So, after much thought on the items on this list, some have been taken off, and some retooled, while others have been expanded, others contracted, and some left blank until I decide what else I want to accomplish. Mostly it's pretty much what my original list was, though--just with more white space (for now). I still have 449 Days to get as much done as I can...
New Color Key: In Progress and Completed
So, what is all this? Well, follow this link to the Day Zero site, and you can read more about it.
Creating your own 1001 Day Project
The Mission:Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.
The Criteria:Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).
Why 1001 Days? Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.
Lisa's Master 101 Things in 1001 Days List
1. Fly first class as a family
2. Graduate with MLIS degree (target date: May 2009)
3. Watch all the seasons of '24'
4. Build new house (Done 10/11/2008)
5.
6. Get mutual funds transferred (Done 4/1/08)
7. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages (through 2007)
8. Watch Season 2 of 'Digging for the Truth' (Done 7/19/2008)
9. Beat PSX2 game Galaga
10. Read 20 of 100 All Time Classics (Modern Library) that I haven't read already (4/20)
11. Read 5 Biographies
12. Watch 101 movies in theater or at home (27/101)
13.
14. Health 1
15. Health 2
16. Health 3
17. Health 4
18. Write wills
19. Take boxes of books to Half Price (Done 10/19/07)
20.
21. Have new family picture taken
22. Design library webpage & link to system and city
23. Visit 10 other libraries in my system I haven't been to yet
24. Read entire Inspector Rebus series (1/18)
25. Learn the Rosary prayers
26. Frame black & white pictures of the ocean and hang up
27. Donate hair to Locks of Love (Done 1/3/08)
28. Go to a Latin Mass
29. Watch a Cowboys/Vikings game in Dallas
30. Watch Cowboys/Vikings game in Minnesota
31.
32.
33.
34. Send Christmas Cards with family photograph
35.
36. Visit 5 art galleries in Minnesota (3/5)
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50. Upload all my CD's to my iTunes
51. Watch 10 documentaries(2/10)
52. Clothing 1
53.
54. Learn how to play Cribbage
55. Donate $1000 to Higher Ground (Done 12/8/07)
56. Listen to Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud
(Completely Done 3/20/08)
57. Choose 2 kids from church's Jesse Tree @ Christmas and buy them presents (Done 12/6/08)
58.
59. Replant plant on towel shelf (Done 6/6/08)
60.
61.
62.
63. Edit a Wikipedia article (Done 9/4/2008: did the Winsted, Minnesota article)
64.
65. Make a 20 item anti-procrastination list (done 7/15/08)
66. Do all 20 anti-procrastination list items within the month (done 8/15/2008)
67. Type out Goodwill donation tax slip (Done 3/4/08)
68. Update FLYControl Journal (waiting for life insurance information)
69. Get important documents in fire proof box
70.
71.
72.
73. Go see 5 Minnesota Tourist attractions
74. Get eyes checked (done 8/26/2008)
75. Get new glasses (or contacts)
76. Host big family Christmas
77.
78. Do Advent readings and wreath (Completed: 1/7/09; Advent lasts through Epiphany)
79.
80. Frame tree picture
81. Complete a crossword puzzle book
82.
83. Over Christmas Break 2007 see 5 first run movies in theater (5/5, done 1/7/08)
84. Read all the Josephine Tey books
85.
86. Plant trees in yard
87. Clean up computer document files (Done: 12/30/08)
88. Read "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" (done 8/19/2008)
89. Write 3 letters complimenting good service (2/3)
90. Write 3 letters pointing out bad service (2/3)
91.
92. Catalog 25 books on LibraryThing (done 7/14/08)
93.
94. Summer Break 2008- see 5 first run movies in theater (5/5)(Done 9/1/2008)
95. Walk to work 30 times (30/30: Done 9/12/2008)
96. Link library webpage to librarysites
97. Bike around the lake
98. Walk everyday for 30 minutes for 1 week.
99. Host a Summer Croquet tournament
100. Send my mother in law flowers just because (done 8/5/2008)
101. Finish writing this list--Again
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
LIS 722: Week 12
Week 12: War/Survival/Adventure
Books: How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff; Maus I: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman & Barefoot Gen: Volume I by Keiji Nakazawa
Well, these books were certainly not the kind of books that I really ever want to read, as the dystopian/survival subgenre isn't one of my favorites. That said...
How I Live Now was set in modern times (Daisy has a cell phone), but felt more like it could have been during World War II. Daisy is an American girl who goes to spend the summer with her British cousins, on their rural farm. While she's there, war breaks out, and life is not good. Although the war doesn't immediately affect life in the country, it does soon enough. Immediately prior to the start of fighting, Daisy's Aunt has left for Oslo (never to return), leaving Daisy and her 4 cousins basically to fend for themselves. This is a story about their survival, even after they've been split up, and the relationships between them all.
There were so many plot threads running through this book, at times it was confusing, and almost overkill. Daisy's relationship with her cousin, Edmund-yes, I get that it was smacking of taboo, but my reaction ended up being, "And so what?" What offended me more was the lack of quotation marks for the conversations, go figure. There was also the violence and fighting (I get it already...war=not good), but for crying out loud, there was a WAR going on, and like it or not, violence and mean things happen. Then there was the handy 'rescue' at the end, when Daisy answers the ringing phone, and it's her father. Um, the infrastructure has been decimated throughout the region, and I'm supposed to buy a phone randomly ringing? Well, it is fiction, I suppose, so carry on. I realize that I'm glossing over quite a bit with this particular book, and yes, I'm OK with that.
Maus I: A Survivor's Tale is a graphic novel that tells about one man's story of the Jewish people and what happened during World War II. Although I was prepared to not like it, I did (for the most part). The different layers of the story are what makes this book interesting for me, such as trying to figure out the different animals used to symbolize the different nationalities and the way the book's perspective kept shifting between the son interviewing his father and the father's re-telling of the story.
The first book can stand on its own, but I would have liked to see how the second half clarified the first half (which is why I bought the all-in-one version for my library). As a history major (undergrad), I really appreciate the difference between "just" a story/event that happened and has been reduced to words on a page and a story/event told by an eyewitness/participant. Mere facts do not always reveal the entire story; Maus I: A Survivor's Tale at least puts a face on some of the people who lost everything just because of their faith.
As for Barefoot Gen: Volume I, I never did find a copy before class. But from what I gathered, it recounts the story of a boy who was living in Hiroshima when the American troops dropped an Atomic Bomb on the city. There are other volumes to the story as well. Here's a link to the Wikipedia article: Barefoot Gen.
All in all, not a really uplifting selection of books this week. There are others that would work well for these topics that I would've liked to have read instead, such as The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau and Peak by Roland Smith.
Books: How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff; Maus I: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman & Barefoot Gen: Volume I by Keiji Nakazawa
Well, these books were certainly not the kind of books that I really ever want to read, as the dystopian/survival subgenre isn't one of my favorites. That said...
How I Live Now was set in modern times (Daisy has a cell phone), but felt more like it could have been during World War II. Daisy is an American girl who goes to spend the summer with her British cousins, on their rural farm. While she's there, war breaks out, and life is not good. Although the war doesn't immediately affect life in the country, it does soon enough. Immediately prior to the start of fighting, Daisy's Aunt has left for Oslo (never to return), leaving Daisy and her 4 cousins basically to fend for themselves. This is a story about their survival, even after they've been split up, and the relationships between them all.
There were so many plot threads running through this book, at times it was confusing, and almost overkill. Daisy's relationship with her cousin, Edmund-yes, I get that it was smacking of taboo, but my reaction ended up being, "And so what?" What offended me more was the lack of quotation marks for the conversations, go figure. There was also the violence and fighting (I get it already...war=not good), but for crying out loud, there was a WAR going on, and like it or not, violence and mean things happen. Then there was the handy 'rescue' at the end, when Daisy answers the ringing phone, and it's her father. Um, the infrastructure has been decimated throughout the region, and I'm supposed to buy a phone randomly ringing? Well, it is fiction, I suppose, so carry on. I realize that I'm glossing over quite a bit with this particular book, and yes, I'm OK with that.
Maus I: A Survivor's Tale is a graphic novel that tells about one man's story of the Jewish people and what happened during World War II. Although I was prepared to not like it, I did (for the most part). The different layers of the story are what makes this book interesting for me, such as trying to figure out the different animals used to symbolize the different nationalities and the way the book's perspective kept shifting between the son interviewing his father and the father's re-telling of the story.
The first book can stand on its own, but I would have liked to see how the second half clarified the first half (which is why I bought the all-in-one version for my library). As a history major (undergrad), I really appreciate the difference between "just" a story/event that happened and has been reduced to words on a page and a story/event told by an eyewitness/participant. Mere facts do not always reveal the entire story; Maus I: A Survivor's Tale at least puts a face on some of the people who lost everything just because of their faith.
As for Barefoot Gen: Volume I, I never did find a copy before class. But from what I gathered, it recounts the story of a boy who was living in Hiroshima when the American troops dropped an Atomic Bomb on the city. There are other volumes to the story as well. Here's a link to the Wikipedia article: Barefoot Gen.
All in all, not a really uplifting selection of books this week. There are others that would work well for these topics that I would've liked to have read instead, such as The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau and Peak by Roland Smith.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
LIS 722: Week 11
Week 11: Growing Up
Books: The First Part Last by Angela Johnson &
Born Confused by Tanjua Desai Hidier
The First Part Last is a surprisingly short, non-preachy book about teen pregnancy kinds of issues. It focuses on the teen father, rather than the mother, and how he is raising the child. It isn't because the mother can't, or doesn't want to raise the baby that the father is, but rather the fact that she can't because she's in a 'persistent vegetative state' brought on by eclampsia gone wrong.
When Bobby and his girlfriend, Nia, found out she was pregnant, they didn't know what to do. They told his parents, then told hers. In the end, they made the choice to give the baby up for adoption, and everything was all ready to go, until Nia developed complications and lapsed into a coma. Bobby then decided to keep the baby, in part because she was all he had left of Nia, and in part because he felt responsible for her (Feather).
I liked how it doesn't pull any punches-the father, Bobby, is tired, can't always think straight, and is pretty much completely responsible for his baby daughter, Feather. Bobby's mother doesn't help out much because she believes that Feather is 300% Bobby's responsibility; it also doesn't appear to be in her nature. Bobby's father is more likely to want to help, but he lives all the way across the city, and so isn't a immediate presence. Johnson's writing is sparse, but packs a wallop. The one thing that drove me batty about the book was the continuous going back and forth between the 'now' and 'then'. I don't mind it if a book starts off in the 'now', and then backs up to the 'then' to explain how the 'now' came about. But for the love of books, it doesn't need to happen forty-two thousand times (give or take a thousand).
Born Confused is a book I thought I wouldn't like. At ALL. It just didn't even LOOK appealing to me, and the length! Wow-500 pages, really? But, I was going to soldier through it because one of my friends was doing a presentation on it; that's just how I am.
So, with dragging feet, I started the book, and was surprised at how much it resonated with me. I really liked it. I could just see it all playing out, hear the sounds, see the brillant colors, and watch the absolute life-changing shift for Dimple.
I thought it was interesting that 'normal' American life was presented as rather colorless and soulless compared to Indian life, which was more underground. It wasn't an overt, "Hey, our culture is better than yours", but it was certainly a celebration of a different culture than what is often found.
Who hasn't either had or known a friend like Gwyn? I thought it ironic that Gwyn wanted to be Indian like Dimple, and sort of believed that it could happen just by wearing Dimple's clothes. I also wondered if Gwyn would've been so eager to want that if she wasn't a blonde white girl; in a couple of my undergrad classes, it was called 'white privilege'. Would she say the same had she not been white? Even if she did say something along the lines of "You don't think I have problems too?", all I could think is, "Honey, you have no idea."
One of the best insights I took away was "Sometimes you have to lose yourself in order to find yourself." I totally get that. There were so many things in this book that made me stop and think about the parallels in my own life. I so remember my parents being dumber than a box of rocks (with the lid off)...all the way until they weren't (they thought it was hilarious when I told them so). I've pretty much always been just like I am now, so I didn't have a big shift like Dimple. But, when I was a teenager in high school, trying to figure out where my place was, I remember sometimes wishing I could just go along to get along...but I'm just not wired that way, which has actually served me better in the long run. Who knows if I'd get as much out of the book if I were to read it again. So, I'm not going to. I've learned enough along the way to let the book be magic as it is.
Books: The First Part Last by Angela Johnson &
Born Confused by Tanjua Desai Hidier
The First Part Last is a surprisingly short, non-preachy book about teen pregnancy kinds of issues. It focuses on the teen father, rather than the mother, and how he is raising the child. It isn't because the mother can't, or doesn't want to raise the baby that the father is, but rather the fact that she can't because she's in a 'persistent vegetative state' brought on by eclampsia gone wrong.
When Bobby and his girlfriend, Nia, found out she was pregnant, they didn't know what to do. They told his parents, then told hers. In the end, they made the choice to give the baby up for adoption, and everything was all ready to go, until Nia developed complications and lapsed into a coma. Bobby then decided to keep the baby, in part because she was all he had left of Nia, and in part because he felt responsible for her (Feather).
I liked how it doesn't pull any punches-the father, Bobby, is tired, can't always think straight, and is pretty much completely responsible for his baby daughter, Feather. Bobby's mother doesn't help out much because she believes that Feather is 300% Bobby's responsibility; it also doesn't appear to be in her nature. Bobby's father is more likely to want to help, but he lives all the way across the city, and so isn't a immediate presence. Johnson's writing is sparse, but packs a wallop. The one thing that drove me batty about the book was the continuous going back and forth between the 'now' and 'then'. I don't mind it if a book starts off in the 'now', and then backs up to the 'then' to explain how the 'now' came about. But for the love of books, it doesn't need to happen forty-two thousand times (give or take a thousand).
Born Confused is a book I thought I wouldn't like. At ALL. It just didn't even LOOK appealing to me, and the length! Wow-500 pages, really? But, I was going to soldier through it because one of my friends was doing a presentation on it; that's just how I am.
So, with dragging feet, I started the book, and was surprised at how much it resonated with me. I really liked it. I could just see it all playing out, hear the sounds, see the brillant colors, and watch the absolute life-changing shift for Dimple.
I thought it was interesting that 'normal' American life was presented as rather colorless and soulless compared to Indian life, which was more underground. It wasn't an overt, "Hey, our culture is better than yours", but it was certainly a celebration of a different culture than what is often found.
Who hasn't either had or known a friend like Gwyn? I thought it ironic that Gwyn wanted to be Indian like Dimple, and sort of believed that it could happen just by wearing Dimple's clothes. I also wondered if Gwyn would've been so eager to want that if she wasn't a blonde white girl; in a couple of my undergrad classes, it was called 'white privilege'. Would she say the same had she not been white? Even if she did say something along the lines of "You don't think I have problems too?", all I could think is, "Honey, you have no idea."
One of the best insights I took away was "Sometimes you have to lose yourself in order to find yourself." I totally get that. There were so many things in this book that made me stop and think about the parallels in my own life. I so remember my parents being dumber than a box of rocks (with the lid off)...all the way until they weren't (they thought it was hilarious when I told them so). I've pretty much always been just like I am now, so I didn't have a big shift like Dimple. But, when I was a teenager in high school, trying to figure out where my place was, I remember sometimes wishing I could just go along to get along...but I'm just not wired that way, which has actually served me better in the long run. Who knows if I'd get as much out of the book if I were to read it again. So, I'm not going to. I've learned enough along the way to let the book be magic as it is.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
LIS 722: Week 10
Week 10: Fantasy/Science Fiction
Books: The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman & Feed by MT Anderson
There are some books that work really well in print. And then there are those who are absolutely meant to be listened to via audiobook. These are 2 of those books.
The Golden Compass is narrated by Philip Pullman himself, and performed by a full cast. I first listened to it during Fall Term 2007 for LIS 721 (the children's literature version of LIS 722). Although it was hard at first to keep everyone straight, character-wise, I really enjoyed listening.
There was a hue and cry when the movie came out, about how this book was about 'killing God'. Um, no. Organized religion, yes; God, not so much. But it wasn't even *this* book that addressed that idea so much. I do vividly remember one of our daughter's teachers ranting about all this (it was when she was going to the local Catholic school, so I can't say I was surprised), and how he urged the class to neither read the book nor watch the movie. Our daughter did both anyway. I ended up writing a letter to her teacher, which says what I think about the book quite well. Here's some excerpts:
Yes, Mr. Pullman is an atheist, and yes, he writes books. Yet, the actual content of The Golden Compass does not revolve around those facts; rather, one of the central storylines is the search for truth, and to what extent some people will go to any lengths to cover up that same truth. Although Mr. Pullman does, to some extent, delve into the concept of ‘original sin’, and what it means to religions worldwide, the story is more than that. It is about bravery in the face of danger; it is about friendship; in the end, it is about love. True, Mr. Pullman does lambaste the Church; yet, he does not specifically name which Church- - I truly don’t think he singles out the Catholic Church. Instead, I think he is taking issue with the dogmatism of every religion, which in and of itself, is a valid line of questioning that should be explored.
I think this is what put paid to his argument:
I understand that there will be controversy over both the movie and the book. But, I have to wonder about those who are denouncing either or both without actually watching the movie or reading the books. If indeed, the movie and book are so anti-religion, shouldn’t this be an opportunity for religions everywhere (not just the Catholic Church) to speak up and say, “Well, certainly that is what the movie/book says, but here are our beliefs” rather than raising such a hue and cry? The Church has withstood many challenges in the past 2000+ years, and not always through the “love your neighbor” philosophy (for example, the Inquisition comes to mind, as does the historically documented persecution and killing of the Gnostics); yet even now, when something that is contradictory to its tenets comes around, it still feels the need to yell, “Don’t go see/read/do (fill in the blank)!!!” If a mere movie or book is enough to turn someone away from the Church, or religion in general, then it could be argued that his or her faith was perhaps neither that strong nor grounded to begin with. It could also be said that perhaps the people speaking out against it do not have faith that what their teachers, leaders, parish, or Church is teaching is enough to sway the doubters.
Feed was good too, in a different way. Normally, I'm not much for Dystopian novels, but the narrator just nailed the tone of voice & inflections of a teenager.
It's the other book I'm presenting on this term, so instead of doing anything more here with it, here's the link to the wiki my partner & I set up for it:
Winter Term 2009 LIS 722 Feed Presentation .
Books: The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman & Feed by MT Anderson
There are some books that work really well in print. And then there are those who are absolutely meant to be listened to via audiobook. These are 2 of those books.
The Golden Compass is narrated by Philip Pullman himself, and performed by a full cast. I first listened to it during Fall Term 2007 for LIS 721 (the children's literature version of LIS 722). Although it was hard at first to keep everyone straight, character-wise, I really enjoyed listening.
There was a hue and cry when the movie came out, about how this book was about 'killing God'. Um, no. Organized religion, yes; God, not so much. But it wasn't even *this* book that addressed that idea so much. I do vividly remember one of our daughter's teachers ranting about all this (it was when she was going to the local Catholic school, so I can't say I was surprised), and how he urged the class to neither read the book nor watch the movie. Our daughter did both anyway. I ended up writing a letter to her teacher, which says what I think about the book quite well. Here's some excerpts:
Yes, Mr. Pullman is an atheist, and yes, he writes books. Yet, the actual content of The Golden Compass does not revolve around those facts; rather, one of the central storylines is the search for truth, and to what extent some people will go to any lengths to cover up that same truth. Although Mr. Pullman does, to some extent, delve into the concept of ‘original sin’, and what it means to religions worldwide, the story is more than that. It is about bravery in the face of danger; it is about friendship; in the end, it is about love. True, Mr. Pullman does lambaste the Church; yet, he does not specifically name which Church- - I truly don’t think he singles out the Catholic Church. Instead, I think he is taking issue with the dogmatism of every religion, which in and of itself, is a valid line of questioning that should be explored.
I think this is what put paid to his argument:
I understand that there will be controversy over both the movie and the book. But, I have to wonder about those who are denouncing either or both without actually watching the movie or reading the books. If indeed, the movie and book are so anti-religion, shouldn’t this be an opportunity for religions everywhere (not just the Catholic Church) to speak up and say, “Well, certainly that is what the movie/book says, but here are our beliefs” rather than raising such a hue and cry? The Church has withstood many challenges in the past 2000+ years, and not always through the “love your neighbor” philosophy (for example, the Inquisition comes to mind, as does the historically documented persecution and killing of the Gnostics); yet even now, when something that is contradictory to its tenets comes around, it still feels the need to yell, “Don’t go see/read/do (fill in the blank)!!!” If a mere movie or book is enough to turn someone away from the Church, or religion in general, then it could be argued that his or her faith was perhaps neither that strong nor grounded to begin with. It could also be said that perhaps the people speaking out against it do not have faith that what their teachers, leaders, parish, or Church is teaching is enough to sway the doubters.
Feed was good too, in a different way. Normally, I'm not much for Dystopian novels, but the narrator just nailed the tone of voice & inflections of a teenager.
It's the other book I'm presenting on this term, so instead of doing anything more here with it, here's the link to the wiki my partner & I set up for it:
Winter Term 2009 LIS 722 Feed Presentation .
LIS 722: Week 9
Week 9: Horror
Book: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
You know, Twilight wasn't so bad the second time. Really. I think I did all my eye-rolling the first time I read it over Christmas break, right before I saw the movie. Four times. As far as the storyline goes, yeah, it has holes that a double-decker bus could drive through, but hey-it could have been much worse. I still like the movie better, though.
Twilight= girl moves to Small Town, Washington, starts at a new school, eyes up a really good looking guy who just happens to be a Vampire (who's a vegetarian & sparkles, for goodness sake), then gets into trouble that said Vampire has to help her out of, falls in love with him & wants to become a vampire too, meets his family (also vegetarian sparkly Vampires) who play baseball, but who are confronted by bad vampires (presumably neither vegetarian nor sparkly, & who want to eat girl), escapes, but offers herself up as a sacrifice to the bad vampires so others may live, doesn't end up dead, but does have to go to prom in the end. Yep, that about covers it. I knew she'd live, but that's only because there are 3 other books in the series, and well, my momma didn't raise no dummy.
I know that there are plenty of people (not just women) who yell about how misogynistic Twilight is, but you know, I don't know if I agree 100%. I agree that Bella should've taken more opportunities to tell Edward to go jump in a lake when he got all Mr Bossy-Pants at her, sure. But as far as saying that it seems that Edward had to constantly be Bella's rescuer, well, maybe so, maybe not. I'm not sure she would've had a fighting chance against the guys in Port Angeles, and I'm definitely sure she wouldn't have had even a ghost of a chance against James (the bad Vampire guy). Seriously, there's something to be said for bringing more than a knife to a gun fight, yes? And as far as I'm concerned, since it was Edward who got her into the mess with James, it's only fair that he be the one to fix it.
I liked the movie better mainly because I didn't have to keep reading about Edward's beauty. Well, that, and part of it was filmed in Oregon, in the part where I used to live, and it was great being able to see what used to be home. I'm not sure why exactly this was classified under 'Horror', unless it was because of the Vampires and hints of Werewolves. When I think of 'Horror', I think of Stephen King's Christine or some of his other ones--the ones that when I read them, I didn't want to go to sleep at night.
Overall, one of the better books I've read this term, and one that I know is popular across a wide span of patrons. Do I think it's going to be a 'classic'? No. But it's good fun nonetheless.
Book: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
You know, Twilight wasn't so bad the second time. Really. I think I did all my eye-rolling the first time I read it over Christmas break, right before I saw the movie. Four times. As far as the storyline goes, yeah, it has holes that a double-decker bus could drive through, but hey-it could have been much worse. I still like the movie better, though.
Twilight= girl moves to Small Town, Washington, starts at a new school, eyes up a really good looking guy who just happens to be a Vampire (who's a vegetarian & sparkles, for goodness sake), then gets into trouble that said Vampire has to help her out of, falls in love with him & wants to become a vampire too, meets his family (also vegetarian sparkly Vampires) who play baseball, but who are confronted by bad vampires (presumably neither vegetarian nor sparkly, & who want to eat girl), escapes, but offers herself up as a sacrifice to the bad vampires so others may live, doesn't end up dead, but does have to go to prom in the end. Yep, that about covers it. I knew she'd live, but that's only because there are 3 other books in the series, and well, my momma didn't raise no dummy.
I know that there are plenty of people (not just women) who yell about how misogynistic Twilight is, but you know, I don't know if I agree 100%. I agree that Bella should've taken more opportunities to tell Edward to go jump in a lake when he got all Mr Bossy-Pants at her, sure. But as far as saying that it seems that Edward had to constantly be Bella's rescuer, well, maybe so, maybe not. I'm not sure she would've had a fighting chance against the guys in Port Angeles, and I'm definitely sure she wouldn't have had even a ghost of a chance against James (the bad Vampire guy). Seriously, there's something to be said for bringing more than a knife to a gun fight, yes? And as far as I'm concerned, since it was Edward who got her into the mess with James, it's only fair that he be the one to fix it.
I liked the movie better mainly because I didn't have to keep reading about Edward's beauty. Well, that, and part of it was filmed in Oregon, in the part where I used to live, and it was great being able to see what used to be home. I'm not sure why exactly this was classified under 'Horror', unless it was because of the Vampires and hints of Werewolves. When I think of 'Horror', I think of Stephen King's Christine or some of his other ones--the ones that when I read them, I didn't want to go to sleep at night.
Overall, one of the better books I've read this term, and one that I know is popular across a wide span of patrons. Do I think it's going to be a 'classic'? No. But it's good fun nonetheless.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
LIS 722: Week 8
Week 8: Intimacy: Relationships & Romance
Books: Annie On My Mind by Nancy Garden &
Romiette and Julio by Sharon M Draper
Annie On My Mind is probably one of the first mainstream GLBT books written for teens. Taken in that light, it's good for what it is, and for the time in which it was written. 25 years later, it's a bit dated, but could be a good starting point.
Liza is a teen in NY, just living life, when she meets Annie at a museum. The attraction between the two is instant, although more in a friend-kind of way. They sort out their feelings for each other, and start exploring a more physical relationship.
Of course the girls are caught in flagrante delicto (of course they are-it's just how these stories go) at Liza's teacher's house (the teacher was on vacation with her longterm woman partner, and Liza was taking care of their cat). Liza ends up expelled from school, the teachers end up fired, and Annie & Liza break up.
But all is well in the end, when Liza decides to call Annie from college to see if they can meet over winter break.
Although the story was probably very cutting edge when it was published in the 1980's, it seems rather circumspect now, 25 years later. If I hadn't known what the book was about, I would have wondered what in the world was going on, and tossed it aside. I'm not sure it would really speak to today's teens/YA, but like I said, it at least gives a starting point.
As for Romiette and Julio, well, it was OK, but nothing to write home about. Maybe it's because I already studied Romeo and Juliet, and have read enough stories that are basically R & J repackaged into a more modern format, but I thought that overall, this book was weak.
It follows the same outline, with even the names being similar. There's a part in the book where one of the parents even remarks upon the similarity of the names. Romiette is a young black girl, and Julio is a young hispanic boy. Of course they meet and fall in love immediately, and of course there are those who oppose their love. No surprise there. Thing is, the characters are almost caricatures--Juliio is very hispanic, almost stereotypically so. Romiette isn't as bad, thankfully, but they just didn't ring true for me.
At least in this version, although they come close, nobody dies in the end. So, it's got that going for it.
Books: Annie On My Mind by Nancy Garden &
Romiette and Julio by Sharon M Draper
Annie On My Mind is probably one of the first mainstream GLBT books written for teens. Taken in that light, it's good for what it is, and for the time in which it was written. 25 years later, it's a bit dated, but could be a good starting point.
Liza is a teen in NY, just living life, when she meets Annie at a museum. The attraction between the two is instant, although more in a friend-kind of way. They sort out their feelings for each other, and start exploring a more physical relationship.
Of course the girls are caught in flagrante delicto (of course they are-it's just how these stories go) at Liza's teacher's house (the teacher was on vacation with her longterm woman partner, and Liza was taking care of their cat). Liza ends up expelled from school, the teachers end up fired, and Annie & Liza break up.
But all is well in the end, when Liza decides to call Annie from college to see if they can meet over winter break.
Although the story was probably very cutting edge when it was published in the 1980's, it seems rather circumspect now, 25 years later. If I hadn't known what the book was about, I would have wondered what in the world was going on, and tossed it aside. I'm not sure it would really speak to today's teens/YA, but like I said, it at least gives a starting point.
As for Romiette and Julio, well, it was OK, but nothing to write home about. Maybe it's because I already studied Romeo and Juliet, and have read enough stories that are basically R & J repackaged into a more modern format, but I thought that overall, this book was weak.
It follows the same outline, with even the names being similar. There's a part in the book where one of the parents even remarks upon the similarity of the names. Romiette is a young black girl, and Julio is a young hispanic boy. Of course they meet and fall in love immediately, and of course there are those who oppose their love. No surprise there. Thing is, the characters are almost caricatures--Juliio is very hispanic, almost stereotypically so. Romiette isn't as bad, thankfully, but they just didn't ring true for me.
At least in this version, although they come close, nobody dies in the end. So, it's got that going for it.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
More Things on a Stick: Thing 27-Twitter
Blog about the experience and be sure to post your Twitter username there so others can see it and follow you. Did you like micro-blogging? Do you love it, hate it or are you ambivalent? Explain.
I've been using Twitter since Fall of 2008, when I signed up for my Library 2.0 class, taught by Michael Stephens of Dominican University. You can find me on Twitter: i_am_lisa.
When I started, I didn't really get it, I'll be the first to admit it. And, it was frustrating to *find* people to follow. But then, I got to see how it really connected me and my classmates, especially when we were working on projects. After I figured out the basics, I grew to love it. I follow & am followed by people all over the world-seriously, how cool is that? I have people that I will probably never see in 'real life' that I banter with.
What I love about Twitter is that there are so many different people to follow and learn from. I envision it as a HUGE cocktail party at which I can flow in and out of groups as I wish, and it's not a big deal.
How else could libraries use Twitter? How could you use Twitter?
There are different libraries, librarians, book stores, publishers, book bloggers, and many other people that librarians can follow on Twitter. It's like a mini-RSS feed, and very useful. Sure there are lots of tutorials on how to use Twitter, but I think the best thing to do is to find people to follow, see who's following them, and go from there.
I use my Twitter account as a combination of things: communication tool, RSS feed, micro-blog (for the stuff I don't permanently want on my blog), and as a window to the whole world. People know I hop on and off during the day, and it's actually almost easier to tweet me than e-mail me, if they want me to see something quickly. I don't have a phone application that I use with it, but that's mainly because my cell phone would get way overwhelmed.
Twitter isn't for everyone, but it is definitely something that I'm glad I gave a whirl.
I've been using Twitter since Fall of 2008, when I signed up for my Library 2.0 class, taught by Michael Stephens of Dominican University. You can find me on Twitter: i_am_lisa.
When I started, I didn't really get it, I'll be the first to admit it. And, it was frustrating to *find* people to follow. But then, I got to see how it really connected me and my classmates, especially when we were working on projects. After I figured out the basics, I grew to love it. I follow & am followed by people all over the world-seriously, how cool is that? I have people that I will probably never see in 'real life' that I banter with.
What I love about Twitter is that there are so many different people to follow and learn from. I envision it as a HUGE cocktail party at which I can flow in and out of groups as I wish, and it's not a big deal.
How else could libraries use Twitter? How could you use Twitter?
There are different libraries, librarians, book stores, publishers, book bloggers, and many other people that librarians can follow on Twitter. It's like a mini-RSS feed, and very useful. Sure there are lots of tutorials on how to use Twitter, but I think the best thing to do is to find people to follow, see who's following them, and go from there.
I use my Twitter account as a combination of things: communication tool, RSS feed, micro-blog (for the stuff I don't permanently want on my blog), and as a window to the whole world. People know I hop on and off during the day, and it's actually almost easier to tweet me than e-mail me, if they want me to see something quickly. I don't have a phone application that I use with it, but that's mainly because my cell phone would get way overwhelmed.
Twitter isn't for everyone, but it is definitely something that I'm glad I gave a whirl.
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