BookLust

Sorry

It's just too freakin' damn hot to post anything with a semblance of intelligence today. My brain is mush. Hopefully I'll be better by tomorrow.

I @*#!!* hate summer.

VidLits and Halo Effects!

I'm a bit late in mentioning this, but there's still time, so here goes!

M.J. Rose, author and book promo blogger extraordinaire, has thought of an amazing idea to promote her latest book, as well as contribute to a very worthwhile cause.

Ever heard of a VidLit? It's a new and exciting way to promote your creative material online. Imagine watching a video ad on the internet for an upcoming book! Hey, in this tough, competitive world of publishing you gotta try every angle and then some, to get noticed!

So M.J. got this great idea. In her words:

The goal of this two-week campaign is to connect book lovers with a good cause and a great summer read via the vidlit for THE HALO EFFECT.

I've secured pledges from real-life supporters - my publisher, agent, family and friends – who will collectively donate $5 to the nonprofit literacy organization, Reading Is Fundamental, for each website or blog that links to the Vidlit for THE HALO EFFECT before July 19.

The goal is to get at least 500 blogs to link and raise $2500+ for the charity.

How cool is that? So without further ado, here's the link to the VidLit for M.J. Rose's The Halo Effect!

Just Because

An illustration sequence I was working on today.

I often find that when faced with the many absurdities of life, the one thing that always cheers me up is a happy hippo dance.

London

Not feeling very cheerful today.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the people in London.

Some Of My Best Friends Are Readers

Recently I read this hilarious, brilliant post about reading, on the blog One Good Thing. The title of her post is Too Many Books Isn't Enough, which pretty much says it all right there. In the post the blogger lays bare her exasperation at people who have no interest in reading books:

If you don't read, how do you think? Through TV? Through gossip? If you don't read, how can I possibly relate to you? If you don't have a library, no matter how small, or a book splayed face down on your coffee tabe, how will I be able to see your brain?

My sentiments exactly. Not long ago, I asked the question if it was important if your mate read or not. Obviously, it's mighty important for me. I simply could not be in a serious relationship with someone if they did not read. I would literally go insane. But I will go one step further. If I think about it long enough, in my circle of friends and aquaintances, there are very few people I associate with who do not read. And the strongest friendships I have, are all with heavy-duty readers. It's been that way all my life. From grade school and onwards, my friends were book people, kids who read, got good grades and loved to talk about books. Sorry, but I have no interest in talking about American Idol, Survivor, The Amazing Race, or any of that other trash on TV. Start talking to me about crap like that, and I may be polite and nod my head, but trust me, I've tuned you out. Does that make me a snob? Probably. Do I care? Not really. Life is short. And now that I have hit the over 40 mark, it's a hell of a lot shorter than it used to be. I cannot afford to waste a single brain cell; I killed enough of them when I was young and stupid and thought that Hogan's Heroes was a funny show.

I have nothing but sympathy for people who can't read; I know what a struggle life is if you have problems with literacy – I was a literacy tutor for over a year, and it's damn hard work. What I don't understand are the people who can read, but for whatever reason, they just don't. They are missing out on so much. That great post from One Good Thing really said it best, I think:

Books are what get you out in the world, show you around, take you to all the good party spots that haven't been overrun with tourists. Good books envelop you totally, not letting you up for air until they're certain you've heard everything they have to say. When they leave you, they close up some of your heart and mind in their pages and you have no choice but to keep them safe on your shelf.

Beautiful.

A Modest Proposal

Recently I have been seriously considering signing up with CafePress in order to showcase and sell some of my art. Would love to hear thoughts from others. Has anyone bought anything from CafePress? Did you like/hate it? Has anyone used CafePress to showcase their art? What were your experiences like? Is it worth the effort? Did you actually make a profit?

If I do go ahead with this venture, I would probably focus my artwork in the areas of book-related themes (what a surprise!) and cat-related themes.

Oh, and if the layout of my blog looks a bit screwy to you, it's because Typepad's been having some technical problems, but hopefully it will be resolved soon, so I'm told.

True Patriot Love

I used to think that displays of overly patriotic feelings towards my country were somewhat silly, even embarrassing. I'm not sure why. Maybe that whole feeling inedaquate compared to our neighbours mentality that I recall carrying around with me as a kid and young adult. But lately, it's getting harder and harder not to feel great about Canada. And now that the House of Commons has passed the same-sex marriage bill, I'm feeling so goddam good about this country I just can't contain myself.

I'm so proud to live in a country that believes in respect and equality for all. No, I'm no Pollyanna – I know many people are unhappy with this great moment in history, and I know that for all of our strengths as a country, we certainly have some flaws within in the system. But overall, it's a damn great place to live. I'm Canadian, and mighty proud of it.

So Happy Birthday, Canada. You've grown up to be quite a mature, sensitive, open-minded soul, and don't let anyone tell you differently.