Friday, November 9, 2007

I Have Questions

Question #1: Are you right brained or left brained? Click this link and tell me if the lady is spinning clockwise or counter-clockwise. The site claims that most people will see her spinning counter-clockwise and that you can force yourself to see counter-clockwise, but I don't believe it. Anyone out there able to prove me wrong?

Question #2: Have you read or heard of these books? (See list below) After an hour or so spent browsing some blogs, Kirkus Review, and Amazon, here is my list of books to read. I think they are all middle grade and young adult. Do you have anything for me to add to this list? Anything I shouldn't waste my time with? Of course I will wait to start reading until December when I'm done with Nano writing. I'm just thinking ahead/wasting time.

The Bearskinner, by Laura Amy Schlitz

Moxy Maxwell Does Not Like Stuart Little, by Peggy Gifford (evidently a story about procrastination, so it seems to be right up my alley!)

The Navigator, by Eoin McNamee (might be a little too "fantasy" for me, but I'm willing to give it a shot. I'm judging the book by the author's really cool name.)

The Name of This Book is Secret, by Pseudonymous Bosch (speaking of cool author names...)

The Arrival, by Shaun Tan (waiting for me at the library NOW! A graphic novel, I believe)

Kiki Strike: The Empress Tomb, by Kirsten Miller

Love, Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli (I loved "Stargirl" and am not to sure that I want to continue with the series since I really liked where it ended.)

Good Masters, Sweet Ladies: Voices From a Medieval Village, by Laura Amy Schlitz (Fuse #8 can't say enough good things about this one, so I don't think I can pass it up. Not really non-fiction, more like the script for a play.)

Hatchet, by Gary Paulson (I'm trying to read "boy books.")

12 comments:

Catherine said...

I couldn't stand Stargirl. I don't know if I even finished it. It turned me off Jerry Spinelli forever. I found it too didactic - although I did like Hoot by Carl Hiassen and that's pretty didactic too. I haven't read any of those other books except Hatchet which I didn't like as a kid but enjoyed as an adult. I heard Brian Paulson speak at a writers conference a couple of years ago. You know he got a bunch of mail saying that he shouldn't have bailed the MC out right before the winter so he wrote another book about what would have happened if the kid wasn't picked up at the end of the summer called "Brian's Winter" or something.

My side of the Mountain is a good kid-in-the-woods-survival book too.

Afton said...

I agree that Stargirl was pretty blatant with it's message, but it was still interesting to see the fickle student body react so differently to a basically unchanging situation. The MC was unbelieveable but I guess it was an interesting contrived social experiement, kind of like Survivor. Anyway, I wasn't all that interested in reading Love, Stargirl. I can't really remember even putting it on hold at the library, but evidently I did.

I saw "Brian's Winter" on Amazon and wondered what that was all about since I understood that he was only in the woods for 50-60 days. I don't see anything wrong with being resuced before winter.

I will have to see if "Brian's Winter" is a temptaion after reading "Hatchet."

Catherine said...

That lady is counterclockwise. I don't care what those crazy journalists say.

Anna said...

i loved all of Gary Paulson's book as a kid. I've never heard of the others, but that just gives me some new books to look forward to.

Afton said...

I'm totally seeing her clockwise. I can't make her go the other way no matter how hard I try.

megan said...

I see her counterclockwise like Catherine. Weird! The only book I have heard of is Hatchet and I read that when I was younger and didn't like it. Although, I hated reading when I was younger so I really should go back and read everything again. Wish I could be more help!

Catherine said...

I had to go back and check and she was still counterclockwise until I looked aside to read the article and out of the corner of my eye I saw her turning clockwise. I lost it pretty soon after I looked back at her full on. Freaky.

claire said...

Too bad you guys can't count these comments in your word count.

claire said...

I have to admit myself, however, that right now I should be revising my book review, finishing my exhibition analysis, and/or working on my paper, "Robert Morris's Palladianism and the Circle of Thomas Jefferson." Yes, it is as fascinating as it sounds.

claire said...

Definitely counter-clockwise.

Afton said...

a) I am counting these comments in my word count! (kidding)
2) will no one back me up on this? She's spinning clockwise! Even Robert said so and he's the most left brained person I know.
(by the way, what's up with so much anatomical detail on that lady?)

megan said...

OK...I went and checked again too AND I saw it clockwise...then it went back to counterclockwise. WEIRD!