Book focus

Let Narnia be Narnia

2010-12-10T13:57:00.000+13:00

I keep reading articles that make me want to voice an opinion, but the fact of the matter is I'm too lazy to do so. Well, I have nothing to do at the moment, so I thought I'd comment on this article about the new Narnia movie, The voyage of the Dawn Treader.

Disclaimer: I am not Christian. Or Buddhist. Or Muslim.

The article discusses who Aslan is, and the role of Christianity in the Narnia books.

"Aslan symbolises a Christlike figure, but he also symbolises for me Mohammed, Buddha and all the great spiritual leaders and prophets over the centuries," says Liam Neeson, who voices Aslan (all italicised quotes are from the stuff.co.nz article).

C S Lewis, who wrote the books the movies are based on, said that Aslan is based on Jesus. But you know what? We all interpret things differently, and it makes sense that to Neeson, Aslan means something different than it would to, say, a fundamental Christian. No problems there.

Aslan, wrote Lewis, "is an invention giving an imaginary answer to the question: 'What might Christ become like if there really were a world like Narnia?'"
But Dawn Treader producer Mark Johnson agrees with the, shall we say, more inclusive analysis from Neeson.

Excuse me? Are you complaining about an author's explanation of his own book? He wrote it with a specific meaning in mind, but he didn't make that meaning explicit so readers could still read it as a secular book. He allowed people to interpret it how they wanted to (like Neeson did), and then he explained in a separate piece of writing, for those interested, the meaning behind the book.

"We don't want to favour one group over another ... whether these books are Christian, I don't know," Johnson added.

Well. C S Lewis specifically says they are Christian. But whether the author's right, who knows?

It makes me angry that an author is now, apparently, not allowed to have his own subtextual religious meanings in a book. The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe is a retelling of Jesus' life: that's what it was based on. If a similar author wrote a book with a character based on Buddha or Mohammed, I hope no-one would suggest the character should represent Jesus as well. Because that would be disrespectful.

Allow the author to believe what he believes, and allow the book to mean what it means. Re-interpret it in any way you want; any character can symbolise anything you want, to you; but don't call the author non-inclusive for putting his personal beliefs into his creative work.

Comments

2010-12-09T11:10:00.002+13:00

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RIP Pike River miners

2010-11-24T23:36:00.002+13:00

I hope they were killed in the initial explosion.

I hope they didn't suffer.

My heart goes out to the families and the community.

RIP, Pike River miners.

10 of 30: Short skirt on a windy day

2010-11-18T23:59:00.003+13:00

I've worn this dress before a few times, but always with leggings or jeans underneath. Today I decided to go outside my comfort zone (again) and try this dress on its own with tights.

I like the look, but I've discovered the dress has a bad tendency to bunch up in the front when I'm walking — not a good look when it's already got as short a skirt as this does! And when the day has any wind in it — as today did — I keep instinctively pulling my skirt down, even if it didn't need it. The skirt is so loose and light I barely feel it, which is a bad thing — I was paranoid all day that my skirt had ridden up/flown up in front of/behind me and I just couldn't feel it!

I do still like the dress — it's warm and bright — but I think I'll look for a new way to wear it.

And please, ignore my hair — Dan took this photo of me at the end of the day, by which time my hair seems to have gone rogue.

9 of 30: Broken button

2010-11-17T22:44:00.005+13:00

What do you do when you put on a shirt and the bottom button breaks off?

You hide it. A use for my high-waisted skirt — plus I get to wear my new skirt ("new" = bought a couple of weeks ago). I think the overall effect looks similar to a dress. It's a bit short for my comfort — but I'm trying to get out of my comfort zone lately! Another way this worries my comfort zone is the extreme brightness of the orange shirt. I am not a bright colours person — they don't suit me at all, I'm far too pale. But as I say, trying to branch out... and wearing the high-waisted skirt (and a black blazer) hid nearly all that orange!

4 of 30: Dinner with the in-laws

2010-11-11T22:12:00.003+13:00

Well, they technically aren't in-laws, but Dan and I went out for dinner with his mum and sister.

Dress: Pagani; heels: Overland.

I look really angry — at the sun, for shining in my eyes and blinding me!

This was the first time I've worn this dress, which I got a few weeks ago — and also the first time I've worn those footless tights properly. Granted, I have technically worn them before, but usually with socks under boots; I was never quite brave enough to wear them as footless. I'm not quite sure why not.

I've been wanting to wear this dress for a while, but couldn't find a necklace to go with them. I found a necklace a few days ago and tried it on with the dress - it's not perfect, but it'll do!

Oh, and Dan's mum commented on my outfit and said I looked very sophisticated. (The photo does not reflect any sophistication, but it does show you shouldn't take photos staring into the morning sun.)

My normal clothes are safer (and cover more leg), but my 30 for 30 outfits have just attracted a couple more comments, and compliments. It's nice — for someone who doesn't usually take much interest in what I wear, I like it.

3 of 30: Day at the office

2010-11-10T22:33:00.017+13:00

I know this may seem like I've skipped straight from 1 to 3, but trust me, there was a 2 in there. There were even photos, but I took them myself, and the photos were all so dark and fuzzy — and I looked, for some reason, so angry in all of them — that I couldn't face putting them online.

Just a nice simple professional look for work today. I don't think my trouser-legs are quite as wide as they look in this photo, though! It's not a beautiful photo, but I did like the outfit.

Top: Pagani; trousers: Glassons; jacket: Ezibuy; sandals: Hannahs.

It was a beautiful warm day today, and tomorrow's meant to be even hotter. Yay summer!

1 of 30: Visiting the aunts

2010-11-08T22:49:00.006+13:00

Today I was excited to be going round to visit two of my aunts — my mother's two sisters — whom I don't see very often. It's a couple of months since I've seen the one; a couple of years since I've seen the other.

As I also had to go to work today, I wanted a look that was professional enough for work, but which also looked attractive. My trousers were too boring; my high-waisted skirt too formal; my mini too mini; my jeans too casual. That left me with my charcoal skirt, which was warm enough for a semi-cold day and still looks nice, but has (I feel) a bit of character in it as well — maybe it's the asymmetrical belt. I actually wanted my sleeveless white shirt for this outfit, but it was in the wash, so I remixed the skirt with my red and black shirt — a mix I was really dubious about, but which I loved in the end. It's such a simple mix! Yet it's not something I would have done if I had had more choice.

Top: Pagani; skirt: Ezibuy; boots: Number One Shoes; singlet: no idea.

I had a great time with my aunts, and one of them commented I looked very sophisticated.

"Oh, I just came straight from work," I laughed. Entirely true.

But also nice to get the compliment. :)

30 for 30

2010-11-07T23:45:00.011+13:00

It's been a little while since I've done a challenge (apart from the New Authors Challenge, which I'm still doing), and when I saw this one, I couldn't resist. The difference is that it isn't a reading or writing challenge!

The rules are: choose 30 items of clothing from your wardrobe (including shoes; not including underwear, jewellery and accessories), and remix those items into 30 different outfits over the following 30 days. No shopping allowed; no other items allowed.

It's an unwritten expectation that you also photograph yourself in each of these outfits and post them on the blog, and to be honest it's this that's the sticking point for me. I'm not too much of a photo person, I barely ever wear makeup, and I never do anything with my hair. Most of the other people who have signed up for this have style/clothes blogs; most of them are, I assume, stylish people. I... am not. I love clothes, but I'm unimaginative with the way I dress, and I want to change that.

I've expanded the rules a bit for myself. I'm counting scarfs, tights and belts as accessories; I'm counting socks and singlets as underwear. I'm also not including gym clothes in the count, because I have no particular desire to jazz up the shorts and old tees I wear to the gym.

But I've chosen my 30 items — and wow, are my clothes unremixable!

Three skirts

Two pairs of trousers, a pair of leggings, and jeans

Two jackets, a dress and a tunic

Heels for work, three pairs of sandals and two boots

Three shirts for work

Four knitwear tops

Black and white: reliable fallbacks

A bit of colour for the wardrobe

Half a loaf

2010-10-29T13:10:00.002+13:00

I'm so sick of people complaining.

In my email, on Facebook, at work, in the news. All the time.

Guess what? Things are actually pretty good. We have comfortable lives where we can afford to be sheltered and fed and clothed; we have friends and partners; we have so much spare time we don't know what to do with it all. And we can say we don't have enough money, but if we have enough for alcohol, smokes, chocolate and takeaways, we have enough money.

I liked the fact that on the front page of the Dominion Post today there was a really positive article about The Hobbit, after a few days where everyone's been complaining non-stop.

First an actors' union was complaining; then people started blaming unions for Warner Brothers potentially going overseas with The Hobbit; and once John Key met with executives to secure its filming here, people complained about the tax break he agreed to, and about John Key using it as an excuse to "sell human rights" — in other words, effect a law which will mean people working on the film will be contractors instead of employees.

1. As far as I can tell, this just means they'll just have a different contract — a way of working that painters, electricians and so on have no problem being on already.

2. Most of the tax break would have been provided anyway, and the total is still far less than the money the film is expected to bring in.

People complain about an issue; and once it's fixed, it feels like people just find an issue with the fix to complain about.

Can't we just be happy the movie's staying here, which is what we wanted? Can't we look at how much it will bring in as well as how much is being spent? It seems so one-sided.

I'm normally a pretty happy person, and I do try to find the positive, but it's starting to bring me down.

It's not like I can stop reading the news — that is actually my job.

But the news isn't the problem. It's people's attitude: constantly complaining, or being mean about others behind their backs, or being ungrateful for half a loaf from the government because you feel you should have got a whole one. If you're getting something for nothing, be happy with half a loaf.

I feel like declaring a Positivity Day; but probably no-one would join in. I feel like listing everything good with the world; but I'd be mocked for being cheesy.

But I do feel lucky. I have a job I love; my boyfriend is moving down here next week; I have a beautiful house and a cuddly cat; I work in a city I love. And it's nearly summer.

Maybe everyone doesn't have as good a life as mine. But most of the people I've been listening to whine and complain are people who have lives just as good.

I wish we'd think about what we do have, not what we don't.

Author guest post: Looking on the Write Side (Janice Hardy)

2010-10-27T23:59:00.011+13:00

Just over a year ago, I interviewed debut author Janice Hardy about her new book The Shifter (aka The pain merchants). Barely a year later, Janice is doing another blog tour for her new book, Blue fire, sequel to The shifter. Janice stopped by here for a guest post about some occupational hazards of writing: Looking on the Write Side
One of the things I’ve noticed over the last few years is that it’s getting harder to turn off my inner editor when I read for fun. Things I never would have noticed before jump out at me. Sometimes this is good, as I’ve noticed subtleties in work I might have missed, but other times it hurts my enjoyment of the story because I see things that I feel someone should have caught and fixed, or see things that I would have done differently.
I’ve accepted this as an occupational hazard of being a writer. I know too much about the inner workings of crafting a story, so I’m naturally more critical of what I read. But I have found a few ways to help counteract my writerly nature.
Don’t read on the computer
For me, computer = work. Either I’m working on my own manuscript or critiquing one for a friend. This is one reason why I’ve been resisting e-books, because a screen makes me look at the words with a more critical eye.
Don’t read right after an editing session
I’ve found that when I’m in editor mode and working on revisions, I can’t get out of that mindset right away. I need time to let the brain spin down.
Read something different from what I’m working on
A different genre, market, or even POV made it easier to see the story and not the text. It’s clearly "not my work" so my inner editor could sit back and relax.

Turning off my writer’s brain isn’t as easy as flipping a switch, but most days I can usually find a way to lose myself in the story and not look at how it was created.

More about Blue Fire:

Part fugitive, part hero, 15-year-old Nya is barely staying ahead of the Duke of Baseer’s trackers. Wanted for a crime she didn’t mean to commit, she risks capture to protect every Taker she can find, determined to prevent the Duke from using them in his fiendish experiments. But resolve isn’t enough to protect any of them, and Nya soon realizes that the only way to keep them all out of the Duke’s clutches is to flee Geveg. Unfortunately, the Duke’s best tracker has other ideas.

Nya finds herself trapped in the last place she ever wanted to be, forced to trust the last people she ever thought she could. More is at stake than just the people of Geveg, and the closer she gets to uncovering the Duke’s plan, the more she discovers how critical she is to his victory. To save Geveg, she just might have to save Baseer — if she doesn’t destroy it first.

You can find out more about Janice through her blog, or buy Blue Fire online at Barnes & Noble or The book depository.

Hiatus over

2010-10-27T23:33:00.001+13:00

So, I'm coming out of my unofficial hiatus! My first post back will not actually be mine, but will be a guest post by Janice Hardy, author of The shifter (aka The pain merchants), and now with a second book out, Blue fire.

Life's been a little busy lately as I get settled in with new house, new job and now Dan moving down here next week — yay — but hopefully things will become somewhat settled again now.

So... watch this space.

Review: The personal shopper (Carmen Reid)

2010-08-31T21:18:00.014+12:00

The personal shopper is the first book in Carmen Reid's series about Annie Valentine, a single mum in London with two kids. Annie's a personal shopper, helping other people shop for a living, and it makes sense that with her fantastic discount she'll snag a couple of bargains for herself....

But unlike the heroine in the Shopaholic books (which I like and own), Annie's shopping isn't what lands her in a mess. It was surprising for me to read a book where the heroine is so mature and responsible, actually. Sure, she probably buys a bit (a lot) too much, and she has plenty of faults, but she works 24/7 to pay for her kids' private school; she's determined to give them the best of everything, and to me that's really admirable. Sure, she screws up, but she tries hard.

Let's be fair here. I don't like the writing style. For starters, I'm not a big fan of triple exclamation marks all over the place!!! I feel the words and quality of the writing should convey the emotion — not the exclamation points. Also, the writing style seemed obvious — it spelled things out that didn't need to be. I like when authors give me credit for a little intelligence.

It was pretty obvious who the hero would be, too, but I did like that he didn't tick all her superficial checkboxes. I liked that Mr Wrong wasn't evil in any way. He was an OK guy; he was just wrong for her. That seemed more realistic to me, instead of hauling in drama for the sake of drama.

I really liked Annie. She was down-to-earth, cheeky, loving and independent. I loved that independent streak — while she dreamed of having a man to provide for her, it's not what she'd actually choose: she'd rather be able to support herself. I didn't like her parenting, but I'm not a parent, so shouldn't judge.

The best thing about Annie was her honesty. She never lied, and she didn't put up with anyone else lying to her. Annie was beautifully honest and lovely with people; her London charm shone through the book and charmed me.

The book wasn't as funny as the Shopaholic series, and I didn't like Annie's fashion sense hugely, and it didn't make me feel like I was shopping, or make me want to go shopping, like the Shopaholic series does.

But The personal shopper was far more realistic. Everything felt completely believable, and I guess that's the subtle part of a writer's skill. If she can do that and make me love her characters — even the annoying ones — then despite annoyances like triple exclamation marks, I'm looking forward to buying and reading the next Annie Valentine book.

(And by Book 2 she might be down to single punctuation marks. I can but hope.)

Why you do work experience

2010-08-26T22:10:00.002+12:00

"What's that you say? You have review books lying around you don't want? In that huge box over there? Well, let me just have a look through and see if there are any I can help you get rid of... for your sake, obviously."

This is why you do work experience at a newspaper.

Train station romance

2010-08-09T10:36:00.010+12:00

It's interesting seeing life unfolding around you, little stories and life adventures beginning everywhere, romances, partners for life enjoying their time together.

I see so many friendships, romances, reunions at the train station. This morning, a curly-haired blonde woman, wheeled suitcase in hand, a smile on her face as she walks up to her boyfriend or partner. The two talk for a minute, standing intimately close, smiling, and then she stands up on her tiptoes and he lowers his head and they kiss, brief but tender. There's something so romantic about it, so loving.

I feel like I should be resentful of them, bitter that they can be together and that I can't be with my boyfriend during the week, but I'm not. It's just happy to see couples together and in love, not making a display of it but not hiding it, just happy to be together.

And then I feel lucky because I feel that is what I have with my boyfriend, and I'm lucky I only live a couple of hours from him, I see him every weekend, and I'm so lucky to have the life I have.

Making old friends

2010-08-03T23:34:00.016+12:00

I'm on a mission. Its objective? Make old friends.

New friends are easy to make. Old friends live in different cities or even countries. Old friends have different interests, have grown apart, have new friends and partners and careers. It's harder to start a conversation with old friends, because once you've got the "big" stuff out of the way, it's somehow harder to just do the small talk thing.

We're old friends, you think. What happened? We used to talk so easily about everything and anything.

But life happened. Life got in the way. Some people — like Old Friend Angela — are fantastic at keeping up with people. But more people are like me. I get lazy. I get busy. I get so bogged down in living life that I forget my old friends.

I'll be honest: I'm not a very nice person. I can be cold. If I don't care enough about an Old Friend, or they try my patience too hard — I'll drop them.

It's selfish, isn't it? I don't like this about me.

But that doesn't apply to some friends. I realise years after losing touch with some friends that I've done so, and I feel really, deeply sad. I want to meet up with them, do coffee, go shopping, hang out, talk about stupid little things. I want to have an awkward conversation where we move past the big things and have no small talk to fill in the gaps, the kind of conversation before you start to become real friends again.

And I'm on a mission to try to reclaim some of my Old Friends. Two, in particular.

The first is my best friend from childhood, Rachel, whose family lived overseas with my family. We were best friends — until my family moved back to New Zealand, and then we lost touch purely because I was lazy.

The other makes me really sad: my sister. I've only talked to her once this year. Life keeps getting in the way for both of us, but I don't want to let that be a reason any longer: my sister is far too important to me. I know what happens in her life, the big things, but we don't have that awesome sisterly bond any more, where we could discuss anything, where we acted stupid, where conversations ranged from the deep to the ridiculous to the awkwardly personal.

New friends are easy to make. But I want my old friends back.

Review: Play dirty (Sandra Brown)

2010-07-29T20:53:00.002+12:00

I really wasn't sure what to expect from this book. While I don't normally read crime/thriller/mystery books, I couldn't put this down.

I wasn't sucked in by the book immediately, but pretty soon I was caught up in its world, mentally begging a character not to make a move that you know he's going to make, and gradually growing to like the "good" guys and really hate the "bad" guys.

I didn't entirely accept all of the story — the romance and the villain's motivations were somewhat unbelievable — but all in all, the book was well told, with details that brought it to life and made the characters seem believable.

And while I don't usually like secrets about the main character being kept from the reader, it worked very well in this instance. This is the first book I've read by Sandra Brown, but it's clear she's a talented author who knows exactly what she's doing, and she revealed the extra clues and final story perfectly, I thought.

And there were a couple of little twists in there that I liked.

Parental warning? Not really needed. Very little description of any violence, and while there are a couple of sex scenes, they are (except for the last one) actually necessary to the story's development. Just trust me on this one.

In fact, read the book. You'll see what I mean.

Vampires suck

2010-07-27T13:04:00.013+12:00

Vampires, I think, are best to stick to the odd horror flick, although comedies with them can be pretty good as well. But romance? Doesn't do it for me. I gotta agree with these guys: I'm sick of the modern vampire-romance genre.

But today I saw this: Vampires suck. (Technically I wonder if they would suck, since they're more famous for biting, but I suppose they need to draw the blood out somehow. Yes, I know it's meant to be a pun, but it's a stupid pun and I just like these things to be accurate as well as, y'know, punny.)

I thought the trailer was awesome when I thought it was just a spoof, like the Minesweeper movie. But apparently it's going to be an actual movie, which will no doubt be terrible.

But I still like the trailer.

I'll tell you a secret

2010-07-16T21:59:00.004+12:00

I'll tell you a secret: I wish I could be Christian.

I wish I knew there was a god out there. I wish I thought there was life after death. I wish there was some cosmic plan out there, a being looking after us all, some sense of right and wrong in the world. I wish there was some hope, some eternal scheme for this world, some purpose in us all being here. I wish there really was a god who listened to me and cared about me and loved me no matter what, even if I don't feel the need for one. But it would be nice, to think there was a god like that out there. It's a nice fantasy, I think.

I'll tell you a secret: I wouldn't want to be a Christian.

I'd struggle with the restrictions, the theological contradictions, the hypocrisy of modern Christians, the corruption of the church. I'd feel guilty, because as a Christian you're more aware of "sin" you commit, and I'd worry and stress out about everything I did wrong, always feeling I didn't measure up, even though part of the point of Christianity is that you don't need to measure up. If I'm to be honest, when I was a Christian I was emotionally pretty screwed up, and I hated myself for always feeling I didn't measure up to the Bible's standards. I wouldn't want to live according to the Bible's ethics and morals instead of mine. I wouldn't know how to talk to people, whether to talk about it and be condemned by everyone as a freak and a traditional, backwards-thinking fundamentalist, or to not say anything and feel I'm betraying what I believe in.

I'll tell you a secret: I don't think I'm being contradictory. Not at all.

I'm just being human.

What are you looking forward to?

2010-07-06T10:00:00.002+12:00

I was cruising some book blogs the other day, when I came across a blog where people were invited to list the upcoming book that you were most looking forward to. Out of curiosity (and to see if I was right — I banked on Mockingjay being an easy winner), I wrote down the rough results. Besides, I figure if everyone's looking forward to Book X, as long as Book X isn't about vegetarian vampires, maybe there's something I'm missing out on that I should be checking out.

The clear winner of the event was: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. I was right! Go me. This book definitely deserves its place; it's the third in the Hunger Games trilogy, and it seems like pretty much every YA book blogger has read the first two books and can't wait for the third. I'm not quite sure what dystopian means, but I think this book is it. I do know what thrilling and fast-paced mean, and this book is those things, too.
Release date: 24 August 2010

Mockingjay had a very close runner-up: Matched by Allyson Condie. There's been a lot of hype about this book, which isn't even released till November. For one thing, it has a beautiful cover. For another thing, it has forbidden love and stretching society's rules, and that's gotta appeal to most YA readers. The plot reminds me a little of Incarceron by Catherine Fisher, which I really liked. I'm not sure how good this book will be, but I have to admit I'll probably be pre-ordering it anyway.
Release date: 30 November 2010

Beautiful darkness by Kami Garcia was third on the list, although some way behind the two top ones. I was quite surprised at this entry, since I hadn't previous heard of either the book or the author. It's a sequel to Beautiful creatures, which I also hadn't heard of — seems like I'll have to do some ferreting.
Release date: 12 October 2010

The DUFF ("designated ugly fat friend") by Kody Keplinger was, unsurprisingly, fourth on the list. I have to say, this book doesn't appeal to me at all, although it seems to rival Matched in terms of hype. While I like the attitude the book seems to have about challenging bookish heroines and cliches, I read a thoughtfully written bad review by Good Books & Good Wine, which has utterly put me off it. I didn't even enter a contest I saw to win a free copy. That's how much it turned me off.
Release date: 7 September 2010

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White was next, which I was pleasantly surprised to see. I've been reading Kiersten's blog for a while, and she seems like such a sweetie — which makes me wonder how many people have heard about the book due to her online presence. I'm definitely not saying that in a negative way: good on her for smart marketing. I can't remember offhand what the book's about, although the title hints at its theme and it has a cool cover. But as I've said, she does seem to be a sweetie, and I may well fall for the smart marketing ploy and buy it based partly on that, too.
Release date: 30 September 2010

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater was no surprise (I really need to read Shiver; I may not like vampires, but the jury's still out on werewolves); and nor was Clockwork angel by Cassandra Clare (which sounds like a good series, although I read part of the first book and it was just a bit young for me). And in the eighth and final place was Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick, which I hadn't heard of but should have, since it's the sequel to the slightly-too-popular Hush, hush. Actually, I shouldn't judge, since I haven't read Hush, hush; I'm just sick of immortal heroes being the one true destiny for high school girls. But everyone seems to like Hush, hush: maybe I should give it a chance.
Release dates: 5 July 2010 (Linger), 31 August 2010 (Clockwork angel), 14 October 2010 (Crescendo)

What do you think? Did your favourite make the list? Have you had a chance to sneak a read of any of the ARCs yet? What upcoming book are you most looking forward to?

Haiku away the blues

2010-07-02T10:00:00.003+12:00

Last Friday in the sub-editing office
It's near the end of the week. You're starting to get sick of work. You've been sub-editing trivial community story after trivial community story all week, you're sick of the inanity, and you just want your weekend. What do you do?

In the case of my esteemed colleague Tobias Brockie, you write haiku:

i wish i could stop
caring for tense and grammar
but i never will

i always think of
headlines for things that happen
to me every day

i think that's a sign
that i am dangerously
near losing my mind

...

The worst thing is that the complete lack of caps and punctuation bugs me. My fingers are itching to fix it....

House

2010-06-30T23:41:00.005+12:00

So, Dan and I bought a new house today.

It is bee-autiful. Great condition, three bedrooms, rumpus room, double garage, big lounge, big kitchen, outside deck, two separate toilets, spa bath — not bad for a first home! I know, technically Dan already owns his house so it's his second home — but it's my first. And man, I love it already.

The offer hasn't gone unconditional yet, but we've offered and they've counter-offered and we've accepted, so as long as the builder's report and LIM report don't show anything untoward, it's all go.

Settlement isn't till September, and in a way that makes me sad because, dammit, I want to move in to my beautiful new house already! But it's good really because I'm still studying until October, so until then Dan and I are a one-income couple (unless you count my student allowance, which is barely worth counting — certainly not able to maintain a mortgage).

We spent a lot more than we'd originally planned to, but I don't regret it. We were looking at another house, which could have been about $30,000 cheaper, but if we had bought it and spent $30,000 doing it up, there's still no way it would have been as nice as the house we have now.

So overall: happy. Still lots of stuff to sort out, moving to do, insurance to get, documents to check. But I have confidence it'll be fine. Now that the initial offer worry is over, I'm not concerned. September will no doubt be here before we know it, although the wait may feel interminable.

But none of that matters.

We have a new house.

In my mailbox (6)

2010-06-27T10:00:00.017+12:00

OK, I didn't actually get any books this week. Nada. Not a one.

But I did get some the previous two weeks, and didn't get around to doing an In my mailbox then... so I figured this can be a combined one.

To be fair, I'm looking forward to Moon called a lot more than the other. Strike zone looks somewhat sportsy, which is not particularly me. But it'll be good to read something outside fantasy, a genre I don't normally read, so I'm still looking forward to both. I won both these books from about happy books.

I splurged on Mistwood by debut author Leah Cypess. Normally I wait for books to come out in paperback, but this one just sounded too good. The book begins with a prince capturing the heroine; she has no memory, and gradually finds out she is a supernatural creature and shape-shifter, bound to protect the prince of the land with her life. Already finished it; while it isn't fantastic, I definitely enjoyed it, and it had a few twists.

I won a copy of Play dirty by Sandra Brown from GoodReads; and when it turned up, I found they'd also enclosed a copy of 22 Indigo Place, first published in 1986, with a very Gone-with-the-wind, Mills&Boon-type cover on the edition they sent me.

Speaking of books I wait for in paperback... I've had my eye on The season by Sarah MacLean for a while. I enjoy good Regency-era romances, but many I've seen tend to be quite vapid and — what's worse — are simply modern heroines with modern world-views being put in a world which superficially resembles the Regency era, but doesn't reflect how people then actually talked and thought and acted. How do I know what it was really like? I time-travelled, of course.

Another one I waited for in paperback! I'm a little dubious about Unseen academicals, because it's meant to be about football or something. On the other hand, it's still Terry Pratchett, and his Discworld books are consistently funny, good-quality books (except for Monstrous regiment, which was just embarrassingly bad).

All in all, a good haul of books. I'm never going to get through all these books I keep buying....

In my mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren.

Guess what I found at the gym

2010-06-25T23:09:00.001+12:00

I was at the gym a couple of days ago, doing a cable lat pulldown, when I rested my head briefly against my left arm and... you'll never guess what I felt. Muscle! Hard, flexed muscle!

It's like going to the gym pays off. No, that can't be right.

So I tried it again, with my right arm and you'll never guess what I felt.

Soft, flabby, fatty arm.

Wait, that didn't seem right.

Oh, maybe I should have flexed my right arm. Flexed it... and... muscle!

I have muscles! I'm already in the healthy range for my weight, so losing weight has never been my goal at the gym; I just want to get healthy, get fit, and maybe get a little toned as a nice side-result.

And, y'know, I look at my arms in the big wall mirror at the gym as I'm lifting weights, and I can definitely see my tiny little muscles straining out of my skinny little arms. I'm not anyone's strongwoman, but hey, I'm better than I used to be.

And even better, after starting to do crunches recently (I upped the weights this whole week, and from Tuesday on, my stomach has hurt every time I cough or laugh), Dan now reckons I have abs. Or at least, the beginning of ab definition.

It's nice when you've been going to the gym for a few months, to see some results. It makes me wish I'd started to do crunches earlier!

But lately, I'd started to get pretty slack with going to the gym... this just energises me all over again.

Muscles! Abs! Definition! It's such a good feeling.

The voyage of the Dawn Treader

2010-06-24T23:04:00.002+12:00

Liked the first movie, although I didn't like a couple of liberties they took with the plot (yeah, I'm a purist); but have been looking forward to the next one since I saw The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

Loving the look of this. I don't go much to the movies these days, but I'll make an exception for this one!

An awesome day

2010-06-06T21:05:00.002+12:00

10am this morning:

8pm this evening:

Ye gods it's good having a new kitchen/oven/sink/cupboards/bench.

Dan did so much work today. There is no other word for it: he is Awesome.

I mean, really. Look at that new kitchen. Ee!

In my mailbox (5)

2010-05-30T15:35:00.017+12:00

Wow, I don't think I've ever got this many books in a week before! It's so exciting for me. At the moment, life is busy enough that I'm barely getting through one book a week, so these should keep me busy for a while.

(My theme for this week's In my mailbox: how many times can I use "presumably" and "apparently"? Apparently (ha!), far, far too much.)

Goodreads summary: Once upon a time, a fairy is born. She lives in an old oak tree at the bottom of a garden with the rest of the fairy folk. Never has she known a time when life hasn't been hard, with many dangers and much adversity. But when she becomes the Hunter of the group and learns to do battle in the outside world, her adventures really take off.

Read an excerpt of Knife at Amazon.com.

Goodreads summary: In nineteenth-century England, a powerful sorcerer and King of the Goblins chooses Kate, the elder of two orphan girls recently arrived at their ancestral home, Hallow Hill, to be his bride and queen.

Read an excerpt from author Clare B Dunkle's website or at Amazon.com.

I won One for the money from Geeky Blogger's Book Blog.

From GoodReads: Stephanie Plum's Miata has been repossessed and she's so poor that she just drank her last bottle of beer for breakfast. Her only chance out of her rut is her repugnant cousin Vinnie and his bail-bond business. She's blackmailed Vinnie into giving her a bail-bond recovery job worth $10,000 (for a murder suspect), even though she doesn't own a gun and has never apprehended a person in her life. And the guy she has to get, Joe Morelli, is the same creep who charmed away her teenage virginity behind the pastry case in the Trenton bakery where she worked after school.

Incarceron sounds really interesting — and unusual — to me. It's a fantasy book about a guy who lives in a prison that was sealed up centuries — so everyone living there now is descended from those long-dead criminals. The book's also about a girl Outside the prison (presumably a spoilt little rich girl who feels imprisoned in her society of finery). (Presumably the guy escapes and falls in love with the girl.) (Presumably it's the first book in a trilogy.) But sounds an interesting premise for a book.

I feel a little guilty about this one! I won Monsters of men from Good Golly Miss Holly, and apparently it's the third in a trilogy. So I figure I'd better order the first two books in the series so I know what I'm reading about in this one!

The cover, by the way, is much more awesome than it looks from the picture - the dust jacket is clear and has a bunch of pictures on it that complete the hardcover's picture underneath.

Books 2 and 3 in Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel series. At first I wasn't sure I'd like Kushiel's dart, the first one in the series, but it definitely grew on me. I also love that on the cover of Kushiel's chosen you can see Phèdre's full marque (the tattoo down her back that was completed when she finished her apprenticeship and became free).

I won The personal shopper from Lynette's Two Cents. I really like Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series, and these look pretty similar — light-hearted chick lit with insane shopping sprees. It's all about living vicariously!

I pre-ordered The demon's covenant by Sarah Rees Brennan a while ago — the sequel to The demon's lexicon, it moves on from Nick's point of view to pink-haired Mae's. Apparently, this book is about Mae trying to convince Alan and Nick to help her brother out.

Wait... wasn't that the plot of the first one?

In my mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren.

Thought blogging

2010-05-25T19:53:00.017+12:00

I don't thought-blog any more.

Sure, I talk about books, and do the occasional review, or make some comment about some event that's happened in my life; but I don't tend to talk about my thoughts — except for the occasional rant about Christianity.

It's not that I don't think about issues any more; it's not that my life is perfect. It's not that I have any other outlet for discussing deeper issues.

At university, I tend to be quiet; I'm generally content to listen to other people. And my friends and family and I discuss events in life, not things we think about life.

As far as this blog goes, the only people that generally read it are those interested in the book side, not the personal side; my friends tend to rely more on Facebook for my "updates", and I'm disinclined to sum up my musings on life in such a short and public space.

I know a blog is more public in that anyone can read it; but it's less public in that most people won't care enough to.

I think one reason I stopped blogging is that I'm now happy. I'm in a good relationship, I'm heading for a future I want, and I like the person I am.

But I've been feeling a little lonely lately. It's not for lack of friends or people to talk to; it's just that I don't have a friend I can sit down and talk with for hours about random theoretical rubbish that will never matter.

I might start to write down my feelings and thoughts here again. I don't want or expect an audience for my thoughts, but it's nice to be able to express them somewhere.

So while this blog will remain book-focussed, there might be a bit more of me in it, too.

In my mailbox (4)

2010-05-24T10:00:00.006+12:00

Books! I have new books! And so, time for another round of In my mailbox, hosted by The Story Siren.

I actually received The red tent by Anita Diamant last week, but didn't end up doing an "In my mailbox" last week — so figured I'd add it to this week's stash, with a thanks to Helen at Helen's Book Blog, whom I won it off!

I don't know a lot about what the book's about, but apparently it's a re-telling of Dinah, one of Jacob's daughters from the Bible. Never heard of Dinah before — don't even know if she actually existed — but that background on its own makes me want to read the book!

(I'm not sure what the title refers to, but my money's going on whatever the woman on the cover is wearing.)

I read this book years ago, along with a lot of George MacDonald's books. I loved them then for their fairytale qualities (and ignored their blatant overmoralising). I loved his books like A light princess (about a princess who is always happy and laughing, never cries, and weighs nothing, and her kingdom is in great peril as the lake begins to drain away to nothing. Those things may not sound related, but I think they are in the book. My summary makes it sound weird, but it was an awesome book) and of course this one, The day boy and the night girl, about a girl who's never seen light (literally) and a boy who's only ever seen the day. And, of course, about how the two meet and fall in love.... I don't remember anything else about the book other than those bare basics, so I'm looking forward to rediscovering the book!

My brother sent me a copy of The princess and the goblin for my birthday! (I may have dropped a hint that I was rediscovering George MacDonald.) This is a story about young Princess Irene, who discovers a secret stair to the top turret of her castle which, according to the back cover of the book, leads to a wonderful revelation. I have no idea what the revelation is, although I read and re-read this book many times about ten years ago. I do remember a miner's son called Curdie who saves Irene from goblins, who I think kidnap Irene to marry their king, or something of the sort.

George MacDonald was one of the granddaddies of fantasy, and influenced J R R Tolkein, C S Lewis, Madeleine L'Engle and G K Chesterton (according to wikipedia).

An anthology! I haven't actually bought one before. But I saw Elemental advertised on author Juliet Marillier's website, and learned that she and several other fantasy authors have all contributed stories to the anthology. Best of all, proceeds from the book go toward the Save the Children Fund — when the book originally came out in 2006 the proceeds all went to helping people in the aftermath of the Christmas Day Tsunami, which is such a good cause. And as I say, I haven't bought an anthology before — I don't generally read a lot of short stories, but why limit yourself? I'm looking forward to discovering a few new authors in this book.

Authors who have written stories for the book: Brian Aldiss, Jacqueline Carey, William C Dietz, David Drake, Lynn Flewelling, Esther M Friesner, David Gerrold, Joe Haldeman, Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Sherrilyn Kenyon writing as Kinley MacGregor, Tim Lebbon, Juliet Marillier, Syne Mitchell, Larry Niven, Eric Nylund, Stel Pavlou, Adam Roberts, Sharon Shinn, Michael Marshall Smith, Martha Wells, Sean Williams and Shane Dix, and Janny Wurts.

Review: What my mother doesn't know (Sonya Sones)

2010-05-21T16:32:00.008+12:00

So I thought about writing this review in verse, but... I couldn't even get past the first two lines, so wisely decided against it.

What my mother doesn't know by Sonya Sones is a YA book written entirely in verse, so I really wasn't sure what to expect from it. But it's good: light, but nice. I read it in just over an hour, I think.

Since it's written all in poem form, it has lots of cute quotables.

On having a crush on a guy she's chatting to online: If I could marry a font / I'd marry his.

On being in love in high school:

I wish I could drink a magic potion and
shrink way down till I was small
enough to fit right into his
shirt pocket and live
there tucked near to
his heart listening
to it beating in
rhythm with
mine every
minute of
every
day

And sometimes a few words can contain heartbreak in them, as you realise your perfect relationship's dying: Way back in the beginning of September / when I wasn't even sure yet / if he liked me, / I used to imagine what I'd do / if Dylan told me he loved me. / In my fantasy I'd just throw back my head / with a triumphant sexy laugh, / and then / he'd rake his fingers through my hair / and kiss me hard on the mouth. / But tonight / when he finally said the magic words, / I didn't laugh and he didn't kiss me. / He just peered at me with this worried look / and I suddenly felt like crying.

Because it's all in verse, it's all read very quickly; but you skip over the meaningless stuff, you cut to the real parts of life as a teen, the arguments at home, having fun with your best friends, your crushes, your fantasies, that dress your mum made you wear....

It's like reading snapshots of a person's life, and they can be silly and trivial and funny or deep and sad or anything in between.

I won this from Natalie at This Purple Crayon in her "Unsung YA" giveaway, and to be honest I had some doubts about whether it would be any good.

But it was.

Yes, it's quick to read; it gives the feeling of being a "light" read, because you get through it all so quickly. But it's still deep, and still emotional. It's a very different book — in a good way.

Review: The poison throne (Celine Kiernan)

2010-05-18T22:47:00.015+12:00

It's a sad fact that when you're really looking forward to a book, it'll probably disappoint.

This was the case with The poison throne by Celine Kiernan; while I hadn't heard much about it, I liked the excerpt I'd read, so decided to give it a try.

From GoodReads: 15-year-old Wynter Moorehawke returns home after a five-year sojourn in the bleak Northlands. All has changed in her absence. Wynter is forced to make a terrible choice: stay and bow to the King's will, or abandon her ailing father and join her friend Razi and the mysterious Christopher Garron in their efforts to restore the fragile kingdom to its former stability. But this changed kingdom is a dangerous place, where all resistance is brutally suppressed and the trio constantly risk assassination, torture or imprisonment.

First, I love the cover. It evokes a kick-ass heroine, striding off with her sword to conquer or save the day or whatever she needs to do. And while the blurb sounded a tad cheesy, the pages I read were good.

Unfortunately (plot spoiler!), nothing really happens in the book. Wynter arrives at the fortress with her father on page one; she then hangs out, meets a guy, does some work, and leaves in the last chapter.

Don't get me wrong, there's certainly suspense in the book. There's torture, and death, and secret plots, and treason, and mystery. But nothing really changes. Character A is tortured, and is unhappy and beaten up aftewards, but nothing's changed. Character B is forced to betray his best friend, and is unhappy about it, but nothing changes. For a lot of the book, the characters are holed up in their bedrooms, communicating via a secret passageway between the rooms; and to me, that's just not interesting.

I liked Wynter, the main character; I liked her father; I liked her friend; I liked the conflict presented in the book. I loved the concept of the talking cats and ghosts; I liked the whole concept of the book. But somehow in delivery it didn't quite make it.

A few things bothered me. The relationship between Wynter and her love interest seems to go from blind, distrustful hatred on first meeting to absolute trust and friendship, very quickly — not buying it.

Another sudden about-face was the previously awesome king (a) turned into a tyrant very quickly for no discernible reason and (b) isn't particularly tyrannical for a tyrant. Those may sound like contradictory problems. But as far as (a) goes, the characters keep talking about these harsh laws and terrible things the king is doing; but when you meet him, he doesn't seem evil at all. But nor does he seem like a genuinely confused man doing bad things for a good reason, which I assume is what the author wants us to feel. Again — not buying it.

It's possible a couple of unexplained things, like the king's sudden about-face, are explained in the next two books. But for me, while I don't mind waiting till the end of one book to find out whodunnit — while I don't even mind waiting till the end of a trilogy to find out what the mysterious Machine behind it all is — I do need some small mysteries explained, like the king, to help me understand the characters. Because if I can't believe in the characters, I'm not going to buy the next book.

It also seemed to me as though the author's a little idealistic in terms of who she wanted her character to be. She makes a point of saying how Wynter's grown up in court, how she knows how to lie and, essentially, talk pretty. But throughout the book, Wynter seems to be a terrible liar, disobeys an almost direct order from the king (who pretends not to notice her disobedience — terrible tyrant. I would make a much better tyrant, they should cast me as the evil king instead), and is basically as undiplomatic as possible. I cringed at times. I have to say, I like a bit of deception in my fictional heroines, a little bit of knowing when to lie and when to play nice, a little bit of turning situations to your own advantage, a little bit of playing the game. I certainly don't expect a heroine to be like that — but when she advertises her own deceit and then shows none whatsoever, I'm not impressed.

I don't know if it comes through, but I didn't hate this book by any means. It was fine. I liked the characters, I thought the concept was really good, and I'm mildly interested to find out what happens in the end. But the unresolved character mysteries and lack of action just spoiled the book for me, and I won't be buying the other two books in the trilogy.

Other reviews: Angieville, Graeme's fantasy book review, my fluttering heart, Persnickety Snark, The Speculative Scotsman, Valentina's room

In my mailbox (3)

2010-05-02T10:00:00.007+12:00

Just two books this week (it's like I'm a student on a budget, or something), but looking forward to both of these!

I won What my mother doesn't know in a contest held by Natalie at This Purple Crayon. It's told from the perspective of 14-year-old Sophie — and it's all in verse. Wow. I wasn't sure what it would be like, but having had a quick look at some of the pages so far, it looks really interesting and funny — I'll try and write a review of it once I've read it!
Read some excerpted poems from What my mother doesn't know.

GoodReads summary: 15-year-old Wynter Moorehawke returns home after a five-year sojourn in the bleak Northlands. All has changed in her absence. Wynter is forced to make a terrible choice: stay and bow to the King's will, or abandon her ailing father and join her friend Razi and the mysterious Christopher Garron in their efforts to restore the fragile kingdom to its former stability. But this changed kingdom is a dangerous place, where all resistance is brutally suppressed and the trio constantly risk assassination, torture or imprisonment.
Read an excerpt from The Poison Throne by Celine Kiernan.

In my mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren.

Girls like funny boys (Dave Franklin)

2010-04-06T22:57:00.002+12:00

I didn't even want to finish this book. Johnny starts the book as an immature, sex-obsessed guy - but he is a teenager, so his character didn't worry me too much. The descriptions of his sexual fantasies, exploits and so on, seemed utterly unnecessary to me - reading it felt awkward, like I was reading an adult author's fantasies on paper rather than scenes in an imaginary character's life.

The book moves on past Johnny's awkward youth, and the rest of the book is honestly a lot better.

Johnny becomes an even more dislikeable person, though. While he was young, his self-centredness and awkwardness seemed plausible; once he was a man verging on his forties, I found Johnny's cowardice contemptible - any sympathy I had for the teenage Johnny's issues immediately disappeared, especially when the nearly-forty-year-old man starts fantasising, again, about 17-year-olds. But it's a lot less cool when the character isn't 17 himself any more.

As a woman in her mid-twenties, I'm probably the wrong demographic for this book. It disgusted me instead of intriguing me, and I got bored where I was probably meant to feel suspense. I'm not sure what the right demographic would be - possibly a single man who has wasted his life to date and wants to read about a peer.

I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone, though. The main character is utterly unlikeable, and the book was wholly depressing.

*Disclaimer: I received this copy for review via Good Reads, so if I seem too overtly positive about this book, that'll be why.

Another award for Heather Kavan

2010-03-04T23:00:00.000+13:00

Let's take one moment to acknowledge the success of a very good teacher and an extremely kind person: my former lecturer, Heather Kavan, has won yet another award, this one for speech-writing.

Heather is a very talented and intelligent lecturer, and one of the kindest and most helpful teachers I've had. Her specialty is speech-writing, and I've heard many students rave about her speech-writing class; I haven't taken that one, but I took one other class of hers, and it set me on the career path I'm on now. I can say, without any hyperbole, that without that paper, I would never have thought of choosing this career path, and I'm already so glad I have. Without it I'd no doubt still be drifting, unsure of what I really wanted to do, wanting to use my "skills" and degree in some nebulous way, and increasingly frustrated at my inability to find a practical career that I really think I'll be great at.

So thanks so much, Heather, and congratulations on yet another well-deserved award.

So far, so good

2010-03-03T21:16:00.016+13:00

Sometimes so much happens that you don't write about it.

I've moved away from home — my home with Dan. I'm in Wellington now, doing a one-year diploma. We visit each other on the weekends, and we talk on the phone. But I'm used to him always being around. I miss him.

My dad's moved overseas again: another teaching job in another off-the-beaten-track country. I dropped him off at the airport at 4am this morning, and I hope to soon hear that he's arrived there safe and sound — although I don't think he's even meant to get there till late tomorrow night. Going to the other side of the world takes a while. I do worry about him. I know he's a grown man, but he isn't exactly going to the friendliest country around.

I don't know if I mentioned this on my blog, but I got that internship I wanted. This means that I have an employer who'll give me work over the holidays, and to whom I'll be bonded for two years once I've completed my Diploma. They'll also pay for my course fees once I've completed it.

I haven't mentioned the internship to anyone in my class, since quite a few of them unsuccessfully applied for it. Rather than taking twelve interns this year country-wide, they only accepted seven* — take that how you will.

About seventy people were interviewed for the course, so it's nice to be one of the elite twenty-ish that got in, and a bit surprising to be one of the two* who got an internship. Seeing the high grade of the other students, it's a bit humbling, and I honestly wonder if my employer made a mistake in choosing me when there are so many others of such a high calibre. But I'm gonna do my damnedest to exceed their expectations, to ace this course.

Knowing how many people believe in you gives you new faith in yourself; new determination to exceed people's expectations. I've started to feel like I haven't been living up to my potential, and I want to begin doing so.

* To clarify: seven interns were chosen nationwide to do five or six different courses. I and one other person were chosen as interns in my particular course.

Flowers

2010-01-19T22:57:00.002+13:00

Tonight was my final meeting at the committee of a local charity, where I've been secretary for a little while. I resigned late last year, once I found out I got my internship, and it was good to hand over the position to someone else today. There were nice comments about big shoes to fill, and a card that people signed for me with little messages — and they gave me flowers! I've been on this board for several years, and I don't remember anyone else ever being given flowers, so it felt like a really big deal to me. I was so touched — it was just such a nice gesture.

Totally made my day. Flowers!

Hairspray

2010-01-16T23:59:00.002+13:00

I have a confession to make.

I watched Hairspray today, and while I didn't love it, I did fall a teeny bit in love with the character played by... wait for it... Zac Efron.

It's not Efron himself. I've watching all three High school musicals (come on, the movies were cheesy but they were cute), and most of 17 again, and... well, he's a cute kid.

I think it was more the situation. The main character, Tracy Turnblad (poor girl never stood a chance), is plump, and therefore something of a social outcast. She's always had a huge crush on Efron's character, Link Larkin (I want to know who made up these characters' names — Tracy's best friend is Penny Pingleton), and when one day he brushes up against her accidentally and actually looks and smiles at her, her cup is full to overflowing.

I remember so well being that girl in high school. Rather than being plump, I was all skinny and pimply and knobbly-kneed, but I can remember feeling so unattractive and when my huge crush at the time not only smiled at me but tackled me (for no particular reason) in a field... I was just so happy. So full of joy. So happy I can't describe it.

I guess watching the romance between Link and Tracy just brought me back to that feeling. I never ended up going out with my Link, but I love the character just a little bit for being that boy that gave a girl that same joyful feeling. It doesn't matter that he never knew — but he paid her attention and he smiled at her. He was kind to someone who knew she wasn't seen as attractive; he made her feel special. And for that, I fell a teeny bit in love with him.

(OK, spying on him in the men's toilets is somewhat creepy. But I like the first couple minutes of the song.)

New author challenge 2010

2010-01-13T10:00:00.039+13:00

Because I don't have enough challenges already, I decided on one more: The new author challenge (2010).

The rules, in brief, are as follows:

1. Between 1 Jan 2010 and 31 Dec 2010, read works by a certain number of new authors.

2. You can choose to read 15, 25 or 50 new authors.

3. A maximum of a third of the new authors can be from anthologies.

I'm going to aim for 25 new authors this year — and if I can get to 25 by August (or thereabouts) I might aim for 50 for the whole year. We'll see. (Update on 11 August: OK, I hit 26! I'm going for 50.)

The name of the wind by Patrick Rothfuss*
The hunger games by Suzanne Collins*
Poison study by Maria V Snyder*
The final empire by Brandon Sanderson
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
Ash by Malinda Lo
The thief by Megan Whalen Turner
Girls like funny boys by Dave Franklin†
Sasha by Joel Shepherd
Mystic and rider by Sharon Shinn
Mira, mirror by Mette Ivie Harrison
Kushiel's dart by Jacqueline Carey
What my mother doesn't know by Sonya Sones
The poison throne by Celine Kiernan
The blue by Mary McCallum
Knife by R J Anderson
The hollow kingdom by Clare B Dunkle
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher*
Girls in trucks by Katie Crouch
Kitty by Deborah Challinor
Mistwood by Leah Cypess
Soulless by Gail Carriger
Play dirty by Sandra Brown
Crossing over by Anna Kendall
Tsunami blue by Gayle Ann Williams
The maze runner by James Dashner
Mansfield by C K Stead
My way to hell by Dakota Cassidy
Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones
The personal shopper by Carmen Reid
Stillwater Creek by Alison Booth
Candor by Pam Bachorz
Another Faust by Daniel and Dina Nayeri
Cecelia Holland in The dragon book anthology
Homeland by Clare Francis
The chocolate run by Dorothy Koomson

* Great author — would highly recommend.
† Would not recommend this author.

Review: Wildwood dancing (Juliet Marillier)

2010-01-11T10:00:00.003+13:00

Whoa, found this mini-review I wrote back on 10th October... not sure why I never published it, but here it is now, anyway!

Loved this book. I think this is Juliet Marillier's first Young Adult book, so I wasn't sure I'd like it, at first. I was even less sure when I found out the characters live in Transylvania, in a place called Piscul Dracului. (I'm so sick of vampires.)

But I loved this book. Juliet Marillier is already my favourite author, but I noticed some differences between this YA book and her adult books: it's much shorter, for one. I wanted the book to last longer, just because I was enjoying the characters so much. The romance is very sweet, as well, even if it's not exactly difficult to guess who the heroine ends up with, and even if the hero was a tad passive for my taste.

It isn't my favourite Juliet Marillier book; but I really enjoyed both the plot and the characters, and as I say — my main problem was that it ended too soon.

I'd recommend this book to any YA readers, as well as any women just looking for a good read.

...And then move on to everything else Juliet Marillier has written.

RIP Marion Ellis

2010-01-06T22:07:00.004+13:00

When someone dies, all you want to do is honour their memory, and yet the last thing you want to do is write about them.

Rest in peace, Marion. You were a beautiful, strong, intelligent woman, and your death will be mourned by all who knew you.

I'm glad we visited her in December. We knew then it couldn't be much longer. It was just over two weeks ago.

I'd wanted to visit since we first heard she had pancreatic cancer, in August 2008. I should have gone sooner. I'm glad I went in the end.

My thoughts and sympathies are with her family — they've lost an amazing person.

Review: The ice child (Elizabeth McGregor)

2010-01-04T21:34:00.016+13:00

Jo Harper, a successful young journalist, has only her adored two-year-old son, Sam, to remind her of her late partner. When Sam falls ill, there is only one silm hope — that his half-brother may hold the key to his survival. But his half-brother has disappeared...[having] set out alone against impossible odds...to uncover the last traces of the Franklin expedition, which vanished in the Arctic in 1847 while searching for the North-west Passage.

Thus reads the blurb of The ice child, plus a little bit that I haven't printed here as I think it spoils the plot too much. Honestly, even the above blurb spoils the plot, because for the first half of the book Jo doesn't have a late partner, let alone a two-year-old son.

I found the narrative style of this book unusual, as it follows three main plot arcs. There's a mother polar bear with her cub; a based-on-the-true-story Franklin expedition (which I found incredibly sad because you're told, before you even get introduced to the characters, that they all die); and Jo Harper, main character and mother-to-be of dying child.

I didn't like the book initially, which becomes, at times, bogged down in details to the point of boring me; I skim-read a fair few sections at the beginning.

Author Elizabeth McGregor's casual narrative approach to timelines completely confused me at times. On one page, we're told that Jo enjoys her garden; then we're taken back to when her son was born; then we're shown her cutting grass at eight months pregnant; and in the next sentence the author describes a scene where Jo sits with her son in her arms. Seriously, what? There was no transition at all between any of the timeline-hopping; I had to re-read that page twice.

But after the first half of the novel, I became a lot more drawn in. I found the part showing the Franklin expedition both fascinating and thoroughly depressing. I wasn't enthralled with all of the characters, and found some (modern-day) characters' behaviours to be utterly unlikely; but the Franklin expedition was much more moving, much sadder, much more heroic and human and ultimately futile.

That isn't to say that the modern-day story wasn't touching; it was, and I couldn't put the book down towards the end for wanting to know whether the little boy survived (it's not the kind of book that guarantees any happy endings); but since the Franklin storyline showed real characters and what happened to them (to some degree), I found it so much more moving.

I can't say I enjoyed this book, in the end. Not because it was bad; because I just found it all so depressing. I think the depression was intensified by having three (or, at the end, four) interwoven storylines, none of which showed any sign of having a happy ending.

All in all, while it was difficult to get into, I'm glad I read this book. The author's note at the end added some more interesting details about the Franklin expedition, and highlighted some of the true and some of the fictional elements of her plot; and while I found the modern-day story less realistic, both storylines were still absorbing. But don't read this book if you're having a bad day; I don't think it'll help.

Looking back on 2009, and forward to the rest of my life

2010-01-01T12:29:00.004+13:00

So, it's that time of year again.

As I try to think of New Year's Resolutions to make, really all I think of is how lucky I am. I have a wonderful boyfriend, I'm starting a job in my dream career, I'm moving to a city I love, and I and all my family are healthy.

The saddest thing that's happened to me last year was my beautiful cat Mitsi dying, which I'm still so sad about — she was only one and a half, and was the most affectionate, cute, obedient little cat.

The best thing that happened to me, no question, was me getting my internship. It still seems unreal, but I can't wait to move to Wellington and start studying! While I'm a little nervous about the study — some of it sounds pretty full-on, and I have very little idea of what to expect — I can't wait to start the job itself. (Quick run-down: they're paying for me to get my graduate diploma, which is one year's study, while working for them during semester breaks. Once I've got the diploma, I'm bonded to them for two years. A minimum of two years in my dream job? I'm OK with that!)

The best new book I've read this year would have to be either Graceling by Kristin Cashore, or Wildwood dancing or Cybele's secret by Juliet Marillier. Two very talented authors there. None were actually 2009 releases, but still the best new books I read this year. I'm still looking forward to reading several 2009 releases, though, such as Magpie Hall by NZ author Rachael King, Cleopatra's daughter by Michelle Moran, Ash by Malinda Lo, and Rampant by Diana Peterfreund.

Inevitably, at the end of a year, regardless of whether or not you "do" New Year's resolutions, you look back at what this year has been, and look forward to the potential of next year.

This year hasn't been what I'd expected or hoped it to be. But with getting my internship, I think next year — and following years — will be so much better. While I didn't accomplish what I'd hoped to, this year — earning lots of money — my feet are now set firmly on the track I want them to be on. And in all ways, as I look forward to what my future's likely to be — I feel so lucky, and I just can't wait.

Review: Ice (Sarah Beth Durst)

2009-12-28T15:30:00.034+13:00

I was really looking forward to this book, but it was a big disappointment.

I wondered afterwards if I would have liked the book more if I hadn't had such high expectations: but regardless of my expectations, I think I'd have been disappointed.

The plot promised on the back of the book, which sounded so interesting to me, isn't quite accurate.

When Cassie was little, her grandmother told her stories about the Arctic... about frost and snow, and a beautiful castle made of ice, and about her mother, who made a deal with the Polar Bear King. But Cassie is older now and has no time for fairytales and talking animals, or lies about her dead mother.

But when Cassie comes face to face with a mysterious polar bear, one that defies all scientific fact or knowledge, she begins to realise that the fairytales could actually be true. Discovering that her mother might still be alive, Cassie makes her own deal with the Polar Bear King, embarking on a dangerous journey to save her. But the deal comes with consequences she never bargained for, and before her journey's end, Cassie will discover the true meaning of family, and of loss and love.

Fact: Cassie doesn't embark on a journey, dangerous or otherwise, to save her mother. She makes a deal with the Polar Bear King to save her mother, but does nothing other than that. She embarks on a journey, sure, but it has nothing to do with her mother.

I felt no affection for the hero of this piece: he seemed stupid, irresponsible and presumptive, and the romance part of the story was actually very boring. I felt a little more affection for Cassie, but I didn't understand how she could be so content and passive, in the first part of the book. Also boring.

Durst can write. I follow and enjoy her blog, and I definitely enjoy her retold fairytales on her blog. But I really think here that part of the problem was her plot; as per below, it was too problematic to work properly as a romance.

I think the most irritating thing for me, though, was that the solution to the characters' core problem was so obvious. Not to the reader — to the characters. I don't know how the only character to figure it out was Cassie.

I feel sad writing this about the book. I really wanted to enjoy it; I liked the fairytale it was based on. Durst seems like a really nice person, and I've heard of many positive reviews of the book. And I certainly didn't hate it; it wasn't terrible. Maybe I'm too old for the teen audience it's aimed at, because to me it was just... OK.

SPOILER SECTION

While still trying not to spoil too much of the book, if you know the polar bear king fairytale before you read this book (which I did), then this won't be much of a spoiler anyway. But I think Durst's main problem here was with her plot, which meant Cassie had to be in love with the Polar Bear King before she could go off to rescue him. This meant that her falling in love with him had to be done quite quickly, page-wise; which meant that I, the reader, never fell in love with him. I think it's important, in a romance, for your reader fall in love with your hero (not for themselves, but on the heroine's behalf); otherwise the reader won't feel any empathy for their situation, won't root for the heroine to fight through and win.

Well, I found the hero irritating and didn't understand the heroine's love for him; and I didn't feel any empathy for their quandary at all.

Other reviews: Ink and Paper review, the epic rat, Angieville

Eleven words

2009-11-02T22:56:00.006+13:00

I've been gone from my blog for weeks now, which is nearly unheard of. I've been snowed under with stressors and various commitments lately, and unfortunately that means I've let other parts of life — reading, writing, and blogging — slip.

Writing? Ah yes. It's November: the month of NaNoWriMo. I have, to date, written a total of eleven words. They are not well-written words.

Why yes, I do plan to write 100,000 words again this year.

Why no, I don't yet really know what I'll be writing about. But in time-honoured tradition, I've decided to write a sequel to last year's NaNoWriMo. I have a vague idea for this (The sequel's heroine hates the first novel's anti-hero and plans to overthrow or otherwise dispose of him).

The cool thing about this year is that CreateSpace are generously offering a free proof copy to winners again. As I wasn't organised enough to order a copy of last year's novel, this will give me an opportunity to publish both book and sequel in one volume! Sadly, this means the sequel needs to be as good as the first book. Sure, this isn't a high standard, but last year's book was the best one I've written. This year's....

I really need to get beyond the first eleven words.

In my mailbox (2)

2009-10-18T15:34:00.002+13:00

Another week with my mailbox full of books: good times. Hence, time for another episode of In my mailbox! (Cue theme music.) These books are all pretty recent releases, too, which will help me towards completing my Countdown Challenge.

I know very little about Rooftops of Tehran, but it's about "growing up in an Iran headed toward revolution". Really, what else do you need? It sounds fascinating.

I won this book courtesy of a competition at Savvy Verse and Wit

I won The sister, a debut novel by Poppy Adams, in a competition at Need more bookshelves.

The story follows Ginny, a woman living in her childhood home, a sprawling Victorian house, whose life centres around her moths and the "ghosts of her past". But when her sister Vivien returns to their home, "dark, unspoken secrets rise, disrupting Ginny's ordered life and threatening the family's fragile peace....This [is] a disquieting story of two sisters and the ties that bind — sometimes a little too tightly." (Summary adapted from the backcover copy)

I won Comfort food by Kate Jacobs, from Need more bookshelves as well! This is another story about a woman teetering on middle age. Gus, the host of a TV cooking show, is struggling not only with the big "Five-Oh" approaching, but with being forced to work with a beautiful bee-yatch to boost ratings; with two demanding daughters at home; and with, of course, some attractive man. (I'm going to assume Gus is single. But of course, heroines always are. Why aren't there ever any heroines who start and end books in a happy, stable relationship, and who just have other issues in their lives?) (Even in the Shopaholic series, once the heroine gets together with her man, their relationship is threatened in every single book. It gets old fast.)

Pretties is the second book in the Uglies series. Basically, I read Uglies on Sunday, and ordered the next two books in the series on Monday. I got this on Wednesday, and finished it at lunch-time the next day. Review to follow.

I started Specials — the third book in the Uglies series — as soon as I got home from work on Thursday, and finished it before 8pm that night. It's not that skinny a book, so I was slightly surprised at how little time it took me to read it. Again: review to follow. These two books weren't as good as Uglies, though. (But if you read Uglies, you're probably going to have to read the other two anyway, just to find out what happens. Just warnin' ya.)

(Note: comments disallowed due to lots of spam on this blog post. Sorry!)

The reader's trust

2009-10-17T10:38:00.009+13:00

In writing classes, I've been taught about the level of trust between a reader and an author. The author makes a contract of sorts with the reader; that is, the reader trusts that the information the author gives them is true, that the author won't deceive them. Obviously, in a novel, the story told won't be true; but it will be true within the story, if that makes sense.

Take Jodi Picoult. She's an excellent and a talented writer; but she changes the story in the last chapter of every one of her books, turning each story on its head with a surprise "twist" at the end. To me, that feels like she betrayed my trust in her: I stopped reading her books, because what's the point in getting emotionally invested in a story that you know will all change in the last chapter? You can't go the whole way through a book claiming that X is true, and in the last chapter find out that X is all lies (unless it's a mystery/detective/thriller).

I think cliffhangers betray a reader's trust as well. I like books to be standalone books, regardless of whether they're part of a series. I like to be able to read a book in a series, and not need to get the next one to find out how the hero/heroine gets themselves out of the predicament that arose at the end of the book.

Take Juliet Marillier. She's my favourite author, and combines well-researched historical settings with great fantasy details, stirring romances and characters that pull at my heart-strings. I buy every book she's released — I even pre-ordered her most recent release, a first for me.

Juliet Marillier writes a lot of series.

But her books are complete in and of themselves.

When an author ends on a cliffhanger, to me it feels like they're trying to blackmail me into reading the next book. You care about this character now, don't you? Well, look what's happened! Mwaahahahahaa! Now you must read the next book, or you'll never know!

I buy Juliet Marillier's books, not because she blackmails me into feeling I "need" to find out what happens next, but because I love the richness of her writing, her characters, her worlds.

If a book ends on a cliffhanger, I might buy the next one in the series. I might read until the series ends. But I'll have a grudge against that author, and it's less likely I'll buy anything else they've written, because I don't want to be blackmailed again.

Does anyone else ever feel like this?

Another stage to go!

2009-10-15T21:28:00.012+13:00

I felt relieved after my interview for the journalism internship. It hadn't gone perfectly, and I'd stuffed up a few questions; but it was over. I could no longer do anything to change the outcome: all I had to do was wait.

Waiting for a call that will come "in a week or so" is much more nerve-wracking than internship test results that will "take five or more weeks".

But I'd passed the application stage; I'd passed the general knowledge test; now all I had to do was hear back from the interview, and I'd know.

Apparently not.

My ideal job would be as a sub-editor, and this came up during the interview. They asked if I'd prefer to do that than be a journalist. I want to be honest, so I said yes.

I know, cringeworthy.

And they rang me on Tuesday: They don't want me as a journalist.

But would I be interested in an internship as a sub-editor?

...

Why yes, yes I would.

I don't have the internship. Not yet. But now there's another — hopefully final — stage to go through. A "casual" meet-and-greet with my potential boss, this weekend.

I'm nervous, for so many reasons. If I get this, the whole direction of my life could be changed — potentially in both good and bad ways.

But wow I hope I get it.

Review: The curious case of Benjamin Button

2009-10-12T10:00:00.006+13:00

This review's short, because the book is.

I was disappointed in The curious case of Benjamin Button. It's extremely short - about 40 pages - and while the premise is interesting, the book's so vague that I couldn't really get into it or care about the characters at all. There are very few actual scenes in the book (conversations, etc); most of it is just the narrator describing a period of Benjamin's life, and all of the characters — Benjamin's father, his son, and Benjamin himself — come off looking pretty callous.

It's still a sad story, though, since it's almost impossible to have any normal relationship with your body (and mind) growing younger and sillier.

But I am disappointed, because the premise (person is born as old man and gets younger with time), I think, really is interesting.

But the book? Not so.

Sorry: due to repeated spam comments, I've disabled commenting on this post.

Author interview with Janice Hardy

2009-10-08T01:01:00.002+13:00

I've been pronouncing it Nee-yah. Or is it Nye-yah? I hate when I write a story and all my readers pronounce the names wrong!

As long as you have a pronunciation that’s easy for you, I’m happy. But I wrote it as NIGH-uh. Ny as in dye. Uh as in, well, uh.

What gave you the idea for The Pain Merchants?

It was a long process. I first had the idea of shifting pain about five or six years ago. I wrote up a bunch of notes, realized the story was terrible, and stuffed them in a file. Then two years ago I was at the Surrey International Writers Conference and the presenters were stressing originality. I was pitching my first real novel, a prophecy quest story that was not very original. I came back all fired up and started digging through my old ideas to see if anything would work. I came across those old notes, still thought the story was terrible, but the idea of pain shifting stayed with me. Somewhere the idea of buying and selling pain developed (I honestly can’t say how) and I started world building. I wanted to know how a society that bought and sold pain would work. That led to the Healer’s League and how healing worked and the world came together.

Then one day, I was watching TV and came across a rerun of the TV show Firefly. Part of that show’s backstory is that the heroes were on the losing end of a civil war. I loved that idea and knew right away Geveg had lost a war for independence, and that my hero was an orphan of that war. It all started to fall into place then. After that, it was just your basic, who is my hero? What problem do they face? What’s the worst that can happen? brainstorming to develop the plot.

I read that one of your favourite books as a kid was The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I love that book! What were your other favourite books/authors as a middle grader? What are your favourites today?

I was a huge fan of The Black Stallion series by Walter Farley. Nancy Drew’s were big. I read every Judy Blume, Paula Danzinger and Lois Duncan I could get my hands on. I also read a lot of the old classic sci fi, like Asimov, Pohl, Niven, etc. My father was a big fan and I borrowed his books a lot. Recent favorites are Ally Carter’s Gallagher Girls series, Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series, Susan Beth Pfieffer’s Life As We Knew It, Jay Asher’s 13 Reasons Why, Kathleen Duey’s Resurrection of Magic series. I just started Joseph Delaney’s The Last Apprentice series (on book two now) but I’m loving it. (I think some of those are YA though)

Hemingway reportedly called his six-word story ("For sale: baby shoes, never worn") his best work. What can you tell us about your book in six words? (They don't have to be your best six.)

Eek, six words? Hmmm… “My sister’s in trouble, Gotta run.”

When did you write your first novel?

I was eight. It was a four-book series about dog archaeologists called “Dog City.” (So original.) My first real book (written with the intent to try and sell it) was about ten years or so ago, but I’ve always written.

Apart from your main character, who's your favourite character in your book?

Oooo that’s a toughy. I think Jeatar, because I haven’t figured him out yet. He’s hiding depths and tragedy under that cool exterior and I want to know what they are.

What was your reaction when you found out you'd sold your book?

SQUUEEEEEEE!!!!!!! Over and over. Lots of happy dancing and giggling. And jumping up and down.

You've got heaps of events coming up to promote your new release! Are there any in particular that we online lurkers should keep an eye out for?

Let’s see, on the 6th I’ll be over at John Scalzi’s Whatever talking about the Big Idea for the book. Interviews over at YA Highway next week, The Enchanted Inkpot on the 21st, First Novels Club also on the 6th, and Sierra Godfrey’s blog on the 7th. Guest blogs on Tall Tales and Short Stories later this month with a contest for a signed book. There’s also an interview in the November issue of Writer’s Digest. I think that’s it, though there are a few others still in the works.

If your readers take one thing away from this book, what would you want them to take away?

What a great story. I write to tell tales, so as long as folks enjoy it, I’m happy.

You talk a lot about writing issues and how to overcome them on your storyflip blog! What was a writing issue you had while writing The Pain Merchants?

You might not believe me, but this book was the easiest thing I ever wrote. It just felt out of my head onto the page, and I don’t really remember any of it being tough. Of course, book two is making up for that (which everyone tells me is perfectly normal). I had not written a sequel before this, and it’s been challenging trying to balance telling the second part without rehashing the first. Backstory issues, really. You want the book to stand alone, yet there’s all this stuff that influences or had influenced what happens. Maintaining the “why should I care?” factor has also been rough. It’s easy to just dive in and throw stuff at Nya, but unless she has the same level of personal need and stakes, it falls flat. I can’t just say, “Well, they liked her in book one, so that’ll carry over no matter what I have her doing.” Not true. Readers want just as good a story if not better, and I have to deliver on that. It’s getting there, and I have faith readers will be happy with it in the end, but it’s definitely taking more work than book one.

There's heaps of world-building in this - while you don't describe anything in extreme detail, I always had a very clear sense of what the scene was and what the surroundings were, not to mention the history of the world (which I think is fascinating - it seems a lot more "real" than a lot of other fantasy worlds, with more genuine problems). Did you plan out your world beforehand, or did you make it up as you went along?

Thanks! World building came first. A lot of the problems and issues in a story come from just living in that world, so I like to get a solid foundation under me before I start writing. It makes it a lot easier for me to let the story unfold naturally. There’s always some stuff that comes up as I write, and I add that in so everything ties together, but the basic socio-economic-geographic structure is there before I do anything.

So I can guess who Nya ends up with romantically. Are we going to see any of the other characters getting a bit friendlier with each other? I love it when the sidekicks get some romance as well.

I do have another romance brewing, though that won’t fully develop until book three. No more hints on that though!

I really liked the two other strong girl characters in the book - Tali and Aylin. So often, there's the heroine, and then a whole lotta boys all vying for her attention! So I thought it was great in this that there were two other strong, likeable, brave girl characters. I guess that isn't really a question, but I just wanted to say.

Thanks! I’ve always loved strong female characters, so I just naturally added a bunch. I try to make everyone strong and weak in their own way though, because people are like that.

Yeah, and I think all of the characters definitely do have their weak spots as well as their strong. Will there be more main characters in the next book, or are we sticking with the crew from the first book? Will all of the characters come back in the next book? I want to see more of Jeatar (and Lanelle, but for a different reason). Will we ever meet the Duke?

Yes, all the main characters will be back, and you’ll meet some new ones. Lanelle I can’t promise, since she pops in and out depending on the revision. (there’s a subplot that comes and goes) We haven’t seen the last of her though, so if she doesn’t make it into two, she’ll be back in three. You’ll definitely meet the Duke, but I won’t say when.

If I'm going to be honest, I'll admit that if I ever met Grannyma in person, I'd have to be restrained from throttling her. Are we going to hear many of her wise sayings in Book Two?

Throttling? Oh no! (grin) She’s Nya’s conscience in a way, so yes, more sayings from her.

I love the current opening sequence - it's one of the things that made me decide I had to buy this book, when I read it online. (I noticed when I got the book, that the back cover promised to "have fantasy fans hooked from the first sentence". I thought, cynically: Yeah, right! and turned to the first page, where I read the first sentence: "Stealing eggs is a lot harder than stealing the whole chicken." Well... I wasn't hooked necessarily, but that's a great opening sentence in a scene which gives a really good insight into Nya.) Did you play with a lot of story openings? What were other scenes you thought of starting with?

Thanks so much! I spend a ton of time on first lines because I feel they set the tone for the novel and need to be just right. I also have trouble going forward until I get the right line, so I play with it in my head for days or weeks before I start writing. For Nya’s opening scene, I knew I wanted to show her in her everyday world, show how hard it was for her to survive, reveal her shifting ability, show she was a good person even if she did bad things, and make people care about her. Her stealing food to survive did that, and by stealing eggs, it showed that she wanted to eat, but not steal someone else’s livelihood or ability to eat. It also showed that even if she did steal, she must not do it often if it was still hard for her. I also tried to get in a sense of who she is so you got to know her right away.

Is good luck generally easy to find in an empty pail?

That line makes me laugh. When I first wrote it, it really fit the tone for the book (it was the very first Grannyma saying), but when you think about it, if the pail is empty, there wouldn’t be anything in it, would there? But it just felt right for Nya to say so I kept it. Metaphorically it works, right? If there was nothing else there, you’d be able to find good luck? We use sayings every day that don’t make sense when you think about them, so why can’t Nya!

Spreading the word: The shifter (Janice Hardy)

2009-10-07T01:00:00.003+13:00

Aka The Pain Merchants (UK edition)

This MG/YA fantasy was released yesterday (6 Oct 2009). These paragraphs have been taken (with permission from the author) from her original query letter and back cover copy.

~~Seventeen~~ Fifteen-year-old Nya couldn’t find good luck in an empty pail. As one of the city’s many orphans, she survives on odd jobs and optimism — finding both in short supply in a city crippled by a failed war for independence. Then a bungled egg theft, a stupid act of compassion and boys unable to keep their mouths shut, expose her secret to the two most powerful groups in Geveg: the pain merchants and the Healer’s League. They discover Nya is a Taker, a healer who can pull pain and injury from others.

But unlike her sister Tali and the other Takers who become Healer’s League apprentices, Nya’s skill is flawed: she can’t push that pain into pynvium, the enchanted metal used to store it. All she can do is shift it from person to person, a dangerous skill that she must keep hidden from forces occupying her city. If discovered, she’d be used as a human weapon against her own people.

Rumours of another war make Nya’s life harder, forcing her to take desperate risks just to find work and food. She pushes her luck too far and exposes her secret to a pain merchant eager to use her shifting ability for his own sinister purpose. At first, Nya refuses, but when Tali and other League Healers mysteriously disappear, she’s faced with some difficult choices. As her father used to say, principles are a bargain at any price, but how many will Nya have to sell to get Tali back alive?

Sounds interesting? It is! Tomorrow I'll be posting an interview with the author, as well as my review of the book.

In my mailbox (1)

2009-10-04T13:00:00.020+13:00

Wow, I never thought I'd need to do an In my mailbox. Here's hoping I need to do another next week, too! (I've ordered so many books lately.)

I got home on Wednesday this week to find not one, but five parcels waiting for me — all containing beautiful, beautiful books. And then I got another parcel on Friday, too. Whee!

I won an ARC of The pain merchants, a middle-grade book by Janice Hardy, from a contest on the author's blog.

This book's being released next week; so to celebrate, next week I'll be having an author interview from Janice Hardy as well as my review of the book.

I haven't read the book — or seen the movie! But I definitely want to, and was lucky enough to win a copy of this book from Katrina Stonoff's blog.

I haven't yet read this one, but according to Fishpond:

In this tender debut, a less-than-perfect debutante decamps South Carolina for a life in New York City. There, she tries to make sense of city sophistication and to understand the strange and rarefied world she's left behind.

I won this book from the contest at Nise Fun Pages.

This book is my first effort towards New Zealand Book Month. I don't know a lot about the book, but I really want to start reading more New Zealand authors — and even if I'm not sure what it's about, I've heard many times that it's good.

Well... I got this book and pretty much gulped it down. Very good book. I'm only sad it's going to take so long for the companion book to get shipped here! I'll probably review this at some stage in the next couple of weeks. But, seriously. Good book.

I haven't read anything by Scott Westerfeld yet, but I've been wanting to for a while. Apart from his Uglies series, he's also written Leviathan, which looks interesting; but I want to test his authorly waters first with a cheaper book than his new release. Plus, Uglies sounds really interesting.

I actually already own Wildwood dancing, but... OK, you may as well know how obsessive-compulsive I am. It was the wrong size. All my other Juliet Marillier books stand 17cm tall. It looks nice on the bookcase. This one was 20cm tall, so... well, I ordered a new one. So now I have two beautiful new copies of exactly the same book in two different sizes.

I think sometimes I need to learn to just get over it.

Spreading the word: Positively (Courtney Sheinmel)

2009-10-02T19:00:00.004+13:00

I'd never heard of Courtney Sheinmel or her newly-released book, Positively, before I saw a post about Positively on Melissa Walker's blog. (Actually, the post was more about the book's cover, as that's what Ms Walker's blog is mainly about — it's really interesting!)

From the website:

Emerson Price cannot remember a time when life was ordinary. She was four years old when she and her mom were diagnosed as HIV-positive, and eight when her parents divorced. Now she is thirteen and her mother is dead. Emmy moves in with her father and stepmother, but she feels completely alone. Even though everyone has always accepted her, no one – not her father, or stepmother, or even her best friend – understands what it’s like to have to take medicine every single day, to be so afraid of getting sick, and to miss her mom more than she ever thought she would.

When Emmy’s dad and stepmother send her to Camp Positive, a camp for HIV-positive girls, Emmy is certain she is going to hate it. But soon she realizes that she is not so alone after all – and that sometimes letting other people in can make all the difference in the world.

I clicked through to the author's site and read a bit more about Positively. Then I read this quote from the book:

"When my mother died, I imagined God was thinking, 'One down, and one to go.'"

And I knew I wanted this book. That tugged so hard at my heart-strings.

Interview!

2009-10-01T23:38:00.005+13:00

This isn't the post I'd planned on writing for 1 October. But this is much more exciting — at least for me.

I got an interview!

From the time I first applied for the journalism internship, I kept expecting to be politely rejected. I was worried about my application — but they still wanted to see me for Stage 2: the general knowledge test!

I stumbled through the general knowledge test, came home and twittered, despairingly: "I didn't want to get it anyway." (My only consolation lies in linking to everything I possibly could link to.)

I got about 50% in the general knowledge test. I over-analysed the spelling test and I'm pretty sure I corrected things that weren't technically wrong. I bumbled my way through the writing exercises.

And today I got a call from a very nice editor who requested the pleasure of my company at an interview next week.

Squeeeeee!!

I told him twice it was fantastic, and spent the rest of the phone call in a daze, unable to think or speak clearly. I may have said "fantastic" again.

I didn't expect not to get through. But I didn't expect to get through, either.

I don't know how many people they're interviewing, and I know there's still a high chance I won't get through. But it's such a confidence boost to get this far. I would be really good at the job, and I would love this opportunity so much. I think it's when you really want an opportunity that you'd do well at, that you can be most afraid of losing it.

I mean, if I don't get it, it isn't the end of the world. I have back-up plans.

But oh, I hope I get through!

Spreading the word: Liar (Justine Larbalestier)

2009-09-30T10:00:00.005+13:00

Yesterday was the release date of Liar by Justine Larbalestier, author of How to ditch your fairy.

If you haven't heard about all the controversy — not about the book, but about the US cover — a good summary (with links!) is at YA Highway.

The thing is, the book is about a liar. OK, maybe you got that from the title. But Micah, the main character, lies the whole way through the book — except to the reader. She promises — over and over again — that everything she tells the reader is true.

One thing she says is that she's black.

The US cover showed an Asian/white girl.

Apparently the publisher didn't feel a black girl on the cover would "sell" well. Not only the author, but many of her fans, got justifiably upset about this — after all, if the main character was lying about such a basic thing, it calls into question everything the main character says in the rest of the book (like Atonement, but not in a good way). In the end, such a big stink was raised that the publishers decided to change the cover to the one at the top of this post. (The masses triumph again!) Still not a very black black person, but I think she says she's three-quarters white anyway, so to me that's still believable.

If I decide to buy this book, there's no way I'm getting any cover except the new US one — just to show there's no reason to discriminate like that.

The controversy's got to be good for it, though. There are so many people who never would have heard of Liar without the controversy. And the author won through in the end, so all's well that ends well.

Finally, to help us poor readers to decide whether we'll like it, Ms Larbalestier (I think that is such an awesome surname, by the way. I don't know how you pronounce it, but I like to roll it like "lar-bar-LEHST-ee-yeahh") has put an excerpt of Liar up on her website. So if it sounds good, but you're not too sure, go check it out!

And happy (belated) release date to Ms Larbalestier!

New focus

2009-09-29T20:41:00.006+13:00

I've been noticing lately that a lot of my posts have been really book-related. Then Book Blogger Appreciation Week happened along, and since then I've begun wondering if I should turn this into more of a book blog, too. I still want the freedom of being able to talk about my life, too, though.

So I've decided to officially make this a bit more of a book-focussed blog*. I still might write posts about my cat, or work issues, or writing — or whatever else I feel like blogging about. But I'll try to have regular book reviews; I might do book giveaways, or author interviews. My blog will be more book-focussed than before.

*I can't promise how book-focussed I'll be during November. During November I'm always pretty focussed on NaNoWriMo, especially since this year I'll have to aim for 100,000 words again**.

**I wrote 100,000 words last year. I can't just go back to 50,000 now! Especially considering how much better last year's was.

I'm also going to try to have loose themes for every month. For example, October is New Zealand Book Month, so expect to see some reviews (and possibly a giveaway or two) of books by New Zealand authors coming up!

What do you think? If you're a regular reader, do you skim over the book-related posts? The non-book-related posts? Do you want more reviews? More posts about contests? Ideas for a potential new title for the blog? Let me know in the comments!

Spreading the word: As you wish (Jackson Pearce)

2009-09-24T10:00:00.009+12:00

This sounds like a cute book. (Here's a link to author Jackson Pearce's website, where she does her best to sell her book, also in a very cute way.)

As you wish stars Viola, a girl who inadvertantly calls a genie into our world. He promises her three wishes, but she's afraid of wishing for the wrong thing.

While she's trying to decide on the perfect wish, however, what she doesn't realise is that the genie is start to fall for her.

After she's made her first wish, she realises that she's fallen for him, too. But two more wishes and he's gone from her world... forever (da da da dahhh).

OK, I don't know if I'd read it myself. I don't know that much more about it. I always prefer to read a sample of the book or a sample of the author's writing to know if I'd like a book (which is why Amazon's "Look inside" feature is genius).

Update: Author Jackson Pearce has kindly stopped by and let me know that there is actually an excerpt of As you wish available! So go check it out and see if it's your cup of tea.

(Every time an author stops by my blog or sends me a free bookmark or anything I have this uncontrollable urge to buy their book as a thank-you... it's a very expensive habit.)

October: NZ Book Month

2009-09-18T10:00:00.004+12:00

So here's the deal.

Next month (October) is New Zealand Book Month, and I want to show my support of Kiwi authors by buying some books. Problem is, I don't really know that many. So:

Whose books should I buy? Any recommendations? The only NZ-authored books I've really read have been Maurice Gee's children's books (many many years ago), some of Katherine Mansfield's short stories, the various Six Packs, The Sound of Butterflies by Rachael King, and nearly everything by the fantastic Juliet Marillier.

But I want to use New Zealand Book Month as an opportunity to discover some new fiction authors.

So what would you recommend? Mary McCallum's The blue? Eleanor Catton's The rehearsal? Emily Perkins' Novel about my wife?

I don't know that many New Zealand authors — or books. But I want to find out! So, please — if you have any recommendations, let me know.

Upcoming books' excerpts

2009-09-17T10:00:00.011+12:00

I thought I'd devote this post to highlighting some excerpts of up'n'coming books. If I'm buying a new author's works, I always like to have a sample of their writing to read so I know I'll like what I buy.

Of course, this isn't the case with Juliet Marillier, whose books I whole-heartedly love, but I thought I'd share this recently-released excerpt of her new book, Heart's Blood, anyway. The book looks good; to be honest, if I hadn't read her work before I might be a bit iffy about it; but because I already know I love her books, I can't wait for Heart's Blood (and have already pre-ordered it).

The second excerpt isn't from a debut author either, although it's an author I haven't read before. The excerpt is, however, from another book I've pre-ordered: Ice by Sarah Beth Durst. The book's about a re-telling of the story of the Polar Bear King and the North Wind's daughter — and if you don't immediately recall the fairy-tale, that's OK: Durst obligingly sets out the backstory to the fairytale in the excerpt.

I haven't had a chance to read the third excerpt myself: or, rather, the third lot of excerpts. Publisher Simon & Schuster have released a sampler of excerpts from several new books by Jessica Bendinger, Sarah Beth Durst, Nick Lake, Sarah Mussi, Amy Reed, Lauren Strasnick, Rhonda Stapleton, Jessica Verday and Becca Fitzpatrick (the only one, apart from Durst, that I've even heard of). Lots of new authors to discover!

YouTube Tuesday: Leviathan (Scott Westerfeld)

2009-09-15T10:00:00.000+12:00

I've never read a steampunk novel, but they've never appealed at all. I've heard a bit about Scott Westerfeld lately, too, especially his Uglies trilogy; but his latest book, Leviathan, is steampunk so I've never really paid it much attention.

Then I saw this book trailer for Leviathan:

I'm still not sure I'd read the book. I might buy Uglies, and decide based on that. But I do think that is an extremely cool book trailer.

Countdown challenge

2009-09-14T10:00:00.070+12:00

I've found a new challenge to sign up for! The goal is to read one book published in 2001, two books published in 2002... etc, until you read ten books published in 2010. All books must be read between 09/09/09 and 10/10/10.

2001 (1/1)
The ice child by Elizabeth McGregor (my review)

2002 (2/2)
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Kushiel's chosen by Jacqueline Carey

2003 (3/3)
Can you keep a secret? by Sophie Kinsella
The hollow kingdom by Clare B Dunkle
Kushiel's avatar by Jacqueline Carey

2004 (4/4)
Mira, mirror by Mette Ivie Harrison
Mansfield by C K Stead
Homeland by Clare Francis
The chocolate run by Dorothy Koomson

2005 (5/5)
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
The undomestic goddess by Sophie Kinsella
Poison study by Maria V Snyder***
Mystic and rider by Sharon Shinn

2006 (6/6)
Specials by Scott Westerfeld
The final empire by Brandon Sanderson***
Magic study by Maria V Snyder
The tenth circle by Jodi Picoult
Kitty by Deborah Challinor
Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones

2007 (7/7)
Cybele's secret by Juliet Marillier
The swan kingdom by Zoe Marriott
The name of the wind by Patrick Rothfuss***
The well of ascension by Brandon Sanderson
Sasha by Joel Shepherd
Making money by Terry Pratchett
The blue by Mary McCallum

2008 (8/8)
Graceling by Kristin Cashore***
Heir to Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier
The hunger games by Suzanne Collins
Fire study by Maria V Snyder
The hero of ages by Brandon Sanderson
Making money by Terry Pratchett
The poison throne by Celine Kiernan (my review)
Girls in trucks by Katie Crouch

2009 (9/9)
The pain merchants by Janice Hardy
Ice by Sarah Beth Durst (my review)
Heart's blood by Juliet Marillier
Fire by Kristin Cashore
Evermore by Alyson Noël
Twenties girl by Sophie Kinsella
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
Storm glass by Maria V Snyder***
Sea glass by Maria V Snyder***

2010 (10/10)
Girls like funny boys by Dave Franklin (my review)
The demon's covenant by Sarah Rees Brennan***
Mistwood by Leah Cypess
Rebel by R J Anderson
Crossing over by Anna Kendall
Tsunami blue by Gayle Ann Williams
The maze runner by James Dashner
My way to hell by Dakota Cassidy
Stillwater Creek by Alison Booth
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

***Pick of the year

Cadbury go Fair Trade

2009-09-11T10:00:00.000+12:00

I gotta say, if/when Cadbury go Fair Trade, I don't think I'll bother buying Nestle, Whittakers, or other chocolate again.

World Vision Australia chief executive Tim Costello commented: "Fair cocoa pricing is the difference between children wielding a machete in the cocoa field or a pencil in the classroom."

If Cadbury do go Fair Trade, I think I'll have to buy a big lot of chocolate, just to show my support for them.

It's for the kids....

The Amber Spyglass (Philip Pullman)

2009-09-10T10:00:00.003+12:00

Things heat up as angels, witches, armoured bears and cliff-ghasts come together for a final fight — or, in the cliff-ghasts' case, to feast on whatever bodies are left over from the final fight. Will and Lyra star again.

To start with my one disappointment: there were a few parts which seemed really slow to me: council meetings which didn't illustrate much; political comments from minor figures. I wanted to get to the action!

Both this book and The subtle knife move between characters quite a lot; you see Lyra, and then just when it gets really exciting it changes to see what Will is doing, and then it skips to Dr Mary "Tempter" Malone in a world of diamond-framed animals on seedpod wheels.

OK, I thought the seedpod-wheeled animals were awesome. I want to see them in the movie. But still. Very effective technique on the part of Mr Pullman; but damn, I could not read that book fast enough.

Couple of quibbles again: I found that Dr Malone acted younger than she was: some of her dialogue didn't quite "mesh" for me. But it is a young adult book, so the language probably worked better for the target audience.

Also, a couple of loose ends weren't really explained for me. We're introduced to the soul-eating Spectres in Book Two; but for some reason, two characters in Book Three wander around happily without ever being affected by the Spectres. Why? We're never told.

This trilogy really reminded me of what some people said when I told them my theory about the Christian God. Our theories are virtually identical, which irritates me. I'd started to write a story incorporating my theory (similar to how Pullman did it, only from Lucifer's point of view instead of from humans' point of view) and now it'll all seem like plagiarism. So there goes that brilliant idea!

Maybe it just goes to show that great minds think alike.

Mutes & Earthquakes (& well-timed advice)

2009-09-09T10:00:00.003+12:00

Nice timing: After Monday's post about my lecturer's writing advice, I stumbled across this essay about writing by New Zealand writer and tutor Bill Manhire, in the introduction to Mutes & Earthquakes:

Voice shouldn't be confused with originality, another of those big ideas like inspiration and sincerity. We all learn to speak by mimicking the adult figures around us. We hear a noise and copy it....When we grow up we can hear our parents inside the sounds we make, and yet we are still ourselves - distinctive, and distinctively different from the voices which shaped us. The writing voice is like this, too.

This is why imitation can be very useful for a writer. You find your way to your voice by being influenced, by copying. The twelve-year-old Frank Sargeson started copying out Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe into an exercise book, which is going a bit far; but the idea has a strange sort of merit. Poets, especially, can be silly about this. I have met plenty who declare that they never read other poets: their own pure, original voice might somehow be contaminated. People who talk like that aren't writers. They simply like the idea of calling themselves writers....I don't imagine there are many aspiring screen writers who decide not to go to films on the grounds that the experience may destroy their art. The only person who will never become a writer is the one who doesn't read. Concert pianists listen to music. Great chefs like to eat.

So I encourage people to read widely.

I rest my case.

Manhire also quoted an unrelated but equally cool saying from writer Flannery O'Connor:

Discussing story-writing in terms of plot, character, and theme is like trying to describe the expression on a face by saying where the eyes, nose, and mouth are.

YouTube Tuesday: Bret's angry dance

2009-09-08T10:00:00.001+12:00

Yeah, I'm not really sure what this is. But I liked it.

Writing advice

2009-09-07T10:00:00.000+12:00

A creative writing lecturer gave our class some advice one day on how to make sure we never plagiarise or copy other writer's ideas.

His advice was this:

Don't read new books.

Don't watch movies.

He was quite serious. His theory was that going to movies and reading all the new pulp fiction around is a highway to having no original ideas left, because movies and books will fill your head with their ideas and writing styles and ways of doing things.

I mean no disrespect to him, but I think that theory is absolute bull.

I plan to read as much and as widely as I can. Not only classics (I think he approved of classics. He brought Nietzsche to class and read us chapters out of it. With effort, I stayed awake: not everyone else did), but new books; old books; in-between books. I want to read other authors' debuts, and established authors' series. I want to immerse myself in YA fantasy — no doubt a dangerous choice, since that's what I want to write and the potential for plagiarism is endless — but because that's what I want to write, and I want to see how others do it and the language they speak, the tools they use, the imagery they portray.

I plan to watch every movie that appeals to me; that is based on a book I love or a true story that intrigues; every cute little rom-com that sounds like it might have that extra spice of wit or intelligence — and this despite the probability that opportunity for plagiarism abounds.

Other ideas inspire my own.

My ideas and this lecturer's very seldom meshed. I learned only one thing from him that I did think was good advice, and that was when another girl in the class complained that her characters' actions "never seemed believable". He gazed at her in astonishment.

"What are these characters? They are words. They don't exist except in words. If your characters aren't acting in a way that's believable, that's because you aren't making the words believable."

OK, I can't remember his exact phrasing, but it was something like that.

I've often heard writers complaining that their characters won't behave, and I think that's a good thing: that shows your characters have life. But you need to be able to control your characters' actions — to change the words to make that believable for who they are. You can make anything believable, with the right words.

Bookish notices

2009-09-04T10:00:00.005+12:00

Published author appreciation day
Earlier this week was Published author appreciation day. Your challenge is to buy a new book (not second-hand — not borrowed from a friend — not a library book) to support a good author. If you're short on cash and/or want to support a good cause, I can recommend Good Books NZ, who have very reasonable prices on most books and have free delivery — and all proceeds go to support Oxfam. The only disadvantage is that Good Books don't stock newly-released books, so for those you may want to go to Fishpond or Amazon (or, y'know, a bricks-and-mortar store).

Love a writer?
Eileen Flanagan gives advice on what to do if you love/want to support/are friends with a writer. The two key points, in my opinion: buy their books; write reviews of/blog about their books.

Free ARC giveaway
Janice Hardy is giving away an advanced reader's copy of her debut novel The Shifter for the best zombie title.

Free Kiwi Writers book available now
The Kiwi Writers short-story collection is now available. You can either download it for free or buy a paperback copy at cost price from Lulu.com. There are seven stories in the collection. A bit about the book (more here):

Fly the skies in a dirigible, explore a strange new planet, and feel magic in your veins in this, the first short story collection from the members of Kiwi Writers. Within these pages you will be given a chance to sample life through the eyes of those in love, loss, lust and confusion, spanning the genres of fantasy, science fiction, steam-punk and adult fiction.

The subtle knife (Philip Pullman)

2009-09-03T10:00:00.005+12:00

Will, a young boy living in our own world, has just murdered a man, and now he's on the run... into another world, where he meets Lyra, and finds out about his own impossible-sounding destiny.

This is where the story really starts turning the heat up. We're introduced to Will, who hails from our world. But one warning: This is not a standalone book, like Book One is. Don't even start reading Book Two if you don't have Book Three by your side, waiting for you to pick up breathlessly the minute you finish The subtle knife.

Unlike a lot of trilogies, I don't feel the second book here really lets down the first one. The stakes are still high (although not quite as personal, overall); it's still fast-paced and packed with action; and while Will is a great new character, it's good that Lyra's still the other main character.

Again, this is a very good book, and I'd recommend it — after reading Book One. Pullman seems to assume everyone will have already read the previous book; so if you don't read Book One first, you might be pretty lost as there are constant references to it.

OK, I know this isn't exactly a long review, but honestly: this is more Part One of Book Three than a standalone book. Next week: My (much longer) review of Book Three!

Gang patches banned

2009-09-02T10:00:00.016+12:00

The Wanganui District Council have recently put through a ban on gang patches (with a $2000 fine if you're caught). While the intent behind this ban is good, I think the idea has bad written all over it.

As Dan was commenting yesterday, if you don't let gangs wear patches, they'll only find some other way of identifying themselves.

The ban came into force yesterday — and a small protest was organised in Wanganui. Civil rights protesters turned up, as well as some gang members. And instead of patches, all the Black Power members were wearing blue hats and t-shirts; all of the Mongrel Mob guys were wearing red hoodies.

Gangs will always find some way to identify themselves. Imagine if this ban continues, and the Wanganui Black Power members all start wearing blue t-shirts as an alternative. Does that mean anyone wearing a blue t-shirt is going to be seen as a Black Power member?

Or is the Council then going to ban blue t-shirts?

As someone who doesn't know any gang members, I think gang patches are a great idea. They tell me who I need to walk carefully around. You can take away the patches, but it won't change anyone's behaviour.

The only benefit I can see is a potential reduction in fights. But if all the gang members just start wearing, for example, a certain colour t-shirt — won't that end up increasing the number of fights? And, probably, reducing the number of colours people feel safe wearing.

Plus, there is the whole freedom of speech thing. I can understand hoodies not being allowed in some places — it's always nice when security cameras can see people's faces — but a gang patch ban just seems ridiculous.

YouTube Tuesday: The Time Traveler's Wife

2009-09-01T10:00:00.008+12:00

For anyone who hasn't heard: The Time Traveler's Wife has been made into a movie, so I thought I'd post the trailer for YouTube Tuesday.

I know it's terrible of me to say this, but I did not like the book.

*waits for outraged screaming to subside*

I thought it was melodramatic, full of gratuitous sex scenes, and slightly disgusting at times. It was, however, written well enough and emotively enough that I cried like a baby several times during the book, and expect to do so several more during the movie. I hated the last scene of the book; I loved the last scene of the book. The book made me intensely sad.

*The 40ish-year-old man having sex with an 18-year-old? Even if she does grow up to become his wife, that's still disgusting to me, especially when he time-travels back to his wife in the present day and notices how she's older/less attractive now — it's basically like cheating on her with an 18-year-old, even if it is her at age 18.

I'm not saying it isn't well-written; I'm not saying it didn't deserve to be made into a movie. I'm saying it made me sad, and I disliked parts of it (e.g. the constant sex and disgusting factor) enough not to want to read it again.

But I think the movie actually looks better than the book, so far. It looks like it deals more with the wife's life without her husband and her anger/issues, which to me would be much more profound issues.

Plus, Eric Bana plays the husband. Mm-mmm.

The Black Moth vs. These Old Shades

2009-08-31T10:00:00.022+12:00

These old shades, you may think. What a funny name for a book, you may muse. How did Georgette Heyer come up with that title, you may wonder.

OK, I realise that few people are likely think, muse or wonder thus — even my mother the Heyer fan, when I rang her excitedly to tell her my discovery, didn't remember the books or characters involved.

I've mentioned that Heyer's debut novel, The black moth, features a villain who I thought Heyer renamed and used as the hero in These old shades.

According to Heyer's biography, I was right — and that's why Heyer named the book These old shades (shades = ghosts). She was reusing her characters! Now that I know that, I suddenly recognise the Black moth's very vanilla hero and heroine as Jenny and husband in These old shades; likewise, the villain's best friend is the same character in both.

It makes me glad, because I always wanted to know what happened to the Black moth villain. I wonder why Heyer changed the characters' names — unless she didn't want the new book associated with The black moth.

I don't really have a point here; I just found it interesting that a best-selling author can actually do that and get away with it. I guess others have as well. Austen certainly has reused her plots and characters, if not as obviously (and probably not intentionally); and I'm sure there are many others out there that don't spring to mind immediately.

But I just wanted to comment on that, for any Heyer fans out there. Want to read more about the characters — or the villain — in The black moth? Read These old shades and see what happens to them later.

Internship test

2009-08-28T13:00:00.010+12:00

The internship test is tomorrow. Spelling; grammar; general knowledge.

I'm so nervous. My general knowledge is crap.

I hoped I'd at least fly through the spelling and grammar, but not so - I did their spelling and grammar test from a few years ago, and I got lots wrong. (I also corrected something that wasn't in the answers, but I'm pretty sure I was right and they just missed that error.) I didn't correct the spelling of some place names — and I can live with not knowing that Taumaranui was meant to be Taumarunui, but I probably should have picked up Sidney, Australia. I forgot that Chateaux was spelled Chateau, and I missed an instance of American spelling (I'm so used to it! It's permeated the very core of our once-British society!).

Worst of all: I didn't notice an apostrophe in the wrong place.

I am covered with shame.

I hope, though, that having done the old tests will help me in tomorrow's one. I've made notes of what to look for, and hope that'll help me.

I've done all three of the previous general knowledge tests, too, and the results ain't pretty. I know absolutely nothing about sports; my best area is international affairs, followed closely by arts and entertainment. And when I say my "best", I mean I got nearly half the answers right. Go me.

I'm not used to taking tests to study or to get jobs, let alone taking tests to take a job to study. The scenario usually goes more like this:

RUTH: I want to study here.
INSTITUTION OF LEARNING: We love you! Make your cheque out to X.

Alternatively:

RUTH: I want to work here.
POTENTIAL EMPLOYER: *evil interview no-one could hope to pass*

Sadly, not only do I have to sit a test, but if I pass the test I'll then have to undergo an interview as well.

And what's a pass mark, you ask? So far as I know, they just pick the best of the bunch. So the only way to be certain you've passed is to get 100%.

I just hope my spelling and grammar will redeem my (lack of) general knowledge... and that I notice all the wrong apostrophes!

Northern Lights (Philip Pullman)

2009-08-27T10:00:00.018+12:00

A young girl, Lyra, sets out on a dangerous quest in a world parallel to our own, to rescue her friend from terrors unknown.

Northern Lights took me a few pages to really get into. I wasn't immediately gripped by the action; Lyra, the heroine, seemed childish and silly; and the opening scene seemed melodramatic and unrealistic.

But after the first few pages, I was hooked. Lyra is cocky, smart and likeable; and I loved the action between her and her "daemon" (an external soul in animal shape).

Although that's one thing that annoys me a little bit. What's wrong with good old-fashioned "demon" spelling? A daemon isn't the same as a demon, you say? True enough. Then later in the series you find out about "vampyres". What's wrong with spelling it the normal way? Geez.

Another thing that annoys me? The British version (which I made sure I got) is called Northern lights; the American version is called the (apparently) much more exciting The golden compass.

OK, I agree that the so-called compass is more prominent in the book than the northern lights, even if the northern lights are really what the book is all about. But. It is not a compass. It looks like a compass. It is not one. It is an alethiometer. And, OK, that may look like a hard word before you try to say it, but seriously — just repeat after me. Ah-lee-thee-oh-meh-ter. It's barely more complex than "thermometer".

Not that I'm suggesting they should have called it "The golden alethiometer" because, well, that'd be silly. But if you're going to change a perfectly good British title, at least change it to something that accurately reflects an aspect of the book. Even "The armoured bear" would have been better than The golden compass.

Moving on. Apart from minor quibbles*, I really enjoyed this book, and looked forward immensely to the second in the trilogy.

*Such as the heroine becoming attached really fast to the armoured bear and the aeronaut, and vice versa — they only hung out for a few days! I've done the same thing myself, in my writing; you spend so much time writing the story that it feels to me, the writer, as if my characters are much closer than they actually are. But to the reader, they've only had a couple of fighting scenes together so why does Mr Aeronaut suddenly feel she's the daughter he never had?

Next week: My review of Book Two in the trilogy.

Anti-smacking: the results are in

2009-08-26T10:00:00.009+12:00

The results of the referendum are in, and to the question:

Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?

87% of the 56% turnout voted "no".

(Side-note: Seriously. Leading question much? "Should good parental correction be criminal...?")

The strange thing to me is that, despite having previously stated he wouldn't change the law regardless of the results of the referendum, Prime Minister John Key is now saying he "agrees" with the result. However, he's saying he'll look at taking measures that "don't involve a law change [but will ensure] that parents have a level of comfort...that they are not going to be dragged before the courts for a minor or inconsequential smack."

Other groups are suggesting that the law be amended to allow only an open-handed smack on the hand or the butt.

To me, that seems reasonable.

What do you think?

YouTube Tuesday: Office meeting

2009-08-25T10:00:00.001+12:00

Juvenile but funny!

Contest: Break (Hannah Moskowitz)

2009-08-24T09:45:00.005+12:00

From the back cover:

Seventeen-year-old Jonah is on a mission to break every bone in his body. Everybody knows that broken bones grow back stronger that they were before. And Jonah wants to be stronger - needs to be stronger - because everything around him is falling apart. Breaking, and then healing, is Jonah's only way to cope with the stresses of home, girls, and the world on his shoulders.

When Jonah's self-destructive spiral accelerates and he hits rock bottom, will he find true strength or surrender to his breaking point?

It sounds a little cringeworthy, but also — well — very interesting! And YA Highway are currently giving away ONE advanced reader's copy of Break here (where you can also read an interview with the author).

BREAK is released on 25 August 2009.

YouTube Tuesday: Storm in Aaaafrica

2009-08-18T22:00:00.000+12:00

Bucket list

2009-08-17T19:53:00.009+12:00

Someone at work mentioned today that he'd always wanted to have a winter Christmas — it's on his "bucket list". Later on, he was talking about wanting to lose weight; his wife said that if he loses ten kilos in ten weeks, she'll shout him a bungee-jump. Apparently that's on his bucket list too.

I don't know if he actually has a bucket list, or if that's just what he says when talking about he really wants to do; but it got me thinking.

I don't have a bucket list, per se. I've always wanted to get married and have kids. Such boring, stereotypical woman goals! I've always wanted to be published, too. (A significantly harder goal.)

But I dunno. I feel pretty lucky in my life — I've had so many experiences travelling in earlier years that I don't really feel there's anything I haven't done that I've "always wanted to do". I'd like to visit Africa and the States. I'd like to live in England and travel Europe. I'd love to go back to Kyrgyzstan and see my old home again. I'd like to study creative writing and make some "writing" friends. But those don't really seem like Bucket List items. Go bungee-jumping. Do a motorbike tour of New Zealand. Visit Disneyland. See a live Jim Carrey show. Have a winter Christmas.

I still just want, one day, to get married, have babies and get a book published. (Probably not all on the same day. But you get my point.)

Maybe I should start a bucket list. Or would having a bucket list — for the sake of having a bucket list — just point out what you haven't accomplished yet? I.e., be more depressing than motivational?

I don't know.

What's on your bucket list?

The demon's lexicon (Sarah Rees Brennan)

2009-08-13T10:00:00.003+12:00

This is one of the best books I've read in a long time.

It's witty, it's action-packed, it keeps you guessing.

Quick run-down on the plot: Nick and Alan are two brothers on the run with their mother, chased by a gang of magicians. Head magician used to be madly in love with mother and, now that she's left him, wants her dead (ah, true love).

Important note: Magicians have very little power of their own. But they can summon demons to trade innocent human souls for power.

And then Alan gets a demon mark on him. Now they need to find the magician who placed that mark on him, or watch Alan be possessed by a demon and die... which isn't as gruesome as it sounds. But it's still not a good fate.

The demon's lexicon is penned by the delightful and witty Sarah Rees Brennan, whose livejournal you should start following if you're not already. It's the first of a planned trilogy — and I love that she's actually promised to keep it a trilogy, as she says she knows how annoying it is when authors start off with a trilogy and then make it longer and longer! (I whole-heartedly agree.)

The hero is a charming bad-ass — and don't get me wrong, I'm not talking Wolverine-with-a-heart-of-gold. I'm talking really bad. He kills people and gets annoyed at the nuisance of having to bury them. He gets mad at the brother who raised him and deliberately does the thing he knows will hurt him the most. He just doesn't care about anyone else.

Almost anyone else.

I love that the two main characters in this are brothers. You almost never see siblings in books! I think family can be one of the strongest bonds a person can have; and this book follows a brother who raised our hero almost single-handed, and a mother who hates her son.

I have only one nitpick, and that was with a minor character who seemed to be thrown in for comic relief. Sarah Rees Brennan, if you read her livejournal, has a very strong sense of humour; and it seems she couldn't resist channeling her wit through this character. Don't get me wrong, he is funny; it just didn't seem likely to me that a character would deal with his fear with quite this much nervous laughter.

And yes, there is romance. But only a leetle bit — enough to make things interesting (and painful); not enough to spoil the action.

And it was released in New Zealand on 1 August 2009. So what are you waiting for? Go get it!

YouTube Tuesday: The Lovely Bones

2009-08-11T10:00:00.001+12:00

In case you haven't seen the trailer already: behold!

I'm really looking forward to this one — it'll be interesting to see how closely they stick to the book.

Brief rundown of book: Susie Salmon is murdered — and watches her family try to find her murderer — and ultimately move on with their lives — from heaven.

One step closer to the dream

2009-08-10T20:24:00.003+12:00

I got through Stage One of the journalism internship!

I feel a little like I shouldn't be blogging about something I'm so unlikely to get, but I'm just too happy not to.

A week ago I applied for a journalism internship, which runs in conjunction with the course I want to do next year. On completion of the course, I'd get my fees paid and be bonded to the newspaper for two years.

That works for me!

My real hope is that I'd be able to go straight out of the course into a job as a sub-editor — which I've been advised some people have done. And if they can, I'm confident I could too. I do think I'm really good at sub-editing. (I found out recently I got the best mark anyone's ever got for the sub-editing course. Kinda gave me a boost of confidence.)

Anyway, I had issues filling out the internship application form, and really didn't feel I'd make it — but they want to see me for a "general knowledge, spelling and grammar test" in a couple of weeks! I'm so excited. The spelling and grammar, I expect to fly through; the general knowledge I probably need to brush up on.

They had 180 applicants. There are 12 internships available. They didn't say how many people they had asked to come in for tests; only that they were "pleased to invite me" (as I am pleased to accept) based on the "quality of my application". I assume they're referring to spelling and grammar rather than content and writing ability.

If I get through the (two-hour) test, they'll ask me in for an interview. I don't know if there's another stage beyond that.

I didn't really think I had a chance of getting this internship. And maybe I still don't have much of a chance.

But I'm really excited to be through to the next round!

He man. He work.

2009-08-05T10:00:00.012+12:00

I've never really thought about women in the workforce. That was such a last-century-feminist issue. I thought these days, nearly all women work, apart from the occasional stay-at-home mom who goes back to work when her kids are old enough. In some ways, it doesn't seem like a bad idea: the mum stays home with the kids, and the dad goes out and is bread-winner.

And now I'm working in a store where we deal with a lot of tradesmen. One of our customers is female; all the others are guys. The only other women I interact with are other "office ladies".

Most of the tradesmen at work are married. And none of their wives work.

Not that these guys have a conscious problem with this. They talk indulgently about their wives, like they would about a naughty puppy.

One man was complaining about his "missus" spending $250 at the supermarket the other day. "What does she find to spend this money on?" he said, and the other men around him clucked and shook their heads and added their own stories of their wives' wastefulness.

Dan and I easily spend $250 at the supermarket; and this guy has two kids. I asked him if he ever went with his wife to the supermarket.

"What? No, of course not," he said, and you could see the very idea was strange. He man. He work. She woman. She shop. She cook. She clean. She look after kids. She complain for no apparent reason. Silly woman.

I couldn't believe it. These women are still living in the 1950s, and they're keeping their husbands there with them.

Two of the men have wives with part-time jobs, and when they mentioned this, everyone else was surprised. Working women are the exception, not the rule, in this world. And even then, the wives who do work, only work part-time while the kids are at school. These men know two types of women: office ladies (or girls who aren't yet married); and wives.

I never want to be one of those women. I never want my partner to regard me with fond indulgence, and complain affectionately about me at work to his working buddies because he doesn't know what his "missus" does with all his money, or what she spends all her time doing, or why she gets so crabby with him when all he asked was why she didn't clean the house today. I want to get married one day, and I want that to be an equal partnership, with both people pulling their weight. I've never been much of a feminist; the world I've worked and lived in has always been pretty unsexist. But there's no way I ever want to conform to those stereotypes.

YouTube Tuesday: Website Story

2009-08-04T10:00:00.000+12:00

And now for a YouTube Tuesday with a video not actually hosted on YouTube. Westside Story — internet-stylez! With many of the original songs (albeit with ~~some~~ all of the songs ~~slightly~~ heavily reworded). I didn't recognise all of the websites referenced, but they were still all funny. Thanks to pacatrue (via moonrat) for the video!

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Vote now or forever hold your peace

2009-08-01T14:12:00.011+12:00

I'm not going to get into the politics of what the so-called anti-smacking bill says. Regardless of what it says, people have interpreted it as meaning that parents will no longer be able to smack their children, and a referendum has been organised in response to the bill. The referendum question:

Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?

Naysayers say the question isn't even relevant, as the bill doesn't outlaw "a smack as part of good parental correction". And controversy flooded New Zealand when it was revealed that the referendum was costing taxpayers almost $9 million; and when Prime Minister John Key announced that, regardless of the referendum's result, he's unlikely to change the bill unless he decides the law is not working.

Further controversy was caused when the referendum question was called "ambiguous" and "confusing", with Labour leader Phil Goff positing a more appropriate question as, "Is the law working satisfactorily?"

However.

Regardless of controversy, regardless of confusion, regardless of taxpayers' money, the referendum is now out. If you're registered as a New Zealand voter, you've probably got your voting paper already.

And you know what? Not voting because it's a waste of money isn't going to bring that money back. It's already been spent.

Not voting because you don't think it'll change anything is shocking apathy. This is your chance to voice your opinion — whatever that opinion is. If you don't choose to vote, you have no right to complain about this bill.

Whether or not it will change anything isn't the point. If that's the lazy, apathetic attitude the New Zealand public has, New Zealand deserves to go to the dogs.

Vintner's luck

2009-07-31T10:00:00.000+12:00

Interesting new New Zealand movie coming up — a story about "love, wine and angels". Thanks to Rachael King for the link.

To be released in February 2010.

Review: Silver Phoenix (Cindy Pon)

2009-07-30T10:00:00.005+12:00

What's this, you say? Didn't Ruth do a post on this same book a few weeks ago? Why yes, yes she did. But writing a sub-par book review annoys her about as much as talking about herself in the third person.

So that's quite enough of both, and I'd like to comment more properly on Silver Phoenix.

In a lot of ways I found this book a very interesting read, as I could identify my own writing to some extent with the book's writing, and as I read it I mentally started making minor adjustments to the writing style. I think that's what makes it so difficult for me to review this book — because I keep thinking of it as a writer rather than a reader.

I enjoyed this book. I didn't get right into the first chapter or two, but once I was in I was in! Sometimes it can be difficult to identify or even like the heroine or hero, especially if it's written by someone with little writing experience. No such problem here: I fell right in with the heroine, even if I have to admit to preferring the hero's sidekick to the actual hero.

Silver Phoenix follows Ai Ling, a girl living in traditional ancient China, who goes on a quest to rescue her captive father. Along the way she has to fight demons upon demons, learn to control minds, and meet goddesses, a race of three-eyed men, and the odd poison-spitting fish or two.

The background of China was well set up, and nothing about it jarred — other than Ai Ling's willingness to buck tradition after only a cursory attempt to conform. I think a girl raised in those traditions would have been much more docile — but that girl wouldn't have been nearly as interesting a character as Ai Ling.

Toward the middle of the novel, although I wasn't tempted to put the book down, it seemed to slow a little to me; things were happening that didn't seem relevant or necessary to the plot. But that was quickly passed over, and we headed into the final action scenes, complete with a good build-up of tension.

I found the climax somewhat... anti-climactic.

But I really want to find out what happens to the main characters next. For a lot of books — for example, John Grisham books — once I've finished them and found out how the plot ends, I don't care about the characters any more. My favourite authors — such as Juliet Marillier — make me care about the characters enough that I want to keep reading on for the characters' sakes. Not because the plot is unresolved, but because I just want to keep reading about the character.

Although author Cindy Pon does leave some plot points unresolved, the cunning witch! That is, the plot is neatly tied up; but the characters still have journeys to take, issues to try and straighten out for themselves; and I loved the fact that the ending wasn't textbook.

The ending, in fact, perfectly paved the way for the combined sequel/prequel she's writing (a difficult feat!): a book I can't wait to order.

#50: Bake biscuits

2009-07-29T10:00:00.001+12:00

Another of my 101 goals complete!

No, I haven't forgotten about them. Yes, I'm still slowly — very slowly — working towards them. Sadly, I suspect a couple — such as getting a good, permanent job, and reading the whole BBC Top 100 list — aren't going to be feasible to complete. I'll still try, though.

The last ones I've completed (I think) have been (a) graduating and (b) going overseas. Neither was really an accomplishment to be proud of: I finished studying last year; and it was Dan who organised going to Fiji.

I know baking biscuits isn't much of an achievement. But baby steps! I've never baked biscuits by myself before, so far as I can remember, so I do feel a small sense of accomplishment now I've done it. Luckily I made a double batch, since a lot of the mixture... disappeared... while I was mixing it up. A few biscuits even disappeared right after they exited the oven. And some seem to have turned a rather mouldy colour....

The four-year-old in me likes playing with food colouring.

YouTube Tuesday: Wedding romance

2009-07-28T10:00:00.005+12:00

In the latest of romantic news, this just in: Kiwi couples are changing their wedding vows for more "realistic" goals.

Honour and obey each other? Not in this equal-partnership marriage: the "obey" is being cut. Fair enough: that one I agree with. Marriage should be a partnership, not servitude.

Another common vow alteration is, instead of saying "till death do us part", saying "as long as our love endures". Well, that's fine if you're saying your love will endure till death does you part, but I'm guessing that's not what they're saying... to me it almost seems as if couples are going into marriage expecting to leave it. Really?

I've never been married, but I gotta say I wouldn't go into it unless I really believed it would be till death did us part. To me, you need trust in yourself and your partner — trust that you'll both be faithful, and that you'll both work at the relationship. That may not come true, unfortunately; but if you already have doubts at the wedding, why're you getting married?

One groom didn't want to say he loved his partner (because he didn't love her, or because he was uncomfortable saying the L word? Either way, if I were his bride, I...wouldn't have been his bride). So instead, this rather-too-honest fellow went for saying he would "cherish and honour" her through good and bad. Not a bad second-best, I suppose... I wonder if this cherishing and honouring was till death did them part?

But to me, the best (or worst) in this list is one couple who made the following heart-warming vow: that if their "love should falter or fail, I will respect you for the period that you were in my life". Aww, you really mean that? And they say the romance is gone from modern weddings.

So, for this week's YouTube Tuesday I thought I'd link to a very different wedding entrance (via @stonjie/Tim).

No paws on the table

2009-07-26T23:46:00.014+12:00

Since Mitsi died, Toby has started being a lot more attention-hungry, hanging around the house more, wanting more affection.

He's also started jumping onto Dan's back.

Dan's always been Toby's favourite person (for which I bear Toby no ill will — Dan's my favourite person, too), and sometimes lately when Dan picks Toby up, Toby will climb up his arm onto his shoulders/back, and just hang out there for a while. Sometimes he'll even lie down, apparently completely unaware of his precarious situation.

And that's not all. Over the past couple of weeks, as Dan and I are eating our dinner and paying no attention at all to a hopeful little cat by our feet, Toby will jump — off the floor — onto Dan's back.

Odd, you say? Without a doubt. Having accomplished the jump to Dan's back/shoulder area, Toby will then try by any means possible to get to the food. He knows he's not allowed to sit on the chairs during dinner; he knows he's definitely not allowed to set paw on the dining room table at any time. But he's figured out that, for whatever reason, when he jumps onto Bearded Man's back and walks (trapeze-like) across his arm toward that tempting morsel of steak, for whatever reason, Bearded Man and Awesome Girl (I'm sure that's what he calls me in his mind) are too busy shaking with laughter to do anything about it.

Despite appearances, Dan was actually trying to eat his food rather than give it to Toby in this picture. Toby succeeded in swiping it with his paw, though, so Dan gave up and gave it to Toby to eat.

Sometimes I worry we're teaching that cat bad habits.

Spreading the word: Candor (Pam Bachorz)

2009-07-23T10:00:00.007+12:00

I like debut authors. I think they have it tough, trying to make it in a market where nobody knows them; and few people are willing to gamble $30 on an unknown name. (Yes, new books are $30+ in New Zealand. Yes, it's daylight robbery.)

Anyway, every Thursday I'm trying to post something about an author or a book, and I'm trying to give preference to debut authors and debut books. I think it's important to spread the word! After all, I hope to be a debut author myself one day — and "do unto others", etc.

And so: Candor by Pam Bachorz. I had a brief look to see what it's about, and found a review of Candor here.

I've also posted the book trailer below. But I would recommend reading the linked review as well. To be honest, the trailer turned me off a bit and made me wonder if it was just tween angst crap; the review made it sound more like Nineteen Eighty-Four (in a good way), with everyone living under the autocratic rule of a dictator who wants to control not only people's actions, but their minds — and will do anything to achieve his goal. But read the review for yourself, and see what you think.

One thing I like is when authors post chapters online. It gives you a sense of their writing style, and of whether you'll really enjoy the story. This author is one of the gracious who has posted her first chapter online ("hot off the presses before it's even hit the presses").

Sounds good to me! A junior Nineteen Eighty-Four, perhaps. You decide:

Clayton Weatherston: the verdict

2009-07-22T22:27:00.004+12:00

Guilty of murder. Thank goodness. I really didn't understand how it could be ruled otherwise.

Is there a petition out against this whole provocation-is-a-good-reason-for-murder thing? Cos I'd sign that.

(Yes, I know the law doesn't say it's a good reason, per se. But if provocation can be used as a valid reason to downgrade a murder charge to the lesser charge of manslaughter, then that's almost what the law is saying. My opinion? That particular piece of law is wrong. Someone provokes you, you learn to take it rather than killing them. Still entirely your fault — still intent to kill — whether or not the murder is provoked.)

YouTube Tuesday: Kitties!

2009-07-21T22:00:00.000+12:00

Yeah, this was just too cute not to post. Or at least I thought so:

Clayton Weatherston: 216 stabs manslaughter?

2009-07-20T22:33:00.021+12:00

I don't like to comment on court matters, as I think that we, the public, can't really judge. We don't hear all the evidence; only what the media choose to pass on. Even the court may not know what really happened. But in this case, the crime isn't denied; only the charge.

Last year, Clayton Weatherston killed his ex-girlfriend, Sophie Elliot, by stabbing her 216 times. He never denied that he killed her. But he's claiming it's manslaughter rather than murder because she provoked him.

So my argument here is purely as a question of law. The Crown are arguing it was premeditated murder (he took a kitchen knife with him to visit her); the defence are saying it wasn't murder because he was provoked (Sophie had allegedly cheated on him while they were dating, and allegedly attacked him with scissors).

Isn't that still murder?

My understanding was that there were basically three levels of killing.

Manslaughter: "Unlawful killings without malice or intent are considered manslaughter", e.g. someone driving a car without reckless disregard hits a child who runs out in front of the car.
Second degree murder: "Any intentional, unlawful killing done without justification or excuse" (common law), i.e. intent to kill (not necessarily premeditated) or actions with "reckless disregard" for human life. I think these are the "crimes of passion" — e.g. finding your wife and your best friend in bed together, or losing control of your emotions when confronting an unfaithful ex-girlfriend.
First degree murder: The "unlawful killing of a human being with malice aforethought" (common law). Basically, second degree murder only worse. These are generally the premeditated murders, e.g. stealing your dad's gun to lie in wait and shoot the school bully, or taking a kitchen knife to visit your unfaithful ex-girlfriend to kill her.

So to me, the verdict seems clear. CW is claiming manslaughter. Manslaughter is an "unlawful killing without malice or intent". Was there malice? Yes. Was there intent? After 216 stabs, I'm gonna say so.

To me, the only question is what degree of murder he should be convicted with. But I'm aware my knowledge of New Zealand law is scanty. I've also heard that in most parts of Australia, murder can be downgraded to manslaughter if there has been provocation.

Has this ever been a part of NZ law, or is that just those crazy Australians? Is there anything in NZ law that acknowledges provocation as a just reason to downgrade a charge of murder to manslaughter?

To me, manslaughter says accidental. Even CW admits it wasn't accidental.

But would NZ law really allow provocation to be used as an excuse?

Update: The verdict.

Silver Phoenix (Cindy Pon)

2009-07-16T10:00:00.006+12:00

A friend asked me yesterday for my opinion of debut author Cindy Pon's The Silver Phoenix, which she got me for my birthday this year.

"Is it very... debutey?" she asked with a laugh.

Honestly? It was a bit. It had a good story, with good knowledge of the period (so far as my layman's knowledge goes) and thoughtful plotting. But it was... debutey.

I read the first four scenes one day, very much with a critical writer's eye; I didn't like two of the scenes and thought they could have been summed up later on in the story. The first few scenes seemed disjointed to me; I put the book aside for a few days.

I picked it up again one Sunday, read a bit more... and kept reading till I finished it, that same day.

It's certainly interesting; it makes you keep wanting to read on, to find out what happens next. The ending surprised me, in a good way; it wasn't the predictable happily-ever-after.

Reading it with my critical writer's eye, I did notice some technical issues that I would have wanted to change. One example: As the heroine goes on her quest, she passes through various lands of weird and wonderful creatures. Interesting? Sure. Important to the plot? Not that I could see.

Yet when I put down the book, I realised I wanted to read on. I wanted to know what happened to the characters next; I wanted to follow them in their next adventures. I was fond enough of the three main characters that when something awful happens to one of them, I was upset.

To me, that's the sign of a good book. I've studied "well-written" books at university that are chock-full of symbolism and themes and so on; and I enjoy those books. But for leisure I prefer light escapist reading, with characters I can care about and a story I want to read on about.

I also think the author is really sweet, both from her blog and from the fact that she was nice enough to send me a signed bookplate and bookmark with her art on it. It may be an inexpensive gesture, but it's a really nice one.

And regardless of bookplates and bookmarks, I'll certainly be buying the sequel to Silver Phoenix as soon as it's been released.

Conflicts

2009-07-15T10:00:00.001+12:00

I'm thinking about writing my synopsis before (re)starting on editing my story (I know, I keep going back and forwards); partly because I'm now considering doing a really massive overhaul on the story.

At the moment it's divided into two "books".

Book One: MC is captured by evil ruler. MC spends most of Book One trying to escape from evil ruler. MC escapes at end of Book One.

Book Two: A second conflict, much bigger than MC's initial issue, arises. MC goes on quest to resolve this second conflict. Conflict is resolved.

Book Two is much shorter than Book One, and most of the stuff I really like is in Book One. It seems to me that I need to focus more on what the really big issue is. There needs to be one plot in a book — not two. Either that, or I need to cut Book Two out altogether or have it as a "sequel" to Book One.

The plots combine in the MC finding what she really wants in life; but the physical action of the two plots are complete opposites.

Book One and Two are connected. Bits of Book Two's conflict are introduced in Book One; and as Book One progresses we slowly find that what the MC thinks she wants may not be what she actually wants — so when she achieves it, it's a bittersweet victory rather than a resolution.

Not that I have any problems ending a book on a bittersweet note, but I'm just... thinking aloud, as it were.

I'm even thinking of scrapping the whole middle of the story and merging the two Books, but that would ruin the theme of the story.

This is why I need a synopsis: I need focus. Until I know exactly how I want my rewritten story to be, there's no point in starting to rewrite it.

YouTube Tuesday: Complaining about nothing

2009-07-14T10:00:00.002+12:00

Apparently people are now objecting to Air New Zealand's new "Nothing to hide" ad campaign, where Air NZ employees are shown wearing nothing but body paint. It's funny, it's creative, and it's all done in good taste: the most nudity you even see is a couple of nicely-toned men walking away. The first couple of times I saw the ad on TV, I didn't even notice they weren't wearing clothes.

So just to show how ridiculous I think this objection is, I figured I'd post the ad below for YouTube Tuesday.

Even better is the fact that Air New Zealand have also taped the "Bare safety essentials" to show as the safety video for their 737 domestic flights. Hey, you want to make sure people are watching the safety video, right?

The only concern I could think of is that little kids would be watching this video. But again, it doesn't show any real nudity, and I suspect a lot of kids would only notice or care if adults make a big deal about it.

Bold, brilliant and brief

2009-07-11T21:19:00.008+12:00

Writer's Digest are holding a short story competition for stories up to 1500 words long: "bold, brilliant and brief"! And it's open to non-US residents. Deadline: 1 December 2009.

Ugh, I need to have so much writing ready by the end of this year. I've decided to apply both for the MA in Creative Writing at Victoria University (in Wellington); and for the Graduate Diploma in Journalism at Massey University (the Wellington campus). If I get in to either, it'll mean a crappy commute; but that's the way the cookie crumbles.

But I need a 20-page "sample" of excellent writing for the Creative Writing course; and a portfolio of previously-published stories for the journalism course. Eep! Both courses only accept about 20 students a year, and competition's tough. So I really need to get working.

I would much, much rather do the Creative Writing course. I don't want to be a journalist; I want to be an editor. Problem is, it's hard to get directly into an editing job without some journalism experience, so I'll probably need a few years up my belt as a journalist first. I'm also going to apply for a journalism internship, which would at least give me a foot in the door.

But I'd much rather do Creative Writing. I'm thinking a section of my current WIP (immaculately polished and revised) as my writing sample.

My problem with the Creative Writing course is that you're meant to give a proposal of what you'd write about. But what would I write about? I write most easily in the fantasy genre, but many literary folk seem to look down on fantasy — I don't want my genre to be a reason not to accept me into the course. If I could write a fantasy novel, then it'd be easy; I could write the sequel to my current WIP (which would just as easily be a stand-alone novel, if my current WIP comes to naught).

Either way, I've got a lot of work to do. It's kind of nice to have two plans; but on the other hand, I've got a lot of work to do. In the (likely) event that I'm accepted into neither course, I'll just keep on working — or possibly look at doing Honours in English at Victoria.

But I don't want that to happen — so rather than continuing to ramble on about it on my blog, I'm going to go get a good night's sleep and get up nice and early — and write!

YouTube Tuesday: Doe (a deer, a female deer)

2009-07-07T10:00:00.002+12:00

I don't think I'll do "YouTube Tuesday" that often. But I saw another cool YouTube clip the other day:

Black or white

2009-07-05T18:30:00.010+12:00

On the news tonight they talked about how Michael Jackson had always wanted to be white, a stance he "made clear" in his song, Black or white, with the lyrics: "I'm not gonna spend my life bein' a colour."

What? What? Did you miss the rest of the song?

It don't matter if you're black or white...
If you're thinkin' about my baby, it don't matter if you're black or white
If you're thinkin' of bein' my baby, it don't matter if you're black or white
If you're thinkin' of bein' my brother, it don't matter if you're black or white.

Point being (I assumed), that it don't matter if you're black or white.

I'd always interpreted "not gonna spend my life bein' a colour" as not wanting to spend your life being defined by your colour.

As far as him turning white: vitiligo. Genuine disease. Genuinely had it. Tends to affect mainly non-Europeans. Causes loss of skin pigmentation.

My point? Get over the colour of his skin, people. It don't matter.

Nineteen Eighty-Four (George Orwell)

2009-07-02T10:00:00.015+12:00

I hated Nineteen Eighty-Four.

It was fascinating; it was dense. I skipped entire pages of text that rambled on about the new philosophy behind the state; I read and re-read the appendix where Orwell expounds (at great length) on the post-English language spoken in his world.

Nineteen Eighty-Four shows a new, totalitarian world taken over by a regime. Everything is monitored. There is a new religion. The thought-police are watching you everywhere. You don't know who you can trust; everyone could be a spy. And the penalty isn't death.

The book explores this world, explores families and relationships and work in a world where everyone is under suspicion and, ultimately, your enemy.

This book explores physical and psychological torture, and it's horrific.

This book explores how you can really betray the only person you love.

This book explores the worst fate you can suffer. Not death, and not torture, but the loss of self. The loss of who you are, of what you believe.

A rebel's death is meaningless, but a rebel's conversion is everything.

I found this book horrible to read. I couldn't put it down. I waited for the happy ending; I couldn't understand how it could have a happy ending.

It made me think about a lot of things. It gave me new story ideas; it gave me a concept behind the government in my current WIP.

Have I spoiled the story? I'm not sure. It's too complex to wholly spoil. Would I recommend it? I'm not sure. It's a classic, and for a good reason.

But I hated that book.

RIP Michael Jackson

2009-06-26T16:36:00.007+12:00

An amazing singer, dancer and songwriter. It's sad to hear of his death, especially since it sounds like he was finally trying to turn his life around. I wish he'd died at a high point of his life, not at a low point where he was just trying to fix it.

The tributes to his life today sadden me. Why couldn't this have been said about him when he was alive? I'm sure he'd have loved to have heard all the wonderful things that people have said about him today — and yet that only comes out after he's gone. During his life he was "Wacko Jacko"; after his death he's the incredible performer who has been there as long as many of us can remember, and who's provided us with so much fantastic music.

To those who have seen a man's death as an opportunity to crack bad jokes at a tragedy: You sicken me. Show some respect.

He may have been unusual. But he had a hard childhood, a troubled life, and yet he never gave up. Many others have killed themselves for far less strife than he went through. But he just kept trying to make more amazing music for us.

Rest in peace, Michael Jackson.