You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion
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Watcha Doing? Version 2015.5
Sorry to hear about your family and friendship problems Sandra, Berit and Bella. People really get you down sometimes and it sucks big time.
Sorry to hear you're all dealing with people being jerks. Jerks. Hopefully everyone comes to their senses sooner rather than later, and you all feel better soon. Jerks.Mandy, sounds great. For not many of us really, we really do get around and pop up all over the place. Hope they were nice Aussies and only told you the good things ;)
Anne, hope you had lots of fun. You definitely look like you're having fun in the photo!!
I'm one of those weird people that really enjoyed high school, probably because I was super involved, but I haven't really had any desire to go back to a reunion.
We moved a LOT when I was a child, so I ended up attending 7 different high schools, all told, one twice. I really, really enjoyed high school and would love to want to go to a reunion, but none of them would actually feel like a reunion to me. I did attend 3 of my husband's reunions so it was kind of like a vicarious reunion for me since he kept his high school friends for a very long time.
I hired a guy to make the cover of my dissertation and I'm looking for opinions :) The thesis is about emotional eating (the title is 'I eat when I'm sad, I eat when I'm glad'), and the designer's idea for the cover was to instead of taking this very literally with an emotional person eating something, it would be nice to show emotional eating in a different way. His idea was to symbolize eating in a positive mood by a delicious looking piece of chocolate, and have that turn into broken chunks and small crumbs to reflect eating in a sad mood. Also colour-wise there would be a difference with lighter part of the cover for happy and darker for sad. After many many attempts and changes, this is the close-to-final thing. I like it in general, but I'm not sure if people will get the idea that the broken cookies resemble sadness and the whole cookie happiness. I asked my sister and my boyfriend and they got it when I told them, but hadn't guessed. I would like to hear what you guys think (or any other comments/suggestions you may have). The colour change is not visible on all computers (I can't see it on my laptop for example), it's quite subtle.
I wouldn't get it either Peggy, go for a simpler idea ! You can make it something like a little kid his face in half, the right half happy, the left half sad and in both sides he's eating !
But that also would be too obvious !
Or maybe you could have a table with spaghetti plate on a it and a fork being held above the plate, like someone is having a bite -the face is "cut-ted" off- !
Those two pictures started forming in my head when i read "eating disorder"
Get as much ideas as you can and then select the one which fits best ..
I don't think I'd have got it but it's difficult to tell now you've told us the idea behind the design. That said, I do like the design. It's clear and simple. The chosen depicted food is a good choice as it's a comfort food and quick and easy to eat.
I wouldn't have got the happy vs sad symbolism, but I like the cookies. Like Sarah said, it is a good depiction of a happy comfort food or a sad comfort food.
I wouldn't have got the whole cookie = happiness, broken cookies = sadness symbolism either but I like the colour scheme and the choice of cookies as the depicted food. You instantly think "comfort food" when you see them and they show up really well on the green background.
Rusalka, the couple was a nice older couple who live near Melbourne. It was nice meeting someone from a different country.Janice, I like the cover. It makes you stop and want to see what it is about. That being said, I wouldn't have gotten the symbolism either if it wasn't explained.
Janice, not sure I would have gotten it either, but graphically it would make more sense to me for it to be the opposite. Whole cookie on top, broken and crumbled on the bottom, but that may not work for you. Maybe the color difference could be more substantial?
I like it, though! I had no idea people hired someone for dissertation covers.
Being a picture person, I looked at the picture before I read the description, and I got it.
Tejas Janet wrote: "Kandice wrote: "Anne, I'm glad you had such a good time. And you're NOT an old broad!"Great photo, Anne. Your smiles made me smile :)"
Aww thank you TJ. The band was playing Polk Salad Annie sent out to me - had me all smiles :)
Minor correction here - it's Peggy with the cover. Not me. :)
I arrived home from celebrating Thanksgiving with my dad and my brother (and his family) a few hours ago. It was a nice weekend, but I am really tired.
Do you guys have turkey on Thanksgiving?
Usually we do. Dad bought a Butterball stuffed turkey breast because it was just going to be the two of us. When my brother decided to join us, Dad bought a ham to go with it. He then decided it was a pretty big ham, so we just had it along with mashed potatoes, gravy, candied yams, carrots and salad. For dessert we had pecan/pumpkin crumble pie and whipped cream.
OK, so it is very similar to the traditional American Thanksgiving, I was just curious.
The only difference is the date. We always have ours in October, a month earlier.
Peggy, I think the cover is attractive, but I wouldn't have recognized the symbolism of the whole cookie versus crumbled pieces in the terms you presented. I associate the whole cookie with being tempted to eat, whether happy or sad, and the crumbled pieces with breaking one's resolve to not overeat tempting food choices like the chocolate chip cookie. However, the title is clear and concise, and the color scheme and design are all very good. Makes me want to read more :)
I'm sorry to hear that everyone has been dealing with suck-y people. That, well, sucks. My family routinely disappoints me, so you have my empathy.Peggy, I like the cover. Not sure I would have gotten the symbolism in a concrete way, but combined with the title, I think it's clear enough what you're trying to convey. The use of a cookie is a good example of a comfort food as well as an example of a regretful food. As someone who has a very traumatic, emotional relationship with food, both of the cookies represent sadness to me. :-)
I'm still dealing with this cold, but I'm able to breath now, so relief is on the horizon. I pretty much have just slept for 3 days. We did loose power for several hours on Saturday following a big windstorm, coupled with heavy rain. Fortunately, I had my books, and a flashlight.
Thanks for all your thoughts! That is really helpful :)I was worried that if the symbolism isn't conveyed the broken cookies would be weird (why not another whole cookie or another whole food), but to you it makes sense anyway it seems?
Kandice, I agree the other way around seems more logically somehow, but the title starts with sad, and I wanted those broken cookies near sad :)
TJ, I really like that interpretation too! It actually also fits with what's in the dissertation.
So the cookies may not symbolize happy/sad, but to most of you they do say 'comfort food' and 'eating'. That's good too, I don't have time for having something completely different made.
Oh happy thanksgiving Janice!I hope you feel better soon Lynda.
Don't worry, Peggy. It makes sense. Good job, you.
Wow!! Lots to catch up on here!! Hope everyone is well and everything is going better for those that have had bad days :)I've been out of town! We flew back to Spokane, WA to see friends and family for almost a week! Went by fast :) picked up our dog this morning from doggie daycare which he needs a bath now ;) we are very happy to have him home with us and I only called them twice to check in on him :)
Welcome back Stephanie! Glad you had a nice time on your little break. It's always nice to catch up with friends and family.I hope Blake enjoys his bath! ;)
@Stephanie, I'm glad you mentioned that Blake needs a bath, I keep forgetting to call my dog groomer to get an appointment for my two little dogs to get hair cuts. I'm doing that now! Thank you! :)Disappointing people seems to be a theme going on in this group right now and I'm beginning to worry I may be joining in on it. I'm hoping I am wrong! But, I have a distinct feeling my husband's sister is going to go back on her promises regarding their mother's house. She is the legal owner of the house due to the way the deed was written out back in the 90's. But for the past 14 years she has had absolutely nothing to do with their mother at all until she went into the hospital this last time. My husband has been their mother's sole caregiver and his sister had not even lain eyes on her until a month ago. She has always said that when their mother passes that she would give the house to him because it should belong to him and not her.
Now that the time has come to change the ownership of the house over, she seems to be ignoring his questions. He asked her last week about getting the deed changed and she never responded to him. She text him yesterday asking if he was planning on selling the house and he told her no, he was hoping to rent it out. He said something again about changing the ownership of the house and she never responded. It just worries me that she is changing her feeling about their mother's meager belongings now that she spent three weeks at her deathbed. I so hope I am wrong because I will be so disappointed in my sister-in-law otherwise.
I hope she will be more cooperative kimeydiann.Yikes it's cold! I just left the office and it felt like it was freezing! I thought all week was going to be 12 degrees (that's what the forecast said on Sunday) but now it says max 6. And right now it's only 4. Expecting 12 I'm not wearing my winter coat yet. Which is now a good thing because the train is way too hot.
This night there might even be wet snow already..
I'm sorry, Kimey. I hope everything turns out fine and soon. I'm feeling a little better. My husband is being VERY supportive. But the whole situation is going around in my mind all the time. Maybe I'm unconsciously trying to find a reasonable explanation and make some sense of this. It seems there's none. I know I need time to let this settle down and heal.
Thank you everyone. I'm trying not to burst here all the crap I'm feeling all the time. But it really was a shake for me. Actually "a shake" is not really accurate. It felt more like being kicked in the stomach.
Ok, I'll stop now. Sorry again.
Peggy wrote: "I hope she will be more cooperative kimeydiann.Yikes it's cold! I just left the office and it felt like it was freezing! I thought all week was going to be 12 degrees (that's what the forecast sa..."
It was 101 here yesterday and is supposed to stay in the high 90's, just break 100 for the remainder of the week. Wish I was with you!
I was going to say 'likewise' Kandice but then I did the conversion and maybe not ;-)Glad to hear you're feeling a bit better Sandra. Don't apologize though! Vent all you want here :) (and I don't think you've been posting much about it, in contrast really)
This reminds me, do you ladies know Amy Schumer's sketch I'm so sorry? Can't link right now on my phone. After watching that I realized I also say sorry way too often when there's no reason. In the past week, I've erased the word 'sorry' several times from emails I was writing!
@Sandra, I don't know what happened with your friend but it was obviously a huge betrayal. Continue to lean on your husband for support and give it time. You may never fully get over it, but time does lessen pain. I'm sending positive thoughts your way!
Thanks, Lisa :) Blake loves bath time even though I have to coax him into the tub with a dog biscuit ;)Anything I can do to help remind you about your pups grooming, KimeyDiann :) hope their grooming goes well :)
KimeyDiann wrote: "@Sandra, I don't know what happened with your friend but it was obviously a huge betrayal. Continue to lean on your husband for support and give it time. You may never fully get over it, but time d..."I'm with KimeyDiann on this one. About 10 years ago, my best friend and I had a bitter falling out. We didn't speak for about 4 years. Then, a few years back, we reconciled and we're close again. So, it does happen. You just might need some time.
Yes, time is the best medicine. Thanks everyone.
And Peggy, I wanted at least to say something about your cover. I like it. I read your explanation first, so I can't say if I would have guessed it by myself. Maybe if the word SAD is closer to the broken cookie, and GLAD closer to the whole one? I don't think it's really necessary, though. I like the way it is. But it's just a thought.On the other hand, I was thinking about how often I don't really get the cover of a book until I'm half way through it. At some point after reading something I would go back and observe the cover for a while, understanding better the objects/references that are there. Same thing with a DVD cover, for example.
I finished
a few days ago. I liked the cover the first time I saw it, but only "get it" when I was like 60 or 70% of the book.Maybe the cover of your work is not "obvious" right away, but it will at some point.
I googled the Amy Schumer's video. :) I'll try don't be so sorry so often. :) Thank you.
Thanks for your thoughts Sandra :)I planned on posting that link anyway (it wasn't meant as a comment to you, I hope you didn't think that!) and then I read your post. It's funny that women apologize for so many things, while they shouldn't apologize for the way they feel or not understanding something or asking a question.
Lynda wrote: "I'm sorry to hear that everyone has been dealing with suck-y people. That, well, sucks. My family routinely disappoints me, so you have my empathy.Peggy, I like the cover. Not sure I would have g..."
I wonder if we have the same cold, Lynda. My daughter got it first and is now relapsing or catching a form that's mutated as it's spread through the family. Hope you get better soon! This one seems to really linger.
Oh, since we seem to have an abundance of Australians here, does anyone have a good recipe for Lamingtons? Or take a look at this one and see if it looks like it would make a good Lamington:
http://www.joyofbaking.com/Lamingtons...
Sandra wrote: "And Peggy, I wanted at least to say something about your cover. I like it. I read your explanation first, so I can't say if I would have guessed it by myself. Maybe if the word SAD is closer to the..."On the flip side, I hate it when the cover has absolutely nothing to do with the book! If there is a person on the cover, they had better look like one of the main characters. I hate reading a book with a blue eyed blonde girl on the cover that I am imaging as I read only to discover the main character is actually a greed eyed red-head.
I think there are times when the author has no control over the title or the cover necessarily, sometimes I can't ever figure out why the book is titled what it is, and that bothers me!
Berit wrote: "I think there are times when the author has no control over the title or the cover necessarily, sometimes I can't ever figure out why the book is titled what it is, and that bothers me!"Most authors don't have any control. Well, I'm sure that the big authors do have more say. It's supposed to be a marketing issue and so authors are assumed- probably rightly so in most cases- not to have expertise in this. I know that there are a few smaller publishing houses that send out a cover questionnaire, but the authors still don't have final approval or control.
Sandra wrote: "I'm sorry, Kimey. I hope everything turns out fine and soon. I'm feeling a little better. My husband is being VERY supportive. But the whole situation is going around in my mind all the time. May..."
I hope you feel better about this or you find some way to work it out. I had a falling out with a friend from high school about 16 years ago and she "took" custody over a handful of our childhood friends. None of whom will speak to me. (I took her husband's side when she got divorced and he was looking to get full custody.) She- and the rest of our mutual friends- took it for a betrayal, but the rest of our friends were out of state and didn't know the kind of mother she was.
I know most author's don't have say over covers, I was being flippant but that may not have came across. Some publishers do need to do a better job on covers though. One example that comes to mind every time... When I see this cover, I think smutty romance book:
When actually there isn't any romance in this book at all.
KimeyDiann wrote: "I know most author's don't have say over covers, I was being flippant but that may not have came across. Some publishers do need to do a better job on covers though. One example that comes to mind ..."That one didn't have romance or at least much, I think, but the series got smuttier and smuttier. I had to skim whole portions of the final book.
Oh yes, the series most definitely gets smutty, but it isn't really a romance series as much as it is a UF series. The covers with half naked people on them don't convey that though.
Speajing of friendship I tooj my son grocery shopping. A boy of similar age comes up to cart says hi and waves. Son does same. See each other in parking lot wave and say bye. My son says that boy is my new friend he waved and said hi to me. I have so many friends
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You'll love this one...!! A book club & more
Books mentioned in this topic
It Starts with Food: Discover the Whole30 and Change Your Life in Unexpected Ways (other topics)The Whole 30: The Official 30-day Guide To Total Health And Food Freedom (other topics)
Fortunately, the Milk (other topics)
Fortunately, the Milk (other topics)
Where the Sidewalk Ends (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Gillian Flynn (other topics)Fiona Wood (other topics)
Jay Feldman (other topics)
Kevin Hearne (other topics)
Cherie Currie (other topics)
I barely slept. I feel really upset. Is not that this is the first time I am disappointed in my life, but I wasn't expecting this after 25 years of friendship. I guess it will take a while to go over it.
Thanks everyone for lending a "ear".