-Why does Nicholas Sparks believe it is unfair to call him a Romance novelist? Do you agree with him?
In the article "Nicholas Sparks, Miley Cyrus share a Last Song love story", Sparks expresses the opinion that romance novels have a predictable ending of happily ever after. He argues that his books do not follow this pattern, and that his novels would be considered love stories, when he says, "'I don't write romance novels.' His preferred terminology: 'Love stories — it's a very different genre. I would be rejected if I submitted any of my novels as romance novels'" (Breznican). He believes this to be true because this books are not "Cinderella" stories, because they have a tragic attribute to them. I would have to agree with him. I have seen the movie The Last Song, as well as read the book of his Safe Haven. This book was not a typical boy meets girl, boy and girl flirt, and boy and girl fall in love. The main character is running away from her abusive husband, and ends up meeting a guy in little town the she fleets to. There is a surprise ending, which does not fit the mold of a love story.
-Which genre person are you according to Tom Jacobs' article?
According to this article, I am a mix between Thrilling and Communal. I am a combination of these in different medias. I would consider myself thrilling because the books I read can be convoluted, or with magic. I also enjoy reading dystopian novels, only because I like escaping from the reality of now to strange, different world, where the laws of science are broken, and all rules are bent. Secondly, I enjoy crime tv shows, my favorite being Criminal Minds, which can be graphic and overwhelming to a person who is frightful at the sight of blood and gore. Jacobs explains: "They are: Aesthetic (which includes classical music, art films and poetry), cerebral (current events, documentaries), communal (romantic comedies, pop music, daytime talk shows), dark (heavy metal music, horror movies) and thrilling (action-adventure films, thrillers, science fiction)"(Jacobs). I am thrilling because I enjoy science fiction books. I am Communal because I read popular books at times (a.k.a. John Green). I also watch TV shows like Family Feud, Wheel of Fortune, and Jeopardy.
-How can classifying books into their genres be helpful to readers? How can it be problematic to writers?
Classification of books into specific genres can be both helpful and harmful. It can be helpful for readers because if one knows what kind of books they, it is easier and more efficient for them to find a book. Also, if they know they like a certain author, they may be able to find a similar author that is categorized in the same genre. The downfall to genre classification is if an author's book is a mix between multiple genres, it could be falsely categorized, and a reader may not choose that book because it is in a genre that they typically stray away from. This may frustrate authors because they feel as though their books aren't as appreciated just because of the genre they are arbitrarily placed in. Another consequence of genre labeling is that a reader could limit themselves to only certain books, because they feel this is the genre they like, and those books are the only ones they will ever like.
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Individual Blog Post- Book 2
Hachette Book Group USA
Grand Central Publishing
1290 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10104
USA
October 8th, 2015
Dear Mr. Sparks,
I am with Paramount Studios, and we are going to be making your book, Safe Haven, into a film. In an effort to keep the book the way you intended, I was asked to contact you and run some of our newest ideas past you. Having read the book, there are some scenes that may be difficult to grasp on screen, We have some plausible ideas the capture the moment on film, but aren't exactly what the book describes,
To start off, in your book, near the middle you start to switch back and forth between Kevin and Katie's points of view. This, as you may know, is difficult to do in a film. We think that it may be best to do larger sections of scenes for each perspective, rather than to continuously switch back and forth, because it is often difficult for the audience to keep up. This may concern you if you are thinking that this could forfeit the integrity of the novel, but I assure you, we will make sure that everything is as close to identical as possible to your book.
Secondly, the length of your book could be an issue, considering that if we filmed every minute detail then we would be filming for years. So, what I'm proposing is that we change the way that Erin/ Katie gets away from her husband. The process in which she escapes is brilliant in the book, but is too time consuming for a movie. Rather than her buying the cell phone, and slowly stealing money, maybe she could try to knock him out temporarily, possibly by using a drug or poison. Since Erin was friends with the Feldmans (the neighbors), they could help her get the drug to stop him from following her. My fellow producers were thinking of Katie making dinner for Kevin, but it being poisoned. (Just to clarify, this poison would not kill Kevin, just disable him temporarily.)Another key point that I believe is meaningful is when Alex unexpectedly leaves his wife's bike on Katie's doorstep. Katie immediately is angered, but slowly accepts that he is just trying to benefit her, and she learns to truly appreciate the kind gesture. This happens at the start of their relationship, but shows the audience that Alex is a good guy, and very different from Kevin, who Katie had just escaped the abuse of.
Finally, I believe that it is crucial for the plot to keep the scenes that Katie and Alex interact, such as when they meet, spending time at the beach, and eating dinner during their first date. All of these scenes capture the development of their relationship throughout the story. When they meet, Katie has wondered into his store. She buys a very minimal amount of things, and it becomes her normal routine. Alex finally gets up the courage to talk to her more than about bread, and Katie is reluctant at first. This is vita because it tips off Alex about her past. Their time spent at the beach with Kristen and Josh, Alex's children, is important because it demonstrates to Alex that Katie could be the mother to his children someday. It also allows Katie to realize that she can enjoy life again, and not constantly be scared of her husband. Their dinner is a turning point in the story because Katie finally opens up to Alex about her past, and it proves to Alex that Katie is in it for the long haul. The development of Katie and Alex is imperative for the understanding of the audience and the mood of the story.
I hope that you will approve of these ideas so we can start filming as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Abby Markworth
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Flipped Cover
The book, The Selection, obviously has a cover that is meant to draw in girls. The blue cover for the Selection is the original one, and the fact that it has a princess with a bid fluffy dress obviously means that its meant for girls. The one I designed is the red one on the left, and I think this appeals more toward guys because it has a sword, and 2 crowns, one for a king and one for a king. This represents one of the main characters, Maxon, trying to find a bride to be his wife, and the Queen. At the bottom of my cover, it says "1 crown. Who wants it?" This shows that many girls will be fighting for the crown, and to rule the country of Illea.
Monday, September 14, 2015
Book Review
Wither, by Lauren DeStefano, focuses on sixteen year old girl, Rhine Ellery, who is kidnapped by Gatherers. She is then sold into marriage, and is forced into a polygamous relationship with the wealthy Linden Ashby, who's father is a scientist searching for a cure for the disease that is taking the lives of every child of the first generations. The reason for being abducted is due to the fact that the human race is slowly dying out. Due to a genetically altered "perfect" generation, the children of these people are limited to a shortened life span; men expiring at age twenty-five, where women die at age twenty. This is DeStefano's first novel, and has completed 2 trilogies. This book is the first of the Chemical Garden Trilogy, with Fever and Sever following. This book is set in a dystopian society, and this may be how the author believes the world could end up someday.
DeStefano does a great job of developing the characters and making you perceive them in a certain manner. One thing she does is she makes the climax more toward the end of the story, but the rest is told in the second and third novels. This frustrated me a little because the first half of the novel was fairly slow, and didn't have a ton of exciting rising action. In this book, a lot of small things happened that didn't develop the plot as much as the ending did. One of Rhine's sister wives, Cecily, got pregnant in this book, but during this time, her nine months went by very quickly, and were never described in great depth. This demonstrates that there weren't a lot of exciting details in the bulk of Wither.
I think that the strongest, most developed character by far was Rhine. The reader was able to see her for what she was and who she became from before being captured until her plans for escape. This especially allowed me to relate with her and understand that even though I have never actually been in her exact position, I can relate her situation with one that I have had that is similarly odd. This development is crucial for understanding because it allows the reader to appreciate why Rhine makes the decisions she does and to understand her deep, dark thoughts and recollections. Linden wasn't nearly as developed as Rhine; and you never really understand him, where he's coming from, or why he truly cares so much for Rhine. But, this element of secrecy is partially beneficial because it keeps an aspect of surprise in the novel and you never know what his intentions are and why he does what he does. Through the duration of this novel, Rhine continually flashes back to her time in Manhattan with her parents and her twin brother, Rowan. She reminisces the times she spent with him, and wonders where she is now and what he thinks has happened to her, "We were together on our walks to work, and our voices kept each other company at night, in a dark house once filled with our parents' presence. Before now I'd never been away from him a day in my life" (DeStefano 107).When she does this, the reader can further understand her reasons for her actions and her need for escape, and why she wants to see her brother so desperately.
In this novel, DeStefano suggests that when people are forced into situations they never wanted, they often make rash, uniformed decisions that have unforeseen consequences. When Rhine gets out during the hurricane, she climbs up a lighthouse,"I am clinging to a ladder. Not the kind that's meant to be climbed" (DeStefano 172). Since Rhine wanted to escape so badly, she took risky measures to achieve her goal, and in this case they were life threatening. This theme was applied throughout the whole novel, and applied to Rhine's sister wives, as well as Rhine herself.
This book is a fiction novel in the sub category of dystopian. A book like this is set in a different, futuristic world that does not exist today. This book also upholds some sci-fi aspects, but isn't a true "sci-fi" novel. Rhine narrates this, which makes it a first person narration. DeStefano writes with a optimistic view for Rhine, who fully believes that she will escape the clutches of her husband, but also writes with a reminiscent view, with Rhine remembering past mementos, ideas, and recollections, "I was inconsolable, that girl having been my first true friend" (DeStefano 21). Here, Rhine is remembering her friend when she was young and still lived with her parents in Manhattan, and when she used to be free. The author develops her style well by showing Rhine's past through flashbacks.
My final rating for this book is a 8 out of 10. I enjoyed this book, but it took a while to take off and get good. It is definitely not my favorite book ever, but is on my list of top 20.
http://books.simonandschuster.com/Wither/Lauren-DeStefano/The-Chemical-Garden-Trilogy/9781442409064
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8525590-wither?from_search=true&search_version=service
DeStefano does a great job of developing the characters and making you perceive them in a certain manner. One thing she does is she makes the climax more toward the end of the story, but the rest is told in the second and third novels. This frustrated me a little because the first half of the novel was fairly slow, and didn't have a ton of exciting rising action. In this book, a lot of small things happened that didn't develop the plot as much as the ending did. One of Rhine's sister wives, Cecily, got pregnant in this book, but during this time, her nine months went by very quickly, and were never described in great depth. This demonstrates that there weren't a lot of exciting details in the bulk of Wither.
I think that the strongest, most developed character by far was Rhine. The reader was able to see her for what she was and who she became from before being captured until her plans for escape. This especially allowed me to relate with her and understand that even though I have never actually been in her exact position, I can relate her situation with one that I have had that is similarly odd. This development is crucial for understanding because it allows the reader to appreciate why Rhine makes the decisions she does and to understand her deep, dark thoughts and recollections. Linden wasn't nearly as developed as Rhine; and you never really understand him, where he's coming from, or why he truly cares so much for Rhine. But, this element of secrecy is partially beneficial because it keeps an aspect of surprise in the novel and you never know what his intentions are and why he does what he does. Through the duration of this novel, Rhine continually flashes back to her time in Manhattan with her parents and her twin brother, Rowan. She reminisces the times she spent with him, and wonders where she is now and what he thinks has happened to her, "We were together on our walks to work, and our voices kept each other company at night, in a dark house once filled with our parents' presence. Before now I'd never been away from him a day in my life" (DeStefano 107).When she does this, the reader can further understand her reasons for her actions and her need for escape, and why she wants to see her brother so desperately.
In this novel, DeStefano suggests that when people are forced into situations they never wanted, they often make rash, uniformed decisions that have unforeseen consequences. When Rhine gets out during the hurricane, she climbs up a lighthouse,"I am clinging to a ladder. Not the kind that's meant to be climbed" (DeStefano 172). Since Rhine wanted to escape so badly, she took risky measures to achieve her goal, and in this case they were life threatening. This theme was applied throughout the whole novel, and applied to Rhine's sister wives, as well as Rhine herself.
This book is a fiction novel in the sub category of dystopian. A book like this is set in a different, futuristic world that does not exist today. This book also upholds some sci-fi aspects, but isn't a true "sci-fi" novel. Rhine narrates this, which makes it a first person narration. DeStefano writes with a optimistic view for Rhine, who fully believes that she will escape the clutches of her husband, but also writes with a reminiscent view, with Rhine remembering past mementos, ideas, and recollections, "I was inconsolable, that girl having been my first true friend" (DeStefano 21). Here, Rhine is remembering her friend when she was young and still lived with her parents in Manhattan, and when she used to be free. The author develops her style well by showing Rhine's past through flashbacks.
My final rating for this book is a 8 out of 10. I enjoyed this book, but it took a while to take off and get good. It is definitely not my favorite book ever, but is on my list of top 20.
http://books.simonandschuster.com/Wither/Lauren-DeStefano/The-Chemical-Garden-Trilogy/9781442409064
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8525590-wither?from_search=true&search_version=service
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Post #2: First Impressions
Book: Wither by Lauren DeStefano
"I wait. They keep us in the dark for so long we lose sense of our eyelids" (DeStefano 1).
When I read this first line, I thought that it was extremely creepy. Later on this page, the main character, Rhine, mentions that she doesn't know whether she has been there for hours or days. If this were me, I would be freaking out. This makes me empathize with Rhine immediately, which tells me that the author needs the reader to feel this way to understand the entire text.
On page 9, Rhine realizes what has actually happened to her. She understands now that the Gatherers have abducted her for a man, more like boy, that is ready to have children. In this society, people only live to twenty-twenty five years of age. The government is desperate to keep the human race in tact, so they arrange for these girls to be taken, and they are forced to have children in these polygamous relationships. This scene in the book is important because the reader finally understands what is going to happen to Rhine, and at this point, the beginning of the book makes sense. I like this part because it was a moment of clarity for me and I finally was able to understand why Rhine was so concerned.
Rhine remembering her brother is another moment that is vital. She realizes that her brother must be flipping out, because their parents are dead and know he doesn't know where his sister is. In this scene, Rhine reminisces a time that her brother warned her about these people, and that she should always be alert. I like this scene because it helped me understand her past and how this must be affecting her and her brother. Also, it allowed me to connect to this strange situation because I too would be concerned if I did not know the whereabouts of my brother.
I chose this book because it is my favorite genre and I have heard good things about. So far, I have enjoyed this book and have not wanted to put it down. It is suspenseful and you don't ever know what's around the next corner. Based on the first 40 pages of this book, I would recommend it to anyone who likes a suspenseful dystopian novel.
"I wait. They keep us in the dark for so long we lose sense of our eyelids" (DeStefano 1).
When I read this first line, I thought that it was extremely creepy. Later on this page, the main character, Rhine, mentions that she doesn't know whether she has been there for hours or days. If this were me, I would be freaking out. This makes me empathize with Rhine immediately, which tells me that the author needs the reader to feel this way to understand the entire text.
On page 9, Rhine realizes what has actually happened to her. She understands now that the Gatherers have abducted her for a man, more like boy, that is ready to have children. In this society, people only live to twenty-twenty five years of age. The government is desperate to keep the human race in tact, so they arrange for these girls to be taken, and they are forced to have children in these polygamous relationships. This scene in the book is important because the reader finally understands what is going to happen to Rhine, and at this point, the beginning of the book makes sense. I like this part because it was a moment of clarity for me and I finally was able to understand why Rhine was so concerned.
Rhine remembering her brother is another moment that is vital. She realizes that her brother must be flipping out, because their parents are dead and know he doesn't know where his sister is. In this scene, Rhine reminisces a time that her brother warned her about these people, and that she should always be alert. I like this scene because it helped me understand her past and how this must be affecting her and her brother. Also, it allowed me to connect to this strange situation because I too would be concerned if I did not know the whereabouts of my brother.
I chose this book because it is my favorite genre and I have heard good things about. So far, I have enjoyed this book and have not wanted to put it down. It is suspenseful and you don't ever know what's around the next corner. Based on the first 40 pages of this book, I would recommend it to anyone who likes a suspenseful dystopian novel.
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Post #1: Why I Read
My reading passion began at a young age, which is one reason why I read. My parents were invested in making me a great reader. Another reason why I read is that I love being able to escape reality, and live a whole other life that is so different from your own. You picture every setting there is, every article of clothing that the characters wear, and all the emotions they feel. Temporarily, you are them. No one can tell you otherwise, however irrational that may be. You can love the main character and see yourself in them, or use them as an example of what not to become. I felt this in the book, The Selection, by Kiera Cass. The main character allowed me to escape my own world and join hers. In this book, I could imagine how America, the main character, survived her newly found palace life. This is what I love about reading in general, and especially fantasy novels. To add on to this, I love being able to get to know a person without saying a word. No talking, just communicating through paper, even though it may be a one way street. In whatever genre you enjoy to read, there is always something to take away from each novel you dive into.
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