Po(sey) Sessions

Even though I have only read some of her short stories and poems, Margaret Atwood quickly made it onto my list of favorite writer’s. Her short stories "Wilderness Tips" and another short story from the same collection whispered into my heart. It was easy to see why they are both so widely anthologized. I enjoyed these stories so much I quickly went to the store and bought every one of her novels I could find. But then I came across a problem. I was worried that if I read one of her novels I wouldn’t like her writing as much and the purity of the connect I felt with her stories and writing would be severed. When I decided to take on the well read book challenge I quickly selected Cat’s Eye to read. A lot of people chose it to read for their year of reading dangerously. This alone was peaking my interest. The fear was still in me, the worry that I wouldn’t LOVE it. It ended up that I read The Handmaid’s Tale first. This is great because I loved it. And it abol...

The UK versions of the mac vs pc commercials have been circulating around the web and I just thought I would do my part. All I have to say is: I WANT TO BE ON THE NAUGHTY STEP.

Thirteen things I wish I had gotten for Christmas. 1. ACR of Fade by Lisa McMann .  Wake was one of the best novels I read in the whole of 2008. I cannot wait to read the sequel. Wake is such a unique book I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. Just watch the trailer for Wake !   2. Little Brother by Cory Doctorow .  The ebook is available online here , (totally free and legal) but this is a book I want to hold in my hands. I may suffer without it and just read the ebook but I don’t want to.  I have heard so many good things about this. This book has been recommended to me several times in the last few months. Have you read it? The New York Times named it a notable children’s pick for 2008. They call it “a novel that is at once an entertaining thriller, a thoughtful polemic and a practical handbook of digital-age self-defense.” 3. Diamond earrings.  No this isn’t a book title.  I just really want some nice diamond studs that I c...

The Cure was a very promising science fiction novel to begin with. It is set in a future Utopic world but when Gemm 16884 starts acting contrary to accepted behavior the book took a turn into very intense historical fiction. And while it was very well written and historically accurate, it just wasn’t what I wanted from the book. it went somewhere "new" and maybe that isn't always a good thing The hybrid did not integrate the way that I would have hoped. The elements of the stories were almost completely separate; a historical novel book ended with pure science fiction. Though I could see how and why this book has been popular to read in school. If I had to read this in school I would have loved it. I like to know as little as possible about a book before I read it, and sometimes that leads to disappointments. I think I would have enjoyed this book more if I knew what to expect out of it. But critically I have to observe that on a creative level this book just ...

Frankenstein is considered to be one of the first pieces of science fiction. The modern view of this genre is intensely tied to the concept of technology and outer space, but it is not limited by these confines. Science fiction is about the exploration of any future scientific advances. There has been much inquiry into what inspired the story of Frankenstein and his monster, but it is deeply connected with scientific experiments that were contemporary to the creation of the story. Besides being the predecessor to modern science fiction what place does Frankenstein have in the contemporary genre? And does it still have influence? The story exhibits a classic example of the mad scientist subgenre of science fiction. When one comes to think about it, it is easy to understand how it can be classified as science fiction, but less apparent is why that is relevant. But a deep aspect of mad scientists is their need to play god. And this is both very relevant in the perspective of Fr...

Starting today, Dec. 23rd, publisher Simon Pulse and Lisa McMann are having an essay contest.  It is only open to teens aged 14-18. Fund Your Dream Essay Contest The kind of dream that Janie has - to go to college, better her life situation, and maybe, not have to work two jobs to do it! Lisa McMann and Simon & Schuster want to hear from you: What is the Greatest Obstacle You’ve Overcome? Answer this question in 500 words or less and submit your essay below to enter the contest. Lisa McMann will choose a winner, who will receive $1000 toward meeting his or her life goals! Lisa has more details and some good advice on her blog . Check it out for more info.

It is snowing here. But before the snow started I may have run some errands. And while running those errands I may have stopped at the library. And while I that library it is possible I bought some books. If I did in fact buy some books, it may have been the following. The Red Tent Fourth Grade Celebrity The Talking Earth Naked in Death Innocent in Death The Winter Worm Business Read any?

Would Jane Austen be proud of her modern popular status? There seems to be a slew of Austenesque books floating around. And I am not talking about her realism running through romance. From The Jane Austen Book Club to Just Jane , it seems that everyone wants to have their take (and piece of the pie) regarding this author in general and Pride and Prejudice in particular. Just last week I picked up Mr. Darcy’s Daughters and Jane Austen in Boca . At a dollar each one can’t help but be swept up into it. But during her lifetime Austen wrote anonymously, now she has not only one of the most noted names in literature but also in popular fiction. There might be a pride in the endearing and enduring nature of her work, but I don’t really know enough about Austen herself to say for sure. Either way, I am curious to know which Austen related books have you read and enjoyed? Among all these recently popular Austen spins, I thought maybe the market and interest level had been saturated. ...