I’m enjoying tonight’s moon. I’ve always had a fondness for crescent moons. Who am I kidding? I have a fondness for all moons. Must have something to do with one of the names I was given at birth.
Tonight was Murder By the Book’s and Brazos Bookstore’s Moonlight Madness sale, meaning the stores stayed open L-A-T-E. Just my schedule. So I swung by and purchased a few books, took the above photo, and came home to write in LJ.
Oddly, I was writing about an actor and as I was putting it all together, Tom came in to tell me he’d just seen him on a new TV show (Rizzoli & Isles, based on novels by Tess Gerritsen) at the same time that I was reading the actor’s Tweet about the show’s highly-rated launch. ACK! The synchronicity!
But let me get on with it.
If you read here, you know that I like the Twilight books and the movies, and I’ve decided to stop feeling sheepish about it. Somewhere there’s a woman happily reading a paperback with a whimsical little cover, maybe pink, maybe blue, and someone sees her, raises an eyebrow, and says, “You don’t actually like that romance crap, do you?” And for a minute, she probably feels bad, maybe defensive, and then she rests the book on the table while she reads so no one else can see the title and MY AUTHOR NAME on it. So I say, “Honey, lift up that book. Like what you want to like. And I’ll do the same.” If I want to shelve Stephenie Meyer between Herman Melville and Marcel Proust in my living room, so be it. Kidding. Proust is French–he’s nowhere near my American novelists’ shelves.
Now when it comes to the Twilight movies, I can enjoy them on the campy level, on the story level, on the how-do-they-compare-to-the-book level, on the dramatic level, on the special effects level, and for the degree of commitment that the screenwriter, actors, director, and crew have put into their work. I can also enjoy the fun-phenomena aspect of the movie releases, from the Twihards to the Twimoms to the ‘tweens.
But in truth, I don’t get all worked up over Robert Pattinson/Edward or Taylor Lautner/Jacob. I can appreciate their work and their pretty faces and bodies, but if you want to know who I have a crush on, it’s Charlie, Bella’s dad. Not a swooning-OMG-crush. I like the way actor Billy Burke portrays Charlie. He reminds me of someone special from my long-ago past: laconic, reserved, protective, kind–a sports-loving, hunting, hardworking, decent guy. The awkwardness that exists between Charlie and Bella makes for scenes that entertain and touch me. Kudos to Billy Burke for pulling that off so that I like Charlie better in the movies than in the books.
Because I liked his work, I looked up Billy Burke some time ago and followed his Twitter account, which led me to his web site, which led me to his music. I’m a complete sucker for a singer/songwriter with a whiskey voice. So when his new album Removed became available, I downloaded it on iTunes (it’s also been the number one seller on CDBaby) and I’ve been enjoying it. Sort of has a low-key Mellencamp/Tom Waits/John Prine vibe–though I’m not big on comparing artists because that’s the whole thing about being authentically creative–every artist is unique. In addition, a portion of Removed’s sales will go to VH-1’s Save The Music, an organization that helps keep music education in our schools–I’m totally on board with that.
So this is my shout-out/thank you to the multi-talented Billy Burke. Nothing like being an “overnight” success after working your butt off since you were nine years old!
My Twilight books are on the same shelf that houses my Harry Potter books … and your books, as well.
(Along with the second painting of yours that I have!)
My “inspiration shelf” is well-stocked.
🙂
Aw–thanks! I like being part of an inspiration shelf.
🙂
It is a spot that you’ve more than earned.
Your writing talent is exceptional. I find that very inspirational in and of itself. The other reason?
You remain the only person in this world (other than my husband) who has said to me (in regard to my writing, specifically) “You can do it. I believe in you!”
Which is no small thing– being that those words came from you.
Since I can’t have *you* (personally) urging me forward at my writing desk … I have the next best thing. Your books are on my inspiration shelf which is on my writing desk.
So as I struggle with writer’s block — I look up — and there you are!
🙂
“It is a spot that you’ve more than earned.”
I would agree with that! It’s one reasoN I hung her painting right next to my desk.
things that made made this entry special …
1. I laughed when you said you enjoyed all moons. I pictured a carload of senior boys and you know …
2. I was surprised to discover that you arrange your novels by nationality not subject matter or alphebetically
3 Tom watched the same show as Dr H and I – although we do have a problem with Billy Burke, he is the bathroom rapist on The Closer that Brenda Leigh has yet to catch. She will though, she always does. We were convinced he was the killer despite no evidence based on his previous misdeeds on another show. Both shows are on TNT so I assume that there are no problems with juristiction etc … We did throughly enjoy Rizzoli and Isles though – and there was a dog rescue in it!
2. Only in the living room, which is literature and literary contemporary American. Books are divided by country, then time period. No alphabet. I’m kidding when I say Stephenie Meyer will be shelved in there. There’s no room, and the contents of those shelves rarely change.
Fiction in my dining room is divided by genre (gay, romance, mystery). Gay is arranged alphabetically by author. The rest is arranged pretty much by where it fits. These are the shelves I have to purge periodically so new books that I want to keep can fit somewhere.
Art, humor, pop culture, biographies, and some other random things are in the guest bedroom. Those are arranged by category and then by how they fit (the shelves are at different heights to allow for the size of the art and coffee table books).
Children’s books, religion, and philosophy are in one of the built-ins in the living room. The other built-in contains Tom’s science fiction and fantasy.
Cookbooks and reference books are behind me in the office. And also Cliff’s Notes, of which I have a lot so that I could see what my students were plagiarizing when I taught. 😉
3. The actor who played Gil Grissom in CSI–William Petersen–every time I’d walk through the room while Tom was watching, I’d frown and say, “I don’t like him.” Finally Tom told me it was because he played the philandering husband in the movie Cousins. Tom was right. Once that was pointed out to me, I sort-of forgave him.
artful dodge of 1.
Bravo!
My 2 Pesos
I stepped out onto my front porch yesterday evening and saw this gorgeous crescent moon. I thought about taking a picture of it but for some unknown reason decided not to take one. I’m glad you did though.
I read the Twilight series well before the first movie came out. So thankfully I haven’t had to endure the stares, raised eyebrows, and mean-spirited words (for those ballsy enough to open their mouths). However, I’ve always been of the mindset: If you don’t like what I’m reading or you are curious about it, pick it up for yourself or ask me about it. Don’t judge. Books are personal to me. So if you insult what I’ve chosen to read, I’m deeply offended.
I’ve been reading for so long that I can’t remember what my life was like without books. I wasn’t one of those kids who struggled with learning to read and abhorred books because of it. I’m so grateful I did not have that disability.
So read on sister! Read everything you want from the cereal box to the Joy of Sex. The only shame is not reading something because of what others may think.
Re: My 2 Pesos
I started reading the same way (and thank goodness for cereal boxes!). My mother said I learned to read early because of signs in hospitals (I was a sickly child). I knew my letters and would spell them out and ask her, “What’s that say? What’s that say?” She said this was uncomfortable in public places like restrooms and laundromats, where people tend to scrawl a language she wasn’t so much interested in my learning. =)
Both my parents were voracious readers. So are my siblings. There were always tons of books in our house. There was no censorship, although there was also no science fiction or romance, because those weren’t my parents’ interest. They both loved literature, so there were lots of classics. My mother’s “dirty secret” was mystery. My father’s was Westerns and political thrillers/historical fiction involving the World Wars. They both loved history, particularly Southern history, and art. On their first date, they left a dance to sit outside and talk about books and art. =) (Although they were both good dancers, something I am NOT!)
It’s easy to see how all that shaped my interests. My brother and sister had a few of the Nancy Drews/Hardy Boys that I read, but I mostly skipped from children’s books to adult reading, because that’s what was there. Lynne’s mom and her mom’s friends were women who worked outside the home, so they read for escape and entertainment and traded their books around–I’d get big paper bags full of romance books out of her closet, so that’s how I came to read that genre.
I’m not a reading snob, but I can tell you that if I read an author once and don’t like it, I’ll rarely if ever give that author another chance. There are too many more enjoyable books to choose from! And when I like an author, I’ll keep reading him or her. I’ll tell people what books I like and love, but will share with very few people what I don’t like. I never want to be the reason someone doesn’t read a book, and I hope I’ve never made anyone feel bad about what they were reading. That would make me ashamed of myself.
I caught Rizzoli & Isles Monday night myself, mainly because I liked Angie Harmon on Women’s Murder Club. Good stuff! I’ve never read a Tess Gerritson, but now may have to grab on on cd next time I am at Book Attic. Gerritson did a talk & signing at our public library’s summer author tour series. Jeffery Deaver was here in May, but I’d met him in Lexington, so I didn’t go. This month is the to guys who make up Jefferson Bass & it wraps up in August with Catherine Coulter.
As for the “book shame” thing. I get that reaction when people find out that someone who teaches Lit owns EVERY Jackie Collins novel.
I suspect Miss Collins would say living well is the best revenge.
Yes, she would!
I’ll never get why some people feel the need to critique others’ choice of reading material. What a boring world it would be if we all liked the very same thing! To each their own, I say, and be proud.
Boring, indeed!