Here is the thing...I am re-writing the re-writes of the re-writes of the trilogy. I like how these feel. I've never chapters out because they never felt quite right. Now, they do. So, I am editing and rewriting like a fiend. First person chapters, it's how I hear it in my head and how I see it, just not how a lot of people liked to read when I first wrote it down. But I like this better. It's truer to the piece I think.
As to the Japanese, I am taking Beginner's Japanese and Japanese Culture at the local community college. Is it weird that I am thinking both of trying to get published in the US and moving to Japan for my two year plan? I somewhat think it's an odd path. But, as I learned from watching the movie Post Grad the other day with my youngest sister and her godmother, "Weird is good". I tend to think that chasing my dreams is a good thing. I've spent the past two years helping my kids chase their dreams. Now, as one of them told me, it's my turn. Maybe I'll see about a part time job somewhere since I can't seem to find full time ones that offer health benefits (apparently, I'm too qualified and people would have to pay me too much). We'll see.
27 August 2009
17 August 2009
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult *****
*Book with adult themes or subject matter*
Anybody who has seen commercials for this movie or heard anything about this book, knows that this book deals with cancer, stem cell research, genetically engineered babies, family dynamics, drugs, and the legal system. I somewhat feel that the label above should be obvious unless you're living under a rock, but I've been told that people are not always as aware of books as I am. So there you have it, the label and the reasons.
This is not typically the type of book that I read but my friend suggested it to me. She thought that I would like it and I rather trust her opinion since she's known me for somewhere around 12 years. Jodi Picoult has managed to write this book from the perspective of everyone in the family, a lawyer, and a guardian ad litum. Which, given the fact that most people don't write in the first person, let alone in first person through 6 people, I found fascinating. It made it more real and more honest I think.
The basics: Kate has APL (a type of rare cancer that has a low rate of survival). She was diagnosed at the age of two. Her father (Brian), mother (Sara), and older brother (Jesse) were tested but there was no donor match. So, the parents decided to look at genetics and have another baby in order for Kate to have donor match. This baby's name is Anna. Brian is a fire fighter who loves astronomy, loves his kids, and feels a touch lost. Sara is a mother struggling with a daughter who is almost constantly on the verge of dying and two kids who are screaming for help. Jesse is a young man who feels invisible and does everything from drugs and drinking to playing with fire to get his family's attention. Anna and Kate are so close that they might as well be twins. One doesn't seem to exist in the family without the other. Every time Kate is hurt or sick, Anna donates. The sisters are sisters, best friends, and the reason the other is alive. Anna decides to sue her family for medical emancipation and gets herself a lawyer (Campbell). The case goes to trial and a guardian ad litum (Julia) is assigned to help figure out the whole mess.
If I tell you much more about the basic plot, I'll be giving away the ending, and really the ending is too beautifully done to give it away. Many people will tell you that they don't like the ending. Everything doesn't end sugary sweet. However, it does end in a way that is consistent with the sense of reality this book portrays. And no, it is not what you expect most likely.
I found Picoult's characters to be incredibly likable. I started out decidedly not liking Sara, but by the end I really felt sympathetic towards the woman. I instantly liked the Brian, Jesse, Kate, and Anna. I was up in the air with Campbell and Julia for a bit but as we get more and more of their back story you really grow to love the two of them. Campbell, by the way, is the humour in the book in a lot of ways. It was killing me that I didn't know what his dog was for until the end. He had more excuses for Judge (because what lawyer wouldn't want to put a judge in a cage every once in a while) than my high school students for not turning in their work. This book ultimately isn't about the illness of one little girl but about the secrets and problems that tear people apart and the things that bring people together.
It is a rare book and I would recommend that everyone over the age of 16 read it.
Anybody who has seen commercials for this movie or heard anything about this book, knows that this book deals with cancer, stem cell research, genetically engineered babies, family dynamics, drugs, and the legal system. I somewhat feel that the label above should be obvious unless you're living under a rock, but I've been told that people are not always as aware of books as I am. So there you have it, the label and the reasons.
This is not typically the type of book that I read but my friend suggested it to me. She thought that I would like it and I rather trust her opinion since she's known me for somewhere around 12 years. Jodi Picoult has managed to write this book from the perspective of everyone in the family, a lawyer, and a guardian ad litum. Which, given the fact that most people don't write in the first person, let alone in first person through 6 people, I found fascinating. It made it more real and more honest I think.
The basics: Kate has APL (a type of rare cancer that has a low rate of survival). She was diagnosed at the age of two. Her father (Brian), mother (Sara), and older brother (Jesse) were tested but there was no donor match. So, the parents decided to look at genetics and have another baby in order for Kate to have donor match. This baby's name is Anna. Brian is a fire fighter who loves astronomy, loves his kids, and feels a touch lost. Sara is a mother struggling with a daughter who is almost constantly on the verge of dying and two kids who are screaming for help. Jesse is a young man who feels invisible and does everything from drugs and drinking to playing with fire to get his family's attention. Anna and Kate are so close that they might as well be twins. One doesn't seem to exist in the family without the other. Every time Kate is hurt or sick, Anna donates. The sisters are sisters, best friends, and the reason the other is alive. Anna decides to sue her family for medical emancipation and gets herself a lawyer (Campbell). The case goes to trial and a guardian ad litum (Julia) is assigned to help figure out the whole mess.
If I tell you much more about the basic plot, I'll be giving away the ending, and really the ending is too beautifully done to give it away. Many people will tell you that they don't like the ending. Everything doesn't end sugary sweet. However, it does end in a way that is consistent with the sense of reality this book portrays. And no, it is not what you expect most likely.
I found Picoult's characters to be incredibly likable. I started out decidedly not liking Sara, but by the end I really felt sympathetic towards the woman. I instantly liked the Brian, Jesse, Kate, and Anna. I was up in the air with Campbell and Julia for a bit but as we get more and more of their back story you really grow to love the two of them. Campbell, by the way, is the humour in the book in a lot of ways. It was killing me that I didn't know what his dog was for until the end. He had more excuses for Judge (because what lawyer wouldn't want to put a judge in a cage every once in a while) than my high school students for not turning in their work. This book ultimately isn't about the illness of one little girl but about the secrets and problems that tear people apart and the things that bring people together.
It is a rare book and I would recommend that everyone over the age of 16 read it.
02 August 2009
Cutting Edge Publishing, Whichbook, and Other Various Electronical Oddities I Discovered This Week
So, anyone who knows me knows that I am a techie nerd. I like new technology. I like playing with new technology. I like discovering new things that are coming out and new ways to do things. So, when I discovered this on Writer Unboxed the other day, you can see why I was so happy and interested and spent the next couple of hours delving through J.C. Hutchins' page.
Here is some of what I have learned from all the insanity that was my webpage hunt of coolness:
1. Podioboooks are awesome. (I suggest that you check out his 7th Son books delivered through free podcasts.)
a. While it may sound silly, giving away his writing really worked for him.
b. This brings in the many internet users who listen to books instead of read them.
c. Free is a good price, especially in this economy.
d. If you can figure out how to do the audio on your own and have a decent voice for it, you
can have a friend help you with what you don’t know and end up doing this stuff for free
or cheap yourself.
e. You can link to the podiobook stream from multiple places and different formats.
2. Online webpages for characters are really quite spiffy if your character is tech savvy enough to have one.
3. If you can get your friends in the writing world to do video intros to your books, that's really quite fun and you can create a whole ad campaign based on that and word of mouth alone.
4. Offering contests and ways for the people to feel like they are a part of the book also are helpful. (Look at his "Commit me to the Brink" contest and content).
5. Party Pack PDFs are a good way to get the word out as well and offers an immediately fun way to get your friends together for an evening.
6. Talk to people that are a bit on the fringe technologically. Often, they’re willing to help and a little less overwhelmed than the more mainstream. Plus, they bring an audience mainstream publishing websites may not reach.
Whichbook: This is an awesome invention. Basically, you use sliders and it recommends a book. It’s pretty accurate too. Came up with some good recommendations. I don’t live in the U.K. though so the lending library part of it doesn’t work for me. But, still, this is awesome good fun and the recommendations are solid as well.
Kindle: Now, I had thought that this was only the hand held reader before. I found out this week that it's not. There are actually different types of this now. There is actually a Kindle app for your iPhone or iPod Touch now. Also, Kindles aren't the only readers on the market, though they are the most popular. Barnes and Noble has a reader as well. Their version is actually a free ereader for you Blackberry, PC, Mac, or iPod/iPhone. Same concept, only it's a program that is integrated into an electronic that you already have. I'm curious to compare the two, only problem is that as I'm out of work I have no money to try the Kindle so I can't tell you which is better.
I love Piers Anthony so I was pleasantly surprised to find that he has an Internet Plublishing Site now. The thing about this man is that he is hysterical. The amount of puns in his works are amazing. Plus, as a kid I loved him simply for the fact that he admitted that in fairytales no one ever has to use the bathroom so he makes a point of his characters being more true to life. They use the bathroom. They get angry. They have food that they don't like. There are actually bugs in the beds in the woods (that somehow in fairytales never have bugs or tree sap even though they're made out of branches and are on the ground). Smoke happens from fires. People actually get dirty. Fighting is not all glory. And yet, his books still remain fantastical and have the feel of a fairytale. Plus, I had to love that Xanth looks like Florida. Seriously, the man is brilliant. Check him out if you don't know his work. He will make you laugh and think at the same time.
Here is some of what I have learned from all the insanity that was my webpage hunt of coolness:
1. Podioboooks are awesome. (I suggest that you check out his 7th Son books delivered through free podcasts.)
a. While it may sound silly, giving away his writing really worked for him.
b. This brings in the many internet users who listen to books instead of read them.
c. Free is a good price, especially in this economy.
d. If you can figure out how to do the audio on your own and have a decent voice for it, you
can have a friend help you with what you don’t know and end up doing this stuff for free
or cheap yourself.
e. You can link to the podiobook stream from multiple places and different formats.
2. Online webpages for characters are really quite spiffy if your character is tech savvy enough to have one.
3. If you can get your friends in the writing world to do video intros to your books, that's really quite fun and you can create a whole ad campaign based on that and word of mouth alone.
4. Offering contests and ways for the people to feel like they are a part of the book also are helpful. (Look at his "Commit me to the Brink" contest and content).
5. Party Pack PDFs are a good way to get the word out as well and offers an immediately fun way to get your friends together for an evening.
6. Talk to people that are a bit on the fringe technologically. Often, they’re willing to help and a little less overwhelmed than the more mainstream. Plus, they bring an audience mainstream publishing websites may not reach.
Whichbook: This is an awesome invention. Basically, you use sliders and it recommends a book. It’s pretty accurate too. Came up with some good recommendations. I don’t live in the U.K. though so the lending library part of it doesn’t work for me. But, still, this is awesome good fun and the recommendations are solid as well.
Kindle: Now, I had thought that this was only the hand held reader before. I found out this week that it's not. There are actually different types of this now. There is actually a Kindle app for your iPhone or iPod Touch now. Also, Kindles aren't the only readers on the market, though they are the most popular. Barnes and Noble has a reader as well. Their version is actually a free ereader for you Blackberry, PC, Mac, or iPod/iPhone. Same concept, only it's a program that is integrated into an electronic that you already have. I'm curious to compare the two, only problem is that as I'm out of work I have no money to try the Kindle so I can't tell you which is better.
I love Piers Anthony so I was pleasantly surprised to find that he has an Internet Plublishing Site now. The thing about this man is that he is hysterical. The amount of puns in his works are amazing. Plus, as a kid I loved him simply for the fact that he admitted that in fairytales no one ever has to use the bathroom so he makes a point of his characters being more true to life. They use the bathroom. They get angry. They have food that they don't like. There are actually bugs in the beds in the woods (that somehow in fairytales never have bugs or tree sap even though they're made out of branches and are on the ground). Smoke happens from fires. People actually get dirty. Fighting is not all glory. And yet, his books still remain fantastical and have the feel of a fairytale. Plus, I had to love that Xanth looks like Florida. Seriously, the man is brilliant. Check him out if you don't know his work. He will make you laugh and think at the same time.
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