Thursday, April 30, 2015

All The Rage

5 out of 5 stars
     
     I haven't written a full book review in a while. Just too much going on. Too many books to read that I could be reading that I'd have to stop reading if I'm writing a review. Then again somethings must be talked about, must be discussed, must to spoken of. Some talents are too much of a glimmer on the surface of this world not to talk about, some works of art need to be pointed at and given yells  of "You need to read this... NOW!" Such a talent is Courtney Summers, such a piece of art is All The Rage.
     Below is a cut and paste from a entry a few days ago when I started reading this book:
     I don’t really read much realistic fiction. I like to escape, I need to escape, but there are some writers I am right there ready to take part in their creations when they appear such as Laurie  Halse Anderson, Nova Ren Suma, and Courtney Summers to name a few. The reason these writers stand out in my mind? Others are squeak hammers; these three are those climbing ones that would go straight through your skull. I’m thinking about this as I’m reading All The Rage by Courtney Summers sitting in the library after work. If I’m going to read realistic fiction I don’t need no after school special rated for the age group and time slot, which is usually before school even lets out. I want; I need to feel scratchy, played, twisted, punched in the face to pay attention, called to think, and questioned about myself and the world, by myself and the world. I love writers, artists who have no interest in me being comfortable, except when they are playing with my little bitty brain holder. Love when a book can make you have to put it down for a bit so you can think, because dammit you really need to think on this. Art that crawls under your skin and you see the pages as an elastic gift which flips between the eyes we need and this is where powerful art lives. So I’m going to sit here and read more. Sometimes I look up and wonder why the world around me isn’t noticing what’s going on? Can’t they see? Don’t they feel what’s going on here?
     I finished this book after many moments during reading it when I was left shaking. Shaking because of things I remember what a story a friend told. Shaking because I've read story after story about the reality, the cold hard truth of what kind of world we live in. Courtney Summers can do that to you with her writing. She can shake your life.
     There's a scene in Some Girls Are that had me stop reading it for a week because it hit me so hard.
     You should go read that too. My review is here.
     All The Rage is a book that keeps your mind from focusing. I don't know if I can explain it. From the formatting of the chapters, to the places where different type setting is used, different ways of approaching the story, it stirs you away from getting your feet planted. What Courtney Summers does in tackling the subject of rape culture is never for a moment do you forget this is about a person; which is what news agency's do time after time when covering stories. The writer of this story isn't playing to dramatic points and this isn't done I think to keep you from guessing whats coming but to show you the reality of the pain, the reality of the reality.
     Most writers would tackle this like a gun shot wound on a kids show, no blood, no gasping for life. Courtney Summer goes at it like a finger poked deep into the wound. There's pain here, there is falling, there's standing, there's cruelty, and there's numbness that's is honorable. There's a numbness that is there that no can understand from out of it.
     All The Rage is also about the armors we wear to give a little fuck you to the world when it wants you to be strong in demanding fashion. Being strong is a personal choice. Being weak is a personal choice. The way of dealing is a personal choice that belongs to that person. Not yours, theirs. I love Courtney Summers characters because she isn't crafting you a birthday card friend and Romy Grey isn't one. She's a person. The writer says here is a person, deal.
    Ok, I suck at reviews. I just write and ramble but this is a great book. Go and buy it. Check it out at the library. Give it to friends, talk about it with friends.
     After reading the last words of this story and thinking two things came to mind- If you want to be a ally don't get angry when someone points out your mistakes like when you might need to back off. and two- This persons pain, its theirs to own in whatever way they want to own it.

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Saturday, April 25, 2015

April 2015 Lootcrate

     This months Lootcrate was so cool. t-shirt, drives, ties, and cards to play with. When I got the box I thought it was really small and it must just have a bunch of pins or something. No, this small package was full of big fun.

Again, as always the box was really cool.

Now, I finally have a bow tie and it's a RPG one with dragons on it. Now just to lose some weight so I don't like like a fat Pee Wee Herman wearing it.

Holy Stark sigil !!!

This is really cool.

See what I mean, awesome.
And Mar grabbed it right away.

And here comes some Princess Bride greatness with this deck of cards. One of my all time favorite movies.

And the crown goes to.

I've never played D&D but I love this shirt.

Mar put in her claim to this Harry Potter luggage tag right off.

And more Game Of Thrones fun with some magnets.

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Friday, April 24, 2015

TIN UNIVERSE MONTHLY #23

COMING APRIL 30TH, 2015
FREE

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Tuesday, April 21, 2015

These Books They

I don’t really read much realistic fiction. I like to escape, I need to escape, but there are some writers I am right there ready to take part in their creations when they appear such as Laurie  Halse Anderson, Nova Ren Suma, and Courtney Summers to name a few. The reason these writers stand out in my mind? Others are squeak hammers; these three are those climbing ones that would go straight through your skull. I’m thinking about this as I’m reading All The Rage by Courtney Summers sitting in the library after work. If I’m going to read realistic fiction I don’t need no after school special rated for the age group and time slot, which is usually before school even lets out. I want; I need to feel scratchy, played, twisted, punched in the face to pay attention, called to think, and questioned about myself and the world, by myself and the world. I love writers, artists who have no interest in me being comfortable, except when they are playing with my little bitty brain holder. Love when a book can make you have to put it down for a bit so you can think, because dammit you really need to think on this. Art that crawls under your skin and you see the pages as an elastic gift which flips between the eyes we need and this is where powerful art lives. So I’m going to sit here and read more. Sometimes I look up and wonder why the world around me isn’t noticing what’s going on? Can’t they see? Don’t they feel what’s going on here?
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Saturday, April 18, 2015

Tin Universe Monthly #23

A FIRST SHOT FIRED- Part Five
COMING April 30th, 2015
FREE



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Monday, April 13, 2015

Zero Draft of Tin Universe Middle Grade book #3

Typing up the Zero Draft of the next Tin Universe Middle Grade book, #3, from it's notebook.
Release Dec. 2015. 

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Friday, April 10, 2015

Tin Universe Monthly #6 Hits 505 Total Downloads On Smashwords

 It started out as my first YA book, well, my first book period really, and one of the first things I ever wrote that didn't make me want to throw up for days after releasing. The first time I felt like a writer. The Past Forward would later be inserted as part of and given away free as Tin Universe Monthly #6. I learned so much writing this sixth Tin Universe story.
     I've learned to stop checking my stats too much at Smashwords and the other places people can get my stories; so I was surprised yesterday while I was out with Mar Geocaching and buying stuff to make deviled egss for Daredevil watching when I saw Tin Universe Monthly #6 had hit the 505 Download mark on Smashwords.
     I thought that was cool.
     Now for some binge watching.
In this book for the most part you will find people saying things like: “I’m old enough to make my own underwear choices.” And “Can I kick your ass and it be ok if the ERA passes? I’m a supporter if you say yes.” And probably way too many pop culture references. Anything else on the high or low brow measure is highly due to delusions of grandeur on the part of the writer.

(c)System * Publishing
brian c.williams

Coming April 30th
Tin Universe Monthly #23
Featuring A FIRST SHOT FIRED, Part Five
and
March's Tin Universe Daily collected in one place
FREE

Start at the beginning,
The book that started it all.
It's FREE

Or the first Tin Universe Middle Grade Story,

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Tin Universe Monthly #23

COMING April 30th,
A FIRST SHOT FIRED, Part Five 


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