Links & Things: Friday the 13th Edition
I haven't posted a slew of interesting links in awhile, but I've been saving up a bunch to share with y'all.
Onward ho!
Video of Awesome
There's a special place in movie hell for Prometheus, quite possibly the worst "film" I've ever seen. Awhile back, Laura sent me this fabulous video about everything that's wrong with that movie. Enjoy.
Do Prometheus fans exist? We certainly expect to find out. Here are all the sins we counted in Ridley Scott's Prometheus. We had to stretch our time limit to 4 minutes for this one... just too many darn sins. Which movie's sins should we recount next?
Required Reading
“ She could have created an original character, but she chose the dead sister of one of history’s most famous murdered children as her subject, and there is something horrifically exploitative about that. Margot’s story in Cantor’s novel is unspecific enough that it could have been about any survivor, but the usage of the Frank name rings of gimmickry. ”
When I saw Jillian Cantor's Margot up on Netgalley, it certainly gave me pause. As a human being, there's something that just doesn't sit right with me about this premise (and apparently, there are other titles of this ilk). Jason Diamond of Flavorwire wrote a succinct discussion of why this needs to stop.
“Think of ways that your characters defy the cultural stereotypes. Compare and contrast with characters who have those qualities who aren’t of the same cultural background. For example, if you have a character who is cheap, bring up an instance where they would spend more money; or contrast them with a character who spends extravagantly, or one who is even cheaper. Make us understand why they are the way they are, rather than point to cultural background as the explanation.”
Chinese-Canadian romance author Vicki Essex wrote a very accessible post on Romance University about how writers can portray diverse characters with dignity and authenticity. She makes a lot of points about research, avoiding stereotypes and addressing generational and family experiences.
“You see, the love triangle in The Vampire Diaries isn’t simply a question of what cake Elena should eat, it’s an exploration of the entire nature of cake itself. Because, actually, both Stefan and Damon are right here. Stefan’s love is right because love can’t exist without respect. Because love must sometimes be selfless, and heedless of pain. Stefan lets Elena die because he loves her more than he fears the pain of losing her. But Damon cannot bear to lose her. Because love must also sometimes be selfish, and sometimes be greedy. And, let’s face it, there’s something profoundly powerful about the idea of a love that defies morality and rejects kindness.”
You know I love me some hard-hitting analysis of The Vampire Diairies and Alexis Hall really brings it on Wonk-O-Mance. She really nails why the love triangle works so wonderfully in that show--it's not about the situation, it's about the symbolism.
Further Reading
- Audiobooks are exploding, which doesn't surprise me at all, since both Laura and I have gotten into listening to them this year--and I've heard similar anecdotes from many other folks as well.
- The next time someone tells you an action movie starring a woman won't draw audiences, show them this list of action movies that have.
- The CW is developing a new show featuring a transgender teen.
- Agent Suzie Townsend hosted several authors and agents on her blog to discuss "New Adult." Their comments are interesting, but the disheartening in that most of these folks see NA as firmly entrenched in dramatic romance, and it seems like there's so much potential for more if the genre/whatever were to evolve. (I talked about this in my discussion of Someday, Someday Maybe.)
- I would like a public drinking fountain with sparkling water like they have in France and Italy.
- Did you follow 40 Days of Dating this summer? Here's a perspective that really resonated with me. (Spoiler alert: It taught us little about modern dating and more about hipsters living in New York.)
- I had never heard of this fascinating tradition of super-sized corsages in Texas. I am absolutely captivated.
- The cast of Dawson's Creek, then and now: It's crazy these people don't really age.
- This dialect quiz is creepily accurate.
- This is a to-the-point post on Buzzfeed's copyright infringement problem.
- Author Sarah Rees Brennan shared this comic on Tumblr and I really, really connected with it.
Source: taeshidiary
Cheapo Books
The following are some good deals on good books. Click through on the image for more info about each title, and be sure to double-check the prices, as they seem to be changing more quickly than ever before these days.
Jill Shalvis' Lucky Harbor series is on sale for $1.99 each for the ebooks. I read and enjoyed the first three, so if you're looking for fun, better-than-average contemporary romances, these would be a good bet.
Three books I really love are deeply discounted in ebook form, ranging from $2.25 to $3.99: Twenty Boy Summer, The Raven Boys and All These Things I've Done. All These Things I've Done is also cheap in paperback at the moment.
Rot & Ruin is too creepy for me, but comes highly recommended by loads of people; it's $1.99 for the ebook right now. If you haven't read Catherine Gilbert Murdocks' Dairy Queen series, you need to fix that ASAP--at $1.99, you have no excuses! Lisa Schroeder writes wonder books for kids and teens; one of her middle grade titles is on sale for $1.99 this month.
It seems like everyone has read The Fault in Our Stars already, but if you haven't, it's currently $3.99 for the ebook--I loved it, and so have loads of other folks. Racquel from The Book Barbies peer-pressured me into reading Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas and I really liked it; the first book in that series, Sugar Daddy is $2.99 at the moment. Finally, the first book in the most WTF yet addictive series, Jennifer Armentrout's Lux novels, is $2.99 right now.
Have a lovely weekend, folks!
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