Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Books and Bulldogs

"Love. Fall in love and stay in love. Write only what you love, and love what you write. The key word is love. You have to get up in the morning and write something you love, something to live for." — Ray Bradbury, On the key to success

So, Julia, who apparently didn't get the memo on my meme tag moratorium (*G*), tagged me. It's a cool meme, but long and requires much thought. Since my brain juice is at a premium currently, I thought I'd compromise and do one question from the meme each day (or however frequently I can manage it)...It's a pretty nifty book meme, if you're looking for blog fodder.

For today:

Which book do you irrationally cringe away from reading, despite seeing only positive reviews?

Nearly anything that isn't romance. Fact is, I find little enjoyment in most books that aren't romance. They just don't satisfy me -- like being a chocoholic and ordering cherry pie for dessert. It's yummy, but you still wish you'd gotten the Death By Chocolate.

The one exception to this that I can think of is "I Am the Messenger" by Marcus Zusak. Charity suggested I give this a read, and I LOVED it. It was well-written, a little bit brutal and ended with an amazing message. Oh yeah. I gulped it down, and then proceeded to recommend it to anyone I could think of.

What about you? Do you have a book you refuse to read, despite the great reviews?

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So... I have to write two guest blogger posts for my virtual tour. Articles of a sort, really. Blog posts that are coherent and make sense. I'm not good at that. Wish me luck.

Speaking of articles, I'm going to try my hand at writing some. Yikes! We'll see how that new venture goes.

And, no... that old mystery word count hasn't budged this week. I haven't even opened the file. I've been busy answering emails and filling out interviews. Holy Jamoley. Who knew there were so many questions people could ask? By the time the blog tour is over, y'all are going to know everything there is to know about me.

Scared?

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Another photo of Dakota courtesy of the DD:



She's starting to look less like a puppy, and more like a dog.

Oh, I wish y'all could have been her yesterday. Dakota met a new friend. The neighbors down the street have an English Bulldog who's almost a year old. He's wider than he is tall, but friendly as all get-out. I let Dakota off her leash, and Bugsy was let loose and they played. It was hysterical... Dakota (who is all legs) was tearing around the poor dog, running in circles, leaping over him. He just pivoted around slowly, looking a little bemused. Occasionally, when she'd stop for a minute with her rear up in the air, he'd gallop a couple of steps toward her. But, she'd take off and he'd be left standing again. She must have run miles before they were done. I don't think Bugsy moved more than a few feet.

But, hey, they both had a blast.

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You Are a Lemon

You have a very distinct personality. And if you're not being sweet, you're a little hard to take.
You're a bit overpowering, especially in one on one situations.

And while you are very dominant, sometimes your power is needed and appreciated.
You can liven up a dull situation, and you definitely bring a fresh outlook.

You are a bit of an acquired taste, and you tend to grow on people over time.
People feel refreshed and rejuvenated after spending time with you.


LOL... this is actually pretty close. Ha.

17 comments:

Ceri Hebert said...

I'm a banana.

I hope that you're going to post the links to the blogs you'll be at.

Another cute Dakota pic! Your DD is getting some really good shots!

Dru said...

The books that I won't read are historicals. I just can't deal with stuff from the past. I prefer reading books that are in the present and not so far in the future.

Sounds like your virtual tour will be success and you'll get plenty of exposure which is a good thing.

Good luck with the article-writing.

DD is really becoming a great photographer. Love the photo of Dakota..she looks like a queen staring at her people.

Too cute about Dakota and her new friend. Did all that running around tire her out?


You Are a Banana

You are mellow, easy going, and a total softie on the inside.
People find it really easy to get along with you. You suit most tastes.

And while you're very sweet, you're not boring or ordinary.
You have an attraction to the exotic, and you could show up anywhere... doing almost anything!

You are spirited, energetic, and a total kick to be around.
You're also quite funny. Your sense of humor is on the goofy side, and it fits you well.

Jen said...

Get cracking on that word count, M! ;-)

I'm probably not going to add to mine today - I think I caught what you had last week...

Sarita Leone said...

Ugh...cherry pie. Pretty to look at but I don't want to eat it.

Your daughter is getting to be a whiz at dog photos. She really catches the "inner dog" I think. I can't help but wonder what the furry one is thinking as her photo is taken. :)

groovyoldlady said...

You Are a Banana

You are mellow, easy going, and a total softie on the inside.
People find it really easy to get along with you. You suit most tastes.

And while you're very sweet, you're not boring or ordinary.
You have an attraction to the exotic, and you could show up anywhere... doing almost anything!

You are spirited, energetic, and a total kick to be around.
You're also quite funny. Your sense of humor is on the goofy side, and it fits you well.

**********

And, as a banana, I refuse to read Harry Potter. Mostly because everyone who DOES read the series goes on and on and on about how wonderful it is and I so, you know, counter-cultural and banana-ish.

Alice said...

That sure sounds like you, Marianne. Hehe. Thanks for popping by today. So glad to see you! :D

Sylvia Dickey Smith said...

Good luck on your tour!

Sorry Deadly Sins Deadly Secrets didn't make your cut! :-( :-)

Diane Craver said...

I never did a book tour. If I ever have another book published, I want to.

Good luck with everything you need to get done and on your book tour.

Melissa Blue said...

I've been hearing good things about The Secret, but I'm just not that interested. It may be a great book, but I've gone through my self-help phase and am over it. I know what I need to do to live a happy and fulfilling life. It's up to me to live it. And I could read a romance that will give me the same feeling.

Charity Tahmaseb said...

I love I Am The Messenger. Marcus Zusak is the man. I loved The Book Thief, too, but it's a sadder story.

Judy said...

I'm a banana as well... :-) Lots of us slippery peels around.

Brandy said...

I'm an Apple: You are strong, powerful, and even a bit stubborn at times.
You have enough strength to help those around you in trouble.

You are adventurous and charming. Many people are drawn to you.
You love life, and you enjoy traveling the world. You enjoy fine food, art, and culture.

People have accused you of being a snob, but that's not accurate.
You do enjoy the best things in life. Unlike snobs, you truly appreciate quality... not just pretend to.

Um, okay, I actually hate to travel, so that's weird. I do prefer quality over quantity.


A book I am hesitant to tackle would be Anna Karenina. Tolstoy requires more attention that I could ever give.

Dakota is starting to look a Dog, instead of a puppy. Such a cutie! Glad to hear she made a new friend! *g*

Have a fantastic day!

Diane Craver said...

I'm back. I just did the fruit quiz. I'm a strawberry which is nice since I love this fruit!

You Are a Strawberry

You are friendly, outgoing, and well liked by many people.
You are popular, but there's nothing you ordinary or average about you.

You a very interesting person, and you have many facets to your personality.
Sometimes you feel very conflicted. Your different sides of your personality pull at you.

You are a very sensual and passionate person. You are fiery... you can't help it.
In general, you keep your passionate side under wraps. You are only wild in private.

Julia said...

Marianne - Thanks for playing! And again I'm sorry! *grin*. One good thing is, that you got some people answering on their own to your first answer to the question! Aren't you glad? *grin*. It was interesting to see other answers too.

Good luck with the articles writing! Would you be showing links to the virtual tour you are going to?

Love Dakota picture! And your DD have capture a great photos of Dakota - she is good at it :)

Julia said...

Oh - I forgot to say...me too. Books without romance are the one I cringed away from. I want romance in my books no matter if it suspense, mystery or whatever. My favorite genres will be romance suspense. Because it has the mixed of both genres :)

Anonymous said...

I steer clear of anything that shows up on Oprah's book club. Thanks, but no thanks.

You Are a Banana

You are mellow, easy going, and a total softie on the inside.
People find it really easy to get along with you. You suit most tastes.

And while you're very sweet, you're not boring or ordinary.
You have an attraction to the exotic, and you could show up anywhere... doing almost anything!

You are spirited, energetic, and a total kick to be around.
You're also quite funny. Your sense of humor is on the goofy side, and it fits you well.


It could be worse, I suppose. *g*

Melissa McClone said...

Good luck with the blog posts. Writing for my own blog is so much easier. When I did one for PinkHeartSociety blog over a year ago, I found I put a lot more time and thought into it than other blogs!