Weekly Geek - Review Links

Weekly Geek
When Dewey started Weekly Geeks, one of the first projects she encouraged us to do was link our book reviews to each other. Sadly, I've fallen of the wagon on this one. For people like me who need a refresher and for all the new Weekly Geeks this is a topic that could use repeating.

Here's what we'll do:

1. Write a post encouraging readers to look through your archives (if you have your reviews in a particular place on your blog, point them there), and find the books that they have also written reviews. Tell them to leave a link to their review on your review post.

2. Edit your reviews to include those links in the body of the review post.

3. Visit other Weekly Geeks and go through their reviews. Leave links for them.

4. Leave a note somewhere on your blog to let people know this is your new policy.

5. Write a post later this week letting us know how your project is going!

I have tried to do this since I started my blog but I always feel bad posting links to my reviews on other people's blogs. It feels like I am stealing their thunder or something but I always encourage people to post links on my reviews. And on occasion I link them in the actual post like I did with Going Too Far.

I label all my reviews so you can get to them through this link.

Or you can check out this list and see if you have reviewed any of the same books. If you have leave a link in the comments and I will add it to the post. I really want to make this a normal part of my blog so for all you regular readers out there leave me links!

Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn and Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyer
Kiss My Book by Jamie Michaels
A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton
C is for Corpse by Sue Grafton
D is for Deadbeat by Sue Grafton
A Girl's Guide to Witchcraft by Mindy Klasky
Accidental It Girl by Libby Street
E is for Evidence by Sue Grafton
F is for Fugitive by Sue Grafton
G is for Gumshoe by Sue Grafton
The Hot Flash Club by Nancy Thayer
Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty
Major Crush by Jennifer Echols
Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols
The Other Side of the Story by Marian Keyes
How to Hook A Hottie by Tina Ferraro
Bloomability by Sharon Creech
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley
H is for Homicide by Sue Grafton
Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty
Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev
Zombie Queen of Newbury High by Amanda Ashby
Audrey, Wait by Robin Benway
Evernight by Claudia Gray
Jessica's Guide To Dating On The Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

So leave a comment on this post if you have reviewed any of these and make sure to include your links so I can add them and feel free to add my links to your reviews.

Weekly Geek - Bad Movie Adaptations

Weekly Geek - Bad Movie Adaptations

Worst movie adaptations: The recent release of Watchmen based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore got me thinking about what I thought were the worst movie adaptations of books. What book or books did a director or directors completely ruin in the adaptation(s) that you wish you could "unsee," and why in your opinion, what made it or them so bad in contrast to the book or books?

Let me preface this with it is really hard for me to answer because I go in to movies based on books with a very particular mindset. I look at the movie and the book as two separate things. This keeps me from being disappointed and allows me to enjoy the movie. I have to do this or I would hate the Harry Potter movies for not acting out the books word for word and be mad every time one of Nicholas Sparks' movies isn't exactly like the book.

That being said, there is one time when I am pretty sure Hollywood really messed up the chance to bring a great book to life. I know there are many people who don't like The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown but I loved that book. I though it was fun and interesting and the entire time I was reading it I wished I had pictures to go a long with all the paintings and places that were being described.

I was already disappointed in the movie when they announced Tom Hanks as the lead. Now I love Hanks but he is not at all how I pictured the character, not in appearance and not in personality. I was also disappointed with the actress who played the female lead as she wasn't how I pictured her either. When I finally saw the movie I went in with an open mind but just felt the movie didn't capture the intensity of the novel and I was really let down.

I am cautiously awaiting the movie release of Angels and Demons. Please don't let me down again.

Weekly Geek - Thursday quotes

This is day six of this week's Weekly Geek assignment of daily quotes.
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My Saturday quote
My Sunday quote
My Monday quote
My Tuesday quote
My Wednesday quote

This will be my final day of this because I feel I have shared enough of my beloved quotes and because I think you have had enough of my blathering about how much I love quotes (and John Steinbeck and Elizabeth Gilbert and Dorothy Parker). So for the last day I am going to give you non-book quotes. Again, if you read this blog with any regularity you know that the only thing I love more than books is sports. So here are some of my favorite sports quotes.


I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures. ~Earl Warren

October is not only a beautiful month but marks the precious yet fleeting overlap of hockey, baseball, basketball, and football. ~Jason Love

Fans are the only ones who really care. There are no free-agent fans. ~Dick Young

Things could be worse. Suppose your errors were counted and published every day, like those of a baseball player. ~Anonymous

All hockey players are bilingual. They know English and profanity. ~Gordie Howe

So go ahead...argue with the ref, change the rules, cheat a little, take a break and tend to your wounds. But play. Play. Play hard, play fast. Play loose and free. Play as if there's no tomorrow. Okay, so it's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game...right?
~so this one is from Grey's Anatomy but it totally fits!

-in related news my beloved hockey team, is hosting the first round of the Hockey East playoffs this weekend. So my mood will be completely dependent on how those games go.
GO NORTHEASTERN! GO HUSKIES!
good luck this weekend guys!

Weekly Geek - Wednesday Quote

This is day five of this week's Weekly Geek assignment of daily quotes.
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My Saturday quote
My Sunday quote
My Monday quote
My Tuesday quote

These are some of my favorite quotes about books!

Everything in the world exists in order to end up a book.
-Stephan Mellarme

I think of life as a good book. The further you get into it, the more it begins to make sense.
-Harold Kusnher

You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me
-C.S. Lewis

You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend.
-Paul Sweeney

Weekly Geek - Tuesday Quotes

This is day four of this week's Weekly Geek assignment of daily quotes.
Weekly Geek home
My Saturday quote
My Sunday quote
My Monday quote
My Tuesday quote
My Wednesday quote

For today I am sharing quotes with another of my favorite writers. Dorothy Parker was truly a great writer and poet and one seriously funny, sarcastic, independent woman. You can learn more about her here.



Now, for some of my favorite Dorothy Parker quotes:

"This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force"
(this has always been one of my favorites but I have no idea what book she is talking about. can anyone help?)

"Men seldom make passes to girls who wear glasses"

"Four be the things I'd have been better without: Love, curiosity, freckles and doubt. "

"You can lead a horticulture, but you can't make her think. "

Many of her quotes have curse words or are a little, well, politically incorrect. And as much as I love all of them I am aware that not everyone does so out of respect to those readers I am gonna leave them off. But seriously, google Dorothy Parker quotes to read more. You will laugh, I promise.

My favorite quote was told to me by one of my journalism professors in college on the last day of his class (he happens to be my favorite professor and it was certainly one of my favorite classes.)
Parker was a founding member of the Algonquin Round Table and when she finally showed up to a meeting after missing a few everyone asked her where she had been. This was her very funny, and slightly dirty, response.

"I was f***in busy. And vice versa."

What a lady!

Weekly Geek - Monday Quote

This is day three of this week's Weekly Geek assignment of daily quotes.
Weekly Geek home
My Saturday quote
My Sunday quote
My Monday quote
My Tuesday quote
My Wednesday quote

I have mentioned a few times that my all-time favorite author is John Steinbeck. I just think he is a genius and I love all of his books. So here are some of my favorite Steinbeck quotes.

"Man, unlike any other thing organic or inorganic in the universe, grows beyond his work, walks up the stairs of his concepts, emerges ahead of his accomplishments."
-Grapes of Wrath

"To finish is sadness to a writer - a little death. He puts the last word down and it is done. But it isn't really done. The story goes on and leaves the writer behind, for no story is ever done."

"We find after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us. ...The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it."
-Travels With Charley

And my favorite Steinbeck quote

"I have always lived violently, drunk hugely, eaten too much or not at all, slept around the clock or missed two nights of sleeping, worked too hard and too long in glory, or slobbed for a time in utter laziness. I've lifted, pulled, chopped, climbed, made love with joy and taken my hangovers as a consequence, not as a punishment."
-Travels With Charley

Weekly Geek - Sunday quotes

This is day two of this week's Weekly Geek assignment of daily quotes.
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My Saturday quote
My Sunday quote
My Monday quote
My Tuesday Quote
My Wednesday quote

For today I decided to do some quotes from one of my favorite books, Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I think my love for this book came from reading at a point in my life where it gave me a lot of hope, that I really needed. This book touched me and I urge every person to read it, especially if you are having a tough time. Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the book.

"As smoking is to the lungs, so is resentment to the soul; even one puff is bad for you."

"See that's your problem. You're wishin' too much, baby. You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be."

"Imagine that the universe is a great spinning engine. You want to stay near the core of the thing - right in the hub of the wheel - not out at the edges where all the wild whirling takes place, where you can get frayed and crazy. The hub of calmness - that's your heart. That's where God lives within you. So stop looking for answers in the world. Just keep coming back to that center and you'll always find peace."

And finally, one that fits this blog (and it's readers) perfectly

"Dear me, how I love a library."

Weekly Geek - Quotes

This week's Weekly Geek is very near and dear to my heart. As some of you may have noticed I try and put a "favorite quote" at the the bottom of my reviews. I have collected quotes and lyrics for as long as I can remember and all the ones that really catch me go in to a green notebook given to me by one of my tenth grade teachers. So with that I give you this week's Weekly Geek.

A Quote a Day. This will have you pulling books off your shelves and Googling for your favorites. It also means a post a day for the next week - or as many as you can do. Quoth Dewey: You may want to come up with a theme, such as favorite passages from books, author quotes, political quotes, quotes about books or reading, humorous quotes, whatever. Or you may not want a theme at all; maybe you just want to gather up seven assorted quotes that appeal to you. You may want to start each of your posts of the week with a quote, or you may want to give quotes posts of their own in addition to your regular posts. It’s all up to you!

I am not going to do a theme, instead, today I am going to share two quotes I jotted down while I was reading last night and later in the week I will share some of my all time favorites.

From Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty
About a trip to Columbia University
"As an agnostic, I don't know who or what or why this force is pulling me toward New York. Frankly, it's beyond my comprehension. All I know is that when I set foot on that campus, I was so sure it was where I was supposed to be. It wasn't a shout that reverberated inside my body until I rocked with shock. No, it was a quiet but confident voice I wasn't used to hearing, one that assured me that I had just come to the right place where I could be a part of something great. It was the first time I'd ever felt that way in my life"

-and-

About a trip to Piedmont College
"I just came back from the innermost circle of hell, and it's decorated in Laura Ashley florals."

I loved the description of the first one, and it is truly how I felt on my own college campus. And the second just made me giggle.

Weekly Geek home
My Saturday quote
My Sunday quote
My Monday quote
My Tuesday quote
My Wednesday quote

Weekly Geek - Character Interviews

Character Interviews
This week we are going to continue with the theme started last week and go even further exploring our favorite book characters.

Many of us have had an opportunity to interview an author, mostly through email, but perhaps even on the phone or in person. In fact, many of you have become experts at author interviews. So this week, let's pretend that we can get in contact with one of our favorite characters and interview them. What would you ask Mr. Darcy if you could send him an email. What would his answers be like? What would you say if you could just call up Liesel or Rudy from The Book Thief and ask them anything? How would they answer your questions? What if you could invite Jo March or Anne Shirley to lunch, what would the conversation be like?

So blog about that imagined conversation, or phone discussion, or email exchange. Of course, there may be lots of things we'll have to make up or imagine them saying. But many things we should be able to figure out their answers just from what we know of them in their respective books.

Ok, so while I love Weekly Geeks I am having a little trouble with this one. If it was just to come up with questions for my favorite character that would be fine, I have a thousand questions and I immediately wanted to do Kinsey Millhone from Sue Grafton's alphabet series. But here is where my problem started. As much as I love the character and know all that I can from reading the series, in my opinion only the author can speak on behalf of the character. Especially in the case of Kinsey because Grafton is still writing the series and she refuses to release the series to Hollywood because she doesn't want the character interpreted by any one else. So out of respect for that I gathered some of my favorite character interviews done by the author and I will link to them. Hope you understand my reasoning and enjoy!

Here is the interview with Sue Grafton where she explains why she won't release Kinsey to Hollywood, and therefore, why I won't pretend to know the character's answers to anything.

Presenting Lenore did an interview recently with A.S. King, author of Dust of 100 Dogs, and the character Saffron.

The Book Muncher did one with A.S. King and the character Emer Morrisey

This is a really cool case where author Micol Ostow created blogs for her characters in the Bradford Novels.

Here Micol also created a back to school playlist for her character Jeremy

This is a fun interview between Micol's MADISON TAKAHASHI and Melissa Walker's character Violet

I know there are more out there but these are the ones I could find. Hope you enjoy! and I can't wait to read everyone elses interviews.

Weekly Geek - What's in a name?

What's in a Name?

For this week's edition of Weekly Geeks, we're going to take a closer look at character names. What are some of your favorite character names? Go to Google or a baby name site like this one or this one, and look up a favorite character's name. What does their name mean? Do you think the meaning fits the character? Why or why not?If you'd like, look up your own name as well and share the meaning.

I love character's name when they mean something or reveal something more about the character's personality and I think there is no one who does this better than J.K. Rowling. All of the names of her characters truly relate to their personality. I once read one of those all about Harry Potter books and it went through every name and detailed what it meant and how it related and it was very interesting. Here are just a few that I could find.

Neville Longbottom: Neville means "new town." Longbottom is a comical name, perhaps suggesting this bumbling student is chubby or has a "long bottom" that trips him up.

Draco Malfoy: Draco is from the Latin word for dragon. Malfoy is from the French, mal foi, "bad faith."

Rita Skeeter Rita is a nickname form of Margarita, related to Margaret, from Greek margaron, or "pearl." Skeeter is American English slang for a mosquito. This females of this insect are well-known for their annoying habits of buzzing around the head and sucking blood, which they need to lay their eggs. Some people also like to call news reporters "bloodsuckers."

Obviously it is easier to make these matches as a writer because you already know the character but sometimes it works out in real life that a person's name matches them. This is the case with me.
Erika - Ever-powerful
Lynn - Cascade, waterfall
People who know me well know how well this name fits me. I have a very strong personality and the joke is watch out or get drowned by the powerful waterfall. Also I have noticed that Erika's in movies and tv shows are always the bad girl and well...a little bitchy...so it really does fit.

Also if I had been a boy I would have been Salvatore Joseph Michael Carrubba V...yes I would have been a fifth...
Salvatore - Savior
Joseph - God Adds
Michael - Who is Like God
It's really a good thing I wasn't a boy because this doesn't seem to fit me at all. My father is Salvatore Joseph Michael and my uncle, his twin brother, is Joseph Salvatore Michael and I don't think it really fits either of them. But I suppose they were just given good religious names as was custom at the time.

So what's in your name?

Weekly Geek - Book Covers

Judge a Book By Its Cover!

This week it's all about judging books by their covers! Pick a book--any book, really--and search out multiple book cover images for that book. They could span a decade or two (or more)...Or they could span several countries. Which cover is your favorite? Which one is your least favorite? Which one best 'captures' what the book is about?



I chose Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck because it is my all time favorite book and I was curious what covers were out there.

The first image is the original 1962 hardcover from The Curtis Publishing Company. I had never seen this one before and I think it is my favorite. It has the three key elements of the book, John, Charley and the RV they rode around in.

The second image is the 1994 audio book cover and my least favorite. It just doesn't say anything about the book.

The third is a 2001 Penguin edition released in the UK. While I like the photograph used I just prefer the other covers. The sketches speak more to the book in my opinion. It is totally a matter of personal taste.

I have copies of the fourth and fifth book covers. The fourth is a 1963 printing from Bantum Book and I found it at a little used book store a few years ago. It is barely still in one piece but I love it. The fifth is the US Penguin cover, originally released in 1980 but it is the cover used for all reprints now. I bought one of these just to have and be able to read since my other copy is more of an antique.

I think the first, fourth and fifth covers are all great and fit the book well. But I think the first is my favorite because it really gives the old-time, classic feel that I get from Steinbeck's writing. And it is one the reasons I love this book. Seriously, if you haven't, read this book.

What covers have you discovered?

Weekly Geek - Week 2

This week's Weekly Geek is inspired by Dewey's Knit-a-Long, a mini challenge of Dewey's Reading Challenge. Dewey had other passions besides reading and blogging. Knitting was one of them. This made me think, what are the Weekly Geek's other passions?

#1. What are you passionate about besides reading and blogging? For example, are you crafty (knitting, woodworking, scrapbooking, model building)? Do you cook? Into gaming (computer or board)? Sports (player or spectator)? Photography? Maybe you like geocaching, rock climbing? Or love attending events like renaissance fairs, concerts? Music? Dancing? You get the idea. Tell us why you're passionate about it. Post photos of what you've made or of yourself doing whatever it is you love doing.

#2. Get us involved. Link to tutorials, recipes, Youtube videos, websites, fan sites, etc, anything that will help us learn more about your interest or how to do your hobby. Maybe you'd like to link to another hobbyist whose work you admire or tell us about a book or magazine related to your interest.

#3. Visit other Weekly Geeks. Link in your post to other Geeks who've peaked your interest in their passion. Or maybe you might find a fellow aficionado among us, link to them.

#1 The only other thing that gets me as animated as books is sports. I just got my degree in journalism and I work doing PR and media relations for college athletics. Basically, I get paid to watch sports and I am completely addicted to my job. I am so lucky that I will never be someone who hates going to work because my job is so much fun. I have spent the last five years working for Northeastern University, where I went to school, and love all the teams there. I especially love working with the volleyball, basketball and hockey teams. But I have loved every second of working with football, men's and women's soccer, baseball, field hockey and...well...everyone. I don't just love the sports of my school. I am a die hard Atlanta Braves fan and pretty much live and die by the Dallas Cowboys.

#2 Check out some of the amazing links in my world.

The Northeastern hockey team is currently ranked 3rd in the country and first place in the conference. Which is truly amazing. Our goalie is one of the top players in the nation and up for the prestigious Hobey Baker award. Actually if you could all go vote for him just once I would be eternally grateful. PLEASE VOTE HERE! Brad Theissen is not only an exceptional goalie but a very good friend of mine.

Brad has a blog of his own you can check out here

The men's basketball team is also first place in the country. (The only school in the country with a first place basketball and hockey team!!!) They face off against conference rival Delaware today at 1 p.m. and you can listen to the game - and all games - at WRBB sports

Here is a video of a game a few years ago that still goes down as one of the best moments in my time there. With 2.6 seconds left Mike Morris scores to tie Boston College - one of our rivals and our arena was rocking. It was insane.

I could go on about NU sports until the end of time - trust me - but check GoNU for all the information you could need! I can't wait to see what else you all are passionate about!

The picture is myself on the right and another NU athletics employee loving ever second of working a football game last season.

#3 It seems most Weekly Geeks are WAY more crafty than I and enjoy knitting, crocheting and painting. However, Andrea love football too! YAY! And she should since the Gators are way, way better than Northeastern.

Weekly Geek - My First!

Weekly Geek
For your assignment this week, choose two or more of the following questions:

1) How do you feel about classic literature? Are you intimidated by it? Love it? Not sure because you never actually tried it? Don't get why anyone reads anything else? Which classics, if any, have you truly loved? Which would you recommend for someone who has very little experience reading older books? Go all out, sell us on it!

2) A challenge, should you choose to accept it: Read at least one chapter of a classic novel, preferably by an author you're not familiar with. Did you know you can find lots of classics in the public domain on the web? Check out The Popular Classic Book Corner, for example. Write a mini-review based on this chapter: what are your first impressions? Would you read further? (For a larger selection of authors, try The Complete Classic Literature Library).

3) Let's say you're vacationing with your dear cousin Myrtle, and she forgot to bring a book. The two of you venture into the hip independent bookstore around the corner, where she primly announces that she only reads classic literature. If you don't find her a book, she'll never let you get any reading done! What contemporary book/s with classic appeal would you pull off the shelf for her?

4) As you explore the other Weekly Geeks posts: Did any inspire you to want to read a book you've never read before—or reread one to give it another chance? Tell us all about it, including a link to the post or posts that sparked your interest. If you end up reading the book, be sure to include a link to your post about it in a future Weekly Geeks post!

1) I am not at all intimidated by the classics but I do find I have very strong feelings about them. I either love them or hate them, I have very little gray area. My favorites are anything Jane Austen and I really, really love House of Mirth by Edith Wharton. My favorite is Henry James, though. Daisy Miller and Washington Square are basically the best things ever written.

Oh yeah, and Shakespeare. Love it! Especially the comedies, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Taming of the Shrew. I also really love Merchant of Venice. Everyone should read Shakespeare, I recently read Mindy Klasky's A Girls Guide to Witchcraft and there were so many Shakespeare references that made the text that much richer because I understood the references.

3) After I slapped her for forgetting a book, because who really forgets books?? Anyway, I would sell her on one of the many modern twists on the classics like The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde because I thinks it a really fun genre. I love the classics redone like that.

OK there is my first weekly geek, I look forward to many more.