I've Been Called A Whore Before, But I'll Own Being A Book Whore

Well it's official, I'm finally a whore.  It's taken a lot of years to practice, but thanks to some wonderful friends, I can now stake claim to that title.

Since it involves books, that makes it even better!  I can now hold my head up high, and proudly proclaim that I am in fact, A Book Whore!

Believing Is Seeing by Errol Morris

Part Of Synopsis From Dust Jacket:

In Believing Is Seeing, Academy Award-winning director Errol Morris turns his eye to the nature of truth in photography.  In his inimitable style, Morris untangles the mysteries behind an eclectic range of documentary photographs, from the ambrotype of three children found clasped in the hands of an unknown soldier at Gettysburg to the indelible portraits of the WPA photography project.  Each essay in the book presents the reader with a conundrum, and investigates the relationship between photographs and the real world they supposedly record.  

It's rare that I can read a book of essays and not find one of them boring. In an ordinary collection, at least one will be about something Ihave absolutely dull and am forced to either finish reading it, or miss out on something I could learn from.  Thankfully with Believing Is Seeing, documentary film maker, Errol Morris, has managed to write 4 lively and interesting essays into an aspect of photography I've never really thought about before.

In these essays he examines the nature and history of documentary photography and the way it can be used to not only create a memorable image, but to create a flas image and a false reaction in the viewer as well.  Through an exhausting amount of time researching and interviewing, he takes on the enormous taks of not only looking at why a particular picture is taken, but how it was taken.  He delves into the minutae of whether or not a picture was staged and if it was, how it was achieved.  Thankfully, he doesn't stop his examination there.  He also chose to investigate the motivations behind and the fallout after the fact.  Does it really matter if a cow skull is moved around if it get the same point across?  Does a picture have to be staged to create a false impression?  Does the way a photographer frames and edits alter the image itself?

In "Abu Ghraib Essays (Photographs Reveal And Conceal)" he examines two photographs that I think we would all recognize.  The first is of a hooded man standing on a box, hooked up to what appears to be wires.  The man is being tortured and it's hard not to have an initial reaction to it.  What I did not know before reading this book was that the man has been positively identified, but also had a different man claiming to be him.  Morris examines the backround of the story and hwo the fact a man falesly came forward changed the dynamic of hte story and the photograph itself.  Does this false claim make the horrow of any less impactful?  Does he hurt the cause of justice for the other victims of Abu Ghraib?  Does the fact that he may have truly believed he was the man in the picture, matter at all?

The second photograph examined in this essay is the infamous one of MP Sabrina Harman posing with a dead prisoner, giving the thumbs up sign.  When I first saw the photograph, I was appalled by the image.  In my gut, I was horrified and embarrased that a fellow American, a soldier, was appearing to be so callous in the face of a horrific death.  I'm grateful that Morris chose this photograph to delve into.  He not only examined the motivations of Sabrina Harman, but he looked into the backstory of the events that lead up to the photograph.  I still have a visceral reaction when I look at the picture, but I'm no longer judging the young soldier pictured in it.  If this essay taught me anything, I learned that without knowing the context of a picture, there is no way to get the whole story.

I would like to thank Trish of TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to read/review this book.  Please visit the  tour page for additional reviews.

Sheila's Favorite Fictional Character --- Mia Devlin

The summer if finally winding down and most of the kids in the area have already started school.  Work is going to get a little less chaotic and my two month guest post extravaganza is coming to a an end.  Sheila from Book Journey will be the last of my Favorite Fictional guest posters and I'm not sure I could have ended with a better choice.  Sheila was really the first blogger, who I didn't already know preblogging days, that I got to know.  I met her on Book Blogs and I quickly, probably without her even knowing it, started to learn from her.  I found her to be an amazing, welcoming individual who didn't hesitate to show the new kid on the block a little kindness.  I will always appreciate and be thankful to her for that.  After two years, I still look up to her and all that she has accomplished.  I'm sure most of you know her, but if you don't, please go on over and say hi.  I'm sure she will quickly make you feel at home and will personally place the coffee cup into your hand.

A while back Ryan asked me if I would like to do a guest post on my favorite fictional character.  I quickly agreed and told him he would never guess who this character is.   Anyone who reads me over at Book Journey probably would make a guess of Harry Potter, or a character from the Potter series.  I would call that a valiant guess - but not the character I had in mind. 

My favorite fictional character was first introduced to me 10 years ago this month.  The reason I know exactly when it was is because the book was Dance Upon The Air by Nora Roberts.  This book was our first ever book club read and our book club was started in August 2001.

The character is Mia Devlin and we are introduced to Mia...

Mia Devlin ran Cafe Book the way she ran her life.  She had a mass of hair the color of autumn leaves.  Reds and golds spilled over the shoulders of a long blue dress that left her arms bare to the silver bracelets that winked bright on each wrist.  Her eyes were as gray as smoke and dominated a flawless face.  Slashing cheek bones, a full wide mouth that was painted siren red.  Skin like alabaster... she was tall, willow slim and perfect.

Now before you think "how shallow is Sheila?", there was much more to Mia.  Mia held my dream job as well.  She owned Cafe Book, and if is described as a two-story book store... books upon books on the main floor, a winding staircase to the top floor which holds a sandwich/ coffee shop.  I can almost smell the coffee as my mind opens the door to Cafe Book....
Mia is also a modern-day witch.  (Ok, ok, insert laugh here) but she uses her powers only for good.  All of this takes place on a little touristy island called Three Sisters Island. 

This book, and the two that followed in this trilogy, are still among my favorites and I recommend them to anyone who is looking for great reads.  This is not Nora's normal style of writing.... the magical aspect of these books is wonderful.

So in recap....

Mia has my dream job as a book store owner on a secluded island.

She is beautiful and wears long flowing dresses all the time.

She is smart and kind.  Always taking care of those she cares about.

She has powers!

Our book club is planning a comes as your favorite character party this fall.  I am going as Mia... I already have the perfect dress picked out.

Hunger Games Trilogy

Still in summer mode. I'm currently reading Look Homeward Angel by Thomas Wolfe. It's quite dense and poetic, perhaps a bit serious for August heat. However, I was inspired by my trip to Asheville and visiting the Thomas Wolfe Memorial.



For a true beach/poolside/anytime read, consider the Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins. I first gave a review on 7/1/11 of The Hunger Games. I was hooked. This fast paced story follows Katniss, a resourceful young lady who must play to live in a dystopian future.

Spoiler Alert: Her hunting skills come in handy, plus she's paired with Peeta, the baker's son who's declared his love for her. Does she fight him, too? Or does love build the alliance? But Gael, her true love figures strongly. What happens in victory?



Spoiler Alert: With a win, comes fame, plus more. Katniss was never the Capitol's darling and now President Snow threatens her life and family. Political manipulation calls for another special game, the Quell, and it pits former Hunger Games winners against each other. Will Katniss and Peeta remain a duo? Who else can be trusted? In the meantime, there are rumors that districts are uprising, inspired by Katniss, the Mockinjay. Again, who will live and who will die? Collins' pace, characters, and plot are a complete package.

Final Spoiler Alert: Katniss awakes in a hospital to find that District 12 is gone, others are battling, and she as the Mockinjay must lead the rebels to overcome the Capitol. It's heady business for a teen and she's in constant denial of her power. Gael helps her lead, and sadly Peeta, captured by the Capitol, appears to have turned against her. You, the reader, will keep the pages turning into the wee hours of the night. When you finish the series, you'll be very satisfied with your time spent with Katniss and crew. Whew! I'm out of breath still from this futuristic adventure. Excellent trilogy.

More birds and flowers

My bff Gretchen and I went birding last Saturday and, while we didn't see anything too unusual, we did see some nice places and beautiful wildflowers and butterflies.



Our first birds of the trip were some Wild Turkeys:Baby G told me that in the fall, the toms all hang out together and the hens hang out in their own groups, and they don't intermingle again until the mating season starts up. Interesting! There were three beautiful toms in this group, and nary a female in sight.



We started our birding at Bald Eagle State Park, where we saw quite an impressive array of birds at several hotspots along the lake. Highlights were several Osprey, a young Bald Eagle, a Cliff Swallow, a Green Heron that flew right past us at eye level and maybe 20 feet away, a beautiful Black-and-white Warbler, and huge flocks of Cedar Waxwings. Some photos:

A hanging nest incorporating some discarded fishing line



a very shy Cliff Swallow who refused to let us see much more than this



not one of the greatest photos of the Black-and-white Warbler



Red-eyed Vireo tocks! Every time I got a great look at him through the bins,

I would lift my camera and he'd hide. Grrrr.

We also went to Julian Wetlands and, a first for me, the new Governor Tom Ridge Wetlands Preserve, named after the former governor of PA. I had no idea he was any kind of environmentalist, but whatever. We saw some great butterflies in both spots, but not a lot of birds:

We saw lots of these--is this a male Eastern Black Swallowtail?



one of my favorite signs of fall, the New England Aster







These two photos are from the same plant. It's a new flower for me, but I can't find it in my books. Any ideas? They almost look like different flowers, but I think they were from the same plant.



a very worn Monarch on some New York Ironweed



a beautiful female (judging from the larger blue smudges)

Eastern Black Swallowtail on some New York Ironweed



this looks like a White Wood Aster, judging from the width of the leaves,

the sparse petals, and the shaggy center



I can't find this flower in any of my books. What the heck is it? There was TONS of it out there.



a Cardinal Flower -- what a beauty!



there were tons of mushrooms, which made Gretchen happy

as mycology is her newest interest. That flap under the cap is called a "veil."



look at this beautiful little spot, tucked into the woods behind the Tom Ridge wetlands



a shroom, just emerging



a grown-up version of the same kind of shroom

Gretch told me about the difficulty of mushroom ID; it's not about color or shape or appearance so much as it's the smell (don't they all smell alike?), the color of the spores (you make a "spore-print" by doing something or other--I kinda forgot what--with the cap to make it release spores onto a piece of paper), what kinds of trees the mushroom is growing near, and a bunch of qualities you can only see by tearing the mushroom apart.



I'm sure glad bird ID isn't so... um... physical.

Cenários: "A Vingança do Lobo" II

  Sem entrar em spoilers, gostaria de partilhar convosco alguns dos locais reais usados nos livros e contos de "Crónicas Obscuras", desta feita: Nova York.


  Se é verdade que a Grande Maçã já foi usado por um número assombroso de filmes, séries e livros, tendo passado por todos os cenários possíveis e imaginários, simplesmente não consegui resistir-lhe.

Sunday Funnies

Mailbox Monday for 8/29/11

Mailbox Monday is a weekly meme created by Marcia at A Girl and Her Books and is being hosted all this month by Staci at Life in the Thumb.

I received a trade paperback of Death of the Mantis by Michael Stanley for an upcoming TLC Book Tour.

I received a hardcover of State Vs. Defense by Stephen Glain for review from PTA.

I received a trade paperback of Unforeseen Fears by William Gruchow from the author for review.

I won an ARC of Down the Mysterly River by Bill Willingham from Cecelia of The Adventures of Cecelia Bedelia.

I won a hardcover of Crime Fraiche by Alexander Campion from LibraryThing.

A hardcover of The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne was a surprise delivery from the wonderful Becke of The Mysterious Garden Muse.  She also happens to be the moderator of the Mystery forum on the Barnes & Noble book club site.

On my last trip to Borders, I picked up a trade paperback of The Town That Forgot How to Breathe by Kenneth J. Harvey and a paperback of Wielding a Red Sword by Piers Anthony.

From the Friends of the Library Book Store I picked up two hardcovers for $1 a piece.  I've read Murder at the Library of Congress by Margaret Truman before, but I haven't read Murder on the Potomac.

Last night I stopped into Target to get a few things and found Big Business on DVD for only $2.  

One of my birthday gifts was 4, Beyonce's new CD.  I've never been a big fan of her ballads in the past, but she really impressed me with this one. Of course, the dance songs are up to her usual standards.