The Art of Reading: Marking Up Your Book vs. Never!

All bibliophiles have at least one thing in common: the love of books. Still, as I'm reminded every time I talk to another reader, that doesn't mean we express our affection for the written word in exactly the same way. I'm referring to how we read.

This post’s theme: marking up books. Do you make notes in the margins of your novels? Circle or highlight favorite quotes? Dog-ear pages? Or do you shudder a little at all those suggestions?

I shudder. When people talk about the book as a sacred object, some people mean the intangible story and others the physical book (and many mean both). Countless bibliophiles cherish their favorite tales and consider water damage, food stains, creases, scribbles, etc. proof of how much love they’ve poured into the book, wearing it to shreds with re-reads or taking it all over the place. I, too, value the untouchable story, but I also value the tangible book. I accept slight damages when they come as expected signs that the book is being put to its intended use, but for the most part I try to keep my books in as pristine condition as possible and will never willingly inflict perceived damage such as dog-earing pages, cracking the spine, or writing inside.

Of course, my real pet peeve is when others do these things to my books. To each their own summarizes my philosophy on many things and I don’t care if someone wants to highlight or write in their own book even if I would never do so in mine. However, I care very much if they borrow my book and do any of the things I’ve mentioned: write, highlight, dog-ear, crack the spine, etc. This extends from a conversation about books into a more universal discussion about how we should treat each other. Respecting each other’s property has always been an issue for mankind, because we have very different ideas about both the terms “respect” and “property.” People who don’t really think any human can claim something tangible as theirs alone probably don’t think that person can dictate what can be done with that item. More commonly, though, cases of borrowing property turn into conflicts when the borrower treats the item the same way they treat their own...and that’s not the same way the item’s owner treats their stuff. To someone who dog-ears pages rather than using a bookmark, doing so probably doesn’t seem like a big deal. To that person, it isn’t. My opinion, though, is that when you borrow someone’s stuff you should treat it like owner would.

Back to books, though, I do grasp the benefits of these practices. Dog-earing pages isn’t only useful as a bookmark substitution, but also for marking favorite lines or parts in a story. Then if you pick the book up later, you can easily flip to these beloved sections. Highlighting serves a similar purpose in singling out esteemed quotes. Writing gives the reader even more freedom to expand with their own reactions and opinions. Some people I know who write in books say they like to re-read the book later and see if they have the same responses. Some add new or differing insight in another color. I also know people who specifically search out used books with writing in them to see how their opinions match up with whatever stranger wrote in the margins. As for cracking the spine, I don’t think people who do so give it much thought. It makes the book easier to read and hold. I do cringe, though, when I see people do this in bookstores by habit and then not buy the book (which returns to the debate about respecting property that isn’t yours). As for food stains and water damage, the real question there is whether it’s more important to you to keep your book in good condition or read it wherever you are, even if that’s in the bathtub or while eating dinner.

What about you? Do you do any of these things to your books? Why or why not?

THE GOLDEN HORN

Review of THE GOLDEN HORN by JUDITH TARR

(second in THE HOUND AND THE FALCON trilogy)

I started this book with no predictions, especially since Tarr avoids a formulaic feel and consistently surprises me. Strangely, I have clashing feelings about my investment level with this series. On the one hand, I didn’t find myself pulled back to the story if I stepped away from it. If I put the book down, it didn’t call me to pick it back up again and I could go quite a while before returning to it. On the other hand, whenever I did pick the book back up again I found myself immediately and entirely invested in the story.

There’s an unclear focus in terms of plot, but characters are doubtless the driving force in this series. Alf is a living riddle: fey raised as a monk. The clash between magic and religion becomes one of the most prominent, metaphoric themes in the entire series. We also met Thea in the first book, THE ISLE OF GLASS, another of Alf’s kind. Alf used to believe himself incapable of desire before meeting Thea and realizing he’s attracted to fey women, not human women. Three main plot threads dominate this second installment: a war, the continuing sexual tension between Alf and Thea, and Alf’s relationships within a family that more or less adopts him. Still a monk at heart, Alf wants to resist any carnal sin, but Thea teases him physically, emotionally, and intellectually. As for the family, Tarr introduces a handful of new and interesting characters, including a deafmute human boy that everyone believes hopelessly dumb but Alf recognizes a power humans can’t sense.

The book’s told in short chapters that keep the story clipping along a brisk pace. I suspect part of why I don’t feel a siren call luring me back to the book is that Tarr avoids any sensational feel. There aren’t any melodramatic cliffhangers luring the reader along with the promise of satisfied curiosity. Her writing has an understated quality and she’s subtle even when describing big moments. My only complaint there is sometimes I found the phrasing too subtle and often had to read very closely lest I miss something.

Again I find myself lacking in predictions about the next book, except that I expect (and hope) there will be more on the boy with unexpected gifts.

JOSH LANYON

Interview with JOSH LANYON

A distinct voice in gay fiction, multi-award-winning author Josh Lanyon has been writing gay mystery, adventure, and romance for over a decade. In addition to numerous short stories, novellas, and novels, Josh is the author of the critically acclaimed ADRIEN ENGLISH series, including THE HELL YOU SAY, winner of the 2006 USA Book News award for GLBT Fiction. Josh is an Eppie Award winner and a three-time Lambda Literary Award finalist.

What are you reading right now?

I'm just about to start work on a short story set in the 1940s, so I'm reading crime fiction from the 40s to make sure I've got the tone and the feel right. I'm reading Howard Browne, Raoul Whitfield, Frederick Nebel, etc.

 What first sparked your interest in writing?

Oh! That's going back a ways. I don't know. I was one of those kids who was always telling stories to the other kids. From the time I was very small my teachers were telling me I was going to be a writer, so I guess I went with it.

 What do you love the most about writing? The least?

I love that almost magical (call it a waking dream state) that takes over when the work is going well. When you really are lost in the story, completely immersed in the world you've created and the lives of your characters.

I hate deadlines, but I would get nothing done without them. And I dread the first draft. My first drafts are sheer torture. They are hell to write, I have to drag the words out, my endings are never more than a rough sketch. I write horrible first drafts.  

Tell us a little about your writing process.

I don't know if it's anything as organized as a "process." Basically I get an idea and let it stew for a while. Then I start by jotting down a lot of notes as I do my research, working out some of the general details, and then I start writing my really ugly first draft. I try to write about two thousand words a day. I write most every day. Then I hand it off to my editor and ideally they hang onto it for a week or so, long enough that I can come back to it with fresh eyes. I enjoy the rewrite stage a lot. That's where the magic happens. 

 What are your passions?

This week? This week my passion is for Wallace Nutting's tinted photographs, the Lindbergh kidnapping, and Italian cooking.

What inspires you?

Music in particular. In fact, I usually can't listen to anything with lyrics until the first draft is done. I have different Pandora channels set up for my writing moods. First drafts require something called "Meditation by the Sea."

 

Why mystery?

Well, I'm mostly interested in character. All my stories are character driven. And mystery is all about motive and motive is essentially what drives people to do the things they do. The stakes are always high in mysteries, even if the crime isn't murder (though it usually is) and so the things that drive people to crime or to conceal crime are usually - at least in fiction - fascinating.

Why romance?

Lanyon answers this question here on his website.

How was “Green Glass Beads” born?

The poem "Green Glass Beads" is one I remember from my childhood. I always loved it, loved wondering about the mysterious backstory of the nymph and the goblin, wondered about those green glass beads. And I knew I wanted - needed - to come up with some different angle for the anthology, so I thought what if my story was told from the perspective of someone on the other side of the law. Somehow those two ideas meshed.

What was it like writing a story for a shared world anthology?

Tricky! I'm not used to having to consider the creative ramifications of any of my storytelling choices. That's where having an editor like Nicole is invaluable. She kept us all on track and focused.

Of all your published books (and you have a lot!), do you have a personal favorite?

I like different titles for different reasons. Some, like OUT OF THE BLUE or SNOWBALL IN HELL, I'm especially proud of because of the research or the challenge of writing something I really had to stretch for. Some, like the ADRIEN ENGLISH series, I love because of my connection to the characters.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Don't be satisfied with "good enough." Every single thing you write should be the very best effort you have in you at that time. It won't save you from looking back at earlier work and wincing, but you can reassure yourself that you did the best work you were capable of. That means a lot.

Violence in Stories

Discussion Topic: Where’s the line between violence for realism versus violence for morbid, voyeuristic gratification?

The short answer is that this differentiation defies easy, simplistic measurements. As for how I decide, I use my gut. Sometimes I can put my reaction into words and other times a scene feels unnecessary, even if I can’t say why.

I usually only ever find fictional violence “necessary” when it upholds realism. Underplaying real life violence in a novel can sometimes do more harm than good, undermining the horror of real life victims. Then there’s the mentality that we shouldn’t sidestep around the grittier aspects of human nature, especially in more sweeping epics with large casts. Describing a violent scene in detail can also help bring a reader closer to the character(s). Said character is no longer an interchangeable Victim of Violence, but - if the author knows their craft - an individual whose emotions, thoughts, and actions we understand better since we utilized our empathy to imagine their traumatic experience (in other words, we get where they’re coming from as they make future decisions). Last, I admire the authors who insert violence into their work specifically not to glorify the brutality. Instead they peel away the adrenaline-pumping veil of skill and mystery and instead represent violence as something, well, not sexy in the least.

Moving on to when violence feels unnecessary to me, let’s start with glorifying bloodshed and merciless ferocity. I often find myself internally lecturing an author when killing or hurting people is represented as heroic, or rape as validation of a woman’s desirability. Violence also feels gratuitous when it’s described in excessive detail. In fact, violence and sex both emphasize how much skill writing takes. You could ask dozens of writers to portray the exact same murder or sex scene and each would version would feel utterly unique based on the author’s word choice and explicitness. Take cozy murder mysteries. While that label sounds like an oxymoron in itself, most of those books avoid vivid, gruesome descriptions of the murder and the victim. Sometimes detail can help serve the realism cause, but other times it feels unwarranted, like the author’s trying to titillate the reader with blood and guts and perversion. I also dislike when a violent scene feels too much like a plot twist. As I’ve mentioned time and again in my reviews, I believe that good writing makes you forget about the author. You don’t think about why the writer choose to make A or B happen, because the story seems to exist on its own. It feels like a disservice to real life victims when violence is used as an easy Increase Suspense Button. Last, fictional violence feels wrong when, well, it feels wrong. Though I’m perhaps an overly analytical person, I go with my gut reactions on this particular discussion topic and if a violent scene feels...icky (and I mean icky in how it represents violence not icky because violence is icky) then I trust that response even when an exact explanation alludes me. 

As for some examples, the A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE series by George R.R. Martin jumps to mind in any conversation about violence in fiction! Taste-wise, for me it’s too much. Focusing on serving a purpose, though, Martin himself has quoted realism. Wars are not pleasant affairs. (My mental Understatement Alarm is going off.) So many novels, especially in the fantasy genre, portray wars as some inspirational dash for glory, but Martin’s works showcase the more likely interpretation of each individual looking out for their own: themselves, their family and friends, their possessions and interests, etc.And have I mentioned that his works are set in medieval times? Far less accountability, for one thing, meaning wars become a kind of violence free-for-all.

CODE NAME VERITY by Elizabeth Wein, about a young spy captured by the Gestapo during World War II, depicts horrendous torture with minimal description. Wein has so carefully chosen her words that readers will likely paint scenes in accordance with their own understanding. (Think of kids’ movies with surprisingly dirty jokes. Adults catch the jokes due to their understanding of sex, but the insinuation slips past children with more innocent outlooks.) Also Wein keeps any violence rooted in emotion. If someone’s being tortured, I thought about the character’s torn desires: not betraying anyone and making the pain stop. If someone’s injured, I thought about all the family members and friends praying for that character to come home safely.

Holly Black’s book THE COLDEST GIRL IN COLDTOWN still stands out in my mind as the first ever vampire book I enjoyed, due in large part to the fact that she doesn’t romanticize vampires’ bloodthirsty urges. Blood becomes a focal point of sexual arousal in numerous vampire stories, often described with sensual word selection that makes even murder seem like a kind of seduction. In fact, blood has sexy connotations in many contexts...but certainly not in Black’s description of a vampire tearing veins from someone’s wrist and arm.

One of my favorite authors, Anne Bishop, always writes worlds steeped in ghastly sadism. Dark isn’t a selling point for me, but her kind of dark I love. It’s a different kind of fantasy, because the villains always get theirs in the end. It’s almost therapeutic after reading stories in the newspaper about criminals going unpunished to settle in with a book where anyone who commits horrible acts will meet a horrible fate. Funny because I say I like violence for realism but this isn’t realistic; sometimes attackers face no repercussions for their actions. Also, while I might like it in a story, in real life I wouldn’t promote this kind of a hand for a hand punishment found in THE BLACK JEWELS series. Nevertheless, it’s sometimes comforting imagining a world like Bishop’s, where Karma is the ultimate vigilante who tracks down every single villain.

I don’t want to call out books that alienated me in their representation of violence. I review the ones I like and don’t mention the ones I don’t, because I would rather spend my energy promoting books I love than bashing books I hate. However, titles and character names omitted, I’ll mention some cases when violence in a book felt unnecessary to me. I have three fictional rape examples that always jump to the forefront of my mind when discussing this topic. First, I’ve never forgiven a book where the woman’s past rape felt thrown in to give her character more depth...but then left unaddressed. The woman appeared to have zero emotional scars from her rape; it was jut something that had happened to her. Second, I’ve read a handful of books in which the villain desperately wanting to rape the heroine serves of evidence of her beauty and desirability. There are entire blogs dedicated to discussing rape in more depth, but I’ll just say here: It’s not about attraction. It’s about power. Third, I recently read a book that I wanted to throw against a wall because the whole unfocused story built up to a random sickening rape scene that felt entirely needless. My best guess behind the author’s motivation is that she asked herself, “What’s the worst thing that could happen next?” If it had been a book “about” rape it might have worked. As I’ve mentioned, skilled writers prove that it’s not the subject matter but how you tell the story that counts. This rape felt like it nothing to do with the story but like the author pushed that Increase Suspense Button that spews out arbitrary atrocities. As for non-rape violence, I’ve read more books than I can count where the author describes vicious murders to highlight the pure evil nature of the villain. This feels like a shortcut. I prefer layered characters. The villain shouldn’t think he’s a villain. Describing grisly, twisted actions without considering the motivations behind those actions feels like a cheap way to encourage readers to side against the antagonist.

The fact remains that this isn't a measurable factor. I read violent books that impress me and violent books that repel me. Sometimes I can easily express why the violence felt pointless and other times I can only reference my gut. I’ll end on a reiteration that it’s not the subject matter but the way the writer tells the story.

ASTRID AMARA

 

Interview with ASTRID AMARA

Astrid Amara lives in Bellingham, Washington, and when she isn't writing, she's either riding horses, sleeping, or working as a civil servant. She is a Lambda Literary Award Finalist for her novel THE ARCHER’S HEART, as well as the author of numerous other titles including HALF PASS, the HOLIDAYS WITH THE BELLSKI’S series and the shared world anthology IRREGULARS. Her newest novel, THE DEVIL LANCER, will be released this fall by Blind Eye Books. More information at www.astridamara.com.

What are you reading right now?

VICIOUS by Victoria Schwab - enemy superhero story. 

What first sparked your interest in writing?

I've always written since I was a kid. I had a story called "Tattle Tale Terry Always Tells Tales" published by the University of Washington back when I was in first grade or something, so I decided early on I wanted to spend my life writing.

What do you love the most about writing? The least?

I love being inside the head of my characters, imagining their reactions to their situations, visualizing the scenes. I hate the agony of explanatory chapters - the "getting to know you" chapters or backstory, for the most part. I love writing the action scenes, sex scenes, melodrama, but writing the more subtle interactions of characters is much harder for me.

Tell us a little about your writing process.

Generally I start mulling over an idea or theme I want to explore, like an illness, or a magical ability, or a setting. Right now I'm trying to come up with a story with a guy getting shanghaied onto a space vessel. Once I have the idea then I start working on developing two characters that are interesting and hopefully a little different than any of the other ones I've written. I like to also come up with an overarching theme of some sort: family acceptance, redemption, etc. And then I start to plot it out. I have a very supportive writer's group that helps me brainstorm the overall plot arc. Once that's done I make an outline - very detailed for some stories, just bullet points for others. I then write chronologically, but also occasionally skip around and write those scenes I can't wait to write first, especially when I'm dragging my feet.

What are your passions?

Horses! 

Dogs!

Goats!

Chocolate!

Dairy products!

Cute evil!

Languages!

Sleeping!

What inspires you?

Ooh that's a big one and hard to answer. Animals really are a big part of my life and always inspire me - that they can look past abuse and still come to love a person wholly, that they have so much forgiveness built within them, so much tolerance...I wish I could be half as noble as most of the dogs I know. 

Story-wise, I love plot lines that explore battles of conscience or unintentionally becoming a monster, demon, or bad guy (Yes, I couldn't wait to go see the new Robocop, because that's my favorite story arc...man destroyed, brought back as something terrible).

Why fantasy?

Fantasy allows you to tackle subtle human issues in big, explosive, melodramatic ways. Instead of saying, my heart is on fire because I'm so alone, you can have a person whose actual heart is on fire. I love that.

Why romance?

I never thought I was the romance type. But then I realized every story I read I was waiting for the two main characters to get together, or cherishing every moment they interacted, and that was really the highlight for me. Besides which, a good plot can make your mind whir and your pulse race, but a good romance also makes your heart clench and brings little *meep* tears out of you...

How was “No Life But This” born?

When Nicole Kimberling first brought the idea of doing a shared-world anthology at Blind Eye Books up with me, she explained that she would be writing a story as would Josh Lanyon and Ginn Hale, and I got really excited about it. I started thinking about what world I wanted to make up, and it seemed like the perfect time to follow up on an old interest in Aztec culture. A long time ago I wrote a short story about some Aztec gods and the culture was so unique and visual and visceral I fell in love with it. So I then set about spending the next few months reading everything I could on the Aztec and Maya religious worlds. I took copious notes of elements I thought were so cool they had to be incorporated into a story (calendars, magic pens, blood sacrifices, serpents with one head in this world, the other in another, little spy birds, etc).

Then as a theme I decided I wanted to explore the feelings of culture shock and how sometimes we yearn for things that are bad for us, just because they are what we know. Deven came out of this. Silas August was my attempt at a severely damaged individual who keeps it together through rudeness and efficiency, all hiding the fact that he has seen some messed up sh*t in his life and will never get over it.

What was it like writing a story for a shared world anthology?

SO FUN. As much as it seems strange to say it, I love limitations - I feel like my most creative moments are when restrictions are put on my writing, and the shared world requires we all play ball to the same rules. That said, we were given a lot of freedom at first - all basically starting our own stories individually and then working afterward to tie them all together.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

I feel like so many people get hung up on the whole "being an author" thing and reading advice and promoting and designing their catch phrases and branding...but really what it all comes down to is: write a story you want to read. Forget everything else. If you could read the most epic, wonderful, heart-shattering, perfect tale for yourself right now, what would that look like? Start there, and forget everything else. And then force yourself to write to a schedule. The hardest part is just doing it. Even I, who's been working on a novel continuously since I was 23, will do practically anything to get out of writing. You know its bad when I decide to do laundry or clean the house instead!

Then, when you have written something, don't get hung up on every word. Know that if it goes to an editor, things are going to change, sometimes drastically. That's okay. It's usually for the better. If you go into the editing process resentful or believing every word you penned is golden, you will be upset by the process and end up with a worse story at the end. Editing is your friend because you are too close to your work to take a scalpel to it.

Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself?

I feel bad that I suck so hard at self-promotion and all the social aspects of being an author, but it comes from good intentions - I love to write more than I love being a writer. When I'm not on Facebook, or blogging, or even participating in chats, it's because I'm truly working on the next novel./span>

And also I fell in a manhole once. That's worth something, isn't it?

WHEN PARENTS TEXT

Review of WHEN PARENTS TEXT by LAUREN KAELIN and SOPHIA FRAIOLI

Authors Kaelin and Fraioli originally established this project as a website after laughing over some humorous texts from their own parents. Then the book came about after the website took off (and it’s no surprise to my faithful readers that I discovered the book first).

The texts are divided into (somewhat arbitrary) categories and presented with a simple, unobtrusive layout. Since this isn’t a novel, I can mostly only say, “It’s funny. Read it.” but I do want to mention some of my favorites.

The first section, “The Origin Story” showcases some of the earliest texts from the website, including accidentally replacing the word “referral” with “reefer.” Next comes “nOObs” and the general misuse of quick texts probably entertains me the most there. “Master Class” involves a lot of parents creating their own inventive emoticons. Then there’s an entire section with parental texts about their other technological woes (mostly sharing their unusual passwords or demanding help with Facebook). There’s also an entire chapter on “Harry Potter.”

For some more specific examples:

DAD: Put a new light in the camel so your friends would stop making fun of the nativity set on the lawn.

- from “Occasions”

ME: Happy bday old man

DAD: This came to me by error. Sorry, no old men here

- from “Happy Birthday!”

ME: Whats for dinner

DAD: sandwiches

(five minutes later)

DAD: who is this?

- from “Mealtimes”

MOM: You will add the dog as your facebook friend RIGHT NOW!!

ME: mom he’s a dog...

MOM: He is FAMILY, add him or you are grounded!!!!

- from “Pets”

There’s also the dad texting his kid wondering where the iTunes store is located, one reminding his child that cool kids play water pong, and numerous moms with various incorrect interpretations of LOL.

WHEN PARENTS TEXT was one my earlier humor section reads, but still remains one of my favorites. I follow the website now, but nevertheless hope they publish another book.

The Art of Reading: Music vs. Quiet

All bibliophiles have at least one thing in common: the love of books. Still, as I'm reminded every time I talk to another reader, that doesn't mean we express our affection for the written word in exactly the same way. I'm referring to how we read.

This post's theme: reading with music on in the background. Any preferences about what kind of music you want on while you’re reading? Or do you prefer quiet?

I prefer quiet. Part of the wonder of a good book for me, whether fiction or nonfiction, is how the real world fades away until there’s only me and these words. Reading is (no surprise) a favorite form of relaxation for me, but sometimes I think it even circles close to meditation. While in meditation the goal is usually to think of absolute nothing, reading still requires focused attention: think only of this book. As someone whose brain often runs the risk of overheating due to overthinking, I’m sure the mindfulness element of reading is a huge reason why I’m such a book addict.

If there is music on, I vote for no lyrics; otherwise I struggle focusing on reading sentences while listening to entirely different words at the same time. Talking about specific music genres, I always choose classical or Celtic songs, since I don’t find those too distracting...but I repeat: I prefer quiet!

How about you? Do you care one way or the other whether or not there’s music on while you’re reading? Does it depend what type of music?