Too Much Work

TV hasn't been the same since we got rid of our satellite TV service and our digital video recorder.

I have to order my life around the TV schedule, to be sitting right in front of it when the show I want to watch comes on. And if the phone rings or the kids come in and start talking during the program...forget it.

There is no "pause" and no going back.

I suppose I could record a TV show using our VCR and regain the powers of "pause" and "fast forward", but that would require us to set the clock on the VCR, which just seems like too much work. Plus, who KNOWS where the VCR manual is.

I have watched one show on line, which was fine, but there was only a spinning office chair to sit in and no ottoman or soft pillows and cushions.

Not so comfy.

So, sorry TV. You are just too much work for me. And what I find most interesting is that I don't think I'll miss it at all.

Really.

Book Review: Impossible by Nancy Werlin

Things that might make me partial to Impossible by Nancy Werlin:

1. Nancy Werlin herself took time to comment on my last post even though she is clearly a busy writer, with an average of one published book every two years for the last 14 years and a few really nice honors to boot.

2. According to the acknowledgment section at the end of the book, Ms. Werlin wrote most of it while sitting in Panera. Not only does this sound incredibly fun and relaxing, but also delicious? After spending 12 carb-free days, the idea that this book was composed near a warm hunk of bread slathered in butter with a creamy soup on the side made my mouth water.

3. Robert got this book for me for Christmas and if you know Robert, you know he does his research. The thought of the time and effort he spent to get me Impossible for Christmas made me love it even before I started it.

Things that made Impossible by Nancy Werlin great:

1. I love great characters and this book is full of them. There is compassion and love and devotion. Then there is evil. The bad guy. The "impossible" to defeat threat who seems to be in total control. I like a bad guy that makes me worry a little, and the Elfen Knight really stressed me out.

2. There are some tense moments in Impossible that could have been written in a more graphic way but were not. Lack of description in these instances does not result in a murky story. In fact, Werlin is able to make it perfectly clear what is happening, creating all the right emotions, without having, how should I say it...TMI. One of my favorite scenes in the book is when Lucy, the main character, is having a heart to heart with her best friend. There is a sweet moment, again, not overburdened with all the details, where her friend offers some much needed advice at an important time. Sometimes it's nice to not have everything spelled out...to leave room for imagination.

3. Impossible's surprise message, for me, was that no matter how strong and capable you are, sometimes you need the help of friends and family to overcome your challenges. I don't want to give away too much of the story, which I do recommend you read, but the evil Elfen Knight's biggest strategy in keeping Lucy's ancestors from completing their "impossible" tasks and breaking the curse was to isolate them. They were isolated in birth and in life. They were isolated socially and mentally and even sometimes physically.

After reading a lot of "girl power" books, where girls can do anything and everything with out any help (and I don't mind that kind of book at all) Impossible was a refreshing change.

4. The story is completely engaging. I read the book straight through on Saturday. I couldn't wait to find out how everything ended. And the ending is perfect.

And the Winner is...

Thank you so much for your feedback on my "first line" survey. After tabulating your votes (including one on Facebook) the winner with 3 votes is Impossible (YA) by Nancy Werlin. (Quote #1) I am excited to read this book for several reasons.

First, Nancy Werlin is a National Book Award Finalist for her book "Rules of Survival," which means that her writing is highly acclaimed.

Second, Robert got me this book for Christmas after lots of research and investigation. However, part of his investigation included writing down books I had requested from the library. At the time he made note of the title, I was pretty far back on the waiting list. By Christmas, I was #1 on the waiting list. So Robert told me I could read the library copy and take this one back and choose something else.

Third, it combines suspense, fantasy and romance for an intensely page-turning and masterful tale.

I have to give a little credit to the two books which tied for 2nd place with 2 votes each.

Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book (YA) has been widely anticipated in the kid lit world. (Quote #4) I've had it on my list for months even though I really didn't care for the other Neil Gaiman books I've read. The Ananzi Boys did not float my boat, and Coraline was fine in a creepy kind of way.

Additionally, I just finished a book by a different author that had a Neil Gaiman "blurb" on the back (something about how the book was perfect and gripping and the best thing ever) and I really didn't care for that book.

I'm starting to think that Mr. Gaiman and I just have different tastes.

The reason I want to read this book is simply peer pressure. Everyone is raving, there is a high demand on the library's waiting list, so therefore, I must have it. Shallow, I know, but there you have it.

The other 2 vote book was If You're Reading This, It's Too Late by Pseudonymous Bosch (Middle Grade) (Quote #9). This is a sequel to Bosch first book, The Name of This Book is Secret.

Personally, I think he's laying on the reverse psychology a little thick.

I mildly enjoyed the first book and when the second book came out I thought, "sure, why not."

Do NOT click here to go to his blog and learn more about the series.

One final note to Betsy: It's not referring to food.

First Lines

Writers understand that very first line of every story they write is absolutely critical. It is the first sentence that will give readers motivation to read sentence number two and maybe (if the second sentence was any good) the rest of the book.

I have nine library books I want to read, but am not sure which one I should choose. I know I will get to at least eight of them eventually, so this is far from a major dilemma.

I wondered though, if I had to choose which book to read based on the first line alone, which would I choose? Which would you choose?

Time for a survey!! Please tell me in the comment section, which book you would choose based on first lines. Also, if you recognize any of these first lines and would like to put a plug in for the rest of the book, that would be super duper.

1. "On the evening of Lucy Scarborough's seventh birthday, after the biggest party the neighborhood had seen since, well, Lucy's sixth birthday, Lucy got one last unexpected gift."

2. "The island of Gont, a single mountain that lifts its peak a mile above the storm-racked Northeast Sea, is a land famous for wizards.

3. "There was no possibility of taking a walk that day."

4. "There was a hand in the darkness and it held a knife."

5. "The rain had been coming down for hours, yet every flash of lightning still made Tallulah jump."

6. "There are plenty would call her a slut for it."

7. "You must go back with me to the Autumn of 1827"

8. "In all those lessons for which I was made to memorize chants and prayers I never used, couldn't our temple priestesses have taught one--just one!--lesson on what to do with a boy who is too smart for his own good."

9. "The flashlight pierced the darkness
The flashlight slashed through the darkness
The flashlight beam sliced through the darkness like a sword
The flashlight beam darted - yes! - across the dark hall, illuminating a wondrous collection of antique curiosities."

OK, that's it. What do you think? Please comment. This will not only help me figure out which book to read, but also help me learn what makes a good first line.

Thanks!

Mom's Cleaning Service

Memorandum

Date: 7 January 2009

To: All kids who don't do chores

From: Mom

Subject: Mom's Cleaning Service

Effective immediately, the Nelson household will be offering a cleaning service for your convenience. To request the cleaning service simply fail to perform, in a timely manner, your previously agreed-upon chores. The cleaning service (Mom) will do them for you. Just like that.

Price List

Make Bed - 25 cents

Clean Hamster Cage - $1.00

Pick up Clothes - 10 cents per item

Clean Room - 50 cents

At this time, Mom's Cleaning Service is only able to offer a limited number of specific cleaning specialties. However over time, and as you grow in responsibility, more fantastically simple chores may be assigned for you to shirk, at which time, Mom will charge you for doing those too.

Payment due at the time services are performed.

I love you.

Great Book Alert

The book I am about to recommend is a young adult fiction that I believe could have as wide appeal as the Harry Potter books.

I am not saying I think the book will go super-sonic and sell billions of copies world wide and that there will be a release party at Barnes and Noble this fall when the third book comes out. (Unless we plan one! Anyone? Anyone?)

What I AM saying is that this book is exciting almost from the start. The main character is a young boy who is as endearing and lovable as Harry Potter, but he is definitely NOT Harry Potter.

I guess what I really want to get across is that if you find yourself shunning young adult or juvenile fiction because you are older than 20 and beyond childish things, think again. You could love this book the same way billions worldwide have loved Harry Potter.

The book.... (drum roll please)

...Airborn by Kenneth Oppel and it's follow up book, Skybreaker.

I just finished Skybreaker last night and think it was even better than Airborn. In fact, I had a horrible night's sleep due to the fact that I couldn't stop dreaming about the adventure and the characters and it was very disturbing because my dreams were a little tense.

Matt Cruse is a cabin boy on board a luxury airship in a world much like our own, but different. He is thoroughly at home in the air, has no fear of heights or of falling. In fact, he almost believes that if he fell, he just might be able to fly.

One of the passengers aboard the ship happens to be a bold, determined and slightly impetuous young girl. Kate DeVries soon compels Matt to help her on her quest to validate the observations and scientific research of her late grandfather.

Enter air pirates, a shipwreck and ferocious wild animals and I could not put this book down.

Like I said, I loved Skybreaker even more than Airborn and can not wait for book three, Starclimber.

Reserve these books at your library or go and buy them now!

Seriously, stop reading this. Go!

p.s. I would love to see this series become a movie as long as they could hire someone competent enough to make it utterly amazing.

p.p.s. Check out this website for info on the trilogy.

It Snowed Again

Yep, that's right. Last night around 6pm it started snowing and piling up. Slowly piling, but piling none the less.

I started to wonder if I was going to have to make good on my threat to buy my own plow and ruin our budget for the next 10 years. Luckily I-Shuan said she'd go in on it with me.

Good news though. We can both keep our moola because the snow turned to rain and this morning...clear roads! Yipee!

Now I sit here with a messy house and no TV. Robert has not even hooked up the rabbit ears yet, so I'm relying on our skimpy collection of VHS tapes and DVDs to entertain Isaac while I tackle 3 weeks of boyed-up bathroom and a bunch of other stuff.

Time to get to work and I'm perfectly happy, thank you very much.