yup, i’m still gallavanting across italy…
what’s that? you want a code to break? something to while away the minutes until i return? something silly? here you go. can anyone figure out what it says?
and now it’s your turn to procrastinate. click here.
you’re welcome.
to refresh your memory about why i’m talking with strangers, here’s the deal.
i was beebopping as guster sang song after song. brian was jamming on the bongos. adam was strumming his gee-tar. luke (i think that’s the new guy’s name) was enjoying the crowd. and ryan was wailing when SPLASH. something cold and wet landed my arm. i half turned and saw a guy a near me flinch as well. i semi-smiled to let him know that “eww” i was hit too. apparently my smile didn’t translate in the darkened room.
“it wasn’t me,” the guy said.
i turned fully and smiled bigger. “oh, i know.”
“it’s just beer.”
“as long as that’s all it is.”
we cringed and laughed weakly, as i wiped the last drops off my arm and focused my attention back on the stage.
and by YOU, i mean me. i’m in italy. again. but this time in a different part and with my family and with NO WORK in sight for the next two weeks. my life rocks.
so while i’m gone, here, enjoy some of the stuff the interwebs has for you.
what makes a strong female character?
what should a writer wear? by linda grimes
25 things you never knew had names
the aurora borealis is on my list of things i must see with my own two eyes. until then, i can watch this.
then there’s this blog which is chock full of hilarious advice and snappy commentary and inspirational mumbogumbo.
these fan art pictures of the HUNGER GAMES trilogy characters are so cool. i can’t predict where the link will start. i’m hoping it’s on the picture of katniss in her gown from the opening ceremony, but if not, look for number 11 [of 42]. simply stunning.)
how about this post about a dog? i gotta keep the masses happy. and trust me, this will make you laugh.
and finally, a glee flash mob (video courtesy of sis-in-law M).
discuss amongst yourselves.
who says you have to be crowded into the living room, kitchen, and/or dining room to hold a book club? we are ladies of the 21st century. we don’t need no stinkin’ couches. so pull up a blog and join in the conversation.
the members of the BOOK HUNGRY are (alphabetically): patty blount, kelly breakey, karla nellenbach, vanessa noble, alyson peterson, cynthia reese, elizabeth ryann, and myself. here’s the deal. we pick a book to read. we discuss via email. we post a review on our individual blogs on the same day (3rd thursday of the month). we link to each other. done. i know, genius. click on each one of their names (above) and it’ll take you to their review. browse. enjoy.
this month’s BOOK HUNGRY selection is:
SCENT OF THE MISSING by susannah charleson
what it’s about from amazon: In the wake of the Oklahoma City bombing, Susannah Charleson clipped a photo from the newspaper: an exhausted canine handler, face buried in the fur of his search-and-rescue dog. A dog lover and pilot with search experience herself, Susannah was so moved by the image that she decided to volunteer with a local canine team and soon discovered firsthand the long hours, nonexistent pay, and often heart-wrenching results they face.
Still she felt the call, and once she qualified to train a dog of her own, she adopted Puzzle, a strong, bright Golden Retriever puppy who exhibited unique aptitudes as a working dog but who was less interested in the role of compliant house pet. Puzzle’s willfulness and high drive, both assets in the field, challenged even Susannah, who had raised dogs for years.
Scent of the Missing is the story of Susannah and Puzzle’s adventures together and of the close relationship they forge as they search for the lost–a teen gone missing, an Alzheimer’s patient wandering in the cold, signs of the crew amid the debris of the space shuttle Columbia disaster. From the earliest air-scent lessons to her final mastery of whole-body dialog, Puzzle emerges as a fully collaborative partner in a noble enterprise that unfolds across the forests, plains, and cityscapes of the Southwest. Along the way Susannah and Puzzle learn to read the clues in the field, and in each other, to accomplish together the critical work neither could do alone and to unravel the mystery of the human/canine bond.
my opinion: okay, so some of you know this, some of you may not. *opens closet door, lets skeleton out* i’m not a big fan of animals. i said as much during the november book hungry post, and i feel the need to state it again not for attention, but because it shows you how lovely this book was since i’m here to report that I LIKED THIS BOOK. and now i find myself watching dogs with a more sensitive eye wondering what they’re thinking, smelling, feeling. i owe that to this book. charleson’s descriptions of the search and rescue dogs are fascinating and they made the dogs seem slightly human, and hey, i like humans! which means i liked these dogs!
i repeat, i liked these dogs!
the only gripe i have with this book is the pacing. it was a bit slow for my taste. i mean charleson leads a really interesting life. she’s a flight instructor as well as a volunteer search and rescuer. that’s some juicy stuff right there, but the story got a bit bogged down with the details and scents and sights of every single training session and every single search. if it had been pared down to just the training + the big missions, i think the story would have flowed a bit more smoothly.
but, as it was, overall — i liked the story. and now, instead of just instantly wrinkling my nose when my friends’ dogs come around, i may even pat them. as unconventional of a review as that is, i think that’s the sign of a successful book.
for next month, we read elizabeth’s pick: KISS OF SNOW by nalini singh.
//
now that i’ve embraced (and publicly so) my love of YA, i find myself often being asked for recommendations. like elizabeth, i find the pressure somewhat daunting. and since i know a lot of you won’t click on that link, i’m going to copy and paste because i agree with a lot of what she says:
“So the official book for October’s reading was my responsibility, and, you guys? I almost caved under the pressure. I do not like choosing books for other people unless I know them REALLY REALLY well. That means the only people I don’t majorly stress over when I’m asked to recommend books are my mom and my best friend. That’s it. And “don’t majorly stress over” can be translated into “I’m only mildly anxious.” And since all of you are readers, I’m sure you know how often people assume that all books are equal opportunity good, and that you, as a reader, must know which ones are the good ones and can share that secret with them so that they don’t have to waste their time or something, sorting through all the other books until they stumble across those gems. In other words: I get lots of requests to recommend stuff. And it is total torture.
In my opinion, books are like presents. Everyone likes a good present, right? The classics are usually like those educational presents that your great aunt gets you for Christmas. I mean, yeah, it’s probably good for you, and you’ll likely end up appreciating the learning experience or whatever, but they’re rarely truly fun. Science fiction is like those tech gifts that always end up on those magazine lists adamantly declaring that they’re the must-have for men, despite the fact that there’s no reason women wouldn’t like them too (and often do), whether it’s a GPS or Anne McCaffrey’s The Ship Who Searched (the lovely story about a delightful young girl who grows up to become a spaceship). And romance novels therefore have to be the generic “girl” gifts of nice smelling soaps, either bland, nice enough, and ubiquitous, like a Danielle Steele novel, or delightfully, unexpectedly rich, the fancy chocolate of “girl” gifts: J.D. Robb. I’m going to go with J.D. Robb over Nora for the fancy chocolate because I think Eve and Roarke are just as likely to appeal to guys as Godiva is. The key is picking what you know that specific person will appreciate and making sure you label all the boxes correctly. I mean, your brother is probably less likely to appreciate that Mary Engelbreit pressure cooker, and your mom likely won’t get as much use out of that book on So Gross! facts, you know?
So, back to the book club, and the daunting task of choosing something for everyone to read. Of course everyone reassured me multiple times that this is about expanding our horizons and you should never try to pick something that everyone will like, and that you should just try to choose something that you think everyone should be exposed to, and of course I promptly ignored that advice because what is this, school? This is supposed to be fun. I was all set to choose Robin D. Owens’ Heart Fate when one club member mentioned that she doesn’t enjoy reading any graphic love scenes, so I double checked, and the love scenes were a touch more graphic than I remember, so I nixed that idea. Though it’s a delightful book, for anyone who really likes a slightly different romance novel, with some unexpected depth to the story. That particular series is fun, though you don’t have to read them all to get what’s going on, but that book in particular stood out for me.
So now that you guys all have context for why I chose what I chose, and since reading is all about context, I felt compelled to share. You’re welcome.”
i can usually only remember the BIG, BOOM, I HEARTED IT books off the top of my head at a moment’s notice. it’s a shame because this is the chance to rave about the lesser know, smaller, yet just as charming books. although, that type of recommendation require a knowledge of the person you’re suggesting books to. although, on the other hand, when people ask me for my opinion, it’s a chance for me to spread YA love and i’ve got plenty of that to go around.
and you know what? it’s really fun when someone comes back to you after they’ve read what you suggested and you can gush about it. like last month, a coworker walked into my office with her tween daughter who was carrying CATCHING FIRE.
coworker: i had to bring R by and tell you that your recommendation was spot on.
(bear in mind that despite my insistence that it was appropriate for her age, coworker didn’t like the sound of HUNGER GAMES and so declined that recommendation. i followed it up with a different choice, which i can’t recall at the moment, but see, the lure of HG and CG and MJ hits everyone, even if you try to run away from it. *cough* linda *cough*)
me: *smiles* *nods*
coworker: R found the books on her own and is devouring them, so i should have listened to you. in fact, i think i’m going to start reading the series too.
me: *smiles* *nods*
so i’m going to revise my stance on recommendations. go ahead, ask away! leave a comment at the beep. (i can’t promise i’ll be as amazing as michelle hodkin, but i’ll try.)
*beep*
Abigail Mumford 