WWW Wednesday (March 30)

Composed by Cat
WWW Wednesday is a bookish meme hosted by Should Be Reading 
To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
* What are you currently reading?
* What did you recently finish reading?
* What do you think you’ll read next?
What are you currently reading? 
The Priest's Graveyard

 
The Priest's Graveyard by Ted Dekker I got a review copy and have already dug in. I'm very pleased so far. Only draw back is I have real life in the way and it keeps interrupting my reading. Don't you hate that?
 


Pat Cooper How Dare You Say How Dare Me!
What did you recently finish reading? 
 
Pat Cooper How Dare You Say How Dare Me?  By Pat Cooper, Rich Herschlag, And Steve Garrrin. I received this book for review. I read this one for review. It's posted HERE.



What do you think you'll read next? 
I still want to get to  The Me Project but keep getting review stuff in and homework piling up as well. Two books I received that I want to get to for review are Recovery by Alexandrea Weis and Ultimate Victory-Denied by Jim Kenfield. The later didn't get the best cover in the world but it sounds intriguing nonetheless. I think it's another book deprived of attention because of the cover. We'll see how it goes. 
The Me Project: 21 Days to Living the Life You've Always WantedRecoveryUltimate Victory - Denied: A complex and disastrous plot against America





And that's it for this Wednesday. Now your turn. PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own WWW Wednesdays post, or share your answers in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

Bookaholic? It's not an addiction. It's a way of life and I love it! 
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Do you review the writer or the work? (Plus one author's response to an unwanted review)

Composed by Cat
I recently did a review of a book, an autobiographical of sorts, and I wrote a review based on my opinion of the book. Later I went to post my review on some of the other outlets (Amazon.com, Good Reads, Shelfari, & anobbi to mention a few). I didn’t post my review because I was in awe of all the negative reviews. Not negative of the book itself but of the author or celebrity in this case. Apparently, there is some bad blood between the author and his family. That’s common. Most celebrities have skeletons in their closets especially from family. My mind started to wonder though when writing a review do we need to know more of the history of the writer? At least in cases like this when it’s a so called autobiography? I wrote my review based solely on my opinion of the book not my opinion of the author’s personal life even though the book was based the telling of his life.  Was this the right procedure? Should we research the authors we review before posting what we think of their books? Or should we review the work solely based on its merits? I was asked to read and review the book not make a judgment on the individuals life and whether what he said is true or not.  I feel odd about it really but I have to remember what my Dad has always said about people. “There’s always three sides to every story. His, her’s,  and the truth.”  So with that knowledge I have to decide if my reviews are based on the entire story (i.e. history of the author, the making of the story, etc.) or do I solely make a judgment of the words I read. I think, no I know, in this case I made the right judgment. I read a book about a man I knew nothing about, laughed a bit, awed a bit,  and I wrote a review about what I gained from the words on the pages.

The question remains, As book reviewers, what are our responsibilities to our readers about giving a review? Do we focus on the work at hand or do we need to research what lies behind a book?

**Before finishing this post, I read a Tweet from an author I follow. It was a link to another Book Reviewer's Blog and one very unhappy author's response. If you have time read through the comments. The terms "unprofessional" and "unhinged" come to mind. 




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Teaser Tuesday (March 29)

Composed by Cat

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
The Priest's Graveyard
"I'm getting to that. When I asked him why he was in his socks, he said it was so he could tell if the grass was wet. When he saw me staring at his waist he looked down, stared at himself for a bit, then looked up at me with an impish grin that only Hall could do. 'Wow,' he said. 'I'm naked. You horny?'" ~pg 73 The Priest's Graveyard by Ted Dekker

I got this one for an upcoming Blog Tour (coming April 22nd). I get to start it tonight. I love Dekker and have been bouncing with excitement since I found out I got to be apart of the Blog Tour (my first *insert squeal here). 

Now it your turn. PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your two ‘teasers’ in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks! :D


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Book Review: Pat Cooper How Dare You Say How Dare Me?

Composed by Cat
A few weeks ago I received a copy of Pat Cooper: How Dare You Say How Dare Me? By Pat Cooper, Rich Herschlag, Steve Garrin to read and review from the publisher, Square One Publishers for review. (Note I received a complimentary review copy but did not receive compensation for this review. The opinions are my unbiased opinion). 

Pat Cooper How Dare You Say How Dare Me!

Hardcover: 262 pages

  • Publisher:  Square One Publishers (November 1, 2010)
  • Language:  English
  • ISBN-10:  075700363X
  • ISBN-13:  978-0757003639
  • Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches


To be honest, I couldn’t place the name but the face and characteristic glasses looked so familiar. Getting his “big break” on The Jackie Gleason Show, Pat Cooper opened for the likes of Bop Hope, George Burns, Tony Bennett, and even Bobby Darin. At age 82, Pat Cooper is still going; appearing in Analyze This and Analyze That. Chalked full of anecdotes and humorous stories, Pat Cooper, Rich Herschlag, and Steve Garrin tell the story of how the son of Italian Immigrants stumbled upon the career of a life time.   Born Pasquale Caputo, Pat Cooper was given his stage name by a stage manager who couldn't say his name. Mistaken for a Jewish guy impersonating an Italian guy, Pat - who shtick was rambling on about his Italian family and life-tells his story in the same stand up humor his shows were done in. You get lost in the pages as he tells how his mother and father felt he was a failure for not becoming a bricklayer. You can almost hear the Italian oozing off the pages.

His account of life and show business is humorous, sad, and enlightening.  Like many greats before him, he builds his routine around real life trials and tribulations but with an honesty that makes you laugh out loud because you know it’s all too real to be fake. His stubbornness and pull no punches approach to life and his routine allows his talent transcends decades.

What I liked: His honest telling of his life. He doesn't hold anything back good or bad. Some autobiographic telling of one's life tends to steer towards the positive side and not shine any light on the wrongs in their life. Pat Cooper doesn't do that. If he screwed up, he tells you he did. If someone else screwed up, he tells you. It's a refreshing turn on an autobiography.

What I didn't like: It's written as if he sitting there telling your his story. At first, it's somewhat cumbersome to get the hang of it. But once you do the story flows well. You get lost in the pages and feel like you're right there in the 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's and even the 80's as he takes on the comedy world. 

Overall, this was a great book telling the story of overcoming many obstacles from a difficult family, being in the right place at the right time, and learning as went. Even if you’ve never heard of Pat Cooper this book is a great read. If you’re looking for a story about determination and not letting what others tell you stand in your way, pick up this book.

For those of you interested in seeing the great Pat Cooper in action:


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Musing Mondays (March 28)

Composed by Cat
Musing Mondays is a bookish meme hosted by MizB on Should be reading.
This week’s musing asks…


Do you read books while you……eat? … bathe?… watch movies or tv?…  listen to music?… While you’re on the computer?
I must admit that while I find reading relaxing just as I do a nice bubble bath I can't imagine taking a book into the bathroom with me. I do eat while I read. Granted it's just a snack here or there. Nothing at the dinner table. I don't usually listen to music unless I can tie it into the story; kind of a sound track of sorts. I do read books on the computer but not while ON the computer. What I mean is I sometimes read on readers on the computer. Amazon's Kindle and Nook both have readers you can download and of course, there's always a good PDF to be found online. It's one way I can read while at work and actually look like I'm working.:D I do have to find a balance between life and reading. It's not always easy since I read sometimes to escape reality. But once you can find the balance it's all good!

Happy reading everyone! 

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Musing Mondays post, or share your answer in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks! :D

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Ted Dekker Blog Tour Announcement

Composed by Cat
Little packages arrive in my mailbox throughout the week. Books for me to read and review. They come in all shapes and sizes. Big ones. Little ones. Well known authors. Authors I've never heard of. Genres I love. Genres I've never read. I love getting mail thanks to all these little packages. (Note to self: Start working on a really good Christmas present for the mail lady)

The Priest's GraveyardThis weekend was no different really. Except the book I received was on I was really hoping to get my hands on. The Priest's Graveyard by Ted Dekker. It's not only a book I've been wanting to read but it marks my very first participation in a Blog tour. I know it's a common practice but for me, it's like the  week before the first day of school. I'm so excited. How much more of a geek could I be? Oh I'm sure I can push the geekometer off the scales. 

I'm finishing up the Pat Cooper book and I have several smaller inspirational reads to finish and do reviews on before I can dive in. It's really quite the motivator. Setting there beckoning to me. So off I go to finish my readings so I can dive into this great tease of a book, taunting me and singing to me. 

I'll have my day in the blog tour on April 22nd but until then, here's a little teaser for you. 


Review and more information to come: April 22nd! 


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Why blog?

Composed by Cat
I've been working on posts for the upcoming A to Z Blogging Challenge 2011. In doing so my little mind started ticking. Why is that we blog? There's over 600 bloggers signed up to participate in this challenge. I've peeked at a few and there's a wide variety in the types of blogs out there. Some are book review blogs. Some are writer's blogs. Some are business improvement blogs. Some are like this one, still trying to find a direction. 

I started blogging several years ago as a therapeutic means to keep my head straight. Since I was a little girl I've had more things in my head than I can process.  When I learned to use a pencil, I found a home for many of those things. One day, I discovered blogging and found an outlet that satisfied both my craving to create and my techy side. Thus my blogging days had begun. I've had several blogging lives. One for learning to live a frugal life. One for review books. One for living life. Eventually, I found them all too hard to keep current. I decided to condense them all into one. Long boring story short, I'm still trying to figure it all out. 

So why do you blog? Do you have a focus? A plan? What have you learned since you starting blogging that you would do differently if you were starting over? Do you have more than one? If so, why? What would you tell someone who was just starting out in blogging? 

Leave a comment below and tell how you got started and what you'd do differently or what you've learned about blogging. 


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Flashback Friday: Everything Old is New Again?

Composed by Cat
The old saying goes "Everything old is new again" and as I get older I see it everyday. Growing up there was the television show FAME which had us all believing we could jump up on the cafeteria table and break out into song. Some of us only did this in our heads while others became quite familiar with Detention. I can't carry a tune unless you count carrying my iPod from room to room so I just sat back and watched. But it must have been good because the remade it. I'd also like to say that GLEE is FAME for the new millennium. 

In 1984, a movie came out that had EVERYONE dancing wherever they were. I was so in love...granted I was in my tween years and it was one of my first star-crossed crushes.I remember everyone humming the tune and stepping with a little pep in their step. (OMG...I'm starting to sound like my mother, Pep? really?) 


What brought this flashback to me this week was the local high school performing Footloose as their spring production. I never would have thought Footloose would become a timeless classic to be performed by high school theatrical departments. My son's class went on a field trip to watch the performance. He too has been struck by the foot tapping bug. This got me thinking, if everything comes back around at some point, will I have to be sitting in a high school theater some day with my grandchildren enduring yet another performance of High School Musical 1,2, and 3? Have I not suffered enough?  This wonderful classic, Footloose, is being remade not only into a play but into a new movie. That's right Ren MacCormack and his friends will battle the Rev. Shaw Moore (played by Dennis Quad) and the town once again for their right to party. 


If everything old is new again does this also apply to books? There's some stories that are just mirrors of countless stories before them; only the names seem to have been changed and not just to protect the innocent. Is there any originality left in the world? We're inundated lately with book after book coming out. With the new ways of publishing it has become easier to get published, (Let me stress easier not easy. It's still the illusive brass ring we're all stretching for), I wonder if we've drained the cosmos of all the original untold stories. Have you read a book lately that didn't have a commonality to it from other books you've read? Perhaps I'm just in a rut. But I see things from my youth being remade and I wonder has my generation forgot how to think, how to create, how to explore a galaxy that no one has explored before? (Sorry for the gratuitous Star Trek line. I was raised by a Trekky).


So I ask you: Have you stumbled upon a book lately that is truly unique? That dares to think outside the box? Who doesn't fall back on the tried and true? Is there hope that writers and those of us that like to dream we're writers can produce original works of lit that will stand the test of time on their own merits? 

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An impulse buy and the A to Z Blogging Challenge

Composed by Cat
I did something crazy. First let me say that I do not like to shop...not in the store at least. Online shopping is ok. I'm big on Cyber Monday. But that's another story. Today, I did one of those impulse buys. Why am I telling you this? Because of what I bought....

Drum Roll please....

I BOUGHT A DOMAIN NAME!!!!!!

Yes, that's right I've gone and dot com'ed myself. Actually, I'm still a blogspot girl but I decided to take a walk on the virtual wild side and picked up the dot com from blogger. I can still be found at www.composingcat.blogspot.com but I can also be found at www.composingcat.com. I decided to do on a whim and part of me thinks it's silly to be excited about a name change but then again I'm the person that gets excited about new extensions on Google Chrome and finding Chewy Sweettarts. 


So while the earth doesn't stop for my little big announcement, in my little corner of the world I'm excited that I'm taking the plunge into the blogsphere with both feet. It's a little easier to tell people where I'm at without them tiring of all those words. 


All this just in time for the big A to Z blogging Challenge. Which I'm really looking forward to. I've been working on my themes and my posts. I'm looking forward to meeting other bloggers and reading what others posts. In case you aren't aware of it, the A to Z blogging Challenge is challenge for bloggers to post 26 posts A to Z for the month of April to get used to blogging on a schedule and with purpose while getting to know other bloggers and generate readers. 


There's still time to join, just click the badge here and jump in. With over 600 bloggers joined in it should be fun. If you aren't up to playing along, you can follow the progress. It should be an interesting month. 


Any suggestions on themes or posting topics? I gladly welcome them. So what do you think would be go for a short microburst of a post? Leave me a comment below with your thoughts, your concerns, your ramblings. As my youngest son says, Talk to me! 
~Cat


BTW: I DO plan to make short posts so you won't have to enduring 26 straight days of my ramblings. See? I can be nice. ha!ha!

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WWW Wednesday (March 23)

Composed by Cat
WWW Wednesday is a bookish meme hosted by Should Be Reading 
To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
* What are you currently reading?
* What did you recently finish reading?
* What do you think you’ll read next?
What are you currently reading? 
Pat Cooper How Dare You Say How Dare Me!


 Pat Cooper How Dare You Say How Dare Me?  By Pat Cooper, Rich Herschlag, And Steve Garrrin. I received this book for review. I usually am a strictly fictional reader since I have to read so much nonfiction while working on my degree. I have to admit this is an entertaining read and I may have to venture out to other genres after this.




What did you recently finish reading? 
This Side of the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 5) 



This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
LOVED IT!! It is of course, one of my two guilty pleasures. 





What do you think you'll read next? 
I've got several books in the mail over the last couple weeks. Most of them are small so I'll get through them in a day or less. I think I'll start out with The Me Project since I bought it a few weeks ago and have been dying to get into! 
The Me Project: 21 Days to Living the Life You've Always Wanted

I can't seem to stop finding books and more books. It's not an addiction. It's a way of life and I love it! 

And that's it for this Wednesday. Now your turn. PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own WWW Wednesdays post, or share your answers in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!
Category: 2 comments