Greetings,
Have I mentioned how much I love letters? Like full on, handwritten, pen and paper letters? Because I do. A lot! Maybe it's because I'm a writer. Maybe it's because not many people compose them anymore. Maybe it's because I'm a Luddite at heart. I don't know. And I understand that an email or even a text can contain the same words, but do they often? Those are things we tend to want to get done quickly, between other tasks we deem more important. But to sit down and write a letter to someone takes time and effort and a lot more thought. And I guess I love the idea of something being in one person's hand one moment and, the next, it's in the hands of someone a hundred miles away. It's something tangible and preservable and valuable.
So, imagine how thrilled I was when, years ago, as I walked through my favorite used book store (that lives no longer), I found this book called Love Letters: An Anthology of Passion. The answer is, I was very thrilled. Mostly because it is not just a book about love letters. It is something of an interactive experience. By that, I mean there are actual letters within the book, all handwritten, folded up and put into envelopes with a wax seal that you can take out and hold and read. Sadly, they are not the originals, as those would be very old and delicate and likely extremely expensive. But they are copies that look like the originals. Close enough. And I'm happy to say that someone had the good sense to type up all the contents and put it in the back of the book, because handwriting is not always the easiest things to decipher. Anyway, it's pretty amazing. Especially considering who wrote some of those letters. More on that in a moment.
This book is actually separated into different sections pertaining to the different types of letters that are being featured. There are sections for Admiration, Celebration, Devotion, so on and so on. Because there are so many kinds of love that we can write about, and I personally enjoyed seeing so many of them brought to the light. So much more than just the generic romantic love that we are all used to hearing about.
And, as I was saying before, the numerous authors featured in this book contain some well-known names. There are letters from Dylan Thomas, Nathaniel Hawthorne, John Keats, just to mention a few. As expected, they are very, very good. Almost as though, they put as much effort into writing these letters as one would put into writing a novel.
Perhaps that is what engaged me about this book so much, and the lost art of letter writing. It's the fact that people didn't just dash off notes in the past, at least, not all the time. Not when something was important. And people used to view writing a letter as something incredibly important. Where every word written mattered and held together a message that could be held and embraced by someone else. It's a beautiful sentiment and I fear that so many of us have lost it. And the excuse is always that we don't have the time, but is that true? Or do we just not make the time?
Now I have an idea of what one can do with this book, along with my recommendation, but I will have to admit something about myself in the process. I owned this book for a very long time before I read it. I did flip through it several times, but I never sat down and read every word of it. But any book lover will know how we tend to buy books faster than we can read them, thus, causing our TBR pile to get quite Mt. Everest-y. However, this past Valentine's, I decided to partake in a 24 Hour Readathon of my own making. I figured I had nothing else to do on that day, so I might as well read, and I thought it would be the perfect day to read this one, Spoilers, it was. Anyway, this brings me to my idea. If you are in a relationship, or if you are in one when next Valentine's Day rolls around, don't go out to some fancy restaurant or to a play or a party. Just make dinner, or order in if you can't cook, and sit down with a copy of this book, and read the letters to each other. And when you finish the book, pull out a love letter that you wrote yourself. And make it a good one, darn it! So, there you are. I gave you a great idea for how to spend Valentine's Day. Or an anniversary. Or any random day that you just want to do something special for the person you love.
In closing, I highly recommend this book, especially if you want a unique experience. Or if you just want to remember how valuable the written word is. The REALLY written word.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Monday, March 19, 2018
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Austin McConnell - YouTube Channel Review
Greetings,
Have you ever known that one person who knows a lot of random facts about random things and they talk about all of it all the time, but they're so interesting and entertaining that you just can't help listening every time they start up? Well, everyone, let me introduce you to the subject of today's YouTube channel, Austin McConnell. Although, considering he has almost 400,000 subscribers, you may already know about him. But whatever. We're doing this.
Austin McConnell has quickly become one of my favorite YouTubers. He's a film maker and a writer and he talks about things I'm interested in. And even when he talks about things I'm NOT interested in, the way he talks about them suddenly makes me kind of interested. According to the YouTube stats, he posted his first video about five years ago, and things were a bit sparse for a while. I think he only did about twenty videos in the subsequent few years. But then, in August of 2016, he posted something that changed everything. Apparently. It was about what was wrong with Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Now, I do not like Harry Potter, so I don't click on anything that has to do with it. But this looked like it was gonna talk about it negatively, so I was in! And I'm so glad I watched it, because it was thoroughly enjoyable. Other people must have felt the same way, since it was pretty popular and seemed to lead to even more and even better videos.
Now I don't remember how it is that I came to discover this channel. I think it was one of those cases where YouTube recommended it to me based on other things I've watched. Of course, that doesn't always work out as their wires seem to get crossed sometimes. It's like, no, YouTube. I want to watch people MOCK BuzzFeed videos. I don't want to watch the actual BuzzFeed video. However, in this case, it paid off. I watched that first video of his, then I moved on to the one where he told me about a book called House of Leaves, which I am very grateful for, then on to the one about Gilmore Girls, which proved to be more entertaining than the actual show. And as time moved on, I watched all the videos. I have not been disappointed.
The really fun thing about this channel is that you kinda never know what you're gonna get. I mean, one time he's talking about Star Wars, then a film challenge, then something about KFC! Waiting for a new video from Austin McConnell is like waiting for a birthday gift from that one relative that always gives you something great. You don't know what you're gonna get, but you always know it's gonna be good. And that's an important thing, because the best way to build and keep a fan base is to establish trust with your audience. He has certainly done that.
On a more serious note . . . I guess . . . I'll say something else about Austin McConnell. He seems like a really, really nice guy. The good kind of nice guy, I mean. He proved this back in January of 2018. See, YouTube has this new thing that says you can't monetize your videos unless you have a thousand subscribers and log a few thousand hours of having your videos watched. Well, that was a blow to a lot of people who didn't fit that criteria, even though we all know there are fantastic channels that are flying just under the radar. Well, in an effort to help, Austin spotlighted five channels that had under a thousand subscribers but that he felt deserved more. Considering I ended up subscribing to them, obviously, I agree. Now he didn't have to do that, but apparently he, like many of us, has decided that if YouTube isn't gonna take care of us, we have to take care of each other. And it's not enough for big channels to just complain, but rather, they can help. It's clear that he appreciates the hard work, talent and creativity that comes from the people who run those channels, so he helped them to reach more people. And it paid off. I think they all hit that thousand and beyond.
In addition to all that, something that really stands out is how personal Austin lets himself get in his videos. He talks quite a bit about his own experiences. The good, the bad, the successes, the failures. And he's not afraid to get emotional about all of it. It makes him seem even more like a real person, which he is, which is something that we can forget when we only see someone on a computer screen. He's not perfect, he knows this and he has no shame in admitting that. Especially because, despite everything, he keeps going and he encourages us to do that same.
In closing, I will once again say how much I love this channel and the man behind it. It's just nice to see someone who is so passionate about art and books and cinema and all things creative. For lack of better phrasing, being passionate about the arts seems to be a lost art. Thankfully, though, Austin McConnell is keeping it alive through his channel. He's informing us and entertaining us and putting smiles on our faces. That's more than I expect from most things on YouTube and it's much more than we could ever ask for.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Austin-McConnells-Channel
Have you ever known that one person who knows a lot of random facts about random things and they talk about all of it all the time, but they're so interesting and entertaining that you just can't help listening every time they start up? Well, everyone, let me introduce you to the subject of today's YouTube channel, Austin McConnell. Although, considering he has almost 400,000 subscribers, you may already know about him. But whatever. We're doing this.
Austin McConnell has quickly become one of my favorite YouTubers. He's a film maker and a writer and he talks about things I'm interested in. And even when he talks about things I'm NOT interested in, the way he talks about them suddenly makes me kind of interested. According to the YouTube stats, he posted his first video about five years ago, and things were a bit sparse for a while. I think he only did about twenty videos in the subsequent few years. But then, in August of 2016, he posted something that changed everything. Apparently. It was about what was wrong with Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Now, I do not like Harry Potter, so I don't click on anything that has to do with it. But this looked like it was gonna talk about it negatively, so I was in! And I'm so glad I watched it, because it was thoroughly enjoyable. Other people must have felt the same way, since it was pretty popular and seemed to lead to even more and even better videos.
Now I don't remember how it is that I came to discover this channel. I think it was one of those cases where YouTube recommended it to me based on other things I've watched. Of course, that doesn't always work out as their wires seem to get crossed sometimes. It's like, no, YouTube. I want to watch people MOCK BuzzFeed videos. I don't want to watch the actual BuzzFeed video. However, in this case, it paid off. I watched that first video of his, then I moved on to the one where he told me about a book called House of Leaves, which I am very grateful for, then on to the one about Gilmore Girls, which proved to be more entertaining than the actual show. And as time moved on, I watched all the videos. I have not been disappointed.
The really fun thing about this channel is that you kinda never know what you're gonna get. I mean, one time he's talking about Star Wars, then a film challenge, then something about KFC! Waiting for a new video from Austin McConnell is like waiting for a birthday gift from that one relative that always gives you something great. You don't know what you're gonna get, but you always know it's gonna be good. And that's an important thing, because the best way to build and keep a fan base is to establish trust with your audience. He has certainly done that.
On a more serious note . . . I guess . . . I'll say something else about Austin McConnell. He seems like a really, really nice guy. The good kind of nice guy, I mean. He proved this back in January of 2018. See, YouTube has this new thing that says you can't monetize your videos unless you have a thousand subscribers and log a few thousand hours of having your videos watched. Well, that was a blow to a lot of people who didn't fit that criteria, even though we all know there are fantastic channels that are flying just under the radar. Well, in an effort to help, Austin spotlighted five channels that had under a thousand subscribers but that he felt deserved more. Considering I ended up subscribing to them, obviously, I agree. Now he didn't have to do that, but apparently he, like many of us, has decided that if YouTube isn't gonna take care of us, we have to take care of each other. And it's not enough for big channels to just complain, but rather, they can help. It's clear that he appreciates the hard work, talent and creativity that comes from the people who run those channels, so he helped them to reach more people. And it paid off. I think they all hit that thousand and beyond.
In addition to all that, something that really stands out is how personal Austin lets himself get in his videos. He talks quite a bit about his own experiences. The good, the bad, the successes, the failures. And he's not afraid to get emotional about all of it. It makes him seem even more like a real person, which he is, which is something that we can forget when we only see someone on a computer screen. He's not perfect, he knows this and he has no shame in admitting that. Especially because, despite everything, he keeps going and he encourages us to do that same.
In closing, I will once again say how much I love this channel and the man behind it. It's just nice to see someone who is so passionate about art and books and cinema and all things creative. For lack of better phrasing, being passionate about the arts seems to be a lost art. Thankfully, though, Austin McConnell is keeping it alive through his channel. He's informing us and entertaining us and putting smiles on our faces. That's more than I expect from most things on YouTube and it's much more than we could ever ask for.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Austin-McConnells-Channel
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Straight From the Theater Review - Early Man
Greetings,
I've mentioned this quite a few times recently, but I'll say it again. I am not thrilled with Hollywood at the moment. Gee, I wonder why. And this is all very sad, because I do, indeed, love the cinema and I enjoy a trip to the theater on occasion. On rare occasion, as of late, but still. So, I must go elsewhere to find some entertainment. Enter Aardman Animations, which is happily based in the U.K. Alright, I may also have some issues with the U.K. at the moment as well, but not where their artistic endeavors are concerned. Also, I love this studio. They gave us Wallace and Gromit, for crying out loud. And now they have given us Early Man. Here's a quick and spoiler free synopsis.
So, the story takes place during the Stone Age in a valley where a bunch of lovable cave people live and hunt rabbits. This is where we meet our protagonist Dug, his pet wild boar, Hognob and the leader, Chief Bobnar. One night, however, their lives are disrupted when Lord Nooth, from Bronze Age City, invades the valley to take over and mine for more bronze, driving the cave people out. After some shenanigans, Dug decides to challenge them to a football game (soccer to you Americans!) to gain back control of the valley. Because that's just what they did back in the prehistoric times. And that's pretty much it.
Okay, look, here's the thing. I've always thought that, with Aardman, the plot isn't that important. Well, it is, but it isn't. I'll say that the plots are rarely complicated. It tends to be more about the great characters they've created as well as really funny and clever jokes throughout. The plot is just kind of a thread to hold those things together and give them a reason to exist. And that's fine with me, because they are so good with the characters and the jokes that I don't mind that the plot was basically that of a 80's and/or 90's sports movie. Ya know, those ones that you can get four to a disc at Wal Mart for like $7. 50. But again, don't care when everything else is so great. Oh, and speaking of the characters, let's talk about the people whose voices brought them to life.
The casting in this is fantastic, as per usual, and what I like best is that pretty much all of the well-known actors altered their voices. That's a good thing, because hearing the familiar voice of a celebrity you know can be distracting in something like this. But by changing it up, they managed to create something that fit the characters they played. Dug was portrayed by Eddie Redmayne, and he sounded about ten years younger and ten years higher pitched. Maisie Williams provided the voice of Goona (my future child's name!), a young and awesome lady that Dug befriends during his journey. The chief was voiced by Timothy Spall, perfectly, I might add. And even the director, Nick Park, got into the action by voicing Hognob. And, then, we have Lord Nooth, voiced by Tom Hiddleston. I have some things to say about this, twofold. First, as much as I love this studio, I will admit that this particular cast member may have had something to do with my putting this film on my "Must See" list. Because I do like him as an actor, and I like him being funny, which he needs to do more of, professionally speaking. Second, what is up with Aardman casting handsome, British guys as their doofy villains? I mean, first, it was Ralph Fiennes in the were-rabbit thing, and now this? I'm not complaining; I'm just wondering. But to be honest, all the voice acting was phenomenal.
Anyway, I'd like to say one more thing. Specifically, about the animation in this. It's just heartwarming. I love the way that they create their films. I love how everything is handmade. Like, you can literally see fingerprints a lot of the time, which isn't a bad thing. It serves as a little reminder of how much work went into it. I love that, even with the option to use computers and make things easier, they don't do it, because it's not who they are. In short, I love the integrity they have to their legacy.
In closing, I highly recommend seeing Early Man. Much like everything that comes from Aardman, it's witty and fun and, again, heartwarming, and it just makes you feel happy. Sometimes that is all I need from a movie and, most times, that is way more than enough.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
I've mentioned this quite a few times recently, but I'll say it again. I am not thrilled with Hollywood at the moment. Gee, I wonder why. And this is all very sad, because I do, indeed, love the cinema and I enjoy a trip to the theater on occasion. On rare occasion, as of late, but still. So, I must go elsewhere to find some entertainment. Enter Aardman Animations, which is happily based in the U.K. Alright, I may also have some issues with the U.K. at the moment as well, but not where their artistic endeavors are concerned. Also, I love this studio. They gave us Wallace and Gromit, for crying out loud. And now they have given us Early Man. Here's a quick and spoiler free synopsis.
So, the story takes place during the Stone Age in a valley where a bunch of lovable cave people live and hunt rabbits. This is where we meet our protagonist Dug, his pet wild boar, Hognob and the leader, Chief Bobnar. One night, however, their lives are disrupted when Lord Nooth, from Bronze Age City, invades the valley to take over and mine for more bronze, driving the cave people out. After some shenanigans, Dug decides to challenge them to a football game (soccer to you Americans!) to gain back control of the valley. Because that's just what they did back in the prehistoric times. And that's pretty much it.
Okay, look, here's the thing. I've always thought that, with Aardman, the plot isn't that important. Well, it is, but it isn't. I'll say that the plots are rarely complicated. It tends to be more about the great characters they've created as well as really funny and clever jokes throughout. The plot is just kind of a thread to hold those things together and give them a reason to exist. And that's fine with me, because they are so good with the characters and the jokes that I don't mind that the plot was basically that of a 80's and/or 90's sports movie. Ya know, those ones that you can get four to a disc at Wal Mart for like $7. 50. But again, don't care when everything else is so great. Oh, and speaking of the characters, let's talk about the people whose voices brought them to life.
The casting in this is fantastic, as per usual, and what I like best is that pretty much all of the well-known actors altered their voices. That's a good thing, because hearing the familiar voice of a celebrity you know can be distracting in something like this. But by changing it up, they managed to create something that fit the characters they played. Dug was portrayed by Eddie Redmayne, and he sounded about ten years younger and ten years higher pitched. Maisie Williams provided the voice of Goona (my future child's name!), a young and awesome lady that Dug befriends during his journey. The chief was voiced by Timothy Spall, perfectly, I might add. And even the director, Nick Park, got into the action by voicing Hognob. And, then, we have Lord Nooth, voiced by Tom Hiddleston. I have some things to say about this, twofold. First, as much as I love this studio, I will admit that this particular cast member may have had something to do with my putting this film on my "Must See" list. Because I do like him as an actor, and I like him being funny, which he needs to do more of, professionally speaking. Second, what is up with Aardman casting handsome, British guys as their doofy villains? I mean, first, it was Ralph Fiennes in the were-rabbit thing, and now this? I'm not complaining; I'm just wondering. But to be honest, all the voice acting was phenomenal.
Anyway, I'd like to say one more thing. Specifically, about the animation in this. It's just heartwarming. I love the way that they create their films. I love how everything is handmade. Like, you can literally see fingerprints a lot of the time, which isn't a bad thing. It serves as a little reminder of how much work went into it. I love that, even with the option to use computers and make things easier, they don't do it, because it's not who they are. In short, I love the integrity they have to their legacy.
In closing, I highly recommend seeing Early Man. Much like everything that comes from Aardman, it's witty and fun and, again, heartwarming, and it just makes you feel happy. Sometimes that is all I need from a movie and, most times, that is way more than enough.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Monday, January 29, 2018
The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright - Book Review
Greetings,
You know what I love? Letters. Good, old-fashioned, handwritten letters. No, seriously, kids. These aren't just fairy tale things. They actually existed at one time. That one time when people gave a crap. Okay, harsh, I know, but as someone who values words, you can't be surprised that I feel this way. Now someone might counter my argument by saying that an email or even a text can contain the same words, so what's the difference? Well, much like how an ebook also can have the same story as a physical book, there is a difference. To me and to many others, while the words might be the same, books and letters make those words more real. They make those words something you can touch and hold. They make those words an experience. So, yes, I would take a letter or a book over anything any day. And, therefore, you can imagine just how much I would love a book about letters. So, even though I feel like I'm using certain words WAY too much, let's discuss a book called The Wednesday Letters.
The Wednesday Letters is a 2007 novel by Jason F. Wright. Admittedly, I picked it up because of the subject matter. The story is about Jack and Laurel Cooper, a couple who were together for 39 years and died in each other's arms. This isn't a spoiler. It's in the synopsis. Anyway, in the wake of the tragedy, their three children Matthew, Malcolm and Samantha, come together to make arrangements for the unexpected double funeral.
While going through the remnants of their parents life, they find a collection of letters that Jack had written to Laurel every Wednesday for all their years together. They begin to read the letters, at first, out of order, but soon they begin to uncover secrets about their family that none of them were aware of. As expected, these revelations cause tension between them and accusations and blame to be thrown around. And in the midst of dealing with this crushing family drama, each of the grown children are dealing with issues in the world outside their family home. With each passing moment, they consume themselves with trying to find answers and a way to move on with this new life they are now being forced to live.
I had no idea what to really expect when I picked up this book. I could tell that it was some kind of a faith based story, and believe it or not, I am often wary of those. Yes, I am a Christian and I enjoy a good story about faith, but on occasion, I think some religious writers, as well as film makers and musicians, are afraid to go too far, for fear of pushing away a devoted and built in fan base. They can also become complacent at times. So, it was nice to read this book that was written well and, while not going into gratuitous details, managed to tackle some very, very hard and dark subjects. And I think it did this fairly.
Now, over on the GoodReads, some of the criticisms people lobbed at this were that it was too much like a Hallmark movie, maybe with a dash of Lifetime. Okay, to be fair, it does have some of those elements, but it's not that bad. Not that I don't like Hallmark or Lifetime movies. I like them quite a bit actually, but this book is its own thing. I can admit that there were a few sappy and overly sentimental moments, especially with some of the phrases being said. Still, it's a book about getting ready for a funeral, so what do you expect?
I will say that what I enjoyed most about this book is that it's a story about the value and the power of forgiveness. And there are a lot of people in this that have to do some hardcore forgiving, even to the point where those who don't have a full grasp of the concept of it might think it's unrealistic. But it's the situations where forgiveness is the hardest thing to do, yet people still do it, that can make anyone understand that power.
In closing, I'd say I would recommend this book. I know it won't be for everyone, but if it sounds like something you'd like, then you'll probably like it. I certainly did, enough to possibly check out the sequel that I just found out exists. So, I guess I'll have to see where the story goes.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
You know what I love? Letters. Good, old-fashioned, handwritten letters. No, seriously, kids. These aren't just fairy tale things. They actually existed at one time. That one time when people gave a crap. Okay, harsh, I know, but as someone who values words, you can't be surprised that I feel this way. Now someone might counter my argument by saying that an email or even a text can contain the same words, so what's the difference? Well, much like how an ebook also can have the same story as a physical book, there is a difference. To me and to many others, while the words might be the same, books and letters make those words more real. They make those words something you can touch and hold. They make those words an experience. So, yes, I would take a letter or a book over anything any day. And, therefore, you can imagine just how much I would love a book about letters. So, even though I feel like I'm using certain words WAY too much, let's discuss a book called The Wednesday Letters.
The Wednesday Letters is a 2007 novel by Jason F. Wright. Admittedly, I picked it up because of the subject matter. The story is about Jack and Laurel Cooper, a couple who were together for 39 years and died in each other's arms. This isn't a spoiler. It's in the synopsis. Anyway, in the wake of the tragedy, their three children Matthew, Malcolm and Samantha, come together to make arrangements for the unexpected double funeral.
While going through the remnants of their parents life, they find a collection of letters that Jack had written to Laurel every Wednesday for all their years together. They begin to read the letters, at first, out of order, but soon they begin to uncover secrets about their family that none of them were aware of. As expected, these revelations cause tension between them and accusations and blame to be thrown around. And in the midst of dealing with this crushing family drama, each of the grown children are dealing with issues in the world outside their family home. With each passing moment, they consume themselves with trying to find answers and a way to move on with this new life they are now being forced to live.
I had no idea what to really expect when I picked up this book. I could tell that it was some kind of a faith based story, and believe it or not, I am often wary of those. Yes, I am a Christian and I enjoy a good story about faith, but on occasion, I think some religious writers, as well as film makers and musicians, are afraid to go too far, for fear of pushing away a devoted and built in fan base. They can also become complacent at times. So, it was nice to read this book that was written well and, while not going into gratuitous details, managed to tackle some very, very hard and dark subjects. And I think it did this fairly.
Now, over on the GoodReads, some of the criticisms people lobbed at this were that it was too much like a Hallmark movie, maybe with a dash of Lifetime. Okay, to be fair, it does have some of those elements, but it's not that bad. Not that I don't like Hallmark or Lifetime movies. I like them quite a bit actually, but this book is its own thing. I can admit that there were a few sappy and overly sentimental moments, especially with some of the phrases being said. Still, it's a book about getting ready for a funeral, so what do you expect?
I will say that what I enjoyed most about this book is that it's a story about the value and the power of forgiveness. And there are a lot of people in this that have to do some hardcore forgiving, even to the point where those who don't have a full grasp of the concept of it might think it's unrealistic. But it's the situations where forgiveness is the hardest thing to do, yet people still do it, that can make anyone understand that power.
In closing, I'd say I would recommend this book. I know it won't be for everyone, but if it sounds like something you'd like, then you'll probably like it. I certainly did, enough to possibly check out the sequel that I just found out exists. So, I guess I'll have to see where the story goes.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Monday, January 15, 2018
Karliene - YouTube Channel Review
Greetings,
If you read my year end posts about music in 2017, you'll know that I was quite unenthusiastic about most of what I heard. So many of the songs I listened to were either bad or samey-sounding or both. Mostly both. All of that makes me sad because I've lived through years, even in my relatively short life, where artists were being very innovative and creative and original. I barely see that anymore. So, when I do come across someone who is unique and good where their music is concerned, I kind of hold onto them for dear life. Such is the case with the person whose YouTube Channel I am discussing today, Karliene.
Karliene is Karliene Reynolds. She is a wonderful singer and songwriter that I discovered a few years ago whilst I was looking for covers of the song "The Last Unicorn". Don't judge me. Anyway, she did a version of it with another great singer, Ashley Serena. The video was actually on Ashley's channel, but, through it, I made my way over to Karliene's channel and started exploring.
The first thing I noticed, of course, was her angelic voice. That may be an overused adjective in some cases, but with her, it's quite accurate. Her voice sounds like no one else I can think of and that is a very good thing. It's powerful yet soothing, strong yet ethereal, all at the same time. That is not easy to do. Another thing that immediately intrigued me was her style. Like many people, she does her share of cover songs, but she also has a lot of original songs. And with all of them, she makes them distinctly here own. They all have a feel to them that's either a bit Celtic or very much sounding like something you'd hear in a fantasy film score or maybe something Medieval. It's a bit hard for me to describe, but you'll understand when you hear it. My point is that she is doing something different. Yes, there may be a few other artists who are similar, but that style is not oversaturated to where I don't want to hear it. We have just enough of this beautiful music and she is making a significant contribution to it.
But I think the one thing that has drawn me into her world and kept me there for so long is the fact that she seems to be able to find inspiration in anything, particularly she finds it in the art of others. I love it when that happens. Actually, it's something that I do a lot myself and am often met with strange looks for it. In fact, when I dedicated a whole section of my first book to poems about a specific film, even I was hesitant about doing it. Karliene, however, has made me see that this is exactly what artists are supposed to do - inspire each other.
Speaking of which, this would be a good time for me to bring up my favorite thing that she has ever done (so far). Back in August of 2017, Karliene released an album of songs all which were inspired by the poem, The Highwayman, written by Alfred Noyes. Amazingly, she wrote seven songs that stemmed from the story of this one poem, and they are all so good. I may have to do a separate review for that. Anyway, there are three main reasons why I love this album so much. First, the music itself is just so incredible and moving, and it paints a beautiful picture of the story through the eyes of a different artist than the one who wrote it originally. Second, it clearly proves that she appreciates poetry, which is something that obviously I appreciate in return. Third, this whole project has inspired me to return to one of my own that I had seemingly abandoned, wherein I was writing songs inspired by my favorite book, The Last Sin Eater. After seeing what was done here, I have decided to get to work on that once again. So, thank you for that very much, Miss Karliene.
Honestly, there are so many reasons why I would tell you to go to this channel to check out this artist. As I said before, she is talented and unique and has a gift that I don't see often anymore. Best of all, she seems like a delight of a person, which makes me want to support her even more so. I want everyone to hear her music, and I wouldn't mind if she got noticed by some musical legends to do some collaborating. I certainly wouldn't mind hearing a duet with her and Tori Amos. I'd love to see that, too, since they both have the most gorgeous red hair. But, seriously, so many people should be lining up to sing alongside her.
In conclusion, if you are looking for some wonderful, creative music, something different from whatever in the world they are playing on the radio these days, I strongly suggest you check out Karliene.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Karliene-Channel
If you read my year end posts about music in 2017, you'll know that I was quite unenthusiastic about most of what I heard. So many of the songs I listened to were either bad or samey-sounding or both. Mostly both. All of that makes me sad because I've lived through years, even in my relatively short life, where artists were being very innovative and creative and original. I barely see that anymore. So, when I do come across someone who is unique and good where their music is concerned, I kind of hold onto them for dear life. Such is the case with the person whose YouTube Channel I am discussing today, Karliene.
Karliene is Karliene Reynolds. She is a wonderful singer and songwriter that I discovered a few years ago whilst I was looking for covers of the song "The Last Unicorn". Don't judge me. Anyway, she did a version of it with another great singer, Ashley Serena. The video was actually on Ashley's channel, but, through it, I made my way over to Karliene's channel and started exploring.
The first thing I noticed, of course, was her angelic voice. That may be an overused adjective in some cases, but with her, it's quite accurate. Her voice sounds like no one else I can think of and that is a very good thing. It's powerful yet soothing, strong yet ethereal, all at the same time. That is not easy to do. Another thing that immediately intrigued me was her style. Like many people, she does her share of cover songs, but she also has a lot of original songs. And with all of them, she makes them distinctly here own. They all have a feel to them that's either a bit Celtic or very much sounding like something you'd hear in a fantasy film score or maybe something Medieval. It's a bit hard for me to describe, but you'll understand when you hear it. My point is that she is doing something different. Yes, there may be a few other artists who are similar, but that style is not oversaturated to where I don't want to hear it. We have just enough of this beautiful music and she is making a significant contribution to it.
But I think the one thing that has drawn me into her world and kept me there for so long is the fact that she seems to be able to find inspiration in anything, particularly she finds it in the art of others. I love it when that happens. Actually, it's something that I do a lot myself and am often met with strange looks for it. In fact, when I dedicated a whole section of my first book to poems about a specific film, even I was hesitant about doing it. Karliene, however, has made me see that this is exactly what artists are supposed to do - inspire each other.
Speaking of which, this would be a good time for me to bring up my favorite thing that she has ever done (so far). Back in August of 2017, Karliene released an album of songs all which were inspired by the poem, The Highwayman, written by Alfred Noyes. Amazingly, she wrote seven songs that stemmed from the story of this one poem, and they are all so good. I may have to do a separate review for that. Anyway, there are three main reasons why I love this album so much. First, the music itself is just so incredible and moving, and it paints a beautiful picture of the story through the eyes of a different artist than the one who wrote it originally. Second, it clearly proves that she appreciates poetry, which is something that obviously I appreciate in return. Third, this whole project has inspired me to return to one of my own that I had seemingly abandoned, wherein I was writing songs inspired by my favorite book, The Last Sin Eater. After seeing what was done here, I have decided to get to work on that once again. So, thank you for that very much, Miss Karliene.
Honestly, there are so many reasons why I would tell you to go to this channel to check out this artist. As I said before, she is talented and unique and has a gift that I don't see often anymore. Best of all, she seems like a delight of a person, which makes me want to support her even more so. I want everyone to hear her music, and I wouldn't mind if she got noticed by some musical legends to do some collaborating. I certainly wouldn't mind hearing a duet with her and Tori Amos. I'd love to see that, too, since they both have the most gorgeous red hair. But, seriously, so many people should be lining up to sing alongside her.
In conclusion, if you are looking for some wonderful, creative music, something different from whatever in the world they are playing on the radio these days, I strongly suggest you check out Karliene.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Karliene-Channel
Monday, January 8, 2018
A Few Words About Sue Grafton
Greetings,
As many of you know, 2017 had its ups and downs. Unfortunately, it came to a close on a bit of a sad note, as on December 28, we lost one of the world's best writers and one of my personal favorites, Sue Grafton.
I know I'm a bit late talking about this, but I wanted it to sink in. And I'm not going to go into some long, biographical rundown on her life here. There are plenty of other places where you can read those. I just wanted to say a few, quick words about my own experience as one of her readers.
I discovered her books while I was in the library looking for some good mysteries. I picked up the first in her "Alphabet Series", "A" Is For Alibi, featuring her private investigator lead character, Kinsey Millhone. I immediately loved these books and especially Kinsey. She was everything that a strong, female lead should be. In other words, she was real. I see so much talk about people wanting those aforementioned "strong, female leads", but sometimes I think what they want is a Mary Sue type. I do not like those. I want a character who feels like an actual person. And Kinsey was exactly that. She was smart, but didn't get everything right. She could take care of herself, but also could ask for help. She was loved by some, not so much by others. She wasn't perfect and she wasn't a blank slate. She had actual flaws and an actual personality. Again, she was real. And I would tell anyone who wants to write a great and proper female lead for a book to go to this series for some lessons. Because Kinsey was something special.
And Sue Grafton was special, too. She had a way of pulling you into these stories, getting you involved with the world and caring a lot about the characters. Though many writers can pull that off, sometimes we can forget what a gift it is to be able to do it and do it for so long. Well, Sue could do it. She had that gift and she was a gift to us.
While the saddest thing about her death is just that, of course, many of us who have traveled through the alphabet with her and Kinsey are heartbroken to learn that her last book, "Y" Is For Yesterday, will be the last one, prompting many people to adopt the phrase, "The Alphabet Ends With 'Y'". I think she was planning to release the Z book in a couple of years, but she hadn't even started it yet, so there was no manuscript and her family will not hire a ghostwriter. At first I was sad about this, but I realized that, all things considered, it is for the best.
I had always been someone who hoped for a Kinsey movie or a TV series, and I didn't know that, apparently, Sue did not want anything like that. And she would not have wanted a ghostwriter either. I think she didn't want anyone writing about Kinsey but her. I agree. Sometimes characters and their writers become extremely connected, and this is certainly no exception. These two were practically one and the same. So, when I really think about it, I wouldn't want anyone else writing her anyway.
Still, I feel like, in a way, there is a final book. Not the "Z" Is For _____ book we had wanted, but something less tangible. I think Sue Grafton's final book, her final chapter, will come from everyone who knew and loved here. It will be filled with the stories about her told by her friends and family, the stories that we, the readers, will tell about our experiences with her as a writer. And every time one of us tells a new reader to pick up one of her books, another page will be added. That is how we will help her legacy to live on.
So, in closing, I will miss Sue Grafton and what she may have written, but I will hold on to all the stories she did give us. I will be entertained by them and learn from them, just as she wanted. Just as she succeeded in doing.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
As many of you know, 2017 had its ups and downs. Unfortunately, it came to a close on a bit of a sad note, as on December 28, we lost one of the world's best writers and one of my personal favorites, Sue Grafton.
I know I'm a bit late talking about this, but I wanted it to sink in. And I'm not going to go into some long, biographical rundown on her life here. There are plenty of other places where you can read those. I just wanted to say a few, quick words about my own experience as one of her readers.
I discovered her books while I was in the library looking for some good mysteries. I picked up the first in her "Alphabet Series", "A" Is For Alibi, featuring her private investigator lead character, Kinsey Millhone. I immediately loved these books and especially Kinsey. She was everything that a strong, female lead should be. In other words, she was real. I see so much talk about people wanting those aforementioned "strong, female leads", but sometimes I think what they want is a Mary Sue type. I do not like those. I want a character who feels like an actual person. And Kinsey was exactly that. She was smart, but didn't get everything right. She could take care of herself, but also could ask for help. She was loved by some, not so much by others. She wasn't perfect and she wasn't a blank slate. She had actual flaws and an actual personality. Again, she was real. And I would tell anyone who wants to write a great and proper female lead for a book to go to this series for some lessons. Because Kinsey was something special.
And Sue Grafton was special, too. She had a way of pulling you into these stories, getting you involved with the world and caring a lot about the characters. Though many writers can pull that off, sometimes we can forget what a gift it is to be able to do it and do it for so long. Well, Sue could do it. She had that gift and she was a gift to us.
While the saddest thing about her death is just that, of course, many of us who have traveled through the alphabet with her and Kinsey are heartbroken to learn that her last book, "Y" Is For Yesterday, will be the last one, prompting many people to adopt the phrase, "The Alphabet Ends With 'Y'". I think she was planning to release the Z book in a couple of years, but she hadn't even started it yet, so there was no manuscript and her family will not hire a ghostwriter. At first I was sad about this, but I realized that, all things considered, it is for the best.
I had always been someone who hoped for a Kinsey movie or a TV series, and I didn't know that, apparently, Sue did not want anything like that. And she would not have wanted a ghostwriter either. I think she didn't want anyone writing about Kinsey but her. I agree. Sometimes characters and their writers become extremely connected, and this is certainly no exception. These two were practically one and the same. So, when I really think about it, I wouldn't want anyone else writing her anyway.
Still, I feel like, in a way, there is a final book. Not the "Z" Is For _____ book we had wanted, but something less tangible. I think Sue Grafton's final book, her final chapter, will come from everyone who knew and loved here. It will be filled with the stories about her told by her friends and family, the stories that we, the readers, will tell about our experiences with her as a writer. And every time one of us tells a new reader to pick up one of her books, another page will be added. That is how we will help her legacy to live on.
So, in closing, I will miss Sue Grafton and what she may have written, but I will hold on to all the stories she did give us. I will be entertained by them and learn from them, just as she wanted. Just as she succeeded in doing.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Sunday, December 31, 2017
End of the Year Book Survey 2017
Greetings,
I wasn't really planning on posting anything today, but I found this really fun book survey and I thought I could post my answers to all these questions. I certainly read a lot of books this year, 115 to be exact. Anyway, what with reading that many books, I have a lot of opinions about them. And as always, these are just my opinions. You can love or hate whatever books you want. So, anyway, let's get this thing started. Settle in. It's gonna be a long one.
1. Best Book You Read in 2017? - Well I reread my favorite book, The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers, this year, so technically, I guess that would be considered the best. But that one aside, I would say House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. It was just so different and fascinating and engaging. It was an experience and one that I'm very glad I had.
2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t? - I'm not sure if I thought I was going to love it, necessarily, but I did expect more from Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. It wasn't bad, but I just feel like it might be over-hyped. Just my opinion. Calm down.
3. Most Surprising (in a good way or bad way) Book You Read? - I was pleasantly surprised by The Gospel of Loki by Joanne M. Harris. By the synopsis, I was expecting something very . . . "fanficcy", and to be fair, it kind of was. At least, in the general idea of it. But the writing was so stellar, that it went above and beyond that, and I got a very entertaining reading experience out of it.
4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)? - None that I know. Honestly, I don't know a lot of people who read very much. I reviewed some books on this blog, wherein I would recommend a few of them, so there is a possibility that someone read a book due to that.
5. Best series you started in 2017? Best Sequel of 2017? Best Series Ender of 2017? - I started quite a few series this year, so I had a lot to sift through. I started the Fox and O'Hare series by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg and read quite a few of the books therein. I actually reviewed the first one, The Heist, recently, and that was the series I was most entertained by. For a sequel, I loved Murder Most Frothy by Cleo Coyle, which was #5 in the Coffeehouse Mystery series. And the only ender I read, as far as I know, was The End of Oz by Danielle Paige, so that one wins. It was very good, though, so it probably would have won anyway. Still, I don't know if it even is the last book in the series. I had heard that, but I wouldn't be against more.
6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2017? - I would probably have to say Michael Robertson who writes the Baker Street Letters series, which I read all five of this year. I don't know what it is, but I really get drawn into the world he creates and I love the characters, as flawed as they are. I'm hoping to read more from him.
7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone? - I don't read a lot of YA, but this year I did read of few. And I think the best was Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion. Is that YA? I don't know.
8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year? - I'm gonna go with In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware. I know a lot of people had mixed feelings about and felt the end was predictable. To be fair, it was a little, but as far as the journey of the story goes, I was quite enthralled.
9. Book You Read In 2017 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year? - Have you seen my TBR pile? There will be no rereads! But if I must choose something, what the heck, I guess I'll just reread my favorite again.
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2017? - I audiobooked my way through High Rise by J.G Ballard and according to GoodReads, said audiobook has Tom Hiddleston on the cover. So, yeah, that one.
11. Most memorable character of 2017? - Well, I read some H.P. Lovecraft this year, so who else but Cthulhu!
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2017? - I thought The Book Thief by Markus Zusak was written very beautifully, especially considering the subject matter. But maybe that's exactly why it came out that way.
13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2017? - I reread The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning and the first time I read this book it made me think and changed my life. It kinda did the same thing on repeat. And, of course, I was reminded of how it inspired one of my favorite songwriters of all time, Rich Mullins.
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2017 to finally read? - The Killing Joke by Alan Moore. And I love Batman, so what in the heck took me so long?
15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2017? - I don't really pay attention to specific quotes from books, but thanks to GoodReads I managed to find some from a book I mentioned just a couple of questions ago. It's from The Ragamuffin Gospel and the quote is “The temptation of the age is to look good without being good.” I find this one rather topical.
16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2017? - Again, according to GoodReads, the shortest book was Pros and Cons at only 28 pages, but it was a short story prequel to the aforementioned Fox and O'Hare series. Still, it was counted as an actual book, so there you go. The longest was Les Miserables at 1,463 pages. And it felt 1,463 pages long.
17. Book That Shocked You The Most? - I guess Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn would have shocked me if I hadn't seen the movie.
18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!) - OTP is One True Pairing, in case you don't know. And how can I not say Chip and Joanna Gaines from The Magnolia Story! Yes, I know it's a non-fiction, but no one said it couldn't be.
19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year - I do love the Heath brothers, Reggie and Nigel, from The Baker Street Letters series. They're very different from one another and their relationship can be rocky at times, but when you put them together, it really works for me.
20. Favorite Book You Read in 2017 From An Author You’ve Read Previously - Sister Mine by Tawni O'Dell. I've read a few of her books before and she is one of my favorite authors. I actually got to meet her at a book festival a couple of years ago. She was very nice and she even bought one of my books.
21. Best Book You Read In 2017 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure - Everyone told me to read The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, or anything by Donna Tartt, so I did. And she is a darn good writer.
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2017? - I have to bring up the Fox and O'Hare series again, because . . . Nick Fox. Dang! Yes, I know he's a criminal, but we like our bad boys. For some reason. And he makes me laugh, which counts for a lot, especially these days.
23. Best 2017 debut you read? - If this means a book that was published in 2017, I only read two of those and I already mentioned one of them, so I'll say the other one which was Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman. Hmmm . . . I read a lot of Loki related things this year. Why?
24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year? - I suppose I'll say Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick. He did have to create pictures with words and words with pictures, all at the same time. And he did a fantastic job.
25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read? - I read a book by Jim Gaffigan called Dad is Fat. Which book do YOU think was the most fun for me to read?
26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2017? - Broken Harbour by Tana French. I LOVE Tana French. She writes about the Dublin Murder Squad, so obviously, there was a murder in this book. No spoilers, but when you find out what actually happened, it is heartbreaking. I didn't full on cry, because I'm not really a book crier, but she almost got me there.
27. Hidden Gem Of The Year? - I haven't heard a ton of people talking about The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George, but I found it just delightful. I liked the characters and the journey that they went on. I love books and bookshops, and I once loved Paris, so there a feeling of nostalgia for me. I had a good time with this one and I hope more people read it.
28. Book That Crushed Your Soul? - I found it very difficult to read the book Reed's Beach by Bret Lott. Don't get me wrong. It was a great book, and I love Bret Lott as a writer. But due to the subject matter, it was tough one to get through.
29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2017? - There's no way I can't not say House of Leaves again. Seriously? Have you seen the thing? Yeah, unique is an understatement. Actually, there's a great YouTuber named Austin McConnell. He did a really good video giving a bit of a quick look at it if you're interested. I'll link it below along with the House of Leaves episode of a bookish podcast called Overdue. They gave some decent insight on the book as well.
30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)? - Gotta say The Scarlet Thread by Francine Rivers. Mostly because there were a couple of characters that were very slap-worthy in there. I know violence is bad, but they're fake, so it's okay.
Okay, then there were a few questions about book blogging, and I'm going to skip that part. Technically, I'm not a book blogger. I'm a whatever the heck I feel like blogging about blogger, and not a very popular one at that. So, I passed on those. No offense,
And then, there was a Looking Ahead section, wherein there are questions about what is going to be read in 2018. Off we go.
1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2017 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2018? - I have so many books in my TBR pile that I'm excited about. I do really wanna get to the next Tana French book, The Secret Place, but I also have a Betty White biography in the mix, so I guess we'll see who wins. You just never know what kind of reading mood you'll be in.
2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2018 (non-debut)? - Well, I have TWO books coming out in 2018, another poetry collection called After the Ashes Cool and a novel called Beyond Starlight, so I'm be a shameless self-promoter and say those!
3. 2018 Debut You Are Most Anticipating? - Sadly, I don't really know about any debut authors who will be releasing their books in 2018, but God bless them, I wish them much success and if I see one of their books, I'll have to check them out. Literally, because I go to the library a lot.
4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2018? - I don't know if there is going to be another book in "many times mentioned in this post" The Baker Street Letters series released in 2018, but if there is, I am SO there. And I'm sure that Janet Evanovich will have something new in one of her series coming out. She usually does.
5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2018? - I hope to review a lot more books on this blog. I've done quite a few this year, but I really want people to be excited about reading. And if I can help them by recommending good books, it is certainly my pleasure.
6. A 2018 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone (if applicable) - I have no idea. I don't get ARCs. I am not that special . . . yet.
So, that was fun, and I had a lot of fun reading this year. I hope to finish a lot of books in 2018, maybe even more than I did this year, but we'll see. Either way, as long as I keep seeking out good books and good writers, first and foremost, I'll be helping to keep what is important about literature alive and well.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
I wasn't really planning on posting anything today, but I found this really fun book survey and I thought I could post my answers to all these questions. I certainly read a lot of books this year, 115 to be exact. Anyway, what with reading that many books, I have a lot of opinions about them. And as always, these are just my opinions. You can love or hate whatever books you want. So, anyway, let's get this thing started. Settle in. It's gonna be a long one.
1. Best Book You Read in 2017? - Well I reread my favorite book, The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers, this year, so technically, I guess that would be considered the best. But that one aside, I would say House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. It was just so different and fascinating and engaging. It was an experience and one that I'm very glad I had.
2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t? - I'm not sure if I thought I was going to love it, necessarily, but I did expect more from Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. It wasn't bad, but I just feel like it might be over-hyped. Just my opinion. Calm down.
3. Most Surprising (in a good way or bad way) Book You Read? - I was pleasantly surprised by The Gospel of Loki by Joanne M. Harris. By the synopsis, I was expecting something very . . . "fanficcy", and to be fair, it kind of was. At least, in the general idea of it. But the writing was so stellar, that it went above and beyond that, and I got a very entertaining reading experience out of it.
4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)? - None that I know. Honestly, I don't know a lot of people who read very much. I reviewed some books on this blog, wherein I would recommend a few of them, so there is a possibility that someone read a book due to that.
5. Best series you started in 2017? Best Sequel of 2017? Best Series Ender of 2017? - I started quite a few series this year, so I had a lot to sift through. I started the Fox and O'Hare series by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg and read quite a few of the books therein. I actually reviewed the first one, The Heist, recently, and that was the series I was most entertained by. For a sequel, I loved Murder Most Frothy by Cleo Coyle, which was #5 in the Coffeehouse Mystery series. And the only ender I read, as far as I know, was The End of Oz by Danielle Paige, so that one wins. It was very good, though, so it probably would have won anyway. Still, I don't know if it even is the last book in the series. I had heard that, but I wouldn't be against more.
6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2017? - I would probably have to say Michael Robertson who writes the Baker Street Letters series, which I read all five of this year. I don't know what it is, but I really get drawn into the world he creates and I love the characters, as flawed as they are. I'm hoping to read more from him.
7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone? - I don't read a lot of YA, but this year I did read of few. And I think the best was Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion. Is that YA? I don't know.
8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year? - I'm gonna go with In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware. I know a lot of people had mixed feelings about and felt the end was predictable. To be fair, it was a little, but as far as the journey of the story goes, I was quite enthralled.
9. Book You Read In 2017 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year? - Have you seen my TBR pile? There will be no rereads! But if I must choose something, what the heck, I guess I'll just reread my favorite again.
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2017? - I audiobooked my way through High Rise by J.G Ballard and according to GoodReads, said audiobook has Tom Hiddleston on the cover. So, yeah, that one.
11. Most memorable character of 2017? - Well, I read some H.P. Lovecraft this year, so who else but Cthulhu!
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2017? - I thought The Book Thief by Markus Zusak was written very beautifully, especially considering the subject matter. But maybe that's exactly why it came out that way.
13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2017? - I reread The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning and the first time I read this book it made me think and changed my life. It kinda did the same thing on repeat. And, of course, I was reminded of how it inspired one of my favorite songwriters of all time, Rich Mullins.
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2017 to finally read? - The Killing Joke by Alan Moore. And I love Batman, so what in the heck took me so long?
15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2017? - I don't really pay attention to specific quotes from books, but thanks to GoodReads I managed to find some from a book I mentioned just a couple of questions ago. It's from The Ragamuffin Gospel and the quote is “The temptation of the age is to look good without being good.” I find this one rather topical.
16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2017? - Again, according to GoodReads, the shortest book was Pros and Cons at only 28 pages, but it was a short story prequel to the aforementioned Fox and O'Hare series. Still, it was counted as an actual book, so there you go. The longest was Les Miserables at 1,463 pages. And it felt 1,463 pages long.
17. Book That Shocked You The Most? - I guess Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn would have shocked me if I hadn't seen the movie.
18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!) - OTP is One True Pairing, in case you don't know. And how can I not say Chip and Joanna Gaines from The Magnolia Story! Yes, I know it's a non-fiction, but no one said it couldn't be.
19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year - I do love the Heath brothers, Reggie and Nigel, from The Baker Street Letters series. They're very different from one another and their relationship can be rocky at times, but when you put them together, it really works for me.
20. Favorite Book You Read in 2017 From An Author You’ve Read Previously - Sister Mine by Tawni O'Dell. I've read a few of her books before and she is one of my favorite authors. I actually got to meet her at a book festival a couple of years ago. She was very nice and she even bought one of my books.
21. Best Book You Read In 2017 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure - Everyone told me to read The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, or anything by Donna Tartt, so I did. And she is a darn good writer.
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2017? - I have to bring up the Fox and O'Hare series again, because . . . Nick Fox. Dang! Yes, I know he's a criminal, but we like our bad boys. For some reason. And he makes me laugh, which counts for a lot, especially these days.
23. Best 2017 debut you read? - If this means a book that was published in 2017, I only read two of those and I already mentioned one of them, so I'll say the other one which was Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman. Hmmm . . . I read a lot of Loki related things this year. Why?
24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year? - I suppose I'll say Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick. He did have to create pictures with words and words with pictures, all at the same time. And he did a fantastic job.
25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read? - I read a book by Jim Gaffigan called Dad is Fat. Which book do YOU think was the most fun for me to read?
26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2017? - Broken Harbour by Tana French. I LOVE Tana French. She writes about the Dublin Murder Squad, so obviously, there was a murder in this book. No spoilers, but when you find out what actually happened, it is heartbreaking. I didn't full on cry, because I'm not really a book crier, but she almost got me there.
27. Hidden Gem Of The Year? - I haven't heard a ton of people talking about The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George, but I found it just delightful. I liked the characters and the journey that they went on. I love books and bookshops, and I once loved Paris, so there a feeling of nostalgia for me. I had a good time with this one and I hope more people read it.
28. Book That Crushed Your Soul? - I found it very difficult to read the book Reed's Beach by Bret Lott. Don't get me wrong. It was a great book, and I love Bret Lott as a writer. But due to the subject matter, it was tough one to get through.
29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2017? - There's no way I can't not say House of Leaves again. Seriously? Have you seen the thing? Yeah, unique is an understatement. Actually, there's a great YouTuber named Austin McConnell. He did a really good video giving a bit of a quick look at it if you're interested. I'll link it below along with the House of Leaves episode of a bookish podcast called Overdue. They gave some decent insight on the book as well.
30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)? - Gotta say The Scarlet Thread by Francine Rivers. Mostly because there were a couple of characters that were very slap-worthy in there. I know violence is bad, but they're fake, so it's okay.
Okay, then there were a few questions about book blogging, and I'm going to skip that part. Technically, I'm not a book blogger. I'm a whatever the heck I feel like blogging about blogger, and not a very popular one at that. So, I passed on those. No offense,
And then, there was a Looking Ahead section, wherein there are questions about what is going to be read in 2018. Off we go.
1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2017 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2018? - I have so many books in my TBR pile that I'm excited about. I do really wanna get to the next Tana French book, The Secret Place, but I also have a Betty White biography in the mix, so I guess we'll see who wins. You just never know what kind of reading mood you'll be in.
2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2018 (non-debut)? - Well, I have TWO books coming out in 2018, another poetry collection called After the Ashes Cool and a novel called Beyond Starlight, so I'm be a shameless self-promoter and say those!
3. 2018 Debut You Are Most Anticipating? - Sadly, I don't really know about any debut authors who will be releasing their books in 2018, but God bless them, I wish them much success and if I see one of their books, I'll have to check them out. Literally, because I go to the library a lot.
4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2018? - I don't know if there is going to be another book in "many times mentioned in this post" The Baker Street Letters series released in 2018, but if there is, I am SO there. And I'm sure that Janet Evanovich will have something new in one of her series coming out. She usually does.
5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2018? - I hope to review a lot more books on this blog. I've done quite a few this year, but I really want people to be excited about reading. And if I can help them by recommending good books, it is certainly my pleasure.
6. A 2018 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone (if applicable) - I have no idea. I don't get ARCs. I am not that special . . . yet.
So, that was fun, and I had a lot of fun reading this year. I hope to finish a lot of books in 2018, maybe even more than I did this year, but we'll see. Either way, as long as I keep seeking out good books and good writers, first and foremost, I'll be helping to keep what is important about literature alive and well.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
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