Good luck to all the DNs with this year's NaNoWriMo!
We hope you all enter and we look forward to reading your work later this year!
Wednesday 31 October 2007
Friday 26 October 2007
LATEST ON BOOK PLEDGE FROM INKPOT
Here are Inkpot's 66-70 reads:
66. THE FOG by James Herbert
Apart from the name and the fact that this was written in the 1970’s, this book has nothing in common with the similarly titled John Carpenter horror movie. An earth quake in a sleepy town in the south east of England releases a strange microbiological parasitic fog that wanders towards London, sending everyone it comes in contact with into a murderous rage (not unlike the Rage in 28 days later). It is up to one man, who is immune, to destroy it and save England. An interesting, and perhaps original (for the time) idea, I found it disappointing.
– 4/10 Half way decent
67. THE FIVE MUSES by Various
This anthology is a collection of fantasy short stories written by a collection of authors. The stories feature (among other things) dragons, druids and a dog’s perfect day out. I would love to discuss each story in detail, but this is not the right forum. All I can say is, READ IT! IT IS BRILLIANT!
– 10/10 Shines like the Lucky Diamond.
68. LOTTIE THE HALF VAMPIRE by Valinora Troy
Lottie has always been different. Sunlight hurts her skin, garlic makes her sick and her lack of energy has been a concern for her family all her life. Now a mysterious and frightening man has turned up, telling her things that she finds hard to believe. Could it be true that her pale appearance and new found abilities are because she has vampire blood in her veins? This exciting story is the first in the Lottie series. I can’t wait to read the next instalment.
- 10/10 Shines like the Lucky Diamond
69. THE REVENGE OF QUEEN ROSE by Valinora Troy
It has only been a matter of days since Queen Rose was banished from Ferga, and the five children are enjoying the return of their uncle while Lucky, the diamond, makes plans for her wedding to Charlie. However, they are not allowed rest on their laurels for long. A new enemy imprisons the diamonds, kidnaps Susan and Vicky and sends Ferga and her surrounding countries into turmoil. What results is an amazing, exciting, scary, funny, magical adventure that spans three countries and ten characters. I laughed, I cried, I loved it. I might even go as far as to say it outshines its predecessor, the Lucky Diamond. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!
– 10/10 Shines like the Lucky Diamond
70 - 72. The Twilight Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko
This is the third instalment in the ‘Watch’ trilogy (nothing to do with time pieces) following on from Night Watch and Day Watch. I was very disappointed in Day Watch, so I wasn’t expecting much from this book, therefore I was pleasantly surprised. I would rank it as my favourite of the three, with an interesting story and more character development of Anton and the other Others.
– 7/10 Not Bad
66. THE FOG by James Herbert
Apart from the name and the fact that this was written in the 1970’s, this book has nothing in common with the similarly titled John Carpenter horror movie. An earth quake in a sleepy town in the south east of England releases a strange microbiological parasitic fog that wanders towards London, sending everyone it comes in contact with into a murderous rage (not unlike the Rage in 28 days later). It is up to one man, who is immune, to destroy it and save England. An interesting, and perhaps original (for the time) idea, I found it disappointing.
– 4/10 Half way decent
67. THE FIVE MUSES by Various
This anthology is a collection of fantasy short stories written by a collection of authors. The stories feature (among other things) dragons, druids and a dog’s perfect day out. I would love to discuss each story in detail, but this is not the right forum. All I can say is, READ IT! IT IS BRILLIANT!
– 10/10 Shines like the Lucky Diamond.
68. LOTTIE THE HALF VAMPIRE by Valinora Troy
Lottie has always been different. Sunlight hurts her skin, garlic makes her sick and her lack of energy has been a concern for her family all her life. Now a mysterious and frightening man has turned up, telling her things that she finds hard to believe. Could it be true that her pale appearance and new found abilities are because she has vampire blood in her veins? This exciting story is the first in the Lottie series. I can’t wait to read the next instalment.
- 10/10 Shines like the Lucky Diamond
69. THE REVENGE OF QUEEN ROSE by Valinora Troy
It has only been a matter of days since Queen Rose was banished from Ferga, and the five children are enjoying the return of their uncle while Lucky, the diamond, makes plans for her wedding to Charlie. However, they are not allowed rest on their laurels for long. A new enemy imprisons the diamonds, kidnaps Susan and Vicky and sends Ferga and her surrounding countries into turmoil. What results is an amazing, exciting, scary, funny, magical adventure that spans three countries and ten characters. I laughed, I cried, I loved it. I might even go as far as to say it outshines its predecessor, the Lucky Diamond. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!
– 10/10 Shines like the Lucky Diamond
70 - 72. The Twilight Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko
This is the third instalment in the ‘Watch’ trilogy (nothing to do with time pieces) following on from Night Watch and Day Watch. I was very disappointed in Day Watch, so I wasn’t expecting much from this book, therefore I was pleasantly surprised. I would rank it as my favourite of the three, with an interesting story and more character development of Anton and the other Others.
– 7/10 Not Bad
Thursday 25 October 2007
AMAZON-PENGUIN BREAKTHROUGH NOVEL AWARD
As you probably have heard, Amazon and Penguin and HP have got together to help an aspiring (or aspired) novelist to get their book published. The prize is a publishing contract with Penguin, including a $25,000 advance (sadly the Euro is at an all time high against the dollar). This of course would mean publication in the US - which would be fantastic! Plus lots of publicity.
Only 5,000 entries will be accepted - so get going, DNs, you will have a 1 in 5,000 chance of winning!!
You also have a 1 in 5 chance of making the semi-finals, and should you do that, a 1 in 10 chance of getting your book read by Penguin (they read the top 100 out of the 1,000). If you make the top 1000, your book will be read and reviewed by Publishers Weekly (which hopefully would be a good thing!)
Should you make the top 100, you have a 1 in 10 chance of being a finalist, and therefore a 1 in 10 chance of winning, and a 1 in 3.3 chance of being flown to NYC for the big dinner!!!
In other words, Nodpots - by entering, you have a 1 in 50 chance of your book being read in full by Penguin, and a 1 in 5 chance of it being read by Publishers Weekly!!
So what are you waiting for, DNs? This is too good an opportunity to pass up!!
Only 5,000 entries will be accepted - so get going, DNs, you will have a 1 in 5,000 chance of winning!!
You also have a 1 in 5 chance of making the semi-finals, and should you do that, a 1 in 10 chance of getting your book read by Penguin (they read the top 100 out of the 1,000). If you make the top 1000, your book will be read and reviewed by Publishers Weekly (which hopefully would be a good thing!)
Should you make the top 100, you have a 1 in 10 chance of being a finalist, and therefore a 1 in 10 chance of winning, and a 1 in 3.3 chance of being flown to NYC for the big dinner!!!
In other words, Nodpots - by entering, you have a 1 in 50 chance of your book being read in full by Penguin, and a 1 in 5 chance of it being read by Publishers Weekly!!
So what are you waiting for, DNs? This is too good an opportunity to pass up!!
Tuesday 23 October 2007
CORRECTION ON SEPTEMBER BEST READ
Thanks to Inkpot for pointing out an error on the counting of votes for September's BEST READ.
The Fr Christmas Letters did indeed get two votes and therefore is validly voted into second place. (One vote would have been sufficient if there had no been an apparent tie).
Apologies to Parsley Noir, who's vote was misplaced, and to Tolkien.
The Fr Christmas Letters did indeed get two votes and therefore is validly voted into second place. (One vote would have been sufficient if there had no been an apparent tie).
Apologies to Parsley Noir, who's vote was misplaced, and to Tolkien.
Friday 19 October 2007
Valpot's Book Pledge - 66 - 70
Here is the latest report from Valpot on the books she's read:
66. The Glories of St Joseph
Excellent compilation on what various saints have written about St Joseph, plus stories of miraculous answers to prayers addressed for his intercession, as well as a whole range of prayers and novenas for the reader to use. According to the author, St Joseph is a much under-utilised intercessor. Not any more if enough read this book!
Rating: 10/10
67. The Vanished Man by Jeffrey Deaver
Another enjoyable tale about the antics of Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs. I have to say that this is about the most contrived of his tales that I have read to date. The opening "vanishing" scene is so obvious that it was totally unworthy of him, and the motivation for the killer's actions beggars belief. I enjoyed reading it, especially the bits about magician's tricks, but the plot is just too ridiculous to give this book a high rating.
Rating: Not Bad
68. The House of Thunder by Dean Koontz
This is an early book by Dean (1982, I think) and originally written under a different pen name. Well, maybe that's where he should have left it. The writing has none of the polish that I expect from Dean, and the story is both Agatha Christie-ish AND unpleasant. You would not be inspired to read a second, if this was your first Dean Koontz. The book's only interest is to see how far this writer has come since he started
Rating: Half-way decent
69. One Door from Heaven by Dean Koontz
A much later story from this author - I think 2001 or thereabouts - and wow, what a difference! The language is beautifully crafted, and his theme is redemption or perhaps I should say salvation. Very interesting ideas and story lines, but I'm not sure how well it works as a book. It's an interesting read rather than a tense, excitement-never-ends type read, and I was a little disappointed in the end (though I often am with Dean's books).
Rating: Not Bad
70. The Incredulity of Fr. Brown by G.K. Chesterton
What can I say about this excellent collection of short stories about the crime-solving priest who understands the hearts and minds of people? The mysteries are clever (although occasionally implausible - Chesterton doesn't bother going into the absolute minutiae of how each crime was done - if nobody notices that the body is cold and therefore dead for hours, that's not relevant to his story), the language is beautiful, vividly descriptive, and his insight into human nature incredibly perceptive, and Chesterton's incredible faith and charity pervades the stories. Excellent stuff!
Rating: Shines like The Lucky Diamond
Please note that Valpot has included the author's names and used the correct ratings for non-fiction.
66. The Glories of St Joseph
Excellent compilation on what various saints have written about St Joseph, plus stories of miraculous answers to prayers addressed for his intercession, as well as a whole range of prayers and novenas for the reader to use. According to the author, St Joseph is a much under-utilised intercessor. Not any more if enough read this book!
Rating: 10/10
67. The Vanished Man by Jeffrey Deaver
Another enjoyable tale about the antics of Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs. I have to say that this is about the most contrived of his tales that I have read to date. The opening "vanishing" scene is so obvious that it was totally unworthy of him, and the motivation for the killer's actions beggars belief. I enjoyed reading it, especially the bits about magician's tricks, but the plot is just too ridiculous to give this book a high rating.
Rating: Not Bad
68. The House of Thunder by Dean Koontz
This is an early book by Dean (1982, I think) and originally written under a different pen name. Well, maybe that's where he should have left it. The writing has none of the polish that I expect from Dean, and the story is both Agatha Christie-ish AND unpleasant. You would not be inspired to read a second, if this was your first Dean Koontz. The book's only interest is to see how far this writer has come since he started
Rating: Half-way decent
69. One Door from Heaven by Dean Koontz
A much later story from this author - I think 2001 or thereabouts - and wow, what a difference! The language is beautifully crafted, and his theme is redemption or perhaps I should say salvation. Very interesting ideas and story lines, but I'm not sure how well it works as a book. It's an interesting read rather than a tense, excitement-never-ends type read, and I was a little disappointed in the end (though I often am with Dean's books).
Rating: Not Bad
70. The Incredulity of Fr. Brown by G.K. Chesterton
What can I say about this excellent collection of short stories about the crime-solving priest who understands the hearts and minds of people? The mysteries are clever (although occasionally implausible - Chesterton doesn't bother going into the absolute minutiae of how each crime was done - if nobody notices that the body is cold and therefore dead for hours, that's not relevant to his story), the language is beautiful, vividly descriptive, and his insight into human nature incredibly perceptive, and Chesterton's incredible faith and charity pervades the stories. Excellent stuff!
Rating: Shines like The Lucky Diamond
Please note that Valpot has included the author's names and used the correct ratings for non-fiction.
Wednesday 17 October 2007
WHERE THE DNS STAND
So where do each of the Disresponsible Nodpots stand in relation to the prestigious Disresponsible Nodpot Of The Year 2007?
An insider slipped us the low down on points accumulated so far by each DN after the last DN meeting (sometime in August). We have been obliged not to disclose the actual points but just to give you an idea of the relative standing.
Blueberry and Rusty had failed to score any points at all (did Blueberry not attend a DN meeting early in the year?)
Parsley is next lowest in the ranking. If he had only scored 1 point (which he hasn't), then Marvin would be next with a total of 2 points.
October and November would have 3 points.
Mungo (DNOTY '06) would rank next with 7 points.
Valpot would be ahead of Mungo with 10 points.
Inkpot would have 11 points.
Sparkie would be the outright leader with 20 points.
So you get the picture? See how they stand? Only the example above shows fictitious points. Parsley, for instance, could have 200 points - which would mean Sparkie could have 4,000 points, with closest runner up Inkpot carrying 2,200.
So Sparkie is way way way ahead!!
It will be interesting to see how the rankings change after the next meeting - the penultimate one this year!
Can anyone beat Sparkie?
An insider slipped us the low down on points accumulated so far by each DN after the last DN meeting (sometime in August). We have been obliged not to disclose the actual points but just to give you an idea of the relative standing.
Blueberry and Rusty had failed to score any points at all (did Blueberry not attend a DN meeting early in the year?)
Parsley is next lowest in the ranking. If he had only scored 1 point (which he hasn't), then Marvin would be next with a total of 2 points.
October and November would have 3 points.
Mungo (DNOTY '06) would rank next with 7 points.
Valpot would be ahead of Mungo with 10 points.
Inkpot would have 11 points.
Sparkie would be the outright leader with 20 points.
So you get the picture? See how they stand? Only the example above shows fictitious points. Parsley, for instance, could have 200 points - which would mean Sparkie could have 4,000 points, with closest runner up Inkpot carrying 2,200.
So Sparkie is way way way ahead!!
It will be interesting to see how the rankings change after the next meeting - the penultimate one this year!
Can anyone beat Sparkie?
Monday 15 October 2007
BEST READ SEPTEMBER
Disappointing turnout for the September vote - only 9 made it on time, perhaps the ban on email upset some people.
Anyway, Rainbow and The Mountain Of Life by Mungo has not yet be published/launched, and so is not eligible for a vote. Equally with Tottie, The Demon Rabbit Slayer, which I believe has not yet been written.
Therefore the outright winner is The Bone Collector by Jeffrey Deaver.
There was one valid vote for The Vanished Man, and one for The Fr Christmas Letters. Given the small turnout, it has been decided to only have one winner this month - The Bone Collector.
Anyway, Rainbow and The Mountain Of Life by Mungo has not yet be published/launched, and so is not eligible for a vote. Equally with Tottie, The Demon Rabbit Slayer, which I believe has not yet been written.
Therefore the outright winner is The Bone Collector by Jeffrey Deaver.
There was one valid vote for The Vanished Man, and one for The Fr Christmas Letters. Given the small turnout, it has been decided to only have one winner this month - The Bone Collector.
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