Twilight

Finally got around to watching Twilight this weekend and boy what a stinker. About ten minutes in, the hubby looked at me and said "This is kind of like The Lost Boys, but bad." And I had to agree, yet we carried on watching as one cringe worthy line was spoken after another. I kept hoping that Pattinson's deer-in-headlights look was just a fluke moment the first time and yet every other scene there it was again. All that coupled with ridiculously unnecessary voiceover, really, really poor casting and a director who clearly thought she was shooting a bad 80s music video and not a movie, made for a huge disappointment in my book.

The problem is I don't think the bad filmmaking was entirely at fault, and I hate to admit this, but I think some of the blame resets on the book itself. For example, much of the voiceover and cheesy dialogue was straight out of the book and while it may have worked on paper, it simply didn't translate well on screen. Rather than feeling nostalgic about the book as I watched, I was merely left wondering, wow was the book really this bad? I think this is a prime example of why sometimes a literal adaptation just doesn't work. With Harry Potter the books are action oriented and incredibly visual and so you can "see" the film as you are reading. A book like Twilight is so much more internal and thought driven that it really requires some effort to make it work, effort that sadly was not put forth in this attempt. My final verdict: if you haven't yet read or seen, skip the flick, stick with the book.

A baby by any other name...

As a writer names have always been something I have had difficulty with. I can never start writing until I name my characters, but it inevitably takes me forever to decide on the perfect name, so it comes as no real surprise that I am having such a hard time with this whole baby-naming business. Having grown up with a difficult name myself, the importance of naming my baby with the perfect name is naturally something of an obsession. For those of you who don't know me, my full name is Shahrzad. As an adult I have come to enjoy the uniqueness of my name and of course as a writer I appreciate the meaning behind it (i.e. the storyteller from the Arabian Nights), but as a kid growing up it was a whole different ball of wax. I couldn't understand for the life of me why my parents would want to stick me with such an obviously awkward, difficult-to-pronounce name. I even went through a phase where I thought I might try going by my middle name, Maria, but that never really became a reality outside of my own hopeful imaginings. 

Now that it comes down to naming my own child and I have the wisdom of my own experience, I want to find a name that is both unique and simple, something easy to spell and pronounce, but different enough that it doesn't automatically have to be coupled with the first initial of her last name so as to recognize the difference between her and the four other girls in her class with the same name. On top of all this it just has to sound right, roll off the tongue well, fit with our last name and feel natural. In other words it has to be perfect. And so far nothing fits the bill. We have a short list --not all agreed upon between my husband and myself-- but a list nonetheless of names we really like, and yet I still don't feel like I've found that perfect one. Maybe I'm making too much of this, maybe a name is just a name. All I know is the baby isn't even born yet and parenting is already difficult.

UP

This weekend was the first time I'd been to a movie in over 6 months, probably longer, I can't even remember what the last film was to be honest. While I do still enjoy the movie-going experience on some levels, for the most part I much prefer to see a flick from the comfort of my own couch. There have been films I've wanted to see, and there is a long list of summer flicks I tell myself I will attempt to go see in the theater but the truth of the matter is I will probably be lucky if I see even one or two more before the baby comes. 

All that said, I was definitely not disappointed by my movie selection for the first theater excursion in so many months. UP was yet another beautifully written and amazingly executed film from Pixar, I mean seriously, can they do no wrong? I laughed, I cried, I was thoroughly entertained and inspired, but I was also quite surprised by the incredibly risky choice of a main protagonist in a family film. From a purely business-of-filmmaking standpoint having a 70 something year-old man as the main character of a film targeted towards children and families is quite unusual. To date I think this is Pixar's most adult film both character-wise and thematically, although I don't necessarily consider that a criticism, obviously it works --the theater was packed and adults and children alike seemed to enjoy the film on many levels-- in fact I think if anything its a testament to what great filmmakers and innovators Pixar has, that they could make a film about a lonely old man seem interesting to an 8 year-old.

Can I Get A Napkin Please?

I was just browsing the Publisher's Weekly daily newsletter when I came across a bit about a new book out called "Causing A Scene: Extraordinary Pranks in Ordinary Places", which prompted me to check out the Improv Everywhere blog. Basically this group organizes large scale improvised pranks in public places with some pretty hilarious results. Haven't had a chance to check out all the pranks which they detail on the blog, but my favorite so far is Food Court Musical.

My new girl crush.

Just watched Yes Man over the weekend. Thought it was cute and funny, mostly I was just reminded how much I love Zooey Deschanel. Although this was actually a toned down role for her, I can't help but think she really brings something to every project she's in, I mean she even managed to give Failure to Launch a few funny moments. My favorite role is still her stint on Weeds Season 2, if you haven't seen her on this or watched this fantastic show for that matter, I highly recommend checking it out.

Only one way to explain this.

Kids, Mommy's a slut.

What the ?!

Chocolate for the sexually repressed.

"Naughty, but not that naughty." Riiight.

LOST Finale

Man oh man. So much happened I don't even know where to begin all I know is the last time a LOST episode ended in a blinding white flash, effectively destroying the Swan station, no one was really affected with the exception of Desmond who could suddenly see the future, somehow I think this outcome might be a little different. My favorite moment of the of the Swan destruction scene was when Miles so wittingly pointed out, that by detonating the bomb they may actually be causing the very reaction they were trying to stop, which leads me to the suspicion and hope that no one, except maybe Juliet actually died. 

As for the Jacob storyline,when I first saw Jacob and the Man in Black sitting on the beach I was reminded instantly of the first season when Locke was teaching Walt to play backgammon and also of the two skeletons and the pouch containing a black rock and a white rock, which the castaways discovered near their first camp. Is this really so simple as black and white? Good versus evil? It is an age old story, but somehow I imagined the mechanics of LOST to be less simple than that. And I think the more important question is, if we are dealing with good and evil, which one is which? Jacob of course seems the obvious good guy, but is he in fact really the charismatic devil? I also couldn't help but think of the Smoke Monster when it was revealed that Locke resurrected was actually the Man in Black, is the MIB actually the physical manifestation of the Smoke Monster? I think it's possible that at the very least the two are connected.

Overall, we are still left with more questions than answers, is everyone really dead? What's the real story behind Jacob and the Man in Black? Is Ben as humbled and broken as he seems or is this all still part of his master plan? Who is Ilana and what exactly is a candidate? As usual Doc Jensen sums it all up quite nicely, but we shall have to wait until 2010 to get our final answers.

Top Five Things I Can't Wait To Eat the Minute I Give Birth

In no particular order:

-sushi

-pepperoni pizza

-espresso

-bacon

-red wine

Are pregnant women smug?

Funny clip I just caught on Salon making fun of preggos for being smug. I gotta say I can't really relate, while I always imagined that being pregnant would mean walking on air and wearing a happy, knowing glow for nine months, I can honestly say that I have never been more miserable and uncomfortable in my entire life, not to mention my self-image is hanging about as low as a pair of bra-less, granny boobs right about now, and I can't wait to pop this baby out so I can drink a bottle Zin and throw down some sushi again. Smug I am not.

The real reason I watch TV?

New study suggests TV makes you feel less lonely. While I can't say the reason I watch television is for the company, I will admit that when at home I almost always have the TV on and like a pair of fuzzy slippers or a nice bowl of mac and cheese, it does bring me a great level of comfort. That said, I don't watch Survivor because I think Jeff Probst is my new best friend, I tune in because it's entertaining to watch disheveled grown-ups squabble like a bunch of second graders at recess.

Ready For Seconds?

So excited for TrueBlood season 2! Can you spot the double image in the just released poster?

The reason I did not want to move East of the 405.

Last Friday at work we made a big office move from our cozy eclectic digs above Renee's Bar in Santa Monica, to a new, but somewhat similar space in Westwood. Initially I was against the move simply for the fact that everyone in my office, myself included, resides in Santa Monica and so logically it just makes sense to stay put where we can all reach the office in a five minute drive. After being in our new space a week, I have to admit that I do like the new location, our office is nicer overall, I have more room and most importantly the food options in this neighborhood are astronomically better than around our old office. The only downside to the move is why I feared it to begin with: the commute. 

Now I realize I may have gotten a little spoiled in the last few years, but trust me I have had my fair share of lengthy commutes all my life and I counted myself lucky when my husband and I moved to Santa Monica a few years ago where we both worked and were so close to our jobs that we only needed one car. So not only did this office move require at least a 20 minute commute each way, but we also had to buy a second car. 

All this week I had been trying out different routes to get to work in the morning, suddenly obsessed with my drive time and hoping to shave off a minute here or a minute there. After one attempt on the freeway I decided I don't need that kind of stress in my life and the streets, which ended up being about the same amount of time, would be better for my mental health. However, on Wednesday I had a dentist appointment at 4pm in Westchester, so I figured if I left the office at 3pm and hopped on the 405 I would be there in 20 or 3o minutes tops. After all, how much traffic could there be at 3 in the afternoon on Wednesday? Oh, how wrong I was. I sat in bumper to bumper traffic for an hour. It was crawling so slowly I was even able to pull out my iPhone and snap the above picture without getting in a wreck, simply because I had nothing better to do. Sigh.

A long hiatus and a new adventure

It's been over two months since my last post and a lot has happened since. My lack of blogging was not for loss of interest but rather because I simply have not had the energy for it the past few weeks. The good news is that I realized one of my three goals for 2009 and am happy to announce that I am pregnant and my husband and I will be having a baby in September. For a good six or seven weeks I was extremely tired and had severe morning sickness (whoever coined the phrase morning sickness must have been a man because anybody who has had it knows it goes on all day and night) and so I pretty much wanted to do nothing all day besides sleep. I am finally feeling better, however, having reached the "fun" part of pregnancy otherwise known as the 2nd trimester, my energy is up, I dream of all things chocolate and I am ready to blog once more. 

I don't want this to turn into a "pregnancy" blog, god knows the blogosphere is already filled with those, but I imagine it will be a major subject in the coming months as my belly gets bigger and my life becomes a baby, baby, baby world. I can't be sure of the frequency of my posting, because although I feel better I imagine life will get more and more hectic as the big day approaches, but I have missed blogging and am happy to be back to it.

In Mourning

It was with a big sigh that I read the final words of "Breaking Dawn", the fourth and last book of the Twilight series. It's hard to believe it was just a couple short months ago that I first started down the path of the Bella and Edward saga and now it's over. I always feel sad after finishing a good book, especially a series, which I have invested so much time in that I actually feel I am losing a friend when it ends. I also for some reason find it difficult to go back to "serious reading", so to speak, after being so entrenched in what I consider a guilty pleasure... perhaps I will have to feed my vampire thirst with the Sookie Stackhouse series next.

As to the controversy surrounding the fourth book itself, I can't say I agree, I thought it was a fitting end, not at all what I expected (I figured it would be a disappointment with all the hubbub), but I enjoyed it. To those who claim it wraps up too neatly I can only guess you are either not a true fan or you are lying, because I can't imagine anyone making it through this entire series and not wishing Bella a truly happy ending.

Say Cheese!

I'm happy to see that not everything old and seemingly without purpose has to fall by the wayside. Polaroid will no longer be going the way of the dodo thanks to one Australian artist/patron saint of instant exposure.

Dear 80s, I miss you

Was discussing the 80s with my co-worker this morning and I realized how nostalgic I have become for that era. It used to be that I believed the 80s were just down right awful, awful music, awful movies, awful hair, awful clothes, but now every time I come across an 80s movie on cable or a song on the radio I can't help but eat it up.

This morning my dear pal Brooke reminded me of one of my absolute favorite products of the 80s and so I thought I would share it here for your viewing pleasure:

Lost is back, let the crazy begin!

I'm not even sure where to begin in deciphering all that went down in this week's two hour season premiere, but as usual Doc Jensen finds a way to make sense of the lunacy. Of course as usual the episode left me with more questions than answers: Is John Locke really dead? Why did Alpert disappear in the time flashes? What's the deal with the Dharma dude? Why is Hurley seeing dead people? Will Sawyer ever find himself a shirt? Man I love this show.

Enough Already!

I'm not really surprised GW is demanding 15 more minutes of infamy, he has held more televised press conferences than any President in history, but enough is enough.

"Americans cannot do without sex."

Porn industry seeks federal bailout. Now we know we're in real trouble.

Is there a more annoying person on the planet?

I almost vomited when I came in the house this morning from my early morning walk and found Anne Coulter's face on my television. The woman (I shudder to call her that because it reminds me that we are the same species) is insane, I mean I really think someone ought to lock her up and throw away the key for her own safety and for the safety of others. The woman is a verifiable nutjob... oh, and also an enormous douchebag. Bless you Matt Lauer for keeping yourself so composed when you really just wanted to smack the crap out of her. 

Does anybody actually take this woman (shudder) seriously?! I'd like to meet just one person who has bought and read one of her books and ask them for the love of god, why? Can't you see right through her ridiculously transparent Oh-look-at-me-I'm-so-controversial schtick to see what she really is, a narcissistic psychopath who just wants to shill books with her way-too-old-for-a-miniskirt wearing, too-much eyeliner face on the cover.

I may be small and have no muscles to speak of but if I ever see you on the street Anne Coulter I would seriously think about running the other way if I were you.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

We've been watching a lot of movies over the holiday break thanks to Blockbuster-by-mail, some good, some great, some downright terrible. Here's my thoughts on a few:

Wallstreet-  Great film, and also very timely considering everything that's going on right now with the economy. I am becoming more and more impressed with Oliver Stone lately.

Stepbrothers-  Surprisingly funny, granted I was hungover on New Years Day watching this, but I really enjoyed it, especially compared to the piece of crap Talladega Nights. Definitely worth a watch, I guarantee at least a few laughs.

Hancock-  Crap. Pure crap. I really can't believe how bad this was. I really didn't think Will Smith could do a bad movie till now.

X-Files: I Want To Believe-  Made Hancock look like Citizen Cane. I just don't know why they bothered. It was terrible, it was like one of those weird X-Files episodes that had nothing to do with the greater mystery, an irrelevant one-off and a bad one at that.

Wall-E-  I saved the best for last. This is a truly beautiful film that everyone should see. I think I will have to bump Dark Knight down a notch on my favorites of 08 list, for Wall-E. 

We've also been rewatching Band of Brothers since the Bluray just came out. I am not typically a fan of war stuff, but this is a must-see and well-worth buying.

New Year, New "Rules"

I have never been big on New Year's resolutions, they never stick, I don't even like the word "resolution" it sounds so dire, so serious, like a rule more than a hope for change. However, as 2008 winds down, I can't help but feel a need to reflect on the past year and look ahead to the coming one.  I had quite a lot of goals for myself last year, the most important of which I did not accomplish, so my hope is that this year will be different. 

I did start a blog this year, something I was initially against, but now can't imagine not doing. Every so often I like to read through old posts just to see what I was thinking and writing about and to see how my writing has progressed. This time next year, I will be looking back and reading this post and I hope that by then I will have accomplished three big goals: get healthy/in shape (I'm not talking about a major transformation here, I just want to feel healthier and better about myself), finish a novel (any novel), get pregnant.

This is sure to be a year of great change for the world at large, some bad and some good, but I have hope, for the first time in a long time, about the future of our country. Things look bleak now, but as they say, it is always the darkest before dawn. Wishing my readers (all two of you), friends, family and strangers a happy, healthy and hopeful New Year.

My favorite _________ of 2008.

A few of my favorite things from '08:

-New TV series: True Blood

-Sports moment: winning my office March Madness bracket

-New Food: Panera egg, bacon and cheese breakfast sandwich

-Album: this one is a threeway tie between Coldplay "Viva La Vida"; TV On The Radio "Dear Science" and Kings of Leon "Because of the Times"

-Family Guy episode: "Surfin Bird"... have you heard?

-Specialty coffee drink: Starbucks Peppermint Mocha Twist

-Pop Culture Moment: the Election results

-Guilty pleasure: the Twilight Books series

- Read: "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer (I realized this was published a few years back, but this is the year I read it and it's my list so I can do what I want)

-Concert: Coldplay at the Forum

-Movie: this one is tough because I actually haven't seen a lot of new films this year, but I am going to have to go with The Dark Knight, Tropic Thunder is a close second

-New Gadget: another tie between my iPhone and Kindle

-Personal Moment: Bringing Charlie home from the shelter

Merry Christmas!

Wishing everyone a warm and happy holiday!

Books, books, books

It’s been a weekend of books in Newton, Kansas where we are visiting the in-laws for an early Christmas celebration. We don’t have wi-fi here so I am typing all my blog posts in Word to be posted online when we get back home and I suddenly feel kind of like Doogie Howser. Polished off Twilight last night with a big sigh, wishing it didn’t have to end, but before I had a chance to start mourning I hopped on the Kindle Store and had New Moon downloaded onto the Kindle (man I frickin love this thing) faster than you can say “vampires and werewolves, oh my”. I am now half way through New Moon and anxiously awaiting what I hope is the inevitable return of Edward.

Yesterday we trekked out to Wallyworld, otherwise known as Walmart to the uninitiated, to do some last minute shopping. I was hoping to pick up a few paperbacks to stuff under the tree for my mother-in-law but was shocked and appalled to find that their book selection consisted of half of one aisle filled with Inspirational Religious fiction, Harlequin Romances and a handful of Nora Roberts titles. It’s no wonder Steve Jobs said no one reads in America anymore, how could they with a selection like that in a store that is nearly two football fields wide.

I was ready to give up on the literary future of the heartland when we stumbled onto Pages Books located on Main Street in Newton. A warm little shop tucked in between a close cousin of the former Wild Oats and a cute home furnishings store. There wasn’t an exact rhyme or reason to the book selection and it was small, only one copy of almost all the titles they carried, but oh the titles. It might as well have been a bookcase from my office, from Franz Kafka to Haruki Murakami and everything in between. I picked out two titles for my mother-in-law and felt reassured that there was hope yet.

House

We are usually subjected to about ten hours of various Food Network programming, peppered with the occasional Weather Channel report while visiting the in-laws, but tonight we broke away from Paula Deen’s drawl long enough to watch a rerun of "House" and I was surprised to find that it’s really not a bad show. I also get why it's so popular, its the perfect marriage of the procedural and emergency room dramas, two of the most successful genres on television. That combined with surprisingly decent acting, it's no wonder it's a hit. I may have to add it to my now almost barren DVR list.

Are You There God, It’s Me Sher and I’m Ready For Takeoff

I’m not a religious person. Period. I was baptized as a baby, but I haven’t set foot in a church, except as a tourist and on my wedding day, in at least ten years. I understand and appreciate that religion and God are an important part of a lot of people’s lives, but organized religion is not something I personally find any use for. I do believe in a higher being of sorts, although with each passing year I can’t help but question what that even means.

And yet there are occasions that, for whatever reason, I feel the need to pray to God. I was reminded of this as I sat on an airplane today, taxing towards the runway and was compelled to repeat a ritualized mantra asking God for safe passage through the skies. I have done this every time I’ve gotten on an airplane for as long as I can remember. My father is a pilot, I have grown up around airplanes and been flying probably since before I could even walk so I don’t fear planes or travel and yet every time I board one I go against everything I believe in and say a little prayer.

Why do I do this, when I otherwise find no place for religion in my life? What compels me to mumble incoherently under my breath as I watch the runway disappear and shrink beneath us? If not out of fear and not out of true belief, then what? Perhaps I just find comfort in the ritual, or maybe I'm more of a believer than I think.

W.

I watched W. yesterday (yay for screeners) and was shocked and appalled that the film left me kind of feeling sorry for old Junior. The film was a decent Oliver Stone version of a biopic, brilliant acting by Josh Brolin and Elizabeth Banks, a few questionable performances (the woman playing Condi was ridiculously charicatured) and some weird dream sequences. Of course it's hard to know how much that goes on in the film is imagined versus based in fact (considering it's Stone, more likely the former), and yet I couldn't help but sympathize with the character of GW just a little bit.

Then to add insult to injury, this morning I turned on the tube to find GW being pummeled by flying shoes and I just flat out felt sorry for the guy. I can't explain it, ordinarily I think I might have had some smug satisfaction in seeing him insulted and embarrassed, I mean I still hate him, but suddenly I find it hard not to pity him too.

Bail Out ...the Writers?

A witty piece in this weekend's NY Times arguing for a government bailout of writers.

Vampire Madness

After much curiosity and some pestering from friends that are avid fans I finally broke down and picked up a copy of Twilight (or rather I clicked a button and had it zapped to my Kindle, man I love this thing, but more on that later).

I am only one chapter in but already I'm hooked. It has every element that attracted me to this kind of book when I was of the age appropriate for reading it: lonely, new-to-town protagonist; small, coastal town location, mysterious hot boy. What more could a fourteen year old girl want out of a good read? Just as with Harry Potter, had this book been around when I was a wee lass, man would it have been good and dog-eared by now.

I can't help but wonder though, what it is about vampires that makes them so irresistibly fascinating even though this is the thousandth incarnation of the bloodsuckers to cross my path in my lifetime, let alone the second this year. I can't even begin to fully list all of the vampire lore I've obsessed over, most recently True Blood, then there was The Historian, (which if you haven't read and are even remotely a fan of vampires you should drop everything and pickup a copy right now) and of course who could forget Anne Rice's epic series. What is it about these night-walking, bloodsucking undead we find so fascinating that they continue to permeate every facet of media year after year?

My Kindle is beckoning me, but more on this when I finish.

Recession= Return of the Bush

No not that one. This one.

When is a drunken breast grope just a drunken breast grope?

Obama's speechwriter caught groping Hillary's cardboard "breast."

Yes maybe the guy should show a little better judgement now that he is under the scrutiny of such a public position, but isn't it ever okay to just file this under what it really is: a stupid drunken moment and not have to analyze each square inch of this photo-op for the sexist symbolism contained within.

Besides this is probably the most action Hillary --cardboard or otherwise-- has seen in years.

15 years without sex is 15 years too long.

Came across this piece on Salon by a woman who has not had sex in a decade and a half and found it quite sad. Not so much for the fact that she literally has not had sex in a decade and a half (which is just plain depressing) but more so because she seems to justify her choice with the comfort of such ridiculous cliches as  never having the toilet seat left up or remote relinquished. 

It would be one thing if she simply had no want of male companionship, some women don't, but clearly as her therapist points out, the yearning is there. She tries so hard to separate sex from intimacy but as Broadsheet points out in response to this piece, "sex isn't just the ends, it's also the means." I'm not saying single women should go out and sleep with every man with a penis in hopes feeling a semblance of intimacy, but to cut yourself off entirely from the possibility of sex simply for fear of feeling vulnerable is just plain sad.

Hello, my name is Sher and I am a cyberchondriac.

Cyberchondriac n. --Someone who needlessly fears the worst after using the Internet to self-diagnose an ailment.  usage: "Health information online is breeding a generation of cyberchondriacs."

It's bad and getting worse, my addiction to WebMD that is. Thinking about starting C.A.: cyberchondriacs anonymous. I used to think it was great to have so much information at the click of a button, but when I end up spending more time online "researching" than say, I dunno, working, then I've got a problem. At first it was just a useful tool to look to when I got the occasional cough or pain in my knee, but since my husband and I set off on the bumpy road called trying to conceive it's become a lot more than that.

The fact is, as a relatively educated person, I realize that online medical information must be taken with a HUGE grain of salt and that the majority of it is just plain wrong or better yet, too vague to actually tell me anything, but for some reason I can't stop myself from reading every message board in hopes of finding answers and explanations to every ridiculous question and symptom that crosses my mind. I guess regardless of whether or not the information is helpful, I find some level of comfort in knowing that the information is out there because I am not the only one going through this and while I may not be able to properly diagnose anything, I can at least self-medicate through the shared experience.

Blogging from the couch

We got a brand new MacBook Pro this week, but today is the first day I've had a chance to really mess with it and so far I love it. I use an older model MacBook at work but at home we have been a desktop family since my neon orange clam shell Mac crashed several years ago. I am loving the freedom of being able to surf the net from anywhere in the house, although now our office is seeming more and more like a storage space/dumping ground.

On a separate note, I watched Tropic Thunder last night which I thought was great. Although I can see why they had a hard time marketing it. I would basically categorize it as an intelligent spoof. The premise was great, but what really made it were the fantastic performances from all involved, the standouts being Robert Downey Jr. and of course Tom Cruise. Speaking of which, I just watched Risky Business for the first time last week, not what I expected but also a great film. Tom maybe a little nutty (okay a lot nutty) but between those two flicks the guy has got some sweet dance moves.

Stay the hell out of my womb W

Just when I was getting comfortable with the lame duck status of George W, his administration rolls out plans to enact a "right of conscience" rule which could significantly affect women's access not only to birth control and abortion but also to sperm donation and artificial insemination. Why the hell won't he just go quietly into the night like everybody wants?

What makes a book young adult?

After a lively debate at the office this morning about what makes a book fall into the category of Young Adult, I Googled the topic and found this interesting NY Times article which I had actually read before. The question posed in our debate, however, was, beyond the marketing choices of the publisher, what criteria specifically makes a book more suited towards kids than adults? My boss suggested that it was the simplicity of the prose that made a book Y.A., but there are many youth-geared books that are written in a more sophisticated style. I argued that it simply required a youth protagonist and to have been written specifically for a youth audience, style not being a criteria. However, there are a lot of titles that fall into a grey area of being universally read by both youth and adults. Harry Potter, for the most obvious example is marketed as Y.A. but more adults I know than kids have read and loved it. And then there is the even more undefinable coming-of-age fiction, which often times portrays youth but is geared towards adults (think Catcher in the Rye). So what really makes a book Y.A.? I'm not sure there is an answer beyond being shelved in the kids section at Barnes and Noble.

The Big Reunion

This past weekend was the big 10 year high school reunion. I'm not sure what I had expected really, but it wasn't quite as I imagined. I had been to my husband's a few years ago, in his small hometown in Kansas where they had taken polls on things like who had traveled the furthest to be there (us) who had the oldest kids (an 11-year old at a 10 year reunion), who had the most tattoos (the only two single girls attending). They played music of the era and everyone kind of mingled evenly throughout the evening. Mine on the other hand was a little more casual, no fun polls and nostalgic tunes and as the evening progressed I couldn't help but notice that the old high school cliques had reformed as if we had just graduated yesterday. It was stunning really to see that nothing much had changed in that sense. I made a point of saying hello to a girl who I knew in school, but had always seemed to dislike me for some reason, and was pretty much given the brush off. I guess I expected a little more maturity. Maybe in another 10 years.

There were some plusses however, I reconnected with one of my best friends that I hadn't seen in, well, 10 years, as we had grown apart towards the end, and am hoping we will now stay in closer contact. There were a handful of people it was nice to catch up with but, all in all, it was a surreal experience just being in a room full of so many familiar faces yet feeling as if I had nothing to say to them beyond "and what do you do?"

Nano Update

Once again Nanowrimo has come to a close and once again I have failed to reach the 50,000 word count. Not even close. And no I didn't manage my lesser goal of 30,000 either, I didn't even manage to beat last years best count, barely squeaking out 7,000 words. Sigh. I was really hoping this year would be the year, mostly because this means I will now have to attempt it again next year. I do, however, like what I started so I have made a new goal of finishing a first draft by the end of the year. Fingers are crossed.