That's What She Read, episode 5 (the bonus edition)

This girl happened to be in town doing a series of photoshoots at the beginning of the month, and I just happened to crash one in order to get her on the podcast! There was a break for lunch when the talk turned to books (as is apt to happen when book people get together). I decided to pull out my iPhone and to just start recording. Fortuitous, I tell you!

We talk Ender's Game and the controversy surrounding Orson Scott Card, Watership Down, and much, much more. As long as we can avoid eating noises (major personal pet peeve), we're thinking a periodic podcast dinner with friends may be in order.

Click here to listen to our silly antics or stream below.

Three rock star e-newsletters you should subscribe to now

I love email. Several of my favorite relationships went from average and satisfactory to having a real intimacy and closeness thanks to the conversations and dreaming we did over email. Of course, these days it can be hard to keep up with all of the email coming in. Up until three or four months ago, I was deleting 15 to 20 emails--ones like Groupon, Terrain, and Artomatic--every morning without even opening them. Fed up, I finally spent 30 minutes doing a digital purge and unsubscribing to all of the newsletters and updates I kept automatically deleting. I figure I'd given them enough of a chance to wow me.

Three fabulous newsletters that remain are listed below! When I see an update from these rock stars, I almost always stop what I'm doing and dig in. I draw inspiration from the links and thoughts they share, even if the topic may have nothing to do with whatever I'm currently working on. In fact, it's often better if it doesn't.

• Austin Kleon's dispatches tie directly back to what he's currently working on, reading, watching, etc. His voice is one that really resonates with me, and his reading recommendations never steer me wrong. 

• Marc Schiller's Bond/360 updates are letters chock full of advice from an experienced marketer. The best thing about Schiller is his no-nonsense, no-holds-barred attitude. He doesn't coddle and is most likely smarter than you. He is also one of the geniuses behind Wooster Collective. 

• Kam of Campfire Chic's newsletters are motivational. Her focus for the year is bravery, and she's pushing her followers to make their own brave choices. Stories of her outdoor adventures always encourage me to step away from the computer. 

The way in which these newsletters complement the authors' websites and/or other online outlets inspired me to try my hand at creating my own. I can't promise to keep a regular schedule (this might even be the only one), but I will try to keep it interesting and a bit more raw than the blog. I also like the idea of an outlet to talk about things that just may not be appropriate for this space. We'll see.

Sign up below to get the inaugural issue. I talk a bit about coping with shyness, as well as give you the low down on what I'm watching and listening to.


Subscribe here to receive my newsletter!

Day in the Life, 07.23.13

I got the wild idea the other day to document my daily activities a la the well-known Ali Edwards project. I usually get distracted by these type of projects because they remind me of how beige (the colors, not what I'm actually doing) day-to-day life can be. Still, I love peeking into others' lives when they do them, so I thought I'd offer a look behind the veil at my Tuesday.


I spent a few minutes in the early morning catching up on email and Twitter. If shared stories or links on Twitter catch my eye, I usually allow myself to read a couple before really buckling down. One of the first things I tackled on Tuesday was reviewing a map of boring locations for one of my projects. You wouldn't believe how much back and forth was involved in finalizing the location of just one of those dots. At least they're pink ;-)

I usually fill whatever water bottle I have laying around a few times during the day and, lately, have been swearing by the Mio that has caffeine. I convinced myself it was enough of a pick me up to review a sediment coring plan on another of my Maryland projects followed by more emails back and forth with the engineer, geomorphologist, and partners to finalize things.

Sometimes I forget to take a break and make sure my plants are watered.

This is one of my coworkers. She wasn't really a fan of this particular photo, so let's keep it between us. We met to discuss prep for our yearly audit. Because I have a number of federal grants, I always like to make sure my files are in order :-/

Later that afternoon, I headed to Crownsville, MD and the Maryland Historical Trust. My intern forgot to put some important archival photos in the mail, and it was pretty urgent that our state historic preservation officer get these.


I ended the day by swimming a few laps at the gym. This is the gym buddy.

What does an average day look like for you? I want to see your day in the life!

Gold star guilt

You guys, I know we all like Goodreads, but am I the only one that gets stressed out by the pressure to rate things? The unfilled stars stare back at me, somehow begging to be gold. If I happen to give a new read four stars, should I revisit that last four-star book because it really wasn't as good as the new read? Will my friends, who happen to be more generous star givers, know I did like the book if I only give it three stars?

The ways in which I love, like or hate things are nuanced and often more subtle than a simple 1-5 can portray. I was listening to the Book Fight podcast the other day and heard them equate three stars to a 'meh'. Argh! I'm a fairly tough scorer in all that I do. I give three stars to books that I like (four=so good, five=OMGSOAWESOME). Less than 30% of the books that I've read make it above a three, and yet, there are some pretty damn good books that make it to three stars.

Perhaps it's because a small part of my job is ranking and scoring grant proposals, but I sometimes feel compelled to develop a set of criteria by which to judge all of my reads and come up with equitable scores. Ridiculous! Maybe I'm just a dork. No one else does this, right? Also, while I'm ranting, why can't I give partial stars? You don't want to know how many times I've tried to click half a star just to see if it will work.

How do you rate books? Do you give fours and fives with ease?

Behind the Bookshelf: Interview with a bookseller, Ravena James

Meet Ravena, a bookseller's bookseller. This lady is passionate about books and will think nothing of spending hours with a customer, trying to find the perfect book for them. She also refuses to give up on her belief that there is a piece of fanfic or graphic novel for everyone. When she's not working at the day job, she slings books at a local Barnes & Noble on Sundays and Wednesdays and harbors a not-so-secret desire to open her own bookstore one day.

What are you currently reading? Thoughts on it? 

Calculated in Death. It's the latest by J.D. Robb and since this is by far my most favorite author I believe it's amazing. This is book 44 of this series if I'm not mistaken and while some authors manage to ruin characters or resort to the worst sort of Mary Sue by this time, J.D. Robb still manages to have well plotted stories with characters that we're always happy to read about and murders that are just grisly enough to leave your wondering how mankind has managed to survive this long.

What books are you most looking forward to this year? 

Oooh, this is a hard one. The next JD Robb one (there are two, one around my birthday, the next one in the fall). Beyond that, the book I was anticipating for this year came out in March and I devoured it thusly, so there's nothing else that I've looked up that I know is coming out this year. Authors that I'm hoping (and probably are) pubbing stuff this year that I'll pick up: Lauren Dane, Megan Hart, Jaci Burton, Cynthia Eden, and Inez Kelley to start. And then there's the fanfic...don't even get me started.

Did you set any reading goals for 2013? If so, what are they?

Every year I say I'm not going to do this and then in the back of my mind I do it anyway. So what's floating there is 150 books. I always reach it, but I don't always log it like I say I'm going to, but this year, I'm trying really really REALLY hard to log it.

What three characters would you invite to the juice bar for a drink? 

Dee Ann Smith (though she would hate it and would sneer at me for it), Cony, Eric Northman (as penned by EIM). The first character Dee Ann Smith is from Shelley Laurenston's Big Bad Beast. Cony is one of the two male parent set from The Englor Affair by J.L. Langley, and Eric Northman is from True Blood/SVM series by Charlaine Harris, but rewritten into fanfic by EricizMine.

If you could convince any two authors to write a book together, who would it be? Why?

This is a dream for me...a far long denied dream. I would love to see what Darynda Jones and Ilona Andrews would cook up. The brand of crazy that they write from would blend so well in my mind. Both write heroines who will do the wrong thing...will own doing the wrong thing and will persist in doing it, but will do the wrong thing if it means saving the life of someone else. They also have the weirdest shit happen around them and never bat an eye.

What's the most annoying book you see flying off the shelves?

50 fricking shades of gray. And I'm sorry to say I bought this before I did enough research for it. While it's doing wonders for opening up the erotic romance genre, it's spinning such horrible horrible lies about the BDSM world and how relationships play out there and shows it more as deviency than an actual choice...and then the writing is the worst sort of purple prose that I've ever suffered through.

If you could give people one piece of advice to prep them for entering a bookstore, what would it be?

Know what you want, but, be open to trying something you've never read.

Top 5 Kevin Costner-Ugly Cry Marathon Picks

Over the past couple of weekends, I've been a bit indulgent with my time, spending more than a few hours* beating the heat at local movie theaters. Toward the end of White House Down (don't judge), I sat in the dark theater, tears sliding down my face as Channing Tatum's onscreen daughter stands on the lawn of the White House whipping an American flag back and forth (uh...spoiler alert?). The idea for this post came as I realized I'd been silently composing an email to my friend Allie to put that morning's tears in perspective.

You see, I am a crier. My tear ducts betray me when I'm angry, happy or sad; during shows, commercials or especially moving So You Think You Can Dance routines; while reading books or listening to storytelling podcasts; or (*drumroll*) while at the movies. It's a familial trait**, so I tended not to think too much of it until the afternoon I found myself watching Swing Vote with Allie. Instead of silent drops that can be discreetly brushed away, my fist was practically shoved in my mouth to quiet the moaning, ugly sobs emanating from my body. I was aware of exactly how embarrassing and ridiculous I was being, and yet, I could do nothing to stem the flow. I'm pretty sure Allie thought I'd finally had a nervous breakdown.

Later, I realized the link between many of my more extreme movie-crying experiences is Kevin Costner. So, without further adieu, I bring you my top five Kevin Costner-Ugly Cry marathon picks.


1. Swing Vote


2. For Love of the Game



3. Dances with Wolves



4. The Guardian



5. The Bodyguard

Yes, I'm the sap that is to blame for the fact that the hard-hearted masses must suffer through scene after cheesy scene pandering to the most base emotions.

*White House Down, World War Z, The Heat and Pacific Rim
**Lord help those of you sharing a couch with my family during holiday movie season.

Do something

Photograph of the Civil Rights March on Washington, 8/28/1963, c/o The U.S. National Archives

The richness of last night's meal, enjoyed over a leisurely dinner with friends, seemed like a mistake less than hour after I arrived home. It congealed in my stomach, threatening to resurface as I caught up on my Twitter stream.

"NOT GUILTY! This is an abomination. Shameful. #JusticeForTrayvon"

"Trembling & sick after hearing this dehumanizing verdict. Time for solidarity & mobilization to fight racism in all forms. #JusticeforTrayvon"

"Regardless of what the law says, one thing is true: If George Zimmerman had just stayed in his car, Trayvon Martin would be alive."

George Zimmerman was acquitted? Wave after wave of sickness, shame and anger washed over me. Also, trailing not too far behind was the heartbreaking fact that I wasn't surprised in the least. Our track record is atrocious. Actual policemen seem to be routinely acquitted of shooting unarmed African Americans; the verdict in Florida is just another indictment against all of us for not DOING something.

Yes, DO SOMETHING. "Thinking good thoughts" or feeling bad or even ranting to your Twitter choir does nothing to abate the actual problem. Yes, you need to have your personal house in order. If you're white, you need to recognize that, no matter how downtrodden your life may seem, you are afforded certain privileges and allowances that folks of different races are not. Yes, I'm sure you can think of a counter argument. Just stop. You are. I am. Now do something about it. Speak up. Talk to people outside of your circle. Change won't happen when we just sit around wringing our hands with folks who feel the same way. Observe the world around you. Start with the place where you work. When you see a wrong being done, say and do something. Don't just assume someone else is doing something about it.

Get uncomfortable. I can tell you from experience that rocking the boat will lead some folks to lash out. Learn to embrace it. Social change isn't swift, but it must be fought for...over and over and over because those who preach, teach or even just allow hate continue to indoctrinate new generations. Some things are worth fighting for.

I'm writing this as much for me as for you. We all need to open our mouths, take those steps, get our hands dirty. I know where I can start. Do you?

That's What She Read, episode 4 (updated audio links)

Episode 4 of That's What She Read is live and ready for listening! Ravena and I chatter about our latest reads (links below), as well as tangents like judging a book by its cover. 

In the latest episode of That's What She Read, Ravena talked about two of her more recent reads, including Cynful by Dana Marie Bell and The Favor by Megan Hart. I gave quick reviews of Lost Code by Kevin Emerson, Faithful Place by Tana French and The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved by Hunter S. Thompson, as well as a mention of Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides (current read).

Download and listen to the latest episode today (or, you know, whenever ;-)).

The song we sampled at the beginning is Lovely 2 C U by Goldfrapp.

My story as told by water, part VI

Not Spring Creek but a pretty river nonetheless.

In high school, my friend Cindy and her family had what they called a ranch where they went to escape the city. Really, it was just some land they owned and included a mobile home, deer stands and a four-wheeler. Running through a corner of the property was Spring Creek, the place where my adventure began.

One summer day, Cindy invited me and Jennifer (the other member of our triumverate) to come out to the ranch and hang out. I think I've been pretty transparent about the fact that I wasn't an outdoorsy person and wasn't raised by an outdoorsy family. I've always loved being near water though. Wearing our swimsuits and dragging our inflatable pool float/loungers, we made our way down to the creek shortly after arriving. Leaving our floats along the bank, we swam out to a larger raft in the center of the reservoir, the cool water providing much needed relief from the unbearable Texas sun. I remember laughing, talking and sharing as we lay on the raft. We weren't really lay around in the sun-type girls, however, and were soon craving a bit more adventure.

Three giggling, chatty girls decided then and there to become explorers of the Texas wildlands, navigating Spring Creek as if it were the mighty Nile. Lying prostrate on my float, using my hands to paddle along, I followed the others out of the reservoir and into the narrowing creek. Long grass and weeds along the bank would occasionally brush against my bare leg, violating my personal space and sending a shiver up my spine, and periodically, I would have to brush channel-spanning cobwebs from my face. This might be the first appearance of the coping mechanism I like to call my nature blindness*.

I can't say how long we were out there. Looking back, it feels like we spent hours paddling along before we finally decided to stop. We found a shallow, cobble-lined section of the creek in which to sit. As conversation buzzed around me, my eyes focused on the water at my feet. Tiny black things clung to the rocks, and leaning in closer to the surface, I struggled to figure out what they were. Looking down at my thighs, I noticed a couple of the same things clinging to me. My head seemed to detach from my body and float above me like a balloon as it dawned on me what I was looking at. Without thinking, I was on my feet, slapping, dancing and flailing about as I tried to get the baby leeches off of me.

I can't tell you what happened after that or how we got back to the ranch. Perhaps self preservation has wiped these memories all eternal sunshine-like. I just know that for at least one afternoon I felt like a fearless explorer capable of great feats. You know...until the leeches came along.

*Nature blindness is my apparent ability to not see things in nature that scare me (e.g., spiders, snakes, bugs).

Behind the Bookshelf: Interview with a bookseller, Suzanna Hermans

Hey, gang, I'm super stoked about today's interview! Suzanna Hermans is co-owner of Oblong Books & Music in Millerton & Rhinebeck, New York and co-founder of The Hudson Valley YA Society. I first stumbled across Suzanna on Twitter in a quest to follow more smart book people and am so glad I did. In addition to being a self-confessed cat lady and theatre nerd (both huge positives), her stream (and the Oblong Books sister stream) is chock full of book goings on and recommendations. Really, she's fabulous.

Also, what better way to celebrate Independence Day this week than to support our independent bookstores?! I'm going to spare you guys the full-on soapbox rant I'm itching to give and will, instead, leave you to read the interview below. Seriously, though, Suzanna has some great recs; just click on any of the titles to learn more about the books and pick up a copy from Oblong.

What are you currently reading? Thoughts on it? 

I'm halfway through Maggie Stiefvater's THE DREAM THIEVES, and it's fantastic. She really takes the characters to the next level in this one. I had listened to THE RAVEN BOYS on audio, and the narrator was fantastic, so I was torn between reading the ARC now or waiting for the audiobook. My impatience won out!

What books are you most looking forward to this year?

Oh my goodness, there are so many! I'm excited to read Trish Doller's new book WHERE THE STARS STILL SHINE, since SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL was a favorite of mine last year. Same with Jennifer Shaw Wolf's DEAD GIRLS DON'T LIE. Her last book, BREAKING BEAUTIFUL, blew me away. And I've already read it, but Rainbow Rowell's FANGIRL is the book I'm most excited to hand to my customers!

Did you set any reading goals for 2013? If so, what are they? 

I don't set formal reading goals, mostly because I really need to read across all genres and age groups. I buy all the books for my store, not just the YA books. I read as fast and as widely as I can, but my heart belongs to YA!

What three characters would you invite to the bar for a drink?

WOW. That's a great question. Eleanor from ELEANOR & PARK, Blue from THE RAVEN BOYS, and Karou from THE DAUGHTER OF SMOKE & BONE. It would be a kick-ass ladies night.

If you could convince any two authors to write a book together, who would it be?

I'd love to see what would happen if Sarah Dessen & Ally Carter teamed up, or Kristin Cashore & Libba Bray. Why? I love all of their books so much, and (as far as I know) they have yet to partner up to write a book with someone else. But these two-author books can be big hits or BIG misses, so they'd really have to work hard to pull it off.

What's the most annoying book you see flying off the shelves?

I'm cool with all kinds of books. If the book that gets someone to love reading is a super-commercial ghostwritten book, that's fine! I don't care what people want to read, as long as they're reading.

If you could give people one piece of advice to prep them for entering a bookstore, what would it be?

Give yourself time to browse. From tiny stores to large, let yourself be immersed in the store, and explore all the sections, even ones you tend to ignore. Bookstores are all about discovery, and if you haven't found the perfect book, ask a bookseller. We recommend books all day long, and love to help readers discover their next favorite book.

Weekending, 06.29.13

I can't really explain it, but I'm just not ready to give up on this comic book thing. I'm determined to find something that resonates with me. So, when I found out the Annapolis Comic-Con was going to be this past weekend (and that it was only $10 to get in), I jumped at the chance to go, immediately texting Ravena to see if she wanted to come with.



I went expecting lines and costumes, but the thing I managed to forget was that people actually want to talk to you at these conventions (and they expect you to already know the ins and outs of their world). This had the potential to be a huge hurdle for this shy introvert, but luckily, I had two things going for me.

(1) I've learned to fake it and work through my shyness over the years. I think I do a pretty good job of appearing outgoing and chatting with strangers when, inside, I'm actually dying.
(2) I brought a translator (aka friend with comic cred).

Once I got a handle on my nerves and figured out which aggressive tables to avoid, I had a good time. I really enjoyed looking at artist portfolios and snagged the coolest (funniest) poster for my office door that I'll be sure to share once I snap a photo.



I was also on a mission to procure the first few issues of the new Wonder Woman reboot. I remember watching the TV series with Linda Carter as a little girl and liking this kick-ass heroine. I also have this theory that I may have an easier time getting into a series if I start from the beginning (or the new beginning in this case).

Do you know what was insanely frustrating? A seemingly unending sea of white boxes (see above) filled with random comics in no particular order. Who has time for that? Not this girl. I just don't have patience for that kind of hunt. I did snag the first few issues of Wonder Woman but ended up doing so from vendors who labeled their boxes and had the comics in alphabetical order. Score for the organized peeps of the world!

We ended the convention with a hop inside the tardis and took photos with The Walking Dead backdrop. Part of me wanted to stay for the zombie apocalypse training, but the crowds were beginning to press in. As we stepped into the bright sunlight, sidestepping yet another character I didn't know, Ravena pointed out that I might not be quite ready for the 30,000+ people that flock to Otakon in Baltimore. ;-)

Hustler seeking friends for wacky ideas

This may be the look Steven sometimes gives me when I say I have an idea.

 My mind is almost always* whirring at 100 mph, spinning from idea to idea. [In fact, I just stopped writing this post in order to add things to my grocery list that I thought of in the shower.] I'm pretty okay with this--minus the sometimes ADD-like hopping around from task to task at work. I like being the kind of person who is interested in a lot of things and is constantly thinking of things to do, try and see.

It's my friends you should feel sorry for. I'm a hustler who is always recruiting for these ideas. Just this week alone I've emailed, texted or talked to my friend Scarlet about (1) the social media plan we're writing for our favorite bar, (2) what we should name the orchestra we're going to start, (3) mixing music for Ravena's and my book podcast, (4) doing a short film with my friend Jim for a Corcoran contest and (5) a new place we should check out in Fairfax. Just. This. Week. She's not even my only victim. I'm constantly pushing my latest podcast finds (Let's Make Mistakes and Snap Judgement) on Ravena and pulling her into things like our own podcast and photoshoots and coffee hunts. It's to the point where my friend Steven gives me the Serena-and-her-ideas look (usually Scarlet gets it to because we've usually banded together). 

I think I may need to recruit more friends, so that I don't wear these guys out. Any takers? :-)

*Except when it isn't. There are certainly days when the flashing red meltdown lights begin to flash, and my brain begins dumping information like the crew of a sinking ship trying to bail water.

The Passage and The Twelve (of The Passage Trilogy)

As I shoved the sleeves of my abandoned cardigan flush against the bottom of my sealed bedroom door, I realized I may have a problem. What kind of apocalypto-survivor-zombie-vamp-battling heroine barricades herself in the bedroom, ceding control of the living room and kitchen to a flying insect*? We probably shouldn't leave the fate of the world in my hands.

I certainly question how well I would do if forced to survive in the dystopian world Justin Cronin creates in both The Passage and The Twelve. It's a world in which the government of the United States has spun even further out of control, somehow justifying the use of a virus or other biological to turn death row inmates into killing machines. As you would expect, this experiment spins out of control, and these twelve vampire-like creatures slaughter almost everyone and go off reservation. The combination of their super strength, blood lust, and the rapid spread of contagion leaves only small clusters of survivors spread throughout the U.S. Hope seems to lie with a zealous group brought together by a young girl who doesn't seem to age. We follow this group as they travel cross country, fighting to survive and looking for answers along the way. The Twelve picks up where the first book leaves off and puts several of the main characters on the offensive as they try to take back the world from these monsters.

When friends ask me what I think of the books, my default response has been 'epic', due largely to how much I struggle to describe this world in any kind of a simple, neat package. Rather than focusing on one town or family or even discrete period of time, Cronin knits together multiple family trees over generations, weaving government reports, email and other memos and journal entries along with first person narrative to tell the story of the collapse of the world and its struggling survivors. It's...well, epic, grand, sweeping.

I fell hard for The Passage and found myself getting lost for hours in the web of Cronin's prose. Tears slid down my face with each character he killed, and I wanted to cheer with each of their victories. Cronin creates rich relationships and drops them into a world with the highest of stakes. It's this that drives the story. If you're into savoring a book like I am, this book really allows you to do that. It's long and dense, but not in a way that's off-putting.

I loved The Twelve almost as much for all of the same reasons I fell for The Passage. In the second book, Cronin seems to explore even more of the Biblical-type themes he kicked off in book one.We have the twelve tribes, the prophet and even the young savior who just may have to sacrifice herself to save everyone else. I bought all of this. The parts where my interest began to waver were these mystical interludes where Amy (the savior) seems to hallucinate/speak with dead people on a different plane. I rarely skim or read ahead but couldn't help myself toward the end.

Despite my sometimes lukewarm feelings toward the end of The Twelve, I very much recommend these two books and am looking forward to seeing how Cronin wraps the series up!

*Large enough to make an audible thwapping sound as it hit my ceiling and walls.

Thoughts on fanfic, part II (or, more appropriately, attempting to decipher the world of comics)

This post originally started as a second foray into the world of fanfic with grand proclamations about comics as a form of fan fiction. Instead, it turned out more of a neophyte's cherry popping experience with comics. Bear with me.



The problem with having friends who read fanfic, one of whom I podcast with, is that it's never terribly far off my radar screen. It's a topic that is frequently debated and has become one of those things I find myself trying to unpack. A few months ago one such debate led to the realization that comics themselves are really nothing more than legitimized fanfic*, what with the reboots, spinoffs and the way the stories have changed hands over time. Combine this with my interest in circumnavigating the comics world and suddenly I had a project. I would pick a series and follow it from the original issues through more modern reboots to spinoffs in the fanfic world. Given the recent popularity of the movies, I chose the Avengers.

Caveat: Before I tell you about my trip down this rabbit hole, let me just say holy cow! If I thought there was a barrier to entry before embarking on this journey, I'm more convinced than ever that jumping into an established comic book series is HARD. The series first debuted in September 1963 and contained at least 567 issues by 2010 (via Comichron). From what I can tell, these don't even include spinoffs like Dark Avengers, Avengers vs. X-Men or any or the story lines for the individual heroes. Basically, I could have easily spent the better part of a year reading the complete Marvel catalogue. I'm not yet to the point of wanting to be that much of a completist, so gird yourself for potentially half-formed opinions. ;-)

I chose to focus my reading on Essential Avengers, Volume 4, which includes issues #69-97 from the late '60s through early '70s, an issue each of Dark Avengers and Avengers vs. X-Men (September 2012), and Some Things Shouldn't Be a Chore, Avengers fanfic by scifigrl47. My goals were to (1) become a little less precious about original works and evolving story lines and (2) to try to gain a greater appreciation for comics. While I'm feeling more comfortable with the former goal (at least where it relates to legally formalized story evolutions** like comics and screenplays), I feel like I'm filled with even more questions when it comes to comics.

Here is what came out of it...

• Avengers/Dark Avengers/Avengers vs. X-Men have had 21 different authors among them. I was overwhelmed but also much more willing to accept when the story went in crazy directions or jumped into a multiverse. 
• This automatically made me more open to the idea of the fanfic community taking it on, though I wasn't really a fan of the particular piece that I read. 
• Reading the comics written in the '60 and '70s was a challenge. The writing was really juvenile (perhaps because of the audience it was originally written for?), and I found myself frustrated again and again by the writers feeling the need to iterate what was clearly depicted in the drawings. Don't even get me started about the isms (sex and race***).
• The language doesn't really improve in the newer issues. The attempt to use current, of-the-times phrases just seemed forced and was more distracting than anything else.
• It was still confusing to start near the beginning of the series. I forget that this series is a continuation of stories in each individual hero series. Sprinkled through the issues in Essential Avengers were "footnotes" to earlier comics that told the particular story being referenced.
• Which comes first, the writing or the art?
• The art, itself, was okay. I surprised myself by finding the black and white ink drawings of the original comics more appealing (and seemingly more alive) than the new titles.

As you can see, I didn't really come away with a lot in the way of overriding theories. Instead, I've got a jumble of random thoughts and questions and an increasing interest in the evolution of characters that span decades and authors. It did sort of make me want to read Glen Weldon's Superman: The Unauthorized Biography even more than I already do and to perhaps pick a newer series to follow for a while.


*Yeah, yeah. I'm sure hundreds before me have already had this realization, but let me have my moment.
**Maybe even Amazon's new entre into the arena.
***Though they are actually better than I would have expected. The appearance of Black Panther sent me off on another tangent as I started to explore Marvel's handling of the civil rights movement at that time.

a peek inside my head (don't be alarmed)

This time of year is always a challenge at work. Our fiscal year closes, grants end and we're finalizing new budgets and work plans. I guess I include all of that to say that last week was a bit tiring and weird. 

And, by weird, I mean challenging. I found myself struggling with self censorship once again (the first being here on the ol' blog). It's a topic that makes me uncomfortable and almost never sits well with me. A trait that I've always prided myself on is my general forthright, I'll tell you like it is nature in both my professional and personal life. Sure, I've been known to couch things a certain way or bite my tongue in settings like a public meeting, but generally, what you see is what you get. Unfortunately, now I've gone and written an essay that speaks to issues like career and being a woman in the workplace, and I feel forced to assess the risk of fallout if I attempt to publish it under my real name. If I don't, am I not being true to me?

Decisions, decisions.

Behind the Bookshelf: Interview with a bookseller, Pamela Delegge

 

Meet Pamela Delegge, mother to Allie and bookseller extraordinaire. This lady is serious about her books and is more tuned in to what books and authors to keep your eye on than almost anyone I know. She spent years handselling books to her regular customers at Barnes & Noble in Reston, Virginia until she and the husband jumped the pond (once again) for Germany.

What are you currently reading? Thoughts on it?

I am in the middle of several books. And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini is the main one I am reading. It is a tearjerker, as I suspected. He is an author that you can depend to give you a good book. I am also reading a completely different book because I can only take tragedy so much and that is The Humans by Matt Haig. I just started this one and am hoping it is as good as his previous book, The Radleys. Finally, I am listening to the audio Life After Life by Kate Atkinson, who is one of my favorite authors and the audio is wonderful.

What books are you most looking forward to this year?

There are a lot, so sit down!

Alex by Pierre Lemaitre. Actually, I was able to buy this book from my favorite British book seller and am waiting for it in the mail.

We Are Water by Wally Lamb. This is one I am waiting impatiently for he is my favorite.

The Valley of Amazement by Amy Tan. Another big favorite.

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. This is a debut author that I am hearing a lot about.

The Shade of the Moon by Susan Beth Pfeffer. I had to include this teen novel because I do like teen and her series was awesome.

The Returned by Jason Mott. Interesting fact is that Brad Pitt's production company bought the rights to this book.

Night Film by Marish Pessl. She wrote Special Topics in Calamity Physics, which I loved.

There are always more!

Did you set any reading goals for 2013? If so, what are they?

Let’s be honest, a reader doesn’t need to stress about how many books to read nor how many are classics. I have loved reading many classics, and there are some books, classic or not, that I will read again. But I have no desire to go back and read all the books I should have read in High School or College. So- No- to goals.

What three characters would you invite to the bar for a drink?

Rose and Ruby from the book The Girls by Lori Lansens. They are conjoined twins and this is one of my top five books. They are characters I can still picture in my head today. I loved this book.

If you could convince any two authors to write a book together, who would it be? Why?

I would pick Andrea Camilleri and Donna Leon. The only reason is they are my husband Tony’s favorite authors, and they both write about Italy. I have never been a big fan of authors writing together except for Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson.

What's the most annoying book you see flying off the shelves?

This has been a hard one for me. I was irritated when The Road won a Pulitzer because I really didn’t like that book at all. I was confused as to the popularity of Fifty Shades of Harlequin (Ha-Ha), but I do like that people still love to read no matter what, so annoyed as I might have been, I still think everyone has the right to read what they want. This is still America!

If you could give people one piece of advice to prep them for entering a bookstore, what would it be?

I think you should look at the staff recommendations first, and find a staff member that likes the same kind of books you do and talk to them (hopefully they are booksellers that read). There are so many websites and magazines out there, if you do not have a good bookstore near you. Publishers Weekly, Good Reads, Amazon and Barnes and Nobles also have a lot of good information.

Weekending, 06.15.13

Ah, weekends, so often the sweet spot of the week. Forty-eight hours spent racing the clock. Really, it's far too little time to reboot my brain, write all of the things, read all of the books and spend time with all of my people. That doesn't mean I don't give it my best shot though :-)

I managed to climb out of bed at a reasonable hour on Saturday morning to meet up with Ravena for a trip into Maryland to check out Hobby Lobby. Somehow I got it in my mind that they would have a sign with the word 'library' on it. They didn't. I can't help the fact that it was less than two miles away from the Dutch Country Farmer's Market (and things like candy apples, which I did not buy). When I got home, I spent some time trying to read a few Avengers comics in preparation for a post I'm trying to write comparing fanfic to comic books. It was nice to kick my feet up before getting ready to meet Scarlet at McMahon's in Warrenton, VA. If Stars Hollow were a business, it just might be McMahon's. I like it (and their vodka tonics) just that much.

I treated myself to This Is The End and Now You See Me on Sunday morning (thank you, $5 matinees) before grocery shopping and all of those other necessary weekend activities. Honestly, I expected to be disappointed by This Is The End. Sometimes I feel like I'm broken on the inside because I don't always find comedies funny like most people seem to. This, however, was freaking hilarious. Don't get me wrong. It was also stupid, but I found that I couldn't stop giggling.

The first two photos are actually from the Robinson Nature Center in Columbia, Maryland. I was there on Thursday afternoon, but the center was just too pretty not to include.

Art binge, living my art life on Pinterest

I haven't written about art* since Oliver Jeffers at the end of January. Yikes! My love for the topic has definitely not waned. In fact, I sort of ended up giving myself a rather large art-related research project and have been dabbling in that here and there, trying to figure out how to really get started. I've also found myself slowly and sporadically cataloging some of my current art interests over on Pinterest.

To keep up with some of what is currently holding my interest, head over and follow my Art Binge board.

*Let's set aside the fact that film and books are works of art.

Thrifty DC: Alamo Drafthouse

I'm going to get over myself and tell you why you should make your way to the Alamo Drafthouse out in the wilds of Ashburn, Virginia (really pushing the bounds of metro DC). I'm going to swallow that tiny, tiny shred of Texas pride I manage to hold onto (you realize I've pretty much shed any remaining dignity by admitting that, right?) and my zealous belief that special things should remain in special places* to tell you about it. Really, I am.

The thing that makes the Alamo Drafthouse truly special isn't their robust menu and in-seat food service. It's all about the special events and screenings they show. For years, I've been jealous of my brother's ability to attend the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Sing-Along and have tried to arrange my Christmas travel schedule so that I can finally attend an Elf Quote-Along. They excel at turning a movie into an interactive event and bonding experience.

How would I spend $20 and while away a Saturday?

Get your rear to the Alamo Drafthouse out in Ashburn (fill up your tank first...it's far) over the next few days and check it out. On Saturday, you can channel the Summer of '83 and watch Jaws 3D on the big screen or roll with your homies next Thursday for the Clueless Quote-Along. It's not really a thrifty outing, especially if you order food, but I can't imagine you having a bad time.


*Can we stop franchising everything please??

My story as told by water, part V

photo by Kate Gardiner

Have you ever been water skiing?

In high school, my best friend's family owned one of those motorboats meant to be driven at alarming speeds over great expanses of water, and I was lucky enough to get to join them for a couple of summer trips on one of the local lakes. The Texas sun was always relentless in its intensity, constantly reminding us how uninhabitable the west should have been. Taking to the water was your only real alternative to sealing yourself inside an air conditioned home. The wind and spray coming off the waves as the boat skipped across the water was the kind of refreshing that I think only a dog riding with its head out the window can understand.

The boat ramps are now closed at Twin Buttes Reservoir because of the drought, but back in the '90s there would be a line of folks waiting to put in. We were never there to fish but, instead, had a need for speed and a desire to be pulled recklessly behind a boat with nothing but a rope. It really is amazing what the oblivion and fearlessness of youth will lead you to do. But I digress.

I was never good at water skiing. In fact, I'm not sure what I did actually counted as skiing. Really, I never excelled at anything that involved a level of mastery over my own body, and water skiing was no different. A girl can only withstand so many false starts and attempts to get her feet under her. Even with wobbly legs finally underneath me, there was no grace in my form. In fact, if you were on Twin Buttes 20 years ago and remember the incredible girl who sailed around the lake bent at the waist, we may have very well been ships passing in the night.