Reading ebooks is more common than ever with iPads, Kindles, and Nooks, not to mention tablets and Smartphones. How do you like to read electronically? Did you know that many libraries have ebooks available to check out (ie. download) for a limited time? Here’s a cool blog that has daily deals and freebies for Kindles: kboards. And don’t forget Project Gutenberg, one of the first to see the potential of ebooks for bringing out-of-copyright classics to a wider audience for free–and free is always good.

Remember that reading ebooks doesn’t mean you give up on the paperback and hardback books you love. It’s not an either-or prospect. My house has more books than furniture at this point, but ebooks are great for portability and availability.

HAPPY READING!

~Shara

Visit with several Richmond area authors from a variety of genres at Regency Square Mall on Sat. December 15th from 10 am to 2 pm! Regency is at the intersection of Parham and Quioccasin roads. I’d be happy to help with directions if you’re not familiar with the area. We’re near Walmart and Fresh Market, so if you’re out shopping be sure to come on over. First 20 to stop by will receive a free gift bag and I’m sure the authors will have lots of free goodies (I know I will) at their tables as well. Plus we’re giving away a FREE $25 Visa gift card. Check out the details on our blog.

~Shara

I recently finished Frankenstein, the novel, for the class I am taking this semester. The book surprised me in many ways. I had a preconceived notion of what the monster looked like and how he was created and basically what the story was about from popular culture, that it was bizarre to find very little description of Frankenstein’s creation in the book. He describes him as eight feet tall, but doesn’t say he’s green or has electrodes sticking out of his head. In fact, he doesn’t seem to use electricity at all. He does imply that finding the correct parts for his creation is dirty work, but the book doesn’t go into grave digging. In fact, Frankenstein seems to gain much of his understanding from alchemy, despite the derision of his professors. Where was the  ”It’s alive!” shout of satisfaction seen in so many movies?

As soon as Frankenstein perceives life, he goes into flat-out denial. Which was the true monster, the creator or the creation? The argument has certainly been made that the creator, in his close-mindedness and revulsion, takes something that could have had human feelings and turns him into a monster by neglect. There’s a lot of contrast between God’s true creation, the natural majesty of the settings in the book, and the sheer ugliness of the Frankenstein monster, meant to teach us not to mess with God’s role, that we are not meant to be God-like in that way.

But to me Frankenstein is a coward. He doesn’t take responsibility for his creation. In fact, he seems to forget about it for a couple of months. He doesn’t even try to destroy it once he realizes that what he did, in his eyes, was wrong. Once the monster (never named) commits murder, he doesn’t take action against it. He keeps vowing to kill it, but does nothing to arm himself properly to do so, never rallies the angry villagers, which is the scene I have in my head from one of the movies–villagers with torches going after the creature. A scientist such as himself could surely have taken a more rational approach, perhaps using chemicals in the opposite way that he created life.

I’m glad I finally read the book, because it reminds me how different movies are to the novels that inspired them, but think I’ll return to one of the classics I love: Dracula.

~Shara

Looking through a collection of letters I wrote to a friend, I found these poems that I wrote in 1993. Thought I’d share them with you.

STEREO

The motorized arm glides across
The shimmering black expanse.
Each ridge speaks to the diamond tip.
The wires repeat the gossip.
The speakers shout a reply.
I sit between them,
And enjoy the conversation.

JACKET

Faint scent of
Cigarette smoke,
Beer and Polo.
Soft denim against my cheek.
I breathe in him.
Two unused cigarettes
Cradled in the breast pocket.
I light one.
In memory.
The tip glows, and the heat
Singes my lungs.
Sobs and coughing,
Breaking the silence.

FAN

White grid
Packed with
Hair, dust, paper,
Fuzz, ashes.
White paddles
Keep up
The steady whir
That helps me sleep..
I hate winter,
When I have to turn off
My fan.

~Shara

I’m taking a semester-long internet class on sci-fi and fantasy literature. I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep up with the reading and essay schedule, but I’m hoping it will at least offer a little inspiration and understanding. We’ve started the class with a reading from Grimms’ Household Tales. I don’t know why I expected “fairy tales” to have morals, but these stories seem to punish the good and bad equally and reward the lazy as well as the virtuous. Interesting to break free of the Disney versions, though. Next up, Alice in Wonderland…

~Shara

If you have dropped by Loose-Id.com and been unable to find my books, it’s because a planned web site renovation combined with a crash of the server to turn things into chaos for a short amount of time. Be assured, Loose Id is fine and working on the issues. There is an interim web site in place, but this is mostly for the latest releases. Meanwhile, Blame It on the Moon, etc, are still up at resellers, such as Amazon. Let me know if you need any help finding LI books.

~Shara