Tag: books

feelings

the words that shaped me

abby mumford

i read this post a few weeks ago and it stuck with me because whatever your chosen profession or hobby, it’s interesting to step back and think about how you got started and what is was that motivated you to begin and how it all shaped you.

these are the books that set me on my current path.

HARRY POTTER series by j.k. rowling.  i found this series when i was in college right as the third book was about to be released and it made me thank my lucky stars that Sister E was so much younger because it gave me an excuse to read YA. but as i kept reading, i realized rowling had broken down the barriers and made it okay to write YA and admit you loved the YA genre. her attention to detail, her fully developed characters, her humor, and the magic. these books are a tour de force and she deserves every single penny she’s earned.

HUNGER GAMES by suzanne collins. i’m not talking about the series here, i’m just talking about the first book. this book made me forget i was reading and i never remembered turning the pages; i was just there side by side with katniss as she forged her way forward. she’s a tough, solid, resourceful character and not one prone to romance, in short, she’s refreshingly different from most of the other YA heroines. only suzanne collins could turn a premise as grisly as this into a book that’s beloved by all. this is one book i can (and have) confidently recommend(ed) to anyone.

IF I STAY by gayle forman. this book ripped my heart out and then stitched it back together and i never saw it coming. i’d heard about this book, but the original jacket didn’t catch my attention, so never gave it a second thought. i’d browsed through it at the bookstore before, but i always put it back. it wasn’t until about a year later (at the commanding of a librarian friend) that i finally picked it up. i didn’t put it down until i’d finished it + a box of tissues.

THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE by jandy nelson. this book is one of the most gorgeous things i’ve ever read. it’s sad and heartbreakingly funny and inappropriate and relatable and awesome. jandy takes normal, everyday language and makes it lush and evocative. this is exactly the kind of writing i want to do.

THE SCORPIO RACES by maggie stiefvater. this is the most recent addition to the list, but it’s a welcome one. this book drips with emotion — good, bad, and ugly — and is stunning in its starkness. at the end of the day, this book is hopeful, which is the best we can ask of ourselves and our lives.

what book or decision or moment set YOU on your way?

convos with strangers

conversations with strangers #12

abby mumford

don’t talk to strangers. here’s why i’m breaking that rule.

shocker of all things shocking, i find myself at porter square books. i hand over my book and the girl, who is set to ring me up, says “i know you’re part of our customer care program and i should know your name, but…”

me: *spells last name* *searches through purse for wallet* *looks up at the extended silence to find girl staring expectantly at me* “oh, you need my first name? is there more than one mumford in there?”

her: “there actually is.”

me: “wow.” *ponders all other mumfords she knows. the amazing mumford. mumford and sons. my immediate family members. my extended family members; none live nearby* “i’m abigail.”

her: “ah, found it. the first one.”

me: “i usually am. it’s nice until you’re the first one in everyone’s phone book and they butt dial you.”

her: “that would be annoying.”

me: “i like to tell myself i’m really popular.”

her: *smiles* *hands over receipt.*

i leave the store happy with my purchase and with my status as an almost regular, but wondering who’s out there sharing my last name. perhaps they have a first name that would trump mine thus putting them at the top of everyone’s pocket dialing lists? i must make friends with them immediately.

book club

BOOK HUNGRY: sweet as sin

abby mumford

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: 

SWEET AS SIN by Inez Kelley


what it’s about from amazon: John Murphy is tormented by nightmares. A bestselling young-adult author, he writes the ultimate fantasy: stories where good always triumphs. He knows better. His past has shown him the worst in people—and in himself. When he moves next door to the sexy, vibrant Livvy—a woman completely unlike his usual one-night stands—he’s driven to explore every curve of her delicious body. Pastry chef Livvy knows that giving in to the temptation that is John Murphy won’t lead to anything permanent, but she deserves a passionate summer fling. John discovers she’s as sweet as the confections she bakes while Livvy slowly unravels his secrets. But what will happen when she uncovers them all?

my opinion: when reading this book, i couldn’t help but think of the show “dexter” and how the men both dexter and john murphy become are largely dependent upon traumatic events in their childhood. john is one of the most raw and vivid characters i’ve ever read, but (for me) dexter more successfully portrays a sympathetic hero.

as it was, i didn’t like john murphy. in the beginning (and middle), he was too mean and too intense and too much. i didn’t believe that livvy could go from a superficial love affair to unconditional love so quickly in the midst of all those monsters. she did, fine, but then the downward spiral leading up to the ending was long and traumatic and suddenly, poof, in five pages, happily ever after. uh, what? because the rest of the book was relatively slow paced and wordy, i expected the ending to follow a similar suit. it did not. i wish it had because this contained some of the most interesting details and necessary facts to explain why john is the way he is. i wanted more of that. not less. and because i didn’t spend the entire book in love with john’s character, i needed more time to forgive his actions, whereas livvy jumped back into his arms after one “i’m sorry.”

i didn’t buy it.

it’s a weird thing, this book. overall, the things i liked about it didn’t outweigh the things i didn’t like, however, john murphy is one memorable character. i won’t soon forget him, but i’m also happy not to revisit with him because i like my books with a side of something a little less dark.

in related news, patty, kelly, karla and i had a conference call with inez and it was fascinating. i once read an article about stephenie meyer and how her agent (or was it her editor?) had never seen someone talk about their characters so vividly. it was as if they really were alive. i felt like this with inez. she wrote the book over four years ago and yet she was pulling out trivia and facts and tidbits that i barely remembered and i just finished the book on sunday. impressive.

for once, our group was divided into those that loved it and those that didn’t, so definitely go check out the other gals’ reviews.

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feelings

hold me

abby mumford

with all of the news this week about amazon’s new kindle fire and the subsequent articles about the demise of books + the rise of ereaders, it makes me want to hop off-line and do this:

i know that it’s a bit juvenile and not all that smart considering i work in publishing, but still, for the moment, i’d like to remain ignorant about all the changes that are swirling and building and lining up. i’d like to close my eyes and savor the less technologically advanced sides of my life: picnics outside, a child’s laughter, napping, catching up with a friend over a coffee/glass of wine/pint of beer, writing (and receiving) letters in the mail, reading a book.

before i go, tell me: do you have an e-reader? which one? do you love it? why? do you like physical books better? why?

or, if you prefer, tell me what’s your favorite non-technological thing to do?

*hops off-line.*

book club

BOOK HUNGRY: harry potter and the sorcerer’s stone

abby mumford

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: 

HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE by j.k. rowling


what it’s about (from IMDB because amazon had reviews only, no summaries): Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

my opinion: this was not the first time i’ve read this book. this was not the second time either. it was probably somewhere along the lines of my fifth read and while nothing can capture the magic of reading this book for the first time (ah, sheer bliss!), the fact that i have read it no less than five times and can still be completely sucked into the story is a testament to rowling’s genius.

it’s hard to write about this book, this very first one, without revealing any spoilers to any of the other books because the entire series weaves together so seamlessly sometimes it’s hard to remember which is which. it all seems like one gigantic (and amazing) story that you never want to end.

although, you know what? it was actually kind of fun to be rereading this story because it’s been years since i last read any of these books and even longer since i’d gone back to the very beginning. i’ve been with these characters for seven books and i’d stay i’ve gotten know them quite well, so to go back to their roots was a treat. i found myself giggling over the initial introductions of neville and hermione and cringing from the poisonous snape and feeling safe anytime dumbledore walked onto the page, gasping over the magical revelations, and most of all, still rooting for harry, ron, and hermione.

these characters are some of the most fleshed out i’ve ever read and as such, these books, THIS BOOK, never fails to entertain and with each read, the magic comes alive just like it did the first time i read it. that’s the mark of a true wizard.

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