Top Ten Things I Am Thankful For

I'm going to try and keep this relevant to the reading and writing world since this isn't my "personal blog" but it's my book blogging (and occasional movie, music, writing, blog). With that said, here are 10 things I can say I am thankful for from the year 2013:

I am thankful for...

- ...having read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, thereby discovering the BEST book I've ever read in my entire life.

- ...the helpful words and encouragement I have received from fellow book bloggers throughout the year, especially the Bestselling author of the Lunar Series, Marissa Meyer, who I still can't believe finds time to answer my questions whenever I ask.

- ...the library of 6 bookcases I was able to create in my bedroom to house all my books and keep them safe and neat.

- ...the ability to have read nearly 100 books this year! I think I passed 50 which I honestly never thought I'd do when I started out this year with only a handful going under the DNF list.

- ...all the book signings I attended this year. Some of them less memorable than others but they all come with experiences I will cherish forever.

- ...my job, which gives me the finances I need in order to purchase the amount of books I do! "When I get a little money, I buy books; and if any is left, I buy food and clothes." ~Erasmus

- ...ALL my twitter friends on my book blogging account, @nycbookworm84 who read my blog, and especially Between the Covers blogger, Heather, who always RT's my posts and comments on them. She's the best!

- ...The Collaborators! It came about VERY last minute and we've only reviewed two books so far with another one coming up before this year comes to a close. Alaina, whose blog is aptly titled That's What She Read, and I are two very different people and who better to get a zany kind of collaborative review from than two different people?! Look out for WAY MORE collaborations in 2014 with a possible 3rd person joining us ever now and again...

- ...NaNoWriMo! That's right, I'm so thrilled to be fully committed to this challenge/goal/mission, however you want to categorize it! It's made up of great people that make up a large community of writers, reminding me of a dream I once had when I was a teenager of wanting to write a novel.

- ...writing my very first novel from beginning to end! It's not November 30th yet but considering I am well on my way to passed 40K words today I'm more than positive I will make it to the 50K mark (probably more) and it will easily be one of the greatest moments in my life! There is some kind of feeling that comes with accomplishing a goal you never thought possible. I urge anyone reading this to find whatever that goal may be and go for it! You'll be surprised at just how easily you're actually able to do it!

What will you be thankful for this Thanksgiving?

The Book Signing that Wasn't...

I don't normally write up reviews about a book signing. In fact, I usually don't mention the book signings I attend except a tweet or two. And trust me when I say I gave The Strand book store the benefit of the doubt from the moment I got there till the moment I walked out but it must be said, this was the WORST book signing I've EVER attended and I've gone to 50+ events at least. But let me take you through my experience step-by-step.

Let's start with the simple fact that every book signing I've been to up until last night was at various Barnes & Nobles throughout the New York City area. With that thought in my mind I figured maybe I've been pampered by the way B&N run their book signings? I kept saying that to myself over and over again as the evening wore on. But I digress...

I discovered James Franco would have a book signing at The Strand book store through an email sent to me by the store themselves. Now, I am NOT a fan of James Franco. I don't know his work beyond the two episodes I recently saw him in of the Mindy Project. The ONLY reason I stopped to read up about this book signing is because he is a role model for my brother. I did some quick reading up on the event where there were two key points the "initial" (I put that word in quotes because The Strand was VERY quick to change what they put on their site) description of the event said:

1. James Franco would personalize the books.
2. This would be a ticketed event.

For those of you who probably have never done a book signing before and you're wondering whether or not it's worth it? Those two points, I would consider, great indicators that the event would not only be worth it but would go as smoothly as possible and quickly as possible. I say quickly because when an author agrees to personalize their book it can add a few extra seconds with each fan waiting to get theirs signed and usually there is a limited amount of time to do it in. Most authors, especially those who are exclusive to fiction writing know their fans are the reason they are as popular as they are so they want to get to everyone who's in line. But none of what I expected to happen actually happened.

When I arrived with my brother there was no real indicator (sign) of where to go. I had to go inside The Strand and ask the security guard there for what to do. I don't blame her for not knowing but at least she found an employee for me who directed me to a line outside and around the corner. The line was not that long, we got there at 7:15pm for an event that was scheduled from 8pm-9pm.

It wasn't until 7:40pm that an employee with a clipboard and another with wristbands came to us and checked that we had indeed pre-ordered the books. We were handed two wristbands and a sheet of paper that stated:

I draw your attention to the 3rd point on this piece of paper. "Due to time constraints, ticketed guests will receive a pre-signed copy of Actors Anonymous as they exit the event."

SAY WHAT?!?!

Let me get this straight, you KNEW how many people would be at this event because you had a headcount of how many would be here right? Then you scheduled this event for 8pm (probably because you had to adhere to HIS schedule and not the other way around) meaning you knew he could only be there for but so much time right? Wouldn't this signal to you that maybe you should only have allowed 100 tickets to be available? I'm not sure how many were crammed into that little "warehouse" sort of space were were FINALLY ushered into by 7:58pm and only after agreeing to WALK UP SEVERAL FLIGHTS OF STAIRS to the 5th floor, but there were enough to make the room very muggy and uncomfortable.

Let me not rush through this, I want to make sure I get it all out. Once a small group of us climbed the stairs to the 5th floor we were then greeted by a mob of people standing around, facing a stage. Why? Well, because there were no seats?! A large empty space which had boxes upon boxes of books towards the back, leading me to believe the event was being held in their warehouse, and you don't even have folding chairs? This isn't their first time doing a book signing of this magnitude right? I could be wrong because it sure felt like it.

So, anyway, we are now upstairs, and we've found a somewhat decent spot to stand. I'm only 5'1" so you can imagine I could not easily see over people's heads. I did a quick practice shot with my iPhone 5 to make sure I could at least get a good picture of him once he arrived. I would like to note that by this time I have now been at this even for 45 minutes with not ONE announcement of what was going on or how this would go at all for the exception of the piece of paper I was handed above. Not only that but I could see no security nor could I identify any Strand employees even standing around attempting to ease the crowd that was noticeably getting antsy as the minutes dragged on.

It is now 8:15pm and it's safe to say he's late (or unavoidably detained) and we've had no announcement. Finally at around 8:25pm a guy gets up on stage, does not identify himself as a member of the staff or anything, but states that James Franco will be arriving momentarily and we don't have to wait any longer for the pre-signed book that we can leave now and be handed the book back downstairs in the lobby. Words cannot express how absolutely livid I have become at this point. If he wasn't going to personalize the book but simply sign his name for each of us that would have been acceptable. I've been to a majority of book signings where that was the case. But nope, he wouldn't even be signing the books in front of us. Okay, fine, whatever, I'm over it. But on top of that he couldn't even HAND the damn pre-signed books to us as we left the event?!?!?!?!

Let me take a few breaths here cause I'm FAR from done. Okay, so now he's arrived and the crowd begins inching it's way closer to the stage. Did I feel like a stampede could have broken out at any moment? Yes. Did I feel safe at all? No. This is unacceptable.

He tries to quiet down the raving female lunatics who are scattered throughout the crowd so he can commence to read us what seemed to me to be an entire chapter of his book. Was his reading worth it? Yes. But allow me to quickly go over what is NOT acceptable book signing reading etiquette:

1. I don't care WHO the person reading is, you don't interrupt with your little rants of love and devotion while he/she is reading. (I won't say the what was said specifically because the language was vulgar and HIGHLY inappropriate)

2. Hearing a story about a woman being raped while heavily intoxicated is not a good time to shout cat calls or wish that were you! What kind of woman are you to want that kind of treatment?!

3. Listening to the words being read and HOW they are being read is always the best way to go when someone is reading. I can't believe I actually have to say that when everyone there was practically an adult!?

Okay, now he's read for a good 30 minutes where what he chose to read was riddled with foul language a sailor would blush to hear and now begins the Q&A period to which my brother echoed my thoughts of "let's get the heck out of here."

The only way out was through the staircase we had earlier climbed. So we quickly went downstairs where it seemed more Strand employees were relaxing than were upstairs where they should have been, to maintain some semblence of order. We each had our wristbands cut off to symbolize we would no longer be able to go back upstairs, but believe me I will NEVER be going back upstairs! Then we were each handed a book with his signatire inside. Yippee!!!

My conclusion to this horrific time in my life where it took over an hour to get there and over an hour to get home is that I will never ever again attend any book signing event at The Strand bookstore. If I'm ever asked for my opinion on the best place to go for a book signing I will very happily recommend ANY Barnes & Noble bookstore. I have not once had such an experience before. Even with what some (my brother) would consider the worst which was when we waited in the cold for 5+ hours for President Jimmy Carter's book signing event. But at least he DID sign the book! I felt that was a better and more worth while experience. The employees cared that we were okay at Jimmy Carter's book signing. They stayed outside and braved the cold with us. They even brought out hot beverages for us, free of charge!

All I can do is be happy that it's over. We got what we paid for, not necessarily what we came for, but what's done is done. Thanks for letting me get this experience off my chest.

There was another person who was there and he gives his excellent experience of how it went as well. Click the link below to read more:

10 Reasons It Must Suck to be James Franco

or… Reasons Why the Reading at Strand Bookstore Was Horrible.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Book Review)

The Book Thief
by Markus Zusak

550 pages
Knopf, USA / March 2006
historical fiction
Read in 7 days
Another Review...

My Rating: ★★★★★

Amazon.com / BN.com

"First the colors."

Review: This book, I don't mind or hesitate in saying, is the best book I've ever read in my entire life! I never thought I'd ever find a book that would touch my heart and soul as much as this one did. From the opening lines of "death" introducing himself to us and taking us on a journey with him as he scoured the small towns and neighborhoods during WWII when the Fuhrer was in power and Jews were being slaughtered by the thousands. The sheer idea that must have gone through Markus' mind when coming up with this story is unfathomable to me. He is definitely someone I would love to have a table discussion with on the evolution of this book.

The characters in this book! The whole book, while narrated by death, is told through the moments in Liesel's life. It's the story of a young German girl, living in a small town with foster parents who take in a Jew and hide him for his safety. But there is SO MUCH MORE to the story than just that. There are the lives that are forever changed and transformed by events that take only seconds to happen but last a lifetime in the mind and especially in the words of the book thief.

I almost found myself unable to properly review this book, which I found ironic since this book takes us through stages of literature really, and the love so few get from it. It starts out with Liesel's curiosity in wanting to learn how to read, so her foster father, Hans, teaches her. Then it develops into storytelling, which she masters really from Max, the Jew who her foster parents hide in their basement. The next step is increasing her vocabulary. She accomplishes this by soaking in the unbelievable library shown to her by the mayors wife. Which leads to the final part, but really the beginning, taking all she has learned and turning the words she's read and spoken and writing them down into her own story. The story our narrator finds in his journey of picking up souls to carry over to the other side, as is his job.

Again, I feel like I'm not giving this book the accolades it deserves because there are so many layers to peel back and examine. This is a book that can be analyzed in the classroom. It's a book that can be discussed in any family dynamic. It's also a book that can be dissected among friends on several levels. I will forever recommend this book and I know I will end up having read it multiple times before MY time on this Earth is done.

Synopsis: It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .

Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.

This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

If you want to learn more about Markus Zusak, please visit his site.

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Top Ten Books On My Spring 2013 TBR list!

For future Top Ten Tuesday topics & info on how to participate, click here!

Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn

Fever – Mary Beth Keane

To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee

Insurgent – Veronica Roth

A Lion Among Men – Gregory Maguire

The Zombie Survival Guide – Max Brooks

The Sherlock Holmes Handbook – Ransom Riggs

The Age of Miracles – Karen Thompson Walker

Fountainhead – Ayn Rand

Oz, the Complete Collection, Volume 1 – L. Frank Baum

I am looking forward to this Spring and wait till you see what I'll be reading in this Summer!

What are you reading?

January, The Wrap-Up

I am very excited to share my first "updates" post of what I've reviewed this month. If I can accomplish it I'd like to have at least 10 reviews on my update posts every month. Between the books I've read and the movies I've watched (on TCM and in theaters) I think that should be easy to accomplish. So here we go... (disregard Eragon since I never finished it this month)

Books

• Mind Over Murder by Allison Kingsley


• The Pigman by Paul Zindel


• Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut


• Agenda 21 by Glenn Beck


• Divergent Veronica Roth


• Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Movies

• TCM Presents...We're No Angels


• TCM Presents... Cabin in the Sky

_________________________________________________

Number of books read: 6*
Number of pages read: 1,895*

*I'm using Daytum to keep track of my reading for the 2013 year. You can see my progress here.

Divergent by Veronica Roth (Book Review)

Divergent
By Veronica Roth

487 pages
HarperCollins, 5/3/2011
Young Adult
Finished in 7 days
Another Review...

My Rating: ★★★ 

Amazon.com / BN.com

"There is one mirror in my house."

My Review: Choosing to read this book right after Under the Never Sky I can't help but to compare them. Unfortunately, I liked Veronica Rossi's book better. Possibly because the romance aspect wasn't until the very end of the book as opposed to this book which had it present from the middle to the end. 

However, the concept of 5 factions that each adhere to one purpose/goal and nothing more reminds me of a book I started (and intend to finish this month) called Agenda 21. It's the idea that a small government controls the masses. In the case of this book it is Abnegation that decides the laws of the other factions. It makes sense that they are chosen to do so above the others because they are selfless to a fault. Because of their selfless nature they are most able to know what's best for everyone. The story of this unknown world/time is told through the eyes of Beatrice (Tris). She is at the age where deciding which faction she wants to live in for the rest of her life. You only get one choice and no one is allowed to help you once the decision process is made. There is one helpful tool used, and it's a form of hallucination that puts it's subject in a particular set of situations. The choices each individual makes serves as a guideline to determine which faction they are best suited for. Beatrice originates from Abnegation. It is expected that the children should remain where they are born and bred but that doesn't occasionally that doesn't happen. If a child should choose to separate from the life they were brought up in with their family it doesn't appear favorably for the parents or that faction.

Needless to say Beatrice's results are "inconclusive" meaning she is an unspeakable and dangerous word; divergent. Hence the title of the book. Someone who is divergent is someone who is capable of being more than one faction, having more than purpose in life. This is unacceptable to the leaders of each faction because this means that person cannot be controlled. And having control over the actions and behaviors of others is power. She mustn't tell ANYONE that she is divergent or she will be killed. 

In the meantime, she chooses to leave Abnegation and join Dauntless. They are the brave and courageous faction who's sole purpose is to protect and defend the land they inhabit from unknown outsiders. I like to think of them as the military arm of the 5 factions.

Here is a quick list of the factions:

Abnegation - selfless
Dauntless - brave
Erudite - intelligent
Amity - peaceful
Candor - honest

If I had to choose which one I'd be best suited for I think I would choose Erudite. I love to read and I find wealth and power in knowledge. Although, I like Four (Tobias') answer to Tris that he tries to be a little of all 5 in his daily life when explaining why he has all 5 faction symbols tattooed on his back.

This book leads up to the great fight that will surely be going on in the second book. It turns out the Erudite faction is trying to start up a revolution, using Dauntless as their weapon, to remove Abnegation as the sole rulers and allow everyone to have a say. As most corrupt governments go, this reminds me of another story, Animal Farm, where when the animals take over all it does is put a new breed in charge. I predict something similar happening here. The Erudite start out with a good plan of giving equal voice to all factions but they will just as quickly decide to simply be the new rulers of the others. 

Great idea and great story. I'd just prefer this all to happen without the need for a love story. But this is a young adult book so I should expect that by now.

Oh, and one last thing. I did find it a bit hard to handle all the significant deaths that happen in like the last 50 pages of the story. I'm sure they serve a later purpose but still, it was a bit too much for me.

Summary: In a future Chicago, sixteen-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.

To learn more about Veronica Roth please visit her official site.

My Overstuffed Bookshelf Challenge, 52 Books in 52 Weeks & A to Z Challenge

The Pigman by Paul Zindel (Book Review)

The Pigman

By Paul Zindel

166 pages

Harper Trophy, 1968

Young Adult literature

Finished in 2 days

Another Review...

My Rating: ★★★★

Amazon.com | BN.com

"Now, I don't like school, which you might say is one of the factors that got us involved with this old guy we nicknamed the Pigman."
My Review: I remember when I was a pre-teen and I would call my grandmother a few times a week and read to her. She didn't care what I read really, I think she just loved how much I loved to read. I figured that out when one Christmas she gave me Sue Grafton's A-P series in one shot! But I'm straying off the subject. I mention this memory of mine because every time I read The Pigman I am reminded of the time I read it to her over the phone. I miss her very much which is probably why I jumped at the chance to read it right away.

This story is a sad one but it speaks to the heart of anyone who reads it. The idea of writing a story where two completely different personalities (Lorraine and John, the main characters) take turns writing a chapter, telling the story of how the Angelo Pignatti changed their lives forever, I would imagine, is not as easy as it sounds. You have the level headed female who happens to be friends with the stubborn, yet handsome, male. They are teenagers which is a difficult age as it is, who happen to have difficult home lives already. It is because of these difficult home lives that they instantly become attached to the Pigman. He could easily have been a grandfather figure for them but he wasn't. Instead, he was more the father and mother John wish he had and the mother Lorraine needed as well. And although both of them lied to get into his life in hopes of using his kindness for their favor, they quickly realize just having an adult around who truly loved them and never put them down or hindered their individuality was all they ever truly wanted.

This book is truly a timeless classic anyone at any age can read. I would recommend it as required reading in school where parents should read it with their child(ren). Their is humor, seriousness, and truth hidden in every page.

Synopsis: A Most Unusual Friendship

When sophomores John and Lorraine played a practical joke a few months ago on a stranger named Angelo Pignati, they had no idea what they were starting. Virtually overnight, almost against their will, the two befriended the lonely old man; it wasn't long before they were more comfortable in his house than their own. But now Mr. Pignati is dead. And for John and Lorraine, the only way to find peace is to write down their friend's story — the story of the Pigman.

Armchair BEA 2012: Introductions

A day late in getting this out but I have an excuse, I’ve been moving since Friday and being that I cannot move on the weekends I’ve had yesterday and today to get it done. Now that I’m 25% done with moving, meaning my books are all unpacked and just about organized on my book shelves, I can get down to working on my blog more!

BookExpo America (BEA) will be taking place every year from now till 2015 at the Jacob Javits Center here in NYC (my hometown) but unfortunately I cannot make it there this year (due to my moving/unpacking). I hope to put it in my calendar and head there next year for sure.

For those of us who can’t be there, though, there is Armchair BEA! To kick off this year’s from-the-comfort-of-our-own-homes conference, we have been asked to tell everyone a little bit about ourselves by answering five questions. Here are mine:

• Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging?

For starters, I am fairly new to the blogging community in terms of sharing my thoughts (“Reviews”) on the movies I see and the books I read. I’ve almost always (since high school at least) kept a blog in one way or another that was mainly my journal, but it was fairly off and on. More off than on. It isn’t until recently that I’ve finally found something I enjoy blogging about. I’ll say I started this blog idea of mine just a few months ago. My name is Erica Drayton, I live in New York City, in the Bronx to be more precise. I’ve lived in New York City all my life and could not imagine living any place else. I got into blogging because I love to write and I figured why not write what inspires me from time to time. And what inspires me are the movies (old and new) that I see and the books that I read (biographies, non-fiction, classics, fiction, etc.).

• What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book you have read so far in 2012?

Unlike some more avid book bloggers I am only able to read one book at a time so currently I am reading The Little Red Guard by Wenguang Huang. It’s been on the best sellers list for a while and I’ve heard good things about it. I’m always fascinated by memoirs and I find them to be an easier read than most fiction books. A few of my favorite books that I’ve read thus far in 2012 would have to be Cinder by Stephanie Meyer or The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins. Yes, I’ve been reading young adults fiction books a lot lately.

• Tell us one non-book-related thing that everyone reading your blog may not know about you.

Hmm, this is not as easy to answer as I thought it would be… I suppose the fact that I enjoy museums. I seek out places and things that inspire me most. Pieces of art in all forms inspire me to write and also inspire me to read and learn more about what I’ve seen.

• What is your favorite feature on your blog (i.e. author interviews, memes, something specific to your blog)?

My favorite feature is one that I’m currently working on but I know will be my most prized possession that I share with those who read my blog. It would have to be my “Signed By…” section. This is where I will post a picture of the autographed author I got and perhaps any pictures I took of that person as well as a short story behind the signature. Perhaps it was something they said in the little Q&A most of them do before hand? Or what I said to them as I approached the signing table? It will be a place I can easily go to and remember what it was like. I hope you enjoy this section as well as I do.

• What is your favorite part about the book blogging community? Is there anything that you would like to see change in the coming years?

I think my favorite part about the book blogging community is how nice everyone who I’ve asked advice and help from has been to me. I honestly did not know there was a “book blogging community”, let alone one so large and helpful. It’s not as closed off and individualistic as I had imagined. It’s not like everyone is out for themselves. This community is very open to new comers and willing to help any way they can. For that I am truly grateful. If anything, I would like to see a more seamless way of getting in contact with each other in the future.

(Banner design: Nina of Nina Reads)

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