Quantcast

FREE books, live author chats and more when you create a free BookTrib membership account.

Recover password

Who Needs Sorting Hats?

Categories: Blogs, book shelf, reading Tags: , ,
By HulaMonkey on March 24, 2013

Excerpt reprinted Daily News by Parul Guilani 03/21/13

Ever wondered what house you might have been sorted into, had that owl ever arrived with you’re your letter from Hogwarts? You’re in luck, because blogger Jesse Galef has created reading lists for each of the four houses.

Generally, members of the different houses are distinguished by salient personality traits.

“Gryffindors are brave, Ravenclaws are smart, Slytherins are evil and/or racist, and Hufflepuffs are pathetic loyal,” Galef writes in his blog, “Measure of Doubt.”

But while reading the fan-fiction, “Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality” — a Harry Potter spin-off in which Uncle Vernon is a biochemist and Harry is fascinated by science — Galef realized that members of the Hogwarts houses would probably have vastly different reading lists.
So Galef created “rational” reading lists tailored to the likely tastes and preferences of each house.

“Ravenclaws would be interested in philosophy of mind, cognitive science, and mathematics,” he writes. “Gryffindors in combat, ethics, and democracy; Slytherins in persuasion, rhetoric, and political machination; and Hufflepuffs in productivity, happiness, and the game theory of cooperation.”

Where do your reading preferences place you?

 

To read more CLICK HERE

The Great Nutter Butter Adventure

Categories: Blogs, recipes Tags: , , , , ,
By HulaMonkey on March 18, 2013

by Margaux Froley

Those Nutter Butters are going to need milk. That’s the first sentence of my novel, Escape Theory. For me it was the perfect place to meet my main character,  freshman Devon Mackintosh.  The cookies are the last remnant Devon has to remind her of living at home with her mother when she’s newly stranded in this foreign boarding school world. She and her mom used to share the cookies while watching Grey’s Anatomy, and her mom joked “Save one for Derek” in case McDreamy ever happened upon their house one night.  For Devon, not having milk readily available to dunk her cookies like she always did with her mom is a harsh culture shock, but meeting Hutch and taking on this Nutter Butter mission with him is the kind of McDreamy moment her mom always prepared her for. As a legacy student at Keaton, Hutch is already comfortable enough with boarding school to ignore the rules and sneak into the school kitchen at night. What turns into a simple quest for a cold pitcher of milk quickly becomes an overnight adventure Devon will never forget.

Devon is a girl somewhat stranded at sea. She’s homesick, but would never admit it. There’s something about Hutch that is so immediately comforting to her, and making pancakes together struck me as just enough of a quirky yet sweet adventure to have together. In writing the book I don’t think I planned on Hutch and Devon making pancakes. Originally they were just going to share a package of cookies. So, of course, you have to add the now-integral Nutter Butters to said pancakes. For me, pancakes are one of the first things I learned to cook on my own. I used to like making them when I had slumber parties, or getting my mom to make them into fun shapes. Mickey Mouse-shaped pancakes were popular in our household. My brother showed me how to make chocolate chip pancakes, which blew my mind as an eight year old.

But, Hutch had other plans. I’ve never tried Nutter Butter pancakes until about a year ago, after “Hutch” turned me onto them. But I’ve played with the recipe ever since. I’ll be giving out a variation of this at my upcoming book signings, but here’s a recipe to try at home.

Hutch’s Nutter Butter Pancakes
Mix together:
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4-8 Nutter Butter Cookies, crumbled by hand.
pinch of cinnamon
1tablespoon of peanut butter
1/2 of chocolate chips

Mix until flour and ingredients all mixed, some lumps are okay. Pour into griddle. Cook each side for roughly a minute and a half. Serve with syrup and butter, and of course, a glass of milk. Enjoy.

To Downton, With Love: A Writer Chimes In

Categories: Blogs Tags: , , , , , , , ,
By mckenziem on January 2, 2013

Reprinted from The Huffington Post, by Pam Jenoff on December 28, 2012.

When I began writing The Ambassador’s Daughter, a novel set in Europe after the First World War, I had never heard of Downton Abbey. Rave mentions of the ITV/PBS series began creeping up with increasing frequency on my Facebook and Twitter feeds and so I decided to check it out. Like many of you, I was instantly captivated by the trials and tribulations of the Crawley family as they navigate life before, during and after the First World War. But as a writer, my admiration for Downton runs a little deeper (and not just because it has reinvigorated interest in the era in which my latest book is set!) Here are just a few of the reasons I adore the show:

It illuminates a new era. Many movies and books have centered on the World War II. But the Great War, a fascinating period of world upheaval and sweeping social change, is lesser known.Downton is not a political series; it is about the Crawley family and their lives, how they grow and relate to one another. But the writers have managed to capture the era — social boundaries being broken, women taking on unprecedented roles. In The Ambassador’s Daughter, my heroine Margot similarly finds herself on the edge of the changing world as she attends the Paris Peace Conference with her father, and wonders what her role will be in the new order.

It draws us in. Downton excels at drawing the reader in, using what we writers call “bridging conflict” — an incident or event that sets the stage for the larger story. At the opening of the first season of Downton, the Titanic has sunk, taking with it the Downton heir and putting their home and futures in jeopardy. Instantly we are captivated. In The Ambassador’s Daughter, Margot spots a woman fleeing President Wilson’s arrival in Paris. Her chance encounter with the woman, pianist Krysia Smok and the famed artists of Montparnasse will irreparably change — and jeopardize Margot’s life.

To read the full article please click here.

 

About The Author



PAM JENOFF is the author of six novels, including The Kommandant’s Girl, which received widespread acclaim, earned her a nomination for a Quill Award and became an international bestseller. She previously served as a Foreign Service officer for the U.S. State Department in Europe, as the Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Army at the Pentagon and as a practicing attorney. She received her Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania, her master’s degree in history from Cambridge University and her bachelor’s degree in international affairs from The George Washington University. Pam Jenoff lives with her husband and three children near Philadelphia where, in addition to writing, she teaches law school at Rutgers.

Forty Paid Enemies

Categories: Blogs Tags: , , , , , ,
By mckenziem on December 29, 2012

By Mark Rubinstein

Hell would freeze over before I’d do any cooking back then—especially since I lived alone in Manhattan. Cooking for one person was a total drag. So I ate out every night. On those rare occasions when I didn’t, dinner was take-out Chinese, which I shared with my fabulous mutt, Sidney.

Over time, I became acquainted with a few restaurateurs. One restaurateur in particular, Jerry, owned a top-notch steak house—a “chophouse,” as he called it. Jerry was a gregarious guy, always ready with a handshake and a slap on the back. I was a regular who occasionally brought friends to his eatery. Since I hunkered down on New York strip steak at least twice a week (I’ve always been a total carnivore), Jerry usually comped me a glass of wine or an after-dinner drink.

Jerry and I got to be quite friendly. Sometimes we talked baseball, the state of the world, or matters of the heart. Since we were both divorced, he’d occasionally sit at my table, and we’d commiserate about our love lives.

One night while I was inhaling a gargantuan slab of prime roast beef and a baked potato (filled with sour cream, chives, and bacon bits), Jerry sat with me. I was dining alone at my usual corner table. The restaurant was so busy it was throbbing, but Jerry plopped himself down. I commented about how business was booming, despite the corporate pullbacks and the fact that restaurants were no longer expense-account heaven for the “steakarati”:

“Business looks great.”

“Great? It’s marginal. No matter how it looks, I barely make my margins.

“How’s that?”

“I have 40 paid enemies.”

Jerry was referring to his employees: waiters, grill chefs, busboys, janitors, bartenders, and kitchen help. In 10 minutes, Jerry gave me an eye-popping education in the myriad ways employees stole from him and ate into his profit margins. It became clear that to survive, Jerry had to be manager, financier, bean counter, detective, and part-time enforcer. That night while Jerry drank Sambuca and I downed my meal, I learned some of the scams employees pull on restaurateurs.

To read the rest of Mark Rubinstein’s post, click here.

Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares

Categories: Blogs, Reviews Tags: , , , , , ,
By mckenziem on December 20, 2012

by Rachel Cohn, David Levithan

Reviewed on Thursday, December 6th, 2012 by Mary Ward

When I started reading this book, I thought it had such a cute premise. Boy finds notebook in bookstore. Boy follows clues and then sends the notebook off for girl to find. Girl follows clues, etc. And then the inevitable love connection.  It was so much more than that. This is such a super sweet story.

Dash (short for Dashiell, and why wouldn’t it be?) is at the Strand a few days before Christmas. He comes across a red moleskin notebook, stuck between some books. When he starts reading it, he finds that it tells him to do a few things. As he goes on the search for the books that the notebook asks him to get, he finds himself enjoying it immensely. He then reciprocates and writes his own clues for the notebook’s first writer. Little does he know that Lily’s brother and his partner are the ones who actually came up with the first set of clues. They want Lily to have some excitement, do something more than just being there. Lily is not so sure about the situation but once she gets the notebook back and reads what Dash has written, she continues on because she feels as if there is something there. Dash hates Christmas because of his parents breakup and the subsequent Christmases. Lily loves Christmas but this year her parents are in Fiji and her brother Langston is sick so she is rather lost with no one to really celebrate it with.

To read the rest of the review click here.

Dr. Melfi And Me

Categories: Blogs Tags: , , , , ,
By booktrib on December 12, 2012

By Mark Rubinstein

You think Dr. Melfi had it rough with Tony Soprano? Listen to this:

As a Manhattan psychiatrist in the ’70s, I had a thriving practice on the Upper East Side. With a lobby entrance in a posh building, my office was a comfortable place where my patients could air their troubles. Over the years, I treated an enormous array of people with vastly different problems and backgrounds.

One day in June 1979, I received a call from a young man who’d been referred to me by a former patient. (I’ll call the new patient John.) When John and I met, he talked about the problems he had with his father, for whom he worked at the Fulton Fish Market. His dad was a rough-hewn man who belittled and humiliated John, and John’s self-esteem was crumbling with each passing week.

Though he was in his mid-30s, John was unmarried and still living at home in Brooklyn with his mom and dad. I soon realized that as much as John disliked being his father’s lackey, he was completely dependent on his father in many ways. I was sure John could benefit from increased insight about his neediness. It was really quite clear: despite his protestations, John’s wish was to remain a “boy.”

By our fourth session, we’d established a good working relationship. John opened up more and more to me, and I could tell he trusted me. It soon became clear by what John told me that his father was a mob underboss in a Brooklyn crime family. I took this new information in stride, and naively thought it barely mattered. After all, John was here to deal with his difficulty growing up and leaving the nest. But I should have been more wary, especially when John paid for each session with cold, hard cash, not wanting to be billed at the end of the month and mail a check like everyone else.

To read the entire post click here.

Charities Want In On Holiday Spree

Categories: Blogs Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
By mckenziem on November 27, 2012

By Carole Claps

We already have Black Friday and Cyber Monday. And now, Giving Tuesday? Why not? Charities are hoping to create a national holiday and become part of the spending frenzy that reportedly brought in more than 52 billion dollars in sales last year on the day after Thanksgiving. But, a national holiday?

In theory, it makes sense, especially with so many people in need in the United States and around the world. However, do we really know where our contributions are going and how much of our money is actually being spent on those in need?

After taking a look at the following, you may be very interested in interviewing Tori Hogan. Hogan’s book, BEYOND GOOD INTENTIONS: A JOURNEY INTO THE REALITIES OF INTERNATIONAL AID, is right on the money about why international aid is not working. With gift-giving season here, the timing could not be better for a story on charitable giving. Let me know if you are interested in interviewing Ms. Hogan.

As you open your pocketbooks for the next natural disaster, or the Christmas season, please keep these facts in mind:

  • The American Red Cross President and CEO Gail McGovern received a salary in 2011 of $561.210*.
  • The United Way President and CEO Brian Gallagher received a salary in 2011 of $1,097,543*.
  • The UNICEF President, CEO and Director Caryl M. Stern received a salary in 2011 of $511,920*.

 

*As provided by the nonprofit’s 2011 form 990.

 

 About Tori Hogan



Tori Hogan is the founder and director of Beyond Good Intentions, an organization that produces films and educational programs on the topic of international aid effectiveness. For more than a decade, she has spent time immersed in the developing world as an aid worker, volunteer, researcher, filmmaker, and aid critic. Hogan received her B.A. from Duke University, served as a Fulbright Scholar in Egypt, and obtained an M.Ed. degree in International Education Policy from Harvard University. Born and raised in the Washington DC area, she lives in San Francisco.

Charred Turkey and Jamaican Qualude Shooters

Categories: Blogs Tags: , , , , , , ,
By mckenziem on November 21, 2012

 

By Cathy Holton

We’re driving to New Orleans tomorrow to spend Thanksgiving with our two daughters.  The younger one is still in college and the older one has graduated and stayed in New Orleans.  Her boyfriend is a chef at one of the top restaurants in town and he’ll be preparing the meal for us and approximately twenty-five of their closest friends.  The menu includes Roast Suckling Pig, Turkey with Oyster Stuffing, Sweet Potato Casserole with Apple Puree, and Cheddar Biscuits with Olives, among other things.

“Shall I bring a Green Bean Casserole?” I asked my daughter tentatively.

“No, mom, thanks.  We’ve got it covered,” she responded in a tone indicating she saw trouble coming and was attempting to head it off.

As with most of the country, we’re approaching this most-American of all holidays with a great deal of anticipation and reservation.  Where else but at Thanksgiving do you celebrate so much togetherness, love, and unresolved conflict around a big, heavily-laden table?  Add a well-stocked bar to the mix and the potential for family drama goes through the roof.

Read the rest of the post here.

The New Era of Fairy Tales

Categories: Blogs, Books, fairy tales Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
By mckenziem on October 1, 2012

By McKenzie Morrell

How well do you really know your fairy tales? Not well, if you’re going by the hit ABC show, Once Upon A Time, an exhilarating new series that puts an extremely unique spin on the classic fairy tales we grew up with.

Let’s face it, most of us are grown ups now… the days of reading Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White are long gone (at least until we have children). But that doesn’t mean that our beloved fairy tales can’t live on in our hearts, and thanks to this show, I can be an adult, yet indulge in some of the classics… with grown up twists.

The show follows the story of Snow White, which if you’re like me is one of my favorites. This tale is such an iconic tale and you have to admit that it’s rather fitting that they would centralize the show around her. Now here’s the part where the history you thought you knew about your favorite fairy tales gets muddled. It’s no longer cut and dry: fairy tales packed in their own fairy tale boxes? Oh no. The stories continue, intertwined and more magical than ever. It has now evolved into a world where Snow White is friends with Little Red Riding Hood, Rumpelstiltskin falls in love with Belle, Prince Charming was never a Prince at all, and The Evil Queen seeks revenge on Snow White not because she’s the fairest in the land, but because she ruined her life and killed the man she loved.

It blows my mind the way these writers weave such intricate story lines that keep me entertained and wanting more. Now, these stories of course are coming from the minds of these men, and not everything that happens in the show, happened in the tales we grew up with… but why not? Who’s to say it didn’t happen. Just because it’s not what we already know, doesn’t mean there can’t be more to the story. There’s always more to the story. This show has done a phenomenal job at revolutionizing classics from our childhood, and transforming those stories into something that’s not only modern, but adult worthy.

Whether you’re friend or foe of this new era of fairy tales, you can’t deny the fact that Once Upon A Time provides a safe haven for all people, young or old, with child like spirits and a love of magic.

When the Dove cries (or laughs)

Categories: Blogs Tags: , ,
By mckenziem on September 14, 2012

By C.C. Humphreys

Whether you believe in left brain/right brain theory or not – I tend to – there is no doubt that writing is a constant oscillation: between imagination and fact, between the image and its use in a sentence, between the needs of storytelling and the demands of character. I had a particularly good example of all this in writing this book.

Everyone knows that Constantinople falls. So the surprises in the ending had to be to do with the characters’ stories, individual triumph or despair. I’d chosen to tell the tale from both sides of the walls – any thought of it being about gallant, outnumbered Greeks and dastardly infidels wiped out by the time I spent in Istanbul, meeting the melded descendants of conquerors and conquered. I had set up all my characters and their dilemmas by about the half way point of the book. Now the siege itself was about to begin with the first firing of the greatest cannon the world had yet seen. But how was I to link all of them in this vital moment?

  Like almost everyone, I am child of cinema. I love it, lose myself in it, am inspired by it far more often than I am appalled. (I sometimes think that all my novels are variations on my favourite film: The Magnificent Seven) And while I am not really a screenwriter, I recognize and use many of the techniques of the form. And big scenes, long unbroken takes are often linked by someone moving through them – or something. I thought: what animals would have been around, what… birds? I oscillated to Google. Found the perfect bird. You Tubed it, saw and even more importantly heard… the Laughing Dove.

She comes to Constantinople in the spring. Her call rises, ‘Ha ha ha ha ha’ with that emphasis on the third ‘ha’. So I watched her fly and laugh just before the great cannon’s first blast. In the city’s centre she cheers a lady trying to comfort a weeping daughter; she mocks a reluctant soldier in ill-fitting armour; she makes a Turkish farmer remember the wife he loves; an emperor realizes it truly is spring; and when a sultan flies a hawk at her, he takes the kill as a sign from Allah, most merciful.

It was a wonderful discovery. What do beasts care for the doings of man? Foxes dart through the trenches of Flanders. Swallows collect flies over Bosworth field. And above doomed Constantinople, the laughing dove cries.

Older Posts »

63 queries in 0.571 seconds