tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68056512504414406772024-03-13T09:33:23.484-07:00There's a right broadJuliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786372718401697134noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805651250441440677.post-31491457177666391602017-01-18T19:58:00.001-08:002017-01-18T19:58:38.121-08:00TBR Challenge: Incryptid Road Trip<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<u>Stories I read:</u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"IM" (Artie & Sarah story)</div>
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"Snake in the Grass"</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Swamp Bromeliad"</div>
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"Waking Up in Vegas"<br />
<br />
For the January <a href="http://wendythesuperlibrarian.blogspot.com/p/tbr-challenge-2017.html" target="_blank">TBR Challenge</a>, I read several short stories
in Seanan McGuire's Incryptid universe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The stories fill in and expand the history shown in the novels. Some are
released for free as ebooks (mobi, epub, pdf) on McGuire's <a href="http://seananmcguire.com/icshorts.php#v&d" target="_blank">website</a>, while
others appear in published anthologies. I'm trying to catch up with the free
ones, before I attempt to track the others through the library.</div>
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<br />
The stories cover
different parts of the Healy-Price timeline, but I'm reading the Verity Price
& Dominic De Luca ones set after the events of "Midnight Blue Light
Special" and Verity's return in "Chaos Choreography." The
stories are in the form of a road trip across America. Having decided to be
with Verity, Dominic is getting a crash course in the family history in all its
weird glory. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That includes undead aunts,
lesser gorgons, Vegas hustlers, and psychotropic man eating plants. All the
usual.<br />
<br />
My favorite of the four stories I read was "Snake in
the Glass", set in a Chicago hotel owned by a family of Lesser Gorgons, partly
because I liked cryptid anthropology and meeting Aunt Lea. The arranged marriage
subplot was interesting too. With so few families around, they can't be as
choosy about offers. But romance shows up in unlikely places.<br />
<br />
My least favorite was "IM" but that may be because
it was so one-sided on Artie's perspective. I love Sarah in the novels and how
her cuckoo nature is at odds with her personality.</div>
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<br />
The tension with Dominic and Verity's relationship shows up
in odd ways. While Verity is showing Dominic her family haunts, he reminds her
what he's leaving behind with the Covenant. He clearly wants more from his life
than what the Covenant trained him for.<br />
<br />
I would not suggest picking up these stories without reading
the novels first. The earlier Fran & Jonathan Healy ones work better as
standalone stories, but these are tied heavily to the events of "Discount
Armaggeddon", "Midnight Blue Light Special" and the others. (I
have not read the Alexander Price books yet, but I haven't noticed too many spoilers for
the those books within).</div>
Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786372718401697134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805651250441440677.post-24259280385501835742015-07-23T20:45:00.001-07:002015-07-23T20:47:04.441-07:00Finding the Romance Genre & RWA Literacy Signing<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LulhCbYQ8xw/VbGw-ECVgpI/AAAAAAAAAlU/w1Si1vj4riA/s1600/timessquare_2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LulhCbYQ8xw/VbGw-ECVgpI/AAAAAAAAAlU/w1Si1vj4riA/s320/timessquare_2011.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Times Square in 2011</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
While I'm a bit nebulous about when I first started reading
romance, I know when I became a real fan of the genre that searched out new
books. Every Christmas I visited my parents in Florida and I needed a book to
read on my travels. My local Harris Teeter grocery store has a book section. A
purple and green cover caught my attention: Amanda Quick's<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Perfect Poison</b> from her Arcane Society series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had never read her before, but something
about the blend of psychic powers and Victorian mystery appealed to me. I blew
through that book in a week and wondered what else had she written. Er, quite a
LOT apparently! I had not realized that Amanda Quick was the prolific Jayne Ann
Krentz with multiple psuedonyms and styles. The Arcane Society made me
appreciate all my years of comics collecting and crossovers, because certain
trilogies would start in historical, jump to contemporary and end in futuristic.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And so my discovery of historical romances began. Ironically
I've never been all that interested in 19<sup>th</sup> century history, but
between Victorians and Regencies, I slowly started finding authors I liked.
Mostly I followed authors I liked and started reading sites like <a href="http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/" target="_blank">SmartBitches</a> and <a href="http://www.heroesandheartbreakers.com/" target="_blank">Heroes & Heartbreakers</a> for suggestions. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But romance is in some ways different than other genres.
<a href="https://www.rwa.org/" target="_blank">Romance Writers of America </a>(RWA) is the national trade organization for the
genre, encompassing writers, editors, etc involved in creating romance novels.
Even the local chapters are geared towards would-be writers, not so much for
the regular readers and fans. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So each time I've seen opportunities to meet other romance
fans, I've grabbed them, because they don't happen as often.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>SmartBitches Trashy Books' Sarah Wendell had
a reception for romance fans to meet and mingle at a cheese shop in DC before
the preview of the <a href="http://www.lovebetweenthecovers.com/" target="_blank">"Love Between the Covers"</a> documentary at Library
of Congress. By chance, someone had a spare ticket to the preview and offered
me the chance. I am so glad I went to see it. Laurie Kahn, the director,
interviewed a ton of people, and gave a solid behind the scenes view of the
romance industry from familiar authors to not-so familiar ones. Kahn explored why romance was so popular and what went into writing the books and sadly the stereotypes surrounding the genre. I loved that she included African American and GLBTQ romances along with the usual suspects. I learned that Beverly Jenkins was a force of nature and good god do not choose against her in the DABWAHA (basically think of "Sweet Sixteen of Romance") event because she knows how to muster her fans. The whole documentary was a positive message of "everyone deserves an HEA" no matter who they are or what they look like.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After that event, I lucked out in that my local library was
hosting a romance swap event. The librarians were both romance fans and they
were eager to share their favorites and show us where to find them in our
catalogs. It sounds obvious, but when you consider they'd had to cut their mass
market collection completely and romance is predominantly published in that
format, you begin to appreciate the issues involved. What I learned was a) when
the ebooks were updated b) the Harlequin Presents large type editions are <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">bright</b> pink/fuschia and easy to spot on
the shelves. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I already used Overdrive
heavily, so for me, it was more meeting other like-minded people and seeing
what they liked.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then Elisabeth Lane of <a href="http://www.cookupromance.com/" target="_blank">Cooking Up Romance</a> decided to put
together a DC Romance meetup group. We meet once a month at a local coffee shop
and we talk about what we're reading. Sometimes we also talk about the genre in
general and our experiences. The group has grown with each passing month as new
people see the meeting notices. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We do
seem to have a plethora of librarians, both public and academic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I hadn't planned on attending RWA conference in New York
City, because I am mostly a reader at this point, and it's quite expensive. But
then I learned about the literacy signing on Wednesday. Open to the public, the
signing included 480 authors, with the proceeds of the books going to literacy
charities. I started to waver when I looked at the list of authors with so many
of my favorites. I had done whirlwind NYC trips before. Maybe I could swing
that budget wise. And Elisabeth allowed as how she'd love the company on the
train up. So I took the plunge.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The adventure started early on Wednesday morning when I took
a Metro over to Union Station. I found Elisabeth and her husband after the
boarding had started. The Northeast Regional train took three or four hours to
finally roll into Penn Station. Then after examining the map on the way up, we
determined we just needed to walk ten blocks up to where the Marriott Marquis
was in Times Square.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On my last daytrip to NYC, I had effectively dodged Times
Square, so I never appreciated the level of sheer chaos involved, filled with
big screens and shouting ticket vendors. (I didn't take any pictures this trip,
but I did take one of Times Square four years ago. I even went into that large
Walgreens!) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Marriott Marquis was right next door to the Lion King at
the Minskoff Theatre, so I could see the whole theatre district laid out before
me. The hotel was crazy. Hotel registration wasn't even on the ground floor.
The smart elevators were ingenious (punch a number, it'll tell you which elevator
to use), but working slow by the end of the day. I imagine as the conference
wears on it'll get even slower. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Elisabeth picked up her registration materials (lots of
books!) and we went in search of her friend volunteering at the Goody Room.
Elisabeth had arranged a lunch gathering with a few friends and graciously
allowed me and her husband to tag along. The others were writers she corresponded
with on twitter. The hotel restaurant did not have the speediest service, but
they managed a serviceable burger. I had completely skipped breakfast, so I was
famished. With the signing in the evening, I wasn't certain when I'd eat next,
so it was good to have one big meal. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After a quick trip to Midtown Comics at W. 40<sup>th</sup>
street, I grabbed suitable caffeine and came back to the Marquis in search of
the Broadway Ballroom to wait for the signing. The huge ballroom had been laid
out with rows and rows of chairs, each with a roomy tote bag and a letter. The
letter signified what section you were in (A,B,C, etc.) when they started
sending people into the room downstairs. I was Dubious when I read the staging
area would be on a different floor with all the hotel discussions, but
surprisingly the whole thing went quite well. No one complained or bitched
about their place. Compared to some bookstore signings, it went quite smoothly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I sat down with some other romance readers and enjoyed going
back through the list while I waited. The other fans were cheerful, even
squeeful at meeting their favorites. I was struck by the range in age and
demographic and everyone had their personal favorites, but wouldn't judge you
if yours didn't line up. Two young women in headscarves behind us spoke with fannish
glee over Sarah MacLean's books. I flagged down Sarah, an academic librarian I
knew from the DCRom meetups. I am grateful for those meetups because as I
confessed, I probably wouldn't have tried this, if I didn't know anyone. As it
was, most of DCRom crowd were here, either for the conference or just the
Librarians' Day event. Even Sarah spoke glowingly about how important it was to
have these connection points to other readers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Entrepreneurial writers, sensing a captive audience, came
through with a pile of swag, usually pens or bookmarks/cards with free offers. Most
were unfamiliar-to-me contemporary writers, although one was an urban fantasy
writer I recognized that wrote with Sherrilyn Kenyon.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ITQRK9fnqw4/VbGxFZNoa4I/AAAAAAAAAlc/-uzj9fX-c2o/s1600/rwa_loot2015.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="293" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ITQRK9fnqw4/VbGxFZNoa4I/AAAAAAAAAlc/-uzj9fX-c2o/s320/rwa_loot2015.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My signing loot </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The massive Westside ballroom had most of the big stars at
the corners, while the rest were lined up alphabetically. Sarah and I got in
line to see Jayne Ann Krentz (aka Amanda Quick) first and I bought her newest hardcover
"Garden of Lies". Krentz was a former librarian and she'd spoken at
the Librarians' Day event, likening it to the Marines where once one, always
one. I thanked Krentz for her part in getting me into romance and she said
"Reading or writing?" Thinking about it, I said reading, but I might
try writing sometime. "Maybe someday you'll be on this side of the signing
table." So many hearts. I'd heard how frankly encouraging and supportive
RWA was and I was getting some firsthand experience, even before dipping my
hands into the writing side. </div>
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Next was the lovely Tessa Dare, a favorite of mine. Tessa
Dare had her two Castles Ever After books for sale, because "When the Scot
Tied the Knot" doesn't come out until August! I bought a copy of
"Romancing the Duke" because I didn't own a physical copy anymore. I
remembered to introduce myself as one of her twitter followers.</div>
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Then Sarah and I split up to go find our various authors. I
bought "Dangerous Books for Girls" from Maya Rodale and told her how
much I enjoyed watching the livecast of the TheLi.st events on feminism and
erotica. I met Julie Anne Long and bought one of her Pennyroyal Green books
because a librarian friend keeps touting them. After taking her Regency
politics class and chatting on twitter, I was also glad to meet Rose Lerner and
get one of her books. </div>
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That left two on the end for my tour – Courtney Milan and
Sarah MacLean. Having followed them on twitter for awhile, it was nice to
interact with them. I hoped I wasn't being too ridiculous asking Courtney how
her blue streaked hair was holding up in the room. I'd recognized her at lunch
chatting with an author and editor earlier. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I only regretted not meeting two authors. Nalini Singh's
line went clear back to the other side of the room at one point, almost
rivaling Nora Roberts' on the other side. I knew I'd be there til nearly the
end of the signing, if I stayed. Tiffany Reisz's line was also crazy busy,
practically blocking the aisle. I was curious about her books, but not enough
to stand in the crush of people.</div>
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I only grabbed a handful of buttons and swag from the
writers I saw. I have my own "Doubt Not!" button from Tessa Dare's
"Romancing the Duke" because I am a fair maiden of Moranglia… er… an
unrepentant fangirl. I also grabbed one of Rose Lerner's saucy "Spoiler: The
Butler Did Her" as a promo for her upcoming Lively St Lemeston book. </div>
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I paid for my purchases and discovered I had made it under
my budget. I had nervously worried I might go over with some of the higher
priced trades. Luck was indeed on my side. I met up with Sarah after she was
done and we spent some time chatting on the 8<sup>th</sup> floor concourse area
before it was time to march back up 7<sup>th</sup> Ave to Penn Station. </div>
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Or so I thought. I discovered that there was a
demonstration/rally being held at 42<sup>nd</sup> street, so I couldn't go any
further. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Undeterred, I remembered that
NYC was like DC and built on a grid system, so I figured I could simply go over
and around. My legs were dying by the time I reached Penn Station. I was
relieved to still have an hour to find a quick bite to eat and then wait for
boarding call. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>DC's Union Station is
fairly straightforward compared to Penn's maze of Amtrak and commuter rail. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I somehow managed to find both my gate and
the lovely lovely Amtrak quiet car for my blissful ride home.</div>
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<br />Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786372718401697134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805651250441440677.post-65669318098555571242014-11-09T13:55:00.002-08:002014-11-09T14:18:59.525-08:00The autumn of spies: Gail Carriger & the Lit Up BallAutumn is in the air and the time is for spies? Apparently so, judging by book calendar. <br />
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October 18th marked the library's Second Annual Lit Up Ball held at the Artisphere in Rosslyn. The theme was James Bond, so attendees went all out dressing 1950s/1960s vintage style or costumed as their favorite Bond character. A live big band played an array of tunes while couples danced away on the floor. Or they could sip their Vesper cocktails while playing a fun spy game where you unscrambled clues and found the right people for the answer. The night was quite a lot of fun, if a bit loud. If they do it again next year, I'll start thinking ahead of time for costume ideas, because last minute shopping and plus sizes is difficult at best.<br />
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The library commuter club meets November 20th to discuss John Le
Carre's "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy". I finished reading it quite early to
my surprise. I would be interested to comparing it against the filmed
versions to see how they tightened the narrative.<br />
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But this afternoon it was back to school at the International Spy Museum to finally meet Gail Carriger, author of the Parasol Protectorate and Finishing School series. I've been following her books since nearly the beginning, but alas schedules have never quite agreed. This year she was attending the World Fantasy Con in DC, so she did two additional signings in the area at Bethesda Library and the Spy Museum. Having liked the venue and slightly easier commute, I chose the Spy Museum one. <br />
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I was running late because I realized I actually owned a teal/turquoise sweater that suited the color theme of Waistcoats and Weaponry cover, which I paired with my <a href="http://mizzelle.tumblr.com/post/10063065722/books" target="_blank">book necklace</a> I bought a few years back at Small Press Expo. (Carriger has been coordinating her dresses to go with the release, so all of hers are similar colors.)<br />
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I arrived about ten minutes late, so I don't know how many questions were asked before or if Carriger gave any sort of introductory speech. <br />
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I was following two lovely ladies dressed in full steampunk attire with corsets and bustles. They were quite a sight to behold on the DC Metro and they won copies of the book and a beautiful parasol for the costume contest. I talked to them while waiting for our books to be signed. Quite enjoyable getting to hear about their costuming ideas. One had not read any of Carriger's books, but was big into the steampunk aesthetic.<br />
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I quite enjoyed meeting Gail and explaining who I was. There is even photographic evidence (exhibit A) so I must be a terrible vampire if I show up on film.<br />
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What I remember:<br />
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- The Parasol Protectorate books have been optioned for television and the deal has been renewed a few times, but beyond that, no particular news. She doesn't hold out a lot of hope because her books will be expensive to create with the period costuming, locations and CGI involved. Also they've optioned the world and the character, not necessarily the actual story, so it could wind up very different (i.e. True Blood/Charlaine Harris books). She'd love if one of the Japanese animation houses like Studio Ghibli would adapt them, because her books are so popular over there. <br />
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- Favorite spy methods seem to involve something deadly. She's worries she's a bit more of an assassin than spy. But she likes the codes and communication methods. She loves writing dialogue and it's fun to write a conversation without necessarily things being spoken aloud. She likes showing the range of the girls' abilities so we can see girls like Sophronia with her skill set compared to say Preshea or Monique with their rather different ones.<br />
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- Favorite comedy method: she loves bad puns and will slip into chapter titles.<br />
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- LOVED Tamora Pierce books when she was young. She recalls how she'd have to get the release dates from the librarians so she could acquire them from the bookstore. She contrasted Pierce's main heroines: Alanna the hero vs Kel the general.<br />
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- Carriger describes herself as a "militant outliner". She mentioned using<a href="http://www.rachelaaron.net/books-nonfic.php" target="_blank"> Rachael Aaron/Rachel Bach's 2K to 10K ebook</a> with a layering outline approach for her next book. She also claims she can spot a pantser when reading and really has no interest in going on a discovery with this author. She'd rather a nicely planned adventure.<br />
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- Has developed a large timeline of character ages and dates she has on her wall, so she can look at a glance and see how old someone was and whether they'd fit into certain adventures.<br />
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- Sophronia and her friends are basically her and her best friends. One friend is basically Dimity and is still a beta reader. Carriger told a funny story of how she only picked up on who Dimity was about fifty pages into the book and then went "Heyyyyy..." like "I resemble that remark." Said friend was her character beta, so she could usually spot when someone was OOC or not working. The funniest ones are the unintentional ones. Friends were surprised she'd included one gentleman with red hair and tight pants. To his credit, the inspiration of Tunstall was very aptly cast because he declared he'd change his hair and wear the pants for the next book signing! <br />
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- described herself as a "failed goth girl" because she couldn't with all the black. Was thrilled to discover steampunk embraced color (i.e. brown). She loves fashion and dressing up. Mike Perschon (aka <a href="http://steampunkscholar.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">SteampunkScholar</a>) dubbed her faction "Carriger Pigeons" for their tendency to dress in a wide plumage of colors.<br />
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- her time management skills were complimented by one person, especially for also doing various blogs and etc. She has an assistant that handles a lot of the day to day itinerary type stuff, but sometimes she'll give her specific research-y questions she doesn't have time to look for. It's very very very easy to go looking for one detail and find yourself still reading three hours later and you haven't written a thing. (Oh, how well I know this!) <br />
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- wants to write some other short stories or novellas set in the Parasol/Finishing school world after the books are done and she's had a bit of a breather.<br />
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- talked a bit about her archaeology work and why she finally had to make a choice between the two. She's a ceramicist and her work mostly focuses on the transition between two types of firing ceramics. She's a materials specialist, so her work is not region specific, so she went wherever the technologies cropped up, rather say focusing on Egyptians or Minoans. She mentioned two digs, an Etruscan one and one in Peru that she quite enjoyed. She was quite fortunate to be able to make a living as a writing now but really reiterated what I've heard elsewhere about not giving up your day job. She'd reached a breaking point when she'd developed carpal tunnel from typing PHD thesis, grading papers, and then going home and writing all night. So something had to give. She still keeps in contact with the archaeology job, but choosing was hard. <br />
<br />Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786372718401697134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805651250441440677.post-78234538742792968192014-04-26T20:47:00.000-07:002014-04-26T20:47:03.562-07:00Dewey's 24 Hour ReadathonI signed up for the Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon because I needed something to nudge my reading this year. I've been suffering a weird slump this year where I could start books fine, but couldn't finish them. My plan was to finishing some pesky books on my TBR shelf and maybe mixing in some short stories/ graphic novels, if I was lagging. <br />
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What I managed to finish:<br />
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1. Mary Robinette Kowal's <a href="http://www.tor.com/stories/2013/09/the-lady-astronaut-of-mars" target="_blank">Lady Astronaut of Mars</a> is her bittersweet Hugo Award nominated novelette. This felt strangely timely now thinking about my aging family members.<br />
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2. <a href="http://decoderringtheatre.com/books/red-panda-mask-of-the-red-panda-tpb/" target="_blank">The Mask of the Red Panda TPB</a>: I've listened to a lot of Decoder Ring Theatre's Red Panda Adventures audio show, so it was easy to "hear" the main characters. What is harder to adjust to is the artwork, since the "theatre of the mind" means you provide how you think the characters and world should look like. Best example was Max Falconi aka the Stranger who I pictured more as a Zatara/Mandrake type, not the Zorro half mask. As the Red Panda, it's a "interesting" problem to have! <br />
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3. Robin Bridges' "Unfailing Light", the second book in her Katerina Chronicles, is set in a fantasy embued version of 19th century Russian court of the Romanovs. This has stubbornly been on my TBR pile for awhile, so I finished the last fifty-sixty pages of it today. I also started book three "The Morning Star" but don't anticipate finishing it tonight.<br />
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4. Seanan McGuire's <a href="http://seananmcguire.com/icshorts.php#v&d" target="_blank">"Ghosts of Bourbon Street"</a> is a short story set in her Incryptid universe featuring the stars of the first two books on a road trip to meet the family... if your family is slightly less traditional than most. Along the way, they get a peek at the ghost world. This is a great setup for "Sparrow Hill Road", although you might want to read it after "Half Off Ragnarok". Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786372718401697134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805651250441440677.post-18240925571193225522014-03-23T08:06:00.000-07:002014-03-23T08:09:41.285-07:00Brandon Sanderson signing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’ve done a number of author signings over the years. Most have been on the smaller scale, nestled into an independent bookstore or library. But it has been awhile since I’ve been a signing for a bestselling author at a big chain bookstore, where you needed to worry about tickets and time and endurance. Such was the case Thursday night. I was used to a nice easy sprint. I was unprepared for a full out marathon.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Brandon Sanderson is an author of epic fantasy, including his Mistborn trilogy and his current Stormlight Archive. He was also tapped to fill the shoes of the late Robert Jordan in finishing his “Wheel of Time” series. He co-hosts a Hugo-award winning writing podcast and teaches creative writing. His books regularly appear on the New York Times best sellers lists.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">All of which goes to say Sanderson is not a niche author by any stretch. So I should have been worried when I saw the notice yesterday afternoon that his event at the Tysons Corner Barnes & Noble would be a ticketed event. You’d need to buy his latest book to get one of the fabled wristbands that allowed you to get your books signed. The bookstore ran out of his backlist fairly early on, not that seemed to deter anyone. That should also have been my first warning.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But what really alarmed me was the mob scene I saw at the store. The upper floor was crowded with people with nary a seat to be had. The spillover were standing by the bookshelves and surrounding the signing area several people deep. The first people showed up when the store opened at 10AM! If I’d known it was going to be so crowded, I might have taken some time off work. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The bookstore was quite well organized as far as the actual signing. The wristbands were broken down into zones, like boarding a flight, so when they called your section, it was time to line up. By the time I arrived, they had already handed out bracelets through zone E and at least one more zone behind that one. The line wound its way up and down and around through the fiction and science fiction sections, so we had plenty of time to window shop. Or mock cover trends unceremoniously. Sanderson warned people outright that he would be there all night, so if we wanted to go off and grab a bite to eat and maybe catch a movie, he’d understand. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sanderson gave out little Szeth stand up cards for people that asked questions and wore costumes and even to the guy that showed up the earliest. He enjoyed flinging the cards towards the person like a frisbee. Sometimes it came close to its target and well other times… let’s just say it was entertaining?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">To start, Sanderson did a quick 15 minute speech that explained about his books and his career. Then he’d do a question and answer session and reading and finally the actual signing. The pre-signing stuff took about an hour all told, which is probably fine when you’re sitting down, but brutal when you’re on your feet. I was grateful for the comfortable shoes, but my knees gave out a good way into his talk.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sanderson started as a chemistry major of all things, but eventually studied creative writing. He used to be a professor until his schedule prevented it. Now he teaches one class on writing sf/fantasy, which he’s trying to keep. He wrote twelve(!!!) horrible books before he was published. He was working on the original incarnation of Way of Kings when Elantris (#4) was bought. He dumped everything he loved about epic fantasy into Way of Kings and didn’t care how long it wound up. So if it wound up 400K instead of the usual 100-200K for epic fantasy? </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He showed the original WoK to them when they asked innocently “What else are you working on?” In what sounds like a trend in Sanderson’s career, they looked at the idea and went “Brandon, what are you thinking? Artwork?” But he willingly admitted there were problems with the original and he decided to shelve it for awhile.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sanderson only touched on briefly the enormous privilege and honor of being asked to continue Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time books, describing them as “enormous freight train”. He mentioned how he’d learned some things from writing those books. Jordan could weave multiple arcs/POVs very well. On the other hand, Sanderson could also step back and recognize some of Jordan’s flaws. Ironically this gave him the courage/confidence to think “Yes, I can write Way of Kings now”. His editors were of course more concerned about getting the *other* books on his plate out on time. Stormlight Archive is planned as 10 books with two sets of five books.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Words of Radiance started life as what he described as a horrible Dragonlance book. Sanderson originally had all his titles for the Stormlight Archive all mapped out with the idea each would named after a fictional book from the universe. (I can only imagine his editors/publishers/marketers going “Oh god, writers, there is a reason we don’t let them name things.”) He was convinced however that maybe naming “The Book of Endless Pages” was perhaps not the best choice for a 1000+ page behemoth. No sense in giving the critics more firepower. So suddenly he had to come up with a completely new title and work it into the book somehow. He called “Words of Radiance” the hardest three words he’d written for this book. It took so long to come up with one that the marketing material all read “Unnamed Brandon Sanderson Project” for the longest time. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Mistborn books are envisioned as three sets of trilogies -- one trilogy is epic fantasy, one is urban fantasy, and another science fiction. Alloy of Law and its followup are not part of these books. He did them when he realized how long it’d be before he’d do this universe again. Again his editor/agent is going “Wow, you’re certainly... ambitious” whenever he’d give them these crazy ideas. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Throughout the speech & Q&A, he’s nimbly going back and forth on all his different projects. I amazed he can keep them all straight, especially given how tired he must be during a book tour. He loves jumping around between different projects, so he’ll write one Stormlight book and then a Steelheart book and then he’s onto the Arithmatist, rather than working on one project continuously. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Q&A session followed his initial talk. He tried to avoid spoilers for his books, which I appreciated. Questions ranged from what he looked for in artists to what would happen if Hoid appeared in our universe. Sanderson pointed out Hoid is only here when there is a presence of magic, so we might have a reason to be worried. He was also asking about his tendency to give his magic systems a scientific approach, rationalizing that most of his worlds would at least have reached the Renaissance and the basic scientific method. He is one of the few authors I've encountered to consider technological progress into his worldbuilding; most seem to stop at medieval.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After the Q&A session, Sanderson gave a short reading. Instead of reading from one of his books, he read an unpublished short story he wrote in between “Steelheart” and “Words of Radiance”. He hopes to go back to the story at some point.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Then came the waiting for my zone to be called. I had a snack and drink in the B&N cafe and rested my feet for awhile and listened to the conversations around me. The ages ranged widely from teenagers to older fans. You could choose to have your books personalized or if you were in a hurry he was pre-signing some books so you could grab and go. In retrospect, if I’d know how late we’d run, I might have considered it. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">By the time I wound up at the table to get my books signed, the store had officially closed, unless you were there for the signing. So yes, we closed the store and possibly then some, since he was still signing books when I left nearly at midnight. I was physically fried, but it was nice to say hello and to thank him for the Writing Excuses podcasts I’ve enjoyed. I had to hoped to ask him for encouragement/advice when the writing isn’t working, but that’ll have to wait for another day. </span><br />
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</span>Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786372718401697134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805651250441440677.post-30398076008801889152014-03-12T20:48:00.001-07:002014-03-12T20:48:51.103-07:00NoVaTeen Book Festival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Last weekend I was able to spend a day indulging in my recent love of YA fiction with <a href="http://novateenbookfestival.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">NoVaTeen Book Festival</a> sponsored by <a href="http://onemorepagebooks.com/" target="_blank">One More Page Books</a> and <a href="http://library.arlingtonva.us/" target="_blank">Arlington County Library</a>. Held at the local high school, the festival included an amazing lineup of 23 Young Adult authors, featuring Phyllis Reynolds Naylor and Marie Lu. <br /><br />Inside the event, the festival had tables set up from One More Page Books with books from the authors, free swag, and most importantly snacks. This last bit can't be overstated because the high school, while easily within walking distance of Metro, is pretty far from restaurants and cafes. So it was good to be able to grab a quick bite and hydrate before the next panel. Unfortunately the initial part of the event was a comedy of errors as the poor OMP booksellers valiantly tried to get wifi to work so they could sell all those books in their nice piles. You were allowed three outside books, so I brought my copy of Victoria Schwab’s Unbound and bought Meagan Spooner and Amie Kaufman's These Broken Stars and Marie Lu's Legend. The event ended with a mass signing at Arlington’s Central library. <br /><br />The opening focus panel was on Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, author of the Alice series and Newberry-award winning Shiloh. I had heard the name before, enough to be impressed, but had never had occasion to read her books. Checking her bibliography suggests I was just off the generation for her books. By the time she was popular, I was at college and discovering new science fiction authors. She talked about growing up in the Great Depression and how it impacted her family and how much she'd look forward to "story" time where her family would read from the classics. She's had such a wide career from writing little short stories for a church magazine to her novels to even her autobiography. She'd never intended the Alice books to become the long ranging series, covering 28 books! She talked about how they'd become the most challenged and banned books in the country, because she covered topics that were considered taboos. As an example, Naylor picked a sequence from "Alice in April" where she is struggling with the changes of puberty and the cruelty of boys.<br /><br />After the Naylor speech, I went to the first breakout panel. These were smaller focus panels where two authors would talk and answer questions, held in one of the classrooms. Each breakout panel was named after a song title, so Victoria Schwab and Marie Lu's was "Wrecking Ball". Schwab and Lu both described at length how they'd become writers and their respective publishing careers. Their trajectories were eerily similar in some ways. <br /><br />Victoria Schwab came from a poetry background originally and discovered writing novels when she was trying out other forms of writing. She also changed majors SIX times in her college career, which makes my one switch pale by comparison. But she'd taken classes in nearly everything and discovered narrative in all of them. Her first book had sparkling prose that everyone loved, but no plot. This confused people no end. Near Witch, Schwab’s first published novel, was a dark fairy tale where all the children disappear after a stranger comes to a town. Setting wasn’t a focus in fairy tales. They could literally happen in any little village or any forest. Marie Lu had thought about becoming a lawyer or doctor, a nice stable career, which her family heartily approved of, until she had the opportunity to get a video game internship and took a chance on the creative side. <br /><br />Lu also gave a wonderful final speech as the featured author, so I learned even more about her background. She learned to write because her mother made her to improve her English after they’d emigrated from China. Their first experience of American culture was seeing Mardi Gras in New Orleans! But I felt very old when Marie Lu described living in Beijing at a tender age of five and seeing the "local" Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. I was graduating high school two weeks later. Perspective. <br /><br /> I laughed a little learning that Marie Lu had written fanfiction in her youth. She loved animal stories, so her favorites were Brian Jacques' Redwall and Sonic the Hedgehog. As a sf/fantasy fan of Eddings and Tolkien, Lu wrote her own horribly bad books, including the dread behemoth book of a party going after the shiny object and… even she willingly admitted "okay, yes, it was Lord of the Rings." <br /><br />One piece of writing advice I heard repeated throughout the day was that you often didn’t need just one spark of an idea, but several, often combining in ways you hadn’t imagined. Her Legend series came from two sources : rewatching the old Les Miserables movie with Liam Neeson, thinking a detective vs thief would be a fun idea. And a map showing the world would look if the freshwater ice melted, including destroying her hometown of Los Angeles. Rather than be horrified, she reacted like most writers "Oh cool I can use that!" <br /><br />Schwab and Lu answered questions from the audience. Some questions were process related, others for encouraging aspiring writers. We were cautioned not to ask spoilerly questions, which was a relief from my perspective. We had a nice discussion about Word vs Scrivener. Scrivener worked wonders for Schwab with her multiple documents and windows – although she admitted it worked only when she started the project there, rather than import an existing one. <br /><br />After the first breakout session, I grabbed a bite to eat and then headed into the auditorium for the next panel. "The Scientist" was all about the intersection of science and technology and morality. Jon Skovron was co-moderating. He'd been at the library's Shut Up and Write event I had attended last year. Fascinating topic. I wish I’d been more familiar with the authors to appreciate their answers more.<br /><br />In between the panels, I was amused when the auditorium played music, including "Carry on My Wayward Son". I half expected to hear discussions of demon hunters in the next panel.<br /><br />Instead the “Survivor" panel showcased authors with characters in difficult situations. Again I appreciated being introduced to authors I had not encountered and hearing more about their writing process. Meagan Spooner’s These Broken Stars proved a particular challenge, since it was written with her writing partner Amie Kaufman in Australia. One wanted to write about a shipwreck and one wanted a space story, so they combined the idea. What surprised (and gratified) them was hearing that one particular character was embraced by readers rather than ripped to shreds. Kirsten Simmons was imagining a world without the Bill of Rights and other statues. Simmons’ character remembered the way it’d been before, so there was a tendency to survive by just getting by, put head down and don’t attract attention, and whether that was the right way. Both Jessica Spotswood and Claudia Gray wrote about witches, but approached them differently. Spotswood’s books were about the power also of sisterhood and their combined strength. Claudia Gray’s witches had to maintain their secrecy, even when it prompted awkward questions. How do you tell that local boy that well… yeah, actually he *was* cursed.<br /><br />The only thing that bothered me in the Q&A session was the question about world building. To me, just because something is set in the “real” world doesn’t mean I have to research or think it through any less than if it’s a Middle Earth style fantasy. There was, though, a hilarious sidebar on the research questions you’ve had to ask your friends in the course of writing. For instance, how *do* you explain to the State Department your fascination with dead bodies and massive injuries? And how your friends go from “Why do you need to know this?” to “Oh, it’s for a book, isn’t it?” in the course of knowing you as a writer.<br /><br />The second breakout session featured Diana Peterfreund and Meagan Spooner discussing science fiction in YA. This was more low key and informal than the earlier breakout session. Lu & Schwab were very business-like in their approach, but quite fun and personable, where Peterfreund and Spooner gabbed like old best buddies having a grand old time. At length they discussed the covers for their books and the market struggles, especially the boy book vs girl book demands. Peterfreund had a librarian tell her that she loved her second Star book, but she couldn't get boys to read it because of the cover. Spooner admitted asking the publisher if they realized the cover for These Broken Stars would turn off potential boy readers. Publishers didn't care; they were perfectly okay with losing that potential market. Another unfortunate side effect of the pretty covers: you might not guess they’re set in outer space. <br /><br />Markets and labels was another common refrain I’d heard throughout the day. Some writers were not allowed to call their books “science fiction” or “dystopia” because the Trend was over. Yet Jenna Black truly believed her “Replica” series where you can create a duplicate of yourself if you have enough money was a *true* dystopia, in that her science was intended towards “the good” and went horribly horribly wrong. But her publisher wouldn’t call it that. It’s a bit of quandary for writers. But all of them dissuaded wannabe writers from “chasing the trend” because by the time your book is out the trend may be long over.<br /><br />In the end, the first NoVaTeen Book Festival was a great success. I was exhausted by the end of it, but I quite enjoyed the book festival and meeting all the authors and hearing their experiences. If I have a regret for NoVaTeen, it was that I wasn’t more daring. I do lean more heavily towards science fiction and paranormal sides of YA in my own reading. Ah, well, judging by the bookshelves, there is plenty of time to learn.Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786372718401697134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805651250441440677.post-56599582041255269882013-10-09T16:38:00.000-07:002013-10-09T16:38:04.193-07:00Busy Fall So it has been a busy month and a half, starting with two comic book conventions and then hitting a literal wall of book and reading events. In retrospect, I wish I'd gone to the Arlington Library's 813 Ball, a 1920s/Great Gatsby inspired fundraiser complete with band. The ball takes its name from the Dewey Decimal location for literature because well... librarians. The ball coincided with the fall book sale which was the usual chaos on opening night.<br /><br /><img alt="Spy Museum Elizabeth Wein event" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v88/vedma/other/BUi5mBuCcAA48kk_zps69a7042c.jpg" /><br /><br />On September 19th afternoon, I went over to the National Spy Museum to see Elizabeth Wein. She was signing copies of "Code Name Verity" and the newly released "Rose Under Fire." It was a small event, so I was able to talk to her a little, how so many of my friends on twitter particularly had loved (and sobbed) through "Verity" but carefully hadn't spoiled me. Interestingly Wein warned me that the first chunk of "Verity" was a tough go, so wouldn't hold it against me if I didn't love it unconditionally. The Museum shop person had read "Rose Under Fire" to the underprivileged teen group she worked with and they were now reading Verity as well. Wein was bowled over by this news and all the acclaim for her work.<br /><br />Then September 27th was the V.E. Schwab "Vicious" event at my local independent bookstore One More Page Books. Since the book is about superpowers and villains and heroes, the book event invited people to dress up in costume. She'd have masks (red for villain, black for hero) and a cool set of trading cards you could obtain for preordering the book or attending her signings. I'm not a natural cosplayer, but I figured I could enter the spirit when I saw <a href="http://fuckyeahblackwidow.tumblr.com/post/27336911437/mizzelle-the-international-spy-museum-in-dc-has">this retro Black Widow t-shirt</a> at the Spy Museum shop. (Romita doesn't actually portray Natasha wearing heels with that then new costume, I might add, but I love the style of art.) I paired it with an old goldish bracelet and OPI's "Affair in Red Square" nail polish for effect. I felt very Polyvore Black Widow. The other three people were pretty off the rack too -- a Lizzie Borden in black clothes and an axe as prop, a lady in a black cocktail dress and wand as Bellatrix and another in suit jacket / name tag as Agent Jemma Simmons from Agent of SHIELD because her name actually <i>was</i> Simmons. Bellatrix won mainly because Schwab admitted a love for the character.<br /><br /><img alt="A glimpse of my red nails and bracelet" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v88/vedma/other/BVNQLuQIMAAzt2d_zps170b6791.jpg" /><br /><br />Then Schwab gave a reading from "Vicious" and answered some questions. Some were book specific, like whether there was a traditional hero in "Vicious" or not. She also talked about the storytelling format since the book covers several time periods. She wrote it in order but then had markers to tell herself where things fit chronologically. She intended the chapters to be in short chunks like panels in a comic book. (I'm picturing some of the awful DC/Marvel captions where the story starts "NOW..." to cue you and so forth.) She wrote the book over about two years in between other book deadlines and wasn't originally about Victor and Eli. She had a different leading character and she was writing the backstory on the rival gangs and realized they were more interesting than she realized. She didn't tell anyone about the project for awhile. She talks a bit about writing "Vicious" on Scalzi's blog <a href="http://whatever.scalzi.com/2013/09/25/the-big-idea-v-e-schwab/">here</a> and Tor.com published a <a href="http://www.tor.com/stories/2013/08/warm-up">short story Warm Up</a> as a lead-up to the release. (Hilariously they didn't mention it was tied to "Vicious" so some of the regular sf/fantasy commenters were confused everyone knew about some upcoming book and assumed it was spammy.)<br /><br />She has now three publishers: one for middle grade (Scholastic), one for YA (Hyperion) and adult (Tor) and will publish 4 books next year. (EEP!) She was asked why Vicious couldn't be YA and it wasn't the ages as much as the tone and black humor that she didn't think fit that mindset. She <i>hates</i> cliffhangers, so even her series book feel like they can stand on their own. She's more of a classic Marvel comics fan, although she did her thesis on Bat-villains and how they're personifications of chaos/Batman's fears. She just prefers the Marvel shades of grey. She's an X-men fan, Magneto specifically.<br /><br />What I find fascinating as a "no, no, don't tell the authors" fangirl of long standing is how Schwab has <a href="http://veschwab.tumblr.com/post/62176860895/thatmadgirl-think-science-bros-go-bad-tumblr">utterly embraced the fans</a>, hoping someone will write the Victor/Eli epic of her dreams. She finds it the best compliment that someone wants to spend <i>more</i> time with her characters and world. She has since even started a <a href="http://vicious.freeforums.org/">forums</a> for people to play in.<br /><br />Then last week my local library hosted their first YA lit/writing event. They're gearing up for Nanowrimo in a big way, at least on the teen front. I've asked about the adult side of the coin and there is some furious discussions about the idea, so hopefully something will happen on that front. I didn't realize how much I missed having real people to talk to about writing. Not that the Internet isn't lovely (I do love you all really), it's just isolating at times, too.<br /><br />For the event, they had several YA authors to answer questions, along with the teen librarian to give her perspective on Nanowrimo and reading. The first panel was all about "rough drafts" and the process, rather than the business/market side of things author events get bogged down on lately. The authors were Diana Peterfreund, Jessica Spotswood, and Jon Skovron. I was only vaguely familiar with Peterfreund; she'd done a book signing at One More Page fairly recently. Her "For Darkness Shows the Stars" is a science fiction version of Jane Austen's "Persuasion". The second book in the series "Across a Star Swept Sea" started life as Scarlet Pimpernel in space. The other two authors I wasn't as familiar with, but they gave some good advice about outlines and when to start projects and how to juggle real life/writing. (What I gathered from this is wishing my commute was longer -- mine is strangely too short for writing or podcasts/audiobooks anymore.) The event seemed very well attended and most would-be authors, whether YA genre or otherwise. <br /><br />All in all, I'm a little worn out by book/author events, but encouraged leading up in Nanowrimo. As much as I love reading, I miss writing as much. Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786372718401697134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805651250441440677.post-59349531485706784212013-02-19T18:54:00.002-08:002013-02-19T19:12:47.665-08:00Marissa Meyer in Bethesda I was delighted when I heard Marissa Meyer was planning a book signing at the Bethesda Library in Bethesda, MD. I was little nervous after my <a href="http://rightbroad.blogspot.com/2012/03/cov-ops-101-how-to-survive-being.html">previous excursion</a> to this location, but this time I was far from the only adult reader present. The crowd was much smaller, so it was easier to find a seat and enjoy the event. Politics and Prose had both Cinder and Scarlet on sale with some of the proceeds benefiting the library.<br />
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Meyer started by explaining the story behind Cinder and Scarlet and how it all started with Sailor Moon fanfiction and a Star Trek walk-on. She'd been writing for some time, cutting her teeth in the Sailor Moon anime fandom. She was surprised so many people in the room knew the series; apparently she's asked the question in other locations and they've usually stared at her. She explained how she'd entered a Sailor Moon writing contest where she had use several elements -- she chose science fiction and fairy tales. Because Sailor Moon has its share of talking cats, she wrote a version of Puss in Boots.<br />
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Still with the science fiction/fairytale blend stuck in her brain, she had a Cinderella inspired dream where instead of her shoe falling off, her whole foot came off, thus inspiring the idea of the cyborg Cinderella. She merrily continued planning and plotting and gathering inspiration when Nanowrimo came around again in November. Nanowrimo is National Novel Writing Month where participants try to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days or less.<br />
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The Seattle ML upped the ante for that year -- the person writing the highest word count would receive a walk-on role in the new JJ Abrams Star Trek movie. Meyer comes from a very geeky family, the sort that wasn't above dressing in costume for Star Trek movie nights or apparently completely redoing their attic as a Enterprise bridge! So the walk-on prize was very exciting to her. She'd done Nano successful several times; she'd just have to write a lot more. She wound up writing 150K for that Nano comprising of Cinder and Scarlet and some of Cress. She actually did not win the contest, falling about a thousand words short of her victory and finishing third. Undeterred Meyer went back and revised the hell out of the first book until it was ready, found an agent and then they shopped it around to various publishers. They sent the book out on a Friday and received their first offer on Monday. (I should have asked if they'd shopped it as one book or the complete series, because the titles were already lined up in the first hardcover.) The funniest punchline is she received the news of the book selling on November 1st, the first day of Nanowrimo.<br />
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Meyer read two small sections of "Scarlet" aloud. One introduced Scarlet and Wolf, the new main characters in the second novel. The other section reintroduced Cinder to reassure her fans that she wasn't gone from the story. The scene was from Captain Thorne's POV who she described as possibly her favorite character of the whole series.<br />
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Before Meyer took questions, she discussed fairy tales and the parts of the story left out in most adaptations. Her examples included Little Mermaid, Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood. I'd heard the unsanitized version of Cinderella before; Sondheim had incorporated the stepsisters chopping up their feet into his musical Into the Woods. But instead of the birds being the ones to alert the prince it was spirit of Cinderella's mother. (I shudder how they'd have to adjust their feet if the glass slippers were geared to fit my narrow feet.) I had not heard the earliest version of Little Red Riding Hood with the cannibalism and nudity. What an... edifying version to take to dinner with me.<br />
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Then she opened up the floor for questions:<br />
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- Four books are in the series and they cover different fairy tales. Cinder is Cinderella, Scarlet is Little Red Riding Hood, Cress is Rapunzel and Winter is Snow White. But all the main characters will continue to appear throughout the series.<br />
- Wolf's photo inspiration was the Turkish pop star Tarkan. An audience member surprised her by knowing his name!<br />
- She picked her locations because of their connections with the original fairy tales. For instance, one of the earliest Cinderella stories was found in 9th century China, while Little Red Riding Hood is tied either to France or parts of Eastern Europe. The fourth book deals with the moon, so there's connection there.<br />
- She didn't have a specific ethnicity in mind for Cinder, thinking she was mixed -- brown hair, tanned skin, very thin and no curves. She wouldn't stand out in Eastern Commonwealth, but rather blend in.<br />
- Meyer was not mechanically minded. Her husband rebuilt old cars and helped explain certain parts and sometimes she'd rename parts/tools so they'd fit her world/voice better. She did laugh when her neighbor read her book and asked why Cinder hadn't used a specific tool used for removing screws in the one of the first scenes. She hadn't known such a tool existed, but allowed as how it would have been a boring scene if she'd used it. <br />
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Two of the fans behind me had created a pair of adorable necklaces -- one of Cinder in her ballgown w/ cyborg arm and leg and one of Sailor Moon/Usagi.Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786372718401697134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805651250441440677.post-26528851183630542032013-01-31T19:37:00.000-08:002013-01-31T19:38:04.306-08:00Vive le France!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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January is over alas. I have finished three books for my Mt TBR list and started several on my Classics Club list. "Persuasion" is still lagging somewhat, so I didn't complete the Unputdownables read-a-long but I hope to tackle finishing it soon. So with the calendar changing to February, I need to find my non-existent passport and say "Bon Voyage" and say a hearty "Bonjour!" to the <a href="http://delaisse.blogspot.com/2013/01/french-february-classics-club-event.html" target="_blank">Classic Club's French February</a>. Initially I hesitated coming so soon after the "Persuasion" read-a-long, but Choderlos de Laclos' "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" is already on my list and I happen to adore epistolary novels. The choice of books fits nicely into the <a href="http://www.lettermo.com/" target="_blank">Month of Letters</a> challenge for February.Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786372718401697134noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805651250441440677.post-67676942093583139752013-01-21T21:36:00.000-08:002013-01-21T21:36:44.507-08:00Vintage SF: Randall Garrett's Murder and MagicIn 1199, Richard the Lionhearted died from a crossbow wound at the Seige of Chaluz, leaving his neglected English throne in the hands of his brother Prince John. <br /><br />
At least that's one way the story goes. But what if history had gone a little differently?<br />
<br />In the world of Randall Garrett's Lord Darcy, Richard the Lionhearted recovered from his wounds and settled down to the running of England and France. Without heirs of his own, Richard entrusted the kingdom over to Arthur, the capable son of his dead brother Geoffrey. Arthur made a brilliant marriage and expanded the kingdom until the Plantagenet Empire was the most powerful on the planet. <br />
<br />But this is also a world where the laws of magic were codified and treated as a science. Those with the Talent are trained to be sorcerers or healers, fully licensed and sanctioned by the Church. Healers perform their work through the laying on of hands, allowing people to live longer. But superstition and distrust hasn't disappeared completely from this world, creating an underworld of hedge wizards and "black magic" users that feed off the general populace's fears. These fears are also encouraged by agents abroad. <br /><br />
The Chief Criminal Investigator to Richard, Duke of Normandy, Lord Darcy must solve the unsolvable, while aided by Master Sean O Lochlainn. Lord Darcy is the master detective of this universe, lacking any Talent of his own, except his remarkable mind and powers of observation. Master Sean O Lochlainn is a master sorcerer with a particular interest in forensics. Lord Darcy and Master Sean work as an able team, confident in each other's special abilities.<br /><br />
The first Lord Darcy collection, <b>Murder and Magic</b>, was published in 1979, but all four stories were published earlier. Each story is what would be called "fair play" murder mysteries as all the clues are provided. Master Sean provides the bulk of the magical evidence, quick to lecture on the various magical laws and how they relate to a particular situation. Lord Darcy does his own investigating and draws his own conclusions. Very often he just needs Sean to back up his suspicions.<br /><br />
Rereading these stories, I was struck by several things. A reviewer commented on the religious overtones of the series and it's quite true. The Church is a strong component of everyday life in this universe. Priests and clerics appear as characters throughout the series. Only "The Muddle of the Woad" shows a glimpse of how they regard challenges to traditional Christian life with the Society of Albion with its claims to Druidic paganism. No Reformation is mentioned, but compared to say Keith Roberts' <b>Pavane</b>, there's also no reference to the Pope or Vatican in this first collection. All the same I could see how the religious references might feel overwhelming.<br /><br />
What irked me throughout the collection were the women or lack thereof, although to his credit, there were no female murder victims. But there are also no female magic users and with the Church so heavily involved, one wonders if they're even allowed to wield magic. In "Stretch of Imagination", Damoselle Barbara allows as she has "above average" Talent, but no one asks why she is never trained, so one could see her perspective cast aside as feminine intuition, nothing more. None of the stories pass the Bechdel test either; even there are multiple female characters, they don't interact with each other.<br /><br />
Garrett is also quite repetitive as a writer. Presumably Garrett was trying to make the stories to standalone, so he had to repeat his world's history. That meant reading about Richard's survival multiple times and he didn't vary the story all that much. He also used the same pet phrases when describing certain characters, like Lord Darcy speaking Anglo-French with an English accent or describing Master Sean as the tubby Irish sorcerer. As separate stories, it probably wasn't so bad, but taken together in one volume, the combined effect could get rather tiresome. <br /><br />
In his lifetime, Randall Garrett published two Lord Darcy short story collections (<b>Murder & Magic</b> and <b>Lord Darcy Investigates</b>) and one novel (<b>Too Many Magicians</b>). All of these stories, plus several uncollected stories, were published in one volume <b>Lord Darcy</b> by Baen Books in 2002. Michael Kurland also published a pair of Lord Darcy books continuing the series with <b>Ten Little Wizards</b> and <b>A Study in Sorcery</b>. <br />
<br />All told I still enjoyed this first collection. Lord Darcy has a certain undeniable charm and I love his interactions with Master Sean. Since it's the first series of stories, I'm willing to allow a certain leeway to see if Randall Garrett develops the universe further. This series both fascinates and frustrates me as a reader. I love the world and how it melds so well with the mystery genre. I intend to continue my Lord Darcy reading with the rest of the series, so we'll see if my misgivings are assuaged.<br />Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786372718401697134noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805651250441440677.post-35309591530518851952013-01-05T08:39:00.001-08:002013-01-05T09:14:18.753-08:00Classics Club Readathon: Getting StartedThe Classics Club has started the year with its inuaugural 24-hour read-athon. I will not be able to participate in the entire event as I have a social engagement in the evening, but I can still read during the day. I've been up since 9am and have already read two chapters of Persuasion before breakfast. <br />
<br />
<b>Name and Blog:</b> My name is Julia and I blog at the Right Broad<br />
<br />
<b>Snacks and Beverages of Choice:</b> Sunkist and Oreos<br />
<br />
<b>Where are you reading from today?</b> The cushy loveseat mostly<br />
<br />
<b>What are your goals for the Readathon?</b><br />
<br />
My main goal to catch up on the Persuasion read-a-long, but I'd like to work on some other books on my list.<br />
<br />
<b>What book(s) are you planning on reading?</b><i> </i><br />
<br />
<i>Persuasion by Jane Austen:</i> I'm reading this for the Unputdownables read-a-long. I was behind by a few chapters by our first checkpoint so I wanted to get up to date<br />
<br />
<i>Idylls of the King by Alfred Lord Tennyson:</i> I've owned this for awhile, but I've not read as much of it as I'd like. They are some long poems, but I can easily break them down into sections during the day.<br />
<br />
<i>Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde:</i> Over the Christmas break I listened to Big Finish's wonderful audio drama, Confessions of Dorian Gray, about the further adventures of Oscar Wilde's most infamous character. So I was curious about the original. I think I had to read it once for class, but wasn't too impressed with it.<br />
<br />
<b>Are you excited?</b><br />
<br />
YES! Very excited. <br />
<br />Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786372718401697134noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805651250441440677.post-39031193296753584222012-12-30T13:04:00.001-08:002012-12-30T13:05:00.827-08:00Emperor's Soul<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2kBMuqkv3Fo/UOCn3Zvlc4I/AAAAAAAAAYc/QpayqCvzGI8/s1600/EmperorsSoul_Bookpge.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2kBMuqkv3Fo/UOCn3Zvlc4I/AAAAAAAAAYc/QpayqCvzGI8/s1600/EmperorsSoul_Bookpge.png" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Brandon Sanderson's The Emperor's Soul is a slim but
engrossing fantasy novella keyed on a unique magic system involving stamps. Forgers
can rewrite an object's past, transforming a simple vase into an ornate one
instead. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Resealers can heal the body to
its former health, while Bloodsealers can track people through their blood. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Shai is a Forger, a con artist and thief. When Shai is
caught in the act, she is offered an opportunity, instead of execution. Emperor
Ashravan has been assassinated. While the resealers can heal his physical body,
they cannot recover his mind. Shai is charged with the impossible task of
Forging a new soul for the Emperor. Confined in a small room, Shai works
against the clock to create the unthinkable all the while challenged and bribed
by advisers that want to maintain their political status.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> If one was gifted with artistic talent, why would one choose
the life of art of forgery and crime instead? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is the nature of the soul and do all
objects have them? Is the best way to fool someone through honesty? Those are
some of the questions raised by Emperor's Soul. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Since it's a short novella, we don't delve too heavily into
Shai's backstory. For a female character, it's a relief to have such an
uncomplicated story. No one forced Shai into this life. She willingly sought
out of the rigorous Forgery apprenticeship. She is calculating and quick to
size up an opportunity. She's a thief and an unrepentant one. She loves the
thrill of the life. But that she's created the ultimate out for herself in the
form of that "normal" Essence Mark suggests she has considered
another quieter life. Could she ever go through with it? Forgery and magic seem
ingrained in her soul and psyche. Once in that life, it'd be hard to leave.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Gaotona is an Arbiter, a loyal advisor to Emperor Ashravan.
He is presented as the disapproving grandfather type, both to Ashravan and
Shai. He expects better of people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
sees true talent and artistry in what Shai does. He cannot understand why she
wastes that as a Forgery. But his other role provides a stronger counterpoint
to Shai. Forgery is seen as a kind of blasphemy and abomination. Gaotona's
struggle to understand how Forgery works allows Sanderson to show readers the
intricacies of his magic system, how it works and how it can't. His fellow
arbiter Frava doesn't want to understand how it works; she's quite willing to
eliminate Shai at the first opportunity if she can still achieve her ends.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Showing how Forgery works also allows the more intriguing
questions about the soul. The work to rebuild Ashravan's soul is long and
arduous, fraught with decisions. Why does someone like a certain color? Why
would someone want to be an Emperor? But it's not just people. Even inanimate
objects receive attention, providing some of the liveliest debates. Do objects
have souls? How do they regard themselves? While locked in her room, Shai
Forges her surroundings into more comfortable ones. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>She isn't changing their nature as much as
allowing them to shine. Instead of being allowed to crumble, an object is
Forged to be found and cared for properly. Her jailers see it as frivolous
waste of precious time, but it also points out the differences in Shai's
attitudes compared to them. They'd never considered the potential in these
artifacts until she's Forged them. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In a way, Emperor's Soul reads very much like a bottle
episode, because the majority of the novella takes place in the confines of
Shai's room. People come and go, but Shai is stuck inside. Shai still shows how
she can still manipulate people. She uncovers their weaknesses and secrets,
even how to ultimately win over Gaotona in her escape. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sanderson talks about the writing of the novella in the
<a href="http://www.writingexcuses.com/2012/11/11/writing-excuses-7-46-project-in-depth-the-emperors-soul/" target="_blank">Writing Excuses podcast</a>. The podcast includes some mild spoilers on some plot points. The biggest question mark for me was the scene near the end where Shai uses the Essence Marks to escape. That action scene felt very strange after pages of this scholarly and thoughtful fantasy story. What annoyed me a little was the stereotypical "every Asian character is a
martial artist" issue. But I agreed in principle with Sanderson that with
his setup, her escape could not be an easy one. I do wish Shai could have
managed it in some other way, but it's a minor quibble.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Overall I enjoyed Brandon Sanderson's Emperor's Soul. I liked the unusual magic system and the questions it raised about art and the soul. Shai was a likeable character and I was rooting for her throughout. I'm still
plowing through Elantris, so this was the first of Sanderson's works I've finished. <br /><br />(Emperor's Soul is available as a trade paperback from Tachyon Publications and also as an ebook or Audible audiobook.) </span></span>Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786372718401697134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805651250441440677.post-17915059551264811092012-12-29T13:34:00.000-08:002015-12-16T21:12:09.768-08:00New Year, New Book Challenges<br />
So 2012 is nearly over and it's time to reflect on the year. I've really enjoyed having these challenges/read-a-longs to nudge me into reading things I wouldn't ordinarily read. Or maybe get around to that pile. I set out to read a bit more and surprised myself by doing just that. I signed up for Goodreads' Reading Challenge to read 30 books and managed to read 42! I also successfully climbed Pike's Peak for the 2012 Mt TBR Reading Challenge but couldn't quite move on to Mt Vancouver. So of course for <a href="http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2012/11/2013-mount-tbr-reading-challenge.html">this year's challenge</a> I signed up for the Mt Blanc level of 24 books, just to challenge myself further. I don't have a list for that... yet. <br />
<br />
I also vowed to spread my reading wings out a little and read some classics. The <a href="http://theclassicsclubblog.wordpress.com/">Classics Club challenge</a> is perfect for that, because you can set up a list to tackle, but you have five years to finish. I spent some time thinking about these. Some are ones I've always meant to read and some I've always felt bad about not reading... it'll be interesting to see how far I get into this challenge. I'm already signed up for Unputdownables' <a href="http://unputdownables.net/2012/12/20/persuasion-sign-ups-starting-post/">Persuasion Read-a-long</a> to start me off.<br />
<br />
So here is my list:<br />
<br />
1 Bram Stoker - Dracula<br />
2 Henry James - Portrait of a Lady<br />
3 Edith Wharton - House of Mirth<br />
4 Edith Wharton - Age of Innocence<br />
5 Edith Wharton - The Buccaneers<br />
6 Charlotte Brontë - Jane Eyre<br />
7 Charlotte Brontë - Villette<br />
8 Edmund Spenser - The Faerie Queene<br />
9 Virgil - Aeneid<br />
10 Homer - The Iliad<br />
11 Homer - The Odyssey<br />
12 Emily Brontë - Wuthering Heights<br />
13 Pierre Choderlos de Laclos - Les Liaisons Dangereuses<br />
14 Jules Verne - Around the World in Eighty Days<br />
15 Charles Dickens - Bleak House<br />
16 Mary Shelley - Frankenstein<br />
17 Wilkie Collins - The Moonstone<br />
18 Wilkie Collins - The Woman in White<br />
19 Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice<br />
20 Jane Austen - Mansfield Park<br />
21 Jane Austen - Northanger Abbey<br />
<b>22 Jane Austen - Persuasion</b><br />
23 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Complete Sherlock Holmes<br />
24 Sir Thomas Malory - Morte D’Arthur<br />
25 JRR Tolkien - The Hobbit<br />
26 Elizabeth Gaskell - Wives and Daughters<br />
27 Elizabeth Gaskell - North and South<br />
28 Daphne Du Maurier - Rebecca<br />
29 L. Frank Baum - Wonderful Wizard of Oz<br />
30 Lewis Carroll - Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland<br />
31 Lewis Carroll - Through the Looking Glass<br />
32 TH White - Sword in the Stone<br />
33 Flappers and Philosophers - F Scott Fitzgerald<br />
34 William Butler Yeats - Complete Poems<br />
35 Alfred Lord Tennyson - Idylls of the King<br />
36 Chretien de Troyes - Arthurian Romances<br />
37 Leo Tolstoy - War and Peace<br />
38 Leo Tolstoy - Anna Karenina<br />
39 Thomas Hardy - Return of the Native<br />
40 HG Wells - Invisible Man<br />
41 John Milton - Paradise Lost<br />
42 Arabian Nights<br />
43 Oscar Wilde – The Picture of Dorian Gray<br />
44 Herodotus - Histories<br />
45 Thucydides - History of the Peloponnesian War<br />
46 Hesiod – Works and Days and Theogeny<br />
47 Emily Dickinson - Complete Poems<br />
48 Edgar Rice Burroughs - John Carter of Mars<br />
49 Anthony Hope - The Prisoner of Zenda<br />
50 Anthony Hope - Rupert of Hentzau<br />
51 Niccolo Machiavelli - The Prince<br />
<b>52 Charles Dickens - A Christmas Carol</b><br />
<br />
Goal for completion date: January 2018<br />
<br />
Bolded books have been finished. Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786372718401697134noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805651250441440677.post-87506177681015016022012-06-21T20:54:00.000-07:002012-06-21T20:54:37.564-07:00One More Page & Alma KatsuI love bookstores. Whenever I go on trips, I am quick to check to see if there are any bookstores in town worth checking out. So I was delighted when I heard a new independent bookstore had opened locally, <a href="http://onemorepagebooks.com/">One More Page Books</a>. The bookstore hosts a number of author events and reading groups; they also carry a unique array of chocolate and wine. <br />
<br />
The six block walk from the Metro is accurate but it's a winding trip through some of Arlington/Falls Church's residential streets. Fortunately there are also bus routes that run fairly very close. That proved useful tonight. The June weather was hot and humid beyond belief, so walking was out of the question. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RDfEWtmPNvc/T-PsJ7cwNLI/AAAAAAAAAXk/eCAIuX1V4HA/s1600/reckoning-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="302" width="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RDfEWtmPNvc/T-PsJ7cwNLI/AAAAAAAAAXk/eCAIuX1V4HA/s320/reckoning-200.jpg" /></a> So I went to <a href="http://almakatsu.com/">Alma Katsu</a>'s book launch for <i>The Reckoning</i>, the second book in her Taker Trilogy. I'd heard about the books from following the bookstore owner's twitter feed. The beautiful covers intrigued me enough to learn more about the books. I think I was one of the few at the signing that had not read the first one already though. <br />
<br />
Alma Katsu was a delight, though. A petite woman, she worked in intelligence for thirty years before making the break to a full time writer. Rather than doing a reading, Katsu told us what the last year has been like since her first book came out. Her third book is actually due at the same time her second one is being released, so I can only imagine the planning and coordination involved. Some of it sounded like a cautionary tale to go with the old "So you wanna be a writer?" question. She made the comparison of feelings towards a first book as similar to a first child; for the first, you have great plans, everything will be coordinated and planned. By the time the second one has rolled around, you’re just ready to get on with it and you have no delusions whatsoever.<br />
<br />
One thing Alma Katsu talked about that surprised me was quitting the day job. Most writers I know caution against that idea completely. Her publisher/editor reacted to that decision with "Uh, okay, right, hope it works for you." Honestly I would be a little nervous about that prospect, too. But she had good reasons why it made sense. As she pointed out, working for the Alphabets (i.e. CIA, NSA, etc) includes a lot of very strict non-disclosure statements and rules about interacting with the media. That doesn't translate very well for publishing purposes, especially for interviews. But she also added it took some adjusting to life outside those confines. Her schedule now is a far cry from a normal eight hour day, sometimes coming up for air in the middle of the day, before working late into the evening. <br />
<br />
The funniest story came from a book trip overseas. Katsu has been fortunate to have her books already translated into several languages already, including Spanish, Polish, and Italian. Her Italian publishers brought her over for a few days. She’d thought it’d be the usual "meet and greet" when it was a steady block of interviews, including having her picture taken by several paparazzi. (That they could have gotten photos from her website apparently hadn’t occurred to anyone.) So she had these photo shoots with these typical older Italian photographers that didn’t speak English very well and mostly suggested poses with gestures and such. Katsu demonstrated some of them and they were the silliest of silly. What was funnier was when she received the links for the photos later and saw they’d done photos for most of the major authors that went through from Salmon Rushdie to Isabel Allende – all making the exact same quirky set of poses.<br />
<br />
The One More Page’s owner was celebrating her birthday, so there was cake! Both a small ice cream cake before the signing and a large sheet cake with the <i>Reckoning</i> cover on it for afterwards. They also had a choice of Spanish sparkling wine and a Zinfandel/Shiraz blend. <br />
<br />
The signing line was growing longer and longer as I was leaving. I was delighted to meet Alma Katsu and get my books signed, but also needed to head for home. I will caution people, if they want to browse at length, check their schedule on the website to make sure there isn’t an event. It is a smallish shop, so they have to move some shelving and block other sections to make enough space, so some places are hard to access. The store does offer a free frequent buyer program and will special order/ preorder books for you. <br />
<br />
Honestly I love the bookstore. It’s a great alternate option to have available, even if I can’t get to it regularly.Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786372718401697134noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805651250441440677.post-8938191349081945462012-06-21T18:25:00.000-07:002012-06-21T18:25:52.596-07:00Halfway up Pike's PeakI've stalled a bit on my TBR challenge to be honest. I'd blame those dratted library books, because they’re so distracting. I seem to be stuck midway through several likely suspects. So I'm huddled in a nice section of the mountain, taking a break before tackling the next round. I am pleased, though, that I discovered the Goodreads' Mt TBR Reading Group for sharing our experiences/war stories/book discoveries.<br />
<br />
The current list:<br />
<i>Strong Poison<br />
In the Garden of Iden<br />
Staying Dead<br />
Dagger Magic<br />
Blue Bloods<br />
Affinity Bridge<br />
Masquerade<br />
</i><br />
<b>1. Tell us how many miles you've made it up your mountain (# of books read).</b><br />
<br />
I've finished seven books in my TBR Challenge, only three since the last update. To try my hand at the weird math, Pike's Peak is 14,115 feet. I've completed 7/12 books or 58% of my goal. That means that I'm 5,928 feet up currently. (Did I do that right? I'm lousy at math.) Oh, I do hope I brought enough supplies... <br />
<br />
<b>2. Compose a poem using the titles from your list (lower case words are what I added):</b><br />
<br />
<i>In the Garden of Iden<br />
Staying Dead<br />
is a<br />
Blue Bloods<br />
Masquerade<br />
</i> <br />
<br />
<b>B. Who has been your favorite character so far and why?</b><br />
<br />
I could be obvious and say Lord Peter Wimsey, but to choose from the last three books I read, I'd say Lawrence van Alen in the Blue Bloods series. He first appears in <i>Masquerade</i> and I liked how De La Cruz played with the usual expectations of vampire lore and changed it around a little with Lawrence's abilities. Lawrence is old and frankly set in his habits. He has certain expectations of how people should act that are rather contrary to the current crop. He makes for a different kind of contrast. I would have loved to have seen Lawrence in his prime, rather than as a fairly broken spirit. <br />
<br />
<b>C. Have any of the books surprised you -- if so in what way? (not as good as anticipated? unexpected ending? Best thing you've read all year?)</b><br />
<br />
<i>Dagger Magic</i> surprised me in a bad way. I reread the earlier Adept books leading up to that one and they weren't stellar but they were good for they were. At Dagger Magic, all the charm and energy seemed to have disappeared, along with the copyediting. It wound up being a slough to get through. I still have Death of an Adept left in my TBR shelf and I'm not all that keen to get to it.<br />
<br />
<b>D. Bonus question: What am I reading now from the TBR pile? </b><br />
<br />
I did manage to read a few chapters of Seanan McGuire’s <i>An Artificial Night</i> today. I’m hoping that will spur me on to finish that for book #8.Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786372718401697134noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805651250441440677.post-12280798303452259342012-06-09T20:47:00.000-07:002012-06-09T20:47:14.953-07:00Armchair BEA recap - Better late than never?For the second year, I joined the <a href="http://www.armchairbea.com/">ArmchairBEA</a> (#armchairbea) twitter parties. Over 600 book bloggers signed up for the Armchair BEA event; I had to adjust the refresh rate several times to allow tweetchat to keep up with the conversation. <br />
<br />
Like last year, the topics ranged far and wide. <i>Fifty Shades of Grey</i> was the "controversial" topic du jour, but I had the impression most book bloggers were tired of hearing about it by now. We discussed whether we are attracted to pretty covers and whether it bothered us when publishers changed formats or trade dress for series. We discussed which books and genres we were drawn now compared to when we were younger. Strangely I had an easier identifying what influenced me as a child than guide me now as an adult. I read so widely it's hard to pin down what influences me. I can point to which topics or books influenced certain writing projects, but not necessarily my professional or personal life.<br />
<br />
But blogging wasn't far from our discussion either. Everyone traded their tips and advice for social media and interacting with publishers and authors. The conversation made me look critically at what I've done or not. I realized I'm a bit of social wallflower when it comes to book blogging standards. I have twitter/tumblr/pinterest/etc but I’ve never integrated them or made them part of my book blog. I'm horrible about replying to comments on my blog, unless there's a direct question. I enjoy twitter's give and take, especially being able to let an author know I’ve enjoyed their book. But I’m always worried I put off the non-comics/non-geeky crowd with my usual topics. <br />
<br />
What I enjoyed about the twitter parties was seeing the range of the responses and usually the emotion they conveyed. One thing was quite clear: book bloggers are very particular about their books and their habits. I also really appreciated interacting with new people outside the comics blogging sphere. Sometimes you need to gain some perspective, especially when you’re feeling tapped out.<br />
<br />
Every time I hear that reading is dead, I think about the e-readers I've seen crop up on my Metro commute. And most iPads I've seen have been used for reading, whether books, comics or magazines. Libraries are struggling to keep up with the demand for e-books. And then I look at the strong book blogging community and the countless readathons/readalongs/challenges I can’t keep up with. I remember all the young girls in line for the YA event a few months back, happily clutching their books and discussing their favorites at length. Booksellers, yes, are having troubles, it's true, but I don’t see reading losing any steam any time soon.Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786372718401697134noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805651250441440677.post-28052149648516912172012-03-29T12:07:00.001-07:002012-03-29T12:08:10.431-07:00Stopping for tea on Pike's Peak<i>"Well, none of us can do more than our best, and it is very necessary to have Faith. That moves mountains, we are told."<br />
<br />
"Then for Heaven’s sake lay in a good stock of it," said Wimsey gloomily, "because as far as I can see, this job is like shifting the Himalayas and the Alps, with a touch of frosty Caucasus and a touch of the Rockies thrown in."</i><br />
-- Dorothy L Sayers, Strong Poison<br />
<br />
A quarter of the way into the Mount TBR Reading Challenge, I'm rather pleased with my progress so far. I signed up for Pike's Peak level which meant reading 12 books from my TBR. Since January, I have read four, including several that have lingered on the TBR shelf for far longer than I care to admit. <br />
<br />
The books in question:<br />
<br />
Dorothy L. Sayers, <i>Strong Poison</i><br />
Kage Baker, <i>In the Garden of Iden</i><br />
Laura Anne Gilman, <i>Staying Dead</i><br />
Katherine Kurtz & Deborah Turner Harris, <i>Dagger Magic</i><br />
<br />
Of the four, finishing the Sayers book really stunned me. I've tried to read her for years, but have always tripped up on her language and her Latin quotations. Maybe it was rewatching the old PBS Mystery! Adaptation fairly recently, but the book went much faster this time, once I was past the opening court scene. Gaudy Night has keeping Strong Poison company on my bookshelf for nearly as long, so it might be good to give it another go.<br />
<br />
That leaves me with eight more books to manage between now and the end of the year, a respectable amount for my reading habits.<br />
<br />
See, here's the thing, dear Readers, I know how I read. There will be the shiny and new. There will always be something that just came out that has captured my attention or something my friends keep talking about, so I get curious. That's why I made my Goodreads goal larger than my TBR one. (For the record, I've managed 11 books for the Goodreads reading challenge so far, far more than I anticipated, even without those Kurtz & Harris Adept series re-reads before Dagger Magic.Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786372718401697134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805651250441440677.post-71794266241852189632012-03-13T20:33:00.000-07:002012-03-13T20:33:03.572-07:00Cov Ops 101: How to Survive Being Surrounded by TeenagersThe Operative attended a book signing on Tuesday evening at the Bethesda Library in Bethesda, Maryland. The authors were <a href="http://allycarter.com/">Ally Carter</a>, senior agent in charge of chronicling the <a href="http://www.thegallagheracademy.com/">Gallagher Girls</a> adventures and the Heist Society books, and <a href="http://readingwritingrachel.blogspot.com/">Rachel Hawkins</a>, Alabama-born author of the Hex Hall series. Both series were quite popular and heavily read in the coveted teenage girls demographic.<br />
<br />
The Operative left a full half hour early, assuming extra time on the DC Metro and that her navigational skills would be graded on a severe curve. It was, after all, in Maryland, a strange and foreign land to a Virginia native. (The White Flint incident has not been expunged from the official record just yet.) The Operative arrived to discover that the entire room at the Bethesda Library was packed. She wound up standing in the back, listening to the question and answer session for nearly thirty to forty minutes. Some questions were directed to Carter and some to Hawkins or both. <br />
<br />
After the Q&A session was concluded, the two authors signed books for over an hour. Politics and Prose had all their books on sale, including the two newest hardcovers, Spellbound and Out of Sight, Out of Mind. Two teenage girls showed up in full Gallagher Girl uniforms and posed for photos.<br />
<br />
The Operative has discovered that writing these Covert Operations reports is not all it’s cracked up to be. Paperwork won’t kill you. Not being able to use proper pronouns will.<br />
<br />
Some other pieces of intel I picked up:<br />
<br />
There is one more Gallagher Girl book planned. Carter is working on the third Heist Society book now, although it’s currently untitled. She did share the fact that the covers to the Heist Society books always show the reflections of whatever is being stolen, whether art or jewels. The third cover will feature Hale. So is Katarina helping steal some part of Hale’s life back? Is she after some elusive item in Hale’s family collections? Or is she somehow going to find the answer to those dratted W.Ws?<br />
<br />
The Hex Hall books are concluded after three books, but there’s a spinoff series planned. The new leading character will be introduced in that third book and Hawkins said if you read the book, you’d have a pretty good guess at that character’s identity. The girls behind me were all Hex Hall fans and had all found the third book that had just been released. They were all enthusiastic readers with clear favorites. One girl was eagerly waiting for the Hunger Games movie, more so than the author event. The girls in front of me were already absorbed in reading “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” while waiting in line.<br />
<br />
Cross Your Heart and Hope to Spy was Carter’s hardest book to write, because although she had a general premise about Gallagher Girls meeting the Blackthornes, she didn’t have a plot. Hawkins initially thought a sequel was hardest to write, until she had to follow it up with the third. Her scientific (and presumably geeky) husband pointed out she didn’t have enough big explosions and stuff going bad; she needed “Empire Strikes Back” level of bad things going wrong. The problem was after you’ve burned everything down, what the hell do you do next? <br />
<br />
Researching the Gallagher Girls, Carter sings the praises of the local Spy Museum and its helpful website with book suggestions. Did you know we have the largest per capita of spies in the DC area? Yeah, not really news. The Spy Museum loved showing her around and making suggestions, too. The initial inspiration for the series was watching a random episode of “Alias” and thinking for some reason there was a boarding school of female spies. When she realized there wasn’t one, she decided to write it. <br />
<br />
Also asked why she picked Virginia and Maine for her locations for the Gallagher Girl books. Carter is from Oklahoma, which is fairly young territory by American standards. She wanted someplace with deep roots in history and could logically have a large house from the Civil War era. With CIA located in Langley, Virginia, the choice seemed logical to Carter to keep it close. <br />
<br />
The cover model for the Gallagher Girl is actually not one girl, but several, and the publishers have Photoshopped/cropped accordingly to keep up the image. The original sadly had to give up modeling because she needed to get her grades up.Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786372718401697134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805651250441440677.post-32916331497308140532012-02-02T21:35:00.000-08:002012-02-02T21:35:45.291-08:00Helene Hanff Appreciation Post<i>"Gentleman: your ad in the Saturday Review of Literature says you specialize in out-of-print books."</i> <br />
<br />
I stumbled upon Helene Hanff completely by chance. I was channel surfing the movie channels and stumbled upon the <a href="http://www.sonymoviechannel.com/movies/84-charing-cross-road/details">1987 movie</a> of "84, Charing Cross Road" starring Anne Bancroft and Sir Anthony Hopkins. I was enchanted by this simple story of an American writer corresponding with her favorite London bookstore. In between requests for books, the correspondence included commentary on their lives from post-war food rationing to pleas for the continued strength of the Brooklyn Dodgers. But there were also this unmistakable love of books and reading that I couldn't ignore.<br />
<br />
As with most adaptations, readers are often left wondering how much was in the original material and how much was in screenplay, so I was delighted to see Hanff’s wit and style and intelligence appear verbatim in her letters. Here was this brassy smart-mouthed lush of a writer inquiring about John Donne and Samuel Pepys. When referred to as "Madam" in the early letters to Marks & Co, Hanff pithily adds as a postscript: "I hope madam doesn’t mean over there what it does here." That pretty much set the tone for the rest.<br />
<br />
What surprised me in a way was that Helene and I are so complete opposites, reading wise. Hanff preferred non-fiction, biographies and memoirs. She never could "get interested in things that didn’t happen to people who never lived." She loved "i-was-there" type books. Now I love history, but I will happily disappear into someone's imaginary world, whether it's on a far-off planet or a magical kingdom or just a different time period. Our reading sensibilities couldn’t be more different and yet I could appreciate her thirst for knowledge.<br />
<br />
I quickly acquired and read most of her other books. I didn't like "Duchess of Bloomsbury" nearly as much as "84, Charing Cross Road", such a jumbled hodge podge of a London travelogue. I adored "Underfoot in Show Business", chronologically Hanff's first book. "Underfoot" is love song to a New York and theater business that no longer exists. We meet Hanff's glamorous friend Maxine and learn how Hanff learned Greek and Latin and experience the Broadway opening of "Oklahoma!" But "Lord of the Rings" fans may cringe with envy when they learn Hanff was given the task of reading and summarizing the full trilogy as a script reader. As an author that famously hates novels and hates massive sagas even more, Hanff included "mental torture" as part of her invoice. Her employer paid it, fearing she'd never be heard from again. <br />
<br />
<i>"Q and I first met on a summer morning when I was eighteen, at the main branch of the Philadelphia Public library where I'd gone in search of a teacher; and took him home despite certain doubts about his fitness for the post."<br />
</i><br />
What I always admired about Helene Hanff was her self-education. She could have simply given up when she left school, but instead she looked through all the available writing books at her local library to find the right teacher. In those stacks, Hanff stumbled upon Q, Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, a Cambridge lecturer, writer, and anthologist. "Q's Legacy" talks more about how she approaches her new education by reading his lecture series. One slight problem: Quiller-Couch lectured at Cambridge and assumed that his students would have studied all the same classics he quoted. Hanff, of course, hadn't, so she’d read those books as well. This process opened up a whole world of English literature for Hanff in the bargain. <br />
<br />
Hanff spent most of her adult life as a working writer. She wrote charming but plotless plays, magazine articles, children’s history books, and television scripts – any writing job that would pay the bills. Each time she became comfortable the bottom fell out. The television shows all moved to the West Coast or suddenly history wasn’t relevant anymore to young people. It didn’t matter. Hanff found a way to continue writing. She found ways to incorporate her love of literature and history into her scripts, even if she wasn’t writing the artful prose she imagined all those years ago in the Philadelphia library. But she was doing what she loved most. How many of us can claim that?<br />
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This was written in part as a response to Unputdownables' <a href="http://unputdownables.net/2012/02/01/resurrecting-underappreciated-authors/">Resurrecting Underappreciated Writers</a> -- a long-overdue post I needed to put into words. I've been a fan of Helene's for many many years. In retrospect, I wish I'd sent her just one letter before she died. I don't quite have her taste in antiquarian books, or even half her education (I'm still struggling with Q's "On the Art of Writing"), but I still appreciated her zeal for reading and writing and the sense of humor she brought to both. She wasn’t dry or ponderous, no matter how well-read she was. Like Q, Helene made an unusual mentor. Somehow I think she would have liked that symmetry.Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786372718401697134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805651250441440677.post-45146746974314950732012-01-06T11:26:00.000-08:002012-02-02T21:36:28.048-08:00January challengesIf 2011 was my year for getting back into reading in a big way, 2012 was a year for signing up for challenges.<br />
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I've signed up for the following:<br />
<a href="http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2011/10/mount-tbr-reading-challenge.html">MT TBR Reading Challenge</a> - 12 books from my TBR pile <br />
<a href="http://littleredreviewer.wordpress.com/2011/10/30/the-vintage-sf-not-a-challenge/">Vintage SF Reading challenge</a> for January<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/challenges/207-2012-reading-challenge">2012 Goodreads Reading Challenge</a> - 30 books<br />
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I'm also participating in <a href="http://unputdownables.net/2012/01/06/the-great-gatsby-read-a-long-week-one/">Unputdownables' Great Gatsby read-a-long</a>. The read-a-long just started with its opening post, so there's plenty of time to participate. It's a short book, less than 200 pages, compared to some hefty classics, so it's a nice approachable challenge. Unlike some people, I've never read it for school, so it's completely fresh for me. I've always been fascinated with the 1920s era, mostly image versus reality. My mother has always had a fondness for Fitzgerald and the Lost Generation, so maybe the interest has trickled down to me.<br />
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For the Vintage/TBR challenge, I'm working my way through "Pavane" by Keith Roberts, 1968 alternate history novel about a world where Elizabeth I was assassinated. The Catholic Church holds complete sway, controlling innovation and technology, so even in the 20th century, the technology level is closer to the 19th century, rougher-edged. Rumors and stories abound about the strange things living out on the heaths and moors. The novel is made up of a series of interlinked stories and the first "Lady Margaret" features a haulier on a steam engine. The dialect is a little hard sometimes and the place names are a mix of old English and Roman ones.<br />
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(Old Earth Books just <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pavane-Keith-Roberts/dp/1882968395">reprinted</a> "Pavane". Neil Gaiman Presents published an <a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_1?asin=B005XN9EQ0&qid=1325897410&sr=1-1">audiobook</a> version a few months back as well.)Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786372718401697134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805651250441440677.post-64478856504836845182011-12-17T17:38:00.000-08:002011-12-17T17:38:54.520-08:00Scaling Mt TBR<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wZGyfssvDIY/Tu1DX1tecrI/AAAAAAAAAWY/lPBayjzI-qc/s1600/scan0004.jpg" /></div><br />
So I needed a reading challenge for the year, something to push me into reading more. I found it with My Readers Block's <a href="http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2011/10/mount-tbr-reading-challenge.html">Mount TBR Reading Challenge</a>. The idea is to read books you already own. My library is basically a wall-to-wall TBR. I'm very good at acquiring books, but not always in reading them.<br />
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<i>Books must be owned by you prior to January 1, 2012. No ARCs (none), no library books. No rereads.</i> The ARCs don't worry me, but the library limitation may be painful. I've managed to read quite a few of them, especially with the addition of ebooks. <br />
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That's why I have signed up for <b>Pike's Peak</b>. That locks me into reading 12 books from my TBR pile. Going by my latest Goodreads stats, I could do at least 25 a year, but that'd include both library books and graphic novels/manga, so I'm allowing for a fudge factor. I haven't decided which shelves I'll work on. Or maybe I'll use the Goodreads shelves as a guide...Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786372718401697134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805651250441440677.post-49203342345045164242011-02-06T18:17:00.000-08:002011-02-06T18:51:27.347-08:0048 Hour Read-A-Thon: Mostly DoneMy second 48 Hour Read-a-thon is nearly over. After a sluggish start, I managed to finish and review Megan Abbott's <a href="http://rightbroad.blogspot.com/2011/02/queenpin.html">Queenpin</a>. I also read the first two Seanan McGuire's October Daye series: <b>Rosemary and Rue</b> and <b>A Local Habitation</b>. I enjoyed both quite a lot. I love the world building in the Daye universe, both very fantastical and very real. Toby is a very likable heroine, although she's frustrating in the first book, so determined to avoid the very people that could help her. And while it's understandable, given her backstory, I like her infinitely better when she's bouncing off her supporting cast, rather than pulling the lone wolf routine. The villains honestly aren't nearly as creepy as the monsters that inhabit Toby's world. I will definitely keep reading books in this series. <br />
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I'd call this Read-A-Thon a decent success again. I did get some reading done, even if I haven't really touched the older books at the bottom of the list. I'm hoping I can ride the momentum from this weekend into reading some more. I do appreciate all the encouragement I received in comments or on twitter.Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786372718401697134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805651250441440677.post-58386829907647564422011-02-05T16:59:00.000-08:002012-12-30T12:36:50.372-08:00Queenpin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eA0o0DHWmkY/TU3ujn3l4ZI/AAAAAAAAAUI/fna4tI7EUEg/s1600/Queenpin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eA0o0DHWmkY/TU3ujn3l4ZI/AAAAAAAAAUI/fna4tI7EUEg/s320/Queenpin.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
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<i>"The legs were the legs of a twenty-year-old Vegas showgirl, a hundred feet long with just enough curve and give and promise."</i><br />
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Our unnamed 22-year-old narrator is working as a bookkeeper at a rundown nightclub when she encounters Gloria Denton in <b>Queenpin</b>. Gloria has a world weary been there-done that attitude, but she also has a remarkable style and ease and confidence. Gloria is no man's wife and she's no moll either. She's not the femme fatale that seduces and breaks the heart of the leading man, she's another kind entirely, a presence that overshadows all the characters. Everyone knows and fears Gloria. <br />
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So dazzled by the money and surroundings, the narrator doesn't see the danger until she's in Gloria's spider web. The narrator is remade into Gloria's "girl", picking up collections or placing bets. And it all goes well, until our girl meets Vic Riordan, a perpetually down-on-his-luck gambler. The wheels start to come off a little as she falls for him and she gets ensnarled in his world. Suddenly the narrator has to find a way to stay a few steps ahead of her mentor, only to discover nothing was quite how she figured it. <br />
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The frustrating part is the POV. Our narrator has a very clear voice full of sass and attitude. But it's really a story of two women and sometimes I feel Gloria's side is shortchanged by the POV. The narrator doesn't how to separate the stories and legends about Gloria Denton from the reality. Because the story is so securely in the narrator's eyes, neither do we. We never see beyond Gloria's motivations, what drove her or what she really thinks of her young protégé. Like her, we only get glimpses into Gloria; we can only imagine what she was really like in her heyday when she partied with the big boys. <br />
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Megan Abbott has made quite a name in the crime writing circles for writing period era noir stories, including <b>Die a Little</b>, <b>The Song is You</b>, and <b>Bury Me Deep</b>. They're all standalone books, so you can read them independently and in any order. <br />
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What I love about Megan Abbott's writing is her use of language, the clever turn of phrase. Abbott doesn't sound like a modern writer playing around in an earlier era. <b>Queenpin</b> sounds like it fits squarely in its chosen time frame of the early 1960s. This is a hard world, filled with crime and corruption, of bribes and payoffs, but Abbott never flinches from any of it, but she twists around the descriptions and metaphors in inventive ways. It's only when she's describing the actual blood and violence that the poetry breaks down a little. <br />
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<b>Queenpin</b> includes all the usual hallmarks of noir: greed, corruption, desire, and deception. There are twisted loyalties and double-crosses. Everyone has an angle. Everyone is playing someone. The question isn't really what they want as much as what are they willing to do (and how far are they willing to go) to get what they want.<br />
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<b>Queenpin</b> is noir in all her infinitely screwed up glory. There are no happy endings, no driving off into the sunset. All the characters dig themselves deeper and deeper into trouble, no matter what they do. Even when they think they're out of danger, something reels them back in. It's hard to sympathize with any of them, even our narrator. She's already lost by the time she meets Gloria. She gets a taste of the other side of life when she starts working at the nightclub. She talks about staying after clocking out so she can soak up the atmosphere. Rather than being scared by this other world, she's intrigued and fascinated by it. She wants that life. Even after it's utterly destroyed her, she still craves it again and again, like an addiction.<br />
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<i>"More. I want more."</i> <br />
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(Megan E. Abbott; Queenpin: A Novel; Simon & Schuster; 2007; 180 pages; available in trade paperback)Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786372718401697134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805651250441440677.post-83952427114216915692011-02-05T16:24:00.000-08:002011-02-05T16:24:55.114-08:0048 Hour Read-A-Thon: Still a Mystery to Me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eA0o0DHWmkY/TU3mppWT7HI/AAAAAAAAAUA/-HG78OdclsQ/s1600/books2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="302" width="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eA0o0DHWmkY/TU3mppWT7HI/AAAAAAAAAUA/-HG78OdclsQ/s320/books2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
So I wound up getting a bit of a late start on the Read-A-Thon last night. I had this lovely dream of finishing my errands after work and then rushing home to curl up with my pile of books. Well, you know what they say about best laid plans... <br />
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Rather than jump immediately into my new reading list (see "What I'm Reading" sidebar), I wanted to finish two books I had been currently working my way through -- Megan Abbott's "Queenpin" and Seanan McGuire's "Rosemary and Rue". Remember when I said I didn't pick these books with any set theme? Ironically, I did still have one, although it may be saying more about my general taste in subgenres. Because all of my books, even the paranormal/supernatural ones, feature mysteries or investigations of some kind. But as a friend reminded me on twitter, San Francisco is still the town of fog and mystery, whether they're involving Sam Spade or October Daye.Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786372718401697134noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805651250441440677.post-77184542998369377692011-02-02T18:09:00.000-08:002011-02-02T18:09:53.071-08:00Another 48 HoursThat sounds like a bad movie sequel, doesn't it? <br />
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Last August I signed up for the 48 hour Read-a-thon on a total whim. I needed a kick in the proverbial pants to nudge me towards reading again. Pleased by my success, I was delighted when I learned the next Read-a-thon was scheduled for this weekend. I was eager to participate again, only I had to face the age old quandary -- what did I want to read? On every trip I’ve gone on, that’s the biggest question now, which books do I bring? I’m beginning to envy my friends with their Nooks/Kindles. They can bring a whole library along. <br />
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I was having such a hard time deciding, I finally started letting my book browsing eyes be the guide. What was I in the mood for? What did I notice in the bookstore? What was I drawn to? Were they authors people have recced and talked about? Or were they random books on display? Er, yes? I’m embarrassed to admit an interesting title/cover/blurb is sometimes all I need. I’ve made some bad decisions that way. I’ve also discovered some favorite authors that way. <br />
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Along the way, I discovered that after a stressful and cold January, all I really wanted was to kick back and relax. I want to curl up on the couch and enjoy a good read. So I haven't put any age old classics on this list, no pressure to finally get through something either. I just want to be entertained and dragged along for the adventure. All the books I've pulled hew closer to the supernatural and fantastical – a little magic, some faerie, a few vampires, and who knows what else?<br />
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I'll be updating the "What I'm Reading" list when we get started on Friday. The <a href="http://rightbroad.blogspot.com/2010/07/48-hours-read-thon-im-in-are-you.html">rules</a> are pretty much the same as last year – pick some stuff to read, read and read some more, and occasionally pop online to share what you think. We'll see how it goes... again.Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786372718401697134noreply@blogger.com1