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  • Dear Teen Self: 7 Things Books Can Teach Us About Life and Relationships

    Wednesday, April 25th, 2012

    Dear Teenage Self (for a visual reminder of what you looked like back then, please see this previous post and try not to snicker),

    Over the weekend, I tagged a pin on Facebook. Maybe you saw it.

     

    Source: dribbble.com via m. on Pinterest

     

    If I were going to settle on a motto to define my worldview as an adult, that pin would probably be it. And honestly it’s something I wish I’d understood better when I was a teenager and still figuring out how to relate to others.

    Because that’s what it’s really all about, isn’t it? Our relationships with others? I mean, at the end of this brief speck called life, what matters isn’t the awesome band you wanted to be in, or the number of Facebook friends you had, or the size of the zombie garden gnomes who tried to maul you in your sleep. (Okay, so maybe that last one…)

    What matters is how you lived out your story.

    And whose lives you impacted along the way.

    Because you ARE living a story. One which is continually being written, changed, discovered. And everyone else you know? They’re all hammering out a story of their own too. And all of these tales—mine, yours, or the ones we read about in novels—have similar components to them. And by components, I mean truths to keep in mind while you walk out the next 70 years of your life.

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    (1) You Are Broken

    We all are. Every well-written protagonist (main character/good guy) is. It’s what makes a book character human and relatable. It’s what makes us love them. It’s what makes their internal and external battles so worth rooting for. So instead of pretending there’s nothing wrong with you, accept the fact that, yes, there is. And let us support you in it. That doesn’t mean you have to wear it as an obsessive badge of uniqueness (oh please no). It means that when others call you on your brokenness, you own it and say you’re sorry. Then grow like heck from it. Because the main point in any really good story is WHO the individual has developed into by the end.

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    (2) Others Are Broken

    We know this, don’t we? In fact, sometimes, sadly, we’re the first to point it out behind their backs. But the question is do we ACT like we know they have brokenness? Do we treat them with kindness, imagining the dragons they must fight when they’re alone with their masks stripped away and their insecurities blazing?

    Even the most minor character in a story has a reason for why she does what she does. More so, every well written antagonist (bad guy) has a reason for why he is so freaking messed up. And very rarely do we get to explore the depth of his pain.

    But it’s there.

    In Bronte’s WUTHERING HEIGHTS we don’t necessarily have to LIKE Heathcliff (nor trust him—because let’s face it, he’s psychotic), but rather than hating him or wondering why on earth he’s such a jerk, we see a glimpse of the emotional battles and abuse he’s come through. The battles he is, in fact, fighting through. Which allows us to relate a little. And judge less.

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    (3) Growth Happens In the Drama

    You know those stories where nothing happens and we’re bored out of our minds wondering why in the name of all that is good and cuddly someone bothered to write the silly book? While at the same time we want smooth sailing (ie boring) in our own, personal, real lives.

    Why is that? Why do we resent adversity only when it hits too close to home??? 

    Think about it: We love Harry Potter and Frodo Baggins and Katniss Everdeen BECAUSE of the unfair and unasked-for trials they each embraced with courageous responses of fighting and hope and vulnerability. WHY? Because that’s the key to EVERY good story. It’s called the ”theme of redemption”—the overcoming of adversity and grief and betrayal by others, of dominating the mountains within and the curses spoken out by the bitter and the haunted. Those valleys and voices that say we cannot, should not, WILL NOT succeed.

    And to those voices we respond by dancing in the dark and screaming out with Florence & The Machine, “It’s always darkest before the dawn.”

    Because, my dear teen…there abso-freakin-lutely will be a dawn.

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    (4) There Are Multiple Sides to a Story

    And yours is not necessarily the correct one. Nor is it without flaw. Have grace. Be kind. Be generous in your thoughts toward others because no matter how much you assume you understand another’s intentions and reasoning, you are not them. You have not walked and bled and wept in their skin.

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    (5) Forgive

    It’s what makes Harry Potter better than Voldemort. He accepts the hand that’s dealt him and forgives life for dealing it, and eventually, (in a way) forgives Voldemort for his part. Not that he trusts poor Voldy. But he understands that there is a piece of Voldemort within himself—that he is capable of becoming like him. Whether he detests him or not.

    I’m not saying you have to trust the person who wounds you. Because you don’t. Maybe ever again. But forgiveness for a wrong done you, no matter how wretched, how humiliating, how full of bloody betrayal, is the key to living successfully. Your ability to dream, to become better than, to conquer the valleys and cliffs of the life you’re meant to live is directly related to the freedom of shaking off the chains that hang on your heart like a deadweight.

    What happens in life is painful, yes. For some of your friends, it will be downright unbearable. But don’t you or them sacrifice your identities on the altar of being victims to others. Heck—don’t sacrifice by becoming a victim to yourself! While you can’t control how others have treated you, you CAN choose to rise above that which was intended to hold you back.

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    (6) Take a Risk

    There is no story without risk, just as there are no relationships without risk. Life isn’t lived in your comfort zone. It’s lived in the broken world around you as you stand back-to-back bleeding with your friends fighting battles for the futures of those who cannot fight for themselves.

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    (7) You Are More Powerful Than You Can Imagine

    Every protagonist is. It’s part of what makes the story of your life so worth living and reading and sharing.

    Just be sure to use that power wisely.

    To do good to yourself.

    To do good to others.

    And to leave a kick-ass legacy so the world around you will remember.

    Love, Mary ;0)

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    Posted in Dear Teen Self, Uncategorized | 16 Comments »

  • Pretty Pinterest and Writerly Interests

    Wednesday, April 18th, 2012

    Ahem.  ***CLEARS THROAT LOUDLY***

    *taps website* Uh, is this thing on?

    It is? Okay. Well, here goes.

    For those of you who didn’t see my announcement last week……… Yes, I have officially joined the rabid fan girl ranks on Pinterest.

    *blushes* I know, I know, I’m so behind on the rage, but I’ve only held off due to the issue of time. You know how it goes—spending time on one thing means having less to spend on another; it’s that whole wheel of time or circle of a busy life thing or whatever you want to call it.

    But now that I’ve joined?

    I’m wondering why in heck I waited so long. I was worried about time? Really? It took me like ten minutes to start a page. And as to the time it takes for browsing, well, now rather than looking up inspiring bookish stuff or foodish stuff or vintage stuff or steampunkish stuff or tattooish stuff every time I’m working a blog post or trying to hunt down my silly little internal muse to nudge her back to writing, I’ve already got the files right there on one simple little page. With a single mouse click. It’s writerly inspiration in loads. And for a bookish, writing, busy person, this is equivalent to a pot of gold. Or at least a really, really great latte.

    espresso from stockvault

    (photo via stockvault)

     

    As my friend Sara said, ”To me Pinterest is an online women’s magazine. Pretty pictures, recipes, and nifty ideas. And free. And doesn’t collect dust under my couch when I am done with it.”

    Yes. That’s what it is. Exactly. (But with some steampunk tossed in. ;0))

    So, here’s my Pinterest page if you’re interested.

    And what about you? Are you on it? If you’ve got a page, feel free to leave us a comment below with a link so we can visit. And if you’ve been thinking of joining but aren’t sure how, you might check out this how to Set Up Your Pinterest Profile in 10 Easy Steps post by the fabulous AuthorMedia people (the post is aimed at authors, but the simple step-by-step info works for anyone.) And if you’re not on Pinterest and don’t plan to be, what do you think? Is Pinterest just a passing fad? Are we all insane? *gives you the quizzical eye*

    :0)

    What’s the mood noise of the moment? My lovely friend, Flo Paris

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    Posted in Book Nooks, Genre Savvy, Uncategorized | 12 Comments »

  • In Which We Talk About THE HUNGER GAMES Movie

    Wednesday, March 28th, 2012

    Okay, so if you’ve not seen THE HUNGER GAMES movie yet, you may want to skip reading this post as well as the comments section below since they’re likely to contain spoilers (or perhaps you’ll want to read them for the sake of seeing what you’re in for?). It’s up to you. :0) Also, for those of you who loved the books, but haven’t yet seen the movie—I hate to mention that your rabid-fan status may be slipping. Because, well, it’s been a WEEK since it hit theaters. *ahem*

    So? What did you think of THE HUNGER GAMES movie? Loved? Confused? Too gory? Exceeded your expectations? Frustrated? Did it stick to the book enough? Did the theme(s)/struggles/issues presented in the book come through? And what about the characters—were they as you imagined?

    Here are my own personal (quickly jotted) notes:

    IMMEDIATE EMOTIONAL REACTION

    1. Chuckled
    2. Teary-eyed
    3. Nervous
    4. Annoyed (I think the Rabid-fan Opening Night Movie Rule should be that you can scream all you want beforehand—yay for anticipation!—but once the movie starts, do NOT drown out said movie with your half-crazed screams or I may eat your face off. Just a thought.)
    5. A sense of disgust and horror at the violence–I didn’t want to think about the fact that these were children killing each other (and in my opinion, such a realization/reaction is one of the main purposes of the book series–to expose our own irony and shallowness)

    CHARACTERS

    1. Katniss—perfect (really, all around SO well done, and I especially appreciated how “normal” they made her)
    2. Gale—he brought the book character to life for me
    3. Peeta—totally enjoyed, although I found myself missing some of the interactions that established his and Katniss’ relationship in the book
    4. Haymitch—liked him, but then my sister mentioned she wished he’d been more “Dr. House”-like (from the show HOUSE), and well, now I have to agree darnit *shakes fist at sister*
    5. Effie—exactly as I imagined her
    6. Cinna—okay, so there wasn’t quite enough face-time/subtle defiance/interaction for me to fall for him like I did in the books, but I still hearted him
    7. Rue—perfect actor and perfectly played (although I wanted her and Katniss to start talking about their districts!)

    SPECIAL EFFECTS

    I specifically liked how they used the special effects (seemingly sparingly) to allow for a raw feel, interrupted by “glossy” aspects at the appropriate times (especially anything to do with the evil Capitol). I was surprised there wasn’t more goo-gore hallucinations from the tracker-jackers though. Not that I minded. Also, I confess that the wolves in the book creeped me out WAY more. Oh, but the scenes showing the operators controlling the arena were very awesome. Totally made that aspect of the book more real for me.

    RATING

    I was actually pretty impressed with the way they cut the scenes. I wondered how they’d keep a PG-13 rating with all the violence and such, but (in my humble opinion) they managed it.

    SCREENPLAY

    I praised the screenwriters and director the whole way through. Way to keep close to the story without boring or ignoring us. Thank you Hunger Games movie people. 

    DISTURBING

    Realizing that, as I sat watching a giant screen showing youth fight to the death in the arena, I wasn’t so different from the Capitol citizens (oh Suzanne Collins, how brilliant/convicting/subtle you are).

    And now it’s the Preciouses’ turns. What’d you guys think? We wants to know!

    Pinned Image

    (from this Pinterest page)

    Other posts you may enjoy: 8 Geek Items for the Hunger Games Fan and The Hunger Games (a book review)

    ;0)

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    Posted in Genre Savvy, Uncategorized | 21 Comments »

  • A Lovely Little Writing Retreat

    Wednesday, March 7th, 2012

    Every year, the Word DIVA group I belong to sets aside a weekend in a big, three-story house to eat, write, laugh, write, eat, and discuss the finer aspects of “The Big Bang Theory” and (this year) “Downton Abbey.” The four of us have been critiquing and writing for publication together for three years, and we’re still going strong.

    The first thing we do once we arrive is to eat. For sustenance, you know. Writing fuel…

    photo for breakfast tacos

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    And eat.

    writing retreat dessert

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    And, ahem…eat.

    writing retreat sustenance

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    We all take turns cooking (because a requirement to be in our group is that you have to be an awesometastic cook—okay, not really, but it should be…cuz it’s true).

    And of course I always bring my espresso machine (but don’t look at the foam because those bubbles aren’t tight at all *embarrassed face*).

    photo for latte

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    Then we write. (I promise we do!)

    apple writing

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    This is my “I’m wearing super swank ear muffs to tune out all distraction because I can’t listen to music while I write” look.

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    And these are my writing socks Wolverine bought me because my feet are always cold.

    socks

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    Then after writing we relax. And possibly eat.

    retreat relaxation

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    And then we repeat.

    Before heading home.

    Er…did I get enough accomplished? I don’t know, but I’m wearing THE coolest jacket you’ve ever seen in your life in this photo so that’s like, gotta count for something. Also, meet my dog, or, well…my dog’s backside. She’s the best.

    photo of mchristineweber

    Lovely way to spend a writing weekend, no?

    How was yours, by the way???

    Oh, and this is our 2012 official Diva photo. (Thanks CarolynVPhotography!) And wow, I am seriously striking a pose. In fact, Wolverine is currently laughing at me for it, so feel free to laugh too. I actually forgot we were doing photos this day, so about fifteen minutes before the shoot, I was frantically slapping on borrowed makeup in the car mirror. Yeah, I’m a dork.

    photo for Word DIVAS

    ;0)

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    Posted in Book Nooks, Uncategorized | 12 Comments »

  • 8 Literary Tattoos That Make My Heart Sigh

    Wednesday, February 1st, 2012

    Last week we looked at three literary tattoos that my children thought were wonderful, AND I was delighted to find out so many of YOU have tattoos!

    I also promised to give you my own list of personal favorites.

    So, here they are along with the books that inspired them. I heart these more than I can say….

     

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    The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien–the words at the base of her neck are elvish for “dream” (from TattooLit)

    We wants it, Preciouses.

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    “I shall not live in vain” by Emily Dickinson (from Contrariwise & Pinterest) 

    An incredible poem. A dainty tattoo.

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    “Radiant as the sun” from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (from College Candy)

    So simple. So lovely. So powerful.

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    Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling (from DeviantArt & Pinterest) 

    I’ve seen one like this with glow-in-the-dark ink. Awesome, no?

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    Howl’s Moving Castle tattoo.

    Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (from Miyazaki: A Beautiful Mind)

    My dearest, gorgeous, perfect Howl… *girly sigh*

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    The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis (from Tumblr) 

    I want to tattoo this on my children…

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    Pinned Image

    The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling (from Pinterest)

    Um, seriously how adorable is that?

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    Pinned Image

    “And days went by like paper in the wind” (from Pinterest)

    Okay, so this last one might be from Tom Petty, but still…fabulous, yes? Methinks I need the dress to go with it.

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    Well? What do you think, Preciouses? They are quite fancy dancy, yes???

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    Posted in Games, Genre Savvy, Uncategorized | 18 Comments »

  • Tattoo a Book Upon My Heart…

    Wednesday, January 25th, 2012

    TRUE CONFESSION: I have a tattoo.

    Just a thin thread of an ivy strand I got when I was eighteen and away at college. It encircles my ankle and makes me smile whenever I notice it’s still there. They say that once you get a tattoo, it’s like an addiction and you want more, covering your skin with art and poetry and pictures of loved ones. But not me…

    At least, not usually.

    Every once in a while, though, I’ll come across a tattoo that charms my whimsical heart–such as my sister’s, which is written in pretty, elvish words and translates “Shall we dare the dragon?”  (Are you thinking she’s awesome? Because, yes she is. In fact, ten points to whoever can tell me what book that’s based on…) And while I’m totally convinced my sister’s tattoo is the coolest ever, I came across a link from Publisher’s Weekly for some other literary tattoos yesterday when I was flitting around the internet kingdom. (Thanks to one of my Book Blog friends, Mary at Bookhounds!)

    Check out these ones of The Little Prince, Alice in Wonderland, and Where the Wild Things Are (which my kids liked best)! What do you think, eh?

    Next week I’ll give you MY best-of-the-best list of literary tattoos. But in the meantime—do any of YOU have tattoos? *stares intently until you ‘fess up*

    And if not, have you ever wanted one? What would it be of???

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    What’s the mood noise of the moment? Christina Perri:  The Lonely

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    Posted in Games, Genre Savvy, Uncategorized | 13 Comments »

  • Six Degrees of Interesting

    Wednesday, November 16th, 2011

    While I rarely do roundups, bookish or otherwise, this week was all sorts of intriguing! So, I thought I should share and you could enjoy. (Just click the links as you please.) Because, seriously, how can we bypass the news that Jane Austen might’ve died from arsenic poisoning? I’m totally convinced.

    And doesn’t it only seem appropriate that, in light of BREAKING DAWN hitting theaters this week, we read Sarah Blackwood’s fantastic post in defense of Bella Swan’s character? Yes, it does. (note: post includes some swear wordage)

    Also coming out, in books not theaters (yet), is my friend Jay Asher and his coauthor Carolyn Mackler’s book, THE FUTURE OF US. It releases next week. You can read their silly interview here and my book review here.

    And for those of us who obsess over the HUNGER GAMES more than coffee itself, the Examiner offers us a Hunger Games Holiday Suggestion list of dystopian books that fans might enjoy. Um, yes please!

    Which leads us to the HUNGER GAMES MOVIE TRAILER!!! Good gracious it’s incredible! To the point that it exceeded all my expectations. Thank you Hunger Games movie people.

    And finally…I had a birthday this week along with my son. Which we combined into a vacation last week. One of the perks of homeschooling is that you get to take time away in the off-season when hotels are cheap and theme parks are empty (plus, we had free tickets!). Here are a few of my favorite moments:

    Sea World San Diego photo

     Yep, that’s me.

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    Shamu

     And that’s a giant Orca.

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    Mission Bay, San Diego

     And that’s Mission Bay.

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    vacation

     And that’s some strikingly handsome guy I have a rabid crush on.

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    PubCakes photo

    And this is PubCakes.

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    PubCakes cupcakes photo

    And they make beer batter cupcakes.

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    And here is my favorite birthday gift from Wolverine.

    Book photo of Robert Browning's Poetry

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    Posted in Book Reviews, Genre Savvy, Uncategorized | 9 Comments »

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