West of Mars -- the Meet and Greet

The Tour Manager was kind enough to give me, an asthmatic, his upper respiratory infection. So I feel lousy and am keeping this week's Sunday Best simple.

WAY back in November, I joined this challenge. The idea was to read five books from your To Be Read pile between November and January 30.

I thought I'd let you know how I did.

Here is my last post, checking in and talking about what I'd read so far.

And check out what I did between December 15 and the end of January.

The Sex Club -- LJ Silvers (read my review at Front Street Reviews!)

The Garden of Eve -- KL Going

Spin Some More -- Red Garnier

White Bicycles -- Joe Boyd (read my review at Front Street Reviews!)

The Historian -- Elizabeth Kostova

The Loop -- Joe Coomer

Aunt Dimity Beats the Devil -- Nancy Atherton

Visions of Sugar Plums -- Janet Evanovich

The Reluctant Swordsman -- Dave Duncan (no link because Powell's only links to the e-book version and I did not read this version.)

July 7th -- Jill McCorkle

State of the Onion -- Julie Hyzy (watch Front Street Reviews for my review!)

A couple of cool things of note:
1. There are NO books in here that I disliked and refused to finish. This is a super-long stretch for me. Maybe I'm finally getting better at picking books.

2. That said, I don't get what all the fuss over The Historian was about.

3. Pleasant surprises? The Reluctant Swordsman, a fantasy novel from the 80s. The Loop, a quirky read that had been on my Wishlist since my Grad School days. See? Patience does pay off.

3. Lots of reviews, possibly more than I intended. Yes, reviews keep me from writing, but it's also good to stretch and discipline my brain, which likes to be about as disciplined at times as Trevor's. (and yes, he's yowling a protest at me for that dig.)

4. I really like Nancy Atherton's Aunt Dimity series. They are fun, smart, and just right. I really like KL Going, too. Even though The Garden of Eve is aimed for a younger audience, it still kicks. I've got a few more of each of these authors' books on the Mountain Range that is TBR.

5. I'm already eager for the next in the new Julie Hyzy series that was kicked off by State of the Onion.

6. Despite this list, it's still not enough. In fact, one more book arrived in January than I was able to read. At this rate, I'll be caught up in 2011. Maybe.

7. I've begun reading for the Jewish Lit challenge. Just wait to see what I'm about to blitz you with.

See ya later for the Poetry Train. And keep an eye out for Trevor. He's escaped my grasp and is leaving comments on the blogs owned by friends of mine. I think he's going to take this getting-his-story-published business into his own hands. Watch out!

Labels: books, challenge, Front Street Reviews, Sunday Best

It seems fitting to post this today, since Hanukkah just started.

I run my book club. I think I've mentioned that before.

It's a Jewish book club. Which is why the Jewish Literature Challenge was a no-brainer for me to sign up for. It runs from Hanukkah to Passover (that'd be now until April, for anyone like me who's too lazy to consult a calendar.)

Upcoming for our group are books including:

Kabbalah, by Rabbi Lawrence Kushner
Disobedience, by Naomi Alderman
The Kommandant's Girl, by Pam Jenoff

(I'd like to pause here and point out that all three books came to my attention around last year's Debut a Debut reading contest!)

A Day of Small Beginnings, by Lisa Pearl Rosenbaum
Rashi's Daughters: Miriam, by Maggie Anton
The Last Days of Dogtown, by Anita Diamant
Dirty Sally, by Michael Simon
and
Getting Old is Murder, by Rita Lakin.

Now, this is our list of potential reads. Clearly, in four months, we'll only read three or four of them. The challenge asks us to read at least five books, so I'm looking over my list of what's coming up on my personal stack. I see a Daniel Silva or two -- good stuff. I see Orson Scott Card's Sarah (thanks Breeni!) and A Blessing on the Moon, by Joseph Skibell. And as I walk around my office and look at the piles in here, I see more, more, more.

In short, because of book club, I'm always on the lookout for new Jewish lit to bring to the group. As I've mentioned before, we read as varied a body of work as we can. (this makes me think of my recent Booking Through Thursday, where I talked about palate cleansers.)

I'm open to suggestions, always. Both for book club and not.

Just remember... I prefer fiction. Go figure.

(and don't forget to enter the contest for my copy of Auralia's Colors!)

Labels: books, Breeni Books, challenge, Jewish Literature challenge

I discovered this challenge after November first, so I haven't been in a huge hurry to catch up and get my voice added.

At any rate, it's my favorite sort of challenge: catch up on Mt. TBR (that's To Be Read, and mine is not just a single mountain but an entire range these days).

The From the Stacks reading challenge encourages you to pick five books from the mountain and read them. The time frame is November 1 to January 30 -- and they'll be handing out random, small prizes along the way.

For me, getting a little more caught up is prize enough.

Thus, my five picks:
Auralia's Colors, by Jeffrey Overstreet
I'm reading this now and will review it for Front Street Reviews. Stay tuned. I'm on page 33 and so far, it's a great read.

My New-Found Land, Bunnygirl's book. I've blogged about it before. Here, in fact. Even though my copy's not autographed, I have the feeling that if you'd like me to part with my copy, it's not going to happen. Sorry. (unless an autographed copy happens to show up in my PO Box? Maybe?)

Death du Jour, Kathy Reichs. Yep, I'm WAY behind on kicking this series off.

The Hook, by Donald E. Westlake. I loved his book The Ax. Will I feel the same about The Hook? And will it inspire any Deadly Metal Hatchet adventures?

Death of a Saint Maker, by Allana Martin. This book's been here so long, I don't remember where it came from or why. Yes, I'm that far behind.

And for a bonus read, I've had The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova here every bit as long, too. I'll admit it: I'm daunted by its size. I need to get over that, as it's one of a number of thick books awaiting me.

It'd be nice, too, if I could finally finish July 7th, Jill McCorkle's novel that's been on my nightstand for awhile now. I really like reading it, but it falls victim to exhaustion more often that not, sad to say.



One final plug: have you seen my reviews up at Front Street Reviews? Reviews for Jennifer Estep's Hot Mama are now up, as is Rebecca Drake's The Next Killing. And if you haven't seen my thoughts on Colleen Gleason's first two Gardella Vampire Chronicles, it's still there, too. Let me know what you think of this bounty of reviews!

Labels: book reviews, books, challenge, Front Street Reviews

Check out what Dewey's up to now: A 24-hour readathon, in which the most die-hard readers will forgo basic things like showering.

Now, if you were all going to spend 24 hours reading my fiction, I'd ... well, still think you're nuts. That's because my pillow and I are very good friends. It prefers me to be using it for sleep, not to prop up my persnickety back. And to be honest, nothing beats a good, restorative sleep. Except for maybe those really good dreams that you remember come morning. Or those hours of insomnia that are spent working out new scenes, characters, and/or outtakes.

The good news is that there's room for the not-so-dedicated readers, too. And for cheerleaders. And for people like me, who can't possibly have this much time on their hands to simply sit and read (but what a luxury that sounds like!). This challenge is completely customizable, so ... join the fun and read away!

(before you ask, I'll gladly lurk and leave comments on readers' blogs -- a few hours late, I'm sure. But hey, admit it. You'd rather see Trevor's Song on the shelves than me spending an entire day reading.)

Labels: challenge, dewey

Now, why aren't other cities' local scenes smart enough to do somethin' like this? I'm talkin' about what my favorite band's got going on in the city of Riverview this time. Don't be sad if you missed the news; they almost snuck this one past yours truly, herself. Almost.

Ready for this? It's brilliant. It's worth copying. They threw a musical Hanukkah party for the members of the local music scene. Anyone involved -- roadies, musicians, promoters, journalists -- could get in for a ten buck ticket that they had to get in advance and buy through KRVR, the radio station that's so high on the Riverview scene that Bobby Bands, himself, is trying to horn in on their turf. (I hear they had the balls to turn his ten bucks away, too.)

For fifty bucks more, you could jam onstage. With the sponsors of the night: ShapeShifter. And since everything from the food to the club to the labor was donated, all the money went to one of those "keep music in our schools" charities that are so hot right now.

Took me two days, but I got hold of ShapeShifter's Mitchell Voss. "It was Eric's idea, really," he said, and handed the phone over. For someone who usually lets his guitar talk for him, ShapeShifter's Eric Wallace had a lot to say. Here's some of it.

"Monday is the quietest day in the entertainment industry, so we picked it, figuring that no one would be committed elsewhere. And since Hanukkah runs for eight days, there's always a Monday during Hanukkah. We can do this for years to come, and I hope we will.

"Why Hanukkah if no one in the band's Jewish? Well, my dad and I were talking about this, wondering if the Jewish kids ever feel bad that Santa doesn't come to their houses--"

He got interrupted here by my favorite blabbermouth. "Look, Chelle. We have Christmas parties out the wazoo. New Year's Eve parties. You can't turn on a fucking radio without hearing Christmas carols until you're blue in the face and stuffing a CD in the player so fast, you break the fucking thing. It's all about Christmas around here."

"So we figured," Eric said. "That we'd honor the religion that was around before Christianity but gets drowned out this time of year. We'd have a Hanukkah party and celebrate our music scene at the same time. After all, Hanukkah's a holiday of rededication. It just seemed to fit with the idea of reminding everyone that we're still into the local scene. It doesn't matter how big we get; it all starts at the local level. Just like the rededication of the Jews' temple."

"And we managed to talk the cook into making potato pancakes for everyone, too," Mitchell laughed in my ear. Ooh, baby. Laugh away.

Focus, Chelle. This was a good thing. Over three hundred people turned out, and they filled the fifty spaces for that big old jam with the superstars themselves. That was an extra fifty bucks for that honor, remember. Once you do the math, you get a pretty nice $5500 for charity.

And then those ShapeShifter boys topped that. They matched the take, making a cool $11,000.

Eric said his father's church was also going to make a donation in the name of the Riverview Musician's Hanukkah Celebration, and is going to work throughout the year toward getting more of the city's religious folk of all denominations and faiths involved for next year. The funds won't stay in Riverview, either, but are going to Music Lives, a foundation that spreads the wealth and the message across the country. This is important, Mitchell told me, "because without music in the schools, some of us won't get to sing in the choir and find out that we can do more than croak. That's what I got out of choir. That and the chance to be around all those girls in their concert best. Man, that alone made being in the choir worth it."

So, c'mon. This is one bandwagon worth jumping on, and go figure that it's ShapeShifter leading the way. Again. Y'all laugh at my face, tellin' me I'm nothin' but a ShapeShifter groupie, but if they're doin' stuff that's this good, why aren't you one, too?

You heard it first and you heard it here: Musical Hanukkah Celebrations are going to be sweeping the country. Get involved now.



(a note from Susan: While Chelle LaFleur, our slightly single-minded journalist, and ShapeShifter are as fake as the Musical Hanukkah Celebration, the Music Lives Foundation isn't. Endorsed by Paul McCartney and Fidelity Investments, they're helping keep music in our community's schools. Check out their website; read the stats about how music helps our children. And if you've got an extra $50, for the price of a jam with ShapeShifter, you can make a positive impact on the world. If you can't do fifty, do what you can; their minimum is five. Go on. Skip that latte and donate instead. And be sure to tell them you heard about them here.)

Labels: challenge, charity, Chelle LaFleur, creative writing, donate, fiction, Hanukkah, music, musicians, rock and roll

Another book about punk rock has entered my radar: Babylon's Burning: From Punk to Grunge, by Clinton Heylin.

Best known as a biographer of Bob Dylan, Heylin's apparently written other books about punk: From the Velvets to the Voidoids, and All Yesterday's Parties: The Velvet Underground in Print, among other books about music.

Well. If you don't remember what happened the LAST time I blogged about a book about punk, let me refresh your memory.

One book hardly makes me an expert on the genre of books about punk, but I'm sure game to turn myself into one. Therefore, I'd like to hand down this challenge:

If Barb at Front Street Reviews is willing, and if someone in Mr. Heylin's camp is willing, I'll read Babylon's Burning and review it for all of you. We'll see how this Brit's take on punk compares to Steven Lee Beeber's.

Given that we've got the perspectives of two different countries, each rich in punk tradition, I think this could be an interesting project.

Labels: book reviews, books, challenge, Front Street Reviews, publishing, punk rock, rock and roll

If so, you'll buy and wear these proudly:

Author buttons

If you send me a picture of you wearing them, I'll send you a present. To make it a bit easier on you, the buttons can say my name, Trevor's Song, ShapeShifter, or Trevor Wolff Rocks. Ideas of your own might win you a better present. *wink*

(extra special thanks to Nimrodiel for the goods!)

Labels: challenge, cool stuff