This is worth another around the web this week post.
Little, Brown, the publisher of Twenty Boy Summer, has donated another 62 books to the Debs Speak Loudly giveaway, for a total of 100 books! Visit the 2009 Debutantes website to enter. All it takes is a comment. And with 100 books, your chances are very good.
Thinking about dating a writer? Enamored by the meme going around tumblr about just how great that would be? You may want to rethink that. Look here for a point by point deconstruction. My favorite (although there are so many to choose from):
Writers are surrounded by interesting people. Every last one of whom is imaginary.
And … remember, I’ll be at the Minnesota Educational Media Organization (MEMO) fall conference on Friday, October 1st. If you happen to be there too, stop by and say hi!
Banned Books Week has special significance for the Debs this year. Our own Sarah Ockler and her debut novel, TWENTY BOY SUMMER, are under challenge right now in Republic, MO, along with Kurt Vonnegut’s SLAUGHTERHOUSE 5 and Laurie Halse Anderson’s SPEAK.
In response to this, the 2009 Debs are giving away thirty-eight (38!) copies of Twenty Boy Summer. Visit the Debs site for more details, but the contest is open between now October 2, 2010. Entries open to everyone worldwide. We’ll ship anywhere!
Unfortunately, Mr. Vonnegut is no longer with us and cannot respond to the challenge, but one can imagine what he might have to say.
I’ve seen a few suggestions around the web that the authors in question and their supporters not speak loudly about this–that only gives the challenger in question too much attention, a national platform.
Just ignore him and he’ll go away.
Except sometimes, people like that won’t. Sometimes, they convince other, reasonable people that there is a threat contained between two covers of a book.
The thing is, children may learn facts from history, but they learn empathy and truth from fiction. How and where do we want our young adults learning about the harsh realities of the world? From the safe confines of a book–where they have the time and opportunity to think about the situations presented and the moral and ethical implications.
Or should we simply shove them out the door unprepared? Let them learn it on the street, from peers who may be as ill-equipped as they are. All under the guise of keeping them safe.
How do we expect our children to make good ethical decisions when we’ve shielded them from ethical dilemmas? Why do we decry the “me-me-me generation” and then take away the very thing that teaches empathy? We complain that children don’t read, then snatch away the very books that engage them.
So sometimes you have to speak loudly to be heard above the din. Like Sarah Ockler. And Laurie Halse Anderson.
Speak loudly, because some would prefer you not speak at all.
From the blog Should be Reading comes Teaser Tuesday. What fun! I’ve seen this one a round for a while and finally decided to give it a try.
The rules:
Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Judging by his car, which is about a third of the size of Nana Dottie’s and looks like it only drives one speed–fast–Papa Harry must’ve been very fun. Momma’s never really talked about him, and whenever I ask any questions, she simply kisses my head, says that sometimes grown-ups do very silly things, and offers to make me a double-decker grilled cheese sandwich.
(Side note: I used the new link helper in WordPress. Why it only found some books and not others, I don’t know. But there you have it.)
1. Favorite childhood book?
I’m not sure how to define “childhood” re: reading. Do I answer The Lonely Doll? The Secret Seven? Trixie Belden? The Chronicles of Narnia? Jane Eyre, which I (first) read when I was twelve or so. See? This list is endless.
2. What are you reading right now?
Insatiable by Meg Cabot (audio book in the car)
The Road Home by Ellen Emerson White (on the nightstand)
3. What books do you have on request at the library?
7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
I usually have two going at a time, one in the car and one for elsewhere.
8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
No, they’ve changed since I started writing. I read a little less (a girl needs time to write after all) and I read more carefully, not to mention slowly.
9. Least favorite book you read this year (so far?)
Probably one (or two/three) books I judged for the Rita. And because I judged them for the Rita, I can’t tell you what they are. (You’re consumed with curiosity, aren’t you?)
Yes, I tend toward those that promise to make me smarter or a better writer. It’s a never-ending quest, really.
26. Favorite cookbook?
Bwhahahaha. That’s all I’m going to say.
27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
Nonfiction: Ignore Everybody: and 39 Other Keys to Creativity was short and fun, with some good advice. I like a book with attitude. Outliers also had some interesting information. (See #25 where I’m trying to be smarter and a better writer.)
Fiction: See favorite books.
28. Favorite reading snack?
Tea.
29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
Ruined? Maybe When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, which I enjoyed very much and think it deserves all the awards it has received. But by the time I read it, I was expecting it to also clean my house and make me coffee in the morning.
30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
Meh. Totally depends. Many times I wonder if we’ve read the same book.
31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I don’t. Give them, that is. I do read books that simply aren’t for me, since I try to read widely (I think that’s important as a writer.) And I do analyze why a book didn’t work for me, but I generally keep those conclusions to myself.
32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?
I’d love to get back up to speed and read in Russian.
33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
Anna Karenina–in Russian.
34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
All those big fat historical nonfiction books I have.
35. Favorite Poet?
Pushkin.
36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
A handful.
37. How often have you returned book to the library unread?
For audio books if I cannot stand actor’s voice, I hit eject and back it goes. Commuting is bad enough. Commuting with someone whose voice grates on you? No thanks.
38. Favorite fictional character?
Elizabeth Bennet
39. Favorite fictional villain?
Um, I can’t think of one. Maybe because I tend to think villain = moustache-twirling bad guy, and I like books with antagonists who: 1) are often redeemed, 2) relatable and human, if tragically flawed.
40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
Whatever is next in the queue.
41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.
I don’t know. I’m drawing a blank on this one. Probably when I was deployed to the Gulf, during that window of time when things were happening. I don’t think I read then.
42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
Le Divorce. I got bored. I actually put it down at the 3/4 mark, right before the murder. That’s how much I didn’t care.
43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
Kids’ TV programs. Oy.
44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
The A&E version of Pride and Prejudice. Really, how can you not love this:
On a related note, I also think that Bridget Jones’s Diary is a better movie than book (especially the last act, structure-wise).
45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
I’m sure there are many, but I often avoid movies made from books I love. My son would probably say The Lightning Thief.
46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
A lot, especially around the holidays.
47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
Not often. Plus, it’s really hard to skim an audio book.
48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
Boredom.
49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
Since they’re not organized, I’m going with: no.
50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
I do have books that are keepers, but I also like giving them away, especially if someone really wants a book.
51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
Like doubling back the way I came when I see them on the street … oh, wait. No. I don’t think I have. Except those exceptionally long historical nonfiction ones, that is.
52. Name a book that made you angry.
The Dark Side by Jane Mayer (Actually, I think this was an excellent book, it’s the subject matter that made me angry.)
53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
The Adoration of Jenna Fox. Interestingly enough, this one wasn’t working for me until the last fourth or so. I’m glad I listened to this one on audio, otherwise I might not have hung in there with it, but I’m glad I did.
54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
The last in a YA trilogy I was reading. I really wanted to like it, but it felt off to me from the first chapters. I finally hit eject and went to read a spoiler-y review and realized I’d figured everything (pretty much) without having to read the last book. Sigh.
55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
YA and now middle grade. I’ve been reading a lot in the Aladdin imprint of Simon and Schuster (market research). These are sweet, fun, fast-paced books and I’ve really enjoyed them.
2009 DebDanielle Joseph could use everyone’s help. Shrinking Violet is about an extremely shy high school senior trying to find her voice and reach her dream of becoming a DJ, despite the obstacles that stand in her way.
The book is about to go on back order and in order for more copies to be printed, more people have to place orders for the book.
Read more about Shrinking Violet:
High school senior Teresa Adams is so painfully shy that she dreads speaking to anyone in the hallways or getting called on in class. But in the privacy of her bedroom with her iPod in hand, she rocks out doing mock broadcasts for Miami’s hottest FM radio station, which happens to be owned by her stepfather. When a slot opens up at The SLAM, Tere surprises herself by blossoming behind the mike into confident, sexy Sweet T to everyone’s shock, she’s a hit! Even Gavin, the only guy in school who she dares to talk to, raves about the mysterious DJ’s awesome taste in music. But when The SLAM announces a songwriting contest, and a prom date with Sweet T is the grand prize, Sweet T’s dream could turn into Tere’s worst nightmare. . . .
Want to help? Here’s what you can do:
Please tell anyone that you think might be interested to place an order now before it’s too late. Guys, girls, grandmas. grandpas, you’re never too old to read humorous teen fiction!
Can’t afford to buy another book? You can still help. Check to see if your school and/or public library carries a copy of Shrinking Violet. If not, request it! (A lot of the time, you can even do this online). Write a review and post it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, GoodReads.
Danielle also running a contest for those that want to have some fun! There will be four winners, each receiving a $25 gift certificate to iTunes or the bookstore of their choice. For all the information on what to do, head on over to Danielle’s blog.
I’m posting this picture simply because I find it amusing. This is what happens when “the boys” go shopping together. Clearly, Andrew is in pain.
So, it was the last day of school on Friday. Miss B and I debated what to give her teacher. Andrew suggested I give her a copy of The Geek Girl’s Guide to Cheerleading. I thought that would be … I don’t know, weird? Ego-centric. We went with a gift card from Barnes and Noble.
As luck would have it, we met Miss B’s teacher in the hall as we walked into school. Kyra gave her the present and the drawing she’d made. Her teacher seemed very pleased and said, “Now I can go buy some books!”
Kyra said, “Even my mommy’s book.”
Ha. So no matter what I do, my kids are still determined to be my publicist.
Well, actually it happened at the post office. I had a big stack of books I was sending out (eleven to be precise). The guy working the counter asked me about them, thinking I was an eBay bookseller or something.
I, seizing upon opportunity (somewhat uncharacteristically), said, why, no, this is a book I wrote.
Post office guy? He. Was. Astounded. I had to tell him all about it. His wife had to know because she loves to read.
It’s at this point I think to myself: wow, I should really have some book business cards made up.
Then, the woman next in line piped that she has teen daughters who love to read.
Insert an image here of me kicking myself.
I was reduced to writing down titles on scrap paper.
So, I need some cards, ASAP. I tried some of those online design-your-own type places, but the results looked like someone with no graphics arts ability using one of those online design-your-own type places. But something is better than nothing, so I’m pushing this task up on my to-do list.
I also need a better answer to the question: “How long does it take to write a book?”
“It depends.” did not go over too well. The guy working the counter looked at me like: What? Is she crazy? She doesn’t know how long it takes to write a book? Isn’t that what she does?
I guess I could’ve told him four years. I got the initial idea for Geek Girl’s Guide in February of 2004. It sold in March, 2008 (and we still had another revision to go through).
Of course, I wrote other things during that time. Shelved it, took it out again, shelved it, started working with Darcy … hm, I had a moral in mind, I’m sure, beyond persistence and being in it for the long haul.
But all I really can think of is: book business card.
I searched around to see if I could find the source of this BBC list. Its origins, like much on the Internet, are murky and mysterious. I found a list that was almost, but not quite, the same. Anyway, apparently the BBC assumes most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books on the list. This seems odd to me. “Most people” as in “most people who don’t read?” “Most people who live under a rock?”
Clarity, BBC. Clarity.
Instructions:
1) Bold those you have read.
2) Star the ones you loved.*
3) Italicize those you plan on reading.
4) (my addition) Underline those you have partially read (series) or gave the OCT (Old College Try)
001 Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen*
002 The Lord of the Rings– JRR Tolkien
003 Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte*
004 Harry Potter series– JK Rowling
005 To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee*
006 The Bible
007 Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
008 Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell*
009 His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman
010 Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
011 Little Women – Louisa M Alcott*
012 Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy
013 Catch 22 – Joseph Heller
014 Complete Works of Shakespeare (How about the incomplete works of Shakespeare?)
015 Rebecca– Daphne Du Maurier*
016 The Hobbit– JRR Tolkien
017 Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks
018 Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger
019 The Time Traveller’s Wife– Audrey Niffenegger*
020 Middlemarch – George Eliot
021 Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell
022 The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald*
023 Bleak House – Charles Dickens
024 War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy
025 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams*
026 Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh
027 Crime and Punishment– Fyodor Dostoyevsky OTC-I tried, and tried to read this
028 Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
029 Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll*
030 The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame
031 Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
032 David Copperfield – Charles Dickens
033 Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis*
034 Emma – Jane Austen
035 Persuasion – Jane Austen
036 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – CS Lewis* (Didn’t we cover Narnia? Never mind.)
037 The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
038 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Berniere
039 Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden
040 Winnie the Pooh – AA Milne
041 Animal Farm – George Orwell
042 The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown up to page 79, then I stopped.
043 One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
044 A Prayer for Owen Meaney – John Irving
045 The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins
046 Anne of Green Gables– LM Montgomery*
047 Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy
048 The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
049 Lord of the Flies – William Golding
050 Atonement – Ian McEwan
051 Life of Pi – Yann Martel
052 Dune – Frank Herbert
053 Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons I made it halfway through.
054 Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen
055 A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth
056 The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon
057 A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
058 Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
059 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon
060 Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
061 Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
062 Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov
063 The Secret History – Donna Tartt
064 The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold
065 Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas
066 On The Road – Jack Kerouac
067 Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy
068 Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding
069 Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie
070 Moby Dick – Herman Melville
071 Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens
072 Dracula – Bram Stoker
073 The Secret Garden– Frances Hodgson Burnett*
074 Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson
075 Ulysses – James Joyce
076 The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath
077 Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome
078 Germinal – Emile Zola
079 Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray
080 Possession– AS Byatt I have this book, somewhere.
081 A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
082 Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell
083 The Color Purple – Alice Walker
084 The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro
085 Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert
086 A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry
087 Charlotte’s Web – EB White
088 The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom
089 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
090 The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton
091 Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad
092 The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery
093 The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks
094 Watership Down – Richard Adams
095 A Confederacy of Dunces– John Kennedy Toole
096 A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute
097 The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas
098 Hamlet – William Shakespeare
099 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl
That’s four, but there are some terrific books on the reading list here. You can join at any time during the year, but to be entered in the giveaways (oh, giveaways; I love giveaways), you need to sign up before January 31st.
Not to be outdone, Darcy also sent me a Christmas present. It arrived yesterday (and yes, I opened it right away). You can have the thrill of opening it too:
Read more about Shrinking Violet:
Writing Wrongs 