Pam Webb

a writer's journey as a reader

Archive for the category “Blogging”

20 Feb 2014

Fifty Shades of Greatness


The particulars: 1,311 voters. 1,200 suggested books. The result: the top 50 books which reflect great reads, great choices–nothing shady about good taste (BookRiot). Though I didn’t vote in the first round I shall add in my votes.

  1. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (126 votes)
  2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
  3. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
  4. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
  5. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
  6. The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien
  7. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
  8. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
  9. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
  10. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
  11. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
  12. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
  13. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
  14. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
  15. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
  16. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
  17. The Stand by Stephen King
  18. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
  19. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
  20. Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
  21. Persuasion by Jane Austen
  22. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
  23. The Brothers Karamozov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
  24. The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon
  25. East of Eden by John Steinbeck
  26. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
  27. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
  28. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
  29. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
  30. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
  31. 1984 by George Orwell
  32. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
  33. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
  34. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
  35. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
  36. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
  37. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams
  38. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
  39. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
  40. Ulysses by James Joyce
  41. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
  42. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
  43. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
  44. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
  45. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon
  46. Dune by Frank Herbert
  47. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
  48. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
  49. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
  50. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (13 votes)

I would have put in votes for The Alchemist and a few of Shakespeare’s plays, like Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, Othello. Come to think of it I’ve yet to come across a Greats list for plays.

Now, your turn. What votes would you cast off the 50 Greats?  And then–what plays would you vote for? Because aren’t plays stories to be acted out?

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16 Feb 2014
6 Comments

Brr–It’s a Bit Drafty In Here


According to a recent bookbaby article by George Burgett I have been writing my drafts all wrong.  Then again, there is a disclaimer that his advice addresses non-fiction primarily.  Hmm, writing is writing, isn’t it?

Here are His pointers offset by my comments.

Write the first draft as quickly as possible. I tend to review the previous day’s work to get a feel for what framework I was in prior, and I do dibble dabble as I read. Best tweak now when the muse is dancing than when the muse can’t remember the steps.

Most of the words will never see light. Wait–throw them out? There’s some really good stuff on the pages. If I tossed it all out why write at all?  I do, of course, edit, weed, and revise.  That’s why I have a critique group. And thick skin.

Look at the purpose statement. I agree. Now and then I should reassess where I started on this path and if I’m still moving in the right direction.

Divided the chapter into logical points. That makes sense too. Chapters should flow naturally to a spot where the reader wants more.

Don’t edit as you write. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.

Do research after the first draft. Umm, I need that research now in order to continue.

Don’t share your first draft. I do share because I get great feedback from the MEPA. Working in that garret gets a bit dismal without input.

Looking over the list I have to concede I need to reassess my writing habits of editing. And yes, I could tighten up on my research rabbit trails. Okay, I learned a couple of things. How about you?  Any nuggets to place in your basket?

Posted in Blogging, creativity, Reflections, Uncategorized, Writing and tagged , , ,
02 Feb 2014

Publisher’s Weekly 2013 List


Cover of November 6, 2006.

Cover of November 6, 2006. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

A bit behind in getting out the best of the year posties, but my procrastination has a purpose: now it’s a reminder instead of a glut of wrap up info. Good old fashioned method-in-my-madness stuff going on here.

 

I am always curious as to what is popular in book reads. The New York Times is one popular measuring tool, and another one is Publisher’s Weekly. These are excerpts from their yearly best 20 books of the year. I found some head-scratching “Really, that was popular?” selections to “Well, that’s no surprise” entries. Here are some pull outs with their summaries. One thing I noticed is that I haven’t heard any of these titles. I’ve not even seen them on the new book offerings shelves at the library.  Is this something I should be concerned about?  Also, most of these titles are not very cheery, interesting, yes–cheery no.  Somehow, I am not as concerned about that issue.  After all, people tend to flock towards the sad and mad instead of the glad. Or is that just my view?

 

The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara (Doubleday)

 

 

Add Norton Perina to the pantheon of literature’s best unreliable narrators. Perina is a scientist who, after graduating Harvard medical school in the 1940s, travels to a remote Pacific island chain where he may or may not have stumbled upon the key to immortality. The book is composed of his memoirs, which he is writing from prison in the U.S. after being convicted of a heinous crime. The truth behind Perina’s story is both riveting and chilling.

 

Miss Anne in Harlem: The White Women of the Black Renaissance by
Carla Kaplan (Harper)

 

 

In this beautifully written, empathetic, and valuable addition to the history of the Harlem Renaissance, scholar Kaplan (Zora Neale Hurston: A Life in Letters) presents the untold story of six notable white women (including Fannie Hurst and Nancy Cunard, members of a larger group known collectively as “Miss Anne”) who embraced black culture—and life—in Harlem in the 1920s and ’30s, serving as hostesses, patrons, activists, comrades, lovers, writers, and editors.

 

 

Sea of Hooks by Lindsay Hill (McPherson & Co.)

 

On a small scale, Hill, a onetime banker and now a poet with six published books, has written a fragmented portrait of a man’s troubled childhood and lost adulthood—a spiritual biography that’s both tragic and comic, and provides moments of pure reading pleasure on every single page, not to mention a wallop of pathos. On a larger scale, it’s a moving and unforgettable novel.

 

DISCLAIMER: covers and summaries are from the Publisher Weekly site. For the entire tamale go to: 2013 Publisher’s Weekly List

 

 

 

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25 Jan 2014

Lit One-Liners


BookRiot became another 2013 discovery, and I am hooked. How could I resist posts delivered free to my mailbox which concern all things books? I definitely found this one by Rachel Cordasco a saver. It will be incorporated into my AP warm-ups where I have students create micro-précis  statements as a ready-set-go for the May exam. Here are some pull-outs from Cardasco’s post:

    Posted by   Rachel Cordasco   from BookRiot            

30 One-Sentence Lessons from Literature

1. Hamlet by William Shakespeare: Just make up your mind already, dude.

2. Anything by Stephen Crane: It doesn’t matter what you do- the Universe still thinks you’re super lame.

3. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes: You can never read too many novels…oh wait, maybe you can…

4. Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser: Cluelessness is not something you want to broadcast when you’re a young woman in strange new city, for you’ll just become a skeevy-guy magnet.

5. Dracula by Bram Stoker: If you have a choice between Count Dracula’s castle and the Holiday Inn, stay at the Holiday Inn.

6. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: If you absolutely must create a freakish monster thing, be sure to make a girlfriend for it, cause if you don’t, he’ll be really, really mad.

7. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka: Sucks to be a bug.

8. Macbeth by William Shakespeare: You should treat your guests well by, you know, not murdering them in their beds.

9. Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain: When you travel around in a boat with a friend, away from human civilization, when you do run in to people you realize just how crazy they all are.

10. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen: When it comes down to choosing between the hot guy who treats you like crap and the not-as- hot guy who treats you like a queen, it’s really not a choice at all.

11. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad: Don’t frighten the natives.

12. The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells: When the freaky alien things come swooping down on Earth and shooting lasers or whatever at everyone, run as fast as you can cause those aliens are mean.

13. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: Yeah, yeah, money can’t buy happiness- check.

14. Anything by e. e. cummings:

capital

letters

are for

losers.

15. King Lear by William Shakespeare: Don’t bother arguing with your parents. Or your children. Just don’t bother.

_________________________

My own contributions:

Beowulf by John Gardner: growing up in a cave with a fiendish mother definitely changes your perspective

Daisy Miller by Henry James: It’s true, when in Rome, or at least in Italy, as a single American girl, who should do as the Romans–Italians do–then again, maybe not.

Room with a View by E.M. Forester: what is about Italy and young women anyway?

“The Lovesong of Alfred J. Prufrock” T.S. Eliot: What if, What if, What if Hamlet hadn’t been your poster boy of decision-making?

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson: getting in touch with your inner feelings definitely deserves a second thought

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06 Jan 2014
1 Comment

The Twelve Days of Christmas Break


English: Second verse of "The Twelve Days...

Saturday the 21st I woke up realizing break had finally happened. Endless days stretched ahead of me, at least two weeks (plus) worth of no lesson plans, or grading papers, or slogging out of bed when it’s dark to teach teens who would rather not be taught, only to return home in the dark. The gift of vacation. And then that old standby of The First Day of Christmas zipped into my head and I decided to make my own song: On Each Day of Christmas Break I Gave a Gift to Me (okay, the rhyme scheme is off, but it’s the thought that counts, right?)
A snub at the alarm
Staying up way too late
Last minute shopping
Visits with the family
Thoroughly cleaning house
Reading and napping
Working on my novel
Lunching with my sweetie
Walking in the winterwonderland
Reading cards and letters
Getting a new haircut
Eating most indulgently
Joining the gym
A joyful little getaway
Celebrating the New Year
Post Holiday shopping
And returning to the classroom completely renewed, refreshed, and ready for 2014!

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04 Jan 2014

Monkeying Around


I usually don’t follow the trend, yet those monkeys got me smiling with their extra effort this year. Plus I wanted to do some shout outs to the main commenters throughout the year: LazyCoffees, Literary Tiger, Stehothej, Letizia, and Eagle-Eyed Editor. Thanks guys!
A couple of reflections–I had no idea concrete poetry was such a popular search item! Perhaps it’s time to boost ratings with another round. Also, Sparky Sweets continues to get hits. Hmmm, respark another post?
So, the tts are a bit of a report card. I’m not much for checking my stats, although I do get a kick from how those little monkeys put together the end of the year prez.
Off to another year–gee it would be grand to get Freshly Pressed this year (wee hint).
Happy New Year, One and All!
m

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 8,200 times in 2013. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 3 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Posted in Americans, Blogging, Literature, Movies, Seasons, technology, time management, Writing and tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment
30 Dec 2013
12 Comments

Revisits and Rereads


Cover of "To Kill a Mockingbird: 50th Ann...

Cover via Amazon

It’s 5:45 a.m. and I’ve just finished re-reading Mockingjay. I checked it out a couple of days ago partly because I was surprised to see not one, but two copies on the shelf. I cancelled my hold request for Catching Fire as I reached the last chapter of the last book in this series.. How could I return to the middle after witnessing the end of Katniss’s journey?
I usually don’t reread books unless a long interval takes place–at least five years or more. To Kill a Mockingbird is the exception–then again, I teach that one and is less of a re-read than a re-visit at this point.

But let us turn from Mockingbirds back to Mockingjays:

As I eased the last page over and closed the book and suffer from that post traumatic feeling of “book done” I’m glad I’ve reread Mockingjay. The first time through was a done in a frenzy of page turning, and I missed so much. This time I have faces for the characters having watched the movies and the tangled relationships of Katniss take on a deeper meaning now.

It’s much the same when I revisit Scout —Mary Badham‘s freckled pageboy face is superimposed upon Harper Lee’s Scout, as she bildungsromans her way through childhood and racial injustice, let alone Southern discomforts of the 193os.

Someday I will return once again and reread the third and final adventure of Katniss. Although I definitely appreciated the Hunger Games trilogy, I doubt I will actually become as familiar with it as I have with To Kill a Mockingbird. Hmmm, I wonder if there is a connection between my fondness for these two lit ladies, one a Mockingbird and the other a Mockingjay.

Yes, there is: it’s called A Good Story.

So, Book Boosters–while you are dialed in–any novels or books you reread? Or perhaps revisit?

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20 Nov 2013
2 Comments

Dear Mr. Knightley


While the title sounds like yet another Jane Austen spin-off, Dear Mr Knightley, is actually an updated version of the classic epistolary coming-of-age novel, Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster. Debut author, Katherine Reay, openly has the character borrowing both from Austen and Webster, which is either annoying or endearing. It’s the reader’s choice.  And that’s what the storyline becomes: annoying at times, yet also endearing at other times. It’s annoying to continually have Austen and company quotes tossed about throughout the storyline, yet, on the other hand, it’s also endearing to have a character who relies on literature as a means of survival. One of the stumbling blocks in determining audience appeal is pinpointing whether this is a YA novel or not. Although the protagonist is in her twenties, her lack of confidence and bevvy of relationship problems produce a character voice of someone closer to high school age. As for the storyline itself, there is intrigue and momentum as the plot eventually reveals the identity of Mr. Knightley.

17657649

image: GoodReads.com

Young protagonist Samantha Moore, has bounced in and out of foster care when younger, but life becomes better when she becomes a recipient of a foundation grant allowing her to enroll in a prestigious journalism program. One of the stipulations is keeping her mysterious benefactor, Mr Knightley, apprised of her academic progress. Straight up missives about tough professors would be boring, of course. Instead, through her correspondence with Mr Knightley, we learn all about Sam–her inability to have meaningful relationships, her doubts, her fears, her failings, her victories, and finally her accomplishments.
While the  beginning is a bit rough, the middle makes up for it. But the ending–though fitting for the plot direction, is a bit unrealistic. Then again, happy endings are one reason we select escape reading. And it is easy to escape into Dear Mr. Knightley–who wouldn’t want a mysterious benefactor, one who listens silently and produces a magic wand at the right moment to make life a bit easier?
Fans of Austen and other classics will relish the quotes liberally decorating the story throughout. And those who want a light romance with a hint of mystery will appreciate the story as well.

Disclosure of Material Connection: This book was provided, by BookSneeze®, in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received.

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Posted in Blogging, Books, Reading, reviews, Uncategorized, writers and tagged , , ,
14 Nov 2013
13 Comments

A Bit of Bard for the Kidlits


List of titles of works based on Shakespearean...

How well do your kids know this guy? (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Shakespeare. He probably isn’t on most parental to-do lists when it comes to childhood enrichment items. Then again–why not? We trot our kiddos to soccer practice, piano lessons, and the library to enrich their lives, why not foster the love of the Bard at an early age?
Acclaimed playwright Ken Ludwig believes infusing the Bard into our children’s lives is an essential, endearing adventure to undertake. His How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare is both inspirational and inventive in its approach. Although I no longer have kidlits at home since my progeny are now building their own nests, I can still adapt Ludwig’s methods by amending them to classroom instruction, especially since the ninth grade Common Core curriculum has a Romeo and Juliet section.

Teaching Shakespeare to our children is a notable endeavour. Ludwig states a few of his goals as to why he taught Shakespeare to his children on page 11:

  • giving them tools to read Shakespeare’s works with intelligence for the rest of their lives
  • enriching their lives
  • exposing them to literature to inspire them toward achieving great lives as they grow
  • providing meaningful shared experiences

Cool. Those are pretty much my intentions when I teach Shakespeare to my classroom kiddos.
Ludwig hits all the essential values of the “why” of Shakespeare:
1. The richness of imagery
2. The lilt of rhythm
3. The nuances and playfulness of language
4. The importance of memorizing and tucking away forever a few exceptional passages to pull out and nibble on throughout life
5. The joy of exploring character

Shakespeare’s plays showcase poetry at its best. Why wait until the kinder are all grownup before relishing the richness of English language? I am always amazed when I get a ninth grader who states, “Shakespeare? Who’s Shakespeare?” Admittedly that confession is rare. Unfortunately, the only Shakespeare most students know is Romeo and Juliet. On the other hand, by the time they leave high school they will become acquainted with at least three plays and a a handful of sonnets.  Sadly, I didn’t have any Shakesperience until I began teaching it.  That’s nearly thirty years of being Bardless.  Shocking, I know.  Now I’m a professed Bardinator and hope to put my acquired knowledge to page, one of these days.  We’ll see.  I have too many books in want of writing as it is.

For now, I am thrilled to introduce Shakespeare to my freshmen and strive to induce appreciation for his words and wit.

Mass-produced colour photolithography on paper...

Anyone out there have the Bard on their parent list? Is it squeezed in with ballet and soccer?

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Posted in Blogging, education, Family, Literature, Poetry, Reflections, reviews, Teachers, writers and tagged , , , , ,
02 Nov 2013
2 Comments

NaNo oh oh


November is such an incredibly packed month:

  • post first quarter grades
  • plan second quarter lessons
  • parent teacher conferences
  • vote when applicable
  • Thanksgiving
  • No Shave November

oh oh somewhere in there is NaNoWriMo

If I were truly a dedicated NaNoian this should have been my first NaNo post. Well, not wanting to be too crazy this year, I’ve decided not to NaNo in 2013. I have previously NaNoed and have the completion certificate hanging on the wall. I even have bounced the manuscript out to a couple of editors and agents.

This year, however, instead of something new I shall continue with my vow of completion commitment. No more new starts until finishing half-started projects–umm, those of merit.  Some projects should keep on hibernating for both our sakes.

Yes, I am intent on finishing the middle grade historical novel I’ve been working on for the last ten years. I know, that’s an awfully long time, especially when in just a month’s time I cranked out a YA novel a couple of years. Contemporary fiction , I’ve discovered, is so much easier than writing  middle reader historical fiction. researching for a historical novel is one big onion of peel and write. As soon as I peel back one layer of information another layer is revealed.  Yes, peeling historical onions do make me cry. Getting facts straight, setting up proper verisimilitude, along with creating catchy characters, scintillating setting, and convincing complications, conflict, and climax is tough stuff. At least for me. I’m determined to finish this odyssey of a pioneer tale I started, especially when I’ve had an agent express interest.

Sooo, Na No not now, but thanks for the invite. This year my RSVP box is checked “next year, perhaps.”

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