Pam Webb

a writer's journey as a reader

Archive for the category “Books”

05 Feb 2015
4 Comments

Why We Say: #14


Facing the music. For most of us that does not mean we are a conductor or going to a concert. Usually it means we have messed up and are about to deal with our consequences. Wait a minute–music is considered pleasant. Wouldn’t facing music be pleasant? Not if the band is playing and you’re in the line up for the firing squad. And the band played on takes on a whole different meaning.

 

“So, Eddie–what’s with the guy in the blind fold over by the wall?” image: morgue file

The scene: a business exec, clad in suit enters suburban home circa 1950s and excitedly greets wife stirring up dinner at the stove.

“Hey, Martha! Guess what, honey? You’re looking at the guy who just landed the Happy Holstein account. Get ready for some serious vacation time once my commission check comes through.”

“Oh, George! That’s wonderful, dear. That’s quite a feather in your cap. You worked hard to get that account.”

Fade out: happy couple celebrates over dinner and raised glasses of cheer and smiles.

George was fairly pleased with himself, and deservedly so. That Holstein account involved many overtime hours to get the right campaign ready for presentation. George placed his figurative feather in his cap for his achievement. If George had lived in the days of Edward the “Black Prince” (think the nice prince Heath Ledger’s William character faced in Knights Tale), he would have received three ostrich feathers for his valor or perhaps he would have fared well as a Lycian soldier who added a feather to his cap for every enemy soldier vanquished. Either way George can be pleased how he absolutely slayed that tough assignment.

 

George rocks his cap feather. image: morgue file

fi·as·co
fēˈaskō/
noun
 a thing that is a complete failure, especially in a ludicrous or humiliating way.
“his plans turned into a fiasco
synonyms: failure, disaster, catastrophe, debacle, shambles, farce, mess, wreck
If George had blown the Holstein account he might have arrived home with the glum, instead of glad news, that his day had been a fiasco. Fiascos should be avoided, especially if one’s profession is a Venetian glass maker. Venetian glass is exquisite and craftsman pride is evident in the end product. If the slightest flaw became detected, the bottle was relegated to a common task which took on the name of “fiasco.” If you think about it, some mistakes can be as transparent as glass.

“Quartet of Fiascos” image: morgue file

A band of feathers and faulty glasses brought to you by Why We Say: a Guidebook to Current Idioms and Expressions and Where They Came From by Robert L. Morgan (if 1953 is considered current…)

 

 

Posted in Expressions, Reading, reflections, Words and tagged , , ,
30 Jan 2015
12 Comments

Last Minute Housekeeping: 2014 Vocabulary


Before January totally rolls into February, I wanted to take up Vanessa-Jane Chapman’s nudging to “trot out” my 2014 vocabulary list. And I only thought about doing so because she did such a cool thing by coming up with a word of personal significance for each of the 365 days in 2014. Some of the words a person can only wonder about: Pirate?

My list seems rather mundane in comparison. I set out to record all the new-to-me or review, please words as I read last year. I usually read with my iPhone nearby and type them in my notes (which I can then email to my Google Docs account–handy). I started doing this with my AP reread novel Jane Eyre, which I began in February last year. Periodically I reread books I teach, just to refresh my memory of whatever it is I’m trying to impart to my students. I soon realized my vocabulary wasn’t up to snuff. Here’s a sampling of my Jane Eyre word collection:

appanage: benefit or rank belonging to someone
meretricious:attractive with no real value
diablerie: reckless in a charismatic way
seraglio: women’s apts in Muslim palace
puerile: childishly silly
avidity:keen interest or enthusiasm
inanition:exhaustion caused by lack of nourishment
elysium: Greek mythology-the place where Greek heroes went to be honored after their death
aspirant: ambitions to follow something, as in a political career
coadjutor: bishop which assists a bishop
ineradicable:unable to be destroyed or removed
pertinaciously:holding firmly to an opinion

Some of these I doubt I will be using anytime soon: “appange”? And others I hope to pop out with aplomb at some advantageous point in a conversation: “My inanition requires we go to lunch sooner than later.”  I seriously don’t think I will ever have an ocassion for “coadjutor”; however, I am prepared now should the need arise.

Other words I added from here and there encounters, including one from watching David Suchet in a Hercule Poirot episode and I ever so want to slide it into a conversation (look for *):

poltroon: utter coward
propound: put forward
adamantine: unable to be unbroken
apocryphal: doubtful statement
quash: reject as invalid especially in a legal procedure
blazon:form of poem which describes person through body part description. (Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 is a parody of the form).
*avuncular: acting as an uncle figure
venal: susceptible to corruption or bribery
louche: disreputable or sordid
gallimaufry: jumble
kloofs: African valley
intercalary: calendar alignment-Feb 29
imbroglio: confused situation
vitiated: impair vitality
vertiginously: high or steep
antinomy: a paradox
soteriology : the doctrine of salvation
verdure: lush, green vegetation
encomiums: speech of praise
abstruse: difficult to understand
perfidious: deceitful and untrustworthy

Has collecting these words improved my overall diction? No, not really. Truthfully, I forgot most of these until I attempted to entrap them in the block quote (I give up, Mike, I can’t figure out the boxy thing–sigh). So why do I bother with finding them, typing them in, defining them–yada, yada. Why? I am a confessed word nerd. I just gotta know what that word is. I have a compunction about taking the time to look up the meaning so I continue reading (or watching) my story without being bothered by not knowing. I don’t think that’s because I’m a librarian gigging as an English teacher–I just like words.

Any other word nerds out there? Any words off the list that totally pop out at you for being extra cool? How about “kloofs”? Tish Farrell–you run into any “kloofs” in your African adventures?

Posted in Literature, Reading, reflections, Words and tagged , ,
25 Jan 2015
13 Comments

Not Quite Titles


Though my current vocation is English teacher, I am really a librarian at heart. My principal knows this and understands I am awaiting the day the district figures out the funding to put a certified librarian back into the school library (“pick me, pick me”). I also have visions of retiring from teaching and hiding out in the local community college library working on mends and discards, like I did in my yesteryear life. Until those designated times happen, I live vicariously through other librarians’ lives. Knowing that background–how could I resist this title when I saw it propped up on the “last chance” rack at my local library?

I Work at a Public Library: A Collection of Crazy Stories from the Racks

Gina Sheridan, does indeed work at a public library, and her library must be crazier than the ones I have worked in. She even has a blog dedicated to daily oddities that happen there. If you think libraries are calm, quiet, and bland places to work in, you really need to check out her postings.

I had fun reading her book, and could definitely relate to some of the odd conversations she had either overheard and participated in. One of my favorite sections was her Chapter 3: 028.9 Reading Interests and Habits where she shared some of the “not quite titles” her patrons asked for. Ever hear of these?

  • Catcher in the Wind
  • Gullible’s Travels
  • Fifty Shades of Grey’s Anatomy
  • How to Kill a Mockingbird
  • The Diary of Aunt Frank
  • The Hungry Games

Do you have any interesting tales from the library? Can you top my story of the fifty dollar bill left in a book as a bookmark? Or the guy who checked out an armload of expensive art books who tried to sell them at one of the bookstores down the street ten minutes later?

Posted in Books, Libraries, Reading, reflections, reviews, Writing and tagged , ,
13 Jan 2015
9 Comments

1/50: Bonhoeffer Abridged


It’s January and the month for resolutions, except I’m more for goals than resolutions. They just seem more positive in purpose (“I will get an agent in 2015”). Resolving to do something sounds like I really don’t want to do it, but might as well give it a try (“I resolve to go through the long, painful process of sending out manuscripts and query letters in my search for representation”). Maybe it’s just semantics.

So–one goal I have this year is to keep track of how many books I actually read in a year. Blogger Bud Valerie Lawson got me looking into it on my Good Reads account and I set up my challenge of 50 books. I roughly hit that last year after going through and counting my GR reviews.

image: amazon.com

 

 

 

As I attempt this challenge I’ll keep track of my numbers as I periodically share some of my reads. Most of my reviews are on my Good Reads account found on the right hand side of the blog. For instance, my first read of the year is by Eric Metaxas. His Bonhoeffer Abridged provides a fascinating overview about the man who did not back down from his beliefs and openly challenged Hitler and the Nazi regime. A more detailed review is found amongst my GR review collection.

Anyone out there up for taking on the Good Reads challenge? How many books do you think you can take on this year?

Posted in Blogging, Books, reflections, writers, Writing and tagged , , , ,
10 Jan 2015
21 Comments

The Giver et al


I have rediscovered The Giver. 

the-giver

sometimes the movie reminds the reader the greatness of the book image: bookopia.com.au

When it arrived on the scene in 1993 I was not an impressionable YA reader. No, I was a thirtysomething wife/mom/librarian and read books no matter what age they were intended for. Hmm. the only thing that’s changed is my age and the fact that I’m a librarian at heart while teaching English.

Like most readers, I felt a bit cheated at the ending. It was not neatly wrapped up and presented as a conclusion of satisfaction. Ambiguity can be quite frustrating, yet that’s one reason why The Giver is so memorable. We all want to know what happened to Jonas. Having rediscovered The Giver through watching the 2014 film led me to discover the other books in the series: Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son. And here I thought all these years that the story ended with that famous sled ride.

Apparently it took twenty years for the book to become adapted to the screen. Jeff Bridges bought the rights and had originally wanted his father Lloyd to play the part of Giver. It didn’t happen, but viewers can watch a family reading of The Giver as one of the special features selections on the released DVD. Having finished reading the entire quartet I am smitten with the entire story. I hope there is a continuation of the series since each adds to the overall understanding of Jonas’s world.

An added bonus to rediscovering The Giver was reading the latest edition which contains author Lois Lowry’s twenty year reflection of The Giver’s impact.

A goal for this year: revisiting novels, particularly juvenile and YA novels, to gain a different perspective and insight.

Anyone interested in doing the same?

 

Posted in Books, Movies, Reading, reflections, reviews, writers, Writing and tagged , , , ,
30 Dec 2014
10 Comments

Blog Spotlight: Reading with Rhythm


As a professed Book Booster I have a definite soft spot for a blog that promotes books. The added bonus of Reading with Rhythm is that this is all about a dog dedicated to sharing the love of books with children through visits at schools and libraries. This gets double Shazam points!
Just who is Rhythm and why is this dog so besotted with books? Rhythm’s story is quite interesting. She first trained to become a guide dog, but like some first pick careers, things didn’t go according to plan. However, her second career is just as special and important, because she is enriching many lives now that she is a registered therapy canine. To read more about her career change, read this post.

Rhythm’s Mom Person keeps readers updated with books of note, along with keeping readers entertained with the various adventures she and Rhythm’s family and extended network of pals enjoy and experience.

Rhythm also is the star of her own book! Now that’s something to brag and wag about.

book

Image: Amazon Books

Rhythm and her Mom Person provide a lively and light-hearted perspective to life and life with books. Hoping you’ll stop by and extend your paw of approval for this lovable labrador’s love of reading.

Posted in Animals, Blogging, Libraries, Reading, reviews, Writing and tagged , ,
15 Dec 2014
14 Comments

Author Snapshot: Thomas Hardy


image: Wikipedia

 

Thomas Hardy is not being featured because he’s a fave found on my author list. Actually, I’m doing so because I recently finished reading Far From the Madding Crowd and I surprisingly liked it. I had tried his other novels: Jude the Obscure, Tess of the d’Urbervilles and they simply didn’t grab me. FFMC did. The funny thing is while reading the book I kept imagining Julie Christie as Bathsheba Everdene and Alan Bates as the faithful Gabrial Oakes. These are not current box office top notes of today. Click. Click. I watched the movie version years ago, and guess who were the stars of that gem? Yup, Julie and Alan.

image: lecinemadreams.blogspot.com

 

Book Cover: Far from the Madding Crowd

image: Penguin Books

 

Hardy’s tale of a headstrong, independent young woman who is courted by three men is set in Hardy’s fictional Wessex county, which in reality was a composite of different counties found in southwest and central England. The story is of rural England in 1874 and of love found in its many forms: unrequited, endearing, faithless, adoring, and feckless. A complicated love story of multiple levels, Hardy exposes readers to his real love, which is the pastoral side of England. His details of running a farm, the harsh cruelties of nature, and the enduring spirit of the hard-working people is what makes this novel so memorable. It’s considered the novel that moved his career into the front spot of literary fame. Although he did write novels, Hardy also wrote poetry and considered himself more of a poet than a novelist. In fact, FFMC’s title is inspired from a bit of poetry from another Thomas (Gray). From PublisherWeekly.com:

Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy comes from “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” by Thomas Gray

Far from the madding crowd’s ignoble strife
Their sober wishes never learn’d to stray;
Along the cool sequester’d vale of life
They kept the noiseless tenor of their way.

Hardy Bits:

  • His heart is buried at Stinsford with Emma (first wife) and his ashes are in the Poets’ Corner
  • He disdained much of Victorian principles, just like Dickens
  • Hardy’s second wife, his secretary, was *ahem* forty years older
  • A remake of Far From the Madding Crowd is due out March 2015http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEXGL-Y5D2A

I’m looking forward to comparing the two versions. And we all know the book is always better.

Here is a bonus for you Hunger Games fans: an interview from Entertainment Weekly with Suzanne Collins. See, there is too a reason for reading classics.

Which classic have you never read — but pretended you did?
I sort of half read Thomas Hardy’s The Mayor of Casterbridge. It was assigned in 10th grade, and I just couldn’t get into it. About seven years later I rediscovered Hardy, and consumed four of his novels in a row. Katniss Everdeen owes her last name to Bathsheba Everdene, the lead character in Far From the Madding Crowd. The two are very different, but both struggle with knowing their hearts.

Posted in Literature, Movies, Reading, writers and tagged , , ,
01 Dec 2014
14 Comments

Wish Me Well…


A couple of years ago I participated in NaNoWriMo and even have a manuscript and certificate to prove it. Day Two

Considering it took about two years to untangle the 1,600 words I wrote everyday for 30 days, I decided to pass on attempting NaNo this year. Instead, I entered the New Look Writing Contest sponsored by WestBow Publishing (connected to Thomas Nelson/Zondervan/Harper Collins).  The specifics couldn’t be resisted: at least 10,000 words, inspirational or positive message, YA acceptable, and it’s FREE to enter. Plus, the winner package had quite a few attractive options including publishing packages. I’m in. I have to admit I squeaked in under the deadline of 11/30 by submitting my manuscript on 11/29.

I hope to have good news to share with everyone!

Posted in Books, creativity, Writing and tagged , , , ,
29 Nov 2014
6 Comments

Blog Spotlight: Jilanne Hoffman


Jilanne would have received my recent pick of nominating a blogger for One Lovely Blog, yet she has one already. In fact, she has a bunch of awards–well deserved, I might add.
Upon visiting her site you have to stop a moment and decide what to visit first. Her book reviews? Her writing challenges? Her impressive bio? I especially like her Picture Book Friday entries because there will always be a place on my reading list for picture books. She is definitely a book promoter–not just picture books. A definite Kindred Spirit for Book Boosters out there.

Jilanne also provides readers with unique stories (check out her O ring entry). You will not be bored, that’s for sure, with so many options to select. And that’s what makes her site so diversely interesting.

I also get a kick out of her friendly mutual pokes and swipes with Mike Allegra. In fact, I think that’s how I connected with her, through his site. You really do meet up with the nicest people on WordPress.
So I hope you check out Jilianne’s blog and enjoy your visit, I know you’ll find something of interest there.

Posted in Blogging, Books, reflections, writers, Writing and tagged , , ,
25 Nov 2014
8 Comments

Author Snapshot Update: Jasper Fforde


I’m pretty sure I’ve expressed my appreciation for Jasper Fforde from time to time. He’s right up there with Douglas Adams in literary wit and as for style? I’m not sure who comes close to his genre-tweaking way of getting his point across. Playful, knowledgeable, and quite entertaining.

I was introduced to Jasper Fforde by a librarian who knew I taught Brit Lit. “You will definitely enjoy him.” Of course, with those words I felt a)obligated to try him out b)a bit hesitant–whenever someone tells me I will like something I inevitably don’t. Happens to you as well? Must be that human nature thing.

The first in the series. I do adore Jane Eyre. I’m drawn to capable women protagonists. I relish clever wordplay. And I’m hoping Thursday Next will become a series.

I didn’t care as much for the Nursery Grimes series. I also felt Mother Goose a bit grisly for my tastes, same for Grimm fairy tales. I waited for another Fforde to interest me.

Then I picked up his , which I started reading about the same as that other Grey novel came out. I shocked one of the progeny when he happened to see the title upon first glance. “Mother!”

After reassurances, accompanied by a quick summary, my son’s relief became evident when he learned the plot involved dystopian ideology based on quirkiness. He understood it to be my kind of book after all.

While fretfully awaiting the next in the series, Fforde pulls a fast one and comes out with another series The Last of the Dragonslayers. Although aimed at YA readers, I’m thinking it is really Thursday Next vacationing as a sixteen year old foundling who is coping with dysfunctional magicians.

First oneDragonslayer Book cover        Last Dragonslayer cover just read this one and now awaiting this one…

Eye of Zoltar coverIf you haven’t come across Jasper Fforde and you do appreciate a writer who wittily pokes fun at politics, literature, and popular culture, you might want to try one of his series.

Plus, it’s difficult to resist a writer who appreciates Volkswagen Beetles like I do. They are the car of choice. I came soooo close to spending my inheritance check on a bright red convertible Bug. Caving into family concerns who convinced me into buying something more sensible (I don’t regret my choice of buying a Honda Civic) I now live vicariously through heroines who drive VW Bugs as they dash about taxiing futzy magicians to and fro.

I’m still waiting for my next installment of Shades of Grey…ahem…

Posted in Books, Literature, Reading, writers and tagged , , , , ,

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