BOOK REVIEW: THINKING WITH RHYTHM (CECILIA ANASTOS)

A tricky book to read. The stories are both all over the place and never going anywhere, about everything and about nothing. They jump from real and fictional characters, back and forth, from different periods without warning, from another love of her life to another love of her life. Then the book switches to current political affairs, then something about movies, then a long preach about things that, I have to say, underestimate readers’ intelligence, drawing shallow conclusions, and poorly informed research, basing on theories that had been challenged multiple times. One of the examples is about TV influence.

I like non-linear time frames if they’re done well. I’m sorry this is not the case. There are incomplete words and a story that stops mid-sentence and changes to another chapter (end of Chapter: Abram) with different elements: another POV, now first person, non-fictional, about something else unrelated.

Overall, I don’t feel this is a coherent book. It’s like a diary entry with a plethora of names, mixed with writing ideas, opinion pieces about current news and entertainment, and social media level of analysis thrown and bundled together.

I failed to relate to the characters and there is barely any plot. Some of the stories are entertaining, like when the author went on a road trip with her brother and cat. Unfortunately, most of the content is dominated by Alessandra’s endless love affairs, told like one-dimensional weather forecasts and chapters about anything and everything else.

Please don’t count on my review; books are subjective, and I’m sure some readers might appreciate this unusual piece.

2 stars out of 5

Authors' Drama

 

I don't go to Twitter daily. I tried to, but I must be in a good mindset to log in. It used to be miserable; I would 'sit' in the corner because I had no one to talk with, and my posts were not seen. Well, now my posts are still mostly unseen, and I am crawling, barely existing, but at least it's more enjoyable now. I've made some connections with other genuine authors, and although only a few of them see my posts, it's okay. I prefer quality over quantity, thankful my circle is decent and supportive. At least I feel more confident about just putting my thoughts out there (with many restrictions because some people might be offended merely by others' breathing).

I usually log in at odd times because of the time zone, when almost everyone sleeps. Then, of course, I always missed all the dramas (this is not a complaint).

I thought the writing industry was peaceful, but nah. There are so many writing dramas. If I missed them, I didn't really try to find out, but most of the time, I would get the context, or someone would explain it somewhere. To my surprise, most of the time, the dramas are between authors or by authors.

Dramas about what?

So far, an author faking reviews to thrash other authors because she saw them as competitors (this one blew up everywhere), authors criticizing other's writing styles they don't like (constructive criticisms are good, but the ones I saw were not those), authors spewing curses on some writing methods/formats, authors criticizing reviewers (rating, review style, review length), author attacking other authors for something not related to books, something related to books, and many more.

Apparently, some think their styles are the best, others are wrong, reviewers should abide by them, and other authors are competitors. I thought this should be a somewhat educated and intelligent industry. Apparently not. Why would other authors become competitors? Readers don't read one book, call it quit and stop reading. They are not betrothed, married, or surgically attached to ONE author and can only read one author because otherwise, the earth will open up and swallow everyone, Krakens will rule the land, and T-rex will come back with muscular and properly-sized hands. Most likely, if they like a style or a genre, they will seek something similar. We need other authors to keep the industry alive! To fight the Terminators!

For me, as much as other authors' negativities do ruin my day sometimes (the harshest words and reviews mostly come from authors), I take the positive of the community. There are many great, supportive authors and readers out there, and I cherish them because the industry is hard enough. Some criticisms are good, and some are harmful, so IMHO, the most important thing is to write for yourself and your readers, don't be discouraged. If you haven't and want to start writing, don't be discouraged. If you are a reader and/or a reviewer, thank you, and don't be discouraged. Most authors appreciate you and don't let a few ungrateful ones ruin what you do.

As far as I know, all industries have their ugliness. I usually expect the ugliness to come from other sides, not those who are supposed to be on the same side.

You are here. It means you are awesome. Thank you.

As for my book, I need more time to sort it out. I had a family reunion last month in my hometown; I slept on the floor, many interactions stressed me out, I didn't have privacy and couldn't concentrate on writing. It was tortuous but the food was good, I was properly fed. I love them.