Book worms we love!

Good morning!

My friends over at Bachelors degree Online have helped me out again with this great list of fictional bookworms we readers and writers all love.  As a reader, I love knowing that bookworms are well represented out there in in TV and Movie land.  As a writer...I want these folks to want to read my books!

Enjoy!

14 Fictional Bookworms We All Looked Up To

     

June 6, 2012
This sentiment might horrify some parenting organizations, but sometimes fictional characters serve as far better role models than real people. If well-executed, they provide audiences of all ages with a personal point of reference from which to learn and — if they’re lucky — grow. Seeing as how reading is fundamental, and an essential component of a well-rounded education, looking up or relating to proud, avowed bookworms never hurts. The following heroes and heroines, despite their obvious blunders and Areas That Need Improving, provide the bibliophiles of the world a point of reference grounding the fantastic into the realistic.

1. Matilda Wormwood from Matilda:

   
   Roald Dahl’s classic dark comedy follows the quirky narrative of a neglected little girl whose only solace in a family of imbeciles are her covert sojourns to the local library. Sweet little Matilda Wormwood piques the curiosity of her kindly teacher Miss Honey for her boundless intelligence and literary lusts, whose marginalization winds up with one of the most triumphant psychic revenges this side of Carrie. But nobody dies or receives grievous bodily injuries in her hilariously clever defense of bullied students, so the eponymous heroine makes for a perfectly lovely little role model.

2. Belle from Beauty and the Beast:

   
   Many a budding young bibliophiliac girl (and probably a few comfortable boys) just loved themselves some Belle from Disney’s adaptation of an ancient European fairy tale. Stockholm Syndrome and unfortunate lessons in how domestic violence can be cured with true love (pro tip: it can’t) aside, her love of books, learning, and imagination, remains commendable. Even though the townsfolk devote an entire song to how totally freakish it is for a lady to enjoy a life of the mind — and allegedly sexy stalker Gaston tries to lure her away with talks of marriage — she sticks to what works best for her and dismisses their petty little judgments. There are just too many books and too little time to care!

3. Beast from the X-Men series:

   
   OK, so technically he’s a Secret Avenger now, but shut up, fanboy. Probably the world’s most erudite little fuzzums (or at least the world’s most erudite little blue fuzzums), Hank McCoy sports a, well, beastly appearance proving that it’s stupid to judge one’s intelligence and worth on their externals. Despite living the at-once triumphant and tragic life of a superhero, he considers science and culture the most exciting of all. And all that book learnin’ goes directly toward making the world a more equitable place for his fellow mutants. Or, at least, he tries.

4. Oscar de Leon from The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao:

   
   The 2008 Pulitzer winner for fiction features a protagonist whose unabashed geekiness and idealism render him more charming than truly pathetic thanks to Junot Diaz’s deft pen. Despite the tragic fate that ultimately befalls him (whatever, it’s spoiled right there in the title), Oscar de Leon’s rabid enthusiasm for science fiction and fantasy is endearingly infectious. Even book-loving readers who quite loathe both genres can likely relate to the wonderfully dizzy emotions surrounding the discovery of brand new tropes and themes ripe for exploration and dissection.

5. Jo March from Little Women:

   
   She may have come of age at a time when educated women were considered a lark — even the men in her life refer to her with masculine appellations and pronouns — but social expectations never once doused this fiery, spirited fan favorite. Feminist before feminism was a thing, Jo March (based somewhat on author Louisa May Alcott) challenges social norms with her desire to fight alongside her father during the Civil War. Oh, and she's kind of a giant book dork, too. Jo’s love of literature inspires her to write out plays for her sisters to perform, and she marries a professor who admires her wordy career aspirations, which also include working as an educator.

6. Henry Bemis from the Twilight Zone episode “Time Enough at Last:”

   
   Because, if the world ended, only the most obsessed bibliophile would gleefully write off the apocalypse as the ultimate in catching up on back reading. Obsessed to the point of pathology, in this case. Bumbling Henry Bemis — played by the legendary Burgess Meredith — almost loses his bank teller position at the beginning of one of the most famous Twilight Zone shorts because he just can’t put a good (or, probably even a bad) book down. This addiction ultimately saves his life, though, when he locks himself in a bank vault for quiet reading time and survives a nuke (the 1950s, everyone!), only for, well, it might be an iconic final twist, but we love you too much to ruin it.

7. Yomiko Readman from Read or Die:

   
   Whether one picks up the Read or Die novels, manga, or anime series (nobody can accuse creator Hideyuki Kurata of ignoring multiple media audiences), the woman codenamed “The Paper” universally stays true to the cause of bibliophilia. She loves books so much, she even telepathically manipulates the eponymous substance to do her bidding! That may sound like a totally doofus superpower, but seriously. Ever slice open your index finger on a slice of looseleaf? Imagine that on ALL THE BODY PARTS. And bulletproof. Not so totally doofus now, huh? Anyways, Yomiko Readman works for the British Library as a secret agent snatching up rare and important literary finds from the bad guys. Quite a dream gig for someone who loves the written word more than she does most people!

8. Indiana Jones from the Indiana Jones series:

   
   Seeing as how he works as an archaeology professor when he’s not acting out the fantasies of every adventure enthusiast, it's not an illogical jump to assume Harrison Ford’s iconic action hero enjoys picking up a book or two. Although with all that Nazi-and-Kali-cult smashing Indy’s gotta do, he probably has little time to hang up his fedora and whip, snuggle up next to the fire, and catch up on the ancient history and languages he might not know. He obviously did at some point, though, because all his fun times involve just as much mental as they do physical prowess.

9. Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series:

   
   Without super nerd Hermione Granger by his side, the beloved Harry Potter never could’ve ultimately vanquished Lord Voldemort’s attempts to Take Over The World. The girl hooked herself up with a watch that lets her stop time and take two classes at once, for Snape’s sake. That takes some serious dedication to absorbing up knowledge. Young girls who grew up with J.K. Rowling’s now-classic young adult series and harbored a love of learning in their hearts considered her a fabulous role model proving they could both kick butt and score straight As. When they weren’t ripping her apart for hooking up with Ron over Harry, anyway.

10. Huey Freeman from The Boondocks:

    
    Cartoonist Aaron McGruder may write Huey Freeman as way more cynical and morose than a mere child ought to be, but his intelligence and insight make him a thoroughly compelling and interesting protagonist — one who still carries the same flaws as his fellow youth, though good luck getting him to come to terms with that. All his fascinating musings on race and class relations in America likely stem from his massive personal library and passion for staying updated on current events via newspaper. By contrast, little brother Riley, whom he still quite loves, shuns the intellectual life and prefers letting pop culture and negative stereotypes dictate his tastes and personality.

11. Donatello from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:

    
    Everyone who’s watched at least one Ninja Turtles episode or movie has their favorite, even if they’re too afraid of seeming like a massive geek for admitting which one. Often prone to Aykroydian streams of technical jargon, Donatello loves him some tinkering, though in some incarnations his inventions crumble more often than they actually work. Beyond this prowess with all things blinking, booping, and frequently binary, he definitely stands as the most learned of the pizza-loving bunch, whose brains have saved them from many a totally un-radical encounter with Krang or Bebop and Rocksteady. So the lesson here is read lots and lots. And, someday, you too might end up on the world’s most fearsome fighting team. Bo staff skills also help.

12. Twilight Sparkle from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic:

    
    She’s basically the Belle of this upcoming generation and calls a library home — in the literal sense. As a magic practitioner, Twilight Sparkle often loses herself in her studies and rejects overtures of friendship many times for fear they might compromise, well, pretty much everything. But, like the show’s subtitle states, there’s plenty to be learned about the world from connecting with and loving others, which requires experience instead of printed-up pages. For bibliophiles who so often forget the importance of striking a balance, this lavender lady teaches some pretty useful little lessons.

13. Egon Spengler from Ghostbusters:

    
    Played to maximum adorkability by the legendary Harold Ramis, badass scientist Egon Spengler served as the brainy foil to Peter’s smarm charm, Ray’s spastic enthusiasm, and Winston’s refreshingly wry normalcy. Decades of reading and writing about science — mostly parapsychology, in which he holds a doctorate — when blended with general awkwardness make him the Ghostbusters’ go-to guy when it comes to advice about “spores, molds, and fungi” and crossing the streams.

14. Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird:

    
    Harper Lee never set out to write a literary (and, later, cinematic) icon, but the calm, quiet dignity of this bookish lawyer has inspired readers for more than 50 years. He endures because he applies his prodigious studies and readings into fighting for social justice causes, even though the surrounding culture prides itself on racist and anti-intellectual ideologies. Even though he possesses some pretty lethal handgun skills, as evidenced when he puts a rabid dog out of its misery, all his most nail-biting fighting scenes go down peacefully in the courtroom.

Well here's a list that will give you a confidence boost!

Good evening all!

One of the biggest drags...and hence the biggest fears...in writing is the rejection letter.  I have a file of them someplace, mostly, though, I ignore the rejections. Nowadays, it's a rejection email, which isn't much better, and not nearly as satisfying to destroy.  BUT, as they say, every rejection gets you closer to publication.  Even when it doesn't feel like it.

To that end, my friends over a Bachelor Degrees Online hae provided me with a brilliant top forty list of classics and ultra popular books that were once, twice, perhaps more than that, rejected.   We've read most of these, we own most of these, and we've seen the movies for most of these books.  In short, inspite of the initial reaction, these books are huge success stories.

Enjoy...take heart....and ignore the fact that Moby Dick is on the list.  Face it...sometimes editors and agents do get it right the first time. 

40 Famous Manuscripts That Were Rejected At First

 

It is one of the weird quirks of literature that people who don't necessarily have the skills to write epic masterpieces themselves are put in charge of deciding what gets published and what gets canned. No doubt they have a difficult job and they correctly weed out much material that does not need to be inflicted on the public. And yet, from time to time, editors make some of the absolute worst decisions that future generations look back on and say, "What on earth were they thinking?" Persistence paid off for the authors of these 40 manuscripts who refused to take no for an answer and were rewarded in the end.

1. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole: The Pulitzer Prize-winning, cult classic novel was rejected by multiple publishing companies, including, famously, Simon & Schuster. In despair of ever getting it printed, Toole committed suicide.
2. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling: The first Harry Potter book was turned down by multiple publishers, including Penguin and HarperCollins.
3. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig: This incredibly well-known book only exists thanks to the persistence of its author, who endured more than 120 rejections before finding a publisher.
4. Watership Down by Richard Adams: Now Penguin Books' best-selling novel ever, Richard Adams' classic story was rejected by 13 publishers, some of whom later sent him "groveling letters."
5. The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter: Upon seven publishers declining to give her a book deal, Ms. Potter published her book herself. More than 150 million copies have been sold since.
6. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer: Of the 15 manuscript copies Meyer sent out, nine were rejected and five had no response. Only one (wise) company wanted to meet with her.
7. Animal Farm by George Orwell: If T.S. Eliot had had his way, Animal Farm would never have seen the light of day. As the head of publisher Faber and Faber, Eliot called the manuscript "unconvincing."
8. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle: Twenty-six publishers wish they could travel back in time and not reject this beloved children's book that has sold 10 million copies in the U.S. alone.
9. The Help by Kathryn Stockett: Kathryn Stockett was fanatical about getting an agent to represent her and her book The Help, even working on her manuscript while in labor with her daughter. Finally, after 60 no's, she got her "yes."
10. Carrie by Stephen King: The prolific writer got so many no's (30) for his first attempt at a novel he threw it in the trash. Luckily his wife fished it out.
11. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller: One publisher's rejection letter said this book was "not funny on any intellectual level." Today the book is recognized as one of the best novels of all time and the title itself is a household phrase.
12. Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach: This short fable about a seagull by a retired Air Force pilot was rejected 40 times before an editor at Macmillan took it under her wing and helped it become a classic.
13. Chicken Soup for the Soul by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen: Canfield and Hansen heard from 123 publishers that their book had a stupid title, had no sex or violence, and no one would read it.
14. The Shack by William P. Young: Publishers either found this book too Christian or not Christian enough. So 15 photocopied editions led to a self-publishing company and eventually 15 million copies sold.
15. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: Nearly 40 publishers wished they had given a damn about Mitchell's Civil War drama when it grossed more than $1 million and won a Pulitzer in its first year.
16. MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors by Richard Hooker: We never would have had one of the greatest TV shows in history if Richard Hooker had been deterred by the 21 publishers who turned down his book.
17. Dune by Frank Herbert: More than 20 foolish publishers turned down Frank Herbert's classic that would become the highest-selling science fiction novel of all time, at more than 12 million copies sold worldwide.
18. The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas by Gertrude Stein: Stein's only bestseller received a famous, rude rejection letter from a publisher who turned her down by mocking her trademark style of repetition of simple sentences.
19. A Time to Kill by John Grisham: On his way to becoming a master novelist, Grisham's first book racked up rejections from 16 literary agents and 12 publishers before landing a deal.
20. Lord of the Flies by William Golding: Although Faber & Faber would eventually publish the book, the first reviewer called this book "rubbish and dull" and "pointless."
21. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand: Rand was already a successful writer when her publisher, who had first rights to her new book, declared it "unsaleable and unpublishable." The book has since been called the second most influential book ever, behind only the Bible.
22. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank: As crazy as it sounds, 16 publishers declined to buy the story of Anne Frank's experiences in World War II. Doubleday's risk paid off as the book has sold more than 30 million copies to date.
23. Moby Dick by Herman Melville: Publishers initially told Melville his long book about whaling was "not at all suitable for the juvenile market." Ninth-graders everywhere wish he had listened.
24. Dubliners by James Joyce: Because of the edgy content, this classic by James Joyce was not an easy sell. He was shot down 22 times before landing a deal with Grant Richards Ltd.
25. The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John le Carré: Now known as one of the finest novels of the genre, one publisher rejected the book while saying of le Carré, "He hasn't got any future."
26. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov: One publisher said of this book, "I recommend that it be buried under a stone for a thousand years." If it had been, one of the best books of all time would have been lost.
27. The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy: Alec Baldwin should thank Tom Clancy for being persistent. Without Clancy believing in his book through 12 rejections, there never would have been the bestseller or the great movie.
28. On the Road by Jack Kerouac: The book that defined a generation went through a seven-year gauntlet of rejection from publishers who were put off by the book's talk of sex and drugs.
29. Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl: Twenty rejections from publishers didn't stop this true account of men adrift at sea from making it into book form in 66 different languages.
30. Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis: Auntie Mame was on the receiving end of 15 rejection letters for being too outrageous, but it became a bestseller, selling 2 million copies in its first run.
31. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling: Kipling's timeless story was rejected multiple times, with one publisher commenting that Kipling did not even understand the English language.
32. The Life of Pi by Yann Martel: It would later rack up awards like the Booker Prize, but The Life of Pi met with unbelievers at five publishing houses before breaking through.
33. Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs: At first, publisher Olympia Press turned down Burroughs' book as too controversial. However, when excerpts were sent through the mail and the postmaster general called it obscene material, all the attention got Olympia interested again and they agreed to print the book.
34. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein: In a classic case of getting it exactly wrong, editor William Cole rejected this beloved children's book because he thought it fell in between the interests of kids and adults and wouldn't sell.
35. Dances with Wolves by Michael Blake: Michael Blake lived out of his car while struggling to finish Wolves, and then every major publisher rejected it. Of course, lucky for him, a young man named Kevin Costner found a copy and the rest is history.
36. Lust for Life by Irving Stone: On its winding road to selling 25 million copies, Lust for Life was denied 16 times by publishers, with one calling it "a long, dull novel about an artist."
37. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery: Countless girls read this book or watched the made-for-TV movie based on it. But Montgomery was turned down by five publishers before securing a book deal.
38. The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende: On the advice of a receptionist at a publishing house, whose company she told Allende would never publish the book, Allende found an agent who helped her sell it despite "nobody" wanting to read it.
39. Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes: This moving short story that has been made into movies, plays, and TV shows almost never saw book form. It was rejected by five publishers over the course of a year.
40. The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot: Cabot says her novel was rejected by "almost every publishing house in America." But she persevered and the book and its sequels have sold millions of copies and been translated to the silver screen.