**This is a blog entry I wrote a couple of weeks ago but never got around to posting. I think I wrote it on a Saturday. Anyway, finally getting around to posting it.**
I was unwinding from a long day yesterday in front of the television. I was constantly flipping channels, dissatisfied with practically everything I stopped on. It was too late for sports and mindless cartoons. Except for the crude stuff found on Cartoon Network. Sorry, I have nothing against Cartoon Network, but the kind of line-up they have in the late hours doesn't appeal to me.
In any event, I stopped on the Nickelodeon channel.
Sure, I'm way beyond the teen years. But having grown up on Nickelodeon, I still find things to catch my interest. And since I also have a nephew who insists on watching shows like iCarly and Victorious, I'm doubly exposed to the tween shows.
Anyway, I found myself watching part three of the iCarly and Victorius cross-over. They played the three parts in June, but apparently want to milk it for what it's worth and show it every weekend now. I have no idea if they only show part three, but that's all I've been seeing. Personally, I don't mind so much. I unashamedly admit I like the music. I'm not so close-minded that I won't give any kind of music a try.
As I was sitting and watching, something occurred to me. And of course, the thought is what prompted me to write my thoughts down. Well, actually, what I thought was, “Yay! An entry for the blog. Thank goodness!”
I sat thinking that the American television market has finally discovered in recent years, what the Japanese have known for quite some time. That music is appealing to all and that it's a big business in and out of shows.
Okay, this is probably confusing, so I'll back up. When I was in my teens, I was in love with Japanese anime. I probably watched as much Japanese anime as I did American cartoons. The thing is, more than the actual show itself, what always drew me to certain anime was the music. The Japanese, as I learned, took great effort in not only making the cartoon and animation a success, but the music that went with it. I could be wrong about this, (although I don’t think I am) but voice actors in Japan took their jobs very seriously. It wasn’t (and isn’t) like American cartoons where they will take anyone who can act. No. They find people who can act as well as sing. Which is why most Japanese cartoons always had the person who did the voice of a character doing any singing that happened to come along.
Ah, but music. Really, who doesn't like music. Some might argue with me about this, but I really think music is completely universal. By that I mean it's crossed the length of time and has only improved and expanded. Okay, I'm not completely sure, but in my humble opinion, music is everywhere and has been everywhere. It's probably even been here before there were books and written literature. Ancient civilizations, before they had books, movies, theater, etc there was music. So it's almost amusing to see how long it took for the capitalists to realize that beyond musical theater, concerts, radio and records, there were other ways music could still be marketed.
Okay, going back to Japanese animation, I must indulge myself by thinking of a few of my favorites that I used to love not only the cartoon, but the music as well. I probably spent a small fortune on their CDs. Off the top of my head, I can think of at least half a dozen shows that promoted music as much as the show. Naturally I'll name my favorites: Ranma 1/2, Sailor Moon, Tenchi Muyo, Crayon Shin-Chan, Pokemon, Dragon Ball, Fatal Fury, etc.
The one thing that I remember standing out quite prominently was the knowledge that if I found myself interested in one of their beginning theme or ending theme songs, I could always find it. And not simply in the thirty-second file that most American cartoons produced. No, I could find a full-length version.
On a different note, I think of Disney right at this moment. I've had the pleasure of watching with my nephews and niece the Disney movie Tangled. I remember the first time I watched it. I was so pleased with it. And not simply for the simplicity of the story, the characters and so forth. No, my first and immediate thought was, hey, they got Mandy Moore to play the part of Rapunzel!
I will again admit that I ran through the credits, trying to see who played what voice and what singing part. If there are two people doing one part, I've yet to find it. At least, the main characters and main sub-characters play and sing their own parts.
This is good in my opinion. In fact, I would say it's more than good. It's fantastic. Maybe this isn't important to some people, but it is to me. For some reason, I was always let down if the person playing the voice didn't do the singing. Don't ask me why, it was just something I used to feel.
However, I digress. As for Victorious and iCarly, along with all these other shows that have singing in them... This is what I thought almost twenty years ago. Why didn't the American market do this too? They could make so much more if they put a little more effort into the theme songs, got people who could actually sing, etc. If they had done this, I’d thought, instead of me finding some homemade mp3 of a theme song that I liked, I would be able to buy the soundtrack.
That thought actually leads me into another, albeit brief, thought. I believe I remember the first time I liked a theme song from a television series and my delight when I realized that the series had put out a CD. It was the series Friends. I won't bore with details on how thrilled I was at liking a song and being able to find a longer, fuller-length version of it. Of course, I think this is another area where things have change. Most television shows are using popular music or creating their own with longer versions of the songs. Well, the popular shows anyway. But one takes what one can get.
Any who, this concludes my thoughts. Maybe others out there have recognized what I only discovered. Maybe. Maybe not. All I know is I'm glad for it. And in the long run...who cares right? Glad we got to this point in the end.
Long live music!
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Do you eat to live or live to eat?
It's probably a little cliché, but have you ever asked yourself... Do I live to eat or do I eat to live?
The other night I was having dinner with three of my friends. We had a simple meal that night: Grilled cheese sandwiches and soup. Ha ha! Yes, I brought the soup. If there's one thing about me that everyone knows, it's that I can't cook worth a darn.
The four of us are sitting around, eating, chatting, laughing. The usual stuff. Somehow the discussion turned to foods and which ones were our favorites. I had been suffering from a headache that day, so wasn't really contributing to the conversation.
My friends began discussing and exchanging stories about the variety of food that they had tried while on past trips. I must say that their favorite place to have a meal was Japan, hands down. Lol.
Finally, given that I had been so quiet throughout this chat, one of my friends looks at me and asks, "When you were in Japan, what did you eat?"
I had visited Japan some years ago with an exchange program for other disabled youths. It was a two-week trip that had us mainly residing in Tokyo, except for our first few days. We first went to a bird park and camped out a bit. Okay, maybe it wasn't "camping" in the true sense of the word, but when you've got a traveling air mattress, a floor to sleep on and an outdoor facility for showers... It's camping!
Thinking on my friend's question, I had to really stop and think. After several seconds, I laughed and said that I honestly couldn't remember. This got a good chuckle out of everyone. I smiled, shrugged and said, "Sorry. I think of that line my mom told me. I don't live to eat, I eat to live."
A good statement, wouldn't you think?
I don't know what else to really say. I couldn't care less about my next meal, as long as it's warm, filling and has some protein.
Of course, I seem to be the minority, as I have many other friends who are always scouting for the next new place to have lunch or dinner. I'm not like that. In fact, I could probably go to Romano’s Macaroni Grill and do a create-your-own-pasta every night and be happy. Lol. Yes, I'd probably get tired of it after a couple of weeks, but this shows that I'm a little...boring, when it comes to food.
Do I ever wonder why this is? Not really. However, if I had to guess, I'd probably attribute my lack of interest for food on that fact that while growing up, my mother cooked all the meals. We couldn't afford to go out to eat. The most we ever did was a dinner once a year at a restaurant to celebrate my grandma's birthday. Naturally paid by other relatives.
The bottom line is, I'm a simple person who has simple tastes. Literally.
The other night I was having dinner with three of my friends. We had a simple meal that night: Grilled cheese sandwiches and soup. Ha ha! Yes, I brought the soup. If there's one thing about me that everyone knows, it's that I can't cook worth a darn.
The four of us are sitting around, eating, chatting, laughing. The usual stuff. Somehow the discussion turned to foods and which ones were our favorites. I had been suffering from a headache that day, so wasn't really contributing to the conversation.
My friends began discussing and exchanging stories about the variety of food that they had tried while on past trips. I must say that their favorite place to have a meal was Japan, hands down. Lol.
Finally, given that I had been so quiet throughout this chat, one of my friends looks at me and asks, "When you were in Japan, what did you eat?"
I had visited Japan some years ago with an exchange program for other disabled youths. It was a two-week trip that had us mainly residing in Tokyo, except for our first few days. We first went to a bird park and camped out a bit. Okay, maybe it wasn't "camping" in the true sense of the word, but when you've got a traveling air mattress, a floor to sleep on and an outdoor facility for showers... It's camping!
Thinking on my friend's question, I had to really stop and think. After several seconds, I laughed and said that I honestly couldn't remember. This got a good chuckle out of everyone. I smiled, shrugged and said, "Sorry. I think of that line my mom told me. I don't live to eat, I eat to live."
A good statement, wouldn't you think?
I don't know what else to really say. I couldn't care less about my next meal, as long as it's warm, filling and has some protein.
Of course, I seem to be the minority, as I have many other friends who are always scouting for the next new place to have lunch or dinner. I'm not like that. In fact, I could probably go to Romano’s Macaroni Grill and do a create-your-own-pasta every night and be happy. Lol. Yes, I'd probably get tired of it after a couple of weeks, but this shows that I'm a little...boring, when it comes to food.
Do I ever wonder why this is? Not really. However, if I had to guess, I'd probably attribute my lack of interest for food on that fact that while growing up, my mother cooked all the meals. We couldn't afford to go out to eat. The most we ever did was a dinner once a year at a restaurant to celebrate my grandma's birthday. Naturally paid by other relatives.
The bottom line is, I'm a simple person who has simple tastes. Literally.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
While in my creative writing class yesterday
While in class on Tuesday, it turned out to be quite…interesting.
To explain… Despite having already received my BA in English, I’m back at school, taking an undergraduate creative writing class. It’s one that I was unable to take while working on my bachelor’s degree.
Well, moving along… Today’s class proved to be interesting, because my professor chose to go over two student’s stories that dealt with romance. This peaked my interest since this is right up my alley.
However, I have to say while it all proved to be a good session and all of us had plenty of laughs, I wasn’t left with a feeling I liked…or can even identify.
The story I’m particularly focused on was the first story we read. It’s a historical piece about four pages long that was purely a love scene.
Doesn’t sound too bad right? A love scene! What could be more entertaining than a love scene in a college classroom?
Hoo boy!
I knew the minute the professor started reading it that this would be either really embarrassing or really funny. It proved to be both!
Most of the time we were just laughing. This classmate had written in so many euphemisms and flowery words to describe the man and woman’s private parts and their desire for each other, that it wasn’t romantic at all. Instead it proved to be downright hilarious! And yes, I admit, I laughed hard along with everyone else.
off topic here… As I was joking with another classmate as we left class, romances, in my opinion, were never meant to be read aloud. In fact, in a recent writer’s meeting I attended, we had a guest speaker who explained to us about writing meant to be read aloud, or writing to be read silently.
Thus, this leads back to my stating that romances were never meant to be read out loud. Am I 100% sure on this? I have no idea! I’m sure published romance authors around the U.S. and beyond might disagree. All I know is that I’ve never been able to read a romance audio book. The few times I did, it was nuts! I always used headphones, and the few times my headphones would accidentally pull out of the device I was playing the book on, I would immediately check to see if anyone had heard. Funny? You bet! Especially if I just happened to be reading a love scene! Lol!
In addition to the embarrassment factor, there was also (at least for me!) the problem of the readers. I once read an audio book where the reader, a woman, kept her voice normal while reading the female protagonist’s lines, and would deepen her voice when doing the male protagonist. Okay, maybe not so bad?
Yes it was! I mean no disrespect when I say this, but when the reader went high for the woman and low for the man, it only made her sound like she was reading a romance involving two female lovers. I’m sorry, it didn’t work for me! I merely felt incredibly awkward. And I have to also say… I’ve never been able to read that book since. Lol!
But I digress… The one thing about the discussion today that was troubling me was my professor’s comment to the student. It was said that if she were trying to make fun of romances, then she should keep all she had written.
Make fun of romances? Professor, wait just a darn minute!
Okay, I know what the teacher meant. I’m sure there was no intent to insult romances. At least, that’s the attitude I’d prefer to take. But just the thought of someone writing a short story with the sole intent to make fun of a genre makes me a wee bit upset.
Romances have always had a bad rap. I’ve been reading romances for fifteen or sixteen years now. For as long as I could remember, the genre has always had people looking down on it. I recall many times in my youth people saying with a straight face, right in front of me, that romances were “trash”.
Thankfully, my dear writer friends have told me how to arm myself against such people. I am to simply tell them that the romance publishing industry makes up 50% of the publishing world.
Imagine that? 50%! That means romances go up against the other half, which includes fantasy, science fiction, non-fiction, young adult and so on.
Okay, do romances get a little raunchy? Of course they do! However, I try to remind the skeptics that romances are not about the love scenes alone. There are stories to go along with it. Wonderfully written stories that authors will spend hours writing. Or researching.
Overall, my general thoughts on Tuesday’s class is that I feel sad that even in this day and age, romance writing doesn’t get the respect it deserves. People view romances as a joke, and something to giggle about when they’re bored. Now, is that to say I think badly or less of my professor and classmates? Of course not.
Ultimately, people are entitled to their opinions. I equate what happened in class and the ridiculing of romances to my dislike of rap music. Do I think that rap is music? Well… I don’t really want to go there. I don’t want to go so far as to say it’s NOT music, since the world has recognized it. However, I personally can’t stand it. But I also don’t go around bashing it.
The one thing I always try to remind myself is: “To each his own.”
To explain… Despite having already received my BA in English, I’m back at school, taking an undergraduate creative writing class. It’s one that I was unable to take while working on my bachelor’s degree.
Well, moving along… Today’s class proved to be interesting, because my professor chose to go over two student’s stories that dealt with romance. This peaked my interest since this is right up my alley.
However, I have to say while it all proved to be a good session and all of us had plenty of laughs, I wasn’t left with a feeling I liked…or can even identify.
The story I’m particularly focused on was the first story we read. It’s a historical piece about four pages long that was purely a love scene.
Doesn’t sound too bad right? A love scene! What could be more entertaining than a love scene in a college classroom?
Hoo boy!
I knew the minute the professor started reading it that this would be either really embarrassing or really funny. It proved to be both!
Most of the time we were just laughing. This classmate had written in so many euphemisms and flowery words to describe the man and woman’s private parts and their desire for each other, that it wasn’t romantic at all. Instead it proved to be downright hilarious! And yes, I admit, I laughed hard along with everyone else.
off topic here… As I was joking with another classmate as we left class, romances, in my opinion, were never meant to be read aloud. In fact, in a recent writer’s meeting I attended, we had a guest speaker who explained to us about writing meant to be read aloud, or writing to be read silently.
Thus, this leads back to my stating that romances were never meant to be read out loud. Am I 100% sure on this? I have no idea! I’m sure published romance authors around the U.S. and beyond might disagree. All I know is that I’ve never been able to read a romance audio book. The few times I did, it was nuts! I always used headphones, and the few times my headphones would accidentally pull out of the device I was playing the book on, I would immediately check to see if anyone had heard. Funny? You bet! Especially if I just happened to be reading a love scene! Lol!
In addition to the embarrassment factor, there was also (at least for me!) the problem of the readers. I once read an audio book where the reader, a woman, kept her voice normal while reading the female protagonist’s lines, and would deepen her voice when doing the male protagonist. Okay, maybe not so bad?
Yes it was! I mean no disrespect when I say this, but when the reader went high for the woman and low for the man, it only made her sound like she was reading a romance involving two female lovers. I’m sorry, it didn’t work for me! I merely felt incredibly awkward. And I have to also say… I’ve never been able to read that book since. Lol!
But I digress… The one thing about the discussion today that was troubling me was my professor’s comment to the student. It was said that if she were trying to make fun of romances, then she should keep all she had written.
Make fun of romances? Professor, wait just a darn minute!
Okay, I know what the teacher meant. I’m sure there was no intent to insult romances. At least, that’s the attitude I’d prefer to take. But just the thought of someone writing a short story with the sole intent to make fun of a genre makes me a wee bit upset.
Romances have always had a bad rap. I’ve been reading romances for fifteen or sixteen years now. For as long as I could remember, the genre has always had people looking down on it. I recall many times in my youth people saying with a straight face, right in front of me, that romances were “trash”.
Thankfully, my dear writer friends have told me how to arm myself against such people. I am to simply tell them that the romance publishing industry makes up 50% of the publishing world.
Imagine that? 50%! That means romances go up against the other half, which includes fantasy, science fiction, non-fiction, young adult and so on.
Okay, do romances get a little raunchy? Of course they do! However, I try to remind the skeptics that romances are not about the love scenes alone. There are stories to go along with it. Wonderfully written stories that authors will spend hours writing. Or researching.
Overall, my general thoughts on Tuesday’s class is that I feel sad that even in this day and age, romance writing doesn’t get the respect it deserves. People view romances as a joke, and something to giggle about when they’re bored. Now, is that to say I think badly or less of my professor and classmates? Of course not.
Ultimately, people are entitled to their opinions. I equate what happened in class and the ridiculing of romances to my dislike of rap music. Do I think that rap is music? Well… I don’t really want to go there. I don’t want to go so far as to say it’s NOT music, since the world has recognized it. However, I personally can’t stand it. But I also don’t go around bashing it.
The one thing I always try to remind myself is: “To each his own.”
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Musings
I’m surprised that it’s been a year and a half since I last posted in this thing. I remember doing the 24-hour read-a-thon. Wow, that was a time I somewhat recall, although not vividly. Lol.
Not a whole lot has happened with me. I’m still reading constantly. And for the time being I’m back in school, although for how much longer I’m really not sure. I am more focused and determined to do more with my writing though. I’ve been making lots of notations and writing down any kind of interesting idea that comes to me.
I’ve also expanded what I’d like to write from just romance to young adult and fantasy. Or a combination of the two. Oh, and historical as well.
I’m going to sign this off here. Hopefully in the coming weeks I’ll have more to report. To anyone actually reading this, be prepared to read a lot of posts about a whole lotta nothing. Lol. I need to get my writing every day and this really does seem the best way.
Not a whole lot has happened with me. I’m still reading constantly. And for the time being I’m back in school, although for how much longer I’m really not sure. I am more focused and determined to do more with my writing though. I’ve been making lots of notations and writing down any kind of interesting idea that comes to me.
I’ve also expanded what I’d like to write from just romance to young adult and fantasy. Or a combination of the two. Oh, and historical as well.
I’m going to sign this off here. Hopefully in the coming weeks I’ll have more to report. To anyone actually reading this, be prepared to read a lot of posts about a whole lotta nothing. Lol. I need to get my writing every day and this really does seem the best way.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
It's over!
Dewey's read-a-thon is officially over. My 24 hours of reading has ended. While it was a good run, I have to say I'm glad it's completed. The last six hours was hard, only because the sleepiness was getting to me. But fear not, I survived, slapped myself and splashed water on my face.
The final hour all I could think about (at least for a brief moment) was getting a shower and jumping into bed. My back is absolutely killing me. Although I must say I'm glad it decided to hurt only for the last hour and a half.
For the final hour, I did manage to read the first 90 pages of In High Gear by Gina Wilkins. It's part of Harlequin's NASCAR series. I must admit when this series first came out, I couldn't get enough of the books. While the desire to gobble up NASCAR books has subsided, I still get a lot of pleasure from reading one every now and then. For myself, as a fledgling writer, I look at books like this as paving the way for a new market. I sometimes sigh out loud when I see books with doctors, construction workers, cops, librarians, FBI agents and CEOs. I'm always looking for the new thing to tap in hopes that when I finally manage to finish a novel, I won't be using the same stuff as authors before me. Maybe oen day I'll find it, and maybe not.
Anyway, as for the read-a-thon, I completed reading Outlaw's Bride, Sisters Found, Tempt Me at Twilight, The Maverick's Bride, Behind Closed Doors and Bittersweet Promises. I also finished about 40% of Dream guy and 90 pages of In High Gear.
Most of these titles were 300+ page books. Only In High Gear, The Maverick's Bride and Behind Closed Doors were under 300 pages.
Well, it was a good run. Very exciting and I'm already looking to do it again next year. I'd especially like to try mini challenges or be a cheerleader at some point. Either way, the read-a-thon was great and I hope whoever's in charge keeps on truckin'!
The final hour all I could think about (at least for a brief moment) was getting a shower and jumping into bed. My back is absolutely killing me. Although I must say I'm glad it decided to hurt only for the last hour and a half.
For the final hour, I did manage to read the first 90 pages of In High Gear by Gina Wilkins. It's part of Harlequin's NASCAR series. I must admit when this series first came out, I couldn't get enough of the books. While the desire to gobble up NASCAR books has subsided, I still get a lot of pleasure from reading one every now and then. For myself, as a fledgling writer, I look at books like this as paving the way for a new market. I sometimes sigh out loud when I see books with doctors, construction workers, cops, librarians, FBI agents and CEOs. I'm always looking for the new thing to tap in hopes that when I finally manage to finish a novel, I won't be using the same stuff as authors before me. Maybe oen day I'll find it, and maybe not.
Anyway, as for the read-a-thon, I completed reading Outlaw's Bride, Sisters Found, Tempt Me at Twilight, The Maverick's Bride, Behind Closed Doors and Bittersweet Promises. I also finished about 40% of Dream guy and 90 pages of In High Gear.
Most of these titles were 300+ page books. Only In High Gear, The Maverick's Bride and Behind Closed Doors were under 300 pages.
Well, it was a good run. Very exciting and I'm already looking to do it again next year. I'd especially like to try mini challenges or be a cheerleader at some point. Either way, the read-a-thon was great and I hope whoever's in charge keeps on truckin'!
Finally!
I was checking the Dewey website and I see a whole lot of stuff there. I have no idea if everyone is all done. I haven't seen Twitter updates or e-mails from my friends in about an hour and a half. Well, for me, I started at 2 a.m. and I'm going to make it to 2 a.m.
I thought I was going to only have one book that would fit in the final minutes, but I just finished a Harlequin entitled The Maverick's Bride by Doreen Roberts. This is not an author I'm familiar with either. Although I'm not exactly sure when this book was published. However, it could be an older Harlequin title and one done by a one-hit wonder author.
The plot of the book is a common one, but one I love all the same. It's about unrequited love and a hero needing a pretend wife. Except in this book the hero, after winning a national rodeo title, goes home to prove to his hometown he's not such a screwup. Sixteen years ago he was blamed for a crime he didn't commit, and while he wasn't convicted, no one—not even his family—believed him.
I know I've been going down on most of the books I read, so I'm going to try and say something positive about this book. I enjoyed everything about it. Sentence structure, plot pacing, dialogue. And it had the heroine in the last pages of the book realizing that it was a hopeless case and getting the heck out of Dodge. While I know some feminists might get their feathers ruffled, I've always disliked books where the heroine spills her guts and the hero has a miraculous discovery of his feelings. Sometimes I think, where is your pride? To wear your heart that far down your sleeve? Whenever I think of this situation, I'm reminded of something I read in another book. Maybe it's a quote that was ripped off from someone else, but it was to the effect of, men value the prize more when they have to work for it.
Overall, the book left me with a satisfied feeling. It was, as I like to call them, an uncomplicated read. A bit of mystery was involved, but the culprit was obvious from the start. The hero and heroine weren't at odds for a lot of the book. They held things back (as most good romances do) but they interacted in a way that allowed the mind to really get to know the characters without stressing over heated dialogue or a ton of friction.
I thought I was going to only have one book that would fit in the final minutes, but I just finished a Harlequin entitled The Maverick's Bride by Doreen Roberts. This is not an author I'm familiar with either. Although I'm not exactly sure when this book was published. However, it could be an older Harlequin title and one done by a one-hit wonder author.
The plot of the book is a common one, but one I love all the same. It's about unrequited love and a hero needing a pretend wife. Except in this book the hero, after winning a national rodeo title, goes home to prove to his hometown he's not such a screwup. Sixteen years ago he was blamed for a crime he didn't commit, and while he wasn't convicted, no one—not even his family—believed him.
I know I've been going down on most of the books I read, so I'm going to try and say something positive about this book. I enjoyed everything about it. Sentence structure, plot pacing, dialogue. And it had the heroine in the last pages of the book realizing that it was a hopeless case and getting the heck out of Dodge. While I know some feminists might get their feathers ruffled, I've always disliked books where the heroine spills her guts and the hero has a miraculous discovery of his feelings. Sometimes I think, where is your pride? To wear your heart that far down your sleeve? Whenever I think of this situation, I'm reminded of something I read in another book. Maybe it's a quote that was ripped off from someone else, but it was to the effect of, men value the prize more when they have to work for it.
Overall, the book left me with a satisfied feeling. It was, as I like to call them, an uncomplicated read. A bit of mystery was involved, but the culprit was obvious from the start. The hero and heroine weren't at odds for a lot of the book. They held things back (as most good romances do) but they interacted in a way that allowed the mind to really get to know the characters without stressing over heated dialogue or a ton of friction.
The home stretch?
Bittersweet Promises lived up to its name. While I can't complain about the gooey happily-ever-after, the last 100-200 pages was really tough for me. So the heroine is on the run with her little brother. The only spoiler about this book I'll give is that the heroine goes to Missouri to find her brother's real father and get him to marry her so she can have a better chance of keeping the boy. Of course, the heroine is set and determined to go through with it, despite the hero and herself falling in love. And when she eventually catches up with this unknown man, he agrees to her plan.
I'm the last person, as I've said in my past blogs, to be griping about an author's story. Lord knows I probably couldn't do better. With that being said, this book started out great for me, slumped in the middle and only picked up at the very end. I think the part that irked me the most was that the unknown man knew about the hero and heroine being in love, but was willing to split them up so the villianous father wouldn't get his hands on the little brother.
I'm not into books like this, with some kind of weird love-triangle. I feel my attention is being turned towards the relationship between a main character and a secondary character.
Yes, I can see a pattern for myself here. I'm sure someone's got to be thinking, is there any books that I actually really like? I'm ashamed to say that the books I devour cover-to-cover and put down with a pleased sigh are far and few between. I've talked with my more experienced writer friends, and they laughingly tell me (albeit in a nice way) that I've just gotten picky. I can't deny that! I've gotten terribly selective in the books I read. But I remember what someone once told me not that long ago. There are thousands and thousands of books in the world, and with so many to choose from, you can afford to be picky!
Anyway, I'm counting down the hours now till the end of the 24 hours of reading! I believe I have about three more hours. I'll probably squeeze in one more book. In the past 24 hours, I've managed to eat, walk my dog and other little things without stopping my reading. Although the one thing I haven't been able to do is shower. Oh man, I'm going to enjoy taking a nice hot shower and laying on my nice soft bed and catching some Zs!
I'm the last person, as I've said in my past blogs, to be griping about an author's story. Lord knows I probably couldn't do better. With that being said, this book started out great for me, slumped in the middle and only picked up at the very end. I think the part that irked me the most was that the unknown man knew about the hero and heroine being in love, but was willing to split them up so the villianous father wouldn't get his hands on the little brother.
I'm not into books like this, with some kind of weird love-triangle. I feel my attention is being turned towards the relationship between a main character and a secondary character.
Yes, I can see a pattern for myself here. I'm sure someone's got to be thinking, is there any books that I actually really like? I'm ashamed to say that the books I devour cover-to-cover and put down with a pleased sigh are far and few between. I've talked with my more experienced writer friends, and they laughingly tell me (albeit in a nice way) that I've just gotten picky. I can't deny that! I've gotten terribly selective in the books I read. But I remember what someone once told me not that long ago. There are thousands and thousands of books in the world, and with so many to choose from, you can afford to be picky!
Anyway, I'm counting down the hours now till the end of the 24 hours of reading! I believe I have about three more hours. I'll probably squeeze in one more book. In the past 24 hours, I've managed to eat, walk my dog and other little things without stopping my reading. Although the one thing I haven't been able to do is shower. Oh man, I'm going to enjoy taking a nice hot shower and laying on my nice soft bed and catching some Zs!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Hanging in there!
First, thanks Trisha for saying I'm entertaining. Lol. For some reason that means a lot to me.
I have to say, I haven't really used my blog that much, as I can't imagine that people want to read my ramblings about books or my boring life.
Anyway, with that being said... Another update. I'm 35% of the way through Bittersweet Promises. It would seem the heroine lost the money she was traveling with and is engaged as the hero's daughter's teacher. Helped along by a well-meaning aunt, of course.
The writing is pretty smooth so far. I don't feel rushed or bored. Oh, and apparently the author is someone I've never heard of... Trana Mae Simmons. Another author I've never heard of, but not displeasing...so far.
As for myself, it's now hit late evening and I'm feeling the burn. The need for sleep is overwhelming, but after coming this far, I would hate myself to give up now! At this point I'm thinking I'll probably get through Bittersweet Promises and another book before time is up.
I also popped into the Dewey website to peek at some of the mmini challenges going on. While I didn't participate in any of them, I noticed the one that had a music theme. It really got me thinking about the new Carrie Underwood song. So, I thought I would post the Youtube link. I'm a big fan of the song. And it seems to fit the books I'm reading. Two fo the three historicals I've read have been westerns. Even one contemporary novel involved ranches and cowboys. I felt this song fit the mood.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu32vyCldh8
On a slightly different note, I'm shaking my head in amusement. I have headphones connected to my BookCourier in one ear and my other ear partially tuned to the radio. My university's football team is getting slaughtered. I haven't listened to the game at all as I've been doggedly reading. However, I did take moments when updating the blog to check the score. Good thing I knew we were going to lose this game anyway! Lol.
I have to say, I haven't really used my blog that much, as I can't imagine that people want to read my ramblings about books or my boring life.
Anyway, with that being said... Another update. I'm 35% of the way through Bittersweet Promises. It would seem the heroine lost the money she was traveling with and is engaged as the hero's daughter's teacher. Helped along by a well-meaning aunt, of course.
The writing is pretty smooth so far. I don't feel rushed or bored. Oh, and apparently the author is someone I've never heard of... Trana Mae Simmons. Another author I've never heard of, but not displeasing...so far.
As for myself, it's now hit late evening and I'm feeling the burn. The need for sleep is overwhelming, but after coming this far, I would hate myself to give up now! At this point I'm thinking I'll probably get through Bittersweet Promises and another book before time is up.
I also popped into the Dewey website to peek at some of the mmini challenges going on. While I didn't participate in any of them, I noticed the one that had a music theme. It really got me thinking about the new Carrie Underwood song. So, I thought I would post the Youtube link. I'm a big fan of the song. And it seems to fit the books I'm reading. Two fo the three historicals I've read have been westerns. Even one contemporary novel involved ranches and cowboys. I felt this song fit the mood.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu32vyCldh8
On a slightly different note, I'm shaking my head in amusement. I have headphones connected to my BookCourier in one ear and my other ear partially tuned to the radio. My university's football team is getting slaughtered. I haven't listened to the game at all as I've been doggedly reading. However, I did take moments when updating the blog to check the score. Good thing I knew we were going to lose this game anyway! Lol.
And yet another book
All right, one more book started. I seem to be jumping back and froth from contemporary to historical and back again. This time I started reading Bittersweet Promises. I can't remember off-hand who the author is, but when I finish the book I'll take a look at it just so I can get it down.
I'm not that deep into the book yet. BookCourier has me at 13% of the way through the book. I'm not exactly sure how many pages this novel is, but I'm guessing at least 300. I also can't quite remember what the synopsis said about it, but so far it would seem that the heroine is on the run and has had a near-escape when she and her little brother were caught in the middle of a bank robbery.
I was just taking a quick peek at the Dewey official page, and saw a list of questions. One of them said, "Are you tired yet?"
Why, yes, I am, thanks for asking! Lol. However, I feel strangely awake. As long as I don't cave in to the temptation of laying down to read. It'll be all over if I do that, so I'm walking around with my BookCourier, trying to keep active. I just came back from walking my dog and was reading the beginning to Bittersweet Promises.
Another question I saw was about interruptions. This was an amusing question. Fortunately, I haven't had too many of those. I think it also helps that my eyes and hands aren't engaged with a physical book. I've also got my parent understanding about what I'm doing, and she's been kind enough to not talk too much.
I still have several hours to go, so I'm already trying to mentally think about what I want to read next. I have a Julia Quinn romance that I'm tempted to read, but I don't want to burn myself out on historicals. I do have a few fantasy novels I've been meaning to read, so that's also an option.
Well, that's the latest update. Oh and hey, I just noticed that people are commenting on my posts. While I'm sure I'm not that entertaining, I appreciate people actually coming over here and looking.
I'm not that deep into the book yet. BookCourier has me at 13% of the way through the book. I'm not exactly sure how many pages this novel is, but I'm guessing at least 300. I also can't quite remember what the synopsis said about it, but so far it would seem that the heroine is on the run and has had a near-escape when she and her little brother were caught in the middle of a bank robbery.
I was just taking a quick peek at the Dewey official page, and saw a list of questions. One of them said, "Are you tired yet?"
Why, yes, I am, thanks for asking! Lol. However, I feel strangely awake. As long as I don't cave in to the temptation of laying down to read. It'll be all over if I do that, so I'm walking around with my BookCourier, trying to keep active. I just came back from walking my dog and was reading the beginning to Bittersweet Promises.
Another question I saw was about interruptions. This was an amusing question. Fortunately, I haven't had too many of those. I think it also helps that my eyes and hands aren't engaged with a physical book. I've also got my parent understanding about what I'm doing, and she's been kind enough to not talk too much.
I still have several hours to go, so I'm already trying to mentally think about what I want to read next. I have a Julia Quinn romance that I'm tempted to read, but I don't want to burn myself out on historicals. I do have a few fantasy novels I've been meaning to read, so that's also an option.
Well, that's the latest update. Oh and hey, I just noticed that people are commenting on my posts. While I'm sure I'm not that entertaining, I appreciate people actually coming over here and looking.
One more book finished
About an hour ago I abandoned Dream Guy by Candy Halliday. I'll probably go back to it later, but I had to stop. It wasn't appearling to me much.
After stopping Dream Guy, I started reading Behind Closed Doors. I have no idea how to spell the author, so I won't even try. It's not a Harlequin but a Loveswept novel. I remember in my younger days I used to really enjoy Loveswept. However, I eventually made the switch to Harlequins. I still like to go back and forth though. Keeps things from getting staid.
Anyway, so I finished Behind Closed Doors. It's more or less a book about a woman who's (tada!) in love with her sister's husband. The sister passes on because of some illness, but not before the heroine is roped into being a surrogate mother. The baby is apparently the heroine and hero's.
I keep using the word predictable when writing about the books I've read, but it's the only word that comes to mind. I have to admit I saw what was coming before it happened. Sometimes doing that is a b*tch, but at least I'm not surprised at the end.
But going back to predictable... I don't think that has a whole lot to do with the authors and their writing style, but my choice of books. Perhaps I just gravitate to books with predictable plots. Despite that, they're always enjoyable. This title was no different. It was a very pleasant and entertaining read. No struggling like with Dream Guy.
I'm not sure what I'm going to choose next, but I'll just dive in like I've been doing. I don't feel like going back to Dream Guy, so I'll check out my other options. Maybe now is the time to get some of my school readings out of the way?
After stopping Dream Guy, I started reading Behind Closed Doors. I have no idea how to spell the author, so I won't even try. It's not a Harlequin but a Loveswept novel. I remember in my younger days I used to really enjoy Loveswept. However, I eventually made the switch to Harlequins. I still like to go back and forth though. Keeps things from getting staid.
Anyway, so I finished Behind Closed Doors. It's more or less a book about a woman who's (tada!) in love with her sister's husband. The sister passes on because of some illness, but not before the heroine is roped into being a surrogate mother. The baby is apparently the heroine and hero's.
I keep using the word predictable when writing about the books I've read, but it's the only word that comes to mind. I have to admit I saw what was coming before it happened. Sometimes doing that is a b*tch, but at least I'm not surprised at the end.
But going back to predictable... I don't think that has a whole lot to do with the authors and their writing style, but my choice of books. Perhaps I just gravitate to books with predictable plots. Despite that, they're always enjoyable. This title was no different. It was a very pleasant and entertaining read. No struggling like with Dream Guy.
I'm not sure what I'm going to choose next, but I'll just dive in like I've been doing. I don't feel like going back to Dream Guy, so I'll check out my other options. Maybe now is the time to get some of my school readings out of the way?
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