Articles from January 2005

Off-Topic and Feeling Good

January 11th, 2005 · Comments Off on Off-Topic and Feeling Good

While we have serious reservations about the CAN-SPAM legislation (but we’re a bit of an expert on the whole issue. Unfortunately.), we are happy when the government gets all tough. Finding spammers is not as hard as the press would have you believe, but it takes resources. And, sadly, much spam originates outside our borders […]

File Under: Square Pegs

Say It Loud: She’s Genre and She’s Proud

January 11th, 2005 · Comments Off on Say It Loud: She’s Genre and She’s Proud

No, really, we have no idea what was slipped into our wine glass. All we know is that we’re suddenly feeling funky. Hmm, maybe it’s possible we like sunshine more than we’d ever admit in public (or maybe it’s that we could drive today without fear of someone rearending us…Los Angeles drivers never take yellow […]

File Under: Square Pegs

We Simply Can’t Resist The Urge

January 10th, 2005 · Comments Off on We Simply Can’t Resist The Urge

And, there’s another one. This time it’s a library banning a book. Nudity. Specifically, nude Supreme Court justices. On one hand, the lack of muscle tone and physical fitness (and, frankly, lack of endowment) is pretty obscene. If we’re going to be subjected to naked men, we want them to look good. On the other […]

File Under: Square Pegs

And Then There’s The Swampland in Florida

January 10th, 2005 · Comments Off on And Then There’s The Swampland in Florida

We have to admit, we chuckled when we read this: Mr. [John] Logan’s handlers at the Creative Artists Agency also enhanced his status before he began writing “The Aviator” by building into his deal an unusual provision guaranteeing him sole screenplay credit, Charles Evans Jr., one of the film’s producers, said in an interview. The […]

File Under: Square Pegs

One For The Courts

January 10th, 2005 · Comments Off on One For The Courts

Here’s our problem: we don’t know if we’re more shocked that someone is claiming large portions of The Da Vinci Code were plagiarized from his work, or that one of the points of similarity were the multiple concurrent plot threads that all came together in the end. Yes, the evil plagiarism lawsuit has reared its […]

File Under: Books/Mags/Blogs

In Which We Suspect The Irony Is Missed. As Usual.

January 9th, 2005 · 4 Comments

Thanks to Booksquare’s top Secret Agent, we bring to your attention yet another case of parents and book banning. That the book is about free will and making choices seems to be lost on this small band of parents who feel the subject matter is inappropriate for their children. And, that, we agree is their […]

File Under: Square Pegs

If We Can Put A Man on the Moon

January 7th, 2005 · 4 Comments

We do not believe books are going away — though, the more we think on the topic, it’s not so much the books as the stories our species craves. We love our stories. That many of them are contained in books is a major boon to natural readers. In a way, other methods of delivering […]

File Under: Square Pegs

A Curious Affectation

January 7th, 2005 · 3 Comments

We don’t often talk about books we’ve read (mostly because there are others who do such talking far more eloquently), but there was something curious in the last two books we read. Both featured a large cast of characters, all of whom were named. Except one. In both books, one character, the same character, was […]

File Under: Tools and Craft

The Man Who Saved Christmas

January 7th, 2005 · 2 Comments

We know — a lot of you are anti-Amazon. We understand your reasoning, but at Chez Booksquare, Amazon has been a major lifeline. While we do not meet the traditional definition of shut-ins, the occupants of our household, especially male, have a strong aversion to shopping, crowds, and shopping in crowds. Online shopping has made […]

File Under: Square Pegs

For Those Hiding A Big Commercial Novel in the Closet

January 7th, 2005 · Comments Off on For Those Hiding A Big Commercial Novel in the Closet

We suspect we wouldn’t know a big commercial book if it hit us in the head, but apparently some authors write them, recognize them, and market them. If you have this particular skill set, Nicholas Ellison is looking for you. Also, it helps if you’re already established, but that’s not a requirement. Ellison, Jennifer Cayea, […]

File Under: Agents