After posting the newest installment of my blog this afternoon I walked away thinking it was rather boring. I reflected on that thought all afternoon. Why did I feel that way? Is it because when you get a good author, writing a good book, with no controversy, there is simply nothing to bitch about? The book was good. The book had no gratuitous sex or violence. The book was not controversial in any way. It was simply a good book. Do good books make for boring blogging? Perhaps they do. Not a bad thing if you're the author of the book. :+) What do you think?
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About Me
Friday, August 28, 2009
Next Please!
So Robin Cook is no longer in Crisis as I have finished the book. (I'm sure the good Dr. Cook would be thrilled to hear that). It was a good book. An easy read. In fact, as Robin Cook novels go, perhaps too easy.Though perhaps not as well developed as most of his earlier stuff, it was still a good read. I also answered my own question about whether or not one could enjoy something when one did not always understand the terminology being used. Absolutely! After all with lines like "despite a cacophony of horn blowing and screeching tires, Jack's car managed to merge into traffic".(Robin Cook, Crisis, p255)ya gotta be impressed! How can you not love a line like that? I mean really? Does that not appeal to the wordsmith in all the avid readers among us? I love that line. It's so descriptive and....well ...loud. What can I say...I'm a city girl and can relate to those sounds so very well. I could not however have put them down on paper that well. Which is why he's earning the big bucks and I'm writing about him earning the big bucks.
Not all was wonderful with his words though. It took almost all the way to the end of the book but eventually the serious medical terminology did rear it's head. I spent a good 4 paragraphs wading through page after page of medical lingo that I neither needed to know for the purposes of this book nor wanted to know for any other purpose. Oh well, I suppose when you are as learned as Robin Cook, you will tend to lean toward your chosen field in whatever endeavor you undertake. In this case he simply took the reader along with him for a few rather tedious chapters. All in all it was worth the boredom. The book was well written, contained characters who were like old friends and even established new relationships with old characters. That's always nice as it leaves open a door for old and new to merge into a new book. That might be nice.
So what's next? I would really love to find a good old fashioned controversial book. Rabble rouser, sh** disturber, controversy queen.....that's me. Well at least a little bit. (even I have my limits). Something like the DaVinci Code would be nice. Lots of action. A great read and something to bicker both "for" and "against". Nice thought that. However, I've found nothing even remotely resembling that either in my own library or the Public Library. I think what I'm saying here in my own not so subtle way is, I need a good book to read. Something that I can sink my teeth into. Something that will keep me awake at night trying to finish. (I'm sick of being awake at night for no good reason). I've looked at all my favorite authors and no one has anything on the go right now. I can't wait for Dan Brown's new release but as I am # 161 on the waiting list at the library, methinks it will be a while before I get to that particular eagerly anticipated novel. I really think it's time to find a new author. One who's novels I have yet to sample. Preferably one I will like and has written a few already as that would provide good reading material for some time. Any suggestions anyone? I really could use a good book.
All of which brings me to my next question. Is being a Rabble rousing, sh** disturbing, controversy queen ( I flatter myself here) such a bad thing? Is it wrong to enjoy a good book simply for the sake of a good read despite the controversy that might surround it? Especially given my "Christian" status? There are many I know who would suggest that as a "Christian" I should be reading only "Christian" materials. What think you gentle readers? This is a question that has given me pause often. I mean, not only do I read material that I know many "Christian" people would shy far away from, often I relish it. How appropriate is this? Or not as the case may be? Please, let me know what you think and for goodness sake could someone please suggest a good author?! Or at the very least, a good book?! Thanks, I appreciate your help. :+)
Until next time, read on MacDuff......etc. (yes I know it was lame but it was there!). Apologies to die hard Shakespeare fans who don't see the humour.
PS - Thanks for the tip Dennis :+)
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Not all was wonderful with his words though. It took almost all the way to the end of the book but eventually the serious medical terminology did rear it's head. I spent a good 4 paragraphs wading through page after page of medical lingo that I neither needed to know for the purposes of this book nor wanted to know for any other purpose. Oh well, I suppose when you are as learned as Robin Cook, you will tend to lean toward your chosen field in whatever endeavor you undertake. In this case he simply took the reader along with him for a few rather tedious chapters. All in all it was worth the boredom. The book was well written, contained characters who were like old friends and even established new relationships with old characters. That's always nice as it leaves open a door for old and new to merge into a new book. That might be nice.
So what's next? I would really love to find a good old fashioned controversial book. Rabble rouser, sh** disturber, controversy queen.....that's me. Well at least a little bit. (even I have my limits). Something like the DaVinci Code would be nice. Lots of action. A great read and something to bicker both "for" and "against". Nice thought that. However, I've found nothing even remotely resembling that either in my own library or the Public Library. I think what I'm saying here in my own not so subtle way is, I need a good book to read. Something that I can sink my teeth into. Something that will keep me awake at night trying to finish. (I'm sick of being awake at night for no good reason). I've looked at all my favorite authors and no one has anything on the go right now. I can't wait for Dan Brown's new release but as I am # 161 on the waiting list at the library, methinks it will be a while before I get to that particular eagerly anticipated novel. I really think it's time to find a new author. One who's novels I have yet to sample. Preferably one I will like and has written a few already as that would provide good reading material for some time. Any suggestions anyone? I really could use a good book.
All of which brings me to my next question. Is being a Rabble rousing, sh** disturbing, controversy queen ( I flatter myself here) such a bad thing? Is it wrong to enjoy a good book simply for the sake of a good read despite the controversy that might surround it? Especially given my "Christian" status? There are many I know who would suggest that as a "Christian" I should be reading only "Christian" materials. What think you gentle readers? This is a question that has given me pause often. I mean, not only do I read material that I know many "Christian" people would shy far away from, often I relish it. How appropriate is this? Or not as the case may be? Please, let me know what you think and for goodness sake could someone please suggest a good author?! Or at the very least, a good book?! Thanks, I appreciate your help. :+)
Until next time, read on MacDuff......etc. (yes I know it was lame but it was there!). Apologies to die hard Shakespeare fans who don't see the humour.
PS - Thanks for the tip Dennis :+)
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Friday, July 31, 2009
Fluff Be Gone
Ok, So Judith Michael's Pot of Gold finally bit the dust. I simply couldn't handle it anymore. I decided that it fell into the category of "life is too short". The book that I read before this one was boring too but at least there was potential for character growth. I didn't see that anywhere in this book. The gyst of the story was: a working class woman wins a 60 million dollar lottery and how it changes her life. Ok, I can get on board with winning a lottery. Big Time! Whoever said "money can't buy happiness" most assuredly had no money problems. Trust me, right now there are few things in life that would make me happier than winning a lottery. (please note that I did say "few"). Money would get the wolves away from my door. Money would allow me to own a pair of running shoes that have not been chewed by the dog. Money would allow me frivolities like a trip to the eye doctor and dentist. Yes, money would certainly make me much happier, and to some degree, even healthier, right now. But oh, the things this woman in the novel expected money to do for her! I read what part of the book I read with one question repeating in my mind. "Do people really believe this crap?" Sadly I think too often, the answer is "yes". Scary concept. Our heroine seemed to think that money could buy her a self confidence she had never before had. She also seemed to think that she could "fit in" places she never had before because with money came a sense of entitlement. Hmm..... perhaps I am the one missing something here, but I rather think if the impossible did happen and I one a lottery tomorrow, after the initial euphoria wore off (which I figure would take about 2 minutes) my first emotion would be dead fear! I don't know what to do with large amounts of money! I'm poor. I have always been poor. Entitled? Me? Ha! What would I do with 60 million dollars (for instance)? I could speculate all day long and never come up with concrete answers. Until and unless I am in the position, I really have no way of knowing exactly what I would do or think or how I would act. Yes, it would help tremendously and I could finally go home, but there truly are some things that money really cannot buy, like self confidence and love, and I'm missing those things too. But at least I don't expect that money could ever buy them. As far as a sense of entitlement goes, I don't even want that! In short, this woman got on my last nerve so I turfed the book.
Which brings me to my latest tome. Crisis by Robin Cook. So far, so good. A medical thriller with believeable characters and an enjoyable (so far) storyline. It has raised a couple of odd and/or interesting questions though. It's a novel written by an MD. Which means that there are plenty of references to actual medical terms. Are the terms and scenarios that are being described and depicted in this novel true to life? I know nothing about the medical proffession. For all I know this guy could just be really well spoken or even just really good with a thesaurus! The bottom line for me is - it doesn't matter. I dont care if he's an uber scientist/doctor/medical researcher or simply a good writer. He's given me a book that appeals to my intelligence, my love for thrillers and an escape from the mundane. His characters are believable on 2 fronts. 1) they are very well written and developed, and 2) some of them have appeared in earlier Robin Cook novels that I have read so it's rather like catching up with old friends. I like that in a novel. Recurring characters have always been a favorite of mine when choosing reading material.
So, for now at least, Robin Cook is what's on board for me. Every once in a while I even think about the medical parts of the book and do a little online research of my own. It's fun. Sometimes.
My question to you, dear reader, is this: "Can you read a novel you don't totally and completely understand and still enjoy it"? Or better (or perhaps worse) "Can you read a novel that you know perhaps a little bit about (if you were say, some kind of medical practioner), spot errors and simply overlook them and enjoy the book for it's own sake"? It is after all, a work of fiction, a novel. Not the new England Journal of Medicine (and you thought I learned nothing from reading!).
Food for thought. Or at least that is my hope. So for now, it's me, Robin Cook, Jack Stapleton (major character's name) and an enjoyable evening.
Until next time, read on friends and keep in touch.
.
Which brings me to my latest tome. Crisis by Robin Cook. So far, so good. A medical thriller with believeable characters and an enjoyable (so far) storyline. It has raised a couple of odd and/or interesting questions though. It's a novel written by an MD. Which means that there are plenty of references to actual medical terms. Are the terms and scenarios that are being described and depicted in this novel true to life? I know nothing about the medical proffession. For all I know this guy could just be really well spoken or even just really good with a thesaurus! The bottom line for me is - it doesn't matter. I dont care if he's an uber scientist/doctor/medical researcher or simply a good writer. He's given me a book that appeals to my intelligence, my love for thrillers and an escape from the mundane. His characters are believable on 2 fronts. 1) they are very well written and developed, and 2) some of them have appeared in earlier Robin Cook novels that I have read so it's rather like catching up with old friends. I like that in a novel. Recurring characters have always been a favorite of mine when choosing reading material.
So, for now at least, Robin Cook is what's on board for me. Every once in a while I even think about the medical parts of the book and do a little online research of my own. It's fun. Sometimes.
My question to you, dear reader, is this: "Can you read a novel you don't totally and completely understand and still enjoy it"? Or better (or perhaps worse) "Can you read a novel that you know perhaps a little bit about (if you were say, some kind of medical practioner), spot errors and simply overlook them and enjoy the book for it's own sake"? It is after all, a work of fiction, a novel. Not the new England Journal of Medicine (and you thought I learned nothing from reading!).
Food for thought. Or at least that is my hope. So for now, it's me, Robin Cook, Jack Stapleton (major character's name) and an enjoyable evening.
Until next time, read on friends and keep in touch.
.
Friday, July 24, 2009
My First Attempt
Recently someone put the question to me “does the music we listen to say something about us as individuals or is it just a random like/dislike kind of thing. I thought about this for a while before answering. In fact, as I lay in bed that night reading my second boring book in a row, it came to me that the same question could be asked about books. What does our choice of reading material say about us – if anything? Being the avid reader that I am, this question totally derailed the original music question and I have been thinking about books and how they affect me ever since.
I consider myself to be a “Christian”. That is, one who follows (or at least tries to follow) Christ. I believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and a triune God. That being said, how do I justify my choice of reading material? As a rule, I read only for enjoyment. Reading is an escape for me. My life is totally uninspired and lifeless and books help fill a gap for me. So....how do I choose what to read? I enjoy gratuitous violence in books. I enjoy gratuitous sex in books. Does this make me a “bad Christian”? Is there a place in society for these types of books or should I be avoiding them as the “trash” they really are. (“trash” is a word I usually use to describe any work of literature that is not meant for “learning” purposes. ie: any given novel) Further, are they worse (or arguably better) trash because of the sex and/or violence?
I caught a lot of flack from many Christian friends when I read The DaVinci Code and Harry Potter and admitted to thoroughly enjoying them. Was the outrage of my friends justified? Should I not be reading such books? Are they in fact tools of the devil or harmful to my soul in ways that I can't quite understand? Or are they simply wonderfully written works of fiction that I could lose myself in for a bit. (as is my personal belief).
These and many other questions have arisen since I started actively thinking about what I read, (it's also possible that I simply have way too much time on my hands) so I decided to put some of these questions out there and see if anyone else has ideas about books and why they read what they read.
I've decided to start off by continuing (for now at least) with the book I am now being bored with and see what happens. It is one of my “trashy novels” called Pot of Gold by Judith Michael. A major piece of fluff to say the least. I will keep you updated on the book and whether or not it gets any better, whether I finally give up in disgust and put the book down or simply push on and finish the darn thing and pick up the next escape route.
I would like to encourage you to share your thoughts about books, authors, writing genres, and anything else literary that you may think of. I am especially interested right now in your thoughts as to why I am persevering with this piece of boredom I am using as a sleep aid right now.
Answers to the above questions could spark some interesting conversations I think, so please feel free to offer opinions on those as well.
Most of all, please bear in mind that I am totally new to this and am not a seasoned blogger or writer of any sort, so bear with me.
I have listed below a few of my favorite authors (as you will see, Judith Michael is not among them) so you will probably gain a little insight as to what kind of novels I enjoy. If you think there is an author out there that I might enjoy and his/her name is not on the list, please suggest it! I am always on the lookout for new authors to read.
Beyond all that folks.............read on...........
Favorite Authors:
James Patterson
Steve Berry
Robert Ludlum
Ken Follett
Robin Cook
Marion Zimmer Bradley
Barbara Taylor Bradford
Judith Krantz
Andrew Greeley
Jeffrey Archer
Five Favorite Books (in no particular order):
The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
The Story of the Other Wise Man by Henry Van Dyke
Little Women by Lousia May Alcott
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell
I consider myself to be a “Christian”. That is, one who follows (or at least tries to follow) Christ. I believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and a triune God. That being said, how do I justify my choice of reading material? As a rule, I read only for enjoyment. Reading is an escape for me. My life is totally uninspired and lifeless and books help fill a gap for me. So....how do I choose what to read? I enjoy gratuitous violence in books. I enjoy gratuitous sex in books. Does this make me a “bad Christian”? Is there a place in society for these types of books or should I be avoiding them as the “trash” they really are. (“trash” is a word I usually use to describe any work of literature that is not meant for “learning” purposes. ie: any given novel) Further, are they worse (or arguably better) trash because of the sex and/or violence?
I caught a lot of flack from many Christian friends when I read The DaVinci Code and Harry Potter and admitted to thoroughly enjoying them. Was the outrage of my friends justified? Should I not be reading such books? Are they in fact tools of the devil or harmful to my soul in ways that I can't quite understand? Or are they simply wonderfully written works of fiction that I could lose myself in for a bit. (as is my personal belief).
These and many other questions have arisen since I started actively thinking about what I read, (it's also possible that I simply have way too much time on my hands) so I decided to put some of these questions out there and see if anyone else has ideas about books and why they read what they read.
I've decided to start off by continuing (for now at least) with the book I am now being bored with and see what happens. It is one of my “trashy novels” called Pot of Gold by Judith Michael. A major piece of fluff to say the least. I will keep you updated on the book and whether or not it gets any better, whether I finally give up in disgust and put the book down or simply push on and finish the darn thing and pick up the next escape route.
I would like to encourage you to share your thoughts about books, authors, writing genres, and anything else literary that you may think of. I am especially interested right now in your thoughts as to why I am persevering with this piece of boredom I am using as a sleep aid right now.
Answers to the above questions could spark some interesting conversations I think, so please feel free to offer opinions on those as well.
Most of all, please bear in mind that I am totally new to this and am not a seasoned blogger or writer of any sort, so bear with me.
I have listed below a few of my favorite authors (as you will see, Judith Michael is not among them) so you will probably gain a little insight as to what kind of novels I enjoy. If you think there is an author out there that I might enjoy and his/her name is not on the list, please suggest it! I am always on the lookout for new authors to read.
Beyond all that folks.............read on...........
Favorite Authors:
James Patterson
Steve Berry
Robert Ludlum
Ken Follett
Robin Cook
Marion Zimmer Bradley
Barbara Taylor Bradford
Judith Krantz
Andrew Greeley
Jeffrey Archer
Five Favorite Books (in no particular order):
The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
The Story of the Other Wise Man by Henry Van Dyke
Little Women by Lousia May Alcott
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell
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