The Lit Net Monthly News

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[FONT="Book Antiqua"][I][SIZE="5"]November 2008[/SIZE][/I][/FONT][/CENTER]

Welcome to the first edition of The Literature Networks first ever online newspaper. Every month, we will keep you updated with information regarding threads, contests, Book Club and lots more!
Happy Reading.

[I][CENTER][FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="4"]Forum Book Club[/SIZE][/FONT][/CENTER][/I]

The twelve winning genres for next years read are:Crime fiction, Historical fiction, Gothic, Counter-culture Literature, Detective fiction, Philosophical Novel, War novel, Young adult, Thriller, Horror, Comic novel, Novel of Manners,

This month, for the India Reading, the Book Club will be reading [URL="http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39278"]The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy.[/URL]

The Forum Book club Shakespeare Discussion Group is currently making their way through [URL="http://www.online-literature.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=5895"]The Merry Wives of Windsor.[/URL]

Also, dont forget to vote in the [URL="http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38451"]Egypt December reading poll![/URL]

The Forum Book Club is always happy to have new participants. If you are interested you can find it in the Reading section of the Forum Index page.


[I][CENTER][FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="4"]Official Forum Contest[/SIZE][/FONT][/CENTER][/I]

The forum [URL="http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?p=635280#post635280"]2008 Short Story Competition Final[/URL] is now upon us. Please read the five finalists and vote for your favourite to be Litnets 2008 Short Story winner!
The winner shall be announced in the beginning of 2009. Best of luck to all the finalists. May the best story win.

[I][CENTER][FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="4"]Unofficial Poetry Contests[/SIZE][/FONT][/CENTER][/I]
The Personal Poetry forum is one of Litnets’ most active forums and comes complete with a sub-forum dedicated to poetry games and contests. We have two very popular poetry contests located in the sub-forum; [URL="http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23675&page=40"]The Picture Poetry Contest (continued…)[/URL] and [URL="http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23444&page=33"]The Form Poetry Contest[/URL] for anyone who would like to join in.
Also one of our resident poets Pendragon has set up a new contest [URL="http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38056"]The Subject Poetry Contest[/URL]. Why not pop in and give it a go. You might just win!
The current winners are:
Form: Windblown
Picture: Mazhur
Subject: Ampoule
Congratulations to you all!

[I][CENTER][FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="4"]Featured Personal Poetry[/SIZE][/FONT][/CENTER][/I]
This month we have selected two poems from The Personal Poetry Forum, posted during the month of October, to feature in the Litnet Monthly News! I hope you like them too!

Needing a Lift by Xillus Xavier

walking,
right arm outstretched,
thumb pointing to the sky,
the man in the rain watches cars
speed by.



An Empty House Remembers (sonnet) by Thegitksan

The empty house around me ticks and creaks,
A moody end to evening's gentle rains,
A brooding quiet as the daylight wanes,
The secret language empty houses speak.

What stories might this house preserve entire
In rhythmic code composed of click and groan?
Does House recall a sadness with each moan?
Is laughter stored in every plank and wire?

And how might I, a fleeting visitor,
Acquire an ear for stories trapped in time,
And wrap a tale or two in words and rhyme?
How can I tap the House's secret lore?

In silence soft the house slips off to sleep.
Alone I sit, in darkness vast and deep.


[I][CENTER][FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="4"]Forum Advertisement[/SIZE][/FONT][/CENTER][/I]
Do you want to let off that steam and vent your anger? Then why not visit [URL="http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25259&page=23"]Get it off your Chest[/URL]!
Or if you are looking for advice, but want to remain unknown then why not contact Scheherazade and have your problem posted in [URL="http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36313&page=5"]Personal and Anonymous[/URL]. Your fellow Litnetters will pass on their own words of wisdom.


[I][CENTER][FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="4"]Featured Members Profile[/SIZE][/FONT][/CENTER][/I]
Each month we will be sifting through Litnets member profile pages and selecting one as our Featured Profile of the Month. So get personalising, decorating and designing your profile.
This month we have selected [URL="http://www.online-literature.com/forums/member.php?u=38399"]LadyWentworths[/URL] as profile of the month. She made an amazing effort to get into the festive season and gave her profile a Halloween theme.
Better view it quickly. Her birthday is coming up so it may be completely different by Thursday!


[I][CENTER][FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="4"]Blog of the Month[/SIZE][/FONT][/CENTER][/I]
Each month we will be selecting a blog and awarding it the title of Blog of the Month right here in Lit Net Monthly News.
This months Blog of the Month is [URL="http://www.online-literature.com/forums/blog.php?b=6710"]Dark Muse [/URL]for her poetry, art and random musings

[I][CENTER][FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="4"]Featured Threads of the Month[/SIZE][/FONT][/CENTER][/I]
Every month we will feature different threads or games.
If you are a lover of Photography and have lots of pictures sitting around on your computer, why not share them with other photography lovers and post them in [URL="http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20158&page=97"]Pictures Taken by You. [/URL]
Or join the photography social group [URL="http://www.online-literature.com/forums/group.php?groupid=4"]Photo Freaks [/URL]




[I][CENTER][FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="4"]Lit Net Book Reviews[/SIZE][/FONT][/CENTER][/I]
This month’s book review was randomly selected from the Write a book Review sub-forum in general Literature.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
________________________________________
Khaled Hosseini's second novel follows the story of two Afghani women, Mariam and Laila, during and after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Mariam, who was an illegitimate child of a famous and respectable figure in the city of Herat, is forced to get married to a much older man and live with him in Kabul. Laila, who lives in the same street as Mariam's, is the only daughter of two parents who lost their sons in the war against the Soviets.

Both Mariam and Laila are brought together in unfortunate circumstances. They both endure the brutality of their husband, Rasheed, the war against the Soviets, then the war of the Afghans against each other and lastly the Taliban regime. Through painful and sometimes deadly events, Mariam and Laila develop a special bond, they help each other put up with the hardships and always find hope in the lives of Laila's children, Aziza and Zalmai.

When I first started reading the book, I was immediately drawn in by Hosseini's style of writing. He is one of the few writers who can actually bring tears to my eyes. Although the division of the book into four parts it isn’t my favourite thing about it, I still loved every bit of it. Maybe I got a bit bored in the second part (the one discussing the life of Laila), but Hosseini has a way of keeping you hooked even if you felt bored at some parts.

What I love most about this book is how it ended. In The Kite Runner the book ended with hope, same as this one, but the difference here is that, while in The Kite Runner the hope was found elsewhere, the hope in this book was found by returning to where all the problems started, and where hope is needed most, that is Afghanistan and Kabul. He brought back his characters to their country to help revive what was damaged by all the rockets and killings.

Although The Kite Runner remains my favourite of the two books, A Thousand Splendid Suns is definitely worth every minute spent in reading it.

9/10
Nossa

[I][CENTER][FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="4"]Halloween avatar Competition Results[/SIZE][/FONT][/CENTER][/I]
Over the Halloween weekend Scheherazade ran a competition for your favourite Halloween avatar on the forum. Members where asked to cast a secret vote via PM. Here is the result!
As it turned out, we ended with a three-way tie! The joint winners of the Halloween avatar competition are Nightshade, Eyemaker and Shalot! Congratulations!


[I][CENTER][FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="4"]November Birthdays[/SIZE][/FONT][/CENTER][/I]
Here are this months Litnet birthdays! Also, don’t forget that many of these members will be sent an interview, so look out for the [URL="http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36273&page=4"]Getting to Know You [/URL]thread.

Happy Birthday!
Stlukesguild, Ryduce, Isagel, LadyWentworth, Prole, Ben, Misscaroline, Neo Sephiroth, Lucidnightmares, AimusSage, Classic*Charm*, Captain Pike,
Symphony, Pendragon, Countess, Sparr0w, Mortis Anarchy, Cuppajoe 9, Kratsayra, Amuse and Kelly Sprout.


[I][CENTER][FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="4"]Letters to the Editor[/SIZE][/FONT][/CENTER][/I]
As this is only the first Edition of Lit Net News, we do not have any current letters to the editor. If you have any comments regarding threads, wish to highlight a poem or short story you liked, congratulate a fellow member or thank someone, please don’t hesitate to forward them on to me by PM


[I][CENTER][FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="4"]Special Thanks[/SIZE][/FONT][/CENTER][/I]
I would like to thank everyone who helped contribute to this first edition, whether they were aware they were contributing or not! A special thank you to Admin and the Mods who helped make this possible.
Yours truly,
The Litnetter