Winner, winner! Chicken Dinner!!!

In the last six months, my book collection has increased exponentially.  Sadly, my lone bookshelf is filled to capacity and can’t hold one more page.  I’d been letting books pile up on my desk, nightstand, and (gasp!) on the floor in my office; things were spiraling out of control so I entered a giveaway for a new book shelf over at Bethany’s Dreadlock Girl. 

The punchline?  I WON IT.

Now, thanks to Bethany and her dee-lightful sponsor, CSN Office Furniture, yrs. truly can finally clean up the mess o’ books and organize it–by COLOR, of course!  I’m frothing, positively swooning with excitement! 

Not only have I won something, but I finally have SOMETHING TO TWEET on Twitter!  Yes, I drank the Kool-Aid and am a card-carrying member of Twitter (booklineNsinker)–be sure to add me…or follow me…or friend me…or tweet me…whatever it is that you do on Twitter.

I’ve won other things in the past–a few books here on the blogs, a few radio contests, including tickets to see MC Hammer (it was the 90s, what can I say?), two tickets to the 1995 MTV Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall, and $100 in a Super Bowl pool. 

But what I really want to know is about stuff that you’ve won!  A book?  A new car?  A trip?  The lottery?  Tell me all about it.

For the control freak in you: Choose Your Own Adventure books

In the mid-80s, my school librarian introduced me to the control freak’s dream series: Choose Your Own Adventure books.  I’ll be honest, it was a slice of Nirvana for me, a control freak from a tender age. 

Here I was, an essentially powerless kid, yet I could control the destiny of book characters.  I may have had to go to bed at 7:30 because my mom said so, but I could control the outcome of a book?!  Can I get an amen for my new God Complex?    

Admittedly, this series was a bit dated by the time I showed up on the scene–originally published in the late 1970s while I didn’t come upon it until 1985 or so.  To my chagrin, many of the plots seemed geared toward a more masculine readership, but a few years later I discovered Choose Your Own Adventure-style books with boy-crazy story lines…just my speed.

I’m guilty of rewriting my character’s destiny (many times over) by flipping ahead, turning back and weighing the outcomes of my options before making an ultimate decision.  I was a kid AND a control freak…what can I tell you?

Were you a fan of the CYOA series?  To tell me about it, turn ahead to page COMMENTS.  If you don’t want to tell me, turn back to another blog.

Review: The Texicans by Nina Vida

Title: The Texicans

Author: Nina Vida

Genre/Pages: Historical Western Fiction/296

Publication: Soho Press; October 1, 2007

Rating: 3 BOOKMARKS

The wide open skies and sweeping plains of Texas are the backdrop for this Western fiction saga that tells of one man’s journey through life and the impact of those he meets along the way.

In an effort to diversify my literary diet, I recently accepted Nina Vida’s seventh novel, The Texicans, for review.  I’d never read much, if anything, in this genre and had some misgivings.  My tally sheet of Western History authors was skimpy at best–one Louis L’Amour novel–The Last of the Breed–which was set in Siberia and had nothing to do with the wild American frontiers of the 1800s, and no Larry McMurtry (of Lonesome Dove fame).  Happily, this book was a pleasant surprise!

The Texicans  tells the story of Joseph Kimmel, former trapper and school teacher, traveling from Missouri to Texas during the 1830s to settle his recently deceased brother’s affairs.  Along the way, Kimmel is waylaid by myriad obstacles.  After an escaped slave rides off on his horse, Kimmel struggles to survive, eventually finding himself caught up in the development of a new settlement. 

Perceiving mismanagement in Castroville, a restless Kimmel sets off without a true course, encumbered by a new (and unwanted) bride.  As they travel, the wagon fills with a cast of disenfranchised characters.  Kimmel is helpless to resist the tears of one young Mexican woman who is rumored to have a bit of magic in her.  Aurelia and her young daughter ride along with Kimmel’s wife Katrin, and three adult slaves and their two children.  The motley crew continues on, under constant threat of attacks by Indians  and rogue Texas Rangers.

Finally, the group finds a parcel of land and they create their own ranch.  Before long, conflicts with Comanches and Rangers shatter their peace.  The second part of the novel focuses on Kimmel’s internal conflicts–his unrequited obsession with Aurelia and his desire for revenge on a Texas Ranger who brought pain and suffering to his front door. 

Character development was strong and even minor characters were well-developed.  The characters were realistic because of their flaws, but I had trouble with the Kimmel-Aurelia angle of the story.  Kimmel’s wife was desperate to please her husband but he was so enraptured by mere thought of Aurelia that he couldn’t appreciate what he had.  Additionally, a large cast of minor characters were a bit challenging to keep straight.

Nina Vida’s use of language helped provide vivid imagery and the struggles of early settlers came to life.  Her attention to detail helped me picture a world that I knew little about.  If you’re looking for an introduction to the Western Historical fiction genre, this might just be the book for you.

Are you a Western Historical fiction reader?  Have you read any L’Amour or McMurtry? 

Cen$orsh!p: Do you practice it?

In many countries, people are protected by laws regarding freedom of expression.  Thankfully, I’ve never been marginalized and have the liberty of expressing my opinions without fear of backlash or censorship.  For some, this isn’t the case–just ask Judy Blume, J.D. Salinger, or J.K. Rowling.  The banning of books is a hot-button issue for me (and for many others).

So, how has it come to pass that I find myself censoring someone else? 

Last week I wrote a post that loosely compared literary diets to the USDA’s Food Pyramid.  The feedback from readers was positive and people seemed to connect and see the humor and parallels…until Sunday night.

Sunday evening I found a ‘Pending Comment’ from a new reader.  I read the comment and couldn’t believe what I was reading.  “Shut up!  This is lousy…” it read.  The comment went on to detail how my comparison of the Food Pyramid and a reading diet was essentially baseless. 

Reading it, the heat rose in my cheeks…indignation and a touch of humiliation.  My mouse arrow hovered over the ‘Delete Comment’ button for a long minute but I resisted.  I decided to post the comment–I didn’t want to practice censorship on my blog.  But in the end, I didn’t approve the comment and it’s still sitting in my ’Pending Comments’ queue.  I’m not sure what to do with it.  The woman made some salient points, but the negativity and sheer meaness put me off.

I talked it over with my hubby and he said that I didn’t have to approve any comment I didn’t want to approve.  I argued that since I put myself (via my words) out there, I can’t be a Revisionista, approving only positive comments.  He disagreed, saying that the commentor disparaged me on a personal level, telling me to, “…shut up!”.  I worry that I’m compromising my (and Book, Line, and Sinker’s) integrity by ‘editing away’ this comment.

I guess my inaction could be considered ‘Passive Censorship’–not approving OR deleting the comment.  I’m hanging on to it for now…infringing on the commenter’s right to freedom of expression–censorship from the comfort of my own home.   

Have you had to deal with critical comments or emails related to your blog?  How did you handle them?  Am I compromising this blog’s integrity by blocking comments like these?  Or am I just too sensitive?!?