One of my favorite websites recently landed on the NY Times bestseller list. How can that be? The hilarious site that began its life here on Blogger has gone the next step and become a book.
Those of you who follow this blog - you know who you are - know that I wrote about Cake Wrecks some time ago and have had a link to the site on our sidebar for quite sometime. No, I'm not bragging in the "I knew her when..." kind of way - well maybe a little - I'm just sayin'....
In case you don't know who or what Cake Wrecks is, it is a highly entertaining website that welcomes user-submitted photos of professionally made cakes that end up being unintentionally humorous or down right funny.
Jen Yates is the mastermind behind the site and her new book Cake Wrecks: When Professional Cakes Go Hilariously Wrong was recently published by Andrews McMeel Publishing. There are also two weekly calendars from which to choose.
If you are interested in visiting the site, you can go to Cake Wrecks and have a good laugh while you browse.
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Thursday, November 6, 2008
How to Read Free Books by E-mail
How would you like to read a book for free? You can receive daily e-mail installments by registering at Daily Lit. I just signed up to receive Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin, to arrive early in the a.m., just in time for my early morning coffee.
The site now has 1,000 books, many of them free. I did see a few for a fee, but the fee was under $10.00.
Each installment only takes five minutes to read, and the site has many classics including The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and War and Peace.
The registration is free and easy, just like receiving the installments.
So, which book did you choose? How do you like this service?
The site now has 1,000 books, many of them free. I did see a few for a fee, but the fee was under $10.00.
Each installment only takes five minutes to read, and the site has many classics including The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and War and Peace.
The registration is free and easy, just like receiving the installments.
So, which book did you choose? How do you like this service?
Saturday, November 1, 2008
What's a NaNoWriMo? The Answer is Here!
National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a marathon month of writing as much as possible to reach the 50,000-words-in-30-days goal. Founder Chris Baty declared November THE month to challenge writers of all types to get that novel written.
The first challenge was in 1999 among a group of Chris' friends in San Francisco, and since that time has grown exponentially and is now world-wide.
Chris wrote an encouraging, informational book, No Plot? No Problem! as a guide to successfully completing the challenge. The book includes the history of NaNoWriMo, novel writing tips, and in the second section, a week-by-week walk through the month.
My first attempt last year was successful. It helped that I read Chris' book ahead of time and knew the challenges I faced.
Writers are competing against themselves and the 30-day time limit. During the last few days, NaNo's can upload their "finished" novel, receive a beautiful certificate, and a seal of approval for their accomplishment.
Forums and groups on the site are a great place to hangout, kill time, procrastinate, and meet new people.
Check out this wonderful challenge. Do it now as it starts today! If you do, please let us know in the comment section.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Anatomy of a Murder Fifty Years Later
October marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of John D. Voelker's Anatomy of a Murder. The book was set in the Upper Peninsula (U.P.)of Michigan and based on events in Marquette County.
The book was about Voelker's tenure as an attorney when he defended an Army Lieutenant accused of murdering a local tavern owner.
To celebrate the milestone, the 1959 film version of the book was shown in the Marquette County Courthouse on September 19th according to the Lansing State Journal. The film starred Jimmy Stewart and was shot in the U.P.
Residents of the area still remember with fondness the making of the movie which included Duke Ellington and his music.
On a personal note, my mother was born and raised in the U.P. and we visited often over the years. We still have relatives on the eastern side of the peninsula.
What books were written or movies filmed in your state or city? Were you involved in any way?
The book was about Voelker's tenure as an attorney when he defended an Army Lieutenant accused of murdering a local tavern owner.
To celebrate the milestone, the 1959 film version of the book was shown in the Marquette County Courthouse on September 19th according to the Lansing State Journal. The film starred Jimmy Stewart and was shot in the U.P.
Residents of the area still remember with fondness the making of the movie which included Duke Ellington and his music.
On a personal note, my mother was born and raised in the U.P. and we visited often over the years. We still have relatives on the eastern side of the peninsula.
What books were written or movies filmed in your state or city? Were you involved in any way?
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Can You Write a Book in One Week?
Many have through the Book in a Week Yahoo group I joined May of 2007. The premise is to sign up for however many pages we think we can write in one week, using daily totals as benchmarks along the way to reach our weekly goal.
The rally cry is BIC HOK TAM (butt in chair, hands on keyboard, typing away madly). There are stringent rules to guide us and keep us on point, occasional prompts to stimulate us, and the realization that we are not alone to prod us along.
We type as rapidly as possible throughout the week, with as little editing as possible. The editing comes over the next couple of weeks after BIW. Then the week before the next month's challenge is for planning and plotting for the next session.
I am very pleased with the results of many of the weeks as a couple of fiction novels were conceived and now await the editing process and an autobiography by decade was written. This next week I plan to write a series of short stories, some of which are already outlined as others are swirling around in my head.
All in all, BIW is a wonderful way to produce content in a supportive environment. Once a month everyone gathers to push themselves, create original content, and produce more than they might have working alone. The other BIW'ers are friendly, warm and encouraging.
Whether you are a newbie writer, or want a way to increase your output, join in the fun at BIW. The next session starts this Monday, so sign up today and get BIC HOK TAM!
The rally cry is BIC HOK TAM (butt in chair, hands on keyboard, typing away madly). There are stringent rules to guide us and keep us on point, occasional prompts to stimulate us, and the realization that we are not alone to prod us along.
We type as rapidly as possible throughout the week, with as little editing as possible. The editing comes over the next couple of weeks after BIW. Then the week before the next month's challenge is for planning and plotting for the next session.
I am very pleased with the results of many of the weeks as a couple of fiction novels were conceived and now await the editing process and an autobiography by decade was written. This next week I plan to write a series of short stories, some of which are already outlined as others are swirling around in my head.
All in all, BIW is a wonderful way to produce content in a supportive environment. Once a month everyone gathers to push themselves, create original content, and produce more than they might have working alone. The other BIW'ers are friendly, warm and encouraging.
Whether you are a newbie writer, or want a way to increase your output, join in the fun at BIW. The next session starts this Monday, so sign up today and get BIC HOK TAM!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Favorite Coffee-Table Books, Part 2
Continuing my list of favorite coffee-table books reminds me of the large number of art books I haven't looked at in years, setting on a shelf in a walk-in closet.
The eight books that I chose to share in the previous post and this, are special to me because of the topics, the beautiful pictures and words, or because of the reason they are in my possession.
Again, these are in no particular order, but this first book was a Christmas gift from my daughter. Quite surprised when I first opened the package, the greater surprise was the quality and wisdom contained inside.
Outhouses – Images and Contemplations. Brown Trout Publishers, Inc. 1998. Fascinating scenic views of all types, kinds, and sizes of outhouses accompanied by insightful quotes from such notables as Alexei Tolstoi, William Shakespeare, and Benjamin Disraeli. For such an odd topic, this surprising collection pulls one into the beautiful scenery and the profound insights offered lift this book to a surreal spiritual height.
The Encyclopedia of the Small Garden - Creating the Maximum Impact in a Limited Space. Compiled by Sue Phillips. Quadrillion Publishing, Ltd. 1999. This volume contains 348 pages of colorful pictures and detailed instructions and illustrations for anyone desiring to design a garden or landscape for a small space. At the time I purchased this book, I was living in an apartment and wanted to create a container garden.
Story of the Great American West. Reader’s Digest. 1977. This book begins with the coming of the Europeans to America and ends at the end of the 1800’s. With colorful pictures and detailed drawings, this large tome tells the fantastic story of the making of the West. When I was a child, I read every book and watched every TV show and movie that had anything to do with cowboys, Indians, and the wild Wild West. This book seems to find its way into various garage sales, but I always manage to pluck it back to safety.
There is a Season. Text by Joan Chittister. Art by John August Swanson. Orbis Books. 1995. There is a Season “provides a glorious meditation in art and words on the famous passage from the Bible.” That passage is Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. A fascinating phrase-by-phrase look at the well-known scripture that begins, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven....” I can spend hours just looking at the beautiful illustrations, but it’s the tenderness and depth of the phrasing that brings out the true beauty of this meditation.
While compiling this list, I realized I haven’t spent much time of late with these treasured possessions of mine. I’ve enjoyed renewing old acquaintances. Time for another cup of hot chocolate with lots of marshmallows, me thinks.
What treasures do you have in your home that have found their way into your heart? Share them with us, if you please.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Favorite Coffee-Table Books, Part 1
When I was a child, I remember sitting on the sofa looking at large hardcover books with many fascinating pictures. In the mid-fifties, one well-known book was about World War II. Not understanding the harsh side of war, the book kept me captivated for hours.
Over the years, I’ve collected a number of coffee-table books. The topics vary in the four books I list here, as does their size and depth, but they are all treasured. These books are favorites on cold winter nights when I fix a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows, huddle under a warm afghan, and spend a few hours lost in the glorious photos and words contained in these special treasures.
Listed in no particular order, all have traveled with me over the years no matter where I’ve lived.
Simpler Times by Thomas Kinkade. Harvest House Publishers, 1996. With his stunning paintings, quotes, and down to earth prose, Mr. Kinkade takes us to a way of life that lives on only in our memory – a life of simpler times. He talks about peace, nature, balance, and choosing simplicity in a complex age. One could spend hours looking at just the paintings, but his words, spoken in a soft voice, are soothing to the spirit in troubled times.
Haiku-Vision by Ann Atwood. Charles Scribner’s Sons, NY, 1977. In October 2006, my sister and I were on a road trip heading north from St. Louis on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River. We drove through a quaint town that was advertising a used book sale at the local library. On our return, we decided to stop at the sale. This is the only book I purchased, but since I was writing Haiku at the time I felt very lucky to have found it. I don’t believe in coincidence. It was there for a reason.
The Last Two Million Years. A Reader’s Digest History of Man. 1973. This huge book starts from the beginning of our planet and is a history of the world. Fascinating book and every time I pick it up I find something new. I love to read about history, especially from creation to our present time. To see the continuity of time in the illustrations takes me out of my small world view into the immense concept of time and creation.
The Illustrated Rumi – a Treasury of Wisdom from the Poet of the Soul. The Book Laboratory, Inc. 2000. A book by a thirteenth-century Sufi mystic. Fascinating pictures, poems, and stories will keep you enthralled for hours. Deep spiritual meaning applicable to life today will keep any reader thinking about lessons gleaned long after closing the book.
Next time I will share four more books. They are an eclectic lot, I realize, but that’s what makes them so fascinating.
Do you have any coffee-table books? What are your favorites? Share them if you like in the comments.
Over the years, I’ve collected a number of coffee-table books. The topics vary in the four books I list here, as does their size and depth, but they are all treasured. These books are favorites on cold winter nights when I fix a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows, huddle under a warm afghan, and spend a few hours lost in the glorious photos and words contained in these special treasures.
Listed in no particular order, all have traveled with me over the years no matter where I’ve lived.
Simpler Times by Thomas Kinkade. Harvest House Publishers, 1996. With his stunning paintings, quotes, and down to earth prose, Mr. Kinkade takes us to a way of life that lives on only in our memory – a life of simpler times. He talks about peace, nature, balance, and choosing simplicity in a complex age. One could spend hours looking at just the paintings, but his words, spoken in a soft voice, are soothing to the spirit in troubled times.
Haiku-Vision by Ann Atwood. Charles Scribner’s Sons, NY, 1977. In October 2006, my sister and I were on a road trip heading north from St. Louis on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River. We drove through a quaint town that was advertising a used book sale at the local library. On our return, we decided to stop at the sale. This is the only book I purchased, but since I was writing Haiku at the time I felt very lucky to have found it. I don’t believe in coincidence. It was there for a reason.
The Last Two Million Years. A Reader’s Digest History of Man. 1973. This huge book starts from the beginning of our planet and is a history of the world. Fascinating book and every time I pick it up I find something new. I love to read about history, especially from creation to our present time. To see the continuity of time in the illustrations takes me out of my small world view into the immense concept of time and creation.
The Illustrated Rumi – a Treasury of Wisdom from the Poet of the Soul. The Book Laboratory, Inc. 2000. A book by a thirteenth-century Sufi mystic. Fascinating pictures, poems, and stories will keep you enthralled for hours. Deep spiritual meaning applicable to life today will keep any reader thinking about lessons gleaned long after closing the book.
Next time I will share four more books. They are an eclectic lot, I realize, but that’s what makes them so fascinating.
Do you have any coffee-table books? What are your favorites? Share them if you like in the comments.
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