interactivereader

Blog the Mondor

2008-10-13T14:29:00.001-07:00

As most of the kidlitblogosphere knows by now, Colleen Mondor and I are great friends. I think she's brilliant, outspoken (in a good way), and capable of galvanizing the masses through her writing and sheer force of personality.

Join in on her newest project - Blog the Vote - and Please go spend a few minutes reading her post today - but before you go, take a deep breath.

NIGHT BITES

2008-10-06T17:20:00.000-07:00

I'll just let the video speak for itself, those of you who haven't seen it yet:

Roundtable, Part 1 of 2: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

2008-10-01T19:11:00.000-07:00

From Little Willow:

In 2006, the young adult novel Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan quickly became a bestseller. Right away, it won the hearts of readers, then won literary praise and honors, including the first-ever Cybils Award for YA Fiction. Jackie and I (Little Willow) served on the Cybils YA panel that inaugural year, and will do so again this year (have you nominated yet?). Now that Nick & Norah has been selected to be the book of the month at readergirlz, it has given us another excuse to talk about this fast-paced story. (Come back next week to find out what each of us thought about the movie.) We had fun collaborating on this piece. We hope you'll enjoy the ride. Time to turn up the Playlist.

Are you more like Nick or more like Norah?

Little Willow: Nick, maybe. Like Nick, I write songs (but my music is unlike his) and I'm against drinking or doing anything that would harm my body or alter my awareness. Like Norah, I want to have full control over my life and my decisions.

Jackie: You know, I've been thinking about this question for awhile now, and I don't know the answer. I think maybe Nick, just because he seemed more awkward and unsure of himself, which is definitely something I can identify with.

Have you ever taken an impulsive trip to or through a big city?

Little Willow: I can't say that I have. I don't have an impulsive bone in my body! This book let me travel through a night in New York, somewhere I've never been. (Someday, Broadway! You're gonna hear from me!)

Jackie: OOO. One of the BEST road trips I've had was with my best friend in high school and college. We just got in the car and drove east. No destination. No reservations. No expectations. Some camping gear and maps. I think I have more crazy memories from that one trip than many other trips combined. We started in Grand Rapids, MI and ended up in Boston, but didn't really spend any time there before we had to come back. We also hit Albany, Toronto, Niagra Falls, and Quebec (which was very disarming). Not in that order, though. All in one week. It was fantastic. I should plan LESS, now that I reminded about how impulsive that was.

What was your favorite part of the book?

Jackie: Well, I've thought a lot about Borscht since reading the novel. Haven't broken down and had it yet. I blame my childhood horror of beets.

Little Willow: I have never had borscht, though I like beets. I bought a can of shoestring beets today, in fact.

Jackie: I'm less afraid of beets these days. Especially the non-red ones I see at the farmer's markets.

Little Willow: Seriously, though, my favorite moments include . . . . . the Absolution of Nick, the consideration and explanation of tikkun olam, the rain, and the very end.

Jackie: My most vivid memory of the book is of the ice machine scene, but overall my FAVORITE is simply the sense of how amazing, unexpected, and life-altering one night can be. I think it is actually the contemplative moments near the end that really capture that. It was so well done.

Have you read any other books by Cohn or Levithan?

Jackie: I've read their other collaboration, Naomi & Ely's No Kiss List (which didn't quite live up to the admittedly high bar of N&N). I've also read Cohn's Cupcake and You Know Where to Find Me. I've been meaning to read more Levithan for ages, but haven't managed to get around to it, so I've only read the modern classic that is Boy Meets Boy. I know that I'd love them all, but, well, time. Sigh.

Little Willow: I know that you have a huge stack of books to read, Jac, but I hope that you'll add more books by these authors to the top of that pile. If you liked Cupcake, then you simply must read Shrimp and Gingerbread, the other two books in the CC trilogy by Rachel Cohn. I've read all of their individual novels plus their two collaborative novels. Rachel's books feel real. David's writing has this amazing poetic quality, and he tends to employ very thoughtful narrators. Levithan has also contributed to or edited a number of anthologies.

Jackie: I really want to read Wide Awake and Marley's Ghost, but I just haven't picked them up. I want to see Cohn do a graphic novel. Of course now that MINX is gone (boo! hiss! you didn't give the line enough time DC!), that seems less likely.

Little Willow: Oh, I would love to see what she would write for a graphic novel! Have you seen David's contribution in the anthology First Kiss (Then Tell)?

Jackie: No. I tend to avoid things with Kiss actually in the title. Also, not a huge anthology or short story reader. I'm always disappointed I can't spend more time with the characters I love so quickly in short stories, so I avoid the inevitable pain.

Little Willow: Tell is fun, and it has a lot of authors you know and love . . . Nudge, nudge.

Do you have any personal anthems?

Little Willow: Since I'm the music-obsessed person who put forth that question, let me tell you how I define personal anthems: favorite songs that capture something that happened to me or something important about me. One of my personal anthems is "The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World, which conveys my optimism and patience:

It just takes some time
Little girl, you're in the middle of the ride
Everything, everything will be just fine
Everything, everything will be all right, all right

Jackie: When I drove across country, alone, to move to a new city where I knew no one, I had most of my friends and family create mixed CDs for me to listen to on the way out. I found my personal anthem for that period of my life in the first mixed CD I listened to. It's "Extraordinary Machine" by Fiona Apple:

If there was a better way to go then it would find me
I can't help it, the road just rolls out behind me
Be kind to me, or treat me mean
I'll make the most of it, I'm an extraordinary machine

I'm seeing some similarities between your song and mine, LW.

If you had to create a playlist that captured the feeling and events of 2008 so far, would you know what to put on it? Name one of the songs you'd use.

Jackie: Oh, that's a tough one. I don't know if I can only pick one... So... I won't. Here are two:

- "Wow and Flutter" by April Smith because there has been a lot of personal change for me this year, and I think there's something in Smith's lyrics that reflects all those changes. Plus, it's just totally fun to listen to.

- Ingrid Michaelson. Not one song. All of them. Every last one of them means something to me this year.

Apparently, I've got something for singer/songwriter chicks from NYC. Huh. I wonder what that says. At least that part matches the book some... *Jackie grins*

Little Willow: I like making playlists. I made one for Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, in fact. For my personal 2008 playlist, I might select "Too Much To Live For" by Lucy Woodward.

N&N is definitely for older teens. Have you seen or heard any opposition to the book? Does it make you cautious when recommending it?

Jackie: I honestly haven't had any personal, real life, objections to the book, but I've heard a lot of complaining online about the language. Since I swore a lot when I was N&N's age, I can't say that I'm really one to criticize on that front. It isn't a book I'd give to just anyone though. I'd really have to have a feel for them. This is, of course, if the book was ever on the shelf, which it hasn't been since the movie trailer started to play.

Little Willow: I don't swear. I'm not kidding when I say that I live a G-rated life. N&N is no less than PG-13. Due to language and certain situations and scenes, I tend it give N&N to people over, say, 15 years of age. I haven't had any customers respond negatively to it after reading it. I've had some good chats with readers about this book. In fact, I now know of at least four different teens that have become Levithan followers. We passed around How They Met earlier this year and discussed that as well.

How do you feel about the new cover for the paperback? It's a lot different from the original?

Jackie: I'm pretty "meh" about it. I think way fewer guys will pick it up now with that heart on it. And that's a shame.

Little Willow: I like both covers. I think the first one is more gender-neutral and suited to the punk-rock blurred-night fast-happenings feel of the book. However, I love purple and I love cityscapes, so I really like the look of the paperback cover. The movie cover is cute, too. I wish that the flyers and posters had the proper name beside the proper person! Michael's name is beside Kat, and Kat's name is beside Michael. Speaking of which...

Do you plan on seeing the movie? How do you think the movie will compare to the book?

Jackie: I'm so there. I'm braced for significant change, but I'm hoping since it's been some time since I've read the book that it will simply be true to the SPIRIT of the novel. That'll probably be good enough for me. What I fear is that all the best parts are in the preview, and that there's nothing else to see...

Little Willow: I saw a screening towards the end of September. I knew in advance some of the things that had been changed - the trailers and casting gave some of that way - but I don't want to spoil anything for you. Would you like to talk about the movie after you've seen it and compare it to the book?

Jackie: Yep.

(Little Willow grins.)

Tune in next week for our reactions to the film version of Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. Prepare yourself for spoilers, applause, and other stuff.

Nick & Norah featured in the October 2008 issue of ReaderGirlz

Interactive Reader Book Review: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
Bildungsroman Book Review: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

What? Almost OCTOBER? Well that means....

2008-09-26T00:11:00.000-07:00

CYBILS!!!

I am again heading up the Young Adult Fiction category! I'm honored and amazed that they are letting me do it again this year (suckers). The panel was announced earlier today on the Cybils blog. I'm so excited about the participants this year (this is not to say I don't love everyone I've worked with on this panel for the last two years. I do. Most definitely.), there are some new names, and some old names, and some people I'm just really happy to maybe have the opportunity to get to know better. And SO, HERE'S THE 2008 YA FIC PANEL!:

Organizer: Jackie Parker Interactive Reader (hee hee!)

Panelists (Round I judges)

Leila Roy Bookshelves of Doom ( I <3>

Rebecca Laney Becky's Book Reviews (2nd year in this position)

Amanda Snow A Patchwork of Books (a varied, well-written, and astute blog)

Trisha Murakami The Ya Ya Yas (alumna here too!)

Kate Fall Author2Author (I'm eager to get to know Kate!)

Jocelyn Pearce Teen Book Review (Here's a first - an actual teen on this panel!)

Abby Johnson Abby (the) Librarian (I like librarians)

Judges (Round II)

Jackie Parker Interactive Reader (my 1st time judging!)

Sarah Stevenson Finding Wonderland, Readers' Rants (Hey, I've actually met this one!)

Allie/Little Willow Bildungsroman (Allie is one of my peeps.)

Lili Wilkinson Inside a Dog (Hey! That's Aussie-land! And a d&mn good site if you aren't familiar)

Casey Titschinger Avid Teen Reader (I dig a blog that isn't afraid to say "meh" about a book.)

The FUN begins on October 1st!

KidLit '08

2008-09-17T07:35:00.000-07:00

I kept telling myself all summer long, "Things will settle down in September, things will slow down in September." Yeah, right. I'm so far behind my eyeballs are getting poked by the piles I'm wading in.

HOWEVER, I am going to the Kidlit Blogger's Conference in Portland next weekend (hmm. perhaps I should buy me [and Colleen]some train tickets...). It's going to be the best blend of fun and info, so if you haven't already decided you're coming - now's the time. TUESDAY is absolutely the very last day to decide on it. They've got to know by then. Take a look at who's coming. And what's happening.

If you know you can't come, but want to support the cause, check out the Cafe Press page. I want that shirt.

If I slid off the dome would I get hurt?

2008-09-04T22:15:00.000-07:00

I wanted to like this one. It was even in my Looking Forward post!

It starts out grim in the prologue:

"The big television camera of the You've Been Caught Napping game show prowled in the darkness at the edge of the set, their lenses focused on the old man's face...A thoughtful viewer might have wondered why he didn't wipe the sweat away. But behind the silver podium that displayed a very high score, his hands lay trapped in a pair of strong plastic manacles. That was something those cameras couldn't see...The old man rested his head on the podium in front of him, the one that hid their nasty secret. After all, game shows were rollicking good fun, entertainment for the whole family. Imagine how viewers would feel if they saw the hypodermic needle inserted in his arm" (pp 1-2).

Martin lives in a dome. All of his needs are provided for him by computers and bots. The weather's always nice. Even when he fights with his genetically engineered and brilliant little sister he still loves her. Life is perfect. But why doesn't his mom like the game shows? Why do his parents argue in whispers at night about things his father sees at work? Why are all of the adults so afraid come inspection time? Slowly, but surely, Martin begins to see cracks in his perfect domed world, and when some weirdo comes and takes Martin's little sister, and all the Wonder Babies away, Martin is sure she's in need of rescue. But how exactly do you escape when the walls have ears? And even if you can escape, isn't there a reason everyone lives in domes, protected from a hostile environment?

So, you've got your basic dystopia crossed with an epic quest. Sounds like a magic combination, right? In fact, there are many things to like about Clare B. Dunkle's The Sky Inside. The scenario is compelling. The characters feel genuine; once a close look is taken it is clear that below the surface people are conflicted with their environment; no one is without their flaws, but no one is completely evil. All of these qualities are fantastic. It's something we should demand in every novel. But. Sadly but. There were holes. Plot holes. And a couple other issues.

Many holes can be filled up with a sequel, but in this case I feel the plot struggles to truly stand on it's own: How did Martin happen to get Chip, an illegal modified bot that solves all of the problems and challenges that the boy encounters. In fact, while charming and all, the whole Chip character was a total device - very deus ex machina. Every. Single. Time. Martin ran into a deadly test the dog took care of the problem - or told the boy what to do. Every. Time. On top of that, why did adults in the neighborhood not notice that Chip was modified? If the "the walls have ears" why didn't they catch Martin & Chip before they even left the dome? If what they saw was reasonable malfunctioning, I don't feel the case was made for it. I wanted more World History; the adults all seem to know what's going on, but there wasn't enough information given as to the WHYs of the domed communities, or how long they've been living there, or what the suburb names mean.

So, ultimately the gripping scenario couldn't overcome what, for me, were gaping holes in the story. I'm a pretty forgiving reader in general - I'll overlook a lot of issues if I'm entertained, but I really don't feel as though the potential was met in this title. It won't necessarily stop me from giving this book out, because I know most young readers aren't going to be as critical as I, however, because of how dark this book starts out with the game show murders, I will be careful not to give it to kids prone to nightmares.

Even so, I didn't stop reading the The Sky Inside, I truly wanted to know how it all turned out. Of course, there isn't any real resolution. One must presumably wait for the sequel, The Walls Have Eyes It makes me sad. Such potential. I like dystopian novels.

These people disagree with me, so find your balance there:

Becky's Book Reviews
Mrs. Hill's Book Blog
The Magic of Ink
Milkbreath and Me
I really do appear to be the only one with issues: Author Site

Read it yourself, let me know what you think. Sample chapters.

Obvious comparisons to: The Giver, The City of Ember (4th book arrived on my desk this week!), The Hunger Games (for older kids and out next week!!), Gregor the Overlander, etc.

Trying to Chat with Melissa Walker @ RGZ?

2008-08-28T18:06:00.000-07:00

"Due to internal MySpace difficulties, tonight's rgz LIVE! with Melissa
Walker will be rescheduled. Watch the forum for the new date so you don't
miss this awesome chat with Melissa!" ~the rgz divas

oops. But hey, this is only like the 2nd time it's happened in the 18 month history of Reader Girlz. And when you add in all the extra chats (31 Flavorites, anyone?), that's a darn good percentage.

We'll getcha next time!

Psst: It's in the treehouse!

2008-08-26T23:43:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be honest here. I picked up YOU KNOW WHERE TO FIND ME based on the cover with a little cred from the author. I was expecting something a little spookie. What with the illusion of a ghost. So...mark me surprised when I find out it's about suicide, drug abuse, obesity and self-loathing. This said, there's more than one way to see a ghost.

Miles, or "8 Mile" as she's so kindly referred to by her peers, has just lost her cousin Laura to suicide. Miles loved Laura like a sister, they grew up together, they did everything together. Now, true, they had grown apart a little once they hit high school, with Laura being a perfect blond beauty and Miles preferring items of the Goth-ier persuasion, but they always shared the treehouse, and their drug stash. When Laura kills herself with those very same drugs they've shared, Miles is sent into a tailspin of grief-stricken abuse.

"All those finger-waggers admonishing about what no to do -- Don't do drugs! Don't smoke! Don't drink! -- completely miss that there's a reason people do these vices. They feel good, in the moment. The risks and consequences - addiction, disease, a life spiraling out of control, even death -- don't matter when you're inside the do (p 140).

Ok, now, all of that sounds entirely too dire and dark to be AT ALL enjoyable, right? Well, you're forgetting about the author. In the hands of Rachel Cohn, the darkness is skillfully plumbed, but not without some wit and humor. We are talking about the woman who brought us Cyd Charisse and the Levithan collaborations, you know. So there's an ever-present dark, witty humor in the voice of Miles. For instance, at Laura's funeral:

"The private-school girls are straight-haired, skinny fashonista clones who look like their every mood is accessorized; today their lip gloss is in the shade of Sad (p 35).

Deep down, Miles is most angry about the fact that Laura just had the courage to do what Miles doesn't. To kill herself. A life that Miles could barely stand already just becomes more difficult without the person she lived for. Unfortunately, her summer is about to get worse, when her best friend, Jamal, falls in love with one of those skinny fashonistas. They say sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before you can get better, but will Miles survive the experience?

Even though Miles is losing herself there are people in her life that are fighting to keep her: Her father, Laura's dad, Jamal's mom, Jamal, Laura's fashonista friend; all strong characters trying to help the girl in anyway they can. If she'll just let them in.

Beyond the obvious issues present in the novel, I also found fascinating the topic of D.C. statehood that was a passion for a couple of the characters, including Miles. Not having anything but a cursory connection with The District, it was important both structurally, educationally, and for entertainment (Miles is mad smart - this allowed for some very fun rants).

Favorite quote: "The dream is real while you're in it" (p 140).

Also: This book REALLY made me want a grilled cheese sandwich.

Other blogland posts:

YA Books & More
Semicolon
Liv's Book Reviews <--Hey...I think that's a teen posting...posting well! Brava!

The book should be read by: Those who like Rachel Cohn or Ellen Hopkins, My Big Fat Manifesto, Stay With Me, and 13 Reasons Why.

Do YOU want a song written about you?

2008-08-25T23:39:00.000-07:00

And the next book in the great backlog of books I have to return because there are holds: Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway.

Side note: Her blog totally sucked me in. It also sent me here, which has given me LOTS of inspiration for my sewing machine adventures. It also makes me want to visit Mood (thank you Project Runway!) No, I don't know how to sew. Yes, expect disaster. Don't worry, if you want, I'll document it.

Right. So, Audrey breaks up with her boyfriend. Pretty normal. He didn't do anything specifically wrong, but they just sorta grew apart. As you do. The only problem is that Evan has a band and he writes a song about their breakup. A song that not only catches on, becomes a huge mega-hit, and Audrey and Even become household names - to the extent that Audrey is followed around by paparazzi. Living a normal life and trying to catch her new crush is a little harder when your every move is posted online.

I'm trying to think of something negative to say, if simply just to balance out the fact that everyone who reads this book loves it. Everyone. I'm serious, try to find a negative review. Well, except that one on Amazon where some little kid was reading it and the parent got mad at the sex/drugs/rock 'n roll that was, quite appropriately, there. There's no way it would have been believable without any of that or the swearing. So, don't give it to your 9-year-old. Not hard. But, I can't think of anything negative. It's a good book. Fun. Funny. Well-developed characters. One of those good rousing speeches near the end that you know is coming, but that you can't help but be fond of. I like to be able to like and root for my characters.

The whole plot definitely takes advantage of the weird celebrity society we've cultivated in the last decade. Audrey hasn't done anything out of the normal, and she's suddenly, against her will, plunged into a role that's akin to the second coming of Paris Hilton (ew. ew. ew.). It's not the first book to deal with unwanted celebrity (another favorite is Amazing Grace by Megan Shull. See more courtesy LW.), but it deals with the during, rather than the more commonly depicted aftermath.

Easy sell for older teens.

Teen Review

2008-08-22T17:51:00.000-07:00

To participate in the Summer Reading Program at my library system teens submit reviews online. For every review that gets submitted to my branch I get an email containing what they wrote. I read every one. I got permission from the teen to share one of my favorites here.

Fingers by William Sleator
2 stars.

Well it was an okay book. It really wasn't that exciting at all....a boring read. *yawnz* yeah, its about a pianist who has his family make his brother compose new songs and they say that he was possesed by a dead pianist and... *snores* yeah, its just really not that good at all. You'd be better off reading about slugs.

- B.H. (age 14) from Jackie's Library

Outside of the review B.H. said: "hmmm you might like that book but i didn't. it was such a waste of life points lol"

THAT is why I love my job.

Readergirlz Launches rgz TV on YouTube

2008-08-21T08:24:00.000-07:00

For more information contact:
divas@readergirlz.com

READERGIRLZ LAUNCHES RGZ TV ON YOUTUBE TO BRING AUTHOR INTERVIEWS TO TEEN READERS
rgz tv enlivens literacy by creating a visual connection between authors and readers

August 20, 2008 (Seattle, Wash.)-Teen readers worldwide can watch author interviews at rgz tv on a new YouTube channel -- http://www.youtube.com/readergirlz.

"Launching rgz tv is the natural next step for readergirlz since we know readers want face-to-face contact with authors, and not all readers have the ability to attend author readings,” says co-founder Justina Chen Headley. “Now they can connect, right in front of their computer."

rgz tv is broadcasting interviews with Rachel Cohn, Jay Asher, Sonya Sones and Paula Yoo. The uploaded videos have been shot and edited by the readergirlz founders and members of the postergirlz.

"I loved covering the Stephenie Meyer Breaking Dawn Concert for rgz tv,” says co-founder Lorie Ann Grover. “Now everyone can access the amazing moment!"

readergirlz invites avid readers, librarians, and booksellers to be rgz correspondents. When a favorite young-adult author visits a local library, school or bookstore, you can shoot a 2- to 3-minute video like the ones on the readergirlz channel. Upload it to YouTube and send an e-mail to divas@readergirlz.com. The rgz correspondent will receive a FREE, limited-edition readergirlz button.

About readergirlz

readergirlz is the foremost online book community for teen girls, led by four critically acclaimed YA authors - Dia Calhoun (Avielle of Rhia), Lorie Ann Grover (On Pointe), Justina Chen Headley (Girl Overboard), and Mitali Perkins (First Daughter: White House Rules). The postergirlz are the teen-lit advisory council of bloggers for readergirlz, led by Little Willow. They include Miss Erin, Jackie Parker, HipWriterMama, and teen reader Alexia.

To promote teen literacy and leadership in girls, readergirlz features a different YA novel and corresponding community service project every month. For more information about readergirlz, please visit http://www.readergirlz.com and www.myspace.com/readergirlz, or contact divas@readergirlz.com.

copyright 2008 readergirlz
###

Yes, this means you'll see me, on video, making a fool of myself. *sigh* I taped one with Lisa Ann Sandell when she was here last month, but I'm having issues sending the 200+ MB file to the RGZ for editing. I don't really want to just load it up onto YouTube unedited. I can't even watch it, I'm so embarrassed. Lisa is great in it, though. Oh, and I did it back when they were calling it RGZ On The Town, which I then totally said in the vid. I'm lame.

Bumbershoot is Labor Day weekend, and Ellen Hopkins, Francesca Lia Block, Ned Vizzini, and Deb Caletti will be there...Perhaps one of us will get some of them on video. Maybe I can ask questions off screen?

Me, in words.

2008-08-15T10:21:00.001-07:00

So I've seen Wordle around for a while, but I hadn't investigated it, because, well, what would I put in it? All the authors seem to put their first chapter in it, others are doing song lyrics and other things that mean something to them, and well, I couldn't think of anything I want displayed, and I didn't really have time to mess around with it. BUT THEN, Erin mentioned that you could plug a BLOG in...

See it bigger.

I need to say "LIKE" less. And who knew I'd said "JACOB" so many times?

If you do or have done one, I'd love to see it! Link it up in the comments!

(blatantly stealing from Justina Chen Headley here, just sos you know).

Forgive me if you've seen this already...

2008-08-11T21:46:00.000-07:00

But it's the most fantastic response to a book challenge I've ever seen. My favorite part:

"Library collections don't imply endorsement; they imply access to the many different ideas of our culture, which is precisely our purpose in public life."

Read the whole thing. I couldn't help but share.

No one's ever on Google Chat when you need them to be.

2008-08-08T11:52:00.001-07:00

So, I'm opening this up to the people I should have opened it to in the first place: You. The people who actually read this blog.

You'll have to get out of your RSS Readers for this one, though. That's right. Click on over to the site (it's http://interactivereader.blogspot.com if you've forgotten.)

I have gotten bored with my template. It looks just like everyone else's. So I changed a few things. I need you to tell me in the comments what you think about those changes. It's ok. Be honest. I'll wait.

;)

Thanks!

UPDATE:

Ok, cousin Bill appeared, and as he's getting a degree in graphic arts or something equally design driven, he's taken pity on my sad librarian soul and is looking into better palates for me. So, let's watch the evolution!

#1Bill said it was CRAZY busy and my words had to compete with the background. Which is pretty much what I was fearing. So I switched to:

#2

Which, as most of you realize is depressingly close to the original design, but with some variation in the background, along the lines of the first experiment, only less insane. BUT, as you can see in the screen shot, I've acquired a rather obnoxious block over the post title, that I haven't figured out how to fix yet...

#3Bill said "oh no no no, you don't want to use the pattern" when I uploaded this one. Which, kinda fit what I had been thinking as it was even busier than the first one he didn't like. He just make it for the palate, apparently. After quizzing me for what I want, he went off searching for a background that he liked. Unfortunately, he's now decided that he doesn't actually LIKE anything he's found, so he said that he'll have to make me one. (score!), BUT he doesn't have time now... so... I'll just stick something random in there until he gets a chance...

#4

meh.

#5
It's so FLAT compared to the others...

#6
Still too busy.

#7

#8

I'm...not really pink, am I?

#9

I think now that I'm just changing the background because I don't want to clean the apartment, and I'm quietly hoping that one of these times it will just magically fix that evil box.

#10

#11

#12

#13

I guess what is making this difficult for me is the fact that I don't know what I want out of it. What kind of identity that I want to convey with the site. What colors do I feel like to you guys? (man, that's a crazy question)

Let me know what you think.

(Oh - and if anyone knows how to remove that block, let me know!)

Of course I'm reading Breaking Dawn.

2008-08-05T09:09:00.000-07:00

You didn't really expect otherwise, did you? After this and this? I got a few nudges to do something like my Deathly Hollows post... and I hesitated, because I'm not as close to this series as I was to HP, I've only read each book once, unlike HP, where I've lost count of how many times I've read a few of those. I can't promise that there won't be a certain amount of spoilers (Seriously - It's not like I come right out and give stuff away, but you probably don't want to read this if you care about not knowing the ending). Nothing completely revealing, but I'm sure it will be less reaction, and more... I don't know, yelling at the book? Something. And so:

Ooo. Chapter titles! Don't look at them too closely.
Preface: What are these her thoughts as she turns? I didn't think she'd turn...
p 6: Random strangers are talking to her? Since when are there strangers in this series?
p 9: Aw. Jacob hasn't come back.
p 9: Haha! I know all those towns. AND I know how to say Sequim (it's squim. ignore the 'e'). This def. wouldn't be the case had I stayed in Michigan.
p 11: Seth is so cute.
p 13: oo flashback
p 17: giggle
p 19: that was way too easy.
p 35: Creepy vampire story.
p 37: Horrible dream that smacks of foreshadowing.
p 46: I'm kinda surprised this wedding is happening so early.
p 49: And when will it get interrupted?
p 57: yay! Jacob!!!
p 66: ok dude, calm down.
p 75: I want a surprise honeymoon.
p 78: I want a private island.
p 83: Less introspection, please
p 89: This is silly.
p 92: Isn't he like ice cold? Like all over? That doesn't really sound like fun to me.
p 98: that went on too long
p 111: OMG... is she? Now THAT's a plot twist I didn't expect.
p 120: Holy cow, she is.
p 139: Oh, this is interesting! We get Jacob's point of view! Yay! I was getting annoyed with Bella, so this is a relief.
p 143: mahaha! This will be fun!
p 145: who the hell is Paul? God, I can't keep these werewolves straight.
p 152: poor Quil
p 164: I bet you didn't! lol
p 171: Ah. The preface...
p 185: I'm loving the chapter titles! They are soo Jacob!
p 188: "'Did you know that "I told you so" has a bother, Jacob?...His name is "Shut the hell up."' BWAHAHA! Must share with the boy! And she learned it on The Simpsons! Haha!
p 204: YOU are supposed to be the Alpha Jacob!!! Not Sam! Own it, silly boy!

Txt msg break to see where friends are:

Lisa C is in the late 400s and is complaining about the bad writing. I reminded her that Meyer claims not to be a writer, but a storyteller, and Lisa's willing to read 753 pages of story, so there must be something there. She concedes the points and admits she wants to know what happens. And wants to see the movie, even though she still thinks it's bad writing and that it's her professional obligation as a teen librarian to read the social phenomenon. And yes, this was a discussion solely through txt msg.

Sonia is pretty giddy, about 80 pages ahead of me. We mostly talk plot and how we didn't see THAT coming in all our predictive thoughts before opening the book.

p 208: There ya go Jacob. That only took you 4 pages.
p 214: I <3 Seth
p 216: "Circle the wagons, bloodsucker." CACKLE!!
p 228: "Ugh, Leah, you ruin everything!" heh

BFF Sarah calls. Amazon didn't deliver her book on Saturday, so she's without BD. It is very sad.

p 240: "Ice cold Barbie" *smiles*
p 266-7: *giggle*
p 274 Seriously, Alice is practically a non-entity so far in the book. That's unusual.
p 280: mmm, cheese omelet.
p 295: HAHA "I'll keep trying."
p 328: Aw, poor Jacob.
p 331: Ew, no Jacob, you don't.
p 347: EWWWWWW!
p 359: Oh, you have GOT to be freakin' kidding me.
p 386: Well, at least I was right about Snape...
p 394: I get it. Bella and Edward like each other!
p 437: Ok, I'll say it. Renesmee is a stupid name.
p 451: BWAHAHAHAHA!!
p 553: Not to be Dramatic or anything...
p 558: The Merchant of Venice? mmmmkaay...
p 597: Sounds like the muggle deterrents in HP.
p 612: Ferine? What in hell does that mean? Feline? Feral?
p 619: *snort* "lacking incentive" hee!
p 623: You know, I'm liking this vamp camp.
p 626: HAHAHA! Romanian Vampires! It's just not right if gold ole Vlad doesn't get a cameo in a vampire story!
p 628: "Mysteriously delighted" Well, that is curious.
p 634: ooo she's coming to Seattle. 'Bout time. I wonder if I'll recognize anything...
p 642: This is all rather amusing.
p 647: Must find out if The Pacifico is real...Nope. Not that I can tell.

BFF has gotten her copy. Her reaction: "WEEEEEEE!"

p 678: Don't know about you guys, but I'm on the edge of my seat.
p 681: That...can't be good...
p 692: I rather wish someone would call Jane a sadistic troll. Or at least open some good old Molly Weasley vengeance on her butt.
p 711: The Romanian Vamps make me laugh.
p 718: "the peaceful character of this life of sacrifice." What are they, a holy order?
p 718: I think Garrett might be talking himself to death.
p 722: The Volturi are lame.
p 723: Awww
p 724: Aw, man, Esme's so dead.
p 726: Yes, dahling, taunt her.
p 730: Se, if you left you'd still be in power. You don't, and, well...
p 732: Ooo Alice must have found someone...
p 732: Alice! (just had to add one more)
p 739: Well, that was anti-climatic. I really was hoping for more violence.
p 740: Right on, Stephan.
p 751: *eye roll*
p 754: Aaaaand, I'm done.

Quick impressions, but allow me to change and adjust my view as the book sinks in. First part kinda sucked. It was boring, Bella was annoying, and it went on too long. Jacob's POV in the middle ROCKED. His dry, self-deprecating sarcasm picked it up, added humor, and just made me love him. Third part was fast-paced, and I loved the impromptu vamp camp. The ending, meh, I wanted bloodshed. I wanted a more definitive smack down of the bad guys. Overall, I'm happy.

What do you think?

New(ish) JK Rowling book Dec. 4!!!

2008-07-31T14:56:00.001-07:00

On the author's website:

"'The Tales of Beedle the Bard' will now be widely available to all Harry Potter fans. Royalties will be donated to the Children's High Level Group, to benefit institutionalised children in desperate need of a voice. The new edition will include the Tales themselves, translated from the original runes by Hermione Granger, and with the illustrations by me, but also notes by ProfessorAlbus Dumbledore, which appear by generous permission if the Hogwarts Headmasters' Archive.'"

According to the email I got from B&N:

"It contains all five wizarding fairy tales left to Hermione Granger by Albus Dumbledore in the seventh and final Harry Potter series. Only one, The Tale of the Three Brothers, is recounted in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows. The other four are reveled here for the very first time."

Well, while I knew it HAD to be released EVENTUALLY, I wasn't expecting it. And am curious. You?

Yes. Rebel.

2008-07-28T22:48:00.000-07:00

Every year there are books I can't wait to get other people to read. Usually those are the ones I blog right away. Imagine my shock when I realized the book I've recommended to more teens than any other this year (a wider, more easily pegged audience than Little Brother and Jenna Fox?) has not appeared here. Now, it's not like you've not heard of it from every other blog you read, (or from my very mouth, b/c I talk a lot) but all the same, just in case I've missed a couple of you, or you've been hiding somewhere. Plus, it's waaay overdue at the library and there are holds. I'm irritating the very girls I tell to read it by keeping it (I don't like to write about books unless I've got a copy near. Hence, I am a terrible library patron. Luckily, my library doesn't charge fines. Seriously. No one gets fines. Course, if you keep the book a month overdue, you get charged for it. Until you return the book. I'm hoping to, um, clear my account tomorrow...so I can check out more books...).

Anyway, some are turned off by the subtle (or not so) feminist undertones in The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks. I am not. Why? Because I think it's new information to Frankie, and let's be honest, the intended audience, and because the info was given in annoying lectures by Frankie's older sister. Was her older sister simply a tool for that purpose and not fleshed out enough beyond that? There, you may have an argument, but in the context, I'm ok with it. What with sis off at college, and Frankie at the swank school alone for the first time - she makes her own interpretation of the feminist ideal. A funny, clever, action-prone, make-you-want-to-cheer interpretation.

Frankie's dad was a member of the Secret Order of the Basset Hounds. She's known OF them, but they've never been anything more than a name to her, what with them being a secret society and all. But the summer between freshman and sophomore year Frankie grew up. She goes back to her swanky and competitive boarding school a total knockout. And now people notice her. Now the most popular boy at school notices her. When the call goes out recruiting new Basset Hounds (all boys) and she begins to suspect that her boyfriend is the leader of the pack (vroom-vroom), Frankie decides she will show them that Girls are just as good as boys. Even if it means she has to go behind all of the boys' backs.

Favorite quote:

"...Frankie remembered how Matthew had called her a 'pretty package,' how he'd called her mind little, how he'd told her not to change -- as if he had some power over her. A tiny part of her wanted to go over to him and shout, 'I can feel like a hag some days if I want! And I can tell everybody how insecure I am if I want! Or I can be pretty and pretend to think I'm a hag out of fake modesty -- I can do that if I want, too. Because you, Livingston, are not the boss of me and what kind of girl I become.' But most of her simply felt happy that he had put his arm around her and told her he thought she was pretty" p 79-80.

Notice something a little different with that bit? It's 3rd person omniscient. It's unusual to find it in teen novels, and it lend an equally unusual, almost voyeuristic, tone to the title. There's a touch of distance between the reader and, well. Remember those nature movies Disney used to make? The narration in Frankie sometimes reminded me of those. It absolutely works, in fact, it makes it stand out. I also adore the duality of desire there - she wants to be recognized as an independent woman while still getting to be told she's pretty. All girls, no matter what, want to hear they are pretty once in a while (hear that Kyle?). All girls should demand both.

It shoots out to the front when we speak of my favorite of E. Lockhart's (displacing Dramarama - though I've not read Fly on the Wall, and that's frequently other people's favs. According to my sources.).

Will there be a sequel? I don't know, but it wouldn't surprise me. There's definitely an open window. I'll read it. I think it will appeal to the general girl audience, but especially to those who like Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls books.

We're not talking about hair.

2008-07-15T20:13:00.000-07:00

I will admit that when both Little Willow and Sarah Miller are proclaiming the wonders of a book, I do take note. The two of them generally gravitate toward very different types of books, so I figure, if they both love it? Well, it's unlikely I'll regret reading it.

And so with Feathered by Laura Kasischke. I think that had I any clue whatsoever of what this was about before I cracked it open, I probably wouldn't have read it. I don't really go for the "kids in peril" books, well, unless they're fantasy. And then what's the point of creating a whole world if there isn't some danger in it?

Anyway...

Spring break in Cancun is going to rock. At least that's what Michelle and Anne think, and for one perfect day they are right...

There's an ominous tone from the very first sentence, and to tell you the truth, it just plum wore me out, worrying about how those girls were going to run into trouble, and when, because there's a heck of a lot of build up. They all make some very questionable decisions - only one of which proves truly dangerous.

The book was told by both girls in alternating chapters - in different tenses AND POVs, which I found a little jarring, to be honest. Michelle (3rd person, present) is understandably in third - the distance from the character is necessary, and I liked her sections where it was in poetry; I thought that was just right. Anne was more run of the mill, but more compelling since she's telling it first person past - so she already knows what happens.

I didn't have any problem getting through the book, but I'm not going to proselytize about it either. I just feel pretty lukewarm about it in general; mostly, I think, because it's very clear that something bad will happen, but it takes So Very Long to actually happen that you aren't left with enough time for resolution, or even to get an accurate feel for what exactly happened in the interim to the affected girl, things I need and want as a reader. However, I know just who to give the book to. It will be a very easy sell.

A Trend?

2008-07-14T23:56:00.000-07:00

So there haven't been a ton of free ebooks for teens, but now in the last few months there have been two that have come to my (admittedly, sparse) attention. First it was Doctorow's Little Brother, which continues to be free, and now, the well-reviewed (and well-buzzed) Savvy by Ingrid Law. I first heard about Savvy from a librarian friend over dinner who was shocked at my ignorance (they set the bar high for me, I'm telling you.) The difference between this one and Doctorow's is that Savvy is only available free online until July 20th.

I still haven't read it, but I'll probably take a gander at the first 20-odd pages. If it hooks me, I'll probably get the book from the library, as I'm not one who likes to curl up in bed with my computer for the nightly bedtime read. Are you? What do you think about ebooks in general, and free ones at that? Who's got the better deal? Doctorow's all free all the time, or Law's all free for a short period? Personally, I'm more of a some free all of the time. I think, marketing-wise, give 'em enough to hook em. But maybe that doesn't have a great track record. Let me know what you think.

Read Savvy here.

PS-- Um, is it just me, or do you guys have Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow flash before your eyes every time you come across the word savvy?

Asking the Universe

2008-07-09T13:54:00.000-07:00

At what point do I get to sit around and read all day? Isn't that what librarians are supposed to do?

I must admit, the wallpaper would be awesome.

2008-07-01T22:34:00.000-07:00

There is something quiet and wonderful about Shooting the Moon. The plot isn't earth-shattering or thrilling. There isn't non-stop action or gut-busting humor, but all the same it is compelling, endearing, and smart. It's timeless.

I haven't read any of Frances O'Roark Dowell's other work, despite the fact that my mother loves both Dovey Coe AND Chicken Boy (can we say unappealing cover on that one? yes? I don't care that there is both a chicken and a boy - or even chicken wire.). Shooting the Moon isn't a teen book - I'd say it's solidly in the 9-12 age range, thus marking it the youngest book I've read in ages. And I couldn't tell you what made me pick it up, but I certainly didn't want to put it down - not even when at dinner with friends as waiting for some of the best Indian food in the greater Seattle area. I even got a little misty at the end - convincing one of my friends, Jay (not a librarian, an important distinction since, let's face it, most of my friends are), that he needed to read the book. Which he did - and declared it wonderful, too.

Jamie Dexter loves the Army. The Colonel (her father) can do no wrong, and since his way is the Army way, Jamie wishes nothing more than to be able to go off and fight in the Vietnam war. Her big brother does just that - and therein lies the heart of the story. TJ enlists, against his parents' wishes. Jamie can't wait for his letters home, but when they arrive, she's disappointed by the boring tales he tells their parents - but that letter isn't for her. TJ doesn't write to Jamie - he sends her film, and with those visual tales, one roll after another, she slowly begins to realize that TJ just might be telling her more than he tells their parents, and that war might not be quite what she always thought it was.

It's off a sort that you know pretty much as you start the book what's going to happen. But it doesn't matter - Jaime and all of the people around her are entirely lovable. And the how matters far more than the what. The subtle reminder of the realities of war are certainly relevant to today's audience. They're well done without being a fierce anti-war indictment (as so many are).

I think it shares a tone with Pictures of Hollis Wood - more than just the cover, I should add, upon looking THAT up...hee. I'd also suspect that fans of Because of Winn-Dixie, and Olive's Ocean (although that skews a tad older) would love it.

But I didn't get hit by any cars.

2008-06-11T22:27:00.000-07:00

I read this while I waited for the bus. I read this on the bus. I read this here. I read this there. I read while walking through the streets of downtown Seattle. I narrowly missed two sign posts while reading The Adoration of Jenna Fox.

I didn't want to stop reading. I wanted to know what was going to happen to Jenna Fox. I wanted to know what happened to Jenna Fox.

Jenna was in a coma for 18 months. When she wakes up she doesn't remember anything - or anyone. Not what happened to her. Not her parents. Not her grandmother. Soon little pieces of her memory start coming back, slowly, and with their return she begins to realize that the isolated world of Jenna Fox is not what it seems. As she slowly unravels what happened to her - and the implications of what was done to her - she finds that maybe it would have been better if she had never woken up from that coma at all.

It is topical. It is believable. It is stirring. It is, I think, sophisticated. It is what makes science fiction science fiction. And even with it being science fiction, I would have NO PROBLEM giving this to kids who don't like science fiction (or kids who didn't like sci-fi until Westerfeld came around) (or adults. Speaking of, Mom, did I put this on your Required Summer Reading List? Consider it added.). Mary Pearson goes beyond the generics of the genre and makes it relevant to today's world, today's emotions, and today's audience of younger readers.

I'm really into the parallel structure tonight, aren't I? *shrug* I'm tired. I can't put muster any energy for more creative writing. You'll live.

I'm not a scientist, but I am an avid NPR listener (that's the same, right?), and while Pearson's science is not something possible now or in the imminent future, it is definitely on the horizon. There is so much going on in medical technology and bioethics right now that the situations and dilemmas of the book are entirely plausible. Specifically, I'm reminded of this story.

It's an easy choice for book groups. Lots to discuss, and fun to read. I can't wait to talk to someone about it.

Tally for 48 Hour Book Challenge

2008-06-09T10:43:00.000-07:00

I managed to read:

Breakfast at Bloomingdale's
by Kristen Kemp
304 pages
4 hours

Feathered
by Laura Kasischke
272 pages
3 1/4 hours

Trouble
by Gary D. Schmidt
304 pages
5 1/2 hours

Big Fat Manifesto
by Susan Vaught
320 pages
4 1/2 hours

Shooting the Moon
by Frances O'Roark Dowell
176 pages
1 1/2 hours

So, that's:
5 books
1,376 pages
18 hours 45 minutes (roughly rounded)

Holy crap. I thought I was slacking the whole time.

My approach to what books I picked? Accumulate a wide variety over the week. Put them all on the same shelf and pick the one at that moment I most want to read based upon the current mood - and time frame.

Favorite of the bunch? Surprisingly the youngest one - Shooting the Moon. I really, really liked that. Reviews later. Probably.

Check out MotherReader for the whole rundown.

PS - dude. Two Michigan writers on this list - Kasischke and Schmidt. Neither have websites that I can discover. What's up with that?

I want to use it as a manual to do illegal things...

2008-06-04T22:16:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've read any science fiction. Actually, calling Cory Doctorow's Little Brother science fiction might not be accurate. On one hand, it's set in the very near future; on the other, the world he creates is entirely recognizable - the tweaks he made are small and plausible. It's merely an advancement of today's technology perpetrated in the name of a good techno-thriller.

I'm going to be honest here. I didn't know who Cory Doctorow was. Colleen and Dawn were all excited about the book, and they said his name with a slightly awed familiarity so that I had to pretend to know who they were talking about, nod and say "yeah" knowingly. But it sounded interesting, so I thought I'd give it a go (and now you know how to spot my lies).

Basically, in the wake of a massive terrorist attack, Homeland Security swoops down into an already security-conscience San Francisco and starts abusing their power, treating citizens (especially teens) as suspects. Marcus Yarrow, your average, everyday computer genius teen, having been kidnapped by the government, tortured, and let go, has sworn that he will fight Big Brother and return freedom to his city. More or less. Mostly he's just pissed that he got tortured, and that no one knows where his buddy is.

It's quiet references to current injustices of our government are a sad reminder of how few steps away we are from exactly the environment Doctorow portrays. When Marcus is in custody, effectively "disappeared," I can't help but think of the guys in Guantanamo Bay. Unjustly held, without enough evidence, subjected to policies made especially for the trampling of rights. How long before those policies jump the 90 miles? That's part of what Doctorow is exploring in this novel; how willing people are to adopt artifices of security just to feel safer - regardless of whether they actually ARE safer (yes, go ahead, quote Ben Franklin, I know you want to).

But there I go with my raging lefty politics...

I'm clearly anti-authoritarian enough to find kinship in the pages of Little Brother, but what impresses me most is that all of the politics and musings on liberty and freedom are in a immensely entertaining and readable book. The questions raised are ones we all should be asking ourselves - and if we are lucky - the younger generations ARE asking them (I'm reminded of the teen who told me the other day that Google was evil and taking over our lives and privacy). BUT that there was no whiff of didacticism to be found. I've also learned a great deal about technology, and have investigated some of what was mentioned.

It's made me second guess getting this, I'll tell you that. I'm not going to now. I'm totally creeped out by the idea after reading Little Brother.

I stayed up WAY too late reading it. I hadn't done that in a long time (well, if you don't count this, but I'll get to that one.) And if all of that still doesn't make you believe me that it's worth your time? As Leila pointed out - it's available free. Give it a few pages. You'll be hooked by "sucking chest wound." It's The Gospel According to Larry meets Scott Westerfeld.

You can also see him read from his book while on tour for it. Sadly, I missed his visit to Seattle in order to go visit Kyle, and, um, read the book. Had I read the book BEFORE he'd been in town I probably would have ditched the boyfriend to see Doctorow at Secret Garden. Sorry Kyle.