September 2007

Lately, my world has been about books. Reading books and writing books, screenplays, and short stories - oh my! Of course, I read the last Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Ghostly Hallows. Excellent and just the right amount of successes and failures for the heroes. I thought J. K. Rowling went a little soft at the end and didn't sacrifice enough of her main characters in relation to how dire the situation. However, I do understand. It's not easy to kill off main characters you've suffered and triumphed with and grown to love along the way.

 

Dino Hijinx

Minnesota State Fair Cookie Break

In the movie What the Bleep Do We Know?!, scientists say that the brain does not differentiate between something that happens in the real world and something that happens in your head. Whether you have an experience - be it a loved one, an accident, or your favorite place for example - or you relive the experience it in your mind, the same areas of the brain are active.

My point is these characters that we read about - or create if we are indeed storytellers - are very real to us. It is no easy thing to sacrifice them or watch some author execute them for the good of the story. But sacrifice we must if the story is going to hold any power to it. The dangers must be real if we want to truly savor the triumphs that come at the climax.

I also heard the complaint that Rowling glossed over a few of the pertinent deaths at the end. Some happened very quickly, and others we did not see happen at all - only the remains of the dead. I believe that this might be because she is British. The scars of suffering at the heart of World War II still affect them and many Europeans. For them, death came quickly and matter-of-factly. Though not easy, it is a necessary evil in times of war to have to turn from fallen comrades and put your backs into the row. There was no time to mourn before they had to turn and fight on for the sakes of family, friends, and countrymen still among the living. This is something our own servicemen, and their families, are experiencing now. Death comes too quickly, and the mourning must wait until the soldier's job is finished.

 

Minutes before the final Harry Potter novel went on sale at Barnes & Noble bookstore in Rochester, MN

J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Bloomsbury (UK) edition

Laurell K. Hamilton

All that being said, I believe J. K. Rowling did a fine job with her storytelling. I look forward to her newest adventure, wherever it may take us.
I have also been reading Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series. That's right, I went from Harry Potter's wizards and magic to Anita Blake's vampires, werewolves, and zombies. But there are also crime scenes, guns, sex, and relationship problems. I'm very intrigued by the series - go figure.

One of the things I like the most is that the main character has gone through sooo many changes throughout the series. She has transformed from being more humane than the humans to more monster than the monsters - and she never changes out of human form.

Of course, there's the sex. A whole lotta sex. I mean, it all fits and makes sense, but after a while it's like watching porn. Okay, Laurell, your characters are fucking... and it's magic - the sex and the foreplay even create magic - I get it! And, I like the sex; it's very well written. But, four chapters in a row? Come (no pun intended) on!

It wasn't always like this. There was more of a story at the beginning of the series. And this is not to say that she's shortened the stories.  Her books are much thicker. I just think that four chapters of non-stop humping may be getting in the way of her great storytelling ability.

Am I still reading the series? Voraciously.  It's great mind candy. So sue me.

 

Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter - Guilty Pleasures Vol. 1

Hamilton's Mains: Anita, Jean-Claude, Edward

Anita Blake Guilty Pleasures Comic from Dabel Brothers

If you want to check out the series, the first book is Guilty Pleasures. It's kind of like that to read it, too - a guilty pleasure. Plow through. The series gets better after the first book. And, don't start in the middle. All the changes that take place in the previous books lead into problems that are happening in any of the current ones.

Okay, 'nuff said (to quote Stan Lee) about that.
I also like to listen to audio books. In fact, I belong to audible.com, a website where I can download two books a month into my iPod. This gives me the opportunity to listen to whatever, whenever I'm out and about or traveling long distances. Yes, there is a monthly fee, but I feel that it is well worth it.

I also read and listen to self-help and how-to books. This gives me a lot of information that I would not otherwise have. More importantly, these books and lectures continually inspire me to keep on with my attempts at new projects, goals, and endeavors. I have found this to be extremely helpful, especially when my first attempts are lacking in the success department. I'll rant about self-help books the next time I feel inspired to speak on this subject.  Not now, later. Now, it's time for me to say goodbye.

 

Tortugas at the Spam Museum

Lindsey Jane Self Portrait: as BlueBeard, with Raphael

With Sarina - from the photo shoot for our New Book

You might have noticed that I chose not to rave about the stuff I've done this past month. I wanted to mix things up a bit from my normal I did this and I did that. Besides, it's a blog. So, I'm blogging. Hope you enjoyed it. Some of the pictures I've included are on the subject matter I've covered and some are just from stuff I've been up to this month. Enjoy those, too.

Until the next time, my Tortugaholics. Ciao for now!