It's Like This, Cat - Mini-review

So as I mentioned earlier, when I went on vacation the return flight home had no wi-fi. I had downloaded "It's Like This, Cat" by Emily Neville after running a search for free books involving "Coney Island."

When I started reading, I had forgotten all about it and assumed it was an indie book. It seemed perhaps a little simplistic and at the start I could tell the male point-of-view character was written by a woman. Other than that, it was kind of a sweet read, definitely entertaining in an airplane.

So then when I looked at home I realized it won a Newberry Medal in the 1960s as a children's book. Ah well.

My main complaint is that the cat initially draws the reader in, but by the end of the story the cat seems insignificant. The author even reminds the reader that everything happened because of the cat, but I feel like if you need reminded, the story hasn't done its job.

Obviously it's a good story, though, what with the Newberry and all. It's kind of funny how even a self-published author would mentally criticize something they thought was an "indie" book. Though in fairness, I was at a writing panel at Tus-Con one year and the group of writers, led by an author/panelist, figured out how we could improve the opening paragraphs of Dune. So I think it's more my writer's editing tendencies than it is judging a book because of my perceptions of the author.

I think.

Review - Rivet Your Readers With Deep Point of View

Did you know Southwest Airlines offers wi-fi on some of their flights now? I recently went on vacation and experienced it...I'm not so fond of flying so I thought it was GREAT to wile away the time on the computer, while 30,000 feet in the air.

Really, I'm going somewhere with this.

On both of our flights back...no wi-fi. So, I finished 3 (short) books instead!


One of these books was Rivet Your Readers with Deep Point of View by Jill Elizabeth Nelson. I downloaded it  for Kindle when it was briefly free. (And interestingly, read it after finishing George MacDonald's The Light Princess, written in the 1800s, and probably the opposite of deep POV.)

The basic idea of this book is to write "closer" to your point-of-view character. As it says very early on (you can see it in the "Look Inside" option on Amazon):

In order to remain firmly inside the (point-of-view character's) head, nothing in a scene can be presented for reader consideration that is outside that character's awareness.

Easier said than done, of course, but this brief book does a good job of defining and offers some techniques that will benefit all fiction writers. There are brief exercises, as well. (Admittedly, I was on an airplane so just typed my answers into my Kindle, instead of writing them out with detail, which may have been more useful.)

Nelson mentions basic things that I learned from other writing groups (you almost never need to use phrases like "he saw", because anything that's presented through a point-of-view character is something the character saw). She also has a lot of things I hadn't thought of. There is a very good explanation of writing your paragraphs in a linear/logical order, which will benefit all writers (even non-fiction).

For me, the main shortcoming is that (if I recall correctly) all the examples are from Nelson's own works. Obviously getting copyright clearance from other authors would have been more difficult, but I would have liked to see how other authors approach the same problems. (And I felt just a tiny bit like I was reading a sales pitch for the books cited!)

Something else this book taught me is that, as a reader, I don't actually want to read deep POV for the majority of the book. Taken out of the context of a book, I actually preferred a few of the "wrong way" examples to the "right way" examples, such as:

Shallow: Joy rocketed through Adrienne.
Deep: A grin the size of the big, blue sky stretched Adrienne's lips. If her feet met the sidewalk, they sure didn't know it.

I see where the second example is "deeper" but it didn't engage me or make me feel like I was in Adrienne's head. I never think of a grin stretching my lips. Maybe I'd feel differently reading it in the context of a book (if she'd EARNED this happiness and I could feel it with her). But standing alone, I'd rather know what happens next then read two sentences describing how she's happy.

For every example I disagreed with, there were probably two where the "deep" version was stronger. Here is a gem, where I thought the Shallow was all right, but the Deep is much better:

Shallow: Despair tugged at Jenny's heart. No one ever believed her.
Deep: Jenny wilted into her chair. What was the point of trying to defend herself?

So although I discovered I actually prefer a touch of narrative distance, I'll definitely try to put some of the tips in here to use.

If you actually WANT to write deep point of view (which is a very popular style nowadays) this should help you quite a lot. Even if you don't, it's worth a read just to get clarification as to what people mean when they say "deep point of view" and to find a few tips that will tighten your writing.

Review: Marie-Grace and Cécile (American Girl)

So I recently finished reading the 6 books of the Marie-Grace and Cécile books in the American Girl series. It's an interesting set because there are 2 main characters, each with 3 stories. (Traditionally the American Girl dolls had 6 stories each, and they'd sometimes be given a sidekick/friend who got 1 book of her own.) There are 2 different authors for the stories (Sarah Masters Buckey for Marie-Grace's books and Denise Lewis Patrick for Cécile's).

I'm basing these reviews off our system at the Kinyn Chronicles blog.

Ridiculously simplified summary: 2 girls from different worlds become unlikely friends and face a yellow fever epidemic in 1853 New Orleans.

Christian content: (not rated) The American Girl books are not Christian books and I don't expect them to be such. The main characters do go to church and pray together in times of turmoil. A very ill character imagines she'll be an angel when she dies, which isn't really a Biblical viewpoint. A character says "mon Dieu" which the book translated as "good heavens" (though the glossary also notes the more literal translation "My God!").

50 possible points; in each category, 6/10 (or 3/5) would constitute 3 stars, or average.

Compelling - 8 points (out of 10). I had a hard time getting into the second book, Meet Cécile--it was one of those books that just didn't flow for me immediately for some reason. Book 3, where the fever picks up (along with some unlikely elements) is where things get going for me. (From the American Girl site it sounds like some kids (?) would disagree.)

Characters - 8 points (out of 10). I didn't expect to like Marie-Grace, but she has several moments where she is genuinely shy. I was incredibly shy as a child (my dad called it "painfully shy") and still have a lot of those traits. I adore seeing shy and introverted characters in fiction, though I don't see many of them. Cécile is the exact opposite--rather bubbly and outgoing. She won me over in Marie-Grace's book (not written by the author of Cécile's books) but I didn't feel quite as drawn to her as I did to Marie-Grace, who has the advantage of being the newcomer to New Orleans (and thus the one that's a bit more relate-able). A few supporting characters stood out for me, particularly Ellen (Cécile's Irish maid) and Marie-Grace's father (doctor), but I didn't think many of them were very memorable. The books are really about the two main girls, though.

Writing/editing - 7 points (out of 10). I didn't find any typos or anything, but the writing had a lot of things that writing groups will drill out of you. The writing is few of adverbs, "was"es, telling phrases like "Maman looked stern", and such. (If you ever reread the old American Girl books--and even the Rebecca books--those sorts of issues are common throughout the series.) It did take a little while to get used to the style but once I did it wasn't too distracting.

Plausibility/believability - 3 points (out of 5). The historical aspects felt more or less "right" to me, but I'm honestly not sure how much interaction a black and white girl would have actually had (though as a modern girl I love to see it!). Both main characters had some special talent I thought rather implausible--Marie-Grace has an outstanding singing voice, and Cécile (like the last historical, Rebecca) dreams of being an actress. (Unlike Rebecca's 1914 parents, Cécile's parents don't seem expressly mortified by this.) I feel like this was sort of a fantasy of 1850s life more than a realistic portrayal, though again, that's not terribly uncommon for the series.

Positive - 3 points (out of 5). I like books with happy endings/that make me feel hopeful. These have a mostly happy ending. Sadder than a typical children's book, but much more optimistic than an adult historical novel.

Gut reaction - 3 points (out of 5). I really enjoyed these books overall, even if they are perhaps sort of escapist, so I'd like to say my gut reaction is that I liked them. Unfortunately, some of the art is just stiff and awkward-looking, and art has always been a big part of these books. The tiny sketches in the books are not nearly as high-quality (or useful!) as they were in the other books I remember. (Others complain that the books don't use the same structure as the original books--Meet Kirsten, Kirsten Learns a Lesson, etc. As much as I liked the idea of comparing different holidays and milestones across time, they changed that a few books ago so I'm used to it by now.)

Bonus points to balance reviews - (5 points)

Total points: 37, or 3.7 stars

Photo Calendar from Shutterfly

So I took a week hiatus mostly because I could. Doesn't seem like anyone noticed, so no harm done!

So Shutterfly gave me a $20 "free" certificate (not including shipping) so I had to spend it! It was only a couple hours before expiration when I decided I should make a photo calendar. So I didn't necessarily do the BEST job...it was a cross between photos of me and friends and photos of things and places I love.

I did throw in a lot of birthdays and such...oddly, none for February. One nice thing was that I was able to make it from February - January. Anyway, it was fun and the quality is nice, though somehow I'd expected it to be a little bigger.

Pirate of My Heart by Jamie Carie

I won this book for free in a pirate-themed contest. ARRRRR! There is actually very little pirating; only a few chapters even take place on the sea, with the romantic lead being a merchant captain, not a pirate at all. Despite that, I found it enjoyable…if you like historical romances full of misunderstandings, with a bit of classic melodrama, this is a perfect book for you. Nice little historical tidbits, though the main pull of the story is the romance.

The main issue I had was that the editing felt like it was done by someone younger than me, and I'm only in my early 30s. I'm honestly sure if that means the market is changing and I'm the one with hangups, but the few Love Inspired and other romances I've read didn't have these techniques. The word "alright" is universally used for "all right," though it's my understanding that "alright" is a relatively modern way to spell "all right." (As recently as the 1990s I recall a Reader's Digest article nothing "alright is never all right.") That word still drives me up the wall to read. I was shocked to read the word "Noooo" multiple times--my English teachers wouldn't even let me put a question mark and an exclamation point both at the end of the same sentence, so I can't imagine what they would have done with that. And I couldn't find any evidence of the name "Kendra" being used prior to the 1940s, let alone the 1700s (though I'd like to be proven wrong there). I don't know if this book was rushed to market or not, but I feel like another pass of editing would have strengthened the style and perhaps even made some plot points a bit more realistic. Shouldn't bother any readers who aren't also writers/editors, and I'll bet a lot of writers/editors won't have a problem either. It just jarred me.

Still, there was a lot to like. I loved Kendra's playful accusations of Dorian being a scoundrel and such. As I noted, despite the title, there is little piracy and the male lead is not a pirate except in a very figurative sense. Could be just as well since REAL pirates aren't so romantic. I was surprised to find myself liking Kendra, despite the fact that she is one of those women who is the most beautiful woman you've ever seen and who can win every heart.

An entertaining escape with a page-turning conclusion!

Surprising Christmas Album by Our Hearts Hero

NOTE: You can get this album FREE on NoiseTrade!

"Love is Breathing", the new Christmas album by "Our Hearts Hero," is different from any Christmas album I've heard (by Christian artists or not).

Perhaps the most striking aspect to me is that every song is about Jesus' birth--not a single song about chestnuts or snow or anything. The closest to a "secular" song is the excellent (and currently FREE on their website!) Carol of the Bells, but they threw in an interlude of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" in the middle to fill it out.

Now, granted, I'm sure there are plenty of all-religious Christian Christmas albums out there. But it seems like even many everyday Christian rock albums throw in a remake of a secular song, and most Christmas albums seem to have some religious songs and some secular ones. To hear an album that's so heavy on rock but all REAL Christmas songs is something special in and of itself.

Others have noted that from the titles of the songs you might think it's an all-original album, when it's not. (Though this close to Christmas, I imagine you're probably buying from an online outlet, and if you listen to the previews you'll figure it out quick enough.) "Love is Breathing" is the only fully original song. Most of the others have at least some snippets of new music and lyrics and/or new and unique arrangements. I think giving the songs names like "Glow" (for "Gloria in Excelsis Deo") is fair, because the majority are not really the old songs, but not something completely new, either. Relient K does some of this in "Let it Snow Baby, Let it Reindeer," especially in their version of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" where the verses are made up but the chorus is classic. But I think several of the songs on "Love is Breathing" one-up that classic album in that regard.

If you're the type who doesn't want to hear another rendition of old classics, then this may not be the best pick for you. But this album is full of fresh and unique takes on truly classic songs.

And it's a joyful album, too. Many Christmas albums, as well-intentioned as they can be, are kind of somber. The upbeat takes on the songs, coupled with the fact that there's absolutely no longing for absent family or snow or the like, makes this a very Christmasy album.

Their own original song, "Love is Breathing," has some amazing lyrics from the point of view of a shepherd. The chorus goes "Love is breathing, Hope is screaming tonight in the baby's cry. I have mercy and I saw grace inside of this newborn's eyes. And everything we know's about to change. And He's laying in the stable in a manger asleep on the hay."



(My one issue with it is the Digital Rights Management on the Amazon version, but that's probably Amazon's fault, and it's Christmas so I'll save that vent for another day.)

Anyway, if you like Christian rock at all, hurry and buy "Love is Breathing" by Our Hearts Hero. The sooner you buy it, the more time you have to listen to it before Christmas!

(FTC disclosure--I got the single "Bells" free from ourheartshero.com and got hooked into paying $8.99 for the rest of the songs!)

Weak Characters

Not sure why this didn't post when I asked it to...sorry! Pretend this posted Wednesday.

I think probably the most important part of a story is good characters. If you have engaging characters, then the audience will follow them even through a couple plot issues. Whereas if you have a flawless plot but no one cares about the characters, it can be hard to draw readers in. Not impossible, granted, but for me, if I don't have characters that I find engaging, I think that hinders my stories.

So some people are able to read books and say "Oh, this author did this so well! I'm going to do that too!" But for me, it's usually easier to figure out what doesn't work, than what works.

I picked up the 1980s book Timescape by Gregory Benford at the VNSA Used Book Sale a few years back, figuring I should buy it since it seemed like a quintessential time travel book and time travel almost always creeps into my stories. Now, do note that an exception to the "characters over plot" idea used to be science fiction, where the science and plot were the story and the characters tended to be weak. (Not sure if that is still true.)

But anyway, by the time I got to the end of Timescape...well, I would have thrown it across the room, except I was in an airplane and there wasn't room.

Now, in fairness, the plot wasn't great either, and I'm not so certain about the science (IMO time travel science is always kind of iffy, and if I recall correctly there wasn't any of the exciting time travel I'd hoped for).

But what I really hated was the characters. Keep in mind this is based on reading a book a few years ago, but these are the two things that STILL stick with me:

Point 1: Most of the characters, even when the story was in the 1960s, I believe it was, used "Christ" (or "Jesus" or maybe both; I forget which) as their curse of choice. For an Evangelical Christian, it's like nails on a chalkboard to read any character using the Lord's name in vain. Some people do say that in real life, true. But in a given crowd, are most people going to use that phrase?

Takeaway: Watch for phrases some readers will find unusual, and make sure every character isn't using that phrase unless there's a compelling reason for it. It can be hard to write individual voices for characters, but make sure they don't all sound like YOU.

Point 2: One of the male characters was so attractive/powerful/seductive/perfect that he seduced practically every woman in the novel. One of the women did finally mock him, which I enjoyed for about a second. But then another character accused the mocker of being gay, and she retorted that no, she was bisexual. So it read like no heterosexual woman could resist this man's charms.

At the end of the novel, this "attractive" character had just gotten over a very severe episode of food poisoning (vomiting and I think he was still thin/weak/sweating). Yet he managed to seduce another main character's wife in his weakened condition.

Takeaway: Do not make your character so supernaturally perfect that the other characters act like puppets around him or her.

Caveats to that:

Point 1: This review claims critics found characterization a strong point in the novel! That could be the attitude of 1980s reviewers, and/or it could be that men liked this "characterization" better than women. (Even the linked reviewer noted that a couple female characters seemed to be discarded once they had served their purpose.)

Point 2: Girls/young women being pursued by multiple guys is popular with teen girls (see Twilight and Anime like Fushigi Yuugi back in the day, maybe even Fruits Basket, etc.). So again, it could be a gender thing, and it's probably not fair to judge a novel pointed at one audience (men) based on the fact that it's not appealing to women. But on the other hand, the ending of Timescape hints that the author wanted the novel to be deep and literary. In my opinion, a general audience novel (OR a literary novel) shouldn't treat one gender pretty much solely as objects throughout.

So no, I didn't like the novel, but I'm both notoriously picky and sensitive to sexism. Hopefully I learned at least a little something from it...though books like this one have taught me that no, it's not always best to just plow on through to the end of the book. If a book's too annoying, sometimes you should just put it down!

Truth is Stranger than Fiction?

Warning; historical sadness!

So imagine a mission control dispatcher who is sick with space flu, the very same space flu that killed one of his children the week before. His boss asks him to fly a passenger shuttle mission, since the spaceship pilots are out of commission. Due to a lack of training, the dispatcher miscalculates and strikes an asteroid, killing almost 100 people on board.

If I read this in a book, I'd honestly be pretty ticked off at the gratuitous tragedy.

Though if PBS's American Experience is to be believed, a similar chain of events occurred in the New York Subway's Malbone Street Wreck in 1918. (Brian J. Cudahy's Malbone Street Wreck is supposed to debunk some persistent myths regarding the tragedy, so I'm not sure if all that is accurate.)

I enjoy drama in fiction, but I don't like what I feel is often gratuitous tragedy. It's true that historically, there were (and still are) major tragedies. And some people like to read fiction to help them deal with that, I guess? Or just to feel the deep emotion? I guess that's why there are so many different types of books out there! (Even if I don't understand it!)

What I don't like so much is when some authors or publishers actually seem to maximize angst by hinting that a fictional account is non-fiction. I remember how fascinated I was to pick up one of the "Dear America" books (a line I was not familiar with) in an airport. It was touted as a diary, and I was moved by the poignant narration. Too moved, actually, I suspected...I didn't purchase the book. I later discovered the obvious, that the book was entirely fiction. I love when people bring history to life, but I looked in the book itself and couldn't find any reference to it being a fictional account...certainly nothing obvious. I just don't feel like it's fair to pretend something is "real" when it's fiction.

A grown-up example is These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901 Arizona Territories by Nancy E. Turner. It's exciting and has a great style, and is actually a very good book (though also incredibly draining, due in part to the diary style, that condenses what would be 30 pages in a regular novel into 2 pages of a diary). And it does tell tragedies that surely happened to people back then (though I think it would be a very unusual person who experienced ALL those tragedies). And it DOES technically say "A Novel" on the front.

But between the marketing and Turner's style, a lot of readers thought it was at least based on a real diary. This interview seems to indicate that the title character was almost entirely fabricated. Which is fine, but I wish the publisher didn't feel the need to dub it a "diary." (And at the Tucson Festival of Books 2010, I believe it was, Turner explained that for the sequel, her publisher pushed her to start the story out with more angst and drama!)

If I ever write a true historical, I don't know how to make it obvious that I'm writing historical fiction. Well, I won't label it a diary. Hopefully I won't have glaring historical errors...and if it's like any of my other works, it will end up having characters that exhibit superhuman powers, and/or time travel...

Pirates of the Caribbean - On Stranger Tides

So I FINALLY saw Pirates of the Caribbean 4 - On Stranger Tides. I'm not sorry I waited for it to hit the cheap theaters. I am not sorry I saw it in 2-D either...there were a lot of dark scenes that I think would've been hard in 3-D (at least, every 3-D movie I've been to was really dark!).

Oh, my ship's wheel picture is on the HMS Surprise, which played the HMS Providence in the film.



The HMS Surprise out of movie make-up.

Mild spoilers below!

I liked the film, though my expectations were bilge-low, so I was delighted the film turned out to be OK. For a movie that's over 2 hours long, it seemed odd there were so many loose ends. I didn't really buy any of the romance, and while I love to see faith and religion at least alluded to in a movie, the only characters who ended up making God any sort of priority by the end were the Spanish Catholics!

To me, there seemed to be more effort at integrating history in this one, at least. Although actually, almost all the historical aspects were also covered in The Complete Idiot's Guide to Pirates. So I'm not sure if the movie writers read that book for research, or if the authors of the research book were influenced by Tim Powers' On Stranger Tides (which I haven't read).

And actually, if I hadn't been familiar with the material of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Pirates, parts like sailors being forcibly impressed into service might have gone over my head. Though if you go to one of these movies for the plot, I reckon you have the wrong idea...I found it to be a bit more fun than movies 2 and 3. Then again, some people find the idea of swinging from great heights in human-bone cages hilarious, so if you're one of those, you might not like Stranger Tides nearly as much!

Anyway, I found it enjoyable and worth seeing for $2 on the big screen!

Kindle?!

Long story short, I got a Kindle last weekend, so I've had it about a week. It's the cheapest Special Offers version, by the way. So far the ads are unobtrusive (only small at the bottom on the home screen and then big on the screensaver) and in fact can be money-saving! They recently had one that let you get 20% off a Mac laptop! that saves more than a Kindle costs! And more recently I got $5 in Amazon MP3s, which I think I will put toward The Glorious Unseen's album "The Hope that Lies in You". The title track is so beautiful!

Anyway. I downloaded a mess of free books from Amazon and haven't bought any yet. (Bad author!) Also two free Bibles, so that's cool. I've read more since I got the Kindle, though it remains to be seen if it's the novelty of the device or the fact that it is a bit easier to read using the Kindle than using a book. (Fairly easy to read one-handed.)

The "e-ink" is about as cool as I'd heard, although if you get VERY close you can see slight pixelation.

The wi-fi isn't terribly receptive (there's a free network where I am but it doesn't come in strong). Do you know the very best spot for reception in my entire domicile? Right behind where I use my laptop. Crazy! Maybe that's why I used to think the reception was adequate...

At any rate, the Kindle is a fun little device. I like the light weight and the "bookish" quality of it more than I'd like a tablet. (Not that I have a tablet, but the last thing I really need in my life is something that makes it EASIER for me to goof off online!) I don't have a case (I don't want the extra weight) but might make (!) something hard-shelled to transport it in without the delicate screen getting smashed inadvertently.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if my Kindle is under $100 for Christmas, especially since new ones are coming out. Technically you could argue I've already recouped the cost of the device in the free books I've downloaded, but realistically I haven't downloaded anything I'd pay for anyway. Still, it's a fun device for readers.

(And it will be so neat to be able to read myself on Kindle someday. :) )

Do you have an eReader? If so, which one?

Media Monday - Review - The Doctor Takes A Wife - Laurie Kingery

Quick review of the second book (of 4) that I won from Love Inspired's Historical line. Bear in mind that I'm not a huge romance reader and am not the target audience.



So what drew me to this novel? Honestly, the cover put it at the bottom of my list. Man and woman having a picnic? "Can his love heal her heart?" Yeah, no. The art is pretty, don't get me wrong, but....no.

Fortunately, the book itself has a lot more action than the cover would lead you to believe. OK, OK, a well-played game of golf has a lot more action than the cover would lead you to believe.

I actually was interested to read it when I saw this guest blog series that Laurie Kingery (ER nurse and author!) wrote about 1860s medicine. Good read! And I wouldn't really consider the entries massive spoilers, either.

Back cover:
The Doctor Wore Blue

Why did the new doctor in Simpson Creek have to be a Yankee? Sarah Matthews can see that Nolan Walker is a good man—and a handsome one. But she can't return his affection. Not with so much bitterness from the war fresh in her memory.

Yet when the town is struck by a deadly influenza epidemic, it's Nolan who battles to save Sarah's life. And when a shadow from the past returns, the time arrives for Sarah to decide if she's finally ready to utter the words her doctor longs to hear—"I do."

This is actually the second in a series. You don't need to read the first book to follow this one (I didn't), though some of the characters were a bit confusing to me.

3 things I liked:

*Nolan was fairly engaging. He was smarter than most doctors of the period (i.e. more successful, doing things that modern doctors take for granted like washing his hands). Sarah was fairly likable. I definitely liked it best when she was being so pigheaded and hating him. For the plot I know she had to come to like him fairly early on, but I wish she could've gone on hating him a while longer. Too fun!

*1860s medicine! Interesting stuff.

*Spinster club. Too funny! The young women seem to put out ads and such to find eligible men who then come to town to woo them and the like. Actually, with the casualties in the Civil War, maybe it was tricky for women to find husbands...

1 thing I found a touch peculiar:

*The ending really took me by surprise, in that the rest of the book strikes me as almost X-TREME Anne of Green Gables series (influenza epidemic; parentage scandals)...and then.... Well, from reading the back cover and the first couple chapters, you can probably guess who or what the "shadow from the past" is, but I was really surprised at the turns it took. It wasn't BAD, but I would've liked it better if I had been expecting it to be that kind of book. Given Nolan's past as a Civil War doctor it does make sense that he could rise to the occasion if needed, but a big part of me was wondering why these small-town characters were being put through all of this.

1 more thing I liked:
*The last paragraph made me laugh out loud in a "how sweet" way.


I do get kind of lost when I'm reading a book and there are a kajillion characters (might come from being an introvert). But a lot of characters seems to be the sign of a well-thought-out small town! So it's not exactly my style. I still found it fairly enjoyable, though. I kind of wish there hadn't been as much action in the end. It sounds like the first book also ended with a lot of action...might be interesting to see how the subsequent books are. Not that there wasn't violence out there, mind you, but still...even with the post-Civil War talk, I was surprised!


*FTC disclosure--I WON this book and didn't pay a thing for it, not even shipping. Though I still try not to pull my punches.

Musing about fiction - WHO

So since I am a writer and I hear some people like to hear about writing, I figured I'd throw some random writing-related musings out there.

I started typing some stuff and it came out sounding a lot like the old reporters' guidelines: Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How. So I'm gonna step out on faith and hope that I can get 6 entries out of those topics...

So, what's up with WHO? A few ideas:

WHO are YOU?

You need to write about something you're passionate about. I don't consider this exactly the same as "write what you know" (if everyone did that we'd have a lot of really boring stories, IMO). But write what you LOVE is fair. If you despise researching history, you maybe shouldn't try to write straight-up historical fiction (though you could definitely consider steampunk or another speculative genre).

This has been a challenge for me because I wanted to go back and finish a novel I mostly wrote in college, currently titled Chosen: Bonnie of Sheshack. I was something like 20 (and very into Anime) when I wrote it. I'm rather older now, and I haven't been able to get back into the young adult mindset of the POV character. Doesn't mean I couldn't get there, but it's not working so well for me right now. I'm not sure I can finish it unless I just take what I've written, edit lightly, and finish it. I just can't make it mesh with 2011 Julie.

WHO are your characters?

The more you know about your characters, the better your story will probably be. You also need to have characters who are flawed enough to be interesting--but in my opinion, they don't need to be too realistic, and personally, I'd rather they aren't too realistic.

Regarding "The Time Traveler's Wife", the concept of a man who randomly slips backward in time was absolutely brilliant. The reason I couldn't finish it was because the characters read to me like college students (and rather shallow ones at that). Part of my problem was expectations; I may have liked it better if the book jacket hadn't called the male lead Henry "dashing." This dashing character spent a fair amount of the novel shaping a young girl toward being an atheist or agnostic (which I found disturbing). But the point I gave up was where he joked with his true love Claire that if she didn't perform a certain sexual act with him, he would wither away and die. (Page 230 in my paperback which I got from Paperbackswap.com) I don't know; maybe I have a different definition of "dashing" than most.

Some of the questions the book raises are interesting--what would you do if you went back in time as an adult and met your significant other when they were a child? and you were naked?--but IMO just because a question is interesting doesn't automatically mean it should be considered at length.

So anyway, is Henry the librarian realistic? Possibly--it's hard to say what someone would do in his situation. (Although I'm not sure how many "dashing, adventuresome librarians" exist!)

Is Henry likable? The huge number of copies sold would say so; a romance author in a panel I went to at the Tucson Festival of Books even cited Henry and Claire's relationship as one she remembered and loved. (And it was an author who I would have expected to share my conservative biases, by the way.)

Would I rather read about a dashing thief with a heart of gold, even if such people are almost impossible in real life? Absolutely!

WHO is the story filtered through?

I started writing a short story recently (in the universe of my novel "Flight from Endwood") and it wasn't quite working. I had one POV character in mind, even though the other main character is the one who experiences change and who is involved in a couple integral scenes.

Captain Obvious says, why not make that character the only POV character? Problem solved? Well...I'll let you know how that goes. At least I'm excited again!

Do you have any WHO ideas?

Media Monday - Time: A Traveler's Guide

I buy a ridiculous number of books from the VNSA Used Book Sale. I think I bought Time: A Traveler's Guide by Clifford A. Pickover in 2009. The back cover boasts "A must buy for all wannabe time travelers." Is it?

Warning; I'm a pretty critical reader.

The format is an interesting idea--the start of each chapter is a story written in what is often called "second person". The first sentence of the "Prelude"--did I mention the fact that time travel and music are linked for the story?--reads:

The year is 2063, and you are chief curate of the Museum of Music located on Fifth Avenue in New York City.

Every chapter is then followed by a scientific explanation of what was generally explained in the story.

It's a nice way to attempt to get the reader involved in the story, with light descriptions of the "future" (blinking fingernails, alien creatures, etc.). While I'm sure the framing device was part of the plan for quite some time, it appears the second person structure may actually be an afterthought (at least once nearer to the end of the book, I recall it slips into third person, referring to "you" as "he").

Unfortunately, by necessity, "your" assistants continually call you "sir." And by page 14, "you" are noting the comely features of "your" new assistant Constantia. By page 17, "you" are obviously hitting on her.

I think I understand the author's intention, and I know women are less likely than men to go into the study of physics. But I found the entire framing device distancing, when the character who is "me" not only has substantially different mannerisms and interests than myself, but isn't even the same gender. And frankly I didn't care for either of the human lead characters one bit. The actual storyline isn't the most engaging, given I don't care for the characters. But the majority of the "story" is just the characters talking, demonstrating, etc...and mostly, "you" deliver the information in stilted language better suited to a lecture, and Constantia and "your" alien sidekick just happen to ask the exact questions the author would like. For instance, "you" say:

"Perhaps the most interesting example of a brilliant mathematician studying cosmic questions is Kurt Gödel. He was an Austrian mathemetician who lived from 1906 to 1978. Not only did he formulate a mathematical proof of the existence of God and make shocking contributions to pure mathematics, but he also proved that time travel is possible."

Constantia watches the funnel whirling about the table. "He proved time travel is possible?"

Some of the science is interesting, at least, if you're not familiar with it already (I wasn't). The cutaneous rabbit experiment and other experiments which seem to demonstrate that the brain actually engages in backwards time travel of its own are fascinating concepts. And there are interesting ideas I hadn't thought of. Honestly, unless one is incredibly mathematical and/or fairly mathematical and has a lot of time to kill, I'm not sure the formulas can be followed.

I read it more or less looking for an easy way to accomplish (fictional) backwards time travel, since for better or worse, time travel tends to creep into most of my works. While the book does offer a few ideas, I recall they're all pretty complex. In short, if you're looking for a scientific way to just throw time travel in your book, this may not be the best place to look, unless maybe your story involves spaceships.

Personally, I may or may not look through this book again. Like I said, some really interesting ideas, but unfortunately, by the end I came to actively dislike the characters who present them.

The Adjustment Bureau

Full disclosure: I would not be writing this blog if I hadn't gotten this cool shot of a theater in Florida.



But I did, and I saw The Adjustment Bureau in the cheap theater Friday. If you don't want spoiled at ALL, just gaze upon that spiffy old theater and then move on. If you want spoiled enough to get an idea if you might want to see it...

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...there was more profanity than I expected, and an amorous scene...and...
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...oh, yeah, the adjusters are probably angels (!) enforcing the plans of God (!!!!), which the Matt Damon character is railing against. Not sure whether or not I would've seen it if I'd known all that, even though not ALL the ideas were completely out of whack, and they were all INTERESTING. Stop here if you don't want more detailed spoilers.

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OK! So obviously, I was not keen on the (fairly brief) gratuitous sex scene or the profanity.

Religiously...I read the writer/director intended to raise questions. Mission accomplished! (Of course, that was partly because the film brought up complex ideas of fate and free will...and partly because by the end, it seemed there were no rules.)

The story was that Matt Damon--er, ah...let me Google that...David Norris, New York Senate hopeful, meets a young woman, Elise, and instantly falls in love with her. He loses track of her and finds out that there's an entire secret society of men in fedoras making little adjustments to people's lives to make sure that everything in the world goes along with the Chairman's (point to the sky) plan. And the Chairman (look heavenward) does not want David to be with Elise. Despite dire threats and the bureau's best efforts, David searches for Elise.

Given the fact that the adjusters literally do point to the sky when referring to the Chairman, it's challenging to picture the (unseen) Chairman as anyone but the movie's version of God. One review I read said it could just as easily be an alien force; I think that's a possible interpretation, but kind of a stretch. I don't know, though; I'm not an atheist.

The movie doesn't state the adjusters are angels but it's heavily implied. But one of them is pretty open to going against the Chairman's plan. They also face random limitations that seem to come out of an X-Men-type film. Their powers don't work around water. They need their hats to do their cool bits of travel. Fun for Hollywood, but really, angels needing these random restrictions to their powers? So I imagined they had to be something different than angels...but not sure what.

I wonder if maybe they should be pointing DOWN when talking about the Chairman--that would make some sense with the water restrictions!--but then he shouldn't have been quite so powerful (IMO) and he wouldn't have been kind at the end...

To me the film did have some redeeming qualities. Superficially, there were some cool special effects (think Monsters, Inc. (!)), a lot of great shots of places in New York City, and even some humor.

Spiritually, the film did remind me that there is a Plan for each of us, and a world around us that we're not even aware of.

But contrary the movie--and I know this is to the exiles of Israel back in the day, but I still believe it in an eternal framework:

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future....

--Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

I love to imagine the possibilities that may stem from when we do what we feel God leading us toward. Like whenever I have to move, I spend a ton of time researching where to live. Where I am now, though, I just drove by and decided to check it out. The price was OK, the bathroom is wheelchair-accessible for my dad (less typical than you think), and it's been...fine.... But did God PUT me here? If so, why?

I once had a neighbor who was trying to study for a test to become a doctor, and she asked for my help with her computer. I think I was able to help her somewhat (there was a bit of a language barrier). I certainly didn't directly witness about Christ to her or anything (she was Muslim and I am a pretty severe introvert), though we did talk a little about religion. But could some good have come from it anyway? It's POSSIBLE that she actually went on to be a doctor and maybe even helped save someone's life, because I chose this place to live.

Now, is that likely? Who knows? But I like to think of all the amazing possibilities that are out there (which is what makes writing so challenging and exciting for me!).

Perhaps the most terrifying aspect of the film was the idea that on rare occasions the adjusters will step in and change your mind for you. But on the other hand, in the Bible, God DOES sometimes harden people's hearts or change their minds (see Pharaoh v. Moses, for instance). So the (scary) aspect of God sometimes changing people's thinking is probably true. Though I don't think it requires men in fedoras or machinery.

Anyway, as you can perhaps see, I enjoy thinking about possibilities, and the movie had some fascinating ones.

Unfortunately, there was a problem I don't see a way around. The moral of the story seemed to be that if you avoid your fate and go AGAINST the Plan the "Chairman" has for you, you will in fact get what you want, which is evidently kind of what the "Chairman" wanted all along. I wonder how that would play for Eastern audiences who often believe in a sacrifice of self for the sake of others. But to most people, I guess the idea that even the Chairman will back off in the face of true love is appealing.

I would've been interested to see what would have happened if David decided to seek and follow the "Chairman"'s plan, instead of weaseling his way out of it and it working out fine in the end. But I admit, I am not sorry there was a happy ending (though a happy ending where he didn't "get the girl" could've been interesting). I mean, I didn't expect a retelling of the book of Jonah or anything.

And in the movie's defense, I do think that there is a danger when people blindly follow what they THINK or have been TOLD is fate/God's will. We need to be careful to test everything and try our best to be sure it's from God.

Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.

--1 Thessalonians 5:20-22 (NASB)

We can't simply trust something is right because someone powerful tells us it's so. (Not even if they're wearing a fedora!)

But my own personal weaknesses tend to be trying to avoid God's plans, more than following a plan that wasn't from God at all.

Anyway, it's definitely a film that can inspire conversation, almost like Bruce Almighty in that respect. I can't say absolutely don't see it, but I wouldn't highly recommend it either.

Media Monday - Review - The Gunman's Bride - Catherine Palmer

So here's my little review of the first book (of 4) that I won from Love Inspired's Historical line. Bear in mind that have read fewer than 10 romance novels in my life, and this is only the second "category" romance. I actually don't think I'm quite the target audience for Love Inspired--I honestly don't really have a desire to read roughly one romance novel a week....

And yes, I freely admit, what drew me to this novel was primarily a) the word "gunman" and b) the train on the cover, with a dash of c) pretty dress (I'm no expert on Victorian fashion so I'm hard-pressed to discern the accuracy).

Back cover:

They were running from the past...and looking for a new beginning

Bart Kingsley had followed her to New Mexico, ready to lay his love--and his life--on the line. But spirited Laura Rose had made a fresh start for herself. She hadn't left her controlling father in Kansas to let some gun-slinging outlaw ruin her hopes--no matter what scandalous past they shared six years ago. Or how his green eyes beckoned!

Rosie was his light in the darkness--Bart would do anything to win back her trust. But he was a wanted man. Would the past, with its dangerous demands and debts, conspire to destroy their new beginning? Or would his faith in God--and in Rosie--be rewarded?

The majority of the conflicts can be summed up by Bart's line: "It's not other people who come between us, Rosie. It's us. We keep tearing this thing apart. Why? Why do we do that?"

So if you love romances based around misunderstandings and distrust, this is your kind of book.

2 things I liked:

*The male lead is actually half-blooded Native American. (I do think it's a bit sad that of the books I won, it's the only one that doesn't depict the male lead, which makes me wonder if they worry about what their audience might think about a non-white male lead...)

*I was surprised to find that quite a few minor characters were based on or inspired by historical figures--there was more research here than I'd expected.

2 things I found a touch peculiar:

*At one point in the book there are numerous wanted posters for our green-eyed, half-blooded Native American hero Bart. I would have thought the townspeople would instantly recognize Bart from the description, but they didn't seem to. So I would've liked to see that issue more clearly addressed. Were men with those features actually fairly common in 1880s New Mexico? Or were the townspeople going easy on Bart and I missed it?

*Bart's obsession with Rosie's feet made me squirm (mercifully, that obsession seems to wane). Now, in fairness, I do believe the legs were considered indecent in Victorian times (I've even heard that instead of saying "leg" they would have to say "limb" or "extremity" to be proper!). But that doesn't mean I didn't find it uncomfortable.

1 more thing I liked:
*Bart's literal answer to Rosie's prayer near the end, which hearkened back to the very beginning of the book with the near-climax, made me laugh out loud in delight. Given that I'm not huge on romances, that was pretty good.



*FTC disclosure--I WON this book and didn't pay a thing for it, not even shipping. Though I still try not to pull my punches.

A Rotterdam November (Revisited)

First off, High Flight Society made their goal! :)

OK, so writing a review of an album you've only listened to a few times, on a deadline? BAD IDEA.

It's kind of like going to a party and meeting someone for a few minutes. At that first meeting, you might have the idea that the person is the most fascinating person in the world...only to later find that they have three good stories, and you just heard them all. Or, you might think the person is really boring, only to realize later just how much you enjoy their company.

Or what if you have a friend who you haven't seen for a while who got a haircut? You may not like the haircut the first time you see it just because it's DIFFERENT, but after a few days it grows on you, until you realize you like it as much or more than you liked his or her old style!

In short, my previous review of "Love Is..." by A Rotterdam November was not really fair because I hadn't had enough time to let the album grow on me. I liked it OK when I reviewed it, but now I find it one of my favorites. There are some wonderful and even haunting melodies in songs like "Three Words," "Problematic" and the almost 1980s sound of "A Song To Take You Back."

And some lyrics are just catchy and interesting and kind of sweet, like "Some things you get will be with you to the grave/But there doesn't have to be a funeral today/Don't have to give, give yourself away." (And like I said, "Letter" would melt most girls' hearts.) A lot more emotion on this album, even if the situations are more everyday for most of us than epic wars that occurred over 90 years ago.

AND I never once mentioned David McCormick's beautiful voice! Now if only they would put their lyrics and explanations online like they did for their first album, it'd be pretty perfect.

So anyway, no, unlike their debut album, there is not one hard-rock songsthat instantly made me want to sing at the top of my lungs the very first time I heard it. But on the balance, I found more excellent songs on "Love Is..." than the (also excellent) debut album.

They also play a good set live, or at least they did at RAGE.

I did take a couple videos but my camera does not get along with the amps and the audio quality was so poor, it wouldn't be fair to them.

But if you would like to hear them and maybe pick up "Love Is...", they are currently touring with Everyday Sunday. Dates are on their MySpace, or below. Check them out!

Media/Music Monday - A Rotterdam November - Love Is...

So I am attending RAGE Music Festival 2011--anyone with me? And I figured what better way to prepare than to review an album from one of the bands that will be there?

From their MySpace:

The name “A Rotterdam November” is the brainchild of Jared Nelson and contains a metaphorical meaning describing the mission and heart of the band. The city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands was bombed during WWII and the main part of the city was completely destroyed. At that time, a Russian/French sculptor saw the wasteland and dubbed it “the city without a heart.” However, the spirit of Rotterdam was determined to “…go on, eyes firmly fixed on the present and the future, and not to linger in the past.” As a result, architects were presented with the opportunity to reconstruct the heart of Rotterdam from scratch and so they did. As it stands today, Rotterdam is an old city with a new heart. This is the analogy for Christians; the enemy’s goal is to destroy mankind and he has been partly successful through Adam’s original sin. However, that is not the end of the story, through Jesus’ death and resurrection, mankind has the opportunity to be reconstructed with a brand new heart. Spreading this message through music, whether directly or indirectly, is the goal and desire of the band A Rotterdam November.

A Rotterdam November has two albums out. The quote above pretty much refers to their first, self-titled effort, which has a lot of brilliant war references, including a song called 1914 about the 1914 Christmas Truce during World War I. Perhaps their most popular song from that album was "Trainwreck," which may be my favorite love song, given its emphasis on "I can't be perfect." (It starts out, "I can't ever promise I won't let you down...I won't give my word you won't get hurt.") My favorite is still "City Without a Heart," which is just ridiculously catchy.

So, like many Christian (and probably other independent) bands, A Rotterdam November, or "ARN," lost a couple members between their first album and their second. I was rather concerned that one of these losses included the aforementioned Jared Nelson, who, if I recall correctly, was credited with most of my favorite lyrics. So when I found out that they had a new album coming out, I was a bit concerned that it might be weaker lyrically.

So, how is "Love Is..."?

The album seems to focus rather more on love and broken-hearted relationship songs, which is probably a smart move, given the popularity of "Trainwreck." Honestly, since I'm not terribly interested in having a relationship (!), those kind of songs don't always appeal so much to me, although several of these are for girls who are afraid to love...hm.

The melodies are fairly catchy, though there are no songs that make me want to drop everything and sing along like "City Without a Heart" on the first album. Lyrically, it took a while for anything to actually catch my ear the first time through (aside from the fact that "Anemone" rhymes "Sometimes I wish I'd met you long before" with "A flower where the world only sees a w...", which is the first time I think I'd heard that particular word on a Christian album!).

Then I stumbled across "Problematic," which says, "A bird isn't free when it's in flight/It's chained, chained, chained by the distance it creates." That's when my ears perked up and I realized that yes, there are some good lyrics here. Good thing, because some great lyrics, and melodies, follow. "Letter" is a song sweet enough to make most girls' hearts melt, I reckon. I fell in love with "We Still Believe" on the first listen was. It's an acoustic song that is about as far from "City Without a Heart" as you can get, but it's pretty and the lyrics are explicitly Christian, which is something you don't get on a surprising number of Christian rock albums.

In fact, there are even direct Biblical references (albeit most of them would go over the heads of non-believers). I found an explanation of the lyrics of "Love Is..." through Google (couldn't access it from their main site): http://www.arotterdamnovember.com/go/lyrics?id=541266 It references Psalm 56:8-9 (I semi-arbitrarily cited NASB):

You have taken account of my wanderings;
Put my tears in Your bottle
Are they not in Your book?
Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call;
This I know, that God is for me.

So lyrically, this album seems to have more direct Bible references than the previous one, but fewer historical references, and perhaps not quite as picky about grammar (the previous one actually uses the subjunctive and asks "If I were drowning...").

At any rate, I'd say "Love Is..." holds up pretty well lyrically and musically--not quite as intense as the first album, but quite good nonetheless. If "Trainwreck" is your favorite ARN song, then "Love Is..." is probably going to be a great album for you. Even if it's not your favorite, it's worth having.

(Psssst, now you can get up to 12 songs from High Flight Society for $5! Pledge $5 (the money will only leave your credit card if they reach their funding goal) and once they've completed it, they'll send you their 6-song EP. And you can get their previous EP--that's 6 free songs--here!)



FTC disclosure: I received "Love Is..." as a "donation gift" for supporting Effect Radio. I figure that I basically paid $15 (at the time) for it, but you could also consider it a "free" CD if you wanted.

Saturday Bonus - Meek Heroes

Friday night I went to Corona After Hours (a.k.a. "loud church," or at least I call it that because of the rock music, which I like, but I always have to put in earplugs, even at concert!). Pastor Mike preached on the Beatitudes, and specifically:

Matthew 5:5: Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. (NIV)

Pastor Mike noted (correctly, IMO) that in today's society, it's especially hard for men to be meek and gentle, as it's not a quality valued in men. But that made me think of Suzanne Collins' "Hunger Games" (a kind of post-apocalyptic book--incredibly compelling, rather dark and not from a Christian worldview at all). Nadine has a pretty good review of it--though she was a bit more positive toward its morality than I am.

I think you could argue that Peeta, the male lead, embodies many of the Beatitudes, while Katniss, the female lead, rather does not. And I adored Peeta in that book (haven't read the sequels and don't plan to). While I found Katniss fascinating, I can't say I actually LIKED her as a person, exactly. It could be that she's too human, fair enough, but I really wanted to shake some sense into her...

That said, Peeta's gentleness makes me wonder if guys actually like Peeta, or if he's just a woman's fantasy. Thoughts? Can men enjoy reading a "meek" hero?

(EDIT: I answer a great question in the next post.)

The Chronicles of Narnia - The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - Review

I've read the Narnia series probably literally 10 times, so you can consider me a book fan. I'm not nearly such a fan of the movies, though I own them on DVD.

Most people will argue that The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was quite faithful to the books, even though they added numerous scenes. I know a movie is not likely to be a word-for-word adaptation, but even for LWW, I was disappointed at Aslan, who to me, lacked the "wildness" and strength of the Lion in the book. Still, despite the fact that the director reportedly remembered the book as one big battle (and adapted it as such), I thought it was pretty good.

Prince Caspian was reportedly a challenge, just because so much of the book itself was told in flashback. Fair enough. IMO that wasn't any reason to add a very lengthy (and traumatic!) castle raid. Never mind that "Companion to Narnia" by Paul Ford states that Prince Caspian was 13 (Ben Barnes is, er, not). Unlike LWW, I felt like Prince Caspian lacked the wonder and joy of the first film. I did buy it on DVD, but I didn't really care for it so much.

So how's Voyage of the Dawn Treader? I'm actually not sure if it was truer to the books than Prince Caspian, but to me it felt truer to the SPIRIT. It was a pretty good film.

The writers/producers/director worked very hard to add in an overarching plot, which I didn't think was a bad idea, actually, and it was kind of interesting. Unfortunately, I don't think the writers were anywhere up to C.S. Lewis' standards, writing a kind of weird enemy for them to pursue, and not doing a great job of it. They not only changed the order of the book's events, but substantially rewrote the events themselves, added new scenes, a couple new characters, at least one removed, new motivations...and yes, the writers rewrote or removed much of Aslan's dialogue. Not only that, but they glossed over so many events, that I'm honestly not sure if someone who hadn't read the books would be able to follow (and would be very curious to see!). I think it would be much, much more accurate to say that the movie was "inspired by" the book, than that it was an adaptation.

Now, if you've read the book, you can probably remember some of the reasons why Hollywood would not have allowed a book-accurate version of "Dawn Treader" to be made (the last few chapters are not movie-exciting)--but I think it would have been really interesting to see how it went, to portray the wonder and magic the way it was shown in the books. I know C.S. Lewis wrote in a non-cinematic manner, but it would just be interesting.

There were a lot of good things, regardless of the deviations. I read a review or two complaining about Eustace, but I found him a true delight. Granted, I might feel differently if I had (bratty) children of my own, but I thought he acted just perfectly. :) Reepicheep was also great, and he and Eustace had some great interactions. The world itself was nice visually, and there were a few nice male wardrobe pieces, though some of Prince Caspian's outfits weren't so flattering on his tiny waist.... (Nothing really interesting at all for female costumes, sadly.) I thought the sea serpent was scarier and grosser than the Kraken from the Pirates of the Caribbean films.

The end credits were a surprising concession to book fans; stay until the names start rolling, at least!

Theologically, I'm no expert, but I'd almost have to say the Dawn Treader film is more "harmless" than "beneficial." Not to say God can't work through anything, mind you, but I don't think the film itself brings much to the table of Christianity. In fact, parts are kind of against Christianity...Lucy does call on Aslan in the darkness, but once it's overcome, she says "We did it!"

The good news is, IF they actually make Silver Chair, they COULD stay truer to the book, since it's pretty much an adventure story, complete with a climax and everything! Now, as to if they WOULD stick to the book, I have no idea.

And as to if the film will even be made at all? Fox would like to make Narnia into a franchise, but they have these ideas that it needs to be a franchise like Harry Potter and Twilight, where the same characters are present from book to book. (Why do you think the White Witch keeps showing up?) Whereas ultimately, the next three stories (in publication order) could pretty much stand alone. I can see them making "The Silver Chair" but I don't see how they'd do the other three books. Since Jill Pole is my favorite Narnian "kid" and Puddleglum is one of my favorite characters, I'd love for them to make that film.

Or then again, if they DID make another film, they might do "The Magician's Nephew," since then at least they'd have the White Witch for continuity. :/

It is kind of neat how by far the most successful of the films ($291,710,957 domestic/$453,300,315 foreign) not only stayed truest to the source material--but it literally had a Christ figure dying for sins!

See Christmas through the eyes of Simeon

So at church this morning, Pastor Steve mentioned that this Christmas we should see through the eyes of Simeon:

Luke 2:25-35

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”

33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

New International Version, ©2010 (NIV)

There are certainly a lot of people who get irate about any mention of Christmas (never mind that the Wal-Mart Christmas allegations I heard about earlier today were apparently untrue).

But I think Christmas is the one time of year when the vast majority of people are relatively open to hearing the Gospel message. How many people who don't have any interest in Christ sing songs like "Joy to the World?" And for goodness' sake, have you even seen "A Charlie Brown Christmas"?

A lot of people like to package up the entire Gospel message as a sweet little baby in a manger, but Simeon appears to have seen the whole picture.


Speaking of Christmas! As of this moment, http://www.amazon.com/The-Incredible-Singing-Christmas-Tree/dp/B001232ODA/ref=pd_sim_dmusic_a_5 has a Veggie Tales Christmas album for free! It does have some pretty strict DRM restrictions, I found out (when trying to play it in my car's ghetto MP3 player--you know, the kind that you get when your CD changer dies, incidentally, holding 5 CDs hostage? The kind that plugs into your lighter and takes an SD card and transmits via radio and gets staticky when you're under high-voltage wires?). It would only play the first 5 or 10 seconds, then skip to the next song. I am all for copyright holders controlling their content (within reason), but I wish I could play that "free" album in my car! Anyway, it's cute for an adult with a healthy inner-child, probably excellent for kids, and certainly worth the price at "free." It even has a few songs that are serious and better than any of the free Christmas songs I downloaded last year.

Last year I purchased Relient K's "Let it Snow, Baby, Let it Reindeer" for something around the current price ($5.99): http://www.amazon.com/Let-Snow-Baby-Let-Reindeer/dp/B001KW8QNK/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1291592078&sr=301-1 I think it's a great value and has a lot of really good and/or fun songs. Some of my favorites are the ones that they wrote themselves, or wrote interludes for, like "I Celebrate the Day" (think "Mary Did You Know" sung to Baby Jesus instead), "Silver Bells," and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." Definitely worth it!

Both albums have a nice mix of real Christmas songs and secular ones. Enjoy! I'll try not to ramble so much next time.