Nose in a Book

This weeks topic:

• Tell your readers what is it about “an” author that you are most passionate about, that have you coming back for more from them, following their every blog post – literally blackmailing people to read their books?

• Who are some of your all time favourite authors?

• And what is it about them that makes you keep going back for more?

I have several authors that I really enjoy.  I think my favourite though is Alexander McCall Smith.  I love his writing style, I love his stories and I love his characters.  Back when I first started this blog I actually did an author review of McCall Smith.  Check it out.  I think it pretty much covers all of the questions for weekly geeks except the other authors I enjoy.  Some other authors I like are Maeve Binchy, Orson Scott Card, and Margaret Atwood.

Make sure you check out the other weekly geekers!

Ok, so it’s been forever since I’ve participated in Weekly Geeks, but this week has a fun topic – comments!

Do you have a commenting policy? For example:

*Do reply to all comments? If you do, how do you do it? Email? On the blog?
*Do you use moderation?
*How do you handle trolls? Flaming?
*How much do you tolerate from a belligerent commenter before you close or delete comments?

Have you ever gotten a comment from someone you admire? An author? A superstar blogger (the ones with the book deals)?

How do you feel about author comments? Are they welcome or do they make you nervous?

Word verification? Yay or nay.

And then there’s spam. How do we combat the evil that is spam?

Talk about your experiences with any of the above. Share your wisdom with other bloggers. What works on your blog? What doesn’t?

If you are feeling brave, try something new and report on it later in the week (a new commenting widget or spam catcher. These will vary depending on your blog).

Or write a commenting policy, even if no one sees it but you.

Or comment on some blogs you’ve never commented on before.

As always, take this prompt and make it your own.

Do I have a commenting policy? I do, you can read it here.

Do I reply to all comments? Not all the time, but if I have something to say, I’ll reply and always in the comments.

Do I use moderation? Sort of – I have a spam blocker that decides if a comment needs to be held for moderation.  If it does, I get an email notifying me that a comment is waiting to be moderation.  This doesn’t happen very often.

How do I handle trolls? It depends how trolly they are – sometimes I respond, something I just delete the comment.  Flaming? Uh, I don’t get enough comments for there to be any flaming!

How much do I tolerate from a belligerent commenter? Not much, I’ve never had to deal with this on my book blog but on my personal blog.  Usually my regular commenters come to me rescue and I don’t need to delete anything.  I have a couple of very well spoken commenters that have the ability to make most people look really stupid.

Comments from someone I admire? Yes, pretty much everyone who comments.  Thanks everyone!!

Comments from authors? I’ve never had any.  It makes me nervous to think they might be reading my reviews, but I would definitely welcome comments – unless they are rude!

Word verification? My spam blocker will sometimes decide that a commenter needs to prove they are human before posting a comment.  But not always.

Spam? I have a plugin called Spam Karma.  It’s pretty good at catching spam but it catches a lot of non-spam too!  If that ever happens to you – don’t worry, I always check the spam before deleting it.  Legitimate comments will always get rescued!

This week weekly geeks asks:

This week, tell us about a book (or books) you have been meaning to read. What is it? How long have you wanted to read it? And, why haven’t you read it yet?

When I first read this, I wasn’t really sure how to answer.  I have several books on my TBR list, I also have a TBR to my son list.  I could just post those on my blog, but I thought that might be kind of boring.  Then I remembered The Handmaid’s Tale.  I’ve been meaning to read this for several years.  I want to read it because I feel it’s a Canadian classic and because, come on, who hasn’t read it?  The reason I haven’t read it?  I’m pretty sure it’s not really my kind of book.  I’m not usually a fan of the whole dystopian future thing or the ultra feminist thing.  I’m sure it’s a great book, and I know that Margaret Atwood is a great writer (I love The Blind Assassin and Alias Grace) I’m just not sure I’m ready to tackle this one quite yet.  Some day, but probably not soon.  I’m not sure it’s a book I can handle right now.  (I’m pregnant and somehow it’s changed my response to what I read.   I’ve not noticed this with my previous two pregnancies, but this one has been totally unique in every way!)

Anyway, someday I will read The Handmaid’s Tale, but I haven’t yet.

This week, weekly geeks asks:

“Have you ever changed your mind about a book or author the second time around? Have you ever given a book or author a second chance?
If you have, I’d love to hear your stories. Blog about your experience(s) in giving second chances.”

The first book that comes to mind is The Lord of the Rings.   I tried to read it when I was younger (I think I was 13 or 14) and I just could not get into it.  I don’t think I even made it past the first 50 pages.  I considered going back to it and had several people over the years strongly recommend it but I just never had the interest in going back to the books.  Then, while I was in university, the first movie came out.  I was so disappointed by the non-ending, that I had to read the books to find out what happened next.  From the first page, I was mesmerized.  I couldn’t put it down.  I remember reading on the bus on the way to university, and fully knowing I was missing my bus stop but not being able to stop reading to get off the bus.  The series is now in my top ten favourites of all time!

Here’s the assignment:

1. Go to Creativity Tools’ random word generator.
2. Get yourself a random word. Write it down. Then click “new word” to get yourself two more random words, and write them down, too. You should have three words written down.
3. Now find the random sentence generator and get yourself a sentence, write it down underneath the three words. If you don’t like that sentence it’s okay to click “new sentence” until you get one you like.
4. Use the Random Phrase Generator to generate a phrase. Write it down. You may not need this, but keep it handy, just in case. Again, it’s okay to go through a couple of phrases before settling on one that works for you.
5. Now, using the three words from Step 2 and the sentence from Step 3, write one of the following, (but don’t tell us which!):

Here’s the assignment:

(a) A book review (if you have an obscure book that many of us won’t recognize by the title, this would be a great time to do it–or you could omit or replace the title [see -d- below] just for this week)
(b) A scene from a book (you’ll need to replace some of the words and a phrase with the random ones).
(c) A scene you make up completely from scratch
(d) A review of a fake book, using the Random Phrase from Step 4 as your book title

It was impossible for me to tell her the whole truth without, at the same time, entering into particulars on the subject of the delivery which it would have been dangerous to confide to a stranger.  I could only abstain most carefully from raising any annoyances, and then explain that the object of my visit was to discover the persons who were really responsible for the opening.  I even added, so as to exonerate myself from any after reproach of my own conscience, that the hardened likelihood passses the wish, and that I entertained not the least hope of being able to trace her.

So what do you think?  Is the excerpt real or fake?  What are the random words and sentence?

This week we are asked “what are some of your favorite movie adaptations of books? Include trailers or scenes from Youtube if you’d like. Also along with that question, or instead of that question, what book or series would you like to see be made into a movie or movies? Tell us why you think it or they would work as a movie. If the book already has a book trailer, include that, to help make your point.”

Some of my favourite movie adaptations…

1. Pride and Prejudice.  This is one of my favourite books and also one of my favourite movies.  (I haven’t seen the BBC version of this movie yet, but I plan to.)

2. The Lord of the Rings. This is also one of my favourite books and I think they did a really good job of the movie.

3. The Chronicles of Narnia. This is a trailer for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, but I actually liked Prince Caspian a little better.

4. Harry Potter. I’ve loved all of the Harry Potter adaptations. This is a trailer for the newest one, even though I haven’t seen it yet.

5. Stardust.  I’m currently reading the book so I can’t really compare yet, but I loved the movie version.

6.  Another movie I loved was Chocolat.  I read the book after watching the movie and I actually liked the movie a lot better than the book!

7. Horton Hears a Who.  I wondered how they were going to turn this book into a full length film, but I think they did a really good job.  I’ve always loved the Horton books and I enjoyed the movie a lot.

8.  No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency.  This was made into a TV series (not a movie) that so far only has one, seven episode season (I sure hope they do more) but I loved the book and I thought the TV show was equally good.

As for books I would like to see as movies, I would love to see Artemis Fowl as a movie.  Apparently, this is in the works so maybe soon!  Another series I like to see as a movie is the Fablehaven series.  Those would be really good too.

1. Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White

2. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

3. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand (I knew this one would be a tough one!)

4. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

5. Treasure Island by Robert Loius Stevenson

6. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

7. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

8. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling

10. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

Congrats to Jamie who got the most correct answers with authors too.  Thanks everyone for playing.  It was really fun!

This one is so fun!  Basically you make a quiz about books.  I’ve tried everyone’s that is linked so far and they are HARD!!  (I didn’t comment unless I knew any answers…didn’t want to look like a dork just saying, “Uh, duh, I dunno…”)

So a couple people have given the first line in a book and you have to name the book.  I’m going to give you the last line.  All of these books are very well known.  Some are classics, some are definitely not.  Some should be really easy, some are harder.  All are novels but range from children’s to YA to adult fiction.  Extra points if you can provide the author without cheating!

1.  It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer.  Charlotte was both.

2. And he leaned down to press his cold lips once more to my throat.

3. He raised his hand and over the desolate earth he traced in space the sign of the dollar.

4. ” ‘God’s in his heaven, all’s right with the world,’ ” whispered Anne softly.

5. Oxen and wainropes would not bring me back again to that accursed island; and the worst dreams that ever I have are when I hear the surf booming about its coasts, or start upright in bed, with the sharp voice of Captain Flint still ringing in my ears: “Pieces of eight! pieces of eight!”

6. Whatever our struggles and triumphs, however we may suffer them, all too soon they bleed into a wash, just like watery ink on paper.

7. I ran.  A grown man running with a swarm of screaming children.  But I didn’t care.  I ran with the wind blowing in my face, and a smile as wide as the Valley of Panjsher on my lips.  I ran.

8.  And always Ender carried with him a dry white cocoon, looking for the world where the hive-queen could awaken and thrive in peace.  He looked a long time.

9.  The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years.  All was well.

10. But they never learned what it was that Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which had to do, for there was a gust of wind, and they were gone.

Good Luck!

Check out the other quizzes at Weekly Geeks.

April 2nd was International Children’s Book Day. And April is National Poetry Month. In celebration, I have two lovely options for you this week:

Option A: Be a kid!

You could read a picture book (or two or three) and share what you read.
Write up a post sharing your favorite books from childhood
Write up a post about reading together with your child(ren)

Option B: Be a poet!

Write your own poem and share with us!
Write bookish ABC poems–ABC’s of favorite authors, favorite books, favorite characters, favorite book blogs, or any combination of the above. Maybe even an ABC’s of a bibliophile or book addict. (A is for…B is for…etc.)(For example, ABC’s of Dr. Seuss)
Review a book you’ve read recently in haiku. (It doesn’t need to be a poetry book you’re reviewing, any book will do.) See Emilyreads for an idea of what I mean.
Read a poetry book and review it
Participate in Poetry Friday (This week’s host will be Carol’s Corner.)

I’m not much for poetry so I’ve chosen option A.  I have quite a huge list, so here it goes:

• Below the Root, And All Between and Until the Celebration by Zilpha Keatley Snyder – I remember loving this trilogy when I was about 12 (?).  It was so magical and I could just see this fantasy world in my mind.  I haven’t read them in forever, but I am definitely going to try and pick them up again.
• The Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell – I remember reading this one for school in grade 5 and then rereading it over and over.  I loved Karana and I thought she was so smart and brave to create a home and existence for herself all on her own.
• Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien – The was another one we had to read for school.  I think this one was grade 3.  I loved it because I loved the thought of the rats creating this whole little world for themselves underground.  I recently read it to my 5 year-old and I think he liked it a lot too.
• The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks – I’m starting to see a pattern here!  I seemed to really like books with a little bit of magic in them.  I loved the thought of a little toy coming to life.  I used to wish that some of my toys would come to life too! I hope my son will enjoy this one as much as I did.
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle – This is another fantasical classic.  I remember liking this one because it was kind of science-y (not a real word, I know) and that was right up my alley.  I also read the sequels to this one and I liked them just as much.  I plan on reading all of these to my son as well.

I could go on and on, but I think I’ll revisit this topic another time!