Twilight Time: If I See the Movie Will I Want to Read the Book?

Heavenly shades of night are falling
It's twilight time
Out of the mist your voice is calling
It's twilight time
When purple colored curtains
Mark the end of the day
I hear you my dear at twilight time

Deepening shadows gather splendor
As day is done
Fingers of night will soon surrender
The setting sun
I count the moments darling
Till you're here with me
Together at last at twilight time

Here in the after-glow of day
We keep our rendez-vous beneath the blue
Here in the sweet and same old way
I fall in love again as I did then

Deep in the dark your kiss will thrill me
Like days of old
Lighting the spark of love that fills me
With dreams untold
Each day I pray for evening just
To be with you
Together at last at twilight time

Together at last at twilight time

I've read tons of books that were turned into films with varying results. I can't think of a film that I liked better than the book it was based on, but there are cases such as the Harry Potter books and films and the Wizard of Oz where the two formats are different but I appreciate them as if they were separate works.

I'm going to see the movie Twilight tonight, based on Stephanie Meyer's book. I haven't read the books and am not sure I want to. Quite a few people here have read the books and seen the movie and although they loved the books till the last one "Breaking Dawn" I don't recall them coming back and saying the movie was must see, or that they were discussing it at all. Bad sign! The real kiss of death is that the heroine "Bella" is seen as a whiny sort, even by fans. Whiny=Bad. I have to like the main character, I have to want to know their story.

I've read what I think are the two best vampire novels of all time "Dracula" by Bram Stoker and "Interview with the Vampire" by Anne Rice (but none of the sequels).

I confess cinematically Buffy the Vampire Slayer has, I fear, ruined me for any other on-screen vampires. Buffy and her storylines and her vampire pals, especially Spike! can't be surpassed.

This all got me thinking, what would I expect from a movie based on a book I hadn't read that would make me want to read the book? I'd like the characters and their story and their world so much I would want to read the book because the book is always better, more detailed, richer.

Why do I see movies based on books I like knowing the movie will be inferior? I think it is the same. I love the world and the character and I want more. I want to see them brought to life. There is a danger that huge parts of the story will be gone or altered. The characters might look or sound nothing like my imagination. Sometimes, even if that is the way it comes out, there is some new thing shown or offered by this different format, that illuminates the story I love. It's worth the gamble.




DRUMROLL PLEASE!

I liked the movie! I was prepared to not like it but as it turns out Bella isn't a whiner at all. Very appealing heroine.

Edward ...odd looking dude, let's face it. That super pale skin, those scary dog eyebrows...eek. Very nice fellow for a vampire though. Comes from a nice vampire family and everything. What's not to like?

The music was just jangling though, I couldn't stop noticing how loud and discordant it was. The vocal pieces were all good but the instrumentals..ack..make it go away!

My son, who read the book and liked it alot said that Edward had alot of humor, and in fact the author's humor reminded him of...me...the humor he said, was "juvenile". I should be insulted but I know he means it as a compliment, pretty much.

Since our library still has over a hundred people waiting for Twilight, I'll wait till Son of D.O.A. brings his copy home at Christmas. I'm definitely interested in knowing more about the characters and the world they inhabit.

Dear Reader, you left (fill in the blank) in your Library Book

When I weed I look at the condition of dupicates and keep the ones in the best condition. I discard books with food, water and indeterminate stains.

When I page through, I find all sorts of things I know the reader didn't mean to leave behind that they were using to mark their spot in the book:

Photographs
Grocery lists
Bills
Letters (never anything too juicy)
Actual Bookmarks of all kinds, including handmade ones
Scraps of paper
Facial Tissues
Toilet paper (my least favorite thing)
Ribbon
Date due receipts

Check and double check before you bring em back!

Dana Stabenow's 15 novels in Four Minutes

With great flair and sound effects, in about 3 minutes and 55 seconds author Dana Stabenow describes the essence of the plots for her Kate Shugak novels, set in Alaska. If you've been looking for a new mystery author and like Nevada Barr and Sue Henry for their outdoor settings and tough, independent female protagonists you might want to try Dana Stabenow, especially after seeing this clip.

Visit Dana Stabenow's website for more on this series. Begin reading the series with A Cold Day for Murder. Her sixteenth novel in the series A Whisper in the Blood will be published in February 2009.

I found this video on Laurie King's blog.

piZap! Yourself, and a Bookish Meme

Via the Generator Blog, that temple of coolness, we have piZap (www.pizap.com) photo editing software that lets you add fun conversation balloons and more to an image.

Even better, you can buy that image on t-shirts, stickers, mugs etc. right on the site! A very merry gift for Christmas for that special someone, eh? You can see thumbnail images of what your picture would look like on their items. Very reasonably priced, endless possibilities.

For libraries, think how difficult it often is to get customized prizes or promotional items. Here you have alot more options!

Next up, via the ever exciting Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine we have a "meme":

A meme (pronounced /miːm/)[1] consists of any idea or behavior that can pass from one person to another by learning or imitation. Examples include thoughts, ideas, theories, gestures, practices, fashions, habits, songs, and dances. Memes propagate themselves and can move through the cultural sociosphere in a manner similar to the contagious behavior of a virus.

Do this and be amazed! Well not really!

"Open the closest book to you—not your favorite or most intellectual book, but the book closest to you at the moment—to page 56. Write out the fifth sentence as well as the next two to five sentences"

I sometimes scan fast and don't pick up the fine details so I messed up my meme in the comments on the PCM. In fact, I'm such a bonehead, I didn't think anything on page 56 looked interesting enough to quote, so dirty rotten cheater that I am, I looked through my whole to-read pile for a book that had something scintillating on page 56. Missing the whole "write out the fifth sentence...etc" part. This is why my mom often said to me "when in doubt, read the instructions".



Anywho, here is the correctly done meme-ish quote from The King of Ragtime by Larry Karp:

"When's the last time he came in to check on something?"
"Earlier in the afternoon."
"What time did he leave?"
Tabor paused, then shrugged. "I'm not sure. I didn't see him go out."

So there is the real plucked-from-page-56 meme. The plot doth thicken, indeed!
Meme away! Don't try to cheat like I did.

D.O.A. goes Conventional for a day, at MLA

I'm attending my first ever Minnesota Library Association Convention today. I try to behave myself, but I feel pretty much the same about being crammed into a building full of librarians as you do. Holy Sheet, Batman.

I couldn't pass the opportunity by to see Tim Spalding from Library Thing speaking, and there is a session on 23 Things on a Stick, which made me the blogger I am today, plus a scintillating 23 Things Graduation! Aghhhh! Who could miss all that?

My cohort the Floating Lush might live blog but Internet Access costs $9.99 for the day. Yikes. (Turns out you can connect to "convention" during the day but that acess isn't available in the evening.)

I plan to bring a book (Just after Sunset by Stephen King), my Zune, and Gameboy with Hotel Dusk Room 215, The World Ends With You, and Civilization Revolution just in case there is maddening downtime.

Wish me luck!

So far so good. People at the convention Pre-Conference seem to be in good spirits. Might be just fine after all. Hotel staff are super nice and helpful. It all looks different than it has when I've been down there for science fiction conventions. Waaaay different.

The Keynote Speaker Tim Spalding of Library Thing was informative and entertaining. He showed off quite a few search features of Library Thing I wasn't aware of. I think that the Library Thing for Libraries features would add a great deal to helping people find the right book. The ability to find "similar titles" to the book you're searching would be just great for reader's advisory. Even the descriptive "clouds" can really help tell what a book is about just a bit beyond what subject headings can do. The Lush and I got to shake his hand afterward and tell him how much we liked Library Thing. Big fannish moment.

The 23 Things on a Stick session was very interesting. Four bloggers who had been making use of either individual Things or several things in their library blogs or sites talked about their experiences. I was surprised at how many people hadn't known about instant messaging systems such as Meebo. I was thinking the room was full of 23 Things Stickers, and they would have been exposed to IM during the program. Apparently, many people were new to the whole 23 Things concept. Good news for anyone wanting to work through the first set of Things--they will be leaving the site and its directions up and you can work through at your own pace.

Even better, the all new 23 Things named More 23 Things will be available January 20, 2009. More Things on a Stick will use a wiki, hosted at the charming PB Wiki site. It will be interesting to see how they use such a collaborative resource to run the next program. Registration opens January 2nd. Sticks ahoy!

I attended a session of AskMN.org a consortium of libraries that are doing statewide IM reference 24 hours per day. Actually, the after hours reference service is provided by QuestionPoint, which is part of OCLC. Two academic librarians and a public librarian discussed what types of questions they have been getting, and what they feel is successful about the program. A gentleman from Minitex stood up at the end and invited more libraries to join the consortium. Its sounds like good program that has the potential to broaden IM Reference services.

Finally the 23 Things "Graduation" which turned out to be a party near the pool complete with snacks and ice cream on a stick.

Roald Dahl Funny Prize Winners

The First Annual Roald Dahl Funny Prize Winners were announced on November 13, 2008.

The funniest book for children six and under is The Witches Children Go to School by Ursula Jones, illustrated by Russell Ayto. This is the third book in the series about a witch mom and her children who have a bit of trouble fitting in out in the world.



The funniest book for children seven to fourteen is Mr. Gum and the Dancing Bear by Andy Stanton. illustrated by David Tazzyman. In this fifth book in the series, Polly rescues a bear from a career as a dancer, thwarting the disgusting Mr. Gum.

What 80s Song Are You? And Aren't you Ashamed to Ask?

I love music from the 80s. I can't help it. But I hate the song they assigned me, and in fact all the songs on their list. Bleh. Correction- I love "Money for Nothing"

What 80's song are you? Your Result: Video Killed The Radio Star   You see times go by and think about the changes that have occured. You have experience in this world and you are a musical person. You are also good with technology as time goes by.
I Want you to Want me
Don't Stop Believing
Money for Nothing
Walk Like an Egyptian
With or Without You
I Ran (So far Away)
A-ha- Take on Me
What 80's song are you? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

What Kind of Reader Are You?

Cheesy Quizmania running wild! Here's another, you Bookworm, you!

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader   You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Literate Good Citizen
Book Snob
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Where Dewey Really Fit In?

Thanks to Bill Crider and his Pop Culture magazine site for this Dewey Decimal Quiz that analyzes you into your ideal Dewey Number.

Librarian D.O.A.'s Dewey Decimal Section:

475 Classical Latin grammar

Librarian D.O.A. = 292818914451 = 292+818+914+451 = 2475


Class:
400 Language


Contains:
Linguistics and language books.



What it says about you:
You value communication, even with people who are different from you. You like trying new things don't mind being exposed to unfamiliar territory. You get bored with routines that never change.

Find your Dewey Decimal Section at Spacefem.com

You are actually given 3 results and can pick. Even though I could pick the gardening number (635), the description for the 475 Latin Grammar fits me better. Even though I speak nary a word of Latin.

D.O.A. as 635:

Librarian D.O.A.'s Dewey Decimal Section:

635 Garden crops (Horticulture)


Class:
600 Technology


Contains:
Health, agriculture, management, public relations, buildings.



What it says about you:
You are creative and inspired to make the world a better place. You can work hard on something when it catches your interest. Your friends have unique interests in common with you.

Find your Dewey Decimal Section at Spacefem.com

D.O.A. as 878 Latin Misc Writings:

Librarian D.O.A.'s Dewey Decimal Section:

878 Latin miscellaneous writings

Librarian D.O.A.'s birthday: 1/31/1900 = 131+1900 = 2878


Class:
800 Literature


Contains:
Literature, criticism, analysis of classic writing and mythology.



What it says about you:
You're a global, worldly person who wants to make a big impact with your actions. You have a lot to tell people and you're good at making unique observations about everyday experiences. You can notice and remember details that other people think aren't important.

Find your Dewey Decimal Section at Spacefem.com

D.O.A. Recommends Red Knife by William Kent Krueger

The powerful eighth book in William Kent Krueger’s Cork O’Connor mystery series opens with a young Anishinaabeg warrior preparing for his first war party. This traditional scene and the fear and ultimate triumph the boy feels over his foe leads the story into modern day tensions where rules and transitions to manhood are not so clear cut.

A group of young men who call themselves the “Red Boyz” defiantly take the name of Ojibwe war chiefs when they join the gang. Led by Alexander Kingbird “Kakaik”, they stand together against increasing hatred in the small town where they live, that hatred fueled by the death of a daughter of a wealthy businessman.

Cork O’Connor, former sheriff, now a PI, often walks a fine line between his Ojibwe heritage and his white heritage. In Red Knife, he is challenged to choose sides. For his family’s sake he tries to stay out of the oncoming battle but he cannot escape it, he is forced to fight.

I find his character to be so interesting for his deep spirituality. He mixes Catholicism and Ojibwe mysticism as if they went together naturally. I love the way he cares deeply for his family, especially his children. I have found his wife Jo a little hard to take in the past, but here she finally seems to soften.

William Kent Krueger spotlights so many other relationships in the book as well, husband/wife, parent/child, friendships, communities such as the Red Boyz and the tribal elders and how they interact. There is so much raw emotion everywhere in the book, and yet everyone on the surface tries to portray utter calm. That keeps the reader on edge, just waiting for dozens of things to boil over, and boil over they surely do.

Without spoiling the ending, I will say it could appear that this might be the end of the series. I’m sure there are many more Cork O’ Connor stories to tell, especially since he has made the choice to stand with one side of what can only be an ongoing conflict.

Discussion Questions for Red Knife (added 3/26/2013)

Discussion Questions for Red Knife by William Kent Krueger

 

1.      How does the prologue describing the attack on an unsuspecting enemy tribe tie in with the rest of the book?

 

2.      Could there have been a peaceful resolution to the conflict between the Red Boyz and Buck Reinhardt or was violence inevitable?

 

 

3.      What makes Cork decide to join in on the attack on the Latin Lords?

 

4.      Although that attack appeared to be successful, will the drug lords really stay away?

 

 

5.      Why does Cork leave his guns with Henry Meloux?

 

6.      What is Henry Meloux’s role in this novel?  If you have read other books in the series, is his role the same or does it change over time?

 

 

7.      Why do the Anishinaabe trust Cork?  Do the Caucasian characters trust him?  Why or why not?

 

8.      How does Cork balance his deep Catholicism with his Anishinaabe beliefs?

 

 

9.      William Kent Krueger adeptly focuses on relationships such as husband/wife, parent/child, friendships, and communities such as the Red Boyz and the tribal elders.  Discuss some of these relationships and how they affect the fates of the characters in Red Knife.

 

10.  Does the school shooting at the end of the novel tie in with or reflect the situation in the prologue or other incidents in the novel?   How?  Was this event foreshadowed in any way?

 

 

11.  William Kent Krueger has said that Red Knife was inspired by the violence of the Red Lake Minnesota school shootings:

“Red Knife is a book about violence, which is something I've been thinking a good deal about over the past several years. In March of 2005 on the Red Lake Reservation in northwestern Minnesota, the worst school shooting in this nation's history up to that point in time occurred. But it wasn't the first fatal school shooting in Minnesota. Two years before that in a small town west of the Twin Cities a high school student shot one of his classmates to death. These tragedies disturbed me greatly. And I began to reflect on violence in our culture and in other cultures and have become convinced that, despite all our lip service about being a peace-loving nation and people, we have perpetuated a belief system that encourages violence as the most legitimate response to threat. Red Knife was the result of all that rather grim rumination.”

12.    How does the violence that permeates the story of Red Knife reflect the violence of the Red Lake shootings?


Author background and bibliography added 3/26/13

Author Background William Kent Krueger: Red Knife

William Kent Krueger was born November 16, 1950 in Torrington, Wyoming.  His family moved around frequently in his youth.  He went to Stanford University and participated in protests which got him kicked out of school.  He worked as a logger and in the construction industry.  During these years he wrote articles for magazines and newspapers.

He met and married his college sweetheart Diane and moved to St Paul, MN in 1980.  Kent began writing short stories and found that he wrote most effectively in a notebook at the St Clair Boiler.  It was there that he also wrote his first novel “Iron Lake.” 

Part Irish, part Anishinaabe/Ojibwe, Cork O'Connor is a Chicago policeman who returns to his hometown of Aurora with his lawyer wife, Jo, and their three children to take a job as sheriff.—Iron Lake

William Kent Krueger travels with fellow authors Ellen Hart and Carl Brookins as the Minnesota Crime Wave.  Together they have produced two anthologies of short stories by Minnesota authors: Silence of the Loons and Resort to Murder.  The Crime Wave also hosts a mystery program on CTV-15 called Minnesota Crime Wave Presents.  They interview local authors, discuss mystery writing and mystery novels.  Visit the Minnesota Crime Wave at http://www.minnesotacrimewave.org/index.html

The Cork O’ Connor Novels

Iron Lake                1998

Boundary Waters    1999

Purgatory Ridge     2001

Blood Hollow       2004

Mercy Falls           2005

Copper River         2006

Thunder Bay          2007

Red Knife             2008

Heaven’s Keep     2009

Vermillion Drift      2010

Northwest Angle     2011

Trickster’s Point    2012

Standalone novels:

The Devil’s Bed 2003

Ordinary Grace   2013

William Kent Krueger’s Web site:     http://www.williamkentkrueger.com/index.html

 

Star Wars Serenade

In Ghostbusters they say "Don't cross the streams!" (a useful phrase if there ever was one), and this would usually go on my game blog but this guy has a voice like an angel and I thought anyone at all could enjoy it. Its amazing how much of the Star Wars saga he covers using the melodies from other films. I have loved Star Wars almost more than The Wizard of Oz since I first sat in a theater and was wowed by it. Me and millions of others...

I snarfed this from Jeff Green's Greenspeak blog.

I tracked down the performer Corey Vidal
He does dance videos too and has a humorous and informative Q and A with himself.

The plot is thicker yet! Apparently it is not his angelic voice but was recorded and written by the folks at Moosebutter

They link to Corey's performance on YouTube. You can also find the words on the Moosebutter site so you can sing along. "... You must use the Force..."

Beagles for Dummies, or, How I Could Write That One Myself

My co-worker the Floating Lush gets all the new non-fiction as it comes in and she thought I might like the fresh copy of "Beagles for Dummies".

Since I have seen two wondrous beagles from youth through old age and beyond, and I have a third little beagle bud, I think I am ok on the basics. Here is what I know:

They are the cutest, sweetest, most loving dogs you can know.

They live by their nose.

They want to be by you all the time if they can...unless their nose leads them away.

A WatchBeagle is a fine thing to have around.

Treats are welcome anytime.

They have a deep Beagle wisdom they only share with those they love and worship. If you're lucky, thats you.

They are exhuberant creatures who always want to go for a walk with you, no matter how long or short, they are ready to go!

They are indeed stubborn, but treat them with respect and they will happily comply.

324 Ele

I thought I wouldn't talk about politics here but hey! Just showing off another image generator that lets you create an old fashioned library catalog card. People really miss those cards. They didn't have to use a computer to look things up, and even better, they could just pull the card out of the drawer and take it right to the shelf! No messy having to write down a call number. Just toss the card when you're done!

Remember that phrase "May you live in interesting times?" Well, we do, and it is as exciting as anything. Uncertain yes, but just like a good book you can't wait to see what happens next. Aren't we so lucky, its an interactive book. We get to help determine how the story plays out. It doesn't get better than that. See you at the polls.

Edit: For all of you Land of 10,000 Lakes, Ponds and Puddles voters you can find your polling place by using Pollfinder from the Minnesota Secretary of State site. Just use the dropdowns to zoom in on the poll location. You can even get a map!

Randomly Generated Post

I can't leave my Halloween post up on top (too much like Santa decorations sticking out of a snow bank in February) and I think there are enough political commentaries out there to last till the next millenium.

When I don't have any inspiration but am twitchy to create some updated tidbit, I go to the glorious Generator Blog. It's full of all sorts of image generators that you can put to creative use.

Customize what it says on the image of a videotape, and use this to promote your film collection:




Burning Question of the Day answered: Which Moleman are you? From a site delightfully called Rum & Monkey, author John Hodgman lets you in on your inner mole.

My secret Mole-Identity is #221: Miss Sarah Sleepinghole, A Librarian..
Take Which Mole-Man Are You? today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Name Generator Generator.

I hate true crime stuff and mafioso stuff (my mom watched all sorts of grim stuff when I was young and I hated the music, mostly, and the hardnosed characters...bleh.) Still if I go bad and join the boys in dark suits, the Mafia Name Generator dubs me:

Sammy Pesto. Pass the parmesan, please.




The Trophy Please! Go ahead and give yourself that award you secretly know you deserve.


Trophy Generator

Turn a favorite photo into a Rubik's Cube:



And, a final note to all you super serious types out there: