New Links

I've added two new links to the "Good Reads" section of the sidebar on this page. The first is Laura's blog. She's a friend of a friend and I've always enjoyed reading whatever she has to say. Her latest post about cell phone features is great!

The second is My Extra Life. Mostly about movies, video games, wierd things that can be found online, and pop culture. I've been reading it for awhile and love it. Scott also does some great cartoons. Encourage him to make this his full time job!

Enjoy!

Oops, I Screwed Up Again

So Britney Spears' younger sister Jamie Lynn Spears is pregnant. Until I read the story, I had no idea Britney even had a younger sister. But what intrigued me wasn't the fact Jamie Lynn got knocked up, but that their mother, Lynne Spears, had a parenting advice book, Pop Culture Mom: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World, that was coming out on Mother's Day. Now the book has been put on indefinite hold. Go figure. I think they can still save the book but need to have a more accurate title. Here are my book title suggestions:

  • Oops, I Screwed Up Again
  • Jamie Lynn Was an Accident
  • I'll Raise My Grandchildren Better
  • You Don't Have to Be Famous to Get Pregnant
  • I'm Cashing In: How I Raised Two Pop-Culture Screw-Ups
  • I Didn't Raise My Kids in a Trailer Park Even Though They Act Like It

Books Make Great Gifts

If you're looking for last minute holiday gifts, why not consider a book? Books make great gifts because you never have to worry if they'll make someone's butt look big or have an allergic reaction. In that spirit here are some book and author recommendations for those still looking or have postponed their Christmas shopping until the last possible minute.

Anything by Michael Connelly

Connelly had proven himself as one of the best writers today. His stories are intriguing, his characters are complex, and his prose is clear and crisp. Though most of his books surround LAPD Detective Harry Bosch, he's written a great book called The Lincoln Lawyer where he introduces a compelling criminal defense attorney named Mickey Haller who worries more about deal and negotiation rather than a client's guilt or innocence. For all Haller's faults, Connelly makes him someone we can sympathize with and who is forced to make the hardest decision of his life when faced with pure evil.

If you decide to buy a Harry Bosch novel, you don't have to worry about buying the first Bosch book, The Black Echo. I didn't read any of the Bosch novels in order and yet I was still able to enjoy the stories because Connelly gives you just enough background when necessary so you aren't missing out on anything. Just another reason he's one of the best writers working today.

The 48 Laws of Power, The 33 Strategies of War, and The Art of Seduction

Though marketed as ways to increase your power, crush your enemies, and seduce the man or woman of your dreams, Robert Greene's books are really insights into human behavior. Each book contains rules to obtaining, say, power and short vignettes of famous men and women and how their choices led to let them to obtain their ultimate desires or caused them to be complete failures.

You can read them as lessons history, glances at human psychology, or books about business. However you choose to read them, they are wonderfully told stories with remarkable insight from Greene. Even if people on your list don't thirst for power or anything else Greene suggests, these books are help identify those who might try to take advantage of you.

Please note that you might have to ask a store clerk where these books are located. I've seen them in business, psychology, self-improvement, and history sections of stores.

Write Tight

If you know of an aspiring writer or anyone who enjoys improving their prose, buy them Write Tight. I've read a lot of books on writing and this is the one that has helped me the most. The book only concerns itself helping writers say the most in the fewest number of words. Period. Anyone can be verbose.  Only those who truly master the art of writing can write tight.

Just about anything by Orson Scott Card

If you're looking for something in the science fiction/fantasy realm, I recommend just about anything by Orson Scott Card. Known best for his Ender Series, Card does wonderful job of creating believable characters in far away worlds.

One of my favorite things about Card is that he focuses more on the story and how the characters interact with each other than describing space ships or exotic places. Sure, we get a good tastes of these worlds but Card concentrates more on telling stories. Ender's Game and the books that follow are classics. But you also might want to consider Treason, Empire, and his Alvin Maker series.

Room for Two

What would be the point of writing a holiday book list if I didn't shamelessly include my own memoir, Room for Two.

Room for Two isn't just for those who have experienced loss but for anyone who wants to see the strength of the human character. We have an inner strength that is more powerful than we realize and can overcome anything that's placed in our path if we work hard at overcoming life's obstacles.

But you can decide for yourself if this book is right for you or someone on your Christmas list by reading the first chapter here.

Finally...

And I'm always looking for new authors and books to read. If you have any suggestions on what I should find under the tree Christmas morning, leave a comment below.

Can't Anyone Agree on I Am Legend?

Heard three different reviews of the movie I Am Legend today. One person loved it, one found it too scary, and a third didn't like it at all -- especially the ending. Though he didn't tell me how it ended (I asked to not to so it would surprise me) it does somewhat make me worried that they stuck with the crappy book ending instead of coming up with something cool. (Yes, Ryan, the ending of the book blows. But more about that after I see the movie.) And if I Am Legend turns out to be a major disappointment, at least there's one good movie to look forward to next summer: The Dark Knight. The trailer for it makes it look like they're keeping the Batman series back on track!

Early Birthday Present

LOST 

It isn't often that someone is told what their going to get for their birthday seven weeks in advance. But thanks to E! Online, I now know that LOST -- the best show in the history of television IMHO -- will start its fourth season on my birthday.

The article attributes moving LOST to Thursday nights to the writers' strike but I can'tt help but wonder if some executive at ABC faithfully reads my blog and decided to throw one of the show's biggest fans a bone for patiently waiting nine months for the new season to begin.

At any rate, I hope the writers' strike ends soon as LOST only has eight of its 16 scheduled episodes in the can. If not, I'll be sending my resume to ABC come February to write the remaining eight episodes. If that falls through I have some other ideas I'm willing to pitch.

So to any television executives that read this blog take note: I'm willing to write scripted shows sans representation from the WGA. Just drop me a line and let's chat!

Let it Snow

Last year I took our oldest son sledding and it terrified him. (He was two at the time.) For some reason sledding down the hill -- even with me on the sled with him -- scared him to death. I was a little disappointed because it was an activity I really wanted to do with him. What a difference a year makes.

Last week, when the first snow fell, he was so excited to play in it. After tromping around the yard for a bit I asked him if he wanted to go sledding. He said "YES!"

As we approached the hill, I could see that the concerns and fears that were with him last year were returning. When we reached the top, I sat on the sled and told him to sit on my lap. He took a step back and shaking his head.

"You go first," he said. "I'll watch."

Knowing that watching Dad sled wasn't going to do anything to encourage him to have fun, I grabbed him, sat him on my lap, and down the hill we went with him screaming all the way down.

When we reached the bottom and he must have finally realized that sledding wasn't going to kill him. He stood up, grabbed my hand, and told me we needed to do it again.

The second time he gladly sat on my lap and laughed as we raced down the hill.

We spent an hour sledding and I had to convince him that it was time to go home.

Right now he's napping. There is five inches of fresh snow on the ground. More is falling from the heavens. I know when he wakes up, he's going to look out his window, see the new snow, and watch all the kids sledding down the hill. He's going to run down the stairs and ask if we can go sledding.

I'm going to say "YES!"

No Super Bowl XLII Tickets

 

I received a letter from the NFL today. Sadly it wasn't about my offer to purchase the Denver Broncos for $1,000. (They way they'e playing of late, I'm getting the raw end of that deal!) Rather it was to inform me that I wasn't selected in their random drawing to purchase Super Bowl XLII tickets.

The letter read:

Dear NFL Fan:

Your name was part of the Super Bowl XLII random drawing that included all written requests received by this office between February 1 and June 1. The National Football League regrets to notify you that your entry was not selected. All Super Bowl tickets available from the NFL for public sale have been allocated.

We appreciate your continued interest in Super Bowl games and the NFL.

Sincerely,

The National Football League.

You'd think the NFL could at least personalize these letters or, at the very least, have Roger Godsell personally sign all rejection letters. It appears the NFL has become another large and impersonal conglomerate. When did that happen? :-)

I guess this means Marathon Girl and I won't be traveling to Phoenix this February to enjoy the game. (Sorry Brent.) Instead we'll just have to invite everyone to our own Super Bowl party which is a lot funner and a lot less expensive. The only down side I can see to the game this year is that it looks like the Broncos won't be part of it.