Turning Pages: Cybilization's Fine W(h)ines

In real life, I don't do whiners, but sometimes, whiners in fiction make me smile. We all know we're not supposed to whine; especially the young adults in the literature doing the whining know it's not an especially grown-up response, but sometimes... whining is all you've got.

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In Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, by Beth Fantaskey, there's a bit of vampire whining -- which made me snicker every single time. Math girl Jessica Packwood is fairly... normal. She lives with her über-vegan parents (sneaking only the occasional sloppy joe at school) and mucks out the barn and does her chores and is the anchor of the math club. She has really zero dreams of being a princess, and, unlike her earthy best girlfriend, Mindy, is only sneakingly interested in the opposite sex. When the luscious looking Romanian boy, Lucius Vladescu, appears to be stalking her, she's not flattered, she's irritated. So what if he's heartstoppingly gorgeous, and smart? He's also rigid, misogynistic, snobby, and a whole host of other really annoying things. Jessica is SO not into all of that.

And really, Lucius's whining about that is gut-bustingly funny. He's bewildered and offended. In his letters home to his Uncle Vasile, he complains that usually women throw themselves at him. Where on EARTH does this little math-addict from linoleum-infested Woodrow Wilson High, who has no idea who she really is, where on earth does she get off ignoring him? He's rich! He's royal! He's... going to really regret ever leaving his castle in Romania to find her.

Although the ending was a teensy bit contrived for my taste, this sassy Princess Diaries Meets Vlad the Vampire comedy skips along nicely. If you need to know how to date the undead, this one's for you.

Oy, Amanda Beeson. Even her name sounds high-toned and sulky. She's the Queen Bee of Meadowbrook Middle School, and works hard to maintain her frosty distance from the little people surrounding her. She has to -- or else.

Tracy Devon is nothing like Amanda. She's at the low end of the popularity pole, and is practically invisible comparatively. Unfortunately, Amanda's forgotten the lesson she knows about keeping her distance, and she's taken notice of Tracy. And now, she's too close to the other girl's problem of invisibility. Way too close.

Amanda's weird predicament really does bring out a few bursts of self-pity and whining, but her big personality shines through in this unique first-in-a-series novel, Out of Sight, Out of Mind, by Marilyn Kaye. Amanda's one of the Gifted, and it'll be fun to see how the rest of the books in the series unfold.

And, finally, you can't really round up the whiners without including the screamers.

No, seriously. Kaylee Cavenaugh would really give a lot not to be one of the screamers, but sometimes, a scream just works its way up through her, and she can't control it. She's done some time in mental hospitals, and fears that her panic attacks are out of control forever. First, her vision darkens on a particular person. And then, the scream starts.

As it turns out, Kaylee isn't exactly crazy. She just sees people who are going to die...

Aside from asking myself WHAT was going on with the cover (is this supposed to be Kaylee? No, seriously? The whole Irish thing with the harem outfit?), I found myself wishing that junior Kaylee wasn't quite so dependent for her mental health on Nash Hudson, the gorgeous senior who pulls her back from the brink when one of her "panic attacks" hits at a club where she and her best friend, Emma, have slipped in illegally. However, this is a novel that is meant to have a big helping of romance (Hi, Harlequin!) and so her leaning on his is meant to underscore just how close they're getting. It's not entirely successful, but this will be a favorite romantic series for die-hard paranormal romance fans.

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You can find Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, as well as Out of Sight, Out of Mind, and My Soul to Take, all 2009 Cybils YA SFF Nominated Books, from an independent bookstore near you!

Turning Pages: More Cybilization Sequels

More sequels to keep you busy in this Cybilization:

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Bloodhound (The Legend of Beka Cooper, Book 2), by Tamora Pierce is an easy novel to get into -- and not just because I read the first book in the series when it came out. Pierce has made sure to leave enough clues to Beka's world in the set up of the novel that the "dogs" and the Provost's guard force seem merely episodic. This time, Beka is being sent away from the town where she lives and her
comfortable place between her friends in the Watch and her friends in the district who are thieves and entertainers -- for her own safety. Beka is resentful that she's being sent to Port Caynn to investigate something as simple as counterfeit coins, but it turns out that not only is there a hunky man to keep her occupied, the investigation heats up all around her. Her "puppy" skills of sinking her teeth into a case and not letting go are crucial, and fans of the series will enjoy watching Beka's Dog skills go Bloodhound, as she and her senior partner do a bit of sleuthing.

Carpe Corpus (Morganville Vampires, Book 6), by Rachel Caine, is another book that I've struggled to get into. Fortunately, since I don't have time to read the previous five volumes, the premise is simple enough: Morganville was doing just fine as a Human/Vampire city, under the auspices of the vampire Amelie, who had marked Claire Danvers as one of her own, to be treated with special care, as a loyal human. Not everyone liked it, but it was...workable. Except that Amelie was overthrown by a bloodthirsty vampire called Bishop. Now her boyfriend and his father, vampire hunters, are held captive, and Morganville is under the thumb of a bloodthirsty, vicious despot. Claire would do anything to save her boyfriend Shane, up to and including begging Bishop for his life, and further gaining the hatred of the townspeople by serving as his errand girl and notifying the townspeople of their status as prey. Amelie's got a plan -- but after all the power plays and bloodshed, it's improbable that Morganville is going to ever be the same.

Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games), by Suzanne Collins, is not a stand-alone either, and readers will step right into the turbulent tale that left off in Book 1. The Capitol is still insane, Peeta and Gale are still the boys Katniss' mind, and President Snow is still scary as heck. Nothing much has changed, even though Katniss is a Hunger Games victor. She's still uneasy, and in a few pages, you'll see that she was right to be. As usual, there are a plethora of choices in front of her, and she doesn't make the right choice at every turn, but oh -- reading the book is a can't-put-it-down, heart-pounding adventure. Have been looking forward to this one!

Recently The Spectacle recently had a two part discussion of this book -- it contains spoilers, be warned, but it's always fun to read what authors think about a popular series.

There are tons more sequels, but these are the ones I've gotten to thus far. Check out some of the earlier books in the series, and enjoy!

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Bloodhound, as well as Carpe Corpus, and Catching Fire, all 2009 Cybils YA SFF Nominated Books, from an independent bookstore near you!

Turning Pages: Cybilization, the Sequel

Happy Kidlit Conference Weekend! Welcome to Cybilization, the Cybil's version of my Turning Pages book reviews.

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I admit that I have a hard time with sequels.
They make the Cybils reading a bit hard for me.

If the sequel you nominated isn't stand-alone, I feel... somewhat obligated to figure out the thread of the story. How else can I honestly say if it's worth putting into my shortlist or not? Unless it's book 8 of a 18 book series, I usually do my best to find and skim at least one previous book in the series. Occasionally, this is really time-consuming.

It's not like I'm going to complain about having a new excuse for reading, though.

This week's Cybil's reading had a whole lot of sequels going on -- but happily, most of them turned out to be awesome.

The Ask and the Answer, The: Chaos Walking: Book Two by Patrick Ness was a tricky book to get into; it's not a stand alone, but is the sequel to The Knife of Never Letting Go, which I've had sitting on my TBR shelf for months. Yes, I've had it, but never read it, fearing an emotional backlash from the many wailing reviewers who said, "Oh, MAN! The ENDING!!!!" I have a horror of endings which leave me waiting a year, in agony. They make me... in a word, cranky. (They make TechBoy even worse, so I generally try to hide books from him that will have him mumbling and walking around kicking things.) Since I had enough other stuff to read, I could avoid that "Oh, MAN!" moment. Did putting off the first book save me? No. I read it in one setting, and plunged into the sequel, which picks up right where the first leaves off. Angst! Violence, danger, torture, war -- these huge themes are simply swirling through The Ask and the Answer, which is gritty and important and real, and talks about human nature and the corrosive nature of absolute power. I was so sure that things would finally be OVER in this book, and then... those last few pages happened. Yes, Virginia, the sequel also ends on a cliffhanger.

Oh, MAN!

On the up side, the UK hardcover version has a REALLY neat, transparent dust cover.

Awakening, The (Darkest Powers, Book 2), by Kelley Armstrong is also not really a stand-alone, but I was thrilled to read the first book in the series. Can you say School Story + Xmen? I love this series to bits. Normal high school student, Chloe, suddenly starts hearing voices and seeing things. A tiny mental breakdown she doesn't want to show up on her school transcripts (never stopping to think that mental issues really aren't the sort of thing to show UP on transcripts. Or are they? I should check my own...) leads her to Lyle House, a group home, filled with Really Weird Kids. Simon is charismatic and gorgeous. His "brother" Derek is huge, acne-ridden, constantly bathing to keep down his rampant b.o., and he's the grumpiest, meanest person EVER. Her roomie is adorable -- but some of the other girls are SERIOUSLY evil. It's just a group home, though. And in two weeks, she'll be going home. Not. Book II picks up with Chloe on the run from this alleged group home, which is not at ALL what she thought it was. Oh, and Simon and Derek aren't at all like she thought they were. And that could be good. Or not.

That little "not" keeps things nicely off-balance, and keeps readers eager to know what's next. Kelley Armstrong is really very good at that, and I look forward eagerly to the rest of this series. I'm not fond of the cover, really, since the novel keeps it real about acne and stuff, and the chick on the cover is airbrushed perfection, but don't worry -- the story more than makes up for any cover inconsistencies.

Blood Promise (Vampire Academy, Book 4), by Richelle Mead is really tough to get into -- but a fourth book in a series is always tough. In previous books, Rose has learned about different kinds of vampires, and their kin, and has made a promise to her friend, Dmitri, that if it ever came down to a choice between him being a good guy or one of the bad guys, she'd make sure he didn't stay on the dark side. Now the Academy's peace has been breached -- students and teachers killed, and the Strigoi have even taken captives. Dmitri has been kidnapped,and it's up to Rose to take him out.

It's a lot easier said than done, when keeping one promise means breaking another.

Because this isn't a stand-alone, and it's so far into the series, I'm not as emotionally invested in Rose and her troubles, but it might be worth reading back a ways to see how this all started.

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You can buy The Ask and the Answer, as well as The Awakening, and Blood Promise, all 2009 Cybils YA SFF Nominated Books , from an independent bookstore near you!

Alice vs. Alice

I have to admit that despite my English degree and being required to read him, I am not that huge a fan of the work of Charles Dodgson/Lewis Carroll. While his wordplay was kind of fun in Jabberwocky, I'm not really good with nonsense over an extended period of time. Some of the literature we studied suggested that there were political aspects to his writing and/or religious overtones, which was a big yawn (sorry, college professors), and then there's the tired argument that he was a pedophile stalking Alice and/or he was on drugs. (Wasn't everyone on drugs in the 19th century? Opium: the choice of the dedicated writer. And then all 20th century writers were drunks. I tell you, it's hard to imagine why I write sober.) I fear I'm a bit too boringly logical to truly and deeply enjoy the surrealist nightmare which is Alice in Wonderland -- but if you take into account that I don't really like The Wizard of Oz, either, you kind of know where I'm coming from.

Nevertheless, people have been fascinated with the Alice thing for ages -- the whole idea of a reversed world that is just on the other side of some metaphorical wall (or hole in the ground), where things you expect to be safe are not, and things which look harmless, like playing cards, can be fatal, and your size can change at a moment's notice. There are two nifty versions of the Alice thing coming out this year -- and one I hadn't taken into account comes from the SciFi -- oh, excuse me, SYFY channel. (Let's not get me started on Imagine Greater. Egregious grammar. Seriously.) Following are both trailers... and I've gotta say that even though I'm not a big Alice fan? I'm excited about both of these.



I thought this first Alice was based on the Frank Beddor Looking Glass Wars series, but it doesn't look like it, not exactly. Can I say how scary good Kathy Bates is, as The Red Queen? Isn't it nice when an actress over thirty can still work and be ...menacing? She does menacing very well indeed. Alice looks a bit frantic, but also like she KICKS people. Which I kind of like. I very much would want to kick people if I fell down a hole and there were all of these ...cards MESSING with me. Only, the Red Queen is remarkably non-flat and multi-dimensional.

Is the padded room scaring anyone else but me?



Can Helena Bonham Carter's head be any bigger? It cracks me up that it STAYS like that. Tim Burton always knows how to make movies that look like some fever dream. I love it. Alice looks fluffy and pretty and ...totally out of her depth. The cat looks like a carnivore.

I still don't get why Alice drinks from the little bottle that says Drink Me. I mean, would you? But I'll get a kick out of watching these new versions of Alice explain how what she does is perfectly normal, and look forward to seeing her modern adventures get underway.

Hat tip to SF Signal

Amtrak, Cybils, and TwiLove...

I saw this at the library the other day, and after I stopped laughing, I snapped a pic. Sometimes... seriously... this is a lot like train travel. The Death Bringers... death by benumbed buns.

Speaking of travel, Aquafortis is safe and sound in Italy, and would be waving hello if she could. (Yeah, right. Italy... blogging. Hmm. Which wins?) Meanwhile, with two days left before Cybils nominations close, the Science Fiction and Fantasy nominations are up to 121! It's going to be a really exciting and hard trek to get all of those books winnowed out to the top ten in YA and MG. We're all looking forward to it.

Remember Problem Novels? Publishers these days don't want to touch them with a ten-foot pole, but not everyone hates them. Back in the day, they were the stuff of which ABC After School Specials were made. They informed generations, and shaped what they thought of teen pregnancy, STDs, and all those other things your parents wanted you to sit down and watch TV about, instead of discussing with them. What's your favorite? CORA wants to know.

A work in progress, now for your listening and viewing pleasure: it's Twilight: The Musical. It's... painful. So, so, painful... and yet, a labor of love, and bad wigs... You know you want to watch.

News-a-Rama: Teen Read Week, Arts & Humanities Month

There's really been a lot going on in the world of literature and related subjects, but because I evidently decided that drowning in work was desirable, I've been just a little overwhelmed--and now, I'll be leaving for a month-long trip (my husband is on sabbatical this year) and may not have much time to tune in via blog, Twitter, or any of the other random ways I pop my head above water.

But ANYWAY. Before I leave. A few things. Our blog bud and writing friend Beth Kephart is Readergirlz Writer in Residence this fall, and we couldn't think of a better person to inaugurate what's hopefully a recurring feature.

Check out Lee Wind's roundtable with authors whose books have recently been challenged, including Ellen Hopkins, E. Lockhart, and Frank Portman. It's a little late for Banned Books Week, but it's never too late to remember that books are challenged year round and not just one week a year...


It's National Arts and Humanities Month--check the map to see if something exciting is happening in your area. (There's a big ol' goose egg happening in MY town. Of course.) Teen Read Week is also coming up this month, with the Readergirlz hosting some incredibly fabulous authors including Patrick Ness (who we like very much), Justina Chen Headley, Cassandra Clare, Cynthia Leitich Smith, and Readergirlz Holly Cupala, Lorie Ann Grover, and Dia Calhoun.

Lastly, but TOTALLY not least, is something that Tanita did not mention here but on her author blog, which is that she is doing a Snoopy dance for the most excellent reason that her latest novel Mare's War is under consideration for the ALA Best Books for Young Adults 2010 list. Woo hoo and Snoopy dancing!! Read more about her book, as well as Sara Lewis Holmes' latest release, and hang out with the two of them and Adrienne and Jules, over at the 7-Imp Dance Party.

Wicked Cool: Luke Harding, FI

Welcome to Wicked Cool Overlooked Books! This first Monday of the month is something special. I'm always on the lookout for WCOB's to get excited about, and this month, I've got SIX.

We always complain there aren't enough good YA mysteries. How do you like your mysteries served with science fiction? I found I liked it just fine.

Published in the UK and the US between 2005-2008, the Traces books by UK author Malcolm Rose are the tightly written first cases in a young Forensic Investigator's professional life.

In Futuristic England, where the North is posh, and the South -- including London and Cambridge -- is a lawless, slum-infested disaster, the Authorities have taken over. They've instituted a few programs, to insure maximum productivity, prosperity and satisfaction for those who participate. The Authorities are in charge of your parenting, education and job placement. They will also arrange a Pairing for you, because they know you best, and can do better for you than you can yourself.

There are few surprises in this new world, because The Authorities strive to take the surprises out of life. Most people are a homogeneous brown -- a perfect multicultural mix. Most people do what they're told, take the jobs they're suited for, and the Pairings they're given. The Authorities don't seem that bad...mostly...

Into this rigidly controlled world, 16-year-old Luke Harding graduates as the youngest forensic investigator, ever. After his start as a smart alec and troublemaker, he has faintly surprised The Authorities with his brilliant deductions. Together with his Mobile Aid to Law and Crime, -- the floating spherical robot he calls Malc -- and his daily breakfast of pomegranates (don't ask.), Luke is pretty happy to be leaving, and is ready to take on the professional world. There are a few small snags, though: first, despite him tampering with her science grades on the school computer, Luke's best friend and girlfriend is a musician, not a scientist, which makes her ineligible to be Paired with him. Next, just after his last final, there's a murder... at the school.

Aside from the ghoulish realities of him having to do his first real case on such familiar ground -- it's just not professional to want to flee or throw up, but when you know the victim, everything is twice as hard -- there's a twist. The person who died is someone he has good reason to dislike. And all the evidence points to Luke himself as the prime suspect.

...Considering the fact that the Mobile Aid is the one who keeps reminding Luke of this, he knows he's got limited time to clear himself. And Malc reports everything Luke says or does in his investigations to The Authorities. Everything.

All of the series have intriguing crimes, and the first in the series, Framed! was selected by the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) and the Children’s Book Council as an Outstanding International Book for 2006. From infiltrating a cult, to tracking down multiple girls with the same name, to solving crimes based on a lightning strike, in a sports arena or hospital, Luke is never unequal to the challenge of finding the meaning in the details. The mysteries are truly challenging, and amateur sleuths will be pleasantly puzzling over the traces of evidence linking suspect to crime.

As a forensic investigator, Luke is in many ways as single-minded as his rather amusingly literal-minded computer. Despite his brilliance, he's not above asking for help from his friends, including Jade, who is allowed as a character to be brilliant in her own arena. As with most crimes in real life, issues of class, race, and culture crop up fictionally as well. In futuristic England, people who are born pigment deficient are ostracized and treated as worrying aberrations. Profiling and "the usual suspects" are dealt with differently as well, encouraging the reader to indulge in some out-of-the-box thinking without making didactic statements of any kind.

The copies I read are paperbacks, and even in paperback there is tremendous attention to creativity and neat bottom-of-the-page effects to make things fun. If you are entertained by tuning out emotional angst and ferreting out clues, enjoy the highly specialized and detail-laden world of forensic investigation, and like your futuristic books to be rooted a bit in the here-and-now, this series will be right up your fjord.

I got my review copies of Malcolm Rose's Traces: Luke Harding, FI series at the Hillhead Public Library, and then actually tracked the last three down at various small bookshops around the UK. I freely admit to being both cheap and poor, so this actual book-buying in a country where I'm going to have to pack them up to go home means I REALLY am now a fan. I'm loving Malcolm Rose books so much I'm looking forward to tracking down his earlier detective series, Lawless & Tilley, too, and really, any other futuristic mysteries of his I can get my hands on.

Of course, you can buy Framed! as well as Lost Bullet, the strange case of Roll Call, the fourth novel, Double Check, the one with the great frog x-ray, Final Lap, and the 2008 mystery, Blood Brothers at an Indie bookseller near you.

Psst!

Those of you who are fans of the great Scott Westerfeld will be pleased to note that, according to SFX Magazine, his Midnighters series will soon be on NBC.

THAT should be interesting. The books alone wouldn't make that great of a long-term series, so I assume the characters will be having other adventures.

ALSO: Apparently I'm a guest at Michael Spradlin's Five On Friday this week. Thanks, Michael!

To All Our Teacher Friends...

Happy Friday, guys.
This was sent by a friend on Facebook, and is allegedly the real answering machine message for a real school in Queensland.

A Fitting Read for Banned Books Week

Although I don't think Barry Lyga's Hero Type has been challenged, I wouldn't be surprised. There's so much in here about freedom of expression, about what it means to be a patriot and what it means to really care about your country—caring enough to do more than just thoughtlessly go through the accepted motions of patriotism.

"Kevin, let's cut to the chase—why don't you want to say the Pledge?"

I want to scream! Why won't anyone actually listen to the words I'm saying instead of hearing what they want to hear? "I never said I didn't want to say it. I just want to know why we have to say it. They're two different things. Can you tell me why we have to say it?"

"Well, you don't have to say it..." The Doc fidgets.

"But everyone does. Ever since we were kids. And no one questions it. No one asks why. We just keep doing it, and if we don't, we get crucified. Like not putting ribbons on our cars."

It's a book about what it means to be a hero, yes, and the different definitions people have of that deceptively simple and brief four-letter word; but on an even broader level it's about ideals and idealism. We all have our ideals that we want to or are expected to live up to, but for the fact that we're also all too human, and more or less imperfect. Kevin Ross, aka Kross—the book's narrator—saved a girl at school from assault by a wanted criminal, but he was just in the right place at the right time, and nobody knows his true reason for being there. If they did, they might not think he was such a hero.

But for now, he's an exemplar for his small, relatively conservative town (the same town of Brookdale where Lyga's other books take place)...that is, until a misunderstanding over some "support the troops" ribbon magnets escalates into a town-wide hullaballoo over free speech and patriotism. Kross, who hangs out with a group of sort-of misfits self-dubbed the Council of Fools, is caught in the middle trying to defend his own opinions from attack, and his friends seem to be equal parts help and hindrance. In the end, what it means to be an ideal hero, an ideal brother, an ideal friend or patriot, really isn't set in stone but is a bit more elusive, perhaps more of a journey or a learning process.

It's possible that some readers might find Kross's rather lengthy moments of realization to be a bit "teach-y" in the sense that they give the book the appearance of having a very clear agenda (which I suppose it does have)--but Kross is a pretty introspective narrator, so it didn't bother me to see his thought process in action. To me, this was another winner from Lyga, who's 3 for 3 with this reviewer.

Get Ready to ***RUMBLE*** (Say this in your best Monster Truck Rally voice, okay?)

Two words: It's ON.
Have you seen the COOL nomination form??? Voting for your favorite picture book, poetry collection, chapter book, MG or YA fiction or speculative fiction -- ONE BOOK PER GENRE, s'il vous plait -- has NEVER been easier.

It's my joy to serve once again on the YA SFF panel, which this year is divided into MG and YA, while Aquafortis is serving as a Graphics Novel judge. We are going to have SO. MUCH. FUN.

Join in. Nominate today!

Dear Sydney Primary Schools: You've Got The Wrong Idea

Twilight is now being challenged, according to The School Library Journal, in Sydney, Australia.

Dear Conservative Sydney Schools (Added for Judith's sake):
Would you believe that some of us Yanks don't like those books either?
(To which the Universe says, "So?")

We may not like it, but we would slap down our library cards to give anyone a chance to read it. We understand not wanting the younger kids to read it, but if their parents are okay with it, you're going to have to let that go. As for restricting it because you're afraid the younger students won't know it's fictional? Have you seen any sparkly vampires lately? If so, you might be in the wrong line of work.

Let it go, Sydney schools. Just grit your teeth and enjoy the sparklies, and try not to trip over anything or mind if someone is looming over you, watching you sleep. It's all in good fun.

With love, FW

HAPPY BANNED BOOK WEEK!

Contests Galore, An Intriging Interview & More Wise Words

Genre Wars. I love it. Via Yat Yee we discover that the Literary Lab is throwing a contest, and you're invited. Submit your 1 - 2,000-word short story in any genre to the wizards at the lab, and win a chance to be included in their anthology (Oooh, magic word), and be republished on their blog. Rules and Details here. And you'll love the Genre Wars button. It made me laugh. Especially that bit about vampires...

Another fun contest comes from our friendly bloggers and writers of speculative fiction. Every year the Bulwer-Lytton challenges wretched writers to reproduce that thrillingly horrible first line, It was a dark and stormy night (which wouldn't have been half so bad without the rest of the paragraph. Yikes). This year, The Spectacle is giving you a chance to do it up right for a chance at a free book and a book card to Powell's. A opening scene -- spooky, suspenseful, succinct. Wordy writers need not apply, 'til they've tighten things up a bit.

Finally, ALICE MCDERMOTT, for those of you in the know, is judging the Inkwell 12TH Annual Short Fiction Contest, with a deadline of October 31st. Big prize, small reading fee... and I can think of a short story or two I've read recently (BROAD HINT, WRITING GROUP) which would qualify. Check it out.

Challenges abound!

One of the best things about the Write Against Racism project at Bowllan's Blog at the School Library Journal is meeting new authors. Just One More Book interviews the indomitable Rukhsana Khan.

Finally, my thought du jour:

HAPPY BANNED BOOKS WEEK!

Just A Lot of Air Pollution

Seems weird that it would take a presidential speech to get this point across: information is free, and you're free to disregard it, too. What's the point of burning a book? It just generates unnecessary smoke, it won't make the information disappear...

HAPPY BANNED BOOKS WEEK!

You're Free to Hate the Book. Just Let ME Read It.

HAPPY BANNED BOOKS WEEK

Turning Pages: Adventure, Travel,Optimism: Say YES!

Oh, the beauty of a run-on sentence, in the higher service of a story:

If the train makes it over the last treacherous gorge, there is a good chance that you and Nancy and Joe will have to deal with werewolves and mad scientists, real ninjas and fake vampires, one roller-skating baby, a talking pig, creatures from another planet (possibly another dimension), killer poetry, clues from classic children's books, two easy riddles, several bad knock knock jokes, plenty of explosions, a monkey disguised as a pirate, two meatballs, a blue plastic Star Wars lunch box (missing its matching thermos), three ticking clocks, and not just one bad guy - but a whole army of villains, cads, scalawags, sneaks, rats, varmints, and swindlers. Also several desperadoes, a gang of evildoers, and one just plain bad egg. - from Episode 1 of The Exquisite Corpse, by Jon Scieszka.

Is it just me, or is the Library of Congress becoming suddenly unbearably cool? I mean, check out the The American Memory Collection -- it will knock your socks off. And a National Ambassadors for Young People's Literature? Since when did they suddenly get that books and kids and the combination thereof was beyond cool? And now they're hosting this gorgeous crazy project called The Exquisite Corpse, which is really that same game we played during rainy recesses in junior high, where we wrote part of a story, folded the page over, and passed it to the next person to write the next chapter, and the next...

It's so much fun, and the more nutty creative the people with whom you have to play, the better it gets. Ambassador Scieszka really has invited some great people to play. The one-and-only M.T. Anderson. Kate DiCamillo. Shannon Hale. Nikki Grimes. The amazing Susan Cooper. DANIEL HANDLER. And there's MORE fun people, some of whom I don't recognize. But wouldn't you have been tickled to be invited?

But, you HAVE. You can read it online, and turn each lovely page, or there's an RSS feed, and you don't have to miss a single episode. THIS is what it means to have fun with words, and to enjoy a story. What a great thing, to show kids you can HAVE FUN WITH IT. Hat tip to Leila for the 411.

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Sarla is sick to death of living with her always rushed, always running, super-glam reporter mother. Sure, it's a kick to eat take-out and have someone who has a steady stream of interesting boyfriends, but every once in awhile, it'd be nice if Sarla's mother could put her first, and her high-profile job second.

But being embedded with the troops in Tarkestan won't wait, and with her mother's last minute change of plans Sarla's usual options are all gone. Everyone is already gone for summer vacation. Even her Auntie Piloo is off to see her guru in Bangalore, and no way is Sarla going to tag along for that madness. It looks like she's going to be shuttled off again -- but this time to her grandparent's place in Daroga, India.

Obviously, a village in India is a far, far cry from London. There are the surface things -- the weird smells and the heat and the awkwardness she feels in her London threads while others wear the traditional salwar kameez. But the not-so-surface things are even worse -- the fact that her mother hasn't been back to see her parents in FIVE YEARS, because they had a massive blowout no one will tell her about. The strange way her grandparent's driver and cook dote on her, and the way their granddaughter, Bina, seems to disapprove of her.

Sarla's no stranger to disapproval -- and with optimism -- sometimes misplaced, and enthusiasm -- sometimes unwelcome, she dives in to her summer break in India, hoping to find out something new about who she is, and where she comes from.

What she finds out includes heartache and family secrets, and is bigger than she could have ever guessed.

If you've never heard of Phoolan Devi, the so-called Bandit Queen of India, or really read a lot about the caste system, this book will be an eye-opener. Told in two voices, from Sarla's London perspective, and from the perspective of Bina, whose humble caste is expected to narrow her life choices, INDIAN SUMMER is a captivating look at modern India, how its relationship with colonialism created it as it is now, and how its young people are leading it into the future.

And other than all of that sociological stuff, it's a darned good story. But don't take my word for it. Check out Susan Whelan's review at Suite 101.

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Obviously I am not unbiased. When I got a chance to read OPERATION YES, by beloved fellow blogger Sara Lewis Holmes, the full expectation was that I would, of course, feel about it as I feel about Sara. I expected Big Time Good, a read-through-in-one-sitting kind of thing.

Well, halfway through, I had to get up and walk. I had to sniffle. I had to write down a few quotes that resonated. When I was finished reading, I had to read it again.

And say, "Huh."

With themes of kindness and community reminiscent of the 1997 Newbery-winner, The View from Saturday, OPERATION YES is a transcendent novel that breaks down the potential of the human spirit into 6th grade vessels. Even without the compelling bonds of friendship, I'd say OPERATION YES is better than good. Thought-provoking. Wonder-producing. Solidly magical.

If a military-themed novel seems like it'd be short on wonder to you, that's because you haven't yet met the floor-crawling and tattooed Miss Loupe, the denizens of Room 208 at the dilapidated Young Oaks Elementary, and the cast and characters in the town of Reform, North Carolina.

Young Oaks is a school that's heard a lot of No's. Mrs. Heard is the principal who would really like a "Yes!" from the School Commission to fix all of the broken sidewalks and backed up plumbing. Mr. Nix, whose very name says "No!" is the first-grade teacher, who would like all students to say "Yes!" to coloring only in the lines. (It wouldn't do for them to fall into The Quagmire of Ignorance.) Many of the students at Young Oaks would like to say "Yes!" to not being bored, to understanding all the rules, and to staying in one place long enough for it to feel like home.

"Yes!" doesn't always come as fast as we want it to.

"Yes, Sir!" or "Yes, Ma'am" are two of the wisest words you'll ever utter to a commanding officer. However, if you're not a soldier, but a 6th grader living in Reform, that "yes" can come awfully hard. It's almost impossible to say yes when you feel like you've got no choices.

But saying "Yes!" means making room in yourself for something special to happen. When Miss Loupe slips into her special black stealth slippers, she teaches the students in her run-down classroom how to say "Yes!" to life. They learn to fall correctly -- because sometimes you get hit. They learn to be disciplined enough to relax into the unexpected -- because the unexpected can either be just a crack in your window, or a new way to let in light.

Learning to roll with the punches life throws isn't just about theater or art. It's a life skill. And OPERATION YES is a book about learning not only to say yes, but to move that yes around and pay it forward, to others who might need help in believing in it.

The magic of this book is difficult to articulate -- I refuse to oversimplify it with a plot description, which just pulls it down to quantifiable nuts and bolts. It's like explaining flight - it's hard to get impressed until you lift off of the ground.

OPERATION YES lifts off. And flies. But don't take my word for it. Check out Lesa's Book Salon.

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These books were all library borrowed, purchased, or, author gifts. You can find Indian Summer and both The View from Saturday, as well as Operation Yes from an independent bookstore near you!

Life on Earth, Life in Space

It seems like it's a reading extravaganza around here lately, between Tanita and me. On the average, I would generally insist that Tanita reads much more quickly than I do, but I also have a tendency to (sort of counter-intuitively) devour books with a vengeance when I have a lot of other things going on—I'll work very intensely for a while, then I'll need a brain break and I'll sit with coffee and a book for longer than is strictly necessary. Anyway, here are the last couple of novels that I enjoyed.

Firstly, I finally got around to reading Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson. I think that every book I read by her I've enjoyed just a bit more than the last. I liked 13 Little Blue Envelopes a lot, in particular, but also felt like certain aspects weren't quite "there" in terms of the execution, though I adored the overall premise. I did NOT feel that way about Suite Scarlett, and in fact, I was quite pleased with both the premise (also quirky and intriguing—fifteen-year-old Scarlett and her siblings are growing up in a shabby-chic New York hotel) and the overall reading experience.

Scarlett is the second-youngest of four, and on her fifteenth birthday (like her older brother Spencer and older sister Lola) she receives the key to one of the hotel's suites—and assumes responsibility for taking care of its guests. But that summer's guest in her suite—the flamboyant Mrs. Amberson—ends up being quite a bit more than Scarlett bargained for, in good ways and not-so-good ways. Meanwhile, Scarlett's dealing with family drama and trying to negotiate a tricky first love. This story has multiple layers, all of them interesting, and each character is unique and vivid and really comes alive. A wonderfully unconventional story of coming into one's own independence in a close-knit family full of strong personalities.

Old Man's War by John Scalzi isn't a YA novel, but it's a good sci-fi space war adventure that will definitely appeal to older YA readers. If you enjoy writers like John Varley or books like Anne McCaffrey's Sassinak--both of which I read as a teenager—then this might be a good series to try out. This first book in the series is narrated by John Perry, who's 75 years old and just about to embark on his new life and new career—as an army grunt in the Colonial Defense Forces. It's some unspecified time in the future, far enough that humanity has entered space, but near enough that life on earth continues in a pretty similar manner to what we're used to. Except that, once you get old enough, it's an option to sign up to spend the last years of your life in the CDF, which is reputed to have the technology to make you more youthful again, though nobody really knows what you do once you get there, because nobody ever returns from the colonies. But John Perry's wife has died, and he's got nothing else he wants to do, so he's about to find out what it's all about.

His narrative voice is sharply witty, and as a character he's honorable but down-to-earth, which makes it easy to get absorbed in his story no matter how weird it gets. There's also a lot here about what it means to be human, on a physical as well as a philosophical level. It reminds me of (and here the geek comes out) Star Trek: The Next Generation at its best, with alien races competing for domination of the universe forming an action-packed backdrop for the character issues. "Hard SF" fans should definitely check it out.

Cybils, Kidlitcon, and Other News

If you haven't visited the Cybils website lately, check out the latest news, including introductions to the organizers, who's on what panels, and more--and you can even download a nifty logo to post on your blog. Nominations are open October 1 - 15 for books published between last year's contest and this year's contest, so don't forget to go nominate.

The Kidlitosphere Conference '09 in Washington, D.C. is coming up really quickly--are you registered yet? This unmissable annual gathering of children's and YA bloggers, independent reviewers, and online literacy advocates is scheduled for Saturday, October 17. Panel conversations, breakout sessions on social networking, a look at building a better blog, sessions on giving back to the community, and much more are on the docket. Though I can't go this year, I had a wonderful time last year and can't recommend it highly enough.

I was truly bummed to hear that Just One More Book is going on hiatus at least temporarily and perhaps for the long term. I don't have much to say that hasn't already been said by others in the comments, but I DO hope it's temporary. JOMB are the go-to guys for children's lit podcasts, and this is really a loss.

On a lighter note, I learned from the folks at GraphicNovelReporter.com tipped me off to a VERY cool initiative called The Comic Book Project, which is "an arts-based literacy and learning initiative hosted by the nonprofit Center for Educational Pathways with materials published by Dark Horse Comics. The goal of the project is to help children forge an alternative pathway to literacy by writing, designing, and publishing original comic books." Learning how to make comic books in school, as a learning tool--I love this idea so much, and kudos to those involved.

Lastly, hot off the press is Chasing Ray's latest post What a Girl Wants #7: Because We Are Not All Rich Girls. I'm going off to read it right now--don't miss it or the other installments in the series for some amazing insights from YA writers.

Turning Pages: History, Assumption and Mystery

Happy Tuesday! Time now for another jaunt through the world of What I've Been Reading:

In 1885, there are names for children born from husbandless women. Marianne has known the name and known the word all of her life, and borne the brunt of its cruelty. No matter what the village girls in Grimsby say, her mother loved her father, and the two had made promises. The Danish boy had said he would come back for her, and she'd held on to the promise, borne her baby alone, been turned out of her father's house with barely more than the clothes on her back. She and her daughter have eked out a living with embroidery and thrift, but in the end, it isn't enough. She is dying, and has only her dream left to give.

Just before her death, Marianne's mother shows her daughter the store of coins she has been hoarding to buy their passage to Denmark, in hopes of finding her lost love. There was never enough for both of them, but now, there will be well enough for Marianne alone. It's time for her to find her father.


Burdened with a letter for her erstwhile father, and by this new knowledge that her mother withheld money that could have eased her long illness, knowing nothing other than England and terrified of being alone in the world, Marianne nevertheless promises her mother that she will fulfill her final wish, leave the village, and set out for shores unknown. And when her mother dies, Marianne sets out alone on a search for her identity that takes her worlds away from England, to a ramshackle fishing village with a stern old man, a wily artist, needy children, kindly villagers, and a pair of young men who become more dear to her than she could have guessed.

This book was put out by Oxford University Press, and it's just not that often that you find YA novels from that a university publisher. However, this novel is so richly layered with historical detail about 19th century Denmark, the artisan villages of Skagen and Frederikshavn, and Danish life in the 1880's that it definitely rates that Oxford cachet. Marianne is stubborn and brave, and though there are few surprises, readers will give a sigh of satisfaction as she weathers the bumps and bruises of living on her own, and achieves her happily ever after.

But don't take my word for it, read the Guardian's review.

---

When Pakistan-born Halima's father moves the family to London, their whole world expands. Halima and her siblings make friends, and unlike their non-English speaking parents, are able to make their way in British society. For awhile, it seems that Halima can do anything. But a family secret is uncovered when she confides a budding crush to her older, married sister. Halima discovers that in return for a favor, when she was eight, her father arranged her marriage to the son of a stranger, who now works in Saudi Arabia. Halima is told she is owed to this man, and as the novel tagline repeats triumphantly, "It's Payback time."

Wow.
I can't tell you how much I hate the title of this book. However, I believe that visceral reaction is deliberately provoked. Here's why: It's fairly significant that most of Western society has one fixed idea about women in Islamic culture. Because of the largely patriarchal society of most of Muslim countries, there is the assumption that all Muslim women are victims.


Rosemary Hayes uses an Irish character to act as a foil to Halima's understanding of the world. At every turn, Kate challenges Halima, as if without her Western understanding of the women's rights and the world, Halima just wouldn't "get it." Though Halima is characterized as brave, it's a bit sad to me that anyone else who loves her, including her mother, are characterized as powerless -- except if they're British. Once the specter of an arranged marriage is raised, Saudi Arabia and the full burqa are only a few steps off.

To read a book that doesn't play on Western fears of the Muslim world and fails to allow a handsome prince to save the say, read Does My Head Look Big In This? or Skunk Girl. While there's definitely good and bad in every religion or culture, when we don't understand something and prejudge it/write about it anyway, we're walking on thin, thin ice. It's really important, as a reader and a writer, to remember that old saw about what happens when people assume.

---

Initially I resisted picking them up. Georgette Heyer was a name I associated with long afternoons after church, sitting quietly and choking on Grace Livingston Hill novels given to me by a well-meaning auntie. I thought that Heyer wrote the particularly Moral and awful romances where a saintly, pious maid was handed her Happily Ever After and her Perfect and Bland Prince on a spotless polished platter when a Willful and Stubborn girl who had tried to take her own happiness in hand and find someone with actual blood in their veins was appropriately punished for her Waywardness and Wicked Deeds. Even when I was ten I knew there was something VERY WRONG with that scenario, thus I avoided Georgette Heyer -- whose name I had somehow mixed up with Grace Livingston Hill's -- like the plague.

Except Leila said she was such a good writer.

Leila isn't usually wrong about romances. Leila isn't usually wrong about mysteries. Leila is not usually wrong about historical fiction. Leila isn't usually wrong about anything bookish. Which kind of sucks, because there's nothing I like more than a good argument, but there you have it. Some people just aren't wrong.

So, when seeing a carelessly flung aside Heyer on a library shelf in the Crime section, I thought of Leila, and picked it up. It was published in 1953, which would at least be amusing, I thought.

It was a bit more than that.

And oh, the artless women, the scheming men. The snooty British disdain. The callow and American gangster-obsessed youth. The hilariousness. Oh, the snarky, well-written prose. Oh, the funny.

An unexpected surprise, the funny was.

This book has such a labyrinthine plot that I hardly want to tell you any of it, for fear that the way I tell it will give something away. Facts I can tell you are this: there was a very dull family party, to which a few business people were invited. During the course of the party, before the business persons took their leave, a venture was discussed. The person who would finance it turned it down as a bad risk.

When the guests were gone, the financier took his usual nightly walk in the fog, except this time he fell to his death. A shame, really, on the night of his 60th birthday. Well, accidents happen. Of course, not everyone thinks it was an accident...

You'll meet a reoccurring member of the Scotland yard, the exasperated Superintendent Hannasyde, as well as a razor-tongued old lady, a convenient thug, and manifold other Characters. Like the novel version of Clue, this book is a romp, and I can't wait to delve through various used bookstores and large-print library selections to find the rest of Heyers' mysteries.

So, that's what I've been reading lately. Good times. You can find Between Two Seas, as well as They Found Him Dead, and, after November, 2009, Payback from an independent bookstore near you.

Mid-September Reading Roundup: Origami, Trees, and Anger

1001 Cranes by Naomi Hirahara is one I had on my library request list recently, a middle-grade/younger YA story that focuses on themes of family--both growing closer to and apart from, on growing up Japanese-American in California, and on opening oneself up to friendship in unexpected places. Twelve-year-old Angie was named by her radical hippie parents after Angela Davis, but those same parents aren't getting along so well right now, and so they're leaving Angie with her Gramps, Grandma Michi, and Aunt Janet down in Gardena for the summer.

Angie's always been told not to monku, or complain, but spending a summer helping her grandmother with folding paper crane displays for special events isn't her idea of a fun summer, especially when she can't meet her grandmother's exacting standards and feels like she can't manage to say or do anything right--even the people she tries to make friends with don't seem to be good enough. This isn't an easy novel to describe in just a few words, but fundamentally, the story is about crossing bridges, about learning to reach out to people and truly try to understand them--whether they be family, friends, or even relative strangers--and know that the surface isn't the whole story.

Ann Brashares' Sisterhood books are sort of a guilty pleasure for me, so I kind of sheepishly grabbed her latest book, 3 Willows: The Sisterhood Grows, off the new YA shelf at my library. Like the Sisterhood books, this one follows the intertwining stories of three young women over the course of a summer, all of whom will be starting high school in the fall. But unlike the Sisterhood books, they aren't inseparable; they aren't united by an almost-magical bond. In fact, though they used to be friends, they aren't close now. And the summer doesn't look like it's going to change that.

Ama's going away to wilderness camp, appalled and angry that she didn't get chosen for the academic program she wanted, uncomfortable with the other teenagers there, and convinced there was some kind of mistake. Jo is going with her mother to her parents' beach house to work a summer job busing tables at a boardwalk restaurant, but when she gets involved with a cute older boy, the situation starts to get out of hand. Polly, meanwhile, feels lonely and abandoned. She decides to take matters into her own hands and make some changes in her life, changes that will make her just as exciting and grown-up as everyone else. Brashares has a knack for creating distinctive and memorable characters, and I got exactly what I wanted out of this book--three intertwining stories not only of friendship but of finding one's personal inner strength despite what may seem like long odds. I guess I'm a sucker for a good strength-through-adversity story.

Speaking of three stories, Angry Management by Chris Crutcher is literally that--three stories, all involving characters from his other novels. They're loosely connected by a frame story in which all the characters have been placed in an anger management group, but I didn't really need that part, to be honest (and actually, it seemed a little goofy to me, I'm sorry to say). It was the short stories--or novellas, maybe--themselves that were the main attraction.

I actually don't know what to say about these, they're so good. I don't want to risk ruining them by summarizing, but I will say that they deal with not just anger but every other gripping theme under the sun--reluctant friendships that teach you something unexpected, learning to survive abuse and abandonment, facing down injustice even in your own family, the horrific ramifications of small-mindedness and prejudice. Race, gender, sexuality--Crutcher doesn't shy away from any of it. All I can say is, read it.

Thursday Twitter-tacular

An enormous number of fantastic links have appeared in my Twitter feed this morning, so I thought I'd share them here. I was going to post a couple of reviews, but I guess that'll wait until tomorrow!

Firstly, via Jen Robinson, Laini Taylor's newest Dreamdark novel, Silksinger, is scheduled for publication today. Hooray, Laini!

Mitali talks about the importance of books mirroring one's own experience as critical to self-acceptance while growing up, and to increased self-knowledge as an adult.

Have you seen Afrogeek Mom and Dad?? Today they post about teaching comics in a college class. How cool are these guys? (And how much do I want to take that class???) (Thanks to Susan at Chicken Spaghetti for the link!)

Via the Neil-man himself, a new short story contest--alas, only for already-published writers in the UK and Ireland, but get a load of the judging slate!! Nick Hornby? A.S. Byatt? Hanif Kureishi?? Holy Jebus.

Lastly, a little bit of fun thinking back to the good old days when my mom read aloud to me...over at Booklights, Mother Reader talks about favorite read-aloud chapter books, and invites you to post about your faves, too.

Back tomorrow with reviews!

"Sitting at the Popular Kids' Table"

Wow, have I heard that phrase a few times this week!
Here and now I think I should say: I've never been a popular kid. (Can't say for sure about Aquafortis; but I think she was at least approachable, if still popular...) You can still come and sit with us in the kidlitosphere cafeteria. We don't throw food.

Well, not too often.

"If you really want to promote your books most effectively then you have to become part of the blogosphere, plain and simple. You have to spend the time to cultivate a readership which means regular posts on interesting topics."

Chasing Ray writes this week a nice letter welcoming authors to the kidlitosphere table, and explaining a few things about blog tours. Authors unsure about blog tours and under pressure from publicists to have one, please read; it's just a few simple rules for success.

Linda Joy @ The Spectacle points us to a recent great article from Strange Horizons YA SFF blogger Karen Healey, reporting on the Melbourne Writer's Festival. The panel titled, "Taking Over The Grown-ups Table" made me wince a bit, but Karen's fresh-breath-of-air perspective on the lovely collusion of young adult and speculative fiction was great. Here's a snippet from her column, which she writes to for "criticism, examination, and, most definitely, celebration" of YA speculative fiction:

"Speculative works aimed at young people don't just dominate young adult literature sales; they dominate fiction sales. The Harry Potter series famously prompted the split of the New York Times bestseller lists into Adult and Children's, and then further split Children's into "series" and "individual" titles. The Twilight saga took four of the top ten positions in most bestseller lists last year, and Stephenie Meyer actually made book tours cool, speaking to lecture halls packed with teenage fans.

SF fandom isn't graying. SF fandom is young. It's writing fanfic, climbing into cosplay, and getting favourite characters and quotes tattooed on its unwrinkled skin. It may come to regret the last, but the sincerity of that devotion cannot be doubted.

YA speculative fiction isn't going anywhere. Hopefully some adult SFF lovers will come over to the Dark Side and join us. Or the kids' table. Or wherever the heck we are.

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The ever-awesome Debbie Ridpath Ohi blogs, cartoons at twitters @Inkygirl.com.

Bits & Pieces

September kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month. Celebrate with Paper Tigers!

Ooh! Pay attention, people! Jon Scalzi's Big Idea this week is YA author Megan Crewe, talking about her new book, GIVE UP THE GHOST. A twist on the "I See Dead People" thing, Megan's character sees dead people... and likes them better than the living. They don't bug her, don't shun her, don't gossip about her and participate in the other high-school human sacrifices. But... okay, really. Where is it going to get you in life, preferring the dead to the living? Check out what Megan has to say.

(Scalzi's previous day's post is also quite good. Read there reasons that AUTHORS ARE NOT PUT ON EARTH TO READ YOUR UNSOLICITED ARC's OR MANUSCRIPTS. You think I'm overreacting by typing in all caps? Think again.)

Fresh from her success with Graceling and her newest novel, Fire, Kristin Cashore joins readergirlz tonight at 6pm Pacific/9pm Eastern, for a live chat. Don't miss this chance to sharpen up your author interviewing skillz!

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a Superhero! I'm enjoying the Gratz's DragonCon 2009 pictures way more than I should. I envy people who are good at sewing and can whip up a costume and participate in such divine madness every year. TOO cool. Maybe some year the Kidlitosphere Conference will have people come in children's lit costumes. No? Oh, well. It was just a thought. The Kidlitosphere World is cranked up to full steam, as we begin plans for the 2009 season of The Cybils. Visit the site to get a button! Coming soon: The Winter Blog Blast Tour! We anticipate interviewing some intriguing people here in November.

The Kidlitosphere Conference is on its way, October 17th. Grab some swag and find out what you can do to help.

In Book News: Color Online announces Paula Chase Hyman's blog tour for Flipping the Script,

There are THREE MORE DAYS 'til you can get your hands on a copy of Dreamdark,, the Silksinger sequel by Laini Taylor,

And Robin Brande's new YA novel, FAT CAT is due to be released in October, BUT, five lucky people can score their very own advanced reader's copies. Contest details to come soonest.

In honor of yesterday's release of Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters Miss Rumphius points us to directions on to escape a giant octopus. Thank you, I needed extra fodder for the nightmares, Tricia.

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!

"Purest stagecraft."

Congratulations, Sara Lewis Holmes for the lovely, shiny star from Booklist! No matter what anyone says, you're always a star to us -- it's just nice to have other people acknowledge that!

Kudos!

Some Things Are Just Creepy.

...like all the emails I got begging me to join Friendster. Like the idea of "Followers" on a Twitter account. (Do I WANT followers!? Need them?) Like the idea of "friending" someone. Really. It is NOT a verb.

Hat tip to Inky Girl: Diversions for Writers.

And Now, A Word From Our... Um... Sponsors.

A Google search of TBR will bring up the following:
Thornton Burns Recruitment
The Black Road
Technology Business Research (Inc.)
Tennessee Board of Regents

None of those is important. The Fifth definition is the one you want. TBR Tallboy.

You: Writer, hopeful or successful, tired of being a reader, tentatively moving toward being a writer...
TBR Tallboy: TBR Tallboy, a hip, low-tech, chapbook style fiction 'zine, successful after only one issue, filled with stories from atrociously talented writers, if I do say so myself.
You: Eagerly submitting, for fame and fortune, if not monetary compensation.
TBR Tallboy: DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 30th, don't miss it.
You: Wishing to read TBR, Issue 1, holding up a fiver, eagerly waiting for the mail.

You & TBR Tallboy. It's a match.

That is all.

Two words for you:

Amish. Romances.

Srsly.

Hat tip to Gail at Original Content.