You really can't go wrong with a classic, and you can't be any more classic the poem by Clement Clarke Moore "A Visit from St. Nicholas." It has been re-told everywhich way, from Tim Burton's ghoulish masterpiece to the Cajun version I was interoduced to while living in Louisiana years ago. But it is the version of the poem I had as a child that stands out in my mind more than any other.When I was really little, we had this pop-up version of The Night before Christmas illustrated by Michael Hague. Because it was the only pop-up book we had, it would get read all year long. We read it so often I had it memorized from the time I was about four, and to this day I can still say the poem verbatim.
As mentioned above, I am a sucker for family Christmas movies. I cried like a baby the first time I saw The Family Stone on a plane trip from Salt Lake to New York, and nothing gets me laughing like While You Were Sleeping. But my very favorite Christmas movie isn't really a Christmas movie at all.When I sit down to watch Judy Garland in Meet Me in St. Louis, I know it's Christmas. Because I have missed a few Christmases with my family, the song Esther sings to her little sister Tootie about Christmas being more about who you have loved than where you are has a special meaning to me.
One of my best memories from high school is the Christmas play I was in. It was a modern retelling of A Christmas Carol in which Scrooge was a self-centered rock star bent on driving himself to an early, lonely grave complete with the dreadlock-sporting ghost of Bob Marley and a tofu turkey for the hippy Cratchits. I really wish I could remember the name of the play, but it was too long ago and I can't find it in my old journals either. Oh well.I didn't have a big part, but I did have this really dramatic fainting scene at the beginning when the kid who was supposed to catch me wasn't paying attention and I hit my head on the stage. I don't blame him, really. I tend to fall and hit my head a lot--I've even knocked myself out a couple of times. But getting back to the topic at hand...
I LOVE Christmas music. Seriously, I have about 12 hours worth of Christmas music on my iPod. Everything from the King Singers to Fall Out Boy. And all of that music tells a different story of Christmas, whether it's a depressing story of love lost and loneliness, or a song totally focused of the miracle of a baby born in a stable.To me, one of the most beautiful hymns of the season is It Came Upon a Midnight Clear. That song encompasses everything meaningful about the season. It speaks of tradition and peace, past and present, hope and fulfillment. The imagery is also so moving: "Still thru the cloven skies they come / With peaceful wings unfurled."
There is something so distinct about the stories written about Christmas. This is the time of year when everyone suspends their disbelief for just a moment and believes that magic and miracles and goodness really does exist in the world. We stretch our imagination and make ourselves a little vulnerable to feeling the spirit of Christmas, no matter if we believe in Christ or not.And new stories of Christmas are still being created every year. Snowmen at Night by Mark and Caralyn Buehner is the perfect example of this.
What are some of your favorite Christmas stories? Are they books or songs or maybe even memories? Maybe it's a story a parent read to you or something you discovered one Christmas when you were far from home. But in this season of glad tides, I hope you are able to find joy and happiness in all your Christmas stories.
- Location:Washington, DC
- Location:Washington, DC
- Location:Washington, DC
- Location:Washington, DC
- Location:Highland, UT
Ann M. Martin--Yes, I was one of those girls. I read every single Baby-Sitters Club book, and when I was too little to read those books while my sister was reading them, I got all of the Baby-Sitter's Little Sister books. I have also read some of Martin's more powerful stories like Ten Kids, No Pets, and more recently, I was blown away when I read A Corner of the Universe. I remember my fourth-grade teacher reading Ma and Pa Dracula to our class, and I think I still base every vampire book I read against the myths Martin established in that book. Ann M. Martin was a staple of my childhood reading.
Pamela F. Service--Service was really my introduction to science fiction. After reading A Being of Two Minds, I think I went to the library and checked out every one of her books. A few years ago I went on a quest to find a copy of Weirdoes of the Universe Unite,a cooky story of misfits from mythology who gather to save the world. Because the book had been out of print for probably ten years or more, I finally found a used copy for sale online--it was the best 99 cents I have ever spent. Her post-apocalyptic version of Arthurian legend even influence my minor in college.
Caroline B. Cooney--The Face on the Milk Carton was probably the first "romance" novel I ever read. It's not really a romance novel by any stretch of the imagination, but it talks about the main character's decision to have sex, or rather not to have sex. And I think every girl in my seventh-grade class set their VCR to record Kellie Martin play Jennifer/Janie, because who didn't want to see Becca Thatcher play the lead role in a made-for-TV movie? (That was long before her character got killed off on ER but at the same time she was playing Christy.) I tend to turn my nose up at "serial YA fiction," but really, I read just as much of it when I was younger as kids do now.
Beverly Cleary--I always tell people that Cleary saved my life, and that is no exaggeration. I moved half-way though sixth grade and was very lonely and depressed. Then I read Dear Mr. Henshaw and my life changed. For the first time, I could put myself in the shoes of a character and realize I wasn't alone. I proceeded to read every other book Cleary wrote back in the fifties and fell in love with the California Dream when I readThe Luckiest Girl and wished that I could be the Sister of the Bride. - Location:Washington, DC
My trip to New York City this weekend was all about books. Traveling alone meant I could actually sit in cafes and parks and write whenever I wanted, and I think I filled half a pocket notebook with the most random story ideas and research notes. I wanted some me-time to read a few of the books that have taken over my desk as well as make a quick (ha!) trip to my book Mecca—The Strand—because their book bags are the perfect size with the perfect give, but after four years of constant use and abuse, my old bag deserves a long, quiet retirement. Check out all the loot I got.
Really, this trip was just a poorly veiled excuse to meet my online book buddy Lisa McMann. While there were tons of people at the Books of Wonder event, I did have a chance to actually talk to Lisa for a while. We’ve been exchanging book recommendations for years now (I can’t believe it’s actually been years), so I couldn’t pass up the chance to meet her in person. But after a couple weeks on tour, Lisa had been smiling so much it looked like it actually hurt. When I asked if we could get a picture, I told her smiling was not necessary. It’s too bad the first picture was so blurry, because we looked fierce.
Only I’m not such a good actress, and I totally lost it for the second picture and ended up with crazy eyes.
I also wanted to spend some time in Brooklyn on this trip. It is no secret that I’ve had a preoccupation with that borough since reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn in high school. But my previous trips to NYC have been with people who don't share my odd little obsession. I have now eaten, shopped and explored a couple little corners of Brooklyn, complete with a hike across the Brooklyn Bridge.
I am a happy tourist, I mean, just look at that bridge-blown hair and squinty eyes. Can't you just tell that I have wanted to walk across that bridge for ten years? I am such a nerd.
- Location:New York, New York
My first exposure to John Updike came in a literature class my junior year of high school. While I’m sure I had heard of him before, I had never really paid any attention. We read “A&P” and I fell in love. I had never had a short story effect me so strongly. At the time, I had to best friends—on short and commanding, the other tall and graceful. I knew just what those girls were trying to do in that convenience store that day, and I knew the kind of power they held over that young cashier. In just 20 pages, I understood adolescence more completely than I had at another other time in my 16-year life.
I went on to read every other Updike short story and novel I could get my hands on that year. I was amazed by the transient quality of the characters in Brazil, I loved to hate Henry Bech, and I connected to the people that survived the wars of the past in a way that no history book or lesson had ever taught me. And for the first time, I could see why a movie version of a novel paled so greatly in comparison to the words of a writer when I read/watched The Witches of Eastwick.
I continued to love John Updike as I got to know of the man. The longevity and timelessness of his work amazed me. I couldn’t believe that his career spanned generations, and he continued to publish works and write even after falling ill. His newest collection of short stories—My Father’s Tears and Other Stories—is set for publication June 2 of this year by Knopf Press. But he was also a husband, father and artist.
Though I have moved on from my teenage obsession with Updike (let’s be honest, a lot of that obsession stemmed from the fact that he wrote about love and sex and war—all subjects that every teen wants to learn more about but are often considered too “adult” for that age group), but he will always hold a special place in my heart for the great influence he had on my literary development. We have lost a great writer today, and for that, I am deeply saddened.
Seriously, can you even see him in this picture? It could have been some crazy homeless person pretending to be Mo and I wouldn't have known the difference.
Then there was a little problem with the signing line. I had called almost a week before the event to find out if I needed a ticket, and I was told I didn't. So, shocker, I didn't pre-order a book or get a ticket. Come to find out, I did need a ticket, which meant I was number 110 by the time I got there. And seeing those stacks of books moms and kids brought in wheelbarrows, I thought I wouldn't be able to get my books signed before they had to take Mo to the hospital with acute author-signing-itous.
No fear, I finally made it to the front of the line. I had four books to get signed, including Mo's newest, Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed. Because I didn't have any kids with me, Mo asked, "Oh, are these books for your nieces?" I thought about telling him yes. Then I though about being honest and saying, "No, I'm just totally obsessed with you and a little in love with you even though you're married and we've never met but I couldn't wait to meet you and will you sign my arm because I will never wash it and treasure it more than anything." I figured that might freak him out a little, so I settled for, "No, I just love your work, and one of the books is for a little girl who couldn't be here today."
Then I got a lot closer to Mo than I even imaged.
For a second, I thought I might need to get a restraining order. But I realized he just wanted to send a personal message to the little girl who couldn't be there. Funny guy, that Mo.
The signed copy of Leonardo the Terrible Monster and DVD that includes a personal message from Mo will be very loved by a certain family in Boise who can no longer travel because of a sick little girl.
Seriously, Mo, you made my day. I know you were signing books for hours and probably miss your family while you are away on tour, but it was nice to meet you.
- Location:Washington, DC
I was looking over my Goodreads list and realized that I have only given eight books five-star rating this year, two of which were a literary reference book and two were by the same author. This is compared to the 20 five-star ratings I gave last year. Granted, this past year I read 72 books (that doesn't include a lot of paper backs I never bothered to record on Goodreads) while the year before I had read 85, but that is still a huge differential. So I've been thinking. It's not that the books that have come out this year aren't as good as the ones from last year. In fact, in a lot of ways, the books I read this year were much better than the ones I read last year. I think the difference is how I read and my expectations from a book.
When I started this blog, one of the things I set out to do was record what it is like to write a novel from start to finish. And I think one of the biggest changes this experience has brought upon me is my critical analysis of what I am reading. Now I don't just expect a book to entertain me, but I expect it to change me. I don't just want characters I can empathize with but ones that call me to action. Now that I have made a connection to a novel that has lived inside my head for so long, I look for that same connection in other books. I'm not saying my own novel is some extraordinary work of literature that will change the way people look at character development, but it has changed who I am.
I will get off my soap box and now address the five books I read this year that truly changed me. And, thank you, New Yorker Magazine, but I don't think it is any mistake that all of these books were marketed to young adults.
I Love You, Beth Cooper by Larry DoyleI think it is fair to say, this was my surprise of the year. I had heard a lot of good things about this book--that it is funny, awkward, delightful--and while all of those things are true, that is not what made me love this book. The story of the two main characters fascinated me. It was like they were on two different timelines heading in the opposite direction, and the day this book takes place is the only time their lives would ever overlap. This book made me think about all those people who have past through my life for a moment and still managed to make a difference in where I was going.
Airman by Eoin ColferThis book was very different from the majority of the books I read this year. While I usually read character-driven literary books, this was a plot-driven adventure novel. But there was something about the underlying theme of what motivates us to overcome horrific conditions, even when we think we are alone, that touched me to the core. This novel was so imaginative it took me back to a time when books were full of wonder for me, when I could see a fairy tale unfolding before my mind's eye. Yet there is still a contemporary feel to the writing style and time-appropriate themes that connected me with my life today.
Sweethearts by Sara ZarrI was seriously blown away by this book. Okay, so maybe I'm a little bias--it takes place in a Salt Lake City charter school, and at the time I read it, I was working at a Salt Lake City charter school. But I also identified with the main character in a way that I never have before. I saw so much of myself in this book that it almost frightened me, but it also helped me see that I am not alone in my fears and that some people see me for who I really am and not for who I project myself to be. This book made me examine who I am and what I want to be.
Smiles to Go by Jerry SpinelliJerry Spinelli never fails me. His books are always powerful forays into the adolescent mind as it makes that giant leap into adulthood. Maybe it's because I still see myself as a teenager trying to live an adult life, or maybe it's that you never truly overcome those feelings of loneliness and inadequacy you experience as a teenager, but I always get this feeling like Spinelli is exposing my soul to the world in his books. If I could write like him, these are the books I would write and the stories that I would tell. I hope I have smiles to go before I weep.
I Am the Messenger by Markus ZusakThis book held an especially powerful message for me this year. Like the main character in this book, I had felt as if I was floating along, not going much of anywhere in my life. I too was in my twenties, hadn't finished college and was in a job that trapped me. But this book is all about making a better situation for yourself and becoming a better you by becoming a hero to others. While I didn't stop a bank robbery or help a battered woman escape an abusive relationship, I did go back to school and finish my degree and am now doing what I have always wanted to do. And the writing style? Zusak is mind-blowingly amazing. Consequently, the other fiction book I gave five stars to was "Getting the Girl," also by Zusak.
So do you have a book suggestion you think will send me blow me away? There are still two weeks in the year for me to be amazed by books, and I'm willing to give anything a try.
- Location:Washington, DC
This move has been all about my books. I've had a lot of books in storage at my parents' house and books that I have kept with me. Well, I went through all of my books before leaving
One bookcase is full of popular fiction, another is full of YA and children's books and another is full of nonfiction. And still I have too many books to fit. So I went through them all again and pulled out the duplicates (I had two copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Catherine, Called Birdy, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and Charlotte’s Web) and filled another box of giveaway books.
Now I can breathe a little easier, knowing that all of my books are with me, all out of their boxes and all sitting on shelves, just waiting to be read again.
- Location:Washington, DC
The Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago--I minored in the development of Western Civilization and found this museum absolutely fascinating. There were artifacts from Mesopotamia, Iraq, Turkey, Egypt. I just loved seeing all of these things that I spent years studying.
Hyde Park Bookstores--Between a branch of Powell's Books, O'Gara and Wilson Booksellers and 57th Street Books, I was in heaven. Really. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I love that musty old book smell mixed with the smell of freshly printed books. There is just something about seeing a second edition Lord of the Rings shelved next to one sporting Elijah Wood's face that gets me excited. Don't bother with the romantic dinner and sparkly jewelry, just take me to a used bookstore.
Frank Lloyd Wright in Oak Park--I had grown up living around the corner from a Frank Lloyd Wright home and have visited the Fabyan Villa and Japanese Gardens in Batavia and the Dana-Thomas House in Springfield on many occasions. I even wrote a report on Frank Lloyd Wright for my modern American history class and my art history class in college. But before today I had never seen the FLW home and studio.
Of course I also took Jackie to some of my favorite city haunts like Andy's Jazz Club, Giordano's Pizza and the Field Museum. I think we did more in four days that humanly possible. In fact, the blisters on my feet tell me we did more in four days than Kathryn-ly possible. But I loved every minute of it and can't wait to do more. I hope to see a couple more things before I head out to D.C., and I plan on coming back for the Printer's Row Book Fair in June. Or maybe I'll try to make the ALA conference in July. Oh, or the Taste of Chicago over the 4th...There are just so many reasons to come back for a visit!
- Location:Aurora, IL
I have spent WAY too much money on books this week. But I can’t help it. All these totally amazing authors are in town, and I can’t help but want to support them. I justified a few of my purchases as “early Christmas gifts” and even promised myself not to buy myself a birthday present this year.
Anderson’s Bookshop was packed for the Cornelia Funke signing. I got there about half an hour early and still had to stand in the magazine section to be able to see anything and was number 88 of about 100 people with tickets, not including all the parents and random observers who didn’t bring any books to sign. And, boy, can that woman sign. Kids had sticks of books tucked under their chins when they went up, but she whipped threw them like they were nothing. Granted, you can’t read her signature, but it’s there.
She also has the most amazing reading voice ever. At her signing two days ago, she read from the middle of Inkdeath (which I still haven’t been able to read), and after the first few sentences, I stopped listening to the story and just listened to the words she was saying. While I expected her to have a German accent, I was surprised by how fluid and magical her reading style is. I could have just listened to her read all night.
But I was also glad when she stopped reading and let all the kids ask her questions. They were really shy at first, but soon everyone had a question for her. Those kids had some incredible things to ask, like are there any differences in the English translation than in the original German (the name of the second book is “Inkblood” in German) and does she like the villains or heroes in her books better (she’s a hero lover and sometimes is glad when she is able to have a villain come to a horrible end). I don’t think I was anywhere near as articulate as those kids when I was eight.
Cinda Williams Chima (author of The Wizard Heir books) was a lot more low-key and in a much smaller branch of the indie shop. I was really happy I went to that one because it felt like we were all just chatting about books and writing. Plus the kids were older and reminded me a lot of the students back at Beehive Academy that I miss.
Cinda brought some emails from fans to share with us that were both hysterical and heartwarming. One kid asked her if she would be willing to answer seven questions for a book report—due the next day—and another just wanted to share how her books have encouraged him to read more. She also gave some juicy details on her new series coming out next year.
Probably the best part of the evening (I mean besides supporting such a fabulous author) was getting to talk to the store clerks after the signing was over. Of course we are all bibliophiles, so we shared some of our favorite books, including a deep, abiding love for Mo Willams, and talked about where the young adult genera is going. Horary for independent booksellers! Those people are more like librarians and work hard to keep up on industry trends, current events and the classics.
When John Green walked Aderson’s Bookshop yesterday, I don’t think he had any clue what was waiting for him. Okay, he even said he was “shocked and overwhelmed” by the sight that greeted him. Apparently, three and a half years ago, John’s first book signing was at Anderson’s, and only four people showed up, including his wife and his agent. This time it was a teenage Mecca with a few legals thrown into the mix. More than 200 people came to see the Printz-winning (Looking For Alaska), New York Times-bestselling (Paper Towns) author.
I was lucky enough to have stopped by the store earlier in the afternoon and heard John talking to one of the clerks at the back of the store. I couldn't resist saying hello to him and got to spend a few moments talking with him one-on-one. He is honestly just a class act—humble and in awe of the success life has blessed him with.
With so many people packed into the store, John was forced to stand on his swivel chair and place the mic stand on the table so everyone could see him above the bookshelves and hear him across the shop. Don’t worry, he got off the chair and stood on solid ground to do his happy dance after his reading and Q&A session. He was just as funny and smart and personable in person as he is in his video blog. I know that sound stalker-fanish of me, but I hope I can be half the entertainer he is when I am finally published and do book signings.
So thanks to the authors who gave of their time to visit my hometown, the wonderful independent bookseller Anderson’s for hosting such amazing events and my sister for letting me drag her to all of these signings (she wasn’t able to come to Cinda’s event, but she was there in spirit as she is the one who introduced me to Cinda’s books).
Laurie Halse Anderson on Wednesday is the last stop on this YA blitz. Then I can’t buy another book until after the New Year. Okay, maybe just a couple more…
- Location:Aurora, IL
Last year I read The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, The Gossip Girl by Cecily Von Ziegesar, The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier, Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam and even picked up Anne Rice’s Sleeping Beauty Trilogy for Banned Book Week (I read a few of them in the week preceding and the week following as well). This year I have too many projects going on to be able to read that many books, but I have a few I want to get to.
This week, September 27 through October 4, I want to get to Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut and Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene. A full list of the American Library Association Office of Intellectual Freedom’s 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books can be found on their Web site. They should also be posting a list of the 10 most challenged books of last year, but they recently overhauled their Web site so I can’t find it.
I think there is nothing more dangerous in this world than trying to force your personal beliefs onto someone else. Corruption, religious wars and genocide have started for less. Americans are blessed that the very first amendment the Founding Fathers created was protecting the free exchange of ideas. While some politicians and concerned citizens would try to have you believe that censorship protects the populous, this is just not true. It stymies creativity, causes animosity and goes against our country’s fundamental belief system.
While self-censorship is a good thing (I put down the Sleeping Beauty Trilogy last year because I was not comfortable with the subject material) and parents should know what their children are reading (there is nothing wrong with a parent or teacher suggesting a book may not be age appropriate for a child), I have no tolerance for government censorship.
What will you be reading this week?
- Location:Mystic, CT
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idaho_laurie tagged me on this survey, so I guess I'll post the answers. While it says that I should in turn tag eight other people, I'm not big on passing along surveys, so I'll just say it's an open invitation.Here are the rules:
A) People who have been tagged must write their answers on their blogs & replace any question that they dislike with a new question formulated by themselves.
B) Tag 8 people to do this quiz.
1. What are your nicknames?
The most common nickname I have is Gags, shortened from Gaglione by sports team members to make it easier to get my attention. I've also been called Bookworm, Boog, Kate or Kat, Katarenebell and many others, but I wouldn't recommend you using any of these nicknames--I like my name just the way it is.
2. What do you do before bedtime?
Reading and brushing my teeth puts me in the mood for sleep. But I also have a habit of falling asleep in moving cars--I'm like a six-month-old baby in that way.
3. What fandom(s) are you most into at the moment?
If you'd ask me this in high school I'd say Harry Potter, but I kind of out grew that. Now I'm all about the YA lit.
4. What is your favorite scent?
I LOVE the smell of Sweet Olive Trees. I once made my roommate drive around an exit three times in Washington, D.C., so I could find the tree that I could smell from the Beltway.
5. What videogames are you playing at the moment? Replaced by: Why did you replace this question if you couldn't think of anything better?
I am obsessed with Rock Band. I stink at Guitar Hero, but I can get in to the vocals and drums on Rock Band.
6. What is your theme song?
"Wrapped Up in Books" by Bell and Sebastian
7. Do you trust easily?
Yes and no, I think everyone deserves a chance, but I try not to be stupid and making myself vulnerable along the way.
8. Do you generally think before you act, or act before you think?
I am very much a planner. I like lists and calendars, but I also like to have fun and get things done.
9. Is there anything that has made you unhappy these days?
I am totally bummed about not having a job at the moment, so I can't think of much else.
10. Do you have a good body-image?
Ha! No way!
11. Is being tagged fun?
Sure, I could take it of leave it.
12. What websites do you visit daily?
LiveJournal, GoodReads, Yahoo, The Chicago Tribune
13. What have you been seriously addicted to lately?
My iPod, the Internet and chocolate, always chocolate
14. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?
I've never met
idaho_laurie, but I love that she loves to read, is into her family and history and really thinks about what makes other people happy. Those are some really amazing qualities.15. What’s the last song that got stuck in your head?
I ALWAYS have a song suck in my head. My "default" song is "Going Courting" from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers--don't ask my way. The last song I had really badly stuck in my head was "Enter Sandman" by Metallica because I heard the opening bars on a talk radio show but they never finished the song. And now it's stuck again, thanks a lot.
16. What’s your favorite item of clothing?
Jeans, I love wearing jeans. But I love buying shoes. And then there's this really cute white wrap-around shirt I just got from Old Navy...
17. Do you think Rice Crispies are yummy?
No, I can't stand even thinking about marshmallows after a Chubby Bunny game gone bad where I threw up in the camp fire.
18. What would you do if you see saw $100 lying on the ground?
I actually have found $100 lying on the ground twice, once at a laundry mat and once at the school where I used to work. I gave it to the attendant at the laundry mat (I was maybe nine at the time), and she said I could come back the next day and have it if no one came to claim it. The other time I kept it at my desk and a frantic student came looking for it within the hour.
19. What items could you not go without during the day?
Books, the internet and people
20. What should you be doing right now?
Reviewing some freelance material that I need to prepare for a Monday meeting. Isn't the internet wonderful?
- Location:Aurora, IL
People in Chicago are ga-ga for Oprah Winfrey, and while I'm far from her biggest fan (maybe I'll post about that later), I can't help but running into her name just about everywhere. And this was one time I was glad to see it.
I have read a couple of Oprah's book club books with a mediocre response at best, but this kids book list is actually pretty good. I mean, just this Borders display alone features my favorites Sara Zarr, Nick Hornby (although this isn't his best book) and the amazing Mo Willems. Then I started looking into the book list a little more and found Nancy Farmer, S.E. Hinton, Gary Paulsen, Annette Curtis Klause, Jerry Spinelli, Shannon Hale, John Green, Rachel Cohn, E. Lockhart, and some of my favorite illustrators ever. It's like Oprah took my Amazon reading lists and then chose all of the books off of them to make her own list.
When did Oprah get such good taste in YA reading material? And does this mean all of these offers will be on Oprah? If that is so, I might just watch Oprah for the first time since my friend Anna was on there almost two years ago. Okay, I will admit I also watched Oprah once my freshman year in high school when the Spice Girls were on, but there is no accounting for the actions of a 14 year-old.
- Location:Chicago
I saw Prince Caspian and thought it was good but not stellar like the first movie. While I would have thought the plot of the second book would have translated to film much easier than the first movie, the second movie did not follow the book as closely. There were a bunch of battle scenes and even a love story that were defiantly not in the book, but there was a lot of smart humor and amazing acting. Overall, it was worth going to see but I'm hoping it won't be the best movie of the summer.
In just two days, I finished reading all 619 pages of Stephenie Meyer's The Host. It was a good read, but the epilogue went on WAY too long and I'm getting kind of tired of Meyer's flight-more-than-fight heroines. But it is a well-written science fiction novel for girls, and you don't see that too often. The best part was that I got to go to Meyer's Salt Lake City signing. The King's English did a fantastic job with the event, and Meyer's answered a lot of questions about her books. I wish I had pictures, but I forgot to download them from my mom's camera before she left for Chicago. Oh well, maybe I'll post them another time.
But the best part of the weekend was going to the Scholastic Book Warehouse Sale. I got the most amazing books at such a good price. I love going to this and buying books that I know a lot of people will get to enjoy. Plus I dragged my mom along with me and convinced her to buy her first Mo Willem's book, Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late. I can't wait for next weekend to go visit friends in Boise for the holiday so I can read their kids more Mo!
- Location:Rexburg, ID
This morning I finished reading this book:
I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
I love Zusak's books. I laughed my guts out with "Fighting Ruben Wolfe" and I cried with "Getting the Girl." (I sill haven't read "The Book Thief," so I really can't comment on that book, but it is on my to-read list.) I can just relate so well with the characters, and I totally feel the books.
I just don't think there are enough "in between" books out there. We have board books and picture books, early readers and middle-grade readers, YA books and then on to textbooks. Why is it that there are so few books out there marketed for late teen, early twenty readers? It's like this huge transitional part of life--graduating high school to becoming part of "the real world"--has been completely forgotten.
- Location:Rexburg, ID
I have to categorize all of my stuff because most of it is going into storage for the summer. What I need, what I want and what I can live without. I'm spending more time categorizing than actually packing. How can I possibly decide if I can live without the entire Stephanie Plum mystery series or which of my six dictionaries will do me the most good? Sorry, Riverside Shakespeare, but you lose by default because you just take up too much room. I guess there is this thing called a library, but what if I feel a sudden desperation to read Mo Willem's Knuffle Bunny and some three year old lost it last week and couldn't return it to the Madison County Library on time? Then what do I do? Settle for reading my friend's copy of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus that her two year old tore the cover off of?
And don't get me started on shoes. I may have four pairs of high heel brown shoes, but they all go with different moods. I know I'll be in class and probably not wearing too many pairs of high heels, but you never know. Why do you think 9 West offers so many choices? It's because I need them all.
I just can't take it!
I just realized how shallow that all sounds. I move all the time, and this time is no different. I can control myself. I will control myself. Maybe I can fit Shakespeare in my glove-box...
- Location:SLC
Hello, my name is Kathryn, and I am a bloggoholic. I have been clean for the past hour now, but that's mostly because I got busy at work. I have this obsession with reading author blogs. And let me tell you, there are some really good ones out there.
I love a bunch of YA author sites that I visit every day.
Sara Zarr's site is well worth the visit. While I love reading about her reactions to TV shows we all love to hate (or maybe that's hate to love) and her endearing passion for crappy country music, probably the best feature of this blog is her "Rand-O-Sara" facts that give insights to her quirky personality.
Shannon Hale is great. She has it all: a nice home, kids, a co-author husband and a Newberry Honor. Some of her best blogging moments occurred while she was on tour with the hysterical Libba Bray. While I don't frequent Bray's Web site, I do think she has a great writing style.
What can I say? I'm a sucker for local authors. I love reading Ann Dee Ellis's site to catch a glimpse of her talking about places that I know and love. Plus she likes to interview here readers and post their comments, which can be a ton of fun to read.
And what YA blog list wouldn't be complete with the ever endearing Meg Cabot? She is funny and smart and all girl. Okay, so I'm kind of a tomboy myself, but still, it's fun to be a princess every now and again. She also has an extensive fan message board where she posts insider information on new books and gives writing advice.
And if you have a spare couple of weeks, you have to watch all of the archived videos from vlog brothers John and Hank Green at Brotherhood 2.0. I found this site because John is the author of a couple of really great YA books: An Abundance of Katherines and Looking for Alaska.
Don't worry, I read adult books as well.
I love Nick Honby's new blog. He gives the best music recommendations ever, and he has very intelligent comments about contemporary writing. I don't always agree with him, but I do find his blog very stimulating.
And I can't forget Carrie Vaughn and her retro-blog. She watches more movies and knows more good rock music than anyone I know. She is like one of those really cool older girls in high school I wanted to be like. Now I just wish I could write like her and live like her and be her. But don't tell her that because I think it might kind of freak her out.
I am also a sucker for Goodreads where I can spend way too much time on the Never-Ending Book Quiz, reviewing books, meeting others with similar reading interests and searching for new books to read. I am a bibliophile and proud of it!
- Location:SLC
