Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Pottermore, More, More!
Having been distracted by "real" life lately, I missed the big news June 22: JK Rowling is launching a new website in October for the Harry Potter books, Pottermore.com. Details are hazy, but it appears that it will be an online book club/community/e-sales outlet for the franchise.
Best of all, Rowling promises to share heretofore unknown facets of the world she's created, things she's been "hoarding for years". In interviews she has said that a lot of things were edited out or never put in, and that she still thinks of things to add to Harry's magical world. I for one can't wait to explore new corners of her imagination.
The first book came out when my younger son was in grade school. I read the first chapter to him at bedtime one night and couldn't stop. I carried it off and finished completely by the next morning. Impatient with the one-chapter-per-night reading ration, my son read most of the rest on his own.
My husband got hooked after the first movie, eager to know what happened next. It started him reading for pleasure for the first time in his life, a habit that has added a shared pleasure to our lives.
We have wonderful memories of when the three of us would set off for Barnes and Noble late at night, way past my son's bedtime, to join other enchanted folk waiting to receive the next volume at the stroke of midnight. Once there was even a huge full moon lighting our way.
The new site is open to everyone in October, but on July 31 the site will post a process for "a few lucky people" to get in early and help create its features. How amazing would that be? The line forms here - right behind me.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Rainbow's End
I've just heard that the kids' show Reading Rainbow has been canceled. I couldn't believe my ears. How did we lose an iconic program that inspired the joy of reading in two generations of children?
According to the story at NPR.org, nobody would fund it. What? NOBODY would fund Reading Rainbow? No parent group, no charitable foundation, no publishing houses? I find that impossible to believe.
Apparently, as part of the Bush administration's No Child Left Behind program, the emphasis is now to be on the mechanics of reading; teaching phonics is the primary goal. That's important, sure. But what good are tools without a vision of what you can do with them?
Not every kid has somebody reading to them at home. Not every kid gets to browse at the library. Without shows like Reading Rainbow, those kids are definitely going to be left behind.
According to the story at NPR.org, nobody would fund it. What? NOBODY would fund Reading Rainbow? No parent group, no charitable foundation, no publishing houses? I find that impossible to believe.
Apparently, as part of the Bush administration's No Child Left Behind program, the emphasis is now to be on the mechanics of reading; teaching phonics is the primary goal. That's important, sure. But what good are tools without a vision of what you can do with them?
Not every kid has somebody reading to them at home. Not every kid gets to browse at the library. Without shows like Reading Rainbow, those kids are definitely going to be left behind.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
On the absence of cows
It wasn't supposed to rain today. I had a full agenda of things to do and errands to run, including stops at the camera store and the library. After that, I was planning to track down some cows.
The cows in question are not your garden variety moosters. In fact, I've never seen any others like them. They would be perfect photo subjects for the Black Project -- that is, assuming the herd is still where I saw them last.
Alas, it was not to be. Halfway through my to-do list it started to rain. And it was clearly going to be the steady, all-day, buzz-kill variety of rain to boot. This is where I reach the limit of my dedication. I will hunt for cows, but I will not hunt them in the mud.
I did stop at the camera place and used a little bit of my inheritance to buy a tabletop studio, something I've wanted for a while now. (Mom loved toys too. Somewhere out there, I know she's smiling.) I wrestled the box back to the car with only a little water damage and made for the library, my favorite spot in town.
So there I was, arms loaded with newly arrived novels and nonfiction, when the real storm hit. The big plate glass windows shuddered under the onslaught, the roof thundered overhead, the doors shook on their hinges ... obviously, there was nothing for it but to settle into a deep, upholstered chair at the end of the stacks and read. In other words, I had a great excuse to do exactly what I really wanted to do anyway.
I spent the best hour of the whole week there, surrounded by books, lulled by the sound of water, relieved of the need to feel guilty. After all, no one would be expected to go out in weather like that, regardless of how high the laundry pile is.
Actually, the storm may not have lasted a whole hour. I kind of lost track of time. But hey, isn't that what libraries and Saturdays are for?
Soon as I find a spot around here that's relatively free of cat hair, I'll set up the new studio and choose a new subject. That light box is much too small for cows.
The cows in question are not your garden variety moosters. In fact, I've never seen any others like them. They would be perfect photo subjects for the Black Project -- that is, assuming the herd is still where I saw them last.
Alas, it was not to be. Halfway through my to-do list it started to rain. And it was clearly going to be the steady, all-day, buzz-kill variety of rain to boot. This is where I reach the limit of my dedication. I will hunt for cows, but I will not hunt them in the mud.
I did stop at the camera place and used a little bit of my inheritance to buy a tabletop studio, something I've wanted for a while now. (Mom loved toys too. Somewhere out there, I know she's smiling.) I wrestled the box back to the car with only a little water damage and made for the library, my favorite spot in town.
So there I was, arms loaded with newly arrived novels and nonfiction, when the real storm hit. The big plate glass windows shuddered under the onslaught, the roof thundered overhead, the doors shook on their hinges ... obviously, there was nothing for it but to settle into a deep, upholstered chair at the end of the stacks and read. In other words, I had a great excuse to do exactly what I really wanted to do anyway.
I spent the best hour of the whole week there, surrounded by books, lulled by the sound of water, relieved of the need to feel guilty. After all, no one would be expected to go out in weather like that, regardless of how high the laundry pile is.
Actually, the storm may not have lasted a whole hour. I kind of lost track of time. But hey, isn't that what libraries and Saturdays are for?
Soon as I find a spot around here that's relatively free of cat hair, I'll set up the new studio and choose a new subject. That light box is much too small for cows.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
It's National Library Week
"Libraries: The medicine chest of the soul." ~Inscription above the library at ThebesI love libraries. Some of my best and earliest memories are of the bookmobile, a bus-sized vehicle stuffed with books that arrived twice monthly in our neighborhood. We wouldn't have been more excited if Santa's sleigh had touched down. I recall the high steps, and climbing them pretty much on all fours because I was so small. We could take only two books. Sometimes the decision was heart wrenching.
I think the main library was in an old brick mansion in Charleston, West Virginia. I seem to recall an upper window there where I loved to look out. I remember being saddened when it was closed, replaced by a much larger stone temple of a place downtown.
Back then, we kids didn't venture into the city often. Mom hated driving in traffic, and she got panicky in crowds. She braved the city only twice a year: Once for school clothes, and once for Christmas shopping. The shopping part was agony, but when that was out of the way our reward was a stop at the library, followed by Woolworth's for candy and a pet goldfish. The fish expired in short order, but the memories remain though half a century has passed.
Since then, I've loved the library in every town I've ever lived in. They've changed a lot in all that time. Besides the books and periodicals, there are music CDs and movies. There are computer centers for Internet access. It is possible to renew books online, and to download books on tape. The hushed quiet is gone, too, and I have mixed feelings about that. It seems proper somehow, to enter a library with reverence and respect.
So. If you haven't checked out your local library in a while, go explore. Check out your favorite authors and hot new titles. Browse way back in the isles you haven't seen before. And don't miss the bulletin board, where announcements of clubs, lectures and groups are posted. You just may happen upon something completely unexpected, completely wonderful.
*Poster by Mary Begin, available for purchase at American Library Association: Link.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Release your inner novelist
Isaac Asimov said, "If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn't brood. I'd type a little faster."
You, however, are luckier. First of all, you probably have way more than six minutes to live. Plus, you have way more than six minutes to deadline: You have a whole month, to be precise. A whole, entire month, to write ::insert drum roll:: your very own novel! (Well, actually, it's more of a novella, but let's not get hung up on details.)
November is National Novel Writing Month, A.K.A. NaNoWriMo. Na No What-o?, you may ask. From the website:
National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.
Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.
Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It's all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly ... (click to continue.)
Thousands of writers around the world will spend November hunkered down over big, steaming piles of hasty prose, chugging caffeine and sharing the experience in online forums. Sounds like a good time to me.
If you want to play, be sure to sign up by October 31. There's a cool little logo thingy you can put on your blog for the month. And if you actually manage to hit the 50,000 word goal, you get bragging rights and a badge of honor. In other words, it's about the journey, not the destination. Really, isn't everything?
You, however, are luckier. First of all, you probably have way more than six minutes to live. Plus, you have way more than six minutes to deadline: You have a whole month, to be precise. A whole, entire month, to write ::insert drum roll:: your very own novel! (Well, actually, it's more of a novella, but let's not get hung up on details.)
November is National Novel Writing Month, A.K.A. NaNoWriMo. Na No What-o?, you may ask. From the website:
National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.
Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.
Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It's all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly ... (click to continue.)
Thousands of writers around the world will spend November hunkered down over big, steaming piles of hasty prose, chugging caffeine and sharing the experience in online forums. Sounds like a good time to me.
If you want to play, be sure to sign up by October 31. There's a cool little logo thingy you can put on your blog for the month. And if you actually manage to hit the 50,000 word goal, you get bragging rights and a badge of honor. In other words, it's about the journey, not the destination. Really, isn't everything?
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
It's been a week since the release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," time enough for most fans to get through the book. Nevertheless, I would hate to ruin the fun for anyone, so I've posted my reactions on a back-dated entry so that it won't appear on the top page. To read it, click here:
*Spoilers* Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
All is revealed in that post. Consider yourself warned.
With the long-awaited Harry Potter movie and book both behind us, I can't help but feel a bit melancholy. Anticipation is, after all, half the fun of these things. So what can we look forward to now? Well, let's see.
J.K. Rowling has announced she will do a Harry Potter Encyclopedia, and that will be cool. Of course, there are two more movies to go. They're all a long way off, though.
December will see the movie adaptation of "The Golden Compass," the first book of Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy. Done well, that could be amazing. It will definitely cause a stir; if you think the fundamentalists hated Harry, wait until they get a load of this. (Although, the film makers are apparently editing religion out of the story to appease them, which is like editing Voldemort out of Harry Potter, so the whole thing may devolve into a special effects extravaganza.)
In January or February, we get the new season of Lost, finally. And there are a few new TV shows that look promising.
Still. It just ain't the same.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Ka-ching!
Ya gotta love it when money falls out of the sky. John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #176 was to "Tell us of one piece of culture -- book, movie, album, painting, play, architectural 'masterpiece,' whatever -- that you think is wildly overrated."
I was just over at Carly's blog, Ellipsis, where she posted an excellent response naming the movie "Dune" as the worst-ever film adaptation of a book. (I wholeheartedly agree.)
That got me thinking about whether my hubby might like a set of Frank Herbert's books, "The Dune Chronicles" -- most definitely NOT overrated. Which reminded me of the old copy of "The Dune Encyclopedia" I picked up for 50 cents at a library sale.
All of which led me to Amazon.com, where I discovered that my Encyclopedia, the hardcover 1984 Book Club Edition, is worth around $90 to $125. And to think, I very nearly re-donated it to the library last week.
Carly girl, I owe ya one.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Harry Potter and the beginning of the end
The Witching Hour
It was 12:00 AM, the stroke of midnight, when the secret keepers opened their magic boxes filled with copies of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." Bubbles of laughter floated by on a sea of expectant chatter. Strangers smiled at strangers, acknowledging their common bond: Potter Pals, one and all.
In line for the checkout, a little boy danced in excitement; a small, elderly woman carefully counted out single dollars and many coins; a biker type leaned casually against the counter, feigning boredom between furtive peeks at page one. No one lingered to chat. A few actually sprinted back to their cars.
Slipping behind the wheel, I flipped on the radio and found J.K. Rowling there, reading from the first page. Groaning, I turned it off. Badly as I wanted to hear the reading, I wanted even more to discover every word for myself.
Love Hurts
Thus began a luxuriously lost weekend, one shared with thousands and thousands of fans around the world. I read until 3 AM that Saturday morning, all I could manage after a full day's work. TV, radio, newspapers, friends and the Internet were declared temporarily off-limits, to avoid any spoilers. It took me until around 2:30 AM Monday morning to finish.
I emerged from Rowling's world elated and exhausted, both physically and emotionally. The story was wonderful, and THE END came too soon. And we will not see the likes of it again.
* It seems too early for a post that reveals all. To avoid ruining the experience for anyone who might wander by, I won't comment here just yet on the details. If you have a discussion of the book going on your blog, please post a link in the comments, OK? (No spoilers in comments, please!)
It was 12:00 AM, the stroke of midnight, when the secret keepers opened their magic boxes filled with copies of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." Bubbles of laughter floated by on a sea of expectant chatter. Strangers smiled at strangers, acknowledging their common bond: Potter Pals, one and all.
In line for the checkout, a little boy danced in excitement; a small, elderly woman carefully counted out single dollars and many coins; a biker type leaned casually against the counter, feigning boredom between furtive peeks at page one. No one lingered to chat. A few actually sprinted back to their cars.
Slipping behind the wheel, I flipped on the radio and found J.K. Rowling there, reading from the first page. Groaning, I turned it off. Badly as I wanted to hear the reading, I wanted even more to discover every word for myself.
Love Hurts
Thus began a luxuriously lost weekend, one shared with thousands and thousands of fans around the world. I read until 3 AM that Saturday morning, all I could manage after a full day's work. TV, radio, newspapers, friends and the Internet were declared temporarily off-limits, to avoid any spoilers. It took me until around 2:30 AM Monday morning to finish.
I emerged from Rowling's world elated and exhausted, both physically and emotionally. The story was wonderful, and THE END came too soon. And we will not see the likes of it again.
* It seems too early for a post that reveals all. To avoid ruining the experience for anyone who might wander by, I won't comment here just yet on the details. If you have a discussion of the book going on your blog, please post a link in the comments, OK? (No spoilers in comments, please!)
Friday, July 20, 2007
Eve of The Deathly Hallows
It's been ages since looking forward to something actually kept me awake. Knowing the last Harry Potter book arrives tonight, I kind of feel like a kid again on Christmas Eve. By this time tomorrow, everyone will know the answers to the questions all Potter fans have pondered for the past two years. Meanwhile, here's the view from my crystal ball:
Dumbledore is dead, but he'll pull an Obi-Wan; that is, he'll be more powerful in death than he ever was in life, able to take on Voldemort and the Death Eaters from the very place they fear most.
Snape dies, but he dies a hero. I believe he killed Dumbledore in a pact the two made to save Draco. I suspect he will help bring down the Dark Lord to avenge Lilly Potter, the only person who was ever kind to him. He tolerates and protects Harry because he is her son. He's a Grinch alright, but he's on the side of the angels.
Harry lives. So do Ron and Hermione. I don't get the impression we're being set up for a tragic ending. One of the two, Voldemort or Harry, must die. Voldemort, of course, is toast. Nowhere have we been led to believe both must die ... unless Harry himself, and not just his scar, is a horcrux. But I think he'd have leaned a good bit more toward the dark side all along if that were the case. Besides, I'll be royally ticked off if any of those three don't make it out alive.
Time will tell. Only a few hours to go.
Dumbledore is dead, but he'll pull an Obi-Wan; that is, he'll be more powerful in death than he ever was in life, able to take on Voldemort and the Death Eaters from the very place they fear most.
Snape dies, but he dies a hero. I believe he killed Dumbledore in a pact the two made to save Draco. I suspect he will help bring down the Dark Lord to avenge Lilly Potter, the only person who was ever kind to him. He tolerates and protects Harry because he is her son. He's a Grinch alright, but he's on the side of the angels.
Harry lives. So do Ron and Hermione. I don't get the impression we're being set up for a tragic ending. One of the two, Voldemort or Harry, must die. Voldemort, of course, is toast. Nowhere have we been led to believe both must die ... unless Harry himself, and not just his scar, is a horcrux. But I think he'd have leaned a good bit more toward the dark side all along if that were the case. Besides, I'll be royally ticked off if any of those three don't make it out alive.
Time will tell. Only a few hours to go.
Friday, September 29, 2006
'Rose's Garden'
Just wanted to share a good fall read -- sweet, strange and melancholy, and filled with color, like the season: Amazon.com: Rose's Garden: Books: Carrie Brown. Love, loss, mystery ... and wings of many kinds.
I know a book is good when, part way through, I find myself torn between wanting to give it to someone who'd love it and wanting to keep it myself. This one got mailed to my mom.
I'm into another now that promises to be just as good: Amazon.com: Stigmata: Books: Phyllis Alesia Perry. Same dreamlike quality, completely different voice.
Enjoy.
I know a book is good when, part way through, I find myself torn between wanting to give it to someone who'd love it and wanting to keep it myself. This one got mailed to my mom.
I'm into another now that promises to be just as good: Amazon.com: Stigmata: Books: Phyllis Alesia Perry. Same dreamlike quality, completely different voice.
Enjoy.
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