Hamlet revisted

Recently, I watched the film of the new Royal Shakespeare Company production of Hamlet featuring David Tennant as the moody Danish prince and Patrick Stewart as his evil uncle Claudius.

Three hours on a Saturday night, I spent watching a new version of Hamlet. And it's not the first time I've committed hours to this play.

I've watched the Mel Gibson version...

the Ethan Hawke version,

parts of the old Laurence Olivier version and

 the Kenneth Branagh version.

I've seen a live stage version of it that the theatere department did when I was in college. Like most high school kids, I studied the play in senior year English, even memorizing several chunks of it for an assignment.

So why go back to it again?

Like any good story, each version brings something a little different.

The new RSC version (a film adaptation of their staged version) made me think about Gertrude, Hamlet's mom, because the scene when Hamlet confronts her was so well done. I'd never given much consideration before to her plight as a mother with a supposedly grief-mad son on the heels of a death and wedding.

The amazing thing as well about the new version was how it felt like a play instead of a movie. Branagh's version is a movie and is equally as wonderful but for different reasons. It has scenery (filmed inside the famous Blenheim Palace, how could it not?) and it has lush costumes and has that feel that all of Branagh's Shakespeare movies do.

In the RSC version, the space used is the same almost the whole time, just new scenery added and much of that adapted directly from the stage version. The camera gets right up on the actors, catching the internal-ness of this great play. The "to be or not to be" is worth the watch alone in the new one. The symbolism and imagery is woven well throughout but it's not heavy-handed.

In a way, I think it's just a way of re-reading this story. Like any good book, it's worth going back to... and like good drama, it's cathartic and emotional.

If you've ever got 3 hours to spare, I'll be happy to watch it again with you.

Are You a Plotter?

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Pantsers, for those not familiar with the term, are people who fly by the seat of their pants, rolling with whatever happens with the punches or what the characters bring to them. It works for some, but not for me.

I'm more of a plotter. I love seeing and hearing about what others do to plot. I've tried pantsing, but it doesn't work for me.

And based on this gem from kottke.org, I'm in good company. J.K. Rowling is a plotter too. Check out an except from her outlining process, likely to be from Order of the Phoenix.

What's your plotting technique? What do you think of Rowling's?

Book Banter -- The Thieves of Manhattan

Title: The Thieves of Manhattan
Author: Adam Langer
Length: 253 pages
Genre: Literary fiction
Where Word Nerd's Copy Came From: Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library
Plot Basics: Ian Minot works in a NYC coffee shop, dates a Ukranian (or maybe Romanian?) girl, hates the new memoir by gangsta-thug-rapper Blade Markham and collects rejections for his short stories. When Ian's frustrations with the publishing world boil over, he meets Jed Roth, a former editor who's got a plan for revenge against the literary world. Ian teams up with Jed to write a novel (or maybe a memoir?). Ian's story turns into a modern caper story weaving fact and fiction together with literary aplomb.

Banter Points: I picked this book up in the library because I walked past it and it has cool cover art. However, it's quickly rocketed up the charts and into my Top Ten novels of the year list because it was just so smart and funny. Langer's riddled the book with literary allusions, creating his own version of literary classic slang (such as calling a fashionable men's jacket a "gatsby" because it's like what Jay Gatsby might have worn.) Also, for anyone who wonders what exactly is going on in the publishing world, it's fiction, yes, but it's a dead-on portrayal of the industry and the battle between best-sellers and good writing.

Bummer Points: The end of the novel seemed to get into a bit of telling, instead of showing. While Ian was such a sharp character in the beginning, as events begin to truly happen around him and because of him, he takes the voice of a detached narrator.

Word Nerd Recommendation: I wasn't expecting this title to be on my short list for Top Ten books of the year, but it's going to be there for sure. Anybody who likes smart, witty fiction and has ever entertained dreams of being a writer or loves literature, steal some time and read "Thieves of Manhattan."

Update -- The Mysterious Benedict Society

Chalk one up in the win category -- the 10yo liked the book. He started it last night for his nighttime reading, liked it enough that he asked to read right before bed and was THRILLED that it was almost 400 pages.

Since he loves series too, it's great for him to know that two more books are available after this one as well. Joy!

I love matching books with readers.

Book Banter -- The Closers

Title: The Closers (Harry Bosch series #11)

Author: Michael Connelly

Genre: Mystery

Length:  403 pages

Where Word Nerd's Copy Came From: Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library

Plot Basics: Harry Bosch returns to work for the Los Angeles Police Department, assigned to a special new unit dealing with unsolved murders. Applying new forensic technology like DNA to old cases, the squad is closing cases from the past decades. Reunited with his former partner Kizmin Rider, Bosch is assigned to a case from the late 1980s of a girl abducted from her home and and killed in the nearby countryside. As Bosch and Rider investigate, it becomes clear that certain facts were intentionally overlooked in the original investigation. To close the case, Bosch will have to go against some of the very LAPD brass who gave him back his badge.

Banter Points: This book went back to being in third person which makes huge sense since Bosch is back inside the police department. It was also nice to see him around more people since he's been such a lone wolf in the last two books. Most of all, I'm just impressed with how Connelly has continued to push the series and force Harry to change because of some circumstances and in others Harry remains obstinately the same guy.

Bummer Points: As far as the series as a whole, this just wasn't one of the amazing ones. It was still a fun read, but after The Narrows, it didn't meet quite the same level that one did.

Word Nerd Recommendation: I feel like a broken record, but, nevertheless, I'll say it again: Read this series.

Book Banter -- The Mysterious Benedict Society

Title: The Mysterious Benedict
Author: Trenton Lee Steward
Genre: YA Fiction
Length: approximately 475 pages

Where Stacie's Copy Came From: Personal collection
Plot Basics: Four children are brought together to subvert an evil plan.

Banter Points: I tried. I could have written that the children were clever, witty, smarter than any peers, best in class, but really? What children essential to plot destruction aren't? Maybe it would have been better to stress that they were orphans, only that's the best way for children to get away with everything - minimal adult supervision.

And of course, they have been sought for years and years, to bring down the mastermind behind an evil plan. Only no one knows for sure what the plan is. Or how to stop it.

Okay, so I'm a little tough on this title. The characters are wonderful, especially the mysterious Mr. Benedict. It's great how they piece together the clues and have a love of truth that serves a purpose seldom found in children's titles.

I'm willing to pick-up the second in the series for two reasons: One, my 10 year old may like the series; two, the children all of parents in the second book and I'm curious about how that works out.

Bummer Points: In the end, the backbone was the same as many other children's titles and it didn't translate well to the adult reader. I'm okay with that as kids need their own titles too.

Stacie's Recommendation: The age rating is dead on for this title so read with that audience in mind.

Spooky Tale Telling

This weekend, I got to visit Connor Prairie for their Headless Horseman program, complete with mildly haunted hayride in which the Horseman himself chases you.

But, the Horseman was not the best part. Not by a long shot.

Nope. It was the guy telling stories in the old cabin. I could have listened to him all night. In fact, we listened to him two different times in the evening and didn't hear any of the same stories twice.

He had a great way of keeping you right there with him -- through both "true" stories and his retelling of old legends.

I've been thinking about his delivery of the stories, trying to put my finger on what made them so good. Maybe the setting had something to do with it... the firelight and the flickering cabin. The second time we listened to him, the cabin was so dark that he was just an outline really against the fire that was mostly down to embers then.

In one of the "true" stories (I say "true" because could all these somewhat spooky things really have happened to one man?), he said he was from Mississippi, near the border with Tennessee. Maybe the draw was the slight lilt to his voice, that timbre that said you should believe everything I tell you. And maybe, it was something in the actual telling, a way of weaving together plot and descriptions that kept us on the edges of the hard wood benches.

In the spirit of Halloween, what story that you heard told out loud scared you the most?

My Boys Read

My boys read. And I adore that they do. Mercer Mayer, David Shannon and Dr. Suess are regularly read. So are Mo Willems and Mary Pope Osborne.

All fun and entertaining books. Give them a try if you have some that are adventuring into a love of reading.

But what about the ones that aren't as safe, yet still entertaining?

Junie B. Jones comes to mind. Read one of those and you will discover that the story is told from the point of view of Junie - who is less than grammatically correct. She is 6 after all.

Or what about Greg Heffley? He is quite rude and mean at times. Just like most middle schoolers.

Is it good if the authors accurately capture the best and worst of these characters?

Personally, I'd say yes. It makes it tougher for me as a parent to explain why Greg is mean to Rowley. Or why Junie's favorite phrases aren't always the best way to string words. Yet my kids love that the stories. Those flaws are real to them. It's how they sound, what their friends say and do.

If it means that my guys are reading, great. I'll do the leg work on the critical thinking skills instead of eliminating them from the options.

B'con Blues

Over on the West Coast, in San Francisco, in a few hours when it actually becomes morning there, Bouchercon 2010's program schedule kicks into full swing. Mystery readers and writers rub elbows and tell funny stories and sign books and it's a blast.

And I'm not there.

I'm missing panels with people like Brad Parks, Simon Wood, Cara Black, Hank Philipi Ryan, Marcus Sakey, Kat Richardson and dozens of others. I'm not going to get to go to Lee Child's "Reacher Creature" party. (Last year, it was great fun to tell people that Lee Child bought me a drink... of course, he buys everybody at the party their drinks, but like any good story, part of the impact is in how you tell it...) This year, there is apparently also a dance which maybe I'm not so sad that I'm missing. (I have traumatizing visions of middle school and high school dances floating in my head; on the other hand, I've seen the quantities of alcohol that writers guzzle at these things and so maybe the dance would be not so bad... I hope there are pictures later....)

And I'll miss the free books. Truth to tell, I still have free books from last year that I haven't read, but doggone it I will read them someday!

Check out this photo from the BoucherBlog of the "loot" to be given out in book bags this year...

All those glorious books....Sniff...

It's not really the books that I'm missing from not going. It's talking to other writers about writing. It's talking to other people who love books as much as I do. It's about community, really.

So, I've got my eyes set on Bouchercon 2011 which is in St. Louis and much closer to home. In the meantime, I'm going to keep writing and keep reading.

Hopefully, we can talk about it all next fall.

Book Banter -- Tap & Gown

Title: Tap & Gown
Author: Diane Peterfreund
Length: ~270 pages
Genre: Chick lit
Where Word Nerd's Copy Came From: Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library
Plot Basics: Rose and Grave secret society member Amy Haskel is close to the end of her senior year at Eli University. Now, all that's left is to write her thesis, enjoy the company of her new boyfriend and tap a class of new Rose and Grave members. But as the choice of taps in Amy's class (including her and the other Diggirls) has been an constant source of struggle, how to pick the next class proves even more difficult. Amy's got two potential taps that she's courting, but planning an initiation gets harder when rival societies are after the same recruits and one unpicked student decides to make Tap Night truly terrifying. And as always, the Rose and Grave patriarchs might want to interfere in matters....

Banter Points: This series has been entirely delightful. Peterfreund's writing voice is the perfect combination of college humor, quiet insight and zingers that make the books hard to put down. It was nice to see Amy grow over the series. Even though the total time span is only a year, she goes through a lot and isn't the same as when she started. And Word Nerd is glad about Poe. (That's all I can say without too many spoilers.)

Bummer Points: It's sort of too bad that Peterfreund's characters only get to be in the secret society for a year. I would have loved more. On the other hand, I doubt Secret Society Girl the Next Generation would work well, so I shall be content.

Word Nerd Recommendation: A highly fun read if you're looking for something that's entertaining.

Book Banter -- The Son of Laughter

Title: The Son of Laughter

Author: Frederick Buechner

Length: 274 pages

Genre: literary fiction

Where Word Nerd's Copy Came From: Personal collection

Plot Basics: Biblical patriarch Jacob narrates the story of his own life, from his search for approval from his father Isaac (also called Laughter... hence, Son of Laughter), his jealousy and rivalry with his brother Esau and the familiar biblical images of the stone stair, his wrestling with an angel, giving his son Joseph the mutli-colored coat and the promise of deliverance for the nation that he would father when he earned the name of Israel. It is an earthy and salty telling of the story as Jacob has women competing for him, his parenting of his 12 sons and his quest for wealth as he strives to understand (or run from) the power of God.

Banter Points: Buechner makes Genesis chs. 25-40 come alive. A Presbyterian minister, it's clear that Buechner studied the story of Jacob in great detail but then applied his considerable talent as a writer to bring the sometimes-stuffy sounding Old Testament narrative to modern readers in compelling ways. What he brings to the story are Jacob's emotions. They are there in the Biblical account if you read closely, but Buechner makes Jacob's struggle for identity one that many readers will relate to in our postmodern world.

I picked up this book now because at the church I attend, the preaching has been about the life of Jacob this fall. This novel is only adding to the richness of those sermons. (Curious about sermons? Find them here for 9/5, 9/12, 9/19 and 10/3)

Bummer Points: A few years ago, I read Anita Diamant's The Red Tent which focuses on Genesis 34 and the story of Dinah. Diamant extrapolates from the Biblical story what might have been Dinah's side, where Buechner sticks much, much closer to the actual text for the inspiration of his narrative. It's just interesting how two different books can be drawn from the same story.

Word Nerd Recommendation: A phenomenal piece of fiction that brings what could be a dusty, old story to vibrant, relevant colors.

Must Reads

Every reader I know has a decent sized list of "must read" authors. While mine have changed a bit over the year, there's a fair number that always remain on the list.

Madeleine L'Engle and the Wrinkle in Time Series
Jim Butcher and the Dresden files
J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter Series
Audrey Niffenegger and The Time Traveler's Wife
Eoin Colfer and the Artemis Fowl Series
Diana Gabaladon and the Outlander Series

If you ask me what I'd recommend, I'm like to pull on from that list.

Who is on your must read list?

Bethany's September 2010 Bibliometer

It's two back-to-back stats postings, but the Word Nerds are also geeks...

For me, September was a pretty good reading month. In the spirit of full disclosure, two of my "reads" were audiobooks.
8 books
2221 pages
74 pages avg/day

YTD Totals
59 books
~20900 pages

Difference from 2009 YTD
-10 books

Stacie's September Bibliometer

I have to admit, September was a good month.

Six books, 3,133 pages or 522 pages per book.

That puts me at 41 books for the year, still trending at 53 for the year.

Fun Facts:

2007: September meant 22 books for the month (which isn't the all time high)
2003: First month back at work after maternity leave -- 0 books read
2010: Included the re-read of Harry Potter Books 5 & 6, at 6 times and 4 times respectively.

NaNoWriMo = NaNoNOTMo for me

Let me declare my intentions boldly -- I am NOT participating in NaNoWriMo this year.

It doesn't start for a month, you might say. How can you be so definitive, you ask. You had fun last year, you remind me.

Yes, I know. It was fun. Once. But here's the deal -- I'm still working to whip that 50,000 words into shape. It's about 90K words now and I like maybe the first 50K of them. It took a good number of early mornings to work the section I wrote during NaNo into something viable. The next 40K words need that kind of attention if this story is ever going to be anything. Some of the changes will delve back into that first 50K as well, tightening the plot and the focus.

I can't say I'd never do NaNo again, because never is an awfully long time and an awfully definitive statement. I think it's fair to say it's unlikely I'll do NaNo again. As a writer friend said, when you're done, you have to take a machete to cut out the bad stuff. I think I'm beyond machete-ing to slash-and-burn deforestation. I knew I was writing a lot of crappy words as they went by but the NaNo pace is such that you can't fix them.

Now, I know that NaNo enthusiasts will say that's the point. It's quantity, not quality. But, if you're hoping for a real book when you're done, quality counts.

So, I'll spent November (and October and possibly December as well) continuing to edit and rewrite and revise.

Book Banter -- The Postmistress

Title: The Postmistress
Author: Sarah Blake
Genre: Historical
Length: approximately 300 pages
Where Stacie's Copy Came From: Oshkosh Public Library
Plot Basics: Three women will come together and strike a balance between life and their beliefs with the rise of World War II.

Banter Points: Each of the women plays a very different role in the novel, not quite an "Every Woman" character, but each faces challenges in the world that is unraveling before them. One, a reporter, Frankie Bard, seeks a place in a world dominated by men. The wife of the local doctor, Emma, wants to be the strength behind her husband who is fighting his own demons. And Iris, the Postmistress, wants to keep order in the world, according to the established system.

Certain liberties were taken with in the history, but not in an offensive way. Two facts were tweaked to pull the story together, but this reader found each one forgivable and well within the author's right. (I'd say what they are and why but the author's note at the end does a much better job than I would.)

World War II was a world changing event for so many reasons and people. Focusing on these three women shows how women changed, their roles changed and the world was forced along even when it disagreed with those changes.

Bummer Points: It was a bit slow to get moving, but I think that has more to do with the difference between the types of books that I normally read and this one.

Stacie's Recommendation: Read it. Wonderful writing, great stories, enriching characters.

Book Banter -- Santa Olivia

Title: Santa Olivia

Author: Jacqueline Carey

Genre: sci-fi

Length: ~340 pages

Where Word Nerd's Copy Came From: Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library

Plot Basics: The border town of Santa Olivia has been forgotten -- a place between the U.S. and Mexico permanently under military rule after a deadly flu virus runs rampant. Born into the town is Loup Garron, the daughter of a local woman and a mysterious genetically engineered soldier. As Loup grows up, she becomes the town's greatest hope for redemption. Leading a rag-tag bunch of orphans, she takes up the mantle of the town's patron saint showing the occupying force the power of a single girl to lead a people to hope.

Banter Points: I'm a big fan of Carey's Kushiel series so I was excited to read something from her that wasn't high fantasy. The amazing thing is how different her writing is in this book compared to Kushiel. The Kushiel books are long and lush and beautiful and her prose matches that. Santa Olivia is sparse and clipped and much shorter and the tone exactly fit the story. It's also a good story, a plausible future that could happen if a real pandemic hits the world.

Bummer Points: It was never really clear what happened to the rest of the world that trapped Santa Olivia as it was. The flue was mentioned, but there was no sense of the scope of the problem in the world at large and why cordoning off Santa Olivia was so necessary until thevery end, and then, even that explanation was a little scarce.

Word Nerd Recommendation: If you like sci-fi that doesn't feel like sci-fi, this is a great read. Also, Carey fans should read it to see just how versatile of an author she is.

Book Banter -- The Accidental Billionaires

Title: The Accidental Billionaires

Author: Ben Mezrich

Length: 272 pages

Genre: Non-fiction (technically)

Where Stacie's Copy Came from: Oshkosh Public Library

Plot Basics: The idea and genius behind Facebook came from some where. Then it grew. And no one really knows what happened behind the scenes except those that aren't talking about it.

Banter Points: Any time loads of money, reputations and genius is involved, there's bound to be contradictory truths; this title is no exception.

Mezrich steps between fact and fiction in his 2009 book. CNet's Caroline McCarthy went so far as to repeat "Early rumors about 'The Accidental Billionaires' suggested that Mezrich was particularly liberal with fact-checking." I would agree. Most of the story was told from three points of view, all individuals who tried to ride the Facebook comet to the top and failed. While Mezrich tones down most of the outrageous things that could have been said, and stated that Mark Zuckerberg declined to contribute (as was his right) it comes off as sour grapes.

Or maybe more like little boys who refuse to understand that they made their friend mad.

Bummer Points: I really wanted to like this book. The previews for the movie it's based on look like fun. Like a romping good scandal that has some fabulous truth to it. According to any review you read, Mezrich's previous formula for writing success has failed him in this title.

Personally, I found the book to be intriguing for the first 100 or so pages. After that, when everything starts to fall apart and the conflict should be getting interesting, nothing was going on because the action was happening out of the line of sight of the three sources.

Stacie' Recommendation: This may be the one book that a movie won't ruin.

Double Edition Book Banter -- Under the Rose and The Rites of Spring (Break)

Title: Under the Rose and The Rites of Spring (Break) (Ivy League novels 2 and 3)

Author: Diana Peterfreund

Length: ~340 pages each

Genre: Chick-lit

Where Bethany's copy came from: Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library

Plot Basics: Amy Haskel, who we first met in Secret Society Girl, is back with her Rose and Grave brothers. (and sisters, but that's another plot). In Under the Rose, one of the Diggirls goes missing, at the same time that society secrets are being leaked to the media. Amy is worried that the Diggirl isn't just missing, but kidnapped. And proving her suspicions will bring more club secrets to light, secrets that could destroy Rose and Grave from within. Disaster averted the Rose and Grave crew heads to sunny Cavador Key over Spring Break for some R&R. But it seems that society trouble follows them to the club's private island. A freaky accident on the way to the island raises Amy's suspicions, and her interest in a fellow Digger. She's tried inner-society romance once before, but can she navigate a possible second Rose and Grave romance and keep the club alive to finish out their senior year?

Banter Points: I almost never read two series books back-to-back, but I was having so much fun with Under the Rose that I went straight on. I've got the fourth Ivy League book checked out of the library but I'm forcing a break so I'll enjoy the last one more. What's so fun, you ask? Peterfreund's writing. She's got that pitch-perfect blend of literary allusion, pop culture, conspiracy paranoia, romance and snark that the pages just fly by. Everything in college seems so dramatic and Peterfreund catches that fervor and puts it into the story. Whether Amy's uncovering vast conspiracies or trying not wonder about a certain boy, or her senior thesis, she's doing it with such aplomb.

Bummer Points: Maybe it's just a sign of our times, but the other Diggirls (and Amy too, for that matter) can be so mean to each other. While the snark is fun, occasionally it just gets to be too much.

Word Nerd Recommendation: If you like Megan McCafferty's series, then Peterfreund is right up your alley. It's definitely a girl book, but it's got mystery and romance to cut across genre boundaries.

Power of Libraries

Probably my best reading memory was my first trip to a Real Library. It definitely a proper noun in my head, then and now.

I remember my card getting handed over to me, with my name and address printed on it, in red because I wasn't allowed to check out grown-up books without permission. As the card was passed from the librarian to me, I asked, "How many books can I take at once?"

And the answer was as many as I could read before we came back next.

The answer prompted a question to my mom of when are we coming back. I picked out what I thought was the appropriate number of books -- about ten or so. We were coming back in a week.

When the librarian asked if that many was okay with my mom, she shrugged and said that I probably would finish them before next Saturday.

I don't remember if I did or not, but the power of unlimited books is something that I adore about my local library. Every time I pay a fine or my tax bill, I pretend that the whole amount solely supports my reading habits.

Libraries have that sort of power. What's your library story?

An Open Letter to the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library

Dear Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library Directors and Board Members,

I am disappointed to learn of the new reduced hours schedule that is to take effect in October, particularly the closing of Central Library on all Thursday.

I am fully cognizant of the budget situation in the city and state that has led to this decision. I applaud you looking for solutions other than the outright closing of library branches, but closing the main branch of the library during the work week makes little sense.

I work downtown and often walk over to library over my lunch break. I enjoy being able to visit one of the community's best resources any day I am able to. I often go to the library specifically on Thursdays to check out new material to enjoy over the weekend. I also understand that Central Library is central to the system -- shutting down the city's biggest library for an entire day of the week leaves the community at a great disadvantage. Central provides support for the other branches of the library system. Central has a large number of computers that are vital for job searches, training and more for people to return to the job market in this tough economy.

Closing Central on Thursdays leaves a gaping hole in the services this community needs.

I do not feel it is fair to complain without offering an alternate solution, and one that I have seen work well in another community where I lived. There, in the summer, hours at the library were cut on weekends. The library had Sunday hours during the school year, but none in the summer. Additionally, during the school year, Saturday hours were longer, but were reduced in the summer.

Let me offer a second solution, as well. As I have mentioned, I am regular library patron. If I had been asked to donate as a way to keep library services open for all throughout the whole week, I would have paid attention to the case made. I believe in libraries and have fond memories of many libraries in the communities I have lived. As a single individual, no gift I could make would keep the library open Thursdays. However, I suspect many library patrons like me would step up if we had simply been asked.

I hope you will reconsider the hours reduction. Or, at the very least, pledge to restore hours to what they were when revenues rebound.

The Central Library is too great a resource and too valuable of a community asset to let sit dark for a whole day during the week.

Sincerely,
Bethany K. Warner

Book Banter -- Deceiver

Title: Deceiver (Foreigner #11)

Author: C.J. Cherryh

Genre: Sci-fi

Length: 355 pages

Where Word Nerd's Copy Came From: Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library

Plot Basics: Bren Cameron, the interpreter between the humans and atevi, has survived being in space and survived a coup waiting for him upon his return, but now he is embroiled in a years-old political conflict surrounding his estate. Politically dissident factions -- connected with ousted coup -- are still trying to leverage their power when all Bren wants is some well-deserved rest. Bren is joined by other strong political figures, making them too tempting of a target for rebels to resists and despite the neutrality of Bren's office, he will once again be called on to play politics and try to keep his human head down while surrounded by alien assassins.

Banter Points: I blogged awhile back about my fictional crush on Bren Cameron and this book didn't lessen that at all. He's still amazingly polite and politically brilliant. While there's a bit of shooting in this book, it's actually very quiet and subtle. The action is tightly controlled twists of an already tautly wound spring and the tension comes because it's unclear which move may snap the whole thing. It's a sci-fi book because it has aliens and space ships in it, but really, it's a political novel. Cherryh deftly still deals with the concepts of "other" and the progress of technology while delivering an enjoyable novel.
Bummer Points: This book was hard to get in to. It was July 2009 when I read the last one and while Cherryh provided some reminders, I still had to think pretty hard to remember what had happened. Knowing that Cherryh is working on a fifth trilogy in this universe, I'm thinking there may need to be a whole re-read here, but that just takes time...
Word Nerd Recommendation: If you like quiet novels with hints of space opera but much more politics and sociology, these are a great series. I'd highly recommend waiting until whole trilogies are out before diving in so that you can read an entire story arc without waiting a year in between because they are so precise.

Bonus Post - Book Blogger Appreciation Week

Thanks to those that called out Book Blogger Appreciation week. I'm adding it to my RSS and can't wait to see what's up.

Decided

I decided to whittle through my personal collection of TBR instead of the electronic collection I've gathered.

For now that means a eclectic lot of books - a scattering of mysteries and romances that caught my eye at rummage sales or other locations of that sort. I have a novella collection by Jack Finney that's been sitting under my bed for six or seven years (maybe longer). I discovered him and his pair of time travel novels when I was in college. Time and Again is on the re-read list too. I have it on a shelf...some where.

Check back in a week or so; I'll post a review of the novella collection.

Book Banter -- Mockingjay

Title: Mockingjay

Author: Suzanne Collins

Genre: YA/sci-fi

Length: 390 pages

Where Word Nerd's Copy Came From: Personal collection (via Borders)

Plot Basics: I can't do this without spoilers. If you haven't read Hunger Games and Catching Fire, stop reading. Right now. Stop. Come back tomorrow. We at Word Nerd won't take it as any kind of personal affront. I mean it. Stop.

Katniss Everdeen has survived two Hunger Games in the arena and is poised to become the symbol of the rebellion against the Capitol. She doesn't want to become the mouthpiece of the rebels, more concerned with the fate of Peeta and keeping her own nightmares at bay. As events continue to move, she takes up the mantle of rebel leader and begins working with an elite group of soldiers to take over the Capitol and rescue Peeta, including her old friend Gale. But the treachery continues and Kat will have to come to terms with herself and the rebels to be able to save Peeta and bring the rebellion to an end.

Banter Points: I read this book in about 24 hours. I don't think I plowed through a brand new book quite that fast since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows came out. Collins is a master at pushing action forward. Just when it seems like Kat is going to get a break, something else happens. Another great point for Collins is that Kat still gets to react like a kid sometimes. It's a pet peeve of mine, these YA books where teenagers have all the same abilities to cope as an adult does. Letting her have moments of breakdown and weakness are spot on since no one can be that strong all the time. All in all, I want to read the whole series again.

Bummer Points: There were tears. That's all I can say.

Word Nerd Recommendation: Since no one who hasn't read the series should still be reading at this point, a recommendation seems silly, but I shall give one anyway. Read them. The whole series is well-crafted and should be enjoyable to anyone who just like to read a good book.

Reading Shift

I've spent the last several months reading fantasy and historical novels. While I still have a fairly long TBR full of those titles, including series that I'm in the middle of, I'm longing for some good mysteries, cop novels or detective stories.

Part of me is thinking that I should read some Rex Stout, as I was introduced to him the first time at BoucherCon last year. I really liked that early American detective story. I watched Sherlock Holmes this summer and was misty-eyed enough to order a complete set of Conan Doyle's work. I could pull those out. And then there's all those reviews from Word Nerd for the Micheal Connelly series for Harry Bosch, which I've read some of, but not all and not in order.

I'm not settled on any given series yet. What's your vote?

Leave me a comment on your fav and why I should read that instead of one of the options I'm already considering.

How it's written makes the difference

Over Labor Day, I proudly flew my geek flag with several friends. Instead of hot dogs and outdoor things, we stayed indoors and watched two classic sci-fi movies at complete opposite ends of the good-movie spectrum: Tron and Blade Runner.

For those of you that have never seen either, a quick primer:

Tron (1982) is about a computer hacker who gets sucked inside a computer program and with the help of another program (Tron) must defeat the evil Master Control Program that's taking over and capturing other programs.

Blade Runner (1982) is about a cop who must hunt down Replicants, genetically engineered robots who must do humanity's dirty work on other colonies or risk death to come to Earth.

Tron is the first film that ever used computer CGI animation, something we take for granted now in sci-fi blockbusters and many other movies. Blade Runner is in the list of AFI's top 100 movies of all time.

And while they both have their claims to fame, Blade Runner is a great film and Tron is a laughable movie (save for the lightcycle race). Why? The writing.

The dialogue in Tron is stilted and awful. At one point the villain calls an underling a "bit brain." There's almost a spiritual metaphor about the existence of God as the programs discuss "users" but the metaphor never stays the same and the parallel can't be drawn.

Blade Runner is ripe with imagery that critics and casual viewers still debate. Even exactly what is meant by the end (we were watching the director's cut, FYI) is up for debate. The film moves slowly (nothing so speedy as a light cycle), but every frame is composed with a purpose.

When they were thought up, both Blade Runner and Tron had the ability to be great or awful films. Some might say they can't be compared because they are so different, never mind that they are both in the sci-fi category.

It's easy to just say that the writers of Tron needed to go through another pass of the screenplay, revise and tighten some more. Maybe that would have helped. Maybe it would have made it worse.

Here's hoping for the Tron sequel this winter, that we can get lightcycles AND good dialogue writing.

Our readers will get this

My husband is constantly telling me I have no sense of humor. However, when this gem makes me laugh out loud, he doesn't get it.

Obviously we are not humor-compatible.

Book Banter -- The Queen's Lover

I'm guesting over at Popsyndicate.com again (Which, BTW, if you haven't checked out their newly redesigned site, you should.)

This time, I took on Vanora Bennett's The Queen's Lover.

While I'm trying to develop an appreciation for more historical fiction, suffice it to say, this book may have set me back a little.

Stacie's August Bibliometer

I remember my delight to discover that my cohort here was also a reader who kept a log of the titles read. It validated my own quirkiness.

This month, I managed four books, which is my average count per month for the year. However the total pages at 2,389 indicates that everyone of those books was pretty fat. Most mass market paperbacks average 350.

See, quirky behaviors lead to quirky stats.

Total for the year, I'm at 35. All indicators point to this being a low reading year. If I keep up the current pace, I'll hit 53.

I've kept a list since 2001, topping 100 5 of the nine years. It's kinda fun to look back to the pre-marriage year and see the number at 168, the year of my first baby at 53, and last year at 103, which is slightly above the average. Some day, I'll look back at this year, and realize how my new role at work impacted it. And when the number tops 100 again, realize how far I've come in balancing work and life. Just like it did after those other significant events.

A quick glance says that I'm reading less books, but more pages. In 2009, my average page count per book was 329; this year is 456.

Ah, quirky stats galore.

Bethany's August Bibliometer

Reading stats time again...

August was 7 books, one more than in May, June and July.
Total pages read, 2871 for an average of 89 pages a day.

I'm 13 books behind my YTD total from 2009. It's all the lawnmowing, I'm sure, as a new homeowner, that's cutting in to what used to be reading time.

Seven books in a month is still way above average given that most people who are readers read something like a dozen books in a year. (I read 13 books in October of 2007... of course two of those were kids books and five were graphic novels...)

Still, I feel behind. Some year, I'm going to break the 100 book threshold. It's just not going to be this year.

I'm not Picking Teams Either

I'm not picking teams either.

I have not had the pleasure of the Suzanne Collins books, yet. The previous post by fellow Word Nerd is enough for me to add them to the To-Be-Read list.

But what about the way the world boils itself down to the 60 second sound bite of "For me or against me?" I blame the ubiquitous adage for its beginnings in the school yard -- look at some popular kiddie lit like "How to Eat Fried Worms." Four boys, two teams -- and one that's willing to eat worms in order to win a bet. It's not even about the money. It's about us versus them.

Or what about the classic Winnie the Pooh tales? It's Pooh versus the Bees who have his honey.

The idea of them versus us is breed into our story telling at the earliest of ages. And while it's great for the marketers and politicians of the world, the Reader should stand up for herself and demand better.

The sound bite should be about the love of a boy for his bear, growing up and the changes, what happens when government overreaches its power. Demand more.

I'm with the Word Nerd on this. Readers, post your favorite story in the comments. Challenge us to create a better tag line that still fits the 60-second sound bite.

I'm Not Picking Teams

I spent my Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon reading Suzanne Collins newest book -- Mockingjay -- the third book in her phenomenal and popular Hunger Games trilogy.

Last week, I saw a twitter post from a favorite author of mine proclaiming that she was part of Team Peeta and I shook my head.

Why do we have to copy ideas like that from one incident to the next? Are we not creative enough to come up with another way to describe a love triangle now that we've been inundated with Team Edward and Team Jacob? In Mockingjay, Gale and Peeta couldn't be more unlike Edward and Jacob (neither sparkles or turns into a werewolf, for starters). But because part of the story involves a girl who has to choose between two boys for whom she has strong feelings for different reasons, they get classified as Team Peeta and Team Gale. In my own Work-in-Progress, my main character is wooed by two different fellows. Is my own story subject to getting boiled down to Team Ibsen vs. Team Wes. (I cannot help but even cringe at that idea. Of course, I know what happens...)

We've done the same thing with scandals, slapping the suffix of "-gate" on them. If I were writing a real research paper, I wouldn't cite Wikipedia as an honest source, but this list shows just how pervasive the use of "-gate" has become.

Last winter's use of "snow-pocalypse" for the storms that blanketed the eastern seaboard and the word in fiction "zombiepocalypse" are likely heralds of another such trend. Google "-pocalypse" and you'll come up with a variety of clever (and not) doom-pending scenarios.

It's been said that imitation is the highest form of flattery. Does Suzanne Collins feel flattered that her two characters get compared in nomenclature to an angsty vampire and an over-protective werewolf? Do Woodward and Bernstein shake their heads when newspeople slam the "-gate" suffix on something so much more minor than a president covering up a break-in at the headquarters of the opposing party?

I'm not picking Team Peeta or Team Gale (or Edward or Jacob). Let's be honest -- Team Guy vs. Team Guy started a long time ago, but you don't see anyone making Facebook flair for Team King Arthur or Team Sir Lancelot.

And I'm not calling that I'm Switzerland either. I want more creativity. And I want people to stand up and say, "No, this scenario is different. This isn't Watergate. This isn't the same as Edward and Jacob. Don't draw the comparison for me."

Books, the world, politics -- they are all too nuanced. If all you know about Hunger Games is that there is Team Peeta and Team Gale, you would never know that the book is really about when government overreaches its power, about the depths of what makes us human, about what a person will do to protect those they love.

We're selling ourselves short to settle for teams.

Re-read and share

So, it's probably no secret to anyone who knows me that I adore Harry Potter. Who wouldn't want to discover that the horrible, awful situation that is your life, isn't real and you had somewhere to go that is your life?

Yes, I'm talking grown-ups too.

In all seriousness, J.K. Rowling created a world that drew readers and non-readers in. She created a world that turned off video games and turned on flashlights under bed covers. She not only made it okay to read, she made it okay to pretend, to play make believe, to have a fantasy.

My boys have adopted the movies as their favorite form of absorbing the books. I refuse to watch more than number 1 or maybe 2, because it destroys the pictures in my head.

They aren't quite ready to pick up the books yet. Ollie should be but the movies make it too easy for that particular breed of 10 year old turn pages. Goofball McGee isn't quite old enough to read the books at the age of 7 but give him a couple of years and that whole "picture in my head" thing will start to make sense.

Isn't sharing grand?

It's just a little crush...

My apologies to Jennifer Paige for borrowing her lyrics (and all the rest of you for getting that song stuck in your heads...)

I have a fictional crush. Admitting it is the first step.

It's not the suspects you might think -- not Jack Reacher, though he's popular with the ladies. It is not the icons of either Team Edward or Team Jacob.

It's Bren Cameron.

Awkward silence, I know. Unless you've read all 11 volumes of CJ Cherryh's Foreigner saga, you likely would never have heard of him. They aren't the books that get trumpeted whenever a new one comes out. There's been no gorgeous movie star playing Bren.

I'm getting ready to start the 11th book in the series and I'm so excited to spend another 300 pages with Bren. He's a diplomat, the human who has to keep peace between the other humans, a space station, an alien race on the same planet. He's done his job well -- too well, some would say -- and now rebels are trying to use him as political leverage, making him a target.

But why the crush? I met Bren Cameron when I was 16 or 17. I read the first three books in the series, then the next three. When the third trilogy came out, I went back and read the first six books again and then plowed ahead. When I reread them, I understood the predicaments he was in so much better, the quiet politics. The need to say things, or not say things. It was something that now-more-grown-up Bethany understood better than teenager Bethany.

Is the crush really about Bren Cameron? No, not really.

It's about an author putting words on paper that ring true about a person trying to figure out their wide in circumstances that are entirely alien. We all feel like that from time to time... and Bren's been there through big transitions in my life ... high school to college... college to grad school... you get the idea.

What characters have you had fictional crushes on? Or have meant something to you over the years?

Re-read? Yes, Please

I love re-reading books. It started when I lived in a tiny, tiny town in South Dakota -- all 312 people there. (My brother and sister-in-law still live there, in fact.) No library inside the town except those provided by the school classrooms. Let's be honest. They were less than good.

So I hoarded books and re-read everything that came my way. In the third grade though, it was the original Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Maybe it was the fact that Laura grew up near by in De Smit. Maybe it was because of the trip we took as a vacation visiting her various homesteads. Maybe it was the television show.

Likely, it was because Laura grew up into a real author.

Most of the kid books that I share with my two boys (10 and 7) are ones I discovered as an adult during college (I originally started life as a teacher). I don't recall reading many picture books outside of the Dr. Seuss books like "Green Eggs and Ham." I'm sure I did.

My boys are not interested in the Wilder books. But I have hopes that some of my other adult re-reads are ones that they will. The 10 year old, aka Ollie, is almost ready for the next one -- Harry Potter. More on that next time.

Book Banter -- The Narrows

Title: The Narrows

Author: Michael Connelly

Length: ~450 pages

Genre: mystery
Where Bethany's copy came from: Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library

Plot Basics: Harry Bosch, still on his own as a PI, is called to investigate the death of a friend that looks like should have bene natural, but may not be. Meanwhile, FBI Agent Rachel Walling gets the call she's been dreading receiving for years -- the Poet, a notorious serial killer, isn't dead and is killed again. As Bosch and Walling's cases converge, they will have to rely on each other to outsmart this killer.

Banter Points: These two books where Bosch isn't part of the police force have been an interesting character study to see how he moves through the world without the backing of the badge. Bosch is still highly disciplined, but that discipline slips a little more in this book. It's interesting to see Bosch and Walling work together since they are both outsiders trying to maneuver through a system that doesn't want them.
Bummer Points: Connelly cuts loose one of his recurring characters in this book and I'm kind of disappointed. I can't say more without spoilers, but while it made for a good story, I'm bummed because I think there would have been a lot of potential for that character in the future.
Word Nerd Recommendation: I'm still thoroughly enjoying my trip through Connelly's back list and getting excited that I'm only 7 books from being caught up. Again, this is a must-read series for fans of police procedurals and detective novels.

Re-read?

By day, I'm a manager in a department of eight or nine analysts, affectionately known as propeller heads, number crunchers, that group in the corner, etc. We are the quiet people at a party. As a group, we are rather vanilla, bland even.

As individuals, there are some really great minds and thinkers in there.

For example, I'm working with one analyst that usually reports to the other department manager. He was the right fit for the project in front of us and it gave me the opportunity to work with someone new. This gentleman -- let's call him Matt -- is the right fit because he thinks through the project from multiple angles, questions the way the numbers fit together, and finds the right solution for the client. No matter what question is posed from either the client or the internal team, Matt is right there with examples, walking everyone through the answer.

It was incredibly interesting to me then, during a long car ride, Matt asked why anyone would re-read a book. "You like to read, right? I don't get why anyone would buy a book. What's the point of reading it again if you already know the answer?"

At the time, I probably said something about liking characters or enjoy the story or something to that effect.

But further reflection has lead me to a different answer. It's not much different, to me, than all of the analysis and number crunching that Matt's done on this project. In order to truly understand all of the pieces, to answer the questions, to know everything inside and out, you have to look at it again and again. To live and breath it.

When it comes to books, the only way to do that is to re-read. Maybe it's a series. Maybe it's a single title. Maybe it's a childhood favorite that is re-discovered through the eyes of your child. I'm betting that readers of this blog have favorites to read again and again.

What's the story behind yours? Next time I'll share one of my favorite re-reads and that story.

Author Answers Line-Up

The new, expanded crew here at Word Nerd is planning our fall/winter line-up of guest authors.

So -- we want to know, who do you want to hear from? Are there topics that you want to know about and we'll find the authors/experts to address them?

Or, are you an author with a new book out or coming out before the end of the year? Put yourself on the Word Nerds' hot seat for an interview or a guest blog post. You'll be in good company -- from mega-millions selling author Janet Evanovich to the quirky Jasper Fforde to the self-published and up-and-coming.

We can't make promises, but we'll do our best to get authors you want to hear from.

Book Banter -- Lake in the Clouds

Title: Lake in the Clouds
Series: Book Three of the Wilderness Saga
Author: Sara Donati
Genre: Historical or Romance
Length: 655 pages
Where Stacie's Copy Came From: Purchased

Plot Basics: Several years have passed since the reader last saw the Bonner family. Hannah has grown-up and is well on her way to becoming a doctor. Enough that Richard Todd is willing to send her to New York in order to learn the procedures for the small pox vaccination. Elizabeth has lost loved ones to the harsh winters, including her son Robbie. Nathaniel continues to be amused and entertained by those he loves.

The Bonner family finds themselves in a variety of troubles, including runaway slaves, the blackbirders looking for them, and a vindictive girl who is jealous of them all.

Banter Points: Word Nerd recommended this series as I am a fan of the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. Both series fit my main reading criteria: Fat books that are well written.

That being said, I can see where this book will disappoint some readers. The first two titles, Into the Wilderness and Dawn on a Distant Shore, occur very close together - the two stories cover two or three years of the Bonner's lives - while this title introduces an eight year lag. After the jammed backed adventures of books one and two, it's tough to believe that nothing novel-worthy has happened to the family.

However, I liked the lag. Elizabeth, Hannah and Curiosity have had to live their own lives without the reader knowing the events that have shaped them. What has changed? Are they still the same people? Will they react in the same way? The eight year delay enhanced the story for me by introducing some very unknown elements. Elizabeth, for example, holds much tighter to her family now than ever before. The reasons are readily understood, but the details are not shared. Isn't Elizabeth allowed some of her own secrets?

Bummer Points: This is not the epic love story of Jamie and Claire Frasier. Readers wanting another series of with a grand and wide stretching love story won't find it here. Donati's focus shifts to her other characters like Hannah and Liam Kirby, and new characters like Strikes the Sky. Personally, I don't see this as a fault in the novels; others may.

Stacie's Recommendation: Well-written, fat books should be on every readers list.

2010 Shamus Award Nominees

It might be old news by now, but the list of 2010 Shamus Award nominees was released last week.

I've only read a couple of these (and by a couple, she really means two) but when I unbury myself from the current TBR pile, these might be some good books to track down.

The full list of nominees, borrowed (ok, copied) from Mystery Book News. The name of the PI is in parenthesis.

Best PI Hardcover
◊ The Silent Hour by Michael Koryta (Lincoln Perry)
◊ Where the Dead Lay by David Levien (Frank Behr)
◊ Locked In by Marcia Muller (Sharon McCone)
◊ Schemers by Bill Pronzini (Nameless Detective)
◊ My Soul to Take by Yrsa Sigurdardottir (Thora Gudmundsdottir)

Best First PI Novel:
◊ Loser's Town by Daniel Depp (David Spandau)
◊ The Last Gig by Norman Green (Alessandra Al Martillo)
◊ The Good Son by Russel D. McLean (J. McNee)
◊ Faces of the Gone by Brad Parks (Carter Ross)
◊ Chinatown Angel by A. E. Roman (Chico Santana)

Best PI Paperback Original:
◊ Dark Side of the Morgue by Raymond Benson (Spike Berenger)
◊ Sinner's Ball by Ira Berkowitz (Jackson Steeg)
◊ Red Blooded Murder by Laura Caldwell (Izzy McNeil)
◊ Vengeance Road by Rick Mofina (Jack Gannon)
◊ Body Blows by Marc Strange (Joe Grundy)

Best PI Short Story:
◊ "The Dark Island" (Boston Noir) by Brendan DuBois
◊ "Deadline Edition" (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine) by S. L. Franklin
◊ "Blazin' on Broadway" (Phoenix Noir) by Gary Phillips
◊ "Suicide Bonds" (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine) by Tim L. Williams
◊ "Julius Katz" (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine) by Dave Zeltserman

Any of you read any of the rest of these that the Nerds should be sure to check out?

In the meantime, I'm pulling for Brad Parks and Laura Caldwell.

Book Banter -- Alice I Have Been

Title: Alice I Have Been
Author: Melanie Benjamin
Genre: Literary Fiction
Length: 368 pages
Where Stacie's Copy Came From: Oshkosh Public Library

Plot Basics: Charles Dodgeson -- better known by his sobrequiet Lewis Carrol -- Alice in Wonderland is a children's classic that intrigues children and grown-ups like since its original publication in 1865. A fair amount of mystery remains around who Alice really was and his relationship with the Liddell family. If the Alice who fell through the looking glass really was based on Alice Liddell, what does it mean when Alice grows up? Benjamin explores one possibility, focusing on the ruined relationship between Alice and Charles Dodgeson.

Banter Points: Watching Alice grow up and enter into "society" and manage her own house was rather strange. It was amusing to see how relationship between Alice and her older sister Lorina changed as the focus of both girls changed from childhood play to suitors and families. The importance of their relationship is signaled by the start of the novel and the eventually revolution of what exactly transpired between Dodgson and Alice.

Bummer Points: While Benjamin does an excellent job of navigating what little is known about the years Dodgson and Liddells were friends, it left this reader wondering what really happened. The lack of information is extremely disappointing, but also is the large cause for the intrigue surrounding them. The details likely aren't to be exciting as the rumors.

Recommendation: Well worth the time, especially if you are a fan of any version of the Alice story.

Book Banter -- Original Sin

Title: Original Sin

Author: Allison Brennan

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Length: 472 pages

Where Word Nerd's Copy Came From: Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library

Plot Basics: Moira O'Donnell is having vision of a hellacious future -- literally. She's on the trail of her mother's coven who's attempting to raise the Seven Deadly Sins to earth. Moira's got her own magic and her own secrets, but she's not apt to reveal either of those things. Instead, with the help of a demonologist, a local sheriff and mysterious member of the secret St. Michael's Order, she's going to go up against the sins raised to the Earth.

Banter Points: Brennan does a great job of writing fight scenes. Those were always good in her more romantic/suspense book and she carries on with that trend now that she's got characters fighting demons.

Bummer Points: So that whole fighting demons thing... Word Nerd's a fan of Buffy and Angel so it's not as if she's against the premise of people fighting demons. That said -- she had trouble with this book on a bunch of levels.

First, there's the whole spiritual side of things. The whole idea of a coven raising demons just didn't sit well with Word Nerd in this book. Word Nerd fully believes that there really are demons and angels and a spiritual battle going on. The problem she had was that this book just felt like it was toying too close to the edge of things that are real. Maybe the difference is that in a show like Buffy, Word Nerd knows that the bad guys are just people dressed up in costume (and awfully campy costumes, sometimes) whereas with the written word actually has a lot more power.

Second, well, then there's the writing itself. Brennan's niche is romantic suspense between a victim and the cop/sheriff/FBI guy tracking a serial killer. She's gotten good at those. Sure, are they all a bit the same? Yes -- but when Word Nerd picks up one of her books, she knows what she's going to get. This book had character whiplash every few pages trying to keep up with her huge cast (this is a multi-book series starting here) and Brennan often repeated information. The plot was all over the place as backstories for characters were introduced and POVs switched.

Word Nerd Recommendation: Skip it in favor of Brennan's earlier romantic suspense stuff.

Recognition of Self

It's a grand feeling to read something and recognize yourself in the words.

Whether it is a personality profile test -- like Myers Briggs or DiSC -- or in a book, it validates who you are.

With luck, it was not the psycho stalker deranged killer in the that mystery novel that kept you up late last night.

For me, it has been a combination of things. Both of the above referenced personality tests and a book on project management.

The fun part of the Myers Briggs was learning that all of the order and logic I seek to find in the world is part of the Thinking and Judging characteristics that I'm strong in. All of you disorganized people out there drive me crazy, AND IT'S OKAY. Now I know why, and I can organize you into that bucket of stuff that is hopeless to tackle. All is right with the world again.

(T's show a preference for organizing and structuring information to decide in a logical, objective way and J's show preference for living a planned and organized life. The counterparts, respectively are F's showing preference for organizing and structuring information to decide in a personal, values-based way and P's showing Preference for living a spontaneous and flexible life. I live with a P. There are benefits to being spontaneous, but don't tell him I said that.)

The fun part of the DiSC profile is that I am a 7-1-2-5 or rather a High D who is likely to be focused on shaping your environment by overcoming opposition to achieve results.

Shake or stir the above characteristics and out comes a natural project manager who likes structure, order, planning, thinking through possibilities and is good at getting what they want.

In a sense, the three items validated that the bossy, manipulative, follow my directions persona really wasn't a bad thing. It's more about finding a place where your talents and personality are rewarded and liked for who or what they are.

Being part of Word Nerd's blog is like that. Talking books and language and how the systems work to make a really good read is something I've done offline with WN for a while now. I'm thrilled to be part of it. Especially to be able to share my bookish thoughts with fellow word nerds.

Where did you recently find yourself? Where do you want to find yourself?

Book Banter -- Lost Light

Title: Lost Light (Harry Bosch #9)

Author: Michael Connelly

Genre: Mystery

Length: ~400 pages

Where Word Nerd's Copy Came From: Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library

Plot Basics: Retired from the LAPD, Harry Bosch just can't let an old murder case go. Armed with his private eye license, Bosch starts looking into the murder of a young woman -- Angella Benton -- and the disappearance of $2 million from a movie set, years after he was pulled off of the original case. As he digs, the two cases -- once unrelated -- seem to be converging. But in the post-9/11 world, Bosch's one-man investigation triggers anti-terrorism alarm bells. Bosch gets warned off the case more than once, but he's not letting the FBI get in his way of recovering his old thrill of solving a case.

Banter Points: Word Nerd can't really remember, but she thinks this might be one of the only Bosch books so far in first person which was a really interesting switch to see Bosch in his own head. The switch really made sense given the fact that Bosch isn't surrounded by police procedures anymore and has to work it all out in his own head. It was also neat to see the switch after 9/11 changed the way the FBI can operate and Bosch reacting to the anti-terrorism ideas. And as always, Connelly pushed the character in a new direction by having him alone and having to rely on others instead of his usual partners.

Bummer Points: Connelly drops a huge revelation on his readers at the end of the book. Word Nerd ever knew this entered the story line from hearing Connelly speak at Bouchercon 2009 and still found it shocking. It's not necessarily bad, just that she's got to go find the next book to resolve things.

Word Nerd Recommendation: The Bosch series is a committment (Word Nerd's maybe halfway through now...) but it's well-worth the time. Harry Bosch is going to be one of the detectives that gets remembers with Holmes, Poirot and Lord Peter.

Book Banter -- MythOS

Title: MythOS (Ravirn bk 4)

Author: Kelly McCullough

Length: 289 pages

Genre: sci-fi/fantasy

Where Word Nerd's Copy Came From: Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library

Plot Basics: Computer hacker and Greek god descendant Ravirn is trying to fix Necessity -- the supercomputer that controls the Greek pantheon -- and gets sucked into another reality with his webgoblin and his Fury-girlfriend, Tisiphone. The new world operates on the whims of a different set of gods, specifically ones of a Norse origin. Ravirn has to maneuver his way around the tricks of Loki, the plans of Odin and Thor and try to prevent the ultimate battle of Ragnarok if he wants to try to get home.

Banter Points: It had been a while since Word Nerd read any of this series and this was a great entry back in because it didn't rely so much on the plot of the books that came before it, nor was it a throw-away book in the series. Sure, Ravirn wasn't in his home turf, but the plot moved along and forced him to grow as a character still, understand his new powers in a different light. Word Nerd's not a big Norse mythology buff, but it was a great way to get a bit of that story too.

Bummer Points: Word Nerd doesn't know what's coming in the next book, of course, but she's kind of disappointed that it seems like Ravirn won't interact with these characters anymore. They were fun.

Word Nerd Recommendation: The Ravirn series is a great pick for sci-fi or fantasy fans because it crosses both lines. Heavy on mythology and computer stuff, it's got appeal for lots of readers.

July 2010 Bibliometer

Another month, another tally of books.


July 2010
6 books
2,348 pages
avg. 76

YTD
44 books
15,928 total pages