tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47937888943926687152024-02-21T00:02:21.362-06:00Bethany RobisonReader. Writer. Sports Enthusiast.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09589928734405169231noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793788894392668715.post-82792090615962324882015-04-28T16:09:00.000-05:002015-04-28T16:09:03.505-05:00Studying Seraphina by Rachel Hartman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzSd82t-K20YGKG6ZbBPktT1jNfgohMDv2fpnI9uqpF_xscRXWqLs8DYP-3syBWUn4qFNPwlT8lekcZqLhkXdegtjEv0AIbYomNKAYMeihVG3O2L4rQcHchYTcdI0H0UWiDd6fCdLpJhh/s1600/seraphina_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzSd82t-K20YGKG6ZbBPktT1jNfgohMDv2fpnI9uqpF_xscRXWqLs8DYP-3syBWUn4qFNPwlT8lekcZqLhkXdegtjEv0AIbYomNKAYMeihVG3O2L4rQcHchYTcdI0H0UWiDd6fCdLpJhh/s320/seraphina_cover.jpg" /></a></div>
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19549841-seraphina?from_search=true&search_version=service">SERAPHINA by Rachel Hartman</a></b>: The first person narrator is a young lady living in a kingdom that used to be under siege by dragons, but she has grown up in a time of peace. She's recently been named music mistress (and music plays a large role in the story), and so she's moved into the castle with the royals and nobles just prior to a big festival celebrating the anniversary of the dragon treaty. Of course, she has a secret: she's half human/half dragon (in this world, the dragons can assume a human shape). If anyone finds out, she'd be labeled an abomination and her (human) father could face severe legal repercussions, maybe even execution. As a result of being half-dragon, she has vivid and complex experiences with dreams and visions, which gives the book an Inception-esque quality. So I'd pitch this as <i>Inception</i> with dragons in an medieval castle while trying to prevent an assassination.
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When I was given my agent edits a few weeks ago, I was also given a gentle nudge to read <i>Seraphina</i>. It's represented by the same team I signed with last month. I took on the assignment, trying to glean what I could about how it was constructed and what made it work. The only downside was that it was so good I kept getting transported and forgot to study.
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On the surface it seems like kind of a strange thing for me to be studying right now. I write speculative historical fiction (and not, like, medieval stuff, like 1800s stuff). <i>Seraphina</i> is pretty solidly fantasy. On the surface, my work doesn't resemble this book at all. No common world or plot points or character traits. <i>Seraphina</i> is told in a first person girl voice; my main character is a guy.
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So I was hesitant to take it on while I have so many other assignments. I mean, this book is long. Like, late era Harry Potter long (see <i>Seraphina</i> pictured below, with the sequel <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16085457-shadow-scale?from_search=true&search_version=service">Shadow Scale</a></i> and other big huge books shown for scale).
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But I'd had this book recommended to me before. The entire front cover is a list of awards it won. So I accepted my mission and read the book, and the thing that makes it so special - that I want to incorporate into my own work - is that it's a beautiful, flowing experience. There's a compelling story, a series of mysteries that build upon each other, and a sweet almost courtly romance. But the thing that really stands out is that I was never tempted to skim or hurry through any sentence/paragraph/page in order to get to some big payoff faster. There are big payoffs - multiple big payoffs scattered throughout. But the journey through the book never makes you feel like you need to hurry, which is a really, really cool quality. When I was in school and had to read a lot in a hurry, I remember only reading dialog and feeling like that would be enough to give me the basic idea, and once in awhile I catch myself slipping back into that nasty habit. I don't often think about that "no rush" quality when it's not there; I can't think of many other books that made me feel that way (though I do remember saying something similar about <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12680907-bitterblue?ac=1">Bitterblue</a></i> years ago).
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The sequel <i>Shadow Scale</i> just came out, so that's next on my "to read" list, and it's also late era Harry Potter sized, but now I look at it like a fancy multicourse meal, not an intimidating thing. One of my favorite podcasts, <a href="https://grantland.com/?s=hollywood+prospectus+podcast">Grantland's Hollywood Prospectus</a>, once used the terms "slow food" versus "fast food" to describe similar TV shows (for example, they described the TV show <i>The Honorable Woman</i> as the slow-food version of <i>Homeland</i>). <i>Seraphina</i> is a slow-food book, where you sit down at a table with real silverware and cloth napkins and they bring you appetizers, soup/salad, a main course, and dessert.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09589928734405169231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793788894392668715.post-18025247283969342662015-04-01T22:48:00.000-05:002015-04-01T22:48:41.011-05:00The Start of Me and Emery and Books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZD4x7_albTE1rFIoUnuWKGCC-6TOIxFWVcJtxl_20PrzII6hyphenhyphen75pj96PxN9mgjjmEoaY0zHorJKR8QcQ4Geuk5o5GoNFEE9Xv1Q1LdEamHkb5tbGPS3ch8bCYg2AnE3PVtcUqK-X24uf0/s1600/StartOfMeAndYouCoverFlowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZD4x7_albTE1rFIoUnuWKGCC-6TOIxFWVcJtxl_20PrzII6hyphenhyphen75pj96PxN9mgjjmEoaY0zHorJKR8QcQ4Geuk5o5GoNFEE9Xv1Q1LdEamHkb5tbGPS3ch8bCYg2AnE3PVtcUqK-X24uf0/s400/StartOfMeAndYouCoverFlowers.jpg" /></a></div>
On January 20, 2011, I received an email from a virtual stranger. Attached was a 50-page sample of a manuscript about a teenage girl with an amazing group of friends attempting to reinvent herself.
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Would I be willing to read it and give some feedback?
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At that time the sender of that email, <a href="http://www.emerylord.com/">Emery Lord</a>, and I were in similar situations. We were both 20-something Midwesterners with similar backgrounds. We'd both just finished writing our first complete manuscripts and were trying to figure out what to do next. We didn't really know many other writers. Even though I'd never critiqued anything before, a mutual writer friend introduced us. We agreed to exchange pages and give whatever feedback we could. Four years later, Emery and I both have literary agents, I have an awesome job as an editor, and she has two gorgeous books out in the world with a third on its way. Best of all, she's become one of my best friends.
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Those original pages Emery sent me became <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-start-of-me-and-you-emery-lord/1119677805?ean=9781619633599">THE START OF ME AND YOU</a>, which released yesterday. It's a smart, lovely book full of heart and humor and people who care about each other. I love this book for many, many reasons, not the least of which is that it was the start of our friendship, but it was also the start of our professional writing endeavors. Independently we learned how to finish a manuscript. Together we learned how to query, how to edit, how to do it again and again and again. Together we learned how to try new things and see things differently. The more I look back at the last four years, the more I realize that the themes contained in this young adult book - themes of reinvention, of trying new things, of seeing things differently - are timeless. These are lessons we learn and forget and relearn again, and I love that this book reminds me of that.
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On Tuesday, March 31, 2015, I drove from Chicago to Cincinnati to attend the launch party for THE START OF ME AND YOU at <a href="http://www.josephbeth.com/Default.aspx">Joseph-Beth Books</a> (and every time I visit Cincinnati I'm reminded that it's one of America's secret gems).
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Emery joined young adult authors <a href="http://davidarnoldbooks.com/books/">David Arnold</a>, <a href="http://katehattemer.com/">Kate Hattemer</a>, and <a href="http://quartland.blogspot.com/p/books.html">Courtney Stevens</a> in an hour long panel discussion followed by lots and lots of book signing. David Arnold, in a stroke of genius, brought <a href="https://twitter.com/BethanyRobison/status/583069742816186368">a copy of his book for the readers to sign</a> for him, sort of like a year book. Emery brought boxes of donuts to share with the crowd.
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Courtney recounting the amazing origin story for her book FAKING NORMAL (I can't do it justice here), and Kate answered questions about poetry and utilized her fluent Latin. <a href="http://jasminewarga.com/">Jasmine Warga</a> tried to blend in with the audience but ended up <a href="https://twitter.com/BethanyRobison/status/583075882258038784">signing a few of her books</a> too.
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Every writer I know has at one point or another considered shelving a completed project. Maybe it doesn't appear to fit the market, or agents are only responding with form rejections. Maybe it's been shopped to editors and no one bought it. The last line from that very first email I received from Emery back in 2011: "I guess I need to know whether or not this thing has a shot or if I should let it be and move on." We finally have the answer, and I couldn't be prouder of my friend and everything she's accomplished.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09589928734405169231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793788894392668715.post-20821565967413466472015-03-12T15:00:00.000-05:002015-03-12T15:00:22.503-05:00March Reads: Doll Bones, Jackaby, The Girl on the Train, The Raven Boys<i>In college I had a professor who encouraged me to free write a few hundred words whenever I finished reading something. Over time it's proven to be wise advice.</i>
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22557272-the-girl-on-the-train">THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN</a> by Paula Hawkins</b>
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I picked up this book because my friend <a href="https://twitter.com/juliehammerle">Julie Hammerle</a> called it a "thrillery thriller." It's a book about messed up grownups. Grownups struggling with grownup problems like alcoholism and divorce and unemployment. But beyond all of that, it's a "wife gone missing" thriller along a similar line as GONE GIRL, but with what many might consider a more satisfying ending.
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The story is written from multiple first-person female perspectives: Rachel, recently divorced train rider; Anna, mistress turned wife with trust issues; and Megan, the one who goes missing. I can't remember reading a book written in three first person voices before, so right away it has an added level of difficulty. The structure is compelling, divided by narrators as well as "morning" and "evening" (as though mimicking both legs of a commute). Each day, when her train stops at the signal, Rachel looks longingly over a back fence into the lives of a seemingly perfect couple. The trouble starts when she sees the perfect wife, Megan, with another man... and then a few hours later sees a report on the news that Megan has gone missing. Rachel feels compelled to tell the authorities what she saw, but the more we learn about Rachel, the more we wonder whether or not she's actually a reliable witness. It's not my favorite sort of book, but it is the sort of thing I enjoy in small doses.
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<b>JACKABY by William Ritter</b>
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On the other hand, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20312462-jackaby?from_search=true">JACKABY</a> is like if Sherlock and Doctor Who had a baby. This, in fact, is <i>exactly</i> my favorite sort of book. I could not have been more delighted. There's an eccentric detective that can see paranormal activity that no one else can see. There's a young female English assistant (and a second assistant, who happens to be a duck). And MONSTERS. The main difference is setting: 1890s America, instead of modern day England. The pacing and energy and tone are all perfect for someone like me, who adores the Cumberbatchy/Tennant-ness of BBC TV. It was a quick, easy, fun read that left me feeling generally happy. There's a second book coming out in September called <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24001095-beastly-bones?from_search=true">BEASTLY BONES</a>, which will get a priority spot on my to-read stack.
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15944406-doll-bones?from_search=true">DOLL BONES</a> by Holly Black</b>
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This was a different read for me, in that it features younger characters (age 12) and several cool illustrations, kind of like the earlier Harry Potter books, but with creepier (think Tim Burton) undertones. A trio of friends, two girls and a boy, play-act stories with dolls and action figures and end up going on a real-life quest (I'm not sure I can say more without getting spoilery, but they do at one point sail and sink a boat). This book touches on gender roles in play and toys, on relationships between fathers and sons, on how friendships shift as kids grow older - so many lovely bits of substance in the midst of an adventure story with just a touch of magic.
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17675462-the-raven-boys?from_search=true">THE RAVEN BOYS</a> by Maggie Stiefvater</b>
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This was one of those times <a href="http://www.emerylord.com/">Emery Lord</a> dropped a book recommendation bomb and then watched me lose my mind (one of her favorite hobbies). This book has everything (said in Stefon voice), but what really made it for me was the exquisite character building (and there are a LOT of characters). It was like Maggie Stiefvater built these people with tiny Lego bricks, one phrase at a time, until they were each big and beautiful and real and I just wanted to BE with them. She wrote deep friendship dynamics, and I felt the give-and-take of their personal goals versus their loyalties to each other.
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Enough vague praise - to be a little more specific, this is a story of (mostly) rich private school boys colliding with the everyday people of their adopted hometown (including some quirky psychics). There's Adam, the kid from the wrong side of the tracks trying to make something of himself despite discouragement at home. There's Ronan, the sharp around the edges trust fund kid who acts like he doesn't care about anyone yet takes care to feed his rescued bird every two hours. And quiet, reclusive Noah, who at first kind of brought to my mind the guy from the movie <i>The Great Outdoors</i> who'd been struck by lightning multiple times and as a result was just a little squeamish about everything. Richard Gansey III is the glue that holds everyone together (he kind of reminded me of Hale from the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6574102-heist-society?from_search=true">HEIST SOCIETY</a> books, but with many, many more Alpha tendencies). He's heart of gold meets foot-in-mouth. To quote the book (when viewed from Adam's perspective): "...Adam could forgive that shallow, glossy version of Gansey he'd first met. Because of his money and his good family name, because of his handsome smile and his easy laugh, because he liked people and (despite his fears to the contrary) they liked him back, Gansey could've had any and all of the friends that he wanted. Instead he had chosen the three of them, three guys who should've, for three different reasons, been friendless."
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When I read that snippet, I fell in love with this book. It has paranormal elements. It has magic. It flirts with romance, when a local girl (who thinks of Gansey as "President Cell Phone") starts hanging around the boys, helping them with their quest, which has something of a modern day Arthurian feel to it. There are three total books in this series, and I'm thrilled; I'm not ready to give these people up just yet.
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And one more thing. A lot of books have plot twists. Some are better executed than others. Some get a little too cute. Some act like they're getting away with something. THIS book manages to execute a dramatic plot twist while actually stating that twist plainly. In blunt language. At the very beginning. This book never lies to you, never withholds any information, gives you everything you need to know right up front... and twists you just the same. Really, really impressive stuff.
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<b>Upcoming Want to Reads</b>: I still <i>need</i> to read <a href="http://tonyakuper.com/">ANOMALY by Tonya Kuper</a>, must make it a priority; <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17134589-the-conspiracy-of-us">THE CONSPIRACY OF US by Maggie Hall</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17341550-trust-me-i-m-lying">TRUST ME I'M LYING by Mary Elizabeth Summer</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17412895-the-shadow-cabinet">THE SHADOW CABINET by Maureen Johnson</a>, <a href="http://www.lorimlee.com/books/the-infinite/">THE INFINITE</a> by Lori M. Lee, and I finally picked up <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17878931-red-queen">THE RED QUEEN</a> by Victoria Aveyard.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09589928734405169231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793788894392668715.post-46095782846098293592015-02-10T12:05:00.000-06:002015-02-10T12:05:21.282-06:00Read then Write: ILLUSIVE, FAR FROM HERE, ISCARIOT, FOOL ME TWICE<i>In college I had a professor who encouraged me to free write a few hundred words whenever I finished reading something. Over time it's proven to be wise advice.</i>
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It's been a pretty diverse month over here at the Robison Reading Nook. We've got a superhero story, some introspective women's fiction, historical Biblical fiction, and a rom-com. Something for everyone!
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17182499-illusive?from_search=true">ILLUSIVE</a> (Emily Lloyd-Jones)</b> is a young adult sci-fi/comic-bookish story that gives an alternate take on the current vaccination controversy (kidding, kidding, but kind of not kidding).
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The premise:
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<br>"Once upon a time, there was a pandemic. It was a new strain of meningococcal disease. Named Meningococcas Krinotas - or simply the MK plague - it embodied the worst traits of both viral and bacterial meningitis. Because it was a virus, anticiotics had no effect, and the current viral vaccines were ineffective. The result was a disease that, when diagnosed, was always followed by a funeral."
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So a doctor developed a vaccine, and that vaccine gave a small percentage of the population special "immunities" - like telepathy, perfect recall, increased intuition, levitation, and the ability to create illusions. And once the doctor saw what his vaccine could do, he destroyed it so prevent more "immunities" from manifesting. Those who have immunities (or, what I could call "super powers") are hunted down and recruited by the government and criminals in equal measure. ILLUSIVE bounces back and forth between an criminal and a fed.
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This was a really fun book with a delightful and diverse cast of characters, plenty of action and solid platonic (refreshing) relationships. It also had one of the great character names I've ever come across: Kit Copperfield, a kindhearted criminal who kind of reminded me of Fagin from <i>Oliver Twist</i>, if Fagan had boatloads of money and fine taste in art.
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(Note: The second book in the series, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22851315-deceptive">DECEPTIVE</a> releases in July 2015)
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12255694-far-from-here?ac=1">FAR FROM HERE</a> (Nikki Baart)</b> was introduced to me as "Women's Fiction/Book Club Fiction" - a genre I'm not overly familiar with, but when I met Nikki it was obvious that she was a lady who has interesting things to say. She's a preacher's wife. She and her husband are founding members of a non-profit that works with orphans in Liberia. She writes fiction from a Christian perspective, but her multiple books don't appear in the faith-based section of the bookstore.
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FAR FROM HERE is the story of a woman whose husband goes missing in the Alaskan wilderness, and what follows is a thought provoking series of events that raise questions without "right" answers (which is probably what makes it "book club fiction" - good discussion questions). How can others support someone in this sort of traumatic situation? (For example, the main character is annoyed by people bringing her endless casserole dish dinners that she has no appetite to eat, but is deeply touched by a neighbor who offers to mow her lawn). What is she willing to sacrifice to search for her husband (she is terrified of flying, but the only way to search is by air in tiny, tiny planes - identical to the one her husband was flying when he went missing). And, how does she balance holding out hope while still moving forward and functioning in her everyday life. <a href="http://www.nicolebaart.com/far-from-here">Nikki's video</a> is a great introduction to this book, to see if it might be for you.
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18594538-fool-me-twice?from_search=true">FOOL ME TWICE</a> (Mandy Hubbard)</b> a young adult rom-com about a group of eighteen-year-olds in the summer between high school and college. They have killer summer jobs living and working on a luxury ranch, entertaining guests with rodeos, riding lessons, spa treatments, etc. There is an amazing girl-best-friends relationship. There's a prank war. And LOTS of horses! There's an elaborate plot to exact revenge on the boy who broke the narrator's heart the previous summer. I'm afraid to say too much because I don't want to give away any of the jokes. Funny is so hard to do. I appreciate it so much when it's done well.
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FOOL ME TWICE is grounded in reality, but there is almost a playful/magical element to it where the rules of the real world don't quite apply (Confession: I have ~20% left; there may be another shoe yet to drop, but I didn't want to wait to recommend it). Oh, and since the story takes place in the state of Washington, I got a chuckle out of multiple Seattle Seahawks jokes. "Wilson Russell... NO, Russell Wilson." This is a fun, cheerful read. Especially if you're buried under 15+ inches of snow, like I currently am. It was the perfect dose of summer.
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15770312-iscariot?ac=1">ISCARIOT</a> (Tosca Lee)</b> is historical Biblical fiction told in the first person narrative of Judas Iscariot. I was blown away by this book. Biblical fiction is something I'm typically a little wary of. I feel like it's important to recognize the line between entertainment and doctrine, between "I'm reading this for fun" and "I'm reading this to enrich my spiritual life." I'm not really in to the big Hollywood blockbusters of Bible stories. I didn't really dig <i>The Red Tent</i> (braces for onslaught because everyone else loves that book). I'd decided that Biblical fiction just wasn't really my thing until I met Tosca (who, by the way, might be the Most Interesting Woman in the World).
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But I was so interested in the idea of a first person account from Judas's perspective that I dug in and in the end I felt both entertained and enriched. It's beautifully written and thoroughly researched. There's such care and tenderness in this story, spanning Judas's entire life, making it essentially a fictional autobiography. I highly, highly recommend this book - and I might suggest starting with the author's note at the end, where Tosca explains how this books came to be (and try <a href="http://www.toscalee.com/iscariot-promo/">this short, beautiful video</a>; Tosca is good at videos). She's written three works of Biblical fiction - Judas, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4885470-havah?ac=1">HAVAH</a> (the story of Eve), and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18775438-the-legend-of-sheba?ac=1">THE LEGEND OF SHEBA</a> (the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon - <a href="http://www.toscalee.com/sheba-promo/">check out her video for it here</a>! Seriously, watch it). I CANNOT wait to read the others and can't recommend Tosca's work highly enough.
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<b>Upcoming Want to Reads</b>: <a href="http://tonyakuper.com/">ANOMALY by Tonya Kuper</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22557272-the-girl-on-the-train">THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN by Paula Hawkins</a>, <a href="http://blackholly.com/books/doll-bones/">DOLL BONES by Holly Black</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17134589-the-conspiracy-of-us">THE CONSPIRACY OF US by Maggie Hall</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17341550-trust-me-i-m-lying">TRUST ME I'M LYING by Mary Elizabeth Summer</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17412895-the-shadow-cabinet">THE SHADOW CABINET by Maureen Johnson</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09589928734405169231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793788894392668715.post-85801991076025456162015-01-15T15:33:00.001-06:002015-01-15T15:33:32.177-06:00Read then Write: For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMY3ZOHp6MlZTKHrVc2REJB5aJHPZGCQhUIsJdSGmsm18qCQyMUAc4zfTsmNIBjUm94v-aIgxYO6Lk2sHmyzwx4WtBVjYHAPdttMoVPZSltZt41oY8JDWiAB5wxA7HYwW3FBeCtMYLFs4a/s1600/ForDarknessShowsTheStars_Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMY3ZOHp6MlZTKHrVc2REJB5aJHPZGCQhUIsJdSGmsm18qCQyMUAc4zfTsmNIBjUm94v-aIgxYO6Lk2sHmyzwx4WtBVjYHAPdttMoVPZSltZt41oY8JDWiAB5wxA7HYwW3FBeCtMYLFs4a/s400/ForDarknessShowsTheStars_Cover.jpg" /></a></div>
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I often feel like I'm racing to keep up with all of the new book releases, to keep up with the conversation around those "most anticipated" titles and those released by people I'm now connected to in one way or another. As a result, I often neglect to go back to gems I might have missed. But this is one (written all the way back in 2012!) I made a point of placing in my reading queue after I read its companion novel, <b>ACROSS A STAR-SWEPT SEA</b>, last winter. Every time I saw this cover I got that little heart palpitation. "Soon, dear Peterfreund. I just have to do this one thing first." And finally I did get to it. Please indulge me in reprinting the 2am Twitter explosion upon finishing <b>FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS</b>, for I feel it more properly captures my emotions than I can do now in the caffeinated light of day.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>I love Diana Peterfreund so much it hurts. Just...here, Diana. Have my heart and lungs and ribs & do what you will with them.</p>— Bethany Robison (@BethanyRobison) <a href="https://twitter.com/BethanyRobison/status/555641267968016384">January 15, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>*discovers prequel novella for ACROSS A STAR-SWEPT SEA* You win, Peterfreund. I'm happy I'm broken *dissolves into gleeful madness*</p>— Bethany Robison (@BethanyRobison) <a href="https://twitter.com/BethanyRobison/status/555643295632982016">January 15, 2015</a></blockquote>
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And what's lovely about Peterfreund's "Stars" duo is that we go into it already knowing the endings. They are (in my opinion) perfectly executed science fiction re-imaginings of beloved classic stories. ACROSS A STAR-SWEPT SEA, when <a href="http://bethanyrobison.blogspot.com/2013/10/book-study-someone-finally-yad-pimpernel.html">I first fell in love with Peterfreund</a>, is sci-fi Scarlet Pimpernel. FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS is PERSUASION, a Jane Austen-style sci-fi novel of manners.
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I've spent a lot of time studying refreshes or re-imaginings of classic stories (See <a href="http://bethanyrobison.blogspot.com/2011/03/rules-of-refresh.html">Part 1</a>, <a href="http://bethanyrobison.blogspot.com/2011/03/rules-of-refresh-part-2.html">Part 2</a>, <a href="http://bethanyrobison.blogspot.com/2011/03/rules-of-refresh-part-3.html">Part 3</a>), and there does seem to be an unwritten set of rules for the most satisfying ones. For example, I've spent enough time studying various versions of The Scarlet Pimpernel to possibly draft a bad PhD dissertation. As a fan, I know that certain touchstones are expected, or else don't bother pretending something is a Scarlet Pimpernel inspired story. There must be a masked hero. There must be some element of espionage and rescuing of imprisoned people, etc.
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Peterfreund's version of PERSUASION hits all the proper Jane Austen touchstones. I never realized how much I'd underrated Jane Austen's world building until I saw it transplanted into a new setting. It's futuristic sci-fi without being spaceshipy. They're on an indebted estate. There's a technologically induced class system that must be adhered to. There's careful politicking and relationship rumors. One thing I particularly enjoyed was the addition of a Grandfather character; his last name is Boatwright and he's throughout referred to as "The Boatwright" and that struck me as so perfectly English literature-y. The Boatwright was forced to move in to his son-in-law's guest rooms. The Boatwright was not pleased with the quality of his dinner. Love it.
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The basic plot of PERSUASION: Rich young girl falls in love with poor boy, professes love, then breaks it off. Boy strikes out on his own, makes mega-cash, then comes back (at least a little bitter) with his old attachment kept semi-secret. Sexual tension ensues.
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FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS hits so many lovely touchstones, and Peterfreund treats them lovingly. You know she reveres the story she's paying tribute to and treasures those key elements. We get to see a series of letters between "Anne" and "Wentworth" (who has been cleverly renamed "Wentforth") watching the evolution of their relationship prior to the breakup and him striking out on his own, up to and including THE letter at the end (which Peterfreund calls out as critical to her Austen fandom in her lovely acknowledgements). Peterfreund makes you feel the desperate financial and physical circumstances of the estate, and you feel the lenghts that "Anne" goes to, trying to keep everything together. "Wentforth" still joins the fleet, but he's an explorer, not a soldier. There is still a young lady who takes a tragic fall and is injured, though I'd argue that Peterfreund's explanation for WHY she falls might actually make more sense?
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As for the sci-fi elements: it's not dystopian, but it is set in a distant future, in which a large population of humans have had their abilities "reduced" after years of scientific enhancements corrupting their DNA. Only those who refused the enhancements for generations (the "Luddites") are still mentally and physically intact, and as such have risen to the level of aristocracy, charged with caring for the "reduced" who live and work on their estates. So what we have here is a futuristic society that congratulates themselves for not advancing technologically. Peterfreund actually apologizes (tongue in cheek) in her acknowledgements for not including much tech in her sci-fi; ACROSS THE STAR-SWEPT SEA, the second book, is more techy.
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While reading these two books, I often felt like they were written specifically for me. Both touched on so many things I love. Really satisfying, to the point that I'd happily take the time to reread both of them, and dig into the companion prequel novellas. As far as I can tell, Peterfreund isn't working on any other classic re-imaginings, but I really, really wish she would. With two homeruns, she's now among my very favorite and most trusted writers, and I hope she gets a lot of attention for her work.
</p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09589928734405169231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793788894392668715.post-39712832365111506402015-01-08T13:43:00.000-06:002015-01-08T13:51:37.480-06:00Read then Write: Holiday Redux<h2>How I read during my Christmas Vacation:</h2>
<i>In college I had a professor who encouraged me to free write a few hundred words whenever I finished reading something as a future reminder of what I did (or didn't) get out of it. Over time it's proven to be wise advice.</i>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSskKSfTXAES9wazsNRgWVNe_Z22aliCJIJSCbTF2neeAC6smCekG-VPPFVBbd8hPqWY9vTdMweKnl02SviKSH_VyT9T-5oMLxnl8u5blEekDl-Z10fVZQAWfieSoFT8OokV2fGvwg0A9e/s1600/MyTrueLoveGaveToMe_Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSskKSfTXAES9wazsNRgWVNe_Z22aliCJIJSCbTF2neeAC6smCekG-VPPFVBbd8hPqWY9vTdMweKnl02SviKSH_VyT9T-5oMLxnl8u5blEekDl-Z10fVZQAWfieSoFT8OokV2fGvwg0A9e/s400/MyTrueLoveGaveToMe_Cover.jpg" /></a></div><b>MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME</b>
<br>Edited by Stephanie Perkins
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Short stories aren't really my favorite thing, but I did enjoy this collection (I just wished most of the stories were longer). There's something for everyone in here, stories about Christmas, about Hanukkah, about New Years Eve (oddly enough, the New Years Eve story is presented first instead of last, but whatever). There's contemporary fiction, fantasy, magic, and some combinations thereof. Big cities, small towns, mansions, and poverty. Some stories resonated with me more than others, as I'm sure is the case with everyone who picked this up. It was a lovely experience to read one story a day during the Twelve Days of Christmas. If you decide to try it next year, some of my favorite moments include:
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* The Lady and the Fox by <a href="http://kellylink.net/">Kelly Link</a>. This story follows the life of a lonely girl who spends every Christmas at her wealthy English godmother's estate and encounters a ghostly stranger every time it snows. This one could have been 30k words longer and I would have been delighted.
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* It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by <a href="http://www.stephanieperkins.com/about.html">Stephanie Perkins</a>. I love everything Perkins writes, so I went into this one expecting to love it. It features a girl who (along with her mom) is between homes, so they're basically living in an apartment that doubles as a storage locker. Having had this experience myself just last Christmas, I completely empathized with her desire for simple things, like a Christmas tree and an unblocked window to put it in. The simple things in this story are what make it so touching.
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<br>
* Welcome to Christmas, CA by <a href="http://kierstenwrites.blogspot.com/">Kiersten White</a>. For me, this was the most complete of the stories. It didn't leave me wanting more but left me fully satisfied. In a dying mining town full of downtrodden residents, our narrator is a waitress in a hokey Christmas themed diner. But things turn around when the diner hires a new chef with a magical knack for giving people exactly what they need, even if they don't ask for it.
<br>
<br>
Note: If you have the book cover with the ice skaters, <a href="https://41.media.tumblr.com/31a679053557abf1b09ff9d4c4151b21/tumblr_nhczd77ntf1s6ftnyo2_500.jpg">here's a guide</a> for who comes from which story. Adorable.
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIoFAJju2faBXFb1vMc5-slDwIQbRkwatBE6TJUAgQNsEN6Neyj5dGQ2QVEMnhywdHDk7hwPlpqxak3jJ40-XPb8MeGB5lhkKahseaLhmnZtDb1eymvm2gqcRJS2lemg-04_min-F-0xaY/s1600/GatesOfThreadAndStone_Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIoFAJju2faBXFb1vMc5-slDwIQbRkwatBE6TJUAgQNsEN6Neyj5dGQ2QVEMnhywdHDk7hwPlpqxak3jJ40-XPb8MeGB5lhkKahseaLhmnZtDb1eymvm2gqcRJS2lemg-04_min-F-0xaY/s320/GatesOfThreadAndStone_Cover.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>GATES OF THREAD AND STONE</b>
<br>By <a href="http://www.lorimlee.com/">Lori M. Lee</a>
<br>
<br>
I hadn't heard about this book until I attended <a href="http://chicagospringfling.com/">Chicago Spring Fling RWA Conference</a> last spring, but this is a book that should be getting more attention. It's fantasy with a mythological, timeless feel to it (and just the right amount of romance). Essentially, it's a story of a girl trying to rescue her kidnapped older brother. There's a dash of "quest" mixed with a tiny bit of "Hunger Games Training" plus (best of all) <i>time bending</i>. I love time bending, I love illusion, I love not knowing what's real, who's good, who's bad, etc. Lori's world and voice feel different and fresh, even of some of these elements feel familiar. Definitely looking forward to her second book, THE INFINITE, coming out in March.
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_xt37wCKJKToAKj7_ScwbUD56K-Mqhp1XHD9Ld69ks_BuV4_ooAayJ8LqDM3LhLc9P4wspklzfvEIcHCa4KpXX6DuDIIzAsSY7W0wP8Nef2kdAlKIzGdh3CgHK16uHZjxbO7AltN2ujwU/s1600/Clara-Kensie-RUN-TO-YOU-1-6-Covers.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_xt37wCKJKToAKj7_ScwbUD56K-Mqhp1XHD9Ld69ks_BuV4_ooAayJ8LqDM3LhLc9P4wspklzfvEIcHCa4KpXX6DuDIIzAsSY7W0wP8Nef2kdAlKIzGdh3CgHK16uHZjxbO7AltN2ujwU/s320/Clara-Kensie-RUN-TO-YOU-1-6-Covers.jpeg" /></a></div>
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<b>RUN TO YOU (Parts 4-6)</b>
<br>By <a href="http://clarakensie.com/wordpress/">Clara Kensie</a>
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<br>
This was especially fun for me to read because Clara was the first writer I befriended back in the days when I was first trying to find my place in the writer community. We lived maaaybe a mile or two apart and met at an SCBWI chapter meeting in an entirely different town. Clara's publication story is a little different than anyone else I know because her story, which she wrote as two full-length novels, was picked up by Harlequin Teen as a 6-part series. Reading it felt like watching a miniseries on TV, which I personally enjoy. I thought it was a cool way to tell a story, something old-fashioned made new, but it seems like some readers weren't quite sure what to make of the format. That makes me sad because Clara is really talented (wait until you see her NEXT thing, holy mackerel).
<br>
<br>
RUN TO YOU is a paranormal romance (which, frankly, is possibly my least favorite genre), but I was gripped by Clara's characters, a family with a collection of psychic abilities on the run from a powerful psychic serial killer. Don't let the pretty pastel covers fool you. There's plenty of teenage romance, but there are flashes that make it obvious Clara's a Stephen King reader. It gets twisty, there are elements of suspense. Parts 4-6 (formerly Book 2) was originally titled NIGHTMARE EYES before the publisher changed the title (presumably to emphasize the romantic elements).
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjse9Z1dvcROvdeILvTw1l1uouFAXM3abFSxsB67oZOlfQeHptRW7JD78Hi6i16y1XuoCW1EBM8PU9x4Q4oqCXjAjEeS3FXUL6gfyhCHyeWpv5Lz9TEqGaM0NRKoPk61rAK3tepWHxMUAaF/s1600/GhostOfChicago_Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjse9Z1dvcROvdeILvTw1l1uouFAXM3abFSxsB67oZOlfQeHptRW7JD78Hi6i16y1XuoCW1EBM8PU9x4Q4oqCXjAjEeS3FXUL6gfyhCHyeWpv5Lz9TEqGaM0NRKoPk61rAK3tepWHxMUAaF/s400/GhostOfChicago_Cover.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>Various (nonfiction) Chicago History Works</b>
<br>By <a href="http://www.adamselzer.com/">Adam Selzer</a>
<br>
<br>
Since I moved to downtown Chicago I've been obsessed with learning everything I can about the history of my new neighborhood (it has a very checkered past), and so far my favorite resource has been Adam Selzer, a historian and ghost tour guide. History can get a little dry at times, but Adam has a way of finding the colorful stuff and presenting it with flair and skepticism at the same time. I found <a href="http://www.mysteriouschicagoblog.com/">his blog</a> a long time ago, but just recently bought three of his books (something I should have done a long time ago). I devoured all of them. In the daylight, his stories are entertaining and very, very well researched. Around 2am they freak the hell out of me, which is kind of the point. And, best of all, I learned my neighborhood, despite it's checkered history, isn't haunted. Like, at all. The closest ghost reported is at the Haunted Hooters several blocks away. So that's a relief.
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<br>
I've wanted to go on Adam's ghost tour for years, but have had trouble finding anyone to go WITH me. But I've gotten to know Adam a little over Twitter (I write historical fiction and he's been very personable, great at answering my questions). He's <a href="https://twitter.com/adamselzer">a fun Twitter follow</a>, if you're in to Chicago stuff, writing community news, and have a sense of humor.
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<br>
If you made a New Years Resolution to read more nonfiction, consider these (all available on ebook):
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* <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chronicles-of-old-chicago-adam-selzer/1117752047?ean=9780984633487">Chronicles of Old Chicago</a> (this is mostly straight historical stories, not a lot of ghosts)
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* <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/weird-chicago-troy-taylor/1100110468?ean=2940014687263">Weird Chicago</a> (a mixture of fact, legend, folklore, and spooky stuff)
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* <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ghosts-of-chicago-adam-selzer/1114856260?ean=9780738736112">The Ghosts of Chicago</a> (the book that Adam actually suggested to me when I asked him which of his books I should read)
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<br>
Coming soon: ANOMALY by <a href="http://tonyakuper.com/">Tonya Kuper</a>, FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS by <a href="http://www.dianapeterfreund.com/books/for-darkness-shows-the-stars/">Diana Peterfreund</a>, and I want to dig in to <a href="http://www.toscalee.com/">Tosca Lee's</a> historical fiction.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09589928734405169231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793788894392668715.post-90714309870915249622014-12-19T22:04:00.000-06:002014-12-19T22:04:15.395-06:00The Best Christmas Gift Ever<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXSSmm1uISlK5cd2qw8l1zouyVcGEZH7Yu8pOSMxe7lA0IvdDh8XDL82NW-llaU1iABiWOwUoF7khBJLmsm6hGbN9ca5rjPZZpgjzdp7x8Pa1bcg_sHh28TPoiJN4HswIbuF9Im8l0Ade2/s1600/SecretSantaLetterDec2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXSSmm1uISlK5cd2qw8l1zouyVcGEZH7Yu8pOSMxe7lA0IvdDh8XDL82NW-llaU1iABiWOwUoF7khBJLmsm6hGbN9ca5rjPZZpgjzdp7x8Pa1bcg_sHh28TPoiJN4HswIbuF9Im8l0Ade2/s400/SecretSantaLetterDec2014.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>
Early in December my husband and I received a letter that read, "<i>I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.</i>" (John 15:5,8). Enclosed with this letter was a $100 bill.
</p>
<p>
No signature or return address. No post mark, but it had to have come through the mail because we have apartment mailboxes (you can't just slip letters in there). Everything was typed, so no opportunity for handwriting analysis. We considered having it dusted for prints but decided against it.
</p>
<p>
So, Secret Santa, if you're out there lurking, here's what happened to the awesome gift you sent us.
</p>
<p>
As far as we were concerned, our Secret Santa's intent was clear. This was an opportunity to do something cool for someone else, an opportunity we actually have every day but don't always think about. We spent a couple of weeks debating our options. Do we donate it to an organization, like Toys for Tots or <a href="http://orphanhaiti.org/">Ephraim Orphan Project</a>? Or buy a few grocery store gift cards to distribute to the homeless near our neighborhood? In the end, we decided we wanted to keep the money intact. One gift for one person. We thought it would be cool to give someone that same SHOCK value that we got when we first opened it.
</p>
<p>
So that was settled. But who?
</p>
<p>
As my husband said, "The only wrong answer is to not give it to anyone."
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFOQknCCSEEIkvb6UeMRom23_XE7eWxU3djpvwb8ccsZ8HChmPPTJ9EzrjzCSNKOmkjAy551Gz14nOsywMKtV71s2LI42UY6T55omxPQOsvU9fE8JAKVJR29QbJ-5BzxQNNfqKcxueLpAW/s1600/1TheChristmasCard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFOQknCCSEEIkvb6UeMRom23_XE7eWxU3djpvwb8ccsZ8HChmPPTJ9EzrjzCSNKOmkjAy551Gz14nOsywMKtV71s2LI42UY6T55omxPQOsvU9fE8JAKVJR29QbJ-5BzxQNNfqKcxueLpAW/s400/1TheChristmasCard.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>
We moved to downtown Chicago less than a year ago and are still growing accustomed to the workings of our neighborhood. It's a fascinating neighborhood with a rich and complicated history. We're on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near_North_Side,_Chicago">Near North Side</a> of the city. We tell people it's the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Town,_Chicago">Old Town</a> neighborhood (because we aren't sure what else to call it), but technically we're just outside of the border, the area that 100 years ago was known as <a href="http://chicagology.com/notorious-chicago/littlehell/">"Little Hell"</a> and more recently <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabrini%E2%80%93Green">Cabrini Green</a>. Cabrini Green was a collection of public housing buildings, row houses and high rises. When we moved here earlier this year, we knew all of this, but we didn't realize just how recently things had changed (the last of the Cabrini Green high rises was torn down in 2011).
</p>
<p>
This area was dangerous and violent on and off for more than 100 years, but we've never felt unsafe. We've felt warmly welcomed by everyone we've met. But still, if you watch, you can see the signs that this area is still shifting. There's a police presence, but in a friendly way (some of the local officers live in our apartment building, and others whistle when they stroll into the shiny new Starbucks). There are security patrols, especially in parking lots. There's an organized community watch, especially near the elementary school by our building (the school dates back at least 100 years and has seen all of the neighborhood's best and worst).
</p>
<p>
We'd taken extra notice of these community watch people lately. They stay at their posts for hours at a time, bundled to the teeth against the weather, with big thick parkas under high visibility vests and scarves wrapped around their faces. They watch the kids (and adults too) as they're crossing the streets and generally keep an eye on things during work/school hours. These men and women are like everyone else I've met around here, warm and inviting. This neighborhood is much improved because it's clear the people living here want it to improve. Whenever we tell someone we're new here, they beam with pride and can't wait to tell us how far this area has come in the last few years.
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBjeF6NoYUQThleXcWWqha1KDzKDjGLfrHc8283bc-_e7E7i45DZghw45bmMsL7IuKUmY9a8ejgNfSlndSAr6rgY1s51-LCCrAvfVvDyCCnqf-dTwQUDH-3pGNsIUN028eZb86rdwVhzas/s1600/2TheChristmasEnvelope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBjeF6NoYUQThleXcWWqha1KDzKDjGLfrHc8283bc-_e7E7i45DZghw45bmMsL7IuKUmY9a8ejgNfSlndSAr6rgY1s51-LCCrAvfVvDyCCnqf-dTwQUDH-3pGNsIUN028eZb86rdwVhzas/s320/2TheChristmasEnvelope.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>
So we handed our Christmas card, complete with our Secret Santa's bill, to a woman in the community watch who stands in the cold and keeps an eye on our building and the school. I don't know her name, and I didn't introduce myself; we didn't want her to know us well enough to thank us (I mean, the gift isn't even really from us). But I knew we'd found the right recipient when I handed her the card. She looked surprised and legitimately pleased to be receiving a card (regardless of what was inside). She said thank you with so much warmth in her voice. I smiled and disappeared into the night (because I apparently think I'm Batman or something). I was about a block away when I thought I heard her squeal, but I didn't look. Another community watch person noticed me smiling and said, "You seem awfully cheerful today!" I responded with a Merry Christmas and wished I had a second card.
</p>
<p>
That's the story of the best Christmas gift I ever received. It started with a little anonymous Christmas magic, and I think it ended with some, too. Thank you, Secret Santa; please never, ever confess your true identity.
</p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09589928734405169231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793788894392668715.post-24533619382243938112014-11-22T12:00:00.000-06:002014-11-22T12:00:58.570-06:002014 NFL THANKSGIVING CHEATSHEET<p>
It's that time again! You're going home. Family and food are happening. Sportsball will likely be on your TV. Need something innocuous to discuss while you stuff more pie in your face? You've come to the right place! And lucky for you, non-sports viewer, this year's slate of Thanksgiving games features all of our favorite whipping posts, from Tony Romo to Jay Cutler and ports in between. We haven't had this much fun since <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vuvz15OjCVc">the Butt Fumble</a> (seems like it was only last Thanksgiving, but no, it was TWO Thanksgivings ago and it's kept giving ever since).
</p>
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<b>Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions</b><br>
12:30pm EST (CBS)<br>
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<p>
Big week in Detroit. On Sunday, the Lions play in New England against the evil Patriots. On Monday, they're letting the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets "borrow" their stadium so that they don't have to play in 47 feet of snow, and then on Thursday, they host their annual Thanksgiving game. For generations, the Lions' Thanksgiving game has been the perfect opportunity for a food nap, but in recent years, they've become much more interesting. After monster receiver Calvin Johnson (also known as "Megatron") broke all the receiving records a year or two ago, the Lions have been kind of quiet this year, almost sneakily going 7-3.
</p>
<p>
Their opponent, the Bears of Chicago, have been anything BUT quiet and sneaky. They've been a delightful tire fire while having a bunch of really exciting fantasy football players. Even embattled quarterback Jay Cutler has put up lovely fantasy numbers (I have him on my team). I love watching Jay Cutler; he reminds me of <a href="http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/webdr02/2013/6/26/18/anigif_enhanced-buzz-15759-1372285772-31_preview.gif">April</a> from <i>Parks and Recreation</i>; I firmly believe he has a heart of gold underneath that glum stare (he's from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Claus,_Indiana">Santa Claus, Indiana</a> for crying out loud, which, incidently also claims Hall of Fame Quarterback <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Griese">Bob Griese</a> as its own).
</p>
<p>
Basically, this game features two entities just dying to collapse for our amusement, and getting Jay Cutler as part of my Thanksgiving festivities is an unexpected treat. I don't know what I've done to deserve this, but I'm unworthy. Thank you, NFL Schedulers.
</p>
<b>Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys</b><br>
4:30pm EST (FOX)<br>
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<p>
That's right, ladies and gentlemen. Mark Sanchez's triumphant return to Thanksgiving day! (Watches Butt Fumble video three more times.)
</p>
<p>
The word on Philly is that they like to play football as though it's basketball. They like to snap the ball fast, score fast, everything fast. The announcers have trouble talking between plays. If they get their way, it will be a difficult game to nap through, like being in a room with a strobe light. Their starting quarterback is a guy named Nick Foles, who looks shockingly like Napoleon Dynamite, but Nick/Napoleon is injured, and that's how we get Mark Sanchez, his back up, who exists somewhere in the realm of "I've played in two AFC Championship games, but I'm also the guy from the Butt Fumble." So anything could happen, including copious napping.
</p>
<p>
A few weeks ago on Monday Night Football, Tony Romo fractured his back. Then he took a flight from Dallas to London and still played. Now he's back and (theoretically) still-still playing. If Mark Sanchez is known for a two-year-old Butt Fumble, then Romo is probably best known for a seven-year-old botched snap in a playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks. Both guys have enjoyed being the coolest dude in the room and being beat up as the most incompetent moron in the league, or so it would seem. But only one will emerge victorious, and both have their eyes on playoff spots with only about a month to go. ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!?
</p>
<b>Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers</b><br>
8:30pm EST (NBC)<br>
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<p>
The other two Thanksgiving games are cool because they have an awesome mix of comedic potential and actual sporting potential. This business, however, is commonly thought of as the best rivalry in the land (at least at this moment). The Seahawks are defending Super Bowl champs, and the 49ers were in the Super Bowl the year previous. They legitimately don't like each other. Even the coaches have some previous, dating back to when they coached at rival college institutions (49ers Jim Harbaugh at Stanford and Seahawks Pete Carroll at USC). This game is the real deal, and they're playing it in the 49ers brand new shiny stadium.
</p>
<p>
Have a lovely Thanksgiving week!
</p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09589928734405169231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793788894392668715.post-35747700292406566142014-11-21T11:25:00.000-06:002014-11-21T11:25:02.609-06:00Read then Write: UNSPOKEN by Sarah Rees Brennan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRONXi03k5KO9tB_4RagHllC2oAlmsie5VGaSwkOBanIrgkfRQqR_GjYRIxVNX_WcBGcV3SDm3MRpaQfR2-NGDqtGfRY2Az6kPOWMT1MJaFrovnROGT4dfM1EriyT_6zFSwACp12r0D8GA/s1600/UnspokenCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRONXi03k5KO9tB_4RagHllC2oAlmsie5VGaSwkOBanIrgkfRQqR_GjYRIxVNX_WcBGcV3SDm3MRpaQfR2-NGDqtGfRY2Az6kPOWMT1MJaFrovnROGT4dfM1EriyT_6zFSwACp12r0D8GA/s320/UnspokenCover.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>
Earlier this month I was invited to participate in <a href="http://www.publishing-hub.com/2014/11/youre-invited-to-yalaunch-10-authors100.html"><b>#YALaunch</b></a>, an author event in Omaha, Nebraska highlighting debut authors <a href="http://www.katebrauning.com/"><b>Kate Brauning</b></a> and <a href="http://www.nikkiurang.com/"><b>Nikki Urang</b></a>, who have been critique partners for years and just happened to have their books released on the same day. I'll do a proper write up on this one day soon (there are rumors that links to videos might be made available), but for the purposes of this post, <a href="https://twitter.com/search?src=typd&q=%23YALaunch"><b>#YALaunch</b></a> is when I at last met my friend <a href="https://alexyuschik.wordpress.com/"><b>Alex Yuschik</b></a>, an amazing lady who is getting her PhD in Mathematics by day and writing modernized Shakespeare by night. Much to my surprise, Alex showed up in Omaha with a stack of three books and instructions for me to take them back to Chicago because she thought I'd like them.
</p>
<p>
I trust Alex, so I jumped in with the first of those books.<br>
<b>UNSPOKEN by Sarah Rees Brennan</b>.<br>
Let the post-read freewrite begin:
</p>
<p>
I'd heard of <a href="http://sarahreesbrennan.com/">Brennan</a> and knew she had a great reputation, but I hadn't read any of her work before this. As is my usual habit, I didn't read the jacket copy or any other summaries (because they often tell you what happens through the first 1/3 of the book and it's no fun "discovering" things you already know). It's a paranormal, which isn't usually my favorite thing. I'm not that in to creatures (werewolves, vampires, ghosts, etc). But I do enjoy psychics and a good witch/wizard, and this is more in that direction.
</p>
<p>
The general idea is that the main character (Kami, an English girl of Japanese heritage) has had an "imaginary friend" her whole life, someone she talks to that no one else can see. Kami can't see him either, but she can hear his voice in her head. When she's older (17 I think?), she meets the guy who is the source of the voice, an actual guy who can actually speak into her mind. Turns out their voices are reciprocal.
</p>
<p>
"Mind Reader Boy" books aren't that rare in YA, but I did especially like this one, not for the gimmick itself, but for the voice. It's one of the "voiciest" third-person books I can remember reading. It's probably 90% from Kami's point of view with a few very brief jumps into the boy's (Jared) perspective. And, in a refreshing shift from other "mind reader boy" stories, romance isn't the point. They're trying to solve a mystery, and Brennan really sells the stakes, especially in the last act. Kami's a budding investigative reporter, and since she has the reputation around their village as "the crazy girl who hears voices," people kind of let her do whatever she's gotta do.
</p>
<p>
This book has a funny, energetic voice. It has fun, well-rounded supporting characters (I especially enjoy Kami's best friend Angela, who will do just about anything to avoid human interaction, and who plans her life around nap-taking). My only qualm was that, as much as I enjoyed the voice and wanted to spend time with it, it didn't sound especially English to me. Granted, I'm just another loud-mouthed American, but there were a few instances that pinged the back of my mind and made me think, "Is that really how an English teenager would say this?" But, then I was reminded that Sarah Rees Brennan is actually Irish, so perhaps that accounts for some of it? Or perhaps I have unrealistic expectations of modern, teenage, English voices?
</p>
<p>
Their world is a charming little English village (Sorry-in-the-Vale, which in my mind, is <a href="https://twitter.com/NightValeRadio"><b>Night Vale</b></a> with a woods instead of a desert) run by an old-school, feudal, manor-living family. It's about 80% pleasant village and 20% suspense as the mystery intensifies toward the end.
</p>
<p>
Alex also gave me the second book in the series, UNTOLD, so I'll jump right in to that while this world is still fresh in my mind. Would recommend this to those looking for a pleasant, lighthearted read with some elements of suspense and magic.
</p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09589928734405169231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793788894392668715.post-89029850003202073422014-11-19T14:32:00.002-06:002015-01-08T13:44:08.975-06:00Recent Reads and TBR Coming Attractions<p>
Once upon a time, I had a college professor who suggested that we should free-write 200-400 words after reading a book, just so that we could easily remember our initial impressions of it. We read a lot, and it all inevitably started to blend together without a little cheatsheet. Back in the day, before things like "followers," I created this blog with the intention of recording thoughts like these, to help me remember what I got out of any given story (books/movies/TV). It's relatively easy, saved for eternity, and even SEARCHABLE! If anyone else benefits from my ramblings on a given story or idea, then bonus! The only problem is, I got lazy, and now there's a huge gap in my memory.
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<br>
A lot of writers I know seem to have a goal of reading about 100 books a year (roughly two a week). I've done alright keeping up on my reading, but I've gotten lax in keeping notes, to the point that in some cases, if a book doesn't make a really strong impression, I sort of forget that I already read it and go through the embarrassing moment of "that kind of sounds familiar...??? :( :( :(." And then I lose my street cred.
</p>
<p>For the past several months, I've been sportsball blogging <a href="http://www.rantsports.com/nfl/author/bethanycampbell/">here</a>, freelance editing, and writing my own stuff. That's all been lovely. But my early New Year's Resolution is to be a bit more organized in my reading. Here are a few lines about my recent reads and what I hope to get to in the next few weeks.
</p>
<br>
<br>
<b>RECENT READS</b>
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<br>
* <b>THE INFINITE SEA</b> by Rick Yancey<br>
* <b>ISLA AND THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER</b> by Stephanie Perkins<br>
I read these two books back-to-back and nearly got genre whiplash, but I adored them both.<br>
THE INFINITE SEA is the second installment in the 5TH WAVE series. It's a sci-fi thriller told from several different first person POVs. I was a little hesitant to embrace some of those perspectives at first, but they each proved worthy and won me over in the end (some were even just very brief flashes inside a character's mind). This book is creepy as hell, and makes excellent, heart-wrenching use of the word "owie" in the first chapter. Loved it, would recommend it.<br>
<br>
ISLA, on the other hand, is a sweet love story that recalibrated my brain after being chased by alien monsters for ~300pages. By comparison, some readers might say "nothing happens" because we've grown to used to the pattern of "everything is going so well... and then there's a MURDER (or other catastrophic disaster)." Spoiler alert, no one gets murdered in ISLA AND THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER. I kept waiting, waiting for something truly gruesome and terrible to happen, and stuff did go wrong, but it shifted what felt like "high stakes" in my mind. It was real and funny and voicey and so different than anything else I'd read for awhile, with it's lack of death and pestilence, that I voted for it hard in the Goodreads "Best Young Adult Fiction" category. A completely refreshing reading experience that basically revolves around, "the guy I've been crushing on for years just noticed me, and now I'm afraid he'll be kicked out of our boarding school."<br>
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* <b>IF I STAY</b> by Gayle Forman<br>
I mostly read this because the movie was coming out, and were it not for the movie, this is probably one I'd accidentally forget I'd read. It was fine, there was nothing "wrong" with it, it just wasn't my thing. Compared to the other things I'd read before and after, it felt like there wasn't a lot happening, other than the narrator trying really, really hard to convince us that she loved classical music and was unashamed. But the movie looks beautiful, so I'll probably try to catch it at some point. This book is popular for a reason, so I'd like to know if there's something I just missed, so seeing it through the movie-maker's eyes might shed some new light.<br>
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* <b>GONE GIRL</b> by Gillian Flynn<br>
I gave in to peer pressure and read this like everyone else. I was especially in to this after I learned that Gillian Flynn lives one neighborhood away from me in Chicago. I mean, what if I cut her off in traffic some random day, or take the last marble loaf while she's standing behind me in the Starbucks line? Anywho, GONE GIRL was especially interesting to me because I suspect she was partially inspired by a couple of <a href="http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/28644457-418/stebic-peterson-families-seek-answers-as-missing-cases-hit-7-year-mark.html#.VGz3eYvF9qU">local missing wives cases</a> from a few years ago. Like the rest of the world, I felt like the book ended a few chapters too late, but overall, by far my favorite "grown up" book I've read in a long time. (Speaking of grown-up books, I also gave in to the peer pressure and gave OUTLANDER a try, if nothing else so that I could better follow <a href="http://www.lorimlee.com/">Lori M. Lee's</a> live-tweets of the TV show.)<br>
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* <b>THE THRONE OF GLASS SERIES</b> by Sarah J. Maas<br>
Probably the most satisfying reading experience I've had in a very long time. I <i>devoured</i> these books after they were recommended to me by my friend <a href="http://www.emerylord.com/">Emery Lord</a>, and then she got to enjoy watching me completely melt under their power. It's the best kind of character driven fantasy story, told in third person, about a female assassin, imprisoned for her crimes, and then released on a condition that she participate in a competition (small-scale Hunger Games). So often in fantasy, world building is the star, but in the first book, these people hardly leave the castle (which is made of glass, mind you). There are late-night murders reminiscent of a game of Clue, there's friendship and betrayal, backstabbing and kissing, hints of magic, EVERYTHING. I loved these books so much my brain melted, can't wait for the fourth one.
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<b>NEEEEED TO READ IMMEDIATELY</b>
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* <b>RUN TO YOU (PARTS IV-VI)</b> by <a href="http://clarakensie.com/wordpress/">Clara Kensie</a><br>
So, I moved twice in the last year, and during most of that time I was a tablet-only reader for practicality purposes. Once we finished the last move, I basked in the opportunity to at last read "paper" books again. And that was right about the time the last three installments of these psychic serial killer romantic thrillers came out (e-reader only). They've been there waiting on me, and I want badly to read them because the first three were a lot of fun and Clara is so talented. If only I were better at reading multiple things at a time, I'd have done it already.<br>
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* <b>GATES OF THREAD AND STONE</b> by Lori M. Lee<br>
I met Lori at Chicago's 2014 Spring Fling and have been looking forward to this one ever since. It's been at my bedside taunting me and I'm furious with myself for not getting to it yet.<br>
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* <b>FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS</b> by Diana Peterfreund<br>
For people who read this blog back when I actually posted to it, you might recall that Diana Peterfreund won my favor by <a href="http://bethanyrobison.blogspot.com/2013/10/book-study-someone-finally-yad-pimpernel.html">nailing a YA sci-fi retelling of <i>The Scarlet Pimpernel</i></a> and officially earning a special place in my heart. Every since, I've been wanting to visit her other work, especially this one (a similar YA sci-fi retelling of <i>Persuasion</i>).<br>
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* <b>INTO THE FIRE</b> by Ashelyn Drake<br>
I've been working as a freelance editor for <a href="http://www.month9books.com/">Month9 Books</a> for several months now. Month9 specializes in young adult speculative fiction, and has developed some pretty cool stuff, especially considering that it's a small press and has only been in operation for two years. Since I'm still one of the new kids, I've been scrambling to catch up on their list, and they've (or, I guess "we've?") been busy. This is one (which I did NOT work on) that keeps jumping out at me as potentially special.<br>
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* <b>MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME</b> by Everyone Ever<br>
Several years ago, beloved authors John Green (<i>The Fault in Our Stars</i>), Maureen Johnson (<i>13 Little Blue Envelopes</i>) and Lauren Myracle (<i>The Infinite Moment of Us</i>) worked together on a holiday compilation called LET IT SNOW, which will soon be a major motion picture (in my mind, it will look kind of like the young adult version of <i>Love Actually</i>). Since I fell so in love with LET IT SNOW, I was more than ready to impulse buy MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME, featuring several of my favorite writers. Holly Black (I adored <i>The Coldest Girl in Coldtown</i>, and have been wanting to try <i>Doll Bones</i>). Ally Carter (<i>The Heist Society</i> series makes me very happy). Stephanie Perkins (already gushed about how much I loved <i>Isla</i>, and Stephanie actually edited this beast). And NINE OTHERS, one story for each of the Twelve Days of Christmas, which is why this is a "Do not open until after Thanksgiving" item for me and mine.
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<br>
So now you tell me - what are your recent reads and what's missing from my TBR pile?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09589928734405169231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793788894392668715.post-63209567721678390512014-06-25T18:30:00.000-05:002014-06-25T18:30:28.945-05:002014 World Cup CHEATSHEET: US Men's National Team<p>Entire country coming to a standstill tomorrow to watch American play soccer and you'd like to have an idea of who's rep'ing the Red, White, and Blue? You've come a pretty good place (though the right place is probably <a href="http://meninblazers.com/">meninblazers.com</a>). Though I'm terrified that anything I write might end up being incredibly jinxy, here are my personal thoughts on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG">a very likable United States soccer team</a>.
</p>
<b>GOALIES</b>
<p>
The United States has been producing world-caliber goalies for quite some time now. Historically, the best ones have had no hair, and this roster is no exception.
</p>
<p><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HDKiNywunE&index=1&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG">Tim Howard</a></b> is our starter. He's a man's man, the sort that would grow a beard to play a ninety-degrees-in-the-shade game in the Amazon jungle. He's originally from New Jersey. Once upon a time ago, he played for the infamous Manchester United. Now he plays for Everton, a spunky team in Liverpool in the English Premier League (and they wear the same color blue as the Indianapolis Colts, so I dig them). He's lived with Tourette Syndrome and plays in goal as though he's moving his defenders around with a PlayStation controller.
</p>
<p>
Our backup goalie is a guy from the Chicago 'burbs named <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx-jcd6DAX8&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG&index=16">Brad Guzan</a></b>. While we obviously hope Timmy Howard maintains perfect health, we do have some depth at the position should something go horribly wrong. Brad also plays in the EPL, for Aston Villa in Birmingham, and Brad actually played in a lot of the games that qualified the US for the World Cup. Our third goalie is a guy I don't know anything about: <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aJa-0zp9cA&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG&index=13">Nick Rimando</a></b>, who plays for Salt Lake City in MLS (who lost in the championship game last season to Kansas City). He has a full head of hair, so I'm not sure how I feel about him. He's probably a really nice guy who's kind to puppies and children.
</p>
<b>THE DUAL CITIZENS</b>
<p>
A lot has been made about Coach Jurgen Klinsmann's German kids (<b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIqjBpD4st4&index=17&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG">Timmy Chandler</a></b>, <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgKKGnyfrX8&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG&index=4">Fabian Johnson</a></b>, <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOL02wRL1Sg&index=9&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG">John Anthony Brooks</a></b>, <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4EWgwJYXUU&index=6&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG">Jermaine Jones</a></b>, and <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHj1LNLhFJs&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG&index=7">Julian Green</a></b>). Guys with one American parent and one European parent, the children of American soldiers who were stationed overseas. Four of the five have played, and they've really risen to the occasion (Green hasn't played, but for crying out loud, he's 19 years old). There were some questions of how "American" these guys really were. Maybe they've never lived in the States. Maybe they speak with European accents. Maybe they just decided to play for the States because "they weren't good enough" to make Germany's roster.
</p>
<p>
We can't know what's in these guys' hearts, but I have thought a lot about how much identity is wrapped up in nationalism (I wrote a novel about it once upon a time ago, so this narrative is particularly special to me). At some point in history, all of us have ancestors who chose to be American. Nobody forced these guys to join the team. We don't know for sure that the line about them "not being good enough" is actually true (especially in Julian Green's case, because NINETEEN YEARS OLD). So long as these fellas <i>want</i> to be American, <a href="http://www.espnfc.us/video/inside-usmnt/101/video/1883888/inside-usmnt-new-american-dream">that's good enough for me</a>. They've already made a lot of positive noise in the World Cup, and they'll no doubt (for better or worse) be the story against Germany.
</p>
<p>
There are two other kiddos on the roster who had to choose their national soccer allegiances: <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmBa3RQoT50&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG&index=10">Aron Johannssen</a></b> and (<a href="http://www.rantsports.com/soccer/2014/06/12/2014-world-cup-usmnts-mix-diskerud-will-soon-become-a-household-name/?utm_source=RantSports&utm_medium=HUBRecirculation&utm_term=SoccerUS+National+TeamGrid1">my personal favorite</a>) <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-97dYQSvKo&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG&index=24">Mix Diskerud</a></b>. These are our Scandinavian Americans. Aron, who came on for the injured Jozy Altidore against Ghana, was born in Alabama, but grew up in Iceland (some have nicknamed him "The Iceman"). Mix, who might have the coolest name in all of American sports, has a Norwegian father and Arizonian mother. Match-ups and injuries have demanded particular players play, and Klinsmann has done a magnificent job managing this roster, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I'm terribly disappointed Mix hasn't gotten to play yet. But he's young. And delightful. He'll get his chance.
</p>
<b>THE UNEXPECTED MLS HEROES</b>
<p>
One of the underrated stories of this World Cup how our domestic league players have really delivered. The United States brought several established players who have been toiling in MLS for years, who maybe thought their chances at making a World Cup team were over.
</p>
<p>
<b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLGROQTOsiA&index=2&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG">Matt Besler</a></b> and <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txQNTcOo3qk&index=15&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG">Graham Zusi</a></b> both play for reigning MLS champions Kansas City (who, by the way, have really nice uniforms). These two are best buddies. Besler has been awesome as a defender in two games, despite his gimpy hamstring. I didn't know much about him until he caught my attention <a href="http://www.espnfc.us/video/inside-usmnt/101/video/1883890/inside-usmnt-facing-ronaldo">in the ESPN 30for30 documentary</a> on the team, when he basically said "Ronaldo's good, but he's human." And Graham Zusi has been a corner kick wizard, getting two assists and looking good doing it.
</p>
<p>
One of the truly blue-collar players has been <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayRl274j_m0&index=19&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG">Kyle Beckerman</a></b>, he of the famous dreads. He plays for Salt Lake City, doesn't get a lot of glory, but plays hard and with a great attitude. Side note: if you want to get attached to an MLS team and aren't sure where to start, the pattern of players on the national team would probably lead you toward Kansas City, Salt Lake City, LA Galaxy, or Seattle. If Mix's transfer to Portland had gone through, my allegiance would be finalized. Alas.
</p>
<p>We can't forget <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpkMEBfMml8&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG&index=3">Chris Wondolowski</a></b> here, either. Wondo's a California guy of Native American heritage with eyes so big and innocent I like to think of him as the American Puss-In-Boots, right down to his quiet assassin-like tendencies. <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbFjUhk6KPs&index=18&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG">DeAndre Yedlin</a></b>, a burst of energy off the bench against Portugal, was born in Seattle and now plays for Seattle, too. <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvxZ5WxQ_0Q&index=8&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG">Omar Gonzalez</a></b> is a basketball-tall soft-spoken guy from Texas who now plays for the LA Galaxy. And <b>Brad Davis</b>, who plays in bright orange for the Houston Dynamo, does a lot of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHlWHGJmvIA&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG&index=12">great work with military families</a>.
</p>
<p>
One thing to keep an eye on: if the United States continues to play well, some of these players making names for themselves might get opportunities to move to higher paying teams overseas. MLS has a salary cap; the European leagues do not, and they don't have limits on how many guys they can keep on their rosters, either. If these guys attract foreign attention, it could be good for them, but it might potentially suck for the home league to lose them.
</p>
<b>AMERICAN GLOBETROTTERS</b>
<p>
As much as MLS has improved over the last twenty or so years, the best players still play elsewhere. But, there has been a bit of a trend lately of American globetrotting players coming home. Our star goal scorer, <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7VZb4-Sayg&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG&index=20">Clint Dempsey</a></b>, played for a couple of London teams, Fulham (which is now owned by the same guy who owns the Jacksonville Jaguars) and Tottenham (one of the bigger teams in the English Premier League). But, in the run up to the World Cup, Dempsey shocked everyone by coming home to play for Seattle, arguably the most rabid soccer fanbase in America. They consistently fill the Seattle Seahawks' football stadium and behave like a really, really big college student section. Seattle is amazing.
</p>
<p>
After Dempsey came home, so did <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTLc6xaR1L0&index=14&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG">Michael Bradley</a></b>. He'd been playing in Rome for one of the better teams in Italy, but now he's stationed in Toronto (yes, I know it's technically in Canada, but it's still our domestic league). Defender <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHJl1Ye5MNo&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG&index=21">Geoff Cameron</a></b>, who has taken a little heat for the goal at the end of the game against Portugal, plays for Stoke in the English Premier League. An English TV announcer once described him throwing a ball in from out of bounds as "Quarterback Style!" Though defenders don't score very often, it is fun to scream "Quarterback Style!" any time Cameron does something good. But when things go a little sideways, he has been known to get Tim Duncan eyes.
</p>
<p>
To round out the roster, <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNnw0GW_3cQ&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG&index=23">Alejandro Bedoya</a></b> plays in France, and <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiaNOLU8oxo&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG&index=12">DaMarcus Beasley</a></b> (originally of Fort Wayne, Indiana) plays in Mexico. And of course, our injured playmaker, <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZcwdHJSMR8&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG&index=22">Jozy Altidore</a></b>, a Floridian born to Haitian immigrant parents who scored goals like a maniac when he played in the Dutch league (with Aron Johannssen), then almost suffered relegation with Sunderland in England. Jozy's been tumbling around inside a cement mixer for about a year, but hopefully he's on the mend. That's twenty-three likable guys, each with a story to tell and with something to contribute. But really, the star of the team seems to be Coach <b>Jurgen Klinsmann</b>. He's dynamic, he's charismatic, and he's played a very, very smart tournament. I've grown quite fond of him. Regardless of what happens Thursday, I hope he has this job for a long, long time.
</p>
<p><a href="http://www.espnfc.us/video/men-in-blazers/103/video/1910889/world-cupcakes-united-states-vs-germany">I BELIEVE</a>.
</p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09589928734405169231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793788894392668715.post-23938592720875086542014-06-19T12:20:00.000-05:002014-06-19T12:20:23.370-05:00CHEATSHEET: 2014 World Cup<p>Not a sports fan? Think soccer is stupid but everyone's talking about it right now and you feel a little left out? Or maybe you kinda like the idea of soccer but there are so many leagues and teams and players that it's all kind of overwhelming? You've come to the right place! We're Americans! We like embracing flash-heroes! Here are a few story lines and talking points to help you enjoy the next few weeks.
</p>
<b>GROUPS</b>
<p>
Maybe you've heard the <b>United States</b> is in "Group G." There are eight groups, "A" through "H." Every team is guaranteed to play at least three games. Wins are worth three points, ties are worth one point, losses suck. If two teams in a group have the same number of points after three games, then they count up the goals scored to decide who wins the group (so running up the score is good, if you can do it). The top two teams in every group move on to an NCAA Tournament style knockout round, where ties cease to exist.
</p>
<b>TEAMS</b>
<p>
<b>Spain</b> was one of the favorites, but I'm late writing this post, so they've already been eliminated. This means I don't have to explain how they won the last three international tournaments in a row, but it also means I have no excuse to link to anything related to <a href="http://mfljones.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/9-fernando-torres.jpg">Sad Fernando Torres</a>. Watch for him to score 10 completely meaningless goals against the <b>Australians</b>, who are also already eliminated. What a shame, <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/fifa-world-cup-2014/world-cup-match-report/world-cup-2014-socceroos-beaten-by-netherlands-in-thriller-after-tim-cahill-wonder-goal-20140619-zse00.html">the Aussies were fun to watch</a>.
</p>
<p>
The <b>Dutch</b> were the runners up in the last World Cup, and they were the ones who slayed the Spanish and Australians. They usually wear orange, but so far in this tournament they've been wearing these gorgeous blue alternate uniforms, which I've decided are lucky. They have two super stars who are rumored to hate each other, <b><a href="http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=11078816">Robin van Persie</a></b> and <b>Arjen Robben</b> (Robin and Robben). Robin plays for the famous Manchester United in England, Robben plays for the also famous Bayern Munich in Germany.
</p>
<p>
<b>Germany</b> might be the San Antonio Spurs of this tournament, quietly taking care of business and people kind of forget about them between games. The United States will play them soon, and there are many connections between the two. Our coach is a former German team star. Several of our players are dual American/German citizens, because their fathers were military guys stationed overseas. Those players had their choice of which country they wanted to play for; once they take the field for one country or the other, they're "tied" to that country for the rest of their career. <b>John Brooks</b>, who scored America's winner against Ghana, was one of these dual-citizen players. He was not officially tied to the United States until he took the field on Monday, but he's ours now!
</p>
<p>
<b>Mexico</b> looks pretty good, but they were a "bubble" team; they had to do a weird playoff against New Zealand to qualify. Their goalie <b>Ochoa</b> was like an X-Man in the <a href="http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=11098709">zero-zero tie with Brazil</a> this week (and he's currently between teams, so it must be a fun week to be his agent). That was the game where people started whispering, "I understand why ties can be cool."
</p>
<p>
No European team has ever won the World Cup in South America. <b>Brazil</b> has never won the World Cup at home, and they're dealing with a lot of personal baggage. <b>Chile</b> looked really, really strong, and <b>Argentina</b> has arguably the best player in the world, <b>Lionel Messi</b> (yes, pronounced messy). In conclusion, I know embarrassingly little about the teams from Africa and Asia. I am ashamed.
</p>
<b>PLAYERS</b>
<p>
The subject of "best player in the world" breaks down to a sort of "Manning vs Brady" argument, with <a href="http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=11089402">Lionel Messi</a> playing the role of Manning and <b>Cristiano Ronaldo</b>, for <b>Portugal</b>, playing the role of Brady. The United States will play against Portugal on Sunday, and there have been rumors all week about Ronaldo having a bad knee. But, being arguably the best in the world, he'll have to be comatose to not be on the field. Oh, and if he scores, <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2638462/Cristiano-Ronaldo-does-Mario-Balotelli-Champions-League-final-goal-celebration.html">he might un-shirt himself</a>.
</p>
<p>
Those who taught me soccer, <a href="http://www.espnfc.us/video/men-in-blazers/103/index">Roger Bennett and Michael Davies</a>, believe <b>Uruguay</b>'s star <a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bb8vBIlIIAE8WBD.jpg"><b>Luis Suarez</b> looks like Anne Hathaway</a>. <b>Italy's Mario Balotelli</b>, who scored the game winner against <b>England</b> last weekend, is probably best known for blowing up his own bathroom with fireworks on the eve of a big game, then wearing a t-shirt that read, "<a href="http://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbfrlszX8T1rz8v3oo1_500.gif">Why Always Me?</a>" (Note: I enjoy Balotelli; he makes me happy). <b>Belgium</b>'s team is just filthy with big-named players and they've long been thought to be a dark horse contender (if you want to sound like you know what you're talking about, tell your friends you predict either Belgium or Chile to win it all). The English team has some fun characters, too (Note: <b>Wayne Rooney</b> <a href="http://static3.memedeportes.com/mmds/2012/06/MMD_362_rooney_vs_shrek.jpg">looks like Shrek</a>), but we have to get on to more important stuff. Just know, generally speaking, that teams tend to give the symbolic number "10" to their star guy, and the captain, their team leader, will wear an armband.
</p>
<b>THE AMERICANS!</b>
<p>
So why isn't <b>Landon Donovan</b> on this team? I don't know, but I've heard several theories. He's getting older and kind of broken down (by his own admission). He's still playing well for his team, the LA Galaxy, but by Team USA standards he's probably a guy who would come off the bench, and thus might have been a distraction ("Why isn't he starting!?"). By not having him there, it may have been just one less thing to worry about. Or, he and Coach Klinsmann might just passive aggressively not get along. If you listened to Landon's quotes leading up to the selection, you kind of got the idea that he was prepared to not be on the team; it's possible he was just worn down. But anywho.
</p>
<p>
Team USA has had a few different "number 10" guys over the years. Sometimes Landon wore it. Sometimes it was <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7VZb4-Sayg&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG&index=17">Clint Dempsey</a></b> (the guy who scored the goal in the first 30 seconds against Ghana then got his nose broken). Now Clint is our captain (so some people are hoping he'll wear a Captain America mask to protect his broken face), and he's arguably our best goal scorer. Our best player is probably our goalie, <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HDKiNywunE&index=13&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG">Tim Howard</a></b>, who plays for Everton in the English Premier League; he used to play at Manchester United when Portugal's Ronaldo was there. They were TEAMMATES! Now, our number "10" is actually a new guy, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-97dYQSvKo&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG&index=10"><b>Mix Diskerud</b></a> (the coolest name on the roster); he tends to be the first guy off the bench, when injuries don't dictate otherwise. <a href="https://twitter.com/MixDiskerud/status/464840262318325760">I adore him</a>.
</p>
<p>
The guy who needs to have a HUGE game against Portugal is <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTLc6xaR1L0&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG&index=23">Michael Bradley</a></b> (the bald guy who never smiles). His dad used to be Team USA's coach; he was fired after the last world cup, and that's when Klinsmann took over. Bradley is really good; the people who know things say that he could easily play in any league in the world, but he recently chose to come to MLS (he plays for Toronto). A lot of our guys have been coming back to the home league lately.
</p>
<p>
Against Ghana we lost the one guy we couldn't really afford to lose: <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZcwdHJSMR8&index=20&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG">Jozy Altidore</a></b>. He's supposed to be our biggest scorer; none of the other guys play the way he plays (no, not even Landon, they don't even play the same position). Rumor has it that his injury isn't as bad as they originally thought, but he's not playing against Portugal. So who will replace him? Either <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmBa3RQoT50&index=22&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG">Aron Johannsson</a></b> (a kid who was born in Alabama but grew up in Iceland) or <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpkMEBfMml8&index=3&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG">Chris Wondolowski</a></b> (a late-blooming player of Native American heritage). Aron came on for Jozy against Ghana, and it was a little symbolic, since they played together for awhile in the Dutch league, before Jozy moved to Sunderland in England. I'm kind of feeling Wondo against Portugal. I can't explain why, just a feeling.
</p>
<p>
Team USA has a lot of interesting, likable characters on it (see also, <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayRl274j_m0&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG&index=14">Kyle Beckerman</a></b>), and you can see them <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7k2_8n1i7U&list=PLsAXIYtop5OvbxiXzEwiB2ZZWacu5gYVG&index=24">all introduce themselves here</a> in little 90 second videos. Highly recommend.
</p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09589928734405169231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793788894392668715.post-78931257752259870572014-04-11T16:53:00.001-05:002014-04-11T17:42:46.465-05:00BOOK STUDY: The Subtle Beauty of OPEN ROAD SUMMER<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVEE8AYcYboN_mKmiEpbNoEQ6a37KoHKBgKzwxlBDjGVvY6zeNPwqX3lHhzcMJ7LiP_dYW74W3i8CUZ0IMkCcG09qN-l1MqJaywcZ48NWZkxbJZZa7vCQpBifZ4BnKFM9xk7jBOA2mqKLv/s1600/openroadsummer_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVEE8AYcYboN_mKmiEpbNoEQ6a37KoHKBgKzwxlBDjGVvY6zeNPwqX3lHhzcMJ7LiP_dYW74W3i8CUZ0IMkCcG09qN-l1MqJaywcZ48NWZkxbJZZa7vCQpBifZ4BnKFM9xk7jBOA2mqKLv/s1600/openroadsummer_cover.jpg" /></a></div><p>I first crossed paths with <a href="http://www.emerylord.com/"><b>Emery Lord</b></a> on October 29, 2010 (this date is real, I looked it up). The internet daisy chain that brought us together is long and tangled, but suffice it to say that we were both looking for someone willing to read and critique our "finished" manuscripts. Mine was a sort of Revolutionary era fantasy thing; hers was a contemporary young adult romance about a girl trying to reinvent herself a year after the unexpected death of her boyfriend, but told in a really smart, funny voice (look for this one on bookshelves in about a year). In those days, Emery also had a seedling of an idea about two best friends, one a shooting-star musician and the other a girl trying to separate herself from a series of bad habits; she called this idea <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16081202-open-road-summer"><b>OPEN ROAD SUMMER</b></a>, and it will be available in a bookstore near you on <b>Tuesday, April 15th</b>.
</p><p>
I'm not much of a contemporary romance reader, but I fell in love with Emery's writing style when we were still strangers. Since then, she's become a great friend and writing partner, so it's a little difficult to "study" her work objectively. I was there when she was still trying to decide where to start the story (in a parking lot, beside a tour bus adorned with wildflowers). I watched her experiment with first person past tense and first person present (present tense won out). Characters changed names and song lyrics were rewritten, and every microscopic detail was attended to and optimized because that's just how Emery operates. I had a front-row seat while all the puzzle pieces clicked into place, and the entire process was magic.
</p><p>
<b>So what makes OPEN ROAD SUMMER special?</b>
</p><p>
* <b>This isn't what I would consider a standard contemporary young adult romance.</b> Our narrator, Reagan, has several interesting relationships, and one of them is indeed with an incredibly charming guy. But, this story is just as much about her relationship with her best friend, a famous musician reminiscent of Taylor Swift named Delilah (Dee for short). One thing Emery does as well as anyone in the business is craft compelling best friend relationships, and this is a pattern readers will notice through everything she writes. There are also specters of Reagan's long-absent mother and troubled ex-boyfriend; we never see them, but we can still feel their lingering impact.
</p><p>
* <b>This book has a riveting and intelligent first person narrative voice.</b> Since I've had the luxury of reading three of Emery's manuscripts now, I can say with confidence that all of her first person narrators have completely distinct voices. It's almost like she's performing a one-woman play, channeling the character in every tiny motion, every feeling, every word. When we meet the narrator of OPEN ROAD SUMMER, she's just decided to quit smoking, quit drinking, quit her ex-boyfriend, and put literal geographic distance between herself and her rock-bottom moment by going on tour with her famous best friend. Reagan doesn't always make the best choices, but she's trying; she's three-dimensional and real. You can hear the clacking of her trademark high-heeled shoes and the shutter of her camera. At times you can even feel her glaring at you, but you love her just the same.
</p><p>
* Another thing Emery does as well as anyone: <b>she creates these tiny, poignant moments and wrings all the emotion right out of them.</b> OPEN ROAD SUMMER is an especially nice showcase for this because our narrator, Reagan, is a photographer. She's always looking for these snapshot moments, and when she finds them, she captures them, internalizes them, processes them, and reacts to them. Reagan does this with her friend Dee, capturing her open spirit, how she treats her fans, how she handles the press in the midst of scandal, and how she behaves when she's out of the spotlight. Reagan does this with her father, a recovering alcoholic who managed to pull his life back together after his wife walked out and left him to raise his daughter alone. And, she does it with charming former boy-bander Matt Finch, who joins Dee on tour, both as a personal favor to a friend and in hopes of finding something to break his longstanding songwriter's block. Reagan, for all of her rough edges and attitude, realizes that everyone around her has a story to tell (including her), and her photographer's eye captures the key thousand words.
</p><p>
This book is such a satisfying, pleasant read. It made me laugh, and funny is such a rare and delightful treat. It's fun without being fluffy, it's substantive without being heavy, and it has just the right amount of romance (of about a PG-rated level) to satisfy readers who want it and to not bog down readers who don't really care about that stuff.
</p><p>
<b>AND BECAUSE I KNOW YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK I'M GIVING IT AWAY</b>
<br>
If you'd like a free copy of OPEN ROAD SUMMER, enter by leaving a comment below, and please include a twitter handle or some way for me to contact you if you win. On <b>May 1, 2014</b>, I'll choose a winner using a random selector. If I get enough entries, I'll give away TWO. This is open to readers in the United States and abroad. Thanks!
</p>
<p>
<b>UPDATE:</b> I'm reminded that leaving comments on these blog posts isn't as easy as it used to be. If you don't want to mess with the Google comments, you can also enter through email (bethany at bethanyrobison dot com) or contact me on twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/BethanyRobison">@BethanyRobison</a>). Thanks!
</p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09589928734405169231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793788894392668715.post-38849175825593783602014-01-31T13:15:00.000-06:002014-01-31T13:15:09.224-06:00SUPERBOWL CHEATSHEET: Mannings Take Manhattan (or at Least New Jersey)<i>Don't like sports? Forced to attend a seven hour Super Bowl party with people paying varying levels of attention to each other? You've come to the right place. Here are some trivia bullets to get you through the evening, and maybe even help you accidentally enjoy yourself. I mean, the Chili Peppers are doing halftime, and then <a href="http://nflcommunications.com/2014/01/24/red-hot-chili-peppers-to-auction-off-drum-set-from-pepsi-super-bowl-xlviii-halftime-show-to-benefit-make-a-wish/">auctioning off their special drum kit to benefit Make-A-Wish</a>! Improve your attitude!</i>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<b>THE VENUE</b><br>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.metlifestadium.com/stadium/about-us">MetLife Stadium</a>, East Rutherford, New Jersey (basically New York City)
<li>New stadium, opened spring of 2010
<li>Shared home of the <a href="http://www.giants.com/team/index.html">New York Giants</a> and <a href="http://www.newyorkjets.com/team/index.html">New York Jets</a> (only two teams in the league that share a stadium)
<li>It includes a total of four locker rooms: one for the Giants, one for the Jets and two for visiting teams.
<li>Between the two NFL teams, concerts, and special events, the stadium was named the top grossing stadium in the world
<li>Capacity: 82,500 (90,000 for non-football major events)
<li>The first open-air stadium in a cold-weather U.S. city to host the Super Bowl.
<li>Before the Jets and Giants agreed to collaborate on this new stadium, the Jets originally planned to build <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/06/nyregion/06cnd-stadium.html?pagewanted=all">a new stadium on the west side of Manhattan</a> as part of <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a7/WestSideStadium.jpg">New York City's 2012 Olympic bid</a>.
</ul>
<br>
<br>
<b>THE TEAMS</b>
<br>
<br>
<b>Seattle Seahawks</b>
<ul>
<li>Team founded in <a href="http://www.profootballhof.com/history/team.aspx?franchise_id=29">1976</a>.
<li>Seattle held a ‘civic suggestion campaign’ to name team; there were more than 20,000 entries (but only <a href="http://www.sportsgrid.com/nfl/seattle-seahawks-history-timeline-yes-they-were-almost-named-the-sockeyes/">about 1,700 unique names</a>).
<li><a href="http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nfl/seattle/seahawks.html">Original team owner</a> died of a heart attack before the team played its first game.
<li>Seahawks were added as an expansion team to the NFC, switched to the AFC after one year, then <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/news/2001/05/22/banks_realign/">switched back to the NFC again in 2002</a>. During their AFC years, the Seahawks were in the same division as the Broncos (with the Chargers, Chiefs, and Raiders) and played each other twice every season.
<li>Seattle is the only team that has switched conferences.
<li>Seattle’s stadium was specifically engineered to be the loudest (open air) stadium in the NFL; December 2013 they <a href="http://www.seahawks.com/12th-Man/spirit-of-12/article-fans/Seahawks-fan-base-retakes-Guinness-World-Record-for-crowd-noise/d4158472-8c74-45f0-8ef4-76f8263c594c">broke the ‘crowd noise’ record</a> in the Guinness Book of World Records. During a playoff game touchdown run in 2011, the crowd got so loud that <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2013/story/_/id/10282868/2013-nfl-playoffs-seattle-seahawks-fans-generated-earthquake-marshawn-lynch-td-run">it registered as an earthquake</a> on a nearby seismograph.
<li>The Seahawks refer to their very loud, very enthusiastic crowd as “<a href="http://www.seahawks.com/12th-Man/">The 12th Man</a>” and raise a flag in their honor in their stadium before every home game.
<li>They share their loud, rowdy stadium with Seattle’s MLS soccer team (the Sounders).
<li>The Seahawks lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2005 Super Bowl. That was their only prior Super Bowl appearance.
<li>Coach Pete Carroll (age 62) coached at powerhouse University of Southern California (USC) from 2000-2009, where he won multiple championships (and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4814933">then kinda fled</a> in the midst of an NCAA investigation). He also chews a lot of gum.
<li>Marshawn Lynch (age 27, #24) was the guy running when the Seahawks fans registered their “earthquake” – now they refer to him as “Beast Mode.” When he was a kid, his mom would give him “power pellets” (Skittles candy). In 2011, fans noticed a trainer giving him Skittles to celebrate a touchdown, and now when he scores, fans give him “<a href="http://instntrply.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Skittles2.gif">rainbow showers</a>” (throw candy at him) in the endzone. Skittles produced limited edition “Seattle Mix” candy in Seahawk colors for Super Bowl week. <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2013/story/_/id/10363225/super-bowl-marshawn-lynch-seattle-seahawks-agrees-deal-skittles">ESPN did a “Sports Science” experiment</a> to see how Skittles actually affect his performance.
<li>Defensive player Richard Sherman (age 25, #25) grew up in Compton, California, graduated from Stanford University with a degree in Communications and has begun graduate studies there, as well. He has the reputation for being very articulate, but also rather mouthy. He once tweeted a picture of himself talking to Tom Brady after the Seahawks beat the Patriots with the caption: “<a href="http://larrybrownsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/richard-sherman-tom-brady-u-mad-bro-1.jpg">U mad bro?</a>” Whatever, I laughed.
<li>Quarterback Russell Wilson (age 25, #3) has been drafted by both major league baseball and the NFL (if he played baseball, he’d be with the <a href="http://espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/story/_/id/10124529/texas-rangers-take-seattle-seahawks-qb-russell-wilson-draft">Texas Rangers</a>). He won the <a href="http://www.bigten.org/sports/m-footbl/recaps/120411aaa.html">inaugural Big Ten Championship</a> game with the Wisconsin Badgers in 2011. The Seahawks drafted him as a backup in 2012, but he won the starting job before the season even started. Experts said he was too short to play quarterback in the NFL (he’s 5’11”). He often posts Bible verses on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/DangeRussWilson">@DangeRussWilson</a>) and includes <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%206:33">Matthew 6:33</a> in his Twitter bio.
</ul>
<br>
<br>
<b>Denver Broncos</b>
<ul>
<li>Team founded in 1960, never moved to or from any other city.
<li><a href="http://www.profootballhof.com/history/team/denver-broncos/">Founded by Bob Howsam</a>, who owned a minor league baseball team. He built his baseball stadium too big (34,000 seater), and needed more revenue to survive the deep debt that resulted. Thus, he started a football team.
<li>Howsam had a “name the team” contest, which resulted in the name “Broncos.”
<li>During its first season, the team was so financially strapped that the players wore used uniforms featuring hilariously hideous <a href="http://cdn.csgazette.biz/cache/r620-70ef56ad35e8377e870c3861bf716ab8.jpg">vertically-striped socks</a>. Two years later, the new head coach’s first order of business was to hold <a href="http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/fall05/brownlee/broncos.html">a public sock burning ceremony</a> to usher in a new era.
<li>Played in six (6) Super Bowls and won two (2) in 1997 & 1998, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnpJt4GT0TY">both with quarterback John Elway</a> (now the Broncos’ Executive Vice President of Football Operations). The 1998 Super Bowl was Elway’s final game.
<li>Players tend to celebrate touchdowns by giving the ‘<a href="http://www.denverbroncos.com/team/tradition/mile-high-salute.html">Mile High Salute</a>’ – a military-style gesture given to fans and teammates originally popularized by former Bronco Terrell Davis in the late 1990s.
<li>The Broncos nearly made it to the Super Bowl with quarterback Jake Plummer in 2006, when they lost to the Steelers in the AFC Championship game. A few months later, they drafted <a href="http://images.rcs.realclearpolitics.com/8240_1_.jpg">Jay Cutler</a>.
<li>Obligatory Tebowmania bullet: remember <a href="http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-fantasy/09000d5d825d51e9/QB-Tebow-to-WR-Thomas-80-yd-pass-TD">the 80 yard touchdown in overtime</a> against the Steelers in the 2011 playoffs? The receiver who caught that Tebow throw (Demaryius Thomas, #88) is still on the team!
<li>Earlier this season <a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000294083/article/john-fox-no-doubt-in-my-mind-i-was-close-to-death">coach John Fox</a> was hospitalized with heart problems that resulted in aortic heart valve replacement surgery. He was back with the team about a month later and now says he’s never felt better.
<li>Receiver Wes Welker (#83) played in two Super Bowls with the <a href="http://s2.quickmeme.com/img/ef/ef13ea1859da01ae247ef3056ad3815811e2a6c27a6146460ef6da09e8ce1557.jpg">New England Patriots</a> (lost both).
<li>Defender Champ Bailey (age 35, #24) has been a Bronco (and fan favorite) for 10 years; this is his first Super Bowl. His real first name is Roland. His younger brother Boss Bailey played for the Detroit Lions.
<li>December 2013, kicker Matt Prater <a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000294584/article/matt-prater-breaks-fieldgoal-record-with-64yarder">broke the record for longest field goal</a> in NFL history (64 yards), though some argue he had an advantage, kicking in Denver’s thin, mile-high air.
<li>When the Broncos score at home, a white horse (and rider) runs the length of the field in celebration. This real life bronco was born with the name ‘Winter Solstice’ but took the name ‘<a href="http://kdvr.com/2012/11/12/mile-high-mascots-behind-the-scenes-with-bronco-thunder/">Thunder</a>’ (the traditional name of the Bronco’s mascot). Thunder trained extensively for the job to get used to the lines on the field. He also leads the team out of the tunnel at the beginning of games.
</ul>
<br>
<br>
<b>The Peyton Manning Stuff</b>
<br>
<i>(Note: This cheatsheet was created by a <a href="http://www.colts.com/videos/videos/Broncos-vs-Colts-Peyton-Manning-Tribute-Video/12f73718-2795-4eb7-9098-9b741891419d">crazed Indianapolis Colts fan</a>, NOT an impartial observer. If you want bias-free trivia, ask someone else. Also, the Colts beat BOTH of these teams during the regular season.)</i>
<ul>
<li>Born March 24, 1976 (37 years old) in New Orleans.
<li>His father Archie was the quarterback for the New Orleans Saints from 1971-1982.
<li><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xqmnxo_saturday-night-live-eli-manning-little-brothers-organization_shortfilms">His brother Eli</a> (33 years old) is the adorable quarterback of the New York Giants.
<li>Eli heroically won the Super Bowl in Indianapolis during Peyton’s tragic last year with the Colts; now Peyton has the chance to triumph in Eli’s stadium as well.
<li>Peyton and Eli’s <a href="http://www.capitalbay.com/latest-news1/387834-the-book-of-manning-cooper-manning-offers-rare-glimpse-of-young-peyton-and-eli.html">older brother Cooper</a> (39 years old) was on track to be a pro-caliber receiver, but was forced to quit football in college due to a spine condition. Now he’s a partner at a lucrative energy investment firm. I love him.
<li>Peyton married his gorgeous but spotlight-avoiding wife Ashley in 2001. They have two perfect children (~3 year old twins, a boy named Marshall and a girl named Mosley). I'm so glad <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNDlbCH3A9w">we got Marshall into a Colts jersey</a> at least once in his beautiful little life.
<li>Peyton was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in 1998 (first overall pick) and signed with Denver in 2012.
<li>There is a hospital in Indianapolis is named <a href="http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/united-way/n12129">Peyton</a> Manning Children’s Hospital.
<li>Peyton missed the entire 2011 season after a messed up disk in his neck caused nerve damage that resulted in numbness and weakness in his throwing arm. After four neck surgeries and a full year of rehabilitation, the Colts released Peyton (and most of their other players and coaches). Because he was released and not traded, Peyton was able to choose which team he wanted to play for. After visiting a few teams, he chose Denver.
<li>Between <a href="http://media.tumblr.com/478af0b1c69d64703abf3dbc807fb885/tumblr_inline_mhmeusaeVg1qz4rgp.gif">Peyton</a> and <a href="http://i.imgur.com/YbD3G.gif">Eli</a>, the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-znHzHafMlQ">Manning family</a> has played in five of the last eight Super Bowls; Eli won both of his; Peyton has won one and lost one so far.
<li><a href="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/08/07/article-2385793-1B2E0E9F000005DC-623_634x336.jpg">Papa Archie</a> never made the playoffs but is still a winner.
</ul>
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For the first time in many years, I'll actually be attending a Super Bowl party - for the first half. I'll be watching the second half from an undisclosed location because if Peyton wins, <a href="http://media0.giphy.com/media/a704SzSvWmyGY/200_s.gif">I don't want to cry in public</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09589928734405169231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793788894392668715.post-8598024652009761772014-01-25T19:51:00.000-06:002014-01-25T19:51:08.761-06:00OLYMPICS CHEATSHEET 2014 - Embracing Your Xgames Side<i>The following is a preview of the 2014 Sochi Olympics that I put together with <a href="https://twitter.com/bethpond90">Beth Pond</a>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Podium-Finish-Beth-Pond-ebook/dp/B00GNRUQDU">PODIUM FINISH</a>, a young adult novel detailing the Olympic journey of two friends: one a figure skater, the other a hockey player. I have read it, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially refreshing to see dual points of view structure used for friends instead of resigning it to love interests. Ms. Pond specializes in girl-power sporty books (I've read 2.5 by her now), and she has some great insights into how we build identity through our successes and those times we fall short. I have a feeling we'll be hearing a lot from her in the future.</i>
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And now, a sport-by-sport breakdown of your 2014 Winter Olympics!
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<b>BIATHLON</b><br>
The one where they ski and then they shoot! Here's a story of one athlete <a href="http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/sportsdash-tracy-barnes-gives-olympic-spot?ctx=team-usa">giving up her spot on the Olympic team</a> so that her twin sister could go instead. New medal opportunity this year: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=E0X10leXiBA">The Mixed Relay</a>, where men and women will compete together as a four person team.
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<b>BOBSLEIGH</b><br>
One story I'll definitely be watching is <a href="http://espn.go.com/olympics/winter/2014/bobsled/story/_/id/10319460/lolo-jones-lauryn-williams-chosen-us-bobsled-team">Lolo Jones and Lauryn Williams</a>, track stars turned bob sledders. Lolo and Lauryn are set to become only the ninth and tenth Americans to compete in both the summer and winter games. Lolo might have the more memorable name, but Lauryn’s the more decorated; she already has a silver medal from Athens and a gold medal from London.
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<b>CURLING</b><br>
<a href="http://www.cbssports.com/olympics/eye-on-olympics/24416221/norwegian-curlers-plan-to-win-wear-wacky-pants">This.</a>.
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<b>FIGURE SKATING</b><br>
<b>The Ringers:</b> USA Figure Skating’s best (and arguably only) chance at making the podium in Sochi lies with ice dancing duo <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhHJhroDb6c&list=PLXEMPXZ3PY1ivaf7ovjgG-YICXce6v8Ag&index=1">Meryl Davis and Charlie White</a>, the reigning world champions, who took home a silver in Vancouver. The gold went to Canadians <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiHKNVQWis4">Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir</a>. Sochi will likely prove to be an enticing rematch. Davis and White are consistent and incredibly patient. Their “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9yX3S9VdtI">Scheherazade</a>” program has been in their back pocket for the past two years, just waiting for this Olympics. If they win, they'll be the first Americans ever to win Olympic gold in ice dancing.
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<b>The Ladies:</b> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZFTHUXLN9w&list=PLXEMPXZ3PY1ivaf7ovjgG-YICXce6v8Ag&index=13">Gracie Gold</a> won, you guessed it, gold at the Olympic trials. It was her first US title. Newcomer <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8NFjfsuyYg">Polina Edmunds</a>, who has never competed internationally at the senior level, came in second. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HoshyPbp8M">Ashley Wagner</a>, who has done well in past seasons, had a disappointing performance—two falls—and finished fifth. However, she was chosen for the third Olympic spot because of her experience.
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It seems controversial, naming Wagner (though she does fit the profile of ice darling, especially now that she has a potential comeback story). But giving her the spot meant that the actual third place finisher, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqG3UPgU7as">Mirai Nagasu</a>, gets left at home (that video is of her exhibition performance right after she learned Wagner was chosen for the Olympic team instead of her; Grantland explored some of the reasons behind the decision <a href="http://grantland.com/the-triangle/we-went-there-the-high-drama-of-the-u-s-figure-skating-championships/">here</a>). But what’s USA Ladies figure skating without a little homemade drama?
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<b>The New Team:</b> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=aK18fbCPuOw">The Figure Skating Team competition</a> is brand new this year. Each country competing will submit one entry for each discipline – women’s, men’s, pair’s, and ice dancing – so a total of six people on each team. I’m IRRATIONALLY excited about this, and it starts right away on Feb. 6th! Obviously, we’ll have Davis and White, and probably from the women’s side we’ll send <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abvIj26qyj0">Gracie Gold</a>? But then what?
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<b>The Men:</b> We have two men’s competitors to choose from. The favorite is probably <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDj6M1g40Qk">Jeremy Abbott</a>, a guy who is on the brink of retiring from competition but strikes me as a bit flaky (he was almost disqualified from the Olympic qualifying event because he was skating around the ice instead of taking his starting position – he only got it together because the audience started screaming out the count down like a student section at a basketball game!).
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Our other option is a nineteen-year-old, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzlcVKFVWVI">Jason Brown</a>, who apparently has less technical ability than Abbott, but the audiences ADORE him. He did a Riverdance thing that earned him a standing ovation before the program was even over.
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<b>The Pairs:</b> Some interesting characters here. There’s <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za0XEIAl68M">Castelli and Shnapir</a>, who owned Boston (their hometown) during the qualifiers. I enjoyed them for several reasons, not the least of which is that he is SIXTEEN (16) inches taller than her, and one of their routines is James Bond inspired! And then there’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw7wONeFrTo">Zhang and Bartholomay</a>, who did a nifty “Les Mis” routine, with Zhang pumping her fists ("If she could have high-fived someone right there, she would have!") on the last lift, knowing that they’d just thrown down the performance of a lifetime. Both won me over, lots of personality.
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<b>The Dancers:</b> The TV broadcasters for the US Championships said that we are LOADED at Ice Dancer this year. In addition to Davis and White, Team USA is sending two other promising ice dancing pairs: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaDXHghFLmc">Chock and Bates</a> (Les Mis is hot in skating this year, and the dancers get to use music with lyrics), and the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8105bEkeAo">Shibutani siblings</a> (Michael Jackson!).
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Team USA definitely has some talent. The US and Russia have always had strong skaters, but we’ve seen much more competition from Japan and Korea in the past two Olympics. It's certainly a likable bunch that will give us a lot to talk about.
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<b>HOCKEY</b><br>
I'm pretty stupid about hockey, except that I know there are <a href="http://www.suntimes.com/sports/24817032-419/10-blackhawks-will-play-in-olympics.html">ten (10) Chicago Blackhawks</a> competing for five (5) different countries. I'll let Pond handle this one on her own (I like to call her "Pond" because it's very Whovian):
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Let's talk hockey! After earning the silver in 2010, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK0IYfOOSJ4">USA Women’s Hockey</a> is poised to take on Team Canada in the gold medal round yet again. Team Canada has won gold at the past three Olympics, but Team USA’s 21 player roster, which includes 11 Olympic veterans, has a strong chance at disrupting this winning streak. If they do, this will be the first time Team USA has claimed the top spot on the podium since the 1998 Nagano Olympics, the first time women’s hockey was part of the Olympic program. Standout players on Team USA’s roster include: Julie Chu, Jessie Vetter, Megan Duggan, and Gigi Marvin.
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Consider hockey veteran Julie Chu (in her 4th Olympics) a potential candidate to carry the American flag into the opening ceremonies.
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<b>LUGE/SKELETON</b><br>
Sliding really fast down hill! Luge = feet first, Skeleton = face first.
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Luge is another sport pioneering <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=T23HBElQmaI">a new team concept</a> this Olympics. With several of these new Olympic events, there seems to be an emphasis on adding a team dymanic to sports that have historically been highly individualized - and on getting men and women competing together in these events, as well. This setup gives athletes an opportunity to work together as a team, and it also means more chances for more medals. Curious to see how these new events will be received, but love that they're giving it a try.
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<b>SKIING</b><br>
Take it Pond!
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<b>The Ladies:</b> With <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLkorsa8jI4&list=PLXEMPXZ3PY1ivaf7ovjgG-YICXce6v8Ag&index=12">Lindsey Vonn sitting out these Games</a> to recover from knee surgery, Team USA will be looking to Olympic veteran <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTs5zc_m1rs&list=PLXEMPXZ3PY1ivaf7ovjgG-YICXce6v8Ag&index=7">Julia Mancuso</a> and 18-year-old up-and-comer <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gbsg83FAY70&list=PLXEMPXZ3PY1ivaf7ovjgG-YICXce6v8Ag&index=4">Mikaela Shiffrin</a> to makes their mark on the slopes for the good ol' red, white, and blue. It’s definitely disappointing that Vonn won’t be competing, but hopefully she’ll have a speedy recovery.
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Some other women to keep an eye on: six-time National Champion <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mloSZKbG97A">aerialist Emily Cook</a> had a strong 2013 season and is definitely one to root for in Sochi, her third Olympic games. Also, New Hampshire native and reigning Olympic gold medalist <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2HaQXG0Egw&list=PLXEMPXZ3PY1ivaf7ovjgG-YICXce6v8Ag&index=11">Hannah Kearney</a> will hopefully clinch a second gold in Sochi. Since the Vancouver Olympics, Kearney has won 32 World Cup moguls races.
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<b>The Men:</b> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyBb0wQGPJw&list=PLXEMPXZ3PY1ivaf7ovjgG-YICXce6v8Ag&index=3">The infamous Bode Miller</a> is back and supposedly leaner than ever. Also expect to see some great runs from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC8CqX_AXpw&list=PLXEMPXZ3PY1ivaf7ovjgG-YICXce6v8Ag&index=15">Ted Ligety</a>, the 2006 Olympic combined champion, who is a favorite to medal in the slalom this year.
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<b>SPEED SKATING</b><br>
<b>The Ladies:</b> Once again, I'm out of my depths (and speed skating is her favorite), so I turn the floor over completely to Pond:
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One person I’d watch is 30-year-old Michigan Native, <a href="http://usspeedskating.org/athlete/jessica-smith">Jessica Smith</a>. After finishing in 6th at the 2010 Olympic Trials, one spot away from qualifying for the Olympic team, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jd01B80vKKI">she dominated the 2014 Olympic trials</a>, claiming first place finishes and Olympic berths in all three short track distances. She was “fire on ice” at the Olympic Trials, and I really hope she finds success in Sochi.
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Right behind her is teammate <a href="http://www.usspeedskating.org/athlete/emily-scott">Emily Scott</a>, who gained national attention in 2013 after <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2013/07/01/olympic-hopefuls-struggle-financially/2481569/">a USA Today story</a> reported that the athlete had filed for food stamps. Thanks to crowdfunding, <a href="http://olympictalk.nbcsports.com/2013/07/03/speedskater-emily-scott-food-stamps-donations/">Scott raised over $48,000</a> to date and was able to quit her part-time job in order to focus solely on preparing for the Olympics. I think Scott, Smith, and the third member of Team USA women’s short track 2010 Olympian <a href="http://www.usspeedskating.org/athlete/alyson-dudek">Aly Dudek</a>, are all on track to shine at these games. US Speedskating was recently rocked by a <a href="http://espn.go.com/olympics/speedskating/story/_/id/8464839/us-speedskater-simon-cho-faces-hearing-second-coach-banned-scandal">coaching scandal</a> that left the athletes very divided, but I don’t think these three women have ever skated better.
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<b>The Men:</b> Look for strong individual performances from two-time bronze medalist <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRxNnHgzUxE&list=PLXEMPXZ3PY1ivaf7ovjgG-YICXce6v8Ag&index=2">J.R. Celski</a> and first-time Olympian <a href="http://www.teamusa.org/Road-to-Sochi-2014/Features/2013/September/17/Video-Meet-Short-Track-Speedskater-Eddy-Alvarez#ooid=5vOTltZTpVEPbpHpYnS2GMgGZ_QShyOZ">Eddy Alvarez</a>. The men won silver in the relay in 2010. Whether or not they will be able to repeat this remains to be seen, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed. I think they have what it takes to make it onto the podium. One thing is certain though: Team USA’s biggest competition in the relay will come from the Canadians and the Koreans.
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Note: Look for <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZHArkK2Xcw">Apolo Ohno</a> in the commentator's booth.
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<b>THE XGAMES STUFF</b><br>
This year the Winter Olympics have fully embraced their innate Xgames element with <a href="http://www.olympic.org/news/what-s-new-for-sochi/218742">several new events</a>. Xgames athletes are awesome; you get the impression they’re always rooting for each other to do something cool. Makes for an awesome atmosphere. Check out <a href="http://www.olympic.org/news/what-s-new-for-sochi/218742">the new Xgames additions</a>: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M44bgZwW2Ak">ski slopestyle</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wInFeTqkYo">ski halfpipe</a>, and even MORE <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3kGS04YjzE">snowboarding</a> events.
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For snowboarding we’ll likely be seeing a lot of familiar faces shredding in Sochi. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4Lm5gQw6eQ&list=PLXEMPXZ3PY1ivaf7ovjgG-YICXce6v8Ag&index=18">Shaun White</a> clinched an Olympic berth in the Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle. On the women’s side 2002 gold medalist <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6YTAutQ68c">Kelly Clark</a>, punched her ticket to Sochi with her recent Grand Prix win.
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And for the first time, they’re adding <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n03Sg4aor8o">women’s ski jumping</a>, pioneered by American <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCP0UMTSToo&list=PLXEMPXZ3PY1ivaf7ovjgG-YICXce6v8Ag&index=9">Lindsey Van</a>.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Bode Merrill is not Bode Miller & Lindsey Van is not Lindsey Vonn. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23WinterSportsTutorial&src=hash">#WinterSportsTutorial</a></p>— Bethany Robison (@BethanyRobison) <a href="https://twitter.com/BethanyRobison/statuses/426559174630047744">January 24, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<i>You can find a full schedule of events from NBC <a href="http://www.nbcolympics.com/results-schedule">here</a>.<br>
A million thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/bethpond90">Beth Pond</a> for her insight and expertise. Check out her new novel <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Podium-Finish-Beth-Pond-ebook/dp/B00GNRUQDU">PODIUM FINISH</a>, and go Team USA!</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09589928734405169231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793788894392668715.post-41851324528014088922014-01-16T12:31:00.000-06:002014-01-16T12:31:13.685-06:00CHEATSHEET: Football is Somehow Almost Over<i>You're not a sports fan? That's cool, you've come to the right place. We'll give you just enough information to survive a playoff party, decide who to cheer for, when to be excited, and when to be outraged. Really, that's all we need to know in any given life situation.</i>
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The Super Bowl is Sunday, Feb 2, 2014.
<br>The halftime show is locked in (Bruno Mars - and the CHILI PEPPERS!!!).
<br>The location is set (New York City - er, at least the New Jersey-exposed-to-the-winter-elements section of it).
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All we need now are the teams (much like a girl in her twenties who has her dream wedding all planned and just needs a willing guy).
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But ENOUGH parentheticals! Cue the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85t-xAv9xn0">dating-game music</a> and let's meet our championship contenders!
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<b>SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS</b>
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There baaack! The Super Bowl Losers' Curse cannot touch <a href="http://i.imgur.com/4JCINXy.gif">Captain-Coach Jim Harbaugh</a>. My feelings for Jim Harbaugh are well documented in this space. He had a super-human season for my Indianapolis Colts during my impressionable youth. In fact, this year's playoffs QBs span about 20 years of my life (Jim Harbaugh circa 1994 took us to Peyton Manning in 1998 took us to Andrew Luck in the now). And, of course, Harbaugh was Andrew Luck's coach at Stanford. Everything comes full circle. <a href="http://i.minus.com/ihZn52eP0wpxQ.gif">YAY!</a>
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Every time I turn on my TV, I see <a href="http://www.ispot.tv/ad/76_H/beats-studio-featuring-colin-kaepernick-song-by-aloe-blacc">Colin Kaepernick's</a> beats. They're playing the hell out of that commercial, and with good reason, as it shows cold-as-ice Kaep getting off the bus surrounded by an angry Seattle-colored mob, which might be exactly what happens this weekend (tho, I always assumed Seattle people were too chill to mob?). Kaep is one of the league's rising stars, though some might say he's regressed this season (he was my fantasy QB, and I did indeed bench him one or twice in favor of Alex Smith for cripes sake). But it's hard to argue with him making the final four twice in two attempts. We should all be so regressive.
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By the way - sometime in the 1990s <a href="http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/webdr02/2012/12/5/15/anigif_enhanced-buzz-19251-1354738285-3.gif">THIS APPARENTLY HAPPENED</a>(?!?)
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<b>SEATTLE SEAHAWKS</b>
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Russell Wilson has been in the NFL for two seasons now, and he's five-feet-ten of adorable. Spent some college minutes as a Wisconsin Badger, got drafted by the Texas Rangers baseball team, but entered the NFL draft as something of a long-shot (given his shortness). He lists one of his key NFL heroes as Drew Brees (another "short" quarterback), which makes him alright in my book. He was drafted by the Seahawks last year to backup high-dollar free-agent Matt Flynn - and then won the starting job outright before the season even started. Vintage Disney stuff. <a href="http://www.bayareasportsguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/RW-PC.jpg">And here he is</a>, one game away from the Super Bowl.
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Defensive player <a href="http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2012/1015/grant_h_sherman_cr_576.jpg">Richard Sherman</a> is one of the approximately two million Stanford players in the NFL at the moment. Harbaugh was his coach, but now...
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<a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1916093/petelol2.gif">Coach Pete Carroll</a> was an NFL failure. He coached the New England Patriots several years ago, such that Sports Guy Bill Simmons nicknamed him "Coach Fredo" (GODFATHER joke). Pete went to USC, reinvented himself as a perennial winner, started a blood feud with Jim Harbaugh when they were both coaching college teams, and then fled NCAA allegations by accepting the job in Seattle (where his team has since enjoyed a series of drug test suspensions). Word on the street is that Coach Pete and Captain Harbaugh truly despise each other - which makes this game (the THIRD time these teams have played this season) all the more fun.
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Substance allegations aside, I adore watching the Seahawks. I like how their brightly colored uniforms look in the rain. I like the silhouette and noise level of their stadium (which doubles as a soccer stadium that ALWAYS sells out). Seattle has some of the BEST sports fans in the world. If it were up to me, they'd be hosting an Olympics immediately.
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<b>NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS</b>
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Hello, nemesis. Tom Brady is one game away from the Super Bowl AGAIN. For the SIXTH (6th) time. He's married to the <a href="http://assets-s3.usmagazine.com/uploads/assets/articles/58301-gisele-bundchen-tom-brady-welcome-daughter-vivian-lake/promo/1354886544_gisele-bundchen-tom-brady-441.jpg">highest paid super model</a> in the world. His <a href="http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2013/news/130211/gisele-bundchen-2-600.jpg">house in California</a> has <a href="http://wfxt.images.worldnow.com/images/20711476_BG1.jpg">a mote</a>. He does ads for <a href="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/09/04/article-2198227-14D5656F000005DC-361_634x840.jpg">Uggs</a>. There is nothing new here.
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Except that, due to <a href="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/24368902/rob-gronkowski-suffers-nasty-knee-injury-out-for-patriots">injuries</a> and <a href="http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/_/id/9424056/aaron-hernandez-new-england-patriots-charged-murder">incarcerations</a>, the Patriots are now a running team instead of a throwing team. That sneaked up on people. And it seems as though the league now goes <a href="http://www.nflpic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/tombrady-goofy-super-bowl-broadcast-pictures.gif">out of its way</a> to make him look <a href="http://cdn1.sbnation.com/imported_assets/975936/bradyface5_1.jpg">hilarious</a>. There are some truly amazing Tom Brady GIFs out there. (Note: As I was drafting this post, news broke that Tommy missed practice because he was sickly. Now I feel terrible, hope it wasn't something contagious that will spread to the entire team...?)
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Don't forget about the Belichick - the Hoodie - <a href="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTd7diWwdCBgljnwnGXszJ_DlApBALlwwZfUQ6cOTn32_Hc6qQ8">the evil genius behind it all</a>. Remember the hoodie code: When he wears the <a href="http://profootballmock.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Bill-Belichick-Hoodie.jpg">blue one</a>, he's vulnerable. The <a href="http://itiswhatitis.weei.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/020408-belichick-red-hoodie.jpg">red one</a>, and the Pats have basically already lost. But the <a href="http://blog.chowdaheadz.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/p1_belichick.jpg">gray one</a> - in the gray one he's damn near invincible. With all the stats people out there, I do NOT understand why this is even an issue, but he busted the blue hoodie out for the Colts last weekend. Or perhaps it was just hubris (yeah, Coach Chuck, I'll beat you even with the BLUE hoodie!).
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I hate the Patriots in that way that I want them to lose, but I don't want them to go away forever. Ours is a Megamind/MetroMan relationship. When Brady/Belichick ceases to be a thing, I'll be <a href="https://twitter.com/PeytonsHead/status/422217941023608833">nostalgic</a>. I've missed a lot of games this season, and struggled to get into the story lines. We took a long vacation to foreign places, we sold our house, did a lot of apartment hunting, etc. I feel like I BARELY know what's going on. The end of the Manning/Brady era is coming, and I want to soak all the goodness out of it, but...
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<b>DENVER BRONCOS</b>
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As I said in the beginning, my alliances are well documented, and I'm a Peyton girl through and through. I care too much. I've spent all week building a pillow fort behind my couch from which to watch this game. Just thinking about it makes me feel like <a href="http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2013/245/8/6/despicable_me_gif___minion_faceslam_by_c0l0ss4l_st1nk3r-d6km3k9.gif">this</a>.
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<b>SUMMARY</b>
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New England Patriots at Denver Broncos
<br>Sunday, January 19th - 3pm EST (CBS)
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San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks
<br>Sunday, January 19th - 6:30pm EST (FOX)
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Winners meet in the Super Bowl
<br>Sunday, February 2nd - ~6pm EST (FOX)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09589928734405169231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793788894392668715.post-67741164388005712452013-10-30T15:30:00.000-05:002013-10-30T15:30:07.236-05:00BOOK STUDY: Someone FINALLY YA'd the Pimpernel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr02qX_1TT7sun5EuRF_HT3cy_6YeYRHDFxATy9BcMtZgpPVF5zGG_aYgVVql-YLlljG14dT6KTGKCkM_PhEGB0L-MSKGpJ_1HMboMeQiYRz6PNGhNgZz6F0QjZQmniU4n9b-DKesEQuBU/s1600/9780062006165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr02qX_1TT7sun5EuRF_HT3cy_6YeYRHDFxATy9BcMtZgpPVF5zGG_aYgVVql-YLlljG14dT6KTGKCkM_PhEGB0L-MSKGpJ_1HMboMeQiYRz6PNGhNgZz6F0QjZQmniU4n9b-DKesEQuBU/s400/9780062006165.jpg" /></a></div>That someone is <a href="http://www.dianapeterfreund.com/">Diana Peterfreund</a>, and that book is <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780062006165">ACROSS A STAR-SWEPT SEA</a>.
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I've been studying THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL for about 15 years. I feel like I qualify for at least a Masters in Pimpernel. I've been WAITING for an excuse to throw down a thesis-length book study on it, and FINALLY, here's my chance! Let's unpack the lineage of the Pimpernel story and see where ACROSS THE STAR-SWEPT SEA fits in.
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SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
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<b>WHAT IS THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL?</b>
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* A love/adventure story (actually a series of stories) written by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baroness_Orczy">Baroness Orczy</a> in the early 1900s.
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* A great idea poorly executed for over 100 years.
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<b>The great idea:</b> At the beginning of the French Revolution, French actress marries rich Englishman. She's blackmailed into spying on the English aristocracy in hopes of unmasking the man (known as The Scarlet Pimpernel) who's been rescuing French citizens condemned to the guillotine. She helps the revolutionaries set a trap for the hero only to discover that the Pimpernel is her husband. Basically, it's a ancestor of BATMAN if <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSXL58MPPQc">Bruce Wayne</a> were married, hiding his identity from his wife, and working with an <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7VTkceSsEw">Ocean's Eleven-esque group of buddies</a> to fight crime. (Clooney would be Percy, Brad Pitt would be Andrew, and Matt Damon would be himself.)
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The original story was told from Lady Marguerite's perspective, building up to a reveal of "Luke I am your father" or "Bruce Willis is dead in the Sixth Sense" proportions. The tension building up to her discovering the identity of the Pimpernel is real and still valid a century later. But as the story has evolved, new renditions have gone with a strategy of "screw it, let's tell the story from Percy's perspective instead - no point in pretending people don't know who he is." Percy goes more places, sees more things, interacts with more people, and is in the thick of more action. Centering the narrative around him is a solid decision every time.
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<b>The Poor Execution:</b> Each interpretation of the story has had its problems. For one, everyone struggles with where to begin (a legitimate question for all storytellers), and evolving this text over one hundred years seems to have only exacerbated the issue. Do we start with when Percy and Marguerite meet? Or when Percy decides to take on the dual identity and start saving people? Or when Chauvelin starts his manhunt? Or somewhere else? The middle of the story (with the espionage and deceit) provides solid bones, but good gracious, the endings! There's a reason you haven't seen a lot of remakes of CITIZEN KANE (they got it right the first time), but there are <i>several</i> versions of the Pimpernel. We're still waiting for someone to stick the landing on the dismount.
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<b>A BRIEF BUT COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE PIMPERNEL NARRATIVE</b>
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To appreciate the level of difficulty for Peterfreund's rendition, you need some understanding of the versions that came before.
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* <b>Baroness Orczy's original series.</b> Rough beginning. It takes several rambling chapters to establish the conflict, build the world, etc. The two main characters, Marguarite and Percy, don't get ANY "screen time" until chapters five and six respectively.
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Solid middle, building fascinating relationships (Marguerite & Percy; Percy & Andrew; Marguerite & Chauvelin; Armand & Marguerite; Chauvelin & Percy; Percy & Everyone; and my favorite Marguerite & Andrew). Each relationship is built on real, believable conflict. Marguerite & Percy have an estranged marriage for reasons that unfold as we go. Marguerite and Chauvelin were friends, but now she is the object of his blackmail and her brother Armand’s potential executioner. Andrew is caught between Percy (his best friend, to whom he’s pledged his undying loyalty) and Marguerite (his best friend’s wife, a damsel in distress, who must be treated with the utmost chivalry, even if she is trying to deceive him).
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The original ending is really, really rough - like, it ends with the Pimpernel disguising himself as a Jewish cart owner and having the revolutionaries beat him up because he's Jewish. It also features an unrealistic reconciliation between Percy and Marguerite, which makes me think that the good Baroness mistakes starry-eyed hero worship for love. Discovering that Percy was a hero shouldn't have been enough to forgive his actions, especially given that their relationship was supposedly based on him idolizing her. Rather, discovering his true identity should have been a opening for dialogue between them and led to something deeper. If you ask me, that ending couldn't have been chucked into the shredder fast enough.
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* <b>Movie version from 1934 staring Ashley from GONE WITH THE WIND as Percy.</b> Already the narrative has shifted from Marguerite to Percy, and the opening scene shows him in the midst of a perfectly executed rescue mission. We get to see him switch between his Pimpernel mask and his <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYLE40bjwxM">‘court idiot’ mask</a> – and that true self that exists in <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8yAFLecJxU">the small moments in between</a>. A very good rendition that gives us more insight into the relationship between Percy and his cohorts. As in the original text, we’re a little unclear on exactly how (or why?) Percy and Marguerite ever became a couple in the first place, so the romance feels a little forced. At the end, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQXtf8r549c">Percy is captured by Chauvelin</a> and bravely faces a firing squad, knowing that it is his own men (led by his right-hand-man Andrew) behind the guns. The end feels flat compared to the rest of the story (and how about that FAINT!), but it’s still a vast improvement over the original.
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* <b>Movie version from 1982 staring Doctor Quinn as Marguerite and Gandolph as Chauvelin.</b> Peterfreund states in her acknowledgements that this is the authoritative version she turned to, and with good reason. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qXuFhc9i84">Believable backstory as to why Percy and Marguerite became a couple</a>! A (newly conceived) love triangle between Percy, Marguerite, and Chauvelin! <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiNRbmwi9Go">Sword fights!</a> One of the things that made this version more fun was that it melded together the original Pimpernel story with another of Baroness Orczy’s novels (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eldorado_(novel)">ELDORADO</a>) to produce a much <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbXMePG_S8E">richer text</a>. But while <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQkRF5EX3vw">this version of Percy</a> might be the most like the Baroness’s original description (drolling speech, heavy eyelids, just generally a bit lazy and irritating), I prefer my Percy to ramble quick words and then pause while everyone listening goes… what? Like…
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* <b>Broadway version 1997.</b> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8MvfYUcnfI">Ohhh Douglas Sills</a>. I first became aware of the Pimpernel’s existence because I saw Douglas Sills perform <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiMbU7bekzI">“Into the Fire”</a> on the Rosie O’Donnell show after school. I’d never heard of it before, but this snippet was enough to make me go WHAT IS THIS WHAT IS IT? Broadway did a phenomenal job of churning up the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKFnmNgzpI4">humor and heartbreak</a> of the story, but it focused almost exclusively on the love triangle. At least we still got a sword fight at the end.
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* <b>There was also a BBC mini-series in the late 1990s.</b> It’s on NetFlix. The second episode <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyyAr-nGlPk">made me laugh</a>. Let’s move on.
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The point is, the last 100 years has proven that there are a LOT of different ways to tell this story, and we have yet to find THE BEST way to arrange the given puzzle pieces. That’s why what Peterfreund did was so cool. She went back to the original text, dug in, found some elements that hadn't yet been explored, and then added her own unique flavor.
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<b>ACROSS THE STAR-SWEPT SEA: THE BIG PICTURE</b>
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First of all, Peterfreund pulled the old gender swap-a-roo. She presents the Percy character as a girl (which begs the question, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySc12uzoxqU">what if Paris Hilton has been fooling us all along?</a>). Percy became Persis (short for Persistence, which I doubly enjoyed because it reminded me so much of “Paris” and it also sounds kind of like the plural for "purse"). The Marguerite character is transformed from a famous actress into a guy from a famous family. Chauvelin, Armand, Andrew, even the Prince of Wales – every guy character becomes a girl (except, I guess Tony might be the equivalent of Tero?).
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Secondly, the story finally advances beyond the French Revolution period. Peterfreund built a really cool futuristic sci-fi South Pacific sort of world with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albion">Albion</a> on one side of the sea and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galatea_(mythology)">Galatea</a> on the other. (Because all I think about these days is soccer, it reminded me of <a href="http://www.wba.co.uk/">WBA</a> and <a href="http://www.galatasaray.org/en/futbol/">Galatasaray</a>.) The world building was complex and full – it actually took me a couple of chapters to get my bearings (which makes me wonder what the experience would be like for someone unfamiliar with the Pimpernel story? Probably easier). While aristocrats were beheaded via guillotine in old France, in Galatea, they lost their minds due to forced medication. Another smart (and terrifying) idea from Peterfreund.
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Thirdly, and probably the biggest obstacle to making a YA Pimpernel story work – Peterfreund found a way to force “Percy” and “Marguerite” together without them being married. She didn't utilize the love triangle plot that had become such a staple of the story over the years. She dreamed up enough alternate tension to keep the story interesting without it.
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<b>ACROSS A STAR-SWEPT SEA – THE BRILLIANT DETAILS</b>
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If you go way, way back to the original Orczy text and read the world’s initial introduction to Percy, you’ll find an almost throw-away line about where Percy came from. His father was wealthy, his mother was mentally ill – and because Percy looked more like his mother, it was no surprise that he was stupid, too.
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Of course, playing stupid was all part of the game for Percy, just as it is for Persis, a blond, stylish, gossipy, high school dropout. But Peterfreund took that throwaway line about Percy’s mother and made it the driving engine of her plot. Persis’s mother is ill, which makes her more compassionate toward those being tortured with the mind-numbing medication. She also knows that she may have inherited her mother’s illness, which makes her reckless. No romantic motivations needed. A very smart addition.
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Marguerite became Justen (a less obvious name indicator, which made me a little sad), the descendant of a famous doctor and a promising medical student himself. Medical issues (or maybe more specifically, the interaction of technology and the body) are woven through the entire story. Persis experiments with different genetic engineering codes for her disguises (not unlike some futuristic version of polyjuice potion). When one goes wrong, Justen the Medic is there to provide first aid. A clever meeting, different enough that I momentarily forgot that I sort of already knew where the story was going.
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Justen requests asylum in Albion in order to conduct research without interference from revolution (and it's granted due to his famous name). Asylum in this instance means "stay at Persis's house" and thus Peterfreund is able to keep the espionage tension alive. While Percy turns on Marguerite after she denounces French aristocrats to the guillotine, Persis turns on Justen once she learns that he played a part in developing the drug being administered to aristocrats.
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Just as the original Percy was closely associated with the Prince of Wales, Persis is best friends with the Princess of Albion - the difference is, this time the Princess knows Persis's secret. Peterfreund's book focuses a LOT more on the political risks. The Princess is caught between keeping her own country from following the Revolutionaries' lead and also keeping her moral compass. Albion has a quaint little thread of "women can't inherit stuff and have limited rights," which also plays along nicely with maintaining 'The Wild Poppy's' cover ("when they expect nothing of you, they never see you coming"). Galatea, on the other hand, had always had a proper Queen, so seeing a female Chauvelin strikes no one as weird. There's even some <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mam%27zelle_Guillotine">Orczy source material</a> to use for inspiration. A smart, well-crafted villain.
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It was surprisingly refreshing that Peterfreund killed the love triangle and instead made the Chauvelin character and Justen like siblings. It was as though Robespierre was Chauvelin's father, he adopted Marguerite and Armand, and then raised them all together like a happy little revolutionary family. I'd reached a point where I thought the love triangle was so ingrained in the story that it HAD to be included, but I was wrong. In this case, it was much better without it.
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<b>THE ENDING</b>
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Peterfreund comes the closest to sticking the dismount that I've ever seen (and my quest to find the perfect Pimpernel ending goes so deep that I've even seen <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034027/">"Pimpernel Smith"</a> smuggling people out of Germany during WWII). The Chauvelin equivalent captures Persis (ala Orczy's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eldorado_(novel)">ELDORADO</a>, in which Percy is deprived of sleep until he starts to lose himself). Persis is similarly in danger of losing her mind due to the Revolutionaries' drug - but the Armand character switches the medicines at the last second. Much like Sir Percy Blakeney before her, "Persis Flake's" greatest skill is maintaining and rewarding loyalty.
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I like endings that have momentum behind them. For example, at the end of BACK TO THE FUTURE Doc Brown says, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flge_rw6RG0">"Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads."</a> When they soar off into the clouds, you know that the story continues, even if you can't see it.
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Unlike previous Pimpernel renditions that attempted to give us resolution of conflict, the end of ACROSS A STAR-SWEPT SEA felt like the beginning of something. A vast, vast improvement. This is a fun book, but it's a smart book at the same time.
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<b>BUT IT'S STILL NOT QUITE PERFECT...</b>
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Over the past 100 years, Andrew (my favorite character) has slowly been written out of the story. I would argue that the original book was almost as much Andrew's story as it was Percy or Marguerite's. He has at least twice as much "screen time" as Percy. He's chippy, he's loyal, he's swoony-in-love, he has a hot temper, and he's the first person we know for sure is involved with the Pimpernel rescues. He doesn't even seem to be hiding it - and in just about every version, there is a scene in which Marguerite wonders aloud if Andrew might be the Pimpernel. He's an amazing character, and yet with each new version he's increasingly diluted. He was completely cut OUT of the 1997 musical version, which is probably one of the reasons it had such a singular focus on the love triangle.
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The fact is: Percy Blakeney as presented in Orczy's first novel wasn't a very likable character (she has to fool us readers as much as Percy's fooling Chauvelin and the members of the court). And so, to make him more heroic and worthy of hosting the main narrative (Save the Cat?), Andrew's characteristics were slowly shuffled in his direction and best friend status granted to someone else. Seeing him pushed to the background makes me very sad - so when the very first scene of ACROSS A STAR-SWEPT SEA showed Persis and "Andrew" working as a team, I was so hopeful... but the interplay I wanted happened between Persis and the Princess instead. It was good, but I'd still love to see Andrew pulled back into the limelight.
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Peterfreund got so many little things right that it's obvious she did her homework - Persis drives too fast, has a ship called the Daydream, the distinctive laugh, the lighthearted nature. The tone was appropriate, but I would have liked more sense of humor. The Pimpernel is best when the Pimpernel is funny. This book is by no means dour or brooding, but it didn't make me laugh out loud, either. It got a little repetitive at times - we know Justen feels bad about his role in developing the drug, we don't need to be reminded - just little things like that. But she used her artistic license with great success, and for that she's to be congratulated.
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<b>IN CONCLUSION</b>
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This is an outstanding rendition, and I'm so glad I read it. But, there is still room for someone to land a perfect Pimpernel. If there are other versions out there I might have missed, please let me know. We all have our quests, our White Whales. This just so happens to be mine.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09589928734405169231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793788894392668715.post-16392308569190798452013-10-21T00:25:00.000-05:002013-10-21T00:25:08.152-05:00The Greatest Compliment Peyton Manning Ever Received<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZExlUkTcZBzYbKBdXhnPXF4bLCtmWDJdnvyY4ROkkhm9AVxeCSy2xnY8w9c5ITfknEKP1XAuEFQg2jIjgG7Yi_RVvHOEgAPNp74sR-OsUkt9iIrn31mBFkESxrx_C00qjHn7pP0Puma-/s1600/Manning_LucasOil_SBXLVI.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZExlUkTcZBzYbKBdXhnPXF4bLCtmWDJdnvyY4ROkkhm9AVxeCSy2xnY8w9c5ITfknEKP1XAuEFQg2jIjgG7Yi_RVvHOEgAPNp74sR-OsUkt9iIrn31mBFkESxrx_C00qjHn7pP0Puma-/s400/Manning_LucasOil_SBXLVI.jpg" /></a>
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<b>Colts 39, Broncos 33.</b>
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This game was about the relationship between a player and a city. It was more of a ceremony than a game, one the fanbase sorely needed. We needed this chance to say thank you. We needed Peyton Manning to know how much we love him.
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And the love radiated.
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Peyton came home to the stadium he built in the city he redefined. The site where his brother won a Super Bowl during the season he missed. He played in front of an incredibly intelligent crowd - one he trained himself.
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And the Indianapolis Colts - the team and the fans - gave him the best of our best.
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For the first time EVER, Indy fans unleashed a wall of noise while Peyton possessed the ball - and the TV cameras were smart enough to zoom in on the crowd during that first snap to show how the crowd RELISHED that opportunity. The fans seemed to be saying, "Look! We remember what you taught us. You made us what we are. We want you to be proud."
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It felt like a playoff game - the team, the crowd, everyone giving their best <i>for</i> the best.
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Obviously, tonight Peyton would have preferred to leave with a win - but in the long run, hopefully he'll appreciate the legacy he left behind. When he came here, the Indianapolis Colts were perennial losers with TV blackouts. Over the course of fourteen years, he literally wrecked his neck dragging us out of the muck. Tonight, we got to show him that we're good stewards of all he gave us. We didn't fall apart, we didn't roll over. He made us better, and we won't forget. We gave him all we had and rose to the occasion.
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What better compliment could we give?
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He deserves nothing less than our best.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09589928734405169231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793788894392668715.post-79368129220997631742013-08-14T15:00:00.000-05:002013-08-15T13:10:29.495-05:00CHEATSHEET: Preparing for the English Premier League Invasion - Part 2<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOIlceH69XrGsl6rEQJcdJZaoqhw3IA5gxkWF4_aAQR-n1ZkKGLwQF8qW_3rf0ufTxNTuxC1DvqSVD2AC1Bt0M9FQPdtSoErJxjPmrzkEJ2iSVpjg39aW_1dcgTkZ6YIf5NsGzHGc0-Oca/s1600/ChelseaVsInterMilan.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOIlceH69XrGsl6rEQJcdJZaoqhw3IA5gxkWF4_aAQR-n1ZkKGLwQF8qW_3rf0ufTxNTuxC1DvqSVD2AC1Bt0M9FQPdtSoErJxjPmrzkEJ2iSVpjg39aW_1dcgTkZ6YIf5NsGzHGc0-Oca/s400/ChelseaVsInterMilan.JPG" /></a>
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<i>English Premier League play begins on NBC this Saturday (August 17). Twenty teams will start the season. Thirty-eight games later, three will be relegated out of the league, four will qualify for the Champions League tournament to crown the best team in Europe, and one will lift the first place trophy.</i>
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Meet your cast of characters: [<i>cue the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85t-xAv9xn0">Dating Game theme</a></i>]
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<b>THE CONTENDERS</b>
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1. <a href="http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/clubs/profile.overview.html/man-utd">Manchester United</a>
<br><strong>Overview:</strong> Probably the most recognizable soccer "brand" in America, Manchester United is known for winning everything. A lot of people compare them to the old school New York Yankees, throwing money around high-dollar stars, but they don't hold the monopoly on that market anymore (see: Chelsea, Manchester City, the nation of Spain). By the way, just as a reminder, ManU is owned by the same people who own the Tampa Bay Bucs. I'm surprised every time I remember that because these things are not overly similar. ManU is fun to root against, but I struggle to see them as pure evil, especially since I watched the BBC movie <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1777034/">UNITED</a> on streaming NetFlix, about how the team was nearly destroyed by a plane crash in the 1950s. This movie stars David Tennant as the coach who kept the team going, so Doctor Who fans, stream away!
<br><strong>Notable Players:</strong> Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie, Javier Hernandez (known as 'Chicharito')
<br><strong>Color:</strong> Devil Red.
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2. <a href="http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/clubs/profile.overview.html/man-city">Manchester City</a>
<br><strong>Overview:</strong> A hard luck team recently acquired by a very rich owner (as <a href="http://search.espn.go.com/roger-bennett/soccer/52">Roger Bennett</a> would say, 'Oil money solves a lot of problems'). They stole the 2012 title from their arch rivals (ManU) on THE LAST KICK OF THE SEASON after spending decades living the Chicago Cubs experience, and then their fans stormed the field NCAA-style. What else do you need to know? Well, you could say that they took a rather Miami Heat mercenary approach to getting it done. But I don't judge.
<br><strong>Notable Players:</strong> Joe Hart, David Silva, Sergio Aguero.
<br><strong>Color:</strong> North Carolina Tar Heel Blue
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3. <a href="http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/clubs/profile.overview.html/chelsea">Chelsea</a>
<br><strong>Overview:</strong> I like to think of <a href="http://www.nbcsports.com/soccer/premier-league/team-guide-chelsea">Chelsea</a> as the LA Lakers. They're a fashionable team in a fashionable area of London, and they just seem to find a way to stay in the conversation. They have a coach who's back for his second term with the club (Phil Jackson style) - and this coach even invented his own nickname: The Special One. Chelsea is another team with an extremely rich owner (any time you get the chance to type the words 'Russian oligarch' you HAVE to do it). He's owned the team for 10 years, Jerry Jones style, hiring a new manager more or less every season (I've been following EPL for two years and have already seen four different guys in charge).
<br><strong>Notable Players:</strong> All of the players. Just all of them.
<br><strong>My favorite player:</strong> Fernando Torres, known in my household as <a href="http://mfljones.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/9-fernando-torres.jpg">the Iberian god of sadness</a>. So talented, so shy and unassuming, so perpetually sad.
<br><strong>Color:</strong> Blue - like Indianapolis Colts blue.
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4. <a href="http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/clubs/profile.overview.html/arsenal">Arsenal</a>
<br><strong>Overview:</strong> I hate <a href="http://www.nbcsports.com/soccer/premier-league/team-guide-arsenal">Arsenal</a>. I can't even explain how it started, but the more time I spend studying them, the more they reminded me of the New York Knicks. Very passionate fans, proud tradition. They have a grumpy old French coach who wears a puffy coat (NBC keeps showing a clip of him struggling to zip the zipper and it still hasn't lost its funny). Their team logo is a cannon. As much as I hate to admit it, that's pretty badass. There was a time when Arsenal went on a 49 game win streak and earned the nickname the <a href="http://arsenal-invincibles.com/">Invincibles</a>. They have a bitter rivalry with their London neighbors Tottenham Hotspur <a href="http://www.theclockend.com/featured/arsenal-tottenham-100-years-of-rivalry">that dates back 100 years</a>. If you're bookish by nature, pick up <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fever-Pitch-Nick-Hornby/dp/1573226882">FEVER PITCH by Nicholas Hornby</a>, a delightful read about his experiences growing up with Arsenal (and a lot of poignant observations about sports fanhood in general).
<br><strong>Notable Players:</strong> A lot of people who transferred to Manchester United, and a lot of people who will soon transfer to Manchester United, assuming ManU wants them.
<br><strong>Color:</strong> Chicago Bulls Red.
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5. <a href="http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/clubs/profile.overview.html/tottenham">Tottenham Hotspur</a>
<br><strong>Overview:</strong> The <a href="http://www.nbcsports.com/soccer/premier-league/team-guide-tottenham">Spurs</a> are my team of choice. I tried to avoid it, but the gravitational pull was too strong. They're a London team, but they don't strike me as fancy (when compared to Arsenal or Chelsea). Their manager is Andre Villas Boas (AVB), a rather good looking Portuguese man who is only about 35 years old. (Note: there seem to be a lot of very attractive people in European futball.) NBC has been promoting the living daylights out of their upcoming soccer coverage, including a 30-min special with short introductions to each team. I can't find a link to a video right now, but it taught me that Tottenham gets its name from a royal knight that later became a character in a Shakespeare play (very classy). <a href="http://www.nbcsports.com/soccer/premier-league/team-guide-tottenham">I did find a link to an NBC video thing comparing my Spurs as the Knicks</a>. This makes me furious. Also, they've been showing <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KeG_i8CWE8">this</a> a lot.
<br><strong>Notable Players:</strong> Gareth Bale (please Lord, let him stay; he's phenomenally good and he looks like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krwxrdMzCm4">Schmidt from New Girl</a>), and until recently American team captain Clint Dempsey, who just accepted a gig in Seattle.
<br><strong>Color:</strong> Lily White
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6. <a href="http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/clubs/profile.overview.html/everton">Everton</a>
<br><strong>Overview:</strong> I wanted to be an <a href="http://www.nbcsports.com/soccer/premier-league/team-guide-everton">Everton</a> fan. Really, I did, and they still have a special place in my heart. They're a "moneyball" type of team that always seems greater than the sum of their parts. Founded in 1878, they have NEVER been relegated out of the top league. But, the plot thickens: their long-time manager just accepted a job with Manchester United, ushering in a new era that has yet to be defined (and possibly a new rivalry?). Everton is located in the city of Liverpool, home to the Beatles and also their arch rival, Liverpool Football Club. Everton and Liverpool's stadiums <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?q=when+was+everton+founded&rlz=1C1SFXN_enUS510US517&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&sa=N&tab=wl">are about one mile apart</a>, separated only by a park.
<br><strong>Notable Players:</strong> American goalie Tim Howard, Marouane Fellaini (the one with the big, curly hair).
<br><strong>Color:</strong> Another team wearing Indianapolis Colts Blue.
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7. <a href="http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/clubs/profile.overview.html/liverpool">Liverpool</a>
<br><strong>Overview:</strong> Much like ManU, <a href="http://www.nbcsports.com/soccer/premier-league/team-guide-liverpool">they're team with a proud tradition that's really fun to hate</a> (they were ManU before ManU was ManU). Take every Boston area team (the Patriots, the Red Sox, the Celtics, the Bruins) and squish them together - because <a href="http://www.nbcsports.com/soccer/premier-league/team-guide-liverpool">Liverpool</a> is owned by the same group who owns the Red Sox, and thus seem to carry a similar vibe. Last season, they starred in a "Hard Knocks" type reality show called Being Liverpool, which featured a scene showing the baseball and soccer players in a very awkward interaction facilitated by former Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine. I wish I could find a YouTube clip of this, because trust me, it was scrumptious. Liverpool used to win everything, but lately, I've rather enjoyed watching them finish 6th or 7th. They have an amazing fanbase, who are best known for belting out their team anthem: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EdGJWgKLo0">You'll Never Walk Alone</a>.
<br><strong>Notable Players:</strong> Luis Suarez (who has been in trouble more than once for biting other players), Steven Gerrard, long time player for Team England.
<br><strong>Color:</strong> Red Sox Red.
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<b>MID-TABLE</b>
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8. <a href="http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/clubs/profile.overview.html/west-brom">West Brom</a>
<br><b>Overview:</b> "West Brom" is short for <a href="http://www.nbcsports.com/show/premier-league-team-guides">West Bromwich Albion</a>. To be honest, I don't know a lot about them. I think they may be the best of the middle, like an NFL team that finishes 8-8 every year. They're nicknamed 'The Baggies' and they have a trademark celebration in which they <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mductHH9L5I">BOING BOING</a> (it reminds me of the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tODlPxhbGF8">Wisconsin Badgers "Jump Around"</a> thing).
<br><b>Color:</b> Blue and white stripes.
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9. <a href="http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/clubs/profile.overview.html/swansea">Swansea City</a>
<br><b>Overview:</b> I'm fond of the <a href="http://www.nbcsports.com/soccer/premier-league/team-guide-swansea">Swans</a>, the first Welsh team to play in the English Premier League (note, <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/league_of_wales/table/default.stm">Wales has its own league</a>, but some Welsh teams choose to play in the English leagues instead). For the first time in history, both Swansea and their bitter Welsh rival, Cardiff, are in the Premier League. They're a team on the rise, one I'm looking forward to seeing more of.
<br><b>Notable Players:</b> Michu (winning at most adorable name), Michel Vorm
<br><b>Color:</b> White and black
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10. <a href="http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/clubs/profile.overview.html/west-ham">West Ham</a>
<br><b>Overview:</b> <a href="http://www.nbcsports.com/soccer/premier-league/team-guide-west-ham">West Ham</a>, known as The Hammers, is an east London team in the process of moving in to the Olympic Stadium (where Paul McCartney led the world in a Hey Jude sing-along in 2012). Their anthem is '<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kn7NGJezKSQ">I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles</a>' and the fans actually blow bubbles all over the place as part of their celebrations. It's worth tuning in just for that; the bubbles look pretty awesome in HD. Back in the 1960's, West Ham was home to many of Team England's best players. Lately, however, the Hammers have been rebuilding. They were promoted to the Premier League in 2012 and enjoyed a pretty solid first season back.
<br><b>Notable Players:</b> Andy Carroll (the big dude with the long hair)
<br><b>Color:</b> Sort of a red wine with sky blue sleeves.
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11. <a href="http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/clubs/profile.overview.html/norwich">Norwich City</a>
<br><b>Overview:</b> <a href="http://www.nbcsports.com/soccer/premier-league/team-guide-norwich-city">Norwich</a> is another team I'm still getting acquainted with. They were promoted very quickly (in successive seasons, I believe) - like an entire baseball team going from Double-A to Major League in two years. They've got a distinct look and flavor, but I don't think I've ever seen them play. It's something I'm looking forward to this fall.
<br><b>Notable Players:</b> I'm not familiar with his work, but they have a forward on their roster named Ricky van Wolfswinkel. I need to know more.
<br><b>Color:</b> Bright green and yellow, sort of a Brazilian vibe.
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12. <a href="http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/clubs/profile.overview.html/fulham">Fulham</a>
<br><b>Overview:</b> I'm not sure why <a href="http://www.nbcsports.com/soccer/premier-league/team-guide-fulham">Fulham</a> isn't more popular. Their stadium is RIGHT on the Thames in London, a stone's throw from Chelsea. Until recently, they were owned by the guy who owns <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrods">Harrod's</a> department store (famous for being able to get ANYTHING). A few months ago, the new owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars bought up Fulham (and keep in mind, the Jags also signed <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8289496/jacksonville-jaguars-play-four-home-games-london">a multi-year deal to play games in London</a> for the next several seasons). Could there be some sort of Fulham/Jax cross-promotional efforts in the works? I kind of hope so. Also, they have a rather famous <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=fulham+michael+jackson+statue&rlz=1C1SFXN_enUS510US517&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=GFUKUpmDKaidyQHvroCgDA&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=709#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=QnsMdoTq8Kk7TM%3A%3BFbHmtrDn-5-5fM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fi.dailymail.co.uk%252Fi%252Fpix%252F2011%252F04%252F03%252Farticle-1372878-0B7669CE00000578-959_634x415.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%252Fsport%252Ffootball%252Farticle-1372878%252FMichael-Jackson-statue-unveiled-Fulham--PICTURE-SPECIAL.html%3B634%3B415">Michael Jackson statue</a> outside their stadium.
Even before they had an American owner, Fulham seemed to be one of the more American friendly teams. Team USA Captain Clint Dempsey was one of the top goal scorer's in the league his last year there.
<br><b>Color:</b> White and black
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13. <a href="http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/clubs/profile.overview.html/stoke">Stoke City</a>
<br><b>Overview:</b> I like <a href="http://www.nbcsports.com/soccer/premier-league/team-guide-stoke-city">Stoke</a>, if for no other reason than "STOKE" is s strong name for a team. They keep bringing in American players (which is kind of unusual in Europe). Regular listeners to <a href="http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/tag/_/name/men-in-blazers">Grantland's Men in Blazers</a> know Stoke as the home of "<a href="http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/relegationzone/id/141?cc=5901">Quarterback Style</a>" - a hilarious reference made by a British TV commentator, when he described how American Geoff Cameron did throw-ins. It's kind of hard to explain, but the point is this: when Geoff Cameron does something good, it's fun the shout <a href="http://meninblazers.wikispaces.com/Quarterback+Style">QUARTERBACK STYLE</a> at your television. By the way, JK Rowling fans, Stoke City's known as the "Potters".
<br><b>Notable Players:</b> Team USA's own Geoff Cameron, Brek Shea, and Maurice Edu. Also the very tall Peter Crouch.
<br><b>Color:</b> Red and white stripes
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<b>THE UNDERDOGS (aka The Relegation Zone)</b>
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14. <a href="http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/clubs/profile.overview.html/southampton">Southampton</a>
<br><b>Overview:</b> <a href="http://www.nbcsports.com/soccer/premier-league/team-guide-southampton">Southampton</a> is probably best known for being the port from which the Titanic sailed. The soccer team is nicknamed the Saints, and their anthem is 'When the Saints Go Marching In,' so New Orleans fans, take notice.
<br><b>Notable Players:</b> Rickie Lambert!
<br><b>Color:</b> Red
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15. <a href="http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/clubs/profile.overview.html/aston-villa">Aston Villa</a>
<br><b>Overview:</b> <a href="http://www.nbcsports.com/soccer/premier-league/team-guide-aston-villa">Villa</a> is a team with a proud tradition who seem to have under-achieved lately. They're from the Midlands of England (Birmingham, birthplace of Top Gear's Richard Hammond), and until recently they were owned by the same guy as the Cleveland Browns (these things may be a bit similar - seeing as how both teams were QUITE respectable a few decades ago).
<br><b>Notable Players:</b> American Goalie Brad Guzan, Christian Benteke
<br><b>Color:</b> Wine and blue, distressingly similar to West Ham's.
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16. <a href="http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/clubs/profile.overview.html/newcastle">Newcastle</a>
<br><b>Overview:</b> <a href="http://www.nbcsports.com/soccer/premier-league/team-guide-newcastle-united">Newcastle</a>, known as the magpies, basically looks like an entire team of NFL referees running around the field. Two years ago, they were flirting with the Champions League. Last year, they barely escaped getting relegated. ANYTHING could happen!
<br><b>Notable Players:</b> Basically everyone from France
<br><b>Color:</b> Black and white stripes
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17. <a href="http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/clubs/profile.overview.html/sunderland">Sunderland</a>
<br><b>Overview:</b> The only thing I know about this team is that they just acquired America's Jozy Altidore. Please excuse me while I consult Google: Their home field is called "The Stadium of Light" (excellent name); they're located somewhere near their arch rival Newcastle (good, good); they're nicknamed 'The Black Cats' (fits nicely with Newcastle being the Magpies - cat vs bird).
<br><b>Notable Players:</b> American Jozy Altidore
<br><b>Color:</b> Red and white stripes
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18. <a href="http://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/">Cardiff City</a>
<br><b>Overview:</b> The other Welsh team, newly promoted to the Premier League! Everything I know about Cardiff I learned from watching Doctor Who (they film the show in Cardiff, therefore they've had several episodes that take place there). They're known as the bluebirds, but their new Malaysian owner decided red was a luckier color. Thus, their uniforms are now red.
<br><b>Color:</b> Red
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19. <a href="http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/clubs/profile.overview.html/hull">Hull City</a>
<br><b>Overview:</b> Some teams are known as 'yo-yo' teams, meaning they're in and out of the Premier League on a fairly regular cycle. <a href="http://www.nbcsports.com/soccer/premier-league/team-guide-hull-city">Hull</a> is NOT one of these teams. They're known as the tigers (perhaps a match for Bengals fans looking to suffer in a second sport?). They also feature a father and son pairing - Dad Bruce is the manager, <a href="http://www.hullcityafc.net/team/player-profile/index.aspx?playerid=299754&tcmuri=303175">Son Bruce</a> is a defender.
<br><b>Color:</b> Amber and black stripes.
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20. <a href="http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/clubs/profile.overview.html/crystal-palace">Crystal Palace</a>
<br><b>Overview:</b> The third newly promoted team, Palace is from London. They actually got their ticket to the Premier League <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0WD9wQWol8">after a thrilling playoff that went to overtime</a> in the mother of all venues, Wembley Stadium. After winning what's known as 'The Richest Game in Football' (because of the huge boost in revenue that comes with playing in the Premier League), Palace's coach said: "We're in the Premier League! God help us..."
<br><b>Color:</b> Half blue/Half red
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Take your time, get a feel for what you like. A team is for life! Choose carefully.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09589928734405169231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793788894392668715.post-31632651946615740882013-08-12T18:08:00.000-05:002013-08-12T18:08:05.169-05:00CHEATSHEET: Preparing for the English Premier League Invasion - Part 1<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwa9Dx-ebh4aUyOJGv7XwDSCqXeacdVSwf2YeYzV6Vs_-WIg3IN8m6IOGzmZlHSThMoO5V2usvN604hzvgTlVFy8_jXYwzOcmg8MCWe4IwSn0MHOKksqezdctcp6yYLrD6-iKRnnHvDa-9/s1600/ChelseaInterGameAction.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwa9Dx-ebh4aUyOJGv7XwDSCqXeacdVSwf2YeYzV6Vs_-WIg3IN8m6IOGzmZlHSThMoO5V2usvN604hzvgTlVFy8_jXYwzOcmg8MCWe4IwSn0MHOKksqezdctcp6yYLrD6-iKRnnHvDa-9/s400/ChelseaInterGameAction.jpg" /></a>
<br>On August 1, I took my parents and my husband to watch what amounted to an exhibition soccer match in Lucas Oil Stadium with about 41,000 of our closest friends (including my cousin Katie who provided these pictures - thanks Katie!). We were there to see Chelsea, one of the world's elite soccer teams, all the way from London, dressed in the same blue as everything else in the Colts' stadium. Their worthy opponent: Inter Milan from Italy. One thing was immediately clear: the home crowd LOVED Chelsea. Most of us were there - in Indianapolis - <i>specifically</i> to see them.
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Maybe it was the color, maybe it was Chelsea's marketing team successfully drumming up interest here State-side. Either way, brace yourselves sports fans: English soccer is coming.
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Close your eyes and think of college football. There are more than 100 Division I teams, but only 25 at a time are 'ranked.' Teams are scattered around the country such that it's hard to find a community without an allegiance.
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Now shift your mind to baseball. Players move up and down through Major League, Triple-A, Double-A, and "A." Teams date back to the 1870s/1880s. If you look at a map of the destruction caused by the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, you'll find the 'White Stockings' field nearby.
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Now mentally squish these images together. Throw in a dash of NFL physicality (minus the pads) and NBA speed (minus the height). Make the clock count up instead of down, and remove all timeouts and commercial breaks.
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You're almost ready for the English Soccer Experience.
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* Last year, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/29/sports/soccer/premier-league-deal-gives-nbc-380-soccer-games.html?_r=0">NBC bought the rights to show 380 English Premier League games</a>. <a href="http://www.nbcsports.com/premierleague">Games start on August 17th</a> and run through spring (long past the end of NFL season). Most of them will be on Saturday and Sunday mornings, and since soccer games can end in ties, you'll always know EXACTLY what time they will end (an underrated perk of being a soccer fan). And just <a href="http://scores.nbcsports.msnbc.com/epl/scoreboard_daily.asp">LOOK AT THIS SCHEDULE</a>! Most of the games begin at 10am EST, the perfect time to ease into the day with a cup of hot tea.
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* Soccer in England is broken into four levels: The Premier League (20 teams), The Championship (24 teams), Division One (24 teams), and Division Two (24 teams). Kind of like our baseball system, no?
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* <a href="http://www.nbcsports.com/premierleague">NBC is televising games between the 20 Premier League teams</a>. They'll play each other twice (home and away), for a 38 game season, roughly one game a week.
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* At the end of each season, the bottom three teams in the Premier League are sent down to the Championship, and the top three teams in the Championship take their place. Imagine the Cubs or Royals being sent down to Triple-A (the TEAMS instead of individual PLAYERS) and then having to earn their way back.
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* Note that it is specifically the "English" Premier League. England has its own league. So do Scotland, and Spain, and Germany, and several other countries (including America's MLS, which we share with Canada).
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* You know how every March, we watch the NCAA basketball tournament, featuring (X) teams from the Big East and (Y) teams from the Big Ten, PAC-howevermany, mid-majors, etc? The best 68 teams from the various conferences compete and typically Duke or Kentucky wins? In soccer, the equivalent is the Champions League - the top four teams from England qualify, the top few from Spain, and Germany, Russia, Turkey, Belgium, France, etc, and they play to crown the best team in Europe.
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* <a href="http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/matchday/league-table.html?season=2012-2013&timelineView=played&matchNo=38&tableView=CURRENT_STANDINGS">Behold, the League Table</a>, which not only tells you who's winning - it tabulates points, wins, losses and so much more. A win is worth three points, tie is worth one, and a loss gives you nothing (kind of like hockey). Points are most important, but goal difference matters. If you CAN run up the score, you probably will.
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* <a href="http://www.sportmapworld.com/map/soccer/england/fa-premier-league/">Here is a MAP</a> showing where all of this season's English Premier League teams are located. For the first time in league history, two of the teams are in Wales.
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* But keep in mind, whenever anyone says "for the first time in league history," the English Premier League as it's currently organized was founded in 1992. This general soccer system has been in place for over 100 years, but the league did some refreshing and rebranding - and it exploded globally as a result.
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* <a href="http://www.haaretz.com/news/sports/.premium-1.536447">Six of the twenty English Premier League Teams are owned by Americans</a>.
<ul>
<li>Manchester United is owned by the family who owns the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
<li>Arsenal is owned by <a href="http://www.forbes.com/profile/stanley-kroenke/">the guy who owns the St Louis Rams, the Denver Nuggets, and Colorado Avs</a>.
<li>Liverpool is owned by the same people who own the Boston Red Sox.
<li>The guy who owns Aston Villa until recently was also the owner of the Cleveland Browns.
<li><a href="http://www.fulhamfc.com/history">Fulham</a> was just purchased by the guy who owns the Jacksonville Jaguars.
<li>The sixth team is <a href="http://www.safc.com/the-club/history/story-so-far">Sunderland</a>, owned by a Dallas businessman.
<li>And <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/22/sports/soccer/manchester-city-and-yankees-to-own-mls-franchise-in-new-york.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0">Manchester City sort of just married</a> the New York Yankees.
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* Don't have the time to research which of the 20 teams is right for you? There are some cheatsheets available below to help you get started. Just keep in mind that, thanks to promotion and relegation, the league CHANGES EVERY YEAR. This isn't annoying, it's part of the drama - like characters coming and going on Game of Thrones!
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You can look <a href="http://www.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/060719">here</a> and <a href="http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/6974/men-in-blazers-nba-to-epl-support-translator">here</a> and <a href="http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/22795/game-of-thrones-to-english-premier-league-converter">here</a> and <a href="http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/category/_/name/downton-premier-league">here</a> to get started, but I'll post my take on the 20 Premier League teams in part 2. When in doubt, you can always just cheer for the elite American players (for example, goalie Tim Howard plays for Everton, Jozy Altidore just signed with Sunderland, and Stoke City has a couple of Yanks, as well).
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* <a href="http://scores.nbcsports.msnbc.com/epl/scoreboard_daily.asp">Here is NBC's EPL schedule</a> so you can PLAN. Soccer isn't just coming - it's already here.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09589928734405169231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793788894392668715.post-21358266970934185122013-07-29T22:55:00.000-05:002013-07-29T22:55:35.066-05:00My Day at the 2013 Gold Cup Final<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfBfk41qX2NbYSSd5ODuvnxsVjvnOybzCbsldVd43OCiTwPJRxW11_Ztu2-rijd-UFDx6ce3ynnFtSLi17ddj9bP74MHqisAezYyEodWwrXLOVyo3s6L0rGyU3NvPja-icbPfE9HRDVEjr/s1600/FinalScore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: center; float: center; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfBfk41qX2NbYSSd5ODuvnxsVjvnOybzCbsldVd43OCiTwPJRxW11_Ztu2-rijd-UFDx6ce3ynnFtSLi17ddj9bP74MHqisAezYyEodWwrXLOVyo3s6L0rGyU3NvPja-icbPfE9HRDVEjr/s400/FinalScore.jpg" /></a></div>
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On Sunday July 28th, the United States defeated Panama to win the 2013 Gold Cup. What is the Gold Cup? A soccer tournament held in odd-numbered years to crown the best national soccer team in the hemisphere (<a href="http://www.concacaf.com/category/gold-cup/teams">North America, Central America, and the Caribbean</a>). This year, the final was held in Chicago, so the husband and I hauled our cookies to Soldier Field in the name of Klinsmann and Country.
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<b>PREGAME NARRATIVE</b><br>
The honest to goodness truth is that (at least this year), Team USA did not field its first-tier team for this tournament; players like Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard got to spend the month of July fishing and napping. Instead, Coach Jurgen Klinsmann brought in second team players he wanted to audition for his World Cup campaign next year in Brazil. This was hardly disappointing, since the second team contained the most fascinating narratives going in US soccer this year. For example:
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<br>
* <b>Landon Donovan</b> - the golden boy of American soccer relegated to the second team after taking voluntary leave of his sport for reasons that have still not fully been explained. Was he simply burned out and exhausted? Or, as some have speculated, struggling with depression or other mental illness? Or, like I've heard once or twice, just behaving like a 'flaky Californian'? Whatever inspired the face of American soccer to just walk away, he needed to rediscover his fire. He stepped away and lost his spot on the team. Could he prove that he wanted it back?
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXH-nLD4aUFzQ3hgFtkNCqdWa0vKUsbTBz1J-ylDyitJIHGgrSVcTuTuOQqpClxKDmtFC8ii6p4IHoBZ9L1MB3KvzaSvsgVjH24ovbSiBqXKbX1LF50BXCimzLJXREsfUbcb9UndGZyBAT/s1600/GoldCup1stHalf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXH-nLD4aUFzQ3hgFtkNCqdWa0vKUsbTBz1J-ylDyitJIHGgrSVcTuTuOQqpClxKDmtFC8ii6p4IHoBZ9L1MB3KvzaSvsgVjH24ovbSiBqXKbX1LF50BXCimzLJXREsfUbcb9UndGZyBAT/s400/GoldCup1stHalf.jpg" /></a></div>
* <b>Stuart Holden</b> - with a great personality and even better hair, Stu (number 11 above) was an American star in the making - the kind of guy that even soccer agnostics would gravitate toward. Unfortunately, <a href="http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1509140/stuart-holden-knee-injury-very-serious?cc=5901">his career so far has been a Greek tragedy of freak injuries and set backs</a>. After missing more than two years of action, Stu was named to the Gold Cup squad, and the people rejoiced. Could his bad luck finally be behind him? Would he finally get the chance to live up to his potential?
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* <a href="http://www.ussoccer.com/teams/mnt/w/chris-wondolowski.aspx"><b>Chris Wondolowski</b></a> - the leading scorer in Major League Soccer (MLS, America's domestic league). Conventional wisdom has historically indicated that only the guys who played in Europe could compete in the elite tournaments. Landon has played in the top tier in England, as have Brek Shea, Geoff Cameron, Stuart Holden, etc. Several guys have played in Germany - hell, several guys were BORN in Germany (to United States soldiers stationed overseas). Team USA also has several guys who play in Mexico's soccer league, such as <a href="http://www.ussoccer.com/teams/mnt/g/herculez-gomez.aspx">Hercules Gomez</a>. But what about the guys who play their entire careers here in the States for MLS? Can home-grown, home-developed players contribute to the National Team in a meaningful way? 'Wondo,' a gentleman of Native American Heritage (Kiowa, to be specific) is challenging old perceptions and changing how we view our local league - but would he force his way onto the first team?
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* <b>Jurgen Klinsmann</b> - our coach and fearless leader, German by birth but American by choice. Since Jurgen got this gig, there have been stories of dissension in the ranks and bad chemistry in the locker room. Going in to the Gold Cup Final, Team USA was on a healthy winning streak - but did this mean that Jurgen had finally figured things out? Was he really the man to take American soccer to the next level? And why in the world did he get <a href="http://www.cbssports.com/general/blog/eye-on-sports/22905442/concacaf-suspends-jurgen-klinsmann-for-gold-cup-final">suspended for spiking a soccer ball during the match prior to the final</a>? Why did he even HAVE a ball to spike?
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<b>PREGAME ACTIVITIES</b><br>
It was a perfect Chicago summer day - about seventy degrees, overcast sky, the water of Lake Michigan was a picturesque deep blue with a fresh, lovely breeze, and Lake Shore Drive was as adorable as ever with its 40mph speed limit. Traffic was thick with our fellow patriots headed to the game - we could see the flags and the Team USA jerseys - so much red, white, and blue that it might as well have been July 4th instead of July 28th. We felt a sense of community, and it was glorious.
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But.
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This was our fifth time attending an event at Soldier Field, so we should have known better, but no. Once again, for a fifth consecutive time, we did not allow enough time to get to the stadium, park our vehicle, get INSIDE the stadium (a sneaky-big time suck), and find our seats before the event started. To make it even more ridiculous, we'd expected to get there in time to tailgate in the parking lot with all of the other fun people (like the guy dressed as Captain America flitting from party to party no doubt getting free samples of all of the delicious things we smelled cooking as we sprinted toward Soldier Field's West Gate).
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The point is - at least where Soldier Field is concerned - allow at least three times more time than you think is even remotely reasonable. Chicago has fantastic sports fans, but there were still several of us who missed the first kick of the game trying to get inside. We missed the pregame activities. But we're sure they were moving.
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<b>THE FIRST HALF</b><br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88DvT83VFhSKsgoZ7m8uOdkfFPw1GaJa9lWaTpLtfqgl5Dtk902sjBDBDxge95NZA6N8nruzUEuBV3Q7QZC8uhHRIzSbMkH0KpwYqKuwEEddxKoJ5w1pUV07XZ9r0jC1hrm7CKoP03fUA/s1600/GoldCupAction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88DvT83VFhSKsgoZ7m8uOdkfFPw1GaJa9lWaTpLtfqgl5Dtk902sjBDBDxge95NZA6N8nruzUEuBV3Q7QZC8uhHRIzSbMkH0KpwYqKuwEEddxKoJ5w1pUV07XZ9r0jC1hrm7CKoP03fUA/s400/GoldCupAction.jpg" /></a></div>
When we found our seats, about 7 minutes had passed, and the score was (thankfully) still zero to zero. Team USA was in blue, Panama was in red. Our first order of business - get the lay of the land. Landon was easy to spot, as were Stuart Holden and <a href="http://www.ussoccer.com/teams/mnt/b/kyle-beckerman.aspx">Kyle Beckerman</a>. We saw that the Team USA goalie had a full head of hair, so that immediately made us feel a bit uneasy. The man sitting next to me had an American flag in his lap, ready to wave it in celebration, but he was frustrated with the boys ("They're inbounding the ball too slowly, they need to stay on their feet," etc). He seemed to know what he was talking about. In front of us, there was a dad with his son and daughter (both of elementary age). They seemed new to the game, and they turned around to ask us a few questions, but it didn't dampen their enthusiasm. The people behind us were dressed as Uncle Sam and, I guess, Auntie Sam? Our section was electric, chanting and laughing the entire game.
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Everyone we saw that day - from the parking lot to the stadium - was as cheery as the weather. We saw fans from Mexico and Columbia, in addition to the sizable contingent from Panama. But the crowd was overwhelmingly American, and about as diverse and enthusiastic as you can imagine. The entire day was a gigantic party.
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Until about twenty minutes in.
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkvNxlPCTY4IJ1Eyf_W688eSdkxQ22xT8FdY6IJzpeJIiFpPWfzD1Irw4BOnert5QfQKoA7-Xz4IOm_aNq_tnuPDvpeu7HxU3IuDHQGCt_FTeDfMkz4sv0Tykm5teHgGodG0qV6KpL3X6D/s1600/StuartInjured.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkvNxlPCTY4IJ1Eyf_W688eSdkxQ22xT8FdY6IJzpeJIiFpPWfzD1Irw4BOnert5QfQKoA7-Xz4IOm_aNq_tnuPDvpeu7HxU3IuDHQGCt_FTeDfMkz4sv0Tykm5teHgGodG0qV6KpL3X6D/s400/StuartInjured.jpg" /></a></div>
Stuart Holden collided with one of the players from Panama, then writhed on the ground, <a href="http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1509797/stuart-holden-torn-right-acl?cc=5901">clutching his knee</a>. The stadium went quiet - I'm not sure how many people in the stands knew his story, but I didn't hear one spectator profess any disgust at soccer players "flopping." We found out later that poor Stuart had torn the ACL in his bad knee. He spent the rest of the game in the locker room, but limped out for the victory celebration. His teammate Omar <a href="https://twitter.com/MenInBlazers/status/361628709574279168">carried him on his back for their victory lap</a> around the field, and the team saw to it that he received his medal first. Heartbreaking stuff. For now, Stuart's story is <a href="https://twitter.com/stuholden/status/361623424734461954">to be continued...</a>
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<b>THE SECOND HALF</b><br>
Stuart's injury put a damper on the the remainder of the first half. Coach Jurgen was <a href="https://twitter.com/Jeffchach/status/361600059927851008">tucked away at the very top of the stadium</a> like Rapunzel or somesuch. The game was still tied at zero, and things were not going overly well. Panama as a team looked like they just wanted it more.
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But NO ONE looked like they wanted the Gold Cup more than Landon Donovan. He was all over the place, playing more defense than we expected (but what the hell do we know?). It was interesting to watch him move around the field - an opportunity we'd never had before, since the TV camera follows the ball most of the time. I've had my share of giggles at Landon's expense over the years, but in this game, Landon chose his spots like a chess player, sometimes crossing half the pitch to play defense, even if there seemed to be another player much closer. Sometimes he charged, sometimes he stood still, watching like a point guard, and I wished I was sophisticated enough to understand what I was seeing. Regardless, I was impressed.
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About seventy minutes into the game, Landon got the ball in front of the goal, and the blond mullet of <a href="http://www.ussoccer.com/teams/mnt/s/brek-shea.aspx">Brek Shea</a> made sure it counted.
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Team USA celebrated, and the crowd at Soldier Field exploded, hoping the game would blow wide-open now that one ball had found the back of the net. Could they score one more? Three more?
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Well, they scored zero more. Panama was NOT a bad team. Their goalie won the award for best keeper in the tournament, even though Team USA didn't make him work overly hard. The game got a little chippy at the end. Brek Shea broke up a fight one minute, only to receive a shot to the back of the head a moment later. As soon as the 'end of game' whistle blew, Brek knocked his nemesis to the ground (even though they were right at midfield), and my husband giggled. The lesson, as always, don't screw with Brek Shea's hair.
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<b>POSTGAME</b><br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFJnRQKlisYzABNkRpQtJkspQXKp4Qk57yKmU3feF8cqE3X6K4VqAuOCHP02OzUPO2Lz-_LrvZjz_fdmtodQJMEt08J_tMILs7-9ThcAf_wQxD3BeieGF8K7Py3THHAId_kjFqvrk5_Pm/s1600/AwardCelebration1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFJnRQKlisYzABNkRpQtJkspQXKp4Qk57yKmU3feF8cqE3X6K4VqAuOCHP02OzUPO2Lz-_LrvZjz_fdmtodQJMEt08J_tMILs7-9ThcAf_wQxD3BeieGF8K7Py3THHAId_kjFqvrk5_Pm/s400/AwardCelebration1.jpg" /></a></div>
A stage was hastily constructed, lovely ladies in blue dresses carried out the trophies. Team USA jumped and danced together, put on championship t-shirts, and took a victory lap around the field, clapping in the direction of the fans, perhaps thanking the nearly 60,000 people who filled the stadium to cheer them on. Panama accepted their silver medals, then vacated the premises. Landon Donovan and Chris Wondolowski each got a share of the 'golden boot' trophy (the award given to the player(s) who score the most goals during the tournament), even though Wondo didn't play in the final. Landon won the equivalent of the tournament MVP award, and Soldier Field chanted his name. At the moment, he seems to have made it <a href="http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/usnationalteam/id/372?cc=5901">virtually impossible for Jurgen to leave him off the World Cup roster</a>.
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvGJbjG0_w8koRIKoKdvCqFg-LrTeSVfInUlOWwqbO6ZI-OJvpSp-BbVz3G4__YxlhfYwkhS5ZpJ0L8zo9WBZt0M4yp2B6EnHkZ30k18RiYQ5bKFF6f_oJEU4pELbi44hjuEthnHmNKyk/s1600/ConfettiCanon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvGJbjG0_w8koRIKoKdvCqFg-LrTeSVfInUlOWwqbO6ZI-OJvpSp-BbVz3G4__YxlhfYwkhS5ZpJ0L8zo9WBZt0M4yp2B6EnHkZ30k18RiYQ5bKFF6f_oJEU4pELbi44hjuEthnHmNKyk/s400/ConfettiCanon.jpg" /></a></div>
Then the confetti canon erupted, shooting out tiny bits of shiny blue and gold paper that swirled in the lake breeze and scattered all around the stadium. Several pieces reached us, and I put one gold confetti piece in my pocket. By the time I got home, it was gone - just like the bell from Polar Express. But at any rate, I learned that confetti canons are underrated. The camera does not do them justice.
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So, we drifted out of the stadium on a cloud of victorious euphoria. Chants of USA followed us out to the parking lot (and one gracious American honored a group of Panama supporters with a cheer of 'Viva le Panama!' which was greeted by a cheery laugh). People weren't in a big hurry to leave (Chicago sports fans are pros - we all knew full well that there was no point in hurrying, since the traffic wouldn't allow us to leave quickly anyway). Some kids set up make-shift goals in the parking lot. Some fans turned their grills back on for a lake-side tailgate dinner. Music blared, and the party continued, even though the tournament was over. Chicago has fantabulous sports fans, but soccer fans are special. Win or lose, it's a community I'm proud to be a part of.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09589928734405169231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793788894392668715.post-72856151389941172812013-01-29T21:39:00.000-06:002013-01-29T21:39:01.001-06:00ULTIMATE 2013 HARBAUGH-RIFIC SUPER BOWL CHEATSHEET<b>BALTIMORE RAVENS VS SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS<br>
SUNDAY FEB 3, 6:30pm EST (CBS)</b>
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Here's everything you need to know to enjoy the Super Bowl, and a few things you could probably live without.
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<b>THE BASIC INFO</b>
<ul>
<li>Your national anthem will be brought to you by Alisha Keys, not Beyonce.
<li>Beyonce will be performing the halftime show. I've heard rumors that Jay Z (her husband) and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npF1lkKEM9o">Justin Timberlake</a> will also be involved. And there may be lip-synching, so just LIGHTEN UP, people.
<li><a href="http://www.superbowl-commercials.org/17911.html">The commercial cheatsheet can be found here</a>. So glad someone else took the time to do that.
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<li>The game will be played in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. The Superdome was completed in 1975; it covers 13 acres and is 27 stories tall. This will be the Superdome's 7th Super Bowl, and it's first since it acted as a shelter of last resort for ~30,000 New Orleans residents during Hurricane Katrina. Other NOLA Super Bowls were in 1978, 1981, 1986, 1990, 1997, 2002, and now 2013.
<li>The 49ers have won five Super Bowls since they were founded in 1946: 1981, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1994, with quarterbacking legends Joe Montana and Steve Young. They have never lost a Super Bowl game.
<li>The Ravens have won one Super Bowl since they were founded in 1996: 2000. They too have never lost a Super Bowl game.
<li>From 1953 to 1983 Baltimore was home to the Colts. The <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBuAMwBogdM">Colts moved to Indianapolis</a>, leaving Baltimore teamless for more than a decade. Then, in 1996 the Cleveland Browns relocated to Baltimore and were renamed the Ravens, a reference to famous resident <a href="http://poestories.com/read/raven">Edgar Allen Poe's famous poem</a>. The man who owned the Browns/Ravens at the time of the move was Art Modell, who died last September. The Ravens wear a black patch with his name 'ART' on their uniforms to honor his passing. (Note: The Cleveland Browns were brought back to the league as an expansion team in 1999.)
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<li>Ravens defensive player Ray Lewis is retiring after the Super Bowl and will join ESPN's studio. He was one of the first players the Ravens drafted in 1996 when they moved to Baltimore. His first career sack was on Jim Harbaugh, when he was quarterback for the Colts.
<li>The 49ers play in Candlestick Park, an old combination baseball and football field. In October of 1989, the stadium hosted a World Series game that was delayed by an earthquake. The San Francisco Giants eventually lost the series.
<li>British tennis player Andy Murray won his first major tournament, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmLjBxcSN8M">the epic US Open Championship</a> against Novak Djokovic, during the Ravens first game this season (Monday Sept 10, 2012). Last weekend, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic played again for the Australian Open Championship, only this time Andy lost. I only bring this up because I wonder if Andy Murray and Joe Flacco may both be animagi, and thus, their fates may be cosmically linked. Also, I love Andy Murray.
</ul>
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<b>THE HARBAUGH STUFF</b>
<ul>
<li>John Harbaugh is the coach of the Ravens. Jim Harbaugh is the coach of the 49ers. <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nfl/news/20130122/super-bowl-xlvii-facts-figures/?sct=uk_t12_a2">The two are brothers</a>; John is 15 months older. Their parents' names are Jack and Jackie, and they also have one sister, Joani (who is married to Indiana University basketball coach Tom Crean). The two brothers shared a bedroom until John left for college.
<li>Jim and John Harbaugh have coached against each other once before - last Thanksgiving, when the Ravens beat the 49ers 16-6.
<li>Jim Harbaugh (age 49) played quarterback for the Michigan Wolverines and also played in the NFL for fourteen years (6 years for the Chicago Bears, 3 years for the Indianapolis Colts, 1 year for the Baltimore Ravens, and 1 year for the Carolina Panthers). Jim took the Colts to the AFC Championship game in 1995 <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5hxVk9XdUE">and came within a dropped Hail Mary of the Super Bowl</a>. He left the Colts the year they drafted Peyton Manning. He also coached current Colts QB Andrew Luck at Stanford University.
<li>John Harbaugh (age 50) played defense in college for Miami of Ohio.
<li>John Harbaugh was the quarterback of his high school football team until Jim beat him out for the job.
</ul>
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<b>RAVENS PLAYERS TO KNOW</b>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2012/story/_/id/8876962/super-bowl-xlvii-joe-flacco-showed-potential-greatness-delaware">Joe Flacco</a> (quarterback) is 28 years old, originally from New Jersey. He spent two seasons as a backup for the University of Pittsburgh before transferring to Delaware (the Blue Hens), a division I-AA (smaller) program. Because he transferred, he had to sit out a year, give up his scholarship, and pay his own way (~$30,000). There is speculation (by me) that he may be in the midst of a Freaky Friday episode with Eli Manning.
<li>Ray Rice (running back) is 26 years old. He's from New Rochelle, NY, and he attended Rutgers (which is in the process of joining the Big 10 conference).
<li>Anquan Boldin (receiver) is 32 years old. He's from Florida and attended Florida State University.
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<li>Michael Oher (offensive lineman) is 26 years old. He's originally from Memphis, attended college at Mississippi, and the movie THE BLIND SIDE was based on his experiences.
<li><a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2012/story/_/id/8886652/super-bowl-xlvii-ray-lewis-do-believe">Ray Lewis</a> (defense) is 37 years old. He's from Florida and attended the University of Miami. He's the face of his franchise, retiring after the Super Bowl. He tore his tricep earlier this season, and fought to come back to finish the year. He's been playing with a brace that makes it look like he has a cyborg arm. Ray is <a href="http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/47958/page/BLHotel/remembering-the-ray-lewis-controversy">not without controversy</a>, but gold medal swimmer Michael Phelps (who is from Baltimore) <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/64265/lewis-inspired-greatest-olympic-champion">credits Ray Lewis with encouraging him to compete in the 2012 London Olympics</a> (during which Phelps became the most decorated Olympian of all time - or, at least modern times, since the Ancients' records are not available).
<li>Ed Reed (defense) is 34 years old from St. Rose, Louisiana, which is about 17 miles from the Superdome in New Orleans. He attended the University of Miami.
<li>Bernard Pollard (defense) is 28 years old, from Fort Wayne, Indiana. Some New England Patriots fans have a superstition about him being their team's kryptonite, because over the years, he's been involved in plays that have resulted in injuries to key Patriots players (Brady, Welker, Gronk, and last week, Ridley). I like him because we went to Purdue at about the same time, and my knees are fine, thank you very much.
</ul>
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<b>49ERS PLAYERS TO KNOW</b>
<ul>
<li>Colin Kaepernick (quarterback) is 25 years old. He's originally from Milwaukee, played college football at Nevada, was drafted as a pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, but he decided to stick with football instead. Since becoming a 49er, he's started seven games and won five of them (the first game was against the Chicago Bears on November 19th).
<li>Alex Smith (quarterback) is 28 years old, originally from Seattle, played college at Utah, and was the 49ers number one overall draft pick in 2005. He's been the 49ers starter since he was drafted, but he hasn't played since November, when he suffered a concussion against the St. Louis Rams and <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nfl/news/20130128/super-bowl-xlvii-preview-peter-king-monday-morning-quarterback/?sct=hp_t11_a2&eref=sihp">Kaepernick replaced him</a>.
<li>Frank Gore (running back) is 29 years old. He's from Miami and attended the University of Miami. The league fined him $10,500 for uniform code violations (wearing his socks too low) during the NFC Championship game two weeks ago against the Atlanta Falcons.
<li>Michael Crabtree (receiver) is 25 years old. He's from Dallas, attended Texas Tech, and he had at least one encounter with basketball coach Bobby Knight, back when he was still a two-sport athlete.
<li>Mario Manningham (receiver) is 26 years old, and he attended the University of Michigan. Last year, he won a Super Bowl ring with the New York Giants, and actually <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XSgZzHSts0">caught the critical pass from Eli Manning</a> to set up the win. He's currently injured, so he's not playing this weekend, but he should still be eligible to collect another ring.
<li>Randy Moss (receiver) is 35 years old. He's from West Virginia and went to college at Marshall. He holds the single season touchdown receptions record from his 2007 season with the Patriots (the year they won every game except the Super Bowl). This is his first season with the 49ers.
<li>Vernon Davis (tight end) is 28 years old. He's originally from Washington DC and attended the University of Maryland (which is in the process of joining the Big Ten conference. He was a studio art major, and has since <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/news/sf-49er-vernon-davis-celebrates-183600633.html">opened a gallery for emerging artists</a>.
<li>Justin Smith and Aldon Smith (defense) are jokingly referred to as the 'Smith Brothers,' though they are not related. Justin is 33, Aldon is 23, and they both played for the University of Missouri.
</ul>
<br>
<b>WHAT I WANT TO HAPPEN</b>
<ul>
<li>I want Alicia Keys to nail the National Anthem, and make it happen in 2 minutes or less.
<li>I want lots and lots of images of New Orleans during the broadcast, full of all the flavor and character showing how far they've come and how much they've rebuilt. Also, I want to have plenty of time to admire the flashy colored lights that they installed outside the stadium post-hurricane. Basically, I want to go back.
<li>Part of me wants Jay-Z to do the halftime show with Beyonce... and part of me wants him to save it for next year, when the game will be in New York and he and Alicia Keys can do "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb-sxbSlcEk">Empire State of Mind</a>" as part of that show instead. I'm not particularly excited to have Timberlake back... unless <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EPl0OGz2Cg">he performed with Jimmy Fallon</a>... now THAT would pique my interest.
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The last time the Super Bowl was in New Orleans, it was just a few months after September 11th, and they called U2 to do the honors - for my money, that's a tough act to beat.
<li>Not that I want anything bad to happen to Kaepernick - but I want to see Alex Smith take at least one meaningful snap. I feel like he's earned it.
<li>Most of all, I want to see my Harbaugh, Captain Jimmy Harbaugh, finally get a ring. And please, let it not be in a sloppy, nasty, boring fashion. They said during the Pro Bowl (yes, I watched the Pro Bowl - and no, I'm not proud of it) that the last time the 49ers played a Super Bowl in New Orleans was in 1990 and they beat the Denver Broncos 55-10, or something gross like that. They also pointed out that, at the time, Colin Kaepernick was two years old.
</ul>
<br>
So I'll be cheering for the 49ers, and also for the game itself. The older I get the more I realize that I'm rooting for players more than teams anyway.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09589928734405169231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793788894392668715.post-25141338986590619572013-01-17T20:25:00.003-06:002013-01-17T20:25:23.163-06:002013 NFL CHAMPIONSHIP CHEATSHEET: Flacco stole Eli's MojoLast weekend's playoff games were epic, from what I've heard - but since I didn't see most of them, I'll blissfully pretend they never happened (cough-Denver-cough). This Sunday we have two Conference Championship Games: four teams have the chance to advance to the Super Bowl in New Orleans with Beyonce. (And by the way, how in the hell did Timberlake get invited back to the halftime show? Did everyone forget <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npF1lkKEM9o">what happened last time</a>? If he tries to pull anything this time, will Jay-Z have him killed? So much potential drama and we haven't even gotten to the football yet.)
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<b>THE GAMES - SUNDAY JAN 20th</b><br>
San Francisco 49ers vs Atlanta Falcons - 3pm, FOX (in Atlanta's dome stadium)<br>
Baltimore Ravens vs New England Patriots - 6:30pm, CBS (outside in the Boston winter elements)
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<b>THE CONTENDERS</b>
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<b>Atlanta Falcons</b><br>
They finally won a playoff game. Lord knows they tried to lose, but the Seahawks insisted, "No, please! We've played the 49ers enough for one year!" I watched this game in an airport bar (in the South), and it was funny because EVERYONE was cheering for Seattle. <i>Everyone</i>. And as I realized that no one wanted the Falcons to win, I also realized that I had no idea who their coach was. I mumbled aloud, "What's his name, what's his name, the one who looks like John McCain..." And then Seattle's coach Pete Carroll called a timeout to "freeze the kicker" and everyone laughed. So in conclusion, I only remember a coach's name if a) they've been associated with the Colts, or b) they produce an aura of hilarity. So high-five, Coach Who Looks Like John McCain - I don't know your name, and that's probably a compliment.
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<b>Baltimore Ravens</b><br>
Last year, a reporter interviewing Eli Manning asked, "Do you consider yourself an elite quarterback?" When Eli said 'yes,' the football media exploded with laughter and debated his merits for weeks. Next things we knew, Eli had a second Super Bowl ring, and no one was laughing anymore.
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This year, a reporter interviewing Joe Flacco asked, "Do you consider yourself an elite quarterback?" When Joe said 'yes,' there was a quiet combination of chuckle-and-headshake before everyone moved on with their lives. Next thing we knew, Eli missed the playoffs, and Peyton Manning's dream comeback season was ruined by the bloodthirsty Ravens.
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Coincidence, or the clear work of a wizard-animagus? You be the judge.
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<b>New England Patriots</b><br>
They're baaack! Part of me thinks it would be fun to see them go to the Super Bowl and lose it again, in hopes their legacy would go the way of the 1990's Buffalo Bills.
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<b>San Francisco 49ers</b><br>
<i>Kaepernick'd (v): To lose one's job to a backup as the result of suffering an injury. Example: Christian Ponder was NOT kaepernick'd by Joe Webb.</i>
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I'm developing a sports-crush on Colin Kaepernick. I get why Harbaugh loves him. He seems like a great kid, he's a two sport athlete (he was at one time a pitching prospect for the Chicago Cubs), and he's a flat-out joy to watch if you're an impartial observer. But that doesn't negate the fact that the 49ers are a prime targets for an epic sports-karma curse.
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49ers quarterback Alex Smith was the number one pick in the 2005 draft (the same draft as Aaron Rodgers, a Bay Area native, who fully expected to be taken instead; one might argue that Smith has since been a victim of the Curse of Aaron Rodgers, but seeing as how the Packers just lost to the 49ers, it's lost most of its steam by now - apparently just a 'seven years bad luck' type of thing).
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Since entering the league, Alex has been skewered and jerked and smashed and boo'ed. He's had multiple coaches thrust upon him, making for a consistently unstable (and arguably incompetent) team. His career has been miserable, and he was declared a bust years ago. But he stayed classy, always doing everything he was asked. Last year, his savior arrived: Coach Jim Harbaugh, a former quarterback who understood him, who had been through many of the same career struggles and pitfalls. Harbaugh rejuvenated Alex's career, and together, they got within a goofy special teams performance of the Super Bowl.
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This season, the reborn Alex was well on his way again - until he was sidelined with a concussion. Harbaugh started Kaepernick instead, and here we are. Alex Smith got kaepernick'd.
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For reasons I still can't explain, the sight of Alex Smith used to make me irrationally angry. I wanted him to lose, I enjoyed watching the slapstick drops and fumbles. When Harbaugh joined the team, I had an existential crisis, wanting Harbaugh to win and Alex Smith to lose when they were both on the same team.
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Now, when they show Alex on the sidelines, fully healthy and capable of playing and winning, I want the Disney ending for him. The Ballad of Alex Smith hasn't been fully written yet. He'll probably go to another team, and he'll probably do well. Will he leave some sort of hex behind? Will we wonder what he could have been - if he'd had a stable situation the last seven years, if he'd not gotten hurt, if he'd insisted on playing despite his injury? As much as I want the 49ers and my beloved Coach Harbaugh to win it all this year, I suggest we continue to watch this space.
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<b>POTENTIAL SUPERBOWL MATCH-UPS</b>
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<b>Atlanta Falcons vs Baltimore Ravens</b><br>
Ugh.
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<b>New England Patriots vs Atlanta Falcons</b><br>
And thus I'm forced to root for Matty Ice to have as many Super Bowl wins as Peyton, thus further perpetuating the comparisons and driving me to give up sports and go live in the wilderness with no shoes.
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<b>San Francisco 49ers vs New England Patriots</b><br>
This would be the glamor match-up. Big names, big teams, high ratings, and a higher likelihood of the Patriots losing again on an international stage. *delighted hand-clasp*
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<b>Baltimore Ravens vs San Francisco 49ers</b><br>
The coach of the Baltimore Ravens is named John Harbaugh - he would be Jim Harbaugh's brother. Coach Harbaugh East versus Coach Harbaugh West with eternal family bragging rights on the line. If it were up to me, this is the match-up I would choose. <ul>
<li>A prologue of brotherly love (in which I can pretend they're talking about Mannings instead of Harbaughs - and by the way, Indiana University basketball coach Tom Crean is their brother-in-law, too; the Mannings need to up their game, stat).
<li>A final Ray Lewis dance (complete with cyborg arm) before he retires and joins ESPN's studio crew.
<li>The possibility of a million sad cutaways to Alex Smith on the sidelines, as he silently wishes broken bones upon Colin Kaepernick so he can once, JUST ONCE, be the hero and get the recognition he deserves. I can't fathom how he would feel if he got a consolation Super Bowl ring whilst holding the clipboard, heaping insult upon his injury. That ring would probably be hurtled off the Bay Bridge at one in the morning - and goodness hopes it would be an accurate throw, not off his back foot.
<li>Joe Flacco continuing to channel his inner Eli (because for me, all football eventually circles back to the Manning Family).
<li>In the end, I rather like the idea of Jim Harbaugh getting a ring. He's been close twice, once with the Colts and last year with the Niners. Enough flirting, Captain; get the job done this time. And I hope Andrew Luck's in attendance to celebrate with his old Stanford coach, just to take the season full-circle.
</ul>
<b><i>The Super Bowl is Sunday Feb 3 at 6:30EST on CBS.</i></b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09589928734405169231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793788894392668715.post-36631075361896887562013-01-15T20:24:00.003-06:002013-01-15T20:24:48.712-06:00Would I Like MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN Without the Photographs?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2SNnv1XBsJwGQxy__hj09jVnvmyn9-ZCGcX6L3iVJ-zalbVmC_T_FGyyIKxWN4bH903xrVUpa6VAfd8SLE2f2NLMUJt6PGg5aiGc1YWk7XvlAUtJXBM9subYttb1PVfoqCxgg3esvp9lY/s1600/9460487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2SNnv1XBsJwGQxy__hj09jVnvmyn9-ZCGcX6L3iVJ-zalbVmC_T_FGyyIKxWN4bH903xrVUpa6VAfd8SLE2f2NLMUJt6PGg5aiGc1YWk7XvlAUtJXBM9subYttb1PVfoqCxgg3esvp9lY/s400/9460487.jpg" /></a></div>I downloaded <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9460487-miss-peregrine-s-home-for-peculiar-children">Ransom Riggs' e-book</a> after hearing sparkly reviews (and finding out that Riggs is a cohort of Tahereh Mafi's). But once I'd finished and attempted to digest it, I realized the majority of my joy at reading this book was inspired by the vintage photographs and my delight at discovering they weren't just CGI creations for the book, but rather relics that Riggs had accumulated through collector friends.
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<i><b>From the Acknowledgements section at the end of MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN:</b>
"All the pictures in this book are authentic, vintage found photographs, and with the exception of a few that have undergone minimal postprocessing, they are unaltered. They were lent from the personal archives of ten collectors, people who have spent years and countless hours hunting through giant bins of unsorted snapshots at flea markets and antiques malls and yard sales to find a transcendent few, rescuing images of historical significance and arresting beauty from obscurity-and, most likely, the dump. Their work is an unglamorous labor of love, and I think they are the unsung heroes of the photography world."</i>
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These photographs take reader from the realms of mere 'reading' to full-fledged 'experiencing' the story. They add depth and help you get lost in the world Riggs is building. But what if the photographs weren't there? Would I still have enjoyed the story? Would I have been as easy-going about story elements that normally rub me the wrong way? And how different would the reading experience have been if I'd had the hard cover book instead of the electronic version?
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So, now that I've mentally removed the photographs from my e-book, a little text analysis...
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PRO<br>
* I loved the mystery of trying to piece together Grand-dad's past - from when he was a young Jewish boy escaping Nazi-occupied Poland, to when he was the only one who walked away from the midnight blitz in Wales.
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CON<br>
* A little bit of me was disappointed that the mystery of Grand-dad's past ended with a paranormal solution. I feel like if there had been some other real-world explanation, that could have been, in the end, even more magical for its plausibility. But, 'paranormal' has never been my genre of choice, so that's on me and my personal tastes.
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PRO<br>
* Island off the coast of Wales makes for different, interesting setting - especially when exploring the big, empty, bombed-out house. I was lukewarm on the Floridian setting - a wealthy family of pharmacy magnates and grandpa in his retirement village left me disinterested. But the island itself, with cliffs and lighthouse and bogs, surrounded by shipwrecks, powered by generators and drowning in sheep - that island popped so three-dimensionally by comparison that I can't help but feel it was done that way by design (much in the way the 'Wizard of Oz' goes from black and white to color).
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CON<br>
* Time travel loop struck me as cliche, like the 'dream sequence' in the book <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7558747-revolution">REVOLUTION</a> where the girl awakens to find herself in revolutionary era France for reasons I still don't understand. This sort of spontaneous time-travel often strikes me as a cop-out, but I talked myself into this one, much like I did with the JJ Abrams version of Star Trek. I think it was at least partially due to my fascination with the photographs, like they lent an aura of credibility. But for the purposes of this exercise, I have to ignore the photographs, so I revert to my initial gut feeling. Down with overly convenient time-travel devices.
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PRO<br>
But, the fact that we could move back and forth between the 1940's and modern day as we pleased without the threat of being 'trapped' - that went a long way toward helping me keep a good attitude about the story. We floated easily between island's two settings - one, a raging modern-day thunderstorm with a blood-thirsty murderer on the loose; the other, a 1940's blitzkrieg in which we knew a significant portion of the island would be heavily damaged (thanks to the island's history museum). A lot of good, sensory world building that would look fantastic on a movie screen.
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PRO<br>
Also, I loved how every time we arrived in the 1940's, we always relived the same day - like the movie 'Groundhogs Day'. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Nt4JXKUv5MQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br>I actually would have like to have seen more of this repetition; it could have added a lot to the characters of the children who perpetually existed there.
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CON<br>
Once we started meeting all of the peculiar children in the 1940's children's home, I had a really hard time keeping track of who was who. I'm not sure if this is an issue Riggs' character development, or just of my shoddy reading, but at any rate, not all supporting characters were created equal. So many of them felt one-dimensional, solely defined by their peculiarity, and half the time, when I saw the characters' names in print, I couldn't remember what their peculiarity was until they actively used it. Off the top of my head after one read, all I remember is that Olive defies gravity, Millard does invisible things, Wyn is Hercules-strong, and Emma is both hot and makes fire (these things are related, and therefore easy to remember). The 3-12 other male characters blend together in my mind, and I can't tell you anything about them without going back through the text and creating a chart.
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CON<br>
By the way, was anyone else a little on edge about Emma having a crush on both grand-dad and grand-son? Only in paranormal does that sort of thing make for an okay happy ending. Like how Bella and Edward can pretend they're the same age. Or in '30 Rock', when <a href="http://youtu.be/bbIsxO5ya-Q">Liz Lemon almost dates her own cousin</a>. You know what, never mind, forget I said anything.
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PRO<br>
Since I took a whole paragraph to pick apart supporting character development, let me now take a paragraph to praise it. I found the narrator's parents compelling, allowing Riggs to explore some interesting themes - such as how a kid might develop his attitude toward money by watching his mom, or how father/son relationships might be passed down through generations. The father was particularly interesting to me, because he's caught in the middle of a closeness between his father (grand-dad) and his son (our narrator, Jacob) - but he's on the outside looking in, envious. The father is the outcast who has never belonged anywhere - even his own pet projects seem to reject him as inadequate. And even still, we find ourselves hoping the his son will ditch him for the more 'peculiar' life, leaving him sad and abandoned again. Very nicely crafted.
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CON<br>
Before we leave the subject of character development, I never fully warmed to Miss Peregrine, who struck me as a reworked Professor McGonagall type, only with less attitude and bird wings instead of a cat's tail. She seemed to exist to explain the rules of the world, and to give the children a common 'something' to fight for. And for the sake of withholding spoilers, I was disappointed to the point of eye-roll with the way the core villain was handled. I'm fascinated with so much of the character development in this book - some of the work is so precise and interesting, it makes me wonder if Riggs knows he's fully capable of it, but decides to choose his battles for the sake of managing word count.
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<br>
SO IN SUMMARY...<br>
There's a lot to like about this book, imperfect though it may be. But the photographs were such an integral part of the experience for me that I think, without that added bit of depth, I wouldn't have spent the past two weeks meditating on it. I don't think I would have felt compelled to recommended it to others. But the photographs are there, and they do compel you to keep turning the page. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with this book, and I give Riggs full marks for thinking of using this method of storytelling in the first place. This book has an IMDB page; I hope that evolves into a Tim Burton-style, eye-popping final product. I would absolutely see that, and recommend it to others.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09589928734405169231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793788894392668715.post-80938349794311708352013-01-09T19:30:00.001-06:002013-01-09T19:30:47.571-06:002013 NFL PLAYOFFS "FULL-CIRCLE" CHEATSHEETThe Colts lost and I don't care. In fact, I may have subliminally cheered against them, selfishly, to avoid the post-dramatic stress disorder I would have suffered in the wake of a Colts vs Peyton match-up. My boys beat three of the twelve playoff teams (Packers, Vikings, Texans), won eleven games (nine more than last season), and delivered one of the most memorable seasons I've ever been a part of, reminiscent of the 1994 Jim Harbaugh year, which created an awesome full-circle moment, since 'Captain Comeback' went on to coach Andrew Luck at Stanford.
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A little bit of me wants to be happy for Ray Lewis, celebrating his final home game - an honor Peyton and Colts fans were denied. Despite Lewis's checkered past, I get why Ravens fans love him. After the Colts left for Indianapolis, football disappeared in Baltimore for around fifteen years. When the Ravens were brought back, Ray was their first franchise player (selected in the Ravens' first draft). And his first career sack was on Peyton Manning. Again, we come full circle.
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And speaking of dear Peyton, I make no secret of what I want to happen next - a Broncos/Patriots AFC Championship game, if nothing else for old times sake, followed by a Broncos Super Bowl victory in Peyton's home town of New Orleans. That would make this my personal dream season; the only thing missing is Eli for the all-Manning final, but we've got to have a reason to keep watching next year.
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If you haven't been following this season, there's still time to jump in. Here a cheatsheet to catch you up before Super Bowl party season.
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<b>(4) Baltimore Ravens at (1) Denver Broncos<br>
Saturday Jan 12, 4:30pm EST CBS</b><br>
A game of grizzled-old-falling-apart veterans. Peyton Manning has a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLK3fSlHsho">frankenstein</a> neck. Ray Lewis has a cyborg arm where his torn-tricep used to be. Peyton's running an eleven-game winning streak, and Ray's team was the preseason favorite to make the Super Bowl (they were a sneeze away from making the Super Bowl last year).
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These two teams played each other December 16th in Baltimore, and the Broncos won 34-17. This game is in Denver, a mile above sea-level where the air is thin and dry and chilly, and Peyton likes to play fast. The Broncos can score more quickly than the Ravens (unless Boldin makes multiple long plays, like he did against the Colts last week, or Ed Reed picks Peyton off and runs the ball all the way back). Chances are the Ravens will have to play from behind and the Broncos will just grind them into something they can then sell at one of their special corner pharmacies. And once again, for the record, I will continue to believe Joe Flacco is an animagus until presented with irrefutable evidence to the contrary.
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<b>(3) Green Bay Packers at (2) San Francisco 49ers<br>
Saturday Jan 12 8pm EST FOX</b><br>
These two teams met the first week of the season, and the Niners won 30-22. That game featured replacement referees and quarterback Alex Smith, who used to make me irrationally angry until he was 'kaepernicked' by his backup, Colin Kaepernick. Now Alex Smith sideline-sightings just makes me sad. He lost his gig because he got a concussion, and the NFL's new kick (rightly so) is to protect guys who get concussions. Alex sat out, Kaepernick won in style, and the rest is history. For people like me on the look-out for sports-karma curses, watch this space.
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And speaking of sports-karma, for the season to be complete, the Packers must win, and they must play the Seattle Seahawks in a rematch of the week 3 game that ended the use of replacement referees. The game must be replayed, and the prize must be the Super Bowl. It's the only logical thing to do.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KHyr4HJCc14" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<b>(5) Seattle Seahawks at (1) Atlanta Falcons<br>
Sunday Jan 13 1pm EST FOX</b><br>
I hate watching the Falcons. I can't explain why, I just can't make myself do it. They've been the best team all season, at least in terms of wins and "on-paper" things. Matt "Matty-Ice" Ryan is a fine quarterback, but all of the Manning comparisons make my skin molt. Tony Gonzalez is a hall of fame tight end, and Julio Jones seems like a delightful addition to any 4th place fantasy team, but I can't get excited to watch them. I don't hate this team, I just want them to go away. That's why it's PERFECT that this may the only game I'll actually be able to watch this weekend.
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In a year where rookie quarterbacks have been the sparkly storyline, Russell Wilson, Seattle's quarterback, is the last rookie standing. Every time he wins, I consider it a win for the Big Ten (we have to take what we can get). Wilson's a short, baby-faced, baseball player who was drafted in the thirty-sixth round of the NFL draft (or thereabouts), and was lucky enough to fall to a team that not only gave him a chance to play, but also had outstanding defense and special teams that helped him stand out.
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All that being said, this team also features Golden Tate (receiver from Notre Dame responsible for the catch against Green Bay that ended the referee lockout), and coach Pete Carroll (the dude who fled USC like Leonardo DiCaprio in 'Catch Me If You Can' when they were slammed with NCAA violations). I can't WAIT to watch Green Bay beat them in the NFC Championship game.
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<b>(3) Houston Texans at (2) New England Patriots<br>
Sunday Jan 13 4:30pm EST CBS</b><br>
As a Colts fan, I feel terrible for the Texans. They've been in the league ten years, and for most of that, they had to face Peyton and the Colts twice each season. I learned recently that they consider the Colts their top rivals - we're their Patriots. And, because we beat them in week 17 and blew up their season, the camera zoomed in on the faces of the players on the bench like a Cinderella losing at the end of a March Madness basketball game. These guys are better than they get credit for. They (with Atlanta) were at the top of the standings all season, but they've never in franchise history won a game in Indianapolis, and so, they have to go play in Foxboro in January to keep their season alive. You don't have to be a Texan fan to see why that sux.
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The Texans were booed by their home crowd during last week's wildcard game against the Bengals, even though they ended up winning. I feel like they've earned a shot at the Super Bowl, and lord knows I don't have it in me to root for the Patriots. Last season, I congratulated Houston on winning the AFC South and joked, 'Take good care of that playoff spot, we're gonna want it back soon.' Now, I can see Texans/Colts turning into a legit, two-sided rivalry, and I'm not sure I like it. Will we make each other stronger, like Duke and North Carolina? Or tear each other apart, like all the football teams in SEC not coached by Nick Saban? I don't know - and I'm not sure I want to find out.
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Ergo, I'll be rooting for the underdog Texans, all the while secure in the knowledge that Manning v. Brady is just a week away. But the Texans aren't going anywhere. One of these seasons things will click into place for them, and they won't be a 'cute' little underdog anymore. I'm not looking forward to it.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09589928734405169231noreply@blogger.com0