tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1274642626013942842024-03-02T17:46:02.674-08:00Bookworm's feast of booksInsightful and sometimes humorous reviews of the books I'm reading.
Place Under The Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716448507060486535noreply@blogger.comBlogger197125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127464262601394284.post-441940060751365402024-01-18T06:55:00.000-08:002024-01-18T06:55:28.372-08:00The Dispossessed by Ursula LeGuin<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"> The Dispossessed</span></h1><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfKutQ7Di18iGF1d9hYL_JxSrnXuXIt5E5bxITcmiJNHvPcQ-S6AWdkYrZmmyQ5KB6gFJQijPXRIH8CKIO_d7u7pM6_lWB_NAdtCpUnfq4gS_ATMTxjhYYntPJMzgHCC5m68yi3raSzxQ8DL1jRW-ko4J4LyS6-ncK4tcvscvGnQhRS5cKPw_cuIMcYs/s5152/IMG_0024%5B1%5D.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3864" data-original-width="5152" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfKutQ7Di18iGF1d9hYL_JxSrnXuXIt5E5bxITcmiJNHvPcQ-S6AWdkYrZmmyQ5KB6gFJQijPXRIH8CKIO_d7u7pM6_lWB_NAdtCpUnfq4gS_ATMTxjhYYntPJMzgHCC5m68yi3raSzxQ8DL1jRW-ko4J4LyS6-ncK4tcvscvGnQhRS5cKPw_cuIMcYs/s320/IMG_0024%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;">The Dispossessed by Ursula LeGuin</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;">- Ursula K. LeGuin -</span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;">What a world builder this book is! Ursula is so great at making up new worlds, like in her Earthsea novels. Not only that, but this book was a solid manifesto on her idea of communal living, and I guess taken a little further, her ideas on socialism/communism. LeGuin makes this big idea very readable with a decent plot and her amazing prose. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;">We follow the story of a man living on another planet that is very resource poor (what could be the moon?). The society there is set up to be most efficient by cooperation and sharing. Nobody owns anything, they all sleep in communal dorms, they all take turns doing manual labour, etc. Then this man, who is a scientific genius I should add, is transported back to Earth. Our home planet is set up the exact same as now, with overabundance, excess, and a class based society. The contrast between these two societies is interesting, especially when you throw in a love story, a revolution, and some science fiction.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;">The entire time I was reading this book I kept getting flashbacks of Ayn Rand's <i>Atlas Shrugged</i>. Which makes sense since both novels explore utopian and dystopian themes. However, they both take different sides of the idea of an individual focused society and a communal focused society. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;">As always, I'm impressed with LeGuin's writing and was very happy with this book. I'd recommend getting a copy for yourself.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I have to explain the picture of the book on display at a laundromat. Our dryer stopped working, so I was making nightly trips to the laundromat. I'd wash the clothes at home, and take three or four loads to the laundromat to dry. I also took this book to read while waiting. Well, somedays I would be tempted to throw another quarter in the dryer just to get a few more minutes of reading time.</span></p>Place Under The Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716448507060486535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127464262601394284.post-68764898949916523522023-11-21T07:15:00.001-08:002023-11-21T07:15:00.152-08:00Using AI to Write<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;"> Using AI to Write A Blog Post</span></h1><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvrdKtRiXg52AHcBQ0BuPzkxA8V2vhq7zSmmK6-WyFeCTwG5Rpkvdgak7JIynh60MlG6NdSHhwLubQ8GVUVLFob1OCEy_kC80jn4WyankGxV3XiS0d9GSR2380WTfCZHDWDHQZOaX-oY4Uy-R9spWJT-7eGEaTr_aODM-VJ-qpUYIiavw2asCuNERRNUk/s2000/AI%20generated%20picture.%20I%20like%20how%20the%20robot%20has%20the%20typewriter%20the%20wrong%20way..png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1545" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvrdKtRiXg52AHcBQ0BuPzkxA8V2vhq7zSmmK6-WyFeCTwG5Rpkvdgak7JIynh60MlG6NdSHhwLubQ8GVUVLFob1OCEy_kC80jn4WyankGxV3XiS0d9GSR2380WTfCZHDWDHQZOaX-oY4Uy-R9spWJT-7eGEaTr_aODM-VJ-qpUYIiavw2asCuNERRNUk/w309-h400/AI%20generated%20picture.%20I%20like%20how%20the%20robot%20has%20the%20typewriter%20the%20wrong%20way..png" width="309" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;">AI generated image of our future</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;"><br /></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;">There has been so much hype about CHAT GPT and other AI lately; that a future of AI means an end to writing! And end to creativity! And end to what makes us human!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;">Is it true?</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;">I've taken on the task of testing out a few AI systems. Nothing too in depth. You know, kicking the wheels, lifting the hood, just to get an idea of how good they really are at writing.</span></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;">Perplexity AI</span></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqepVHioAyY2MsnNsflT6raMYHPyr4lk0eDU-jQfi-qfg4ZjFsXqNO_MOTbOxRhNh5vMQcPyCP27Vrmn-n9qIJtcduAagyixTBCxpQjJODXWhqEQwf49wdqBLWLeRZaeNOS2EnkrIGyhizcTe47bUUnJBU4udLY9Y23zH255rBolitcO4l5wXj3i9wlU/s218/perplexity.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;"><img border="0" data-original-height="121" data-original-width="218" height="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqepVHioAyY2MsnNsflT6raMYHPyr4lk0eDU-jQfi-qfg4ZjFsXqNO_MOTbOxRhNh5vMQcPyCP27Vrmn-n9qIJtcduAagyixTBCxpQjJODXWhqEQwf49wdqBLWLeRZaeNOS2EnkrIGyhizcTe47bUUnJBU4udLY9Y23zH255rBolitcO4l5wXj3i9wlU/s1600/perplexity.JPG" width="218" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;"><br /></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;">I've fiddled around with this AI, attempting different prompts and questions. Asking it to write me a blog post, asking it to write me a scene in a story, asking it to write me a cold call email for a big charity donation.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;">I was surprised at how well Perplexity wrote the email. It sounded professional, well thought out, persuasive, and ready to copy and paste.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;">The other requests - make up a scene in a story, and write me a blog post - were utter crap.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;">The request for a blog post gave me a few bullet point ideas and a very weak introductory blurb. I do have to say the ideas were decent, and Perplexity does give you links to the sites it used for research. So, I can't complain too much. It gave me a solid foundation for a blog post, but I would have to do a bit of research to flesh it out. It was far away from an easy cut and paste. I thought AI was supposed to eliminate all the work? </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;">The creative writing request was a pile of dog shit! I asked it to write a short scene where my character finds a hidden panel in the wall. Behind the panel is a safe. I asked for excitement and suspense. What I got back was two paragraphs full of repetitive, short sentences, and cliche lines ... "her heartbeat quickened", that kind of thing. The writing felt exactly like an AI wrote it. If I were actually trying to use this to help me write an actual short story or novel, I would have used maybe one sentence...and that's a stretch. </span></span><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;"> </span></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;">Rytr.me</span></h2><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;">It's pronounced 'writer'. With a name like that you'd think this AI bot would be the new Hemingway of the digital revolution. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;">It's not, but does an okay job of 'creative' writing. A similar prompt of 'write me a scene...' gave me a readable, yet still cliche filled, page of prose. However, it still felt very stiff and robotic. There was actually some dialogue, which sounded vaguely human. But the chatter had little character or personality, however, it wasn't that far off something I might write in a first draft.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;">Where Rytr did shine was when I asked it to write me a blog post.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUoij_N29KXp-dCZeGsCAxH1pR5h1Eu6XhEC30X7-mpqSVw0CD-KhwsV8Ppj5DEf2k2ThfYEhDZuCt1G-2BTKXaUKvGtU2jRcO5oFnJTArlFbUU-C2VHQybKnz15PlBOOBjEuD_5huvupzqvCBAuAcdoaBVFs-ibzwHhwyMYPrOdl-Xq0_eV1mtdZth2A/s400/ai%20ryte%20example%20of%20what%20it%20can%20do.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="393" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUoij_N29KXp-dCZeGsCAxH1pR5h1Eu6XhEC30X7-mpqSVw0CD-KhwsV8Ppj5DEf2k2ThfYEhDZuCt1G-2BTKXaUKvGtU2jRcO5oFnJTArlFbUU-C2VHQybKnz15PlBOOBjEuD_5huvupzqvCBAuAcdoaBVFs-ibzwHhwyMYPrOdl-Xq0_eV1mtdZth2A/s320/ai%20ryte%20example%20of%20what%20it%20can%20do.JPG" width="314" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkwgW0QB7dAnyzhXk8lZCG8aqvn9wzXCLdCgNDP-D5U9GNlv6SC3yKXkKLjwAaWxFp5wVTiQMAArtGUUV6TsBk3iMxaBrwk2poPckXs9fF4FBAAkXxLRZcdFE_xoQaHv2xVsQlcWV_34-m4mHHROxLtfQDWhNnYQSfSetJsrqI_Vcm2uPbcNgay6Ka4Ck/s409/ai%20ryte%20creativity%20level.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;"><img border="0" data-original-height="331" data-original-width="409" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkwgW0QB7dAnyzhXk8lZCG8aqvn9wzXCLdCgNDP-D5U9GNlv6SC3yKXkKLjwAaWxFp5wVTiQMAArtGUUV6TsBk3iMxaBrwk2poPckXs9fF4FBAAkXxLRZcdFE_xoQaHv2xVsQlcWV_34-m4mHHROxLtfQDWhNnYQSfSetJsrqI_Vcm2uPbcNgay6Ka4Ck/s320/ai%20ryte%20creativity%20level.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;">First Rytr came up with a few ideas / topics I might want to add. From there I could 'expand' the ideas I wanted and Rytr took on the time consuming job of writing a little blurb. This non-fiction type of writing was great. It flowed nicely, the facts were there, and even the casual tone (which I asked for) rang true. Much, much better than the 'creative writing'.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;"> </span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCvRLzn5Wx_LY1LCpT833UnnHaO0DuxsOD03ZmgJu2OiNuY2LbZuqMFcbYERXwcJuYxqRmX00PA-nOGSzjVzYbUyeQVkNgp2CELPYJ9ce7nr_MLzkMUsLqaZtNgUMaZ5AVetSpFPAzCWb93ekLd0Qszj2g5Urh7TpsTpqYiIuy0xxkD_YYtirwyy6Zyu0/s1980/ai%20ryte%20example.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;"><img border="0" data-original-height="986" data-original-width="1980" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCvRLzn5Wx_LY1LCpT833UnnHaO0DuxsOD03ZmgJu2OiNuY2LbZuqMFcbYERXwcJuYxqRmX00PA-nOGSzjVzYbUyeQVkNgp2CELPYJ9ce7nr_MLzkMUsLqaZtNgUMaZ5AVetSpFPAzCWb93ekLd0Qszj2g5Urh7TpsTpqYiIuy0xxkD_YYtirwyy6Zyu0/s320/ai%20ryte%20example.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;">So if AI is the future of writing, then us humans can feel pretty confident that we will still have plenty of job security in the areas of writing, especially writing anything creative. Non-creative writing will be made much easier if you treat AI like a tool to do the foundation work, and you just come along afterwards and add the finishing touches.</span></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sometype Mono;"><br /></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Place Under The Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716448507060486535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127464262601394284.post-44871464475431026842023-11-14T05:00:00.001-08:002023-11-14T05:00:00.145-08:00Easy To Kill by Agatha Christie<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"> Easy To Kill</span></h1><p style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNpqydjKrgeGPFG-KMOOoOlMuxWuvolxPInjEPtaN491RJVT-MTnlT2nRYBfQkupso_fH58rBgFIcmbK6_mlE7IgIQLtfTf4FrIOaYrv0-97QI7P0iGn5mjYamC_deKKNYGWHXUpLmHzKyo2w0LfkXdBdG0_J3T8XnovA4PI5oLIWKzBWKX5kQQXJcBt4/s5152/IMG_0030%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5152" data-original-width="3864" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNpqydjKrgeGPFG-KMOOoOlMuxWuvolxPInjEPtaN491RJVT-MTnlT2nRYBfQkupso_fH58rBgFIcmbK6_mlE7IgIQLtfTf4FrIOaYrv0-97QI7P0iGn5mjYamC_deKKNYGWHXUpLmHzKyo2w0LfkXdBdG0_J3T8XnovA4PI5oLIWKzBWKX5kQQXJcBt4/s320/IMG_0030%5B1%5D.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easy to Kill Agatha Christie - 1974 Cover</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">- <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agatha_Christie">Agatha Christie</a> - </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Agatha Christie is a name that is synonymous with mystery and intrigue. She is one of the most famous authors of all time, and her books have been read by millions of people around the world. I've read a good dozen or so and really enjoyed each one. My latest, and one of her lesser-known works is "Easy to Kill." If you're new to Agatha Christie's work, "Easy to Kill" is a great place to start. It's a quick read that will introduce you to her unique style of mystery writing. And if you're already a fan of Christie's work, "Easy to Kill" is a must-read.</span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">To me it this book was a classic Christie mystery, which usually entails:</span></h4><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">A seemingly perfect crime is introduced and investigated.</span></li><li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The wrongly accused suspect is at the center of the investigation.</span></li><li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The bungling of dim-witted police is a common theme.</span></li><li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The detective has greater powers of observation and a superior mind.</span></li><li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The startling and unexpected denouement, in which the detective reveals how the identity of the culprit was ascertained.</span></li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The 'detective' in this book is not a Poirot or Miss Marple, but the retired police officer Fitzwilliam is one sharp tool (not much of a personality though).</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The plot is well-crafted, and the characters are interesting and engaging. It starts right from the beginning with a quote from an old lady, "It's very easy to kill - so long as no one suspects you. And you see, the person in question is just the last person anyone would suspect." That got me engaged and wondering who seems innocent.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The story is full of twists and turns, and the ending is satisfying with the the <u>last person you would suspect</u>. It was a bit of a surprise to me. I guess I got a bit fooled by all the red herrings. With this book, Christie created one of her creepiest, most disturbing villains, proving that revenge is a frightening dish best served cold.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpqSOiAhjSqZz0HW5yib8E0HBLG7M9oOTmG26HoNAtYD_xFNHwwhq3fip2yZnmGXsB8ph1tBBS3HwvbqP5QUoJEA-QQGNiKbpellxmw_Ac-yu2S_xAtgnw1hF9T289EpoNMEr_ayJ4Z5gh7_h0A7PzZ1CdY_lo5e01_-jSPynJ_BQodVNEf3yjM7u2zRo/s658/bookstore%20mystery%20meme.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="658" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpqSOiAhjSqZz0HW5yib8E0HBLG7M9oOTmG26HoNAtYD_xFNHwwhq3fip2yZnmGXsB8ph1tBBS3HwvbqP5QUoJEA-QQGNiKbpellxmw_Ac-yu2S_xAtgnw1hF9T289EpoNMEr_ayJ4Z5gh7_h0A7PzZ1CdY_lo5e01_-jSPynJ_BQodVNEf3yjM7u2zRo/s320/bookstore%20mystery%20meme.jpg" width="243" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mystery book meme</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Special Elite";"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Special Elite";">It's amazing to me that Christie books are still so good to read, considering this one was written in the 1930s. I read </span><a href="https://bookwormsfeastofbooks.blogspot.com/2022/03/agatha-christie-queen-of-psychology.html" style="font-family: "Special Elite";">A Murder is Announced</a><span style="font-family: "Special Elite";"> a little while ago, and loved that book too. Check out my review and thoughts on how Christie is still relevant almost 100 years later.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Special Elite";">The other amazing thing about Christie books is that I often find them for cheap, cheap, cheap prices. My local thrift store sells these books for only 50 cents. And Easy To Kill, I found at a 'fill-a-box-for-$5' sale. I'm sure I only paid a quarter for it.</span></p>Place Under The Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716448507060486535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127464262601394284.post-21480771914640859602023-11-03T08:34:00.000-07:002023-11-03T08:34:34.641-07:00Exploring the Timeless Appeal of Vintage Sci-Fi: Why Should You Read Old Science Fiction?<h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The Enduring Charm of Vintage Sci-Fi</span></h1><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1XMtqNYoJzfbI4I9AsnLclGfKI1EqTxO1CiKD_u8CsLsCr4joE0d8Yakyn7AJzne9Gkcrc92V8oe9paUUHTZXdtacfzUW7yQCaYWcIDuh9RG0FBG88Sdq77LtkuEa8BetgxAi7qm7WHCQ2YSX53ZI5hFn9Qy0qn0dLZ1fFarIG1txg3-v_OQseVc0v28/s1920/WIN_20231027_19_19_03_Pro.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1XMtqNYoJzfbI4I9AsnLclGfKI1EqTxO1CiKD_u8CsLsCr4joE0d8Yakyn7AJzne9Gkcrc92V8oe9paUUHTZXdtacfzUW7yQCaYWcIDuh9RG0FBG88Sdq77LtkuEa8BetgxAi7qm7WHCQ2YSX53ZI5hFn9Qy0qn0dLZ1fFarIG1txg3-v_OQseVc0v28/s320/WIN_20231027_19_19_03_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spectrum Sci Fi Short Stories</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite; font-size: medium;">In a world filled with technology developing faster than the average person can keep up, and futuristic advancements, like AI, there is something undeniably captivating about the enduring charm of vintage science fiction. From the golden age of science fiction to the iconic works that have shaped our perception of the genre, vintage sci-fi continues to captivate readers like me and transport us back to imaginative worlds beyond our wildest dreams. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite; font-size: medium;">I just finished a publication of short stories. I'm not sure if it was a magazine or a regular quarterly publication of some sort, called Spectrum. It was from the late 60s, and was filled with some of the best of the era. Including authors like Fred Pohl and Robert Heinlein.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite; font-size: medium;">There was a story about a future where robots are so efficient that our job as humans is to consume, consume, consume. An fun look at what it would mean to be 'poor' in that kind of society. The lower class have to consume more than the 'rich'. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite; font-size: medium;">There was also a time travel story by Heinlein that was a fun read. A man cycles through time over and over again, creating a self fulfilling future for himself. It's hard to explain, but a very good read. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite; font-size: medium;">I love finding old sci fi books like this. They are so fun to read, and sometimes a little out of date (especially when computers of the future are still the size of rooms). After reading a book or collection like this I often find myself thinking...</span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Special Elite"; font-size: large;">What is it that makes vintage sci-fi so fun to read?</span></h4><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite; font-size: medium;">The influence of vintage science fiction on modern culture and technology cannot be overstated. From the pages of classic novels to the movie screens, the classic stories have shaped our perceptions of the future and inspired advancements in various fields. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite; font-size: medium;">Vintage sci-fi literature such as H.G. Wells' "The Time Machine" or Isaac Asimov's "I Robot" introduced us to futuristic concepts like time travel and artificial intelligence long before they became a reality. These visionary authors not only entertained readers but also sparked curiosity and innovation among scientists and engineers.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite; font-size: medium;">Moreover, the impact of vintage sci-fi is evident in today's popular culture. Iconic films like "Blade Runner" and "Star Wars" have not only captivated huge audiences with their thrilling narratives but have also influenced fashion trends, design aesthetics, and even technological developments. The sleek designs of spaceships or the futuristic gadgets depicted in these films have inspired real-world inventions. And perhaps over time a space ship shaped like the Enterprise.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite; font-size: medium;">In addition to shaping popular culture, vintage sci-fi has had a profound impact on technological advancements. Concepts explored in these works often push boundaries and challenge existing scientific theories. From Jules Verne's submarine in "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" to Arthur C. Clarke's vision of satellite communication in "2001: A Space Odyssey," these ideas have paved the way for real-world innovations that were once deemed impossible.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite; font-size: medium;">Science fiction literature has always been a powerful medium for exploring timeless themes and providing social commentary. Vintage sci-fi works in particular have left a lasting impact on readers by delving into societal issues and presenting thought-provoking narratives.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite; font-size: medium;">One of the key aspects of vintage sci-fi is its ability to create dystopian societies that reflect the fears and concerns of their respective eras. Ray Bradbury, Orwell, Atwood are masters of this. These works often serve as cautionary tales, warning us about the potential consequences of unchecked technological advancements or oppressive political systems.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite; font-size: medium;">Moreover, vintage sci-fi authors were not just storytellers; they were also keen observers of human nature and the complexities of society. Through their imaginative worlds and futuristic technology, they were able to shed light on contemporary issues such as racism, class inequality, environmental degradation, and the dangers of authoritarianism. 'The Dispossessed' by Ursula Le Guin is a great example that I just finished reading.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite; font-size: medium;">By exploring these themes through a futuristic lens, vintage sci-fi works continue to resonate with readers across generations. They not only entertain us with their captivating stories but also force us to reflect on our own society and consider the implications of our actions.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite; font-size: medium;">In an ever-changing world where new technologies emerge and societal challenges persist, it is worth revisiting these timeless themes in vintage sci-fi works. They remind us that despite the passage of time, human nature remains constant and that literature can serve as a powerful tool for understanding ourselves and shaping our future.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite; font-size: medium;">In conclusion, embracing the treasures of vintage sci-fi can provide readers with a truly unique and captivating reading experience. By delving into the works of classic science fiction authors, we can transport ourselves to imaginative worlds filled with futuristic technologies, alien civilizations, and thought-provoking concepts.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite; font-size: medium;">Vintage sci-fi literature offers a glimpse into the past and allows us to appreciate the visionary ideas that were ahead of their time. It allows us to explore themes such as artificial intelligence, space exploration, time travel, and dystopian societies - concepts that continue to shape our present understanding of science and technology.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite; font-size: medium;">Moreover, reading vintage sci-fi can be a nostalgic journey for those who grew up with these books or were influenced by them in their formative years. It provides an opportunity to revisit beloved stories and characters while also discovering hidden gems that may have been overlooked.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite; font-size: medium;">By embracing vintage sci-fi literature, we not only gain access to a rich literary heritage but also open ourselves up to new perspectives and ideas. These timeless tales serve as a reminder of the power of imagination and the boundless possibilities that lie within the realm of science fiction.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite; font-size: medium;">So let us embark on this journey through time and space, immersing ourselves in the wonders of vintage sci-fi for an unparalleled reading experience that transcends generations.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite; font-size: medium;">*This blog post was produced with the help of that futuristic technology A.I. I used the website Rytr, which does a wonderful job of actually writing some decent prose. You need to tweak it, but overall, not bad. It lacks voice of course. This does not sound like anything I would write. But, it's very legible, easy to read, and has some good ideas and facts. It deserves a decent grade.</span></p>Place Under The Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716448507060486535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127464262601394284.post-56245843714600850632023-10-05T06:53:00.001-07:002023-10-05T06:53:33.223-07:00Legends and Lattes<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"> Legends and Lattes</span></h1><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMe22y-Ah4UT2gqOWmHXrk_yLTDoyFGGRkJj8jCirC84EoY0AlPDigZ1GijAAIFmgYwTx_pKFbfn25yJFrzqCKPwkSujF5F-V6HqHMiPw6sXZ_aq8SGOOnICHqsH_5k_bG8qwpnDNS76ftVB3lOyAuBglyDTmuDh7wqzul5obZCxLk8VEN9dd-76pqSQ/s2475/legends%20and%20lattes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="1613" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMe22y-Ah4UT2gqOWmHXrk_yLTDoyFGGRkJj8jCirC84EoY0AlPDigZ1GijAAIFmgYwTx_pKFbfn25yJFrzqCKPwkSujF5F-V6HqHMiPw6sXZ_aq8SGOOnICHqsH_5k_bG8qwpnDNS76ftVB3lOyAuBglyDTmuDh7wqzul5obZCxLk8VEN9dd-76pqSQ/s320/legends%20and%20lattes.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Special Elite";"><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Special Elite";"><br /></span></p>- Travis Baldree - </span><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">I have been reading a lot of heavy, hard sci-fi, war based books like Battlefield Earth and Old Man's War. Exciting stories, but full of death and destruction. Legends and Lattes is the exact opposite of that, which is a nice change for me. It's a story about building something, instead of blowing it up. Making a community, instead of killing it. So, like I said, a nice change.<br /></span><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree is about building up a business and friendships. The story follows Viv, an orc who quits her life of violence to build a coffee shop. Gnomish coffee! Along the way, she befriends a troupe of characters and together they create a safe place for all. As a frequent visitor of such places as Starbucks, I can say that the coffee shop setting is relatable and adds to the charm of the story. Which reminds me, it's Pumpkin Spice Season! Legends and Lattes is a cozy and comforting book that is as satisfying as a cinnamon bun (or a thimblet) and a hot cup of coffee - gnomish if you have it.</span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><br /></p>Place Under The Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716448507060486535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127464262601394284.post-70313797813430537052023-09-19T06:44:00.000-07:002023-09-19T06:44:01.356-07:00OLD MAN'S WAR by John Scalzi<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"> Old Man's War</span></h1><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg4RqBb1U57sKZ5aCvhhhzauON3vwUtcmXlue6pex3csgCLlrWjndLQc-QtneHkwZUXUBK0zCXyHCeX9kOr3tPvpHjmpwMiFJ946mU5AQPiejhF7Gr8s2L_f8ZpE5t8cEiQjLXiJ7WAbTYhxEcxq3OsLqIPZVtakIJ8ecGxcOrfEjJAe83vJqyQgEjBqM/s810/oldmanswarjpeg.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="493" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg4RqBb1U57sKZ5aCvhhhzauON3vwUtcmXlue6pex3csgCLlrWjndLQc-QtneHkwZUXUBK0zCXyHCeX9kOr3tPvpHjmpwMiFJ946mU5AQPiejhF7Gr8s2L_f8ZpE5t8cEiQjLXiJ7WAbTYhxEcxq3OsLqIPZVtakIJ8ecGxcOrfEjJAe83vJqyQgEjBqM/s320/oldmanswarjpeg.jpeg" width="195" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Old Man's War - Scalzi</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">- <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Scalzi" target="_blank">John Scalzi</a> -</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">A must read for Sci-Fi fans. Space battles, nanotechnology, faster than light travel, and much more sciency ideas to play with. There is the classic fight for the universe against ugly sounding aliens, with a big explosive finish. A solid sci-fi book, in my opinion.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The premise of the story is that older humans can join an army of space colony defenders. The draw is that instead of dying of old age you are rejuvenated with special technology that makes your body young again. The catch is that you are now part of the colony defender army for a term of ten years. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">This change, from old to young, is a fun read. Both from a physical point of view and a psychological perspective. The new body is enhanced with special 'Smartblood' that holds nutrients and oxygen better, and also clots quick to save you from dying in battle. The new recruit is also given a 'Brainpal', a microchip in the brain that is essentially a computer, allowing you to connect with others and 'google' information. A new body full of technology to make a super soldier.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">There are a few boot camp type training scenes and grisly battles against creepy aliens to show this new technology at work. Great fun.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The story gets deep when the main character comes across his long dead wife. Only it's not his wife, it is just her DNA used to create a specialized human soldier.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Throughout the book there are deep questions. What does it mean to be human? Is it your body or your mind that make you the person you are? What happens if you disrupt the regular cycle of life? Is death a good thing? How much modification can you do before the body is not human anymore?</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">These questions are not specifically asked, of course. But they are hinted at, very discreetly, throughout the entire book. It makes you think.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">I like Scalzi's writing style. It's serious, with what feels like hard sci-fi ideas, but he works in a humorous tone. A sarcastic tone maybe? Whatever it is, I like it. I find myself smiling while reading, and thinking deep thoughts when I put the book down. That's a winner to me.</span></p>Place Under The Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716448507060486535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127464262601394284.post-88286864622751473682023-07-06T11:56:00.006-07:002023-07-06T11:59:53.993-07:00Draft One Page 38<h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"> Did I just change 80% of my first draft?</span></h1><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGAsdyCS05R9muOmIB9nlLL60KumlvcN-fylopDR9mPaPuYq4EmTQAbiGEqfFWWWGk3u0dYQ7XqDr07fhpge42o6SgHKlZWKu3m1CRehvz1fCU4YnyvMQnaottgQIMWJB54ZoNZ75pADxIg7T0G4pq8-7iTvYNtCO8RxyY37HStAg3vsIUSwfsG42GsqA/s1650/revise%20draft%20one_07-06-2023-143721-1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1275" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGAsdyCS05R9muOmIB9nlLL60KumlvcN-fylopDR9mPaPuYq4EmTQAbiGEqfFWWWGk3u0dYQ7XqDr07fhpge42o6SgHKlZWKu3m1CRehvz1fCU4YnyvMQnaottgQIMWJB54ZoNZ75pADxIg7T0G4pq8-7iTvYNtCO8RxyY37HStAg3vsIUSwfsG42GsqA/w309-h400/revise%20draft%20one_07-06-2023-143721-1.jpg" width="309" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Revising my first draft. Look at the rejects.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">I've been revising the first draft of a short story. It had been going well, until yesterday. That was when I came to the last page, which was in rough shape. I must have run out of steam on the first draft because almost every single piece of it, every word choice, every detail, I did not like. I only found a handful of things I liked enough to keep. Usually it is the opposite. Usually it is not too much work.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">This page was different.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">I ended up splitting the work into three sections.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP7RN8rtaopcWcoNHJ-0TxDJXw6Aehs888GcjLBYnDb1uerlQ4ehbqCgVpbd_hCMY4K3MEU2zHGvvDpBsj04ISuEUDyBed7Ph4mgSTUnNq3p6ZgsEch_0GJqnQGa5jKjj0CFjCn09-hSsvHzepEjclfPlm-T8TePvgxIO9jquOShzkyPbhN12LDOYdjPk/s1080/draft%20editing%20process.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP7RN8rtaopcWcoNHJ-0TxDJXw6Aehs888GcjLBYnDb1uerlQ4ehbqCgVpbd_hCMY4K3MEU2zHGvvDpBsj04ISuEUDyBed7Ph4mgSTUnNq3p6ZgsEch_0GJqnQGa5jKjj0CFjCn09-hSsvHzepEjclfPlm-T8TePvgxIO9jquOShzkyPbhN12LDOYdjPk/s320/draft%20editing%20process.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Three work sessions on this piece of ... a diamond in the rough</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The first section I did while on the bus ride home from work. It's tricky to write while riding a bus. Luckily most of the hard lifting was mental.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The second section I did while falling asleep on the couch after a long, hot day. Managed to fix up one paragraph.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The last section I pounded out this morning at work. I wasn't busy and I felt like I just needed to finish it off, because if I didn't I knew I would procrastinate and drag this thing on for another few days.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">I'm getting happy with the result. I'll let my brain do it's thing and think it over for a day or two, then we'll take another look at it. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">It will still need a good polish, but at least it's done for now.</span></div><div><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p></div></div>Place Under The Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716448507060486535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127464262601394284.post-89941995915893965142023-06-23T06:53:00.005-07:002023-06-26T09:44:09.959-07:00The Digital Dictionary Bookmark<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 26pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The Digital Dictionary Bookmark Changed My Life!</span></span></h1><span id="docs-internal-guid-ba523252-7fff-1b39-5638-e2fc6246c564"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">We all need a dictionary at some point, don’t we? For instance, when you’re reading in your most comfortable reading chair and you run across a word like parsimony. Like many avid readers you probably have an old dictionary nearby. It’s probably battered and torn and maybe even missing the cover. Useful, but not something you would want seen out of the house.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">But, what if you are out at a coffee shop and run across a word like parsimony? Do you carry around your dilapidated dictionary for situations like this? Of course not. It would be like wearing your pajamas in public! Those flannel pants are fine when you are hanging out around the house, mostly likely reading, but not when you are past your front door.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">How do you get around this dire situation?</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The electronic dictionary bookmark.</span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="319" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ZB8DQ81Ma0cnsIbDgaBfC0nw7XKPPUh_Szl8ojvZe8WnZqF5vlkaIsuvpSRl_I-tY-2ISGhLHObdSy-XJ67dflrVW1vP0dPC9JKnP4JeV0rH39C3ZyCdzm7gRSR322fpVKM19dGxcJE-x8O7zrg2IQ" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px;" width="254" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Electronic Dictionary Bookmark</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">It’s a revolutionary tool that allows you to have a dictionary at your fingertips for those times when you run across that dang parsimony word. And without the embarrassment of carrying a molding coverless three pound dictionary with you everywhere. The dictionary bookmark is the yoga pants of books. You wouldn’t dream of wearing your pajama pants outside of the house, but it is completely acceptable to wear yoga pants which are pretty much just as comfortable.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Now, when you are enjoying that steaming americano and need to clarify a word all you need to do is discreetly type away on your bookmark.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Now I’m a parsimonious guy, very parsimonious, but I can tell you that the high price of this bookmark is well worth the money. It’s changed my life. I can now read in public. Freedom! Can you put a price on that?</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Mathew Smith - Dictionary User</span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div></span>Place Under The Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716448507060486535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127464262601394284.post-90050054807679799512023-06-09T11:35:00.002-07:002023-06-09T11:35:33.726-07:00When Inspiration Strikes<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">When inspiration strikes, you become resourceful.</span></h1><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4aIHA-cAqUubrDW_XHN9xJqgWJFXOIsrT9a1WxVuoLBUHQmhMQ1KRFNDOCJ-Agex9h2_ygfkQgd6kqV01eHewTh_5UejHU6DatOtUnAPntBYHTG93RYb1MOTjrM0a_4s4AwV2YjwifK-2UHK1iNoHHUeQp37jjMWH3PnSgDfwAAP1n5Q4Id8GaXoA/s1003/inspition_06-09-2023-142244-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1003" data-original-width="727" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4aIHA-cAqUubrDW_XHN9xJqgWJFXOIsrT9a1WxVuoLBUHQmhMQ1KRFNDOCJ-Agex9h2_ygfkQgd6kqV01eHewTh_5UejHU6DatOtUnAPntBYHTG93RYb1MOTjrM0a_4s4AwV2YjwifK-2UHK1iNoHHUeQp37jjMWH3PnSgDfwAAP1n5Q4Id8GaXoA/w290-h400/inspition_06-09-2023-142244-1.jpg" width="290" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">This was the only paper I had</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Sitting in the man-van and waiting is a normal part of my day - I'm the Dad-taxi right now. Which is a great time of life for someone like me. I don't get bored. If I have to wait five minutes, fifteen minutes, whatever amount of minutes, for someone to be done their part-time job shift, or their baseball game...I don't mind. I take the time to sit and think. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The other day I was going over the opening to a new story I'm working on. It sounded so good in my head that I had to put it down on paper. I knew if I didn't do that right away, my masterpiece would be gone and never return. My man-van is usually stocked full of paper (sometimes referred to as junk or garbage), but that day it was bare.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Had I cleaned? Where were the old, crusty, coffee stained notebooks that sit in the car for months on end, getting stepped on with muddy boots, and sun faded by the blistering summer rays?</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">All I had was a Sudoku book. When in a MacGyver situation, do what MacGyver would do. I looked through the Sudoku book and found the title page was almost empty. Hah, I'd found a place to write. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Now to find a pen. Just like the paper situation, we were all clear of pens. I found an old marker. It worked.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Thank goodness, because what I had to put down on paper at that moment was pure gold!</span></p>Place Under The Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716448507060486535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127464262601394284.post-79373963379057053432023-06-01T06:21:00.000-07:002023-06-01T06:21:05.211-07:00The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy - Douglas Adams<h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Universe Of Humour</span></h1><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">My special notes!</span></h3><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHfd9XD7tUD6oZha1Pp9aQBp1XnZUZp2E5mZGV2wpUoNQBT9W7eg4re4KtqM8LxcOR2DPYDE3tFH8tQQ0Xj2iaMPVcrnF3B51jksh7cQBnZyuwzeDpCO4YJAP28-yCThJhJOpWY8Ka_F2uMjGOGz2jor3yETBIbudG07ODeA8SxdLlpLP3fhtpFVZ5/s1387/hitch%204_06-01-2023-083518-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1122" data-original-width="1387" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHfd9XD7tUD6oZha1Pp9aQBp1XnZUZp2E5mZGV2wpUoNQBT9W7eg4re4KtqM8LxcOR2DPYDE3tFH8tQQ0Xj2iaMPVcrnF3B51jksh7cQBnZyuwzeDpCO4YJAP28-yCThJhJOpWY8Ka_F2uMjGOGz2jor3yETBIbudG07ODeA8SxdLlpLP3fhtpFVZ5/s320/hitch%204_06-01-2023-083518-1.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">I have a worn out version of the 'Guide' that I've been reading and rereading for decades now. I really should get a new copy, I can barely stand to touch this one, what with the coffee stains and the notes I put in the margins.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Oooh, special margin notes!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">I've only written in one book in my life. This book. I found the book so inspiring that it caused me to deface and vandalize a perfectly good book. I think at some points in my life I thought I could add some extra humour to this masterfully humourous book. Let's see how good or bad my thoughts were.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74jMuXZl_Mh9snDAEVarM0pxPQVlGKNTConpPJnZCh1m82sphDzZy_Kcc5C77SBAXHasHbZygvRqCrEySsRpgUVcfqIq9HZeawP-lRCM5NYVRUwqSyk1-Gd6LAp3ZwA4tAHvvr9ydoZuz9Q8hvxEMxfNe7LoUqxWeM7HhAKOid10XdlLx6l6ZUsE0/s1275/hitch%203_06-01-2023-083404-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1052" data-original-width="1275" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74jMuXZl_Mh9snDAEVarM0pxPQVlGKNTConpPJnZCh1m82sphDzZy_Kcc5C77SBAXHasHbZygvRqCrEySsRpgUVcfqIq9HZeawP-lRCM5NYVRUwqSyk1-Gd6LAp3ZwA4tAHvvr9ydoZuz9Q8hvxEMxfNe7LoUqxWeM7HhAKOid10XdlLx6l6ZUsE0/w400-h330/hitch%203_06-01-2023-083404-1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Adding extras to the Hitchiker's Guide.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The best quote in the entire book is on this page - <b><u>"The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't."</u></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">OMG that is hilarious. Doesn't it just describe so much about the Vogon's ship (and their species), and about the tone and humour of the entire book?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">It's so funny too because it sounds like one of those terrible similies that all the how to books and writing classes would tell you to avoid, never use, flush down the toilet and never mention no matter how long you live!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">I love it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">So, here is where I get 'funny' and add in a few lines of my own. The bottom paragraph of page 36 is going on about the noise coming from everything in the world, from tin cans to wine glasses. I added a little piece about old Uncle Bernie's according, hearing aid, and even pace maker started making the noise. But poor Bernie didn't get to hear (on account of his deafness, or the pace maker stopped working...take it how you will). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Funny? Maybe to some.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">There are a few other tidbits on page 37 that have some promise. "The PA died away" (with a click like the crunch of a cockroach under a shoe). That is just a bit overdone, and disgusting. CUT!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Let's move onto another section of the book.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQiJuIrI4pOyp7PRT9gg2X8ty3P0k50msbuM3oAWFi_Pd0YQM4F7z_6FdhHkMtxCpgpqRYVlMxo9R7NBILXZuJtHjpP7rlk4IlKH9p6UrlYyZEklEkglPIFPa7jes0fxre9lHLc_GlkQMZX-xmRjZ7OFK5Yr6uRcfLlv3cbSUGXSpTnG3kwUd2nmRU/s1274/hitch%202_06-01-2023-083301-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1057" data-original-width="1274" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQiJuIrI4pOyp7PRT9gg2X8ty3P0k50msbuM3oAWFi_Pd0YQM4F7z_6FdhHkMtxCpgpqRYVlMxo9R7NBILXZuJtHjpP7rlk4IlKH9p6UrlYyZEklEkglPIFPa7jes0fxre9lHLc_GlkQMZX-xmRjZ7OFK5Yr6uRcfLlv3cbSUGXSpTnG3kwUd2nmRU/w400-h331/hitch%202_06-01-2023-083301-1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Hitchhiker's Guide with funny notes</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">I love this scene. You have a Vogon trying to get Arthur and Ford off the ship. His job is to throw these stowaways into the garbage chute (pretty much) and send them into space. He is not the brightest bulb on the ship and Ford is trying to talk his way out of this deadly situation.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">What I thought would be funny was to add a few more hints of why this Vogon didn't like his job. First, his Great Aunt thought he should be a crewmate. Anything to do with Great Aunts and Great Uncles is funny to me. Also, I threw in a joke about this Vogon really wanting to be a florist. I'm pretty sure I was harking back to the Police Academy movies. Remember that big guy, Hightower? He wanted to be a florist. This is a similar situation. We have a big, smelly, uncivilized alien who is supposed to be tough and rugged, but really wants to be a florist. Damn that is funny!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The last note I have might actually work. They are being thrown into a chamber that will shoot them out in to space. Instead of being a bare room it could be something funnier, like a cheap motel room? Okay, maybe that needs some tweaking, but it could work.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">I will share one last masterpiece before I let you leave this torture session.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmZq7mkYecCuShx0hkO5eTh9L8AMpWTPP70Lp4K2PPES_YO4worXnWvTdvkWu7qBLrRBN2-uURiWU3fvTo9I13K6GFOOSAZ0x9gFXn1jhGBVshkImRy4Qrym81Xwk_-Wh4hCKo6en0ZAiGorHJPEwwY6-BHAytB76pIxrJM7-ciSTOmEHHVlGffbot/s1274/hitch%201_06-01-2023-083121-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1057" data-original-width="1274" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmZq7mkYecCuShx0hkO5eTh9L8AMpWTPP70Lp4K2PPES_YO4worXnWvTdvkWu7qBLrRBN2-uURiWU3fvTo9I13K6GFOOSAZ0x9gFXn1jhGBVshkImRy4Qrym81Xwk_-Wh4hCKo6en0ZAiGorHJPEwwY6-BHAytB76pIxrJM7-ciSTOmEHHVlGffbot/w400-h331/hitch%201_06-01-2023-083121-1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Douglas Adams, please don't be offended</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Here is another great one - the characters are going through time/space. How do you describe that? How about saying it feels like a Swedish massage by Helga. Once you add the name Helga or Olga it instantly turns funny. </span><div><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">On page 87 I actually laughed at my own joke here. The characters are reforming after their trip through space/time, and there are slight problems. Arthur is missing a limb or two for a moment. I thought it would be funny if when they do reappear he says, "it's all right, I've got them back" (no, no, hold on, I've got two lefts). Guffaw!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Oh and at the bottom there I thought it would add a bit of a chuckle if Adam's had described the pink colour of the cubicle with a little more detail. What exact shade of pink? There are so many shades, and so many funny names attached to the colour pink. Pepto pink? Pink Elephant Pink? Piggy Pink?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">All in good spirit. This book is such a great example of well written comedy and has been an inspiring book for those with a good sense of humour. Like me.</span></div></div>Place Under The Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716448507060486535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127464262601394284.post-86230671894281463342023-05-18T06:32:00.042-07:002023-05-18T06:32:00.171-07:00The Elements of Style - Strunk & White<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The Elements of Style</span></h1><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0keU78WD1kr4ulPMKO5oSmIgyHLa8HqwDFzEUKUGHKps4AXqUejiLmy41CG3_r9PTbXgPa_7HkHFWG-RHUsOSQ9IoY1fWnLtngtY7OG-V-tfjhOqqR2hRcAow0hFThdFeeDbXch_391IDu_GYLe1vlYq5muiRknUitQsZ6RyocnbB1quTdqwnhX0T/w400-h266/Elements%20of%20style.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0keU78WD1kr4ulPMKO5oSmIgyHLa8HqwDFzEUKUGHKps4AXqUejiLmy41CG3_r9PTbXgPa_7HkHFWG-RHUsOSQ9IoY1fWnLtngtY7OG-V-tfjhOqqR2hRcAow0hFThdFeeDbXch_391IDu_GYLe1vlYq5muiRknUitQsZ6RyocnbB1quTdqwnhX0T/s900/Elements%20of%20style.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><div style="text-align: center;">The Elements of Style by Strunk and White</div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Elements_of_Style"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">William Strunk Jr & E.B. White</span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">A must read for anyone writing anything in the English
language. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">It is amazing that Shrunk wrote this in 1919 and it's still relevant today. Why? B/c he took
pity on the reader. Reading is not an easy thing when thrown a jumble of words
– which is where his rules and principles come into play. He stresses clarity, so
readers can just read and not have to work at it. This kind of goal is timeless.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">This book will give
you a run down of the rules of writing – punctuation, tense, and the frequently
debated possessive apostrophe when the subject ends with an S! Don’t get me
started on that!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">These rules are also something you can get from other how-to-write books, basic grammar books, that kind of thing. You will also pick up these rules while reading.
Which is why you must read a lot, and read a variety of writing styles and authors.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">If you can get past this first section of The Elements of Style (which is a must-know,
but dry and academic), you will be rewarded with tips on how to write better,
more clear, and with timeless style (as the title implies).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ETLpksOiyEIOT71k-2uX_LI7f0JAQM2kh039VX6GllmRLtcAmOXK7Z3ivZzE51-zkHnsARjBAp2LwyNKyx5g72pmj8_5VZtui_ZkGftf7gNhWeKYFtEM2QVCH7FMNxUUpJy6RaZw_isHWVoS8t0AEVrz6a1-49hZ1DkB7ZVXsioUWiUSe09N2vFN/s229/grammar%20rules.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="229" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ETLpksOiyEIOT71k-2uX_LI7f0JAQM2kh039VX6GllmRLtcAmOXK7Z3ivZzE51-zkHnsARjBAp2LwyNKyx5g72pmj8_5VZtui_ZkGftf7gNhWeKYFtEM2QVCH7FMNxUUpJy6RaZw_isHWVoS8t0AEVrz6a1-49hZ1DkB7ZVXsioUWiUSe09N2vFN/s1600/grammar%20rules.jpg" width="229" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Punctuation works!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><br /></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">It is the second section, the principles of composition, that are more up
the creative writer’s alley.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">I'll highlight a few that I found particularly relevant:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><b>Principle 12</b> – Plan ahead – choose a design and stick to it. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Most forms of composition have structure. “The skeleton to which the writer
brings the flesh and the blood. The more clearly the writer perceives the
shape, the better are the chances of success.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><b>Principle 13</b> – Make the paragraph the unit of composition.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">A single idea fits nicely into a paragraph. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Breaking up the writing is used to help the reader. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">When you
move on from that single idea, that is when you start a new paragraph. This is a sign to the reader: we are moving onto a new idea.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Optics come into play as well. Long blocks of writing can
look formidable to a reader. This is where the art/craft of writing comes into play. You can break
theses walls of prose into bricks that are not as intimidating looking and easier for the reader to work with.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Typically dialogue is broken up into new paragraphs each
time a new character speaks. However, there are exceptions to this. Sometimes
authors will keep a conversation of characters together in one paragraph. Eg. When there is a question and quick answer by another character. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><b>Principle 14</b> – Use the Active voice.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">This means putting the subject before the verb. You say
who is doing what. The subject is actively doing some verb.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Spinning it around turns it passive. The verb is happening
to the subject.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Read that again - the verb is happening to the subject...make sense?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Again, this is a general rule that works great 90% of the
time. But, sometimes you want a different tone or feel to your writing, and a
passive voice will sound more like what you are looking for. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><b>Principle 16</b> – Use definite, specific, concrete language. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">In most cases be specific instead of general. This does not
mean give every detail possible, but when details are given they are to be
accurate and vivid, allowing the reader to imagine the scene (or better yet,
themselves in the scene).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><b>Principle 17</b> – Omit needless words.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">“A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph
no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no
unnecessary lines and a machine have no unnecessary parts. This requires not
that the writer make all sentences short, or avoid all detail and treat
subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">You’ll run across all kinds of quotes from writer like Mark
Twain, Stephen King, etc that bang this home. My opinion is again, 90% of the
time this is true, but you have an ear to your writing. Trust that ear. If you want to add an extra word or two, maybe a redundant
opening to a sentence…go right ahead. But, do it sparingly.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGO-BkutN_yxHgBE9eGzjgDCNTLv9MbHn0yM88d3I9iJJm4Q5bcKqTCzV2fdUSFXFRueSVmzsqBJuE4MYA4NWuFl8OZ-JjsFmfXu9wqUlY8TvGm3b-MfB3EfpZFSzAItVCMd515FQ4WbDHx6Db1rs9CM1fw9PEppcgfzibNrqZvpFg9ArzUhZYaYkl/s291/strunk%20&%20white%20meme.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="173" data-original-width="291" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGO-BkutN_yxHgBE9eGzjgDCNTLv9MbHn0yM88d3I9iJJm4Q5bcKqTCzV2fdUSFXFRueSVmzsqBJuE4MYA4NWuFl8OZ-JjsFmfXu9wqUlY8TvGm3b-MfB3EfpZFSzAItVCMd515FQ4WbDHx6Db1rs9CM1fw9PEppcgfzibNrqZvpFg9ArzUhZYaYkl/s1600/strunk%20&%20white%20meme.jpg" width="291" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Omit needless words</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The final section of the book is "Words and Expressions Commonly Misused."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">20 pages full of words and phrases that must have come up
so often to a College prof like Strunk that he felt he needed to write them all
down. I can attest, there are few in there I could see myself using wrong. Sometimes you just don't know that phrases like To Make Ends Meat (are not actually about being so down and out that you need to use the cut off pieces of meat to survive), are actually To Make Ends Meet. You don't want to submit a piece of writing with a noob error like this. Which is why going through this short and sweet manual is something all writers must do, and do early, and maybe every few years as well.<o:p></o:p></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7e5WtHUzJEtDLg8kqN8GN4Zg0pV9w85J9VIP9MJgXGRl2xKhPqGl2SigSp5EUJqvI7ufEh0PytAH4_hA2Wl_uB263ZOspOzX0W1wgpTWaSK2HOwCFXQGaFzbYv226mRuhcyt_FDLhh6oOd-1Xr59Ctg0u59L5WuyQVR8_qrgPYPUBPO5h5ijwPY_3/s435/make%20ends%20meat.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="435" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7e5WtHUzJEtDLg8kqN8GN4Zg0pV9w85J9VIP9MJgXGRl2xKhPqGl2SigSp5EUJqvI7ufEh0PytAH4_hA2Wl_uB263ZOspOzX0W1wgpTWaSK2HOwCFXQGaFzbYv226mRuhcyt_FDLhh6oOd-1Xr59Ctg0u59L5WuyQVR8_qrgPYPUBPO5h5ijwPY_3/s320/make%20ends%20meat.webp" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">To make ends meat</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Place Under The Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716448507060486535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127464262601394284.post-21290500684518247522023-05-12T09:07:00.007-07:002023-05-12T09:07:49.339-07:00Island by Aldous Huxley<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Island</span></h1><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="262" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7BdklPZ5OSQbxTS6o8kRcClfaVQvfwYdDU_t5b2-Plo9JR9PirwQGO9xL87Oyn9NuBzLL6pSMigExSj3xutekieuk_lTd_6S-8GyM-e67WyTV9gS0t4LFGzZcyIZqfz3hLH7Pb5I-fhZRogrerRbojULVeeFDskUa_7ovxYr2CJR1z64Mf3hEJbZC/s320/Island%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="214" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Island by Aldous Huxley</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7BdklPZ5OSQbxTS6o8kRcClfaVQvfwYdDU_t5b2-Plo9JR9PirwQGO9xL87Oyn9NuBzLL6pSMigExSj3xutekieuk_lTd_6S-8GyM-e67WyTV9gS0t4LFGzZcyIZqfz3hLH7Pb5I-fhZRogrerRbojULVeeFDskUa_7ovxYr2CJR1z64Mf3hEJbZC/s392/Island%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3487.Aldous_Huxley">Aldous Huxley</a> -</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">I think I wasn't in the mood to read this.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">This book had been calling me for a few years now. It was sitting on the shelf in the library, in the same spot, in it's ragged form, for years now. It looked to me like nobody had taken this book out in decades. I had read Brave New World and liked it, and recently I ran across a few references to Island. That (and a lack of other books in hand) made me borrow the book.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">I knew the general idea - a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_%28Huxley_novel%29">Utopian island</a>. It started out okay with a shipwreck, some talking parrots, and an introduction to a new society. An isolated society built on the principles of doing what didn't work in the rest of the world (and specifically European society). </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The writing was detailed and flowery (especially the details about the flowers). So, it was a slow read. But then it got even slower when Huxley started explaining the Utopian society. It felt like a personal rant on things he didn't like, and thought he could do better with. Things like medicine, spiritual tranquility, the role of work in one's life, industrialization, Capitalism...it went from shipwreck to political theory in a few chapters. Action to political theory. I had to put the book down. It felt like Huxley was preaching, was being selfish, and not really moving the story along. Which is a bit of a let down since I had really enjoyed Brave New World. I assumed it would have been similar. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Oh well, I gave it a shot. I will say it wasn't really the writing or the story that turned me off. It was just personal taste I suppose. There were some great ideas in there. But, a lot of words too (as in huge blocks of conversation preaching about how bad things are in the world). This may be just the book for you. So, don't take my opinion and go with it, there are plenty of other great reviews to consider before mine.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">I had also just come off a binge of the HBO documentary - The Anarchists. So I was probably at my brain capacity for extreme political ideas.</span></p>Place Under The Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716448507060486535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127464262601394284.post-76181656747930268772023-05-08T09:20:00.001-07:002023-05-08T09:22:52.996-07:00The Blake Snyder Beat Sheet<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Using a beat sheet</span></h1><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrhl35lz_8EnHvtoJ4rhWglWG1s-_HoV9i70NFdRnq4m5i_DKqIamMWWQs9z08REhLFFDzNBuWD1dEb8BYYIRn-73olo1AdVo31E2pD2KRTr4sRkNxJdNJR1HxAzG1sZbEuDEML6r7hkm0BnFW_YF9Lpd8Y3WJdlpveSyq5ngbESREoI59Eyj_Aa4X/s1650/beat%20sheet_05-08-2023-114627.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1275" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrhl35lz_8EnHvtoJ4rhWglWG1s-_HoV9i70NFdRnq4m5i_DKqIamMWWQs9z08REhLFFDzNBuWD1dEb8BYYIRn-73olo1AdVo31E2pD2KRTr4sRkNxJdNJR1HxAzG1sZbEuDEML6r7hkm0BnFW_YF9Lpd8Y3WJdlpveSyq5ngbESREoI59Eyj_Aa4X/w494-h640/beat%20sheet_05-08-2023-114627.jpg" width="494" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">My Beat Sheet</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Special Elite";">I'm trying something new.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The Beat Sheet.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">I've been very lucky (and ignorant) with my writing for a long time. I've never outlined my plots, used a three act system, or anything like that. I've just naturally written in that style - an opening, a problem, a climax solution, and an ending. And it's worked out for me. Probably b/c I've kept the story simple, or copied (aka been heavily influenced) by other's writing/stories.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">But, I'm always looking for ways to get better. I ran across talk about The Beat Sheet and it made sense to me. Like I said earlier, this kind of plot structure is how I seem to naturally write. However, what I really hoped to get out of this sheet was organization.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Side Note: I guess the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet was originally set up for movie scripts, but it works well for any kind of story. There is a book called<a href="https://www.arcstudiopro.com/blog/save-the-cat-an-overview"> Save The Cat!</a> that outlines the method in detail. I only took the basics.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHMc6mXfEMBd3rQsiR3zoM5pTJ7tm4fp-vRsL6mELFK9pt1-vfSufNoXk8KzGzpsBZapFtn2kyrqSIHF4FSlSINuulslOHW6ZNPB--s-zQ3ld3lQaYVsjhi-dr5OuUI3SK_GZ9cyzQU5RBLuKJ3m2ovomHgvACKEE4dIUPyQzwP_jiyHzf9hKw_2t/s1056/save%20the%20cat.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="816" data-original-width="1056" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHMc6mXfEMBd3rQsiR3zoM5pTJ7tm4fp-vRsL6mELFK9pt1-vfSufNoXk8KzGzpsBZapFtn2kyrqSIHF4FSlSINuulslOHW6ZNPB--s-zQ3ld3lQaYVsjhi-dr5OuUI3SK_GZ9cyzQU5RBLuKJ3m2ovomHgvACKEE4dIUPyQzwP_jiyHzf9hKw_2t/s320/save%20the%20cat.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">I'm a mess when it comes to organizing. Trying to juggle multiple projects, submissions, rejections, and more complex stories, really slows the brain power down. I need to unload some of my thinking onto paper. In comes the Beat Sheet.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Now instead of trying to keep track of characters, Plot A, Plot B, where they are, where they are going, etc. I tried writing it out within this Beat Sheet system.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">It seemed to work well for the general story line. And the best part is that it is written down. I can delete all that info from my brain and hopefully use that brain space to finish up some other projects. I'll come back to this when I'm ready. The best part is that I'll have a great head start.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">That's my problem - too many ideas. If I don't write them down I'll forget them. In order to NOT forget them, I have to constantly think about them. So when I write them down, I might as well do it in a format that is going to help organize it. Make sense? </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">I will let you know if this Beat Sheet works for me. I'm hoping to get to this project in the next few weeks...but being such an optimist I might be over estimating. It could be in six months from now!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Place Under The Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716448507060486535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127464262601394284.post-89229033247100038772023-04-19T06:39:00.006-07:002023-04-19T06:39:53.168-07:00Old Babes in the Wood - Margaret Atwood<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"> OLD BABES IN THE WOOD : STORIES</span></h1><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX_GLTjDG_xsTVz8v_IxWTQA6JsHFDAYMd8FZ1rnMKijSuC0pZkOEMG-HI8e9Qr0ESUX1FDTSimX-J9m96Sm2E3A5_CZ6SP3V_NrjwpyLtm8T2X0cGtrEYZnGs0ctZaRWFCH62oXH6Tz_f1GRr7v7PpvEmW80L6pSrYaUdvqvPAqBSbGjSEIkw5Qwm/s400/atwood%20-%20old%20babes%20in%20the%20wood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX_GLTjDG_xsTVz8v_IxWTQA6JsHFDAYMd8FZ1rnMKijSuC0pZkOEMG-HI8e9Qr0ESUX1FDTSimX-J9m96Sm2E3A5_CZ6SP3V_NrjwpyLtm8T2X0cGtrEYZnGs0ctZaRWFCH62oXH6Tz_f1GRr7v7PpvEmW80L6pSrYaUdvqvPAqBSbGjSEIkw5Qwm/s320/atwood%20-%20old%20babes%20in%20the%20wood.jpg" width="212" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3472.Margaret_Atwood">Margaret Atwood</a> -</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">First point, which is very exciting to any book reader and library patron...I was the first person to borrow the book from our library. The first hands on a library book! The first fingers to stain the pages b/c I was eating ketchup chips while reading. Isn't that unreal!?</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Second point, this book is classic Atwood. By that I mean the writing is superb. I read through this book in a few days, and even though the stories were not my favourite genre or topic, the writing kept me hooked and had me turning the pages .</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">I knew this book was a collection of stories. I'm okay with that. I like to read a collection of short stories every once in a while. The slight difference with Old Babes in the Wood was that the stories were mostly about the life and times of Tig and Nell. You could describe this book as a novelette about Tig and Nell, with a sprinkling of other short stories placed in between chapters.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">I'll cover the majority of the book by saying the Tig and Nell stories were interesting. They seemed to be a look at the life cycle of a long term couple. There is a beginning, a middle age, and then death. It felt to me like Atwood spent a lot of time on the dealing with death, the life of an elder, the waiting for your own death...a lot of space was taken up on life's finale. Perhaps as she ages, Atwood decided it was time to share her perspective, experience, and deep thoughts on The End.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Even though the topic of death, dying, old age, and mourning are not pleasant, invigorating, or something I think about often, Atwood did a great job of keeping my attention. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The other short stories were a mixed bag, as happens in most short story collections. Some grabbed my attention while others I have already forgotten about. My favourite short was Atwood's interview with George Orwell's ghost. I'm a fan of Orwell & Dystopian books (like the Handmaid's Tale), so I took to it quickly. It was fun too. Not a page full of dense prose, but more of a conversation of casual jokes, awkward pauses, and clever insights.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">There was another short story I can recall, about a snail's soul becoming trapped in a human body...yeah, that was an experimental thought that probably didn't need to be published. But, I bet there are some out there that love this kind of stuff. That's what's great about short story collections. The chance for writer's to throw out the weird and wacky, in small doses.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">What I felt was missing from the collection was a dystopian type story. My favourite books by Atwood are The Handmaid's Tale, Oryx and Crake...you know? The post apocalyptic / dystopian novels. That's one of the reasons I actually took the book out of the library in the first place. Oh well, can't win them all.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">A side note about the title. Not sure if this was a coincidence, but as I was googling 'Old Babes In The Woods' a bunch of results came up about a mysterious murder in Stanley Park (Vancouver). Two girls bodies were found years after they went missing. </span></p>Place Under The Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716448507060486535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127464262601394284.post-38998300623236531792023-04-04T08:58:00.006-07:002023-04-04T08:58:46.899-07:00THE FLOATING ADMIRAL<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"> The Floating Admiral</span></h1><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5152" data-original-width="3864" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh63CXurVQvudN4aS38Qw0fJ36j-ea7J4raE5QiJcJbHkt0tGq85i-DD-bd5NGZZvhru4PGk37esr8sgr7Uq_F9ERKmSw8U6_Ng_PpZbtUvmvHjd5Pgr-nrEbLh9DLJiM8f7Tequ7Ako0FGg4s27E3rCQswZUpbZxItmdrjjnmDG5SYZPzhxU1wjng-/s320/IMG_4398%5B1%5D.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Floating Admiral</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh63CXurVQvudN4aS38Qw0fJ36j-ea7J4raE5QiJcJbHkt0tGq85i-DD-bd5NGZZvhru4PGk37esr8sgr7Uq_F9ERKmSw8U6_Ng_PpZbtUvmvHjd5Pgr-nrEbLh9DLJiM8f7Tequ7Ako0FGg4s27E3rCQswZUpbZxItmdrjjnmDG5SYZPzhxU1wjng-/s5152/IMG_4398%5B1%5D.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">- Mystery Group -</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">What an interesting writing exercise - take a group of top mystery novelists and have them each write one chapter of a book...without knowing the ending/solution. That is essential what happened to make The Floating Admiral.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">At first I thought this was an Agatha Christie book, as her name is displayed very prominently on the front cover. Even after seeing a couple of other names underneath Her's (in smaller font I'll point out), I still had the strong impression that this was an Agatha Christie book, but maybe she had a little help writing it.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Nope. Agatha only writes one chapter, just like all the other authors. What a marketing grab!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">After figuring out that Christie was not main mind behind the book, I decided to give it a shot and read it anyway.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The overall book / story was okay. A typical murder mystery. A smart detective, a few well placed clues, a bunch of red herrings, and a nice little wrap up at the end. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">What was actually surprising to me was that the book flowed so well, all the way through, considering it was written by like 20 different people, each only doing one small bit. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The authors also gave an explanation to their chapter. What they thought was the final solution to the murder of the Admiral. Wow, did some of the authors really miss the mark!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">What was really interesting to me was the small differences between the chapters - the actual writing. Some authors focused on the clues, some on the relationships, some on the environment. The dialogue was different every chapter too. Some chapters were full of witty conversations. Others, almost bare. You really get a feel for every author's style and tone when you have a chance to compare them side by side, chapter by chapter. Very, very interesting.</span></p>Place Under The Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716448507060486535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127464262601394284.post-83391023313987587582023-02-09T07:22:00.003-08:002023-02-09T07:22:26.245-08:00On The Road by Jack Kerouac<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"> ON THE ROAD</span></h1><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu4zelSVdCTNHwpDpKv6hiEKxJ2N3N3mcHDRWkbbGApiYdjriwhyIckLtIIM1tLJNwiTtk5fxcQhNVZF3bUe1PmC9Ba3xhOZzBWhx4E1ZseVcZjIS1eK1Y7CzUU1iYcRxzlzg0EpookFpQEDzoeeTOVxNZn1ZckCVV7ZfZgqnS-YUqG3uvTJh06kBN/s1920/WIN_20230209_10_13_26_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu4zelSVdCTNHwpDpKv6hiEKxJ2N3N3mcHDRWkbbGApiYdjriwhyIckLtIIM1tLJNwiTtk5fxcQhNVZF3bUe1PmC9Ba3xhOZzBWhx4E1ZseVcZjIS1eK1Y7CzUU1iYcRxzlzg0EpookFpQEDzoeeTOVxNZn1ZckCVV7ZfZgqnS-YUqG3uvTJh06kBN/s320/WIN_20230209_10_13_26_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">On The Road by Jack Kerouac</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><br /></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">- Jack Kerouac - </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">I am not sure why this book is a 'must read' on so many lists?</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">It was fine. I finished it, which means it must have been decent. But, a 'must read'...I'm not sure about that.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">To me the highlight of the book was Kerouac's description of a jazz band playing...but, like a Jazz jam, the book was a chaotic mess. With no direction, a changing beat, a riff that takes a completely different tangent, and then repeat it all again.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Essentially Jack writes about going across the country and back a multitude of times. Your classic road trip story. The main character (Sal...which I think is actually an autobiographical Jack Kerouac) is young, irresponsible, and looking for some sort of adventure. He meets up with like minded people. Not my kind of people, but that is fine because the wonderful thing about books and stories like this is that you get to experience a different life. The life Jack and his buddies live is one of 'living for the moment'. They don't plan anything, they just get the bug to drive across the country, so they do. They are constantly out of money from spending it all on a wild night of boozing and all the gas for driving. It gets kind of repetitive and boring after they do this a multitude of times.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The part of the book that I really did not like at all was the structure of the writing. There was almost no structure. What I mean is that Kerouac just goes...and goes... and goes...and goes...pages of random details and descriptions with almost no breaks. Few paragraphs to catch your breath. And borderline run on sentences that make you want to insert a few commas or semi colons just to keep things straight.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Even though I didn't like the structure, it fit the book. A fast paced, fly by the seat of your pants, constantly weaving tale.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">So, to me at least, the book did not live up to its hype. I guess it was groundbreaking at the time, since it hit taboo topics like drugs, sleeping around, and the 'beat' culture (which to me seems to mean living on the streets? hitchiking? and overall taking no responsibility in life?). I don't think the book has aged well. But, maybe it would be a book you connect with?</span></p>Place Under The Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716448507060486535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127464262601394284.post-30448552834453317402023-01-06T05:58:00.005-08:002023-01-06T05:58:46.271-08:00I'm Glad My Mom Died - Jennette McCurdy<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"> I'm Glad My Mom Died</span></h1><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVzgKsFFEVq0gKrhoCG5B0i4zwzdsxlPqykkmCzXIp_o9xnHj6RAdP-t1hcJSEPMguTnV3xJF-OQYYJvWC67JKCNXc25nQkSr4WS-FN3FeF1GfD_h1109HGRRyuz_skQ8gWdKIH99NSBi92tQrgP4nAIOlt8G_tEXujR1JOTdu_tAfxLLPHX5zqct/s475/mccurdy%20book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVzgKsFFEVq0gKrhoCG5B0i4zwzdsxlPqykkmCzXIp_o9xnHj6RAdP-t1hcJSEPMguTnV3xJF-OQYYJvWC67JKCNXc25nQkSr4WS-FN3FeF1GfD_h1109HGRRyuz_skQ8gWdKIH99NSBi92tQrgP4nAIOlt8G_tEXujR1JOTdu_tAfxLLPHX5zqct/s320/mccurdy%20book.jpg" width="214" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">I'm Glad My Mom Died</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">- Jennette McCurdy -</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">What a story! I couldn't put this book down and read the entire thing in only two days.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Jennette gives us a behind the scenes look at her life, which is actually very sad, but she puts a dark humour twist on it (which makes it so easy to read). There are stories of dysfunction and abuse from her early years where her Mother forced her into acting, encouraged anorexia, mentally neglected and abused her...and it was a situation where Jennette thought this was just a normal part of childhood. Gotta make Mama happy, so just go along with it.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">After her Mother dies Jennette is lost, directionless, and not ready for adult life. She takes to drinking, unhealthy relationships, and more eating disorders in an attempt to self medicate. That obviously doesn't work and she eventually finds her way to therapists and recovery.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Her journey is heartbreaking, but since she is looking back at it from a stable place (and with a hint of humour) it is an amazing story.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">You might remember Jennette from Nickelodeon shows iCarly and Sam and Cat. My kids watched Sam and Cat...and it's just so ironic that her character on the show was a fiesty teen who loved to eat piles of junk food, when in reality she ate almost nothing (or later would binge and throw it all up).</span></p>Place Under The Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716448507060486535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127464262601394284.post-20675767416787103882022-11-23T17:16:00.004-08:002022-11-23T17:16:41.734-08:00JOURNEY TO THE UNDER GROUND WORLD - Lin Carter<h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"> Journey To The Underground World</span></h1><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULTJctF20G4iJCWIX6xmZ3-B3_TsLSnZIcxz1eglNyhyf0e-vt-PLGtMerDF0Xjy2eow1UihmOouN-wRkWPQllLpA8v9fiR4gKsxGu212CVUoKzrpBJTpCnwvSTxv6QHkNTmNdjvb9CWyqSKxSOVJCXocNqhH0S0UTPSIkdAw4rFbjBo1wVnojLd0/s1920/WIN_20220929_20_00_43_Pro.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULTJctF20G4iJCWIX6xmZ3-B3_TsLSnZIcxz1eglNyhyf0e-vt-PLGtMerDF0Xjy2eow1UihmOouN-wRkWPQllLpA8v9fiR4gKsxGu212CVUoKzrpBJTpCnwvSTxv6QHkNTmNdjvb9CWyqSKxSOVJCXocNqhH0S0UTPSIkdAw4rFbjBo1wVnojLd0/s320/WIN_20220929_20_00_43_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Journey to the under ground world</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><br /></span><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">- Lin Carter -</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">What a pulpy looking book. A gem I found at the local thrift store, which they valued at 50 cents. After reading the book I think it's fair to say that they undervalued it. On top of the story (litearally) is the cover and illustrations, which were done by the infamous Josh Kirby (Pratchett fans out there will be familiar with his work).</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The story was much better than you would expect from a cover like this. It did remind me, heavily, of that other famous journey to the centre of the earth. However, Carter's take on a world underground was that of an isolated place that had not evolve for thousands of years. Cavemen and dinosaurs still roamed the place.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The main characters become entangled in a raid between a tribe of Neanderthals and slightly more evolved cave-men? After a lot of Indiana Jones style adventures, the group finally come together...but they don't quite escape. The book leaves us on a cliffhanger, and encourages us to stay tuned for the next adventure.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Good luck finding that next adventure book.</span></p>Place Under The Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716448507060486535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127464262601394284.post-58537000034018031182022-10-26T08:49:00.001-07:002022-10-26T08:49:09.425-07:00Creativity - A Short and Cheerful Guide by John Cleese<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"> Creativity, A Short and Cheerful Guide</span></h1><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC_DB1f2AF92ZLMaUuYOqVI8kSSuN9-BgZyO7mbMUQs6BJivgr3ERKfLiXtJ0PHzoS2_qBzViRbPtb8FbSPCAYn2JwlKBd-WmlmJM9wWKOnbnX1IwzFkvSe7vX9s3RxU7K15E4oAweay14BUvSN-YpwTK2zcRlC2xa3_-LFpWIUB8L7sNBe7tZB3S_/s1920/WIN_20221022_09_22_47_Pro.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC_DB1f2AF92ZLMaUuYOqVI8kSSuN9-BgZyO7mbMUQs6BJivgr3ERKfLiXtJ0PHzoS2_qBzViRbPtb8FbSPCAYn2JwlKBd-WmlmJM9wWKOnbnX1IwzFkvSe7vX9s3RxU7K15E4oAweay14BUvSN-YpwTK2zcRlC2xa3_-LFpWIUB8L7sNBe7tZB3S_/s320/WIN_20221022_09_22_47_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Creativity by John Cleese</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Special Elite";">- </span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Cleese" style="font-family: "Special Elite";">John Cleese</a><span style="font-family: "Special Elite";"> - </span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Special Elite";">John Cleese is one creative fellow. A member of the hilarious (and creative) Monty Python gang, along with other movies, books, etc, Cleese is an expert at being creative, and he shares his secrets with us in this tiny book.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Little known fact is that Cleese was not a natural born 'creative'. If fact, he was on the path to become a lawyer (as we all know they are not creative at all, they just follow fact and rules). But, a chance meeting with an improv type group at his college saved us from another lawyer. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Through this experience putting together some low grade sketch comedy in his dormitory, Cleese learned how to be creative, it was a skill he perfected over time. There is not a lot to it actually, which is why his book is so short. It really could have been a magazine article, or an essay, but Cleese needed the money so he marketed it as a stocking stuffer. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">There are not any new/brilliant ideas in his creative process. Pretty much he just says, let your brain do the work. The unconscious brain of course. For eg, start your creative project, be it a joke, a play, a book, a song, a new process at your work...then leave it. Sleep on it. Go for a walk. Do something else and let your brain work on it in the background. Usually if you give it enough time your mind will come up with a solution, a funny punch line, a great metaphor...whatever it is you need. YOU NEED TO BE PATIENT. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Next, you need to do the work. You need to put pen on paper and actually start writing down your joke, book, song, etc. It's all fine and dandy to think about it, but you will not get anywhere unless you do the work and practice.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">You also need to let yourself be creative. Give yourself permission to let strange, maybe even uncomfortable ideas mingle in your mind. This is how your mind makes those brilliant connections. This usually means setting up a time where you literally do nothing but think. Remove distractions, and giver your brain time to work. Again YOU NEED TO BE PATIENT.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Even though the book was short, not humorous (which I thought it might be because of Cleese), and did not have any new groundbreaking techniques, I still enjoyed it very much. It was a great motivator to keep being creative. A reminder that anyone can be creative. And a confirmation that if you have been putting in the work and letting your mind wander and being patient with the old grey cells, that things will turn out alright.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Thanks John for the mini-book...sorry I didn't get it as a stocking stuffer. I actually borrowed it from my local library.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Place Under The Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716448507060486535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127464262601394284.post-63934280013845375332022-09-26T10:34:00.007-07:002022-09-26T10:34:58.387-07:00THE EYES OF THE DRAGON - Stephen King<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"> The Eyes Of The Dragon</span></h1><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm1vc8MHbkc1bwYsJz5dg3NCU2ApZkYZjPxuxx6xZP2GNXJvCgtj6c7aQWGC_CoaEr4FYy6BmjqMkcQiSn-tkUyQbvLpqKy9NVa5BQ00qCow3Lg1r0EOuWIXejhuS1VROtO2nOsbTrFj-r9tAX13EdP3FMPDQEiXF2RuShRVU_PlFrOqAy1eWWrEHO/s400/Eyes%20of%20the%20Dragon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="242" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm1vc8MHbkc1bwYsJz5dg3NCU2ApZkYZjPxuxx6xZP2GNXJvCgtj6c7aQWGC_CoaEr4FYy6BmjqMkcQiSn-tkUyQbvLpqKy9NVa5BQ00qCow3Lg1r0EOuWIXejhuS1VROtO2nOsbTrFj-r9tAX13EdP3FMPDQEiXF2RuShRVU_PlFrOqAy1eWWrEHO/s320/Eyes%20of%20the%20Dragon.jpg" width="194" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><br /></span><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">- <a href="https://stephenking.com/">Stephen King</a> -</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">I've been on a big of a King kick lately. The last year I've read four or five King/Bachman books...and other than that Colorado Kid mystery I liked them all. I even sent him a letter. Like, an actual pen on paper letter. Sent it international mail too - since I live in Canada.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px;">The Eyes of the Dragon is a bit different from the 'horror' I've been reading. It's fantasy. Which is another genre I love. But, what I really enjoyed about this book was the pace. I'll give you a rough timeline to explain what I mean.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px;">I read the first 90% of the book over a few days - at a regular speed.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px;">The last 10% I found myself speed reading and couldn't put the book down until almost 2 am last night.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px;">The final bit of the book is so fast! Chapters get smaller and smaller, down to half a page or sometimes just a paragraph. You are left on a cliffhanger, or with a vital piece of info that you need to continue the plot, solve the mystery, reveal the truth. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px;">It's an unbelievably fast ride.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Special Elite;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">Bring on the next Stephen King book. </span></span></p>Place Under The Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716448507060486535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127464262601394284.post-15316414310860346702022-07-15T07:36:00.001-07:002022-07-15T07:36:22.931-07:00THE TOMBS OF ATUAN - Ursula Le Guin<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"> The Tombs of Atuan (book 2 in the Earthsea series)</span></h1><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGnwr7iUeGjYEIVxec19760aaS909PQ2GTs9IMAgohkkb4DUxHo2Rr5YE_4PZr5uxKoOueO2_gopv9YThCf08rzbcGcBEas0SXCpkVa3z1unejPVmkUgX7I6XZ1J3cacBB3H0n3e5hEGkLhg6zfvUoQT2aTDq8OkbGYVKTxS-M6W0GS68JZfQBYxiq/s475/tombs%20of%20atuan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="274" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGnwr7iUeGjYEIVxec19760aaS909PQ2GTs9IMAgohkkb4DUxHo2Rr5YE_4PZr5uxKoOueO2_gopv9YThCf08rzbcGcBEas0SXCpkVa3z1unejPVmkUgX7I6XZ1J3cacBB3H0n3e5hEGkLhg6zfvUoQT2aTDq8OkbGYVKTxS-M6W0GS68JZfQBYxiq/w152-h263/tombs%20of%20atuan.jpg" width="152" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The Tombs Of Atuan</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/874602.Ursula_K_Le_Guin">Ursula Le Guin</a> - </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">I just read The Wizard of Earthsea and quickly moved onto the second book in the series - The Tombs of Atuan. I really liked The Wizard of Earthsea, and this second installment in the series is just as good.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">We are taken back to the world of Earthsea, but instead of travelling around the islands we are concentrated on one remote and isolated place. We follow the life of a priestess who is taken from her parents at an early age to be trained and molded for the life as the high priestess of the island of Atuan. Atuan is the home base of a highly religious culture, and this priestess (Tenar) is given the task of keeping the darkness (the no-named things) at bay. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Tenar is the only one allowed to explore the dark tunnels of the Tomb of Atuan, and her exploring and discovery of the expansive labryinth and all its secrets is fun to read about. Then one day she discovers a Wizard has broken into the secret tunnels and is searching for the lost treasures buried deep in the tombs. She struggles with the idea of killing him, or joining forces with him and escaping her life. I won't spoil the ending for you.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Another great world building book, written in the wonderful flowing prose that Le Guin is known for.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Can't wait to find the next book in the series.</span></p>Place Under The Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716448507060486535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127464262601394284.post-52075829580788567502022-07-11T10:57:00.001-07:002022-07-11T10:57:00.166-07:00A WIZARD OF EARTHSEA - Ursula Le Guin<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"> A WIZARD OF EARTHSEA</span></h1><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg4-DU1iKTvgQt1TEEMTjqbOHPTyZxZBJBLcgaNop-7hiEHZF9H-efdt8bnMoB1e8GMXtOoek8kHdGWN8U7TI7lQOaKM6M1xitdC1133zijlBeTuTcRmz_aj88LPBMImwHzTrVtt1dkHckiEoTvDnQetKStpI1feQTKNsMIl6DXtrO2HkZ-he1vKEq/s475/a%20wizard%20of%20earthsea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg4-DU1iKTvgQt1TEEMTjqbOHPTyZxZBJBLcgaNop-7hiEHZF9H-efdt8bnMoB1e8GMXtOoek8kHdGWN8U7TI7lQOaKM6M1xitdC1133zijlBeTuTcRmz_aj88LPBMImwHzTrVtt1dkHckiEoTvDnQetKStpI1feQTKNsMIl6DXtrO2HkZ-he1vKEq/s320/a%20wizard%20of%20earthsea.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">A Wizard of Earthsea</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">- Ursula Le Guin - </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">This is one of those great fantasy tales I've been hearing about for years; one of those 'must reads'. After reading it, I'll agree, it does deserve to be on a list of great fantasy books.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">It's funny that the book has held up so long because the story seems very cliche now - a young boy with natural magical abilities learns to become a full fledged Wizard. But, at the time it was published (late 60s), it was a trailbreaker. At the time Wizards were old men like Gandalf with white beards and pointy hats, they were not young boys. As well, most fantasy stories involved epic battles with evil beasts. This story does have a skirmish here and there, but it is more of a battle within the Wizard himself, and there is no big militaristic climax where they charge the lair of all that is evil.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The actual story was more about discovery and exploring, both the world of Earthsea (which is an interesting world of islands and cultures) and the Wizard's place in the world. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The writing was fantastic. I was thirty pages into the book before I realized how fluid the reading seemed. I finally noticed that Le Guin's style was completely against the grain of what is recommended to today's writers (keep the sentences short, the simpler the better). Le Guin's sentences would go on for half a page. Often an entire paragraph was one sentence. The amazing thing is that it didn't feel verbose, or overdone. No. The sentences stuck to one topic, threw in a detail or two, and added a smooth transition to the next idea. It was really something. Literature, I think they call it.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-H8ku31M87xrssXiZ7SD7JziitlwGoMzscUAOCNZdimc9oBb4EA5epMDyeEq6E75pu2U7sZBCgF4Ili3m_o3PeFW4chuClHoxklyJ-ijAJVPtpDbcgdSYjAwwBab8oD7N2nkj0EgG33pAcHwnSIX3_FLx_f6bpAlNnlNb1h7AMVJslh4VHr7PTZe/s269/meme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="269" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-H8ku31M87xrssXiZ7SD7JziitlwGoMzscUAOCNZdimc9oBb4EA5epMDyeEq6E75pu2U7sZBCgF4Ili3m_o3PeFW4chuClHoxklyJ-ijAJVPtpDbcgdSYjAwwBab8oD7N2nkj0EgG33pAcHwnSIX3_FLx_f6bpAlNnlNb1h7AMVJslh4VHr7PTZe/w195-h136/meme.jpg" width="195" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">All I can say is that I read the entire book in two days because I couldn't put it down. The mix of world building, story, and the amazing writing made this a five star book.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Now onto the next book in the series - The Tombs of Atuan (which I picked up second hand recently -- the 1982 publishing of it).</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinDVP-ppTE4a7aRlq3iF1ODanoA_p6_zKNwjRbjJciW-A5q1N6LILpLOZl0mEAcQzV4t6pdyODahWmbBtNHvR5b-ExD-SV7GXyGfZ8VPu8ZPdysrncVxMIX4e_UpJdgpezr1IgzLLGxIkVpxcUCARKZ-ogqStACLkGCP4NylkcfoY6WxtsgoJFRz8a/s475/tombs%20of%20atuan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="274" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinDVP-ppTE4a7aRlq3iF1ODanoA_p6_zKNwjRbjJciW-A5q1N6LILpLOZl0mEAcQzV4t6pdyODahWmbBtNHvR5b-ExD-SV7GXyGfZ8VPu8ZPdysrncVxMIX4e_UpJdgpezr1IgzLLGxIkVpxcUCARKZ-ogqStACLkGCP4NylkcfoY6WxtsgoJFRz8a/s320/tombs%20of%20atuan.jpg" width="185" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">The Tombs of Atuan</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><br /></span><p><br /></p>Place Under The Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716448507060486535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127464262601394284.post-33180746532117689452022-07-05T10:16:00.000-07:002022-07-05T10:16:11.512-07:00MAX LUCK - Craig Anderson<h1 style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"> MAX LUCK</span></b></h1><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMoPJbJNmuIo_GpNDia7syAAY4xC1aKF0K-Xs1BHn7uU7orKsXIOGcUumRqeae2qOwA97GyD54QnVmgPwx25h6bqC85D8fnFoeNxRmdhUS1gUHoK9koRARsv1sSgGGfmzpdVgn1lXEIJA2NQStEbDJxxjHzFezhtMO1HDHpTW4Oz-g1OmMnKg7CeH/s475/maxluck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="297" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMoPJbJNmuIo_GpNDia7syAAY4xC1aKF0K-Xs1BHn7uU7orKsXIOGcUumRqeae2qOwA97GyD54QnVmgPwx25h6bqC85D8fnFoeNxRmdhUS1gUHoK9koRARsv1sSgGGfmzpdVgn1lXEIJA2NQStEbDJxxjHzFezhtMO1HDHpTW4Oz-g1OmMnKg7CeH/s320/maxluck.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6993160.Craig_Anderson">Craig Anderson</a> - </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">I just took another roller coaster ride through Craig Anderson's latest book. Similar to <a href="https://read.amazon.ca/kp/embed?asin=B079JFM67F&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_C8Z8Z2QQ5AJB9PH8WFER">Level Up</a>, we are thrown into a virtual RPG world, where jargon like HP and EXP pop up like clover in the spring. On that well thrown in plant reference, we follow the adventure of a little leprechaun named Max. By luck, he is pulled into a skirmish with a disrespectful teenaged boy, who just happens to be the son of the game's biggest gangster. So, the little dust up quickly escalates into a much bigger fight. As we move through the story the problems escalate, and soon start to threaten lives outside of the game.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">What I really loved about this book was constant thrill - there is always someone chasing the leprechaun, there are a lot of time sensitive situations, and the stakes keep getting bigger and bigger - this is what kept me keep turning pages. The inventiveness of Anderson keeps it fresh and fun; discovering new weapons or artifacts (like crafting fire bullets or smoking a invisibility pipe), that I kept looking forward to what new weapon would save Max when he found himself in another impossible situation.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Anderson's writing reminds me of Tom Holt - it's funny but has a serious side, especially when it comes to plot and plot twists. The characters are a great mix of light and funny, but again have a serious side with a lot of depth. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">I actually wrote down a quote that I really enjoyed (and it embodies the character exactly): "Plan A had failed, and Plan B had failed too, but Arthur liked to plan his way through the Alphabet."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Max Luck is on Kindle Unlimited if you are interested - click <a href="https://read.amazon.ca/kp/embed?asin=B0B23JTMTQ&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_0YNGX37TQJ8XMB7AWN89">here.</a></span></p>Place Under The Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716448507060486535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127464262601394284.post-41394867876630289822022-06-23T09:12:00.000-07:002022-06-23T09:12:11.522-07:00REREADING BOOKS - DO YOU DO IT?<h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">IS REREADING BOOKS A WASTE OF TIME?</span></h1><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS3YBGOLV4J8Uun-zN34vkeuf20WOBujnMW9iMs3EyTPNIwTwOWEg9HVBRnpwAzbzjb_ccUW72voRJJ7JiAizzV--IWiBjIMHsjexUlvhVWBkqp0m4uUi6PXdUIyXot5pdNFZ7sdk2dMj2kjOls6e1ks7s2TPpZ3C6EHZLmemN1nBq4-J-WUwpkLxz/s320/nonreread.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">rereading books is a waste of time</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS3YBGOLV4J8Uun-zN34vkeuf20WOBujnMW9iMs3EyTPNIwTwOWEg9HVBRnpwAzbzjb_ccUW72voRJJ7JiAizzV--IWiBjIMHsjexUlvhVWBkqp0m4uUi6PXdUIyXot5pdNFZ7sdk2dMj2kjOls6e1ks7s2TPpZ3C6EHZLmemN1nBq4-J-WUwpkLxz/s3840/nonreread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">You only go around this world once, so you might want to make the most of it. For me, as a massive book nerd, one way I measure life is by how many books I've read. With only a short amount of time on this earth I want to read as many books as I can. With so many books out there, is it a waste of time to re-read a book?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">A lot of people say "yes, it's a waste of time! You've already read that book! You know what is going to happen. Voldemort is defeated by Harry Potter for the umpteenth time! Re-reading a book is not going to change that."</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="566" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJ6c3bUAgsIArEAMr2U6W25P-wkPi0GIsTRzsZO4CZ8z1dtjWEGlHv7WrPBKlugCK9Mlr8_I66qwxpIMM258tfPHt92AskJTSJJh7V1aJCeEg98RF6t2ARVHXuZq19bEaom_4dULtg85tNsl0yaUmuSadV2OWSyHExY8rN0KCbYISq_oqaW-hCcbu/s320/reread2.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="283" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Which book? The hardest question in life.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJ6c3bUAgsIArEAMr2U6W25P-wkPi0GIsTRzsZO4CZ8z1dtjWEGlHv7WrPBKlugCK9Mlr8_I66qwxpIMM258tfPHt92AskJTSJJh7V1aJCeEg98RF6t2ARVHXuZq19bEaom_4dULtg85tNsl0yaUmuSadV2OWSyHExY8rN0KCbYISq_oqaW-hCcbu/s566/reread2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">While somewhat logical - what's the point of reading a story if you already know how it ends - it seems to me that reading is somewhat illogical. Rereading a book is amazing!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">It shouldn't make sense, but we humans do not always make sense (like the sentence structure of this sentence).</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg03kV6X07UR2u4UHjmJLhYaZ9P3rQs5QoLGxXM7-vJ5fJ9-w_58_q-Ec0BpU6Nsm7GzlqciyLSvx6E-snehzFTmpiv8eJnO8qy7_2XCyj7B1efVcU8kjQxAObN1vNP2nDjv6HycivdLHybUJ6FtSmvkd9cag28h2fhigB06k2H4DHcDmCaDgWToSDC/s359/rereading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="330" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg03kV6X07UR2u4UHjmJLhYaZ9P3rQs5QoLGxXM7-vJ5fJ9-w_58_q-Ec0BpU6Nsm7GzlqciyLSvx6E-snehzFTmpiv8eJnO8qy7_2XCyj7B1efVcU8kjQxAObN1vNP2nDjv6HycivdLHybUJ6FtSmvkd9cag28h2fhigB06k2H4DHcDmCaDgWToSDC/s320/rereading.jpg" width="294" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><br /></span></div><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Reading a book is different every single time. You might linger and absorb more of the details in your second lap. It may have been a decade since you last read the book, and you have that much more life experience behind you. You may be in a different mood, or have a slightly different outlook on life. There are so many variables that shift and change a person, that each re-read is a different experience.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">I just reread Another Fine Myth. A book I've reread half a dozen times. And, as I've stated above, every single time is completely different.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="214" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi36Wb_N9wYS_MIRDii3mOa0GL_iVihfIpfN-OJbUNG61sWpNz1nnQXnRaDP1NbalWZAUOQR9oR9yKnGDWP37mD13yqPSkSj0iPqz7hYOJre0_OziCSSdJ96UN-GBiOb70ogAABUBZ5CNcXo8G7VqLto9x8TQmfmVnpXqY-gx5AdvGWlLvhcRrfWCgw/s320/another%20fine%20myth.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="196" /></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Another Fine Myth - Robert Asprin</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi36Wb_N9wYS_MIRDii3mOa0GL_iVihfIpfN-OJbUNG61sWpNz1nnQXnRaDP1NbalWZAUOQR9oR9yKnGDWP37mD13yqPSkSj0iPqz7hYOJre0_OziCSSdJ96UN-GBiOb70ogAABUBZ5CNcXo8G7VqLto9x8TQmfmVnpXqY-gx5AdvGWlLvhcRrfWCgw/s350/another%20fine%20myth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">I remember the first time I read this book, I was in grade seven. I picked up the book because my Dad was reading the series. He said it was funny and made it sound amazing when he told me they travelled through different dimensions. I was still a sci-fi / fantasy newbie, so the idea of dimensions was a big deal and a big idea that I found fascinating. I still remember reading the book at school, during our reading time right after lunch. I didn't really find it all that funny, but I could tell it was supposed to be, but the jokes flew over my head. What I did love was the idea of travelling to different dimensions.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">As I aged and reread the book years later in my teens, I finally got the jokes. By this time the idea of different dimensions was old news, and bigger ideas of race, class, and stereotypes related to these dimensions threw some depth on this part of the story, giving me something different to think about.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Last month, thirty years later, I reread the book and again had a completely different experience. I had just come off reading a few hard sci-fi books full of science and serious topics. Reading a light, pun filled, wacky adventure was like a breath of fresh air, refilling my desire to spend time flipping through pages. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Rereading books a waste of time?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">I'd say no, and I'm pretty certain most readers would agree. But then again, there are so many books in this world and so little time.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Like I mentioned at the beginning, I personally measure the success of life by how many books I've read. Which is what inspired me to design a Reading Journal to keep track of my reads. </span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B2TW69CG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="344" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtgUaI1b9cQmX1moYWZjyIfjyRx2UkE1jQsMj4fuzfS0zorFHy1try-h9CT-AYmVQ8X8YmYWXDelrkfPfk-OBTb5iMLXKkm1o8yfheziWyv-DcC4Wn9GcIUvF8IiW62JCVGFyOGGzlO9BTSRHFYsikmJHjRVYrdwS2BzmtoyGeOd5QC-k9IgMCNKlU/s320/rj1.PNG" width="246" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Click on Picture to buy from Amazon</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><br />There are pages to track the books you've read and what you thought about them.</span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI7nr9kaWTe7mflF45s-Q2vuJzvoVvT3Le39L-atT2tty5UjlodykdatBeHBe8xos9daKBmOrQm3uQvXiAIFHdDnLOo-fXSCWnRQaGkilMYzr3CbbuHb9frxIVf5uPLHzwGslbq-RYQX_YIU1bCeY8_tD_wWEASXGHN5WDp9-NheXFLfhlPRWaiIH8/s1600/Book%20log.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Book tracking page</span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI7nr9kaWTe7mflF45s-Q2vuJzvoVvT3Le39L-atT2tty5UjlodykdatBeHBe8xos9daKBmOrQm3uQvXiAIFHdDnLOo-fXSCWnRQaGkilMYzr3CbbuHb9frxIVf5uPLHzwGslbq-RYQX_YIU1bCeY8_tD_wWEASXGHN5WDp9-NheXFLfhlPRWaiIH8/s300/Book%20log.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: "Special Elite";">I also added some fun pages to write down things like your reading habits, fav books, etc. Now that would be fun to re-read in a decade...like I said we change over time.</span></p><p></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qYIA0s8WOUttkiL5pp-YPo6QXw7MI_9Esw9tEzuyBgsohb_emLz4VV3MzjBczpcDc0lyrCfToPl-oEFxyryboKHFh8zX6qVnIOrPkxSlFOQWmw1Q_w0aq5sqYXWtRwYDkeEzS1lWq4ffc04Gb46Ly_sV_BGexOIVwYkwaYbNUnn1fahvzu71Qn6v/s1600/Pages%20about%20your%20reading%20habits%20and%20memories.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">All about you - reading habits, fav books, etc</span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qYIA0s8WOUttkiL5pp-YPo6QXw7MI_9Esw9tEzuyBgsohb_emLz4VV3MzjBczpcDc0lyrCfToPl-oEFxyryboKHFh8zX6qVnIOrPkxSlFOQWmw1Q_w0aq5sqYXWtRwYDkeEzS1lWq4ffc04Gb46Ly_sV_BGexOIVwYkwaYbNUnn1fahvzu71Qn6v/s300/Pages%20about%20your%20reading%20habits%20and%20memories.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Also for the artistic readers (*puts hand up*), there are some pages for drawing.</span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvhuPLHUYtQcaN-Sz7jLfhCkvSu_EFzsyTYkwW_ed1S6rUg1dn13yrgV6OA_8D_xiW-6RAfApfyfpmtTs6lPMtEoHZZpS0nkMTX8L7eOt94i4YLOIMo3a9k7i2kErEFM1KWJ48KHKrKiiblu1TVeL-6bGVEYDpP1_DDle5KnhM7pQGHDCt1calaJj1/s1600/Bookshelf,%20library.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Fill in bookshelf</span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvhuPLHUYtQcaN-Sz7jLfhCkvSu_EFzsyTYkwW_ed1S6rUg1dn13yrgV6OA_8D_xiW-6RAfApfyfpmtTs6lPMtEoHZZpS0nkMTX8L7eOt94i4YLOIMo3a9k7i2kErEFM1KWJ48KHKrKiiblu1TVeL-6bGVEYDpP1_DDle5KnhM7pQGHDCt1calaJj1/s300/Bookshelf,%20library.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">I strongly encourage you to purchase one for yourself, or consider it as a gift for the big readers in your life, or your book club members, or your mother-in-law, or your child's bus driver. It would be great for anyone...and I wouldn't mind the $1.45 royalty either.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">It is available on Amazon right now - <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B2TW69CG">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B2TW69CG</a><br /><br /></span></p>Place Under The Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716448507060486535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127464262601394284.post-82924711043729808402022-06-15T07:35:00.004-07:002022-06-15T07:35:32.271-07:00SYCAMORE ROW - JOHN GRISHAM<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">SYCAMORE ROW</span></h1><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7nVimuw_UGNN7Zu14DH3mEtX69Spkdh7crPQh79JmKWb6m5u8NMzudPUwm7J_1OHI_DCcYN-fzSs1A8t3P8dsPsohqXsbOtDDrhIIlKfi3qs-J9-J_1s8PZzPIlxL413jxSZNqfrD1NNbgfrgdYb0tNzIyKCbmMdwWawLGnEDjMVu2URLuGfAICYo/s475/17288661.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7nVimuw_UGNN7Zu14DH3mEtX69Spkdh7crPQh79JmKWb6m5u8NMzudPUwm7J_1OHI_DCcYN-fzSs1A8t3P8dsPsohqXsbOtDDrhIIlKfi3qs-J9-J_1s8PZzPIlxL413jxSZNqfrD1NNbgfrgdYb0tNzIyKCbmMdwWawLGnEDjMVu2URLuGfAICYo/s320/17288661.jpg" width="211" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">John Grisham - Sycamore Row</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">- John Grisham -</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">Just finished this massive 500 page tome, and loved every page of it. We are back to the meat and potatoes of Grisham, his legal thriller.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Special Elite;">This installment has a wealthy man committing suicide and leaving a last minute hand written will...in which he leaves his millions to the black maid. In the small, racist, Mississippi town this does not go over well. Grisham takes us through the ins and outs of the legal topic of the last will and testament. Does a hand written will trump an expensive lawyer written will? This scenario is the main legal battle of the book. However, Grisham adds way more layers into the story; a long lost brother, a racist town, a drunken husband, greedy children, twists and turns galore...what seems like a solid easily winnable case is thrown for a loop by some shady lawyers and misinterpretations. Grisham keeps you guessing right to the end. Which is why I love his books. You are pretty sure it is all going to work out in the end, but you can't be certain. </span></p>Place Under The Pinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716448507060486535noreply@blogger.com0