Book photography: alice b. gardens

I love books and I have a thing for vintage, nostalgic looking photos, so it’s really no surprise that I love these prints from the Etsy shop alice b. gardens:

(I also really like her photo of the white cupcakes. Just sayin’.)

Because Oprah told me to

This might be a stupid question, but did you watch the Oprah finale yesterday?
I did, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I shed a little tear. I won’t miss the car giveaways or the makeovers, but I will miss all that she’s done for books. I hear that she will have some sort of show for books and authors on OWN, but I doubt it will be the same.

That being said, I was never part of Oprah’s Book Club. I was also one of those people who hated buying a book after they’d reissued it with that little sticker on it, as if that somehow devalued the fact that I was reading it to begin with. “I’m not reading it because Oprah told me to,” I would have to defend myself if someone asked. “Sure you’re not,” they’d reply.

But I’ve always appreciated that she got people reading. It’s a hard thing to do.
And even though it couldn’t have been good for ratings and it ended up biting her in the ass on occasion, she did it anyway.

I didn’t realize that Oprah’s Book Club started way back in 1996 and that she chose 65 books during those years. Of those 65, I’ve read a few: Freedom by Jonathan Franzen, A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle, Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides, The Road by Cormac McCarthy, Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald. But that sure leaves a lot of books that I haven’t read, doesn’t it?

So here are 10 books I want to read (because Oprah told me to): 

1. A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines
2. The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard
3. I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb
4. White Oleander by Janet Fitch
5. A Million Little Pieces by James Frey
6. Light in August by William Faulkner
7. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
8. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
9. The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
10. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Here’s a Complete list of Oprah’s Book Club Books. How many have you read?

It’s time to set up a Facebook page

While setting up my own Facebook page for my freelance writing and editing business (finally!) I found a post on Mashable that was extremely helpful, so I thought I’d do the right thing and share it.
It starts off really basic (Create your page, fill in your information…) and takes you through the more complex stuff like getting a vanity URL and using the insight tools that Facebook offers.
I’ve had my own personal Facebook account for years, and while I don’t always love it, I recognize that you simply can’t ignore it.
There are 500 million users on Facebook who spend over 700 billion hours a month on there! That kind of exposure is not just good for business, it’s essential.
HOW TO: Set Up a Facebook Page.

(And while you’re on Facebook, come by my page and say hello!)

Caravaggio: a reading list

I recently finished up with an incredible class about one of my favourite artists, Caravaggio.
I didn’t know a thing about him until I went to Italy last year. That’s where I discovered his work, and I became interested in his life after reading a short blurb about him at one of the many museums I visited. He was kind of a bad ass, if you didn’t already know.
After spending some in-class time learning more about him, I’ve realized that I have only just scratched the surface.

I asked the instructor for some book recommendations, so here they are in case you happen to be as interested in Caravaggio as I am.
And if you’re only mildly interested, there is always Wikipedia.

Caravaggio: The Complete Works by Sebastian Schutze
It’s big and expensive, but it would make a great gift.

M : The Man Who Became Caravaggio by Peter Robb
Truthfully, I’ve heard mixed reviews about this one, but I’d like to read it anyway. At over 500 pages, I’m sure there’s some good stuff in there.

Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane by Andrew Graham-Dixon
This book isn’t even out yet in Canada, which only adds to my excitement. I’m always fascinated when a new book about an artist comes out. Is there any new information in there? And even if there isn’t, how is the old information presented in a new way?

The Lost Painting by Jonathan Harr
I’m still not sure what category this book falls under: is it historical fiction or is it non-fiction that reads like a novel? I have no idea, but I can’t wait to read it and find out.

P.S. I’ve started a Facebook Page and I’d love it if you came by to say hello!

Le mot juste

Le mot juste.
You’ve probably heard the expression before, especially if you’re a writer. But “le mot juste” means more than just the literal translation of “the exact word”. It represents the search for that exact word, something every writer can relate to.

This phrase is attributed to Gustave Flaubert who was known to spend hours, days and even weeks looking for that exact word. Probably the best thing I’ve ever read about le mot juste is from the book The Soul of Creative Writing by Richard Goodman. In chapter 2, “In Search of the Exact Word”, Goodman takes you through what this quest really looks like, using authors such as Hemingway and Twain to illustrate his point. It’s incredibly well written and informative, as is the rest of the book. I’ll be honest, I didn’t think the book would be that great because the title was a little cheesy. But I’m really glad I gave it a chance because it turned out to be a really good read.

If you’re interested in the book (and you should be!), pick up a copy and then check out the Facebook page for some writing exercises and ideas.

P.S. The idea behind le mot juste means so much to me that I got it tattooed on my arm.