No I'm not quitting the internet. But it's something I've thought about a lot lately, like would my life be better if I wasn't always so plugged in (and I feel a lot less plugged in these days!), etc. You know these articles and studies are always popping up like that one we all talked about a year or so again that said people on the internet are more depressed than other people (which led to the giant revelation that we are often fake happy on the internet, and that sort of constant fake enthusiasm is exhaustingggg) Or the one Trish talked about with Pinterest and making comparisons the other day. No this isn't going to turn into yet another post about who we are on the internet and internet relationships even though that's one of my favorite topics to talk about. On the internet. lol. No instead I'm thinking about that piece that's a few weeks old now but I've been thinking about.
So this dude quit the internet for a year and in a shocking turn of events, it didn't change his life forever for the better. I felt two things when I read this: relief that I don't have to quit the internet after all, and disappointment that there's not a magical cure out there to make my life better. No longer can I think, gee if I could just quit the internet I'd become the person I always wish I was. Because internet or no internet I'm still going to be me. Quitting the internet wouldn't fix me. This is something I should have always known, I think I've tried to quit enough stuff in life thinking it was the problem when really the problem is deep down inside.
That's not, of course, to say that there might not be times when stepping away from the internet is the right thing. Or that certain things like using Pinterest more or limiting Twitter time aren't wise choices. For me, it's just acknowledging that it's time to stop thinking if I just stepped away from the Internet everything would be magically better!
Before BEA they release this BUZZ BOOKS 2013 Digital Edition with excerpts from all the hot books coming out later in the year. I can't go to BEA this year, but I'd thought I'd try to read some of these and report back in the next few weeks. I need reasons to blog, I remember how much I enjoyed NaBloPoMo when I did it, so maybe this will give me a reason.
So Joshilyn Jackson is releasing a book with William Morrow later this fall. It's called Someone Else's Love Story and the first chapter is everything you've come to expect from the amazing Joshilyn Jackson. She quickly draws interesting characters in unusual situations, set very much in Georgia (I was like whoa...remembering things I haven't thought of in years!), using the prettiest language ever. EVER. So basically yes this seems like it should be a winner and I can't wait to read it!
What big fall books are you looking forwards to?
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
On Quitting the Internet + Joshilyn Jackson
Monday, May 20, 2013
So Yahoo Bought Tumblr, Do You Care?
So the internet is buzzing about Yahoo's acquisition of tumblr. I use tumblr sometimes more than others, but I've been thinking about it a lot lately and how it alters the way I watch TV and think about it, etc. (basically I'm going to use this news as a chance to talk about tumblr) (Please note: I use tumblr and Tumblr both in this post because I couldn't make up my mind)
For example, when I first started using Tumblr, I intended it to be a place where I put all my random thoughts (lol this blog pretty much takes them now), quotes from books I liked, etc. But then it sort of got taken over by fandom, and I realized it was a fun place to see what other people thought about the TV shows I watch and there were tons of pretty gifs like SECONDS after a show ended and fan art and it was all kind of exciting. So then I bored all of my bookish followers to tears by reblogging endless TV stuff.
Anyway, I've started finding it less fun. For one thing, all these articles mention one of the bigger problems which is that there are 900 posts per second on Tumblr. And a loooot of them are not that great. A little while go I cut back majorly on who I follow which has helped a lot. It's hard to see the posts of the people you really care about when some people are posting their maximum of 200 times a day. Additionally, you might be friends with someone who loves something you're not too fond of and they end up reblogging it a lot...and there are all these you know reasons you can't unfollow them (not unlike Twitter) so you end up having to use plug-ins to not see all that stuff. Tumblr isn't usable without tumblr savior. Or Missing E, really, but unfortunately that hasn't worked for awhile every since Tumblr did a redesign. So hey, if Yahoo comes in and fixes this stuff I'd be grateful! The problem, also, is that Tumblr has no real commenting system. People will reblog stuff and put all their thoughts and feelings (I refuse to say feels okay) in the tags. And if you want to communicate or respond you basically have to reblog all their stuff (gifset + tags) and add your own thoughts. (You can use the ask function but it's a bit intimidating and also keeps the conversation private). So basically these are all the reasons I find tumblr to be a messy, unwelcoming platform for interaction. Surprisingly enough people do seem to find communities on there and make friends and that's great, I'm happy for them, it just hasn't really happened for me!
ANYWAY, all that aside, what's been bothering me lately is how using tumblr (and I do a lot of tedious boring work on the computer and sneak on tumblr/twitter for a mental break) alters the way I think about TV. Like...I can't really watch TV anymore without thinking of the resulting gifsets that will be made of certain scenes. Or worse, how Tumblr fans will react to developments. I think I might actually enjoy Elementary more as a show if I didn't feel it was overly praised for what it gets right from a representation stand point while the actual mysteries/cases leave SO MUCH to be desired. Even the finale of Elementary, which I loved for the Sherlock/Joan moments still didn't ~arrive for me from the standpoint of creating a compelling case. I'll keep watching because you know, Sherlock named a bee after Joan (and my other favorite moment tbh was when he was trying to manipulate her by saying he was disappointed in her, such a great true character moment) but I will also probably always wish it was something just a little bit more than it is. Even so, I remember when I thought Moriarity was going to be black, that I was actually wondering how people were going to react to that if they'd like it or hate etc, so much it pulled me out from just really watching and that annoyed me.
And also there's the problem of spoilers, Twitter is bad, Tumblr is impossible. I've realized that if I get spoiled for something I feel less inclined to watch it. Which, you know, may be a good thing. But being spoiled for stuff also changes the way you watch.
I don't know maybe this was one big post to convince myself to give up tumblr, which wouldn't be too hard to do at this point. I wish I could delete my account in some ways but then I couldn't comment on the few posts that allow comments you all post! Also, I'd probably regret it and I still feel the necessity to claim as much myfriendamy internet space as I can.
But if Yahoo comes in and changes things up, I don't necessarily see it as an awful thing because I don't love Tumblr the way it is to begin with.
How about you guys? Do you use tumblr? Are you worried about the Yahoo acquisition? Do you think sites like Tumblr, Twitter, etc. change the way you watch TV?
Friday, May 17, 2013
Just Some Little Things
*I watched two horror movies this week. The first one, The Haunting In Connecticut: The Ghosts of Georgia proves how much Hollywood is dependent on sequels and name recognition. The story has absolutely nothing to do with Connecticut. I had issues with the movie, but mostly it's the kind of horror movie I like, even though ridiculous, it kept me entertained and had an interesting back story for the ghosts.
The second, The House at the End of the Street, was beyond terrible. The movie explained nothing about how it's terrible twist worked! Waste of a great cast, tbh. It did make me sort of itch to write my Dark Places review, though, so maybe once thinking + writing is something I can do again, I will!
*I also saw The Great Gatsby. I wanted to do a ~review and recommend some books, but I have all these thoughts that sort of go all over the place and so it may never happen. Short story then--I liked it.
*Due to watching the aforementioned horror movies I'm behind on TV. I don't watch The Vampire Diaries anymore, but wow it sounds like it has gotten really really terrible. Are any of you still happy with it?
*If I were to buy one book which do you think it should be? The 5th Wave, The Woman Upstairs, or Eleanor and Park? These are big titles I'm sort of anxious to read but I can't really get them all because I already have a ton to read, also money.
*Over at The Friendly Book Nook, my mom is giving away a really great children's book and she wants you to enter!
*Oh ALSO. I wrote about how TV doesn't like YA novels, but I was wrong, sort of. The new CW show The 100 is also a book, but that's been developed by Alloy and they don't really count. The book comes out in September. Also, Intelligence is based on a book that's not out yet, a YA sci-fi. So...I don't know? Intelligence doesn't seem like it's going to be an actual YA show, but it was news to me. In both of these cases, the books aren't out yet which presents an interesting situation.
Happy Weekend everyone!
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
The Person I Wish I Was
Last week Jenny had this brilliant insight on her blog,
The interesting thing about working slowly through my TBR pile(s) is that quite often, I find that the reason I haven’t read the fiction books is that they are not quite my jam. It’s all these books that I want to be my jam... but something inside me knows that they will not be. And that is why I have been putting them off. (emphasis mine)
Though for me this goes much beyond fiction books in my TBR pile. (though it certainly applies there) It also has to do with all the nonfiction books I have, the movies in my Netflix queue, and even sometimes the TV shows I try to watch.
I read this same idea again on The Rabbit Room in a great piece by Andrew Peterson last week,
Years ago I read a great op-ed piece in Entertainment Weekly about Netflix. The author talked about how seldom he feels like watching the DVDs that come in the mail, prompting him to wonder what he was thinking when he added them to his queue weeks ago. His conclusion was that he’s two people: the movie watcher he wishes he was, someone who enjoys sophisticated, artful fare like A Trip to Bountiful and Tree of Life—and then there’s the movie watcher he is, who, let’s face it, would rather turn off his brain and watch Die Hard and Terminator 2.
There's the person I wish I was...someone who reads speculative fiction, the classics, the smart poetic philosophical Christian writers, non-fiction in general--this person acquires books of this sort. My TBR pile is overflowing with books that seem like a good idea, books I wish I loved, books that I feel even by owning make me one tiny step closer to this smarter person with good taste and then there's the person I actually am--the one who gobbles up women's fiction and dystopian YA quite quickly and let's be real--misses 75% of the point of War and Peace.
Where do I get this idea of this other person? I think honestly, from the people I know. The people I admire and respect. They like these other things and sometimes I like them, too, but more often than not I don't quite love them in that same gut way others do.
I feel sometimes like I am both people...I do love Tree of Life, for example, and some subtitled Danish shows. But I also watch and take seriously The Walking Dead and like to jump on tumblr and reblog all the pretty gifs after enjoying an episode of TV I watch. I like to talk about the books I enjoy and the movies I like even if they aren't up to whatever the standard of the day is.
Part of me wants to get real and discard the books that exist only as physical representation of who I wish could be rather than who I actually am. But another part of me thinks I'll eventually get disciplined enough to actually somehow become this person. This is the true struggle with the TBR.
It's weird because as I write this I think about all the complicated stuff in play. Like how there's art that's considered sophisticated and therefore it says something about you if you like it. I mean maybe that's my ultimate thing I battle when I want people to take YA and TV-other-than-Mad-Men seriously. I love other stuff and I don't want to be dismissed on account of it.
And yesss these are MY issues. But it's interesting to contemplate and consider this ever present conflict inside of me.
Anyone relate? Even a little bit?
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Guest Post: Jill Shalvis on Read Humane 2013
This May, My Friend Amy is pleased to support Penguin Group (USA)’s Read Humane® 2013 campaign to fight animal cruelty. I would like to welcome spokesperson and bestselling author Jill Shalvis to my blog today, where she is sharing with us her family’s animal rescue story discusses her Animal Magnetism series with a piece entitled “Why Dogs Make Great Sidekicks!”
Read Humane® is an initiative created by Penguin Group (USA) in 2012 to support our furry friends in honor of National Pet Month (May). As part of the Read Humane® 2013 campaign, six special edition, animal-themed mass market paperbacks have been reissued featuring the official Read Humane® seal. Penguin supports the fight against animal cruelty with a $25,000 donation, regardless of sales, to The Humane Society of the United States' Animal Rescue Team.
For more information, and complete lists of the six participating authors and book retailers, please visit Penguin Group (USA) or view the official Read Humane® Prezi here.
And remember to join the conversation on Twitter with @BerkleyRomance and @HSUS throughout May by using the hashtag #readHumane. Followers are encouraged to Tweet about Penguin’s animal friendly books, share their own rescue stories, and join in other pet themed conversations.
Jill Shalvis is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over four dozen romance novels, including her fun contemporary Animal Magnetism series, which promotes animal rescue dogs. Jill is a 3-time National Readers Choice winner, and lover of animals! More information about Jill and her collection of fabulous romance titles can be found at www.JillShalvis.com.
At any point, on any day in the Shalvis abode, there are animals. All of them rescued, always. It’s become somewhat of a family tradition, rescuing animals in need, and we’ve found that not only is it a nice thing to do, we get a really great pet out of the deal.
A couple of years ago, our house was fairly full. Okay, so it was straining at the wall joints. We had Ashes -- our rescue Border Collie/Australian Blue Heeler. Sadie – our cat who thinks she’s a dog. Micky – a field mouse rescued from the high school science lab. And four teenage girls.
Actually, it wasn’t a house. It was a zoo.
But a year before we’d lost Izzie, our beloved brown lab. And we missed having two dogs. Yes, we’re crazy. Anyway, on that fated day I’m about to tell you about, Alpha Man (my husband) had heard about a yellow lab puppy who needed rescue.
No. No way. I was adamant. I had enough on my plate. But Alpha Man just wanted to go make sure the lab was okay.
So we left the mountain…
And drove…
And drove…
Friday, May 10, 2013
So TV Doesn't Like YA Novels
This year two popular YA series landed pilots at the TV networks...Delirium and The Selection. It was the second go around for The Selection, it was actually made into a pilot last year as well and didn't get ordered. We learned this week that neither show, however, was ordered to series.
It's interesting to me for a couple of reasons. One is that the movies are HOT for YA books. I mean obviously you have Harry Potter and Twilight and now The Hunger Games. But Divergent, Ender's Game, Clockwork...whatever, and The Fault in Our Stars (which is not even genre just a contemporary!!) are all in the works. Beautiful Creatures was made into a movie. And we're hearing all the time about progress being made on more projects. I can't even keep up with it all anymore. Some of these are so believed in..such as Divergent, that the studios are already going about getting things ready for the sequels. And some of these movies have major weight talent in them. It's not as if popular YA books translate to instant success, though, Beautiful Creatures sort of bombed, as did Beastly and I Am Number 4 in recent years.
TV is of course a little different. Not much TV is fashioned for teens since they aren't the target demographic for advertisers. And it's true that both of these series, while popular, may not have the same pull as the ones being made into film. Delirium's concept always seemed a bit thin to me in novel form as well. (thought that might change throughout the books I only read the first one) Still I can't help but find it curious that TV is less willing to tap into existing fan bases when attempting to launch shows. I mean one of the most popular shows on TV right now was helped out greatly by already having a loyal fan base in comics. The CW's flagship show, The Vampire Diaries, was also helped by being based on a very popular book series. I mean that's the entire reason I kept watching the show in the beginning was because of loyalty to that series I had loved so much as a preteen. There was excitement and buzz as soon as it was announced. (as well as tons of nostalgia and then shock that Ian was playing Damon, lol)
I feel like The Selection pilot must have been terrible because it seems to me like it should have everything going for it. Based on a moderately successful book series. Hitting that sweet spot of what's popular right now...post-apocalyptic world, life on display, what's real/what's not, even a ridiculous love triangle, and so much more. The Selection had so much potential to be provocative and interesting. I just don't understand how it has failed so much twice.
Delirium almost never had a shot on Fox and looking at their new shows almost makes me want to fall asleep. But you know, the fans of Delirium organized a Twitter campaign to get it on air without even seeing it. I mean...does this count for nothing?
I'm disappointed about The Selection, but what can you do? The CW is moving towards genre shows (despite renewing The Carrie Diaries, a very strange decision to be honest) and for whatever reason The Selection isn't a part of that. And I guess I've outgrown what they are trying to do since none of the new shows sound that great to me.
I would like to see a currently popular YA novel or series be adapted for television, though! I feel like it could really work. How about Level 2?
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Thankful Thursday (A Thursday Thirteen)
Do you guys remember Thursday Thirteen? It was one of the first memes I ever participated in with my blog. I think it's still going...like if you want to make a list of thirteen things and share them with blogging strangers you can. I haven't done one in ages, but I've been wanting to revive it for probably a year or so. I like the idea of making lists and some of the ones I've done in the past need revision. Thirteen is a huge number and can be really hard, but I like it. And it offers more freedom than something like Top Ten Tuesday which is thematic and book focused.
So for my first venture back into Thursday Thirteen, I give you a list of things I'm thankful for. Yesterday was my birthday and to be honest I was dreading it a little bit. The past few years have turned my life into something I almost don't recognize and at times I feel stuck in a way I can't seem to get out of (cue: U2 song). And lately I've felt sad over feeling like I no longer really have a place or much to offer the blogging community anymore. Basically, every time I think things have gotten as bad as they can, they manage to get just a little bit worse. This sounds really dire and horrible and it's not as bad as all that. But...I want you to understand a little bit about how I've been feeling. Also, I'm a melancholy person and I actively struggle against falling into a funk. Anyway, my birthday had some really lovely surprises and some moments that reminded me that my life really has so much good stuff in it. So I give you thirteen things I'm thankful for:
(I'm excluding basic things like shelter, food, etc.)
Family
I really do love my family! I have two great parents who just recently celebrated 40 years of being married! And I have a wonderful, smart, funny, and cool brother who is going to be a dad for the first time in October. I have a really sweet and fun sister, too, who shares a few loves of mine so few people do. I don't get to see either of them as much as I'd like, but I always enjoy it so much when I do. And I have three amazing nieces! They are all three brilliant and beautiful and kind and funny and pure delights. I'm sorry for all of you who don't them to be honest. And I have a brother-in-law who can be a real encouragement to me and a sister-in-law who is very thoughtful and creative.
Friends
Yay, friends! The people who choose to like you and spend time with you. I'm so thankful for all of my friends. Which means all of you. Thanks for all of your kind birthday wishes yesterday on Facebook and Twitter and via email. And thanks to my friends who put together a very special online present for me, you know who you are <3. It really truly made my day, I don't think you can know how much.
The Community That's Still Here
So often we're talking about how much the book blogging community has changed and how so many people have stopped blogging. And sometimes I'm thinking not just of the book blogging community, but also my entire online life. It's so crazy to me how much I've changed as a blogger. But you know what...how amazing is it that so many people are still around?!? Like it's truly awesome so many people are still blogging and talking about books together. It's so cool! I think sometimes I admittedly feel a little bit of panic over online relationships in a way I don't over offline ones...like, my offline relationships usually end because someone is moving, like wow is that ever the story of my life. But online people can get bored or run out of time, they might blog enthusiastically all the time and then suddenly stop and you barely ever talk anymore, if at all. So the fact that so many people don't do that is amazing. There's still so many of us around and it's wonderful. Now stay!
Books
Of course, lol. No but really, I am still thankful to be literate and to love reading. I love reading books that become a part of me and inform the way I see other stories. I still love the smell of new books and I love books that spark conversations. I like getting excited about books coming out and I still like talking about books. So yay books!
Blogging
I still like blogging. I...write a lot of posts that I wonder if they make sense outside of my head. But you know, even if they don't I like that I have the option to hit publish and find out. I like the immediacy of blogging...instant feedback! And sometimes I like having a record of my thoughts. Other times it's humiliating!
Awesome commenters
This kind of combines two other categories, but it's THIRTEEN things I have to think of, okay?!? I am really super thankful for commenters like Kathy. She was one of my first book blogging friends and built quite a reputation for loyally leaving comments. But yesterday, she was so sweet to check in with me a few times on my birthday. And it reminded me of why I love her. She's just so thoughtful and I always feel like she's really actually my friend. (that may sound odd, but if any of you have experienced "do they like me or are they using me bc of my blog" you understand!) There are more of you who leave really thoughtful comments as well or frequently leave comments and I hope you know that you are always appreciated by me!
Good TV
After getting burned on some stupid TV shows, it's been nice to love some really good ones. The only downside is that not enough of you watch Borgen, or The Americans or Orphan Black, or Hannibal. But I'll get you there! And besides, maybe under the radar is better sometimes.
Music
I feel almost ridiculous including this because there's so little music that really means a lot to me these days. But there's still Andrew Peterson. I still, forever, always love his music in a way that can't be explained. It's like...more than music--it's a part of my life.
Air conditioning
Does not count under shelter okay? And trust me if you lived where I live you'd be so thankful, too!
Learning
I am always learning. And I'm glad about it. I'm so ridiculously, stupidly thankful that my knowledge doesn't have to be stagnant, that I don't have to stay the same person I am right now. How I see the world now is not the way I will always see the world. Like...I can't even imagine how much I've changed on this front in just one year. And I have things like the internet and blogging to thank for exposing me to new ideas and kind of...ugh what's the word. Providing a system of checks and balances. It's like...I get exposed to a new idea and learn learn learn about it but there's always some opposing voices that help me sharpen and refine and I love that so much.
Humor
I joke sometimes that I don't have a sense of humor because I don't enjoy comedies on TV much or in the movies for that matter. But..I actually do really love to laugh I just have an odd sense of humor. Like the stupidest stuff can make me laugh for days. Anyway, I'm thankful for humor and laughter especially in such a difficult world.
Failure
To be honest, I don't feel very thankful for failure at the moment. But I know failure is how we learn and I do really wish our world was more gentle with failure. We act like it's the end of the world or a life, but it's not. We all have to do it. I think...failing with grace is an amazing thing and I still have more respect for people who can own their failures than those who try to cover it up.
Readers of this Blog
Yeah yeah I already said friends but...I really am thankful for ALL of you. Thanks for sticking around for so long and reading this blog and for all of your insightful fun comments. You make my life better.
