Monthly Archives: April 2012

Links for a Lazy Sunday

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It’s been a while since we had a links post. Let’s get right to it.

+ Downton Pawnee – Downton Abbey plus Parks and Rec? Two great tastes that taste great together. This tumblr hasn’t been updated in forever, but what has been posted is hilarious.

+ The Fresh Prince of Downton Abbey – Just watch this.

+ FM 100 Hue Test – Arrange the colors by hue order. Very fun.

+ KERNTYPE A Kerning Game – Another design-y game. Also fun.

+ What Should I Read Next? – Enter the title of the last book you read and this site gives you recommendations for your next read.

+ On Writing the First Draft by Malinda Lo – A great piece about the importance of revision.

+ The Q&A - This is a series from The Guardian where famous people answer questions about themselves. I was going to list some of my favorites, but I’ve read a lot of them, there are no bad ones, and I’m feeling too lazy to link them all. Just go have a look for yourself.

Happy Sunday!

Seeing Movies Alone

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I did not see a movie in theaters by myself until I was 20 years old. I know some people who have never seen a movie in theaters on their own. Why is this? To me there is nothing social about seeing a movie in theaters. You’re just going to be sitting in the dark for two plus hours not talking to one another. Yet most people react with what I would call extreme surprise when I tell them I see movies alone.

My favorite reaction was someone asking who watches my stuff if I have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the movie. My reaction to their reaction: Why wouldn’t you take your stuff with you into the bathroom? And more importantly, why are you peeing in the middle of a film? I have not left the theater to go to the bathroom since I saw Mr. Holland’s Opus (which has a runtime of 143 minutes)… when I was seven.*

So today I give you a list of reasons why it’s nice to see a movie by yourself. If you have never done so, maybe give it a try. If you have seen a movie by yourself, feel free to add your own pros (or cons if you wish) in the comments.

1. You can sit wherever you like.

I like to sit in the dead center of the theater when I see a movie. And when I go alone, I can. No being burdened by others’ seat preferences.

2. You can get to the theater whenever you like.

I like to get to the theater an hour before the showtime, and I have friends who are notoriously late. When I see movies by myself there’s no waiting outside the theater, buying extra tickets just in case the showing sells out, holding my phone inside the theater waiting for them to call, saving seats…

3. You don’t have to save seats. 

I don’t know about you, but I always feel a little like a jerk saving half a row of seats at the theater, especially when my friends don’t arrive until the trailers start showing. If it’s just me though, no worries.

4. You don’t have to share your snacks. 

Sharing is nice and all, but sometimes I just want to eat that whole bag of Sour Patch Kids by myself.

5. No one is judging your for your weird reactions to the film. 

I saw Bridesmaids by myself (and got carded), and I cried through about half the film. Embarrassing, right? Well, I didn’t care. There was no one there to see and judge. (Not that I mind crying at films, I just tend to cry at weird parts. And I cry at everything. I think I cried a little watching X-Men: First Class.)

6. No one is judging you for the film you’re seeing. 

Enough said.

*If you cannot make it through a movie without needing the restroom, check out Run Pee for good times to leave.

Fifty Shades of Blushing: Twilight meets BDSM

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There’s been a lot of buzz about Fifty Shades of Grey, and the 2 following books in the series, by E.L. James recently. These books have been numbers in the top 3 spots on the NYT Bestseller e-book list, and in the top 4 spots for overall fiction for the last few weeks. Many dismissed them as “mommy porn.” But let’s face it, there is a reason people, even mommies, like porn. And it is one of the reasons, even non-mommies, are buying this book in record numbers.

The media’s latched on the success of this series, and I can see why. The books are selling at approximately one book a second. What I don’t understand is why the focus has been on women asserting themselves as an economic force and women exploring “darker” forms of overt sexuality. Neither of these things seem particularly newsworthy to me.

Women have long dominated the publishing market as consumers. From its invention as a genre, the novel was considered primarily for women. The latest figures show women buying 64% of books in the USA, out buying men in almost every category including suspense and thrillers. BSDM and erotic/romantic books aren’t anything new either. Romance novels comprised 55% of all paperbacks sold in 2004 and BDSM dates back to 9th century B.C. Sparta. Thank you wikipedia.

What I think is more worthy of note, is that these hugely successful books were self-published. E. L. James, a working mother of teenagers with a self proclaimed “vanilla” sex life, through ebooks and a print-on-demand press. The publicity of the books relied on word of mouth and blogs. This, along with the hype, was the reason I picked up the first book. They were not, however, the only reasons I couldn’t put them down.

While the steamy sex scenes certainly didn’t hurt, my reading experience or the books popularity, I think there are other aspects that contribute to its success. There were fantasies that went beyond the bedroom … or the red room of pleasure/pain. When incredibly wealthy, indescribably handsome Christian Grey pursues recent college graduate, he doesn’t just offer an alternative sex life. He wants to provide for/control her in every way: buy her the safest car, buy her publishing house so she can be a book editor, buy her car, makes sure she doesn’t drink to much, holds her hair when she doesn’t listen. Although this is kind of scary, for working mothers trying to “do it all” (and recent college graduates who haven’t figured their lives out yet) this functions as an even more powerful fantasy then being tied up and … ect.

Then there’s the Twilight factor. While I was reading, I kept thinking this is just like Twilight. It turns out the book was originally written as Twilight fan fiction, and then rewritten with original characters. While some Stephanie Meyers fan think this is not fair, I found it delightful. Who wouldn’t want to trade vampires for kinky sex? The similarities range from the superficial (Oregon setting, clumsy heroine, lip biting) to the deeper. I think the idea of overpowering love is hard not to root for. I thought this series handled character development and complexity better, if not plot. I’m pretty sure all the Twilight moms out there agree with me. And if some of them want to go on 20/20 and talk about how their sex life is spicier, complete with photos of themselves in costumes made from synthetic fabrics Christian would never let Ana wear, then I guess more power to them.

Mockingjay*

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Title: Mockingjay
Author: Suzanne Collins
Pages: 391
Rating: ***

*This review contains spoilers (ish).

I was originally going to subtitle this post: Same Song, Third Verse, Please Stop Singing Now. However that is too harsh, even for me. True, I did not enjoy this book the first time I read it. Rereading it however, was a pleasant surprise. I don’t love it now or anything. It’s just not as terrible as I remember. I still have a lot of problems with it as a novel though.

Mockingjay suffers many of the same problems as its predecessors. There is a lot of information that does not move the story along. Katniss’s voice-activated bow was one of the biggest examples of this to me. It’s an awesome weapon that doesn’t function any differently than a regular bow once she’s in battle. So why give her a special weapon at all? It adds nothing to the story. I had the same problem with the violence. In the other books, the violence and graphic imagery within the games served a purpose. In Mockingjay it just felt gratuitous, like a cheap, easy way for Collins to up the stakes.

Also I felt the pacing was really inconsistent. Before I reread the book, the only part of the story I could remember was when Katniss took her team through the Capitol to President Snow’s mansion. That is a tiny portion of what happens in Mockingjay. The rest of the novel does lay groundwork to show the rebellion growing in force and to set up the ending, but it doesn’t feel important. It made no impression on me the first time I read it.

This is a problem I have with all of The Hunger Games books. They take too long to get to the real story, there is too much time concentrated on Katniss being on her own, away from the action. In The Hunger Games it is forgivable since time and space are needed to first build the world of Panem. However, in Catching Fire and Mockingjay, it just makes it look like Collins has no control over her story. So much of the novel is Katniss experiencing things, Katniss directly explaining what the experiences mean. Or Katniss missing out on the action and having everything explained to her. That is the opposite of compelling storytelling. Show, don’t tell.

I definitely love the ideas that Collins has and the world she created in The Hunger Games. However, I dislike the way she tells her story (again: show, don’t tell). Collins kills some of my favorite characters, but I felt so disconnected this time around that I didn’t really care. I knew the basic plot structure and there was nothing else to discover. I didn’t learn anything new upon this reread. No new revelations about any plot twists (were there even any plot twists in the book?), no new information about the characters, nothing. I again found myself reading to remember, but for no other reason.

The one thing I did enjoy in Mockingjay - surprisingly enough – was the love triangle. I still think it is too heavily emphasized. However, as Gale and Peeta differentiate themselves in this book in relation to the rebellion, finally the question of who Katniss will end up with becomes relevant to the story and therefore interesting to me.

The Hunger Games books are compelling reads the first time through. It is almost impossible to stop reading after book one. However, as a series, I don’t think they will stand the test of time. Catching Fire and Mockingjay are worth reading once to get the rest of the story, but I will probably not be picking up either of them again.

Mockingjay: A Review with Spoilers

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Mockingjay, the third and final book in Suzanne Collins‘ Hunger Games trilogy, in my experience is the most controversial in the series.  People that I’ve talked to feel no indifference, they love it or hate it. I loved it. I’m embarrassed to actually say this, but reading the book felt very deep to me.  And although I usually try to keep spoilers out of these reviews, I didn’t know how to analyze the book with out giving some of the major plot points away.

The political commentary that is hinted at in Hunger Games, and brought to light in Catching Fire is on steroids in this book. As Katniss learns to take her place in the rebel District 13, the reader learns that just because the Capitol is bad doesn’t mean that the rebels are good.

In a series where control is a looming theme, District 13 with their stringent rules, tattooed schedules, and strict regulation of food intake is almost more controlling than the capital. The role of celebrity culture and propaganda comes center stage, as Katniss reluctantly embraces her place as the face of the rebellion. There is also a strong theme of ends justifying means. In district 2 should they eliminate the population hiding in the mountain? Does the victory against the capital justify the purposeful loss of Prim?

What is strange, and I think effective, about the books is that while these serious themes are on steroids so are the traditional YA elements. The love triangle is more present in this book than the other two. Katniss is shown as more selfish than ever. Leading to the next question, does what she’s been through justify her selfish behavior.

I read in the NYT review that the book, like the capital, uses the things we are attached to against us. This seemed pretty spot on for me. Peeta remained by largest connection to the book. Although his torture and its aftereffects broke my heart, it made their love story more interesting, equal, and further invested me in it. “Real or not real?” was definitely my favorite narrative device used.

The end of the book left me with a lot of questions. Namely, why did Katniss and Haymitch vote yes at the end and did Katniss plan to assassinate Coin? I also felt like the epilogue could have been a little longer. After 3 books of nonstop tragedy, a few more pages of happy were definitely in order.

For further reading and reviews:

3 Books for Aspiring Writers

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On Writing – Stephen King I’ve never been a fan, or even read, Stephen King but this was full of interesting autobiography, details of his process, advice and encouragement. He starts the book talking about how it is not a biography, but then proceeds to detail his childhood, meeting his wife, becoming a father, his struggles with addiction and eventual success in writing. He puts great emphasis on the strength of his relationships (especially his wife and first reader Tabby) and health as essential. He also stressed the importance of actually liking to write. The advice was in some ways very common: write every day, do at least 2 drafts, don’t use adjectives, never use adverbs, ect. Some of this distanced me, especially the write every day part, which is not how I write. He also had some really interesting idea about how a story is born. He compares a story to an artifact buried underground, that you have to dig up and identify like an archeologist would. He also includes notes on how authors he knows or has studied practice the craft in ways completely different from himself. Although I enjoyed all the book, my favorite parts are where he details the process by which he came up with and wrote his biggest successes. They are probably way too scary for me, but he is kind of genius.

Bird by Bird – Anne Lamott One of my very best friends gave me this book. Anne’s advice for writing is pretty simple. She basically is arguing that you have to do the work to get the pay off. You have to walk before you can run. What stands out about her suggested process is that she doesn’t just focus on practices of craft, she suggests that beginning writers spend a great deal of time writing about their childhood. That seems in line with the recent buzz about people using creative writing and writing classes in lieu of therapy. I really enjoyed this book, but what didn’t sit right with me were her continued and almost bitter assertions that writing won’t make you $$$ or famous. This book has made Anne Lamont both. So, I don’t know exactly what to make of that. As a writer and a writing teacher I put a lot of stock in her advice and the writing exercises she includes in the book. She illustrates the editing process very well, something that has changed the way I write.

The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers – John Gardner This is pretty much a bible for me when it comes to the do’s and don’ts of writing. Three of my best (and most successful) writing teachers assigned this and lauded it as the best book a beginning writer could read and try to absorb. In the first pages Gardner asserts that every person he’s met who knew what it meant to be a writer and still wanted to be one accomplished this goal. I think about this quote a lot. It seems to be encouraging and taunting at the same time. He believes in learning primarily from myth and the classics. Which is funny because his examples are mostly contemporary. His chapter on “Common Errors” is probably the one I’ve read the most. I also suggest the chapters “Interest and Truth” which gets to the heart of what fiction really would be and “Technique” which detail the importance of pacing, word choice and rhythm. Gardner can be a huge literary snob, but his advice is so spot on.

Catching Fire: Same Song, Second Verse*

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* A little bit louder and a little bit worse

Title: Catching Fire
Author: Suzanne Collins
Pages: 391
Rating: ***

Catching Fire is disappointing. I remember thinking that even as I finished it the first time. I raced through it desperate for more of Katniss’s story, but even then the novel felt like filler, just taking up time until the events of the third book.

The first 200 pages frustrated me. I found myself skimming more often than reading. The love triangle is heavily featured, but to me that is not interesting. I think Katniss’s relationship to Prim is much more interesting (and the real love story of the books). However, their interactions are very limited and of no real consequence in Catching Fire.

There’s a lot of exposition, too much telling and not enough showing. This is a problem I also had with The Hunger Games, but I am more willing to forgive it there because I see it as necessary for the world building. Here it just seems lazy.

Catching Fire is much more action-driven and less about character development than The Hunger Games, and I found it a much less compelling reread than The Hunger Games. I mostly kept reading to remember the plot not because I felt invested in the story. Some of the new characters are interesting, but very one dimensional – with the exception of Finnick.

The conflicts all fall flat. There are only so many times repeating one conflict can be compelling  before it just becomes tiresome (Ross and Rachel, anyone?). In The Hunger Games, the question is always how will Katniss win? But the conflicts and situations all differ in interesting ways and lead the plot forward to her eventual victory. In Catching Fire the conflict is what terrible horror will this portion of the jungle bring? Oh, what happened was terrible. How terrible. And should Katniss and Peeta leave the other tributes or not? Let’s just waffle on that subject for the last 200 pages of the book. Is she in love with Gale or Peeta? Why is this even a question?

The cliffhanger ending of the book will keep you wanting more. And once you get through the filler, it does a decent job of setting up the action for Mockingjay. However, there is a marked downgrade in quality from The Hunger Games and Catching Fire.

Catching Fire: A Sequel with Less Sizzle

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A lot of people I’ve met and a lot of opinions I’ve read on the Internet state that both sequels to The Hunger Games are complete misses and not worth reading. I do not agree with these statements, but I do think both books lack the brilliance of their predecessor. I also don’t know anyone, and can’t even bring myself to imagine someone, with the willpower to get to the end of The Hunger Games and not keep reading.

This is not to say that I didn’t enjoy reading Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins. Many people rate this as their favorite in the series. However, the fact that I liked the book had more to do with the continued connection I felt with the characters.  The character development carried on throughout the book. I learned more, and therefore cared more, about most of the characters. My favorite parts of the book (don’t worry, no spoilers) are learning about Haymitch’s Hunger Games, the newly introduced past victors, especially Finnick, and Peeta.

Even more than in the first book, Peeta begins to represent everything good. Peace. Love. Compassion. The Arts. Maybe that is simplistic of me, but he seems at most junctures to stand of for what is right and what is good. Of all the characters, he seems very sure of himself. I know there are people out there that like Gale more, but if I found someone that meant I didn’t have nightmares anymore I would marry them on the spot.

The heightened political aspects of the book also stand out as a strong point in the sequel. You will learn more about the Capital and the other districts. Katniss and Peeta, as victors, take on a new role in the political landscape of Panem.

Katniss is, perhaps, my biggest disappointment in the novel.  While she is a very active person in the Hunger Games, in Catching Fire everything seems to happen to her. She makes few decisions, and mostly goes with the flow. And flow isn’t going anywhere good.

The Prim storyline also seems to disappear. Her relationship with her sister is overshadowed with the love triangle, in a way that rings untrue to me. I think I wrote in my last review that Katniss has a need to be needed. But no need except an economic need is established between the sisters. Once she has money and Prim has enough to eat the need evaporates. As a sister, I don’t’ believe there is no emotional need exists between them. This makes me question the entire arc of the first book and the series.

The question that sticks in my mind is whether these aspects of the book are intentional or not. As a reader it doesn’t really matter to me, but as a writer I am curious. I can’t help wondering if Collins didn’t know how to follow-up her hit novel or if she is making a comment on the reality of being a hero. I probably will never find out.

For further reading and reviews: