Weekly Geeks #15 is another super cool idea - Dewey would like every one to play a game called "What Is It?" using book cover close-ups.
I've decided to give my What Is It photos a theme - Canada Reads. Some of you may know about this, but for the ones who don't here is some info:
Canada Reads is a week-long CBC radio show hosted by Jian Ghomeshi. In this annual literary bun-fight, five celebrity panelists are asked to defend their favourite Canadian works of fiction. Day by day, books are voted off the list, until one panelist triumphs with the book for Canada to read this year.
So now that everyone knows what exactly my theme is about, here are the covers I have chosen. One from all seven Canada Reads events.
1. Rockbound
2.
3.
4. Complicated Kindness
5.
6. Next Episode
7. Lullabies For Little Criminals
Here are some other Weekly Geeks playing What Is It?
Bybee said ... Does the new Coupland book take place in Canada? Is it highly comedic in tone? Does it have lots of references to pop culture? Is the title character an adult or child?
You know I can't for the life of me remember the city it was set in (Ottawa seems to keep coming to mind) Are there any Staples stores in the US or Canada only because the story revolves around the employees of a Staples lol. Gum Thief was hilarious (I giggled all the way throughout) but it also has lots of drama too. The characters in this Coupland novel really pull you into their lives, loves and heartaches. The references to how big box stationary stores run had me cracking up, and there's a bit of talk about the Goth subculture too. The two main characters are a twenty something Goth girl with identity issues and a forty something divorced man dealing with midlife and loss (I hate spoilers so that's all I will give about the title.)
bookchronicle said ... I've only read one book by Mosley (Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned) and while I loved it, I generally have not heard favorable things about his books. Does race have an important theme in the book? Would you consider Mosley's literature readable by a large audience or is he more of a nook demographic writer?
Race is an issue in this novel, as the story revolves around a younger black man who has fallen on bad times and fears he may lose his family home. When it seems like he has no options left, a very rich, powerful, middle-aged white man offers him $50,000 dollars to imprison him in his basement. However racial themes seem to be overpowered by issues involving the true face of good and evil and how society and individual humans deal with punishment, the giving, receiving and deserving of. Man In My Basement is the only book I've read of Mosley's so I am unsure of whether his novels target certain readers. His most famous works are the 11 books from his Easy Rawlins PI series which I have seen recommended. The lead characters from Man In My Basement and Easy Rawlins are both African-American, which is very refreshing in mainstream fiction.
Joy Renee said ... My questions are for any or all of the titles in your list: How was Point-of-View handled? Was there a single POV character or did it alternate among two or more. Was it always clear whose eyes and mind were filtering? How was language used to set tone and mood? Was the prose dense or spare? Were sentences generally simple or complex? How was metaphor used? Were associations fresh or did they tend toward cliche? Did they add to your understanding of the theme? What was the central or organizing theme? How does the title relate to the story? Was it fitting? Does Book of Revelation have anything to do with the New Testament book of that title? If not directly, then how is it alluding to it? Any novel of that title in our culture would have to be intentionally triggering our associations with the Biblical book of that title so I am interested in how it relates.
This is told in the first person point of view of Mr. Blakey. It was very clear throughout the novel who was speaking and to whom. The type of story that flows almost poetically from page to page, it's clear that Walter Mosley is very confident with words, and creating realistic thought patterns. The author's choice of how the character's spoke added an element to the story that I found very enjoyable. Mr. Blakey speaks in a very relaxed, casual way that makes it seem like the words are rolling like smooth river water. While the other character Mr. Bennett seems to me that he would sound the way an automated phone message sounds, quick, business-like and to the point.There are many different themes investigated in Man In My Basement including race, power, money, punishment, redemption and humanity. But perhaps the most powerful theme found is the definition and classification of good and evil. It asks the question of whether there is a grey area between the two and if it's possible for good and evil to co-exist. Or is it a question of needing evil in order to define good.
Joe wrote a book. The book is about the town he grew up in and left. It's a bestseller because it's controversial, gossipy and seems to be true. But now Joe is going back home to face the people he wrote about. Using a great mixture of present and past tense Joe recounts his experiences and relationships with the people he grew up around. Telling it from Joe's point of view is what really makes this story sizzle, because what you see and assume isn't necessarily the truth. The language used to tell his story is very fluent and easy to follow. The scenes of dialogue are upbeat and reminded me of sitcom dialogue in that they get right to the punch-line without missing a beat.The central theme of The Book Of Joe is the very important lesson that what you see isn't always the way things are. Joe wrote a book based on what he perceived to be fact while growing up, but as an adult he comes to see that he misunderstood almost everything that happened around him. Even though he wasn't an overly self-involved person, he did have the flaw of being confident that his perspective was clear and unbiased.
The Collector was written in a very interesting way - telling one story from two perspectives. There are essentially only two characters - the collector and the collected. The first half of the books recounts the experience in the first person pov from the collector. The second part of the novel is written as journal entries that the collected wrote throughout the experience. So the book really presents a mirror-image of differences. This method was highly successful and adds to effect of the novel.The first half is narrated by the collector, who clearly has limited vocabulary and shows an average intelligence with no respect for higher learning. His words are awkward and often child-like. Whereas the second part, told by the collected, sounds like a completely different writer. A higher understanding of proper speech, obviously well-educated and also displays the false worldliness of an adolescent. The central metaphor of this novel is comparing the collecting of butterflies, beautiful, wild things that should be kept under lock and key for observation to the kidnapping of a beautiful young girl, not for sexual purposes, solely for the knowledge that she has been captured and available to watch, to study.
This story is narrated by the main character, a male ballet dancer who is kidnapped while leaving his house in Amsterdam. It starts out in third person perspective telling of his capture and imprisonment. But once released it changes to the first person point of view as he relates the way his life has changed, the struggles he must go through and how he deals with his psychological scars. In my opinion, the central theme of The Book Of Revelation is how experiences (good or bad) change the way we view ourselves and our beliefs, in a sense revealing our true selves.The title was very fitting to this story as the main character undergoes a series of revelations about himself. As to the religious connotations, I am not familiar with the biblical Book Of Revelation, the small knowledge I do have is that it concerns prophecies about the end of days. If that is the case then I can see how it would relate to this story as the main character comes to realize that his life as he knew it, has now ended, changing everything.
Tasses said... You've a few controversial authors/titles on there! Do you normally read books that are considered edgy?
Great question. I've honestly never thought about this but I guess I do search out the more controversial novels. I like to think that every written word has some treasure to be found, because they are in some way the thoughts and ideas from a human being (if every person is special than shouldn't every person's thoughts be too?) I know that can seem optimistic when you consider how many formulaic, plagiaristic books are out there, but I like to hope. Another reason for my choices may be that I don't always respect the opinions of "professional" reviewers, so if the NYTimes says "this is pure garbage" I've got to take a look.
Today's topic: LibraryThing authors. Who are your LibraryThing authors? What books of theirs do you have? Do you ever comment on an author's LT page? Have you received any comments from an author on your LT account?
Those are the authors I have on my LT, although I don't think I've ever commented on or been commented by any. Although it is interesting to see what books an author lists in their own personal library, I haven't really used this feature all that much. When looking for information on any particular writer I find it alot better going to their official websites.
This week Dewey has given us a something to blog about that I'm sure everyone will love - Photos Of Books!!
*Bookshelves, of course. *TBR piles. *Your favorite places to read. *Your book group: faces, places, books you’ve read for it. *Collages: books you’ve read or plan to read, or just your librarything collage. *Your kids reading in their favorite places. *Your own ideas!
So the only real guideline for this week’s Weekly Geeks is that it should include bookish photos. Don't forget to go back and sign Dewey's Mr Linky so everyone can take a peek :)
Hi everyone, my name is Joanne and I am a book-a-holic. Today we will be taking a quick look into how you can tell if a loved one is suffering from this horrible disease known as bibliophilism.
The first sign would be a spreading of books throughout their main living space (or as we Canucks call it "The Rec Room") The following photos will illustrate how an addiction to books will lead to the loss of any and all wall space:
This is obviously the habitat of a pocketbook pack-rat -- and this also shows how an innocent thing such as a paperback can eventually take over your home.
Another more subtle sign to look for is when the bookpiles start showing up in odd areas of the house. This is a very common way in which the book-a-holic will try to make it seem less obvious (smaller piles, spread out among the house aren't as glaringly compulsive as a ginormous collection .... right?)
Here we find a pile of books atop a ordinary fish aquarium.
However.....
.... Take a look behind this normal stack of reading material and we find a hidden stash of classics and Shakespeare!!
On into the office, where we all expect to find reading materials and book-type stuff. But the bibliophile is more crafty in here and tries to blend their drug into a "work-related" atmosphere.
Exhibit A.
Pile of ARC's waiting to be read and reviewed.
Exhibit B.
Pile of assorted read but unblogged materials.
And this perhaps the most disturbing of all, the book-obsessed wife who attempts to drag her own Star Wars addicted husband into a life of bibliophilism by creating a cute stash just for him.
But nooooo... it doesn't end there folks. Now we move into the bedroom, where the book-zombie truly does her worst. Behold the (unorganized and possibly life-threatening) TBR PILE...
Which has spilled over and started taking over the table where the reading light and cordless phone once lived peacefully side by side.
And that ends this photographic exploration into the habitat of the book-a-holic canadianis.
The Book Lady is hosting a fabulous giveaway for The Gone Away World by Nick Harkaway. Details can be found here!
Check out Bookshipper for a great review of Notes From The Backseat by Jody Gehrman, a great new chick lit title from Red Dress Ink. Click here to read the review and enter the contest.
BookRoomReviews is holding a contest where the winner will receive a copy of Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer. Details and review can be found here.
Head over to Bart's Bookshelf where you will find lots of great reviews along with a chance to win 2 fantastic giveaways - a copy of The End Of Mr Y by Scarlett Thomas or the first two Witches titles by Michael Molloy. For all the information just click here.
Sorry for the delay is posting a winner, but family issues called us out of town this week. So let's get on with it and announce the winner of an ARC copy of So Long At The Fair by Christina Schwarz!
The winner is: Tasses
Congrats to Tasses ... and huge thanks to everyone who entered my first giveaway contest. I have sent an email to the winner so please send me your mailing address and I will get your book out to you asap.
As part of my giveaway I asked what your favourite Oprah Book Club pick was, I would like to include this list of recommendations here for everyone.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!
Teaser #1
The Five Of Hearts leaned over a simple counter made of wooden logs. On it was a glass bowl with a solitary goldfish inside.
Whatever the reason for wanting to escape, sane or insane, zoo detractors should realize that animals don't escape to somewhere but from something. ~ Life Of Pi by Yann Martel
Teaser #3
This is a story about a man, and a place where magic happened. It was magic so powerful that the people there can't stop going back over it, trying to figure out who the man was and what happened right in front of their eyes, and how it'll change the time left to them on earth.
Today's question: LT and RL (real life)- do you have friends in real life that you met through LibraryThing? Have you attended any LT meet-ups in your area? Would you be open to attending meet-ups or is LT strictly an online thing for you?
Wow this is a really great question! But sadly this will be a very short answer for me. No I do not have any RL friends on LT and I have not met anyone IRL through LT.
Meeting online friends in RL is a great thing - when it works out. I have met a few people that I originally knew only online - some turned into lasting friendships, others worked out better as online acquaintances. I think it all has to do with how you carry and present yourself. One of the biggest things I have learnt from the internet is that some people act very differently online as opposed to IRL. Which I think is perfectly fine.
As for LT meet-ups, I do not know of any that have happened in my area, but it would be really cool to participate in one. It would almost be like a book group meeting - but with no restrictions on what books you talk about.
Snuff Chuck Palahniuk Published by Doubleday Canada
Cassie Wright, porn priestess, intends to cap her legendary career by breaking the world record for serial fornication. On camera. With six hundred men. Snuff unfolds from the perspectives of Mr. 72, Mr. 137, and Mr. 600, who await their turn on camera in a very crowded green room. This wild, lethally funny, and thoroughly researched novel brings the huge yet under-acknowledged presence of pornography in contemporary life into the realm of literary fiction at last. Who else but Palahniuk would dare do such a thing? Who else could do it so well, so unflinchingly, and with such an incendiary (you might say) climax?
How was Point-of-View handled? Was there a single POV character or did it alternate among two or more. Was it always clear whose eyes and mind were filtering? What was the central or organizing theme? How does the title relate to the story? Was it fitting?
Snuff has three main characters and each chapter switches between perspectives. The flow is not all that clear and sometimes it became confusing as to what was happening. The language was basic with no discernable traits for individual characters. Cliche is an adequate way to describe the entire novel as it was predictable from the start.
I honestly have no idea what the basic theme of Snuff is. Some ideas I can throw out would be: removing the glamour from the porn industry, showing that life comes full circle whether you're looking or not, or maybe the idea that things change no matter how much control you think you have - "What do you do when your entire identity is destroyed in an instant? How do you cope when your whole life story turns out to be wrong?"
As to the title of the novel you just need to read the first chapter to understand the relevance - "Six hundred dudes. One porn queen. A world record for the ages. A must-have movie for every discerning collector of things erotic. Didn't one of us on purpose set out to make a snuff movie." Fitting yes, original no.
As for Snuff, again, have you read Palahniuk's other works? If so, how does it stack up? I've heard descriptions of it here and there in various reviews, and I'm just wondering if it's hard to stomach?I will try it either way, probably, but it does sound pretty um....uncomfortable...from what I've heard. But, as I said with Oates...I generally respect an author very much for taking me out of my comfort zone.
Snuff ... hmm first let me say I am a huge, huge fan of Palahniuk. He takes the most ordinary people and circumstances and distorts them like a funhouse mirror. I've never been let down with his fiction or non-fiction, but honestly Snuff was terrible. The idea is that a porn star is going to break the gang-bang world record by sleeping with 600 men, but the story is told from the views of 3 of these men who have other plans. I had expected some crazy plot twists, but none came, the ones that were included ended up being totally predictable. There may be alot of uncomfortable descriptions in the book, but overall they seemed to be trying so hard to offend that they ended up boring me to tears. Most of Palahniuk's works have something to say, but I missed the message here. For a better Palahniuk try Lullaby, Choke or Invisible Monsters.
I skipped Snuff because I haven't heard anything good about it so far. Was it disappointing? Have you read other Palahniuk novels? Which one is your favourite, if so?
As stated above, sadly Snuff was a disappointment to me. I have managed to read all of Palahniuk's works (fiction and non-fiction). Choosing a favourite from them is hard because I feel that beneath the shocking parts and the unusual characters there was something valuable from each. But I can say that Lullaby and Invisible Monsters would be the top of my list - Lullaby is about a mission to destroy a child's nursery rhyme that inexplicably causes SIDs - Invisible Monsters is the story of a supermodel turned into a "monster" by an accident.
About The Author
Chuck Palahniuk caught literary recognition with the publication of his first novel Fight Club back in 1996. Fight Club received excellent reviews and even won him some awards....yet its time on the shelves was limited. The hardcover never really made it to any bestseller lists, but nevertheless, a trade would soon follow and soon Fight Club had established itself a cult following. Palahniuk is now a best-selling novelist and lives in Portland, Oregon.
Rape: A Love Story Joyce Carol Oates Published by Da Capo Press
Teena Maguire should not have tried to shortcut her way home that Fourth of July. Not after midnight, not through Rocky Point Park. Not the way she was dressed: tank top, denim cut-offs, high-heeled sandals. Not with her twelve-year-old daughter, Bethie. Not with packs of local guys running loose on hormones, rage, and alcohol. A victim of gang rape, left for dead in the park boathouse, the once vital and sexy Teena Maguire can now only regret that she has survived. And Bethie can barely remember a childhood uncoloured by fear. For they're not even a neighbourhood away, the men that she identified for the Niagara Falls Police Department: the wide-browed, sandy-haired Pick brothers; the sneering Jimmy DeLucca; Fritz Haaber with his moustache and stubbled jaw. They've killed her grandmother's longhaired orange cat. At a relentless, compelling pace punctuated by lonely cries in the night and the whisper of terror in the afternoon, National Book Award-winner Joyce Carol Oates unfolds the story of Teena and Bethie, their assailants, and their unexpected, silent champion, a man who knows the meaning of justice. And love.
What did you think of the style of RAPE - A LOVE STORY, and what did you think of the police officer (I forget his name) in the book?
Rape - A Love Story was not what I expected. It was such a short book that I was surprised at the huge story that it told. All along I expected the love story aspect to be about the mother and a man, but upon reflection, I realized it was about a daughters love for her mother. The police officer (I believe his name was Dromoor?) was a surprisingly emotional addition to the book. At first glance he would appear to be a guardian angel looking for justice, but then I began to see him as a man looking to redeem himself in his own eyes.
Andi from Tripping Toward Lucidity asked... Have you read other Oates books besides Rape? Which others have you read and how did Rape stack up? I haven't read it, so is it as horrifying as the title suggests? Oates is one of those authors that makes me supremely uncomfortable (and I admire her for that). My favourite of her works is novella, Beasts.
Other than Rape I have read 2 novels by Oates. Tattooed Girl, which I did not enjoy and can barely recall except it having to do with a (dying?)Jewish writer hiring a housekeeper who dates a racist. And Zombie, which sounds really bizarre but ended up being good. It is written from the perspective of Quentin, a convicted sexual predator, who decides to kidnap someone and perform DIY brain surgery, making them into a zombie for him to play with. Sounds strange huh? but the really strange part is that Oates makes it confusing as to whether you hate Quentin or feel sorry for him. This one is pretty graphic, so proceed with caution.
Rape is not all that bad, the most uncomfortable parts were the actual descriptions of the mothers rape, as they are coming from the 12 year old daughter. I think the strength of Rape was in the relationship between mother and daughter and also their struggle to survive the small towns opinion in the aftermath of the rape.
How did you feel after reading Rape: A Love Story? And how did you feel about this book? I remember finding it extremely disturbing and avoiding any other work by Oates for a long time.
I found myself both sad and hopeful at the same time. Rape was very disheartening to me because I could so fully imagine the same thing happening in any small town in North America - the way in which the mother is looked down upon and doubted, the way in which a community bands together to protect "one of their own" rather than the obvious victims. However the relationship between the mother and daughter made me realize that the love they had for each other was an amazing thing that should not be taken for granted.
Amy, the person behind the wonderful blog My Friend Amy, is hosting terrific event called Book Blogger Appreciation Week which will run from September 15 until September 19 2008. I think this will create a fantastic way for everyone to get together and give thanks, whether it be to you readers, or to your favourite bloggers. So no matter if you blog, read blogs or blog and read - take a stroll over to My Friend Amy and see what you can do to help celebrate this awesome event!
Don't forget to check out my contest to win a copy of So Long At The Fair by Christina Schwarz - Details here!
Also check out the awesome contest over at In The Shadow Of Mt. TBR where you can win a copy of Why You Shouldn't Eat Your Boogers. And as if that's not enough, along with the book you will also receive a $10 gift card for Borders!
Now onto my Sunday reading, which is looking pretty minimal. Housework has taken priority this weekend so I don't have much to report. So I have decided to steal borrow this cool reading questionnaire that I have seen on a few blogs lately (including The Bookworm, Lesa's Book Critiques and Patti's Pens & Picks) So go take a look at their answers and while your at it play along.
Reading Questionnaire
On your nightstand now: Lullabies For Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill, The Liar's Club by Mary Karr and The Solitaire Mystery by Jostein Gaarder.
Book you've "faked" reading:In Junior High School I copied a friend's book report of To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Still haven't read it to this day.
Book you've bought for the cover: What The Dog Did by Emily Yoffe, I am a huge dog lover and happened across this book, took one look at the cover and bought it. It looked like one of those dog memoirs that became so popular after the release of Marley and Me by John Grogan, so I grabbed it without even reading the blurb!
Favourite book when you were a child: I loved most all books when I was little, but my favourite was Alice In Wonderland.
Book that changed your life: I would have to say it was the World Book Encyclopedia Set (not that I've read the whole thing, mind) going through school in Nova Scotia I was very frustrated that we were only taught history and geography relevant to Canada, so when I had a question or my interest was grabbed by a topic or place I grabbed the encyclopedia and looked it up myself, which taught me things I'd never learn in school.
Favourite line from a book: Wow I have so many favourite lines, but for this I will share a line from a book I read recently: I am haunted by humans. - The Book Thief by Markus Zusak This particular line has stayed with me so solidly since finishing the novel. As a single line it is simple, but taken together with the rest of the book it is so full of meaning,that it's heart-breaking.
Top 5 favourite authors: (at the moment) 1. Audrey Niffenegger 2. Margaret Atwood 3. Hunter S Thompson (really enjoying the Gonzo papers) 4. Dean Koontz (I recently discovered the Odd series) 5. AM Homes
Books you recommend as regeneration when people say, "I'm bored by almost all contemporary American writers.": Rather than recommend a specific author I suggest trying something from a Canadian author - There is lots of great canuck reading to be found!
Book you can't believe that everyone has not read and loved: Anything by Shakespeare, his plays contain some of the most engaging characters and plots (once you get the hang of the language and style).
Book you are an "evangelist" for: Most recent I would say is The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson, I have faith that this book will become a worldwide favourite, and I cannot say enough good things about it.
Book you most want to read again for the first time: Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski.
Personally I am a dog-person, I've got nothing at all against cats - I even own a cat (err rather she owns me but that's besides the fact) I love my kitty - known as Aibigail - but she really doesn't like humans. She never has. She also doesn't like other cats, children, vehicles, airplanes, crows, toys, catnip, well for the sake of brevity she doesn't like much. But what she does love, evident by the gleeful look of sadistic pleasure I see in her eyes - is swiping her paw at the pages of books as I read. Now you may picture an innocent little cat sitting beside their human and playfully flipping at the paper ... OH HECK NOOO ... replace that image with a human quietly reading, relaxed and unsuspecting, then suddenly without warning, a torpedo with fur fly's across your lap, claws extended, and with insane madness shreds 4 perfect slashes across your book!!!! OMG it is enough to stop your heart!!!
<----- The Culprit
Name: Abigail
Breed: Siamese Mix
Age: 10
Likes: Books & Magazines
Dislikes: Relaxed Humans
Anywoo with crazed cat stalking around and still hungry for more I am now too paranoid to go back to my reading. So I was fooling around on the computer and decided to blog about my book-killer-kitty, and also share some of my favourite literary-minded LOLcatz from around the web.
30/yo who enjoys reading (perhaps too much), I've usually got at least 5 books going at anytime. I've just completed taking some English and Sociology University upgrading courses, and I am in the process of obtaining a Library and Research Tech certificate.
I read constantly and I have been known to read instruction manuals, cereal boxes and the YellowPages if I am without a book.
1. Rockbound
2.
3.
4. Complicated Kindness
5.
6. Next Episode
7. Lullabies For Little Criminals
