tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54328509159403298472024-03-12T23:26:04.875-07:00Murder and MacchiatosSusan Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06499496263977402609noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432850915940329847.post-3504092383820784852014-09-28T14:11:00.001-07:002014-09-28T14:11:08.021-07:00New Blog!Hi all,<br />
<br />
2014 has proven to be very busy and I've fallen behind on my blogging. Fall is here (my favorite season!) and I'm giving it another shot.<br />
<br />
Most importantly, I've moved to another location.<br />
<br />
Please check out the new blog here: http://www.suebethsays.com<br />
<br />
Best,<br />
SusanSusan Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06499496263977402609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432850915940329847.post-57356426137341132692014-01-27T06:14:00.000-08:002014-01-27T06:14:51.673-08:00Weekend READcap: Meg Wolitzer's The Interestings<div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome to the</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>WEEKEND REadCAP</b></span>, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As seen in my occasional TV reviews, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">my Weekend READcaps </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">take on a superlative style. Have a look...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy4Aa0EDj973NF6OmEIuh2F_UaYLbi-FwNHs9PVY3qSQsSFNh0j7SKG2l0ujX2qOvA-EQfH6pViv8unRWYnXic-k69zEPl_YrxIJMADeJ1YgtnWfERvNDKkxaCcsmNyYTv-xgIjRsNOyY/s1600/theinterestings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy4Aa0EDj973NF6OmEIuh2F_UaYLbi-FwNHs9PVY3qSQsSFNh0j7SKG2l0ujX2qOvA-EQfH6pViv8unRWYnXic-k69zEPl_YrxIJMADeJ1YgtnWfERvNDKkxaCcsmNyYTv-xgIjRsNOyY/s1600/theinterestings.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a><b><span style="color: #990000;"></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">Favorite Aspect of Storytelling:</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">The non-linear plot</span></div>
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We meet these 6 characters when they're teenagers, then flash to when they're in their 50s. From there, we jump around time as we learn their life stories.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">Favorite Character:</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Ash Wolf </span></div>
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Ash is wealthy and blessed her entire life, but she may be the most modest person you'll ever meet. You won't get back-stabbed or guilt-tripped by Ash Wolf</div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">Least Favorite Character</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Ethan Figman</span></div>
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We're supposed to like Ethan. He expends an extreme amount of energy into being humble and dependable, but there's a bit of self-pity that makes him unlikable (See: Jules, Mo). I have a feeling I may be alone in is assessment though...</div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">Favorite Quotes:</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">On life</span></div>
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“But clearly life took people and shook them around until finally they were unrecognizable even to those who had once known them well. Still, there was power in once having known someone.”</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">On love</span></div>
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“Just the act of sleeping beside someone you liked to be with. Maybe that was love.”</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">On relationships</span></div>
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"Neither of them yet knew how to be a boyfriend or girlfriend. This was not a skill set that could be taught; you just had to do it, and you had to want to do it, and somehow through doing it you became better at it”</div>
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These quotes really demonstrate the strength of this book. Want to take a break from life, by reading a story about growing up that may very we'll resemble your life at several points? Go for it.<br />
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Susan Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06499496263977402609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432850915940329847.post-72728996398363825862014-01-24T07:10:00.004-08:002014-01-24T07:14:13.282-08:00On a Short Note<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSqglZVQfbkT0BRJrNhWa9jEN6RV1yk_-khjt3rnxza-8zNuTfXsgVuM4gCek6ChORtQKot35pQsExvdcjmvIbgMfdfp9jaCVr9TowyowweeTeESlEOt_yvUPBx8Lf4CK5sCk1e7cxI70/s1600/goodfellas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSqglZVQfbkT0BRJrNhWa9jEN6RV1yk_-khjt3rnxza-8zNuTfXsgVuM4gCek6ChORtQKot35pQsExvdcjmvIbgMfdfp9jaCVr9TowyowweeTeESlEOt_yvUPBx8Lf4CK5sCk1e7cxI70/s1600/goodfellas.jpg" height="187" width="200" /></a></div>
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The unexpected snowstorm has created a surprisingly busy week! Fiction and Frappaccinos will return next week. On a short note - did you hear? <a href="http://www.newsday.com/news/new-york/vincent-asaro-charged-in-78-lufthansa-heist-legendary-crime-chronicled-in-goodfellas-1.6861605" target="_blank">The Goodfellas have been arrested</a>! You better believe I'll be blogging about this shortly.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>Enjoy the weekend, folks.</b></span></div>
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Susan Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06499496263977402609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432850915940329847.post-28274527062813477352014-01-20T03:51:00.000-08:002014-01-20T03:51:28.695-08:00Weekend READcap: John Connolly's The Book of Lost Things<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome to the</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>WEEKEND REadCAP</b></span>, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please note that the set-up of these book discussions has changed slightly. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've always had the intention of doing more of a discussion than a review, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">but I also want to be as spoiler free as possible. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As seen in my occasional TV reviews, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">my Weekend READcaps </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">will take on a superlative style. Take a look...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIXmNfILabU7eERmUx67ecegcj7MAsErKybc1kpdXvpZHUJOt0VzDNOktvK0vfmJqoCp-3dDzWOyFUDvzCszRmH6HAlruNOnmf9kvBNn_B9QbbN3Atc61sxq0tQYLl36b3izBmGy7NnnU/s1600/book+of+lost+things.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIXmNfILabU7eERmUx67ecegcj7MAsErKybc1kpdXvpZHUJOt0VzDNOktvK0vfmJqoCp-3dDzWOyFUDvzCszRmH6HAlruNOnmf9kvBNn_B9QbbN3Atc61sxq0tQYLl36b3izBmGy7NnnU/s1600/book+of+lost+things.jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">Pick It Up If You Liked:</span></b><br />
<span style="color: blue;">The Chronicles of Narnia, </span><span style="color: blue;">Pan's Labyrinth</span><br />
Yes, these two stories are very different. This story meets somewhere in the middle - closer to the concepts of C.S. Lewis, but with mild spurts of violence/gore.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">Favorite Quote:</span></b><br />
<span style="color: blue;">"His realm may be falling to pieces around him, but he always has time to talk of tales."</span><br />
First, I would like to say that this line reminds me of the great Jed Bartlett of The West Wing. Second, this idea speaks to the importance of stories not only within this novel, but also in life.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">Favorite Concept Within the Novel:</span></b><br />
<span style="color: blue;">The books talk! </span><br />
At all times, they're murmuring, interpreting things according to their story and David's the only one who can hear them. I only wish that this concept was more prominent in the overall story arc.<br />
<i>"Sometimes, when Dr. Moberly asked a question of which the books approved, they would all say 'Hmmmmm' in unison."</i><br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">Favorite Aspect of Storytelling:</span></b><br />
<span style="color: blue;">Mr. Connolly's handling of classic fairytales. </span><br />
He infused these well known tales into David's story, but gave them much different endings and realities than the ones we're used to. I'm aware that Grimm's fairy tales are much more dark and gory than the pop culture versions we grew up with - the fairytales in this story, however, are twisted in different ways. Think: The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiIrpMcU2y1eNGKVvLvn27WuBKXsgpMWSctZXJrNgnG49UQvrQvOSXQnWjApqmkx4j0A0HevjTKHwllR3Ytdta5bH3Bn_ijeuQ8SkjAGfxaxqIMrVvYEihNDaA_vviJ43-bo-bubCG0Ss/s1600/true+story+of+pigs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiIrpMcU2y1eNGKVvLvn27WuBKXsgpMWSctZXJrNgnG49UQvrQvOSXQnWjApqmkx4j0A0HevjTKHwllR3Ytdta5bH3Bn_ijeuQ8SkjAGfxaxqIMrVvYEihNDaA_vviJ43-bo-bubCG0Ss/s1600/true+story+of+pigs.jpg" height="200" width="156" /></a><i>"They said that every society, and every age, produced its own version of the same tales."</i><br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">Favorite Exchange:</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">"Um what about 'happily ever after'?" asked David, a little uncertainly. "What does that mean?"</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">"Eaten quickly," said Brother Number One.</span></div>
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This exchange is silly on its own, but even better when you read it in context.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">Favorite Extra Content:</span></b><br />
<span style="color: blue;">The fairytale glossary in the appendix.</span><br />
Mr. Connolly explains what classic stories (most fairytales, other poems) he used within his novel. He then goes on to detail what aspect of the story inspired him and how he enfolded it into his character's journey.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">What To Look Out For:</span></b><br />
<span style="color: blue;">An allegory.</span><br />
This world is not only an escape for David, but also look at it as a larger comment on life and spiritualism.<br />
<i>"He was there when the first men came into the world, erupting into being along wih them. In a way, they gave him life and purpose, and in return he gave them stories to tell, for the Crooked Man remembered every tale."</i><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">If you're looking for a more in depth discussion of the book, leave your comment below. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">I also would like to suggest the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1595215-the-book-of-lost-things-by-john-connolly---start-date-january-12-2014?comment=90985685&page=3#comment_90985685" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">thread</a> on Goodreads' Nothing But Reading Challenges.</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Happy reading!</span></div>
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<br />Susan Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06499496263977402609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432850915940329847.post-74875778303118529442014-01-17T03:07:00.000-08:002014-01-17T03:07:48.984-08:00Fiction and Frappaccinos: One Book, Multiple Journals, and Amazing Facts<br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Fiction and Frappaccinos</span></b></div>
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Check in on Fridays to see my favorites from the week.<br />
<i>(Coffee not included)</i><br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">(1)</span></b> Check out this awesome <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/12/magazine/the-murderer-and-the-manuscript.html" target="_blank">NYTimes story</a> about a murder convict who won a creative writing contest.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhc_eld0K52AG76DvRAdibV8PZBWgJXgZe2Vr-N6B5B0kQP8nI9LgMAM4qAeGzZTib2Zmk6HRDCVPTE9Xl1eOcbqzkGlLPr0-X2l9vYNlwmjIPevyvTjFvzgzhwHb7BG9CtTg8PCFx3Co/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-16+at+9.58.38+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhc_eld0K52AG76DvRAdibV8PZBWgJXgZe2Vr-N6B5B0kQP8nI9LgMAM4qAeGzZTib2Zmk6HRDCVPTE9Xl1eOcbqzkGlLPr0-X2l9vYNlwmjIPevyvTjFvzgzhwHb7BG9CtTg8PCFx3Co/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-16+at+9.58.38+PM.png" height="200" width="150" /></a><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">(2) </span></b>Bookriot did a fascinating <a href="http://bookriot.com/2014/01/15/im-repairing-reading-habits/" target="_blank">post</a> on 2014 reading habits.<br />
<span style="color: blue;">Only one book at a time - now that'd be a challenge for me!</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: large;">(3)</span> </span></b>The Bookriot post also called my attention to Joe Hill's <a href="http://joehillfiction.com/2011/08/the-journal-habit/" target="_blank">article</a> on journaling. Maybe you can make some use of all those journals you had to buy, but never used.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">(4)</span></b> Need a story starter? How about starting with a kernel of random knowledge from Mental Floss' <a href="http://mentalfloss.com/amazing-facts?f=33661#f33661" target="_blank">Amazing Fact Generator</a>.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">(5)</span></b> As a follow-up to last week's Murder & Macchiatos, here's the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ecppB4IRFs" target="_blank">video</a> for Justified's Elmore Leonard tribute.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Up Next: </span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>Weekend READcap</b> </span>on </div>
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John Connolly's <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/69136.The_Book_of_Lost_Things?from_search=true" target="_blank">The Book of Lost Things</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHG40GvYdJn_uxrM1Eb5R9FAJvtWI6oVTnrHAxXpvDQ6wF1qCppcVUmaIHyD2Y1RwPVYJtE42YgiVUA3z51j-GCfaSZ7qGE2TkzRLiBuhPwJIqpEqZIt4lgKNk424aqkk3bJtYhALW7qg/s1600/Book+of+Lost+Things.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHG40GvYdJn_uxrM1Eb5R9FAJvtWI6oVTnrHAxXpvDQ6wF1qCppcVUmaIHyD2Y1RwPVYJtE42YgiVUA3z51j-GCfaSZ7qGE2TkzRLiBuhPwJIqpEqZIt4lgKNk424aqkk3bJtYhALW7qg/s1600/Book+of+Lost+Things.jpg" height="200" width="129" /></a></div>
<br />Susan Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06499496263977402609noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432850915940329847.post-45938247828075241522014-01-15T02:55:00.002-08:002014-01-15T02:55:15.926-08:00Superlative Rview: Justified's "The Kids Aren't All Right"<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Alright folks, it's time for another non-spoiler alert, super vague, TV review. This time I'm going superlative style on<span style="color: #cc0000;"> Justified's "The Kids Aren't All Right."</span></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">Favorite Quote:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"My rule is: You keep talking, I put you in the trunk."</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy-phix6UHsMxawyKTEcIE9NnOEmjDyLctgZaJkeDAZUKcCzOS8xl_yxS6F29nTk7YXFwuAC6XlylF_r5WQQ_iKCuOXYUsxQB-azl0xoNiMuFha7TW_mrdRBO-SKvskeR6OeBUMLzLRis/s1600/loretta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy-phix6UHsMxawyKTEcIE9NnOEmjDyLctgZaJkeDAZUKcCzOS8xl_yxS6F29nTk7YXFwuAC6XlylF_r5WQQ_iKCuOXYUsxQB-azl0xoNiMuFha7TW_mrdRBO-SKvskeR6OeBUMLzLRis/s200/loretta.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">Favorite Character:</span></b><br />
A surprise visitor from season 2! The Bennett's may all be gone, but someone associated with them is still kickin'.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">Biggest question:</span></b></div>
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How does a woman who wants to see America end up in Harlan County?</div>
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There's a bigger story here...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhia_2JZPc2zafA6yIri_e54BgxrJ1U4Rkv40GzAu8VsBv03tgY-ESZ3hoO4uhQW_4LIvsMF8KAZEBKVF5v6dVL9rleIBoyPqIV572R8IwVH_ARZF98PWWCGjYWylf0AoC0vfeql99bHjU/s1600/Timothy-Olyphant-and-Steve-Wood-Harris-in-Justified-Season-5-Episode-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhia_2JZPc2zafA6yIri_e54BgxrJ1U4Rkv40GzAu8VsBv03tgY-ESZ3hoO4uhQW_4LIvsMF8KAZEBKVF5v6dVL9rleIBoyPqIV572R8IwVH_ARZF98PWWCGjYWylf0AoC0vfeql99bHjU/s320/Timothy-Olyphant-and-Steve-Wood-Harris-in-Justified-Season-5-Episode-2.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Favorite Reveal:</b></span><br />
Wood Harris has been hangin' out in Harlan County!<br />
<span style="color: blue;">(Once I've finished watching The Wire, expect a Wood Harris mashup - Justified / The Wire / Remember the Titans)</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">On Friendship:</span></b></div>
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"He's a nice enough fella, but I wouldn't ask to borrow his corduroy jacket."</div>
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<br />Susan Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06499496263977402609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432850915940329847.post-53529064964638823982014-01-13T03:53:00.002-08:002014-01-13T03:53:42.719-08:00On Genre: Polar VortexI can't decide if a book titled <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Polar Vortex</span></b> would be insanely awesome or extremely cheesy. My first thought goes to a disaster film (Will Smith & Jeff Goldblum reunite to save the world from the war waged by winter), second to a sci-fi novel. So, I decided to have a little fun with genre and the Polar Vortex. Here's a mock description for this title in several genres.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Thriller</span></b><br />
The Polar Vortex hits Alacatraz. All maximum security burns out and the phone lines go dead.<br />
130 prisoners. 45 correctional officers.Who will escape the island?<br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Comedy Flick</span></b></div>
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When three college friends fall into a subzero whirlpool, they find Santa Claus one the other side and discover he is very different from the man they grew up with. Starring Will Ferrell as Santa Claus.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdjc2MdyjzbR4rrpMRyCsdtzhsu9P4zKRnY8OMQ2nOvaIPaI-coqluQwr9c_s7K1IL9NuC3yPcjq8ZoSgBG1cTHbs3jkYBJCnfEwWFrqtftgQuRoSk7X87sP5Xff0KFoWDlCkTH5QrhI/s1600/Polar+Vortex+Indy+Flick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdjc2MdyjzbR4rrpMRyCsdtzhsu9P4zKRnY8OMQ2nOvaIPaI-coqluQwr9c_s7K1IL9NuC3yPcjq8ZoSgBG1cTHbs3jkYBJCnfEwWFrqtftgQuRoSk7X87sP5Xff0KFoWDlCkTH5QrhI/s1600/Polar+Vortex+Indy+Flick.jpg" width="259" /></a><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Indy Flick </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #990000;">(Based on the best-selling novel)</span></b><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Bi-Polar was a new term for 16-year-old Tiffany before she met Jared. Now she finds herself falling for him and spends the summer learning about life, love, and growing up.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Action</span></b><br />
Jack Rycher has one task - transport the prisoner from Rikers to San Quentin.<br />
There's only one problem - the Polar Vortex has hit the United States.<br />
Flights cancelled, cellphones dying - nothing will stop Jack Rycher from completing his task.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Alright folks, this is just a start - let's hear yours!</span></div>
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<br />Susan Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06499496263977402609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432850915940329847.post-62046049563405674522014-01-10T04:57:00.001-08:002014-01-10T05:00:54.653-08:00Fiction and Frappaccinos: FBI Burglars, Upcoming Adaptations, and Optography<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Fiction and Frappaccinos</span></b></div>
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Check in on Fridays to see my favorites from the week.<br />
<i>(Coffee not included)</i></div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">(1)</span></b> I'm thoroughly enjoying <a href="http://www.rinkworks.com/bookaminute/classics.shtml" target="_blank">Book-a-Minute Classics</a>,<br />
described as "the ultra-condensed classic books."<br />
Their take on The Lord of the Rings is my favorite so far.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">(2) </span></b><a href="http://writersforensicsblog.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">The Writer's Forensics Blog</a> did a spotlight this week on optography. </div>
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Have you heard of it? I hadn't and found it very interesting. </div>
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Check it out <a href="http://writersforensicsblog.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/eyes-of-the-beholder-an-old-myth-resurfaces-sort-of/#comment-11360" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>Pop quiz: Optography appeared in which 1990s movie?</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">(3) </span></b>Check out this NYTimes article "<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/07/us/burglars-who-took-on-fbi-abandon-shadows.html?_r=0" target="_blank">Burglars Who Took On F.B.I. Abandon Shadows</a>," which tells the story of a group who robbed the FBI 43 years ago, never got caught, and are now telling their story.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAZSotvmwwgqKP5Fexs979KvlkpbrCr01QOOExk3OVrNpFhqvQj-fYdjfqqNLVfiGYVLOoFkylVVay_xSP16EVnyieJtR7ViOU6KNDDbhz_5-T8lJlnPXyW0WQI4Z6BefNgZNV3dTT-Jo/s1600/jusitified-16f2129e80b8fef79f0ffdcfceaa5e2b8d6cd7aa-s6-c30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAZSotvmwwgqKP5Fexs979KvlkpbrCr01QOOExk3OVrNpFhqvQj-fYdjfqqNLVfiGYVLOoFkylVVay_xSP16EVnyieJtR7ViOU6KNDDbhz_5-T8lJlnPXyW0WQI4Z6BefNgZNV3dTT-Jo/s1600/jusitified-16f2129e80b8fef79f0ffdcfceaa5e2b8d6cd7aa-s6-c30.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">(4)</span></b> On Tuesday, the creative forces behind Justified paid tribute to Elmore Leonard before the Season 5 premiere. I haven't been able to find a video yet, but read about it <a href="http://www.macombdaily.com/arts-and-entertainment/20140107/justified-pays-tribute-to-author-elmore-leonard" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">(5)</span></b> What would classic novels be like if </div>
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the main character was female instead of male (or vice versa)? </div>
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The Barnes & Noble blog has a little bit of fun with </div>
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this gender-flipping concept. Check it out <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/classic-literature-genderflipped/" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">(6)</span></b> And to complement my recent 2014 reading list <a href="http://susan-e-lizabeth.blogspot.com/2014/01/2014-reading-list-part-three.html" target="_blank">posts</a>,<br />
check out Buzzsugar's <a href="http://www.buzzsugar.com/Books-Made-Movies-List-32193133#photo-10" target="_blank">"100 books to read before they're movies."</a><br />
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<br />Susan Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06499496263977402609noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432850915940329847.post-10914211585462479432014-01-08T04:02:00.001-08:002014-01-08T04:02:03.820-08:00Superlative Review: Justified Season 5 Premiere<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Alright folks, it's time for <a href="http://susan-e-lizabeth.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-anti-spoiler-alert-himym-splitsville.html" target="_blank">another</a> non-spoiler alert, super vague, TV review. </span></b>This time I'm going superlative style on the season 5 premiere of Justified.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Quote of the night:</span></b></div>
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"You figured you'd drive south anyway, rip off the simple people? Well we ain't that simple." </div>
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Season Prediction:</span></b></div>
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An alligator will eat someone.</div>
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Biggest Question:</span></b></div>
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When will Wood Harris appear? How will he fit into the story?<br />
(Actually...that's two questions...)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLqgZ5c-gWQyMy0HxfU_nITu1ky2S1LqVc9RB0HWqW7sAVyCYjMSAu9EUxlDRdex1BVm_q-gFUfx8ivjzdzclCgnHyIwpj1E-nkzIQnzc9Nb2VGdODQ2ZI2zCKSr8cNdfk_QDOUhEnnL0/s1600/Justified-season-5-Michael-Rapaport-as-Darryl-Crowe-225x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLqgZ5c-gWQyMy0HxfU_nITu1ky2S1LqVc9RB0HWqW7sAVyCYjMSAu9EUxlDRdex1BVm_q-gFUfx8ivjzdzclCgnHyIwpj1E-nkzIQnzc9Nb2VGdODQ2ZI2zCKSr8cNdfk_QDOUhEnnL0/s1600/Justified-season-5-Michael-Rapaport-as-Darryl-Crowe-225x300.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">New Favorite Character:</span></b><br />
Daryl Crowe Jr. played by Michael Rapaport. His character in Friends shot squirrels while sitting on the toilet - who better to join this back-woods clan?<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Least Favorite Aspect:</span></b><br />
A man with a chainsaw and a room full of blow-up dolls - it seems like they were trying too hard to depict Detroit as extraordinarily crime-filled - but hey, I've never been there, so who knows.<br />
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As before, this was a very <i>short</i> superlative review.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">What were your thoughts?</span></b></div>
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Susan Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06499496263977402609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432850915940329847.post-54555806853909114782014-01-07T03:59:00.006-08:002014-01-10T05:01:48.782-08:00Weekend READcap: The Works of Gillian Flynn <br />
Who of you out there have read <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8442457-gone-girl?from_search=true" target="_blank">Gone Girl</a>? Who had to pick it up the minute they heard of it? Who read it during a book club (or two)? Who read it in two days? I'm not asking if you liked it, I won't touch on the ending today, I'm just asking - who jumped on the bandwagon?<br />
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And of those who said yes to any of the above - who has read Gillian Flynn's earlier novels <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5886881-dark-places?from_search=true" target="_blank">Dark Places</a> and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/66559.Sharp_Objects?from_search=true" target="_blank">Sharp Objects</a>?<br />
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Now that Gone Girl has met such success, Dark Places - a book written 3 years earlier - is being adapted into a movie. I find that sort of thing interesting.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYiUW0YlAG7qQ5_J69VvW1UatDdfc4jjHRm7yvWP0cqm6YZ_xUQ5wduxwczAU36JL57v_C6UrjEq92OFuhwjOaZZ9CCM2m1tknvVueBB6xgrSWy0TIKpN4WhLyMN2h5qxsG6rGsYIBZJA/s1600/Dark+places.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYiUW0YlAG7qQ5_J69VvW1UatDdfc4jjHRm7yvWP0cqm6YZ_xUQ5wduxwczAU36JL57v_C6UrjEq92OFuhwjOaZZ9CCM2m1tknvVueBB6xgrSWy0TIKpN4WhLyMN2h5qxsG6rGsYIBZJA/s1600/Dark+places.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a>Unfortunately, I can't say that I was a fan long before Gone Girl's popularity. Sadly, I hadn't heard of Gillian Flynn before her third book. I've since read all of her novels in reverse. All three books I read with a compulsive need to know more. All three books I read in 2 days.<br />
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While Gone Girl gets progressively darker, these other two books start dark and stay dark.<br />
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Where Amy Dunne had a healthy upbringing with loving, normal parents, these two ladies came from twisted homes. In most other atmospheres, I'd detest these self-deprecating protagonists. Here, amidst the other lunatic, malevolent characters, I'm left sympathizing with the broken narrator. Though, I do miss the grounded, control character like Nick Dunne's twin sister, Go, in Gone Girl. Everyone is crazy, everyone is flawed, and I just want someone I can run to for a moral breather.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8ad2Wm9mgl4wyuHYBldWP3Ka2mUBEqtoF0w5mYaBrtxpbNVxtImbXVuXWNzCTuhKEe2P9GNjRub4N16X2Mc-omkbWUnHtSkeDI_iXsJzgK6kW9hR4hBz8FMAk1_QqWU8frFuLXKU8B8/s1600/sharp+objects.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8ad2Wm9mgl4wyuHYBldWP3Ka2mUBEqtoF0w5mYaBrtxpbNVxtImbXVuXWNzCTuhKEe2P9GNjRub4N16X2Mc-omkbWUnHtSkeDI_iXsJzgK6kW9hR4hBz8FMAk1_QqWU8frFuLXKU8B8/s1600/sharp+objects.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a>One thing I really appreciated was that neither of these plots was cookie-cutter. Gillian Flynn took her stories into a world that I knew nothing about, which means I had no expectations for where the story could go. This, for me, is the key to keeping the book glued to my hands - If I think I have the plot figured out, I'll probably be a bit more sluggish to pick up the book first thing in the morning. Dark Places and Sharp Objects keep me guessing, wanting more answers.<br />
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The crazy characters make sure the story is more than whodunnit. Even more so, they're all central to whodunnit even if they initially seem like detours along the way. And these characters don't just say they're good a keeping secrets - they <i>are </i>good at keeping secrets.<br />
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I'm a fan of misdirection, always have been, but sometimes it gets exhausting. It's refreshing to take a break and delve into a Gillian Flynn book where the narrator doesn't fall for misdirection. Her heroes are cynical and thus see the holes in all of the red herring theories.<br />
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In regards to Dark Places, as well as Gone Girl, I preferred the work as a whole better than the actual ending. In Sharp Objects, I thought the ending really spoke to the work as a whole and I thoroughly enjoyed it.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">What did you think of these two novels?</span></b><br />
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<br />Susan Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06499496263977402609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432850915940329847.post-3391308543850339922014-01-06T02:44:00.001-08:002014-01-10T05:01:15.005-08:002014 Reading List: Part Three<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-451e3d93-6492-f4f8-7809-26f4dd6383c5" style="line-height: 1.2272727272727273; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Alright folks, </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>my 2014 A-Z reading list is here</b></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">...minus Q and U! If you have any suggestions, send them my way. Of course, the year is still young, so there may be some changes along the way. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I finished reading Edge last night (very enjoyable) and I'm flying through Sharp Objects today (check out my <a href="http://susan-e-lizabeth.blogspot.com/2014/01/weekend-readcap-works-of-gillian-flynn.html" target="_blank">Gillian Flynn Weekend READcap</a> tomorrow).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">A - </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4407.American_Gods" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" title="American Gods by Neil Gaiman">American Gods</a> by. Neil Gaiman<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">B - </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/69136.The_Book_of_Lost_Things__A_Novel" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" title="The Book of Lost Things: A Novel by John Connolly">The Book of Lost Things: A Novel</a> by John Connolly<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">C - </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18302455.The_Circle" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" title="The Circle by Dave Eggers">The Circle</a> by. Dave Eggers<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">, </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13206828.Cress" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" title="Cress by Marissa Meyer">Cress</a> by. Marissa Mayer<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">D - </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18698873.To_Dwell_in_Darkness" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" title="To Dwell in Darkness by Deborah Crombie">To Dwell in Darkness</a> by Deborah Crombie<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">, </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10664113.A_Dance_with_Dragons" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" title="A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin">A Dance with Dragons</a> by. George R. R. Martin<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">✔ E - </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9435890.Edge" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" title="Edge by Jeffery Deaver">Edge</a> by. Jeffery Deaver<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> (Finished 1/4/14)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">F - </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13497.A_Feast_for_Crows" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" title="A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin">A Feast for Crows</a> by. George R. R. Martin<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">G - </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6760780.The_Grimm_Legacy" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" title="The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman">The Grimm Legacy</a> by. Polly Schulman<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">H - </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17465450.The_Husband_s_Secret" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" title="The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty">The Husband's Secret</a> by. Liane Moriarty,<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11.The_Hitchhiker_s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" title="The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams">The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy</a> by. Douglas Adams<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I - </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16248179.If_You_Were_Here" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" title="If You Were Here by Alafair Burke">If You Were Here</a> by. Alafair Burke<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">, </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15755279.The_Intercept" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" title="The Intercept by Dick Wolf">The Intercept</a> by. Dick Wolf<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">J - </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13596166.Joyland" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" title="Joyland by Stephen King">Joyland</a> by. Stephen King<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">K - </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16051543.The_Kill_Room" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" title="The Kill Room by Jeffery Deaver">The Kill Room</a> by. Jeffery Deaver<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">L - </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/943402.Let_the_Right_One_In" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" title="Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist">Let the Right One In</a> by. John Ajvide Lindqvist<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">M - </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15507958.Me_Before_You" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" title="Me Before You by Jojo Moyes">Me Before You</a> by. Jojo Moyes<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">N - </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6334.Never_Let_Me_Go" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" title="Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro">Never Let Me Go</a> by. Kazuo Ishiguro<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">O - </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13586743.One_Last_Thing_Before_I_Go" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" title="One Last Thing Before I Go by Jonathan Tropper">One Last Thing Before I Go</a> by. Jonathan Tropper<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">, </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17368273.The_October_List" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" title="The October List by Jeffery Deaver">The October List</a> by. Jeffery Deaver<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">P - </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/91487.A_Place_Of_Execution" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" title="A Place Of Execution by Val McDermid">A Place Of Execution</a> by. Val McDermid<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Q - ???</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">R - </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9969571.Ready_Player_One" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" title="Ready Player One by Ernest Cline">Ready Player One</a> by. Ernest Cline<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">S - </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/66559.Sharp_Objects" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" title="Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn">Sharp Objects</a> by. Gillian Flynn<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">T - </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12875258.Tell_the_Wolves_I_m_Home" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" title="Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt">Tell the Wolves I'm Home</a> by. Carol Rifka Brunt<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">U - ???</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">V - </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16240790.Visitation_Street" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" title="Visitation Street by Ivy Pochoda">Visitation Street</a> by. Ivy Pochoda<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">W - </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11045709.When_She_Woke" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" title="When She Woke by Hillary Jordan">When She Woke</a> by. Hillary Jordan<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">X - </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8648.Xenocide" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" title="Xenocide by Orson Scott Card">Xenocide</a> by. Orson Scott Card<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Y - </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16158564.You_Are_One_of_Them" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" title="You Are One of Them by Elliott Holt">You Are One of Them</a> by. Elliott Holt<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Z - </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10365343.Zone_One" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" title="Zone One by Colson Whitehead">Zone One</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> by. Colston Whitehead</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 18px;"><b>What's on your list?</b></span><br />
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Susan Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06499496263977402609noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432850915940329847.post-37982149112862990732014-01-02T05:00:00.000-08:002014-01-10T05:01:15.009-08:002014 Reading List: Part Two<br />
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Welcome to the construction of my 2014 reading list. In <a href="http://susan-e-lizabeth.blogspot.com/2014/01/2014-reading-list-part-one.html" target="_blank">part one</a>, I talked about the books I didn't get to in 2013. <b style="color: #cc0000;">Now, take a look at this year's release that I'm most excited about. </b>Tomorrow, I'll present my 2014 A-Z reading list.<br />
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And as always, recommendations are welcome!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Execution by. Dick Wolf</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">January 7, 2014</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_8pfalbhxWrq1e3yvp-3Ec4LdU7UMJa23LdNlQCpigMfxGFxuLdK6q6qqEfv1xovWNnu29ETFWT4Y45XnAO4ERTE-w7eqUzujNMbA51CJAv5nnQeYzHon-E08RJ0ENf0lJUbNXrF0LE8/s1600/The+Execution+-+Wolf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_8pfalbhxWrq1e3yvp-3Ec4LdU7UMJa23LdNlQCpigMfxGFxuLdK6q6qqEfv1xovWNnu29ETFWT4Y45XnAO4ERTE-w7eqUzujNMbA51CJAv5nnQeYzHon-E08RJ0ENf0lJUbNXrF0LE8/s320/The+Execution+-+Wolf.jpg" width="211" /></a><br />
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A book by the creator of Law & Order has to be good. I have yet to read <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15755279-the-intercept?from_search=true" target="_blank">The Intercept</a>, so I'll add that to the list, too.<br />
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<i>NYPD Detective Jeremy Fisk—introduced in Law & Order creator Dick Wolf’s New York Times bestselling debut The Intercept—must stop an assassin in the pay of a shadowy cartel in The Execution, a tense thriller that superbly blends suspense, politics, intrigue and high-flying action in the tradition of Vince Flynn, David Baldacci, and Robert Crais. </i>(Harpercollins.com)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3) by. Marissa Mayer </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">February 2014</span></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinNrMUA_pfo7QzZ1Xy18GQtYMB_UNU0FUBSP30zLYZnR0IdHJizpoAhV1UkF-v9-IYD4WTIJm5Iu1WFhhU-N2KwH27t30Zk9csWQ_GXApy-Lm2r_H_oa12wDASxJNfupmciIb-8PCp_nU/s1600/Cress+-+Mayer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinNrMUA_pfo7QzZ1Xy18GQtYMB_UNU0FUBSP30zLYZnR0IdHJizpoAhV1UkF-v9-IYD4WTIJm5Iu1WFhhU-N2KwH27t30Zk9csWQ_GXApy-Lm2r_H_oa12wDASxJNfupmciIb-8PCp_nU/s320/Cress+-+Mayer.jpg" width="212" /></a><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
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I actually have yet to read book #2 of the Lunar Chronicles (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13206760-scarlet" target="_blank">Scarlet</a>), but I really enjoyed the opener (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11235712-cinder" target="_blank">Cinder</a>) and look forward to reading more.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 19px;">In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice. (</i>G00dreads)</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">To Dwell in Darkness by. Deborah Crombie </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">March 2014</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8U8Gq2DwEYTdMLO0hdvWw5uCZdIZNgw41-DQhFk_sZRvk5dBAira3n5dtMXFx_AGsrJB57glYuZaTyNj8T-FQd-R9mOYyfPpw_GIQ-Q3YAnDnZu6NHHqlRfU8YXEDzldY6fdyMJ6BxA/s1600/To+Dwell+in+Darkness+-+Crombie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8U8Gq2DwEYTdMLO0hdvWw5uCZdIZNgw41-DQhFk_sZRvk5dBAira3n5dtMXFx_AGsrJB57glYuZaTyNj8T-FQd-R9mOYyfPpw_GIQ-Q3YAnDnZu6NHHqlRfU8YXEDzldY6fdyMJ6BxA/s320/To+Dwell+in+Darkness+-+Crombie.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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Have you gotten hooked on Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James yet? If not, add this to your list. And let me also suggest No Mark Upon Her. Also, check out Deborah Crombie's (and several other fantastic ladies) blogging on <a href="http://www.jungleredwriters.com/" target="_blank">Jungle Red Writers</a>.<br />
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<i>In the tradition of Elizabeth George, Louise Penny, and P. D. James, New York Times bestselling author Deborah Crombie delivers a powerful tale of intrigue, betrayal, and lies that will plunge married London detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James into the unspeakable darkness that lies at the heart of murder. </i>(Amazon.com)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Skin Collector by. Jeffrey Deaver </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">May 2014</span></b><br />
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A new Lincoln Rhyme mystery - score!<br />
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<i>A new type of serial killer is stalking the streets of New York – one more devious and disturbing than ever before. </i><i>They call this butcher The Skin Collector: a tattooist with a chamber of torture hidden deep underground. But instead of using ink to create each masterpiece, the artist uses a lethal poison which will render targets dead before they can even entertain the prospect of escape . . . </i>(Jefferydeaver.com)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Fever by. Megan Abbott</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">June 2014</span></b><br />
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If you haven't already, you have to - have to - read <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12982393-dare-me?from_search=true" target="_blank">Dare Me</a>. Megan Abbott is an incredible writer with some very entertaining <a href="https://twitter.com/meganeabbott" target="_blank">tweets</a>.<br />
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<i>The Nash family is close-knit. Tom is a popular teacher, father of two teens: Eli, a hocky star and girl magnet, and his sister Deenie, a diligent student. Their seeming stability, however, is thrown into chaos when Deenie's best friend is struck by a terrifying, unexplained seizure in class. Rumors of a hazardous outbreak spread through the family, school and community. </i><i>As hysteria and contagion swell, a series of tightly held secrets emerges, threatening to unravel friendships, families and the town's fragile idea of security. </i>(Goodreads)<br />
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<br />Susan Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06499496263977402609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432850915940329847.post-86669357551078303292014-01-01T08:16:00.001-08:002014-01-10T05:01:15.016-08:002014 Reading List: Part One<br />
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Last spring, during my book club addiction, I joined the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/87303-goodreads-choice-award-book-club" target="_blank">Goodreads Choice Award Book Club</a>. It has been a great supplement to the traditional book club because the discussions are ongoing.</div>
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As part of that reading group, I created an A-Z reading list. Basically, you pick a title for every letter of the alphabet and try to get through all 26 books by the end of the year. I got close! And by close, I mean slightly more that halfway through...</div>
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So now I'm creating next year's A-Z reading list. <span style="color: #990000;"><b>Part one will be the books from last year's list that I didn't get to. Part two will be the 2014 new releases I'm most excited about. Part three will be the completed 2014 reading list.</b></span></div>
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Of course, I hope to read more than 26 books in 2014, so if you have any recommendations, send them on over!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Edge by. Jeffrey Deaver</span></b><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: yellow;">I just started this book on Sunday, so it will officially be the first book I finish in 2014.</span></i></div>
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Jeffrey Deaver's been one of my favorite authors since high school. This story is the first time he uses first person POV.</div>
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<i>The job of keeping the Kessler family alive falls to a man named Corte, a senior federal protection officer known as a "shepherd." Uncompromising, relentlessly devoted to protecting those in his care and a passionate board game aficionado, he applies brilliant gaming strategy to his work. For Corte, the reappearance of Loving--the man who, six years earlier, had tortured and killed someone close to him--is also an opportunity to avenge his friend's death. The assignment soon escalates into a fast-paced duel between Corte and Loving, a dangerous volley of wits and calculated risks. (</i>Goodreads)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">A Place of Execution by. Val McDermid</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://susan-e-lizabeth.blogspot.com/2012/10/learning-laughing-val-mcdermid-at.html" target="_blank">I met Val McDermid</a> at <a href="http://centerforfiction.org/" target="_blank">The Center for Fiction</a> during their Crime Fiction Academy Master Class. At the time, I read <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46614.The_Distant_Echo?from_search=true" target="_blank">The Distanct Echo</a>, which I really enjoyed. A Place of Execution is her first novel. I went on a spree several years back where I read the first novel of all the authors I enjoyed. This will continue the marathon.<br />
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<i>A Greek tragedy in modern England, A Place of Execution is a taut psychological thriller that explores, exposes and explodes the border between reality and illusion in a multi-layered narrative that turns expectations on their head and reminds us that what we know is what we do not know. (</i>Goodreads)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">If You Were Here by. Alafair Burke</span></b><br />
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Last year, I saw Alfair Burke's <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9999576-long-gone?from_search=true" target="_blank">Long Gone</a> in the library and the cover shouted <b>READ ME</b>. I am a big fan of whoever does Alafair's cover art. The book was delightful. As for If You Were Here, I read the first three chapters during Alfair's Facebook promotion and now I'm excited to read the rest (Fun fact: Alfair Burke does a lot of fun book promotions on her website).<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>What would have been a short-lived metro story sends McKenna on a dangerous search for the missing woman, a twisting journey through New York City that will force her to unearth long-buried truths much closer to home-to her own husband, who seems to know much more about Susan than McKenna could have ever imagined... (</i></span>Goodreads)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Sharp Objects by. Gillian Flynn</span></b><br />
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Yes, I too am on the Gillian Flynn bandwagon. And I too read Gone Girl before her earlier, just-as-fantastic novels. Dark Places was glued to my hands for 48 hours straight and now it's time for Sharp Objects. This treasure happens to be sitting on my bookshelf right now after a spectacular B&N sale.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>Since she left town eight years ago, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed again in her family’s Victorian mansion, Camille is haunted by the childhood tragedy she has spent her whole life trying to cut from her memory. (</i></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Goodreads)</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">One Last Thing Before I Go by. Jonathan Tropper</span></b><br />
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Six words - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6224935-this-is-where-i-leave-you?from_search=true" target="_blank">This Is Where I Leave You</a>. If you haven't read it, go now. It's not my typical mystery indulgence, but still I was hooked. I read this for a book club, which led to us reading another Tropper and jokingly renaming ourselves the Jonathan Tropper Book Club. One Last Thing Before I Go has been on my list since this summer.<br />
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<i style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Silver has begun to accept that life isn't going to turn out as he expected. The exwife he's remained friends with is about to marry a terrific guy Silver can't quite bring himself to hate. And his Princeton-bound teenage daughter has just confided in him that she's pregnant—because he's the one she cares least about letting down. As the wedding looms and the pregnancy sinks in, this broken family struggles, bonds, and wrestles with each member's individual anxieties. Lives begin anew, change radically, or, in Silver's case—as he discovers that he could die at any moment without an operation he refuses to have—may be about to end in an instant. (</i>Goodreads)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire #4) </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">by. George R. R. Martin</span></b><br />
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Oh yes - these. My family and my boyfriend got me hooked on the A Song of Ice and Fire series over the summer, which put the rest of my reading list on hold. I finished the first three, took a break to read some other books on my shelf, and now I'm on to the fourth.<br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">With </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">A Feast for Crows</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">, Martin delivers the long-awaited fourth volume of the landmark series that has redefined imaginative fiction and stands as a modern masterpiece in the making. (</span></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Goodreads)</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Circle by. Dave Eggers</span></b><br />
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This one was from a book club session I missed this fall. I hadn't heard of The Circle, or Dave Eggers for that matter, until someone brought it up in book club.<br />
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<i style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">When Mae Holland is hired to work for the Circle, the world’s most powerful internet company, she feels she’s been given the opportunity of a lifetime. The Circle, run out of a sprawling California campus, links users’ personal emails, social media, banking, and purchasing with their universal operating system, resulting in one online identity and a new age of civility and transparency...Mae can’t believe her luck, her great fortune to work for the most influential company in America—even as life beyond the campus grows distant, even as a strange encounter with a colleague leaves her shaken, even as her role at the Circle becomes increasingly public. What begins as the captivating story of one woman’s ambition and idealism soon becomes a heart-racing novel of suspense, raising questions about memory, history, privacy, democracy, and the limits of human knowledge.</i><br />
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<br />Susan Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06499496263977402609noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432850915940329847.post-39122302260154227002013-09-10T08:20:00.000-07:002013-09-10T08:20:08.184-07:00Let's Take the Backstreet, Boys: An ExerciseEvery time I hear the name One Direction, I want to create a sentence with their name. For instance, my boyfriend and I walked past a church playing One Direction as part of their Saturday morning Zumba class. He jokingly said, "<b><i><span style="color: #990000;">There's only one direction when it comes to God</span></i></b>." You could play this game ad nauseam with this particular British boy band.<br />
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Then, there's the group called Big Time Rush. Pair that with One Direction you can have even more fun. <b><i><span style="color: #990000;">The subway is only going in one direction right now, so it's a big time rush to get to work. </span></i></b><br />
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Last year, I began this same conversation with one of my buddies and asked him how he would use the word Backstreet Boys in a sentence. For some reason I was struggling with what he very easily turned into "<span style="color: #990000;"><b><i>Let's take the backstreet, boys</i></b>.</span>"<br />
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I've been reading Game of Thrones and a lot of YA Dystopian Fiction, so I'm finally able to one-up his BsB phrase -<br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Robert gripped his horse's reins as the cold, crisp air blasted past him. Rather than grass, blood covered the soil. They were too late. </b></span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><b>"Sir! On the backstreet. Boys!" </b></span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><b>The horse bucked at the shout.</b></span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><b>"How many?" Robert asked.</b></span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><b>"Five or six. Boys. Children."</b></span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><b>"Alive?"</b></span></i><br />
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<b>How would you put the Backstreet Boys into a phrase not involving boy bands? What about 98 Degrees - can you create a sentence with their name that doesn't involve temperature? Have fun and let me know what you come up with. </b><br />
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<br />Susan Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06499496263977402609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432850915940329847.post-64604365520056605902013-09-03T11:45:00.002-07:002013-09-03T11:45:26.501-07:00Fantasy Writing Draft: An ExerciseFolks, it's September, which means football season is almost here!<br />
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I've been a fan (fanatic?) for years, but this will be my first year doing fantasy football.<br />
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This weekend, ten of us crowded around the apartment with pizza, beer, and Rice Krispie football treats (see recipe <a href="http://www.ricekrispies.com/recipes/chocolate-nutty-mini-footballs-treats" target="_blank">here</a>). It was a four hour venture that included an over-sized piece of poster board, Crayola markers, and lots of deliberating. Prior to the event, my boyfriend and I separately worked on research throughout the day - who should we pick, what did we need, etc etc.<br />
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This all got me thinking about writing (as most things do). </div>
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Why not host a <b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">fantasy writing draft?</span></b> </div>
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In our football league, everyone needs 1 quarterback, 2 running backs, 2 wide receivers, 1 tight end, 1 defense, and 1 kicker.<br />
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How about <span style="color: red;">1 plot, 1 genre, 1 main character, 2 minor characters, 2 settings, 1 problem, and 1 solution</span>.<br />
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Just as my boyfriend and I did, you'll need to do research before the draft to decide which story elements would be most beneficial for you.<br />
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Now sit 10 writers in a room together. Set up a poster board. You're probably going to want to choose genre first (in the football draft, you want to take a running back first because the percentage of excellent scoring running backs goes drastically down after the first 5 or 10). Once someone's chosen mystery it's out of the options, no one else can choose it. Next goes YA dystopian. You've got the 8th pick and fantasy, sci-fi, thriller, steampunk, and romance are all taken before your turn. You're up. You're thinking of taking horror, but maybe you could do something with historical fiction. You also really want you to take revenge for your plot, should you grab it now before someone takes it and come back for your genre in round two. But what if horror and historical fiction are already taken by then, can you make your revenge plot work in the humor genre. Some people could, surely, but can you pull it off? Are you safer taking the horror genre now and crossing your fingers for revenge in round 2?<br />
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I recommend color-coding the story elements. That way it's easy to see on the board which are taken.<br />
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There are also 5 bench spots. What you change your mind one week and want to exchange one running back for another? What if you change your mind one week and want to exchange one minor character for another? Load up your bench and put a claim on those story elements you just might want to use later.<br />
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After everyone's picked, you have a agreed upon amount of time to write a story with your draft picks. Good luck!<br />
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<br />Susan Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06499496263977402609noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432850915940329847.post-27572806715457266552013-08-12T08:57:00.001-07:002013-08-12T08:58:10.046-07:00Sun-Blocked: Summertime SlackingTurns out this summer has been a busy one. I know - <i><span style="color: #990000;">excuses, excuses.</span></i> Here's just a quick note to say hold on a few more weeks and the blog will be back up and pumping by the fall.<br />
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In the meantime, here of some things happening in the World O' Suebeth:<br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">(1)</span></b> I get to see<span style="color: #990000;"><b> Matchbox20</b></span> this week! I've been a fan of them since their first single, <i>Push</i>, when I was 11 years old. With the exception of a 6AM sound check at The Today Show last summer, I've never been to a Matchbox20 concert in my 16 years of fandom. Which means - this is big news.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">(2)</span></b> Now that I'm caught up with <b><span style="color: #990000;">Breaking Bad</span></b>, I was able to watch last night's premiere in real time. I don't normally read TV reviews, but I just can't get enough of this show. <a href="http://www.slashfilm.com/10-things-we-learned-from-breaking-bad-s5e09-blood-money/" target="_blank">Here's a review</a> from Slashfilm that's very tongue-in-check, just the way I like them. AND if you live in NY or you were following #BreakingBad around 8PM last night, you know all about the TWC / AMC sound sync fiasco. People were losing their minds. I'm convinced it was all a big prank...<br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">(3)</span></b> The deadline is on - <b><span style="color: #990000;">I am going to finish by book by October 1st</span></b>. Between work and extracurricular activities, I've been making slight changes on my novel over the past year, but now I'm finishing it. I have other stories I want to work on and it's about time to put this one under the covers (...get it?).<br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000;"><i>Alright folks, my apologies for the Live-Journal-esque post. </i></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000;"><i>Stay tuned for more Murder & Macchiatos in the fall!</i></span></b></div>
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Susan Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06499496263977402609noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432850915940329847.post-9400550650773666642013-07-26T10:59:00.003-07:002013-07-26T10:59:35.952-07:00Fiction & Frapaccinos: Thug Notes, Spoofs, and Inspiring Friends<div style="text-align: center;">
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Check in every Friday to see my favorites from the week.<br />
<i>(Coffee not included)</i></div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">(1)</span></b> So <a href="http://susan-e-lizabeth.blogspot.com/2013/07/fiction-frappaccinos-rugrats-2-year.html" target="_blank">last week</a>, my YouTube obsession was with Convos With My 2Yr Old. This week, I'm hooked on <span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Thug Notes</span>. Get your laughs while learning about those books your skimmed through in High School. (I reread Gatsby recently. I can't say the same for the others.)<br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">(2) </span>Jane Austen<br />
is replacing Charles Darwin<br />
on the 10-pound note.<br />
Survival of the fittest, eh?<br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">(3)</span></b> My friend Alex and his brother Alonzo have created <b><span style="color: #990000;">Rosemary Lane Films</span></b> and they are just wrapping production on their first short film, <b><i><span style="color: #990000;">ABOUT TODAY</span></i></b>. Check it out <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RosaryLaneFilms?hc_location=stream" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000;">(4)</span> </span></b>July seems to be the month of my friends doing awesome things - My friend Bridget is raising money to <b><span style="color: #990000;">support a guide dog for the blind</span></b>. Check out the fundraiser <a href="http://my.imisfriendraising.com/personalPage.aspx?SID=65899&LangPref=en-CA" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">(5)</span></b> Big news of the week: I am all caught up on <b><span style="color: #990000;">Breaking Bad</span></b>! Please, please send me any spoofs you've come across in the past several years (I'm very behind on this section of pop culture as I have been adamantly avoiding spoilers).<br />
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<br />Susan Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06499496263977402609noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432850915940329847.post-74190945509133495492013-07-19T11:30:00.004-07:002013-07-19T11:30:46.847-07:00Fiction & Frappaccinos: Rugrats, 2-Year-Olds, and Walter White<div style="text-align: center;">
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Check in every Friday to see my favorites from the week.<br />
<i>(Coffee not included)</i><br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">(1)</span></b> I think I've mentioned that I'm making my way through Breaking Bad (and loving it!). I'm still 8 episodes behind, so no spoilers please! I absolutely flipped when I found out <b><span style="color: #990000;">the Museum of Moving Image in Queens is doing a Walter White exhibit</span></b>, which opens next week. Details <a href="http://www.movingimage.us/exhibitions/2013/07/26/detail/from-mr-chips-to-scarface-walter-whites-transformation-in-breaking-bad/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<b style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #990000;">(2)</span></b><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;"> </span>What would the Rugrats look like if they were all grown-up. Celeste Doodles give us her <a href="http://celestedoodles.tumblr.com/post/54807394515/lalondes-lady-chyna-raviolitimelord" target="_blank">take</a> - and it's friggin' awesome!</div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">(3)</span></b> If you do one thing this week, you have to check out <a href="https://twitter.com/convos2yrold" target="_blank">Convos W/ My 2Yr Old</a>, a video series described as, <b><span style="color: #990000;">"Actual conversations with my two year old daughter...as re-enacted by me and another full grown man." </span></b><br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/ConvosWith2YrOld" target="_blank">Here's</a> the link to their YouTube channel.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">(4)</span></b> Hope you folks are surviving the <b style="color: #990000;">heat wave</b>. <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/donnad/heat-wave-source-discovered" target="_blank">Here's</a> who Buzzfeed blames for the heat.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">(5)</span></b> John Stamos is reuniting with The Rippers tonight on Jimmy Fallon!</div>
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Details <a href="http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/john-stamos-to-reunite-with-full-house-band-jesse-and-the-rippers-on-jimmy-fallon-2013167" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<br />Susan Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06499496263977402609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432850915940329847.post-51797197292446042822013-07-11T11:07:00.000-07:002013-07-11T11:07:22.537-07:00On Genre: This Might Be A GrapefruitI dove into an orange, desperate for the juicy fruit. No cookie for me, today I'm having a healthy snack. I took to it with my nails, not wasting time on a peeling device. Part way through there was something funny about this orange, halfway through and I realized <b><i><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">this might be a grapefruit.</span></i></b><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Has this ever happened to you? How about with your writing?</b></span><br />
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You haven't written in months, you've been watching TV (cookies) and reading (granola - healthy, but not quite the Vitamin C that you need) and one day you decide you're going to dive back into it. Forget regimen and planning, here you go, it's fruit time!<br />
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You start out writing a mystery because that is your go-to genre, when suddenly you realize something's off. Turns out, this might be a sci-fi or even a fantasy.<br />
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I much prefer an orange, but that doesn't mean I have anything against grapefruit. After that first initial taste shock, they can be a delicious fruit. But - you have to approach grapefruit differently than oranges. Some people add sugar, while others add salt, similar to the addition of world-building that goes into a sci-fi or fantasy (Not to say there isn't world-building in mystery, but I'm talking about creating Elfin languages and the likes).<br />
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Just a short little fun post because<a href="http://business.time.com/2013/07/11/7-elevens-free-slurpee-day-this-year-with-bigger-slurpees/" target="_blank"> Free Slurpee Day</a> has me feeling wacky!<br />
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<br />Susan Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06499496263977402609noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432850915940329847.post-80852361967215112032013-07-05T11:29:00.001-07:002013-07-05T11:29:33.889-07:00Plot Reroute: ID4 Without Capt. Steven Hiller<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b><b>You guys - Will Smith is not going to be in Independence Day 2!</b></b></span><br />
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(Read the Huffington Post article <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/23/will-smith-independence-day-2_n_3484969.html" target="_blank">here</a>.)</div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">After overcoming my initial shock and sadness, I decided to write a blog post. </span><b>What would the original Independence Day have been like without Captain Steven Hiller?</b></span><br />
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Let's begin with a disclaimer, folks - Will Smith has always been my favorite celebrity. If I could meet <b>one</b> person... So what I am about to say is solely for the purposes of this post.</div>
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<span style="color: #222222;">If Capt. Steven Hiller wasn't in Independence Day, David still could have saved the world. Really, what did he need Steve for? The group found Area 51 independently of Hiller's discovery. David's dad was the one to put in the idea of the virus. Really, Steve's one contribution was that </span><i><span style="color: #990000;">he'd seen these things in action</span></i><span style="color: #222222;"> and he was </span><i><span style="color: #990000;">well</span></i> <i><span style="color: #990000;">aware of their maneuvering capabilities</span></i><span style="color: #222222;">. But let's face it - someone else could have flown the plane. What about that mass of fighter pilots that grouped together in the early hours of July 4th (or maybe even the President himself). One of then could probably have figured out how to fly that plane.</span></div>
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BUT there are several things that would not have been possible in Capt Steven Hiller's absense.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">(1)</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;">Jasmine would have had no reason to go to El Toro and she would not have discovered the President's wife. This means no tearful scene in the Area 51 hospital (I cry every time).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">(2)</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-size: x-small; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;">If Steve hadn't brought the alien to Area 51, Dr. Okun would still be alive (and they didn't need this alien in order to fly the plane). AND if Whitmore wasn't aware of the aliens' plan of to dominate, he wouldn't have used Nukes on Houston (but would they have launched a counter-attack with the rest of the world?).</span></span></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">(3)</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;">The RVs would not have had clearance into Area 51, which means Russell Casse would not figured out how to take those bastards down (and in the process, delivered my favorite movie line of all time). Does this mean that the virus and counterattack would have been a failure? Maybe they needed Hiller afterall!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>As a bonus to this post, @nickwoost has <a href="http://susan-e-lizabeth.blogspot.com/2012/07/watching-smith-goldblum-fly-90-billion.html" target="_blank">returned</a> to offer his thought on the Hiller-less sequel:</b></span><br />
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I'm not sure what Independence Day is without Will Smith. Who will supply the one-liners?</div>
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<a class="twitter-atreply pretty-link" dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/nickwoosttweets" style="color: #0084b4; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #66b5d2;">@</span>nickwoosttweets</a> Mr. Nimzicki.</div>
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" data-feedback-key="stream_status_350265373364457472" data-has-parent-tweet="true" data-item-id="350265373364457472" data-mentions="SuebethSays" data-my-retweet-id="350266191446679552" data-name="Nick Wuest" data-screen-name="nickwoosttweets" data-tweet-id="350265373364457472" data-user-id="172816936" style="background-color: #f6f6f6; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; cursor: pointer; min-height: 54px; padding: 9px 12px 12px; position: relative;">
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<a class="twitter-atreply pretty-link" dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/SuebethSays" style="color: #0084b4; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #66b5d2;">@</span>SuebethSays</a> Independence Day 2: Plausible Deniability</div>
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"You can't reinstate yourself." "I just did." RT <a class="twitter-atreply pretty-link" dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/nickwoosttweets" style="color: #0084b4; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #66b5d2;">@</span>nickwoosttweets</a> Independence Day 2: Plausible Deniability</div>
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Susan Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06499496263977402609noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432850915940329847.post-10640448285030859232013-07-01T07:35:00.001-07:002013-07-01T07:37:14.980-07:00WEEEKEND REadCAP: We Need To Talk About Kevin<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327865017l/80660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327865017l/80660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327865017l/80660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327865017l/80660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327865017l/80660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327865017l/80660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="We Need to Talk About Kevin" border="0" height="320" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327865017l/80660.jpg" width="212" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome to the first ever </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>WEEKEND REadCAP</b></span>, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">where I'll be discussing the book(s) I read over the weekend.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>#SpoilerAlert: Please note that this is more of a discussion than a review.</i></b></span></div>
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<br />
<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/80660.We_Need_to_Talk_About_Kevin" target="_blank">Goodreads Synosis</a>:<br />
<br />
<b><i>
"Eva never really wanted to be a mother - and certainly not the mother of the unlovable boy who murdered seven of his fellow high school students, a cafeteria worker, and a much-adored teacher who tried to befriend him, all two days before his sixteenth birthday. Now, two years later, it is time for her to come to terms with marriage, career, family, parenthood, and Kevin's horrific rampage in a series of startlingly direct correspondences with her estranged husband, Franklin. Uneasy with the sacrifices and social demotion of motherhood from the start, Eva fears that her alarming dislike for her own son may be responsible for driving him so nihilistically off the rails."</i></b><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>We need to talk about film adaptations, as well as the power of point of view.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">First I must say, this story is definitely easier to process while reading, rather than being presented this whole tale within 2 hours. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">The other major difference between the book and film is going from first person to third person. In the movie, I would think the omniscient point of view would force us to divide our sympathies, but rather we're really coerced into being infuriated by Franklin. From a viewer's standpoint, Kevin is an evil child and Franklin is too love-blinded to see it. </span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">There are some of these instances in the book. For example, when Eva and Kevin are having a rivalry over a water gun, Franklin says to his son, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">"The movers peed their pants, but Mommer pooped the party." It's almost as if Kevin and Franklin are Eva's brothers rather than her son and husband.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">But rather than being overloaded with these scenes in the novel, we instead see a bit more reason to point the finger at Eva. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">In first person, Eva wants to be prejudiced against Franklin's parenting, but she can't let us inside her head without letting pieces of her escape. It is these pieces that have me considering that Kevin may have been a better child if he had been raised by a different mother.<br /><br />I say <i>may</i> because something like this is really hard to determine. You can't separate Kevin and Eva's stories. They are and always will be intertwined. Yes, Kevin has psychological issues, but Eva isn't helping them. Her disdain for her child and it's influence on her parenting comes into play before Kevin is ever conceived.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">In the letter on December 8th, Eva says some very cold things about the prospect of motherhood. One line stood out to me in particular, "I would let parenthood influence our behavior; you would have parenthood dictate our behavior."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">On Pg 72, she says, </span>"Indeed, an honest list of all that I did not want to nurture, from the garden-variety moron to the grotesquely overweight, might run damningly to a second page." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">And in the December 9, 2000 letter she says, </span>"He must of previously recognized that I had a life, in order to go about ruining it with such a sense of purpose." </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This quote is immediately followed by a confrontation with Kevin in which she tells him that his behavior is what turned her sour to motherhood. Do you believe her? From what she said in the previous chapter, do you think that she would have had a different outlook with a different child?</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Similarly, shortly after Kevin's birth, the doctor tells her that she's suffering from post-natal depression, but what's to say it isn't pre-natal depression. How do we know that there wasn't a sense of dread that pre-existed Kevin and influenced his development.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, the first person has me</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"> wondering if these letters are Eva's way of taking blame/responsibility for her mental state during Kevin's childhood or is she using this as an excuse. She's definitely a complex character! </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Alright folks, who's read Kevin? I'd love to hear your thoughts!</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>Susan Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06499496263977402609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432850915940329847.post-18164971062669484202013-06-21T12:45:00.000-07:002013-07-01T07:39:44.206-07:00Fiction & Frappaccinos: Wolf of Wall Street and Ecto Coolers<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Fiction and Frappaccinos</span></b></div>
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Check in every Friday to see my favorites from the week.<br />
<i>(Coffee not included)</i></div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">(1)</span></b> An abundance of awesome movie trailers have surfaced this week, here are my favorites:<br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">THE LEGO MOVIE:</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">THE WOLF OF WALL STREET:</span></b></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/iszwuX1AK6A?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">(2)</span></b>If you're a child between the ages of 8-13...then I've probably spoiled the ending of Titanic and Dawson's Creek for you...but as a trade-in, check out this <a href="http://lifehacker.com/send-your-kids-to-free-apple-or-microsoft-workshops-thi-531305391" target="_blank">Lifehacker article </a>on<b><span style="color: #990000;"> #FREE Apple and Microsoft movie-making classes this summer</span></b>.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">(3)</span></b> My new online obsession - <a href="http://scoutingny.com/">ScoutingNY.com</a> - <b><span style="color: #990000;">insider secrets about former filming locations in NYC</span></b>. My favorite is the article on Ghostbusters! Check out the Gizmodo feature <a href="http://gizmodo.com/ask-a-new-york-city-movie-location-scout-anything-you-w-516374447" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://s3-ak.buzzfeed.com/static/enhanced/terminal01/2011/8/17/14/enhanced-buzz-24271-1313607237-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ecto Cooler" border="0" height="320" src="http://s3-ak.buzzfeed.com/static/enhanced/terminal01/2011/8/17/14/enhanced-buzz-24271-1313607237-14.jpg" width="241" /></a><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">(4)</span></b> Speaking of Ghostbusters, was anyone a fan of the Hi-C Ecto Coolers (not the shot that it made at some college dive bars, but rather the juice box for children)?<br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">Sad news, Ecto Coolers have been extinct for years.</span></b><br />
Check out 24 other awesome foods that no longer exist <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/25-foods-youll-never-eat-again#HGP2" target="_blank">via Buzzfeed.</a><br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">(5)</span></b> Busy tomorrow? If not, check out the fictional murder on the streets on Park Slope. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/21/nyregion/with-the-street-as-a-stage-a-fictional-murder-plays-out-in-brooklyn.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&utm_source=feedly&_r=0" target="_blank">Here are the details via the NYTimes.</a> I will probably miss it, so if anyone goes, I'd love to hear your thoughts!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Happy Weekend, folks!</span></b></div>
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">It's the freakin' weekend, baby I'm about to read me some books.</span></i></div>
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<br />Susan Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06499496263977402609noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432850915940329847.post-89781061709919140392013-06-07T07:04:00.001-07:002013-07-01T07:39:44.216-07:00Fiction & Frappaccinos: Big Apple BBQ, GoT Swag, and Summer Reading<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">(1)</span></b> First and foremost, I've discovered that many New Yorkers are not aware of this weekend's <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Big Apple BBQ</span></b>. We're talking two days of BBQ from all over the country that can be found right in Madison Square Park. Fixins are slim-pickins, but if you want some very tasty slabs of meat, it's the place to be. Also included - live music and a beer garden.<br />
Full details <a href="http://bigapplebbq.org/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">(2) </span></b>And while you're spending your weekend in the upper part of lower Manhattan, </div>
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make sure to check out the new <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Tiny Libraries</span></b>! </div>
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Find out more <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/10-tiny-libraries-installed-around-york-city-streets-213100867.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">(3)</span></b> Since I seem to have fallen into a Manhattan happenings vibe, I would also like to point out that <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Slattery's Pub and Random House will be hosting Game of Thrones (Book) Trivia on June 25th.</b></span> How many times have you read the books? Do you think you can compete? Full details <a href="http://agameofthronestrivia.eventbrite.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.shoptheshows.com/img/product/resized/117/00298413-827117_catl_500.jpg?k=4d250079&pid=298413&s=catl&sn=shoptheshows" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.shoptheshows.com/img/product/resized/117/00298413-827117_catl_500.jpg?k=4d250079&pid=298413&s=catl&sn=shoptheshows" width="320" /></a><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">(4)</span></b> And if you're a true fan, I'm assuming you already own the <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Game of Thrones letter opener</span></b>?<br />
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If not, pick up this <a href="http://store.hbo.com/game-of-thrones-sword-letter-opener/detail.php?p=298413&v=hbo_shows_game-of-thrones_collectibles" target="_blank">Shop HBO Exclusive Item</a> while you're in Manhattan.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>(5)</b></span> </b>June is quickly breezing past us.<b style="color: #cc0000;"> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Have you started your summer reading yet</span></b>? </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here are a handful of summer reading lists I've stumbled upon this week. </span></div>
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<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.latimes.com/features/books/la-et-jc-summer-reading-2013-html-dto,0,7857693.htmlstory" target="_blank">LA Times' Summer Reading Guide</a></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.npr.org/2013/06/04/187601740/start-storing-up-indie-booksellers-pick-summers-best-reads" target="_blank">NPR's Summer Best Reads</a></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/summer-2013" target="_blank">Good Reads' Popular Summer 2013 Books</a></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/best-books/summer-reads-2013/fiction#book/book-1" target="_blank">Publishers Weekly's Best Summer Books 2013</a></li>
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">What books are you most excited about?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;"><br /></span>Susan Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06499496263977402609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432850915940329847.post-48846551697074277562013-06-05T07:44:00.002-07:002013-06-05T07:45:04.959-07:00Sharing With You: Super-Fab Color Me Rad Email<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="templateContainer" style="background-color: whitesmoke; border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); color: black; width: 600px;"><tbody>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>I received the below e-mail from <a href="http://www.colormerad.com/" target="_blank">Color Me Rad</a> this morning (don't worry, I'm already signed up for one!) and thought I'd share it with you folks. It is exactly my type of super-fab style. I'm ashamed they beat me to the Tony Little photo!</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium; text-align: start;"><b>Enjoy!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;">Susan,</span></h2>
In late night fits of sleeplessness, you’ve dropped more than $50 on ShamWows!, Snuggies, and Tony Little’s Gazelle Strider without thinking twice…or once.<br />
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<a href="http://www.colormerad.com/race.i?raceid=117&t=NYC/NJ_MetLife" style="color: #eb4102; word-wrap: break-word !important;" target="_self"><img align="none" height="367" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/e2007ab26615f3024500055e9/images/tonylittle.png" style="border: 0px; height: 367px; line-height: 12px; margin-left: 50px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; width: 400px;" width="400" /></a><br />
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This is $50 you’ll never regret. Sign up <a href="http://www.colormerad.com/race.i?raceid=117&t=NYC/NJ_MetLife" style="color: #eb4102; word-wrap: break-word !important;" target="_self"><strong>HERE</strong></a> so you don’t miss out.<br />
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You may not have Tony’s luscious locks, his toned triceps, and you might not look as good as him in a unitard. We don’t judge.<br />
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But let me guarantee you this—once you finish <a href="http://www.colormerad.com/race.i?raceid=117&t=NYC/NJ_MetLife" style="color: #eb4102; word-wrap: break-word !important;" target="_self">Color Me Rad NYC/NJ MetLife</a>, you’ll have more self-esteem than him, more Facebook friends than him, and unlike him, you won’t be ashamed to be seen in public.<br />
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If you've already signed up, you're both frugal and punctual, and we like that about you. Tell your friends and family to follow your example.<br />
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Seems like a pretty easy decision to me…but what do I know? I bought the Ron Popeil Great Looking Hair Bald Spot Spray.<br />
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<a href="http://www.colormerad.com/race.i?raceid=117&t=NYC/NJ_MetLife" style="color: #eb4102; word-wrap: break-word !important;" target="_self"><img align="none" height="332" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/e2007ab26615f3024500055e9/images/CMR.reg.deadline.digital.banners_v1FINAL_04.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: 332px; line-height: 12px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; width: 333px;" width="333" /></a><br />
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Also, help us raise even more money for the Ronald McDonald House Long Branch & New Brunswick by becoming a fundraiser <a href="http://colormerad.fundly.com/color-me-rad-nyc-nj-ronald-mcdonald-house" style="color: #eb4102; word-wrap: break-word !important;" target="_self">HERE</a>.<br />
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Color Me Rad</td></tr>
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<tr><td align="center" class="mcnCaptionBottomImageContent" style="border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px 9px 9px;" valign="top"><a class="" href="http://www.rmh-cnj.org/" style="word-wrap: break-word !important;" target="_self" title=""><img alt="" class="mcnImage" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/e2007ab26615f3024500055e9/images/RMHC_Logo_NYC_NJ188a46.png" style="border: 0px; height: auto; line-height: 16px; max-width: 204px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: bottom;" width="204" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>So if you must indulge in a break from reading and writing this summer, I'd suggest trying a color run. I've heard they're insane amounts of fun! #commercialbreak</b></span></div>
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Susan Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06499496263977402609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432850915940329847.post-7092376058394665062013-06-03T09:47:00.000-07:002013-06-03T09:47:17.928-07:00The Baz GatsbyToo much sun, food, & games to read a full book this weekend, so instead of the <span style="color: #990000;">WEEKEND REadCAP</span>, <b><span style="color: #990000;">I'm doing a rambling on Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby</span></b>. Just started reading <span style="color: #990000;">We Need To Talk About Kevin</span> and <span style="color: #990000;">Life After Life</span>, so look forward to those discussions in the near future.<br />
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I rarely rant, but here it is...<br />
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I found myself defending Gatsby before I even saw it. I'm not speaking of reviews and such on the interwebs, but rather live conversations I had with groups of my peers. I heard conversation after conversation complaining about the music, the style, the lack of similarity to the book. My main question for these chatters was, "Have you seen Romeo + Juliet or Moulin Rouge?" To which, the answer was almost always "No."<br />
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Listen guys - who hasn't read Gatsby? Raise your hands. Alright, I don't see any hands. That's what I thought. We've all read it, we've all studied it, we are all very well aware of the themes the lie within it.<br />
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So, why would you want to go a see a straight-forward movie that reteaches us what we learned in grade school? I'm grateful for Luhrman's adaptation because I got to watch something I haven't seen before. An art project interpretation.<br />
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We read the story and collectively said, "That Gatsby. What a shame." Who's to say we're got it all figured out, that we don't make tragic mistakes, that we haven't spent days/weeks/months dwelling on something beyond our control? Maybe that's the point Luhrman's trying to make with the juxtaposition of classic story and modern music. When was the last time you were on a Jay-Z-bumping dance floor and no one was pining over anyone, no one was jealous of anyone, no one was lying to anyone? The truth is, we're not that much more evolved than Gatsby and Luhrman's film shows us that.<br />
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I rather enjoyed the film, but if you didn't, then I respect your opinion, as well. I just had to get some of these thoughts off my brain!Susan Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06499496263977402609noreply@blogger.com1