My Friend Amy

On Quitting the Internet + Joshilyn Jackson

mypalamy@gmail.com — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:10 PDT

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?

So Yahoo Bought Tumblr, Do You Care?

mypalamy@gmail.com — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:37:03 PDT

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?

Just Some Little Things

mypalamy@gmail.com — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:47:54 PDT

*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!

The Person I Wish I Was

mypalamy@gmail.com — Wed, 15 May 2013 00:00:08 PDT

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?

Guest Post: Jill Shalvis on Read Humane 2013

mypalamy@gmail.com — Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:13 PDT

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.

***

My Rescue Story, by Jill Shalvis…

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…

We were following the sketch directions from a guy who knew a guy who had told us about a woman who lived out in the middle of nowhere, and I mean NOWHERE, and she rescues animals.

The landscape was like something out of a Criminal Minds episode, so we were wary at first. We had no idea what we were going to find. A box of puppies, or a meth lab … nothing would have surprised me. I was a little worried because the kids were with us, but it turned out the place was fifty acres of love.

Any animal in need is welcome.

Even the funny looking ones…

The woman had goats, horses, turtles, geese, snakes, angry chickens ... you name it and she had it. She was rehabbing it, doctoring it, loving it … whatever the animal needed.

We’d gone because of the rumor of the puppies, the yellow labs. And she did have two puppies. She’d rescued them out of a horrible situation.

But the yellow lab wasn’t the one who stole our hearts. Nope, it was her little baby brother.

The runt.

He was filthy and living in a hovel. And the minute he saw us, he came alive. Wriggling, happy, loving. All you had to do was touch him and he writhed in joy and dropped to the floor for a belly rub.

And once he was picked up by the teenagers and loved up by them, he didn’t want to get down. I tried. I tried hard. But the thing had wriggled his way right into my heart. I remember looking at Alpha Man, laughing and crying at the same time.

“You didn’t want another dog,” he reminded me.

I told him to zip it. We were taking this dog and that was that. Besides, there was the little matter of him being in my arms and refusing to be put down.

So we never put him down again. Meet Frat Boy…

***

Why Dogs Make Great Sidekicks, by Jill Shalvis…

Now that you know a little bit about my rescue story, I want to share with you some of the inspiration for my Animal Magnetism series. One of the fun things about writing this series is developing complex and lovable characters… that just happen to be adorable dogs! Here’s why dogs make great sidekicks…

1. Because when you’re on the mountain trail and you come across an angry mama bear and her baby cubs, your dog will run like hell. This will warn you to run like hell as well. Just be careful because if your dog is like my dog, he will throw you under the bus (or in this case bear) to get home before you do.

2. Because when all the cookies are gone you can totally blame your cookie loving dog. No one has to know that you ate all the cookies yourself. And your dog can give you dirty looks for blaming him but he can’t actually talk and dispute your story. Solid alibi.

3. Because if you’ve eaten in a way that disagrees with your stomach, there are never any worries. Your dog will always, ALWAYS, out stink you. And if he doesn’t, you can still point the finger at him. Again, he can’t talk and dispute your story.

4. Dogs are not just great sidekicks but they also make great a really great wingman. If you’re single, you can totally put your dog to work at charming the person you’re interested in. Just make sure that person likes dog drool and dog hair all over everything first.

5. There is never a need for a pillow or extra blanket because your dog will always be willing to get into bed with you and share body heat. Always. Just be forewarned. Being a great sidekick is not the same thing as a good bed partner. They have a habit of being a total bed hog.

***

Thank you so much, Jill for sharing your stories with us! If you have enjoyed Jill’s stories please feel free to show your support in the comments section below and by visiting the other participating websites/blogs…

Read Humane® Blog Tour 2013!

For more information on Read Humane® please visit Penguin Group (USA). To view more special features from spokesperson Jill Shalvis, please visit the following websites/blogs; each website/blog will feature a unique perspective on Read Humane, so be sure to stop by each for a new and exciting experience!

4/29/2013

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My Book Addiction & More

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Ramblings from a Chaotic Mind

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Thoughts in Progress

So TV Doesn't Like YA Novels

mypalamy@gmail.com — Fri, 10 May 2013 00:00:03 PDT

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?

Thankful Thursday (A Thursday Thirteen)

mypalamy@gmail.com — Thu, 09 May 2013 00:00:01 PDT

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.

Silence, sigh

mypalamy@gmail.com — Wed, 08 May 2013 00:00:10 PDT

I was trying to write an actual post for today, but gave up. Because...I need to discuss something.

Andrew Garfield has been cast as the lead in Silence.

Okay well first of all this means the project is definitely moving forward, it's set to be filmed in Taiwan (sob) in 2014. The fact that I'm dismayed by all of this news is the reason why my favorite books should never be made into movies.

It's not that I don't like Andrew Garfield, it's just that...well he's Spider-Man. And the social network dude. And he has like fans that are going to make this unbearable for me. Probably time to get off tumblr, sigh.

Actually he might be quite good, I don't know, it's just that my initial reaction is so much do not want.

Why can't they fork over the money to film in Nagasaki, though? (It is beautifulllll)

Yes you can expect regular updates on the movie as more devastating news pours in.

The Kings and Queens of Roam by Daniel Wallace

mypalamy@gmail.com — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:28:15 PDT

She felt like she was finally becoming human, because out of all the life on Earth this is the one thing only people do. What other animal tells stories? Or more important what other animal listens?

Big Fish is one my favorite movies and a few years ago I read the book. I liked the book, but preferred the movie. However, that didn't mean I didn't want to read more books by Daniel Wallace...the idea of tall tales is still one I like a lot and so I was glad to dig into his new book which promised to be that.

And it is. The world in the pages of The Kings and Queens of Roam feels so realized despite the fact that it is also so ridiculous. There's nothing in the story itself that makes it feel less than real despite its craziness. It helps that Wallace's writing is so beautiful, I stopped to reread several sentences. It's pretty and melancholy and feels effortless and flows. And this is a tall tale--so it's not like it's a deep character study, but it hardly matters because I was still able to recognize truth in it.

Which is what I love about these kinds of stories about stories. The Kings and Queens of Roam is not just about two sisters one seeing and ugly and one blind and beautiful, or about a town named Roam that was founded for the creation of fine silk using what amounted to Chinese slavery by a man named Elijah McAllister. It's about stories themselves. The stories we tell each other and the stories we tell ourselves and how these stories shape our perception of the world. In a sense, we create our own kind of reality in our stories and they can alter the course of our lives.

It's about more, too, the burden of knowledge, the sins of the fathers being visited upon the children, the way our external appearance affects our internal reality, and home. I don't want to sum up the story at all because it's best discovered on its own, I think.

I will say that it jumps around and tells bits and pieces in different places--from the history of Roam to the present day. There's a gentle humor as well.

The Kings of Queens of Roam is populated with bizarre and memorable characters, it's a world fully unto itself, the writing is achingly beautiful, and reading it is an experience I'm glad I had.

Rating: 4.5/5
Source of Book: Review Copy received from Publisher
Publisher: Touchstone (Simon & Schuster)

Guest Post: There are Monsters on TV! by Jesse Petersen

mypalamy@gmail.com — Mon, 06 May 2013 00:00:13 PDT

Hi everyone and thank you so much to Amy for having me on her blog today. You may not know me, I’m Jesse Petersen and I write snarky urban fantasy with monsters and zombies (not at the same time) in them. My latest release, CLUB MONSTROSITY is available April 29, 2013 from Pocket Books. It has monsters in it who have a support group in a basement of a church in New York City. They’re just trying to be normal… until someone starts killing them.

So obviously, I’m a fan of monsters. I’m also a fan of zombies. My previous series, Living With the Dead featured a couple using marriage counseling advice to escape a zombie apocalypse (and maybe save their marriage).

Basically, what all this means is that I love monster-y sort of stuff. And that makes me very happy because right now it seems like monsters and zombies are all over TV again! Back in the day, there used to be The Munsters and the Adams Family and that kind of thing. But for a while, it seemed like the only monsters you could find were on the big screen. Sometimes you just need your fix every week, you know?

The Walking Dead is, of course, the big one. Seriously, I don’t know anyone who isn’t aware of it, even if they might not be watching it. I have my issues with it, but it’s still one of the coolest zombie shows out there. But it doesn’t stop there. Amazon Prime has just green lit the Zombieland television show that will be available for streaming only. A cool idea, very Netflix-y of them, though I love that movie and they had best not screw it up because heads will roll.

And then there are the monsters. NBC made a half-hearted attempt with Mockingbird Lane, though they refused to pick it up for a full season. And there are reality shows all over the place about finding monsters in the wild. They are massive fodder for Joel McHale, but damn, at least they’re out there.

Yes, it might not be perfect, yes we all wish for more and better, but it feeds a need. So what is your favorite monster or zombie television show? Any stories you’d like to see turned into a series?

(Thanks Jesse for combing two of my favorite topics monsters and TV! :)

CFBA Book Spotlight: Wounds by Alton Gansky

mypalamy@gmail.com — Sun, 05 May 2013 23:59:00 PDT

About the Book: A man’s lifeless body is found in the fresh soil of San Diego’s botanical garden. Cause of death is asphyxiation, an easy call for the medical examiner. More mysterious, however, are the tiny drops of blood on the victim’s skin, resulting from hundreds of punctures. A rabbi leaving his house for work expects a regular day at the synagogue. That quickly changes when he discovers a dead man on his front lawn, clearly beaten to death. Motorcycle riders racing along the empty streets of an abandoned military base stumble across another man’s corpse, its skin revealing long, red-purple marks of a thrashing given with wood dowels. The numbers mount. Each week another victim and another mysterious clue in a game of mass murder the police don’t want to lose. The solution rests with Dr. Ellis Poe, a religious professor who only wishes to be left alone with his books and classes. But evil must be faced, and the choice is no longer his own.

The Good Wife: Thoughts on Alicia Florrick

mypalamy@gmail.com — Sun, 05 May 2013 13:40:21 PDT

Since I watched the first three seasons of The Good Wife on DVD and relatively quickly, sometimes I think I got caught up in thinking about the show differently than I would if I watched it week to week. Like the parallel of Cary/Alicia to Will/Diane escaped me until the episode when Cary first proposed Florrick, Agos, & Associates. And the fact that Alicia staying with Peter is a consistent pattern of rebellion for her.

In fact, Alicia choosing to stay with Peter in order to have a measure of control over her life is so refreshingly different from what most TV shows are trying to sell me about both women and relationships that despite some of the other issues I have with the show, I'm kind of grateful for it.

See the thing is that a woman can be smart and capable and helplessly attracted to a man but still able to make smart life choices and be in control. And it's possible to love different people differently and to not choose the person you feel the most sexual attraction/passion for to be the person you're with. (the producers have said she has only one love of her life and it's not her husband but that's so reductive I'm choosing to ignore it)

Of course it's possible to view Peter as the more dangerous choice for Alicia, he's already hurt her in the past with prostitutes and his refusal to care about voter fraud on his campaign could easily be viewed as a sign he hasn't changed. Will, though, isn't exactly a great choice either, he's been her boss which has made their relationship always a little bit weird. There are a lot of really uncomfortable implications with it.

But it isn't really her romantic life and choices between two individual men that interests me so much as The Good Wife's willingness to always let this be Alicia's choice. I remember when I first watched I thought most women would have no problem leaving Peter in any other situation. In fact, public opinion and judgment often condemns women for staying with a man like Peter. I've heard women say things like, "I have no respect for a woman who stays with a man who treats her like that", "where's her backbone?" etc. This is victim blaming of course--somehow the scorn falls on the woman who has been wronged rather than the man doing the wrong. (this is also why so many stay quiet about abusive relationships, there's a strong sense of shame to not being strong enough to get out or to ever having ended up in one in the first place) Surely a woman who respects herself would get out of such a situation.

Alicia has stayed with Peter for the most part throughout the seasons. Whatever life she had with Peter must be the life she wanted in so many ways because after breaking things off with Will after the first half of season 3, she spent episode after episode trying to buy her old life house back. (Despite understanding the thematic work being done, I was so bored) Why this is the life she wants remains unclear in some ways, but duty is the word I think of when I think of Alicia and Peter. They got married because she was pregnant. His life of public service is greatly enhanced by her forbearance and standing by him and campaigning on his behalf. She truly believes he'd be a better politician and she's consistently told by his campaign he can't win without her. She cares about her kids and she knows when she's separated from Peter things are harder for them. She has, I believe, in her head an idea of the kind of mother and woman she wants to be and that involves being married to her children's father and providing a really secure home for them.

The show introduced the why of that this year with her mother. Alicia's mother is the exact opposite, a woman who goes after whatever makes her happy all else be damned. And it's clear that's affected and hurt Alicia. When her mother tries to interfere, to be that voice of WHY ARE YOU STILL WITH PETER? Alicia rebels and it draws her closer to him. (obviously Alicia's mother completely lacks the appropriate skills of manipulation and reverse psychology!) That's why the idea of her staying with Peter is never fully about duty, it's also about rebellion and taking control of her own life. Alicia's choices might be considered conventional and traditional and they might seem like she's binding herself up and denying herself happiness, but the point is that they are her choices. They might spring from duty and control, but they are far more complex that that in my opinion. I think Alicia likes being a Florrick, I think she enjoys the measure of power she gets from association with Peter, and I think she feels that being with him is the right thing to do.

I'm looking forward to next season because Florrick, Agos, & Associates vs. Lockhart Gardner will be fun! It's the old guard of Diane/Will/Kalinda vs. the new of Cary/Alicia/Robyn. And I think the campaign corruption and Peter as governor and all of that offers the show a chance to really be something different. With Alicia and Cary breaking off will Diane feel conflicted about the justice position and loyalty to Will? Will it be Will and Kalinda vs. the world? Looking forward to season 5!

Lost Girl Seasons 1 and 2

mypalamy@gmail.com — Fri, 03 May 2013 22:48:34 PDT

Before Syfy started airing this show, I went to a panel at Comic-Con for it. It's a Canadian show so it started airing here a little later. Anyway it was a fun panel and I do like succubi so I was interested in it, but then I somehow missed it when it started and never watched it until a couple of months ago I decided to start watching it on Netflix. Yay Netflix.

There's some stuff I really like about this show and then other stuff not so much and I think the ending to season two was so weak that it killed my enthusiasm. I'll watch the third season when it pops up on Netflix eventually, but I don't feel a great sense of urgency about it such as I'd seek out other means to see it if you know what I mean.

Anyway Bo is a succubus but she was a lost succubus--she was raised by humans and had no idea she was fae. All she knows/learns eventually is that when she kisses guys (and girls) she tends to go a bit too far and they eventually end up dead. Anyway, she eventually learns she's actually fae but instead of pledging fealty to the light fae or the dark fae she chooses to be independent which is a big thing throughout the series, she's the independent fae. She's also a private investigator of sorts and along with her best friend (and human) Kenzi, they have a little business where they investigate stuff that normally ends up being fae related. That aspect of the show reminds me of Buffy/Grimm/Supernatural.

The show also has a love triangle...sort of. The entire second season really toned it down but it's there, one man and one woman which illustrates that Bo is in fact bisexual. She's an equal opportunity lover and has relationships/dalliances with both males and females throughout the course of the series.

The overarching mythology of the show is probably my least favorite part about it, both seasons had arcs with big show downs in the end that felt silly. This show, to me, is most charming when it's about Bo and Kenzi's friendship or Bo's search for identity. There are some really super fun recurring characters as well that I like to see. Also it can be genuinely laugh out loud funny which I enjoy.

Anyway, one thing that I like about it a lot is how much Bo owns her sexuality and is not ever punished by the show for doing so. She has a very healthy sexual appetite, in fact NEEDS sex to heal and after like a one episode arc about controlling herself with humans (so she doesn't kill them) it's no longer something that is a problem for her. I guess what I mean is that sometimes shows have female characters that are quite sexy but the show simultaneously shames them for being that way. (like Katherine on TVD is the first example that comes to mind)

I also love her friendship with Kenzi and I think Kenzi's a lot of fun mostly though sometimes she grates just a little bit on my nerves. Okay I do not hate this show! I actually like it, it's just a bit cheesy with a few things that bother me, and those seem to be sticking out in my memory while I write!

SPOILERS

One major problem I had with season two was how Bo and Lauren's relationship was written. Lauren had already violated Bo's trust in a big way in the first season, and then in the second season we find out she's been hiding this secret girlfriend in a coma! And as if that wasn't enough, once they resurrected her, they never let her develop as her own character, she existed solely as an obstacle to Bo/Lauren until she died. And the emotional repercussions of Bo killing her, even if it's what they wanted--felt brushed past too quickly. I mean...I don't know this show is just supposed to be good cheesy fun, but the writing of that entire storyline bothered me.

Also I liked Ryan so much, he was the first and only one to bring up the fact that Bo also manipulates humans and uses them for information and that even if she technically isn't aligned she favors the light fae. That whole conversation was one of the most interesting things the show had going...and Ryan was just fun. Oh well!

I think the fact that it took me so long to watch this proves it was not my favorite show ever and yet I did enjoy it. You could definitely do worse and it hits that sweet spot of cheesy supernatural drama.

NO SPOILERS FOR SEASON THREE! If I'm spoiled I probably won't watch, lol.

Have any of you guys watched this?

Mini Reviews: Mysteries! The She by Carol Plum-Ucci, Creep by Jennifer Hillier, and Evidence of Life by Barbara Taylor Sissel

mypalamy@gmail.com — Thu, 02 May 2013 21:45:32 PDT

I read The Body of Christopher Creed a few years ago and really liked it and proceeded to buy like every book by Carol Plum-Ucci. But as has been the case in my reading life for the past few years they sat on my shelf for a long while. Well, I'm trying to read through some of these books I still want to read that I've owned forever, so the other day I picked up The She.

And I liked it! It's about a kid, Evan, whose parents died in a terrible storm when he was but a wee thing. And he believes there's a monster out there in them waters called The She that takes the lives of sailors. But it's a legend! Or so he thinks until a similar experience happens to a classmate. A teacher asks him to talk to her and so he does and fun times ensue. He starts realizing that maybe there was more stuff surrounding his parents death than he originally thought and

I really like Carol Plum-Ucci's concept of mystery...she drags lots of stuff into it like faith and reason. In this book in particular the contrast is really starkly drawn, Evan is the character of faith and his brother is the character of reason--someone who has devoted his life to basically blocking out mystery. And...you know I like this in a mystery simply for the reason that in life most mysteries don't get solved. So often there's not a clue at the end of the yellow brick road that tells us what it was all about, why life ended up the way it did, why horrific and horrible things happen. We can sometimes know that Mr. Green did it in the conservatory with the lead pipe, but the whys aren't always so obvious....by which I mean all the steps that lead to such a fateful place. So...I don't know a mystery that acknowledges that there's still a lot of mystery in the horror is fine by me. So I really liked that about this book, this push and pull between what can be proved and what remains mysterious.

And I really love her characters, they just pop off the page for me. For a short book she manages to draw them convincingly, I enjoy spending time with them in this short part of their lives. I didn't like this book as much Christopher Creed, but I liked it a lot and need to finish the rest of the books I have by her! Pubbed by Harcourt Children's Books and I bought it.

This book was sent to me over a year ago for review...I KNOW THE SHAME. But when I went on a trip about a month ago, I thought it would be a good plane read. And it was! It's a pretty standard thriller like this...almost verges a bit on...indulging the side of people that might enjoy reading about violence like this and sexual violence even, but even so there were things I liked about it. It was pretty straightforward with the action, but not without its surprises. I almost want to talk about it in a bit more detail based on something I read on Gillian Flynn's site today, but alas.

There were some cute nice touches I liked--the main character Sheila Tao (oh yeah POC main character also a plus!) likes this mushroom swiss burger she likes and after she goes missing, her fiance discovers this restaurant and likes the burger, too! (you know without knowing she did) I just realized I didn't say what the books was about! It's about this professor who is a sex addict, but when she breaks off one of her illicit affairs to get married, the guy doesn't take it very well and becomes dangerous.

Anyway, this is reminding me I do want to read the sequel at some point! Lots of language and explicit sex in this one, though, guys. Published by Pocket Books. And oh look it's on sale for quite cheap right now! (affiliate link)

Evidence of Life was sent to me this year, so no guilt with this one having languished around for ages! It was a nice book! Abby's husband and daughter go missing in a hurricane and as she sets out to find them, she discovers that not everything might be what it seemed. This book felt a little thin on plot...I found myself skimming to get to the end, but the prose was pleasant enough and the mystery was enough to keep me reading. I really don't have much to say about this, but it would probably make a nice beach read! Pubbed by Mira!

Virgin Soul by Judy Juanita

mypalamy@gmail.com — Wed, 01 May 2013 00:00:12 PDT

As book lovers, we often laud the ability of books to help us think about people in new ways, to walk a mile in their shoes via fiction, to gain access to understanding lives and circumstances and feelings that are different than our own. This is something I love about books and yet...I still feel some resistance to picking up books about life experience that are different from my own and Virgin Soul was a reminder of why. While some books seem to effortlessly transcend our differences, others require a great deal of work on the part of the reader to get it.

Which isn't to say that it's not worth it, it's just work. When I first started reading Virgin Soul I found the setting really appealing and I was really interested in the topic as well. And the setting is really different to anything else I've read because it's set in Oakland during the 60s. I'm interested in stories about race and how it's a part of identity and how people react differently to it. I've heard lots of stories about Martin Luther King, Jr. but less about the Black Panthers you know? It's the sort of thing I sort of know vaguely about in history but need a really good book to make come alive for me. It's terrible that this is how I learn history, but it's the truth.

And Virgin Soul was not quite that book. Which isn't to say it doesn't have its merits. It's an interesting coming of age tale about a young black woman growing up in Oakland and how much she wants to succeed. It chronicles her different struggles, how her first boyfriend got her thinking more about race and revolution, how she joined the Black Panthers, the differences in how the different generations saw the struggle, etc.

I just...I found the book odd in some ways, like Geniece's first time is described full awkward detail. And there were some times I felt that I got what I was supposed to be getting but the transition to those places was rough. Like when she started to see the kids she was working with as a great mission than her revolutionary activities. I was told all these things, but I guess...I guess I never really felt like I was fully invited on the journey in an emotional way. Geniece's voice felt very matter of fact and in some ways detached from her own experiences. I think this is ultimately what didn't work for me in this novel.

But..the setting is still really rich and I think she makes a fair case for how she got involved with the Black Panthers and how those activities were very specific to a certain stage of her life. I loved how everyone thought the Californian's were crazy, because that still hasn't changed. And I liked the idea of the book, I just wish I had loved it more.

Even so if you have any interest in this era you'll want to check this out.

Rating: 3/5
Things You Might Want to Know: Explicit awkward sex
Source of Book: Received from publisher for review
Publisher: Viking (Penguin)

War and Peace Check-In: April

mypalamy@gmail.com — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 00:00:20 PDT

Hey guys!

How are you doing? I'm proud to say that according to goodreads, we're now 33% of the way through the book. That definitely feels like an accomplishment, am I right?

And I liked these sections a lot, VERY LITTLE WAR. Lots of characters acting oddly. It was good times.

Pierre's marriage has already fallen apart! I thought the duel was interesting because I read Anna Karenina last year and Vronsky kept wishing Karenin would just challenge him to a duel but then he never did for reasons. But Pierre had no problems at all convincing himself his wife was cheating and challenging that dude and then he didn't die! Pierre lives to see another day. Of course the idea of a duel is quite old fashioned and ridiculous and I thought it was amusing no one really thought they'd go through with it and they did and of course it wasn't glorious--just like war, it was quick, stupid, and someone got hurt.

We also got to check in with Prince Andrei's family and his wife giving birth. I thought it was a bit too happy storybook for him to come back from the presumed dead just as his wife was giving birth so of course she died. (though all that stuff about how she died looking like "how could you do this to me?" was kinda strange) Pierre comes to his grieving friend with his own newfound way of life--Freemasons! The whole induction to the freemasons went over my head, but I was supposed to feel that they were genuinely looking out for Pierre's interest or his money? In any case, Pierre was quite idealistic about his new life and it seems like despite his good intentions he just made life worse for everyone.

I think Sonya and Natasha are quite unlucky in love at the moment, their men seem uninterested in committing to them and they are turning down others for them.

Rostov remains completely fascinating while at the same time kind of horrid, lol. The whole scene where he lost all his money to a vindictive Dolohov rang so true, in particular the way he suddenly found himself so much in debt and had no idea how he'd gotten there and how he wished he'd stayed home with his family. And he knew it was a lot of money but did his best to make it seem completely natural that he's lose all that money to his father. And then, upon returning to the battle--he continues to act impetuously when he tries to appeal on Denisov's behalf. It's like he never learns. But...I really liked the scene where he's seeing the emperor and all the finery and the peace agreement or whatever's going on and thinking about the hospital and smell of death and all that's been lost and for what? Because of course you'd feel that when you're the one who's been fighting the ugliest parts of the war.

So...I liked the sections quite a bit! I'm sure I forgot something but you can fill me in. Next month we tackle Book II parts 3 & 4. What do you think is going to happen?

What did you like best out of this section? Did anything surprise you? Do you feel like you're one third of the way through? Feeling better about the book?

Feel free to discuss in comments or drop a link to your post in the mister linky.

Giveaway: The Program by Suzanne Young

mypalamy@gmail.com — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:00:09 PDT

About the Book: Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them.

About the Author: Suzanne Young currently lives in Tempe, Arizona, where she teaches high school English. When not writing obsessively, Suzanne can be found searching her own tragic memories for inspiration. She is the author of several books for teens, including The Program, A Need So Beautiful, and A Want So Wicked. Learn more at her official site and follow her on Twitter.

THE GIVEAWAY

Open to US residents. A copy of the book and a $10 iTunes Gift Card. Winner will be notified via email. Giveaway open until May 8, 2013. To enter, just fill out the form below.

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Sunday Update

mypalamy@gmail.com — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 12:45:20 PDT

This past weekend was the readathon which I sort of participated in. I didn't sign up or anything (I just can't really read for hours on end anymore), but I read a book. Which feels like a miracle these days! I noticed that a lot of people used tumblr for their updates which makes so much sense and also made me laugh. Remember when we used to use our blogs but then people didn't want to overwhelm their subscribers? But people reblog 40 things a day on tumblr so no big deal. Except that tumblr has a stinky commenting system I guess!

It's so hot here already. Sigh. Such is life, I guess! By the end of the week it will be in the 90s.

Well I caved and watched the backdoor pilot episode for The Originals. I just...sort of wish there was a fun supernatural show I could enjoy like I used to enjoy The Vampire Diaries but The Originals probably will not be it. It was, for one thing, appallingly racist. Also, Klaus is still not an interesting character it took him no time at all to start crying with his new love interest. And to top it all off, they decided to make him a father. And they didn't even give the mother of his child any sort of voice. The whole thing is gross and stupid, which is too bad because Marcel ♥

But seriously, it's disappointing that no recaps are really mentioning how horrific it is that they've suddenly made their main witches white living under the oppression of a black vampire in New Orleans. Whyyyyyy.

At least there are other good shows to wash the taste of that out of my mouth! The Americans was brilliant this week. I long suspected Nina would turn double (triple?) agent and it was glorious to see that happen. Nina is one of the most interesting characters on this show for me, everything she does, she does in the name of self interest...she takes control of her destiny. There's something really refreshing about that. So while I was completely grossed out the whole time she was sleeping with Stan, it was obviously her own way of keeping that relationship in her control. And Stan is stupid to think that the very same methods she uses to get information for him, she couldn't be using on him. Not to mention that he shot her friend out of his own rage with no regard to his relationship with her. I just think he's been really foolish in dealing with her and that she's much smarter than he gives her credit for. It will be interesting to see what happens!

Also, I like the way the story from earlier in the season came back and that the FBI is starting to put together that they are looking for a husband and wife team. If there's one weak link here for me it's Martha...it's just a tiny bit hard to believe she'd buy into all of this (they can't even live together!), but whatever. It's also very very sad.

I thought Nikita was really good this week, as well. I liked how it returned to the women saving girls idea, with Alex and Nikita freeing all of those girls. But I also think that the season's question of whether or not Division can ever be a good thing has been answered and the answer is no. There's a certain power attached with it that they all succumb to in their weaker moments. But ugh what a great show. That conversation between Alex and Nikita about how Alex needs to heal or Amanda (and others) can continue to use her pain as a weapon was so great. I don't know if this show will be back, but I do think TV will be poorer if it's off.

And Orphan Black! Anyone else watching? Who's your favorite clone? I love Alison. I'm surprised soccer mom clone is my favorite, but she's so fierce, the way she took down Vic with her pepper spray ♥♥♥. Anyway, I think the stuff about them having monitors is really sad, you know, if Alison's husband is her monitor (which it seems like he is) and Paul never really loving Beth. I like how the women are all sort of bonding and trusting each other the most. At present it seems like Sarah might be the original, but I'm sort of hoping for a bit more surprise, although the idea of her struggling with that would be really interesting to watch.

Well that's enough TV! I have bookish stuff lined up for this week, a giveaway tomorrow, our War and Peace check-in on Tuesday, a review on Wednesday and hopefully more reviews, too! Have a great week everyone it's already almost May!

Thoughts on Wednesday!

mypalamy@gmail.com — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 22:51:06 PDT

Some people mentioned some shows on my informal survey that I can address now! So here goes, my answers are probably largely disappointing, lol.

Red Widow--I tried this and couldn't really get into it. Crime dramas have to have a little special something to get me interested in them, tbh. I wanted to like it but it just didn't happen.

Hemlock Grove--I wasn't going to watch this at all because the reviews were terrible and also because Eli Roth=torture porn to my brain. But seeing it in the responses, I went ahead an watched the first episode...I didn't really like it, but it could have been worse. I wasn't bored or anything, I'm just not sure I buy into the world. Also, things seemed a bit too serious, some things were slightly confusing, and the body of the dead girl was really gross.

Beauty and the Beast--Whoever mentioned this, you guessed correctly that I have abandoned it. Sometime around the resolution of the Alex arc I just lost interest and the ability to suspend disbelief. Where the show had been charming and fun for me before, it suddenly became ridiculous and boring. I keep thinking if it winds up on Netflix I might catch up at some point, but it's not really a priority right now. (I think they rushed the Vincat relationship for what it's worth!)

Orphan Black--Yesss. I've now watched the first two episodes and this is a fun show! It seems heavily plot driven but in a way I enjoy with lots of twists and turns. Also, it's funny because part of the premise--with Sarah taking over Beth's life--reminds me of what both Ringer and The Lying Game tried to do with twins, but Orphan Black gives it a really fun twist with high stakes, i.e. that's not the only thing going on. So far so good! I'll probably catch up soon. I don't think it's the kind of show I'd have a lot to say about regularly, but who knows, we'll see!

(In other TV news I caught up on Nikita's season recently. This show is best watched in chunks IMO I had stopped watching because the stuff about Michael's hand was annoying me a lot, but it did serve a purpose in the thematic structure of the season as well as the plot...but having to watch those episodes was painful, lol. Anyway the last run of episodes were really good and reminded me why I do like the show. I also think it asks lots of interesting questions about "the good fight" etc. I don't know sometimes I wish more of you watched it because it's a show that can really be talked about imo?)

In other news, I wanted to mention that Silence is going forward as a film. This is one of my faaavorite books and I'm really curious what the film treatment will be like. Probably a disappointment, but who knows it could still be good. Thoughts? I know a lot of you have read this one.

In book blogger biz, I want to know how you guys feel about publishers pitching books and then being like lol jk we can't send it? This happened to me recently (with a book I really wanted) and I hate it, but it rubbed me the wrong way. Am I just being bratty because I wanted the book? Probably. But it makes me feel a bit disrespected in general. Like it's unprofessional to me? And it's hard for me to think of another group of people they'd react to in this way. Also, they were like, we'll be in touch with other assets, like...no I'm not going to post free advertising for the book on my site after that. The worst of it is that this is an author I love and I don't really want to be not helpful, but I also feel stubborn and like I wish to be unhelpful in posting about the book. I guess I'm just kind of annoyed that I feel this way, but also annoyed that I'm not getting the book. Feel free to talk some sense into me!

And lastly, I love the new Lana del Rey song on The Great Gatsby it's so Fitzgerald to me! (more Gloria Gilbert than Daisy Buchanan, but w/e)

Help Me Out!

mypalamy@gmail.com — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 01:40:12 PDT

The internet and blogosphere is changing we all know it. People talk more and more about how commenting is dying and we've become consumers again and I realize it's sort of true of myself as well. I mean it makes me sad but like once Robert Smith once sang, "the further I get from the things that I care about, the less I care about how much further away I get." In other words, I get lazy, I can barely write anything and then I start to wonder why I ever did in the first place. I even find it hard to comment on the posts I really enjoy, I don't know why.

People tailor their internet experiences more and more to what they want so I've decided to ask you what you're interested in seeing. If nothing else, it will be something for me to look at and maybe help inspire me.

So here's a little poll with some books I've read and need to review and a few other post ideas I've been tossing about in my head. If I know you want to see it, maybe I'll feel more like writing? LOL is this whole thing really self-indulgent? I don't know.

Anyway this is a google form which means you might have to click through to see it.

Thanks everyone!

World War Z by Max Brooks

mypalamy@gmail.com — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 01:39:58 PDT

First of all, remember how I was talking about how zombie books don't often use the worse zombie? Well this one does, all over the place, they are zombies plain and simple.

I like zombie stories. I think I should start phrasing it like that, because it's not actual zombies that I like...zombies are gross! But ugh, the potential in a zombie story! I mean look they combine a bunch of my favorite things--rich thematic material (obvs zombies can be many things but mindless creatures of consumption is one!), survival stories (I like them. What can I say?) and TRAGEDY I mean zombies exist in the bodies of loved ones, a single bite means the end, etc. etc. in order to defend yourself you might have to shoot the person you loved....it's tragic and I like that.

I know that it seems like zombies are way played out, but in my opinion they aren't, not really. There will always be room for more well written zombie stories just like vampire stories.

And I've had the good luck to read a lot of zombie stories that I really like, one of my favorite TV shows right now is a gripping zombie story, I mean I haven't experienced many duds (though it should be noted I avoid almost all zombie movies because they all look bad except for like 28 Days Later. If that's a zombie movie.)

I saw Max Brooks at Comic Con one year and he was funny and smart and I've been wanting to read World War Z ever since. And then I got it in the Halloween swap and I was going to be on the plane and since I thought this was supposed to be the zombie book to end all zombie books I brought it along.

In theory, this book is such a good idea. Examining what a threat like this would be like on a global scale, how each country would react differently, how the world would fight back, and more. But...I got bored. That's the most honest thing I can say about this book. I just started losing interest about 80 pages in. I had to force myself to finish and I was determined to finish because of how much people like this book and also the movie which I'm still excited for.

I think, you know, this is not a straight forward story, it's a fictional oral history. So it's lots of "first-person" accounts of the zombie war. I guess that's why it ended up not being for, I don't really know. I needed...characters. Also, as Jenny points out, there's not nearly enough females and that's always a barrier for me.

I think what this book made me realize is that I'm not really interested in what would happen to the world if the zombie virus came about, I'm more often interested in how a few people deal with it. I realized I didn't need a global overall perspective, because...I just didn't care without having individual people to care about. This might make me not particularly smart but since this is only a book about zombies, I don't really care.

So...basically this didn't work for me. But people who don't even like zombie stories such as Jenny liked it, so obviously my opinion is only one!

CFBA Book Spotlight: Josiah's Treasure by Nancy Herriman

mypalamy@gmail.com — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 22:05:27 PDT

About the Book: In 1882, Sarah Whittier dreams of opening an art studio run by immigrant women. She plans to use the house left to her by family friend Josiah Cady as collateral for her studio. But will all be lost when the inheritance is challenged by an angry man claiming to be Josiah's son and legal heir? Rumor of gold nuggets hidden in the house, place Sarah's life in danger. Her future uncertain and her safety threatened, Sarah has nowhere to turn. That is, unless she can soften a vengeful man's heart-and they both learn that love is finer than any gold.

Stuff and Things

mypalamy@gmail.com — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 01:30:10 PDT

The 2013 INSPYs shortlists have been announced! We debated forever over them once again, but I think we came up with some lists we're all proud of...I look forward to seeing what the judges choose as the finalists! If you are interested in Christian fiction books I hope you'll check out the lists.

The Catching Fire trailer also came out and to be honest...I have like no feelings about it. I am sort of meh about it and I think it's basically due to a few different things. I think that once everything settled, as much as I liked The Hunger Games movie, I really have no desire to watch it again, I'd rather reread the book. So basically I think these movies are going to end up like Harry Potter for me...I see them once and that's it. Also, the whole conversation with President Snow in the trailer irritates me. I don't know why. And lastly, I think Jennifer Lawrence was wayyyy overexposed in the last couple of months topped off by her failure to show at the MTV Video Awards (which is just classless and last I read was still not explained) has made her more Jennifer Lawrence to me than Katniss and that kind of sucks. So..um, if you were looking for squeeing from me (and I've sure done my share of it over The Hunger Games) sorry you didn't find it here! I am craving a reread of the book, hopefully to be done soon!

Speaking of books, I'm so behind on reviewing! I've already forgotten the books, I'm sure. I'm hoping to whip out some mini-reviews so I can at least get caught up. (this sounds much easier than it actually is for some reason) I am at present reading Strong Poison at long last Ana and Hannah! It's a little different than I expected, though charming, and I look forward to going back and seeing what people said about it when they read it. Once I finish it. It's a short book but taking longer than I thought.

I also just got Red Dragon to read, I feel like I might appreciate Hannibal more for reading it. Plus, I enjoyed Silence of the Lambs when I read it long ago, so I have no reason to think I won't like this one.

TV

I came to a halt with Lost Girl and I'm not sure why. It really is a cute show and I plan to go back to it, but I decided to rewatch The Walking Dead and I'm blowing right through my rewatch like I never saw it before, I don't know. I am also resigned to the fact that I'll probably read the comics this summer because six months is too long for me, sigh. Anyway, I'll be writing way more about this later. I caught up on The Mindy Project (sort of--I do work while watching, to be honest) and Danny and Mindy are finally getting a bit shippy and cute! I've recorded all the episodes of Orphan Black but haven't watched them yet...has anyone else? Would I like it? Also I have things to say about The Good Wife.

I am semi frustrated with how this Will and Alicia storyline has played out. It started in the most ridiculous way--like I wish the show had at least hinted at their ongoing attraction instead of just having them kiss out of nowhere. But...I don't know like I think what everything is building towards COULD be interesting. Like I actually feel the show is building towards something, the question is...will they chicken out and return everything to the status quo?

On the one hand you have Diane making major life changes...possibly taking the judge position and getting married. (which is cute if nonsensical) And that other judge dude (Dale from TWD) telling her she needs to distance herself from Will or whatever. Then there's Cary looking to make a move from Lockhart Gardner, and Alicia battling her sudden overwhelming desire for Will which could lead her to want to make the move with Cary so that she no longer has a professional conflict with her personal life. (maybe the attraction to Will is more about wanting that anyway? I'm wishing The Good Wife was deeper than it is aren't I?) According to the producers, Peter has been a perfect husband, and it looks like he's going to want to renew their vows next week and Alicia has always been instrumental in his campaigns, but she doesn't want him anymore--maybe...she doesn't want this life anymore? And I think her little conversation with Grace about thinking about yourself etc (which by the way I actually really liked that conversation, it was presh! and much as I dislike Grace, I do appreciate that the writers keep her religious and that it wasn't just a fad) is going to be top of her mind in these last episodes. Is Alicia willing to go after what she wants because she wants it and with no other excuses? It will be interesting to see. So yeah the election is coming up and not just Peter's future, but Diane's now depends on it...what Alicia ends up doing could affect things, what Diane does with regards to Will could affect things, what Cary does, however Kalinda reacts...there really could be a major shake-up on the show. Fingers crossed, to be honest!

Oh, still no news on when we'll get Borgen's third season, but the first season is actually available on region 1 DVD now! So yay for progress.

Also, speaking of Danish TV, the American adaptation of The Bridge begins in July and I will be pestering all of you about it until then. I'm really super excited for it. I saw The Host and the whole time I was thinking of Diane Kruger as ~~Saga~~ Sonya the whole time and it got me even happier about it! FX has started showing teasers for it (during The Americans, yay!)

Speaking of The Host...I liked it? It's been awhile since I read the book, but it felt very similar. Although...I wasn't crazy about the casting for the love interests. Everything else really worked for me, though! Kind of a bummer it got SUCH bad reviews, but I guess, you know, it's a love story/optimistic alien invasion story so...

That's all from me for now! I hope you check out the INSPYs list and also tell me what you're thinking! About anything!

Bristol House by Beverly Swerling Giveaway Package!

mypalamy@gmail.com — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 22:29:16 PDT

The publisher is offering a really fun giveaway for this book open to US residents (no PO boxes).

About the Book: Architectural historian Annie Kendall arrives in London on an assignment from the Shalom Foundation concerning ancient artifacts from the Holy Land. Annie is determined to leave her heavy emotional baggage behind and find professional redemption by discovering the truth about the mysterious Jew of Holborn, who in 1535 apparently had access to a trove of ancient Judaica. Annie sublets an old fashioned flat in a building called Bristol House, containing a tiny back bedroom which becomes the source of extraordinary phenomena involving a long dead Carthusian monk. Tormented by the notion that because she's a recovering alcoholic she may be hallucinating, Annie resolves to ignore these strange visitations from the past. Until she meets Geoffrey Harris who is not only a well known TV personality, but the spitting image of the Bristol House ghost. Annie begins searching for the connection to the Jew of Holborn, the ghost monk, and the mysterious motivations of her obsessed employer. Leaping back to the 1530s, the dark cloud of religious persecution hangs over a very different London. The Jew of Holborn, a goldsmith, and Dom Justin, a Carthusian monk with questionable allegiances, tell their story from “the Waiting Place,” as they try to untangle a sixteenth century knot with enormous twenty-first century implications.

The Giveaway includes: a Bristol House gift bag, a Keep Calm and Carry On bookmark, a bar of lavender soap, Twinings English Tea, candy, and a copy of the book.

This giveaway will be open until April 22, 2013 at midnight.

To enter, just fill out the form below! Winner will be contacted via email.

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TV Catch Up: Hannibal, Bates Motel, The Americans

mypalamy@gmail.com — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 22:43:35 PDT

Big catch up on TV post! I know you are all excited! (except for The Walking Dead which hopefully will get its own post eventually)

Bates Motel

I was really unsure what to expect from this show or think of it...and I'm still kind of unsure what to think of it, but it doesn't bore me even if I find some plots to be really outlandish and ridiculous. Like the whole pot field thing. And the sex trafficking thing. I want to say this show is a good time, but I feel a little guilty saying that because it's really...sort of perverse. But I like it. What is wrong with me.

Anyway, one of my favorite things about it right now is that it's impossible to know what is real, because Norman is SUCH an unreliable narrator as it is. So while at first we're thinking, oh poor Norman his mother is going to corrupt him, we start to learn that actually Norman has severe issues. And the stuff we've seen might not be real. And I like that because it keeps me on my toes.

Also, I'm oddly defensive of Norma. She's got her own set of issues, but I think the way she's trying to protect Norman makes sense. It would have made more sense in the 60s or whenever Psycho was made, but oh well. I really felt for her in that scene when she lost it at the trash site. This is a woman who has suffered and a lot. I think the acting is really good, too, like Freddie Highmore is really convincing and Vera Farmiga is outstanding. I like the addition of Dylan and the tension he adds. Also, I see some complaints about how all the girls love Norman, but of course they do! He seems like a sweet trustworthy guy. That's the way serial killers are supposed to be. They don't know he fantasizes about violence against women.

Anyway, I like the show, I like its ambiance, I like the idea that the town they are rooted in has its own set of issues, and I like the little touches like Emma's dad being a taxidermist that's a shout out to the movie. Anyone else watching?

Hannibal

Once again what is wrong with me? I like this. It's gross, yes. But like..that ending conversation between Hannibal and Will this week was so chilling. I like the relationship between Hannibal and Will--it really has a pull for me. I think Mads Mikkelsen is a great Hannibal and infuses the character with a sense of normalcy that is definitely gone from Anthony Hopkins by the later films. I don't mind that Will feels on edge--that makes him interesting to me. So yeah I'm sticking with this one. Apparently every episode will have a shout out to a horror film which is cool!

The Americans

omg this show. This showwwwwwwwww. Is so so good. I have no idea how it's going to be sustained over the long run, but I am loving it so much right now. The only thing I'd do is cut the sex scenes, I feel like they actually work against the whole of the show in so many ways, but whatever.

I love how, you know, the world's in crisis but Philip and Elizabeth's marriage is too. And it affects them and their children just as you'd expect in all the normal ways and that just adds to the stress of their lives. I love how real it all feels.

I hate Stan. I hate how condescending he is to his wife, I hate that he's all self-righteous until hey it affects him, too, I hate that he sleeps with Nina and then lies to her face about killing her friend, ugh. It's so weird, too, because he's the American FBI agent I should be rooting for, lol. But he's just so unlikeable to me.

Even so, I do think the tension of having Stan and Philip be kind of friends is genius, Philip is having his own hard day after killing Amador (which was unplanned) and Stan drops in to unload his own grief about the same thing. And then gives that completely profound and brilliant speech about how staying in every bad motel is the same thing. (part of why I love this show, there's so much smart writing just in conversation)

I like how the last two episodes have made this seem like a war, and the stakes are higher than ever and that each "side" lost someone valuable. Greogory :( His final speech to Elizabeth about finding someone who loved her for being so strong made me ache. I was relieved that they let him die the way he wanted to, though.

Anyway, I don't how it manages to be so smart and so tense and to have created so many characters I really care about and to do this so well every single week! I can't wait until Jodie watches it! Or any of you!

*Interesting post about how prestige TV dramas can be read as YA Fiction.

*This is the most disgusting werewolf transformation I have ever seen I will not be watching this show.

So what have you guys been watching recently?