Blast From The Past #6 - Reading Douglas Coupland

I've read a few books by author, Douglas Coupland. The first I ever read though, was Hey Nostradamus!. I remember that I had always wanted to read something by Coupland, he was the author of Generation X, after all, as well as being a prolific Canadian writer. I was hooked by this story. The power of Hey Nostradamus! led me to read Generation X, Eleanor Rigby, The Gum Thief and more. I enjoyed The Gum Thief maybe way more that I should. Without reading that first book by Coupland, I might have missed out on some fantastic novels.

Coupland has written so many novels. I have three unread ones downstairs, including Generation A, the "sequel" to Generation X. I should definitely read it, especially since bees play a part in the story. There are just so many books that he's written. I still have to read JPod, Worst. Person. Ever. Bit Rot, and it doesn't seem like Coupland is about to stop writing. This desire to read all these books would not have started if I did not read Hey Nostradamus! ten years ago and think it was brilliant.

Polaroids from the Dead

Last summer, I acquired a bunch of books. Sale books, plus books for charity, plus a friend's book purge. Seriously, I can't stop myself sometimes. Either from the friend's purge or from the charity sale, I received a copy of Douglas Coupland's Polaroids from the Dead. I wasn't really looking for this book, I just saw "Douglas Coupland" and picked it up. I've read several books by him, including his iconic Generation X (though I prefer The Gum Thief). I didn't know what I was getting until I was looking through all my newly acquired books. Polaroids from the Dead is full of pictures. The Dead? The Grateful Dead. The pictures are from a Grateful Dead concert that took place in 1991. The first section of this book containg (fictional?) stories all taking place at this concert, inspired by the pictures. It was an interesting snapshot of time.

This books if full of 90's snapshots. Places, peoples, things. Coupland addresses parts of his life in the first half of the 90's too. What he did, where he went, a German reporter he dragged around Vancouver. I think that man got more than he bargained for. There were a lot of moments that hit me, that took me back into the past.

One thing that hit me strongly, was the letter to Kurt Cobain. Coupland had started writing it while Cobain was in Europe and finished it after his death. That really took me back in time and out of everything that the second section of the book contained, it really stood out to me. I wasn't a big fan of Grunge back then. Instead I was listening to some Bad Boy and R&B, with reggae and boy band pop thrown in. But I knew the big songs from Nirvana (and Pearl Jam), I liked their songs. I understood the music, saw it everywhere. When Kurt Cobain died, it was a big deal. Coupland certainly seemed to feel it like so many people did back then.

Before starting Polaroids from the Dead, I had been hearing about the anniversary of the OJ Simpson trail. I was young when that happened. It was all the adults could talk about. It dominated television. I remember watching Simpson try on the glove. I remember hearing about Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman, watching their grieving families on television. It didn't really hit me though, I think because of my age. But it hit the adults. The anger, the disbelief. I remember being brought together into one of the larger classrooms with other students so we could all watch the verdict together. It was actually one of the first times I realised how different the American and Canadian justice systems could be, and that's when the tragedy of it finally sank in for me. Polaroids from the Dead was written shortly after. Coupland talks about Brentwood and OJ Simpson, how it all can be forgotten, but I don't think it has been. Partly because of the impact that trial had on other "celebrity" trials and crimes since. But also because Simpson still got into trouble and didn't stay out of the spotlight. Everything that Coupland wrote about Brentwood was deep and interesting. I wonder if it still applies to the area now. One of the oddest things about it was how close Nicole Brown Simpson and Marilyn Munroe lived to each other. But is it odd considering the people who have lived in that area? The entire third section, The Brentwood Notebook was an interesting study of the area.

In the book, Coupland mentions Princess Diana. As I'm reading his brief comparison of the Princess of Wales to Marilyn Monroe, it made me sad. I checked the year the book was published and the year of her death and I confirmed it, she was still alive when the book was written. His comparison of her to these Brentwood women seems like it was timely and unfairly accurate.

Things have changed since Polaroids of the Dead was written. It's almost a history book. It's a time capsule. If you're interested in the 1990's, though this book doesn't have everything (it was published in 1996), the first half of the 90's is very present. It's the perspective you can't get from someone looking back, it's from somone in it, living it in the moment.

First Sentences

I recently changed the entire first page of my work-in-progress and that got me thinking of first sentences. The first one that popped into my head was from Pride and Prejudice, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." While I enjoyed Jane Austen's most famous work, part of the reason I thought of this quote was because that line gets a lot of air play. Then I wondered, what were the first sentences of some of my favourite books...

The story had held us, round the fire, sufficiently breathless, but except the obvious remark that it was gruesome, as, on Christmas Eve in an old house, a strange tale should essentially be, I remember no comment uttered till somebody happened to say that it was the only case he had met in which such a visitation had fallen on a child. – The Turn of the Screw, Henry James

Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show. – David Copperfield, Charles Dickens

We slept in what had once been the gymnasium. – The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood

When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold. – The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins

The servants called them malenchki, little ghosts, because they were the smallest and the youngest, and because they haunted the Duke’s house like giggling phantoms, darting in and out of rooms, hiding in cupboards to eavesdrop, sneaking into the kitchen to steal the last of the summer peaches. – Shadow and Bone, Leigh Bardugo

There was once, in the country of Alifbay, a sad city, the saddest of cities, a city so ruinously sad that it had forgotten its name. – Haroun and the Sea of Stories, Salman Rusdie

The day I died started out bad and got worse in a hurry. – Undead and Unwed, MaryJanice Davidson

The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed. – The Gunslinger, Stephen King

Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board. – Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston

Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself. – Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf

A few years ago it dawned on me that everybody past a certain age – regardless of how they look on the outside – pretty much constantly dreams of being able to escape from their lives. - The Gum Thief, Douglas Coupland

My mother thinks I'm dead. - Legend, Marie Lu

All this happened, more of less. - Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Across genres and eras, the first sentence of a novel is important. It can captures a reader's interest or make them roll their eyes in annoyance. I've learned that not all first lines hold mystery, sometimes it takes the first paragraph or first page. I have a lot of respect though, for writers that can take you away, pull you in, grab and never let go, with that first sentence.

Generation X

Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture has been a book I've been wanting to read for years. Even if you don't think it represents all of Generation X (and I don't think it does), it popularized the term. For that alone, I think it is an important book. I've read several of Douglas Coupland's other novels and enjoyed them all. I could have chosen a different Coupland book that I own and haven't read, but Generation X had been waiting too long.

If Generation X was the book of Gen X, then the television show of Gen X was Friends. Though there are only three members of Generation X's group of friends, I found the characters similar, though not the same. Claire very much reminded me of Rachel, but Claire had a certain aloofness that I appreciated. Early on in the novel, I felt like the entire book had been written with a sense of irony. The tone is very similar to the early seasons of Friends. Generation X is not a comedy, but I feel like if you were a fan of the show, you'd like the book.

I found the characters intriguing and I'm a sucker for good characters. Claire made some interesting life choices. Dag did too. Andy was a great narrator. I enjoyed the way he explained things about Dag, Claire, and his life through story. I really liked that the characters told stories to each other. What I found Generation X didn't have was a tangible plot. I don't know if it needed one, but I've been reading a lot of plot heavy books lately and with this book not having one, initially I missed it. Stuff happens in the novel, with personal and familial relationships, jobs, life choices. They just aren't related a clear way. The characters have no goal, no mystery to solve or treasure to find.

One part early on that I found funny and ironic, in a non-intentional sort of way, was when Andy was talking about communicating in short blurbs.... If only these guys knew about Twitter and other social media! I don't know what Andy would think of 140 characters or less. In some ways, I can relate to these characters, but since this book is so 90s, it's almost a period piece. Does that make sense?

Will Generation X be a modern classic? I don't know, but I think it might be. I'm not sure what else I can say about this novel. It made me think a lot. I like to think sometimes. 

I Will Read You! Top Ten Books I Resolve To Read In 2013

The Broke and The Bookish want to know what we resolve to read this coming year.  There have been quite a few books I've been pushing aside.  I WANT to read them, other things just get in the way.  I might have mentioned this before, but I am a moody reader.  Even if it told you I planned on reading The Golden Compass, you might  find me reading some Stephen King instead.  I'm restricting muskeg to books I ahead own, no 2013 new releases... In no particular order, my top ten books to read in 2013.

1. Everything's Eventual, by Stephen King

2. The Thousand Orcs, by R.A. Salvatore

3. The Girl Who Played With Fire, by Stieg Larsson

4. Bodily Harm, by Margaret Atwood

5. Carrie, by Stephen King

6. The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman

7. The Flying Troutmans, by Miriam Toews

8. Jpod, by Douglas Coupland

9. Emma, by Jane Austen

10. Dead and Loving It, by MaryJanice Davidson

It's a mix of literary and genre books, just how I like it.  So hopefully I get to all of them this year!  What books do you resolve to read in 2013.

I Want All Of These!

I would put ALL of them together in my library and they would look gorgeous!  

- It doesn't matter that I already own some of these books or didn't have the intention to read others.  They're so pretty!!!!

* This is probably the only time I will post something like this from a store.

It’s Always Difficult To Pick Favourites

My blog has been around a long time.  I started it back in 2006.  Six years!  I’ve read a lot of books.  As The Broke and The Bookish have requested, I’ve narrowed it down to ten (or thirteen).  You can see the progression, looking back at 2006 to now, how much more verbose I am in my reviews.  I’ve also read across the genre and age spectrum.  In no particular order, here are the Top Ten Favourite Books I’ve Read During The Lifespan of My Blog.

1. A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseinni
2. To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
3. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, by Gregory Maguire
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling
5. 1984, by George Orwell
6. Wicked:  The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, by Gregory Maguire
7. The Dark Tower III:  The Waste Lands, by Stephen King
8. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins (re-read)
9. Dead to the World, by Charlaine Harris
10. The Gum Thief, by Douglas Coupland
11. The Paper Bag Princess, by Robert Munsch
12. Wither, by Lauren DeStefano
13. World War Z, by Max Brooks

I couldn’t do it!  I couldn’t just pick ten.  What are your favourite books that you’ve blogged about?

* Some of the early reviews seem to not have any spoiler warnings on them.  Oops!

*All book links lead to my reviews.

Don’t Stop! Top Ten Books To Read In A Day

Some of these Top Ten Books are to Read In A Day, because they are quick reads.  Others are for one day reading because it's difficult to put them down.

1.     The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins - You could potentially read the whole series in a day.

2.     Dead Until Dark, by Charlaine Harris - It's easy to fall for Sookie and Bill in one day.

3.     Undead and Unwed, by Maryjanice Davidson - Decide if you love Betsy or can't stand her craziness.  I love her and you can decide in a day.

4.     Confessions of a Shopaholic, by Sophie Kinsella - You can get excited and feel embarrassed with Becky.  Go through this fun Chick Lit adventure easily in one day.

5.     Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, by J.K. Rowling - It's been so long since I read the first Harry Potter book.  It would be nice to sit back and take in Harry's first adventure in just a day.

6.     A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Houseinni - It would be a long, emotional day and you might cry at the end, but this book is so difficult to put down.

7.     The Gum Thief, by Douglas Coupland - Coupland's writing is so fluid, it is difficult tear yourself away; you want to know what is going to happen to these characters.

8.     Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams - So good and fun and I think it would be easy to read in a day.

9.     The Helmet of Horror, by Victor Pelevin - I read this in a day by accident.  It was such an easy read, I was sitting with my hubby and the next thing I knew it was done!

10. The Penelopiad, by Margaret Atwood - An easy, potentially one-day read, for any Atwood fan.  You really want to know what happens to Penelope in end.

Except for The Helmut of Horror, all of these books took me more than a day to read.  It's been a long time since I've had the kind of time where I can just sit and read my time away.  But if I was without the children, maybe on a vacation or something, I could read any of those books in a day.

Thanks to The Broke and The Bookish for another great topic.

Heart Breakers! (Books Not Boys)

SPOILERS!!  (sorry)

The Broke and The Bookish are going anti-Valentine’s Day this year.  They want to know who our top ten heart breakers are.  These books are all heart breakers for different reasons.  I’ve tried to explain without giving too much away, but it can't be helped.  In no particular order:

1. A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Houseinni – I know it’s a book I mention a lot, but I just hoped for Miriam so much.
2. The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood – Another book I mention a lot and another woman who deserved better than she got.
3. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins – Yet another book that is often found on my lists.  I know it’s not the same as the first two, but I was so sad for Katniss (and Peeta) as they got off the train in District 12.
4. The Chaos Curse, by R.A. Salvatore – After all their battles, it seems like Cadderly is going to die!
5. The Dark Tower 7: The Dark Tower, by Stephen King - I really wanted Roland to find his friends and family and happiness at the end of the journey.  At least there is hope.
6. Eleanor Rigby, by Douglas Coupland - A brilliant story, with a very sad ending.  You really think for a while that the reunion will be enduring.
7. Confessions of an Ugly-Stepsister, by Gregory Maguire – This really is the stepsister’s story and it’s her that you feel for.  You want her and her sister to have a happy life.
8. 1984, by George Orwell - I just hoped their love would win out.
9. The Helmet of Horror, by Victor Pelevin - They were connected, they hoped to find each other, only discover that they couldn't.
10. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker - One heart-breaking moment after another.  You long for Celie to pull through and finally win.

What book breaks your heart?

Ten Canadian Authors

This week is Freebie week over at The Broke and TheBookish.  I was inspired by 1girl at AllThe Books I Can Read, who decided that she would name the top ten books by Australian authors.  Naming ten specific books might be a little to difficult for this time of night, but I do want to recommend ten great Canadian authors.  Are they the top ten?  I don’t know, but I certainly like them.

1. Alice Munro
2. Michael Ondaatje
3. Rabindranath Maharaj
4. Sinclair Ross
5. Douglas Coupland
6. Helen Humphreys
7. Timothy Findley
8. Margaret Laurence
9. Gwendolyn MacEwen
10. Lucy Maud Montgomery

Narrowing it down to ten was not easy.  I purposely did not include Margaret Atwood, because I talk about her all the time.  I hope some of these authors make it onto your shelves.

Which Do I Read First? The Top Ten Books I'm Eager To Read In 2012

I can't believe it's 2012 already!  It's the first Tuesday of 2012 and this week The Broke and The Bookish are asking what books are topping your list for 2012. This list might look similar to my Winter Reads list. But I'm not going to look at it, so maybe not. The list will also likely change.

1. Fever, by Lauren DeStefano. This book can't be released quickly enough.
2. World War Z, by Max Brooks. As soon as I'm done the book I'm reading now, I'm going to start it.
3. The Stand, by Stephen King. This will be the year I finally read King's big book.
4. The Little Sister of Eluria, by Stephen King. This will be the last King book on my list, I think.
5. The Girl Who Played With Fire, by Stieg Larsson.  What has taken me so long?
6. The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest, by Stieg Larsson. Really, what has taken me so long?
7. The Thousand Orcs, by R.A. Salvatore. Also, what has taken me so long?
8. The Chronicles of Narnia:  The Horse and His Boy, The Magician's Nephew, The Last Battle, by C.S. Lewis.  I feel like it's taking me so long to read this series.  I've enjoyed the first four books, why haven't I finished the rest yet?
9. The Tent, by Margaret Atwood.  What's a year without Atwood?
10. Generation X, by Douglas Coupland.  I think it's about time.

What are you eager to read in 2012?

It’d Be A Nice Place To Visit, But I Wouldn’t Want To Live There

This week’s Top Ten from The Broke and The Bookish: Top Ten Settings In Books (All those real or imagined locations/worlds you loved reading about OR settings you think would be perfect in a book). So, not all these places are where I’d actually like to live, but it would be interesting to see them the way I imagine. Some of them are easier to visit than others. These settings, I think, are all places that really contribute to the story; they have their own character or personality. So, in no particular order, my Top Ten Settings in Books.

1. Panem, from The Hunger Games Trilogy. I’d only like to go here if I had no risk of getting hurt. Each district seems to have its own personality. The Capitol sounds like a crazily over-indulgent city.

2. The English village Samantha Sweeting ran away to in The Undomestic Goddess. I don’t remember the name of it and I can’t seem to find it on the interweb, but it sounds just lovely. This village let Samantha find herself.

3. Staples. Yup, that’s right, Staples. That big box store with all the office supplies. Staples is the setting for Douglas Coupland’s, The Gum Thief. I adored this book. Making the emotional turmoil of the two main characters take place while they work at their job at Staples is just brilliant!

4. Bon Temps from the Sookie Stackhouse Series. It’s just so hot and mysterious.

5. Middle Earth. Do I really need to explain this one?

6. Narnia. Do I need to explain this one too?

7. Mid-World is the world of Roland, the last Gunslinger from Stephen King’s Dark Tower series. I wouldn’t want to live there since it’s falling apart, but I’d have liked to see it in its prime. Now, the strangest, scariest, deadliest things happen there.

8. Faerûn is the world of Forgotten Realms. It’s all magic and legend. There is good and evil, but still the possibility of change.

9. The Cottage that Mikael Blonkvist lived in during The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (minus the serial killer). It just seemed like a good place to read and write and get away from what’s bothering you.

10. Ancient Greece, which is the setting of so many stories. I was thinking particularly The Penelopiad, from Penelope’s point of view. Atwood’s take on it is interesting.

Where would you like to see?

Time For A Vacation! The Top Ten Beach Reads!

This week, the Broke and the Bookish want to know what are the Top Ten Books That Should Be In A Beach Bag (your perfect beach reads!). I think this list is going to be a bit different for everyone. My idea of a beach read and yours might be completely different. In no particular order, here is what I’d read if I had all day to lay outside.

1. The Southern Vampire Mysteries / Sookie Stackhouse series, by Charlaine Harris. – I love Sookie and all the characters in these books. I’d breeze through them, hoping the entire time that Sookie finds happiness.

2. The Undead series, by MaryJanice Davison. – I love Betsy! She’s irritatingly wonderful.

3. The Hunger Games trilogy, by Suzanne Collins. – I love Katniss and Peeta. The books are exciting and sure to make me feel like I’m doing more than lying around.

4. The Shopaholic series, by Sophie Kinsella. – Plus anything else I’ve ever read by her. Kinsella’s books are quirky, funny and light. Just what I’d need after reading about all kinds of supernatural creatures and teenagers killing each other.

5. The Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger. – Whenever I think of this book, I can’t help but smile.

6. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson. – I’d also likely want the other two books in the series, I just haven’t read them yet.

7. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith – What’s a vacation without some Zombie Mayhem?!

8. The Penelopiad, by Margaret Atwood. – A little more serious, but an easier read than some of her other books. It can’t be all love affairs and bloody violence. I wouldn’t want my brain to go mushy.

9. The Gum Thief, by Douglas Coupland. – Again, another more serious choice, but it’s an easy read and I find the style of the book fun and interesting.

10. The Legend of Drizzt series, by R.A. Salvatore. – When I feel like a hero, Drizzt is there. He’ll fight for what’s right and save the day!

I almost included Buffy Season 8, but the problem I think I would have with graphic novels is that I would finish them too fast. I also nearly included the Twilight series, but they’re huge! I don’t mean it would take me long to read them, just that they’d be heavy. This is the only list that’s ever made me kind of want a Kobo or Kindle or some other kind of eReader. I like the idea of taking 40 books with me to the beach. I know I cheated a bit with this list. There are 5 different series on the list. Oh well. What books would end up in your beach bag?

Book Buying Spree – Book Blogger Hop

I couldn’t resist this week’s Crazy Blog Hop question. It comes from Ellie who blogs at Musings of a Bookshop Girl:  "If I gave you £50 (or $80) and sent you into a bookshop right now, what would be in your basket when you finally staggered to the till?"

It was difficult to narrow it down. $80 barely makes a dent in my wishlist. But here they are:

Boneshaker

Many Bloody Returns

The Satanic Verses

World War Z

Generation X

Animal Farm

I’ve been itching to buy most of these books for ages! The list is based on the prices on the Chapters/Indigo website in Canada.

What books top your list?

Literary and Funny?

This week’s Literary Blog Hop asks: “Can literature be funny? What is your favorite humorous literary book?”

I think any story can be funny or at least have elements of humour. Douglas Coupland’s Eleanor Rigby and The Gum Thief are great novels that I consider literary and they have moments of being funny, but they aren’t funny stories. I agree with Lucia’s response also; Pride and Prejudice is full of humour. Shakespeare is a literary giant and Taming Of The Shrew is a fantastic and hilarious piece of work, not to mention his other comedies.

However, when I think of funny books, where then entire story has the reader laughing, I think more of Chick Lit or even types of Contemporary Fantasy. So just from experience, literature can of course be funny, but the overall book is not usually thought of as humourous.

Who agrees/disagrees?

Top Ten Books I Had to Have and are STILL Sitting on My Shelf

This week’s Top Ten at The Broke and The Bookish is making me take a real look at the books that have been sitting on my shelf for too long.

1. Binu and the Great Wall, by: Su Tong – I’m not sure when I bought this. It was too long ago. Binu is part of the Myth Series of which I’ve already read six books. I bought this one last June, I think.

2. Son of a Witch / A Lion Among Men, by: Gregory Maguire – I read and loved Wicked. I saw these two books on sale at a used book store and had to have them. I meant to read them right away. I think this was May.

3. The Stand, by: Stephen King – I love Stephen King books. The Stand is supposed to be one of his masterpieces, so I had to buy it. Plus, it was only 50 cents! I think that was fall 2005.

4. It, by: Stephen King – Purchased at the same time as The Stand. Also, supposed to be great. Plus I’ve never seen the movie, so I don’t even know what happens.

5. Brick Lane, by Monica Ali – I don’t even remember what this is about. I just remember that I had to have it and I was so excited when I saw it in my local used bookstore. Hardcover, no wear to speak of and it’s stayed that way for at least the last 5 years. Maybe longer since it was published in 2003.

6. Superheroes and Philosophy, edited by: William Irwin – I’ve been [very] slowly reading the Pop Culture and Philosophy series. I saw this one come out and it was about superheroes! I was so excited I bought it right away and it’s sat on my shelf for 6 years I think.

7. Gods Behaving Badly, by Marie Phillips – I’m pretty sure I bought this at the same time as Binu. The story seemed really interesting and it’s about stuff I like, so when I saw it on sale, I had to get it.

8. L’Affaire, by: Diane Johnson – I bought this around the time the movie Le Divorce came out. I had also purchase Le Mariage at the same time. The reason it’s sat on my shelf since 2003, maybe 2004.

9. JPod, by: Douglas Coupland – I love the books I’ve read by Coupland so far. I heard so many great things about Jpod and the story sounded so interesting that when I saw it on sale, I had to have it. I’m going to say that was about 2 years ago.

10. Blackwood Farm, by: Anne Rice – I was so excited when I bought this book. I had all The Mayfair Witches and was going to start The Vampire Chronicles. Blackwood Farm was bringing both worlds together. My husband had many of the vampire books, so I wouldn’t have to buy those. Like other books on my list, it was on sale when I got it, in 2003.

There is definitely a pattern. I buy a lot of books on sale. There’s something about seeing a $30 hardcover on sale for $9.99 that I can’t resist. This has given me a definite book buying problem. I could have continued with the list, but I stopped myself. I have enough books that I could not buy anything for at least 3 years and not have to worry about running out of stuff to read. Have you got a book buying problem? Which book should I stop putting off?

Top Ten Best Debut Books

This is an interesting topic choice from The Broke and The Bookish this week. What are the best first books? 

1. Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone, J.K. Rowling – Will this one be on many lists? Rowling created what I think will be a classic in children’s/young adult literature. That might be presumptuous, but I also believe that it’s true.

2. The Crystal Shard, R.A. Salvatore – I’ve read a lot of Salvatore books, but not as many of my husband. The Crystal Shard was Salvatore’s first novel and his first book about the good drow Drizzt. Drizzt has become one of the most popular characters in Forgotten Realms and appears in over twenty novels. Plus, there are graphic novels and games. The Crystal Shard set Salvatore as one of the best and most popular fantasy writers of his time.

3. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson – It really is too bad that Stieg Larsson isn’t around to see what a phenomenon The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and his sequels have become. If the first book of the Millennium Trilogy wasn’t as amazing as it is, no one would bother with the other books, whether the author was alive or not.

4. Coming Through Slaughter, Michael Ondaatje – This isn’t Ondaatje’s first published work, but it is his first novel and it made me want to read all of his novels.

5. The Time Traveler’s Wife, Audrey Niffenegger – Though I haven’t read her second book, I definitely want to after reading her first. It is an original and romantic spin on time travel.

6. Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen – Austen published her first novel, Sense and Sensibility under a pseudonym, “A Lady”. It was so popular that a second edition was ordered just a few months later.

7. The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold – This is not Sebold’s first book, but it is her first novel. The Lovely Bones is one of the saddest books I’ve ever read.

8. Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice – Though it was some time after its publication that it became popular, Interview with the Vampire gave Anne Rice her popularity and the ability to write whatever she wanted.

9. Carrie, Stephen King – The only book on the list I haven’t read. I really ought too. I really enjoy King and Carrie was his first and from what other fans say, one of his best.

10. Twilight, Stephenie Meyer – I’m not a super Twilight fan, but I have read all the books. They’re addictive. Though it’s not great literature and I’m not sure it will stand the test of time, Twilight did start a phenomena for this generation of tweens and teens. It also might be attributed with starting the current paranormal craze in YA books. That’s why it comes in at number 10 for me.

An honourable mention to Generation X: Tales For An Accelerated Culture by Douglas Coupland. This is the only other book I haven’t read, but this book did two things. It put Douglas Coupland on the writing map. It also made “Generation X” or “Gen X” and other similar terms part of pop culture. I don’t know if a writer could have asked for a better first book. I really ought to read it.

I’m eager to see what’s on everyone else’s lists.

15 Authors in 15 Minutes

I found this exercise at Whatcha Readin’, Books? (and decided to put up my results on both my blogs). The instructions are pretty simple and I enjoy the results. So:

• List fifteen authors (poets included) who've influenced you or who stick with you.
• Select the first fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes. No particular order required.
• Don't take too long to think about it.

Here is what who I thought of:

1. Stephen King
2. Margaret Atwood
3. Michael Ondaatje
4. William Shakespeare
5. Douglas Coupland
6. William Wordsworth
7. Samuel Taylor Coleridge
8. Virginia Woolf
9. Mary Shelley
10. R.A. Salvatore
11. Gwendolyn MacEwan
12. H.G. Wells
13. Hanan Al-Shaykh
14. J.K. Rowling
15. Khaled Hosseini

This didn’t take me as long as I expected it too, only about two minutes. I actually had more than 15 for when I finished, but then I looked at the list and saw that I was reaching, trying to be too intellectual about my choices. Of the authors I have here, some of them I’ve read quite a few of their works, others I’ve only read one or two. Each of the authors have influenced me as a reader and a writer.

That was the official (?) exercise. However, instead of just giving you a list of authors, I thought that I’d also give you a title by each of them, if you’re so inclined to try one of them out and are not sure where to start I have a suggestion.

1. The Dark Tower 1: The Gunslinger
2. A Handmaid’s Tale
3. In The Skin Of A Lion
4. A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream
5. The Gum Thief
6. A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal
7. Rhyme Of The Ancient Mariner
8. Flush
9. Frankenstein
10. The Crystal Shard
11. Trojan Women
12. The Time Machine
13. Only In London
14. Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone
15. A Thousand Splendid Suns

What authors have influenced you? Leave a link below if you make your own list and I’ll stop by.

Top Ten Unfortunate Character Names

Spoilers!! I don’t think I can talk about these names without giving away a little of the story, but I’ll try to keep them to a minimum


The first four are ones that as soon as I read them, I thought they were terrible choices.


1. Renesmee - Breaking Dawn, by: Stephenie Meyer. Really? Really?! Their baby is named what? You couldn’t come up with a name that was easier to pronounce. I know other characters in the book comment on the difficulty of the name, so that her nickname is “Nessy”, which is still dumb. I think this was the first name I ever looked at had to pause in my reading to contemplate how terrible it was.


2. Bree Tanner – The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, by: Stephenie Meyer. I get she’s young and we’re supposed to feel sympathy for her, but “Bree” is not a sympathetic name. The surname is fine, but I just can’t stand the name Bree for a heroine.


3. Courtney Stone – Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, by: Laurie Viera Rigler. This was another name that jumped out at me. I loved the story, thought it was interesting, but when I hear “Courtney” I think snobby teenage girl.


4. Fuschia – The Fuschia Is Now, by: J. Otto Seibold. I disliked this children’s book. One of the things I didn’t like was the main character being named after a silly colour. The colour/name is yelled through the whole book. It has yet to hold my daughter’s interest.


The rest aren’t terrible, but I thought they could have been better.


5. Artemis Entreri – The Legend of Drizzt series, by: R.A. Salvatore. I love Salvatore’s Drizzt books. I think they’re fun and exciting. I also think Salvatore is excellent when it comes to naming characters. Except when he name Artemis Entreri. Have you ever tried to pronounce his last name? It’s hard, but that’s not the part the really bugs me. Artemis is a girl’s name. Artemis is a Greek warrior goddess. A friend pointed out to me that she’s heard Artemis as a boy’s name before and I have too. Any time I hear it as a boy’s name, it irks me.


6. Dale “Barbie” Barbara – Under The Dome, by: Stephen King. Dale is a perfectly fine name. I even don’t mind the nickname, Barbie, when it’s used cleverly. But why does EVERYONE have to call him that? Even the woman he has sex with?


7. Liz Dunn – Eleanor Rigby, by: Douglas Coupland. Eleanor Rigby was a fantastic novel and Liz was a great character. Was Liz Dunn done from the beginning?


8. Samantha Sweeting – The Undomestic Goddess, by: Sophie Kinsella. She’s supposed to be a lawyer. Sweeting is just a very unlawyerly name.


9. Lord Bostock – The Princess and the Whiskheads, by: Russell Smith. As soon as I read that name, I thought “botox”. Sorry.


I could only come up with nine. A friend of mine suggested my last entry.


10. Every Mary Higgins Clark Character – I admit to never having read one of her books. My friend tells me that the women are supposed to be young and sexy, but they have “old lady” names. I’m taking her word on this.


Thanks to The Broke and The Bookish for another great list and the most difficult one for me since I've been participating.
 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favourite Authors

1. Margaret Atwood – For The Handmaid’s Tale; as well as all the other books I’ve read and loved.

2. Michael Ondaatje – For In The Skin Of A Lion; I know The English Patient is the big one that everyone knows, but the former came first and it got me hooked.

3. Gregory Maguire – For Wicked and Confessions Of An Ugly Stepsister; I hope the Wicked sequels live up to the first.

4. Stephen King – For The Dark Tower series; I love Roland.

5. William Shakespeare – For your entire body of work. Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, King Lear, A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream; I could go on forever, but I don’t have to, your work will.

6. Jane Austen – For the three books I’ve read so far, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion and for the rest I plan on reading.

7. Douglas Coupland – For The Gum Thief; I worked at Staples. I know what box-store monotony can do to a person.

8. Khaled Hosseini – For A Thousand Splendid Suns; I will never forget Mariam and Layla.

9. J.K. Rowling – For the Harry Potter series; I don’t usually like saying things like this, but Harry Potter might just be the Chronicles of Narnia for our generation. (Though, let’s see where we are in twenty years.)

10. Lemony Snicket – For you Unfortunate Series of Events; I loved the Baudelaire children and I’ve wondered what they would be like when they grew up.

This was another difficult one for me. There are so many authors that I love. I have to give honourable mentions to J.R.R. Tolkein, R.A. Salvatore, Charlaine Harris and Sophie Kinsella. I love and have read so many of your books too!

Thanks to The Broke and The Bookish for hosting another great Top Ten Tuesday.  Who tops your list?