Have you all discovered Pinterest yet? Although my
favorite use for it is collecting my ridiculously large list of recipes-to-make
there are plenty of fantastic book-related uses. Here are examples of how
Pinterest works for readers (here, here, and here, too!), writers, and editors.
How do you use Pinterest?
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Friday, March 16, 2012
Reading Roundup
Cinder is a futuristic
retelling of Cinderella. There are plenty of Cinderella retellings but this one
presents a unique world with great villains. The Lunar queen’s ability to
change people’s emotions and actions, as well as use glamour to change her
appearance, is intriguing and she’s portrayed as the perfect icy queen. Cinder’s
stepmother is similarly well done; the moment when she sends Cinder essentially
to her death as a plague volunteer is powerful. Some of the plotting, however,
felt heavy handed. Often hints of plot points or reveals came too soon before
the actual important plot point or reveal so that it was obvious what the
author was trying to set up. Similarly, I could predict (SPOILERS ahead!) that
Cinder was the Lunar princess by page 50 yet it’s supposed to be the big reveal
of the book. On the other hand, some plot elements felt as if they were pulled,
sometimes nearly word for word, from a traditional version of Cinderella. With
predictable plot elements in both the unique retelling aspects and traditional
expected parts it was difficult to get pulled into the story.
This was just the most delightful middle grade—and historical,
my favorite! The middle grade voice is perfectly appropriate, and despite so
many bad things happening to cute Miss Malone, the tone is hopeful and
uplifting.
This is a bittersweet story about Louise, the older of two
twins, who feels that her twin Caroline gets everything—a better education, her
mother’s love, even her friends. The setting of a small island off the coast of
Maryland during World War II added a nice bit of historical detail to very
timeless themes. Louise’s anger is so spot on to the tween experience and the
reveal of when Caroline triumphs over Louise, (SPOILERS ahead) especially by
marrying Louise’s best friend, is heartbreaking.The religious basis for this novel (the title is taken
from a Biblical passage and it is important for the sibling rivalry) was
surprising and I’m not sure if it would appeal to a modern audience. Recently I
heard that it was mentioned at the A
Wrinkle in Time 50th anniversary celebration that that novel
wouldn’t be published today because of the religious aspects and The Hunger Games wouldn’t have been
published then because of the violence. Although Jacob Have I Loved is not nearly as old as A Wrinkle in Time a 21st-century reader’s lack of
education or interest in religion could turn them off to reading this novel or,
at the very least, cause the Biblical references go over their heads. I have to
admit—for three quarters of the story I was waiting for a boy named Jacob to
show up and for Louise to fall in love with him!
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Reading Roundup
|
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
The
Night Circus revolves around the stories of the people involved in a
magical circus that is only open during the evening. It centers on two
characters, Celia and Marco, who are rivals and destined to win a lifelong magical
competition that is set at the circus yet has no rules. Other characters help
bring that circus to life and, by the end of many years, feel entrapped by the
world they’ve helped create. With the assistance of a young spectator, Bailey,
Celia and Marco are able to free themselves of the circus, complete the
challenge, and stay together.
This novel was a joy to read. The world is so fully
developed that the entire time I felt I was floating along in this whimsical
land that just came alive. The descriptions are lush and full. There are many
intertwining characters and plotlines and the intersections of each is
pleasingly unpredictable and satisfying. Although a very strong novel the
ending was a bit out of place. The magic used to secure a happy ending wasn’t
one that had been fully present throughout the rest of the book and decisions
relied too heavily on a secondary character, Bailey, that was abruptly pulled
to the forefront. It felt a bit convenient. Nevertheless, the strength of the
world and the impressive handling of multiple characters and plotlines makes
this a really strong novel, and the fact that it’s a debut novel makes it even
more impressive. One of the things I enjoyed most about this novel was that the
depth to it—compared to YA novels it’s a larger scope, covering more time,
including more characters, and entwining more complicated stories. It was
refreshing. A highly recommended read.
|
Pretty Crooked (ARC 3/13) by Elisa Ludwig
This is a great caper story that flips the Robin Hood myth
upside down: when Willa Fox moves to a wealthy town and realizes that the
popular girls are bullying the scholarship students she decides to steal from
them and give to the poor girls. It’s a really fun story and Willa is likeable,
despite her questionable decisions. There is also an underlying mystery about
Willa’s past and her mother’s activities that I look forward to finding out
more in the second book.
|
The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
This classic title was enjoyable to read, although I
enjoyed the companion title The Blue
Sword better. Aerin is a relatable character and her grown throughout the
manuscript is nice to see. I found her relationship with Luthe, though, rushed
and poorly developed, yet Aerin’s decision to put her kingdom before her
relationship was still powerful. This is a great piece of early feminist
fantasy and clearly beloved as it was a Newbery winner and continues to be read
by fantasy fans.
|
Extra Yarn
written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Reading Roundup and More
My goodness, how can it already
be mid-January!?
Here are the books I finished
up December with:
Emily the Strange: Piece of Mind by Rob Reger and Jessica
Gruner, illustrated by Rob Reger and Buzz Parker
This conclusion of the
four Emily the Strange books doesn’t disappoint. Emily is as wonderful, crazy,
creative, and unique as ever and the wrap up to the series leaves all the
characters in the right place. The black and red illustrations also enhance the
read.
This teen novel isn’t
set in Pratchett’s famous Discworld, but rather an alterative Victorian world
which is just as fun. When a royal girl gets shipwrecked on an island where Mau
is only native survivor to a horrific wave, the pair—and later the other
survivors—must figure out what home, family, and community mean. The
interactions between Mau and Daphne are both funny and though provoking and
you’re rooting for them the whole time.
Libba Bray’s Great
and Terrible Beauty is one of my favorite books of all time, but her more
recent writing has taken a different turn. Although I haven’t read her
Printz-awarding-winning novel Going Bovine it’s clearly quirky (to say
the least!). Beauty Queens is similarly off-beat. The premise is a
beauty pageant meets Survivor—when a plane of contestants crashes in a
seemingly deserted tropical island they must not only survive until rescued,
but practice their pageant dances and keep up their beauty routines. Overall, I
was disappointed by Beauty Queens. It’s so over the top that moments to
explore relevant topics such as a girl’s place in society and how to balance
numerous pressures could be tossed aside because nothing seemed serious. There
were too many characters as well, and most didn’t go beyond a caricature. I
applaud Bray for not shying away from portraying topics that are often taboo in
YA literature—there is a transgendered contestant, a lesbian relationship, and
multiple descriptions of various sexual activities. This could have been a very
thought provoking novel if the absurdity of the situation and ridiculousness of
the characters had been scaled back—however, most of this was overshadowed and
lost.
This is the conclusion
to the Haunting Emma series—a trilogy that has special significance for me. Emma, Bennett, and the rest successfully hunt the ghosts that have been
causing trouble since long before the book started. My favorite part about this
series is the voice—Nichols manages to write in a voice that sounds just as if
your best friend was telling you her adventures. Yes, there are some dorky puns
and awkward joke about sex, but this somehow makes it feel more authentic than
annoying. I’ve always found these books to be some of the more compelling
paranormal out there.
I enjoyed this novel
quite a bit because there was more to this story than just a coming-of-age
adventure. Not only is Sophie literally learning how to sail a boat across the
ocean with her uncles and cousins, but there is an added depth to the story
when readers discover, through cousin Cody’s journal entries, that there is
some mystery as to Sophie’s past and how, despite being adopted, she claims to
know the grandfather’s stories. Cody’s narrative was also charming in its humor
and brevity making it more relatable than Sophie’s poetic outlook.
Full Manuscripts: 5
So, for 2012 that leaves me at:
77 books and 66 full manuscripts. Not too bad!
My reading goals for 2011 were to
read 10 historical fiction novels and finish up three 19th century
classics. Well, the second goal didn’t happen at all—there’s so much good YA
out there!—but I did decently well with the historical fiction, coming in at
eight books. I’m absolutely going to continue working on that, especially because
there are several novels (What I Saw and How I Lied, The Vespertine, and Between Shades of Gray) that I still want to
read!
I’m not going to set any
reading goals for 2012—it’s clear that I read. A lot. And due to my job I read
a wide range of genres. I still need to reopen those classics…but those will
have to be saved for extra long vacations!
Do you have any reading goals
for 2012?
Monday, January 9, 2012
Coming Your Way: December and January
This is a
segment of my blog that shamelessly promotes the Katherine Tegen
Books/HarperCollins Children’s Books that I have worked on (or that my team has
worked on that I’m particularly excited about). You’ll see more “Coming Your
Way” posts in the upcoming months—the books below are titles that I worked on
in the very first few weeks of starting my job at HarperCollins.
Love and Leftovers by Sarah Tregay
My wish is to fall cranium over
Converse in dizzy daydream-worthy love.
(If only it were that easy.)
Marcie has been dragged away
from home for the summer—from Idaho to a family summerhouse in New Hampshire.
She’s left behind her friends, a group of freaks and geeks called the
Leftovers, including her emo-rocker boyfriend, and her father.
By the time Labor Day rolls
around, Marcie suspects this “summer vacation” has become permanent. She has to
start at a new school, and there she leaves behind her Leftover status when a
cute boy brings her breakfast and a new romance heats up. But understanding
love, especially when you’ve watched your parents’ affections end, is elusive.
What does it feel like, really? Can you even know it until you’ve lost it?
Love & Leftovers is a beautifully written story of one girl’s journey navigating
family, friends, and love, and a compelling and sexy read that teens will
gobble up whole.
My thoughts: This is such a
realistic portrayal of a teen’s heartbreak and trials of growing up—Marcie is
so relatable. The prose format makes this a quick read and was actually my
introduction to prose novels—I highly recommend checking them out!
My role in its publication: I
offered editorial feedback on a draft of the manuscript, and Sarah, the debut
author, was so sweet to recognize that by including my name in the
acknowledgement sections—my first mention!
Available: Now
The One and Only Ivan by
Katherine Applegate
Ivan is an easygoing gorilla.
Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to
humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his
life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.
Instead, Ivan thinks about TV
shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a
stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a
mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.
Then he meets Ruby, a baby
elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own
art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to
Ivan to make it a change for the better.
Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to
create Ivan’s unforgettable first-person narration in a story of friendship,
art, and hope.
My thoughts: This based-on-a-true
story narrative told from Ivan the gorilla’s point of view is both
heartbreaking and heartwarming. It’s received quite a bit of author praise and
starred reviews so far and they are so deserved. If Ivan’s story doesn’t make
you both cry and renew your faith in the world, I don’t know what will! (Also,
check out the trailer—it’s fantastic!)
My role in its publication: I
provided editorial feedback on a draft of the manuscript.
Available: January 17
Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
NEWSOUL
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a
million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and
experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished,
and no one knows why.
NOSOUL
Even Ana's own mother thinks she's a nosoul, an
omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her
seclusion and learn whether she'll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of
Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means.
When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?
HEART
Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and
worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he
love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies--human and creature
alike--let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her
someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy
the promise of reincarnation for all?
Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance,
fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.
My thoughts: My favorite part
about this novel is how it doesn’t fit into any one genre—it’s fantasy, science
fiction, and dystopian. It’s unique and special in an oversaturated teen
marketplace. Ana is a great heroine and her romance with Sam is so achingly
romantic. Not to mention themes in this novel are really thought provoking!
My role in its publication: I
offered editorial feedback and drafted the flaps. Incarnate was actually the
very first manuscript I read and worked on once I started at Harper, so it’s
extra special to me. Jodi is a great author and it’s been fun working on the
sequel right now.
Available: January 31
Monday, January 2, 2012
New Years Resolutions
Happy New Year! Did you rest and relax and eat all sorts
of goodies this holiday? I hope so (I sure know I did!). Since it’s the
beginning of January everyone is thinking about resolutions and I have plenty
of my own. One of mine is book-related and I think it deserves sharing.
Resolution: To Put My Money Where My Mouth Is
How often in the past year have industry folk and the
general public alike heard how independent (and big box) bookstores are
struggling? How ‘evil’ Amazon is? How Amazon doesn’t care about local
booksellers? Lots and lots. And, on the flip side, how often is it discussed
that local bookstores know books and their customers better than anyone else? And
who hosts author events? Local bookstores—we hear about this all the time!
Although these discussions are complicated they make one thing clear in my
mind: If we want the wonderful institution of local, independent bookstores to
remain, we need to support them over online retailers.
I have not been doing this. Buying books on Amazon is
(often) cheaper and easier than from a physical store. 99% of my books come
from the online retailer—I even have an Amazon.com credit card which gives me
reward points that I turn around and use at Amazon. I’ve embraced Amazon as
much as anyone else—even knowing its pitfalls better than the general public.
And I’m beginning to feel horrible about it.
And so, my New Years Resolution is to buy more books—at
least 50%—at a local store. This means the books I buy are going to cost more,
and being on a budget such as I am, I’ll probably have to buy fewer books. But
with my reading levels staying the same I’ll have to visit the library to get
that additional reading material—and that’s another fine institution to be more
actively supporting!
Do you have any book-related resolutions for 2012?
Friday, December 16, 2011
Holiday Hiatus and a New Schedule
Happy holidays again! Can you tell I like Christmas? I
wish everyone a “Merry Christmas” from December 1st until the day
itself. And so I can enjoy the holidays with my family, which I start today
with a long weekend, I’m going to be taking a bit of a break with the blog.
I’ll be back in January!
…but on a slightly new schedule. Lately I’ve been a little
overwhelmingly busy and the amount of time I’ve been able to spend on this blog
has decreased. I loved writing Monday, Wednesday, and Friday…but I can’t keep
it up! I’m tired and I’m not the only one suffering from blog fatigue.
With those high expectations I was pressuring myself to always blog. I ended up
writing about writing on the blog instead of writing my novel itself! That’s no
good! And although I love this blog, there are better things to be doing than
typing in front of a computer screen—I want to bake more. Cook more. Learn how
to play the piano. My boyfriend and I want to take ballroom dancing classes.
Get out. Enjoy the city. Learn things.
So I’ll still be here, and you can always reach me in the
comments section or by email (theunemployedbooklover@gmail.com),
just a little less often!
Enjoy—and relax—this holiday season.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)