Posts Tagged "books"
Thursday: Readers’ Roundup
Bookish things around and about.
*Former student/always friend Alecia Whitaker posted a rant that I can SO get behind on her blog last week — in defense of the serial comma.
I’m still clinging to the serial comma. I can’t give it up.
For example, if I write, “I’m going to the store for watermelon, beans, and carrots,” it’s pretty clear to the reader what I’m getting. You may argue that it is just as clear to you if you read it as, “I’m going to the store for watermelon, beans and carrots.” But that groups beans and carrots. Are you looking for beans and carrots that are already packaged together?
By going down that road, you are setting yourself up for confusion. Look how clear things are when I write, ”I’m going to the store for watermelon, black and brown beans, and carrots.” When ditching the serial comma, it becomes, “I’m going to the store for watermelon, black and brown beans and carrots.” The absence of the serial comma implies something unintended about the carrots.
Anyway, you can read about it here real quick because Oxford makes it all much clearer. But please, for the love of God and for my sanity, could we just embrace the serial comma?
Word, sister. Serial commas 4Eva! And how adorable is Alecia’s book cover, by the by? 
*Meanwhile, tomorrow I’ll be joining Melissa Walker on our first stop of the Camplified! summer camp book tour, where she and I will be chatting with the campers at Staten Island Day Camp about reading, writing, and our new books. Fingers crossed for some S’mores and Mad Libs — old-skool camp-out style!
Release Day Delivery – and Cell Phone Wisdom, Part 4!
The thing that no one mentions about release day is how, really, it’s kind of anticlimactic. Unless you happen to have particularly attentive loved ones, the day of your book’s publication in and of itself is not necessarily momentous.
UNLESS…your publisher happens to arrange it so that your author copies arrive on your doorstep THAT VERY DAY!
(In other words — guess what I got this afternoon?)
What Would My Cell Phone Do?
BCCB had this to say about the book: “Fresh and funny…Readers looking for a lighthearted rom-com to kick off their summer will find much to like here.” Well, thank you!
Aggie’s cell phone has more fun than she does, and thus, we are soliciting CELL PHONE WISDOM this week. Whose phone is doling out the brilliance today?
Melissa Walker, author of Small Town Sinners
My cellphone would ask me to please stop leaving it at airport security, dropping it on the subway stairs and losing it between the couch cushions. It probably needs a better life than I can give it.
Denise Jaden, author of Losing Faith
My cell phone desperately wants to be put to use. If it were up to said cell phone, we would spend all day long together doing more than just checking my email. We would make use of the other forty apps, texting, and even phoning friends once in a while. The possibilities are endless (at least that’s what my cell phone tells me!)
Daniel Ehrenhaft, author of Friend Is Not a Verb
My cell phone would do the following, in no particular order:
1) Chastise me for getting sucked into its seductive void
2) Pat me on the back for being both impulsive and wise for my mobile iTunes purchases, even when I have the songs on CD at home
3) Toilet train my child
Um, not so sure about that last one, Dan. Cell phones may be wise beyond their years, but even technology has its limits!
And now for something completely different…
In all of the hoopla of BEA, the family release party, and holiday weekend revelry, I nearly forgot that OH MY GOODNESS, I HAVE A NEW BOOK RELEASING THIS WEEK!
What Would My Cell Phone Do?
Lose your cellphone, find yourself — who would have thought?
Aggie’s cellphone becomes a guru/conscience/lifecoach hybrid for her, which of course got me thinking of all of the ways that my cell could — and probably should — kick my butt into living large. So I polled some of your fave YA authors — what would YOUR cellphone say/do/command of you, if given the opportunity?! Fun, right?
I’ll be posting their responses all week long. Post a comment here and let us know what your cell’s dying to tell us, and you’re eligible to win a copy of WWMCPD, and — because, I mean, why not? — family.
*And in the meantime, while we’re talking prizes, the two lucky winners of the family giveaway are Aisha, and Nina LaCour! Nina – I’ll be in touch, and Aisha, shoot me an email with your contact info and I’ll get that material out to you.
Now, without further ado:
TODAY’S CELLPHONE WISDOM:
Kody Keplinger, author of The DUFF: (Designated Ugly Fat Friend)
My cellphone would take advantage of the fact that I live in the greatest city in the world (NYC) and lead me on an adventure through every cool facet of SoHo, the Village, Chelsea, Midtown, the Upper East Side, and beyond.
Kirsten Hubbard, author of Like Mandarin
My cell phone would swear she’d call back all those people clogging her voice message field, but as soon as my back was turned, she’d get chai-drunk and go sprawl in some scenic park, enjoying the breeze on her loveworn OtterBox case and playing way too much Tiny Wings.
ZOMG, guys, how much would I LOVE to hang with your cellphones?! Thanks so much for playing along!
Chime in, readers — we’ll be here all week!
FRIDAY Readers’ Roundup (with *bonus* freebie, too!)
Oh, why not? Who says Thursday has to have all of the fun?
And today’s bookish news is fun stuff – for me, at least – as I’m super-pysched to let you know that I’ll be hosting a rousing round of “Three Blind Words” over on the Figment forums tonight, 5pm EST.
Here’s how the game works: I feed you a prompt of three random words, and you spin those words into a book premise. I pick the top three pitches. Lather, rinse, repeat. Winners receive a signed copy of my book
(That’s the “freebie,” by the way.)
But wait, there’s more! More freebies, that is, this being Friday and all. The family release giveaway closes on 5/15. Interested in being entered to win a signed copy of family, an arc of my upcoming release, What Would My Cell Phone Do?
1. post a comment on any blog post (posts left on my interim blog WILL be included in the drawing) through 5/15
OR
2. head over to my Facebook author page and click “like.”
That’s all! Nothing to it! Why are you even still reading this when there are contests to be entered?
Happy Friday, folks!
Top Shelf Tuesday
Better late-breaking than never…
Surely you can guess what I’ll be reading and recommending this week, yes?
Imaginary Girls
Not available until June, but you can read an excerpt here.
Well?! What are you waiting for?
Release Week Rally: Top Shelf Tuesday, ‘family’-style!
Happy book birthday to family
I can’t believe it’s a real, live novel, out there in the world! Wave hi and make nice if you see it, okay?
In truth, release days can be a touch anticlimactic; my next book event isn’t until Friday, and in the meantime, I’m catching up on blog interviews and other fun features for all y’all to enjoy. Also: celebrating The Mister’s birthday, which he shares with my latest work. Funny thing, that – but all the more excuse to eat cake!
So. Yesterday, I blogged about my inspiration for Melinda’s character. Today, in true Top Shelf Tuesday style, I thought I’d share some of the books I read while working on family. These are only the tip of the iceberg. It goes without saying that I highly recommend each one.
1. Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders
2. Manson in His Own Words: The Shocking Confessions of ‘The Most Dangerous Man Alive, Charles Manson and Nuel Emmons
3. Squeaky: The Life and Times of Lynette Alice Fromme
4. Tricks
5. The Chosen One: A Novel
6. Hate List
7. The Shining
8. Gentlemen, Michael Northrop
9. We Need to Talk About Kevin: A Novel, Lionel Shriver
10. The White Darkness
11. How I Live Now
12. Jellicoe Road
13. The Sky Is Everywhere
14. Before I Fall
15. How To Say Goodbye In Robot
Have you read any of the selections from my top shelf? What books inspire you when you’re deep in the trenches of a daunting new project?
Friday Freebies: Fair warning…(yeah, it’s still all about me.)
As mentioned, this blog is a placeholder for my shiny new website, currently undergoing its facelift. Thanks to those of you who’ve indulged me by hanging around this joint as I count down to the “family” release.
The good news is, THE RELEASE IS NEXT WEEK!
Oh, my goodness CAN YOU EVEN?
I, for one, cannot. Seriously.
Still on the horizon, in case you managed to miss it,
*a reading and signing with the Contemps up in Larchmont, NY, 4/29
*an appearance at BEA on 5/26
*a feature on figment.com
*a feature on MissLiterati.com
*various still-being-finalized blog interviews COMING SOON TO A WEBSITE NEAR YOU!
…And other things I might be forgetting in all of the excitement.
So in addition to all of the above hoopla, next week should ALSO bring the unveiling of the new site. Still at this address so you don’t even have to go out of your way to find me. See what I did there? Who’s looking out for you?
Happy weekend, readers!
Readers’ Roundup SPECIAL EDITION: ‘family’ matters
Yes, people, the book releases officially on Tuesday, 4/26, so today, it’s all about me. Deal with it.
*Dying to read family
*Want a chance to meet yours truly and get a copy of the book all signed and pretty? Come see me at BEA, Thursday, 5/26, 12;12:30, table 5.
*Want to read an amazing review of the book via librarian Liz Burns? Here you go! Sorry to be all braggy-pants, but I can’t help but post a snippet. I don’t think anyone has ever said such nice things about my writing in my life!
Because the language is deceptively simple. Because phrases haunt me. Because I want, so desperately, for Mel to find herself. Because I found sympathy for the most unsympathetic actions. Family is a Favorite Book Read in 2011.
*And one from VOYA:
Ellen Hopkins fans will appreciate the use of verse to tell the gruesome story. Those who know the details of the Manson murders, particularly those who have delved into Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi (Norton, 2001), will quickly notice the similarities between real life and fiction here….[A]n interesting psychological study of cults and the lost souls they attract.
*And finally, what better birthday present than a night of reading, signing, and schmoozing with other awesome Contemps? April 29th, The Voracious Reader, Larchmont, NY. Come for the authors, stay for the free pizza!
I think that’s about it, for now. Next week will probably be equally self-promotional and gross, what with the book releasing and all, but, y’know. Hopefully it’s understandable.
Hope you can make it out to an event or five!
Top Shelf Tuesday
What I’m reading and loving this week. Chime in with your own recommendations!
1. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
2. Accomplice
3. How I Live Now
Readers’ Roundup SPECIAL EDITION: I Rock The Drop!
Today’s the day, people! Figment and readergirlz have partnered to promote the 2010 Rock the Drop celebration in honor of YALSA’s Support Teen Lit Day. Download a bookplate, slip it into a beloved YA novel, and “drop” that book for an unsuspecting reader to find! Snap a photo of your “drop” and send it to readergirlz or figment to be featured on the blog, and you’re entered to win a set of Ruby Oliver books by E. Lockhart.
What are you waiting for? Go rock the drop!