Now that Blogger is working again

Stephenie Meyer proves to all of us just how batshit insane she truly is.

Ironman? Didn't that movie come out way after the last book was written?
Oh, and do I need to even go into my Bella is no Jane Eyre rant again? I thought not.

Oh, what the hell, in case you have a memory like mine:

Which fictional character would you compare Bella to?
I think that Jane Eyre and Elizabeth Bennet are more apt comparisons, in terms of the niche Bella fits into—despite the vampires, she is really a romance character.

I know she's talking niches here, and not character-to-character comparisons, but this just set my mind in a tither. I can honestly see the Jane Eyre, as that novel is a spin on the Beauty and the Beast motif of Gothic literature. And many arguments can be made about Rochester's treatment of Jane being similar to Edward's treatment of Bella. However, let's not forget Jane herself resented Rochester's treatment and went on a quest to seek her identity. She was then able to meet Rochester again as his equal, not by giving anything up, but by gaining her own independence. Bella may wish to be Edward's equal, but it will not be through gaining her independence that this will be attained.

Stephenie, as opposed to the person interviewed here, sees a lot of Edward Rochester in Edward Cullen.

...

Um, no. Rochester is a highly flawed character for a reason. He needs to be redeemed. Edward Cullen is a two-dimensional OMGPerfectBoyfriend! stalker who loveloveloves Bella sooooo much, he watches her sleep. Edward doesn't seek redemption, but suicide, and even then fails mightily because he chooses the most melodramatic way to do it possible. Rochester, like all failed romantic heroes, mopes around his house and snaps at people.

On to some of her other choices, which I will simply list for their comic value:
1. Linkin Park - a band that cannot even spell
2. Anne of Green Gables series - because a series-long exploration of one girl-to-woman's life can compare to Bella's just after high school marriage and devirgining.
3. Somewhere in Time - I think it takes balls to admit this and will give her kudos for it.

All right. There should be more, but most of my energy is going into writing right now. The mocking can commence in the comments.

Stuff and stuff

HAHAHAHA!:

You may have seen this picture already, but I came across it at YA for Obama, and cannot get it out of my head. As a commenter over there put it: I love how blase she looks. "Ho hum. Another day with my crab-paperweight and bear-sofa. Nothing to do; nothing to do."

Neil Gaiman continues his reign of awesome.
I love the guy because he answers his fan mail, even the poorly typed ones. I love that he shares pictures of his cats. I love the worlds he builds, the characters he creates, the stories he comes up with. I just. Don't. Love. His. Writing. Sorry, folks, but it throws me out of a book of his faster than furry sex. There. I said it.

ETA: The proposed Downey/Law Sherlock Holmes is something to look forward to, I think.

Recent pics of Baby Sofia arrived just this moment! As if she new I needed to share them with you. I hope this makes up for opening with Sarah Palin.

The thing that got me to laugh today (aside from K.S.'s comment on previous post)

The book I said I would not again write about has generated as much buzz as I'd assumed, BUT FOR TOTALLY DIFFERENT REASONS! And I have to say if I ever met Stephenie Meyer, I would probably shake her hand for being the first Mormon to make millions of dollars from writing crackfic.

Take an hour out of your lives (instead of the 36 it would to read the actual 700,000 page book) and read this hilarious (with commentary) break-down. Or just skip to the end:

And they sexed happily ever after in their magic cottage while their half-vampire toddler slept in the next room, and it was the best series starting with a teenage girl in love with a mysterious boy in her class that ended up with a teenage girl defending her growth-accelerated mutant hybrid baby from an ancient clan of evil vampires with her magical psychic shield that I ever read, THE END.

Now you want to read the whole thing, don't you? Admit it.

ETA: Kudos to the first person who reads the whole thing and finds the Hot Fuzz reference.

Hopefully the last I'll feel the need to write about this series

Over at School Library Journal, UC Davis Professor (who, we're told, is an expert on teen literature) Amy Clarke discusses the enormous popularity of a certain series of vampire romance novels (no, not the Anita Blake series). Most of her answers are not exactly "expert in teen literature" worthy. I have similar answers to these questions, and some different ones, based not on my expertise of teen lit, but my near expertise on teen girls. I do take exception to two of her answers:

Which fictional character would you compare Bella to?
I think that Jane Eyre and Elizabeth Bennet are more apt comparisons, in terms of the niche Bella fits into—despite the vampires, she is really a romance character. Having said that, I don't think that Bella has the complexity to become a legendary character. She has many good qualities, including loyalty and bravery, but she doesn't dig very deep intellectually or engage moral questions.

I know she's talking niches here, and not character-to-character comparisons, but this just set my mind in a tither. I can honestly see the Jane Eyre, as that novel is a spin on the Beauty and the Beast motif of Gothic literature. And many arguments can be made about Rochester's treatment of Jane being similar to Edward's treatment of Bella. However, let's not forget Jane herself resented Rochester's treatment and went on a quest to seek her identity. She was then able to meet Rochester again as his equal, not by giving anything up, but by gaining her own independence. Bella may wish to be Edward's equal, but it will not be through gaining her independence that this will be attained.

Bella, I believe it goes without saying, is no Elizabeth Bennett. PS, misspelled Bennett, SLJ

What are the educational benefits of this book?
Besides just getting kids to read—and these are real page turners—the books can be used educationally by looking at questions the texts themselves bring up (why are they so popular and is it good for girls to be identifying with Bella?) as well as linking them to other things we might be teaching, like religion and mythology.

Bella's character, what she is modeling for young women, is a good thing to explore. On the one hand, she seems to represent a step backward in terms of role models. She will marry very young, she is willing to exchange her humanity for an eternity with her boyfriend, she gets pushed around quite a lot, and she needs to be rescued frequently. On the other hand, she has redeeming qualities including her intelligence, her willingness to put her life on the line to save her loved ones, and her total acceptance of people society would label monsters.

So...on the one hand, Bella doesn't dig deeply intellectually, but we should celebrate her intelligence?

Hey, I belong to the it doesn't matter what they're reading as long as they're reading school, don't get me wrong. But, compelling as the story is, it's just not good writing. In fact, it is some of the suckiest writing this side of a Harlequin Romance novel. And I just don't see the value of such novels as educational models of any sort. The same mythic/religious connection and themes can also be found in many Charles de Lint novels, which are much better written and have stronger mythos. Yes, discuss these novels in your book club and have the debates. But please, for the love of all that is holy, do not think you can find educational benefits in this series. Unless your educational benefits involve not good writing and how to recognize unhealthy relationships.

And before anyone accuses me of taking this all too seriously, remember I got this from School Freaking Library Journal, not Julie's Super Vampire Love Blog. These books are now a phenomenon. On some level, we should take them seriously.

Okay, truly done now. We are not, of course. That book is coming out tonight. The movie is coming out...sometime (I have no idea). And teh internets will be buzzing about this for some time. So while I am certain I will read much much more about the subject, this will be the last time I post about it. I is tired.

PS, AMC - you will tell me what happens, right? Don't make me read it off Julie's Super Vampire Love Blog.

ETA: I can't believe it took me so long to figure this out. I feel like an idiot. In attempting to assess what it is about the writing and story structure that bug me so much, it occurred to me that this shit is no better than romantic/erotic fanfiction. I'm serious. All the themes and conventions I've come to expect (and - guiltily - sometimes love) in my fanfic (dependence!devotion, over-exposition, hyperbolic descriptions of people) are all here. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to find that's where Ms. Meyers got her start. So while I cannot (and never have) state I do not understand the appeal, it still rankles me for many reasons.

More something about books

This has been tagged all over the place, but the absolute hilarity of it caught me off guard. Even if you have no desire or care whatsoever about the Twilight series, read this mock-serious debate for the lit-heavy nerd humor.

As for me? I'm Team Bella Needs to Get a Fucking Life. I'll probably wait for AMC to read it and just tell me how it ends to save myself the tortured prose.

And I'll believe this book is the final chapter when pigs fly.

Okay. This is my final post of the day. I swear.

Something about books

I agree with all of these choices (except In Summer Light, as I haven't read it). But I wanted to excerpt one particular choice because it highlights a book I feel was poorly overlooked:

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. This novel has touched many readers and is destined to become a classic. Alexie’s novel Flight was also published last year; I loved Flight just as much as True Diary, and though Flight was released as an adult title, teens will love it as well. Flight pays tribute to Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five, ...

Flight was released as an adult book, even though it had one of the strongest YA sensibilities I'd come across in ages, including the all-important search for identity, which is the most defining aspect of being an adolescent.

Other books I would include:
Little Brother, by Cory Doctorow (reviewed here)
A Certain Slant of Light, by Laura Whitcomb (I wasn't sure I liked this one until I realized it has stayed with me for years)

What books (for those of you who read YA) would you add?

The (Current) Reading List

Stuff I'm currently reading/contemplating reading:

I'm still lookin' at Ink Exchange, by Melissa Marr, with about 75 pages left. I know I could just sit and finish it before I'm done with my Saturday morning coffee, but my recent training schedule coupled with that whole job/life thing has made big chunks of time rare lately. Plus, I'm still not sure I'm ready to swim in that dark place with Leslie right now.

On a YA note: I've been hanging on to three other YA urban fantasy novels for a couple of months now: Eclipse, by Stephanie Meyer; City of Bones, by Cassandra Clare; and The Last Days, by Scott Westerfeld (a personal favorite). All are part of a series: Last Days is a sequel - sort of - to the brilliant Peeps, Bones is part 1 of the Mortal Instruments series, and if you don't know about the Twilight series, I'm not sure whether to kiss or heckle you.

I don't know what it is that draws me to one book over another when it comes time for reading. It helps if I have some idea what I'm getting myself into, plot-wise, and the plots of many YA fantasy books are unfortunately similar, so sometimes it's as much a matter of vampires? or fairies? that makes my decision for me.

• I have been avoiding continuing the Twilight series for several reasons, primary of which is the disturbing power dynamics of Bella's relationships with both Jacob and Edward. As a survivor of an abusive relationship from my teens, I know all too well how a romantically overblown, but disturbingly imbalanced relationship in a popular novel makes the all-too-real ones feel normal and right to teen girls. Considering the volunteer work I do with survivors of domestic violence, it makes me feel a little sick inside that it has become so popular. So Eclipse sits at the bottom of my pile and probably will for awhile.
• Last Days will be fun and smart and sexy. I know this because that's what Westerfeld delivers with glorious consistency. I think I'm waiting to start this one when I know I have the time to finish it in one sitting.
• I've read mixed reviews of Bones, so while I picked it up almost on reflex when it came out in trade paperback, I'm going to start it probably when I have nothing else in the YA TBR pile (except Eclipse).

I received Jincy Willett's The Writing Class yesterday. As I had just finished the third Maisie Dobbs novel (still brilliant, still refreshing - even when sad), I am eager and ready to dive in. I also have Sharp Teeth, a novel in verse that is (sort of) about werewolf packs in East L.A. It is one I have picked up and put down so many times it was inevitable that my friend AMC sent it along in one of our book exchanges.

As I'm doing a lot of reading for my volunteer training, I'm only diving into one non-fiction right now, but diving I am. Savoring the Salt: The Legacy of Toni Cade Bambara is more than a collection of essays, poems, and personal anecdotes devoted to one of the most audacious, brilliant, and important forces in the feminist black arts movement of the sixties and seventies, it is an introduction to a woman who would not let herself be pinned down to any one label, and a legacy of how important her work was and remains (even 13 years after her death) to those who worked with and studied under her. For anyone who read and loved TCB's Gorilla, My Love, or anyone who needs an introduction to independent black filmmaking from the seventies, or for someone who wants to be introduced to someone who (even in death) can inspire and educate, pick up a copy of Savoring the Salt and open your eyes.

(btw, sorry that last paragraph had so many run-on sentences. I tend to get all talkative when I'm excited)

But, Goddessdster, what happened to those book reviews you promised? you ask. Well...reviews are always brewing in my brain about books I've read as far back as six months. If anyone wants a specific review, feel free to ask and I will try to provide. But in all honesty, they actually take more energy than my regular whiny posts, so I have to plan them out in advance, which is something I rarely have time for these days.

But then again, one never knows. I may decide tomorrow you all just need to know what I think about something I've read. Until then...

Nothing

I have nothing.

Nada.

Zip.

Naught.

Zed.

Life roll: Computer problems. Allergies. Work. Work. Work. I am now hella awesome on Quickbooks and that just depresses me to no end. I do the books. Yippee.

I did read a fantastically amazing book that defies all previously stated hyperbole exclaiming its excellence (I was actually going to find links for all those words, and then I thought: is anyone actually going to click on those links? I thought not). Though if you're interested, it's called Skulduggery Pleasant (you should actually click on that link, it goes to the book's website and is pretty cool) and it is a kid's book (as in younger than 14), but a kid's book unlike any you read when you were kids. I know what books you read, so don't even try to fool me. Buy it (check it out, steal it, borrow it, I don't care) for the kid in your life (neighborhood, apartment building, church, classroom), then read it first.

So there. Not nothing after all.

Little Brother, by Cory Doctorow

Confession, I attempted to read Doctorow's Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, and like many books I found mildly interesting, but not really what I wanted at the time, I put it down and never thought if it again. But I picked up Little Brother and didn't put it down again until I had finished. Quite a feat for someone who usually has several books competing for her attention.

Before I get into Review Mode, I want to say a little something about YA fiction while attempting to avoid the many many things that have already been said (just Google it and you will be treated to a plethora of blog posts). Sometimes the line between what is adult fiction and what is "teen" fiction gets blurred and it's not uncommon for novels to cross that line. Over at Bookshelves of Doom, I gave some reasoning (in the comments) as to why a particular book (the excellent Ysabel, by Guy Gavriel Cay) should be considered YA, even though previous discussion had decided not due to the lack of immediacy. Traditional adult novels portray action about one step removed from the narration taking place - this happened...and then I felt this...and then we did this as a result. Traditional teen novels have no division between action and reaction. An excellent example of this is Twilight, by Stephanie Meyer: there is nothing that happens in that book that isn't immediately felt, described, reacted to by the series protagonist, Bella. And in that, the reader becomes Bella, feels what Bella feels, thinks what Bella is thinking. And while Little Brother falls neatly into the YA category because of this immediate action/reaction narration, this novel can, I believe, be equally enjoyed by readers who rarely venture into the teen section of their bookstore.

I have often said (in a complainy sort of tone) that adult writers of adult novels give their young protagonists too much preternatural maturity. Not that there aren't wise, intelligent children in this world, but many would have you believe one existed on every other block of New York City (and one for every small Southern town). Most kids are just kids: they make mistakes, they argue with their parents, they are selfish, they think they're smarter than they are, they're not very good at predicting what the adults around them will do in a given situation, they think about sex, but not all the time. Marcus Yallow is a pretty typical smart kid living in San Francisco in the not-too-distant future. Most of his life is taken up with trying the hack his high school's Big Brother like methods and playing an online game called Harajuku Fun Madness.

One day when Marcus and his friends cut school to find a clue for their game, terrorists bomb the Bay Area Bridge, and in the aftermath, they are picked up as suspected terrorists by the Department of Homeland Security. They are held and questioned for several days and are released into a different world as different people. Paranoia reigns supreme, fear dominates, and civil liberties are stripped away in the name of National safety. Sound familiar? What follows is a fast-paced adventure in the land of hacking, Internet freedoms, cryptography, the Bill of Rights, betrayal, faith, and determination. Marcus is one determined kid, sometimes stubbornly so, but his faith in the ideals set up in The Declaration of Independence and The Bill of Rights remains unshakable even when facing his liberal father's compliance to random searches and constant surveillance. Through Marcus's narration, we feel his frustration when debating with his classmates, his elation at inspiring thousands of young people to mess with the surveillance methods of DHS, and the fear that underlies every move he makes.

You don't have to agree with Marcus to cheer him on, worry about him, or even get frustrated with him when it seems his stubbornness has taken him too far. But underneath it all, you believe in Marcus, even when he doesn't believe in himself anymore. Marcus is a real kid who is in a situation that is just one more attack from becoming our reality. Yes, he's a smart kid: there are many times we are treated to a lesson on Alan Turing, public and private encryption keys, coding, and the Mission District. And like most smart kids, he can be a smart-ass. And like most smart-asses, he can be endearing.

This is a YA novel primarily because our protagonists are teenagers, but I believe it can be read and enjoyed by many adults (not just those of us who read YA). We can all see some of ourselves in Marcus and his friends. It is intelligent enough to hold anyone's interest.

Couple of things I lurved-lurved-lurved about it:
1. Marcus meets a girl who he likes well enough, but doesn't think of as "h4wt," but her intelligence, exuberance, and good humor attract him. Before the end of the book, he thinks she's beautiful. There is something so true in this. I wish more guys and girls would read books wherein it is more than someone's looks that attract a person.
2. Marcus isn't a hero to all. And it's not just adults who disagree with him. He loses friendships over his actions. He also learns that - even though his anti-DHS slogan is "Don't Trust Anyone Over 25" - those he can count on the most are adults.

My biggest gripe was - ready for this? - two typos. But they are pretty big ones that jump off the page and slap you in the face. I'm never surprised to find such things in small press books, but Tor is a major publisher. And I'm not talking about comma splices or missing quotation marks. Anyway.

I loved this book. And you will too. Especially if you are a fan of Scarlett Thomas's PopCo, Scott Westerfeld's So Yesterday, 1984, or anything by William Gibson.

Destiny and the Reluctant Heroine

I just finished reading Wicked Lovely, by Melissa Marr, and now I'm one of those freakish book ladies who want to run around to everyone and thrust it into their hands and say, "You simply must read this book!" Unfortunately, I no longer work for mega bookstore chain and therefore don't have the opportunity to do so. This makes me sad. Because, really, unless you are someone dead set against reading smart urban fantasy with excellent writing, you will enjoy this book.

I notice an ongoing theme in the urban fantasy genre that I appreciate wholly: that of the smart female protagonist. In a world dominated by male heroes in both our fantasy (Harry Potter, LoTR, Heroes, most comic books written by men) and "reality" (anything else, most specifically crime shows which may contain strong female characters, but always have a male in the lead - CSI, Without a Trace, Law & Order, I'm lookin' at you!), I have long been one of those pop culture fans waiting for producers to get it - that women can lead the way and viewers will follow. There is a reason The Closer is the #1 cable drama on TV, people. And while I appreciate things are much much better than they used to be, I do get tired of watching the female lead play second fiddle to her charismatic, brilliant male lead co-star (even when that charismatic co-star is someone I admire greatly!).

The same trend has been weaving its way through the young adult publishing industry. In the past few years, an uproar has been raised about the sad state of boys and their reading habits. Apparently, boys don't read. Actually, they do read, just not what the book industry wants them to. So to pull these "reluctant readers" away from their video game guides, the Internet, comics books, and manga, the publishing industry is greenlighting books hoping to pull them to novels. And of course, these novels must feature a male protagonist. The guiding philosophy here is that girls will read books about boys wherein boys won't read books about girls. So instead of addressing why we've created a society in which boys won't read books with female lead characters, publishers are churning out mass produced formulaic crap. And any girl who wishes to read new fantasy or adventure will finish her Kiki Strike and dutifully pick up the newest Artemis Fowl for lack of anything else. And the world can retain its balance of power with a new generation of young women expecting young men to always be the charismatic brilliant hero of the tale.

Enter into this arena a cache of amazing and dedicated writers who think this is a load of crap. From Charles de Lint to Holly Black, to Emma Bull and many others (most listed under the original Urban Fantasy entry), contemporary young adult fantasy writers have figured out what most of us have known all along, male and female readers want and need to see women in the lead. And while, sadly, the entertainment industry has only Joss Whedon doing the same for movies and TV, at least he is doing so while flying his feminist freak flag proudly.

I have noticed a beautiful and realistic trend in these offerings that you don't normally see in your male-dominated counterparts, reluctance. Not so much out of fear (though that may play a part), but because these young women have plans for their lives and truly don't want some destiny laid upon them by The Powers That Be to interfere. One of my favorite aspects of most of these novels is the creative ways in which our heroines fight to keep their lives as normal as possible - high school, friends, boyfriends, college. These young women have goals for themselves that don't always involve drinking fairy wine at an endless faire and dancing their newly immortal lives away. And in the case of Aislinn, our protagonist from Wicked Lovely, these future plans are so important as to be the crux upon which helping is even considered. And that, I believe is as important as having a female lead at all. If your heroine is going to give up her mortal life to save fairy-verse and not even bother to secure her own growth and future, she may as well marry the proverbial prince and live happily ever after in Disney-esque security.

If you haven't delved into the world of which I speak, I heartily recommend the Holly Black Trilogy (Tithe, Valiant, Ironside), Emma Bull's War for the Oaks (a tad dated, but still a new classic), de Lint's Jack of Kinrowan, and the book that started this whole blog.

PS, Also watched the King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters this weekend. Please please please do yourself a favor and see this movie. In the wake of a movie-going year in which we've had to endure countless hours of how cruel, empty, and hopeless the world truly is, seeing the absolute decency of (real human being and not movie character) Steve Wiebe in his quest to become the best at something- in spite of the oddly menacing strong arm tactics of his cult of personality obsessed adversaries- will fill you with joy and hope. I kid you not.

I don't have a picture of the lamb, but...

My brother plays in Photoshop. A lot.

The Original:

This remains one of my favorite pictures of me and my brother. I have no idea about the cheekiness; I keep asking my mom if I had the mumps, or something, but she swears not.

And in other news:

One of the things I can always count on (aside from the love of my family and husband, the heat of summer, and the ridiculously trusting ignorance of the American people when watching the news) is the welcome of a new book. I usually have about 5 books going (2 nonfiction of different subjects, 1 novel, 1 book of poetry, short stories, or YA novel) at one time. I recently finished one nonfiction, but haven't settled on the new one I'm starting in its place. And as I mentioned in my last post, I've also finished two adult novels in a row with similar themes (forgiveness, redemption, God, blah, blah, blah). The YA novel came in yesterday and I'm already half-way through it (not just because its reading level is below mine, but also because (as previous reviews have already stated) it's just that good. But I'm having an issue with the adult fiction. It's just not there for me. I have a pretty impressive TBR pile. I look at it and get all excited about one day soon diving back in, but I just don't have it in me right now. It occurs to me that sometimes, I need to finish a few things before starting something new. It it overwhelming at times, my voracious need to have several books going at once. It feels slightly chaotic and ADD. I've done this for ages, though, and only in the last few years met someone who does the same, which does make me feel a tad less like I have reading commitment issues!

Reviews coming soon, I promise (if you care).

Colleen Mondor Says exactly What the Goddessdster is Thinking

I am so glad I don't have to put the energy into writing this, as she did it for me.

Just a little thing...

As an opening caveat I feel I should say I subscribe to Horn Book; I frequently read YA literature and fantasy, consider myself an adult (but not a grownup - I don't feel I will ever fully reach some pinnacle wherein I will then stop growing as a person), and have considered (and am still considering) studying children's lit, possibly for an MLS.

Read Roger is the Horn Book blog. It frequently annoys me, as in the example of this post.

Now there are many many things I could say in response to this, but I believe this commenter put it the best:

Deborah said...

Roger, there is a big difference between taking issue with children's literature advocates who claim that children's or young adult novels are the sublime epitome of all that is good in prose, and saying "adults whose taste in recreational reading ends with the YA novel need to grow up". You say that those of us whose recreational reading needs are met in the main by children's or young adult books are "missing a lot". Well, sure. Everyone who makes a choice is missing a lot. Those who fulfill their recreational reading needs with Barbara Kingsolver might be missing out on what John McPhee can give them. Those who will gobble up restoration comedies might be missing out on the thrill of a high-quality mystery. People who only have time to watch Grey's Anatomy miss out on Scrubs. The world is full of great ways to spend our recreational time, some marketed towards children and others marketed towards adults, some well-crafted and some less so.

You say "to say that children's literature will give a grownup all he or she needs from books suggests there is no reason to grow up in the first place". Really? My pleasures of growing up have included owning my own home, of eating Cadbury's Chocolate Spread the spoon without anybody yelling at me, having a profession and an avocation, volunteering, choosing friends, having sex, growing my own garden, making pie, and yes, reading Flora Segunda instead of cleaning my room. Was my reason for growing up really so that I would learn to appreciate Stephen R. Donaldson over Diana Wynne Jones, Jane Austen over Margaret Mahy? Because personally, I'll take having the right to vote and the intellectual capacity to vote wisely over some kind of moral requirement that my recreational reading come from books marketed towards adults.

Well put, Deborah. Whoever you are. You are my heroine of the day.

Edited to add: Deborah is a librarian and reviewer for Horn Book and posted her response to her own words on her lj here.