In Memoriam

weloveyouso.com

It's the talk of the town, but somehow it seems to not be enough.  Maurice Sendak passed away this morning, and the world has lost a bright star of children's literature.  Do people quite grasp the importance of this man's work?

Where the Wild Things Are was, and still is, one of my favorite books.  It is my favorite book to give away as gifts, to young children or expectant mothers.  I love thinking that the adults remember the book, and remember how much they enjoyed reading it as a child, and then pass that love on to their children.  I hope to someday have children of my own, and I will be reading this book to them, you bet your bottom.

But Where the Wild Things Are wasn't his only book.  He also illustrated the Little Bear series by Else Holmelund Minarik.  In case you don't remember (impossible, I know), Little Bear was the fantastic story of a bear and his family, and the friends he has in his neighborhood.  My favorite Little Bear story (at least from the TV series) is when he imagines that he is going to the moon, and meets moon creatures, including one who acts like his mother.  Sendak's illustrations brought those books to life for me.


His Wiki page describes his career in more detail, and it includes many things I never knew about him.  But the only thing I need to know is, he was an amazing person, a great writer and illustrator, and created one of the most fantastical worlds for me: the jungle, inhabited by Wild Things, visited and conquered by the Max in all of us.


"Please don't go. We'll eat you up. We love you so."

Make An Impact

Being friends with a published author has its advantages and disadvantages.  Being able to read and offer feedback on new work is a really great experience, but knowing that a series you've been enjoying for three books may not see the light at the end of the tunnel really puts a damper on things.  That's when you have to think about your priorities, and your friendship, and what you're really willing to do to see something get published.

Readers are driving the market right now, as it seems they always have.  I spent several years working in a bookstore, and never truly appreciated how those books came to be there.  Every month we would get catalogues in the mail, with page after page of books by authors I'd never heard of.  I would thumb through them, ask if I could get an ARC if they were offered, maybe see what might be ordered.  Sometimes the manager would have circled a book or marked the page, so I would know to expect it.  Sometimes there would be something interesting that was crossed off, or that seemed to have been overlooked.  Often my suggestions were not heeded.

The reason is that I am in the minority.  I accept it, I've accepted it my whole life.  Fantasy and sci-fi are not the most popular genres, and they don't produce the bestselling novels that seem to be constantly on the shelves.  James Patterson, Nora Roberts, Nicholas Sparks - all of them command an audience's attention, whether good or bad (mostly bad - but that's just my opinion).  They somehow earn their spots at the top by writing the same book, over and over again.  There's no imagination, there's no spark, there's no (and I hate to say this when talking about fantasy, but) magic to them.  There's nothing in them that makes me think, "Wow, this could never happen in real life but I love it!"  It is so much easier for them to get published simply because they have the readership, whereas fantasy and science fiction generally don't.  Aside from tried-and-true geniuses like Ray Bradbury, Terry Pratchett (who, despite his decline in popularity and recognition still manages to end up on the bestseller list for at least one week when a new book comes out - AND he gets published in hardcover), Neil Gaiman, and yes, even J.K. Rowling, very rarely are new authors published, and even more rarely are new fantasy and science fiction available in hard cover.  The sales aren't there.  That is sad.

What makes this all the more personal is that I know a fantasy writer.  I consider her, Katharine Kerr, a friend.  I invited her to my wedding, even though I knew she probably couldn't come, just because I wanted her to know that I appreciate and care about her.  She has let me read advance copies of some of the Nola O'Grady books, which has been an indescribably happy experience for me.  I wish I could never see the end of it.

But with the first two books not selling as well as the publishers had hoped, and with the massive amounts of piracy of the existing books, Kit is facing what many other series writers face: the end of the series before it's finished.  But maybe we, as readers, can help.  Maybe we can help all of our favorite authors.  It all starts with, well, buying the book.  Show the publishers you want this material.  Show the authors you want them to keep writing.  Don't just download it from some poorly-copied website, buy the actual book.  Secondly, if your favorite writers' books are in danger of not being published, write to the publisher.  Tell them how much you enjoy the series and want to continue to see it published.  Tell them you want to make sure the authors you love are compensated for their hard work, and that the readers get to continue to enjoy the hard work of the writers they love.

I would like to ask all of you Kit fans out there to please write to DAW and tell them how much you are enjoying the Nola O'Grady series, and would like to see it completed.  You can contact them by e-mail, or by snail mail.  I sent an e-mail off this afternoon, but I might try to send a paper letter soon too.  Every little bit helps.

And I urge each and every one of you, if you find that your favorite authors are in danger of not  having their hard and wonderful work published, write to their publishers.  Show your appreciation.  And most importantly, buy the books.

Goodreads: Independent Book Blogger Awards

Hello everyone!

I know it's been a little spare around here lately, and that's my own fault.  I've been reading a lot, but haven't been motivated enough to write about what I'm reading.  I guess it has to do with the fact that I've been reading a lot of great books, but they aren't books that compel me to say much other than "I loved it!"  I did manage to finish Little Dorrit a couple weeks ago, which made me very happy.  It was a great book, but it really did take some of my love for Dickens away.

In other news, Goodreads is starting their Independent Book Blogger Awards and I nominated myself.  Why not, right?

Voting doesn't start until April 10th, but please vote for my blog! I could win a trip to Book Expo America in NYC, and I've always wanted to go to a book expo!

Vote for this blog for the Independent Book Blogger Awards!

Vote

National Women's Day

I'm not big on the whole "National (Whatever) Day" thing considering every day is a National Something Day.  I wonder if there's a National Walk Your Dog Day.  But I did see one article that made me think, and truly appreciate women in this culture that seems to be regressing back to the idea of women as property.  (That's an aside that's neither here nor there, just thought I'd throw it out there.)

This article on Flavorwire lists 10 kick-ass female literary characters, some of which I agree with, and some of which are arguable.  I disagree with Hester Prynne, only because I really hated that book.  She may have come out with her head held high, but I never really read her as a strong woman.  I also admired Jane Eyre, but didn't particularly enjoy her as a character.  Considering she falls for a man who lacks any real redeeming qualities, it bothers me that the book garnered so much critical attention.  Granted, it was very daring for its day, but meh.  I preferred Wuthering Heights.


So let's see, who would I count among my top 10 kick-ass strong literary women?  Let me ponder this.


1. Fanny Price, of Mansfield Park by Jane Austen.
 Why:  Fanny is, in my opinion, Austen's "new" model of the True Woman.  In an era when women were married off for money or family alliances, had no say in their own lives, and were expected to be meek and submissive, Fanny shines as an example of having a will and mind of her own while remaining true to herself and faithful to her family.  She refuses to get in the way of her cousin's happiness even though his happiness would cause her grief, and she also refuses the hand of a man she knows to be a rake despite the knowledge that she disappoints her uncle.  I admire her strength, standing fast until her knowledge of her suitor is exposed, and it is fitting that she then gets what she truly wants: she gets to marry her love.


2 & 3. Hope Leslie and Magawisca, of Hope Leslie by Catharine Maria Sedgwick
Why: Well, Goodreads' summary of the book says it best.  At the center of the novel are two friends whose actions and attitudes illustrate female strengths and values. Hope Leslie, a spirited thinker in a repressive Puritan society, fights for justice for the Indians and asserts the equality of the sexes by defying the patriarchs and choosing her own husband. Magawisca, the daughter of a Pequot chief, braves her father's wrath to save a white man and risks her freedom to reunite Hope with her sister, who as a child was captured by the Pequots and has chosen to remain with them.  Sorry I didn't write it, but I really liked the way they put this.  These two characters stand up for what they believe in during a time when it was dangerous for women to speak out, especially for Native American women.


4. Isabella Linwood, of The Linwoods by Catharine Maria Sedgwick
Why: CMS makes a second appearance on my list because of her penchant for writing strong female characters.  Her literature was based around a reformation of the True Woman, her stories about strong women replacing the old True Woman.  Isabella is one of my favorite female characters because of her strength in defying her father, a Tory, and defending her brother, a Rebel.  She puts herself in mortal danger through her political activity, and for that she replaces her weak-minded friend Bessie as the new True Woman.  Also, I love this book so much because of how subversive it was in its commentary about women and society.


5. Sophie, of Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Why: Sophie is one of the most powerful female characters in literature simply because she keeps going on, driving the story and her own life.  She is turned into an old woman by the Witch of the Waste and yet she goes on a journey to get her own body back.  She saves her love, and she saves others who have fallen under the power of the Witch.  She is a character toward whom other characters gravitate.  She has attitude and spunk and she gets her sh*t done!  Also, in sequels to the novel, she does a great job at keeping her family safe and rescuing them from harm.  Gotta love Sophie, she is one kick-ass chick!


6. Jill, of The Deverry Cycle by Katharine Kerr
Why: Jill, through all of her incarnations in this epic fantasy series, always manages to show her inner strength.  She finally comes to terms with who she is (a powerful Dweomermaster) and devotes her life to the Dweomer, giving up the man she loves and the life she used to lead to become someone dangerous.  She is a character I have admired for a long time, and have always felt her strength as an inspiration to myself.

7. Guiwenneth, of The Mythago Wood Cycle by Robert Holdstock

Why: Guiwenneth, and her forms that appear throughout the cycle, is a warrior woman who is so attractive to the men in the books that they follow her into Ryhope Wood, getting lost in its interior world and living through some of her myths.  I've always admired her ability to take care of herself, remaining strong in the face of death and fear, and protecting those she loves from danger.  Even though she is herself a Mythago, she is one of the most substantial Mythagos created from the wood and reappears in very significant ways.  I appreciate her as a strong and kick-ass woman.

8. Antigone, of Antigone by Sophocles

Why: Antigone is possibly one of the earliest strong female characters because of her challenge of politics and morality in ancient Greece.  This play is required reading in many schools, especially the ones I went to, and hats off to those schools!  If young girls pick up on even a portion of her determination, it's a good thing.  Her fight to bury her brothers properly, and defiance of the king of Thebes, lands her a death sentence.  Instead of fighting it, running away, weeping or falling apart, she faces her fate and dies with dignity and power.  Her death shows how important her fight was.

For my last two, I'm going to agree with the article I linked.

9. Lisbeth Salander, of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

10. Katniss Everdeen, of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Who would you put in your top 10?

House Hunting

Not too much is happening on the book front these days.  I've been reading some ARCs that I requested from NetGalley, but so far nothing's been too impressive.  I'm also having trouble getting the books saved to my flash drive, but that's neither here nor there.  So since I'm home sick today (there's something going around, a little worse than a cold but not quite the flu) I figure I'll talk about our house hunting project.

Chris and I have been looking at houses in Massachusetts almost every weekend for over a month now, not including all the houses we looked at in New York before the holidays.  I want to say we've completely given up on NY real estate, but there are still some houses that we could afford if we really wanted to try.  The problem is, he hates NY and I'm ambivalent.  So we've been looking more in MA and having a lot more luck there.  Every weekend we've seen between 5 and 7 houses.  After a few viewings I thought we had found "our house," but it turned out not to be so.  Considering we want to spend a long time in the house, eventually raising a family there, it needs to be large enough for us to expand into, but not so large that it's unmanageable.  Quite frankly, that's been difficult to find in our price range.

But on the plus side, and on a book-related note which keeps this blog post on-topic, I've been getting some really awesome ideas for a library during these viewings.  A couple weeks ago we looked at a house decorated in 1930's style - dark heavy woodwork, lots of art, an older kitchen, and original floors (that needed some serious work).  The former owner, who had passed away, was a book and art dealer (my kind of guy).  The books were gone (sadface), but the bookcases were still there on the porch.  There were TONS of them, probably literally.  Haha.  Yeah, maybe not.  Anyway, the realtor who was showing the place was telling us about his history with books, and how many thousands he had owned, and I got more and more excited.  The house wasn't for us, but I was having a great time looking around.

And then we went upstairs.  The bathroom was meh, the bedrooms were meh, but as I walked out of one, my realtor said, "Oh Megan, this is YOUR room..." and showed me into the library.  It was floor-to-ceiling bookcases, built into the walls, on two sides of the room.  In the middle was a table with a chair for reading, perusing, researching, what have you.  I almost died.  It wasn't a beautiful library, but it was the first house I'd seen where I had fully connected with the previous owner.  I could tell, this guy loved his books.

A lot of the houses we are seeing have built-in shelving, sometimes in the bedrooms, or finished basements, but most often in the living rooms, usually around a fireplace.  Those shelving units are rarely used to store books (at least in the homes that are currently occupied); instead, I see knickknacks and kitsch taking up the shelves.  I think to myself, these would be great for books!  Most of the time, Chris agrees.  He's even started taking the initiative, and now points out where we could build in shelves if there aren't any there already.  We're actually both doing this.  He understands how important a library space is to me, and he wants an office with built-ins as well.

If we end up in a home without enough rooms to do a dedicated library, well we'll just have to live with setting up an office and lining the walls with book cases.  But we are looking for just the right space, because my collection is important to me, and I want to be able to display it properly.

Tomorrow is another big day of house hunting.  Our realtor has set up a bunch of showings for us yet again, some we found, some she did.  She's been so great with finding just the right houses, and while none have been "our house" yet, we are confident we will find one soon.  And who knows, maybe it will have that perfect library space after all.

Short Video: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Watch this while you can - I have a feeling it will be removed soon.  This short film (15 mins.) is up for an Oscar for Best Animated Short.  Such a perfectly beautiful message - as long as we read, books will live for us.

Bookstore Design

As a follower of NPR Books on Facebook, I see a lot of articles about new books, neat poems, and all sorts of focused articles. But today they posted a link to The 20 Most Beautiful Books in the World, a fantastic display of over-the-top crazy-awesome bookstores like you've never seen before. And if you have seen them before, consider me jealous.  Check it out, because some of these bookstores are simply works of art.

From the article:

With Amazon slowly taking over the publishing world and bookstores closing left and right, things can sometimes seem a little grim for the brick and mortar booksellers of the world. After all, why would anyone leave the comfort of their couch to buy a book when with just a click of a button, they could have it delivered to their door? Well, here’s why: bookstores so beautiful they’re worth getting out of the house (or the country) to visit whether you need a new hardcover or not. We can’t overestimate the importance of bookstores — they’re community centers, places to browse and discover, and monuments to literature all at once — so we’ve put together a list of the most beautiful bookstores in the world, from Belgium to Japan to Slovakia.

 They make a fantastic point: bookstores are gathering places for the community.  Many have couches, nice lounge chairs, some even have coffee shops in them.  I think one of the biggest mistake that Friar Tuck, the bookstore where I used to work, ever made was not creating a reading area.  Sure, there were a couple of small tables and a fancy chair (that honestly wasn't very comfortable), but the tables and chairs were metal and did not facilitate any sort of community.  Also, they were at the front of the store, which got very cold in the winter because of the door opening and closing.  They were right up next to the little coffee dispensers, and were too close together for people to easily browse the magazines while others were sitting at the tables reading newspapers.

It's been a big dream for me for a long time to own a bookstore someday.  I've imagined how it would look: some crazy-shaped bookcases, built-in bookcases in the walls along with the rolling ladders (like they had in some of the Borders bookstores before they closed, but with more of an historical look to them), great areas for displays of niche books, and definitely a great space for reading.  Or even a few spaces placed throughout.  I want it to look cozy, a little old, but still very welcoming and current.  I want to carry books that the masses would like, as well as the books that collectors crave.  See?  I have a vision.

But my vision doesn't quite compare to some of the bookstores around the world.  That's okay though, because as long as there are readers, there will be bookstores selling books.  And if I can be a part of that, it will make me so happy.

Review: Apocalypse to Go by Katharine Kerr

This book will be released on February 7, 2012.  I have actually read it, and it is fantastic!  Kit will be doing a signing on February 11th at Borderlands Books in San Franciso.  You can order signed copies from their website by e-mailing them if you don't live locally.  There is also a giveaway over on Goodreads that you can enter.  Kit says these will be shipped directly from the publisher, so they will not be signed.

You can read excerpts at her blog, along with progress updates on her other works, and other non-book talk.

Apocalypse to Go by Katharine Kerr

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Nola O'Grady gets deeper into the deviant world levels in the third installment of this exciting series. Greeted by a projection of a leopard-woman one morning, followed by a vision of the destruction of the level known as Interchange, Nola grabs her partner (in every sense of the word) and heads off on an exciting and fast-paced mission. Her goal at first is to find out who this "ASO Fourteen" who has been contacting Ari is. But it leads her somewhere I don't think she ever anticipated.



Family secrets come to the surface as Nola finds out who her father really is, and where he has been for so long. The climax of the book comes upon the reader with anticipation and a big bang. And Nola makes a huge change for the better - but you'll have to read to find that one out.



This is a fantastic addition to the series and sets up a great continuation into the next book, not yet published. Check it out - you will enjoy this, and you'll be surprised at how the action carries you through. I finished in about two days, and enjoyed every minute!



View all my reviews

Review: The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold

The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book was a bit of a disappointment, because I went in with such high hopes for it. I think that Alice Sebold came out swinging with The Lovely Bones, and she just can't seem to live up to it with this book. In fact, I don't think it's possible for her to beat The Lovely Bones, because it was just that beautiful.

The Almost Moon is about Helen, a woman who has been stuck with a mentally ill mother and an emotionally unstable father her whole life. It took her many years to see it, but once she figured it all out, she became very detached from her family. However, at the same time, she was completely unable to make a decision concerning her own future - rather, she let life be something that happened to her, rather than living her life to the full. When she makes the split-second decision to smother her mother, her one act of control in the entire book, she disconnects from the rest of the narrative and from herself. She doesn't seem to know herself, or anyone around her. She can't make a coherent decision or even have a truly coherent thought from that point on.

Spoilers after the jump.

Cover Art and the Power of an Image

My husband shared this editorial with me tonight, because he knows how I've been such a judge of cover art in the past. Everyone likes to say that they don't choose books based on their cover art, but we all know that in some way, that's the reality.

I've always been drawn to covers that are bright colors, usually blues, reds and pinks. Also, when covers have fantastical scenes on them my eyes go right to them. I think it's because I have always lived in a sort of fantasy world, and my primary subject matter is fantasy/sci-fi. But I am also attracted by more human art, pictures of people or even something simple. But not just any pictures of people - I like strange crops, odd focuses, and things that have been blurred a bit with some subtle colorings.

The writer of the editorial listed a bunch of covers that draw his eye, but only one of them is one I actually picked out on my own as something I want to read. Below are some covers that popped out at me, that made me want to read the book (not necessarily buy it, but at least try to win it in a giveaway).







What kinds of covers do you gravitate towards?