Because I did forget it was out today until a friend e-mailed me–I wrote this week's Publishers Weekly feature package on self-help/recovery books. It was an interesting topic to report on, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if more publishers don't try reduced pricing like Atria is with Spencer Johnson's new book.
I decided–perhaps foolishly–to join in Maureen Johnson's Blog Every Day in April*. Ye olde Shaken & Stirred has been a bit cobweb-encrusted lately, and I've managed to slay the major cluster of attacking deadlines, so it seemed like a good time to be wooed away from the tiny noncommittal updates of twitter and back here a bit more often. I actually intend to do more Real Posts this month, as opposed to link round-ups.
That said, we've had a willy nilly kind of weekend and I can't think of a good topic I could manage to be enlightening–over even cogent–on. (I suppose if there is something you'd like me to post about or a question you have, you could leave it in the comments or send it via e-mail and I'll give it a shot sometime this month.) SO I'll just natter about the weekend, thus meeting the commitment but with minimal thinking required. Everyone wins.
Friday evening we drove up to Cincinnati, because the outrageously fabulous Cassie Clare was coming through on her City of Glass reading and signing tour (with Lisa McMann) and we don't get to see her that often. After her throngs of fans (see phone-grabbed photo below that does not begin to capture how many teens were in attendance) cleared out, we got to grab some Chinese food and have some quality time.
Highlights of the evening included: random very nice fan who asked if I was Holly Black (ha!); buying books (including Rita Williams-Garcia's Jumped, which I am so very excited about after hearing her read excerpts from it during my grad school residencies, and Shaun Tan's Tales from Outer Suburbia, which is GORGEOUS); explaining why there was such a crowd to the asocial freak at the bar (not really a highlight); and cheering the world domination of the Mortal Instruments series. But mostly it was just really nice to see Cassie.
Saturday we drove out to the farmlands and today we gamed and now big bad thunderstorms are swinging through. Busy busy, as I said, but not in a bad way. Oh, and I finished rereading Graceling. Such a great book. Happy sigh.
*Apparently those days at the beginning I didn't manage it don't count, because I hadn't signed up yet. I love an event with amnesty.
The fabulous Mitali Perkins has a truly exceptional article at School Library Journal, "Straight Talk on Race: Challenging Stereotypes in Kids' Books." While it is, obviously, focused on work for children and young adults, it's worth a read for anyone writing for any audience. I'd extract a snippet, but, really, seriously, just go read the whole thing.
Updated: And some additional comments–and a challenge–at Mitali's blog.
Just checked out the latest bracketology at the Tourney of Books from my corona-virus induced stint on the fainting couch. I'm kind of glad we're to be spared Frankie vs. The Bolano That Ate Contemporary Letters (assuming it survives its own zombie round match-up).
Wow, it has taken me a long time to write this comment. Let me put it this way: Frankie inspires so much passion because it is one of the few contemporary books that I can think of (admittedly, completely off-hand) that addresses the seemingly-small, but daily, ways in which women are expected to minimize their own strengths in order to please men. And, yes, it's a book about a fifteen-year-old girl, but as any former fifteen-year-olds can tell you, that is the time when these dynamics start to manifest in force. It's also when they're the most powerful. I mean, who is more slavishly devoted to gender roles than a high school sophomore? Except the editors of Cosmo and certain screenwriters? And that fifteen-year-old self is always lurking around somewhere, ready to rear his or her head again. Especially when it comes to love.
Lucy Knisley condenses the Twilight books into comic art. Oh, love this so much, especially in anticipation of watching the movie this weekend.
I'm apparently going to have to give 2666 a shot. After today's TOB judgment by Maud, and the resulting commentary, I'm too intrigued by the polarized opinions to avoid it any longer.
I'm thinking library rather than purchase, though, at least until I see whether Kevin Guilfoile's hilarious assessment is apt: "The question you have to ask yourself is whether the experience of being numbed by this book is worth the price of being bored by it."
Also: Frankie Landau Banks still potentially alive for the zombie round. Woo! (This year they're releasing the top four vote-getters in the zombie pool at the end of the commentary up until the actual announcement — as books are still being eliminated, titles can migrate out of that top four. And, of course, only the top two will get another chance in the ring. I feel slightly guilty I missed zombie round voting, and so just have to keep my fingers crossed for E. Lockhart's wonderful book.)
Also also: Have a cold and am buried under deadlines of number. So probably around scarcely for the next several days.
Also to the third power: This is hilarious.
In Place Of At Least Five Other Books Read More »
I suggest skipping today's judging in the Tourney of Books, in which the fantastic The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks gets the inevitable bad reading, from someone who's about as far from the target audience as possible. T'was inevitable.
On the other hand, the commentary from Kevin Guilfoile and John Warner is well worth reading. They actually got it.
Yes, I did just make an alarming musical reference. Get over it.
Breakdown Shakedown Read More »
I want to look up a picture book I loved as a kid, but can't remember–for the life of me–what it was called. Googling and searching the children's book database by keyword aren't helping. I should say that I have no idea if it was actually any good or not, but I was semi-obsessed with it anyway.
The book is about a little girl (with red hair and possibly a blue nightgown in the illos) who has a fever and is very sick. She dreams various adventures on which she's accompanied by her stuffed animals/toys, and the events correspond to changes in her condition in the awake world. One of the companions was a bear with a cart, I believe. And, of course, at the end the fever breaks and all is well. Anyone know it?
Desperately Seeking Picture Book Read More »
I love it when I'm just doing a quick check for something, and accidentally happen on, say, the Wikipedia entry about book curses. I especially liked this tidbit:
So many possibilities.
Your Fingers Will Fall Off Read More »
