Back on the 12th, I went to an event I had been looking forward to for some time, something I had purchased a ticket to immediately after hearing about it! What was it, you ask? Chuck Palahniuk's "Doomed" Tour, or the "Adult Bedtime Stories" tour, also featuring Monica Drake and Chelsea Cain.
I haven't ever been to a book reading before. Signings, sure, but never a reading being done by the author themselves. And since I have the Internet, I've heard that Chuck's readings are can't miss, and he definitely didn't disappoint.
When everyone walked in, they received a beach ball and two glow sticks.
We'd received an e-mail ahead of time with some reminders: namely to wear pajamas, and to bring a Sharpie. I didn't let my mind wander too much, but figured I would find out when I got there, and once I got the beach ball, I put two and two together.
Chelsea Cain took the stage first, and told everyone they had to use the requested Sharpie to write a few words on their balls (literally): an adjective, a noun, a place, a body part, and a number.
A few minutes later, Chuck took the stage. The rest of the night was filled with stories being read by each author (I hadn't ever heard of either of the others, sorry to admit, but it made me want to check out their work for sure). We played some games, listened to some great stories, and almost burned down the University of Milwaukee after a beach ball got stuck in a light fixture. And the words? They were to play an awesome version of Mad Libs at the end of the show.
Without giving too much more away, I will leave that as my explanation, and just say this: if you have the opportunity to see Chuck Palahniuk live, do it. It will truly be an unforgettable experience. Here's some other photos from the night, and if you haven't already, check out Doomed.
After reading the Fifty
Shades of Grey trilogy, I wanted a standalone read that would be able to
capture my attention and help rid me of the memory of ever reading said
trilogy. Brain bleach, if you will. Upon flipping through my Kindle looking for
a new read, I happened upon The Mill River Recluse by Darcie Chan. I had downloaded it months ago with every
intention of reading it, but it didn’t quite happen.
A self-published novel that’s made it to both the New York Times and USA Today Bestseller lists, The Mill River Recluse is highly regarded both via Amazon reviews and word of
mouth. It is a self-published marvel that has sold hundreds of thousands of
copies digitally, without a single hard copy published as of yet. It’s a bit of
an amazing story, and as someone who has an unpublished novel sitting on the
hard drive of my computer, a bit inspirational! But of course, we’re not here
to talk about me (for now), we’re talking about this great book.
The Mill River Recluse
takes place in fictional Mill River,
Vermont, and tells the story of
agoraphobic, reclusive Mary McAllister, a widow who lives atop a large hill in
a marble house built by her late husband. Turned from just a shy girl into a
full-on recluse after being disfigured by her abusive husband, Mary refused to
leave that marble house on the hill. She read and rode her horse, Ebony, to
pass the time, and used her wealth to help the entire town of Mill River,
though they didn’t know it at the time.
An unlikely cast of characters included Father O’Brien, the
town’s priest whose kleptomaniacal tendencies left no spoon in Mill River
safe. He was one of Mary’s only views into the outside world past her window,
and took responsibility for her care for at least 40 years. There is also ‘Crazy
Daisy’, a girl who had an absolutely refreshing view – after being left
somewhat brain damaged from birth, her lackadaisical attitude brought a great
deal of light into an already great story. She spent her time creating ‘magic
potions’, really by just mixing a lot of random things together. There were
others in the town (obviously), including the newest police officer, his
daughter, and a new teacher who held their own storyline along with Leroy,
another police officer with a mean, jealous streak that leads to some of his
own trouble.
From the characters to the writing, I thoroughly enjoyed
reading The Mill River Recluse. It is
definitely one of those books that you either love or hate – there doesn’t seem
to be a middle ground. One thing I loved, and that was much different than
other novels, is the way it was written. One chapter would begin with a story
about Mary, growing up and giving the reader an idea of how she got the way she
did. The next would was a third-person representation of what was happening
around her. It reminded me a bit of the writing in Chuck Palahniuk’s Pygmy (and trust me, if you didn’t know
that’s what you were walking into, that book was incredibly confusing). It was
kind of a fun way to read, since you were getting history and back story in
between reading in the present tense.
As of right now, the book is $2.99 in the Kindle store – don’t
try to get a hard copy, though, since they don’t exist (yet). If you’re looking
for a thoroughly enjoyable read that both won’t take long and will leave you
incredibly satisfied at the story’s end, check out The Mill River Recluse. You will be so glad you did.
This week's Book Club Monday is a little special, in that I read three books instead of just one! Those three books just so happen to be three of the most popular books in recent history - the Fifty Shades of Grey series.
I didn't really want to read these books, if I can be honest. I just wanted to see what all of the fuss was about. I went in knowing three things: they've been nicknamed 'mommy porn', they were all based off of a Twilight fan fiction story, and the writing isn't that great. These are all things I learned based on reviews I read online, so at least I wasn't surprised.
Did I enjoy the books? Not really. Did I get some sort of weird sexual enjoyment out of reading all of the BDSM-laden sexcapades of one Anastasia Steele and one Christian Grey? No. The story has been done so many times before - disadvantaged, naive girl meets filthy rich businessman, they sleep together, and drama ensues. Of course.
From what I learned going in, the books' events all take place in a matter of weeks. Anastasia meets Christian by going to do an interview for her college's student magazine in her friend Kate's place, and makes a great first impression by tripping and falling into his office face first. That, and she had nearly no interviewing experience, and asked the powerful businessman if he was gay. Of course. Because that would happen. Christian Grey starts all but stalking this poor girl, and then, of course, they fall in love with each other. At least E.L. James got the emotional abuse part of the Twilight storyline in there without fail. The first book, Fifty Shades of Grey, chronicles Anastasia's feelings through meeting the untouchable Grey, having her virginity taken by him, and trying to wrap her head around him wanting her to be his newest of sixteen submissives. Eventually, she realizes that this is absolutely ridiculous, and leaves him. And you're suckered into reading another book.
Fifty Shades Darker starts off with a strange Christian Grey flashback (since at this point we've learned he had a totally fucked up childhood), and gets right into the middle of Anastasia's pity party. She leaves him, but she feels badly. She got a new job as assistant to a commissioning editor at a prestigious publishing company in Seattle, and tries to fill her time working, crying, and sleeping. Such an uplifting message. Of course, at this point, Christian starts to weasel his way back into Anastasia's life, by creepily showing up at places she goes since he's tracking her movements via her phone - at the exact same time as her skeezy boss, Jack Hyde, decides that sexual harassment is the sure way to a woman's heart. Anastasia and Christian get back together. They bang each other - a lot, she changes his mind about wanting her as a submissive and wants to have a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship, they bang, they fight, they bang, etc. Honestly, I could only read the gratuitous sex scenes until about halfway through this book. At that point, they were almost mundane. As mundane as Anastasia's constant musing about how beautiful and untouchable Christian is in comparison to any other guy ever born. Christian continues to be creepy - even going so far as to buy the company Anastasia works for, and shortly after, fire her creepy boss, Jack - this is, after Jack attempts to force himself on her and causes a whole heap of trouble. His creepiness must be alluring to Anastasia, since she agrees to marry him. And they bang. And they bang. and Jack Hyde seeks revenge. Aaaaand then the book ends.
By the time I read Fifty Shades Freed, the third (and final) installment of the series, I was so utterly and completely over Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey I could puke. Her undying love for this guy was sickening. He obviously had issues, and she did what girls do every day - she tried to fix him. We all know that never works. Now, I'm not entirely positive when Freed takes place in comparison to the first book, but the fact that Christian and Anastasia get married kills any thought of this relationship - and story - being even remotely believable. Or does it? They get married, Anastasia gets used to being the wife of a rich dude, Christian's helicopter is sabotaged and everybody thinks he's dead - but of course he isn't, and of course Jack Hyde is to blame… I'm sure you can guess the rest, so I don't want to spoil it for you. As far as entertainment went, though, Fifty Shades Freed took the cake.
All in all, I didn't find anything really worth liking or taking away from the Fifty Shades series. If anything, it just makes me sad that this is what writing has to be in order to be popular, and that this is what people all over the world are turning to in an attempt to fix their broken relationships and spice up their marriages just makes me shake my head. Although, I suppose the money spent on these books is cheaper than marriage counseling.
In an attempt to get back into regular blogging, I
(obviously) need to get back into my regular weekly posts – so, for the first
time in several weeks, here is your Book Club Monday – featuring the 12th
book in the Southern Vampire Mysteries (AKA, the Sookie Stackhouse novels), Deadlocked,
by Charlaine Harris!
Now, I’ve been watching True Blood fairly religiously for as
long as it’s been on television (the fifth season just started last week!
Fifth! Where does the time go?), and once I found out it was a series of books,
I was all about it. I picked up Dead Until Dark at the local Half Price Books, and an obsession was born – an obsession
that involved lots of DVR’ed True Blood episodes and a lot of trips to two
separate Half Price Books locations, but I read the first eleven books really
fast – even for me, and I’m damn near a speed reader.
One thing that I’ve noticed about the books (if you haven’t
noticed, here’s a cold slap of reality), is that besides the first few, the
show doesn’t follow them at ALL. There is a solid storyline laid down in the
book, that, much like the show, doesn’t make any damn sense half of the time,
but that’s moderately awesome at the same time. There’s always going to be plot
points that nobody cares about, or that only some people care about, and there’s
always no less than ten separate storylines happening at one given time. That’s
awesome, I get that.
The thing about Deadlocked
is that for one, I had no idea it was even out until I happened to be at Barnes
and Noble and saw that the 11th book, Dead Reckoning was out in paperback, so I knew that the next
installment had to be out (just as a fun bibliophile tidbit – books typically
come out in paperback around a year after their original hardcover version is
published). I went home, took to my Kindle, found it, read it, and digested it
all in the space of about three days.
And you know…. I don’t necessarily think that anything moved
forward in the book whatsoever. I felt like it was a lot of random storylines
thrown into a mixing pot and Deadlocked
was what emerged. From about the sixth book on, it was what I’d come to expect,
but this was different – this felt like I was reading the “ohmygodIamsosickof thesecharactersandthesestorylinesandthesepeoplejustkeepmakingmewritethesebooksbutMANARETHOSEHBOCHECKSNICE”
ramblings of someone who was absolutely and completely OVER what she had
created. And you know, for Charlaine Harris, I suppose it would be
understandable. For me, she could have quit after around the fifth or sixth
book, and I would have been okay with it.
Here’s the jacket description:
It’s vampire
politics as usual around the town of Bon
Temps, but never before have they hit so close to
Sookie’s heart…
Growing up with telepathic
abilities, Sookie Stackhouse realized early on there were things she’d rather
not know. And now that she’s an adult, she also realizes that some things she
knows about, she’d rather not see—like Eric Northman feeding off another woman.
A younger one.
There’s a thing or two she’d like to say about that, but she has to keep
quiet—Felipe de Castro, the Vampire King of Louisiana
(and Arkansas and Nevada), is in town. It’s the worst possible
time for a human body to show up in Eric’s front yard—especially the body of
the woman whose blood he just drank.
Now, it’s up to Sookie and Bill, the official Area Five investigator, to solve
the murder. Sookie thinks that, at least this time, the dead girl’s fate has
nothing to do with her. But she is wrong. She has an enemy, one far more
devious than she would ever suspect, who’s set out to make Sookie’s world come
crashing down.
One thing I learned about five or six books into the series is that the
jacket description means NOTHING, since they lovingly leave out the fact that
there’s so many other storylines and things happening in the background that
just barely tie it all together that you get pulled away from anything you
remotely thought was in the book.
All I can say is that if you’ve already read the first
eleven books in the series, you might as well read this one. I can’t give it a
gleaming review or an awful, disdainful rant about how bad it was, but if I
could rate it, it would get a good ‘meh’.
As promised, here is the interview I did with Monica Leonelle, the author of Socialpunk, which we reviewed yesterday as part of our Book Club Monday. Monica contacted me about being a part of her blog tour in advance of the release of Socialpunk, and I definitely could not say no! Instead of me blah-blah-blahing, here we go!
Where did you adopt the idea for the Socialpunk trilogy?
Socialpunk is very reflective of today's social media-driven world in terms of artists, curators, and influencers. It's definitely a physical reincarnation of the digital media world. I love the social media concepts embedded in the book and was inspired to write a cyberpunk novel.
What was your first published work?
A book called Social Pollination, about digital media and strategy. It was published in English and French.
What inspires you in both writing and life?
I wouldn't say any one thing helps me stay inspired, because that doesn't create anything new. You create new things by combining inspirations from all sorts of different sources and then adding your own touch or twist. But if you want to be inspired, you should expose yourself to all sorts of media - books, television, movies, radio, art museums, you name it. If you are writing one book you should consume at least ten books, ten movies, ten TV shows, ten songs, etc. to prepare. It doesn't matter if they are related or not - in fact, the more diverse, the better. And how much fun is it that I just told you to watch TV in order to do work? You're welcome for that.
What made you want to get into writing, and more specifically the marketing angle of what you do?
I feel like I mostly write because I can't help it. I love to write and that's how I express myself, day in and day out. I can never understand how people want to be writers or authors when they don't write. I always think, "Then why aren't you writing every day?" I organically average at least 2,000 words a day writing. When I'm finishing up a manuscript, I average closer to 5,000 words a day.
The marketing angle comes from my work background and education. After spending years as a Marketing Director at various start-ups, I now consult writers on getting word-of-mouth marketing for their books. I've helped improve the writing of an Inc. 50 CEO, a late-night TV show host, and several A-list bloggers. I also specialize in independent book marketing via blogger outreach. You can learn more about me at proseonfire.com.
Looking at your career up to this point, is there anything you would change, or anything you would do differently given the opportunity?
Not really, I don't have any regrets. I would maybe have started writing fiction sooner. I only have two books published and another one in the cooker... I'd love to have a huge backlist by now. The people with the most success seem to have that. Maybe in five years or so!
What's next for you, both writing and career-wise?
More fiction and more non-fiction writing. I would go crazy if I just did one or the other. I like that my marketing business is all about strategy, and that I'm able to provide a ton of value to would-be writers. For example, I have free e-mail consultations that are killer - they are getting really popular, actually. One allows you to ask three questions about writing, publishing, and/or marketing a book. I send back detailed answers. The other is for writers with a manuscript - they can upload their first 1,000 words and receive detailed feedback on how to make their book more hooking.
Novel writing is what I do for fun, but it also ties into my business nicely, I suppose. I am working on a better balance between the two at the moment, and considering doing more serialized fiction so I can get my fiction out and into the world faster. I spend a lot more of my time on my writing consults and editing services, at this time.
Tonight's Book Club Monday is pretty special for a couple of reasons! One, we're helping out Monica Leonelle, the book's author, by hosting this review as well as an interview which will post tomorrow - don't forget to check it out!
Socialpunk is not typically the kind of book I would go for. Not to say that the writing isn't good, it is, but I just really can't get into most sci-fi/futuristic books (I'm more of a fan of memoirs and new books by authors I already like). While the book starts out strong, I felt that parts of the book were rushed in an effort to finish the manuscript, and editing was a little lax. If you are the type of person who can get through those types of things, then by all means, check out this book.
The book starts out in a future Chicago ('The Dome'), in 2052, where Ima (also referred to as E and Cinder in the book) lives with her parents and friend Dash. They set off to see Girl Talk play a show at the Congress Theater, and all goes well, that is until someone blows up the Congress and Ima is rescued by a strange man named Vaughn. She isn't into the idea of being rescued, though, since she didn't leave with Dash. She spends the entire book trying to find him. In this, she is led through an array of emotions, missions, and challenges.
For the most part, I enjoyed this book. If you are a fan of sci-fi/futuristic/Dystopian novels, it would definitely be for you. Be sure to check out the blog again tomorrow for an interview with Monica Leonelle!
Okay, I did it. I kept hearing about it, and hearing about it, and hearing about it, and I finally decided to see what all the fuss with The Hunger Gameswas about, since hearing all about the movie's upcoming release. I was absolutely not disappointed.
I was enticed by the promise of a story, that, for once, featured a strong woman. No sparkly vampires or emotional abuse in teenage relationships, just the story of a young girl forced to make difficult decisions by the world around her.
Katniss Everdeen is a talented hunter and archer, and is forced into competing in the yearly Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is a fight to the death between two tributes (one boy, one girl) from each district in futuristic Panem, with Katniss coming from District 12 (of 12 total districts). When the name of Katniss' younger sister, Primrose, is pulled at The Reaping, it does not take long for Katniss to volunteer herself as tribute so her sister does not need to feel the carnage that is The Games. Along with baker's son Peeta Mellark, the two go into the arena for the 74th Annual Hunger Games. The cast of characters surrounding them (eccentric emcee Effie Trinket, mentor Haymitch Abernathy and stylist Cinna, to name a few) bring a certain humanity to the story that I'm not certain would have been there without them.
Before I get too far ahead of myself, let me just say that if you've been thinking whatsoever about checking out either the books or the film - definitely do it. The Hunger Games is definitely worth your time - I started Catching Fire as soon as I could after finishing it!
The only reason why I read Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bangin the first place was because the Kindle I'd rented from the Milwaukee Public Library was pre-loaded with memoirs, and it seemed like an interesting book to try out.
I have never watched Chelsea Handler's show, and would not even consider myself a fan - she just has a great way of putting words together in an entertaining way - and I'm sure that she wouldn't be a celebrity if she didn't, right?
In any case, Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang is a collection of essays, all humorous, about certain parts of her life from childhood to a hilarious wedding date - each story more vulgar and entertaining as the last, although once you get pretty far in, it seems like it wouldn't be possible to laugh out loud anymore.
One thing I can say about Chelsea Handler after picking up this book and knowing barely anything about her is that she can write an interesting book with her hands tied behind her back, basically - I was thoroughly entertained with each page I turned in the book, and hesitated to put it away each night when I was done reading, even though I was ready to pass out most nights.
Look out for a review of another of Chelsea's books, My Horizontal Life, coming soon!
Since getting a Kindle of my own as a birthday gift from my parents back in December, I have found a new appreciation for e-book reading that I never thought I would have. Of course, life has a way of screwing us out of the best laid plans so I haven't been able to use it much, but I'm attempting to get back into it. Prior to that, I'd rented an older version Kindle from our local library and read several books, both old and new, and figured it was a good enough time as ever to get back into a normal posting schedule, as well!
Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs is one of the most well-known novels of my time, at least, and spawned not only eight weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, but many conversations about how some individuals treat their children, which I believe is what was intended. The book tells the story of his downright bizarre childhood, in which his mother sent him away, to live with her psychiatrist. It was good enough to spawn a film, which was released in 2006.
For me, Running With Scissors is the kind of book I could (and have) gone back to two times, even three times, and still enjoy every second of reading. There is always something new to find out, and a different facet to the story. I believe that's a big reason I keep going back to it - as an adolescent (the first time I read the book), I could see myself in the same position - granted my mother was a crazy person - and I believe that's what has always made the book that much more real to me.
If you want a story that can put a chill in your bones and a thought in your head, look no further than Running With Scissors or any of Burroughs' other novels.
I've always been a little slow on the uptake when it comes to being on time for things (in certain avenues of my life), so don't be surprised this list isn't showing up until now. I happened to read this list on my friend DJ's blog at http://martiandanceinvasion.blogspot.com, and thought it would be fun to re-count my last year - even though it's a little late.
01.What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
Fell utterly, completely, head over heels in love.
Mike and I, at our crew Halloween party, where I dressed as Miss Argentina from Beetlejuice and he dressed as Mario.
02.Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don’t typically have new years’ resolutions, so I can’t say I kept or didn’t keep any. This year, I’d just like to maintain the life I’ve been working so hard to build over the past few, and just stay happy. That’s all I’d really like.
03.Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope.
04.Did anyone close to you die?
Nope.
05.What countries did you visit?
None. The farthest I traveled for a trip was Green Bay, WI – my homeland, which is a drive of about two hours.
06.What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
A bigger apartment! And as it turns out, I’m getting one on March 1.
07.What date from 2011 will remain etched in your memory, and why?
There are a few, for sure. For one, the date of the surgery I had in October (10/17/11), and my anniversary date (10/15/11).
08.What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Transferring out of a job I absolutely could not stand in order to start from scratch 100% in an area I knew nothing about, and being incredibly successful at it. I went from being a secretary to working in auto parts in a matter of months, and I’m having an absolute blast.
09.What was your biggest failure?
I don’t believe in failures. I can’t think of one thing I didn’t try my best at all year – and sometimes things just don’t go as planned. But I certainly don’t feel like I ‘failed’ anywhere.
10.Did you suffer illness or injury?
In October, I had surgery to remove a Stage 1 melanoma that I found inside of one of my tattoos. That was one of the scariest moments I’ve had in a long while, for sure.
11.What was the best thing you bought?
I can’t really pinpoint anything specific that I bought for myself. Once and awhile, I like to take extra money and spend a little bit on myself here and there for some new clothes, makeup, or something like that. I also paid a lot of debt back this year, and my credit score is definitely better off for it.
12.Whose behavior merited celebration?
The men and women responsible for the Alford plea that freed the West Memphis Three after nearly 20 years behind bars.
13.Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Scott Walker. As a public employee, I’m living first hand with the changes he’s made, and let me tell you – it sucks.
14.Where did most of your money go?
Bills and paying back old debt. It’s difficult to not have a lot of extra, but when I think about the fact that I’m improving my life, making up for old mistakes, and carving out a future for myself, not having extra money seems pretty alright.
15.What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My new work opportunity, my new relationship… all of the above. I’m finally becoming the person that I’ve always wanted to be, and it’s a wonderful feeling.
16.What song will always remind you of 2011?
I hate questions like this, because I can never think of a single song that encompasses a whole year. This time, though, I can say that The Loved Ones’ “Distracted” got enough listens to merit reminding me of this year.
17.Compared to this time last year, you are:
a.Hotter or colder? Prettymuch the same.
b.Fatter or thinner? See above.
c.More active or lazier? See above.
18.What do you wish you’d done more of?
Being active.
19.What do you wish you’d done less of?
Toward the beginning of the year, drinking – once I curbed that and changed things for the better, I haven’t looked back.
20.How will you be spending/did you spend Christmas?
Mike and I spent Christmas Eve in Green Bay with my family for dinner, and Christmas Day in the morning with my extended family and evening with his. It made for a very long day, but it was good to be able to make the time to see everyone.
21.Did you fall in love in 2011?
That I did.
22.How many one-night stands?
Zero.
23.What was your favorite TV program?
Sons of Anarchy, bar none. I started watching it via renting season 1 from the library early in the year, got hooked, and wound up watching all three existing seasons before season 4 started this past year.
24.Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Not that I can think of.
25.What was the best book you read?
Currently reading “My Horizontal Life” by Chelsea Handler via Kindle.
26.What was your greatest musical discovery?
In late summer/early fall I really re-discovered punk music, so I’d say that counts. I’ve been staying pretty close to the music I know lately, since new music (especially music on the radio) is absolutely awful. I’ve also taken to unabashedly falling back in love with ridiculous music from the 90’s.
27.What did you want and get?
I’ve wanted a Nintendo Wii for years, but never had the extra money laying around to actually buy one. I told Mike this while we were shopping on Black Friday and opened one up for Christmas!
28.What did you want and not get?
I try not to want for much.
29.What was your favorite film of this year?
Pretty sure it doesn’t count, but The Other Guys was pretty great. I haven’t been to the movies in a long time.
30.What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Since my birthday was on a Saturday this year, I had a Friday night dinner and bowling with friends in Milwaukee, and spent Saturday night drinking my face off in Green Bay. I turned 26 – or rather it was my 5th annual 21st birthday.
31.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Thinking about it, I’d say I had a pretty successful, satisfying year.
32.How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Jeans, t-shirts, shades of gray and black. I’d say that about covers it.
33.What kept you sane?
Knitting, new friends, and new opportunities. Oh yeah, and my cats.
34.Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I try not to get too wrapped up in the celebrity world.
35.What was your favorite video game of the year?
It has been such a long time since I’ve played any new video games, I really couldn’t say – after I got my Wii, though, I started playing Cooking Mama again, which is pretty ridiculous in and of itself.
36.Who has made the most cameos in your dreams this year?
To be honest, I don’t dream all that often, and none of them stick out.
37.Who did you miss?
In quitting drinking for the most part, I’m not up in Green Bay as often as I once was, so I miss my friends there and my family, for sure.
38.Who was the best new person you met?
My boyfriend, Mike. By a landslide.
39.Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011:
Drinking isn’t everything, and finding friends to rely on has helped me more than I can explain.
While a great deal of the reading I do on a regular basis is new literature by younger writers, once and awhile I get the itch to read a classic. For horror fans, The Haunting of Hill House is definitely one of those books. It spurred two films - if you've seen The Haunting, this is the book it was based on. And yes, that scene where Owen Wilson gets his head taken off by the marble lion is still one of my favorite crappy horror moments.
The story centers around Dr. John Montague inviting four individuals to stay at Hill House, which is a haunted house Dr. Montague rents for the summer, and everything that happens caused by Hugh Crain, the original owner of the house. It is still hailed as one of the best literary ghost stories of the twentieth century, and for good reason. It explores fear in many different ways, including themes of possession, which aren't usually discussed in modern horror.
If you're one of the individuals that has only seen the films the book was based on, take a few hours of your life and read. The book, though old, has many characteristics that new horror doesn't - mostly, being one of the first explorations of psychological horror. As you read, you feel Eleanor, the main character, being pulled farther and farther away from the others, and very nearly possessed by the house itself.
This summer, I have been reading a whole lot thanks to an adult summer reading club at one of my local libraries that could lead to glamorous prizes like tickets and gift cards! If I'm going to read the books anyway, why not - maybe - get a return? In any case, I finally finished reading Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire Mysteries novels (the books True Blood is based on), and picked up something an adult would read.
I Don't Care About Your Band is one of those books I happened to pick up on the new shelf of the library. I read the back, thought it would likely be funny (a glowing review from one of my favorite comedians, Patton Oswalt, definitely helped), and checked it out. It sat on my kitchen table until a few days ago, and it was such a quick read, it only took a few days to get through!
The book chronicles Klausner's funniest adventures in dating, from the total psycho who may or may not have lived in his bathrobe to the guy in a band she couldn't stand spending five minutes with. Each chapter was a story in itself, and boasted yet another story of dating hell in a cute, entertaining way. I laughed out loud several times while I read it, and I'm not typically the type to laugh at a book.
From the back jacket:
This is not a book about successful relationships. This is a book - and a very, very funny one - about the humiliations we endure to find love and the lessons that can be culled from the wreckage.
As someone who has never been incredibly lucky in relationships, it definitely rang true for me. Now that I'm finished reading it, I'm very glad I took the time to, and hope you will as well - lucky in love or not!
