Kerry Vincent,simply the best

When you write about real life people,especially celebrities, online,the last thing on your mind is "What if So-and-so reads this and what will he/she think?"

I've been lucky in that regard,having nothing but positive feedback from many of the writers who've been interviewed and/or profiled at LRG but getting a response from someone who you otherwise would have no connection to other than watching them on TV is a real "I have to sit down" moment of pop culture clarity.

Kerry Vincent,one of my favorite no nonsense culinary judges from Food Network Challenges(mostly in the cake events),did send me an e-mail after the first time I wrote about her to thank me for comparing her with the likes of Jeffrey Steingarten and Anthony Bourdain(plus she liked my nickname for her,Professor McGonagall). Most recently,she left a comment at a post I did last June talking about her stint as the "mystery client" for an infamous FNC episode and even offered me a few pictures to showcase as well.



That FNC was themed "Birthday Surprise" and one of the chefs chosen to make a birthday cake for Kerry was Stevie Falmulari,a food artist who often clashes with Kerry's style. Her cake for Kerry was not only the most bizarre thing I've even seen on FNC but had to be hosed down after it was set on fire.



That was one of the most talked episodes and it inspired someone to make a fitting sugar figurine recreation of that crazy cake caper,which Kerry was kind enough to send me these two photos of that you see on the right and left.

The maker of this amusing tableau is unknown,a real shame since Kerry found this to be charming and would love to send them a note(if anyone knows who did,please let her know.) I think it's incredibly cute and a rather accurate account of that bizarre birthday cake bonanza,if you ask me:





I did get a chance to ask Kerry how the winning cake,made by Jason Ellis,tasted and she did say that it "wasn't too bad." She also mentioned that,out of politeness,she and her husband had a very small taste of Stevie's cake(which was as about pleasant as the outside of that thing looked)and even sent Stevie a thank you note.

Jason Ellis' cake(the photo of which I found on my own)was lovely and the best bit about it was his attitude towards creating it. Jay had been judged by Kerry before in previous challenges and knows how high her standards are. With that in mind,he set out to make a cake that would not only satisfy his client but prove that he was capable of refining his pastry talents as well:





Also included in the batch of pics from Kerry was a Halloween doppelganger version of her,courtesy of the good folks at the Pink Box Bakery who have been competitors in a couple of FNC cake episodes as well.



Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,as they say,and in this case,it was also the sweetest. Discovering all of these amazing cake artists out there who work wonders with sugar,chocolate and fondant is a major benefit to watching shows like Food Network Challenge and culinary contests of that nature. You won't find such tricky to make treats at your average Halloween or any other holiday party,that's for sure:





My heartfelt thanks to Kerry Vincent,for allowing me to share these photos with my blog audience and for taking the time out of her busy schedule to acknowledge my little corner of the pop culture world.



I also appreciate her being a good sport about being deemed Professor McGonagall. Maggie Smith is one of the best actresses that Britain has given us over the past several decades and I bet I'm not the only one who sees more than a slight resemblance between these two ladies(separated at birth,perhaps?).

One trait that they do share in common is grace under pressure and a true sense of substance with style. That alone makes both Maggie and Kerry simply the best in what they do and offer up to their respective artistic communities:

Top Chef beds down with Nigella,Mad Men's season finale escape plan and TAR's hay bale deja don't

Top Chef got right to business this week,starting with a breakfast in bed Quickfire challenge that had Padma and special quest judge Nigella Lawson waiting for some early morning room service. The winner of that was Eli,for his remix of a reuben sandwich with fried egg Benedict. He didn't get immunity but will be the only chef of this season to have a recipe in the official TC Quickfire challenge cookbook.



For the Elimination Challenge,another knife pull was done for each chef to choose a casino on the Vegas Strip as inspiration for a dish to served at a cocktail party for 175 people. They were each given time to check out their selected gambling destination and at least three hours of prep time before heading out to the party location.



Kevin went to the Mirage and came up with a wild Alaskan sockeye salmon with napa cabbage and cucumber. The best part of his dish seemed to be the tomato water,which folks were eagerly slurping down,that got him a nice spot in the winner's circle here.



The Brother Voltaggio joined him,with Byran's Mandalay Bay inspiration of an escabesche(a way of poaching/frying fish and marinating it with an acidic flavor) of halibut with parsley coulis and garlic chips. Padma had doubts about the parsley at first but wound up liking it.



Michael won the top honors here by choosing to make a gourmet version of a well known east coast favorite as a salute to his casino's theme of New York,New York. His boneless chicken wings with curry and a round of blue cheese pleased everyone's palate and Michael's prize was a bottle of wine,along with a future visit to the Napa Valley winery where it was made.



On the Bottom Three was Jen,for her "sword in the stone" dish she whipped up after visiting Excalibur. She had a piece of NY strip steak stabbed with a tooth pick with a red wine reduction sauce dribbled underneath it and the meat was so tough that Nigella Lawson joked that she needed Excalibur to cut it.

I don't get why Jen had so much trouble with coming up with something;Excalibur is basically a Vegas version of Medieval Times and the perfect thing to make would've been some cornish game hen legs with a beer infused dipping sauce. I don't even like poultry legs to begin with(more of a white meat person myself)but that seriously would have rocked the place. Jen's been on a downward slide these past few challenges(even Judge Tom noticed that)and she needs to start pulling herself together,big time.



Eli also had an easy realm of inspiration to work from,Circus Circus,and he came up with a caramel apple and peanut soup with ground up popcorn and a raspberry froth that tasted so nasty that Nigella said she had to use all of her early training in manners not to spit it back into the cup.

Judge Tom commented that it was too grainy and while Eli tried to defend his soup,he did admit that he had trouble with grinding the nuts up. Way to make your food chokalicious,Dude.



Robin had to pack up her knives and go,for her attempt at emulating the glass sculptures at the Bellagio with a poorly made panna cotta. She intended to give it a sugar candy glaze but the sugar shattered during transport.

Nigella had the best line of the night with her complaint about the panna cotta not having "the quiver of a 17th century courtesan's inner thigh." I'm laughing as I type this;who talks like that,honestly? Nigella's too much,I hope she comes back to Judge's Table next season. That was even better than Toby Young telling Jen her dish was more like"Spamalot than Camalot."

Sorry for the distraction,Robin. You did your best here and I wish you all the luck in the world in your future endeavors. At least you went away with a sense of "I should have stayed true to myself rather than try to impress a bunch of other people" and want to stay positive about this whole experience.




The Amazing Race gave this latest set of teams a "switchback" Roadblock from a past season,where one team member had to unroll hay bales until they found a clue(this time out,it was a flag). Fortunately,the farm location was also the Pit Stop for this leg,which made things a little easier.

Everyone had a tough time with this one,as Sam and Dan screamed at each other while Megan whined like crazy. The Globetrotters were the first ones to find a flag and since it was Flight Time's birthday,that victory was extra sweet.

The last team to finish up was Gary and Matt,a country father and son who seem to get along just great. Lucky for them this was a non elimination leg,so they have to deal with a Speed Bump for the next round. I'm glad they made it,those guys deserve to go all the way here:





Mad Men wrapped up their third season with a daring escape plan,after Don was tipped off by Conrad Hilton that Sterling Cooper was about to be unloaded again in another corporate slash and burn sales bid. Rounding up the best of the regular gang(including Joan,yah!)to start up a new agency was a great way to showcase the rapid changes to come within the time period,plus give a fresh start to next season.

The Draper's marriage also began to pack their boxes and it's about time,if you ask me. That relationship has been DOA for a while now and both Don and Betty need to go their separate ways(tough on the kids,but maybe it'll help them out,too,in the long run).

I hope that Sal finds a place at the new Sterling Cooper Draper Price(it might be hard with that Lucky Strike connection still on the scene)for season four but other than that,this madcap scheme was a finale worth applauding and leaves you wanting more sooner than later(see you next summer,folks!):



RANDOM NOTES:

LEGEND OF THE SEEKER: Season Two has begun and even tho the show is not in prime time everywhere(my local NYC station plays it in the afternoon on Saturdays),it's still worth searching for on your dial. With the addition of Mord Sith Cara as a regular(facing off against Charisma Carpenter's rivel Sith sister)and the threat posed by the Keeper of the Underworld to wage war upon the living,there's plenty of thrills ahead for faithful fans to enjoy:

Have a few howls of laughter under Twilight's New Moon

With only a few days until the film version of the second book of the Twilight saga,New Moon,hits the multiplexes,I noticed that more and more parodies of the sparkly vampire sensation have been on the rise lately.

It's also good that many of the Twilight fans are embracing these jests. As the old saying goes,there's no such thing as bad publicity,as long as they spell your name right. In the spirit of fun and goodwill towards all,here are a few of the better Twilight mockfests on the prowl,looking for laughter in all the so wrong it's right places:

FIRELIGHT:Thanks to YA author Robin Brande,I not only got into reading Stephanie Meyer's series but found this recent SNL skit at her website which gives another classic creature the Twilight treatment. Since I've always been a Boris Karloff fangirl,this satire holds some extra special memories and giggles for me:



I'LL NEVER BE AN EMO VAMPIRE: Another major Twilight fan,Lady Tink couldn't help but be amused at The Key of Awesome's musical rant from an old school member of the vampire nation towards the broody bloodsuckers of today. No matter what genre is the focus of fan love, there's always a guy who complains about how things used to be,so this song is for you,standard sticklers of the fantasy world!:



TWILIGHT/NEW FANG: Here's another silly singalong that mixes the new single by Them Crooked Vultures with the trailer for New Moon. Apparently, the concept that vampires like to drive Volvos is a big deal to some people(my sister in particular):



GUNIEW MOON: From the folks who brought you Dimlight and The Twilight Before Christmas,here is a bizarre promo for last summer's G Force movie that pokes a few holes into the first New Moon trailer and raises the ugly head of wereguinea pig lore into the pop culture parody arena:



NEW MOON THE MUSICAL:More sequel satire madness continues,as the gang behind Twilight High School Musical takes up the New Moon mantle of mirth. There's some nifty dance moves,a number of inside jokes and the gal playing Bella has some nice highlights in her hair to boot:



So while you're waiting on line to get into that late night screening of New Moon next week and trying to ignore the sneers of those who just don't appreciate a good vampire love story,just relax,have fun and keep in mind that there's always a new trendy vampire series ready to be skewered by satire:

An interesting read can be found in most unlikely of places

Every spring and fall,the church across the street from my building holds a rummage sale and they always have a special section set up for books,ranging from worn out children's titles to formerly fad-tastic diet guides. They also get a nice mix of fiction,and while sometimes the pickings are slim,you can usually find a nice paperback or two worth getting for a quarter.



There's never really a theme with the fiction titles,but at this fall's sale,something was clearly different. Someone donated a lot of science fiction titles this time out and not just the usual suspects like Bradbury or Frank Herbert. Many of them were the works of Samuel R. Delany,a writer who gained a bit of a renaissance a couple of years ago with the reprint of his most popular and controversial novel,Dhalgren.

Dhalgren is one of those "either or" type of books-you either love it or as Harlan Ellison once did,throw it against a wall. The plot is miles away from linear,but the basic story line follows a young man called Kid,who has a patchy memory at best and is wandering the streets of a isolated and destroyed city in some future time.

Kid is trying to figure out who he is and what purpose his journey and the people he runs into along the way hold for him. My sense of it is that if James Joyce had tried his hand at science fiction,this might be what he would have come up with. I've never read Delany before,yet the name was familiar to me and the chance to read such an unique book like this in it's original paperback form doesn't happen every day,so I bought it.

How far along I'll get into it is another story but I'm willing to give Dhalgren a try at some point in my reading future. One of the book's themes is how time can become a Moebius strip of experience and various possibilities,which in the right creative hands can make a seemingly mad world make sense,a perspective worth pursuing in fast changing times such as these:





Also on deck were the first two volumes of Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle,Quicksilver and Confusion,that I grabbed up,despite the fact that Quicksilver was suffering from some serious water damage(I spent a good part of the day separating the stuck together pages carefully with a letter opener)and half it's front cover missing.

It was Volume One,after all,and it wouldn't make sense to pick up just the second book without the first,now would it? Stephenson interests me,with his rather complicated looking plots and flights of fancy that may appear to be scatter shot in approach but his literary themes are rich with imagination,plus he rarely puts out anything less than 500 pages,a real enticement for a book junkie like me.



The Baroque Cycle has a mix of historical fiction and sci-fi,as a number of interconnected characters seek fame,fortune and knowledge within the world of the late 1600s. You could almost call it steampunk,but it's in supersize portions that are hard to squeeze into just one genre niche.

Stephenson is one of those authors who puts out such daunting mammoth works that a casual reader may feel put off by,yet his prose is too intelligently and elegantly woven to ignore. I still haven't finished Anathem yet,but am not giving up on completing at least entire Neal Stephenson book in my lifetime. Just from the beginning of Anathem,I can see that he's actually a pretty down to earth guy who just happens to think big thoughts about sci-fi,fantasy and other pop culture wonders of the world:





My final purchase of the day was in a totally different literary sphere but just as fanciful nonetheless. Sitting on the sidelines was a small slipcase of books labeled "A Victoria Holt Quartet" that I nearly decided against buying but had a last minute "oh,what the hell" moment and paid a dollar for.

Turns out to be more of a bargain than I expected. Victoria Holt was one of the many pen names that Eleanor Hibbert wrote under(she also wrote historical fiction as Jean Plaidy and a family saga series as Phillipa Carr) unbeknown to her numerous fans before she passed away in 1993.

The Victoria Holt novels are considered Gothic/suspense romance tales,usually about a young woman involved in discovering some long ago family secrets or thrust into the middle of circumstances beyond her control. Many of them are now out of print,so this find was the equivalent of coming across a four leaf clover.

The four books in my newly acquired set include The Silk Vendetta,The Landover Legacy and The Captive,which has it's leading lady going from being stranded on a desert island with a man suspected of murder to becoming a prisoner of pirates and then sold into a Turkish harem. Never had the chance to read a romance novel with pirates before and I'm looking forward to tasting that old school flavor:



While hunting for good books at any sort of secondhand sale is pretty much a game of chance,finds like this are what makes it all worth while. Even my sister found a couple of nice books for herself,a pair of A.A. Milne Winnie the Pooh titles with the original E.H. Shepard illustrations. They were a tad worn out,but that didn't matter to her. She just wanted them to enjoy the artwork,a good enough reason to me.Some treasures are beyond measure,no matter what state the showcase for them is in:

Barstool Cowboy,the new king of the Bad Movie Rodeo

Normally,I hold off on talking about bad movies until August(known as Bad Movie Month around these parts) but this weekend,I was introduced to a film so painfully awful to watch that it couldn't wait until next summer. In fact,this movie is so bad that it makes the reigning champion of the current bad movie circuit,The Room,actually look like an Academy Award winning film.

Barstool Cowboy is the story of Mick(Tim Woodard),who drowns his sorrows over women by keeping vigil at his favorite barstool at the local watering hole and letting his beard grow in. One day,an "artsy" girl comes by to draw the outside of the place,causing all of the men lapping up booze inside to panic about the evils of such high minded females(it sounds like a meeting of the He Man Woman Haters club). Mick ventures outside and starts up an impromptu relationship with the young lady in question.



Her name is Arcy("Marcy without the M"), played by Rachel Lien whose acting style here suggests a zombie Avril Lavigne approach,and possesses the drawing ability of a slightly advanced ten year old.

Mick and Arcy's romance consists of two nights spent in a barely furnished hotel room,so sparsely set up that Mick has to make coffee on top of the bathroom toilet,where they get drunk and cuddle(fully clothed,plus I can't recall even seeing them kiss once) while making conversation not good enough to be called inane.



By now,some of you may be saying "Don't be so picky,Lady T. It's a little movie,sure,but maybe there's more to it than meets the eye!" No,not really,folks. For one thing,the pacing is thicker than molasses mixed with pea soup-the official running time of Barstool Cowboy is 90 minutes but it seems to take longer than a PBS miniseries for one scene to move along.

Also,the stilted dialogue is matched by the stilted delivery of the actors,who at times are clearly talking at the camera instead of the person they're supposed to be addressing in the scene. Combined with poor lighting that makes a London fog seem bright and shiny and long sequences of either shopping for food and drink items or montage moments with music that would make the most hardened criminal confess all of his sins,Barstool Cowboy is a bad movie marvel to behold.

Still not convinced? Watch the first five minutes of this miserable masterpiece and see the newest wonder of the cinematic world for yourself:



It may be harder for Barstool Cowboy to get the indie cult status of The Room,particularly since the male lead of BSC doesn't have the bizarrely amusing charisma of Tommy Wiseau,whose onscreen relationship with the infamous Lisa holds more water than any second of Mick and Arcy's whirlwind love affair:





However,I think there's hope for a Barstool Cowboy cult movement-for one thing,it's loaded with random pointlessness,such as duel montages of Mick and Arcy spending their day apart,with long shots of Arcy snacking on Cheetos while Mick fills out a job application that takes all day for him to write on one page.

Also,there's a lengthy explanation of an elaborate scheme to fake out a drug test,followed by having every bit of that plan painstakingly acted out for the audience! Not to mention that any number of drinking games can be played with this movie-take a shot when someone else drinks anything onscreen and you'll be wasted before the first half hour is up.

Barstool Cowboy is available on DVD and rental from Netflix,so if you're looking to discover the next best of the worst on film,pull up a chair and settle on down. While "Don't fall in love with me." might not have the one liner sting of "You're tearing me apart,Lisa!",you may want to stay true to this bar stool:

Are Special Editions worth getting and giving?

One of the big ticket items of any holiday season is the Special Edition,that packed with goodies version of a film or book that you may already have on your shelves. How valuable these pumped up gift packs may become in the future is a strong motivation for some to stock up on them,but not always a wise investment choice(just ask those Beanie Baby collectors or the guys who bought every "multi-cover" edition of certain comic books back in the 1990s about that).

Some times,it is best to wait for the definitive edition of a favorite book or film to add to your personal library,even if it takes longer than expected for it to be on the market.

When Kevin Smith's Dogma first became available on DVD,it was in a no frills-just-the-movie-only format. I held off on getting it and was thrilled when the Special Edition was finally out. Smith's movies tend to be ripe with deleted scenes that are actually worth watching and my patience definitely paid off there.



Other times,especially when the need to watch every dollar is crucial,it may feel rather self indulgent to get an extra version. The cure for that is to give it to someone else instead,particularly a person who either hasn't gotten the chance to enjoy this entertainment item yet or who needs a fresh new copy.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,for example,has an Heirloom Edition(a sturdy hardcover)with the added bonus of colorized illustrations,a new preface written by co-author Seth Grahame-Smith and extra pages of full out Regency zombie action slipped into the original story line.

While it sounds like an ideal holiday gift for that Jane Austen/horror fan on your list,it may be very tempting to keep this one on hand for yourself(or at least read it before it's wrapped). Should be good enough to tide folks over until a movie version gets made:





For younger fantasy fans,there's a Deluxe Edition of Christopher Paolini's third volume of the Inheritance,Brisingr,which includes extra scenes written into the book along with a removable poster and a translation guide to the dwarf runes mentioned in the earlier books.



To add a extra cherry to the dragon sundae,a specially made companion book called Eragon's Guide to Alagaesia is coming out along side it. It's an interactive collection of maps and other tidbits about the magical realm that Paolini's characters dwell in and since the possibilities of another Eragon movie being made are as slim as the ones for The Golden Compass sequels,this might be as good as it gets for Eragon's literary followers:





As much as I love certain classics,special anniversary editions of anything can be really overdone. The Wizard of Oz is an all time favorite film of mine but even if I had the do-re-mi to spare,this 70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition seems to be a bit much with four discs of extras,a couple of reproductions of promotional items for the film during it's first theatrical run and a watch to boot.

The movie probably looks amazing,but spending all of that money for a Blu Ray disc(even with the extra geegaws tossed in)in a big fancy box just seems to be one of those luxury indulgences more suited to celebrity cinema geeks than the average fan girl/boy. I wouldn't be surprised to see this sucker in one of those award show goodie bags they hand out to the presenters,even with the mandatory tax declaration attached to it:



I guess these things are really in the eye of the beholder in terms of value. During this upcoming holiday season,where shopping for gifts can be seen by some as a measure of your affection to that certain someone on your list,it's important to not just get the most pricey item on display but one that truly means something to the receiver.

If a special edition will be truly special to a friend or relative,then it's worth the money. However,sometimes it's best to keep it simple and think pudding,as Lorelai Gilmore would say:

Top Chef Reunion Dinner blues,V invades the airwaves and the Poker Girls fold their hand on TAR

Our regular season of Top Chef was put on pause as a reunion dinner of past TC players was held instead. Season 5 fan favorite Fabio was the host and the guest list included other faves from the past such as Harold and Tiffani from S1,Carla and Stefan from S5,Casey,Dale and Hung(S3),plus Lisa and Richard from S4.

The infamous TC knife block was hauled out and used to decide which set of chefs would be making which course of the meal(that they cooked themselves). It wasn't really a challenge,more like an excuse to have everyone back in the kitchen again. The food looked great and there were no complaints in that department.

Two of the most anticipated guests were Marcel and Ilan from Season Two and I have to say it was good to see both of them get along. While Marcel admitted they would never be "BFFs",he still considers Ilan to be a "culinary brother from another mother." Also,Carla got the chance to let Casey know that there were no hard feelings about her input during that next to last Elimination challenge that many felt took Carla out of the running for the Season 5 win:



Fabio was a decent host,but I really felt that he kept pushing Marcel too much about the head shaving incident that still has a nasty aftertaste clinging to it. While Fabio had a point about if you didn't want to talk about that,don't go on the show but Marcel has every right not to go over that again on air or off,if he doesn't want to. That's how I feel about it,anyway.

Next week,Season Six gets back on board as Padma and Nigella Lawson ask for breakfast in bed from the remaining chefs. Looks like some of them are really not morning people:





The remake of the sci-fi miniseries V debuted this week,this time as a regular TV series. The basic premise is the same;the world is shocked and in awe as several giant spaceships surround major cities,bearing rather attractive and human looking aliens who promise "We are of peace...always."

Naturally some folks are not that trusting of these Visitors in their fancy Trojan horse vehicles handing out miracle cures and friendly smiles,so a resistance movement is quickly underway. While I'm not so sure that this updated version of V will top the old school one,the show is off to a good start. Head Visitor and sexy spokeswoman Anna(Morena Baccarin) does have a nice Jane Badler vibe about her,which helps a lot:





It was a harrowing stretch towards the end of this last leg of The Amazing Race,as Brian and Ericka got a slow start from a Roadblock that involved counting bells in an old tower and Poker Girls Maria and Tiffany went back and forth between the two Detour challenges.

At one point,it looked like Brian and Ericka were on their way out as they forgot to use bicycles to get from one location to another(as per instructions)and had to take a 30 minute penalty at the Pit Stop for that.

Fortunately for them,the Poker Girls had trouble no matter which Detour they chose. Neither of them could ring the bell before the dance challenge and their golf skills were sub par at best.

Phil actually had to go out to them on the golf course to accept their withdrawal from the race,something I haven't seen him do since that hay rolling Roadblock a couple of seasons back. Ironically enough,that bit is coming up on the next leg of the race as a blast from the past-good luck,gang,you're gonna need it!:



RANDOM NOTES:

KATHY GRIFFIN:BALLS OF STEEL-If you haven't seen Kathy's latest stand up special,don't despair,folks. It'll be repeated like crazy over the weekend,even with the Bravo S&P department going nuts over clearance for her comments about the likes of Oprah,Barbara Walters and Britney Spears(as well as the Kayne West/Taylor Swift incident):

The state of the book nation,on and off line

On the Today Show this morning,John Grisham did an interview to promote his newest work,a collection of short stories called Ford County,which has been one of the ten titles being heavily discounted in the current book pricing war online.

Grisham was asked for his opinion about that(including the letter sent by the ABA to the Justice department)and while he admitted that it wouldn't affect him much financially,it would become a long term problem for future writers trying to break into the business.

Grisham also expressed concern about the rise of the e-book,which has a number of controversies of it's own regarding fair prices and release dates. He worries about how the impact and availability of e-books and readers may drive some folks out of business. While authors such as Sherman Alexie have expressed major doubts about just great the Kindle is,for example,it's cool to see one of the major literary players in the field talk about this,too:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

I had a bit of a debate online recently,at Booksquare,regarding e-books that didn't go very well. To be fair,I wasn't the most gracious commenter(I referred to e-readers as a "shiny new toy" and a Tonka product as well)and probably didn't make some of my points as succinctly as I could have,but my dander was up at some of the statements made in the article and I felt like fighting back.

What got me so riled up was the section of the post regarding the delayed e-book release of Under The Dome(it'll be available online by the end of December)and Stephen King's support of that,in his words-"“It’s time to give the smaller bookstores a little breathing room (although not much chance of that, with Walmart offering Dome for nine bucks.)”

The lady writing the article thought it was "stupid" of both King and the publisher,not to mention knocking the ABA for not having a "serious and robust" e-book sales system,and had this to say about the practice of staggering e-book vs. print releases:

"When publishers justify this behavior by noting staggered releases have long been the norm (”that’s how we’ve always done it”), they discount the reader, especially the rabid, money-paying, willing to buy books reader. Yeah, I should be treated with deference. I should get preferential treatment. I want to pay for these books right now, not borrow them from a library or a friend, not buy them used". (Note,the sentences in bold are done so by me,to highlight what got me mad)

Again,I wasn't the best or the most polite speaker on the subject but I still stand by my statement that I don't see why releasing the e-book edition a little later than the print edition is such a huge deal. Since I've never used an e-reader myself or downloaded an e-book,I don't know all of the facts regarding this issue.

In general,as someone who has had to wait for a must-read/have book to be out in paperback or just out,period,isn't waiting part of the fun? I can reasonably see the need for protest if there's a ridiculous amount of time between the releases-several months instead of a few weeks,for example-or constantly changing due dates. Getting mad at the standard rate of release simply because you're not getting what you want exactly when you want it seems a bit immature,to me.

Also,as a book lover who does own more than one copy of a singular title(both classic and contemporary),I don't think it's wrong for publishers to assume that some readers will buy both the print and the electronic version of a book. Some people will always have an either/or stance about how they want their books and others will take it anyway they can get it. Maybe I'm old school about this,but so be it then.



While I have nothing against the e-book market or fans of it,I do have concerns about certain segments of society the world over being shut out due to economic conditions and the attitudes of a loud and angry few that insist that print is a dying format and everyone should all be in praise and service of the e-book.

The truth as I see it is this;while the publishing and the reading world will ultimately have to make some changes for this new literary outlet,it won't kill off the print book entirely.

The main reason for that is money-no matter how affordable or convenient it will be to own an e-reader and download a book,there will always be those who either can't afford or won't use it. Any smart business knows how to keep the profits rolling in from all segments of the consumer base and despite whatever disagreements you may have about the publishing industry,there are plenty of smart people at the helm there.

Not everyone who enjoys and promotes the e-book has such an antagonistic take on the subject;many of them are die hard readers who put forth their concerns and suggestions for improvement in thoughtful,articulate ways and we can all get along with each other. I just get irked at the notion that one set of readers are "better" than the other and should be deferred to over the rest.



Just as video really didn't kill the radio star or TV watching banish the notion of going out to the movies,e-books and print books can co-exist and satisfy as many audiences as they each and both can.

I do think Grisham has a point about many book stores and publishers being shut down due to the advancement of the e-book's popularity but I also believe that several of them will adapt to the changing times and either successfully adjust to them or new ones will come along to take their place.

In conclusion,while things are rough all over for both readers and publishers alike,I still have faith in the power of the written word to triumph in the end. The technology may change but books and their hold over a reader will stay the same. The hurdles that new writers may be facing in the near future(or sooner than we think)to reach their audiences are as hard to climb as the ones in front of those who came before them,but just remember,folks-bookworms know how to crawl right under them to reach the promised land:

Some prime Oscar bait set out for your consideration

The Academy Awards for 2010 are set for March 7,but the buzz is still growing strong for many of the films being released this fall. The pace for the Oscar race has always been fast and furious,especially for movies put at the back of the pack due to not being major fall releases.

It's no secret that many of the nominees in major categories are chosen from those flicks that make their on screen presence just before or during the holiday season and the race for Best Picture will be even more fierce now that the number of movies up for that big honor has been extended from five to ten.

With that in mind,let's take a gander at some up and coming contenders for this season that will be battling it out at the box office as well as for those Academy votes and see how they stack up:



PRECIOUS

This movie is getting some serious talk,with plenty of praise from the film festival circuit following it to theaters this Friday. Not only does the chance of Mo'Nique getting a Best Supporting Actress nom for her portrayal of the abusive mother of the title character,a barely literate teenager pregnant with her second child(played by Gabourey Sidibe,who has "break out star" written all over her)seem to be a safe bet,but just about everyone connected to this film appears to have a real shot at Oscar gold.

Precious is based on the novel Push by Sapphire,a book that's had a strong following for years and judging from what's been said and shown,the movie does more than justice to the harrowing realism that readers have experienced from the story. Literary adaptations are like catnip to Academy voters,so Precious will be become very valuable viewing, indeed:





THE LOVELY BONES

Another highly anticipated book to screen adaptation,The Lovely Bones also has the added cache of a director like Peter Jackson,one of the few behind the scenes folks in Hollywood who can make your eyes pop from all of the dazzling F/X and at the same time,bring true emotional depth to characters in even the most fantastical of settings.

The actors will have a shot at being up for the awards,particularly leading lady Saoirse Ronan,who made a big enough splash in Atonement to get a Best Supporting Actress slot last year and may make the big leagues again. However,it's a tussle for technical vs. artistic consideration here and with Jackson on board,both ends of the spectrum may be well represented:





THE BLIND SIDE

This seems to be a real showpiece for Sandra Bullock,who's making her Erin Brockovich bid for Best Actress with this based on a true story flick about a homeless young man being taken in by a kindly suburban family that helps him be the best that he can be,on and off the football field.

I like Sandra Bullock,always have, and if The Blind Side can give her a way out of the cinematic purgatory that movies like The Proposal, All About Steve and Premonition have put her in lately,more power to Sandy,I say:





THE YOUNG VICTORIA

Costume dramas make Academy votes drool on command and British actresses playing renowned English queens can cause a few of them to faint with delight. All of that gives Emily Blunt a running start for a Best Actress spot for The Young Victoria,where the lady who ruled along side her Prince Albert gets her early days examined for the movie going masses.

It also helps that she's surrounded by a respectable cast of classic Brits such as Jim Broadbent,Miranda Richardson and Paul Bettany and don't be surprised if Rupert Friend gets a Best Supporting Actor nod as Victoria's beloved spouse and soul mate. Seeing a true power couple in love on screen will definitely melt some of those cynical hearts in Celebrity Land:





NINE

The only real obstacle I can see for this movie,nomination wise,is confusion as to which number nine is up for the technical awards-with District 9 and the stop motion animated #9,things could get a bit tangled there.

Otherwise,this should be smooth sailing-Rob Marshall is still well remembered for bringing that Broadway baby Chicago to life on the silver screen and having the likes of Daniel Day-Lewis and Nicole Kidman,plus Penelope Cruz, Judy Dench and the legendary Sophia Loren,in the cast is pretty much a guarantee that you could bring to the bank(one that's still solvent,that is):





Best of luck to all of these films,come Oscar time,and if I'm wrong about my predictions,I hope those not up for the gold will not pull a Faith Hill at the CMAs or,heaven forbid,a Kayne West of any sort.

While it may get you some much needed extra exposure from the tabloid media,such tantrums are just not worth it. Holding on to your dignity after such a professional disappointment is what separates the true performers from the fame seeking hacks. The real winners should be the audiences,who get to see the best of what the art of cinema can offer:

Jane Austen zombie mania refuses to die!

Halloween may be over but the love of Jane Austen and zombies is far from dead and gone. The good folks at Quirk Classics have announced on their shiny new website the title of the third volume in their monster mash-up series,which will be a prequel to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

Dawn of the Dreadfuls is the subtitle and a new co-author has been named as well,Steve Hockensmith,whose mystery novels have earned him nominations for such literary honors as the Edgars,the Shamus and the Anthony awards.

While some of us may long for the original P&P&Z collaborator Seth Grahame-Smith to make a return here,no doubt that we'll be seeing more from him in some form or another in the future.



Some of you out there may be going "Zombies again?" and while I also want to see more that those particular ghouls invade the English countrysides that Our Dear Jane(and other writers of her ilk)envisioned for the ages,you can't deny the sway that zombies hold over the pop culture imagination these days.

It's between them and vampires at the moment,with werewolves hoping to make a comeback and I can understand the need to stick with what works. Combine that with the high regard that Jane Austen fans have for Pride and Prejudice and it's easy to see why this seemingly far fetched literary creation has become the biggest thing since peanut butter and jelly to the pop culture reading public:





The gang at Quirk have already proven themselves to be ready and willingly witty in remixing Jane Austen with traditional otherworldly menaces as Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters splashed successfully to shore this fall.

The efforts to make that fearsome follow-up known were delightful to behold and with any luck, readers eager to tackle the latest in Austen related terror will have before them just as humorously horrid a book trailer for Dawn of the Dreadfuls as was bestowed upon S&S&SM. The fans would surely devour it with as much glee as a unspeakable would a banquet of brains:





The concept of prequels,sequels and inspired by the original novels are not new to Jane Austen fans who are as divided upon the subject as any political party can be on just about anything before a major election day.

Nearly every major book by Austen has had it's share of continuations of the story beyond it's original ending,tales written from the point of view of minor characters and even mystery stories with either Jane's characters or Miss Austen herself as the detective on the case.

The quality of those books is debatable but enjoyable to many readers,some of whom found their way to Austen thru these works just as a number of P&P&Z fans have. With that in mind,I think we can all agree that any excuse to rediscover the classics is worth taking.

Dawn of the Dreadfuls is due to roam the earth in March of 2010 and while you wait for your sinister second helping of Austen zombie ragout,kill some time by catching up on some of those classic horror movies that focus on the living dead with all sorts of social metaphors on the side. Or you could just enjoy the on screen brain eating, in and out of nonliving color: