You Know You're A Librarian When. . .

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You have to force yourself to not speak to someone working at your local library when you see a beloved book of your childhood--a former quest book, no less--miscategorized into the YA section.

You also have to restrain yourself from passive-aggressively reshelving the book in the children's section.

And then you go home and search the consortium catalog to confirm your suspicion that every other library, presumably staffed by rational librarians, have this book in children's.Which they do. You're tempted to search WorldCat for further vindication, but you restrain yourself.

You yearn to check the circulation statistics and history of the book's categorization. But since you don't have access to the library's records, you resort to venting your righteous indignation to the world. You cling to the thought that it could be worse; you could theoretically be more nutty. At least you're not this guy. Or this guy:

Feature and Follow Friday #14

Feature & Follow Friday is a weekly social blog hop between book bloggers. There are two regular hosts: Parajunkee and Alison of Alison Can Read, and two special guest hosts every week. If you want to join in, click on either of their blogs to get the details. The FF question of the day is: 

Q: Do you read one book at a time or do you switch back and forth between two or more?

 

 I am a serial monogamist, and I almost always read one book at a time.We're talking deep-seated personality hard wiring, so I feel weird taking on more than one book at a time. But if I'm not really into a book, I'll start reading another while simultaneously continuing to give the first a chance. If the second book's good, the first book's a goner. 

(Source)

I bet whichever side you align with could extend to all sorts of things in life! It's sort of like relationship modes--imagine most of the people at right replaced with books. 

Some of us are monogamists; some are polygamists. I'm not sure any of us practice exclusive promiscuity, because the books can't interact yet with each other. Maybe that's the future of digital books?

Third Sentence Thursday: CLOCKWORK ANGEL

It's Thursday again, somehow, and time to play along with Proud Brook Nerd. Here are the rules: "take the book you are currently reading and post the third sentence of the third chapter. Feel free to share one or two of the following sentences, if you’d like."

 I'm rereading Cassandra Clare's CLOCKWORK ANGEL because I want to read CLOCKWORK PRINCE and realized that I'd forgotten much of the plot of the first book. I experience this problem more than I'd like to admit, especially with books that have fast paced plots. 

Since I read them so fast, I think I retain less. I should coin this Harry Potter Reading Recall Syndrome, since, similarly, I read every one of Rowling's tomes and can barely remember a sliver of the actual plots. Yes, I could just read slower. But it's sort of like eating a bag of potato chips all in one sitting. Sometimes it's hard to stop experiencing something you enjoy!

The third of the third:

"As Tessa watched, their features changed, their eyes sinking into their heads, their hair falling out, and stitches appearing across their lips, sewing them shut."

Intense. Examining this line reminds me that there are a lot of moments that I think are meant to be gruesome and horrific in CLOCKWORK ANGEL, but they don't truly have that  impact on me. I may be jaded  due to my recent immersion in the genre, but the automatons and various cruel supernatural creatures in CLOCKWORK ANGEL don't horrify me. I prefer it that way, actually. Clare's Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices series appeal to me because they're cozy. It feels like there's always a cushion behind the bad things that happen in Clare's novels. 

I realize this sounds like an insult, something along the lines of saying the books don't have high stakes or emotional impact. But I read Clare's books because I enjoy them so much. Crazy amounts of enjoyment! Sometimes I want to read a book that I'll think about for weeks, in which the reading experience will involve lots of uncomfortable moments. Other times, I want a book that just feels good. In the best possible sense, Clare's work reminds me of Charlaine Harris's. Theirs are the books you can retreat into when you need a story that won't play too rough with you.

YA Highway: Road Trip Wednesday #13

"Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic." Today's question on the YA Highway Road Trip is:

This Week's Topic:

What was the best book you read in March? 

(source)

I am completely in love with my favorite book read for March. Anna Sheehan's A LONG, LONG SLEEP was so amazing. It got mixed reviews, which really surprised me, because I think it transcends the dystopian genre to powerfully examine issues of identity and abuse. The dystopian setting was just that--a setting.

The device of Anna being placed in stasis was used not as an example of how the entire world was screwed up, but how technology can be used in the service of child abuse. Anna's experiences are timeless, and Sheehan effectively uses the idea of stasis to retell the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. Just when I was getting sick of reading dystopian novels about fighting factions, A LONG, LONG SLEEP reminded me that there are incredible novels out there that while dystopian, focus more intimately on their characters.

P.S. Which cover do you prefer? I like the one on the left best, but I think that's because I usually prefer covers which aren't "portraits." For a portrait, the one on the right is quite pretty!

Feature and Follow Friday #13

Feature & Follow Friday is a weekly social blog hop between book bloggers. There are two regular hosts: Parajunkee and Alison of Alison Can Read, and two special guest hosts every week. If you want to join in, click on either of their blogs to get the details. The FF question of the day is: 

Q: What is the longest book you've read? What are your favorite 600+ page reads?

 

  My favorite 600+ read is JONATHAN STRANGE AND MR. NORRELL, by Susanna Clarke.  It was published in 2004, and I've been waiting ever since for Clarke to write another novel. The length of this novel is key to its success. It's so complicated and rich that the story simply couldn't be told in less than the 800 pages it clocks in at.

I gravitate towards longer books, because if I like the book, greater length means I get to stay in the book's world longer. But it's pretty rare that I come across a book that's 600+ pages.  The only book other than JONATHAN STRANGE that comes to mind is Diane Gabaldon's OUTLANDER (no doubt the rest of the books in the series are equally long, but I only read one or two after OUTLANDER). 

At least, that's what I thought until I did a bit of digging. A number of my favorite novels, like MIDDLEMARCH (900 pages) and ANNA KARENINA (872), are well over 600 pages long. The things you learn on Feature & Follow Friday!

 

The Cranky Divorcee Addresses the Plight of the Irish-American Heroine

Iris Murdoch said it best: “I think being a woman is like being Irish. Everyone says you're important and nice, but you take second place all the same.”

In a belated tribute to Saint Patrick’s Day, our peculiarly Irish-American holiday that encapsulates the duality of the Irish in its revolting signature dish of corned beef and cabbage and its gloriously enabling obligation to drink, the Cranky Divorcee will address the romantic plight of television’s most beleaguered Irish-American heroine: Fiona Gallagher.

Sometimes one must break from form a little. The heroine in question would never write to ask for help for an advice columnist. Call her too proud, despite the title of her show. She’s not the type to whine, unlike some who write to the Cranky Divorcee. This advice is unsolicited, but perhaps even more necessary for being so.

Fiona. You keep hoping that they’re going to change—your family, your boyfriends—even though you know they won’t. But that hope is very hard to let go of. So you muddle along, negotiating a return to a relationship with a sociopathic asshole who isn’t even attractive. Now he’s married and fucking up even more ambitiously. So why do you let him into your life? Because he’s a fuck up, and that feels familiar.

You know how to do fucked up. But there's more to life! There’s a middle ground between rich douche bags who treat you like a hooker and assholes who vault the line between stalker and admirer, never looking back. Go find some middle ground! The way you live now is heart breaking. It's even cracked mine a bit.

A visit to the world of the British version of your show may be in order. You won’t believe how short shrifted you’ve been when you meet the other Steve. Played by James McAvoy—well, I could just stop right there, couldn’t I? British Fiona runs away with him and leaves her family behind. She lives happily ever after with a sweetly reformed felon who no longer indulges in grand theft auto. Take a cue. St. Patrick would approve. More importantly, so would I.

Feature and Follow Friday #12

Feature & Follow Friday is a weekly social blog hop between book bloggers. There are two regular hosts: Parajunkee and Alison of Alison Can Read, and two special guest hosts every week. If you want to join in, click on either of their blogs to get the details. The FF question of the day is: 

Q: What is the best book you've read in the last month? What is the worst book you've read in the last month?

 

I've started a lot of books in the last month or so that I haven't and won't finish, like SHATTER ME and ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS. But I stopped reading because those books just didn't click with me, not because they were poorly executed or conceived. I've started a Pinterest board to record the books that I couldn't finish. My goal isn't to trash the books or their authors, but to record for myself the books that I didn't mesh with.

 

I've also read a number of books that were mediocre.  I read them to the end, but they failed in either plotting, characterization, pacing, ending, or any number of other aspects. Several of Laura Lippman's and Kate White's books fell into this category for me this month. So did Lauren DeStefano's FEVER.

 

It's much harder to identify a best and worst book. Of the books that I've finished, nearly all of them have been mysteries. The worst book was probably Sara Blaedel's CALL ME PRINCESS. This novel would have remained in the mediocre category without its atrocious ending. It doesn't conclude so much as stop. The title figures prominently into the solution to the mystery, but in a way that feels forced. The solution to the mystery is bare bones, and the actual conclusion feels as though several pages were missing. 

 

The best book I've read so far in March is Tess Gerritsen's THE BONE GARDEN. I'm not very enthusiastic in deeming this the "best" book of my month. It was an engaging book, and it doesn't have any glaring flaws, but it just manages to rise above the mediocre.

 Here's hoping that since the month is only at the halfway mark, I'll stumble upon some better books soon. Perhaps even via this hop!

Third Sentence Thursday: THE HYPNOTIST

 Time to play Third Sentence Thursday, a blog game hosted by Proud Brook Nerd.  Here are the rules: "take the book you are currently reading and post the third sentence of the third chapter. Feel free to share one or two of the following sentences, if you’d like."

I'm reading THE HYPNOTIST, by Lars Kepler.

The third of the third:

Erik says the boy’s name, and something passes painfully across the face.

I think it's fair to say that's not a great sentence. I'm only half way through the book, and I haven't pin able to pin this one down. It's the type of novel I was looking for--a creepy thriller that features an evil child. 

However, it's intensely gruesome in a gratuitous way, and unless something changes quickly, the plot is extremely predictable. It is excessively long--some might even say self-indulgently so--and there may be a shocking twist in the next 250 pages.

 But I'm not sure I'll be able to keep reading till the end, as the stilted prose (which may be a problem with the translation) and the predictability are making me rapidly lose interest. I'll update if this novel ends up on the "did not finish" list.

The one thing this novel has going for it is the cover above on the left. It's a perfect blend of elements that intrinsically make the reader fearful--the figure in the shadows,the stairs, the red carpet. It's subtle, unlike the alternate cover above on the right. Unfortunately, I think that the cover on the right is more representative of the novel.

In Which I Am The Last Person In The World To Notice: Curseworkers Cover Editions

 I should preface this discussion of the Curseworkers series covers by saying that I'm a big Holly Black fan girl, and thus am more interested in the covers of this series than may be proportionate.

Or maybe I just don't like change.

But I'm not really feeling the new covers of the Curseworkers series that are being released when the final book in the trilogy   comes out in April 2012. The new cover will join two previous cover versions of WHITE CAT.

I'm late to the book blogger party in discussing the cover changes, but the whiplash I'm experiencing between the different versions is so severe, I feel compelled to share.

It seems clear that the various cover designers don't consider any one element to be an essential in the visual representation of the story.  I thought the first one was fun, but not exceptional. I abhor the UK version with the little cat by its lonesome, and I'm just mystified by the latest swirly iteration. So why not throw my hat into the ring?

At right is my tongue in cheek take on the WHITE CAT cover, borrowing heavily from the cover of ANYTHING ELSE BUT LOVE by Ankita Chadha.

Two Kinds of People

I find it difficult to transition from the weekend to the work-for-pay week. (Writing is a constant, so happily Monday isn't different from any other day.) "Springing forward" just makes the beginning of the week all the more hellish.

(Source)

Sometimes musing on happy things helps bridge the gap between weekend freedom and week day drudgery.

But sometimes reading about happy things on a Monday makes you want to swallow razor blades. If you're a metal object person, you'll probably want to skip to the end now.

For the optimists, here are some awesome things that have happened lately that made me happy. I hope they make you happy.

Kerri Maniscalco got an agent! I know Kerri only online, but she is a really awesome person who was blogging to inspire other writers long before she got signed. Her 5 Things You Can Be Proud of Right Now post is exactly what you need to read when you hit the writer's slough of despair and self loathing. Her Twitter focuses on inspiring but not insipid quotes. I'll be keeping close tabs on when Kerri's novel will making its way to us. 

The Vampire Diaries is back from another one of its seasonal breaks this Thursday! It's a little bit farther off, but in the same vein, Mad Men returns on the 25th. It's the little things, folks.

Lauren Oliver's PANDEMONIUM is better than DELIRIUM, according to Phoebe North's review up at The Intergalactic Academy (and probably lots of other people's reviews, but hers is enough for me).

The power of three is well known, so I'll stop with this trio of good news (but secretly I consider the picture above of the little boy a fourth reason to get happy. Just look at those eyes! And cheeks!) 

For the razor blade crowd, the Cranky Divorcee will be making an appearance soon to commiserate.

Navel Gazing via Pinterest: March

(Source)

One can view cataloging your monthly obsessions on Pinterest as a form of journaling, or a form of public narcissism. Quite possibly it's both. Nonetheless, I've started recording the flotsam and jetsam of my monthly loves. 

Does anybody else do this? I'd love to visually browse the minutiae of other people's minds. Total voyeurism, subtype writerly. 

Feed my craving and share your own versions!

Feature and Follow Friday #11

Feature & Follow Friday is a weekly social blog hop between book bloggers. There are two regular hosts: Parajunkee and Alison of Alison Can Read, and two special guest hosts every week. If you want to join in, click on either of their blogs to get the details. The FF question of the day is:

Q: Have you ever looked at book’s cover and thought, This is going to horrible? But, was instead pleasantly surprised? Show us the cover and tell us about the book.

While I generally am far too influenced by book covers to pick up a book that doesn't appeal visually, I've had different reactions to two different covers of the same book.  Although I started with the cover that appealed, it's fascinating to look at the less attractive cover and measure my reaction against the actual book.

Brenna Yovanoff's THE REPLACEMENT is the perfect example of a book which shaped my expectations entirely because of its cover. I did not encounter the U.K. version, at right, until after I read it, but if I had, I would never have read the novel. It's horribly cheesy, and somehow reminiscent of the not soapy enough to be interesting TV adaptation of L.J. Smith's THE SECRET CIRCLE.

On the left is the U.S. cover that led me to buy this book off the bookshelf store, without having read any reviews or even having heard of the book at all. I love this cover, and was confident that the book would be frightening and original.  

The interesting thing about the two covers is that if I had to judge the book by its cover, it's actually somewhere in between the two. It's not as bad as its U.K. version, but it doesn't fulfill the promise of its U.S. version. 

Without resorting to the familiar cliche, I like the idea of reviewing a book by its different covers. Everyone has a different aesthetic sense, but I believe that there's a lot more commonality between what we can immediately judge as appealing or not in a book cover  than there is in reading a review. Since a review is always a reflection of the reviewer as much as the work, judging a book by multiple covers is almost an easier way to gauge whether a book will align with your individual taste. 

If only every book had multiple covers! Of course, sometimes the different covers aren't obviously better and worse. But when they are, it's very useful to be able say the book is more like Cover A than Cover B.

YA Highway Road Trip Wednesday #12

"Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic." Today's question on the YA Highway Road Trip is:  

NAME THIS LIFE: What would your memoir be called?

Can I just say, this question is hard? Really. Coming up with titles for your fiction is hard enough. Encapsulating the essence of your life in a title is daunting! I decided to brush up on recent memoir and biography titles for inspiration. Here are some of the best and worst:
 

Best

 
1. LIVES LIKE LOADED GUNS: EMILY DICKINSON AND HER FAMILY'S FEUDS by Lyndall Gordon
     This biography of Emily Dickinson and her family uses a line of her poetry for the title. Of  course, when you're working with Dickinson, you have a wealth of possibilities for a title. This title is both lyrical and a representation of the content of the biography.
 

2. BATTLE HYMN OF THE TIGER MOTHER by Amy Chua.
     Philosophy aside, this title is really catchy.

3. SAVAGE BEAUTY: THE LIFE OF EDNA ST. VINCENT MILLAY by Nancy Milford.  
     This title is a little florid, just like Millay's life and work.

Worst

1. LIFE by Keith Richards. 
     I mean, come on. The man has probably forgotten more outrageous anecdotes than a dozen of us put together will experience in a lifetime. There was nothing more specific they could come up with than LIFE? 

2. JUST KIDS by Patti Smith.
     What is it with musicians and flat titles?

3. SOULA COASTER: THE DIARY OF ME  by R.Kelly.
     Can you see my eyes rolling so hard I'm afraid they might get stuck? I have faith you can. I assume "SOULA COASTER" is supposed be a play on "rollercoaster?" Yeah. Not working for me.

I would probably go with a phrase of poetry or a lyric. Maybe TANGLED UP IN BLUE after the Dylan song? It implies that the memoir will be tragic, which isn't really what I'm going for, but it sounds good. Like what would your pseudonym be, this is another YA Highway question I'm glad I don't have to answer in real life!

PRETTY AMY & Worst Prom Photo Contest

Today's a personal blogging milestone: my first cover reveal! Across the blog-o-sphere, readers are now viewing the cover of debut author Lisa Burstein's PRETTY AMY for the first time. Ta da!  

Entangled Publishing says, "We will be hosting a Worst Prom Photo contest in the weeks leading up to AMY's release on May 15. So make sure to dust off your old prom photos—the more tulle, bows, and big hair the better!—and watch Lisa's site, http://www.lisaburstein.com, for details on how to submit/enter to win a beauty package."

Here's the book blurb: "Amy is fine living in the shadows of beautiful Lila and uber-cool Cassie, because at least she’s somewhat beautiful and uber-cool by association. But when their dates stand them up for prom, and the girls take matters into their own hands—earning them a night in jail outfitted in satin, stilettos, and Spanx—Amy discovers even a prom spent in handcuffs might be better than the humiliating “rehabilitation techniques” now filling up her summer. 

Worse, with Lila and Cassie parentally banned, Amy feels like she has nothing--like she nothing. . .Bringing readers along on an often hilarious journey, Amy finds that maybe getting a life only happens when you think your life is over."

Looking at the cover, I'm mesmerized by the poofy layers and the girl's shoes.  I think maybe there are two types of high school girls in the world--those who wear heels to the prom, and those who don't.  You can see in the photo below which camp I fell into.

Actually, the grass is pretty high, so maybe you can't see that I was wearing flats, third from the left. Why my dress wasn't five inches longer, I will never know. 

Questions for the Future #5