Think Aloud
Never did she find anything so difficult as to keep herself from losing her temper when she was suddenly disturbed while absorbed in a book. People who are fond of books know the feeling of irritation which sweeps over them at such a moment. The temptation to be unreasonable and snappish is one not easy to manage.
Frances Hodgson Burnett, A Little Princess
I don’t very often manage that temptation, as Jamie can testify.
What would you do if I died?
If you died I would want to die too.
So you could be with me?
Yes. So I could be with you.
Okay.
Cormac McCarthy, The Road
This is a piece of dialogue between father and son (a young boy) in a post-apocalyptic world where the two try to outlast cannibals, rapists, and disease.
Yet somehow these lines are absolutely relatable for parents in the modern first-world societies, where the most danger we face daily is being stuck in traffic.
Graeme Simsion, The Rosie Project
Don Tillman is one of my favorite characters in the fiction world. His love story with Rosie is hilarious and sweet. For me, there is so much about autism that I don’t understand, yet it was easy for me to enjoy reading about Don Tillman because Simsion made him so utterly sympathetic, and oddly relatable. Don Tillman is incredibly honest with himself as well as with everyone else, and that is refreshing.
The Rosie Result has been out on the shelves for a couple of months. I can’t wait to start on that.
Some interesting tidbits I picked up while researching for today’s article:
Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles
This is a simple and beautiful quote. It conjures an image I’ve stored in my mind for years and years of a single moment. It’s of a golden boy, not much different from the Achilles portrayed in Miller’s work.
This is true artistry, for a novelist to be able to move her readers with a simple line.
My very sweet colleague
I’m breaking the rules a little today. This quote is not from a book, but it was said by my older female colleague. It stood out to me because I’ve never had that type of female support around me.
Growing up Chinese, we were humble. Our mothers did not make positive comments on our appearances. Our mothers did not make positive comments about anything regarding us at all.
So it always stands out to me, when another female says something positive about me directly to my face. It’s something that’s so genuine and so against the grain of what I was taught about female companions (I was taught that we were usually petty and jealous of each other) that a comment like this suspends time, and there is an instant connection between us borne of compassion.
Anyway. I like this simple line that is just said out of the blue. It’s very simple, not elaborate, and I’d like to use it in one of my stories to establish a feeling.
How do you feel when someone says something unexpectedly complimentary?
Neil Gaiman, Stardust
John Grisham, The Racketeer
I’ve read a few of Grisham’s novels, and they’ve all been great reads. A Time To Kill left a HUGE impression on me, more so because I was so young and optimistic back then.
Diane Chamberlain, The Lost Daughter
My list of important things:
What are yours?
Jamie Ford, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
I have to be honest and say that I don’t remember reading this book. I DO remember that I enjoyed the prose, but the plot wasn’t one of those mind-grippers.
Still, reading isn’t always about the thrill of a good plot. Sometimes it’s just about being content with a good piece of prose.
Anita Diamant, The Boston Girl
Nothing is ever so broken that it’s always wrong.
Just Words In Your Head 