary Potter is a huge

then some 1 eles will continue the sentence with 5 words

e.g. cry baby that wants to

then some 1 eles will continue that, so on so forth.

rules:

1)only 5 or so words
2)nothing TOO rude ( the ruder they are the funnier, but u will probibly get kiked of the site so i suggest u don't)
3) anything can happen, its every1's story, so be creative.
4) try not to end a sentence with a full stop.

so i will start!





harry potter can't see.....

Phillip Winn,

how do u actually get here from the home page coz i have posted how to get here but its kinda complicated and ivtried to type it into search but nothing comes up so wat would be an easy way?

without his ugly glasses which

comment 80 was in reply to comment 78 , u know - the 5 word story... knock yourself out!!!

hav got herminone's

have magical powers beyod belif.

david was that a part to the 5 word story?

yes but you wrote somithink which didnt appear on my screen staight away sorry i will continue from were u left off

luck inside them he also

had a dog called

ron which was red and

crapy but he still

was an animagus. his true

Karate, on the sidebar, underneath the "Hot Topics" and above the "Top Commenters," there is a section labeled "Open Threads." Within that very short list is a link to "Books/Magazines," which leads right here.

Enjoy!

father was Lord Voldemort so

he was the heir of

tesco's down the street,

which was the biggest store

lupin had ever stepped on because

Let's move the five word story to its own page, so you can continue uninterrupted!

This Harry Potter 5 word story make one wonder what is the diagesis of a blog-post and what is the interpretation. By enabling the post itself to be continued by the reader, but within the scope of the author's wishes, is the diagesis expanded and therefore potentially infinite.


Does this post therefore encompass the universe, for what is the difference between one infinity and another?

I would say the the infinite blog-post theory is somewhat refuted by the fact that experiments of this sort seem to inevitably turn into comedic sex-romps. :-)

Tolkien
Tim Powers
Richard Russo
Robertson Davies
Twain

Favorite Authors:

Saul Bellow
Leo Tolstoy
Marge Piercy
Doris Lessing
Iris Murdoch
Mark Halprin
Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Faulkner

Some Favorite Poets:

Edward Hirsch
Jayne Hirschfield
Mark Doty
Sharon Olds
T.S. Eliot
John Donne
W.B. Yeats



Recent novels I've loved:

Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night Time--about an autistic teenager who sets out to solve a murder

Black--an FBI thriller by Christopher Whitcomb. Has anyone read White? His newest, in hardcover

The Lovely Bones--an "angel" of a girl writes about life before her own murder and everlasting disappearance.

John Adams--biography by David McCulloch. I'm really interested in Revolutionary War history and biography. Know any good titles?

There are others, but I'll stop there. I love this website.

WHO FOLLOWED THE QUEEN OF CUPS....

this is a cool website. well the website isnt so cool, but there are some unique kid's books on it. not quite harry potter, but there's one about a booger, which is the one most worthy of being looked at. kinda for kids, but still fun for me, who is not quite a kid. my favorite unique kids book author.

I'm looking for a critic to review my brand new book - Before they were HAWKS. This book is about a group of teenagers who are fed up with being bullied in school and ignored at home so they decide to take the law into their own hands. It should be available on Amazon in about a week. Please contact me through my website.

Love the book The Lovely Bones! Any chicks out there?

Check out the book
Troubles of BEING a Girl by Lane Kennedy

I'm not sure if this book can be bought in stores or not-- I found it on Amazon. She also has a rad website.

Oh, Nicky - check out the B5 CD review if you're looking for girls...

The Art of Demotivation is a clever, dry wit "business" book. It parodies the motivational posters with illustrations produced by Kevin Sprouls, the celebrated creator of the Wall Street Journal Portraits Technique. He lent his pen and vision to create 18 stylized renderings of Demotivators ® for this work. The mix of well written chapters, stipple style illustrations with brilliant captions make for a must read. I googled Kevin Sprouls and found more of his work at http://www.sprouls.com

If you haven't read Tom Engelhardt's novel "The Last Days of Publishing" (University of Massachusetts Press) you should if you have any interest in getting published. It is depressing in its look at the slow death of the traditional publishing of (low profit margin) literary fiction, but it also provides hope that literary fiction indeed has a future--however low profit. It's revealing that Engelhardt's book was published by a university press--where presumably profit is not the motive. The novel (in a comic reference to Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney's creative day dreaming about "putting on a show") hints that little-or-no profit small presses are where the future lies. But, that's also were the past was too: such as Woolf, Auden, and Isherwood got their start in little presses--in the case of the Woolfs, it was in their living room.

Hi all,

How do I help this great new book some more coverage on the blogs. I recently went to a sneak peek book signing from author Lee Welles. Gaia Girls Book Series is a seven book series that is just launching in 2006, but we were lucky to get a sneak peak at a local signing. Wow! The book is fantastic.

www.gaiagirls.com

How do I help get this author some coverage on the blogs? My daughter just LOVES Gaia Girls-Enter the Earth, the first book in this series. Recently Gaia Girls author was on Eco Talk Radio on Air America.

http://www.ecotalkblog.com/

Any ideas out there how I can help? The book is a beautiful 325 pg hardcover book with 100% recycled paper. The librarians and the author at the book signing said that if we liked the book to help spread the word. Well here I am.

We loved! Gaia Girls!

All ideas would be appreciated.
Stan B


Here is blog post on Gaia Girls-Enter the Earth

just discovered this; good timing; last night i was on a National Public Radio satellite station out of CT and discussing with author Hans Koning (New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, novelist and foreign correspondent) the publishing industry, since i've been a book editor for more years than i care to count. The jist of what we were saying/i was saying is this: I go to FRance or any other foreign country and i got into a bookstore and they have sections in each language : French, English, Spanish, Chinese, etc So, whatever your nationality, you can find a book to read. But i go into a B&N or independent even in the US and i see no such thing. Why is it that we are so afraid of translations here for one, and two, that we don't offer books in other languages. There IS market for it, just as there is in Europe. I admit, i'm European, so i just don't understand this way of being and no doubt i'll be set straight... or maybe you'll agree as i hope you do. I"ve had my first novel published in Paris and the UK and it sells in America as well (Amazon, bookstores, etc) But i remember being told by one person that it was "too European". they said the same thing about The Lover by Marguerite Duras (which became a best-seller) and the same thing about the book Betty Blue, which also became a best seller and went on to be a terrific film which did very well. It takes an editor with a real eye to see such books; the problem these days is getting it past the sales reps who are making editorial decisions and the agents who likewise, don't push hard for books that are too "european" and instead send the only to the small presses of the world.

I've said enough and you get the point. I might podcast on this as it's an interesting topic and one that certainly merits some thought.

Now, favorite authors:

1. Nabokov
2. Yeats
3. Ted Hughes
4. Ian McEwan
5. Marguerite Duras
6. Jean Echenoz (last year's winner of the Prix Goncourt for the book Je me'n vais.
7. Harry Mathews (one t)
8. Henry Miller
9. William Langeweische (nonfiction)
10. Mark Polizzotti (yes, really)
11. Saul Bellow
12. Philip Roth
13. Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson)

Poetry Only: (again, in no order; just as they occured).

Sharon Olds
Anne Sexton
Ted Hughes
Syvia Plath
Philip Booth
Kate Barnes
W.B. Yeats
Alfred Lord Tennyson

obviously there are so many others, and these are in no particular order

One of the most beautiful aspects of life is the relationship and love between a mother and child. To go through life without a mother's love can be very cruel and difficult. It can easily destroy you or as in my case make you stronger. With determination you can have a wonderful life after experiencing a tough childhood.

After fifty-three years of dealing with someone who was incapable of showing me any respect or love, I can say that I have finally broken free from my mother's bondage. After all of these years I can finally be the person who I want to be. It is as if I have just now begun to live. I will continue to write about my experiences as a child; hopefully, what I have been through will help others. I now know that a new beginning is possible no matter what life throws your way.

Farley was born in Springfield, Illinois. She grew up in a large family where money was scarce. Her mother was not around for a great deal of her childhood. She was the sixth child of eight and had the responsibility of raising her younger siblings when no one was at home. An sexually abusive grandfather and a mother with a gambling addiction were traumatic parts of her life.

This book A Childhood Taken away by a Mother and Grandfather contains some of Farley's life stories. She describes the difficulties and accomplishments she has experienced. She wrote this book with the purest of intentions - To Help Others.

Subjects: Self-help/ Abuse/ / Survival/ Motivational/ Inspirational

A Childhood Taken Away by a Mother and Grandfather - can be ordered at: Forbes Book Club.com, Barnes & Noble.com, Books com, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble Booksellers. This book is also in the Illinois State Library.

Current Orlando resident and former gang member publishes books about his experiences


In the late ninteen eighties Alex Hutchinson was the leader and founder of the HAWKS Foundation a gang from Avon, Massachusetts. His new books Before they were HAWKS: Birth of the Malevolent Philosophy and Sevlow were written to capture his experiences and explain why kids continue to become involved in gangs.

The fight broke out in a classroom, the two student combatants were throwing each other onto the tables and against the teacher's desk. When it was finally broken up the teacher sent Alex Hutchinson to the office with his sixth suspension.

"That's when they decided to expel me from school," says Alex who claims his innocence to be one of circumstance.
"Why did the teacher believe that you were responsible for the fight?"
"I entered the school in a shop where almost all of the students were drug users and abusers of some type. I was one of three kids who did not use drugs so I was picked on for that."
"Did they pick on the other students?"
"Yes but the other kids were push overs, they wouldn't fight back."
"And you did fight back?"
"Yes and I suffered for it. I was in a brawl everyday, in the shop, in the hallways, everywhere to the point that I dreaded going to school."
"Did you ever tell the teachers?"
"No, high school works by prison rules, if you talk then you'll get seriously hurt maybe even killed."
"So you put up with it."
"No, not exactly. I became angry and jaded. I got together with a group of friends to create a militant group..."
"A gang?"
"Well, the police called us a gang but we called ourselves a military preparation group. Our goal was to stick together, train in military tactics and one day to get revenge against the people who had been attacking us."
"Did you get revenge? was it like Columbine where you brought guns into the school?"
"That's almost what happened. First I was thrown out of school and then thrown out of my house. All of this happens much later though. The first two books that I have written about my experiences concern how the the team was formed and establishes who our enemies were."
"Are any of the fights described in the books?"
"Yes, the fights are talked about and so are the humiliating situations that I was trapped in. It describes, quite painfully, how the teachers did more harm than good and displays how absent our parents were during the entire episode."
"Were these books difficult for you to write?"
"Yes and no. Writing these books was like going to therapy. It forced me to relive some of the experiences and deal with any emotions that came up as I remembered them in detail. However, I'm very glad that I did it. What was left of my resentment has faded. I can finally let go of all the horrors of high school."
"With situations like Columbine becoming more familiar to the public do you think that America's high schools have become more dangerous?"
"It's not a maybe, the schools are more dangerous but it's not always the kids who are the problem. Here in Orlando there have been incidents of police officers using stun guns on students and drug dealers waiting a block away from the school in order to attack a student who had told on them."
"What was it that got you out of the HAWKS Foundation?"
"Failure was a big part of it. We had huge ambitions that were mostly unrealistic and with each obstacle reality itself hit us upside the head. Facing the real world is really what straightened me out."
"But you've done alot since you were a HAWK?"
"I have, after the team had dried up I went out into the world to explore. I still had alot of resentment and energy."
"What kinds of thing did you do?"
"It's a long list but here are a few of the big ones. I traveled with the Circus, I trained with the U.S. Army, I worked on a couple congressional elections, I did some amateur boxing, got my second degree black belt and performed in a backyard wrestling federation. Oh and I went back to evening school, got my diploma and did a year of college."
"Wow, you did all that before writing your first novel?"
"It's been quite a journey. I have alot of things I can write about, my pen will be moving for a long time to come."
"That's fantastic Alex. The books are Sevlow and Before they were HAWKS: Birth of the Malevolent Philosophy and they are available at any online bookstore or at Borders, Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million. Do you have anything else you'd like to add?"
"Yes people can buy all my books or even correspond with me at myspace."

Book Review - A Childhood Taken away by a Mother and Grandfather
Author - Linda Sommer Farley

Survival at the very limit for anyone

Pros: A book that will open your eyes to what some live through.
Cons: not any

Recommended: Yes

Comments:
A Childhood taken away by a mother and grandfather is a compelling book. It was so intriguing that I thought that I was actually with the author when I read about her life. I can't imagine what it was like to live as she did. I wish her the best.

How do I go about asking you to review and to write blogs about 3 of my published books. They are all listed on Amazon.com and Barnes Noble. They are Retirement Riches in the Pacific-retiring to a pacific island to build tourist cottages and to make lots of money and after being the victim of arson, leaving and going to the Philippines where the lead character marries and has two sons who are the real retirement riches; Star Wars in the Pacific-a fictionalized account of life on Kwajalein Atoll during the development of Star Wars, a missile program to shoot down enemies missiles; My Life Story-by Tom M. A Recovering Alcoholic- a story of growing up with and using alcohol all the time, stopping drinking with the help of AA and some of the great life alcohol free thereafter.
I prefer someone else to write the blogs as that way I get better and detached comments. If you want to get the manuscript free, just e-mail me your e-mail address and I'll gladly e-mail the galley proofs.
Thanks and have a nice day.
Oh, yeah, there are two more books almost ready to send to the publisher Authorhouse.com. They are New HIres of '65- a story of going to work for the government and the encounters and exploits of a group of new hires throughout their careers and life and My AA Meetings-a story of how I learned to use AA meetings and the ever helpful and supportive AA fellowship in many cities, states and countries to help me stay sober and change my life.
Thanks
Tom McGoldrick
in the Philippines
you can call me on skype too.

Hi, I found a great book on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, it's called "Arab Voices Speak to American Hearts" by Samar Dahmash Jarrah who is an Arab American author. The book is about an open dialouge between regular Americans and Arabs from different sectors of the society.
It made me as an American rethink many things about Arabs.
You can check the author's web site www.arabvoicesspeak.com

I would love to get reader comments on my book, AMPLIFIED. I'm working on the sequel and reader comments help me a great deal. I love hearing perceptions and plot comments.

A Childhood Taken Away
By a Mother and Grandfather

Featured Book February 2006

Featured Book Review and Recommendation

WomensSelfEsteem.com recommends the book

“A Childhood Taken Away".
Author- Linda Sommer Farley

About the Author and the Book- Linda Sommer Farley was born in Springfield, Illinois. She has been married for thirty-nine years and has ten grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter. Her story tells us what life was like for her growing up. She shares with us the trauma of having an abusive mother with a gambling addiction, and how it effected her throughout her early life. Linda Sommer Farley came from a large family, of eight children. She was the sixth of her siblings and she shares her memories of being solely responsible for her younger siblings when her father was at work and her mother was away gambling. She also expresses her embarrassment of growing up poor, and the challenges she was faced with through her school years due to her poverty. Linda also allows us to feel her pain, her fear, and her total loneliness, when her grandfather abused her at one point in her life. Linda shows her readers how to be strong, and keep moving onward and upward. Linda Sommer Farley's reasons for her book are simply to reach out to others that are suffering and to show them that they too can rise above it all and change their lives. Her book is inspirational as well as motivational. A True Gem! Linda Sommer Farley is a proven author and survivor.
About the book- A childhood taken away is a well written, very easy to read story for women with physical and mental abuse issues. The contents of Linda’s story ranges from feelings of loneliness, a need to be loved, to enjoying the small pleasures of life.
WomensSelfEsteem.com's Review- Linda Sommer Farley’s story captured my interest mostly because of her strength as she continued to move forward in her life. She shows women that it is possible to take control of every situation and make choices toward a better life. "A Childhood Taken Away by a Mother and Grandfather" is written with intelligence and very good articulation. Inspirational as well as motivational. A True Gem! Linda Sommer Farley is a proven author and survivor. Linda has articles published in various magazines and I look forward to more of Linda’s life experiences.

"A Childhood Taken Away" is available for purchase at Barnes & Noble.com,eCampus.com, TextbooksRus.com, Amazon.com, AmazonCanada.com, Amazon UK Marketplace, Amazon Germany Marketplace , Amazon Japan Marketplace, Amazon France Marketplace. and Barnes & Noble Book Stores.

I came upon a great book named Broken. I relate to is so much and I can't wait till the book came out Broken is the modern self-love bible for the girl in all of us waiting for the ?knight in shining armor? to swoop in and set us free. Most of us females deal with a lot of insecurities and I think that many girls may relate to this book in many ways. I think many magazine uses beauty tips to help most teens insecurities but most beautiful teens have many other insecurities other than physical but mentally. Most teens make think they are beautiful but still feel ugly. If this book might interest you go to www.Brokenthenovel.com When you start you won't want to put it down

hi i m 19 year old.. i have just dipped myself in the shallow waters of books.. i have so far read a couple of books.. new ones and old ones.. recently i came across o novel by ayn rand called 'the fountain head'
it was really too deep.. i felt oddly uneasy.. even today i leaf throgh its pages ... plaese can someone in a nut shell sort out the theory of this perticular novel.

Book Title: A Childhood Taken Away by a Mother and Grandfather
Author: Linda Sommer Farley - Springfield, Illinois

Linda Sommer Farley’s book tells us what life was like for her growing up. She shares with us the trauma of having an abusive mother with a gambling addiction and how it effected her throughout her life. Linda came from a large family, of eight children. She was the sixth of her siblings and she shares her memories of being solely responsible for her younger siblings when no one was at home. She also expresses her embarrassment of growing up poor, and the challenges she was faced through her school years due to her poverty. She was bullied in school frequently and she was forced to sit on a hot radiator during school for the amusement of others. Linda also allows us to feel her pain, her fear, and her total loneliness, when her grandfather abused her. Linda Sommer Farley's reasons for her book are simply to reach out to others and to show them that they too can rise above it all and change their lives. Her book is inspirational as well as motivational.

“A Childhood Taken Away" is available for purchase at Barnes & Noble.com, Amazon.com,eBay.com, TextbooksRus.com, Books Com, and Barnes & Noble Book Sellers.

i love any books by jane austen, j.k.rowling, thomas hardy,george elliot and any one who writes well. i also like poetry by tennyson, wordsworth, matthew arnold and elizabeth browning and any romantic poetry

Hi. I have a freelance book review done of my new first novella. Do you accept these? Thanks.

Hi, I just wanted to offer up to the authors who read this an opportunity. My popular fiction blog, Novel Journey is dedicated to getting the word out about novels and authors who write from a Biblical worldview. The book doesn't have to be a Christian work (as in published by the CBA) but needs to
not go against biblical principles. If you have this type of traditionally published novel and are trying to promote it, you can contact me for an interview or review through my blogger profile.

I'm so glad I found this site, it's awesome and very much needed.

The Diary Of A Cancer Survivor's Daughter

I wrote this book about my mom and her battle with breast cancer. I hope everyone enjoys it!

I'm a new author my self of Children's books.
I write for children aged 5 on up to the mid teens. If any one is interested drop by my web site. Feel free to comment on.

Please visit the site to find out about Charmed and Strange by Jeff Clark-Meads, a quirky comedy. It's his first fiction book and it's very funny, especially if you're from the UK. :D

"America Deceived" by E.A. Blayre III was pulled off Amazon and from Wikipedia. Last link (before Google Books bows to pressure):
America Deceived - Book

While writing advice from authors and various how-to books can be helpful, I think it's vital to find your own voice and stay loyal to it.

Just read Byron Ferguson's book. BECOME THE ARROW. Excellent read on the art of modern barebow shooting if you are a tradisional/instinctive bow shooter like me.

Comments welcomed.

I loved the book by Linda Sommer Farley. It addressed issues about gambling addictions and abuse. It opened my eyes to how I treat people.

The book titled: A Childhood Taken Away by a Mother and Grandfather was written by a Great-Grandmother. Good for her!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!!!

Have a great day!!!!

One of the most beautiful aspects of life is the relationship and love between a mother and child. To go through life without a mother's love can be very cruel and difficult. The only thing I received from my mother was an addiction to gambling. As a baby to adulthood I was raised around gambling. During these frequent card games for money there was filthy language used, arguing, and fighting. I could play a hand of poker at the age of five -- Linda Sommer Farley

Synopsis:
Linda tells us what life was like for her growing up. She shares with us the trauma of having an abusive grandfather and a mother with a gambling addiction and how it effected her throughout her life. She expresses her embarrassment of growing up poor and the challenges she faced through out her school years due to her poverty.

Book Title: A Childhood Taken Away by a Mother and Grandfather
Author: Linda Sommer Farley

This book is available at: Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, Collinsbooks.com.au, Foyles uk.com, Tower.com, Target.com, and at Borders Express Book Stores.

I finally read the book - A Childhood Taken Away by a Mother and Grandfather - it was good. I had no idea that a family could actually live that way. I have lived a sheltered life. I was fearful for the author when I read each chapter but I couldn’t put the book down. I was so anxious to see what would happened next. I appreciate this site letting me know about this book.