Issues with Vampire Diaries

I am dense.

After my post on the news that L. J. Smith’s Vampire Diaries is coming to television, I got a lot of comments on the casting.  One of the issues brought up is why the main character Elena was not cast as a blonde for the TV show.  I was puzzled because I thought blondes were the it girls in Hollywood too.

But then I realized this:

Elena, Vampire Diaries

Bella, Twilight

Mystery solved.

Another thing that irritates me is much of the material on Vampire Diaries outright saying that it is another version of Twilight. (TVsquad, beyond hollywood).   The producers are on riding Twilight’s cape but I am still irritated.

L. J. Smith published the books in 1991.  It seems that Meyer only had the dream in 2003 and the first book was published in 2005.  Moreover, most pretty-pretty vampire stories are just watered-down versions of Anne Rice’s vampire tales.  Twilight is more of a blanched vegetable version.

I remember a young person writing on a forum that she’d read Meyer’s series and asking, in sum, if there were any other stories with a  vampire mythos.

Part of me thinks this is (very) funny but it’s a little sad too.  She’s missing out a lot. Fans could go a long time and not run out of vamp books to read.

I may break down and find a time line of pretty-pretty vampires in books.

Romance Novel Covers, I See Now

I was reading The Dames, Dolls and Delinquents: A Collector’s Guide to Sexy Pulp Fiction Paperbacks by Gary Lovisi. Well, I couldn’t manage the whole thing. But I read the introduction and the chapter on “romance” and learned a few things.

I didn’t jot down the names but this is what I understood:

In the 1940s and 1950s, the art department for publishers of inexpensive fiction sent detailed instructions to artists who drew sleazy covers. The books were aimed at heterosexual men and were pretty smutty if the titles and blurbs were to be believed.

Many of them featured a disrobing or disrobed girl, sometimes at the mercy of a fully clothed man.  One cover amused me with its cover: a topless girl whose chest is delicately hidden by a tree branch.

Here’s where it gets interesting.  According to Lovisi’s research, many of the these same artists started working on the clinch covers for romance novels.  To my mind, it’s no wonder a lot of romance novels in the 1970s and later had partially undressed women and men in sleazy poses.  There’s no point in an old dog learning a new trick.

This may be old hat to romance fans but I feel that I’ve discovered why some romance novels used to have those appalling covers.

On the positive side, I did like many of these romance covers.  Link.  “Silent in the Sanctuary” and “Firefly Lane” were my favorites.

Books I’ve Read in June 2009

Very little nonfiction taken in this month. I was surprised by how touched I was by Bourdain’s food book. Makes me want to look up his other books.  I’ve read several of Cameron’s artist way books but I like this one the best. The exercises are streamlined and the essays are enjoyable.

1. The Apron Book: Making, Wearing and Sharing a bit of Cloth and Comfort by EllynAnne Geisel (2006)
2. No Reservations: Around the World on an Empty Stomach by Anthony Bourdain (2007)
3. The Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell (2008)
4. The World’s Best Indoor Games by Brandeth Gyles (1982)
5. Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year ed. by Charles Brooks (2008)
6. Right to Write: An Invitation and Initiation into the Writing Life by Julia Cameron (1998)

Here is my picture book and juvenile book list. This month I’ve been trying to read Newbery Award winners.  I was disappointed by Tale of Despereaux – far too precious for my taste.  Midwife’s Apprentice was much better than Cushman’s other book, Catherine, Called Birdy. Midwife’s Apprentice was highly enjoyable.  I liked Walk Two Moons and A Year Down Yonder too.  The Higher Power of Lucky is the type of book I avoided at all costs as child and teen.  Pointless story and vapid characters.  The Gammage Cup was a satire a genre which I don’t usually enjoy.  This one was fun.

7. The Gammage Cup by Carol Kendall (1959)
8. Three Little Pigs by James Marshall (1989)
9. Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid #1 by Megan MacDonald (2005)
10. Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo (2006)
11. The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman (1996)
12. The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron (2008)
13. A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck (2002)
14. A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park (2003)
15. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech (1996)
16. The Sleeping Beauty by Trina Schart Hyman (1977)
17. Happily-Ever-After Book by Jack Kent (1976)

Mostly read fun stuff for my YA and adult books.  Their Eyes Were Watching God surprised me by how much it delighted me.  I’d read experts and critiques which made it seem like a dry and miserable reading.  It’s actually fresh and charming.  The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian reminds me of talking to some people with horrific childhoods.  They make you laugh and then later the sheer tragedy of their story startles you into tears.  Good book.  I’m glad there is a sequel.

18. The Marquis Takes a Bride by Marion Chesney (1987)
19. Sweet Masquerade by Marion Chesney (1984)
20. First Comes Marriage by Mary Balogh (2009)
21. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (1937)
22. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (2007)
23. The Maze in the Heart of the Castle by Dorothy Gilman (1999)

Interview with Sherman Alexie about Amazon’s Kindle.

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz

Cover of Odd Thomas

My sister urged me to read Dean Koontz’s Odd Thomas. I have read Watchers and other books by Koontz and had seen Odd on bookshelves but I had not read it. I couldn’t place. Friends and reviews used terms like “quirky” “charming” “sweet” but told me it’s about a thriller about a possible shooting. The blurb on the back didn’t help, “Odd sees dead people but then he does something about it.” Humph.

But I started reading it and now I understand why I couldn’t place it. Odd Thomas himself is innocent in that he has a good heart and an uncompromising sense of right and wrong, though he attributes his conscience to his girl friend Stormy. Odd does his best to think well of people and he risks himself repeatedly to find justice for the murdered dead. So, the quirky, charming, feel-good part is true.

The thriller part is true too. Odd can see ghosts and help them leave, usually by exposing their murderer. He can’t talk to them though. This time, he must hope his psychic abilities come through because he finds himself hunting down a very live mass murderer.

I liked Odd’s girlfriend and his boss – the manager of a diner. He spends as much time discussing his job as a fry cook at the diner as he does on the supernatural events that surrounds him.

It’s worth reading, though a bit rough in places.

7 Kid’s Books that should be Movies

These are all gentle stories of the every day life of families.  They are old-fashioned and charming.

Baby Island by Carol Ryrie Brink

What: 2 girls are shipwrecked on a island with 4 babies.  Robinson Crusoe for the tween set.

What’s in it for me:  An updated version on a pretty island with lots of cute toddlers would be so much fun.

BookAngles

Wikipedia

The Moffats by Eleanor Estes

What: Set during World War I, children of single mom get into scrapes.

What’s in it for me:  I like sweet family adventures and this one is still relevant.

Wikipedia

Homespun Light

Key to the Treasure by Peggy Parish

What: 3 kids investigate family mystery by solving puzzles.

What’s in it for me:  I love treasure hunting and they could use all kinds of gadgets to update it.

Book Lounge

Henry Reed’s Journey by Keith Robertson

What:   Teenage boy on family vacation across America gets in scrapes.

What’s in it for me:  Travelogue and wacky situations – just the ticket.

Wikipedia on the character Henry Reed

Henry Reed series

Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace

What:  Turn of the century life for 3 girls and their strong friendship.

What’s in it for me:  I think this would make a lovely TV series like Anne of Green Gables.

Betsy – Tacy Society

Wikipedia

Fan Site

All of a Kind Family by Sidney Taylor

What:  Another turn of the century family in NYC.

What’s in it for me:   I identified completely with these sisters and want to see them portrayed by actresses.

Tenement Museum

Many Moons by James Thurber

What:  A small princess wishes for the moon.

What’s in it for me:  This would make a lovely animated short.

Wikipedia

The Gammage Cup

I just finished Carol Kendall’s The Gammage Cup which I’ve seen on lots of fantasy lists.  This was my second attempt to read it: I finished it and I’m glad of it.

The difficulty I had with it is that it begins as pure whimsy like Winnie the Pooh or Paddington Bear and then veers into a satire.  I have difficulty with satire because I feel that often becomes mean-spirited.  But Kendall has written the satirical parts with a generous spirit.

The story is of a small folk called the Minnipins who have settled in a fertile and beautiful mountain valley.  The only person in recorded history who has left the valley is Fooley who traveled in a balloon to the outside world.  The Minnipins have built their culture around the items that Fooley returned with (think Galaxy Quest).

Five misfits in the village of Slipper-on-the-Water have become aware that there is trouble lurking beyond their peaceful valley.

Of course no one sensible believes them.   For instance, among the five,  one has painted her door scarlet instead of the usual green.  They have other dangerous foibles:  one composes poetry; one digs holes looking for buried treasure;  and one wears an orange sashes in public!  The inexorable ostracism that these five undergo is a bit painful to read because they are so pitiable.

To me, this was an important passage:

“What I mean is,” she went on, “well, I don’t think it’s doors or cloaks or…or orange sashes. It’s us. What I mean is, it’s no matter what color we paint our doors or what kind of clothes we wear, we’re…well, we’re these colors inside us. Instead of being green inside, you see, like other folk. So I don’t think maybe it would do any good if we just changed our outside color. We would still be…be orange or scarlet inside, and well, we would do orange and scarlet things all the time“

I think everyone feels a little orange-sashy from time to time, and this situation should resonant. The magic was suitable to the story and the world-building was delightful. Perhaps I would have enjoyed Gammage Cup as a child but I know that I appreciate it as an adult.

Apparently, she wrote several sequels. I think I’ll add her name to my TBR list.

Another take:  John C. Wright

Tally of Books Read so Far

People have these year end summaries of books read.  I am consumed by envy when I read them.  The trouble is that I’ve never really kept track of the books I’ve read in a year, or ever really.  I’ve been keeping the simplest of reading logs this year: title, author, genre and audience age.

According to the log, I’ve read 66 books so far. I’ve read more nonfiction and more kid’s books than this but didn’t record it.

I have a bit more time now, so my pace may step up. I’ve gotten a stack of books from the library with a bit more variety to read in the next month.

Anyhow, here are the titles after the break:

Three Brides No Groom by Debbie Macomber

Image by David Clow – Maryland via Flickr

A collection of three tales of women being dumped at the altar.

Gretchen’s story was my favorite.  She discovers that, during her engagement, her fiancee had impregnated another woman.  She throws her ring at him and takes off with Josh on his motorcycle, and they travel from Seattle to San Francisco. Liked this one.

Carol the cheerleader is dumped by her football boyfriend.  She starts subbing as a secretary to a genius programmer.  She thinks of him as nerd and therefore unworthy of her attention.  This one was pretty good too.

Maddie the bad girl has an affair with her math teacher.   I didn’t care much for her or her plight.

Prince Rabbit by A. A. Milne

Also “The Princess Who Could Not Laugh.”

I loved this book as a kid but couldn’t remember the name.  I searched lists of books by A. A. Milne but didn’t recognize the title because I was looking for ”fairy tales’ something.

The charming illustrations were done by Mary Shepard who also illustrated the Mary Poppins books.

Prince Rabbit is about a talking rabbit who competes for a throne with a human nobleman.  Prince Rabbit is very quick-witted which helps him succeed in the tests.

For instance, one of the tests is to answer what seven times six is.

Prince Rabbit knows the King is trying to fix the contest and make his human opponent win.  The other man says the answer is 54.

Prince Rabbit’s turn is next. He says:

Your Majesty, there are several possible answers to this extraordinarily novel conundrum.  At first sight the obvious solution would appear to be ‘forty-two.’ The objection to this solution is that it lacks originality.  I have long felt that a progressive country such as ours might well strike out a new line in the matter.  Let us agree that in the future seven sixes are ‘fifty-four.’

But I liked “The Princess Who Could Not Laugh” even better.  For one thing, it had a girl character.

The king in this story loves jokes but his daughter never laughs and he becomes determined to find a way to change her.  He offers her hand in marriage and half the kingdom to any man who can make her laugh.

The chief suitors/contestants are Count Hippo and Count Rollo.  The Princess favors Rollo, especially since Hippo just wants the kingdom.  But neither of them can make her laugh despite some funny jokes.

In rereading it, I found a passage that I really liked.  It’s a bit sentimental but, well, why not?

Nothing is so pleasant as to tell a funny story to somebody whom you love, to watch the smile coming on her face, and to hear her sudden laughter, and then to linger with her, your laughter catching new life from hers, in happy enjoyment of the joke.

7 Books I Wish Were Movies

Ladies of Missalonghi by Colleen McCullough

What:  A distressing medical diagnosis prompts a cinderella to live a little.

What’s in it for me:  I love that she secretly starts reading romance novels and ultimately takes over the town.  Awesome.

Brief description.

Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer

What:  A plain but lively girl asks a rich man to marry her to spare her older sisters.

What’s in it for me:  I love Heyer’s books and this one is my favorite.

Enthusiastic recommendation.

Lady Susan by Jane Austen

What: A conniving Lady Susan manipulates the romances of  various couples.

What’s in it for me:   I like ‘bad’ girls and it’s Jane Austen.

Brief description.

Minerva by Marion Chesney

What:  Beautiful girl devotes herself to caring for all her siblings, then she is sent to London for a season.

What’s in it for me:  I want to see that Minerva costume.

Reader reviews.

Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

What:  Multi-lingual girl in Ancient Egypt is recruited as a spy.

What’s in it for me:  I’d like to see a story set in Ancient Egypt with a female protagonist.

Plot summary.

Forgotten Daughter by Caroline Dale Snedeker

What:  Young orphan girl in ancient Rome falls for nobleman’s son.

What’s in it for me:  I’d like to see a story set in Ancient Rome that doesn’t involve gladiators or wars.

Brief description.

Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott

What:  A poor but virtuous girl goes to live with her wealthy, shallow cousins.

What’s in it for me:  I love the proposal in the hallway with all the galoshes.  *sigh*

A bit of history.