An Announcement: Reinventing NftN (for GOOD, this time)

First off...hi, again, fellow nerds and nerdettes! I've missed you all, and I've missed this blog, even though I've cared and maintained for it VERY sporadically.

So. It's time for a change. For REAL, this time.

I guess I have to start with a wee anecdote. A lot of things have changed since I made my last post back in March this year. I finished my last AP classes/tests, ever. I graduated from high school. Then the-summer-in-which-I-was-hardly-ever-on-the-Internets. And then college. Now, my first quarter is over--and I'm itching to start blogging again. I'd been reading a few other blogs--not review blogs, actually, but stuff like HelloGiggles and SparksLife. If you've never set foot on either site, do so NOW. You're obviously a seriously deprived human being (blog-wise, that is). Anywho, but all that occasional blog-reading made me really want to restart this little corner of the Internet.

Then, I had this fantastic (or, at least, I think it is. I may just be narcissistic) idea: make NftN into a blog that's not just about reviews, but about a whole slew of other topics. Fun topics. Random topics. Even fangirl-y topics. Maybe advice topics. The kind of posts you want to read when you're having a bad day and want something uplifting or something that will crack your sides open with laughter. But let's face it--I kind of have a lot of stuff on my plate. And so do a lot of other bloggers and wannabe bloggers. Plus, blogging takes up a ridiculous amount of time. But what if we had a team, working on this new NftN? Everyone pitches in a bit, and the blog becomes a well-oiled machine?

Okay, so maybe I'm not pitching this right. Maybe you're a little confused what this "new NftN is". Allow me to demonstrate.

Old NftN:

• Solely a review blog, theoretically with contests and interviews
• Run by one person (yours truly)
• Posts once every blue moon
• That one person goes "blah blah blah me me me" too much

New NftN:

• Contains reviews of books, movies, and music, as well as interviews and contests, but also contains a potpourri of other topics. These can include things about life, advice, tv recaps, things in general. I'll be posting some things to give you an idea.
• Run by multiple people (including maybe even YOU)
• More people = more posts more often
• More posts more often by more people = a variety of topics and viewpoints
• A direct focus on girls--of all ages, young and old! (though boys can join in on the fun, too--we're not discriminatory here! I just don't know too many guys who'd be interested in joining/reading a blog with "Nerdette" in the title)--who consider themselves Nerdettes: gals who love books, movies, music, and culture in general. And maybe fangirling, usually over said items.

As stated, this is a brand-new NftN. And this isn't any old blog*. But I can't do this alone. I already have one contributor on board--the absolutely amazing, sweet, and funny Kim of And Anything Bookish--but even we can't do it by ourselves. We need help. We need YOU. If you're even mildly interested, e-mail me PRONTO at: notesfromthenerdette (at) gmail (dot) com. Or, if you're ready to contribute, fill out the form here (after reading the policy link on that, of course!).

Thank you, and stay tuned! :D

*I am certainly not trying to deprecate other review blogs! I've read many, many review blogs, and I find them all special and wonderful. Yet, somehow, I myself could never manage to do one so well. So maybe with a little help, NftN could be a uniquely fabulous blog, too--but nothing to be compared to other blogs. Like apples and oranges.

In Memoriam

Dear NftN readers,

If you haven't heard already...yesterday, the fantasy novel world lost an extremely important and very dear author...

Diana Wynne Jones, you will always be in our hearts. Thank you for giving us the beautiful world of Sophie, Howl, Calcifer, and others. Ingary will live forever on, as will the rest of your worlds. Thank you for creating the world that inspired one of Hayao Miyazaki's loveliest films--it is because of both the film and your book that I've made some very special friendships with people who love your work just as much as I do.

To my readers, I highly recommend Ms Jones's works. Our authors are never given the recognition they deserve, so please honor her life by reading Howl's Moving Castle (I reviewed the book not too long ago), or any of her other books. I promise it'll be worth it. I am only sorry that I did not get to read more of her novels before her death. Howl hit all my sweet spots as far as books go: fantasy, adventure, romance, humor, identity--just lovely.

Rest in peace, and God bless.

~Jacqueline

*Emma (2009)

How I Watched the Movie: First watched on Masterpiece's website online, and later bought on DVD from BN (I think it was)

In Short: beautiful, witty, fun

I'm a Janeite, if you didn't already know. I will never tire of Pride and Prejudice, I know the story of Sense and Sensibility like the back of my hand, Northanger Abbey never ceases to make me squee with utter joy, Persuasion makes my heart sigh with the happiness of a fulfilling romance, and Mansfield Park...well, I have a bit of an issue with it, but that's another tangent entirely.

So being a said Janeite, I of course had seen the two 1996 adaptations of Emma (along with Clueless, of course) and knew the story very well, a coming-of-age chronicle of the ups and downs in the "career" of a wealthy wannabe matchmaker who simply muddled in everyone's business a little too much for their--much less her--own good, and for the longest time I was quite content and greatly enjoyed Gwyneth Paltrow's film version.

Until I became as spoiled as Emma Woodhouse herself.

Let me first make it simple: I've seen the 2009 miniseries more times than I can count (and I'm certain is nearing ten, which, considering this is four hours long, is quite a feat). But to make an adequate review, let me break things down a bit in a way I don't usually do them:

• Casting. When I first heard that Emma was being remade, I was, frankly, iffy about it. "We don't need another Emma!" I said. "The Paltrow movie was great enough!" Wrong. When I saw the cast list on Wikipedia for the first time, I wrinkled my nose. Romola Garai as the eponymous Miss Woodhouse? Johnny Lee Miller as the chivalrous Mr Knightley? Michael Gambon as Emma's valetudinarian father? It didn't sound right. How Nicholas Nickleby's little sis, Edmund Bertram (also Angelina Jolie's first husband, believe it or not), and Albus Dumbledore could fit into one miniseries I couldn't figure out. It didn't sound right. I'd seen Garai in multiple movies, all period dramas, as traumatized Kate (Nicholas Nickleby), mercenary Gwendolen (Daniel Deronda), and wimpy Celia (As You Like It). None of these roles made me think she'd make a good Emma (she was also Barbara Spooner in Amazing Grace, a dominant, kick-bum role, if I may say so myself), but being a Janeite--and since I did enjoy her acting and those movies she had been in--I was still interested in watching this. Am I glad I did. There are a few casts I think fit perfectly together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, and this is one of them. Everyone was practically the characters come to life. I couldn't have been more wrong about Garai as Emma--practically made for the role, she had comedy, emotion, innocence, and poise: everything required to play Emma, in contrast to Paltrow's prissy, snobbish counterpart. I'm surprised she hasn't gotten more recognition, having been snubbed at the Emmys and the BAFTAs (thank goodness for the Golden Globes though). I don't follow up on many celebrities, but if I were to draw up a list of my favorite actresses, she has definitely made it onto mine. Michael Gambon couldn't have been a better Mr Woodhouse (he made me crack up more times than I can count), and each character was perfectly casted, especially Harriet Smith (Louise Dylan), Jane Fairfax (Laura Pyper), and Frank Churchill (Rupert Evans, aka Frederick Hale from North and South--!!!). Amazing cast.
• Accuracy. I read the novel not long after first watching this and was blown away by how accurate this adaptation was. Each Austen novel has an adaptation that corresponds to it dutifully (take Colin Firth's P&P), and this is Emma's.
• Music. I could listen to the beginning score for hours...it is simply gorgeous. The first time I heard it, I was in love. When it opens with the absolutely beautiful opening credits sequence, all my previous qualms about this version of Emma were instantly removed. I just want the soundtrack badly. Listen to it here (I can't seem to find the artwork from the opening credits, but I suppose that is a good incentive for you to go watch the whole thing yourself ;) ).
• Costumes. The costume designers certainly didn't get the Emmy nod for no reason (and they were sorely snubbed, in my opinion). If you watch the bonus features on the DVD, they explain how they chose their color palette, and each costume corresponds exactly with each character. The people who worked on this took such care to follow Austen's masterpiece and understand it so well that they know down to the exact shade that Jane Fairfax would wear and the styles that Harriet Smith would mimic from Emma. (As a side note, my favorite was Emma's ball gown--simply wonderful.)
• Settings. The places picked were perfectly suited for the adaptation: the coziness of Hartfield, the dark and masculine Donwell, the sweet comfort of Highbury, the cramped Bates home, the relaxed atmosphere of Randalls...each location was carefully picked to match these fictional places. These places were so beautiful that it made me want to step inside Emma's world and live there. The interior design, especially of the Hartfield sitting room, was splendid...love, love, love!

Red Flags: Nothing that should be of any concern; it is as clean as it can get! It is a romance, but there is nothing above a sweet kiss. One character is said to be illegitimate, and all that is said about that is how it reflects on her status in society.

Grading

Plot: 10/10

Acting: 10/10

Screenwriting: 10/10

Originality: 10/10

Enjoyment: 10/10

Overall: 50/50

Tidbits

Original Release Date: October 4, 2009 (in U.K.)

Length: 240 min

Director: Jim O'Hanlon

Producer: Phillippa Giles, George Ormond

Production Company: BBC Drama Productions

MPAA Rating: NR (but as good as G, I think)

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall

Where I Got the Book: My paperback copy is from Barnes and Noble

In Short: idyllic, charming, simple


The Penderwicks is an "it book"--one of those books you hear about all over the place because every prestigious book reviewer in the blogosphere or in review journalism is praising it, talking about it, comparing it to every great classic ever made (for example, I would say The Hunger Games is an "it book". I would like to say that Harry Potter also is one, but I consider it more of a mass phenomenon than simply an "it book". As widespread as The Penderwicks or HG is, I don't think they're quite to the degree that HP is at). Although I've always had a huge fondness for MG books, the real reason I sorely wanted it was because of another book--one that The Penderwicks had been constantly compared to: Half Magic.

As an elementary schooler, I was that kid who was obsessed with Harry Potter, Roald Dahl, and Edward Eager. I had read all of Edward Eager's books and, just as I am with Shannon Hale's novels now, recommended Half Magic to all of my friends (and very few have or did ever read it, if any did). To this day, I still think Eager's books influenced me as a reader in my tastes and as a writer in what I tend to write. So when many of my friends and tons of blogs that I read couldn't stop talking about Jeanne Birdsall's book, I knew I simply had to read this. I hadn't touched an Eager book in years, but I was certain this would be a delight.

I was right...but I think my expectations were a little too high for this book. Or maybe I've just aged. I'm not quite sure which, but I couldn't enjoy it as much as I did an Eager book or an Eleanor Estes novel. The feel, the mood--yes, that was familiar. The plot was vaguely similar, though perhaps with more of the adolescent troubles than would have been found in Half Magic.

The Penderwicks starts off very much like an Eager or Estes book: four sisters--so extremely realistic that they could be your neighbors--go on vacation over the summer with their widower father at a rented cottage called Arundel. Within the time span of three weeks, the sisters, each completely different from the next, undergo various Estes-esque adventures: Rosalind, the eldest, is trying to gain maturity and be more of an adult than she truly is; Skye, second eldest but the Penderwick sister with the quickest tongue of all that she simply can't seem to hold; Jane, the idealistic bookworm always off on literary adventures in her head; and little Batty, whose adorableness and innocence make her exactly your run-of-the-mill Estes "baby of the family". Joining the Penderwick girls in their mad schemes is Jeffrey, a boy whose mother has over-the-top expectations from her son, a kid who really only wants the simple and carefree life (or at least summer) that other children like the Penderwicks have.

A National Book Award winner, The Penderwicks is a fun, light summer read for Eager, Estes, and Nesbit fans, young and old alike. (As a random side note, I think those who will love this will relate wholeheartedly with Jane--she makes so many delightful literary references, and literary references + me = nerding out literary fangirl ;) ). I would definitely give this a shot if you're a fan of any of those authors; it may not be quite as beloved to you as Half Magic, Ginger Pye, or Five Children and It may be, but it's still a nice, quiet read for the interested bookworm. Not a favorite of mine, but I'm still excited to read the next books in this unfolding series.

Red Flags: To add to CSM's warnings, Surprisingly, there was perhaps a thing or two that was very vaguely hinted at, but it will easily fly over young readers' heads and can be very differently interpreted. Nothing to worry about, but a little odd, nonetheless.

Grading
Plot: 9/10 (wavers, just like an Eager or Estes book, but no direct plotline)
Characters: 7/10 (I really wanted to love all of the characters--and I simply love Jane--but Rosalind sometimes got on my nerves)
Writing: 10/10 (the writing style is not bad, and irons out the quirks that I always found odd in Eager's and Estes's works)
Originality: 10/10 (how many books nowadays do you see in the ilk of beloved authors of the fifties and sixties?)

Enjoyment: 9/10
Overall: 45/50

Tidbits
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Juvenile Fiction
Original Release Date: June 14, 2005

Bloggiesta Wrap-Up

This is a list of stuff I've done for Bloggiesta (my first year--w00t!)

• Changed and fixed the design and banner (about three times, I think :P )
• Changed font colors to match said design and banner
• Posted The Penderwicks review
• Updated the Archives page
• Updated the "What's Next" widget
• Added the "Pledge to Read the Written Word" widget (see left sidebar, below)
• Changed colors of my WhosAmungUs widget to match said design and banner
• Changed colors of my StatCounter to match said design and banner
• Edited and updated the "Who I Am" page
• Changed my e-mail for my Ning networks (this counts for blogging! Ya know, networking and all...)
• Changed ownership/e-mail for all Google Docs, including forms on this blog
• Actually LOOKED through blog forms (GASP)
• Changed the About page to "About NftN"
• Fixed the page widget above, as well as the Directory page
• Wrote bloggy-related e-mails :)

I was planning on doing so much more, but oh well. I missed the first day...I guess I'll just have to make do with writing more posts during the week. And then I think there is another Bloggiesta in July...yay! So participating in that one, and PROMISING to do so much better.

Bloggiesta--OLE!

I've actually NEVER participated in Bloggiesta before, but this time, I'm DETERMINED to do it and actually get stuff done around here.

Here's my basic weekend plan (and yes, I am aware that Friday is almost already done with, but I'm going to do what I can!):

• Write reviews (duh)
• Figure out how to throw in some guest posts (which will require YOU to participate! E-mail me for more info)
• Fix up the design. It's pretty outdated, don't you think?
• Edit the pages
• Introduce and plan my super secret project!
• Keep my Google Reader nice and tidy :)

That's...mostly it! And though that seems like so little in comparison to what many Bloggiesta participants are doing, I'm planning on writing a TON of reviews (and you know how long my reviews are).

Who's doing Bloggiesta? Good luck to those doing it! :)

Um, 2011? Why Are You Here?

(It should be noted that, upon writing the title of this post, the author typed "2002" instead of 2011. And when she tried to type "2002", she instead wrote "2022". She really fails at numbers and years.)

Yeah, so...why is it that after one minute jumping from 11:59 to 12:00, we're suddenly in another day which then means we're in another month which then means we're in another year? I mean, say WHAAAATT?

I've already wasted two days of this year--which means three hundred sixty-four days to complete the following resolutions (I've decided for this year to split some of my resolutions into months):

• Read a TON (namely, finish my TBR pile; not sure how to make this a monthly resolution, but I am aiming to finish the classics I own by this summer)
• Write a TON (my main goal is to finish my WIP before the end of this month, but also to participate--and maybe even win--NaNo, Script Frenzy, and FAWM...and maybe NaBloPoMo, too)
• Blog a TON (that means updating this two to three times a week--maybe do more if this really takes off--and update my tumblr more instead of staring at pictures on my dashboard all the time! That...doesn't sound creepy. :P )

My other resolutions--and huge biggies for me this year--are:

• To do everything faster! Really, I'm super slow at everything--have you noticed?
• Work ahead of time and not procrastinate...which I guess goes along with the first
• And since I just noticed that the second goes with the first, I'm going to add another on a whim: be more patient with people, more accepting, and try not to get easily angered by others' actions. Basically, can I ask to be a saint? ;)

What are YOUR resolutions? Happy New Year, my lovelies!

~J